and more natural in
appearance than this great beast you have brought with you."

"Do you mean that I'm a freak?" asked Jim, angrily.

"Oh, no," she hastened to say, "there may be many more like you in the
place you came from, but in Oz any horse but a Sawhorse is unusual."

This mollified Jim a little, and after some thought the green maiden
decided to give the cab-horse a room in the palace, such a big building
having many rooms that were seldom in use.

So Zeb unharnessed Jim, and several of the servants then led the horse
around to the rear, where they selected a nice large apartment that he
could have all to himself.

Then Jellia said to the Wizard:

"Your own room--which was back of the great Throne Room--has been
vacant ever since you left us. Would you like it again?"

"Yes, indeed!" returned the little man. "It will seem like being at
home again, for I lived in that room for many, many years."

He knew the way to it, and a servant followed him, carrying his
satchel. Zeb was also escorted to a room--so grand and beautiful that
he almost feared to sit in the chairs or lie upon the bed, lest he
might dim their splendor. In the closets he discovered many fancy
costumes of rich velvets and brocades, and one of the attendants told
him to dress himself in any of the clothes that pleased him and to be
prepared to dine with the Princess and Dorothy in an hour's time.

Opening from the chamber was a fine bathroom having a marble tub with
perfumed water; so the boy, still dazed by the novelty of his
surroundings, indulged in a good bath and then selected a maroon velvet
costume with silver buttons to replace his own soiled and much worn
clothing. There were silk stockings and soft leather slippers with
diamond buckles to accompany his new costume, and when he was fully
dressed Zeb looked much more dignified and imposing than ever before in
his life.

He was all ready when an attendant came to escort him to the presence
of the Princess; he followed bashfully and was ushered into a room more
dainty and attractive than it was splendid. Here he found Dorothy
seated beside a young girl so marvelously beautiful that the boy
stopped suddenly with a gasp of admiration.

But Dorothy sprang up and ran to seize her friend's hand drawing him
impulsively toward the lovely Princess, who smiled most graciously upon
her guest. Then the Wizard entered, and his presence relieved the
boy's embarrassment. The little man