nce in his brains myself, when first
I came to Oz, for a humbug Wizard gave them to him; but I was soon
convinced that the Scarecrow is really wise; and, unless his brains make
him so, such wisdom is unaccountable."

"Is the Wizard of Oz a humbug?" asked Ojo.

"Not now. He was once, but he has reformed and now assists Glinda the
Good, who is the Royal Sorceress of Oz and the only one licensed to
practice magic or sorcery. Glinda has taught our old Wizard a good many
clever things, so he is no longer a humbug."

They walked a little while in silence and then Ojo said:

"If Ozma forbids the Crooked Magician to restore Unc Nunkie to life,
what shall I do?"

The Shaggy Man shook his head.

"In that case you can't do anything," he said. "But don't be discouraged
yet. We will go to Princess Dorothy and tell her your troubles, and then
we will let her talk to Ozma. Dorothy has the kindest little heart in
the world, and she has been through so many troubles herself that she is
sure to sympathize with you."

"Is Dorothy the little girl who came here from Kansas?" asked the boy.

"Yes. In Kansas she was Dorothy Gale. I used to know her there, and she
brought me to the Land of Oz. But now Ozma has made her a Princess, and
Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are here, too." Here the Shaggy Man
uttered a long sigh, and then he continued: "It's a queer country, this
Land of Oz; but I like it, nevertheless."

"What is queer about it?" asked Scraps.

"You, for instance," said he.

"Did you see no girls as beautiful as I am in your own country?" she
inquired.

"None with the same gorgeous, variegated beauty," he confessed. "In
America a girl stuffed with cotton wouldn't be alive, nor would anyone
think of making a girl out of a patchwork quilt."

"What a queer country America must be!" she exclaimed in great surprise.
"The Scarecrow, whom you say is wise, told me I am the most beautiful
creature he has ever seen."

"I know; and perhaps you are--from a scarecrow point of view," replied
the Shaggy Man; but why he smiled as he said it Scraps could not
imagine.

As they drew nearer to the Emerald City the travelers were filled with
admiration for the splendid scenery they beheld. Handsome houses stood
on both sides of the road and each had a green lawn before it as well as
a pretty flower garden.

"In another hour," said the Shaggy Man, "we shall come in sight of the
walls of the Royal City."

He was walking ahead, with