named Tiktok, and the yellow hen is my friend Billina."

[Illustration: "THE PRINCESS WONT LIKE IT," SAID THE MAID]

The little servant bowed and withdrew, going through several passages
and mounting two marble stairways before she came to the apartments
occupied by her mistress.

Princess Langwidere's sitting-room was panelled with great mirrors,
which reached from the ceiling to the floor; also the ceiling was
composed of mirrors, and the floor was of polished silver that reflected
every object upon it. So when Langwidere sat in her easy chair and
played soft melodies upon her mandolin, her form was mirrored hundreds
of times, in walls and ceiling and floor, and whichever way the lady
turned her head she could see and admire her own features. This she
loved to do, and just as the maid entered she was saying to herself:

"This head with the auburn hair and hazel eyes is quite attractive. I
must wear it more often than I have done of late, although it may not be
the best of my collection."

"You have company, Your Highness," announced the maid, bowing low.

"Who is it?" asked Langwidere, yawning.

"Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Mr. Tiktok and Billina," answered the maid.

"What a queer lot of names!" murmured the Princess, beginning to be a
little interested. "What are they like? Is Dorothy Gale of Kansas
pretty?"

"She might be called so," the maid replied.

"And is Mr. Tiktok attractive?" continued the Princess.

"That I cannot say, Your Highness. But he seems very bright. Will Your
Gracious Highness see them?"

"Oh, I may as well, Nanda. But I am tired admiring this head, and if my
visitor has any claim to beauty I must take care that she does not
surpass me. So I will go to my cabinet and change to No. 17, which I
think is my best appearance. Don't you?"

"Your No. 17 is exceedingly beautiful," answered Nanda, with another
bow.

Again the Princess yawned. Then she said:

"Help me to rise."

So the maid assisted her to gain her feet, although Langwidere was the
stronger of the two; and then the Princess slowly walked across the
silver floor to her cabinet, leaning heavily at every step upon Nanda's
arm.

Now I must explain to you that the Princess Langwidere had thirty
heads--as many as there are days in the month. But of course she could
only wear one of them at a time, because she had but one neck. These
heads were kept in what she called her "cabinet," which was a beautiful
dressing-room that lay j