Uncle Henry and Aunt Em waited downstairs. They were uneasy and a
good deal excited, for this is a practical humdrum world, and it
seemed to them quite impossible that their little niece could vanish
from her home and travel instantly to fairyland.

So they watched the stairs, which seemed to be the only way that Dorothy
could get out of the farmhouse, and they watched them a long time. They
heard the clock strike four but there was no sound from above.

Half-past four came, and now they were too impatient to wait
any longer. Softly, they crept up the stairs to the door of the
little girl's room.

"Dorothy! Dorothy!" they called.

There was no answer.

They opened the door and looked in.

The room was empty.



3. How Ozma Granted Dorothy's Request


I suppose you have read so much about the magnificent Emerald City
that there is little need for me to describe it here. It is the
Capital City of the Land of Oz, which is justly considered the most
attractive and delightful fairyland in all the world.