The Magic of Oz

wonderful."

They now tied the board on the Lion's back, flat side up, and Cap'n

Bill carefully placed the Magic Flower on the board.

For fear o' accidents," he said, "I'll walk beside the Lion and hold

onto the flower-pot."

Trot and Dorothy could both ride on the back of the Hungry Tiger, and

between them they carried the cage of monkeys. But this arrangement left

the Wizard, as well as the sailor, to make the journey on foot, and so the

procession moved slowly and the Glass Cat grumbled because it would

take so long to get to the Emerald City.

The Cat was sour-tempered and grumpy, at first, but before they had

journeyed far, the crystal creature had discovered a fine amusement. The

long tails of the monkeys were constantly sticking through the bars of their

cage, and when they did, the Glass Cat would slyly seize the tails in her

paws and pull them. That made the monkeys scream, and their screams

pleased the Glass Cat immensely. Trot and Dorothy tried to stop this

naughty amusement, but when they were not looking the Cat would pull

the tails again, and the creature was so sly and quick that the monkeys

could seldom escape. They scolded the Cat angrily and shook the bars of

their cage, but they could not get out and the Cat only laughed at them.

After the party had left the forest and were on the plains of the

Munchkin Country, it grew dark, and they were obliged to make camp for

the night, choosing a pretty place beside a brook. By means of his magic

the Wizard created three tents, pitched in a row on the grass and nicely

fitted with all that was needful for the comfort of his comrades. The

middle tent was for Dorothy and Trot, and had in it two cosy white beds

and two chairs. Another tent, also with beds and chairs, was for the Wizard

and Cap'n Bill, while the third tent was for the Hungry Tiger, the

Cowardly Lion, the cage of Monkeys and the Glass Cat. Outside the tents

the Wizard made a fire and placed over it a magic kettle from which he

presently drew all sorts of nice things for their supper, smoking hot.

After they had eaten and talked together for a while under the

twinkling stars, they all went to bed and the people were soon asleep. The