n many years since anyone asked me to see Oz," he said,
shaking his head in perplexity. "He is powerful and terrible, and if
you come on an idle or foolish errand to bother the wise reflections of
the Great Wizard, he might be angry and destroy you all in an instant."

"But it is not a foolish errand, nor an idle one," replied the
Scarecrow; "it is important. And we have been told that Oz is a good
Wizard."

"So he is," said the green man, "and he rules the Emerald City wisely
and well. But to those who are not honest, or who approach him from
curiosity, he is most terrible, and few have ever dared ask to see his
face. I am the Guardian of the Gates, and since you demand to see the
Great Oz I must take you to his Palace. But first you must put on the
spectacles."

"Why?" asked Dorothy.

"Because if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the
Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live in the City must
wear spectacles night and day. They are all locked on, for Oz so
ordered it when the City was first built, and I have the only key that
will unlock them."

He opened the big box, and Dorothy saw that it was filled with
spectacles of every size and shape. All of them had green glasses in
them. The Guardian of the Gates found a pair that would just fit
Dorothy and put them over her eyes. There were two golden bands
fastened to them that passed around the back of her head, where they
were locked together by a little key that was at the end of a chain the
Guardian of the Gates wore around his neck. When they were on, Dorothy
could not take them off had she wished, but of course she did not wish
to be blinded by the glare of the Emerald City, so she said nothing.

Then the green man fitted spectacles for the Scarecrow and the Tin
Woodman and the Lion, and even on little Toto; and all were locked fast
with the key.

Then the Guardian of the Gates put on his own glasses and told them he
was ready to show them to the Palace. Taking a big golden key from a
peg on the wall, he opened another gate, and they all followed him
through the portal into the streets of the Emerald City.

11. The Wonderful City of Oz

Even with eyes protected by the green spectacles, Dorothy and her
friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City.
The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble
and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a