Sir Hokus, they fell into each other's
branches and burst into the most uproarious laughter.

"My dear Magnolia, this is rich! Oh, dear fellow, wait till Sit sees
this; he will be convulsed!" Quite forgetting their furious quarrel,
the two went rollicking down the path together, stopping every few
minutes to look back and laugh at the three strangers.

"Is this usual?" asked Sir Hokus, looking quite dazed.

"I never heard of bushes talking or running around, but I confess I'm
a few centuries behind times!"

"Neither did I!" exclaimed Dorothy. "But then--almost anything's
likely to happen in Oz."

"If these lanterns don't look out something will happen. I'll break
'em to bits," growled the Cowardly Lion, who had been dodging half a
dozen at once.

"How would we look--out?" sniffed one, flying at Dorothy.

"You could light out--or go out," giggled the little girl.

"We never go out unless we're put out," cried another, but as the
Cowardly Lion made a few springs, they flew high into the air and
began talking indignantly among themselves. By this time, the three
had become accustomed to the changing lights.

"I wonder where the people are," said Dorothy, peering down a wide
avenue. "There don't seem to be any houses. Oh, look!"

Three tables set for dinner with the most appetizing viands were
walking jauntily down the street, talking fluent china.

"There must be people!" cried Dorothy.

"One dinner for each of us," rumbled the Cowardly Lion, licking his
chops. "Come on!"

"Perchance they will invite us. If we follow the dinners, we'll come
to the diners," said Sir Hokus mildly.

"Right--as usual." The Cowardly Lion looked embarrassed, for he had
intended pouncing on the tables without further ceremony.

"Hush! Let's go quietly. If they hear us, they may run and upset the
dishes," warned Dorothy. So the three walked softly after the dinner
tables, their curiosity about the people of Fix growing keener at
every step. Several chairs, a sofa and a clothes tree rushed past
them, but as Dorothy said later to Ozma, after talking bushes,
nothing surprised them. The tables turned the corner at the end of
the avenue three abreast, and the sight that greeted Dorothy and her
comrades was strange indeed. Down each side of a long street as far
as they could see stood rows and rows of people. Each one was in the
exact center of a chalked circle, and they were so still that Dorothy
thought they must be statues.

But