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He told Dorothy he had brushed his shaggy hair and whiskers; but she

thought he must have brushed them the wrong way, for they were quite as

shaggy as before.

As for the company of foxes assembled to dine with the strangers, they were

most beautifully costumed, and their rich dresses made Dorothy's simple

gown and Button-Bright's sailor suit and the shaggy man's shaggy clothes

look commonplace. But they treated their guests with great respect and the

King's dinner was a very good dinner indeed. Foxes, as you know, are fond of

chicken and other fowl; so they served chicken soup and roasted turkey and

stewed duck and fried grouse and broiled quail and goose pie, and as the

cooking was excellent the King's guests enjoyed the meal and ate heartily of

the various dishes.

The party went to the theater, where they saw a play acted by foxes dressed in

costumes of brilliantly colored feathers. The play was about a fox-girl who

was stolen by some wicked wolves and carried to their cave; and just as they

were about to kill her and eat her a company of fox-soldiers marched up,

saved the girl, and put all the wicked wolves to death.

How do you like it?" the King asked Dorothy.

Pretty well," she answered. "It reminds me of one of Mr. Aesop's fables."

Don't mention Aesop to me, I beg of you!" exclaimed King Dox. "I hate that

man's name. He wrote a good deal about foxes, but always made them out

cruel and wicked, whereas we are gentle and kind, as you may see."

But his fables showed you to be wise and clever, and more shrewd than other

animals," said the shaggy man, thoughtfully.

So we are. There is no question about our knowing more than men do,"

replied the King, proudly. "But we employ our wisdom to do good, instead of

harm; so that horrid Aesop did not know what he was talking about."

They did not like to contradict him, because they felt he ought to know the

nature of foxes better than men did; so they sat still and watched the play,

and Button-Bright became so interested that for the time he forgot he wore a

fox head.

Afterward they went back to the palace and slept in soft beds stuffed with

feathers; for the foxes raised many fowl for food, and used their feathers for

clothing and to sleep upon.

The Road to Oz