declare, I'm
nearly as stupid as these brave soldiers. Wait here for me, and I'll go
back and get it."

So she went into the room where she had seen the grasshopper, and
presently Ozma of Oz, as lovely and dainty as ever, entered and
approached the Queen of Ev, greeting her as one high born princess
greets another.

"But where are my friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman?" asked the
girl Ruler, when these courtesies had been exchanged.

"I'll hunt them up," replied Billina. "The Scarecrow is solid gold, and
so is Tiktok; but I don't exactly know what the Tin Woodman is, because
the Nome King said he had been transformed into something funny."

Ozma eagerly assisted the hen in her quest, and soon the Scarecrow and
the machine man, being ornaments of shining gold, were discovered and
restored to their accustomed forms. But, search as they might, in no
place could they find a funny ornament that might be the transformation
of the Tin Woodman.

"Only one thing can be done," said Ozma, at last, "and that is to return
to the Nome King and oblige him to tell us what has become of our
friend."

"Perhaps he won't," suggested Billina.

"He must," returned Ozma, firmly. "The King has not treated us honestly,
for under the mask of fairness and good nature he entrapped us all, and
we would have been forever enchanted had not our wise and clever friend,
the yellow hen, found a way to save us."

"The King is a villain," declared the Scarecrow.

"His laugh is worse than another man's frown," said the private, with a
shudder.

"I thought he was hon-est, but I was mis-tak-en," remarked Tiktok. "My
thoughts are us-u-al-ly cor-rect, but it is Smith & Tin-ker's fault if
they some-times go wrong or do not work prop-er-ly."

"Smith & Tinker made a very good job of you," said Ozma, kindly. "I do
not think they should be blamed if you are not quite perfect."

"Thank you," replied Tiktok.

"Then," said Billina, in her brisk little voice, "let us all go back to
the Nome King, and see what he has to say for himself."

So they started for the entrance, Ozma going first, with the Queen and
her train of little Princes and Princesses following. Then came Tiktok,
and the Scarecrow with Billina perched upon his straw-stuffed shoulder.
The twenty-seven officers and the private brought up the rear.

As they reached the hall the doors flew open before them; but then they
all stopped and stared into the domed cavern with faces of as