t made Ojo stop and look
thoughtful was a sign painted on the fence which read:

"BEWARE OF THE WOOZY!"

"That means," he said, "that there's a Woozy inside that fence, and the
Woozy must be a dangerous animal or they wouldn't tell people to beware
of it."

"Let's keep out, then," replied Scraps. "That path is outside the fence,
and Mr. Woozy may have all his little forest to himself, for all we
care."

"But one of our errands is to find a Woozy," Ojo explained. "The
Magician wants me to get three hairs from the end of a Woozy's tail."

"Let's go on and find some other Woozy," suggested the cat. "This one is
ugly and dangerous, or they wouldn't cage him up. Maybe we shall find
another that is tame and gentle."

"Perhaps there isn't any other, at all," answered Ojo. "The sign doesn't
say: 'Beware _a_ Woozy'; it says: 'Beware _the_ Woozy,' which may mean
there's only one in all the Land of Oz."

"Then," said Scraps, "suppose we go in and find him? Very likely if we
ask him politely to let us pull three hairs out of the tip of his tail
he won't hurt us."

"It would hurt _him_, I'm sure, and that would make him cross," said the
cat.

"You needn't worry, Bungle," remarked the Patchwork Girl; "for if there
is danger you can climb a tree. Ojo and I are not afraid; are we, Ojo?"

"I am, a little," the boy admitted; "but this danger must be faced, if
we intend to save poor Unc Nunkie. How shall we get over the fence?"

"Climb," answered Scraps, and at once she began climbing up the rows of
bars. Ojo followed and found it more easy than he had expected. When
they got to the top of the fence they began to get down on the other
side and soon were in the forest. The Glass Cat, being small, crept
between the lower bars and joined them.

Here there was no path of any sort, so they entered the woods, the boy
leading the way, and wandered through the trees until they were nearly
in the center of the forest. They now came upon a clear space in which
stood a rocky cave.

So far they had met no living creature, but when Ojo saw the cave he
knew it must be the den of the Woozy.

It is hard to face any savage beast without a sinking of the heart, but
still more terrifying is it to face an unknown beast, which you have
never seen even a picture of. So there is little wonder that the pulses
of the Munchkin boy beat fast as he and his companions stood facing the
cave. The opening was perfectly square, and about big enough