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"Oh, no," returned the soldier; "I have never seen him.

But I spoke to him as he sat behind his screen and gave him your

message. He said he will grant you an audience, if you so desire;

but each one of you must enter his presence alone, and he will

admit but one each day. Therefore, as you must remain in the

Palace for several days, I will have you shown to rooms where you

may rest in comfort after your journey."

"Thank you," replied the girl; "that is very kind of Oz."

The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl,

dressed in a pretty green silk gown, entered the room. She had lovely

green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as she said,

"Follow me and I will show you your room."

So Dorothy said good-bye to all her friends except Toto, and

taking the dog in her arms followed the green girl through seven

passages and up three flights of stairs until they came to a room

at the front of the Palace. It was the sweetest little room in

the world, with a soft comfortable bed that had sheets of green

silk and a green velvet counterpane. There was a tiny fountain in

the middle of the room, that shot a spray of green perfume into

the air, to fall back into a beautifully carved green marble basin.

Beautiful green flowers stood in the windows, and there was a shelf

with a row of little green books. When Dorothy had time to open

these books she found them full of queer green pictures that made

her laugh, they were so funny.

In a wardrobe were many green dresses, made of silk and satin

and velvet; and all of them fitted Dorothy exactly.

"Make yourself perfectly at home," said the green girl,

"and if you wish for anything ring the bell. Oz will send

for you tomorrow morning."

She left Dorothy alone and went back to the others. These she

also led to rooms, and each one of them found himself lodged in a

very pleasant part of the Palace. Of course this politeness was

wasted on the Scarecrow; for when he found himself alone in his

room he stood stupidly in one spot, just within the doorway, to

wait till morning. It would not rest him to lie down, and he

could not close his eyes; so he remained all night staring at a

little spider which was weaving its web in a corner of the room,

just as if it were not one of the most wonderful rooms in the world.

The Tin Woodman lay down on his bed from force of habit, for he

remembered when he was made of flesh; but not being able to sleep,

he passed the night moving his joints up and down to make sure they

kept in good working order. The Lion would have preferred a bed of

dried leaves in the forest, and did not like being shut up in a room;

but he had too much sense to let this worry him, so he sprang upon

the bed and rolled himself up like a cat and purred himself asleep

in a minute.

The next morning, after breakfast, the green maiden came to

fetch Dorothy, and she dressed her in one of the prettiest gowns,

made of green brocaded satin. Dorothy put on a green silk apron

and tied a green ribbon around Toto's neck, and they started

for the Throne Room of the Great Oz.

First they came to a great hall in which were many ladies and

gentlemen of the court, all dressed in rich costumes. These

people had nothing to do but talk to each other, but they always

came to wait outside the Throne Room every morning, although they

were never permitted to see Oz. As Dorothy entered they looked at

her curiously, and one of them whispered:

"Are you really going to look upon the face of Oz the Terrible?"