d. From a
hundred towers and domes floated the banners of Oz, which included the
Ozmies, the Munchkins, the Gillikins, the Winkies and the Quadlings.
The banner of the Munchkins is blue, that of the Winkies yellow; the
Gillikin banner is purple, and the Quadling's banner is red. The
colors of the Emerald City are of course green. Ozma's own banner has
a green center, and is divided into four quarters. These quarters are
colored blue, purple, yellow and red, indicating that she rules over
all the countries of the Land of Oz.

This fairyland is so big, however, that all of it is not yet known to
its girl Ruler, and it is said that in some far parts of the country,
in forests and mountain fastnesses, in hidden valleys and thick
jungles, are people and beasts that know as little about Ozma as she
knows of them. Still, these unknown subjects are not nearly so
numerous as the known inhabitants of Oz, who occupy all the countries
near to the Emerald City. Indeed, I'm sure it will not be long until
all parts of the fairyland of Oz are explored and their peoples made
acquainted with their Ruler, for in Ozma's palace are several of her
friends who are so curious that they are constantly discovering new and
extraordinary places and inhabitants.

One of the most frequent discoverers of these hidden places in Oz is a
little Kansas girl named Dorothy, who is Ozma's dearest friend and
lives in luxurious rooms in the Royal Palace. Dorothy is, indeed, a
Princess of Oz, but she does not like to be called a princess, and
because she is simple and sweet and does not pretend to be anything but
an ordinary little girl, she is called just "Dorothy" by everybody and
is the most popular person, next to Ozma, in all the Land of Oz.

One morning Dorothy crossed the hall of the palace and knocked on the
door of another girl named Trot, also a guest and friend of Ozma. When
told to enter, Dorothy found that Trot had company, an old sailor-man
with one wooden leg and one meat leg, who was sitting by the open
window puffing smoke from a corn-cob pipe. This sailor-man was named
Cap'n Bill, and he had accompanied Trot to the Land of Oz and was her
oldest and most faithful comrade and friend. Dorothy liked Cap'n Bill,
too, and after she had greeted him, she said to Trot:

"You know, Ozma's birthday is next month, and I've been wondering what
I can give here as a birthday present. She's so good to us all that we
certainly ought to remember