"Where's the butter, Unc Nunkie?" asked Ojo.

Unc looked out of the window and stroked hislong beard. Then he turned to the Munchkin boy andshook his head.

"Isn't," said he.

"Isn't any butter? That's too bad, Unc. Where'sthe jam then?" inquired Ojo, standing on a stoolso he could look through all the shelves of thecupboard. But Unc Nunkie shook his head again.

"Gone," he said.

"No jam, either? And no cake--no jelly--noapples--nothing but bread?"

"All," said Unc, again stroking his beard as hegazed from the window.

The little boy brought the stool and sat be sidehis uncle, munching the dry bread slowly andseeming in deep thought.

"Nothing grows in our yard but the breadtree," he mused, "and there are only two moreloaves on that tree; and they're not ripe yet. Tellme, Unc; why are we so poor?"

The old Munchkin turned and looked at Ojo. Hehad kindly eyes, but he hadn't smiled or laughedin so long that the boy had forgotten that UncNunkie could look any other way than solemn. AndUnc never spoke any more words than he was obligedto, so his little nephew, who lived alone withhim, had learned to understand a great deal fromone word.

"Why are we so poor, Unc?" repeated the

"Not," said the old Munchkin.

"I think we are," declared Ojo. "What have wegot?"

"House," said Unc Nunkie.

"I know; but everyone in the Land of Ozhas a place to live. What else, Unc?"

"Bread."

"I'm eating the last loaf that's ripe. There;I've put aside your share, Unc. It's on the table,so you can eat it when you get hungry. But whenthat is gone, what shall we eat, Unc?"

The old man shifted in his chair but merelyshook his head.

"Of course," said Ojo, who was obliged to talkbecause his uncle would not, "no one starves inthe Land of Oz, either. There is plenty foreveryone, you know; only, if it isn't just whereyou happen to be, you must go where it is."

The aged Munchkin wriggled again and stared athis small nephew as if disturbed by his argument.

"By tomorrow morning," the boy went on, we mustgo where there is something to eat, or we shallgrow very hungry and become very unhappy."

"Where?" asked Unc.

"Where shall we go? I don't know, I'm sure,"replied Ojo. "But you must know, Unc. You musthave traveled, in your time, because you're soold. I don't remember it, because ever since Icould remember anything we've lived right here inthis lonesome, round house, with a little gardenback of it and the thick woods all around. AllI've ever seen of the great Land of Oz, Unc dear,is the view of that mountain over at the south,where they say the Hammerheads live--who won't letanybody go by them--and that mountain at thenorth, where they say nobody lives."

"One," declared Unc, correcting him.

"Oh, yes; one family lives there, I've heard.That's the Crooked Magician, who is namedDr. Pipt, and his wife Margolotte. One year youtold me about them; I think it took you a wholeyear, Unc, to say as much as I've just said aboutthe Crooked Magician and his wife. They livehigh up on the mountain, and the good MunchkinCountry, where the fruits and flowers grow, isjust the other side. It's funny you and I shouldlive here all alone, in the middle of the forest,Isn't it?"

"Yes," said Unc.

"Then let's go away and visit the MunchkinCountry and its jolly, good-natured people. I'dlove to get a sight of something besides woods,Unc Nunkie."

"Too little," said Unc.

"Why, I'm not so little as I used to be,"answered the boy earnestly. "I think I can walkas far and as fast through the woods as youcan, Unc. And now that nothing grows in ourback yard that is good to eat, we must go wherethere is food."

Unc Nunkie made no reply for a time. Thenhe shut down the window and turned his chairto face the room, for the sun was sinking behindthe tree-tops and it was growing cool.

By and by Ojo lighted the fire and the logsblazed freely in the broad fireplace. The two satin the firelight a long time--the old, white-bearded Munchkin and the little boy. Both werethinking. When it grew quite dark out-side, Ojosaid:

"Eat your bread, Unc, and then we will go tobed."

But Unc Nunkie did not eat the bread; neitherdid he go directly to bed. Long after his littlenephew was sound asleep in the corner of the roomthe old man sat by the fire, thinking.