Dorothy Gale was sitting in one of her rooms inthe royal palace, while curled up at her feet wasa little black dog with a shaggy coat and verybright eyes. She wore a plain white frock, withoutany jewels or other ornaments except an emerald-green hair-ribbon, for Dorothy was a simplelittle girl and had not been in the least spoiledby the magnificence surrounding her. Once thechild had lived on the Kansas prairies, but sheseemed marked for adventure for she had madeseven trips to the Land of Oz before she came tolive there for good. Her very best friend was thebeautiful Ozma of Oz, who loved Dorothy so wellthat she kept her in her own palace, so as to benear her. The girl's Uncle Henry and Aunt Em--theonly relatives she had in the world--had also beenbrought here by Ozma and given a pleasant home.Dorothy knew almost everybody in Oz, and it wasshe who had discovered the Scarecrow, the TinWoodman and the Cowardly Lion, as well as Tik-tokthe Clockwork Man. Her life was very pleasant now,and although she had been made a Princess of Oz byher friend Ozma she did not care much to be aPrincess and remained as sweet as when she hadbeen plain Dorothy Gale of Kansas.

Dorothy was reading in a book this eveningwhen Jellia Jamb, the favorite servant-maid ofthe palace, came to say that the Shaggy Manwanted to see her.

"All right," said Dorothy; "tell him to comeright up."

"But he has some queer creatures with him--someof the queerest I've ever laid eyes on," reportedJellia.

"Never mind; let 'em all come up," repliedDorothy.

But when the door opened to admit not only theShaggy Man, but Scraps, the Woozy and the GlassCat, Dorothy jumped up and looked at her strangevisitors in amazement. The Patchwork Girl was themost curious of all and Dorothy was uncertain atfirst whether Scraps was really alive or only adream or a nightmare. Toto, her dog, slowlyuncurled himself and going to the Patchwork Girlsniffed at her inquiringly; but soon he lay downagain, as if to say he had no interest in such anirregular creation.

"You're a new one to me," Dorothy saidreflectively, addressing the Patchwork Girl. "Ican't imagine where you've come from."

"Who, me?" asked Scraps, looking around thepretty room instead of at the girl. "Oh, I camefrom a bed-quilt, I guess. That's what they say,anyhow. Some call it a crazy-quilt and some apatchwork quilt. But my name is Scraps--and nowyou know all about me."

"Not quite all," returned Dorothy with a smile."I wish you'd tell me how you came to be alive."

"That's an easy job," said Scraps, sitting upona big upholstered chair and making the springsbounce her up and down. "Margolotte wanted aslave, so she made me out of an old bed-quilt shedidn't use. Cotton stuffing, suspender-buttoneyes, red velvet tongue, pearl beads for teeth.The Crooked Magician made a Powder of Life,sprinkled me with it and--here I am. Perhapsyou've noticed my different colors. A very refinedand educated gentleman named the Scarecrow, whom Imet, told me I am the most beautiful creature inall Oz, and I believe it."

"Oh! Have you met our Scarecrow, then?" askedDorothy, a little puzzled to understand the briefhistory related.

"Yes; isn't he jolly?"

"The Scarecrow has many good qualities," repliedDorothy. "But I'm sorry to hear all this 'bout theCrooked Magician. Ozma'll be mad as hops when shehears he's been doing magic again. She told himnot to."

"He only practices magic for the benefit of hisown family," explained Bungle, who was keeping ata respectful distance from the little black dog.

"Dear me," said Dorothy; "I hadn't noticedyou before. Are you glass, or what?"

"I'm glass, and transparent, too, which is morethan can be said of some folks," answered thecat. "Also I have some lovely pink brains; youcan see 'em work."

"Oh; is that so? Come over here and let me see."

The Class Cat hesitated, eyeing the dog.

"Send that beast away and I will," she said.

"Beast! Why, that's my dog Toto, an' he's thekindest dog in all the world. Toto knows a goodmany things, too; 'most as much as I do, Iguess."

"Why doesn't he say anything?" asked Bungle.

"He can't talk, not being a fairy dog,"explained Dorothy. "He's just a common UnitedStates dog; but that's a good deal; and Iunderstand him, and he understands me, just aswell as if he could talk."

Toto, at this, got up and rubbed his headsoftly against Dorothy's hand, which she heldout to him, and he looked up into her face as ifhe had understood every word she had said.

"This cat, Toto," she said to him, "is madeof glass, so you mustn't bother it, or chase it,any more than you do my Pink Kitten. It'sprob'ly brittle and might break if it bumpedagainst anything."

"Woof!" said Toto, and that meant he understood.

The Glass Cat was so proud of her pink brainsthat she ventured to come close to Dorothy, inorder that the girl might "see 'em work." This wasreally interesting, but when Dorothy patted thecat she found the glass cold and hard andunresponsive, so she decided at once that Bunglewould never do for a pet.

"What do you know about the Crooked Magician wholives on the mountain?" asked Dorothy.

"He made me," replied the cat; "so I know allabout him. The Patchwork Girl is new--three orfour days old--but I've lived with Dr. Pipt foryears; and, though I don't much care for him, Iwill say that he has always refused to work magicfor any of the people who come to his house. Hethinks there's no harm in doing magic things forhis own family, and he made me out of glassbecause the meat cats drink too much milk. He alsomade Scraps come to life so she could do thehousework for his wife Margolotte."

"Then why did you both leave him?" askedDorothy.

"I think you'd better let me explain that,"interrupted the Shaggy Man, and then he toldDorothy all of Ojo's story and how Unc Nunkie andMargolotte had accidentally been turned to marbleby the Liquid of Petrifaction. Then he related howthe boy had started out in search of the thingsneeded to make the magic charm, which wouldrestore the unfortunates to life, and how he hadfound the Woozy and taken him along because hecould not pull the three hairs out of its tail.Dorothy listened to all this with much interest,and thought that so far Ojo had acted very well.But when the Shaggy Man told her of the Munchkinboy's arrest by the Soldier with the GreenWhiskers, because he was accused of wilfullybreaking a Law of Oz, the little girl was greatlyshocked.

"What do you s'pose he's done?" she asked.

"I fear he has picked a six-leaved clover,"answered the Shaggy Man, sadly. "I did not see himdo it, and I warned him that to do so was againstthe Law; but perhaps that is what he did,nevertheless."

"I'm sorry 'bout that," said Dorothy gravely,"for now there will be no one to help his pooruncle and Margolotte 'cept this Patchwork Girl,the Woozy and the Glass Cat."

"Don't mention it," said Scraps. "That's noaffair of mine. Margolotte and Unc Nunkie areperfect strangers to me, for the moment I cameto life they came to marble."

"I see," remarked Dorothy with a sigh ofregret; "the woman forgot to give you a heart."

"I'm glad she did," retorted the Patchwork Girl."A heart must be a great annoyance to one. Itmakes a person feel sad or sorry or devoted orsympathetic--all of which sensations interfere withone's happiness."

"I have a heart," murmured the Glass Cat."It's made of a ruby; but I don't imagine I shalllet it bother me about helping Unc Nunkie andMargolotte."

"That's a pretty hard heart of yours," saidDorothy. "And the Woozy, of course--"

"Why, as for me," observed the Woozy, who wasreclining on the floor with his legs doubled underhim, so that he looked much like a square box, "Ihave never seen those unfortunate people you arespeaking of, and yet I am sorry for them, havingat times been unfortunate myself. When I was shutup in that forest I longed for some one to helpme, and by and by Ojo came and did help me. So I'mwilling to help his uncle. I'm only a stupidbeast, Dorothy, but I can't help that, and ifyou'll tell me what to do to help Ojo and hisuncle, I'll gladly do it."

Dorothy walked over and patted the Woozy on hissquare head.

"You're not pretty," she said, "but I like you.What are you able to do; anything 'special?"

"I can make my eyes flash fire--real fire--whenI'm angry. When anyone says: 'Krizzle-Kroo' to meI get angry, and then my eyes flash fire."

"I don't see as fireworks could help Ojo'suncle," remarked Dorothy. "Can you do anythingelse?"

"I--I thought I bad a very terrifying growl,"said the Woozy, with hesitation; "but perhapsI was mistaken."

"Yes," said the Shaggy Man, "you were certainlywrong about that." Then he turned to Dorothy andadded: "What will become of the Munchkin boy?"

"I don't know," she said, shaking her headthoughtfully. "Ozma will see him 'bout it, ofcourse, and then she'll punish him. But how,I don't know, 'cause no one ever has beenpunished in Oz since I knew anything aboutthe place. Too bad, Shaggy Man, isn't it?"

While they were talking Scraps had beenroaming around the room and looking at allthe pretty things it contained. She had carriedOjo's basket in her hand, until now, when shedecided to see what was inside it. She foundthe bread and cheese, which she had no use for,and the bundle of charms, which were curiousbut quite a mystery to her. Then, turning theseover, she came upon the six-leaved clover whichthe boy had plucked.

Scraps was quick-witted, and although she had noheart she recognized the fact that Ojo was herfirst friend. She knew at once that because theboy had taken the clover he bad been imprisoned,and she understood that Ojo had given her thebasket so they would not find the clover in hispossession and have proof of his crime. So,turning her head to see that no one noticed her,she took the clover from the basket and dropped itinto a golden vase that stood on Dorothy's table.Then she came forward and said to Dorothy:

"I wouldn't care to help Ojo's uncle, but Iwill help Ojo. He did not break the Law--noone can prove he did--and that green-whiskeredsoldier had no right to arrest him."

"Ozma ordered the boy's arrest," said Dorothy,"and of course she knew what she was doing. But ifyou can prove Ojo is innocent they will set himfree at once.

"They'll have to prove him guilty, won'tthey?'' asked Scraps.

"I s'pose so."

"Well, they can't do that," declared thePatchwork Girl.

As it was nearly time for Dorothy to dine withOzma, which she did every evening, she rang for aservant and ordered the Woozy taken to a nice roomand given plenty of such food as he liked best.

"That's honey-bees," said the Woozy.

"You can't eat honey-bees, but you'll be givensomething just as nice," Dorothy told him. Thenshe had the Glass Cat taken to another room forthe night and the Patchwork Girl she kept in oneof her own rooms, for she was much interested inthe strange creature and wanted to talk with heragain and try to understand her better.