It's like the officers of an army, you see; the little rulers are all
captains, and Ozma's the general."
By this time they had reached the trees, which stood in a perfect
circle and just far enough apart so that their thick branches
touched--or "shook hands," as Button-Bright remarked. Under the shade
of the trees they found, in the center of the circle, a crystal pool,
its water as still as glass. It must have been deep, too, for when
Polychrome bent over it she gave a little sigh of pleasure.
"Why, it's a mirror!" she cried; for she could see all her pretty
face and fluffy, rainbow-tinted gown reflected in the pool,
as natural as life.
Dorothy bent over, too, and began to arrange her hair, blown by the
desert wind into straggling tangles. Button-Bright leaned over the
edge next, and then began to cry, for the sight of his fox head
frightened the poor little fellow.
"I guess I won't look," remarked the shaggy man, sadly, for he didn't
like his donkey head, either. While Polly and Dorothy tried to
comfort Button-Bright, the shaggy man sat down near the edge of the
pool, where his image could not be reflected, and stared at the water
thoughtfully. As he did this he noticed a silver plate fastened to a
rock just under the surface of the water, and on the silver plate was
engraved these words:
THE TRUTH POND
"Ah!" cried the shaggy man, springing to his feet with eager joy;
"we've found it at last.
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