"Have your own way, since the King," he growled "But come to grief through your carelessness, remember that you so If I wore the magic belt which enables you to work all your transformations, and gives you other power, make much wiser and better King than "

"Oh, cease your tiresome chatter ! " commanded the King, getting angry again "Because my Chief Steward an idea scold me please But the very you become impudent, to work furnaces, and get another Nome your place Now follow me to my chamber, for going to bed that wakened early tomorrow morning to enjoy the fun of transforming the rest people into ornaments "

"What color Kansas girl ? " asked the Steward

"Gray, ," said his Majesty

" Scarecrow machine man ? "

"Oh, they shall be of solid gold, because so ugly in real life "

Then the voices died away, and Billina knew King Steward had left the room She fixed up some of her tail feathers that straight, and then tucked her head under her wing again and went to sleep

morning Dorothy Lion and Tiger were given their breakfast in their rooms, and afterward joined the King throne room The Tiger complained bitterly that half starved, and begged palace and become an ornament, no longer suffer the pangs of hunger

"Haven't you had your breakfast ? " asked the Nome King

"Oh, I had just bite," replied the beast "But what good is bite, to hungry tiger ? "

"He ate seventeen bowls of porridge, platter full of fried sausages, eleven loaves of bread and twenty-one mince pies," said the Steward

"What more ? " demanded the King

"A fat baby fat baby," said the Hungry Tiger "A nice, plump, juicy, tender, fat baby But, , if I had one, my conscience allow me to eat it So I'll have an ornament and forget my hunger "

"Impossible ! " exclaimed the King "I'll have no clumsy beasts enter my palace, to overturn and break all my pretty nick-nacks rest of your friends are transformed return upper world, and go business "

"As , no business, when our friends are gone," said the Lion "So care much what becomes of us "

Dorothy begged allowed first palace, but Tiktok firmly maintained slave should face danger mistress The Scarecrow agreed , so the Nome King opened the door machine man, who tramped palace to meet his fate Then his Majesty returned throne and puffed his pipe so contentedly that small cloud of smoke formed above his head

Bye and bye :

"I'm sorry so few of you left , now, my fun over, and then for amusement nothing but admire my new ornaments "

"It seems ," said Dorothy, "that so honest pretend "

"How's that ? " asked the King

"Why, us think it easy to guess what ornaments the people of Ev were changed into "

" easy," declared the monarch, "if one is good guesser But it appears members of your party are all poor guessers "

" Tiktok doing now ? " asked the girl, uneasily

"Nothing," replied the King, with frown " standing perfectly still, middle of room "

"Oh, I expect he's run down," said Dorothy "I forgot to wind him up guesses has ? "

"All that allowed except one," answered the King "Suppose you go in and wind him up, and then stay there and make your own guesses "

"All right," said Dorothy

" my turn next," declared the Scarecrow

"Why, you don't want away and leave me all alone, ? " asked the girl "Besides, if I go now wind up Tiktok, his last guess "

" , then," said the Scarecrow, with sigh "Run along, little Dorothy, and may good luck go ! "

So Dorothy, trying brave of her fears, passed doorway gorgeous rooms palace The stillness place awed her, at first, child drew short breaths, and pressed her hand to her heart, and looked all around with wondering eyes

Yes, beautiful place; but enchantments lurked in every nook and corner, and she yet grown accustomed wizardries fairy countries, so different quiet and sensible common-places of her own native land

Slowly she passed through several rooms until she came upon Tiktok, standing motionless It really seemed, then, that she had found friend mysterious palace, so she hastened to wind up the machine man's action and speech and thoughts

" , Dor-oth-y," were his first words " now one more guess "

"Oh, be very careful, Tiktok; won't you ? " cried the girl

"Yes But the Nome King has us power, and he has set trap all lost " he answered

" so, too," said Dorothy, sadly

"If Smith & Tin-ker had giv-en me guess-ing clock-work at-tach-ment," continued Tiktok, " de-fied the Nome King But my thoughts are plain and sim-ple, and of much use in "

" best ," said Dorothy, encouragingly, "and fail watch what shape changed into "

So Tiktok touched yellow glass vase that had daisies painted on one side, and he spoke same time the word "Ev "

In flash the machine man had disappeared, and although the girl looked quickly in every direction, tell which many ornaments the room contained had moment before been her faithful friend and servant

So all do was to accept the hopeless task set her, and make her guesses and abide result

"It can't hurt ," she thought, "for I haven't heard any scream or cry out--not even the poor officers Dear me ! I wonder if Uncle Henry or Aunt Em will ever know become an orn'ment Nome King's palace, and must stand forever and ever in one place and look pretty--'cept when I'm moved dusted It isn't the way I'd turn out, at all; but I s'pose it can't be helped "

She walked through all the rooms once more, and examined with care all the objects they contained; but there were , they bewildered her, and she decided, after all, as Ozma had done, only guess work best, and chances were much against her guessing aright

Timidly she touched an alabaster bowl and said: "Ev "

"That's one failure, anyhow," she thought "But how am I which thing is enchanted, and not ? "

Next she touched the image of purple kitten that stood corner of mantel, and as she pronounced the word "Ev" the kitten disappeared, and pretty, fair-haired boy stood beside her same time bell rang somewhere distance, and as Dorothy started back, partly in surprise and partly in joy, the little one exclaimed:

"Where am I ? And who ? And what has happened ? "

"Well, I declare ! " said Dorothy "I've really done it "

"Done what ? " asked the boy

"Saved myself from being an ornament," replied the girl, with laugh, "and saved you from being forever purple kitten "

"A purple kitten ? " he repeated " no such thing "

" ," she answered "But , minute ago Don't you remember standing on corner mantel ? "

" not Prince of Ev, and my name is Evring," the little one announced, proudly "But my father, the King, sold my mother and all her children cruel ruler Nomes, and I remember nothing at all "

"A purple kitten can't be 'spected to remember, Evring," said Dorothy "But now yourself again, and I'm going to save some of your brothers and sisters, and perhaps your mother, So come with me "

She seized the child's hand and eagerly hurried here and there, trying to decide which object next The third guess was another failure, and so fourth fifth

Little Evring imagine what she was doing, but he trotted along beside her very willingly, for he liked the new companion he had found

Dorothy's further quest proved unsuccessful; but after her first disappointment was over, the little girl was filled with joy and thankfulness that after all she able to save one member royal family of Ev, and could restore the little Prince sorrowing country Now she might return terrible Nome King in safety, carrying with her the prize she had won person fair-haired boy

So she retraced her steps until she found the entrance palace, and as she approached, the massive doors of rock opened own accord, allowing both Dorothy and Evring the portals and enter the throne room

15 Billina Frightens the Nome King