ou may come in, and I will give you
some supper and a place to sleep."

So they all entered the house, where there were, besides the woman, two
children and a man. The man had hurt his leg, and was lying on the
couch in a corner. They seemed greatly surprised to see so strange a
company, and while the woman was busy laying the table the man asked:

"Where are you all going?"

"To the Emerald City," said Dorothy, "to see the Great Oz."

"Oh, indeed!" exclaimed the man. "Are you sure that Oz will see you?"

"Why not?" she replied.

"Why, it is said that he never lets anyone come into his presence. I
have been to the Emerald City many times, and it is a beautiful and
wonderful place; but I have never been permitted to see the Great Oz,
nor do I know of any living person who has seen him."

"Does he never go out?" asked the Scarecrow.

"Never. He sits day after day in the great Throne Room of his Palace,
and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face."

"What is he like?" asked the girl.

"That is hard to tell," said the man thoughtfully. "You see, Oz is a
Great Wizard, and can take on any form he wishes. So that some say he
looks like a bird; and some say he looks like an elephant; and some say
he looks like a cat. To others he appears as a beautiful fairy, or a
brownie, or in any other form that pleases him. But who the real Oz
is, when he is in his own form, no living person can tell."

"That is very strange," said Dorothy, "but we must try, in some way, to
see him, or we shall have made our journey for nothing."

"Why do you wish to see the terrible Oz?" asked the man.

"I want him to give me some brains," said the Scarecrow eagerly.

"Oh, Oz could do that easily enough," declared the man. "He has more
brains than he needs."

"And I want him to give me a heart," said the Tin Woodman.

"That will not trouble him," continued the man, "for Oz has a large
collection of hearts, of all sizes and shapes."

"And I want him to give me courage," said the Cowardly Lion.

"Oz keeps a great pot of courage in his Throne Room," said the man,
"which he has covered with a golden plate, to keep it from running
over. He will be glad to give you some."

"And I want him to send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.

"Where is Kansas?" asked the man, with surprise.

"I don't know," replied Dorothy sorrowfully, "but it is my home, and
I'm sure it's somewhere."

"Very likely. Well, Oz can do anyt