edges beautifully curled; and all the
plumes were tinted in the same dainty rainbow hues that appeared in
Polychrome's own pretty gauze gown.

"Father ought to see these trees," she murmured; "they are almost as
lovely as his own rainbows."

Then she gave a start of terror, for beneath the trees came stalking two
great beasts, either one big enough to crush the little Daughter of the
Rainbow with one blow of his paws, or to eat her up with one snap of his
enormous jaws. One was a tawny lion, as tall as a horse, nearly; the
other a striped tiger almost the same size.

Polly was too frightened to scream or to stir; she stood still with a
wildly beating heart until Dorothy rushed past her and with a glad cry
threw her arms around the huge lion's neck, hugging and kissing the
beast with evident joy.

"Oh, I'm _so_ glad to see you again!" cried the little Kansas girl. "And
the Hungry Tiger, too! How fine you're both looking. Are you well and
happy?"

[Illustration: DOROTHY THREW HER ARMS AROUND THE LION'S NECK]

"We certainly are, Dorothy," answered the Lion, in a deep voice that
sounded pleasant and kind; "and we are greatly pleased that you have
come to Ozma's party. It's going to be a grand affair, I promise you."

"There will be lots of fat babies at the celebration, I hear," remarked
the Hungry Tiger, yawning so that his mouth opened dreadfully wide and
showed all his big, sharp teeth; "but of course I can't eat any of 'em."

"Is your Conscience still in good order?" asked Dorothy, anxiously.

"Yes; it rules me like a tyrant," answered the Tiger, sorrowfully. "I
can imagine nothing more unpleasant than to own a Conscience," and he
winked slyly at his friend the Lion.

"You're fooling me!" said Dorothy, with a laugh. "I don't b'lieve you'd
eat a baby if you lost your Conscience. Come here, Polly," she called,
"and be introduced to my friends."

Polly advanced rather shyly.

"You have some queer friends, Dorothy," she said.

"The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends," was the
answer. "This is the Cowardly Lion, who isn't a coward at all, but just
thinks he is. The Wizard gave him some courage once, and he has part of
it left."

The Lion bowed with great dignity to Polly.

"You are very lovely, my dear," said he. "I hope we shall be friends
when we are better acquainted."

"And this is the Hungry Tiger," continued Dorothy. "He says he longs to
eat fat babies; but the truth is he is neve