"
"Does Nimmie Amee live there now?" asked the Tin
Woodman anxiously.
"Yes, indeed," said the rabbit.
"And does she weep and wail from morning till night?"
continued the Emperor.
"No; she seems quite happy," asserted the rabbit.
The Tin Woodman seemed quite disappointed to hear
this report of his old sweetheart, but the Scarecrow
reassured his friend, saying:
"Never mind, your Majesty; however happy Nimmie Amee
is now, I'm sure she will be much happier as Empress of
the Winkies."
"Perhaps," said Captain Fyter, somewhat stiffly, "she
will be still more happy to become the bride of a Tin
Soldier."
"She shall choose between us, as we have agreed," the
Tin Woodman promised; "but how shall we get to the poor
girl?"
Polychrome, although dancing lightly back and forth,
had listened to every word of the conversation. Now she
came forward and sat herself down just in front of the
Blue Rabbit, her many-hued draperies giving her the
appearance of some beautiful flower. The rabbit didn't
back away an inch. Instead, he gazed at the Rainbow's
Daughter admiringly.
"Does your burrow go underneath this Wall of Air?"
asked Polychrome.
"To be sure," answered the Blue Rabbit; "I dug it
that way so I could roam in these broad fields, by
going out one way, or eat the cabbages in Nimmie Amee's
garden by leaving my burrow at the other end. I don't
think Nimmie Amee ought to mind the little I take from
her garden, or the hole I've made under her magic wall.
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