The Tin Woodman received Princess Dorothy's party with much grace andcordiality, yet the little girl decided that something must beworrying with her old friend, because he was not so merry as usual.

But at first she said nothing about this, for Uncle Henry and Aunt Emwere fairly bubbling over with admiration for the beautiful tin castleand its polished tin owner. So her suspicion that somethingunpleasant had happened was for a time forgotten.

"Where is the Scarecrow?" she asked, when they had all been usheredinto the big tin drawing-room of the castle, the Sawhorse being ledaround to the tin stable in the rear.

"Why, our old friend has just moved into his new mansion," explainedthe Tin Woodman. "It has been a long time in building, although myWinkies and many other people from all parts of the country have beenbusily working upon it. At last, however, it is completed, and theScarecrow took possession of his new home just two days ago."

"I hadn't heard that he wanted a home of his own," said Dorothy."Why doesn't he live with Ozma in the Emerald City? He used to,you know; and I thought he was happy there."

"It seems," said the Tin Woodman, "that our dear Scarecrow cannot becontented with city life, however beautiful his surroundings might be.Originally he was a farmer, for he passed his early life in acornfield, where he was supposed to frighten away the crows."

"I know," said Dorothy, nodding. "I found him, and lifted him downfrom his pole."

"So now, after a long residence in the Emerald City, his tastes haveturned to farm life again," continued the Tin Man. "He feels that hecannot be happy without a farm of his own, so Ozma gave him some landand every one helped him build his mansion, and now he is settledthere for good."

"Who designed his house?" asked the Shaggy Man.

"I believe it was Jack Pumpkinhead, who is also a farmer,"was the reply.

They were now invited to enter the tin dining room, where luncheonwas served.

Aunt Em found, to her satisfaction, that Dorothy's promise wasmore than fulfilled; for, although the Tin Woodman had no appetite ofhis own, he respected the appetites of his guests and saw that theywere bountifully fed.

They passed the afternoon in wandering through the beautiful gardensand grounds of the palace. The walks were all paved with sheets oftin, brightly polished, and there were tin fountains and tin statueshere and there among the trees. The flowers were mostly naturalflowers and grew in the regular way; but their host showed them oneflower bed which was his especial pride.

"You see, all common flowers fade and die in time," he explained, "andso there are seasons when the pretty blooms are scarce. Therefore Idecided to make one tin flower bed all of tin flowers, and my workmenhave created them with rare skill. Here you see tin camelias, tinmarigolds, tin carnations, tin poppies and tin hollyhocks growing asnaturally as if they were real."

Indeed, they were a pretty sight, and glistened under the sunlightlike spun silver. "Isn't this tin hollyhock going to seed?" asked theWizard, bending over the flowers.

"Why, I believe it is!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman, as if surprised. "Ihadn't noticed that before. But I shall plant the tin seeds and raiseanother bed of tin hollyhocks."

In one corner of the gardens Nick Chopper had established afish-pond in which they saw swimming and disporting themselvesmany pretty tin fishes.

"Would they bite on hooks?" asked Aunt Em, curiously.

The Tin Woodman seemed hurt at this question.

"Madam," said he, "do you suppose I would allow anyone to catch mybeautiful fishes, even if they were foolish enough to bite on hooks?No, indeed! Every created thing is safe from harm in my domain, and Iwould as soon think of killing my little friend Dorothy as killing oneof my tin fishes."

"The Emperor is very kind-hearted, ma'am," explained the Wizard. "Ifa fly happens to light upon his tin body he doesn't rudely brush itoff, as some people might do; he asks it politely to find some otherresting place."

"What does the fly do then?" enquired Aunt Em.

"Usually it begs his pardon and goes away," said the Wizard, gravely."Flies like to be treated politely as well as other creatures, andhere in Oz they understand what we say to them, and behave very nicely."

"Well," said Aunt Em, "the flies in Kansas, where I came from, don'tunderstand anything but a swat. You have to smash 'em to make 'embehave; and it's the same way with 'skeeters. Do you have 'skeetersin Oz?"

"We have some very large mosquitoes here, which sing as beautifully assong birds," replied the Tin Woodman. "But they never bite or annoyour people, because they are well fed and taken care of. The reasonthey bite people in your country is because they are hungry--poor things!"

"Yes," agreed Aunt Em; "they're hungry, all right. An' they ain'tvery particular who they feed on. I'm glad you've got the 'skeeterseducated in Oz."

That evening after dinner they were entertained by the Emperor's TinCornet Band, which played for them several sweet melodies. Also theWizard did a few sleight-of-hand tricks to amuse the company; afterwhich they all retired to their cozy tin bedrooms and slept soundlyuntil morning.

After breakfast Dorothy said to the Tin Woodman:

"If you'll tell us which way to go we'll visit the Scarecrow onour way home."

"I will go with you, and show you the way," replied the Emperor;"for I must journey to-day to the Emerald City."

He looked so anxious, as he said this, that the little girl asked:

"There isn't anything wrong with Ozma, is there?"

"Not yet," said he; "but I'm afraid the time has come when I musttell you some very bad news, little friend."

"Oh, what is it?" cried Dorothy.

"Do you remember the Nome King?" asked the Tin Woodman.

"I remember him very well," she replied.

"The Nome King has not a kind heart," said the Emperor, sadly, "and hehas been harboring wicked thoughts of revenge, because we once defeatedhim and liberated his slaves and you took away his Magic Belt. So hehas ordered his Nomes to dig a long tunnel underneath the deadlydesert, so that he may march his hosts right into the Emerald City.When he gets there he intends to destroy our beautiful country."

Dorothy was much surprised to hear this.

"How did Ozma find out about the tunnel?" she asked.

"She saw it in her Magic Picture."

"Of course," said Dorothy; "I might have known that. And what is shegoing to do?"

"I cannot tell," was the reply.

"Pooh!" cried the Yellow Hen. "We're not afraid of the Nomes. If weroll a few of our eggs down the tunnel they'll run away back home asfast as they can go."

"Why, that's true enough!" exclaimed Dorothy. "The Scarecrow onceconquered all the Nome King's army with some of Billina's eggs."

"But you do not understand all of the dreadful plot," continued theTin Woodman. "The Nome King is clever, and he knows his Nomes wouldrun from eggs; so he has bargained with many terrible creatures tohelp him. These evil spirits are not afraid of eggs or anything else,and they are very powerful. So the Nome King will send them throughthe tunnel first, to conquer and destroy, and then the Nomes willfollow after to get their share of the plunder and slaves."

They were all startled to hear this, and every face wore a troubled look.

"Is the tunnel all ready?" asked Dorothy.

"Ozma sent me word yesterday that the tunnel was all completed exceptfor a thin crust of earth at the end. When our enemies break throughthis crust, they will be in the gardens of the royal palace, in theheart of the Emerald City. I offered to arm all my Winkies and marchto Ozma's assistance; but she said no."

"I wonder why?" asked Dorothy.

"She answered that all the inhabitants of Oz, gathered together, werenot powerful enough to fight and overcome the evil forces of the NomeKing. Therefore she refuses to fight at all."

"But they will capture and enslave us, and plunder and ruin all ourlovely land!" exclaimed the Wizard, greatly disturbed by this statement.

"I fear they will," said the Tin Woodman, sorrowfully. "And I alsofear that those who are not fairies, such as the Wizard, and Dorothy,and her uncle and aunt, as well as Toto and Billina, will be speedilyput to death by the conquerors."

"What can be done?" asked Dorothy, shuddering a little at the prospectof this awful fate.

"Nothing can be done!" gloomily replied the Emperor of the Winkies."But since Ozma refuses my army I will go myself to the Emerald City.The least I may do is to perish beside my beloved Ruler."