Far up in the air was an object that looked like a balloon.  It was not so high as the glowing star of the six colored suns, but was descending slowly through the air—­so slowly that at first it scarcely seemed to move.

The throng stood still and waited.  It was all they could do, for to go away and leave that strange sight was impossible; nor could they hurry its fall in any way.  The earth children were not noticed, being so near the average size of the Mangaboos, and the horse had remained in the House of the Sorcerer, with Eureka curled up asleep on the seat of the buggy.

Gradually the balloon grew bigger, which was proof that it was settling down upon the Land of the Mangaboos.  Dorothy was surprised to find how patient the people were, for her own little heart was beating rapidly with excitement.  A balloon meant to her some other arrival from the surface of the earth, and she hoped it would be some one able to assist her and Zeb out of their difficulties.

In an hour the balloon had come near enough for her to see a basket suspended below it; in two hours she could see a head looking over the side of the basket; in three hours the big balloon settled slowly into the great square in which they stood and came to rest on the glass pavement.

Then a little man jumped out of the basket, took off his tall hat, and bowed very gracefully to the crowd of Mangaboos around him.  He was quite an old little man and his head was long and entirely bald.

“Why,” cried Dorothy, in amazement, “it’s Oz!”

The little man looked toward her and seemed as much surprised as she was.  But he smiled and bowed as he answered: 

“Yes, my dear; I am Oz, the Great and Terrible.  Eh?  And you are little Dorothy, from Kansas.  I remember you very well.”

“Who did you say it was?” whispered Zeb to the girl.

“It’s the wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Haven’t you heard of him?”

Just then the man with the star came and stood before the Wizard.

“Sir,” said he, “why are you here, in the Land of the Mangaboos?”

“Didn’t know what land it was, my son,” returned the other, with a pleasant smile; “and, to be honest, I didn’t mean to visit you when I started out.  I live on top of the earth, your honor, which is far better than living inside it; but yesterday I went up in a balloon, and when I came down I fell into a big crack in the earth, caused by an earthquake.  I had let so much gas out of my balloon that I could not rise again, and in a few minutes the earth closed over my head.  So I continued to descend until I reached this place, and if you will show me a way to get out of it, I’ll go with pleasure.  Sorry to have troubled you; but it couldn’t be helped.”

The Prince had listened with attention.  Said he: 

“This child, who is from the crust of the earth, like yourself, called you a Wizard.  Is not a Wizard something like a Sorcerer?”