"Well," said Dorothy with a laugh, "that was easierthan I expected. It's worth while, sometimes, to be areal fairy. But I wouldn't like to be that kind, andlive in a dreadful fog all the time."

They now climbed the bank and found before them adelightful plain that spread for miles in alldirections. Fragrant wild flowers were scatteredthroughout the grass; there were bushes bearing lovelyblossoms and luscious fruits; now and then a group ofstately trees added to the beauty of the landscape. Butthere were no dwellings or signs of life.

The farther side of the plain was bordered by a rowof palms, and just in front of the palms rose a queerlyshaped hill that towered above the plain like amountain. The sides of this hill were straight up anddown; it was oblong in shape and the top seemed flatand level.

"Oh, ho!" cried Dorothy; "I'll bet that's themountain Glinda told us of, where the Flatheads live."

"If it is," replied Ozma, "the Lake of the Skeezersmust be just beyond the line of palm trees. Can youwalk that far, Dorothy?"

"Of course, in time," was the prompt answer. "I'msorry we had to leave the Sawhorse and the Red Wagonbehind us, for they'd come in handy just now; but withthe end of our journey in sight a tramp across thesepretty green fields won't tire us a bit."

It was a longer tramp than they suspected, however,and night overtook them before they could reach theflat mountain. So Ozma proposed they camp for the nightand Dorothy was quite ready to approve. She didn't liketo admit to her friend she was tired, but she toldherself that her legs "had prickers in 'em," meaningthey had begun to ache.

Usually when Dorothy started on a journey ofexploration or adventure, she carried with her a basketof food, and other things that a traveler in a strangecountry might require, but to go away with Ozma wasquite a different thing, as experience had taught her.The fairy Ruler of Oz only needed her silver wand --tipped at one end with a great sparkling emerald -- toprovide through its magic all that they might need.Therefore Ozma, having halted with her companion andselected a smooth, grassy spot on the plain, waved herwand in graceful curves and chanted some mystic wordsin her sweet voice, and in an instant a handsome tentappeared before them. The canvas was striped purple andwhite, and from the center pole fluttered the royalbanner of Oz.

"Come, dear," said Ozma, taking Dorothy's hand, "I amhungry and I'm sure you must be also; so let us go inand have our feast."

On entering the tent they found a table set for two,with snowy linen, bright silver and sparklingglassware, a vase of roses in the center and manydishes of delicious food, some smoking hot, waiting tosatisfy their hunger. Also, on either side of the tentwere beds, with satin sheets, warm blankets and pillowsfilled with swansdown. There were chairs, too, andtall lamps that lighted the interior of the tent with asoft, rosy glow.

Dorothy, resting herself at her fairy friend'scommand, and eating her dinner with unusual enjoyment,thought of the wonders of magic. If one were a fairyand knew the secret laws of nature and the mystic wordsand ceremonies that commanded those laws, then a simplewave of a silver wand would produce instantly all thatmen work hard and anxiously for through weary years.And Dorothy wished in her kindly, innocent heart, thatall men and women could be fairies with silver wands,and satisfy all their needs without so much work andworry, for then, she imagined, they would have alltheir working hours to be happy in. But Ozma, lookinginto her friend's face and reading those thoughts, gavea laugh and said:

"No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. Instead ofhappiness your plan would bring weariness to the world.If every one could wave a wand and have his wantsfulfilled there would be little to wish for. Therewould be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, fornothing would then be difficult, and the pleasure ofearning something longed for, and only to be secured byhard work and careful thought, would be utterly lost.There would be nothing to do you see, and no interestin life and in our fellow creatures. That is all thatmakes life worth our while -- to do good deeds and tohelp those less fortunate than ourselves."

"Well, you're a fairy, Ozma. Aren't you happy?" askedDorothy

"Yes, dear, because I can use my fairy powers to makeothers happy. Had I no kingdom to rule, and no subjectsto look after, I would be miserable. Also, you mustrealize that while I am a more powerful fairy than anyother inhabitant of Oz, I am not as powerful as Glindathe Sorceress, who has studied many arts of magic thatI know nothing of. Even the little Wizard of Oz can dosome things I am unable to accomplish, while I canaccomplish things unknown to the Wizard. This is toexplain that I'm not all-powerful, by any means. Mymagic is simply fairy magic, and not sorcery orwizardry."

"All the same," said Dorothy, "I'm mighty glad youcould make this tent appear, with our dinners and bedsall ready for us."

Ozma smiled.

"Yes, it is indeed wonderful," she agreed. "Not allfairies know that sort of magic, but some fairies cando magic that fills me with astonishment. I think thatis what makes us modest and unassuming -- the fact thatour magic arts are divided, some being given each ofus. I'm glad I don't know everything, Dorothy, and thatthere still are things in both nature and in wit for meto marvel at."

Dorothy couldn't quite understand this, so she saidnothing more on the subject and presently had a newreason to marvel. For when they had quite finishedtheir meal table and contents disappeared in a flash.

"No dishes to wash, Ozma!" she said with a laugh. "Iguess you'd make a lot of folks happy if you couldteach 'em just that one trick."

For an hour Ozma told stories, and talked withDorothy about various people in whom they wereinterested. And then it was bedtime, and they undressedand crept into their soft beds and fell asleep almostas soon as their heads touched their pillows.