The Magic of Oz

I'll be glad to do anything for you and for Ozma," he answered.

What's on your mind, Dorothy?"

I'm going to make a great cake, with frosting and candles, and all that,

you know."

Very good," said the Wizard.

In the center of this cake I'm going to leave a hollow place, with just a

roof of the frosting over it," continued the girl.

Very good," repeated the Wizard, nodding his bald head.

In that hollow place," said Dorothy, "I want to hide a lot of monkeys

about three inches high, and after the cake is placed on the banquet table, I

want the monkeys to break through the frosting and dance around on the

table-cloth. Then, I want each monkey to cut out a piece of cake and hand

it to a guest."

Mercy me!" cried the little Wizard, as he chuckled with laughter. "Is

that ALL you want, Dorothy?"

Almost," said she. "Can you think of anything more the little

monkeys can do, Wizard?"

Not just now," he replied. "But where will you get such tiny

monkeys?"

That's where you're to help me," said Dorothy. "In some of those wild

forests in the Gillikin Country are lots of monkeys."

Big ones," said the Wizard.

Well, you and I will go there, and we'll get some of the big monkeys,

and you will make them small--just three inches high--by means of your

magic, and we'll put the little monkeys all in a basket and bring them

home with us. Then you'll train them to dance--up here in your room,

where no one can see them--and on Ozma's birthday we'll put 'em into the

cake and they'll know by that time just what to do."

The Wizard looked at Dorothy with admiring approval, and chuckled

again.

That's really clever, my dear," he said, "and I see no reason why we

can't do it, just the way you say, if only we can get the wild monkeys to

agree to it."