"Yes," said he, "I have heard of you. You have long claimed to be
King of Beasts, but no beast who is a coward can be King over me."
"He isn't a coward, Your Majesty," asserted the little girl, "He's
just cowardly, that's all."
Gugu looked at her. All the other beasts were looking at her, too.
"Who are you?" asked the King.
"Me? Oh, I'm just Dorothy," she answered.
"How dare you come here?" demanded the King.
"Why, I'm not afraid to go anywhere, if the Cowardly Lion is with
me," she said. "I know him pretty well, and so I can trust him. He's
always afraid, when we get into trouble, and that's why he's cowardly;
but he's a terrible fighter, and that's why he isn't a coward. He
doesn't like to fight, you know, but when he HAS to, there isn't any
beast living that can conquer him."
Gugu the King looked at the big, powerful form of the Cowardly Lion,
and knew she spoke the truth. Also the other Lions of the forest now
came forward and bowed low before the strange Lion.
"We welcome Your Majesty," said one. "We have known you many years
ago, before you went to live at the Emerald City, and we have seen you
fight the terrible Kalidahs and conquer them, so we know you are the
King of all Beasts.
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