"How long is that?" Benny eyed the straw man with deep interest. "For as long as you live," announced Trot with a little skip. "Then I hope I live always," sighed Benny. "I'd hate to stand still for fifty years like I did before. And if I'm ever called upon to be a statue again, I hope I'll be a sitting-down statue. You have no idea how tiresome it is standing up for yourself and somebody you have never seen, year after year." The Scarecrow nodded sympathetically and, talking of this and that, but especially of the Ozure Isles, the three travelers crossed several meadows and finally came to a narrow blue highway. It was so narrow they had to walk single file, but as the Scarecrow declared that any road was better than none, they proceeded along the highway until the strawman, who was in the lead, came to a full stop. "What's the matter?" demanded Trot, who came next. The Scarecrow squeezed aside so the others could see ahead and, peering anxiously over his shoulder, Trot saw a curious blue turnstile. "Shall we go on?" asked the Scarecrow uncertainly, "or shall we go back?" Standing on tip-toes, Trot tried to see where the road beyond the turnstile went to. "Let's go on," decided Trot, who could not help feeling curious. So the Scarecrow stepped through the turnstile and the others quickly followed him. Round the first bend in the road hung a big circular sign. "_ROUNDABOUT WAY_" "May-be the longest way 'round is the shortest way home," observed the Scarecrow, "and now that we are on it we may as well discover where this road goes." But it was impossible to see far. Bushy trees grew on each side of the blue pathway and it curved so that they could see only a few feet ahead. "This makes me dizzy," confessed Trot, after they had gone around dozens and dozens of curves. "Do you suppose it leads anywhere at all?" "Well, here's a round house!" exclaimed the Scarecrow. "Shall we go in?" Coming 'round the last curve, Trot and Benny saw an enormous wooden dome, larger than ten circus tents rolled into one. There were round windows in the walls halfway up and in the side toward them a swiftly revolving door. Before the others had quite decided what to do, the Scarecrow stepped through the swinging door and disappeared. "Now we'll have to go in," decided Trot, anxiously and, waiting her chance, she dashed after the Scarecrow and Benny stepped into the section immediately back of Trot. CHAPTER 13 The Round-abouties