of pulling Mrs.
Yoop's hair, he perched on her shoulder and smoothed her soft cheek with
his hairy paw. In return, she smiled at the funny green animal and
patted his head.

"Very good," said the Giantess. "Let us all become friends and be happy
together. How is my Tin Owl feeling?"

"Quite comfortable," said the Owl. "I don't like it, to be sure, but I'm
not going to allow my new form to make me unhappy. But, tell me, please:
What is a Tin Owl good for?"

"You are only good to make me laugh," replied the Giantess.

"Will a stuffed Bear also make you laugh?" inquired the Scarecrow,
sitting back on his haunches to look up at her.

"Of course," declared the Giantess; "and I have added a little magic to
your transformations to make you all contented with wearing your new
forms. I'm sorry I didn't think to do that when I transformed Polychrome
into a Canary-Bird. But perhaps, when she sees how cheerful you are, she
will cease to be silent and sullen and take to singing. I will go get
the bird and let you see her."

With this, Mrs. Yoop went into the next room and soon returned bearing a
golden cage in which sat upon a swinging perch a lovely yellow Canary.

[Illustration]

"Polychrome," said the Giantess, "permit me to introduce to you a Green
Monkey, which used to be a boy called Woot the Wanderer, and a Tin Owl,
which used to be a Tin Woodman named Nick Chopper, and a straw-stuffed
little Brown Bear which used to be a live Scarecrow."

"We already know one another," declared the Scarecrow. "The bird is
Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter, and she and I used to be good
friends."

"Are you really my old friend, the Scarecrow?" asked the bird, in a
sweet, low voice.

"There!" cried Mrs. Yoop; "that's the first time she has spoken since
she was transformed."

"I am really your old friend," answered the Scarecrow; "but you must
pardon me for appearing just now in this brutal form."

"I am a bird, as you are, dear Poly," said the Tin Woodman; "but, alas!
a Tin Owl is not as beautiful as a Canary-Bird."

"How dreadful it all is!" sighed the Canary. "Couldn't you manage to
escape from this terrible Yookoohoo?"

"No," answered the Scarecrow, "we tried to escape, but failed. She first
made us her prisoners and then transformed us. But how did she manage to
get _you_, Polychrome?"

"I was asleep, and she took unfair advantage of me," answered the bird
sadly. "Had I been awake, I could easily have protected mysel