us and
pleasant person, although he was somewhat reserved and dignified.

Ah, but it was a great feast that Ozma served in her gorgeous banquet
hall that night and everyone was as happy as could be. The Shaggy Man
was there, and so was Jack Pumpkinhead and the Tin Woodman and Cap'n
Bill. Beside Princess Dorothy sat Tiny Trot and Betsy Bobbin, and the
three little girls were almost as sweet to look upon as was Ozma, who
sat at the head of her table and outshone all her guests in loveliness.

King Rinkitink was delighted with the quaint people of Oz and laughed
and joked with the tin man and the pumpkin-headed man and found Cap'n
Bill a very agreeable companion. But what amused the jolly King most
were the animal guests, which Ozma always invited to her banquets and
seated at a table by themselves, where they talked and chatted together
as people do but were served the sort of food their natures required.
The Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion and the Glass Cat were much admired
by Rinkitink, but when he met a mule named Hank, which Betsy Bobbin had
brought to Oz, the King found the creature so comical that he laughed
and chuckled until his friends thought he would choke. Then while the
banquet was still in progress, Rinkitink composed and sang a song to
the mule and they all joined in the chorus, which was something like
this:

"It's very queer how big an ear
Is worn by Mr. Donkey;
And yet I fear he could not hear
If it were on a monkey.

'Tis thick and strong and broad and long
And also very hairy;
It's quite becoming to our Hank
But might disgrace a fairy!"

This song was received with so much enthusiasm that Rinkitink was
prevailed upon to sing another. They gave him a little time to compose
the rhyme, which he declared would be better if he could devote a month
or two to its composition, but the sentiment he expressed was so
admirable that no one criticized the song or the manner in which the
jolly little King sang it.

Dorothy wrote down the words on a piece of paper, and here they are:

"We're merry comrades all, to-night,
Because we've won a gallant fight
And conquered all our foes.
We're not afraid of anything,
So let us gayly laugh and sing
Until we seek repose.

"We've all our grateful hearts can wish;
King Gos has gone to feed the fish,
Queen Cor has gone, as well;
King Kitticut has found his own,
Prince Bobo soon will have a throne
Reliev