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CHAPTER 1 - A TERRIBLE LOSS

There could be no doubt of the fact: Princess Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of the

Fairyland of Oz, was lost. She had completely disappeared. Not one of her

subjects--not even her closest friends--knew what had become of her. It was

Dorothy who first discovered it. Dorothy was a little Kansas girl who had

come to the Land of Oz to live and had been given a delightful suite of rooms

in Ozma's royal palace just because Ozma loved Dorothy and wanted her to

live as near her as possible so the two girls might be much together.

Dorothy was not the only girl from the outside world who had been welcomed

to Oz and lived in the royal palace. There was another named Betsy Bobbin,

whose adventures had led her to seek refuge with Ozma, and still another

named Trot, who had been invited, together with her faithful companion Cap'n

Bill, to make her home in this wonderful fairyland. The three girls all had

rooms in the palace and were great chums; but Dorothy was the dearest friend

of their gracious Ruler and only she at any hour dared to seek Ozma in her

royal apartments. For Dorothy had lived in Oz much longer than the other

girls and had been made a Princess of the realm.

Betsy was a year older than Dorothy and Trot was a year younger, yet the

three were near enough of an age to become great playmates and to have nice

times together. It was while the three were talking together one morning in

Dorothy's room that Betsy proposed they make a journey into the Munchkin

Country, which was one of the four great countries of the Land of Oz ruled by

Ozma. "I've never been there yet," said Betsy Bobbin, "but the Scarecrow once

told me it is the prettiest country in all Oz."

I'd like to go, too," added Trot.

All right," said Dorothy. "I'll go and ask Ozma. Perhaps she will let us take

the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon, which would be much nicer for us than

having to walk all the way. This Land of Oz is a pretty big place when you get

to all the edges of it."

So she jumped up and went along the halls of the splendid palace until she

came to the royal suite, which filled all the front of the second floor. In a little

waiting room sat Ozma's maid, Jellia Jamb, who was busily sewing. "Is Ozma

up yet?" inquired Dorothy.

The Lost Princess of Oz