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As they neared the shore a bell tolled out over the water. It was the bell of Saint Peter, patron saint of the fisher- folk and all those who dwell by the sea. Then Long Point lighthouse flashed a wel-come, and the red lamp of Wood End blinked in answer.

Dorothy ran around and got the key again and wound up Tik-tok under his left arm, after which he could speak plainly again. "Par-don me," he said, "but when my thoughts run down, my speech has no mean-ing, for words are formed on-ly by thought. I was a-bout to say that Oz-ma sent us to wel-come you and in-vite you to come straight to the Em-er-ald Ci-ty.

The others were curiously crowding around the group, and the girl said to them: "It's Tik-tok and Billina; and oh! I'm so glad to see them again." "Wel-come to Oz," said the copper man in a monotonous voice. Dorothy sat right down in the road, the yellow hen in her arms, and began to stroke Billina's back. Said the hen: "Dorothy, dear, I've got some wonderful news to tell you."

"I'll tell you," answered Tik-tok, in his monotonous voice, all the sounds of his words being on one level "Prin-cess Oz-ma saw you in her mag-ic pic-ture, and knew you were com-ing here; so she sent Bil-lin-a and me to wel-come you as she could not come her-self; so that fiz-i-dig-le cum-so-lut-ing hy-ber-gob-ble in-tu-zib-ick " "Good gracious!

As we approached her she waved her hand joyfully and exclaimed, 'Welcome bri' Springtime. Wel-come to our country village. You you behold in me the only living survivor of the wreck of the Hesperus. Parade ri' up, and give the waiter your hat, coat and vest and bevy in. Though I have just given nineteen dollars' worth of hair puffs away as sou-sou-ven you say it, I feel like a new born child.