approached the table, until they stood where they faced
the great Giantess. She continued eating, but smiled in
a curious way as she looked at them. Woot noticed that
the door had closed silently after they had entered,
and that didn't please him at all.

"Well," said the Giantess, "what excuse have you to
offer?"

"We didn't know anyone lived here, Madam," explained
the Scarecrow; "so, being travelers and strangers in
these parts, and wishing to find a place for our boy
friend to sleep, we ventured to enter your castle."

"You knew it was private property, I suppose?" said
she, buttering another biscuit.

"We saw the words, 'Yoop Castle,' over the door, but
we knew that Mr. Yoop is a prisoner in a cage in a far-
off part of the land of Oz, so we decided there was no
one now at home and that we might use the castle for
the night."

"I see," remarked the Giantess, nodding her head and
smiling again in that curious way -- a way that made
Woot shudder. "You didn't know that Mr. Yoop was
married, or that after he was cruelly captured his wife
still lived in his castle and ran it to suit herself."

"Who captured Mr. Yoop?" asked Woot, looking gravely