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from the fire and poured some of its contents on each of the plates. Cap'n Bill

and Trot at once approached the table, for they were hungry, but when she

examined her plate the little girl exclaimed:

Why, it's molasses candy!"

To be sure," returned the Bumpy Man, with a pleasant smile. "Eat it quick,

while it's hot, for it cools very quickly this winter weather."

With this he seized a stone spoon and began putting the hot molasses candy

into his mouth, while the others watched him in astonishment.

Doesn't it burn you?" asked the girl.

No indeed," said he. "Why don't you eat? Aren't you hungry?"

Yes," she replied, "I am hungry. But we usually eat our candy when it is cold

and hard. We always pull molasses candy before we eat it."

Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Mountain Ear. "What a funny idea! Where in the

world did you come from?"

California," she said.

California! Pooh! there isn't any such place. I've heard of every place in the

Land of Mo, but I never before heard of California."

It isn't in the Land of Mo," she explained.

Then it isn't worth talking about," declared the Bumpy Man, helping himself

again from the steaming kettle, for he had been eating all the time he talked.

For my part," sighed Cap'n Bill, "I'd like a decent square meal, once more,

just by way of variety. In the last place there was nothing but fruit to eat, and

here it's worse, for there's nothing but candy."

Molasses candy isn't so bad," said Trot. "Mine's nearly cool enough to pull,

already. Wait a bit, Cap'n, and you can eat it."

A little later she was able to gather the candy from the stone plate and begin

to work it back and forth with her hands. The Mountain Ear was greatly

amazed at this and watched her closely. It was really good candy and pulled

beautifully, so that Trot was soon ready to cut it into chunks for eating.

The Scarecrow of Oz