marbles, exquisitely polished. Fountains tinkled
musically here and there; the vast colonnade, open to
the south, allowed the maidens, as they raised their
heads from their embroideries, to gaze upon a vista of
rose-hued fields and groves of trees bearing fruits or
laden with sweet-scented flowers. At times one of the
girls would start a song, the others joining in the
chorus, or one would rise and dance, gracefully swaying
to the music of a harp played by a companion. And then
Glinda smiled, glad to see her maids mixing play with
work.

Presently among the fields an object was seen moving,
threading the broad path that led to the castle gate.
Some of the girls looked upon this object enviously;
the Sorceress merely gave it a glance and nodded her
stately head as if pleased, for it meant the coming of
her friend and mistress -- the only one in all the land
that Glinda bowed to.

Then up the path trotted a wooden animal attached to
a red wagon, and as the quaint steed halted at the gate
there descended from the wagon two young girls, Ozma,
Ruler of Oz, and her companion, Princess Dorothy. Both
were dressed in simple white muslin gowns, and as they
ran up the marble steps of the palace they laughed and
chatted as gaily as if they were not the most important
persons in the world's loveliest fairyland.

The maids of honor had risen and stood with bowed