her curiously, and one of them whispered:"Are you really going to look upon the face of Oz the Terrible?""Of course," answered the girl, "if he will see me.""Oh, he will see you," said the soldier who had taken hermessage to the Wizard, "although he does not like to have peopleask to see him. Indeed, at first he was angry and said I shouldsend you back where you came from. Then he asked me what youlooked like, and when I mentioned your silver shoes he was verymuch interested. At last I told him about the mark upon yourforehead, and he decided he would admit you to his presence."Just then a bell rang, and the green girl said to Dorothy,"That is the signal. You must go into the Throne Room alone."She opened a little door and Dorothy walked boldly through andfound herself in a wonderful place. It was a big, round room witha high arched roof, and the walls and ceiling and floor were coveredwith large emeralds set closely together. In the center of the roofwas a great light, as bright as the sun, which made the emeraldssparkle in a wonderful manner.
But what interested Dorothy most was the big throne of greenmarble that stood in the middle of the room. It was shaped like achair and sparkled with gems, as did everything else. In thecenter of the chair was an enormous Head, without a body tosupport it or any arms or legs whatever. There was no hair uponthis head, but it had eyes and a nose and mouth, and was muchbigger than the head of the biggest giant.As Dorothy gazed upon this in wonder and fear, the eyes turnedslowly and looked at her sharply and steadily. Then the mouthmoved, and Dorothy heard a voice say:
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do youseek me?"
It was not such an awful voice as she had expected to comefrom the big Head; so she took courage and answered:"I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek. I have come to you for help."The eyes looked at her thoughtfully for a full minute.Then said the voice:
"Where did you get the silver shoes?""I got them from the Wicked Witch of the East, when my housefell on her and killed her," she replied."Where did you get the mark upon your forehead?" continued the voice."That is where the Good Witch of the North kissed me when shebade me good-bye and sent me to you," said the girl.Again the eyes looked at her sharply, and they saw she wastelling the truth. Then Oz asked, "What do you wish me to do?""Send me back to Kansas, where my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are,"she answered earnestly. "I don't like your country, although it isso beautiful. And I am sure Aunt Em will be dreadfully worried overmy being away so long."
The eyes winked three times, and then they turned up to theceiling and down to the floor and rolled around so queerly thatthey seemed to see every part of the room. And at last they
