as a green meadow as pretty as a well-kept
lawn, and in this were neither houses nor farms to spoil the beauty of
the scene.

From the top of the high bridge they could see far away the magnificent
spires and splendid domes of the superb city, sparkling like brilliant
jewels as they towered above the emerald walls. The shaggy man drew a
deep breath of awe and amazement, for never had he dreamed that such a
grand and beautiful place could exist--even in the fairyland of Oz.

Polly was so pleased that her violet eyes sparkled like amethysts, and
she danced away from her companions across the bridge and into a group
of feathery trees lining both the roadsides. These trees she stopped
to look at with pleasure and surprise, for their leaves were shaped
like ostrich plumes, their feather edges beautifully curled; and all
the plumes were tinted in the same dainty rainbow hues that appeared in
Polychrome's own pretty gauze gown.

"Father ought to see these trees," she murmured; "they are almost as
lovely as his own rainbows."

Then she gave a start of terror, for beneath the trees came stalking
two great beasts, either one big enough to crush the little Daughter of
the Rainbow with one blow of his paws, or to eat her up with one snap
of his enormous jaws. One was a tawny lion, as tall as a horse,
nearly; the other a striped tiger almost the same size.

Polly was too frightened to scream or to stir; she stood still with a
wildly beating heart until Dorothy rushed past her and with a glad cry
threw her arms around the huge lion's neck, hugging and kissing the
beast with evident joy.

"Oh, I'm SO glad to see you again!" cried the little Kansas girl. "And
the Hungry Tiger, too! How fine you're both looking. Are you well and
happy?"

"We certainly are, Dorothy," answered the Lion, in a deep voice that
sounded pleasant and kind; "and we are greatly pleased that you have
come to Ozma's party. It's going to be a grand affair, I promise you."

"There will be lots of fat babies at the celebration, I hear," remarked
the Hungry Tiger, yawning so that his mouth opened dreadfully wide and
showed all his big, sharp teeth; "but of course I can't eat any of 'em."

"Is your Conscience still in good order?" asked Dorothy, anxiously.

"Yes; it rules me like a tyrant," answered the Tiger, sorrowfully. "I
can imagine nothing more unpleasant than to own a Conscience," and he
winked slyly at his friend the Lion.

"You're fooling m