First entered a band of Ryls from the Happy Valley, all merry little
sprites like fairy elves. A dozen crooked Knooks followed from the
great Forest of Burzee. They had long whiskers and pointed caps and
curling toes, yet were no taller than Button-Bright's shoulder. With
this group came a man so easy to recognize and so important and dearly
beloved throughout the known world, that all present rose to their feet
and bowed their heads in respectful homage, even before the High
Chamberlain knelt to announce his name.
"The most Mighty and Loyal Friend of Children, His Supreme
Highness—Santa Claus!" said the Chamberlain, in an awed voice.
"Well, well, well! Glad to see you—glad to meet you all!" cried
Santa Claus, briskly, as he trotted up the long room.
He was round as an apple, with a fresh rosy face, laughing eyes, and
a bushy beard as white as snow. A red cloak trimmed with beautiful
ermine hung from his shoulders and upon his back was a basket filled
with pretty presents for the Princess Ozma.
"Hello, Dorothy; still having adventures?" he asked in his jolly way,
as he took the girl's hand in both his own.
"How did you know my name, Santa?" she replied, feeling more shy in
the presence of this immortal saint than she ever had before in her
young life.
"Why, don't I see you every Christmas Eve, when you're asleep?"
he rejoined, pinching her blushing cheek.
"Oh, do you?"
"And here's Button-Bright, I declare!" cried Santa Claus, holding up
the boy to kiss him. "What a long way from home you are; dear me!"
"Do you know Button-Bright, too?" questioned Dorothy, eagerly.
"Indeed I do. I've visited his home several Christmas Eves."
"And do you know his father?" asked the girl.
"Certainly, my dear. Who else do you suppose brings him his Christmas
neckties and stockings?" with a sly wink at the Wizard.
"Then where does he live? We're just crazy to know, 'cause
Button-Bright's lost," she said.
Santa laughed and laid his finger aside of his nose as if thinking
what to reply. He leaned over and whispered something in the Wizard's
ear, at which the Wizard smiled and nodded as if he understood.
Now Santa Claus spied Polychrome, and trotted over to where she stood.
"Seems to me the Rainbow's Daughter is farther from home than any of you,"
he observed, looking at the pretty maiden admiringly. "I'll have
to tell your father where you are, Polly, and send him to get you."
"Please do, dear Santa Claus," implored the little maid, beseechingly.
"But just now we must all have a jolly good time at Ozma's party,"
said the old gentleman, turning to put his presents on the table with
the others already there. "It isn't often I find time to leave my
castle, as you know; but Ozma invited me and I just couldn't help
coming to celebrate the happy occasion."
"I'm so glad!" exclaimed Dorothy.
"These are my Ryls," pointing to the little sprites squatting around
him. "Their business is to paint the colors of the flowers when they
bud and bloom; but I brought the merry fellows along to see Oz, and
they've left their paint-pots behind them. Also I brought these
crooked Knooks, whom I love. My dears, the Knooks are much nicer than
they look, for their duty is to water and care for the young trees of
the forest, and they do their work faithfully and well. It's hard
work, though, and it makes my Knooks crooked and gnarled, like the
trees themselves; but their hearts are big and kind, as are the
hearts of all who do good in our beautiful world."
"I've read of the Ryls and Knooks," said Dorothy, looking upon these
little workers with interest.
Santa Claus turned to talk with the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, and
he also said a kind word to the shaggy man, and afterward went away to
ride the Saw-Horse around the Emerald City. "For," said he, "I must
see all the grand sights while I am here and have the chance, and Ozma
has promised to let me ride the Saw-Horse because I'm getting fat and
short of breath."
"Where are your reindeer?" asked Polychrome.
"I left them at home, for it is too warm for them in this sunny country,"
he answered. "They're used to winter weather when they travel."
In a flash he was gone, and the Ryls and Knooks with him; but they
could all hear the golden hoofs of the Saw-Horse ringing on the marble
pavement outside, as he pranced away with his noble rider.
Presently the band played again, and the High Chamberlain announced:
"Her Gracious Majesty, the Queen of Merryland."
They looked earnestly to discover whom this queen might be, and saw
advancing up the room an exquisite wax doll dressed in dainty fluffs
and ruffles and spangled gown. She was almost as big as
Button-Bright, and her cheeks and mouth and eyebrow were prettily
painted in delicate colors. Her blue eyes stared a bit, being of
glass, yet the expression upon her Majesty's face was quite pleasant
and decidedly winning. With the Queen of Merryland were four wooden
soldiers, two stalking ahead of her with much dignity and two
following behind, like a royal bodyguard. The soldiers were painted in
bright colors and carried wooden guns, and after them came a fat
little man who attracted attention at once, although he seemed modest
and retiring. For he was made of candy, and carried a tin sugar-sifter
filled with powdered sugar, with which he dusted himself frequently so
that he wouldn't stick to things if he touched them. The High
Chamberlain had called him "The Candy Man of Merryland," and Dorothy
saw that one of his thumbs looked as if it had been bitten off by
some one who was fond of candy and couldn't resist the temptation.
The wax doll Queen spoke prettily to Dorothy and the others, and sent
her loving greetings to Ozma before she retired to the rooms prepared
for her. She had brought a birthday present wrapped in tissue paper
and tied with pink and blue ribbons, and one of the wooden soldiers
placed it on the table with the other gifts. But the Candy Man did
not go to his room, because he said he preferred to stay and talk with
the Scarecrow and Tik-tok and the Wizard and Tin Woodman, whom he
declared the queerest people he had ever met. Button-Bright was glad
the Candy Man stayed in the Throne Room, because the boy thought this
guest smelled deliciously of wintergreen and maple sugar.
The Braided Man now entered the room, having been fortunate enough to
receive an invitation to the Princess Ozma's party. He was from a
cave halfway between the Invisible Valley and the Country of the
Gargoyles, and his hair and whiskers were so long that he was obliged
to plait them into many braids that hung to his feet, and every braid
was tied with a bow of colored ribbon.
"I've brought Princess Ozma a box of flutters for her birthday," said
the Braided Man, earnestly; "and I hope she will like them, for they
are the finest quality I have ever made."
"I'm sure she will be greatly pleased," said Dorothy, who remembered
the Braided Man well; and the Wizard introduced the guest to the rest
of the company and made him sit down in a chair and keep quiet, for, if
allowed, he would talk continually about his flutters.
The band then played a welcome to another set of guests, and into the
Throne-Room swept the handsome and stately Queen of Ev. Beside her
was young King Evardo, and following them came the entire royal family
of five Princesses and four Princes of Ev. The Kingdom of Ev lay just
across the Deadly Desert to the North of Oz, and once Ozma and her
people had rescued the Queen of Ev and her ten children from the Nome
King, who had enslaved them. Dorothy had been present on this
adventure, so she greeted the royal family cordially; and all the
visitors were delighted to meet the little Kansas girl again. They
knew Tik-tok and Billina, too, and the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman,
as well as the Lion and Tiger; so there was a joyful reunion, as you
may imagine, and it was fully an hour before the Queen and her train
retired to their rooms. Perhaps they would not have gone then had not
the band begun to play to announce new arrivals; but before they left
the great Throne-Room King Evardo added to Ozma's birthday presents a
diadem of diamonds set in radium.
The next comer proved to be King Renard of Foxville; or King Dox, as
he preferred to be called. He was magnificently dressed in a new
feather costume and wore white kid mittens over his paws and a flower
in his button-hole and had his hair parted in the middle.
King Dox thanked Dorothy fervently for getting him the invitation to
come to Oz, which he all his life longed to visit. He strutted around
rather absurdly as he was introduced to all the famous people
assembled in the Throne-Room, and when he learned that Dorothy was a
Princess of Oz the Fox King insisted on kneeling at her feet and
afterward retired backward—a dangerous thing to do, as he might have
stubbed his paw and tumbled over.
No sooner was he gone than the blasts of bugles and clatter of drums and
cymbals announced important visitors, and the High Chamberlain assumed
his most dignified tone as he threw open the door and said proudly:
"Her Sublime and Resplendent Majesty, Queen Zixi of Ix! His
Serene and Tremendous Majesty, King Bud of Noland. Her Royal
Highness, the Princess Fluff."
That three such high and mighty royal personages should arrive at once
was enough to make Dorothy and her companions grow solemn and assume
their best company manners; but when the exquisite beauty of Queen
Zixi met their eyes they thought they had never beheld anything so
charming. Dorothy decided that Zixi must be about sixteen years old,
but the Wizard whispered to her that this wonderful queen had lived
thousands of years, but knew the secret of remaining always fresh
and beautiful.
King Bud of Noland and his dainty fair-haired sister, the Princess
Fluff, were friends of Zixi, as their kingdoms were adjoining, so they
had traveled together from their far-off domains to do honor to Ozma
of Oz on the occasion of her birthday. They brought many splendid
gifts; so the table was now fairly loaded down with presents.
Dorothy and Polly loved the Princess Fluff the moment they saw her,
and little King Bud was so frank and boyish that Button-Bright
accepted him as a chum at once and did not want him to go away. But
it was after noon now, and the royal guests must prepare their toilets
for the grand banquet at which they were to assemble that evening to
meet the reigning Princess of this Fairyland; so Queen Zixi was shown
to her room by a troop of maidens led by Jellia Jamb, and Bud and
Fluff presently withdrew to their own apartments.
"My! what a big party Ozma is going to have," exclaimed Dorothy.
"I guess the palace will be chock full, Button-Bright; don't you
think so?"
"Don't know," said the boy.
"But we must go to our rooms, pretty soon, to dress for the banquet,"
continued the girl.
"I don't have to dress," said the Candy Man from Merryland. "All I
need do is to dust myself with fresh sugar."
"Tik-tok always wears the same suits of clothes," said the Tin
Woodman; "and so does our friend the Scarecrow."
"My feathers are good enough for any occasion," cried Billina,
from her corner.
"Then I shall leave you four to welcome any new guests that come,"
said Dorothy; "for Button-Bright and I must look our very best at
Ozma's banquet."
"Who is still to come?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Well, there's King Kik-a-bray of Dunkiton, and Johnny Dooit, and the
Good Witch of the North. But Johnny Dooit may not get here until
late, he's so very busy."
"We will receive them and give them a proper welcome," promised the
Scarecrow. "So run along, little Dorothy, and get yourself dressed."
