18. The Fate of the Tin Woodman

           Dorothyobeyed.SheranatoncebehindtheNomeKing,whowasstilltryingtofreehiseyesfromtheegg,andinatwinklingshehadunbuckledhissplendidjeweledbeltandcarrieditawaywithhertoherplacebesidetheTigerandLion,where,becauseshedidnotknowwhatelsetodowithit,shefasteneditaroundherownslimwaist.

           JustthentheChiefStewardrushedinwithaspongeandabowlofwater,andbeganmoppingawaythebrokeneggsfromhismaster’sface.Inafewminutes,andwhileallthepartystoodlookingon,theKingregainedtheuseofhiseyes,andthefirstthinghedidwastoglarewickedlyupontheScarecrowandexclaim:

           "I’llmakeyousufferforthis,youhay-stuffeddummy!Don’tyouknoweggsarepoisontoNomes?"

           "Really,"saidtheScarecrow,"theyDON’Tseemtoagreewithyou,althoughIwonderwhy."

           "Theywerestrictlyfreshandabovesuspicion,"saidBillina."Yououghttobegladtogetthem."

           "I’lltransformyouallintoscorpions!"criedtheKing,angrily,andbeganwavinghisarmsandmutteringmagicwords.

           Butnoneofthepeoplebecamescorpions,sotheKingstoppedandlookedattheminsurprise.

           "What’swrong?"heasked.

           "Why,youarenotwearingyourmagicbelt,"repliedtheChiefSteward,afterlookingtheKingovercarefully."Whereisit?Whathaveyoudonewithit?"

           TheNomeKingclappedhishandtohiswaist,andhisrockcoloredfaceturnedwhiteaschalk.

           "It’sgone,"hecried,helplessly."It’sgone,andIamruined!"

           Dorothynowsteppedforwardandsaid:

           "RoyalOzma,andyou,QueenofEv,Iwelcomeyouandyourpeoplebacktothelandoftheliving.