spicy with flowers and new-mown hay; and the sunshine fell full upon
them, to warm them and drive away from their bodies the chill and
dampness of the underground kingdom of the Nomes.

"I would be quite content," said the Scarecrow to Tiktok, "were only the
Tin Woodman with us. But it breaks my heart to leave him behind."

"He was a fine fel-low," replied Tiktok, "al-though his ma-ter-i-al was
not ve-ry du-ra-ble."

"Oh, tin is an excellent material," the Scarecrow hastened to say; "and
if anything ever happened to poor Nick Chopper he was always easily
soldered. Besides, he did not have to be wound up, and was not liable
to get out of order."

"I some-times wish," said Tiktok, "that I was stuffed with straw, as you
are. It is hard to be made of cop-per."

"I have no reason to complain of my lot," replied the Scarecrow. "A
little fresh straw, now and then, makes me as good as new. But I can
never be the polished gentleman that my poor departed friend, the Tin
Woodman, was."

You may be sure the royal children of Ev and their Queen mother were
delighted at seeing again their beloved country; and when the towers of
the palace of Ev came into view they could not forbear cheering at the
sight. Little Evring, riding in front of Dorothy, was so overjoyed that
he took a curious tin whistle from his pocket and blew a shrill blast
that made the Sawhorse leap and prance in sudden alarm.

"What is that?" asked Billina, who had been obliged to flutter her wings
in order to keep her seat upon the head of the frightened Sawhorse.

"That's my whistle," said Prince Evring, holding it out upon his hand.

It was in the shape of a little fat pig, made of tin and painted green.
The whistle was in the tail of the pig.

"Where did you get it?" asked the yellow hen, closely examining the toy
with her bright eyes.

"Why, I picked it up in the Nome King's palace, while Dorothy was making
her guesses, and I put it in my pocket," answered the little Prince.

[Illustration]

Billina laughed; or at least she made the peculiar cackle that served
her for a laugh.

"No wonder I couldn't find the Tin Woodman," she said; "and no wonder the
magic belt didn't make him appear, or the King couldn't find him,
either!"

"What do you mean?" questioned Dorothy.

"Why, the Prince had him in his pocket," cried Billina, cackling again.

"I did not!" protested little Evring. "I only took the whistle."

"Well, then, watch me," returned the hen