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being present. For the Emperor was fond of Dorothy's little dog, and the girl

explained to her friends that in Oz all animals were treated with as much

consideration as the people--"if they behave themselves," she added.

Toto behaved himself, and sat in a tin high-chair beside Dorothy and ate his

dinner from a tin platter.

Indeed, they all ate from tin dishes, but these were of pretty shapes and

brightly polished; Dorothy thought they were just as good as silver.

Button-Bright looked curiously at the man who had "no appetite inside him,"

for the Tin Woodman, although he had prepared so fine a feast for his guests,

ate not a mouthful himself, sitting patiently in his place to see that all built so

they could eat were well and plentifully served.

What pleased Button-Bright most about the dinner was the tin orchestra that

played sweet music while the company ate. The players were not tin, being

just ordinary Winkies; but the instruments they played upon were all tin--tin

trumpets, tin fiddles, tin drums and cymbals and flutes and horns and all.

They played so nicely the "Shining Emperor Waltz," composed expressly in

honor of the Tin Woodman by Mr. H. M. Wogglebug, T.E., that Polly could not

resist dancing to it. After she had tasted a few dewdrops, freshly gathered for

her, she danced gracefully to the music while the others finished their repast;

and when she whirled until her fleecy draperies of rainbow hues enveloped her

like a cloud, the Tin Woodman was so delighted that he clapped his tin hands

until the noise of them drowned the sound of the cymbals.

Altogether it was a merry meal, although Polychrome ate little and the host

nothing at all.

I'm sorry the Rainbow's Daughter missed her mist-cakes," said the Tin

Woodman to Dorothy; "but by a mistake Miss Polly's mist-cakes were mislaid

and not missed until now. I'll try to have some for her breakfast."

They spent the evening telling stories, and the next morning left the splendid

tin castle and set out upon the road to the Emerald City. The Tin Woodman

went with them, of course, having by this time been so brightly polished that

he sparkled like silver. His axe, which he always carried with him, had a steel

blade that was tin plated and a handle covered with tin plate beautifully

engraved and set with diamonds.

The Winkies assembled before the castle gates and cheered their Emperor as

he marched away, and it was easy to see that they all loved him dearly.

The Road to Oz