The boy was so bewildered by this calamity that hemade no resistance at all. He knew very well hewas guilty, but it surprised him that Ozma alsoknew it. He wondered how she had found out so soonthat he had picked the six-leaved clover. Hehanded his basket to Scraps and said:

"Keep that, until I get out of prison. If Inever get out, take it to the Crooked Magician, towhom it belongs."

The Shaggy Man had been gazing earnestly in theboy's face, uncertain whether to defend him ornot; but something he read in Ojo's expressionmade him draw back and refuse to interfere to savehim. The Shaggy Man was greatly surprised andgrieved, but he knew that Ozma never made mistakesand so Ojo must really have broken the Law of Oz.

The Soldier with the Green Whiskers now led themall through the gate and into a little room builtin the wall. Here sat a jolly little man, richlydressed in green and having around his neck aheavy gold chain to which a number of great goldenkeys were attached. This was the Guardian of theGate and at the moment they entered his room hewas playing a tune upon a mouth-organ.

"Listen!" he said, holding up his hand forsilence. "I've just composed a tune called 'TheSpeckled Alligator.' It's in patch-time, which ismuch superior to rag-time, and I've composed it inhonor of the Patchwork Girl, who has justarrived."

"How did you know I had arrived?" asked Scraps,much interested.

"It's my business to know who's coming, for I'mthe Guardian of the Gate. Keep quiet while I playyou 'The Speckled Alligator.'"

It wasn't a very bad tune, nor a very good one,but all listened respectfully while he shut hiseyes and swayed his head from side to side andblew the notes from the little instrument. When itwas all over the Soldier with the Green Whiskerssaid:

"Guardian, I have here a prisoner."

"Good gracious! A prisoner?" cried the littleman, jumping up from his chair. "Which one? Notthe Shaggy Man?"

"No; this boy."

"Ah; I hope his fault is as small as himself,"said the Guardian of the Gate. "But what can hehave done, and what made him do it?"

"Can't say," replied the soldier. "All I knowis that he has broken the Law."

"But no one ever does that!"

"Then he must be innocent, and soon will bereleased. I hope you are right, Guardian. Just nowI am ordered to take him to prison. Get me aprisoner's robe from your Official Wardrobe."

The Guardian unlocked a closet and tookfrom it a white robe, which the soldier threwover Ojo. It covered him from head to foot, buthad two holes just in front of his eyes, so hecould see where to go. In this attire the boypresented a very quaint appearance.

As the Guardian unlocked a gate leadingfrom his room into the streets of the EmeraldCity, the Shaggy Man said to Scraps:

"I think I shall take you directly to Dorothy,as the Scarecrow advised, and the Glass Catand the Woozy may come with us. Ojo mustgo to prison with the Soldier with the GreenWhiskers, but he will he well treated and youneed not worry about him."

"What will they do with him?" asked Scraps.

"That I cannot tell. Since I came to the Land ofOz no one has ever been arrested or imprisoned--until Ojo broke the Law."

"Seems to me that girl Ruler of yours is makinga big fuss over nothing," remarked Scraps, tossingher yarn hair out of her eyes with a jerk of herpatched head. "I don't know what Ojo has done, butit couldn't be anything very, bad, for you and Iwere with him all the time."

The Shaggy Man made no reply to this speech andpresently the Patchwork Girl forgot all about Ojoin her admiration of the wonderful city she hadentered.

They soon separated from the Munchkin boy, whowas led by the Soldier with the Green Whiskersdown a side street toward the prison. Ojo feltvery miserable and greatly ashamed of himself, buthe was beginning to grow angry because he wastreated in such a disgraceful manner. Instead ofentering the splendid Emerald City as arespectable traveler who was entitled to awelcome and to hospitality, he was being broughtin as a criminal, handcuffed and in a robe thattold all he met of his deep disgrace.

Ojo was by nature gentle and affectionate and ifhe had disobeyed the Law of Oz it was to restorehis dear Unc Nunkie to life. His fault was morethoughtless than wicked, but that did not alterthe fact that he had committed a fault. At firsthe had felt sorrow and remorse, but the more hethought about the unjust treatment he hadreceived--unjust merely because he considered itso--the more he resented his arrest, blaming Ozmafor making foolish laws and then punishing folkswho broke them. Only a six-leaved clover! A tinygreen plant growing neglected and trampled underfoot. What harm could there be in picking it? Ojobegan to think Ozma must be a very bad andoppressive Ruler for such a lovely fairyland asOz. The Shaggy Man said the people loved her; buthow could they?

The little Munchkin boy was so busy thinkingthese things--which many guilty prisoners havethought before him--that he scarcely noticed allthe splendor of the city streets through whichthey passed. Whenever they met any of the happy,smiling people, the boy turned his head away inshame, although none knew who was beneath therobe.

By and by they reached a house built just besidethe great city wall, but in a quiet, retiredplace. It was a pretty house, neatly painted andwith many windows. Before it was a garden filledwith blooming flowers. The Soldier with the GreenWhiskers led Ojo up the gravel path to the frontdoor, on which he knocked.

A woman opened the door and, seeing Ojoin his white robe, exclaimed:

"Goodness me! A prisoner at last. But what asmall one, Soldier."

"The size doesn't matter, Tollydiggle, mydear. The fact remains that he is a prisoner,"said the soldier. "And, this being the prison,and you the jailer, it is my duty to place theprisoner in your charge."

"True. Come in, then, and I'll give you areceipt for him."

They entered the house and passed through a hallto a large circular room, where the woman pulledthe robe off from Ojo and looked at him withkindly interest. The boy, on his part, was gazingaround him in amazement, for never had he dreamedof such a magnificent apartment as this in whichhe stood. The roof of the dome was of coloredglass, worked into beautiful designs. The wallswere paneled with plates of

gold decorated with gems of great size and manycolors, and upon the tiled floor were soft ragsdelightful to walk upon. The furniture was framedin gold and upholstered in satin brocade and itconsisted of easy chairs, divans and stools ingreat variety. Also there were several tables withmirror tops and cabinets filled with rare andcurious things. In one place a case filled withbooks stood against the wall, and elsewhere Ojosaw a cupboard containing all sorts of games.

"May I stay here a little while before I go toprison?" asked the boy, pleadingly.

"Why, this is your prison," replied Tollydiggle,"and in me behold your jailor. Take off thosehandcuffs, Soldier, for it is impossible foranyone to escape from this house."

"I know that very well," replied the soldier andat once unlocked the handcuffs and released theprisoner.

The woman touched a button on the wall andlighted a big chandelier that hung suspended fromthe ceiling, for it was growing dark outside. Thenshe seated herself at a desk and asked:

"What name?"

"Ojo the Unlucky," answered the Soldierwith the Green Whiskers.

"Unlucky? Ah, that accounts for it," said she."What crime?"

"Breaking a Law of Oz."

"All right. There's your receipt, Soldier; andnow I'm responsible for the prisoner. I'm gladof it, for this is the first time I've ever hadanything to do, in my official capacity," remarkedthe jailer, in a pleased tone.

"It's the same with me, Tollydiggle," laughedthe soldier. "But my task is finished and I mustgo and report to Ozma that I've done my dutylike a faithful Police Force, a loyal Army andan honest Body-Guard--as I hope I am."

Saying this, be nodded farewell to Tollydiggleand Ojo and went away.

"Now, then," said the woman briskly, "I must getyou some supper, for you are doubtless hungry.What would you prefer: planked whitefish, omeletwith jelly or mutton-chops with gravy?"

Ojo thought about it. Then he said: "I'll takethe chops, if you please."

"Very well; amuse yourself while I'm gone;I won't be long," and then she went out by adoor and left the prisoner alone.

Ojo was much astonished, for not only was thisunlike any prison he had ever heard of, but he wasbeing treated more as a guest than a criminal.There were many windows and they bad no locks.There were three doors to the room and none werebolted. He cautiously opened one of the doors andfound it led into a hallway. But he had nointention of trying to escape. If his jailor waswilling to trust him in this way he would notbetray her trust, and moreover a hot supper wasbeing prepared for him and his prison was verypleasant and comfortable. So he took a book fromthe case and sat down in a big chair to look atthe pictures.

This amused him until the woman came in with alarge tray and spread a cloth on one of thetables. Then she arranged his supper, which provedthe most varied and delicious meal Ojo had evereaten in his life.

Tollydiggle sat near him while he ate, sewingon some fancy work she held in her lap. Whenhe had finished she cleared the table and thenread to him a story from one of the books.

"Is this really a prison?" he asked, when shehad finished reading.

"Indeed it is," she replied. "It is the onlyprison in the Land of Oz."

"And am I a prisoner?"

"Bless the child! Of course."

"Then why is the prison so fine, and whyare you so kind to me?" he earnestly asked.

Tollydiggle seemed surprised by the question,but she presently answered:

"We consider a prisoner unfortunate. He isunfortunate in two ways--because he has donesomething wrong and because he is deprived of hisliberty. Therefore we should treat him kindly,because of his misfortune, for otherwise he wouldbecome hard and bitter and would not be sorry hehad done wrong. Ozma thinks that one who hascommitted a fault did so because he was not strongand brave; therefore she puts him in prison tomake him strong and brave. When that isaccomplished he is no longer a prisoner, but agood and loyal citizen and everyone is glad thathe is now strong enough to resist doing wrong. Yousee, it is kindness that makes one strong andbrave; and so we are kind to our prisoners."

Ojo thought this over very carefully. "I hadan idea," said he, "that prisoners were alwaystreated harshly, to punish them."

"That would be dreadful!" cried Tollydiggle."Isn't one punished enough in knowing he hasdone wrong? Don't you wish, Ojo, with all yourheart, that you had not been disobedient andbroken a Law of Oz?"

"I--I hate to be different from other people,"he admitted.

"Yes; one likes to be respected as highly as hisneighbors are," said the woman. "When you aretried and found guilty, you will be obliged tomake amends, in some way. I don't know justwhat Ozma will do to you, because this is thefirst time one of us has broken a Law; but youmay be sure she will be just and merciful. Herein the Emerald City people are too happy andcontented ever to do wrong; but perhaps youcame from some faraway corner of our land, andhaving no love for Ozma carelessly broke oneof her Laws."

"Yes," said Ojo, "I've lived all my life in theheart of a lonely forest, where I saw no one butdear Unc Nunkie."

"I thought so," said Tollydiggle. "But nowwe have talked enough, so let us play a gameuntil bedtime."