low bow, a yellow hen strutted in. Dorothy sprang
forward and caught the fluffy fowl in her arms, uttering at the same
time a glad cry.

"Oh, Billina!" she said; "how fat and sleek you've grown."

"Why shouldn't I?" asked the hen, in a sharp, clear voice. "I live on
the fat of the land--don't I, Ozma?"

"You have everything you wish for," said the Princess.

Around Billina's neck was a string of beautiful pearls, and on her legs
were bracelets of emeralds. She nestled herself comfortably in
Dorothy's lap until the kitten gave a snarl of jealous anger and leaped
up with a sharp claw fiercely bared to strike Billina a blow. But the
little girl gave the angry kitten such a severe cuff that it jumped
down again without daring to scratch.

"How horrid of you, Eureka!" cried Dorothy. "Is that the way to treat
my friends?"

"You have queer friends, seems to me," replied the kitten, in a surly
tone.

"Seems to me the same way," said Billina, scornfully, "if that beastly
cat is one of them."

"Look here!" said Dorothy, sternly. "I won't have any quarrelling in
the Land of Oz, I can tell you! Everybody lives in peace here, and
loves everybody else; and unless you two, Billina and Eureka, make up
and be friends, I'll take my Magic Belt and wish you both home again,
IMMEJITLY. So, there!"

They were both much frightened at the threat, and promised meekly to be
good. But it was never noticed that they became very warm friends, for
all of that.

And now the Tin Woodman arrived, his body most beautifully
nickle-plated, so that it shone splendidly in the brilliant light of
the room. The Tin Woodman loved Dorothy most tenderly, and welcomed
with joy the return of the little old Wizard.

"Sir," said he to the latter, "I never can thank you enough for the
excellent heart you once gave me. It has made me many friends, I
assure you, and it beats as kindly and lovingly today as it every did."

"I'm glad to hear that," said the Wizard. "I was afraid it would get
moldy in that tin body of yours."

"Not at all," returned Nick Chopper. "It keeps finely, being preserved
in my air-tight chest."

Zeb was a little shy when first introduced to these queer people; but
they were so friendly and sincere that he soon grew to admire them very
much, even finding some good qualities in the yellow hen. But he
became nervous again when the next visitor was announced.

"This," said Princess Ozma, "is my friend Mr. H. M. Woggl