fast,
for an unaccountable drowsiness was stealing over them.

Slowly and more slowly, the tired little girl and her great
four-footed companion advanced toward the dimly lighted gate. They were
so drowsy that they had ceased to talk. But they dragged on.

"Hah, hoh, hum!" yawned the Cowardly Lion. "What makes my feet so
heavy?"

He stopped short and examined each of his four feet sleepily.

Dorothy swallowed a yawn and tried to run, but a walk was all she
could manage.

"Hah, hoh, hum!" she gaped, stumbling along with her eyes closed.

By the time they had reached the gate, they were yawning so hard that
the Cowardly Lion had nearly dislocated his jaw, and Dorothy was
perfectly breathless. Holding to the lion's mane to steady herself,
Dorothy blinked up uncertainly at the sign over the gate.

"Hah--here we are--Hoh!" She held her hand wearily before her mouth.

Then, with a great effort, she read the words of the sign.

"Um--Great--Grand and Mighty Slow Kingdom of Pokes! Uh-hah--Pokes! Do
you hear? Hah, hoh, hu, uum!"

Dorothy looked about in alarm, despite her sleepiness.

"Do you hear?" she repeated anxiously as no answer came through the
gloom.

The Cowardly Lion did not hear. He had fallen down and was fast
asleep, and so in another minute was Dorothy, her head pillowed
against his kind, comfortable, cowardly heart. Fast asleep at the
gates of a strange gray city!

CHAPTER 5

SIR HOKUS OF POKES

It was long past sunup before Dorothy awoke. She rubbed her eyes,
yawned once or twice, and then shook the Cowardly Lion. The gates of
the city were open, and although it looked even grayer in the daytime
than it looked at night, the travelers were too hungry to be
particular. A large placard was posted just inside:

THIS IS POKES!
DON'T RUN!
DON'T SING!
TALK SLOWLY!
DON'T WHISTLE!
_Order of the Chief Poker._

read Dorothy. "How cheerful! Hah, hoh, hum-mm!"

"Don't!" begged the Cowardly Lion with tears in his eyes. "If I yawn
again, I'll swallow my tail, and if I don't have something to eat
soon, I'll do it anyway. Let's hurry! There's something queer about
this place, Dorothy! Ah, hah, hoh, hum-mm!"

Stifling their yawns, the two started down the long, narrow street.
The houses were of gray stone, tall and stiff with tiny barred
windows. It was absolutely quiet, and not a person was in sight. But
when they turned the corner, they saw a crowd of q