Oz 11: The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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chariot plodding its weary way through_the streets .

all the travelers from_the emerald city thought this ride the most uninteresting and dreary they had ever experienced, but the high Coco-Lorum seemed to_think it_was grand . he pointed out the different buildings and parks and fountains in much the same way that_the conductor does on an American "sightseeing wagon" does, and being guests they were obliged to submit to_the ordeal . but they became a little worried when their host told them he had ordered a banquet prepared for_them in_the city hall ." what_are we going to eat ? " asked button- bright suspiciously .

"Thistles," was_the reply ." fine, fresh thistles, gathered this very day ."

Scraps laughed, for she never ate anything, but Dorothy said in aprotesting voice, " our insides are_not lined with gold, you_know ."

" how sad ! " exclaimed the high Coco-Lorum, and then he added as an afterthought, " but we_can_have the thistles boiled, if_you prefer ."

I'm 'fraid they wouldn't taste good even then," said little trot ." haven't you anything else to eat ? "

the high Coco-Lorum shook his diamond- shaped head .

" nothing that I_know of," said he ." but why should we_have anything else when we_have so_many thistles ? however, if_you_can't eat what we eat, don't eat anything . we_shall_not be offended, and_the banquet will_be just as merry and delightful ."

Knowing his companions were all hungry, the wizard said, "I trust you_will excuse us from_the banquet, sir, which will_be merry enough without us, although it_is given in_our honor . for, as Ozma is_not in your city, we_must leave here at once and seek her elsewhere ."

" sure we_must ! " Dorothy, and she whispered to Betsy and trot, "I'd rather starve somewhere else than in_this city, and who knows, we_may run across somebody who eats reg'lar food and will give_us some ."

so when_the ride was finished, in_spite of_the protests of_the high Coco-Lorum, they insisted on continuing their journey ." it_will soon be dark," he objected .

" we don't mind the darkness," replied the wizard .

" some wandering Herku may get you ."

" do_you_think the Herkus would hurt us ? " asked Dorothy .

"I cannot_say, not having had the honor of_their acquaintance . but they_are said to_be so strong that if_they had any_other place to stand upon they_could lift the world ."

" all of_them together ? " asked button- bright wonderingly .

" any_one_of_them could do_it," said the high Coco-Lorum .

" have_you heard of any magicians being among them ? " asked the wizard, knowing that only a magician could_have stolen Ozma in_the way she had_been stolen .

" I_am told it_is quite a magical country," declared the high Coco-Lorum, " and magic is usually performed by magicians . but I_have never heard that they_have any invention or sorcery to equal our wonderful auto-dragons ."

they thanked him for_his courtesy, and mounting their own animals rode to_the farther side of_the city and right through_the wall of illusion out into_the open country ."I'm glad we got away so easily," said Betsy ."I didn't like those queer- shaped people ."

" nor did I," agreed Dorothy ." it seems dreadful to_be lined with sheets of pure gold and_have nothing to eat but thistles ."

" they seemed happy and contented, though," remarked the wizard, " and those who_are contented have nothing to regret and nothing more to wish for ."

chapter 10

TOTO loses something

for a while the travelers were constantly losing their direction, for beyond the thistle fields they again found themselves upon_the turning-lands, which swung them around one_way and then another . but by keeping the city of Thi constantly behind them, the adventurers finally passed the treacherous turning-lands and came upon a stony country where no grass grew at all . there were plenty of bushes, however, and although it_was now almost dark, the girls discovered some delicious yellow berries growing upon_the bushes, one taste of_which set them all to picking as_many as they_could find . the berries relieved their pangs of hunger for a time, and as it now became too dark to_see anything, they camped where they were .

the three girls lay down upon one_of_the blankets-- all in a row-- and_the wizard covered them with_the other blanket and tucked them in . button- bright crawled under the shelter of some bushes and was asleep

the wizard sat down with_his back to a big stone and looked at_the stars in_the sky and thought gravely upon_the dangerous adventure they had undertaken, wondering if_they_would ever be_able to_find their beloved Ozma again . the animals lay in a group by_themselves, a little distance from_the others ."I've lost my growl ! " said Toto, who had_been very silent and sober all that day ." what do_you suppose has become of it ? "

" if_you had asked me to_keep track of your growl, I_might_be able to_tell you," remarked the lion sleepily ." but frankly, Toto, I supposed you were taking care of it yourself ."

" it's an awful thing to lose one's growl," said Toto, wagging his tail disconsolately ." what if_you lost your roar, lion ? Wouldn't you feel terrible ? "

" my roar," replied the lion, " is_the fiercest thing about me .I depend on_it to frighten my enemies so badly that_they won't dare to fight me ."

" once," said the mule, "I lost my bray so_that I couldn't call to Betsy to let her know i_was hungry . that was before I_could talk, you_know, for I had_not yet come into_the land of Oz, and I_found it_was certainly very uncomfortable not to_be_able to_make a noise ."

" you make enough noise now," declared Toto ." but none of you_have answered my question: where is my growl ? "

" you_may search me," said the woozy ."I don't care for such things, myself ."

" you snore terribly," asserted Toto .

" it may_be," said the woozy ." what one does when asleep one is_not accountable for . i_wish you_would wake me up sometime when I'm snoring and let me hear the sound . then I_can judge whether it_is terrible or delightful ."

" it isn't pleasant, I assure you," said the lion, yawning .

" to_me it seems wholly unnecessary," declared Hank the mule .

" you ought to break yourself of_the habit," said the sawhorse ." you never hear me snore, because I never sleep .I don't even whinny as_those puffy meat horses do . i_wish that whoever stole Toto's growl had taken the mule's bray and_the lion's roar and_the woozy's snore at_the same time ."

" do_you_think, then, that my growl was stolen ? "

" you_have never lost it before, have_you ? " inquired inquired the sawhorse .

" only once, when I had a sore throat from barking too long at_the moon ."

" is your throat sore now ? " asked the woozy .

" no," replied the dog .

" I_can't understand," said Hank, " why dogs bark at_the moon . they_can't scare the moon, and_the moon doesn't pay any attention to_the bark . so why do dogs do_it ? "

" were you ever a dog ? " asked Toto .

" no indeed," replied Hank ." I_am thankful to_say i_was created a mule-- the most beautiful of all beasts-- and_have always remained one ."

the woozy sat upon his square haunches to examine Hank with care ." beauty," he_said, " must_be a matter of taste .I don't say your judgment is bad, friend Hank, or that you_are so vulgar as to_be conceited . but if_you admire big, waggy ears and a tail like apaintbrush and hoofs big enough for an elephant and a long neck and a body so skinny that one can count the ribs with one eye shut-- if_that's your idea of beauty, Hank, then either you or I_must_be much mistaken ."

" you're full of edges," sneered the mule ." if I were square as_you_are, I suppose you'd think me lovely ."

" outwardly, dear Hank, i_would," replied the woozy ." but to_be really lovely, one must_be beautiful without and within ."

the mule couldn't deny this statement, so he_gave a disgusted grunt and rolled over so_that his back was toward the woozy . but the lion, regarding the two calmly with_his great, yellow eyes, said to_the dog, " my dear Toto, our friends have taught us a lesson in humility . if_the woozy and_the mule are indeed beautiful creatures as_they seem to_think, you and I_must_be decidedly ugly ."

" not to ourselves," protested Toto, who was a shrewd little dog ." you and I, lion, are fine specimens of_our own races . I_am a fine dog, and you_are a fine lion . only in point of comparison, one with another, can we be properly judged, so i_will leave it to_the poor old sawhorse to decide which_is the most beautiful animal among us all . the sawhorse is wood, so he won't be prejudiced and will speak the truth ."

"I surely will," responded the sawhorse, wagging his ears, which were chips set in_his wooden head ." are_you all agreed to accept my judgment ? "

" we_are ! " they declared, each_one hopeful .

" then," said the sawhorse, " I_must point out to_you the fact that you_are all meat creatures, who tire unless they sleep and starve unless they eat and suffer from thirst unless they drink . such animals must_be very imperfect, and imperfect creatures cannot_be beautiful . now, I_am made of wood ."

" you surely have a wooden head," said the mule .

" yes, and a wooden body and wooden legs, which are as swift as_the wind and as tireless .I've heard Dorothy say that ' handsome is as handsome does,' and I surely perform my duties in a handsome manner . therefore, if_you_wish my honest judgment, i_will confess that among us all I_am the most beautiful ."

the mule snorted, and_the woozy laughed; Toto had lost his growl and could only look scornfully at_the sawhorse, who stood in_his place unmoved . but the lion stretched himself and yawned, saying quietly, " were we all like the sawhorse, we_would all be Sawhorses, which would_be too many_of_the kind . were we all like Hank, we_would_be a herd of mules; if like Toto, we_would_be a pack of dogs; should we all become the shape of_the woozy, he_would no longer be remarkable for_his unusual appearance . finally, were you all like me, i_would consider you so common that i_would_not care to associate with_you . to_be individual, my friends, to_be different from others, is_the only way to_become distinguished from_the common herd . let_us be_glad, therefore, that we differ from one another in form and in disposition . variety is_the spice of life, and we_are various enough to enjoy one another's society; so let_us be content ."

" there_is some truth in_that speech," remarked Toto reflectively ." but how about_my lost growl ? "

" the growl is of importance only to_you," responded the lion, " so it_is your business to worry over the loss, not ours . if_you love us, do_not afflict your burdens on us; be unhappy all by yourself ."

" if_the same person stole my growl who stole Ozma," said the little dog, " I_hope we_shall find him very_soon and punish him as he deserves . he_must_be the most cruel person in all the world, for to_prevent a dog from growling when it_is his nature to growl is just as wicked, in my opinion, as stealing all the magic in Oz ."

chapter 11

button- bright loses himself

the patchwork girl, who never slept and who_could see very_well in_the dark, had wandered among_the rocks and bushes all night long, with_the result that she was able to_tell some good news the next morning ." over the crest of_the hill before_us," she said, " is a big grove of trees of many kinds on_which all sorts of fruits grow . if_you_will go there, you_will_find a nice breakfast awaiting you ." this made them eager to start, so as_soon_as_the blankets were folded and strapped to_the back of_the sawhorse, they all took their places on_the animals and set out for_the big grove Scraps had told them of .

as_soon_as they got over the brow of_the hill, they discovered it to_be a really immense orchard, extending for miles to_the right and left of_them . as their way led straight through_the trees, they hurried forward as fast as possible . the first trees they came to bore quinces, which they_did_not like . then there were rows of citron trees and then crab apples and afterward limes and lemons . but beyond these they found a grove of big, golden oranges, juicy and sweet, and_the fruit hung low on_the branches so they_could pluck it easily .

they helped themselves freely and all ate oranges as_they continued on their way . then, a little farther along, they came to some trees bearing fine, red apples, which they also feasted on, and_the wizard stopped here long enough to tie alot of_the apples in one end of a blanket .

" we_do_not know what_will happen to_us after we leave this delightful orchard," he_said, " so i_think it wise to carry a supply of apples with_us . we_can't starve as long as we_have apples, you_know ."

Scraps wasn't riding the woozy just now . she loved to climb the trees and swing herself by_the branches from one tree to another . some_of_the choicest fruit was gathered by_the patchwork girl from_the very highest limbs and tossed down to_the others . suddenly, trot asked, " where's button- bright ? " and when_the others looked for him, they found the boy had disappeared .

" dear me ! " cried Dorothy ."I guess he's lost again, and that_will mean our waiting here until we_can find him ."

" it's a good place to wait," suggested Betsy, who had

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