“No,” answered the owner of the big yellow eyes which were blinking at them so steadily; “you are wrong about that. We hope to grow to be dragons some day, but just now we’re only dragonettes.”

“What’s that?” asked Dorothy, gazing fearfully at the great scaley head, the yawning mouth and the big eyes.

“Young dragons, of course; but we are not allowed to call ourselves real dragons until we get our full growth,” was the reply. “The big dragons are very proud, and don’t think children amount to much; but mother says that some day we will all be very powerful and important.”

“Where is your mother?” asked the Wizard, anxiously looking around.

“She has gone up to the top of the earth to hunt for our dinner. If she has good luck she will bring us an elephant, or a brace of rhinoceri, or perhaps a few dozen people to stay our hunger.”

“Oh; are you hungry?” enquired Dorothy, drawing back.