r dinner, which will presently be served in the grand tin
dining-hall. I am sorry, Shaggy Man, that I can not offer you a change
of clothing; but I dress only in tin, myself, and I suppose that would
not suit you."

"I care little about dress," said the shaggy man, indifferently.

"So I should imagine," replied the Emperor, with true politeness.

They were shown to their rooms and permitted to make such toilets as
they could, and soon they assembled again in the grand tin dining-hall,
even Toto being present. For the Emperor was fond of Dorothy's little
dog, and the girl explained to her friends that in Oz all animals were
treated with as much consideration as the people--"if they behave
themselves," she added.

Toto behaved himself, and sat in a tin high-chair beside Dorothy and ate
his dinner from a tin platter.

Indeed, they all ate from tin dishes, but these were of pretty shapes
and brightly polished; Dorothy thought they were just as good as silver.

Button-Bright looked curiously at the man who had "no appetite inside
him," for the Tin Woodman, although he had prepared so fine a feast for
his guests, ate not a mouthful himself, sitting patiently in his place
to see that all built so they could eat were well and plentifully
served.

[Illustration: POLYCHROME DANCED GRACEFULLY TO THE MUSIC]

What pleased Button-Bright most about the dinner was the tin orchestra
that played sweet music while the company ate. The players were not
tin, being just ordinary Winkies; but the instruments they played upon
were all tin--tin trumpets, tin fiddles, tin drums and cymbals and
flutes and horns and all. They played so nicely the "Shining Emperor
Waltz," composed expressly in honor of the Tin Woodman by Mr. H. M.
Wogglebug, T. E., that Polly could not resist dancing to it. After she
had tasted a few dewdrops, freshly gathered for her, she danced
gracefully to the music while the others finished their repast; and when
she whirled until her fleecy draperies of rainbow hues enveloped her
like a cloud, the Tin Woodman was so delighted that he clapped his tin
hands until the noise of them drowned the sound of the cymbals.

Altogether it was a merry meal, although Polychrome ate little and the
host nothing at all.

"I'm sorry the Rainbow's Daughter missed her mist-cakes," said the Tin
Woodman to Dorothy; "but by a mistake Miss Polly's mist-cakes were
mislaid and not missed until now. I'll try to have some for her
breakfast."