ay she left that fairyland or was spirited away
from it. But Dorothy was a mortal, nevertheless, and might possibly be
destroyed, or hidden where none of her friends could ever find her. She
could, for instance be cut into pieces, and the pieces, while still
alive and free from pain, could be widely scattered; or she might be
buried deep underground or "destroyed" in other ways by evil magicians,
were she not properly protected. These facts Glinda was considering
while she paced with stately tread her marble hall.

Finally the good Sorceress paused and drew a ring from her finger,
handing it to Dorothy.

"Wear this ring constantly until your return," she said to the girl.
"If serious danger threatens you, turn the ring around on your finger
once to the right and another turn to the left. That will ring the
alarm bell in my palace and I will at once come to your rescue. But do
not use the ring unless you are actually in danger of destruction.
While you remain with Princess Ozma I believe she will be able to
protect you from all lesser ills."

"Thank you, Glinda," responded Dorothy gratefully, as she placed the
ring on her finger. "I'm going to wear my Magic Belt which I took from
the Nome King, too, so I guess I'll be safe from anything the Skeezers
and Flatheads try to do to me."

Ozma had many arrangements to make before she could leave her throne
and her palace in the Emerald City, even for a trip of a few days, so
she bade goodbye to Glinda and with Dorothy climbed into the Red Wagon.
A word to the wooden Sawhorse started that astonishing creature on the
return journey, and so swiftly did he run that Dorothy was unable to
talk or do anything but hold tight to her seat all the way back to the
Emerald City.

Chapter Two

Ozma and Dorothy

Residing in Ozma's palace at this time was a live Scarecrow, a most
remarkable and intelligent creature who had once ruled the Land of Oz
for a brief period and was much loved and respected by all the people.
Once a Munchkin farmer had stuffed an old suit of clothes with straw
and put stuffed boots on the feet and used a pair of stuffed cotton
gloves for hands. The head of the Scarecrow was a stuffed sack fastened
to the body, with eyes, nose, mouth and ears painted on the sack. When
a hat had been put on the head, the thing was a good imitation of a
man. The farmer placed the Scarecrow on a pole in his cornfield and it
came to life in a curious manner. Dorothy, who w