Wizard tried to think. Then he jointed together the blades of his
sword and balanced it very skillfully upon the end of his nose. But even
that did not satisfy the Princess.

Just then his eye fell upon the lanterns and the can of kerosene oil
which Zeb had brought from the car of his balloon, and he got a clever
idea from those commonplace things.

"Your Highness," said he, "I will now proceed to prove my magic by
creating two suns that you have never seen before; also I will exhibit a
Destroyer much more dreadful than your Clinging Vines."

So he placed Dorothy upon one side of him and the boy upon the other and
set a lantern upon each of their heads.

"Don't laugh," he whispered to them, "or you will spoil the effect of my
magic."

[Illustration: "NOW, PRINCESS," EXCLAIMED THE WIZARD.]

Then, with much dignity and a look of vast importance upon his wrinkled
face, the Wizard got out his match-box and lighted the two lanterns. The
glare they made was very small when compared with the radiance of the
six great colored suns; but still they gleamed steadily and clearly. The
Mangaboos were much impressed because they had never before seen any
light that did not come directly from their suns.

Next the Wizard poured a pool of oil from the can upon the glass floor,
where it covered quite a broad surface. When he lighted the oil a
hundred tongues of flame shot up, and the effect was really imposing.

"Now, Princess," exclaimed the Wizard, "those of your advisors who
wished to throw us into the Garden of Clinging Vines must step within
this circle of light. If they advised you well, and were in the right,
they will not be injured in any way. But if any advised you wrongly, the
light will wither him."

The advisors of the Princess did not like this test; but she commanded
them to step into the flame and one by one they did so, and were
scorched so badly that the air was soon filled with an odor like that of
baked potatoes. Some of the Mangaboos fell down and had to be dragged
from the fire, and all were so withered that it would be necessary to
plant them at once.

"Sir," said the Princess to the Wizard, "you are greater than any
Sorcerer we have ever known. As it is evident that my people have
advised me wrongly, I will not cast you three people into the dreadful
Garden of the Clinging Vines; but your animals must be driven into the
Black Pit in the mountain, for my subjects cannot bear to have them
around."

Th