t and broken a Law of Oz?"

"I--I hate to be different from other people," he admitted.

"Yes; one likes to be respected as highly as his neighbors are," said
the woman. "When you are tried and found guilty, you will be obliged to
make amends, in some way. I don't know just what Ozma will do to you,
because this is the first time one of us has broken a Law; but you may
be sure she will be just and merciful. Here in the Emerald City people
are too happy and contented ever to do wrong; but perhaps you came from
some faraway corner of our land, and having no love for Ozma carelessly
broke one of her Laws."

"Yes," said Ojo, "I've lived all my life in the heart of a lonely
forest, where I saw no one but dear Unc Nunkie."

"I thought so," said Tollydiggle. "But now we have talked enough, so
let us play a game until bedtime."

Chapter Sixteen

Princess Dorothy

Dorothy Gale was sitting in one of her rooms in the royal palace, while
curled up at her feet was a little black dog with a shaggy coat and
very bright eyes. She wore a plain white frock, without any jewels or
other ornaments except an emerald-green hair-ribbon, for Dorothy was a
simple little girl and had not been in the least spoiled by the
magnificence surrounding her. Once the child had lived on the Kansas
prairies, but she seemed marked for adventure, for she had made several
trips to the Land of Oz before she came to live there for good. Her
very best friend was the beautiful Ozma of Oz, who loved Dorothy so
well that she kept her in her own palace, so as to be near her. The
girl's Uncle Henry and Aunt Em--the only relatives she had in the
world--had also been brought here by Ozma and given a pleasant home.
Dorothy knew almost everybody in Oz, and it was she who had discovered
the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, as well as
Tik-Tok the Clockwork Man. Her life was very pleasant now, and although
she had been made a Princess of Oz by her friend Ozma she did not care
much to be a Princess and remained as sweet as when she had been plain
Dorothy Gale of Kansas.

Dorothy was reading in a book this evening when Jellia Jamb, the
favorite servant-maid of the palace, came to say that the Shaggy Man
wanted to see her.

"All right," said Dorothy; "tell him to come right up."

"But he has some queer creatures with him--some of the queerest I've
ever laid eyes on," reported Jellia.

"Never mind; let 'em all come up," replied Dorothy.