let me eat just a few. But
now that this foolish trial is ended, I will tell you what really
became of your pet piglet."

At this everyone in the Throne Room suddenly became quiet, and the
kitten continued, in a calm, mocking tone of voice:

"I will confess that I intended to eat the little pig for my breakfast;
so I crept into the room where it was kept while the Princess was
dressing and hid myself under a chair. When Ozma went away she closed
the door and left her pet on the table. At once I jumped up and told
the piglet not to make a fuss, for he would be inside of me in half a
second; but no one can teach one of these creatures to be reasonable.
Instead of keeping still, so I could eat him comfortably, he trembled
so with fear that he fell off the table into a big vase that was
standing on the floor. The vase had a very small neck, and spread out
at the top like a bowl. At first the piglet stuck in the neck of the
vase and I thought I should get him, after all, but he wriggled himself
through and fell down into the deep bottom part--and I suppose he's
there yet."

All were astonished at this confession, and Ozma at once sent an
officer to her room to fetch the vase. When he returned the Princess
looked down the narrow neck of the big ornament and discovered her lost
piglet, just as Eureka had said she would.

There was no way to get the creature out without breaking the vase, so
the Tin Woodman smashed it with his axe and set the little prisoner
free.

Then the crowd cheered lustily and Dorothy hugged the kitten in her
arms and told her how delighted she was to know that she was innocent.

"But why didn't you tell us at first?" she asked.

"It would have spoiled the fun," replied the kitten, yawning.

Ozma gave the Wizard back the piglet he had so kindly allowed Nick
Chopper to substitute for the lost one, and then she carried her own
into the apartments of the palace where she lived. And now, the trial
being over, the good citizens of the Emerald City scattered to their
homes, well content with the day's amusement.

20. Zeb Returns to the Ranch

Eureka was much surprised to find herself in disgrace; but she was, in
spite of the fact that she had not eaten the piglet. For the folks of
Oz knew the kitten had tried to commit the crime, and that only an
accident had prevented her from doing so; therefore even the Hungry
Tiger preferred not to associate with her. Eureka was forbidden to
w