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many fairy adventures that she believed nothing was impossible in the

Land of Oz. So she quietly walked toward the door, and at every step she

grew smaller and smaller until, by the time the opening was reached, she

could pass through it with ease. Indeed, as she stood beside the rabbit,

who sat upon his hind legs and used his paws as hands, her head was

just about as high as his own.

Then the Keeper of the Wicket passed through and she followed, after

which the door swung shut and locked itself with a sharp click.

Dorothy now found herself in a city so strange and beautiful that she

gave a gasp of surprise. The high marble wall extended all around the

place and shut out all the rest of the world. And here were marble

houses of curious forms, most of them resembling overturned kettles but

with delicate slender spires and minarets running far up into the sky.

The streets were paved with white marble and in front of each house was

a lawn of rich green clover. Everything was as neat as wax, the green

and white contrasting prettily together.

But the rabbit people were, after all, the most amazing things Dorothy

saw. The streets were full of them, and their costumes were so splendid

that the rich dress of the Keeper of the Wicket was commonplace when

compared with the others. Silks and satins of delicate hues seemed

always used for material, and nearly every costume sparkled with

exquisite gems.

But the lady rabbits outshone the gentlemen rabbits in splendor, and the

cut of their gowns was really wonderful. They wore bonnets, too, with

feathers and jewels in them, and some wheeled baby carriages in which

the girl could see wee bunnies. Some were lying asleep while others lay

sucking their paws and looking around them with big pink eyes.

As Dorothy was no bigger in size than the grown-up rabbits she had a

chance to observe them closely before they noticed her presence. Then

they did not seem at all alarmed, although the little girl naturally became

the center of attraction and regarded her with great curiosity.

Make way!" cried the Keeper of the Wicket, in a pompous voice; "make

way for Princess Dorothy, who comes from Ozma of Oz."

The Emerald City of Oz