d Aunt Em.

"The first dolls I made were not alive," said Miss Cuttenclip. "I used
to live near the castle of a great Sorceress named Glinda the Good, and
she saw my dolls and said they were very pretty. I told her I thought
I would like them better if they were alive, and the next day the
Sorceress brought me a lot of magic paper. 'This is live paper,' she
said, 'and all the dolls you cut out of it will be alive, and able to
think and to talk. When you have used it all up, come to me and I will
give you more.'

"Of course I was delighted with this present," continued Miss
Cuttenclip, "and at once set to work and made several paper dolls,
which, as soon as they were cut out, began to walk around and talk to
me. But they were so thin that I found that any breeze would blow them
over and scatter them dreadfully; so Glinda found this lonely place for
me, where few people ever come. She built the wall to keep any wind
from blowing away my people, and told me I could build a paper village
here and be its Queen. That is why I came here and settled down to
work and started the village you now see. It was many years ago that I
built the first houses, and I've kept pretty busy and made my village
grow finely; and I need not tell you that I am very happy in my work."

"Many years ago!" exclaimed Aunt Em. "Why, how old are you, child?"

"I never keep track of the years," said Miss Cuttenclip, laughing.
"You see, I don't grow up at all, but stay just the same as I was when
first I came here. Perhaps I'm older even than you are, madam; but I
couldn't say for sure."

They looked at the lovely little girl wonderingly, and the Wizard asked:

"What happens to your paper village when it rains?"

"It does not rain here," replied Miss Cuttenclip. "Glinda keeps all
the rain storms away; so I never worry about my dolls getting wet. But
now, if you will come with me, it will give me pleasure to show you
over my paper kingdom. Of course you must go slowly and carefully, and
avoid making any breeze."

They left the cottage and followed their guide through the various
streets of the village. It was indeed an amazing place, when one
considered that it was all made with scissors, and the visitors were
not only greatly interested but full of admiration for the skill of
little Miss Cuttenclip.

In one place a large group of especially nice paper dolls assembled to
greet their Queen, whom it was easy to see they loved early.