It isn't
nearly as pretty as your own head, no matter what the foxes say; but you
can get along with it for a little while longer, can't you?"

"Don't know," said Button-Bright, doubtfully; but he didn't cry any more
after that.

Dorothy let the maids pin ribbons to her shoulders, after which they
were ready for the King's dinner. When they met the shaggy man in the
splendid drawing-room of the palace they found him just the same as
before. He had refused to give up his shaggy clothes for new ones,
because if he did that he would no longer be the shaggy man, he said,
and he might have to get acquainted with himself all over again.

He told Dorothy he had brushed his shaggy hair and whiskers; but she
thought he must have brushed them the wrong way, for they were quite as
shaggy as before.

As for the company of foxes assembled to dine with the strangers, they
were most beautifully costumed, and their rich dresses made Dorothy's
simple gown and Button-Bright's sailor suit and the shaggy man's shaggy
clothes look commonplace. But they treated their guests with great
respect and the King's dinner was a very good dinner indeed.

Foxes, as you know, are fond of chicken and other fowl; so they served
chicken soup and roasted turkey and stewed duck and fried grouse and
broiled quail and goose pie, and as the cooking was excellent the King's
guests enjoyed the meal and ate heartily of the various dishes.

The party went to the theater, where they saw a play acted by foxes
dressed in costumes of brilliantly colored feathers. The play was about
a fox-girl who was stolen by some wicked wolves and carried to their
cave; and just as they were about to kill her and eat her a company of
fox-soldiers marched up, saved the girl, and put all the wicked wolves
to death.

"How do you like it?" the King asked Dorothy.

"Pretty well," she answered. "It reminds me of one of Mr. Aesop's
fables."

"Don't mention Aesop to me, I beg of you!" exclaimed King Dox. "I hate
that man's name. He wrote a good deal about foxes, but always made them
out cruel and wicked, whereas we are gentle and kind, as you may see."

"But his fables showed you to be wise and clever, and more shrewd than
other animals," said the shaggy man, thoughtfully.

[Illustration]

"So we are. There is no question about our knowing more than men do,"
replied the King, proudly. "But we employ our wisdom to do good, instead
of harm; so that horrid Aesop did not know wh