6. The Mangaboos Prove Dangerous

           WhentheWizardawokethesixcoloredsunswereshiningdownupontheLandoftheMangaboosjustastheyhaddoneeversincehisarrival.Thelittleman,havinghadagoodsleep,feltrestedandrefreshed,andlookingthroughtheglasspartitionoftheroomhesawZebsittinguponhisbenchandyawning.SotheWizardwentintohim.

           "Zeb,"saidhe,"myballoonisofnofurtheruseinthisstrangecountry,soImayaswellleaveitonthesquarewhereitfell.Butinthebasket-cararesomethingsIwouldliketokeepwithme.Iwishyouwouldgoandfetchmysatchel,twolanterns,andacanofkeroseneoilthatisundertheseat.ThereisnothingelsethatIcareabout."

           Sotheboywentwillinglyupontheerrand,andbythetimehehadreturnedDorothywasawake.Thenthethreeheldacounseltodecidewhattheyshoulddonext,butcouldthinkofnowaytobettertheircondition.

           "Idon’tliketheseveg’tablepeople,"saidthelittlegirl."They’recoldandflabby,likecabbages,inspiteoftheirprettiness."

           "Iagreewithyou.Itisbecausethereisnowarmbloodinthem,"remarkedtheWizard.

           "Andtheyhavenohearts;sotheycan’tloveanyone—noteventhemselves,"declaredtheboy.

           "ThePrincessislovelytolookat,"continuedDorothy,thoughtfully;"butIdon’tcaremuchforher,afterall.Iftherewasanyotherplacetogo,I’dliketogothere."

           "ButISthereanyotherplace?"askedtheWizard.

           "Idon’tknow,"sheanswered.