the little fat musicker, for he swelled out
his chest, looked important and sang as follows:

_I wear no band around me,_
_And yet I am a band!_
_I do not strain to make my strains_
_But, on the other hand,_
_My toot is always destitute_
_Of flats or other errors;_
_To see sharp and be natural are_
_For me but minor terrors._

"I don't quite understand that," said Polychrome, with a puzzled look;
"but perhaps it's because I'm accustomed only to the music of the
spheres."

"What's that?" asked Button-Bright.

"Oh, Polly means the atmosphere and hemisphere, I s'pose," explained
Dorothy.

"Oh," said Button-Bright.

"Bow-wow!" said Toto.

[Illustration]

But the musicker was still breathing his constant

_Oom, pom-pom; oom, pom-pom---- _

and it seemed to jar on the shaggy man's nerves.

"Stop it, can't you?" he cried, angrily; "or breathe in a whisper; or
put a clothes-pin on your nose. Do something, anyhow!"

But the fat one, with a sad look, sang this answer:

_"Music hath charms, and it may_
_Soothe even the savage, they say;_
_So if savage you feel_
_Just list to my reel,_
_For sooth to say that's the real way."_

The shaggy man had to laugh at this, and when he laughed he stretched
his donkey mouth wide open. Said Dorothy:

"I don't know how good his poetry is, but it seems to fit the notes, so
that's all that can be 'xpected."

"I like it," said Button-Bright, who was staring hard at the musicker,
his little legs spread wide apart. To the surprise of his companions,
the boy asked this long question:

"If I swallowed a mouth-organ, what would I be?"

"An organette," said the shaggy man. "But come, my dears; I think the
best thing we can do is to continue on our journey before Button-Bright
swallows anything. We must try to find that Land of Oz, you know."

Hearing this speech the musicker sang, quickly:

_If you go to the hand of Oz_
_Please take me along, because_
_On Ozma's birthday_
_I'm anxious to play_
_The loveliest song ever was._

"No, thank you," said Dorothy; "we prefer to travel alone. But if I see
Ozma I'll tell her you want to come to her birthday party."

"Let's be going," urged the shaggy man, anxiously.

Polly was already dancing along the road, far in advance, and the
others turned to follow her. Toto did not like the fat musicker and made
a grab for his chubby