“I wonder if these people never sleep,” said the girl.

“Why, there seems to be no night at all in this country,” Zeb replied.  “Those colored suns are exactly in the same place they were when we came, and if there is no sunset there can be no night.”

“Very true,” agreed the Wizard.  “But it is a long time since I have had any sleep, and I’m tired.  So I think I shall lie down upon one of these hard glass benches and take a nap.”

“I will, too,” said Dorothy, and chose a little room at the end of the hall.

Zeb walked down again to unharness Jim, who, when he found himself free, rolled over a few times and then settled down to sleep, with Eureka nestling comfortably beside his big, boney body.  Then the boy returned to one of the upper rooms, and in spite of the hardness of the glass bench was soon deep in slumberland.

6.  The Mangaboos Prove Dangerous

When the Wizard awoke the six colored suns were shining down upon the Land of the Mangaboos just as they had done ever since his arrival.  The little man, having had a good sleep, felt rested and refreshed, and looking through the glass partition of the room he saw Zeb sitting up on his bench and yawning.  So the Wizard went in to him.

“Zeb,” said he, “my balloon is of no further use in this strange country, so I may as well leave it on the square where it fell.  But in the basket-car are some things I would like to keep with me.  I wish you would go and fetch my satchel, two lanterns, and a can of kerosene oil that is under the seat.  There is nothing else that I care about.”

So the boy went willingly upon the errand, and by the time he had returned Dorothy was awake.  Then the three held a counsel to decide what they should do next, but could think of no way to better their condition.

“I don’t like these veg’table people,” said the little girl.  “They’re cold and flabby, like cabbages, in spite of their prettiness.”

“I agree with you.  It is because there is no warm blood in them,” remarked the Wizard.

“And they have no hearts; so they can’t love anyone—­not even themselves,” declared the boy.

“The Princess is lovely to look at,” continued Dorothy, thoughtfully; “but I don’t care much for her, after all.  If there was any other place to go, I’d like to go there.”

“But is there any other place?” asked the Wizard.

“I don’t know,” she answered.

Just then they heard the big voice of Jim the cab-horse calling to them, and going to the doorway leading to the dome they found the Princess and a throng of her people had entered the House of the Sorcerer.

So they went down to greet the beautiful vegetable lady, who said to them: 

“I have been talking with my advisors about you meat people, and we have decided that you do not belong in the Land of the Mangaboos and must not remain here.”