"Mangaboos," said the Sorcerer, correcting him " Wizard you people by their right names "

"Oh, I'm Wizard; Just as good Wizard Sorcerer "

"That remains seen," said the other

" able that better," said the Prince little man, " make you the Chief Wizard domain Otherwise--"

" happen otherwise ? " asked the Wizard

" stop you from living and forbid you planted," returned the Prince

" sound especially pleasant," said the little man, looking one star uneasily "But never mind I'll beat Old Prickly, all right "

"My name is Gwig," said the Sorcerer, turning his heartless, cruel eyes upon his rival "Let me see you equal the sorcery about to perform "

He waved thorny hand and at once the tinkling of bells was heard, playing sweet music Yet, look where , Dorothy could discover no bells at all great glass hall

The Mangaboo people listened, but showed no great interest things Gwig usually did sorcerer

Now Wizard's turn, so he smiled assemblage and asked:

"Will somebody kindly loan me hat ? "

No one did, because the Mangaboos wear hats, and Zeb had lost his, somehow, flight air

"Ahem ! " said the Wizard, "will somebody please loan me handkerchief ? "

But they had no handkerchiefs, either

" ," remarked the Wizard "I'll use my own hat, please Now, good people, observe me carefully , nothing up my sleeve and nothing concealed person Also, my hat is quite empty " off his hat and held it upside down, shaking it briskly

"Let me see it," said the Sorcerer

the hat and examined it carefully, returning it afterward Wizard

"Now," said the little man, " create something out of nothing "

He placed the hat glass floor, made pass hand, and then removed the hat, displaying little white piglet no bigger than mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal in tiny, shrill voice

The people watched it intently, for they had never seen pig before, big or little The Wizard reached out, caught the wee creature hand, and holding its head between one thumb and finger and its tail other thumb and finger he pulled it apart, each two parts becoming whole and separate piglet in an instant

He placed one floor, so could run around, and pulled apart the other, making three piglets in all; and then was pulled apart, making four piglets The Wizard continued this surprising performance until nine tiny piglets were running about at his feet, all squealing and grunting in very comical way

"Now," said the Wizard of Oz, "having created something from nothing, make something nothing again "

he caught up two piglets and pushed them together, so two were one Then he caught up another piglet and pushed it first, where it disappeared And so, one by one, the nine tiny piglets were pushed together until but single creatures remained This the Wizard placed underneath his hat and made mystic sign above it When he removed his hat the last piglet had disappeared entirely

The little man gave bow silent throng that had watched him, and then the Prince said, cold, calm voice:

" indeed wonderful Wizard, and your powers are greater than those Sorcerer "

" be wonderful Wizard long," remarked Gwig

" ? " enquired the Wizard

"Because going to stop your breath," reply "I perceive that curiously constructed, breathe keep alive "

The little man looked troubled

"How long will it take you to stop my breath ? " he asked

"About five minutes I'm going now Watch me carefully "

He began making queer signs and passes toward the Wizard; but the little man watch him long Instead, he drew leathern case pocket and took several sharp knives, which he joined together, one after another, until they made long sword he had attached handle sword having much trouble to breathe, charm Sorcerer was beginning effect

So the Wizard lost no more time, but leaping forward he raised the sharp sword, whirled it around his head, and then gave mighty stroke that cut the body Sorcerer exactly in two

Dorothy screamed and expected terrible sight; but two halves Sorcerer fell apart floor she saw that he had no bones or blood inside of him at all, and place where cut looked much like sliced turnip or potato

"Why, he's vegetable ! " cried the Wizard, astonished

" ," said the Prince " all vegetable, country not vegetable, also ? "

"No," answered the Wizard "People on top earth are all meat Will your Sorcerer die ? "

"Certainly, sir really dead now, and will wither very quickly So plant him at once, that other Sorcerers may grow upon his bush," continued the Prince

"What ? " asked the little Wizard, greatly puzzled

" accompany me to our public gardens," replied the Prince, " explain much better than here the mysteries Vegetable Kingdom "

4 The Vegetable Kingdom

Wizard had wiped the dampness sword and taken it apart and put the pieces into their leathern case again, the man star ordered some people to carry the two halves Sorcerer public gardens

Jim pricked up his ears when he heard they were going gardens, and wanted to join the party, thinking he might find something proper to eat; so Zeb put down the top buggy and invited the Wizard to ride The seat was amply wide enough little man two children, and when Jim started to leave the hall the kitten jumped upon his back and sat there quite contentedly

So the procession moved streets, the bearers Sorcerer first, the Prince next, then Jim drawing the buggy strangers inside of it, and last the crowd of vegetable people who had no hearts and could neither smile nor frown

The glass city had several fine streets, for people lived there; but procession had passed through these it came upon broad plain covered with gardens and watered by many pretty brooks that flowed through it There were paths through these gardens, and over brooks were ornamental glass bridges

Dorothy and Zeb now got buggy and walked beside the Prince, see and examine the flowers and plants better

"Who built these lovely bridges ? " asked the little girl

"No one built them," answered the man star "They grow "

"That's queer," said she "Did the glass houses in your city grow, too ? "

" ," he replied "But it took years to grow as large and fine now why so angry when Rain of Stones comes to break our towers and crack our roofs "

"Can't you mend them ? " she enquired

"No; but grow together again, , and wait until "

They first passed through many beautiful gardens of flowers, which grew nearest the city; but Dorothy could hardly tell what kind of flowers they were, because the colors were constantly changing under the shifting lights six suns flower pink one second, white the next, then blue or yellow; and it same way came plants, which had broad leaves and grew close ground

passed over field of grass Jim immediately stretched down his head and began to nibble

"A nice country ," he grumbled, "where respectable horse eat pink grass ! "

"It's violet," said the Wizard, who was buggy

"Now it's blue," complained the horse "As matter of fact, I'm eating rainbow grass "

"How does it taste ? " asked the Wizard

"Not bad at all," said Jim " plenty of it I'll not complain about its color "

the party had reached freshly plowed field, Prince said to Dorothy:

" our planting-ground "

Several Mangaboos came forward with glass spades and dug hole ground Then they put the two halves Sorcerer and covered him up other people brought water from brook and sprinkled the earth

" sprout ," said the Prince, "and grow into large bush, to pick several sorcerers "

"Do all your people grow on bushes ? " asked the boy

"Certainly," reply " all people grow upon bushes where you came from, outside earth ? "

"Not that I ever hear of "