ids, who had been selected from all parts of the Land of
Oz on account of their wit and beauty and sweet dispositions. It was a
great honor to be made one of Glinda's handmaidens.

When Dorothy followed the Sorceress into this delightful patio all the
fifty girls were busily weaving, and their shuttles were filled with a
sparkling green spun glass such as the little girl had never seen
before.

"What is it, Glinda?" she asked.

"One of my recent discoveries," explained the Sorceress. "I have found
a way to make threads from emeralds, by softening the stones and then
spinning them into long, silken strands. With these emerald threads we
are weaving cloth to make Ozma a splendid court gown for her birthday.
You will notice that the threads have all the beautiful glitter and
luster of the emeralds from which they are made, and so Ozma's new
dress will be the most magnificent the world has ever seen, and quite
fitting for our lovely Ruler of the Fairyland of Oz."

Dorothy's eyes were fairly dazed by the brilliance of the emerald
cloth, some of which the girls had already woven.

"I've never seen ANYthing so beautiful!" she said, with a sigh. "But
tell me, Glinda, what can I give our lovely Ozma on her birthday?"

The good Sorceress considered this question for a long time before she
replied. Finally she said:

"Of course there will be a grand feast at the Royal Palace on Ozma's
birthday, and all our friends will be present. So I suggest that you
make a fine big birthday cake of Ozma, and surround it with candles."

"Oh, just a CAKE!" exclaimed Dorothy, in disappointment.

"Nothing is nicer for a birthday," said the Sorceress.

"How many candles should there be on the cake?" asked the girl.

"Just a row of them," replied Glinda, "for no one knows how old Ozma
is, although she appears to us to be just a young girl--as fresh and
fair as if she had lived but a few years."

"A cake doesn't seem like much of a present," Dorothy asserted.

"Make it a surprise cake," suggested the Sorceress. "Don't you
remember the four and twenty blackbirds that were baked in a pie?
Well, you need not use live blackbirds in your cake, but you could have
some surprise of a different sort."

"Like what?" questioned Dorothy, eagerly.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be YOUR present to Ozma, but MINE,"
answered the Sorceress, with a smile. "Think it over, my dear, and I
am sure you can originate a surprise that will add greatly to