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           TheScarecrowwelcomedthegirlwithacloseembrace,andhewouldhaveembracedEvring,too,inhisdelight.ButthelittlePrincewasshy,andshrankawayfromthepaintedScarecrowbecausehedidnotyetknowhismanyexcellentqualities.

           Buttherewaslittletimeforthefriendstotalk,becausetheScarecrowmustnowenterthepalace.Dorothy’ssuccesshadgreatlyencouragedhim,andtheybothhopedhewouldmanagetomakeatleastonecorrectguess.

           However,heprovedasunfortunateastheothersexceptDorothy,andalthoughhetookagooddealoftimetoselecthisobjects,notonedidthepoorScarecrowguessaright.

           Sohebecameasolidgoldcard-receiver,andthebeautifulbutterriblepalaceawaiteditsnextvisitor.

           "It’sallover,"remarkedtheKing,withasighofsatisfaction;"andithasbeenaveryamusingperformance,exceptfortheonegoodguesstheKansasgirlmade.Iamricherbyagreatmanyprettyornaments."

           "Itismyturn,now,"saidBillina,briskly.

           "Oh,I’dforgottenyou,"saidtheKing."Butyouneedn’tgoifyoudon’twishto.Iwillbegenerous,andletyouoff."

           "Noyouwon’t,"repliedthehen."Iinsistuponhavingmyguesses,asyoupromised."

           "Thengoahead,youabsurdfeatheredfool!"grumbledtheKing,andhecausedtheopeningthatledtothepalacetoappearoncemore.

           "Don’tgo,Billina,"saidDorothy,earnestly."Itisn’teasytoguessthoseorn’ments,andonlylucksavedmefrombeingonemyself.Staywithmeandwe’llgobacktotheLandofEvtogether.I’msurethislittlePrincewillgiveusahome."

           "IndeedIwill,"saidEvring,withmuchdignity