It is not a great way, answered the farmer s wife. Take the road to
the South and you will soon reach it.
Thanking the good woman, they started afresh and walked by the fields
and across the pretty bridges until they saw before them a very
beautiful Castle. Before the gates were three young girls, dressed in
handsome red uniforms trimmed with gold braid; and as Dorothy
approached, one of them said to her:
Why have you come to the South Country?
To see the Good Witch who rules here, she answered. Will you take me
to her?
Let me have your name, and I will ask Glinda if she will receive you.
They told who they were, and the girl soldier went into the Castle.
After a few moments she came back to say that Dorothy and the others
were to be admitted at once.
Chapter XXIII
Glinda The Good Witch Grants Dorothy s Wish
Before they went to see Glinda, however, they were taken to a room of
the Castle, where Dorothy washed her face and combed her hair, and the
Lion shook the dust out of his mane, and the Scarecrow patted himself
into his best shape, and the Woodman polished his tin and oiled his
joints.
When they were all quite presentable they followed the soldier girl
into a big room where the Witch Glinda sat upon a throne of rubies.
She was both beautiful and young to their eyes. Her hair was a rich red
in color and fell in flowing ringlets over her shoulders. Her dress was
pure white but her eyes were blue, and they looked kindly upon the
little girl.
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