we will go to bed."

[Illustration]

But Unc Nunkie did not eat the bread; neither did he go directly to bed.
Long after his little nephew was sound asleep in the corner of the room
the old man sat by the fire, thinking.

THE CROOKED MAGICIAN

CHAP. TWO

[Illustration]

Just at dawn next morning Unc Nunkie laid his hand tenderly on Ojo's
head and awakened him.

"Come," he said.

Ojo dressed. He wore blue silk stockings, blue knee-pants with gold
buckles, a blue ruffled waist and a jacket of bright blue braided with
gold. His shoes were of blue leather and turned up at the toes, which
were pointed. His hat had a peaked crown and a flat brim, and around the
brim was a row of tiny golden bells that tinkled when he moved. This was
the native costume of those who inhabited the Munchkin Country of the
Land of Oz, so Unc Nunkie's dress was much like that of his nephew.
Instead of shoes, the old man wore boots with turnover tops and his
blue coat had wide cuffs of gold braid.

The boy noticed that his uncle had not eaten the bread, and supposed
the old man had not been hungry. Ojo was hungry, though; so he divided
the piece of bread upon the table and ate his half for breakfast,
washing it down with fresh, cool water from the brook. Unc put the other
piece of bread in his jacket pocket, after which he again said, as he
walked out through the doorway: "Come."

Ojo was well pleased. He was dreadfully tired of living all alone in the
woods and wanted to travel and see people. For a long time he had wished
to explore the beautiful Land of Oz in which they lived. When they were
outside, Unc simply latched the door and started up the path. No one
would disturb their little house, even if anyone came so far into the
thick forest while they were gone.

At the foot of the mountain that separated the Country of the Munchkins
from the Country of the Gillikins, the path divided. One way led to the
left and the other to the right--straight up the mountain. Unc Nunkie
took this right-hand path and Ojo followed without asking why. He knew
it would take them to the house of the Crooked Magician, whom he had
never seen but who was their nearest neighbor.

All the morning they trudged up the mountain path and at noon Unc and
Ojo sat on a fallen tree-trunk and ate the last of the bread which the
old Munchkin had placed in his pocket. Then they started on again and
two hours later came in sight of the house of Dr. Pipt.