Pale with anxiety, he rushed Rash library and after some searching found what looking for-Professor Wogglebug's Encyclopedia of Oz All his life, Fizzenpop so busy straightening out affairs in Rash he had had no time to study adjacent Kingdoms at all and knew little or nothing great fairyland that lay across the desert Flipping over the pages encyclopedia T's the Grand Vizier ran his finger down the list till Hungry Tiger

"This great and beautiful beast," stated the book shortly, "came Emerald City during the first year of Ozma's reign He in all important processions and adventures since then, great favorite celebrities of Oz Because sociable nature he prefers life capitol to life jungle and because tender conscience has never been known to devour live man, fairy, or person

"Never been known to devour live person ? " shrilled Fizzenpop, dropping the encyclopedia with bang "Merciful Mustard ! What shall now ? "

CHAPTER 2

Betsy's Birthday

WELL ! " signed Betsy Bobbin, dropping into royal hammocks and swinging her heels contentedly, "It best party I ever had " "I'm so full of birthday cake, like sponge," groaned the Cowardly Lion, and sinking down grass he began to lick the frosting off his paws

"No wonder ! You had ten pieces," grumbled the Hungry Tiger, settling down sulkily beside him "Now I call that more than your share, old chap "

"Why shouldn't the lion's share," chuckled the great beast, winking at Betsy " you ate three roast ducks and all the plum pudding "

"And still hungry," complained the tiger, rolling his eyes sadly from side to side He looked so comical Betsy burst out laughing Cowardly Lion fairly roared Scraps, the Patchwork Girl came running over the matter All the celebrities invited to Betsy's party and now, pleasant dusk, were walking about under the trees Palace garden

Of all gardens in and world, none so lovely as Ozma's, and of all fairy cities none to compare Emerald City of Oz Its sparkling buildings and shining streets, inlaid with emeralds, its quaint domed cottages and shimmering palace, make it fitting capitol enchanting fairyland Where but in Oz can animals talk as sensibly as men ? Where but in Oz can one live forever, without growing old ? Where but in Oz are there Wish Ways and Truth Ponds, Book Mines and Fire Falls and where but in Oz can one find such delightful companions Scarecrow and Scraps ?

any wonder, then, that Dorothy Gale, who blew to Oz in cyclone, that Trot and Betsy Bobbin, who arrived strange country by way of shipwreck, have never returned real world ? ? Indeed, these three little mortals live Royal Palace itself, with Ozma, the young fairy who rules over the four countries of Oz, and this small sovereign has gathered at her court all the most interesting and unusual people and animals realm And every single one invited to Betsy's birthday, so took two rooms to hold all the presents, twenty-seven tables to seat the guests and sixty-nine footmen the plates

"You sit there and tell me you're hungry ! " gasped Scraps, snapping her suspender button eyes Hungry Tiger "Why you ate more than anyone I counted " Scraps, being well stuffed with cotton, never ate at all and had amused herself by keeping strict watch over the others

"Why Scraps," murmured Ozma reprovingly She had come up behind the Patchwork Girl and now gently tried the subject No one ever knew what Scraps would say next Made from gay patchwork quilt and magically brought to life, this saucy maiden was surprising people castle But the Hungry Tiger had lived Emerald City too long to mind her teasing

" I'm hungry," he yawned, rolling over side "This party stuff fills me up, but satisfy me What is something alive But don't worry my dear," he added hastily, at Ozma's rather anxious expression " never devour anyone, conscience permit it, so hungry end days "

"Why don't yourself stuffed ? " asked the Scarecrow, sitting down hammock beside Betsy Bobbin "Then lose this frightful appetite and never be hungry at all Mighty convenient, being stuffed, old boy Saves no end of bother and expense " The Scarecrow spoke from experience, for himself stuffed person, having been made by Munchkin farmer and stuck on pole to scare away the crows He lifted down and brought Emerald City by Dorothy, on her first adventure, and since then restuffed and laundered Of all Ozma's advisers, he wittiest and most lovable "Have yourself stuffed," he advised cheerfully, "and use straw like "

"He stuffs himself from morning till night," snickered Scraps turning handspring

"If he so ugly-so yellow and so big I'd say be warn't tiger, but greedy weedy-"

"Scraps ! " Ozma raised her scepter warningly, Patchwork Girl dove into button bush But almost immediately her mischievous face reappeared

"Pig ! " shouted Scraps defiantly, and looked so funny, peering button bush, that even the Hungry Tiger had to grin

" , though, why don't yourself stuffed ? " asked the little Wizard of Oz, who had just come up "I've been experimenting with some new wishing powders and might easily wish you out of your jacket and stuff you with sawdust "

"Sawdust ! " coughed the Hungry Tiger, sit-ting up and lashing his tail very thought thing, " say not I prefer my own stuffing, "

"So do I," said Betsy, running over him little hug "You're so soft and comfortable to ride "

"But sawdust is very serviceable," urged the Wizard, who was anxious his new powders, "and stuff you in an hour " The Wizard, , is mortal like Dorothy and Betsy he engaged by circus in Omaha balloon flights But one afternoon, his balloon becoming unmanageable, had flown off-up and away and never stopped till it dropped down in Oz It Wizard who had built the Emerald City and for many years he practiced the trick magic he had learned circus But later, Glinda the good Sorceress South, had taught him real magic and now accomplished magicians in all fairy history

"Better let me stuff you," repeated the Wizard coaxingly

"No ! No ! No ! " roared the Hungry Tiger, becoming really alarmed little man's persistence "No, I tell you ! "

"Well," the Wizard rose regretfully and began to move off, " ever change your mind, let me have first chance, ? "

"I'm going my mind to-morrow Sitting down stiffly on bench opposite the hammock, Jack Pumpkinhead beamed company "It's almost too soft to use," mused Jack, touching the top pumpkin gently, "so, don't mind, I'll not talk any more

"We don't mind at all," laughed Betsy, while Dorothy and Trot, who had just joined the group, exchanged merry winks Jack was so amusing that no one could help chuckling when around He made by Ozma, when she was little boy, and was almost as unusual Scarecrow not familiar with Oz history, seem bit strange, but Ozma once was little boy, having been transformed by old Mombi, the witch And while she was little boy she had carved Jack neatly from wood and set an old pumpkin peg neck for head Later he brought to life by mistake and living merrily or so Jack pick pumpkin and hollow out new head for himself, constantly changing his mind, but Ozma has deep affection queer fellow, and Jack is so odd and jolly that great favorite Emerald City

"Let's finish off the party with game of hide and seek," suggested the Cowardly Lion, as Jack continued to stare solemnly straight in front of him "You're it Betsy ! " Giving the little girl playful poke, he dashed down an arbored path, followed helter skelter by all the others Even Jack, holding fast pumpkin head, ran and hid himself behind balloon vine But the Hungry Tiger ran fastest of all, never stopping till he reached the remotest corner garden All this talk of stuffing had made him exceedingly nervous and, with troubled sigh, he sank down beside lovely fairy fountain Here, blinking up bright lanterns hung everywhere in honor of Betsy's birthday, he began good old days when he had roamed the wild jungles of Oz and eaten-well we had best not say what he had eaten !

It Cowardly Lion who had coaxed the Hungry Tiger capitol The Cowardly Lion, himself, had come there with Dorothy Scarecrow and grown so fond place and its people that he had returned jungle old friend, the Hungry Tiger And like the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger had never been able to tear himself away dear and delightful city Indeed life without the love of Dorothy, Betsy and Trot, the trust and affection of little Ozma, companionship of all the merry dwellers castle, worth soup bone So the Hungry Tiger had never gone back, but at times the longing for real tiger food almost overcame him

"I wonder if stuffing would help," sighed the poor beast, licking his chops hungrily "I wonder-"

"What ? " wheezed an oily voice, almost ear The Hungry Tiger, supposing himself alone, had spoken aloud, and springing up found himself with an ugly, red-faced and exceedingly disagreeable looking stranger dressed in robes of pink, gold embroidered slippers and simply enormous turban, that wagged from side to side as he talked An oddly twisted cane swung left wrist and as he extended his hand in greeting, the Hungry Tiger jumped back in alarm, stranger's thumb was blazing away merrily Ippty, Chief Scribe of Rash, hurry-cane had brought him straight royal gardens Emerald City of Oz

"Am I addressing the Hungry Tiger of Oz ? " inquired Ippty "And still hungry ? " he asked eagerly

"What if ? " growled the Hungry Tiger, blinking suspiciously at Irasha's singular messenger "What if ? "

"Come with me," said Ippty, mysteriously "Come with me, famous and famished member feline family, and never know hunger more ! "

"Who ? " rumbled the Hungry Tiger, sitting up and beginning to pant little from astonishment "Who and you doing here ? "

" Ippty, Chief Scribe of Irasha the Rough, and here to offer you an important position Court of Rash Come to Rash," begged Ippty, glancing uneasily over his shoulder, for not anxious to meet any Oz celebrities "Come, before discovered ! "

"Rash ! " coughed the Hungry Tiger impatiently "Why should I go measly little Kingdom when perfectly happy and contented here ? "

"Because ! " Bending over and splattering the Hungry Tiger with hot candle grease thumb, Ippty began whispering earnestly ear At first, the Hungry Tiger's tail lashed and twirled with fury, but as Ippty continued, he grew calmer, and queer longing crept into his great yellow eyes

"Stand back fellow," he mumbled crossly, " singe off my whiskers, and kindly remove your pencil from my eye