at he was talking about."

They did not like to contradict him, because they felt he ought to know
the nature of foxes better than men did; so they sat still and watched
the play, and Button-Bright became so interested that for the time he
forgot he wore a fox head.

Afterward they went back to the palace and slept in soft beds stuffed
with feathers; for the foxes raised many fowl for food, and used their
feathers for clothing and to sleep upon.

Dorothy wondered why the animals living in Foxville did not wear just
their own hairy skins, as wild foxes do; when she mentioned it to King
Dox he said they clothed themselves because they were civilized.

"But you were born without clothes," she observed, "and you don't seem
to me to need them."

"So were human beings born without clothes," he replied; "and until they
became civilized they wore only their natural skins. But to become
civilized means to dress as elaborately and prettily as possible, and to
make a show of your clothes so your neighbors will envy you, and for
that reason both civilized foxes and civilized humans spend most of
their time dressing themselves."

"I don't," declared the shaggy man.

"That is true," said the King, looking at him carefully: "but perhaps
you are not civilized."

After a sound sleep and a good night's rest they had their breakfast
with the King and then bade his Majesty good-bye.

"You've been kind to us--'cept poor Button-Bright," said Dorothy, "and
we've had a nice time in Foxville."

"Then," said King Dox, "perhaps you'll be good enough to get me an
invitation to Princess Ozma's birthday celebration."

"I'll try," she promised; "if I see her in time."

"It's on the twenty-first, remember," he continued; "and if you'll just
see that I'm invited I'll find a way to cross the Dreadful Desert into
the marvelous Land of Oz. I've always wanted to visit the Emerald City,
so I'm sure it was fortunate you arrived here just when you did, you
being Princess Ozma's friend and able to assist me in getting the
invitation."

"If I see Ozma I'll ask her to invite you," she replied.

The Fox-King had a delightful luncheon put up for them, which the shaggy
man shoved in his pocket, and the fox-captain escorted them to an arch
at the side of the village opposite the one by which they had entered.
Here they found more soldiers guarding the road.

"Are you afraid of enemies?" asked Dorothy.

"No; because we are watchful and able to pro