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traveling. The Lion told Dorothy she could ride upon his back as she had often
done before, and the Woozy said he could easily carry both Trot and the
Patchwork Girl. Betsy still had her mule, Hank, and Button-Bright and the
Wizard could sit together upon the long, thin back of the Sawhorse, but they
took care to soften their seat with a pad of blankets before they started. Thus
mounted, the adventurers started for the hill, which was reached after a brief
journey.
As they mounted the crest and gazed beyond the hill, they discovered not far
away a walled city, from the towers and spires of which gay banners were
flying. It was not a very big city, indeed, but its walls were very high and
thick, and it appeared that the people who lived there must have feared attack
by a powerful enemy, else they would not have surrounded their dwellings
with so strong a barrier. There was no path leading from the mountains to the
city, and this proved that the people seldom or never visited the whirling hills,
but our friends found the grass soft and agreeable to travel over, and with the
city before them they could not well lose their way. When they drew nearer to
the walls, the breeze carried to their ears the sound of music--dim at first, but
growing louder as they advanced.
"
"
That doesn't seem like a very terr'ble place," remarked Dorothy.
Well, it LOOKS all right," replied Trot from her seat on the Woozy, "but looks
can't always be trusted."
"
MY looks can," said Scraps. "I LOOK patchwork, and I AM patchwork, and
no one but a blind owl could ever doubt that I'm the Patchwork Girl." Saying
which, she turned a somersault off the Woozy and, alighting on her feet, began
wildly dancing about.
"
"
Are owls ever blind?" asked Trot.
Always, in the daytime," said Button-Bright. "But Scraps can see with her
button eyes both day and night. Isn't it queer?"
"
It's queer that buttons can see at all," answered Trot. "But good gracious!
What's become of the city?"
"
"
I was going to ask that myself," said Dorothy. "It's gone!"
It's gone!"
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