A Good Friend Soon the entire party was gathered on the road of yellow bricks, quite beyond the reach of the beautiful but treacherous plants.

The Shaggy Man, staring first at one and then at the other, seemed greatly pleased and interested.
"I've seen queer things since I came to the Land of Oz," said he, "but never anything queerer than this band of adventurers.

Let us sit down a while, and have a talk and get acquainted." "Haven't you always lived in the Land of Oz ?" asked the Munchkin boy.
"No; I used to live in the big, outside world.

But I came here once with Dorothy, and Ozma let me stay." "How do you like Oz ?" asked Scraps.

"Isn't the country and the climate grand ?" "It's the finest country in all the world, even if it is a fairyland, and I'm happy every minute I live in it," said the Shaggy Man.