CHAPTER 21
The Wizard Is Excited
The great beast that had plunged into the tunnel suddenly stopped roaring, shook the gravel and dirt from his mane and back, and said calmly:
"I'm surprised at you, Shaggy Man! What do you mean by digging holes in Ozma's garden and leaving them open for unsuspecting folks to fall into? I might very easily have broken a leg or fractured a paw."
The Shaggy Man was grinning broadly. "Ten to one you were running away from something in an effort to work up your well-known, but careful courage to the point of fighting."
The huge lion looked down at the ground in embarrassment.
"You seem to know this great beast," said the beaver King, who had been regarding the sudden entrant into the tunnel with intense curiosity.
"Indeed, I do!" replied the Shaggy Man. "He's an old friend of mine and quite harmless—if he is your friend. For this, you see, is the famous Cowardly Lion of Oz."