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Ladies and gentlemen," continued the zebra, "please pardon my poor

friend, because he is ignorant and stupid, and does not understand. Also

the pinch of his claw is very annoying. So pray tell him that the world

contains more land than water, and when he has heard your judgment I

will carry him back and dump him into his pool, where I hope he will be

more modest in the future."

But we cannot tell him that," said Dorothy, gravely, "because it would

not be true."

What!" exclaimed the zebra, in astonishment; "do I hear you aright?"

The soft-shell crab is correct," declared the Wizard. "There is

considerably more water than there is land in the world."

Impossible!" protested the zebra. "Why, I can run for days upon the

land, and find but little water."

Did you ever see an ocean?" asked Dorothy.

Never," admitted the zebra. "There is no such thing as an ocean in the

Land of Oz."

Well, there are several oceans in the world," said Dorothy, "and people

sail in ships upon these oceans for weeks and weeks, and never see a bit

of land at all. And the joggerfys will tell you that all the oceans put

together are bigger than all the land put together."

At this the crab began laughing in queer chuckles that reminded Dorothy

of the way Billina sometimes cackled.

NOW will you give up, Mr. Zebra?" it cried, jeeringly; "now will you give

up?"

The zebra seemed much humbled.

Of course I cannot read geographys," he said.

You could take one of the Wizard's School Pills," suggested Billina, "and

that would make you learned and wise without studying."

The crab began laughing again, which so provoked the zebra that he

tried to shake the little creature off. This resulted in more ear-pinching,

and finally Dorothy told them that if they could not behave they must go

back to the forest.

The Emerald City of Oz