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asked the girl.

"Kill the Wicked Witch of the West," answered Oz.

"But I cannot!" exclaimed Dorothy, greatly surprised.

"You killed the Witch of the East and you wear the silver shoes,

which bear a powerful charm. There is now but one Wicked Witch left

in all this land, and when you can tell me she is dead I will send

you back to Kansas--but not before."

The little girl began to weep, she was so much disappointed;

and the eyes winked again and looked upon her anxiously, as if the

Great Oz felt that she could help him if she would.

"I never killed anything, willingly," she sobbed. "Even if I

wanted to, how could I kill the Wicked Witch? If you, who are Great

and Terrible, cannot kill her yourself, how do you expect me to do it?"

"I do not know," said the Head; "but that is my answer, and

until the Wicked Witch dies you will not see your uncle and aunt

again. Remember that the Witch is Wicked--tremendously Wicked

-and ought to be killed. Now go, and do not ask to see me again

until you have done your task."

Sorrowfully Dorothy left the Throne Room and went back where

the Lion and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were waiting to

hear what Oz had said to her. "There is no hope for me," she

said sadly, "for Oz will not send me home until I have killed

the Wicked Witch of the West; and that I can never do."

Her friends were sorry, but could do nothing to help her; so

Dorothy went to her own room and lay down on the bed and cried

herself to sleep.

The next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came to

the Scarecrow and said:

"Come with me, for Oz has sent for you."

So the Scarecrow followed him and was admitted into the great

Throne Room, where he saw, sitting in the emerald throne, a most

lovely Lady. She was dressed in green silk gauze and wore upon

her flowing green locks a crown of jewels. Growing from her

shoulders were wings, gorgeous in color and so light that they

fluttered if the slightest breath of air reached them.

When the Scarecrow had bowed, as prettily as his straw stuffing would

let him, before this beautiful creature, she looked upon him sweetly,

and said:

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?"

Now the Scarecrow, who had expected to see the great Head Dorothy had

told him of, was much astonished; but he answered her bravely.

"I am only a Scarecrow, stuffed with straw. Therefore I have

no brains, and I come to you praying that you will put brains in

my head instead of straw, so that I may become as much a man as

any other in your dominions."

"Why should I do this for you?" asked the Lady.

"Because you are wise and powerful, and no one else can help me,"

answered the Scarecrow.

"I never grant favors without some return," said Oz; "but this

much I will promise. If you will kill for me the Wicked Witch of

the West, I will bestow upon you a great many brains, and such

good brains that you will be the wisest man in all the Land of Oz."

"I thought you asked Dorothy to kill the Witch," said the Scarecrow,

in surprise.

"So I did. I don't care who kills her. But until she is dead

I will not grant your wish. Now go, and do not seek me again

until you have earned the brains you so greatly desire."

The Scarecrow went sorrowfully back to his friends and told

them what Oz had said; and Dorothy was surprised to find that the

Great Wizard was not a Head, as she had seen him, but a lovely Lady.

"All the same," said the Scarecrow, "she needs a heart as much

as the Tin Woodman."

On the next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came

to the Tin Woodman and said:

"Oz has sent for you. Follow me."

So the Tin Woodman followed him and came to the great Throne

Room. He did not know whether he would find Oz a lovely Lady or a

Head, but he hoped it would be the lovely Lady. "For," he said to

himself, "if it is the head, I am sure I shall not be given a

heart, since a head has no heart of its own and therefore cannot

feel for me. But if it is the lovely Lady I shall beg hard for a

heart, for all ladies are themselves said to be kindly hearted.

But when the Woodman entered the great Throne Room he saw

neither the Head nor the Lady, for Oz had taken the shape of a

most terrible Beast. It was nearly as big as an elephant, and the

green throne seemed hardly strong enough to hold its weight. The

Beast had a head like that of a rhinoceros, only there were five

eyes in its face. There were five long arms growing out of its

body, and it also had five long, slim legs. Thick, woolly hair

covered every part of it, and a more dreadful-looking monster

could not be imagined. It was fortunate the Tin Woodman had no

heart at that moment, for it would have beat loud and fast from

terror. But being only tin, the Woodman was not at all afraid,

although he was much disappointed.

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible," spoke the Beast, in a voice

that was one great roar. "Who are you, and why do you seek me?"