17. The Nine Tiny Piglets

           AfterbreakfastOzmaannouncedthatshehadorderedaholidaytobeobservedthroughouttheEmeraldCity,inhonorofhervisitors.ThepeoplehadlearnedthattheiroldWizardhadreturnedtothemandallwereanxioustoseehimagain,forhehadalwaysbeenararefavorite.Sofirsttherewastobeagrandprocessionthroughthestreets,afterwhichthelittleoldmanwasrequestedtoperformsomeofhiswizardriesinthegreatThroneRoomofthepalace.Intheafternoonthereweretobegamesandraces.

           Theprocessionwasveryimposing.FirstcametheImperialCornetBandofOz,dressedinemeraldvelvetuniformswithslashesofpea-greensatinandbuttonsofimmensecutemeralds.TheyplayedtheNationalaircalled"TheOzSpangledBanner,"andbehindthemwerethestandardbearerswiththeRoyalflag.Thisflagwasdividedintofourquarters,onebeingcoloredsky-blue,anotherpink,athirdlavenderandafourthwhite.Inthecenterwasalargeemerald-greenstar,andalloverthefourquartersweresewnspanglesthatglitteredbeautifullyinthesunshine.ThecolorsrepresentedthefourcountriesofOz,andthegreenstartheEmeraldCity.

           Justbehindtheroyalstandard-bearerscamethePrincessOzmainherroyalchariot,whichwasofgoldencrustedwithemeraldsanddiamondssetinexquisitedesigns.ThechariotwasdrawnonthisoccasionbytheCowardlyLionandtheHungryTiger,whoweredecoratedwithimmensepinkandbluebows.