ll agreed to accept my
judgment?"

"We are!" they declared, each one hopeful.

"Then," said the Sawhorse, "I must point out to you the fact that you
are all meat creatures, who tire unless they sleep, and starve unless
they eat, and suffer from thirst unless they drink. Such animals must be
very imperfect, and imperfect creatures cannot be beautiful. Now, _I_ am
made of wood."

"You surely have a wooden head," said the Mule.

"Yes, and a wooden body and wooden legs--which are as swift as the wind
and as tireless. I've heard Dorothy say that 'handsome is as handsome
does,' and I surely perform my duties in a handsome manner. Therefore,
if you wish my honest judgment, I will confess that among us all I am
the most beautiful."

The Mule snorted and the Woozy laughed; Toto had lost his growl and
could only look scornfully at the Sawhorse, who stood in his place
unmoved. But the Lion stretched himself and yawned, saying quietly:

"Were we all like the Sawhorse we would all be Sawhorses, which would be
too many of the kind; were we all like Hank, we would be a herd of
mules; if like Toto, we would be a pack of dogs; should we all become
the shape of the Woozy, he would no longer be remarkable for his unusual
appearance. Finally, were you all like me, I would consider you so
common that I would not care to associate with you. To be individual, my
friends, to be different from others, is the only way to become
distinguished from the common herd. Let us be glad, therefore, that we
differ from one another in form and in disposition. Variety is the spice
of life and we are various enough to enjoy one another's society; so let
us be content."

"There is some truth in that speech," remarked Toto reflectively. "But
how about my lost growl?"

"The growl is of importance only to you," responded the Lion, "so it is
your business to worry over the loss, not ours. If you love us, do not
inflict your burdens on us; be unhappy all by yourself."

"If the same person stole my growl who stole Ozma," said the little dog,
"I hope we shall find him very soon and punish him as he deserves. He
must be the most cruel person in all the world, for to prevent a dog
from growling when it is his nature to growl is just as wicked, in my
opinion, as stealing all the magic in Oz."

[Illustration]

Button-Bright Loses Himself

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 11

The Patchwork Girl, who never slept and who could see very well in the
dark,