A clear, perfect day, with a gentle breeze and a sunny sky, greetedPrincess Ozma as she wakened next morning, the anniversary of herbirth. While it was yet early all the city was astir and crowds ofpeople came from all parts of the Land of Oz to witness thefestivities in honor of their girl Ruler's birthday.

The noted visitors from foreign countries, who had all beentransported to the Emerald City by means of the Magic Belt, were asmuch a show to the Ozites as were their own familiar celebrities, andthe streets leading from the royal palace to the jeweled gates werethronged with men, women, and children to see the procession as itpassed out to the green fields where the ceremonies were to take place.

And what a great procession it was!

First came a thousand young girls--the prettiest in the land--dressedin white muslin, with green sashes and hair ribbons, bearing greenbaskets of red roses. As they walked they scattered these flowersupon the marble pavements, so that the way was carpeted thick withroses for the procession to walk upon.

Then came the Rulers of the four Kingdoms of Oz: the Emperor of theWinkies, the Monarch of the Munchkins, the King of the Quadlings andthe Sovereign of the Gillikins, each wearing a long chain of emeraldsaround his neck to show that he was a vassal of the Ruler of theEmerald City.

Next marched the Emerald City Cornet Band, clothed in green-and-golduniforms and playing the "Ozma Two-Step." The Royal Army of Ozfollowed, consisting of twenty-seven officers, from the Captain-Generaldown to the Lieutenants. There were no privates in Ozma's Army becausesoldiers were not needed to fight battles, but only to look important,and an officer always looks more imposing than a private.

While the people cheered and waved their hats and handkerchiefs, therecame walking the Royal Princess Ozma, looking so pretty and sweet thatit is no wonder her people love her so dearly. She had decided shewould not ride in her chariot that day, as she preferred to walk inthe procession with her favored subjects and her guests. Just infront of her trotted the living Blue Bear Rug owned by old Dyna, whichwobbled clumsily on its four feet because there was nothing but theskin to support them, with a stuffed head at one end and a stubby tailat the other. But whenever Ozma paused in her walk the Bear Rugwould flop down flat upon the ground for the princess to stand uponuntil she resumed her progress.

Following the Princess stalked her two enormous beasts, the CowardlyLion and the Hungry Tiger, and even if the Army had not been therethese two would have been powerful enough to guard their mistressfrom any harm.

Next marched the invited guests, who were loudly cheered by the peopleof Oz along the road, and were therefore obliged to bow to right andleft almost every step of the way. First was Santa Claus, who, becausehe was fat and not used to walking, rode the wonderful Saw-Horse. Themerry old gentleman had a basket of small toys with him, and he tossedthe toys one by one to the children as he passed by. His Ryls andKnooks marched close behind him.

Queen Zixi of Ix came after; then John Dough and the Cherub, with therubber bear named Para Bruin strutting between them on its hind legs;then the Queen of Merryland, escorted by her wooden soldiers; thenKing Bud of Noland and his sister, the Princess Fluff; then the Queenof Ev and her ten royal children; then the Braided Man and the CandyMan, side by side; then King Dox of Foxville and King Kik-a-bray ofDunkiton, who by this time had become good friends; and finally JohnnyDooit, in his leather apron, smoking his long pipe.

These wonderful personages were not more heartily cheered by thepeople than were those who followed after them in the procession.Dorothy was a general favorite, and she walked arm in arm with theScarecrow, who was beloved by all. Then came Polychrome andButton-Bright, and the people loved the Rainbow's pretty Daughter andthe beautiful blue-eyed boy as soon as they saw them. The shaggy manin his shaggy new suit attracted much attention because he was such anovelty. With regular steps tramped the machine-man Tik-tok, andthere was more cheering when the Wizard of Oz followed in theprocession. The Woggle-Bug and Jack Pumpkinhead were next, and behindthem Glinda the Sorceress and the Good Witch of the North. Finallycame Billina, with her brood of chickens to whom she clucked anxiouslyto keep them together and to hasten them along so they would not delaythe procession.

Another band followed, this time the Tin Band of the Emperor of theWinkies, playing a beautiful march called, "There's No Plate Like Tin."Then came the servants of the Royal Palace, in a long line, and behindthem all the people joined the procession and marched away through theemerald gates and out upon the broad green.

Here had been erected a splendid pavilion, with a grandstand big enoughto seat all the royal party and those who had taken part in theprocession. Over the pavilion, which was of green silk and cloth ofgold, countless banners waved in the breeze. Just in front of this,and connected with it by a runway had been built a broad platform, sothat all the spectators could see plainly the entertainment providedfor them.

The Wizard now became Master of Ceremonies, as Ozma had placed theconduct of the performance in his hands. After the people had allcongregated about the platform and the royal party and the visitorswere seated in the grandstand, the Wizard skillfully performed somefeats of juggling glass balls and lighted candles. He tossed a dozenor so of them high in the air and caught them one by one as they camedown, without missing any.

Then he introduced the Scarecrow, who did a sword-swallowing act thataroused much interest. After this the Tin Woodman gave an exhibitionof Swinging the Axe, which he made to whirl around him so rapidly thatthe eye could scarcely follow the motion of the gleaming blade.Glinda the Sorceress then stepped upon the platform, and by her magicmade a big tree grow in the middle of the space, made blossoms appearupon the tree, and made the blossoms become delicious fruit calledtamornas, and so great was the quantity of fruit produced that whenthe servants climbed the tree and tossed it down to the crowd, therewas enough to satisfy every person present.

Para Bruin, the rubber bear, climbed to a limb of the big tree, rolledhimself into a ball, and dropped to the platform, whence he bounded upagain to the limb. He repeated this bouncing act several times, tothe great delight of all the children present. After he had finished,and bowed, and returned to his seat, Glinda waved her wand and thetree disappeared; but its fruit still remained to be eaten.

The Good Witch of the North amused the people by transforming tenstones into ten birds, the ten birds into ten lambs, and the ten lambsinto ten little girls, who gave a pretty dance and were thentransformed into ten stones again, just as they were in the beginning.

Johnny Dooit next came on the platform with his tool-chest, and in afew minutes built a great flying machine; then put his chest in themachine and the whole thing flew away together--Johnny and all--afterhe had bid good-bye to those present and thanked the Princessfor her hospitality.

The Wizard then announced the last act of all, which was consideredreally wonderful. He had invented a machine to blow huge soap-bubbles,as big as balloons, and this machine was hidden under the platform sothat only the rim of the big clay pipe to produce the bubbles showedabove the flooring. The tank of soapsuds, and the air-pumps to inflatethe bubbles, were out of sight beneath, so that when the bubbles beganto grow upon the floor of the platform it really seemed like magic to thepeople of Oz, who knew nothing about even the common soap-bubbles thatour children blow with a penny clay pipe and a basin of soap-and-water.

The Wizard had invented another thing. Usually, soap-bubbles arefrail and burst easily, lasting only a few moments as they float inthe air; but the Wizard added a sort of glue to his soapsuds, whichmade his bubbles tough; and, as the glue dried rapidly when exposed tothe air, the Wizard's bubbles were strong enough to float for hourswithout breaking.

He began by blowing--by means of his machinery and air-pumps--severallarge bubbles which he allowed to float upward into the sky, where thesunshine fell upon them and gave them iridescent hues that were mostbeautiful. This aroused much wonder and delight because it was a newamusement to every one present--except perhaps Dorothy and Button-Bright,and even they had never seen such big, strong bubbles before.

The Wizard then blew a bunch of small bubbles and afterward blew a bigbubble around them so they were left in the center of it; then heallowed the whole mass of pretty globes to float into the air anddisappear in the far distant sky.

"That is really fine!" declared Santa Claus, who loved toys andpretty things. "I think, Mr. Wizard, I shall have you blow a bubblearound me; then I can float away home and see the country spread outbeneath me as I travel. There isn't a spot on earth that I haven'tvisited, but I usually go in the night-time, riding behind my swiftreindeer. Here is a good chance to observe the country by daylight,while I am riding slowly and at my ease."

"Do you think you will be able to guide the bubble?" asked the Wizard.

"Oh yes; I know enough magic to do that," replied Santa Claus."You blow the bubble, with me inside of it, and I'll be sure toget home in safety."

"Please send me home in a bubble, too!" begged the Queen of Merryland.

"Very well, madam; you shall try the journey first," politelyanswered old Santa.

The pretty wax doll bade good-bye to the Princess Ozma and the othersand stood on the platform while the Wizard blew a big soap-bubblearound her. When completed, he allowed the bubble to float slowlyupward, and there could be seen the little Queen of Merryland standingin the middle of it and blowing kisses from her fingers to those below.The bubble took a southerly direction, quickly floating out of sight.

"That's a very nice way to travel," said Princess Fluff. "I'd like togo home in a bubble, too."

So the Wizard blew a big bubble around Princess Fluff, and anotheraround King Bud, her brother, and a third one around Queen Zixi; andsoon these three bubbles had mounted into the sky and were floatingoff in a group in the direction of the kingdom of Noland.

The success of these ventures induced the other guests from foreignlands to undertake bubble journeys, also; so the Wizard put them oneby one inside his bubbles, and Santa Claus directed the way theyshould go, because he knew exactly where everybody lived.

Finally, Button-Bright said:

"I want to go home, too."

"Why, so you shall!" cried Santa; "for I'm sure your father andmother will be glad to see you again. Mr. Wizard, please blow a big,fine bubble for Button-Bright to ride in, and I'll agree to send himhome to his family as safe as safe can be."

"I'm sorry," said Dorothy with a sigh, for she was fond of her littlecomrade; "but p'raps it's best for Button-Bright to get home; 'causehis folks must be worrying just dreadful."

She kissed the boy, and Ozma kissed him, too, and all the others wavedtheir hands and said good-bye and wished him a pleasant journey.

"Are you glad to leave us, dear?" asked Dorothy, a little wistfully.

"Don't know," said Button-Bright.

He sat down cross-legged on the platform, with his sailor hat tippedback on his head, and the Wizard blew a beautiful bubble all around him.

A minute later it had mounted into the sky, sailing toward the west,and the last they saw of Button-Bright he was still sitting in themiddle of the shining globe and waving his sailor hat at those below.

"Will you ride in a bubble, or shall I send you and Toto home by meansof the Magic Belt?" the Princess asked Dorothy.

"Guess I'll use the Belt," replied the little girl. "I'm sort of'fraid of those bubbles."

"Bow-wow!" said Toto, approvingly. He loved to bark at the bubbles asthey sailed away, but he didn't care to ride in one.

Santa Claus decided to go next. He thanked Ozma for her hospitalityand wished her many happy returns of the day. Then the Wizard blew abubble around his chubby little body and smaller bubbles around eachof his Ryls and Knooks.

As the kind and generous friend of children mounted into the air thepeople all cheered at the top of their voices, for they loved SantaClaus dearly; and the little man heard them through the walls of hisbubble and waved his hands in return as he smiled down upon them. Theband played bravely while every one watched the bubble until it wascompletely out of sight.

"How 'bout you, Polly?" Dorothy asked her friend. "Are you 'fraid ofbubbles, too?"

"No," answered Polychrome, smiling; "but Santa Claus promised to speakto my father as he passed through the sky. So perhaps I shall gethome an easier way."

Indeed, the little maid had scarcely made this speech when a suddenradiance filled the air, and while the people looked on in wonder theend of a gorgeous rainbow slowly settled down upon the platform.

With a glad cry, the Rainbow's Daughter sprang from her seat anddanced along the curve of the bow, mounting gradually upward, whilethe folds of her gauzy gown whirled and floated around her like acloud and blended with the colors of the rainbow itself.

"Good-bye Ozma! Good-bye Dorothy!" cried a voice they knew belonged toPolychrome; but now the little maiden's form had melted wholly intothe rainbow, and their eyes could no longer see her.

Suddenly, the end of the rainbow lifted and its colors slowly fadedlike mist before a breeze. Dorothy sighed deeply and turned to Ozma.

"I'm sorry to lose Polly," she said; "but I guess she's better offwith her father; 'cause even the Land of Oz couldn't be like home to acloud fairy."

"No indeed," replied the Princess; "but it has been delightful for usto know Polychrome for a little while, and--who knows?--perhaps wemay meet the Rainbow's Daughter again, some day."

The entertainment being now ended, all left the pavilion and formedtheir gay procession back to the Emerald City again. Of Dorothy'srecent traveling companions only Toto and the shaggy man remained,and Ozma had decided to allow the latter to live in Oz for a time, atleast. If he proved honest and true she promised to let him livethere always, and the shaggy man was anxious to earn this reward.

They had a nice quiet dinner together and passed a pleasant eveningwith the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tik-tok, and the Yellow Henfor company.

When Dorothy bade them good-night, she kissed them all good-bye at thesame time. For Ozma had agreed that while Dorothy slept she and Totoshould be transported by means of the Magic Belt to her own little bedin the Kansas farm-house and the little girl laughed as she thoughthow astonished Uncle Henry and Aunt Em would be when she came down tobreakfast with them next morning.

Quite content to have had so pleasant an adventure, and a little tiredby all the day's busy scenes, Dorothy clasped Toto in her arms and laydown upon the pretty white bed in her room in Ozma's royal palace.

Presently she was sound asleep.