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Chapter Twenty-One - Dorothy, Betsy and Ozma
I suppose many of my readers have read descriptions of the beautiful and
magnificent Emerald City of Oz, so I need not describe it here, except to state
that never has any city in any fairyland ever equalled this one in stately
splendor. It lies almost exactly in the center of the Land of Oz, and in the
center of the Emerald City rises the wall of glistening emeralds that surrounds
the palace of Ozma. The palace is almost a city in itself and is inhabited by
many of the Ruler's especial friends and those who have won her confidence
and favor. As for Ozma herself, there are no words in any dictionary I can find
that are fitted to describe this young girl's beauty of mind and person. Merely
to see her is to love her for her charming face and manners; to know her is to
love her for her tender sympathy, her generous nature, her truth and honor.
Born of a long line of Fairy Queens, Ozma is as nearly perfect as any fairy may
be, and she is noted for her wisdom as well as for her other qualities. Her
happy subjects adore their girl Ruler and each one considers her a comrade
and protector.
At the time of which I write, Ozma's best friend and most constant companion
was a little Kansas girl named Dorothy, a mortal who had come to the Land of
Oz in a very curious manner and had been offered a home in Ozma's palace.
Furthermore, Dorothy had been made a Princess of Oz, and was as much at
home in the royal palace as was the gentle Ruler. She knew almost every part
of the great country and almost all of its numerous inhabitants. Next to Ozma
she was loved better than anyone in all Oz, for Dorothy was simple and sweet,
seldom became angry and had such a friendly, chummy way that she made
friends where-ever she wandered. It was she who first brought the Scarecrow
and the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion to the Emerald City. Dorothy
had also introduced to Ozma the Shaggy Man and the Hungry Tiger, as well as
Billina the Yellow Hen, Eureka the Pink Kitten, and many other delightful
characters and creatures. Coming as she did from our world, Dorothy was
much like many other girls we know; so there were times when she was not so
wise as she might have been, and other times when she was obstinate and got
herself into trouble. But life in a fairy-land had taught the little girl to accept
all sorts of surprising things as matters-of-course, for while Dorothy was no
fairy--but just as mortal as we are--she had seen more wonders than most
mortals ever do.
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