"Being your friends and relatives, Princess Dorothy, they are
certainly distinguished," replied the Ruler, with a smile.

"They--they won't hardly know what to make of all your splendid
furniture and things," protested Dorothy, gravely. "It may scare 'em
to see your grand Throne Room, an' p'raps we'd better go into the back
yard, Ozma, where the cabbages grow an' the chickens are playing.
Then it would seem more natural to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em."

"No; they shall first see me in my Throne Room," replied Ozma,
decidedly; and when she spoke in that tone Dorothy knew it was not
wise to oppose her, for Ozma was accustomed to having her own way.

So together they went to the Throne Room, an immense domed chamber in
the center of the palace. Here stood the royal throne, made of solid
gold and encrusted with enough precious stones to stock a dozen
jewelry stores in our country.

Ozma, who was wearing the Magic Belt, seated herself in the throne,
and Dorothy sat at her feet. In the room were assembled many ladies
and gentlemen of the court, clothed in rich apparel and wearing fine
jewelry. Two immense animals squatted, one on each side of the
throne--the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger. In a balcony high up
in the dome an orchestra played sweet music, and beneath the dome two
electric fountains sent sprays of colored perfumed water shooting up
nearly as high as the arched ceiling.

"Are you ready, Dorothy?" asked the Ruler.

"I am," replied Dorothy; "but I don't know whether Aunt Em and Uncle