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many pretty and ornamental shapes, having balconies and porches with
posts of bread-sticks and roofs shingled with wafer-crackers.
There were walks of bread-crusts leading from house to house and
forming streets, and the place seemed to have many inhabitants.
When Dorothy, followed by Billina and Toto, entered the place, they
found people walking the streets or assembled in groups talking together,
or sitting upon the porches and balconies.
And what funny people they were!
Men, women and children were all made of buns and bread. Some were
thin and others fat; some were white, some light brown and some very
dark of complexion. A few of the buns, which seemed to form the more
important class of the people, were neatly frosted. Some had raisins for
eyes and currant buttons on their clothes; others had eyes of cloves and
legs of stick cinnamon, and many wore hats and bonnets frosted pink
and green.
There was something of a commotion in Bunbury when the strangers
suddenly appeared among them. Women caught up their children and
hurried into their houses, shutting the cracker doors carefully behind
them. Some men ran so hastily that they tumbled over one another,
while others, more brave, assembled in a group and faced the intruders
defiantly.
Dorothy at once realized that she must act with caution in order not to
frighten these shy people, who were evidently unused to the presence of
strangers. There was a delightful fragrant odor of fresh bread in the
town, and this made the little girl more hungry than ever. She told Toto
and Billina to stay back while she slowly advanced toward the group that
stood silently awaiting her.
"
You must 'scuse me for coming unexpected," she said, softly, "but I
really didn't know I was coming here until I arrived. I was lost in the
woods, you know, and I'm as hungry as anything."
"
"
Hungry!" they murmured, in a horrified chorus.
Yes; I haven't had anything to eat since last night's supper," she
exclaimed. "Are there any eatables in Bunbury?"
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