Really, there seemed no hope of help for her from her old friends in the Land of 
Oz.Thoughtfully she gazed from her narrow window.On all the desert not a living thing was 
stirring.
    Wait, though!Something surely WAS stirring on the desert-something her eyes had not 
observed at first.Now it seemed like a cloud; now it seemed like a spot of silver; now it 
seemed to be a mass of rainbow colors that moved swiftly toward her.
    What COULD it be, she wondered?
    Then, gradually, but in a brief space of time nevertheless, the vision drew near 
enough to Dorothy to make out what it was.
    A broad green carpet was unrolling itself upon the desert, while advancing across the 
carpet was a wonderful procession that made the girl open her eyes in amazement as she 
gazed.
    First came a magnificent golden chariot, drawn by a great Lion and an immense Tiger, 
who stood shoulder to shoulder and trotted along as gracefully as a well-matched team of 
thoroughbred horses.And standing upright within the chariot was a beautiful girl clothed 
in flowing robes of silver gauze and wearing a jeweled diadem upon her dainty head.She 
held in one hand the satin ribbons that guided her astonishing team, and in the other an 
ivory wand that separated at the top into two prongs, the prongs being tipped by the 
letters "O" and "Z", made of glistening diamonds set closely together.
    The girl seemed neither older nor larger than Dorothy herself, and at once the 
prisoner in the tower guessed that the lovely driver of the chariot must be that Ozma of 
Oz of whom she had so lately heard from Tiktok.
    Following close behind the chariot Dorothy saw her old friend the Scarecrow, riding 
calmly astride a wooden Saw-Horse, which pranced and trotted as naturally as any meat 
horse could have done.
    And then came Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, with his funnel-shaped cap tipped 
carelessly over his left ear, his gleaming axe over his right shoulder, and his whole 
body sparkling as brightly as it had ever done in the old days when first she knew him.
    The Tin Woodman was on foot, marching at the head of a company of twenty-seven 
soldiers, of whom some were lean and some fat, some short and some tall; but all the 
twenty-seven were dressed in handsome uniforms of various designs and colors, no two 
being alike in any respect.
    Behind the soldiers the green carpet rolled itself up again, so that there was always 
just enough of it for the procession to walk upon, in order that their feet might not 
come in contact with the deadly, life-destroying sands of the desert.
    Dorothy knew at once it was a magic carpet she beheld, and her heart beat high with 
hope and joy as she realized she was soon to be rescued and allowed to greet her dearly 
beloved friends of Oz-the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion.
    Indeed, the girl felt herself as good as rescued as soon as she recognized those in 
the procession, for she well knew the courage and loyalty of her old comrades, and also 
believed that any others who came from their marvelous country would prove to be pleasant 
and reliable acquaintances.
    As soon as the last bit of desert was passed and all the procession, from the 
beautiful and dainty Ozma to the last soldier, had reached the grassy meadows of the Land 
of Ev, the magic carpet rolled itself together and entirely disappeared.
    Then the chariot driver turned her Lion and Tiger into a broad roadway leading up to 
the palace, and the others followed, while Dorothy still gazed from her tower window in 
eager excitement.
    They came quite close to the front door of the palace and then halted, the Scarecrow 
dismounting from his Saw-Horse to approach the sign fastened to the door, that he might 
read what it said.
    Dorothy, just above him, could keep silent no longer.
    "Here I am!" she shouted, as loudly as she could."Here's Dorothy!"
    "Dorothy who?" asked the Scarecrow, tipping his head to look upward until he nearly 
lost his balance and tumbled over backward.
    "Dorothy Gale, of course.Your friend from Kansas," she answered.
    "Why, hello, Dorothy!" said the Scarecrow."What in the world are you doing up there?"
    "Nothing," she called down, "because there's nothing to do.Save me, my friend-save 
me!"
    "You seem to be quite safe now," replied the Scarecrow.
    "But I'm a prisoner.I'm locked in, so that I can't get out," she pleaded.
    "That's all right," said the Scarecrow."You might be worse off, little Dorothy.Just 
consider the matter.You can't get drowned, or be run over by a Wheeler, or fall out of an 
apple-tree.Some folks would think they were lucky to be up there."
    "Well, I don't," declared the girl, "and I want to get down immed'i'tly and see you 
and the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion."
    "Very well," said the Scarecrow, nodding."It shall be just as you say, little 
friend.Who locked you up?"
    "The princess Langwidere, who is a horrid creature," she answered.
    At this Ozma, who had been listening carefully to the conversation, called to Dorothy 
from her chariot, asking:
    "Why did the Princess lock you up, my dear?"
    "Because," exclaimed Dorothy, "I wouldn't let her have my head for her collection, 
and take an old, cast-off head in exchange for it."
    "I do not blame you," exclaimed Ozma, promptly."I will see the Princess at once, and 
oblige her to liberate you."
    "Oh, thank you very, very much!" cried Dorothy, who as soon as she heard the sweet 
voice of the girlish Ruler of Oz knew that she would soon learn to love her dearly.
    Ozma now drove her chariot around to the third door of the wing, upon which the Tin 
Woodman boldly proceeded to knock.
    As soon as the maid opened the door Ozma, bearing in her hand her ivory wand, stepped 
into the hall and made her way at once to the drawing-room, followed by all her company, 
except the Lion and the Tiger.And the twenty-seven soldiers made such a noise and a 
clatter that the little maid Nanda ran away screaming to her mistress, whereupon the 
Princess Langwidere, roused to great anger by this rude invasion of her palace, came 
running into the drawing-room without any assistance whatever.
    There she stood before the slight and delicate form of the little girl from Oz and 
cried out;-
    "How dare you enter my palace unbidden?Leave this room at once, or I will bind you 
and all your people in chains, and throw you into my darkest dungeons!"
    "What a dangerous lady!" murmured the Scarecrow, in a soft voice.
    "She seems a little nervous," replied the Tin Woodman.
    But Ozma only smiled at the angry Princess.
    "Sit down, please," she said, quietly."I have traveled a long way to see you, and you 
must listen to what I have to say."
    "Must!" screamed the Princess, her black eyes flashing with fury-for she still wore 
her No. 17 head."Must, to ME!"
    "To be sure," said Ozma."I am Ruler of the Land of Oz, and I am powerful enough to 
destroy all your kingdom, if I so wish.Yet I did not come here to do harm, but rather to 
free the royal family of Ev from the thrall of the Nome King, the news having reached me