The Road to Oz | Page 9

was carved a
head representing the fox who lived in that house, this effect being
quite pretty and unusual.
As our friends marched along, some of the foxes came out on the
porches and balconies to get a view of the strangers. These foxes were
all handsomely dressed, the girl-foxes and women-foxes wearing
gowns of feathers woven together effectively and colored in bright hues
which Dorothy thought were quite artistic and decidedly attractive.
Button-Bright stared until his eyes were big and round, and he would
have stumbled and fallen more than once had not the shaggy man
grasped his hand tightly. They were all interested, and Toto was so
excited he wanted to bark every minute and to chase and fight every
fox he caught sight of; but Dorothy held his little wiggling body fast in
her arms and commanded him to be good and behave himself. So he
finally quieted down, like a wise doggy, deciding there were too many
foxes in Foxville to fight at one time.

By-and-by they came to a big square, and in the center of the square
stood the royal palace. Dorothy knew it at once because it had over its
great door the carved head of a fox just like the one she had seen on the
arch, and this fox was the only one who wore a golden crown.
There were many fox-soldiers guarding the door, but they bowed to the
captain and admitted him without question. The captain led them
through many rooms, where richly dressed foxes were sitting on
beautiful chairs or sipping tea, which was being passed around by
fox-servants in white aprons. They came to a big doorway covered with
heavy curtains of cloth of gold.
Beside this doorway stood a huge drum. The fox-captain went to this
drum and knocked his knees against it-- first one knee and then the
other--so that the drum said: "Boom-boom."
"You must all do exactly what I do," ordered the captain; so the shaggy
man pounded the drum with his knees, and so did Dorothy and so did
Button-Bright. The boy wanted to keep on pounding it with his little fat
knees, because he liked the sound of it; but the captain stopped him.
Toto couldn't pound the drum with his knees and he didn't know
enough to wag his tail against it, so Dorothy pounded the drum for him
and that made him bark, and when the little dog barked the fox-captain
scowled.
The golden curtains drew back far enough to make an opening, through
which marched the captain with the others.
The broad, long room they entered was decorated in gold with
stained-glass windows of splendid colors. In the corner of the room
upon a richly carved golden throne, sat the fox-king, surrounded by a
group of other foxes, all of whom wore great spectacles over their eyes,
making them look solemn and important.
Dorothy knew the King at once, because she had seen his head carved
on the arch and over the doorway of the palace. Having met with
several other kings in her travels, she knew what to do, and at once
made a low bow before the throne. The shaggy man bowed, too, and

Button-Bright bobbed his head and said "Hello."
"Most wise and noble Potentate of Foxville," said the captain,
addressing the King in a pompous voice, "I humbly beg to report that I
found these strangers on the road leading to your Foxy Majesty's
dominions, and have therefore brought them before you, as is my duty."
"So--so," said the King, looking at them keenly. "What brought you
here, strangers?"
"Our legs, may it please your Royal Hairiness," replied the shaggy
man.
"What is your business here?" was the next question.
"To get away as soon as possible," said the shaggy man.
The King didn't know about the Magnet, of course; but it made him
love the shaggy man at once.
"Do just as you please about going away," he said; "but I'd like to show
you the sights of my city and to entertain your party while you are here.
We feel highly honored to have little Dorothy with us, I assure you, and
we appreciate her kindness in making us a visit. For whatever country
Dorothy visits is sure to become famous."
This speech greatly surprised the little girl, who asked:
"How did your Majesty know my name?"
"Why, everybody knows you, my dear," said the Fox-King. "Don't you
realize that? You are quite an important personage since Princess Ozma
of Oz made you her friend."
"Do you know Ozma?" she asked, wondering.
"I regret to say that I do not," he answered, sadly; "but I hope to meet
her soon. You know the Princess Ozma is to celebrate her birthday on
the twenty-first of