Chapter Nine:
The Mission Begins
The next morning, as Dorothy awoke to feel the warm sun on her face, she was surprised to find that the Lion and the others had prepared a breakfast of exotic fruits for her. As she bit into one of the luscious soft fruits the juice burst forth with a flavor that can only be described as divine. Nothing, absolutely nothing she had ever tasted before could compare.
"We let you sleep a little longer, Dorothy," said the Lion, as she ate. "You needed a good rest. Isn't it a beautiful day?"
"Indeed it is!" answered the girl. "Between this wonderful fruit and the beautiful surroundings, I feel I'm in paradise.
The dew was glistening on the grass and there were pretty little wildflowers everywhere. Hundreds of birds of every variety were chirping away happily as they searched for their breakfast. The sweet early morning smell of the forest permeated the air, and running through the camp was a bubbling brook of crystal clear water with little fish happily darting about the little pools.
"You certainly have a lovely home here, Lion," said Dorothy.
"Thank you," the Lion replied. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"
"You must be very happy here," went on the girl.
"Oh, indeed I am. Yes, indeed," the Lion replied. "Only ... only ..."