“How does it taste?” asked the Wizard.

“Not bad at all,” said Jim. “If they give me plenty of it I’ll not complain about its color.”

By this time the party had reached a freshly plowed field, and the Prince said to Dorothy:

“This is our planting-ground.”

Several Mangaboos came forward with glass spades and dug a hole in the ground. Then they put the two halves of the Sorcerer into it and covered him up. After that other people brought water from a brook and sprinkled the earth.

“He will sprout very soon,” said the Prince, “and grow into a large bush, from which we shall in time be able to pick several very good sorcerers.”

“Do all your people grow on bushes?” asked the boy.

54