, and reaching out a claw she
touched the whistle and said "Ev."

Swish!

"Good afternoon," said the Tin Woodman, taking off his funnel cap and
bowing to Dorothy and the Prince. "I think I must have been asleep for
the first time since I was made of tin, for I do not remember our
leaving the Nome King."

"You have been enchanted," answered the girl, throwing an arm around her
old friend and hugging him tight in her joy. "But it's all right, now."

"I want my whistle!" said the little Prince, beginning to cry.

"Hush!" cautioned Billina. "The whistle is lost, but you may have
another when you get home."

[Illustration: "YOUR FUTURE RULER, KING EVARDO FIFTEENTH"]

The Scarecrow had fairly thrown himself upon the bosom of his old
comrade, so surprised and delighted was he to see him again, and Tiktok
squeezed the Tin Woodman's hand so earnestly that he dented some of his
fingers. Then they had to make way for Ozma to welcome the tin man,
and the army caught sight of him and set up a cheer, and everybody was
delighted and happy.

For the Tin Woodman was a great favorite with all who knew him, and his
sudden recovery after they had thought he was lost to them forever was
indeed a pleasant surprise.

Before long, the cavalcade arrived at the royal palace, where a great
crowd of people had gathered to welcome their Queen and her ten
children. There was much shouting and cheering, and the people threw
flowers in their path, and every face wore a happy smile.

They found the Princess Langwidere in her mirrored chamber, where she
was admiring one of her handsomest heads--one with rich chestnut hair,
dreamy walnut eyes and a shapely hickorynut nose. She was very glad to
be relieved of her duties to the people of Ev, and the Queen graciously
permitted her to retain her rooms and her cabinet of heads as long as
she lived.

Then the Queen took her eldest son out upon a balcony that overlooked
the crowd of subjects gathered below, and said to them:

"Here is your future ruler, King Evardo Fifteenth. He is fifteen years
of age, has fifteen silver buckles on his jacket and is the fifteenth
Evardo to rule the land of Ev."

The people shouted their approval fifteen times, and even the Wheelers,
some of whom were present, loudly promised to obey the new King.

So the Queen placed a big crown of gold, set with rubies, upon Evardo's
head, and threw an ermine robe over his shoulders, and proclaimed him
King; and he bowed gra