ad now, and will wither very quickly.
So we must plant him at once, that other Sorcerers may grow upon his
bush," continued the Prince.

"What do you mean by that?" asked the little Wizard, greatly puzzled.

"If you will accompany me to our public gardens," replied the Prince,
"I will explain to you much better than I can here the mysteries of our
Vegetable Kingdom."

4. The Vegetable Kingdom

After the Wizard had wiped the dampness from his sword and taken it
apart and put the pieces into their leathern case again, the man with
the star ordered some of his people to carry the two halves of the
Sorcerer to the public gardens.

Jim pricked up his ears when he heard they were going to the gardens,
and wanted to join the party, thinking he might find something proper
to eat; so Zeb put down the top of the buggy and invited the Wizard to
ride with them. The seat was amply wide enough for the little man and
the two children, and when Jim started to leave the hall the kitten
jumped upon his back and sat there quite contentedly.

So the procession moved through the streets, the bearers of the
Sorcerer first, the Prince next, then Jim drawing the buggy with the
strangers inside of it, and last the crowd of vegetable people who had
no hearts and could neither smile nor frown.

The glass city had several fine streets, for a good many people lived
there; but when the procession had passed through these it came upon a
broad plain covered with gardens and watered by many pretty brooks that
flowed through it. There were paths through these gardens, and over
some of the brooks were ornamental glass bridges.

Dorothy and Zeb now got out of the buggy and walked beside the Prince,
so that they might see and examine the flowers and plants better.

"Who built these lovely bridges?" asked the little girl.

"No one built them," answered the man with the star. "They grow."

"That's queer," said she. "Did the glass houses in your city grow,
too?"

"Of course," he replied. "But it took a good many years for them to
grow as large and fine as they are now. That is why we are so angry
when a Rain of Stones comes to break our towers and crack our roofs."

"Can't you mend them?" she enquired.

"No; but they will grow together again, in time, and we must wait until
they do."

They first passed through many beautiful gardens of flowers, which grew
nearest the city; but Dorothy could hardly tell what kind of flowers
th