But they became a little worried when their host told them he had ordered a banquet prepared for them in the City Hall.
"What are we going to eat ?" asked Button-Bright suspiciously.
"Thistles," was the reply.

"Fine, fresh thistles, gathered this very day." Scraps laughed, for she never ate anything, but Dorothy said in a protesting voice, "OUR insides are not lined with gold, you know." "How sad!" exclaimed the High Coco-Lorum, and then he added as an afterthought, "but we can have the thistles boiled, if you prefer." "I'm 'fraid they wouldn't taste good even then," said little Trot.
"Haven't you anything else to eat ?" The High Coco-Lorum shook his diamond-shaped head.
"Nothing that I know of," said he.

"But why should we have anything else when we have so many thistles?
However, if you can't eat what we eat, don't eat anything.

We shall not be offended, and the banquet will be just as merry and delightful." Knowing his companions were all hungry, the Wizard said, "I trust you will excuse us from the banquet, sir, which will be merry enough without us, although it is given in our honor.

For, as Ozma is not in your city, we must leave here at once and seek her elsewhere." "Sure we must!" Dorothy, and she whispered to Betsy and Trot, "I'd rather starve somewhere else than in this city, and who knows, we may run across somebody who eats reg'lar food and will give us some." So when the ride was finished, in spite of the protests of the High Coco-Lorum, they insisted on continuing their journey.