24. The Birthday Celebration

           Aclear,perfectday,withagentlebreezeandasunnysky,greetedPrincessOzmaasshewakenednextmorning,theanniversaryofherbirth.WhileitwasyetearlyallthecitywasastirandcrowdsofpeoplecamefromallpartsoftheLandofOztowitnessthefestivitiesinhonoroftheirgirlRuler’sbirthday.

           Thenotedvisitorsfromforeigncountries,whohadallbeentransportedtotheEmeraldCitybymeansoftheMagicBelt,wereasmuchashowtotheOzitesasweretheirownfamiliarcelebrities,andthestreetsleadingfromtheroyalpalacetothejeweledgateswerethrongedwithmen,women,andchildrentoseetheprocessionasitpassedouttothegreenfieldswheretheceremoniesweretotakeplace.

           Andwhatagreatprocessionitwas!

           Firstcameathousandyounggirls—theprettiestintheland—dressedinwhitemuslin,withgreensashesandhairribbons,bearinggreenbasketsofredroses.Astheywalkedtheyscatteredtheseflowersuponthemarblepavements,sothatthewaywascarpetedthickwithrosesfortheprocessiontowalkupon.

           ThencametheRulersofthefourKingdomsofOz:theEmperoroftheWinkies,theMonarchoftheMunchkins,theKingoftheQuadlingsandtheSovereignoftheGillikins,eachwearingalongchainofemeraldsaroundhisnecktoshowthathewasavassaloftheRuleroftheEmeraldCity.

           NextmarchedtheEmeraldCityCornetBand,clothedingreen-and-golduniformsandplayingthe"OzmaTwo-Step."TheRoyalArmyofOzfollowed,consistingoftwenty-sevenofficers,fromtheCaptain-GeneraldowntotheLieutenants.