because they had two faces and, as
Dorothy said, "two front sides," and their feet were shaped like the
letter T upside down. They moved with great rapidity and there was
something about their glittering eyes and contrasting colors and
removable heads that inspired the poor prisoners with horror, and made
them long to escape.

But the creatures led their captives away from the rocks and the road,
down the hill by a side path until they came before a low mountain of
rock that looked like a huge bowl turned upside down. At the edge of
this mountain was a deep gulf--so deep that when you looked into it
there was nothing but blackness below. Across the gulf was a narrow
bridge of rock, and at the other end of the bridge was an arched
opening that led into the mountain.

Over this bridge the Scoodlers led their prisoners, through the opening
into the mountain, which they found to be an immense hollow dome
lighted by several holes in the roof. All around the circular space
were built rock houses, set close together, each with a door in the
front wall. None of these houses was more than six feet wide, but the
Scoodlers were thin people sidewise and did not need much room. So
vast was the dome that there was a large space in the middle of the
cave, in front of all these houses, where the creatures might
congregate as in a great hall.

It made Dorothy shudder to see a huge iron kettle suspended by a stout
chain in the middle of the place, and underneath the kettle a great
heap of kindling wood and shavings, ready to light.

"What's that?" asked the shaggy man, drawing back as they approached
this place, so that they were forced to push him forward.

"The Soup Kettle!" yelled the Scoodlers, and then they shouted in the
next breath:

"We're hungry!"

Button-Bright, holding Dorothy's hand in one chubby fist and Polly's
hand in the other, was so affected by this shout that he began to cry
again, repeating the protest:

"Don't want to be soup, I don't!"

"Never mind," said the shaggy man, consolingly; "I ought to make enough
soup to feed them all, I'm so big; so I'll ask them to put me in the
kettle first."

"All right," said Button-Bright, more cheerfully.

But the Scoodlers were not ready to make soup yet. They led the
captives into a house at the farthest side of the cave--a house
somewhat wider than the others.

"Who lives here?" asked the Rainbow's Daughter. The Scoodlers nearest
her replied:

"The Qu