The Captain saluted and retired and Dorothy sat down on an overturned
kettle and asked:
"Have you anything to eat in your kingdom?"
"Here! Get up! Get off from me!" cried a faint voice, at which his
Majesty the cleaver said:
"Excuse me, but you're sitting on my friend the Ten-quart Kettle."
Dorothy at once arose, and the kettle turned right side up and looked
at her reproachfully.
"I'm a friend of the King, so no one dares sit on me," said he.
"I'd prefer a chair, anyway," she replied.
"Sit on that hearth," commanded the King.
So Dorothy sat on the hearth-shelf of the big range, and the subjects
of Utensia began to gather around in a large and inquisitive throng.
Toto lay at Dorothy's feet and Billina flew upon the range, which had
no fire in it, and perched there as comfortably as she could.
When all the Counselors and Courtiers had assembled--and these seemed
to include most of the inhabitants of the kingdom--the King rapped on
the block for order and said:
"Friends and Fellow Utensils! Our worthy Commander of the Spoon
Brigade, Captain Dipp, has captured the three prisoners you see before
you and brought them here for--for--I don't know what for. So I ask
your advice how to act in this matter, and what fate I should mete out
to these captives. Judge Sifter, stand on my right. It is your
business to sift this affair to the bottom. High Priest Colender,
stand on my left and see that no one testifies falsely in this matter."
As these two officials took their places, Dorothy asked:
"Why is the colander the High Priest?"
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