"He's still shaggy, all right," remarked Button-Bright; and Ozma nodded brightly because she had meant the shaggy man to remain shaggy when she provided his new clothes for him.
Dorothy led him toward the throne, as he was shy in such fine company, and presented him gracefully to the Princess, saying:
"This, your Highness, is my friend, the shaggy man, who owns the Love Magnet.""You are welcome to Oz," said the girl Ruler, in gracious accents.
"But tell me, sir, where did you get the Love Magnet which you say you own?"The shaggy man grew red and looked downcast, as he answered in a low voice:
"I stole it, your Majesty."
"Oh, Shaggy Man!" cried Dorothy. "How dreadful! And you told me the Eskimo gave you the Love Magnet."He shuffled first on one foot and then on the other, much embarrassed.
"I told you a falsehood, Dorothy," he said; "but now, having bathed in the Truth Pond, I must tell nothing but the truth.""Why did you steal it?" asked Ozma, gently.
"Because no one loved me, or cared for me," said the shaggy man, "and Iwanted to be loved a great deal. It was owned by a girl in Butterfield who was loved too much, so that the young men quarreled over her, which made her unhappy. After I had stolen the Magnet from her, only one young man continued to love the girl, and she married him and regained her happiness.""Are you sorry you stole it?" asked the Princess.
"No, your Highness; I'm glad," he answered; "for it has pleased me to be loved, and if Dorothy had not cared for me I could not have accompanied her to this beautiful Land of Oz, or met its kind-hearted Ruler. Now that I'm here, I hope to remain, and to become one of your Majesty's most faithful subjects.""But in Oz we are loved for ourselves alone, and for our kindness to one another, and for our good deeds," she said.
"I'll give up the Love Magnet," said the shaggy man, eagerly; "Dorothy shall have it.""But every one loves Dorothy already," declared the Wizard.
"Then Button-Bright shall have it."
"Don't want it," said the boy, promptly.
"Then I'll give it to the Wizard, for I'm sure the lovely Princess Ozma does not need it.""All my people love the Wizard, too," announced the Princess, laughing; "so we will hang the Love Magnet over the gates of the Emerald City, that whoever shall enter or leave the gates may be loved and loving.""That is a good idea," said the shaggy man; "I agree to it most willingly."Those assembled now went in to dinner, which you can imagine was a grand affair; and afterward Ozma asked the Wizard to give them an exhibition of his magic.
The Wizard took eight tiny white piglets from an inside pocket and set them on the table. One was dressed like a clown, and performed funny antics, and the others leaped over the spoons and dishes and ran around the table like race-horses, and turned hand-springs and were so sprightly and amusing that they kept the company in one roar of merry laughter. The Wizard had trained these pets to do many curious things, and they were so little and so cunning and soft that Polychrome loved to pick them up as they passed near her place and fondle them as if they were kittens.
It was late when the entertainment ended, and they separated to go to their rooms.
"To-morrow," said Ozma, "my invited guests will arrive, and you will find among them some interesting and curious people, I promise you.
The next day will be my birthday, and the festivities will be held on the broad green just outside the gates of the City, where all my people can assemble without being crowded.""I hope the Scarecrow won't be late," said Dorothy, anxiously.
"Oh, he is sure to return to-morrow," answered Ozma. "He wanted new straw to stuff himself with, so he went to the Munchkin Country, where straw is plentiful."With this the Princess bade her guests good night and went to her own room.
