There is no other country so beautiful as the Land of Oz. There areno other people so happy and contented and prosperous as the Ozpeople. They have all they desire; they love and admire theirbeautiful girl Ruler, Ozma of Oz, and they mix work and play so justlythat both are delightful and satisfying and no one has any reason tocomplain. Once in a while something happens in Oz to disturb thepeople's happiness for a brief time, for so rich and attractive afairyland is sure to make a few selfish and greedy outsiders envious,and therefore certain evil-doers have treacherously plotted to conquerOz and enslave its people and destroy its girl Ruler, and so gain thewealth of Oz for themselves. But up to the time when the cruel andcrafty Nome, Ruggedo, conspired with Kiki Aru, the Hyup, all suchattempts had failed. The Oz people suspected no danger. Life in theworld's nicest fairyland was one round of joyous, happy days.

In the center of the Emerald City of Oz, the capital city of Ozma'sdominions, is a vast and beautiful garden, surrounded by a wall inlaidwith shining emeralds, and in the center of this garden standsOzma's Royal Palace, the most splendid building ever constructed.From a hundred towers and domes floated the banners of Oz, whichincluded the Ozmies, the Munchkins, the Gillikins, the Winkies and theQuadlings. The banner of the Munchkins is blue, that of the Winkiesyellow; the Gillikin banner is purple, and the Quadling's banner isred. The colors of the Emerald City are of course green. Ozma's ownbanner has a green center, and is divided into four quarters. Thesequarters are colored blue, purple, yellow and red, indicating that sherules over all the countries of the Land of Oz.

This fairyland is so big, however, that all of it is not yet knownto its girl Ruler, and it is said that in some far parts of thecountry, in forests and mountain fastnesses, in hidden valleys andthick jungles, are people and beasts that know as little about Ozma asshe knows of them. Still, these unknown subjects are not nearly sonumerous as the known inhabitants of Oz, who occupy all the countriesnear to the Emerald City. Indeed, I'm sure it will not be long untilall parts of the fairyland of Oz are explored and their peoples madeacquainted with their Ruler, for in Ozma's palace are several of herfriends who are so curious that they are constantly discovering new andextraordinary places and inhabitants.

One of the most frequent discoverers of these hidden places in Oz isa little Kansas girl named Dorothy, who is Ozma's dearest friend andlives in luxurious rooms in the Royal Palace. Dorothy is, indeed, aPrincess of Oz, but she does not like to be called a princess, andbecause she is simple and sweet and does not pretend to be anythingbut an ordinary little girl, she is called just "Dorothy" by everybodyand is the most popular person, next to Ozma, in all the Land of Oz.

One morning Dorothy crossed the hall of the palace and knocked onthe door of another girl named Trot, also a guest and friend of Ozma.When told to enter, Dorothy found that Trot had company, an oldsailor-man with one wooden leg and one meat leg, who was sitting bythe open window puffing smoke from a corn-cob pipe. This sailor-manwas named Cap'n Bill, and he had accompanied Trot to the Land of Ozand was her oldest and most faithful comrade and friend. Dorothyliked Cap'n Bill, too, and after she had greeted him, she said to Trot:

"You know, Ozma's birthday is next month, and I've been wonderingwhat I can give here as a birthday present. She's so good to us allthat we certainly ought to remember her birthday."

"That's true," agreed Trot. "I've been wondering, too, what I couldgive Ozma. It's pretty hard to decide, 'cause she's got already allshe wants, and as she's a fairy and knows a lot about magic, she couldsatisfy any wish."

"I know," returned Dorothy, "but that isn't the point. It isn'tthat Ozma NEEDS anything, but that it will please her to know we'veremembered her birthday. But what shall we give her?"

Trot shook her head in despair.

"I've tried to think and I can't," she declared.

"It's the same way with me," said Dorothy.

"I know one thing that 'ud please her," remarked Cap'n Bill, turninghis round face with its fringe of whiskers toward the two girls andstaring at them with his big, light-blue eyes wide open.

"What is it, Cap'n Bill?"

"It's an Enchanted Flower," said he. "It's a pretty plant thatstands in a golden flower-pot an' grows all sorts o' flowers, oneafter another. One minute a fine rose buds an' blooms, an' then atulip, an' next a chrys--chrys--"

"--anthemum," said Dorothy, helping him.

"That's it; and next a dahlia, an' then a daffydil, an' on allthrough the range o' posies. Jus' as soon as one fades away, anothercomes, of a different sort, an' the perfume from 'em is mighty snifty,an' they keeps bloomin' night and day, year in an' year out."

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I think Ozma would like it."

"But where is the Magic Flower, and how can we get it?" asked Trot.

"Dun'no, zac'ly," slowly replied Cap'n Bill. "The Glass Cat tol' meabout it only yesterday, an' said it was in some lonely place up atthe nor'east o' here. The Glass Cat goes travelin' all around Oz, youknow, an' the little critter sees a lot o' things no one else does."

"That's true," said Dorothy, thoughtfully. "Northeast of here mustbe in the Munchkin Country, and perhaps a good way off, so let's askthe Glass Cat to tell us how to get to the Magic Flower."

So the two girls, with Cap'n Bill stumping along on his wooden legafter them, went out into the garden, and after some time spent insearching, they found the Glass Cat curled up in the sunshine beside abush, fast sleep.

The Glass Cat is one of the most curious creatures in all Oz. Itwas made by a famous magician named Dr. Pipt before Ozma had forbiddenher subjects to work magic. Dr. Pipt had made the Glass Cat to catchmice, but the Cat refused to catch mice and was considered morecurious than useful.

This astonished cat was made all of glass and was so clear andtransparent that you could see through it as easily as through awindow. In the top of its head, however, was a mass of delicate pinkballs which looked like jewels but were intended for brains. It had aheart made of blood-red ruby. The eyes were two large emeralds. But,aside from these colors, all the rest of the animal was of clearglass, and it had a spun-glass tail that was really beautiful.

"Here, wake up," said Cap'n Bill. "We want to talk to you."

Slowly the Glass Cat got upon its feed, yawned and then looked atthe three who stood before it.

"How dare you disturb me?" it asked in a peevish voice. "You oughtto be ashamed of yourselves."

"Never mind that," returned the Sailor. "Do you remember tellin' meyesterday 'bout a Magic Flower in a Gold Pot?"

"Do you think I'm a fool? Look at my brains--you can see 'em work.Of course I remember!" said the cat.

"Well, where can we find it?"

"You can't. It's none of your business, anyhow. Go away and let mesleep," advised the Glass Cat.

"Now, see here," said Dorothy; "we want the Magic Flower to give toOzma on her birthday. You'd be glad to please Ozma, wouldn't you?"

"I'm not sure," replied the creature. "Why should I wantto please anybody?"

"You've got a heart, 'cause I can see it inside of you," said Trot.

"Yes; it's a pretty heart, and I'm fond of it," said the cat,twisting around to view its own body. "But it's made from a ruby, andit's hard as nails."

"Aren't you good for ANYthing?" asked Trot.

"Yes, I'm pretty to look at, and that's more than can be said ofyou," retorted the creature.

Trot laughed at this, and Dorothy, who understood the Glass Catpretty well, said soothingly:

"You are indeed beautiful, and if you can tell Cap'n Bill where tofind the Magic Flower, all the people in Oz will praise yourcleverness. The Flower will belong to Ozma, but everyone will knowthe Glass Cat discovered it."

This was the kind of praise the crystal creature liked.

"Well," it said, while the pink brains rolled around, "I found theMagic Flower way up in the north of the Munchkin Country where fewpeople live or ever go. There's a river there that flows through aforest, and in the middle of the forest there is a small island onwhich stands the gold pot in which grows the Magic Flower."

"How did you get to the island?" asked Dorothy. "Glass cats can't swim."

"No, but I'm not afraid of water," was the reply. "I just walkedacross the river on the bottom."

"Under the water?" exclaimed Trot.

The cat gave her a scornful look.

"How could I walk OVER the water on the BOTTOM of the river? If youwere transparent, anyone could see YOUR brains were not working. ButI'm sure you could never find the place alone. It has always beenhidden from the Oz people."

"But you, with your fine pink brains, could find it again, Is'pose," remarked Dorothy.

"Yes; and if you want that Magic Flower for Ozma, I'll go with youand show you the way."

"That's lovely of you!" declared Dorothy. "Trot and Cap'n Bill willgo with you, for this is to be their birthday present to Ozma. Whileyou're gone I'll have to find something else to give her."

"All right. Come on, then, Cap'n," said the Glass Cat, starting tomove away.

"Wait a minute," begged Trot. "How long will we be gone?"

"Oh, about a week."

"Then I'll put some things in a basket to take with us," said thegirl, and ran into the palace to make her preparations for the journey.