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That's it!" said the Wizard, laughing merrily. "It's a rigmarole because

the boy is a Rigmarole and we've come to Rigmarole Town."

Do they all talk like that?" asked Dorothy, wonderingly.

He might have said 'yes' or 'no' and settled the question," observed Uncle

Henry.

Not here," said Omby Amby. "I don't believe the Rigmaroles know what

'yes' or 'no' means."

While the boy had been talking several other people had approached the

wagon and listened intently to his speech. Then they began talking to

one another in long, deliberate speeches, where many words were used

but little was said. But when the strangers criticized them so frankly one

of the women, who had no one else to talk to, began an address to them,

saying:

It is the easiest thing in the world for a person to say 'yes' or 'no' when a

question that is asked for the purpose of gaining information or

satisfying the curiosity of the one who has given expression to the inquiry

has attracted the attention of an individual who may be competent either

from personal experience or the experience of others to answer it with

more or less correctness or at least an attempt to satisfy the desire for

information on the part of the one who has made the inquiry by--"

Dear me!" exclaimed Dorothy, interrupting the speech. "I've lost all

track of what you are saying."

Don't let her begin over again, for goodness sake!" cried Aunt Em.

But the woman did not begin again. She did not even stop talking, but

went right on as she had begun, the words flowing from her mouth in a

stream.

I'm quite sure that if we waited long enough and listened carefully, some

of these people might be able to tell us something, in time," said the

Wizard.

Let's don't wait," returned Dorothy. "I've heard of the Rigmaroles, and

wondered what they were like; but now I know, and I'm ready to move

on."

So am I," declared Uncle Henry; "we're wasting time here."

The Emerald City of Oz