14. Dorothy Tries to be Brave

           MeantimetheChiefStewardhadreturnedtothethroneroom,wherehesaidtotheKing:

           "Youareafooltowastesomuchtimeuponthesepeople."

           "What!"criedhisMajesty,insoenragedavoicethatitawokeBillina,whowasasleepunderhisthrone."Howdareyoucallmeafool?"

           "BecauseIliketospeakthetruth,"saidtheSteward."Whydidn’tyouenchantthemallatonce,insteadofallowingthemtogoonebyoneintothepalaceandguesswhichornamentsaretheQueenofEvandherchildren?"

           "Why,youstupidrascal,itismorefunthisway,"returnedtheKing,"anditservestokeepmeamusedforalongtime."

           "Butsupposesomeofthemhappentoguessaright,"persistedtheSteward;"thenyouwouldloseyouroldornamentsandthesenewones,too."

           "Thereisnochanceoftheirguessingaright,"repliedthemonarch,withalaugh."HowcouldtheyknowthattheQueenofEvandherfamilyareallornamentsofaroyalpurplecolor?"

           "Buttherearenootherpurpleornamentsinthepalace,"saidtheSteward.

           "Therearemanyothercolors,however,andthepurpleonesarescatteredthroughouttherooms,andareofmanydifferentshapesandsizes.Takemywordforit,Steward,theywillneverthinkofchoosingthepurpleornaments."

           Billina,squattingunderthethrone,hadlistenedcarefullytoallthistalk,andnowchuckledsoftlytoherselfassheheardtheKingdisclosehissecret.

           "Still,youareactingfoolishlybyrunningthechance,"continuedtheSteward,roughly;"anditisstillmorefoolishofyoutotransformallthosepeoplefromOzintogreenornaments.