On they went, and half an hour's steady walkingbrought them to a house somewhat better than thetwo they had already passed. It stood close to theroadside and over the door was a sign that read:"Miss Foolish Owl and Mr. Wise Donkey: PublicAdvisers."

When Ojo read this sign aloud Scraps saidlaughingly: "Well, here is a place to get all theadvice we want, maybe more than we need. Let's goin."

The boy knocked at the door.

"Come in!" called a deep bass voice.

So they opened the door and entered the house,where a little light-brown donkey, dressed in ablue apron and a blue cap, was engaged in dustingthe furniture with a blue cloth. On a shelf overthe window sat a great blue owl with a bluesunbonnet on her head, blinking her big roundeyes at the visitors.

"Good morning," said the donkey, in his deepvoice, which seemed bigger than he was. "Didyou come to us for advice?"

"Why, we came, anyhow," replied Scraps, "and nowwe are here we may as well have some advice. It'sfree, isn't it?"

"Certainly," said the donkey. "Advice doesn'tcost anything--unless you follow it. Permit me tosay, by the way, that you are the queerest lot oftravelers that ever came to my shop. Judging youmerely by appearances, I think you'd better talkto the Foolish Owl yonder."

They turned to look at the bird, which flutteredits wings and stared back at them with its bigeyes.

"Hoot-ti-toot-ti-toot!" cried the owl.

"Fiddle-cum-foo,Howdy-do?Riddle-cum, tiddle-cum,Too-ra-la-loo!"

"That beats your poetry, Scraps," said Ojo.

"It's just nonsense!" declared the Glass Cat.

"But it's good advice for the foolish," saidthe donkey, admiringly. "Listen to my partner,and you can't go wrong.

Said the owl in a grumbling voice:

"Patchwork Girl has come to life;No one's sweetheart, no one's wife;Lacking sense and loving fun,She'll be snubbed by everyone."

"Quite a compliment! Quite a compliment, Ideclare," exclaimed the donkey, turning to look atScraps. "You are certainly a wonder, my dear, andI fancy you'd make a splendid pincushion. If youbelonged to me, I'd wear smoked glasses when Ilooked at you."

"Why?" asked the Patchwork Girl.

"Because you are so gay and gaudy."

"It is my beauty that dazzles you," sheasserted. "You Munchkin people all strut around inyour stupid blue color, while I--"

"You are wrong in calling me a Munchkin,"interrupted the donkey, "for I was born in theLand of Mo and came to visit the Land of Ozon the day it was shut off from all the rest ofthe world. So here I am obliged to stay, and Iconfess it is a very pleasant country to live in."

"Hoot-ti-toot!" cried the owl;

"Ojo's searching for a charm,'Cause Unc Nunkie's come to harm.Charms are scarce; they're hard to get;Ojo's got a job, you bet!"

"Is the owl so very foolish?" asked the boy.

"Extremely so," replied the donkey. "Notice whatvulgar expressions she uses. But I admire the owlfor the reason that she is positively foolish.Owls are supposed to be so very wise, generally,that a foolish one is unusual, and you perhapsknow that anything or anyone unusual is sure to beinteresting to the wise."

The owl flapped its wings again, mutteringthese words:

"It's hard to be a glassy cat--No cat can be more hard than that;She's so transparent, every actIs clear to us, and that's a fact."

"Have you noticed my pink brains?" inquiredBungle, proudly. "You can see 'em work."

"Not in the daytime," said the donkey. "Shecan't see very well by day, poor thing. But heradvice is excellent. I advise you all to follow it."

"The owl hasn't given us any advice, as yet,"the boy declared.

"No? Then what do you call all those sweetpoems?"

"Just foolishness," replied Ojo. "Scraps doesthe same thing."

"Foolishness! Of course! To be sure! The FoolishOwl must be foolish or she wouldn't be the FoolishOwl. You are very complimentary to my partner,indeed," asserted the donkey, rubbing his fronthoofs together as if highly pleased.

"The sign says that you are wise," remarkedScraps to the donkey. "I wish you would prove it."

"With great pleasure," returned the beast."Put me to the test, my dear Patches, and I'llprove my wisdom in the wink of an eye.

"What is the best way to get to the EmeraldCity?" asked Ojo.

"Walk," said the donkey.

"I know; but what road shall I take?" was theboy's next question.

"The road of yellow bricks, of course. It leadsdirectly to the Emerald City."

"And how shall we find the road of yellowbricks?"

"By keeping along the path you have beenfollowing. You'll come to the yellow bricks prettysoon, and you'll know them when you see thembecause they're the only yellow things in theblue country."

"Thank you," said the boy. "At last you havetold me something."

"Is that the extent of your wisdom?" askedScraps.

"No," replied the donkey; "I know manyother things, but they wouldn't interest you.So I'll give you a last word of advice: move on,for the sooner you do that the sooner you'llget to the Emerald City of Oz."

"Hoot-ti-toot-ti-toot-ti-too!" screeched the owl;

"Off you go! fast or slow,Where you're going you don't know.Patches, Bungle, Muchkin lad,Facing fortunes good and bad,Meeting dangers grave and sad,Sometimes worried, sometimes glad--Where you're going you don't know,Nor do I, but off you go!"

"Sounds like a hint, to me," said the Patchwork Girl.

"Then let's take it and go," replied Ojo.

They said good-bye to the Wise Donkey and theFoolish Owl and at once resumed their journey.