s were thronged with
men, women, and children to see the procession as it passed out to the
green fields where the ceremonies were to take place.

And what a great procession it was!

First came a thousand young girls--the prettiest in the land--dressed in
white muslin, with green sashes and hair ribbons, bearing great baskets
of red roses. As they walked they scattered these flowers upon the
marble pavements, so that the way was carpeted thick with roses for the
procession to walk upon.

Then came the Rulers of the four Kingdoms of Oz; the Emperor of the
Winkies, the Monarch of the Munchkins, the King of the Quadlings and the
Sovereign of the Gillikins, each wearing a long chain of emeralds around
his neck to show that he was a vassal of the Ruler of the Emerald City.

Next marched the Emerald City Cornet Band, clothed in green-and-gold
uniforms and playing the "Ozma Two-Step." The Royal Army of Oz followed,
consisting of twenty-seven officers, from the Captain-General down to
the Lieutenants. There were no privates in Ozma's Army because soldiers
were not needed to fight battles, but only to look important, and an
officer always looks more imposing than a private.

While the people cheered and waved their hats and handkerchiefs, there
came walking the Royal Princess Ozma, looking so pretty and sweet that
it is no wonder her people love her so dearly. She had decided she
would not ride in her chariot that day, as she preferred to walk in the
procession with her favored subjects and her guests. Just in front of
her trotted the living Blue Bear Rug owned by old Dyna, which wobbled
clumsily on its four feet because there was nothing but the skin to
support them, with a stuffed head at one end and a stubby tail at the
other. But whenever Ozma paused in her walk the Bear Rug would flop down
flat upon the ground for the princess to stand upon until she resumed
her progress.

Following the Princess stalked her two enormous beasts, the Cowardly
Lion and the Hungry Tiger, and even if the Army had not been there these
two would have been powerful enough to guard their mistress from any
harm.

Next marched the invited guests, who were loudly cheered by the people
of Oz along the road, and were therefore obliged to bow to right and
left almost every step of the way. First was Santa Claus, who, because
he was fat and not used to walking, rode the wonderful Saw-Horse. The
merry old gentleman had a basket of small toys with h