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Mercy me!" she echoed, "You are stuffed, as I am, with cotton, and you

appear to be living. That makes me feel ashamed, for I have prided myself on

being the only live cotton-stuffed person in Oz."

Perhaps you are," returned the Lavender Bear, "for I am stuffed with extra-

quality curled hair, and so is the Little Pink Bear."

You have relieved my mind of a great anxiety," declared the Patchwork Girl,

now speaking more cheerfully. "The Scarecrow is stuffed with straw and you

with hair, so I am still the Original and Only Cotton-Stuffed!"

I hope I am too polite to criticize cotton as compared with curled hair," said

the King, "especially as you seem satisfied with it."

Then the Frogman told of his interview with the party from the Emerald City

and added that the Wizard of Oz had invited the bears and Cayke and himself

to travel in company with them to the castle of Ugu the Shoemaker. Cayke

was much pleased, but the Bear King looked solemn. He set the Little Pink

Bear on his lap and turned the crank in its side and asked, "Is it safe for us to

associate with those people from the Emerald City?"

And the Pink Bear at once replied,

Safe for you and safe for me; Perhaps no others safe will be."

That 'perhaps' need not worry us," said the King, "so let us join the others

and offer them our protection."

Even the Lavender Bear was astonished, however, when on climbing over the

hill he found on the other side the group of queer animals and the people from

the Emerald City. The bears and Cayke were received very cordially, although

Button-Bright was cross when they wouldn't let him play with the Little Pink

Bear. The three girls greatly admired the toy bears, and especially the pink

one, which they longed to hold.

You see," explained the Lavender King in denying them this privilege, "he's a

very valuable bear, because his magic is a correct guide on all occasions, and

especially if one is in difficulties. It was the Pink Bear who told us that Ugu

the Shoemaker had stolen the Cookie Cook's dishpan."

And the King's magic is just as wonderful," added Cayke, "because it showed

us the Magician himself."

What did he look like?" inquired Dorothy.

The Lost Princess of Oz