you must be also; so let us go in and have our feast."

On entering the tent they found a table set for two, with snowy linen,
bright silver and sparkling glassware, a vase of roses in the center
and many dishes of delicious food, some smoking hot, waiting to satisfy
their hunger. Also, on either side of the tent were beds, with satin
sheets, warm blankets and pillows filled with swansdown. There were
chairs, too, and tall lamps that lighted the interior of the tent with
a soft, rosy glow.

Dorothy, resting herself at her fairy friend's command, and eating her
dinner with unusual enjoyment, thought of the wonders of magic. If one
were a fairy and knew the secret laws of nature and the mystic words
and ceremonies that commanded those laws, then a simple wave of a
silver wand would produce instantly all that men work hard and
anxiously for through weary years. And Dorothy wished in her kindly,
innocent heart, that all men and women could be fairies with silver
wands, and satisfy all their needs without so much work and worry, for
then, she imagined, they would have all their working hours to be happy
in. But Ozma, looking into her friend's face and reading those
thoughts, gave a laugh and said:

"No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. Instead of happiness your
plan would bring weariness to the world. If every one could wave a wand
and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish for. There
would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing would
then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for,
and only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be
utterly lost. There would be nothing to do you see, and no interest in
life and in our fellow creatures. That is all that makes life worth our
while--to do good deeds and to help those less fortunate than
ourselves."

"Well, you're a fairy, Ozma. Aren't you happy?" asked Dorothy.

"Yes, dear, because I can use my fairy powers to make others happy. Had
I no kingdom to rule, and no subjects to look after, I would be
miserable. Also, you must realize that while I am a more powerful fairy
than any other inhabitant of Oz, I am not as powerful as Glinda the
Sorceress, who has studied many arts of magic that I know nothing of.
Even the little Wizard of Oz can do some things I am unable to
accomplish, while I can accomplish things unknown to the Wizard. This
is to explain that I'm not all-powerful, by any means. My magic is