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Chapter Twelve - The Wooden-Legged Grass-Hopper

Now it so happened that Trot, from the window of her room, had witnessed the

meeting of the lovers in the garden and had seen the King come and drag

Gloria away. The little girl's heart went out in sympathy for the poor Princess,

who seemed to her to be one of the sweetest and loveliest young ladies she

had ever seen, so she crept along the passages and from a hidden niche saw

Gloria locked in her room.

The key was still in the lock, so when the King had gone away, followed by

Googly-Goo, Trot stole up to the door, turned the key and entered. The

Princess lay prone upon a couch, sobbing bitterly. Trot went up to her and

smoothed her hair and tried to comfort her.

Don't cry," she said. "I've unlocked the door, so you can go away any time you

want to."

It isn't that," sobbed the Princess. "I am unhappy because they will not let me

love Pon, the gardener's boy!"

Well, never mind; Pon isn't any great shakes, anyhow, seems to me," said

Trot soothingly. "There are lots of other people you can love."

Gloria rolled over on the couch and looked at the little girl reproachfully.

Pon has won my heart, and I can't help loving him," she explained. Then with

sudden indignation she added: "But I'll never love Googly-Goo--never, as long

as I live!"

I should say not!" replied Trot. "Pon may not be much good, but old Googly is

very, very bad. Hunt around, and I'm sure you'll find someone worth your

love. You're very pretty, you know, and almost anyone ought to love you."

You don't understand, my dear," said Gloria, as she wiped the tears from her

eyes with a dainty lace handkerchief bordered with pearls. "When you are

older you will realize that a young lady cannot decide whom she will love, or

choose the most worthy. Her heart alone decides for her, and whomsoever her

heart selects, she must love, whether he amounts to much or not."

Trot was a little puzzled by this speech, which seemed to her unreasonable;

but she made no reply and presently Gloria's grief softened and she began to

question the little girl about herself and her adventures. Trot told her how

The Scarecrow of Oz