"I've often
watched her and Hank in the Magic Picture, you
know. She's a dear little girl, and old Hank is a
darling! Where are they now?"
"Look and see," replied Ozma with a smile at
her friend's enthusiasm.
Dorothy turned to the Picture, which showed
Betsy and Hank, with Shaggy and his brother,
trudging along the rocky paths of a barren
country.
"Seems to me," she said, musingly, "that
they're a good way from any place to sleep, or
any nice things to eat."
"You are right," said Tik-Tok. "I have been in
that coun-try, and it is a wil-der-ness."
"It is the country of the nomes," explained the
Wizard, "who are so mischievous that no one cares
to live near them. I'm afraid Shaggy and his
friends will endure many hardships before they get
out of that rocky place, unless--"
He turned to Ozma and smiled.
"Unless I ask you to transport them all here?"
she asked.
"Yes, your Highness."
"Could your magic do that?" inquired Dorothy.
"I think so," said the Wizard.
"Well," said Dorothy, "as far as Betsy and Hank
are concerned, I'd like to have them here in Oz.
It would be such fun to have a girl playmate of my
own age, you see. And Hank is such a dear little
mule!"
Ozma laughed at the wistful expression in the
girl's eyes, and then she drew Dorothy to her and
kissed her.
"Am I not your friend and playmate?" she asked.
Dorothy flushed.
"You know how dearly I love you, Ozma!" she
cried. "But you're so busy ruling all this Land of
Oz that we can't always be together.
Pages:
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178