c of a harp played by a companion. And then Glinda smiled,
glad to see her maids mixing play with work.

Presently among the fields an object was seen moving, threading the
broad path that led to the castle gate. Some of the girls looked upon
this object enviously; the Sorceress merely gave it a glance and nodded
her stately head as if pleased, for it meant the coming of her friend
and mistress--the only one in all the land that Glinda bowed to.

Then up the path trotted a wooden animal attached to a red wagon, and
as the quaint steed halted at the gate there descended from the wagon
two young girls, Ozma, Ruler of Oz, and her companion, Princess
Dorothy. Both were dressed in simple white muslin gowns, and as they
ran up the marble steps of the palace they laughed and chatted as gaily
as if they were not the most important persons in the world's loveliest
fairyland.

The maids of honor had risen and stood with bowed heads to greet the
royal Ozma, while Glinda came forward with outstretched arms to greet
her guests.

"We've just come on a visit, you know," said Ozma. "Both Dorothy and I
were wondering how we should pass the day when we happened to think
we'd not been to your Quadling Country for weeks, so we took the
Sawhorse and rode straight here."

"And we came so fast," added Dorothy, "that our hair is blown all
fuzzy, for the Sawhorse makes a wind of his own. Usually it's a day's
journey from the Em'rald City, but I don't s'pose we were two hours on
the way."

"You are most welcome," said Glinda the Sorceress, and led them through
the court to her magnificent reception hall. Ozma took the arm of her
hostess, but Dorothy lagged behind, kissing some of the maids she knew
best, talking with others, and making them all feel that she was their
friend. When at last she joined Glinda and Ozma in the reception hall,
she found them talking earnestly about the condition of the people, and
how to make them more happy and contented--although they were already
the happiest and most contented folks in all the world.

This interested Ozma, of course, but it didn't interest Dorothy very
much, so the little girl ran over to a big table on which was lying
open Glinda's Great Book of Records.

This Book is one of the greatest treasures in Oz, and the Sorceress
prizes it more highly than any of her magical possessions. That is the
reason it is firmly attached to the big marble table by means of golden
chains, and whenever Gli