as while the three were talking together one
morning in Dorothy's room that Betsy proposed they make a journey into
the Munchkin Country, which was one of the four great countries of the
Land of Oz ruled by Ozma.

[Illustration]

"I've never been there yet," said Betsy Bobbin, "but the Scarecrow
once told me it is the prettiest country in all Oz."

"I'd like to go, too," added Trot.

"All right," said Dorothy, "I'll go and ask Ozma. Perhaps she will let
us take the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon, which would be much nicer for us
than having to walk all the way. This Land of Oz is a pretty big place,
when you get to all the edges of it."

So she jumped up and went along the halls of the splendid palace until
she came to the royal suite, which filled all the front of the second
floor. In a little waiting room sat Ozma's maid, Jellia Jamb, who was
busily sewing.

"Is Ozma up yet?" inquired Dorothy.

"I don't know, my dear," replied Jellia. "I haven't heard a word from
her this morning. She hasn't even called for her bath or her breakfast,
and it is far past her usual time for them."

"That's strange!" exclaimed the little girl.

"Yes," agreed the maid; "but of course no harm could have happened to
her. No one can die or be killed in the Land of Oz and Ozma is herself a
powerful fairy, and she has no enemies, so far as we know. Therefore I
am not at all worried about her, though I must admit her silence is
unusual."

"Perhaps," said Dorothy, thoughtfully, "she has overslept. Or she may be
reading, or working out some new sort of magic to do good to her
people."

"Any of these things may be true," replied Jellia Jamb, "so I haven't
dared disturb our royal mistress. You, however, are a privileged
character, Princess, and I am sure that Ozma wouldn't mind at all if you
went in to see her."

"Of course not," said Dorothy, and opening the door of the outer chamber
she went in. All was still here. She walked into another room, which was
Ozma's boudoir, and then, pushing back a heavy drapery richly broidered
with threads of pure gold, the girl entered the sleeping-room of the
fairy Ruler of Oz. The bed of ivory and gold was vacant; the room was
vacant; not a trace of Ozma was to be found.

Very much surprised, yet still with no fear that anything had happened
to her friend, Dorothy returned through the boudoir to the other rooms
of the suite. She went into the music room, the library, the laboratory,
the bath, the wa