that made it go.

"This," said the High Coco-Lorum, pompously, "is a wonderful invention.
We are all very proud of our auto-dragons, many of which are in use by
our wealthy inhabitants. Start the thing going, charioteer!"

The charioteer did not move.

"You forgot to order him in music," suggested Dorothy.

"Ah, so I did." He touched a button and a music-box in the dragon's head
began to play a tune. At once the little charioteer pulled over a lever
and the dragon began to move--very slowly and groaning dismally as it
drew the clumsy chariot after it. Toto trotted between the wheels. The
Sawhorse, the Mule, the Lion and the Woozy followed after and had no
trouble in keeping up with the machine; indeed, they had to go slow to
keep from running into it. When the wheels turned another music-box
concealed somewhere under the chariot played a lively march tune which
was in striking contrast with the dragging movement of the strange
vehicle and Button-Bright decided that the music he had heard when they
first sighted this city was nothing else than a chariot plodding its
weary way through the streets.

All the travelers from the Emerald City thought this ride the most
uninteresting and dreary they had ever experienced, but the High
Coco-Lorum seemed to think it was grand. He pointed out the different
buildings and parks and fountains, in much the same way that the
conductor of an American "sight-seeing wagon" does, and being guests
they were obliged to submit to the ordeal. But they became a little
worried when their host told them he had ordered a banquet prepared for
them in the City Hall.

"What are we going to eat?" asked Button-Bright suspiciously.

"Thistles," was the reply; "fine, fresh thistles, gathered this very
day."

Scraps laughed, for she never ate anything, but Dorothy said in a
protesting voice:

"_Our_ insides are not lined with gold, you know."

"How sad!" exclaimed the High Coco-Lorum; and then he added, as an
afterthought: "But we can have the thistles boiled, if you prefer."

"I'm 'fraid they wouldn't taste good, even then," said little Trot.
"Haven't you anything else to eat?"

The High Coco-Lorum shook his diamond-shaped head.

"Nothing that I know of," said he. "But why should we have anything
else, when we have so many thistles? However, if you can't eat what we
eat, don't eat anything. We shall not be offended and the banquet will
be just as merry and delightful."

Knowing his comp