er chain which the Princess wore around her left
wrist.

When Nanda had supported Langwidere to a position in front of cupboard
No. 17, the Princess unlocked the door with her ruby key and after
handing head No. 9, which she had been wearing, to the maid, she took
No. 17 from its shelf and fitted it to her neck. It had black hair and
dark eyes and a lovely pearl-and-white complexion, and when Langwidere
wore it she knew she was remarkably beautiful in appearance.

There was only one trouble with No. 17; the temper that went with it
(and which was hidden somewhere under the glossy black hair) was fiery,
harsh and haughty in the extreme, and it often led the Princess to do
unpleasant things which she regretted when she came to wear her other
heads.

But she did not remember this today, and went to meet her guests in the
drawing-room with a feeling of certainty that she would surprise them
with her beauty.

However, she was greatly disappointed to find that her visitors were
merely a small girl in a gingham dress, a copper man that would only go
when wound up, and a yellow hen that was sitting contentedly in
Langwidere's best work-basket, where there was a china egg used for
darning stockings. (It may surprise you to learn that a princess ever
does such a common thing as darn stockings. But, if you will stop to
think, you will realize that a princess is sure to wear holes in her
stockings, the same as other people; only it isn't considered quite
polite to mention the matter.)

"Oh!" said Langwidere, slightly lifting the nose of No. 17. "I thought
some one of importance had called."

"Then you were right," declared Dorothy. "I'm a good deal of 'portance
myself, and when Billina lays an egg she has the proudest cackle you
ever heard. As for Tiktok, he's the--"

"Stop--Stop!" commanded the Princess, with an angry flash of her
splendid eyes. "How dare you annoy me with your senseless chatter?"

"Why, you horrid thing!" said Dorothy, who was not accustomed to being
treated so rudely.

The Princess looked at her more closely.

"Tell me," she resumed, "are you of royal blood?"

"Better than that, ma'am," said Dorothy. "I came from Kansas."

"Huh!" cried the Princess, scornfully. "You are a foolish child, and I
cannot allow you to annoy me. Run away, you little goose, and bother
some one else."

Dorothy was so indignant that for a moment she could find no words to
reply. But she rose from her chair, and