Princess Ozma was a very busy little ruler, for she looked carefullyafter the comfort and welfare of her people and tried to make themhappy. If any quarrels arose she decided them justly; if any oneneeded counsel or advice she was ready and willing to listen to them.

For a day or two after Dorothy and her companions had started on theirtrip, Ozma was occupied with the affairs of her kingdom. Then shebegan to think of some manner of occupation for Uncle Henry and AuntEm that would be light and easy and yet give the old people somethingto do.

She soon decided to make Uncle Henry the Keeper of the Jewels, forsome one really was needed to count and look after the bins and barrelsof emeralds, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones that were inthe Royal Storehouses. That would keep Uncle Henry busy enough, butit was harder to find something for Aunt Em to do. The palace wasfull of servants, so there was no detail of housework that Aunt Emcould look after.

While Ozma sat in her pretty room engaged in thought she happenedto glance at her Magic Picture.

This was one of the most important treasures in all the Land of Oz.It was a large picture, set in a beautiful gold frame, and it hungin a prominent place upon a wall of Ozma's private room.

Usually this picture seemed merely a country scene, but wheneverOzma looked at it and wished to know what any of her friends oracquaintances were doing, the magic of this wonderful picture wasstraightway disclosed. For the country scene would gradually fadeaway and in its place would appear the likeness of the person orpersons Ozma might wish to see, surrounded by the actual scenes inwhich they were then placed. In this way the Princess could view anypart of the world she wished, and watch the actions of any one in whomshe was interested.

Ozma had often seen Dorothy in her Kansas home by this means, and now,having a little leisure, she expressed a desire to see her littlefriend again. It was while the travelers were at Fuddlecumjig, andOzma laughed merrily as she watched in the picture her friends tryingto match the pieces of Grandmother Gnit.

"They seem happy and are doubtless having a good time," the girlRuler said to herself; and then she began to think of the manyadventures she herself had encountered with Dorothy.

The image of her friends now faded from the Magic Picture and the oldlandscape slowly reappeared.

Ozma was thinking of the time when with Dorothy and her army shemarched to the Nome King's underground cavern, beyond the Land of Ev,and forced the old monarch to liberate his captives, who belonged tothe Royal Family of Ev. That was the time when the Scarecrow nearlyfrightened the Nome King into fits by throwing one of Billina's eggsat him, and Dorothy had captured King Roquat's Magic Belt and broughtit away with her to the Land of Oz.

The pretty Princess smiled at the recollection of this adventure, andthen she wondered what had become of the Nome King since then. Merelybecause she was curious and had nothing better to do, Ozma glanced atthe Magic Picture and wished to see in it the King of the Nomes.

Roquat the Red went every day into his tunnel to see how the work wasgetting along and to hurry his workmen as much as possible. He wasthere now, and Ozma saw him plainly in the Magic Picture.

She saw the underground tunnel, reaching far underneath the DeadlyDesert which separated the Land of Oz from the mountains beneath whichthe Nome King had his extensive caverns. She saw that the tunnel wasbeing made in the direction of the Emerald City, and knew at once itwas being dug so that the army of Nomes could march through it andattack her own beautiful and peaceful country.

"I suppose King Roquat is planning revenge against us," she said,musingly, "and thinks he can surprise us and make us his captives andslaves. How sad it is that any one can have such wicked thoughts!But I must not blame King Roquat too severely, for he is a Nome,and his nature is not so gentle as my own."

Then she dismissed from her mind further thought of the tunnel, forthat time, and began to wonder if Aunt Em would not be happy as RoyalMender of the Stockings of the Ruler of Oz. Ozma wore few holes inher stockings; still, they sometimes needed mending. Aunt Em ought tobe able to do that very nicely.

Next day, the Princess watched the tunnel again in her Magic Picture,and every day afterward she devoted a few minutes to inspecting the work.It was not especially interesting, but she felt that it was her duty.

Slowly but surely the big, arched hole crept through the rocksunderneath the deadly desert, and day by day it drew nearer andnearer to the Emerald City.