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diff --git a/959-h/959-h.htm b/959-h/959-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b81b841 --- /dev/null +++ b/959-h/959-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,8114 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> +<title>The Lost Princess of Oz | Project Gutenberg</title> +<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> +<style type="text/css"> + +body { margin-left: 20%; + margin-right: 20%; + text-align: justify; } + +h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 {text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-weight: +normal; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: .5em;} + +h1 {font-size: 300%; + margin-top: 0.6em; + margin-bottom: 0.6em; + letter-spacing: 0.12em; + word-spacing: 0.2em; + text-indent: 0em;} +h2 {font-size: 150%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} +h3 {font-size: 130%; margin-top: 1em;} +h4 {font-size: 120%;} +h5 {font-size: 110%;} + +.no-break {page-break-before: avoid;} /* for epubs */ + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em;} + +hr {width: 80%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + +p {text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: 0.25em; + margin-bottom: 0.25em; } + +p.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: 90%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +p.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +p.center {text-align: center; + text-indent: 0em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +a:link {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:visited {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:hover {color:red} + +</style> + +</head> + +<body> + +<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Lost Princess of Oz, by L. Frank Baum</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online +at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you +are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the +country where you are located before using this eBook. +</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Lost Princess of Oz</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: L. Frank Baum</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: June, 1997 [eBook #959]<br /> +[Most recently updated: June 6, 2023]</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Anthony Matonac</div> +<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ ***</div> + +<h1>THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ</h1> + +<h2 class="no-break">by L. FRANK BAUM</h2> + +<hr /> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3>This Book is Dedicated<br/> +To My Granddaughter<br/> +OZMA BAUM</h3> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3>To My Readers</h3> + +<p> +Some of my youthful readers are developing wonderful imaginations. This pleases +me. Imagination has brought mankind through the Dark Ages to its present state +of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led +Franklin to discover electricity. Imagination has given us the steam engine, +the telephone, the talking-machine and the automobile, for these things had to +be dreamed of before they became realities. So I believe that dreams—day +dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery +whizzing—are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative +child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, +and therefore to foster civilization. A prominent educator tells me that fairy +tales are of untold value in developing imagination in the young. I believe it. +</p> + +<p> +Among the letters I receive from children are many containing suggestions of +“what to write about in the next Oz Book.” Some of the ideas advanced are +mighty interesting, while others are too extravagant to be seriously +considered—even in a fairy tale. Yet I like them all, and I must admit that the +main idea in “The Lost Princess of Oz” was suggested to me by a sweet little +girl of eleven who called to see me and to talk about the Land of Oz. Said she: +“I s’pose if Ozma ever got lost, or stolen, ev’rybody in Oz would be dreadful +sorry.” +</p> + +<p> +That was all, but quite enough foundation to build this present story on. If +you happen to like the story, give credit to my little friend’s clever hint. +</p> + +<p class="noindent"> +L. Frank Baum<br/> +Royal Historian of Oz +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2>LIST OF CHAPTERS</h2> + +<table summary="" style=""> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap01">Chapter 1 A Terrible Loss</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap02">Chapter 2 The Troubles of Glinda the Good</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap03">Chapter 3 The Robbery of Cayke the Cookie Cook</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap04">Chapter 4 Among the Winkies</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap05">Chapter 5 Ozma’s Friends Are Perplexed</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap06">Chapter 6 The Search Party</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap07">Chapter 7 The Merry-Go-Round Mountains</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap08">Chapter 8 The Mysterious City</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap09">Chapter 9 The High Coco-Lorum of Thi</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap10">Chapter 10 Toto Loses Something</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap11">Chapter 11 Button-Bright Loses Himself</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap12">Chapter 12 The Czarover of Herku</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap13">Chapter 13 The Truth Pond</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap14">Chapter 14 The Unhappy Ferryman</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap15">Chapter 15 The Big Lavender Bear</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap16">Chapter 16 The Little Pink Bear</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap17">Chapter 17 The Meeting</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap18">Chapter 18 The Conference</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap19">Chapter 19 Ugu the Shoemaker</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap20">Chapter 20 More Surprises</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap21">Chapter 21 Magic Against Magic</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap22">Chapter 22 In the Wicker Castle</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap23">Chapter 23 The Defiance of Ugu the Shoemaker</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap24">Chapter 24 The Little Pink Bear Speaks Truly</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap25">Chapter 25 Ozma of Oz</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap26">Chapter 26 Dorothy Forgives</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2>THE LOST PRINCESS</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap01"></a> +CHAPTER 1<br/> +A TERRIBLE LOSS</h2> + +<p> +There could be no doubt of the fact: Princess Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of +the Fairyland of Oz, was lost. She had completely disappeared. Not one of her +subjects—not even her closest friends—knew what had become of her. It was +Dorothy who first discovered it. Dorothy was a little Kansas girl who had come +to the Land of Oz to live and had been given a delightful suite of rooms in +Ozma’s royal palace just because Ozma loved Dorothy and wanted her to live as +near her as possible so the two girls might be much together. +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy was not the only girl from the outside world who had been welcomed to +Oz and lived in the royal palace. There was another named Betsy Bobbin, whose +adventures had led her to seek refuge with Ozma, and still another named Trot, +who had been invited, together with her faithful companion Cap’n Bill, to make +her home in this wonderful fairyland. The three girls all had rooms in the +palace and were great chums; but Dorothy was the dearest friend of their +gracious Ruler and only she at any hour dared to seek Ozma in her royal +apartments. For Dorothy had lived in Oz much longer than the other girls and +had been made a Princess of the realm. +</p> + +<p> +Betsy was a year older than Dorothy and Trot was a year younger, yet the three +were near enough of an age to become great playmates and to have nice times +together. It was while the three were talking together one morning in Dorothy’s +room that Betsy proposed they make a journey into the Munchkin Country, which +was one of the four great countries of the Land of Oz ruled by Ozma. “I’ve +never been there yet,” said Betsy Bobbin, “but the Scarecrow once told me it is +the prettiest country in all Oz.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’d like to go, too,” added Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“All right,” said Dorothy. “I’ll go and ask Ozma. Perhaps she will let us take +the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon, which would be much nicer for us than having to +walk all the way. This Land of Oz is a pretty big place when you get to all the +edges of it.” +</p> + +<p> +So she jumped up and went along the halls of the splendid palace until she came +to the royal suite, which filled all the front of the second floor. In a little +waiting room sat Ozma’s maid, Jellia Jamb, who was busily sewing. “Is Ozma up +yet?” inquired Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know, my dear,” replied Jellia. “I haven’t heard a word from her this +morning. She hasn’t even called for her bath or her breakfast, and it is far +past her usual time for them.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s strange!” exclaimed the little girl. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” agreed the maid, “but of course no harm could have happened to her. No +one can die or be killed in the Land of Oz, and Ozma is herself a powerful +fairy, and she has no enemies so far as we know. Therefore I am not at all +worried about her, though I must admit her silence is unusual.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps,” said Dorothy thoughtfully, “she has overslept. Or she may be reading +or working out some new sort of magic to do good to her people.” +</p> + +<p> +“Any of these things may be true,” replied Jellia Jamb, “so I haven’t dared +disturb our royal mistress. You, however, are a privileged character, Princess, +and I am sure that Ozma wouldn’t mind at all if you went in to see her.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course not,” said Dorothy, and opening the door of the outer chamber, she +went in. All was still here. She walked into another room, which was Ozma’s +boudoir, and then, pushing back a heavy drapery richly broidered with threads +of pure gold, the girl entered the sleeping-room of the fairy Ruler of Oz. The +bed of ivory and gold was vacant; the room was vacant; not a trace of Ozma was +to be found. +</p> + +<p> +Very much surprised, yet still with no fear that anything had happened to her +friend, Dorothy returned through the boudoir to the other rooms of the suite. +She went into the music room, the library, the laboratory, the bath, the +wardrobe, and even into the great throne room, which adjoined the royal suite, +but in none of these places could she find Ozma. +</p> + +<p> +So she returned to the anteroom where she had left the maid, Jellia Jamb, and +said: +</p> + +<p> +“She isn’t in her rooms now, so she must have gone out.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t understand how she could do that without my seeing her,” replied +Jellia, “unless she made herself invisible.” +</p> + +<p> +“She isn’t there, anyhow,” declared Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Then let us go find her,” suggested the maid, who appeared to be a little +uneasy. So they went into the corridors, and there Dorothy almost stumbled over +a queer girl who was dancing lightly along the passage. +</p> + +<p> +“Stop a minute, Scraps!” she called, “Have you seen Ozma this morning?” +</p> + +<p> +“Not I!” replied the queer girl, dancing nearer. “I lost both my eyes in a +tussle with the Woozy last night, for the creature scraped ’em both off my face +with his square paws. So I put the eyes in my pocket, and this morning +Button-Bright led me to Aunt Em, who sewed ’em on again. So I’ve seen nothing +at all today, except during the last five minutes. So of course I haven’t seen +Ozma.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very well, Scraps,” said Dorothy, looking curiously at the eyes, which were +merely two round, black buttons sewed upon the girl’s face. +</p> + +<p> +There were other things about Scraps that would have seemed curious to one +seeing her for the first time. She was commonly called “the Patchwork Girl” +because her body and limbs were made from a gay-colored patchwork quilt which +had been cut into shape and stuffed with cotton. Her head was a round ball +stuffed in the same manner and fastened to her shoulders. For hair, she had a +mass of brown yarn, and to make a nose for her a part of the cloth had been +pulled out into the shape of a knob and tied with a string to hold it in place. +Her mouth had been carefully made by cutting a slit in the proper place and +lining it with red silk, adding two rows of pearls for teeth and a bit of red +flannel for a tongue. +</p> + +<p> +In spite of this queer make-up, the Patchwork Girl was magically alive and had +proved herself not the least jolly and agreeable of the many quaint characters +who inhabit the astonishing Fairyland of Oz. Indeed, Scraps was a general +favorite, although she was rather flighty and erratic and did and said many +things that surprised her friends. She was seldom still, but loved to dance, to +turn handsprings and somersaults, to climb trees and to indulge in many other +active sports. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m going to search for Ozma,” remarked Dorothy, “for she isn’t in her rooms, +and I want to ask her a question.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll go with you,” said Scraps, “for my eyes are brighter than yours, and they +can see farther.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not sure of that,” returned Dorothy. “But come along, if you like.” +</p> + +<p> +Together they searched all through the great palace and even to the farthest +limits of the palace grounds, which were quite extensive, but nowhere could +they find a trace of Ozma. When Dorothy returned to where Betsy and Trot +awaited her, the little girl’s face was rather solemn and troubled, for never +before had Ozma gone away without telling her friends where she was going, or +without an escort that befitted her royal state. She was gone, however, and +none had seen her go. Dorothy had met and questioned the Scarecrow, Tik-Tok, +the Shaggy Man, Button-Bright, Cap’n Bill, and even the wise and powerful +Wizard of Oz, but not one of them had seen Ozma since she parted with her +friends the evening before and had gone to her own rooms. +</p> + +<p> +“She didn’t say anything las’ night about going anywhere,” observed little +Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“No, and that’s the strange part of it,” replied Dorothy. “Usually Ozma lets us +know of everything she does.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why not look in the Magic Picture?” suggested Betsy Bobbin. “That will tell us +where she is in just one second.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course!” cried Dorothy. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” And at once +the three girls hurried away to Ozma’s boudoir, where the Magic Picture always +hung. This wonderful Magic Picture was one of the royal Ozma’s greatest +treasures. There was a large gold frame in the center of which was a +bluish-gray canvas on which various scenes constantly appeared and disappeared. +If one who stood before it wished to see what any person anywhere in the world +was doing, it was only necessary to make the wish and the scene in the Magic +Picture would shift to the scene where that person was and show exactly what he +or she was then engaged in doing. So the girls knew it would be easy for them +to wish to see Ozma, and from the picture they could quickly learn where she +was. +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy advanced to the place where the picture was usually protected by thick +satin curtains and pulled the draperies aside. Then she stared in amazement, +while her two friends uttered exclamations of disappointment. +</p> + +<p> +The Magic Picture was gone. Only a blank space on the wall behind the curtains +showed where it had formerly hung. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap02"></a> +CHAPTER 2<br/> +THE TROUBLES OF GLINDA THE GOOD</h2> + +<p> +That same morning there was great excitement in the castle of the powerful +Sorceress of Oz, Glinda the Good. This castle, situated in the Quadling +Country, far south of the Emerald City where Ozma ruled, was a splendid +structure of exquisite marbles and silver grilles. Here the Sorceress lived, +surrounded by a bevy of the most beautiful maidens of Oz, gathered from all the +four countries of that fairyland as well as from the magnificent Emerald City +itself, which stood in the place where the four countries cornered. It was +considered a great honor to be allowed to serve the good Sorceress, whose arts +of magic were used only to benefit the Oz people. Glinda was Ozma’s most valued +servant, for her knowledge of sorcery was wonderful, and she could accomplish +almost anything that her mistress, the lovely girl Ruler of Oz, wished her to. +</p> + +<p> +Of all the magical things which surrounded Glinda in her castle, there was none +more marvelous than her Great Book of Records. On the pages of this Record Book +were constantly being inscribed, day by day and hour by hour, all the important +events that happened anywhere in the known world, and they were inscribed in +the book at exactly the moment the events happened. Every adventure in the Land +of Oz and in the big outside world, and even in places that you and I have +never heard of, were recorded accurately in the Great Book, which never made a +mistake and stated only the exact truth. For that reason, nothing could be +concealed from Glinda the Good, who had only to look at the pages of the Great +Book of Records to know everything that had taken place. That was one reason +she was such a great Sorceress, for the records made her wiser than any other +living person. +</p> + +<p> +This wonderful book was placed upon a big gold table that stood in the middle +of Glinda’s drawing room. The legs of the table, which were incrusted with +precious gems, were firmly fastened to the tiled floor, and the book itself was +chained to the table and locked with six stout golden padlocks, the keys to +which Glinda carried on a chain that was secured around her own neck. The pages +of the Great Book were larger in size than those of an American newspaper, and +although they were exceedingly thin, there were so many of them that they made +an enormous, bulky volume. With its gold cover and gold clasps, the book was so +heavy that three men could scarcely have lifted it. Yet this morning when +Glinda entered her drawing room after breakfast, the good Sorceress was amazed +to discover that her Great Book of Records had mysteriously disappeared. +</p> + +<p> +Advancing to the table, she found the chains had been cut with some sharp +instrument, and this must have been done while all in the castle slept. Glinda +was shocked and grieved. Who could have done this wicked, bold thing? And who +could wish to deprive her of her Great Book of Records? +</p> + +<p> +The Sorceress was thoughtful for a time, considering the consequences of her +loss. Then she went to her Room of Magic to prepare a charm that would tell her +who had stolen the Record Book. But when she unlocked her cupboard and threw +open the doors, all of her magical instruments and rare chemical compounds had +been removed from the shelves. The Sorceress has now both angry and alarmed. +She sat down in a chair and tried to think how this extraordinary robbery could +have taken place. It was evident that the thief was some person of very great +power, or the theft could not have been accomplished without her knowledge. But +who, in all the Land of Oz, was powerful and skillful enough to do this awful +thing? And who, having the power, could also have an object in defying the +wisest and most talented Sorceress the world has ever known? +</p> + +<p> +Glinda thought over the perplexing matter for a full hour, at the end of which +time she was still puzzled how to explain it. But although her instruments and +chemicals were gone, her KNOWLEDGE of magic had not been stolen, by any means, +since no thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why +knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire. Glinda believed that when +she had time to gather more magical herbs and elixirs and to manufacture more +magical instruments, she would be able to discover who the robber was and what +had become of her precious Book of Records. +</p> + +<p> +“Whoever has done this,” she said to her maidens, “is a very foolish person, +for in time he is sure to be found out and will then be severely punished.” +</p> + +<p> +She now made a list of the things she needed and dispatched messengers to every +part of Oz with instructions to obtain them and bring them to her as soon as +possible. And one of her messengers met the little Wizard of Oz, who was seated +on the back of the famous live Sawhorse and was clinging to its neck with both +his arms, for the Sawhorse was speeding to Glinda’s castle with the velocity of +the wind, bearing the news that Royal Ozma, Ruler of all the great Land of Oz, +had suddenly disappeared and no one in the Emerald City knew what had become of +her. +</p> + +<p> +“Also,” said the Wizard as he stood before the astonished Sorceress, “Ozma’s +Magic Picture is gone, so we cannot consult it to discover where she is. So I +came to you for assistance as soon as we realized our loss. Let us look in the +Great Book of Records.” +</p> + +<p> +“Alas,” returned the Sorceress sorrowfully, “we cannot do that, for the Great +Book of Records has also disappeared!” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap03"></a> +CHAPTER 3<br/> +THE ROBBERY OF CAYKE THE COOKIE COOK</h2> + +<p> +One more important theft was reported in the Land of Oz that eventful morning, +but it took place so far from either the Emerald City or the castle of Glinda +the Good that none of those persons we have mentioned learned of the robbery +until long afterward. +</p> + +<p> +In the far southwestern corner of the Winkie Country is a broad tableland that +can be reached only by climbing a steep hill, whichever side one approaches it. +On the hillside surrounding this tableland are no paths at all, but there are +quantities of bramble bushes with sharp prickers on them, which prevent any of +the Oz people who live down below from climbing up to see what is on top. But +on top live the Yips, and although the space they occupy is not great in +extent, the wee country is all their own. The Yips had never—up to the time +this story begins—left their broad tableland to go down into the Land of Oz, +nor had the Oz people ever climbed up to the country of the Yips. +</p> + +<p> +Living all alone as they did, the Yips had queer ways and notions of their own +and did not resemble any other people of the Land of Oz. Their houses were +scattered all over the flat surface; not like a city, grouped together, but set +wherever their owners’ fancy dictated, with fields here, trees there, and odd +little paths connecting the houses one with another. It was here, on the +morning when Ozma so strangely disappeared from the Emerald City, that Cayke +the Cookie Cook discovered that her diamond-studded gold dishpan had been +stolen, and she raised such a hue and cry over her loss and wailed and shrieked +so loudly that many of the Yips gathered around her house to inquire what was +the matter. +</p> + +<p> +It was a serious thing in any part of the Land of Oz to accuse one of stealing, +so when the Yips heard Cayke the Cookie Cook declare that her jeweled dishpan +had been stolen, they were both humiliated and disturbed and forced Cayke to go +with them to the Frogman to see what could be done about it. I do not suppose +you have ever before heard of the Frogman, for like all other dwellers on that +tableland, he had never been away from it, nor had anyone come up there to see +him. The Frogman was in truth descended from the common frogs of Oz, and when +he was first born he lived in a pool in the Winkie Country and was much like +any other frog. Being of an adventurous nature, however, he soon hopped out of +his pool and began to travel, when a big bird came along and seized him in its +beak and started to fly away with him to its nest. When high in the air, the +frog wriggled so frantically that he got loose and fell down, down, down into a +small hidden pool on the tableland of the Yips. Now that pool, it seems, was +unknown to the Yips because it was surrounded by thick bushes and was not near +to any dwelling, and it proved to be an enchanted pool, for the frog grew very +fast and very big, feeding on the magic skosh which is found nowhere else on +earth except in that one pool. And the skosh not only made the frog very big so +that when he stood on his hind legs he was as tall as any Yip in the country, +but it made him unusually intelligent, so that he soon knew more than the Yips +did and was able to reason and to argue very well indeed. +</p> + +<p> +No one could expect a frog with these talents to remain in a hidden pool, so he +finally got out of it and mingled with the people of the tableland, who were +amazed at his appearance and greatly impressed by his learning. They had never +seen a frog before, and the frog had never seen a Yip before, but as there were +plenty of Yips and only one frog, the frog became the most important. He did +not hop any more, but stood upright on his hind legs and dressed himself in +fine clothes and sat in chairs and did all the things that people do, so he +soon came to be called the Frogman, and that is the only name he has ever had. +After some years had passed, the people came to regard the Frogman as their +adviser in all matters that puzzled them. They brought all their difficulties +to him, and when he did not know anything, he pretended to know it, which +seemed to answer just as well. Indeed, the Yips thought the Frogman was much +wiser than he really was, and he allowed them to think so, being very proud of +his position of authority. +</p> + +<p> +There was another pool on the tableland which was not enchanted but contained +good, clear water and was located close to the dwellings. Here the people built +the Frogman a house of his own, close to the edge of the pool so that he could +take a bath or a swim whenever he wished. He usually swam in the pool in the +early morning before anyone else was up, and during the day he dressed himself +in his beautiful clothes and sat in his house and received the visits of all +the Yips who came to him to ask his advice. The Frogman’s usual costume +consisted of knee-breeches made of yellow satin plush, with trimmings of gold +braid and jeweled knee-buckles; a white satin vest with silver buttons in which +were set solitaire rubies; a swallow-tailed coat of bright yellow; green +stockings and red leather shoes turned up at the toes and having diamond +buckles. He wore, when he walked out, a purple silk hat and carried a +gold-headed cane. Over his eyes he wore great spectacles with gold rims, not +because his eyes were bad, but because the spectacles made him look wise, and +so distinguished and gorgeous was his appearance that all the Yips were very +proud of him. +</p> + +<p> +There was no King or Queen in the Yip Country, so the simple inhabitants +naturally came to look upon the Frogman as their leader as well as their +counselor in all times of emergency. In his heart the big frog knew he was no +wiser than the Yips, but for a frog to know as much as a person was quite +remarkable, and the Frogman was shrewd enough to make the people believe he was +far more wise than he really was. They never suspected he was a humbug, but +listened to his words with great respect and did just what he advised them to +do. +</p> + +<p> +Now when Cayke the Cookie Cook raised such an outcry over the theft of her +diamond-studded dishpan, the first thought of the people was to take her to the +Frogman and inform him of the loss, thinking that of course he would tell her +where to find it. He listened to the story with his big eyes wide open behind +his spectacles, and said in his deep, croaking voice, “If the dishpan is +stolen, somebody must have taken it.” +</p> + +<p> +“But who?” asked Cayke anxiously. “Who is the thief?” +</p> + +<p> +“The one who took the dishpan, of course,” replied the Frogman, and hearing +this all the Yips nodded their heads gravely and said to one another, “It is +absolutely true!” +</p> + +<p> +“But I want my dishpan!” cried Cayke. +</p> + +<p> +“No one can blame you for that wish,” remarked the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“Then tell me where I may find it,” she urged. +</p> + +<p> +The look the Frogman gave her was a very wise look, and he rose from his chair +and strutted up and down the room with his hands under his coattails in a very +pompous and imposing manner. This was the first time so difficult a matter had +been brought to him, and he wanted time to think. It would never do to let them +suspect his ignorance, and so he thought very, very hard how best to answer the +woman without betraying himself. “I beg to inform you,” said he, “that nothing +in the Yip Country has ever been stolen before.” +</p> + +<p> +“We know that already,” answered Cayke the Cookie Cook impatiently. +</p> + +<p> +“Therefore,” continued the Frogman, “this theft becomes a very important +matter.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, where is my dishpan?” demanded the woman. +</p> + +<p> +“It is lost, but it must be found. Unfortunately, we have no policemen or +detectives to unravel the mystery, so we must employ other means to regain the +lost article. Cayke must first write a Proclamation and tack it to the door of +her house, and the Proclamation must read that whoever stole the jeweled +dishpan must return it at once.” +</p> + +<p> +“But suppose no one returns it,” suggested Cayke. +</p> + +<p> +“Then,” said the Frogman, “that very fact will be proof that no one has stolen +it.” +</p> + +<p> +Cayke was not satisfied, but the other Yips seemed to approve the plan highly. +They all advised her to do as the Frogman had told her to, so she posted the +sign on her door and waited patiently for someone to return the dishpan—which +no one ever did. Again she went, accompanied by a group of her neighbors, to +the Frogman, who by this time had given the matter considerable thought. Said +he to Cayke, “I am now convinced that no Yip has taken your dishpan, and since +it is gone from the Yip Country, I suspect that some stranger came from the +world down below us in the darkness of night when all of us were asleep and +took away your treasure. There can be no other explanation of its +disappearance. So if you wish to recover that golden, diamond-studded dishpan, +you must go into the lower world after it.” +</p> + +<p> +This was indeed a startling proposition. Cayke and her friends went to the edge +of the flat tableland and looked down the steep hillside to the plains below. +It was so far to the bottom of the hill that nothing there could be seen very +distinctly, and it seemed to the Yips very venturesome, if not dangerous, to go +so far from home into an unknown land. However, Cayke wanted her dishpan very +badly, so she turned to her friends and asked, “Who will go with me?” +</p> + +<p> +No one answered the question, but after a period of silence one of the Yips +said, “We know what is here on the top of this flat hill, and it seems to us a +very pleasant place, but what is down below we do not know. The chances are it +is not so pleasant, so we had best stay where we are.” +</p> + +<p> +“It may be a far better country than this is,” suggested the Cookie Cook. +</p> + +<p> +“Maybe, maybe,” responded another Yip, “but why take chances? Contentment with +one’s lot is true wisdom. Perhaps in some other country there are better +cookies than you cook, but as we have always eaten your cookies and liked +them—except when they are burned on the bottom—we do not long for any better +ones.” +</p> + +<p> +Cayke might have agreed to this argument had she not been so anxious to find +her precious dishpan, but now she exclaimed impatiently, “You are cowards, all +of you! If none of you are willing to explore with me the great world beyond +this small hill, I will surely go alone.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is a wise resolve,” declared the Yips, much relieved. “It is your dishpan +that is lost, not ours. And if you are willing to risk your life and liberty to +regain it, no one can deny you the privilege.” +</p> + +<p> +While they were thus conversing, the Frogman joined them and looked down at the +plain with his big eyes and seemed unusually thoughtful. In fact, the Frogman +was thinking that he’d like to see more of the world. Here in the Yip Country +he had become the most important creature of them all, and his importance was +getting to be a little tame. It would be nice to have other people defer to him +and ask his advice, and there seemed no reason so far as he could see why his +fame should not spread throughout all Oz. He knew nothing of the rest of the +world, but it was reasonable to believe that there were more people beyond the +mountain where he now lived than there were Yips, and if he went among them he +could surprise them with his display of wisdom and make them bow down to him as +the Yips did. In other words, the Frogman was ambitious to become still greater +than he was, which was impossible if he always remained upon this mountain. He +wanted others to see his gorgeous clothes and listen to his solemn sayings, and +here was an excuse for him to get away from the Yip Country. So he said to +Cayke the Cookie Cook, “I will go with you, my good woman,” which greatly +pleased Cayke because she felt the Frogman could be of much assistance to her +in her search. +</p> + +<p> +But now, since the mighty Frogman had decided to undertake the journey, several +of the Yips who were young and daring at once made up their minds to go along, +so the next morning after breakfast the Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook and +nine of the Yips started to slide down the side of the mountain. The bramble +bushes and cactus plants were very prickly and uncomfortable to the touch, so +the Frogman quickly commanded the Yips to go first and break a path, so that +when he followed them he would not tear his splendid clothes. Cayke, too, was +wearing her best dress and was likewise afraid of the thorns and prickers, so +she kept behind the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +They made rather slow progress and night overtook them before they were halfway +down the mountainside, so they found a cave in which they sought shelter until +morning. Cayke had brought along a basket full of her famous cookies, so they +all had plenty to eat. On the second day the Yips began to wish they had not +embarked on this adventure. They grumbled a good deal at having to cut away the +thorns to make the path for the Frogman and the Cookie Cook, for their own +clothing suffered many tears, while Cayke and the Frogman traveled safely and +in comfort. +</p> + +<p> +“If it is true that anyone came to our country to steal your diamond dishpan,” +said one of the Yips to Cayke, “it must have been a bird, for no person in the +form of a man, woman or child could have climbed through these bushes and back +again.” +</p> + +<p> +“And, allowing he could have done so,” said another Yip, “the diamond-studded +gold dishpan would not have repaid him for his troubles and his tribulations.” +</p> + +<p> +“For my part,” remarked a third Yip, “I would rather go back home and dig and +polish some more diamonds and mine some more gold and make you another dishpan +than be scratched from head to heel by these dreadful bushes. Even now, if my +mother saw me, she would not know I am her son.” +</p> + +<p> +Cayke paid no heed to these mutterings, nor did the Frogman. Although their +journey was slow, it was being made easy for them by the Yips, so they had +nothing to complain of and no desire to turn back. Quite near to the bottom of +the great hill they came upon a great gulf, the sides of which were as smooth +as glass. The gulf extended a long distance—as far as they could see in either +direction—and although it was not very wide, it was far too wide for the Yips +to leap across it. And should they fall into it, it was likely they might never +get out again. “Here our journey ends,” said the Yips. “We must go back again.” +</p> + +<p> +Cayke the Cookie Cook began to weep. +</p> + +<p> +“I shall never find my pretty dishpan again, and my heart will be broken!” she +sobbed. +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman went to the edge of the gulf and with his eye carefully measured +the distance to the other side. “Being a frog,” said he, “I can leap, as all +frogs do, and being so big and strong, I am sure I can leap across this gulf +with ease. But the rest of you, not being frogs, must return the way you came.” +</p> + +<p> +“We will do that with pleasure,” cried the Yips, and at once they turned and +began to climb up the steep mountain, feeling they had had quite enough of this +unsatisfactory adventure. Cayke the Cookie Cook did not go with them, however. +She sat on a rock and wept and wailed and was very miserable. +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said the Frogman to her, “I will now bid you goodbye. If I find your +diamond-decorated gold dishpan, I will promise to see that it is safely +returned to you.” +</p> + +<p> +“But I prefer to find it myself!” she said. “See here, Frogman, why can’t you +carry me across the gulf when you leap it? You are big and strong, while I am +small and thin.” +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman gravely thought over this suggestion. It was a fact that Cayke the +Cookie Cook was not a heavy person. Perhaps he could leap the gulf with her on +his back. “If you are willing to risk a fall,” said he, “I will make the +attempt.” +</p> + +<p> +At once she sprang up and grabbed him around his neck with both her arms. That +is, she grabbed him where his neck ought to be, for the Frogman had no neck at +all. Then he squatted down, as frogs do when they leap, and with his powerful +rear legs he made a tremendous jump. Over the gulf they sailed, with the Cookie +Cook on his back, and he had leaped so hard—to make sure of not falling in—that +he sailed over a lot of bramble bushes that grew on the other side and landed +in a clear space which was so far beyond the gulf that when they looked back +they could not see it at all. +</p> + +<p> +Cayke now got off the Frogman’s back and he stood erect again and carefully +brushed the dust from his velvet coat and rearranged his white satin necktie. +</p> + +<p> +“I had no idea I could leap so far,” he said wonderingly. “Leaping is one more +accomplishment I can now add to the long list of deeds I am able to perform.” +</p> + +<p> +“You are certainly fine at leap-frog,” said the Cookie Cook admiringly, “but, +as you say, you are wonderful in many ways. If we meet with any people down +here, I am sure they will consider you the greatest and grandest of all living +creatures.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” he replied, “I shall probably astonish strangers, because they have +never before had the pleasure of seeing me. Also, they will marvel at my great +learning. Every time I open my mouth, Cayke, I am liable to say something +important.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is true,” she agreed, “and it is fortunate your mouth is so very wide and +opens so far, for otherwise all the wisdom might not be able to get out of it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps nature made it wide for that very reason,” said the Frogman. “But +come, let us now go on, for it is getting late and we must find some sort of +shelter before night overtakes us.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap04"></a> +CHAPTER 4<br/> +AMONG THE WINKIES</h2> + +<p> +The settled parts of the Winkie Country are full of happy and contented people +who are ruled by a tin Emperor named Nick Chopper, who in turn is a subject of +the beautiful girl Ruler, Ozma of Oz. But not all of the Winkie Country is +fully settled. At the east, which part lies nearest the Emerald City, there are +beautiful farmhouses and roads, but as you travel west, you first come to a +branch of the Winkie River, beyond which there is a rough country where few +people live, and some of these are quite unknown to the rest of the world. +After passing through this rude section of territory, which no one ever visits, +you would come to still another branch of the Winkie River, after crossing +which you would find another well-settled part of the Winkie Country extending +westward quite to the Deadly Desert that surrounds all the Land of Oz and +separates that favored fairyland from the more common outside world. The +Winkies who live in this west section have many tin mines, from which metal +they make a great deal of rich jewelry and other articles, all of which are +highly esteemed in the Land of Oz because tin is so bright and pretty and there +is not so much of it as there is of gold and silver. +</p> + +<p> +Not all the Winkies are miners, however, for some till the fields and grow +grains for food, and it was at one of these far-west Winkie farms that the +Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook first arrived after they had descended from +the mountain of the Yips. “Goodness me!” cried Nellary the Winkie wife when she +saw the strange couple approaching her house. “I have seen many queer creatures +in the Land of Oz, but none more queer than this giant frog who dresses like a +man and walks on his hind legs. Come here, Wiljon,” she called to her husband, +who was eating his breakfast, “and take a look at this astonishing freak.” +</p> + +<p> +Wiljon the Winkie came to the door and looked out. He was still standing in the +doorway when the Frogman approached and said with a haughty croak, “Tell me, my +good man, have you seen a diamond-studded gold dishpan?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, nor have I seen a copper-plated lobster,” replied Wiljon in an equally +haughty tone. +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman stared at him and said, “Do not be insolent, fellow!” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” added Cayke the Cookie Cook hastily, “you must be very polite to the +great Frogman, for he is the wisest creature in all the world.” +</p> + +<p> +“Who says that?” inquired Wiljon. +</p> + +<p> +“He says so himself,” replied Cayke, and the Frogman nodded and strutted up and +down, twirling his gold-headed cane very gracefully. +</p> + +<p> +“Does the Scarecrow admit that this overgrown frog is the wisest creature in +the world?” asked Wiljon. +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know who the Scarecrow is,” answered Cayke the Cookie Cook. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, he lives at the Emerald City, and he is supposed to have the finest +brains in all Oz. The Wizard gave them to him, you know.” +</p> + +<p> +“Mine grew in my head,” said the Frogman pompously, “so I think they must be +better than any wizard brains. I am so wise that sometimes my wisdom makes my +head ache. I know so much that often I have to forget part of it, since no one +creature, however great, is able to contain so much knowledge.” +</p> + +<p> +“It must be dreadful to be stuffed full of wisdom,” remarked Wiljon +reflectively and eyeing the Frogman with a doubtful look. “It is my good +fortune to know very little.” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope, however, you know where my jeweled dishpan is,” said the Cookie Cook +anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know even that,” returned the Winkie. “We have trouble enough in +keeping track of our own dishpans without meddling with the dishpans of +strangers.” +</p> + +<p> +Finding him so ignorant, the Frogman proposed that they walk on and seek +Cayke’s dishpan elsewhere. Wiljon the Winkie did not seem greatly impressed by +the great Frogman, which seemed to that personage as strange as it was +disappointing. But others in this unknown land might prove more respectful. +</p> + +<p> +“I’d like to meet that Wizard of Oz,” remarked Cayke as they walked along a +path. “If he could give a Scarecrow brains, he might be able to find my +dishpan.” +</p> + +<p> +“Poof!” grunted the Frogman scornfully. “I am greater than any wizard. Depend +on ME. If your dishpan is anywhere in the world, I am sure to find it.” +</p> + +<p> +“If you do not, my heart will be broken,” declared the Cookie Cook in a +sorrowful voice. +</p> + +<p> +For a while the Frogman walked on in silence. Then he asked, “Why do you attach +so much importance to a dishpan?” +</p> + +<p> +“It is the greatest treasure I possess,” replied the woman. “It belonged to my +mother and to all my grandmothers since the beginning of time. It is, I +believe, the very oldest thing in all the Yip Country—or was while it was +there—and,” she added, dropping her voice to an awed whisper, “it has magic +powers!” +</p> + +<p> +“In what way?” inquired the Frogman, seeming to be surprised at this statement. +</p> + +<p> +“Whoever has owned that dishpan has been a good cook, for one thing. No one +else is able to make such good cookies as I have cooked, as you and all the +Yips know. Yet the very morning after my dishpan was stolen, I tried to make a +batch of cookies and they burned up in the oven! I made another batch that +proved too tough to eat, and I was so ashamed of them that I buried them in the +ground. Even the third batch of cookies, which I brought with me in my basket, +were pretty poor stuff and no better than any woman could make who does not own +my diamond-studded gold dishpan. In fact, my good Frogman, Cayke the Cookie +Cook will never be able to cook good cookies again until her magic dishpan is +restored to her.” +</p> + +<p> +“In that case,” said the Frogman with a sigh, “I suppose we must manage to find +it.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap05"></a> +CHAPTER 5<br/> +OZMA’S FRIENDS ARE PERPLEXED</h2> + +<p> +“Really,” said Dorothy, looking solemn, “this is very s’prising. We can’t even +find a shadow of Ozma anywhere in the Em’rald City, and wherever she’s gone, +she’s taken her Magic Picture with her.” She was standing in the courtyard of +the palace with Betsy and Trot, while Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, danced around +the group, her hair flying in the wind. +</p> + +<p> +“P’raps,” said Scraps, still dancing, “someone has stolen Ozma.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, they’d never dare do that!” exclaimed tiny Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“And stolen the Magic Picture, too, so the thing can’t tell where she is,” +added the Patchwork Girl. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s nonsense,” said Dorothy. “Why, ev’ryone loves Ozma. There isn’t a +person in the Land of Oz who would steal a single thing she owns.” +</p> + +<p> +“Huh!” replied the Patchwork Girl. “You don’t know ev’ry person in the Land of +Oz.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why don’t I?” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s a big country,” said Scraps. “There are cracks and corners in it that +even Ozma doesn’t know of.” +</p> + +<p> +“The Patchwork Girl’s just daffy,” declared Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“No, she’s right about that,” replied Dorothy thoughtfully. “There are lots of +queer people in this fairyland who never come near Ozma or the Em’rald City. +I’ve seen some of ’em myself, girls. But I haven’t seen all, of course, and +there MIGHT be some wicked persons left in Oz yet, though I think the wicked +witches have all been destroyed.” +</p> + +<p> +Just then the Wooden Sawhorse dashed into the courtyard with the Wizard of Oz +on his back. “Have you found Ozma?” cried the Wizard when the Sawhorse stopped +beside them. +</p> + +<p> +“Not yet,” said Dorothy. “Doesn’t Glinda the Good know where she is?” +</p> + +<p> +“No. Glinda’s Book of Records and all her magic instruments are gone. Someone +must have stolen them.” +</p> + +<p> +“Goodness me!” exclaimed Dorothy in alarm. “This is the biggest steal I ever +heard of. Who do you think did it, Wizard?” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ve no idea,” he answered. “But I have come to get my own bag of magic tools +and carry them to Glinda. She is so much more powerful than I that she may be +able to discover the truth by means of my magic quicker and better than I could +myself.” +</p> + +<p> +“Hurry, then,” said Dorothy, “for we’ve all gotten terr’bly worried.” +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard rushed away to his rooms but presently came back with a long, sad +face. “It’s gone!” he said. +</p> + +<p> +“What’s gone?” asked Scraps. +</p> + +<p> +“My black bag of magic tools. Someone must have stolen it!” +</p> + +<p> +They looked at one another in amazement. +</p> + +<p> +“This thing is getting desperate,” continued the Wizard. “All the magic that +belongs to Ozma or to Glinda or to me has been stolen.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you suppose Ozma could have taken them, herself, for some purpose?” asked +Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“No indeed,” declared the Wizard. “I suspect some enemy has stolen Ozma and for +fear we would follow and recapture her has taken all our magic away from us.” +</p> + +<p> +“How dreadful!” cried Dorothy. “The idea of anyone wanting to injure our dear +Ozma! Can’t we do ANYthing to find her, Wizard?” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll ask Glinda. I must go straight back to her and tell her that my magic +tools have also disappeared. The good Sorceress will be greatly shocked, I +know.” +</p> + +<p> +With this, he jumped upon the back of the Sawhorse again, and the quaint steed, +which never tired, dashed away at full speed. The three girls were very much +disturbed in mind. Even the Patchwork Girl seemed to realize that a great +calamity had overtaken them all. Ozma was a fairy of considerable power, and +all the creatures in Oz as well as the three mortal girls from the outside +world looked upon her as their protector and friend. The idea of their +beautiful girl Ruler’s being overpowered by an enemy and dragged from her +splendid palace a captive was too astonishing for them to comprehend at first. +Yet what other explanation of the mystery could there be? +</p> + +<p> +“Ozma wouldn’t go away willingly, without letting us know about it,” asserted +Dorothy, “and she wouldn’t steal Glinda’s Great Book of Records or the Wizard’s +magic, ’cause she could get them any time just by asking for ’em. I’m sure some +wicked person has done all this.” +</p> + +<p> +“Someone in the Land of Oz?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course. No one could get across the Deadly Desert, you know, and no one but +an Oz person could know about the Magic Picture and the Book of Records and the +Wizard’s magic or where they were kept, and so be able to steal the whole +outfit before we could stop ’em. It MUST be someone who lives in the Land of +Oz.” +</p> + +<p> +“But who—who—who?” asked Scraps. “That’s the question. Who?” +</p> + +<p> +“If we knew,” replied Dorothy severely, “we wouldn’t be standing here doing +nothing.” +</p> + +<p> +Just then two boys entered the courtyard and approached the group of girls. One +boy was dressed in the fantastic Munchkin costume—a blue jacket and +knickerbockers, blue leather shoes and a blue hat with a high peak and tiny +silver bells dangling from its rim—and this was Ojo the Lucky, who had once +come from the Munchkin Country of Oz and now lived in the Emerald City. The +other boy was an American from Philadelphia and had lately found his way to Oz +in the company of Trot and Cap’n Bill. His name was Button-Bright; that is, +everyone called him by that name and knew no other. Button-Bright was not quite +as big as the Munchkin boy, but he wore the same kind of clothes, only they +were of different colors. As the two came up to the girls, arm in arm, +Button-Bright remarked, “Hello, Dorothy. They say Ozma is lost.” +</p> + +<p> +“WHO says so?” she asked. +</p> + +<p> +“Ev’rybody’s talking about it in the City,” he replied. +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder how the people found it out,” Dorothy asked. +</p> + +<p> +“I know,” said Ojo. “Jellia Jamb told them. She has been asking everywhere if +anyone has seen Ozma.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s too bad,” observed Dorothy, frowning. +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” asked Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“There wasn’t any use making all our people unhappy till we were dead certain +that Ozma can’t be found.” +</p> + +<p> +“Pshaw,” said Button-Bright, “it’s nothing to get lost. I’ve been lost lots of +times.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s true,” admitted Trot, who knew that the boy had a habit of getting lost +and then finding himself again, “but it’s diff’rent with Ozma. She’s the Ruler +of all this big fairyland, and we’re ’fraid that the reason she’s lost is +because somebody has stolen her away.” +</p> + +<p> +“Only wicked people steal,” said Ojo. “Do you know of any wicked people in Oz, +Dorothy?” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” she replied. +</p> + +<p> +“They’re here, though,” cried Scraps, dancing up to them and then circling +around the group. “Ozma’s stolen; someone in Oz stole her; only wicked people +steal; so someone in Oz is wicked!” +</p> + +<p> +There was no denying the truth of this statement. The faces of all of them were +now solemn and sorrowful. “One thing is sure,” said Button-Bright after a time, +“if Ozma has been stolen, someone ought to find her and punish the thief.” +</p> + +<p> +“There may be a lot of thieves,” suggested Trot gravely, “and in this fairy +country they don’t seem to have any soldiers or policemen.” +</p> + +<p> +“There is one soldier,” claimed Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“He has green whiskers and a gun and is a Major-General, but no one is afraid +of either his gun or his whiskers, ’cause he’s so tender-hearted that he +wouldn’t hurt a fly.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, a soldier is a soldier,” said Betsy, “and perhaps he’d hurt a wicked +thief if he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Where is he?” +</p> + +<p> +“He went fishing about two months ago and hasn’t come back yet,” explained +Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“Then I can’t see that he will be of much use to us in this trouble,” sighed +little Trot. “But p’raps Ozma, who is a fairy, can get away from the thieves +without any help from anyone.” +</p> + +<p> +“She MIGHT be able to,” answered Dorothy reflectively, “but if she had the +power to do that, it isn’t likely she’d have let herself be stolen. So the +thieves must have been even more powerful in magic than our Ozma.” +</p> + +<p> +There was no denying this argument, and although they talked the matter over +all the rest of that day, they were unable to decide how Ozma had been stolen +against her will or who had committed the dreadful deed. Toward evening the +Wizard came back, riding slowly upon the Sawhorse because he felt discouraged +and perplexed. Glinda came later in her aerial chariot drawn by twenty +milk-white swans, and she also seemed worried and unhappy. More of Ozma’s +friends joined them, and that evening they all had a big talk together. “I +think,” said Dorothy, “we ought to start out right away in search of our dear +Ozma. It seems cruel for us to live comf’tably in her palace while she is a +pris’ner in the power of some wicked enemy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” agreed Glinda the Sorceress, “someone ought to search for her. I cannot +go myself, because I must work hard in order to create some new instruments of +sorcery by means of which I may rescue our fair Ruler. But if you can find her +in the meantime and let me know who has stolen her, it will enable me to rescue +her much more quickly.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then we’ll start tomorrow morning,” decided Dorothy. “Betsy and Trot and I +won’t waste another minute.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not sure you girls will make good detectives,” remarked the Wizard, “but +I’ll go with you to protect you from harm and to give you my advice. All my +wizardry, alas, is stolen, so I am now really no more a wizard than any of you, +but I will try to protect you from any enemies you may meet.” +</p> + +<p> +“What harm could happen to us in Oz?” inquired Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“What harm happened to Ozma?” returned the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“If there is an Evil Power abroad in our fairyland, which is able to steal not +only Ozma and her Magic Picture, but Glinda’s Book of Records and all her +magic, and my black bag containing all my tricks of wizardry, then that Evil +Power may yet cause us considerable injury. Ozma is a fairy, and so is Glinda, +so no power can kill or destroy them, but you girls are all mortals and so are +Button-Bright and I, so we must watch out for ourselves.” +</p> + +<p> +“Nothing can kill me,” said Ojo the Munchkin boy. +</p> + +<p> +“That is true,” replied the Sorceress, “and I think it may be well to divide +the searchers into several parties, that they may cover all the land of Oz more +quickly. So I will send Ojo and Unc Nunkie and Dr. Pipt into the Munchkin +Country, which they are well acquainted with; and I will send the Scarecrow and +the Tin Woodman into the Quadling Country, for they are fearless and brave and +never tire; and to the Gillikin Country, where many dangers lurk, I will send +the Shaggy Man and his brother, with Tik-Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead. Dorothy may +make up her own party and travel into the Winkie Country. All of you must +inquire everywhere for Ozma and try to discover where she is hidden.” +</p> + +<p> +They thought this a very wise plan and adopted it without question. In Ozma’s +absence, Glinda the Good was the most important person in Oz, and all were glad +to serve under her direction. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap06"></a> +CHAPTER 6<br/> +THE SEARCH PARTY</h2> + +<p> +Next morning as soon as the sun was up, Glinda flew back to her castle, +stopping on the way to instruct the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, who were at +that time staying at the college of Professor H. M. Wogglebug, T.E., and taking +a course of his Patent Educational Pills. +</p> + +<p> +On hearing of Ozma’s loss, they started at once for the Quadling Country to +search for her. As soon as Glinda had left the Emerald City, Tik-Tok and the +Shaggy Man and Jack Pumpkinhead, who had been present at the conference, began +their journey into the Gillikin Country, and an hour later Ojo and Unc Nunkie +joined Dr. Pipt and together they traveled toward the Munchkin Country. When +all these searchers were gone, Dorothy and the Wizard completed their own +preparations. +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard hitched the Sawhorse to the Red Wagon, which would seat four very +comfortably. He wanted Dorothy, Betsy, Trot and the Patchwork Girl to ride in +the wagon, but Scraps came up to them mounted upon the Woozy, and the Woozy +said he would like to join the party. Now this Woozy was a most peculiar +animal, having a square head, square body, square legs and square tail. His +skin was very tough and hard, resembling leather, and while his movements were +somewhat clumsy, the beast could travel with remarkable swiftness. His square +eyes were mild and gentle in expression, and he was not especially foolish. The +Woozy and the Patchwork Girl were great friends, and so the Wizard agreed to +let the Woozy go with them. +</p> + +<p> +Another great beast now appeared and asked to go along. This was none other +than the famous Cowardly Lion, one of the most interesting creatures in all Oz. +No lion that roamed the jungles or plains could compare in size or intelligence +with this Cowardly Lion, who—like all animals living in Oz—could talk and who +talked with more shrewdness and wisdom than many of the people did. He said he +was cowardly because he always trembled when he faced danger, but he had faced +danger many times and never refused to fight when it was necessary. This Lion +was a great favorite with Ozma and always guarded her throne on state +occasions. He was also an old companion and friend of the Princess Dorothy, so +the girl was delighted to have him join the party. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m so nervous over our dear Ozma,” said the Cowardly Lion in his deep, +rumbling voice, “that it would make me unhappy to remain behind while you are +trying to find her. But do not get into any danger, I beg of you, for danger +frightens me terribly.” +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll not get into danger if we can poss’bly help it,” promised Dorothy, “but +we shall do anything to find Ozma, danger or no danger.” +</p> + +<p> +The addition of the Woozy and the Cowardly Lion to the party gave Betsy Bobbin +an idea, and she ran to the marble stables at the rear of the palace and +brought out her mule, Hank by name. Perhaps no mule you ever saw was so lean +and bony and altogether plain looking as this Hank, but Betsy loved him dearly +because he was faithful and steady and not nearly so stupid as most mules are +considered to be. Betsy had a saddle for Hank, and he declared she would ride +on his back, an arrangement approved by the Wizard because it left only four of +the party to ride on the seats of the Red Wagon—Dorothy and Button-Bright and +Trot and himself. +</p> + +<p> +An old sailor man who had one wooden leg came to see them off and suggested +that they put a supply of food and blankets in the Red Wagon inasmuch as they +were uncertain how long they would be gone. This sailor man was called Cap’n +Bill. He was a former friend and comrade of Trot and had encountered many +adventures in company with the little girl. I think he was sorry he could not +go with her on this trip, but Glinda the Sorceress had asked Cap’n Bill to +remain in the Emerald City and take charge of the royal palace while everyone +else was away, and the one-legged sailor had agreed to do so. +</p> + +<p> +They loaded the back end of the Red Wagon with everything they thought they +might need, and then they formed a procession and marched from the palace +through the Emerald City to the great gates of the wall that surrounded this +beautiful capital of the Land of Oz. Crowds of citizens lined the streets to +see them pass and to cheer them and wish them success, for all were grieved +over Ozma’s loss and anxious that she be found again. First came the Cowardly +Lion, then the Patchwork Girl riding upon the Woozy, then Betsy Bobbin on her +mule Hank, and finally the Sawhorse drawing the Red Wagon, in which were seated +the Wizard and Dorothy and Button-Bright and Trot. No one was obliged to drive +the Sawhorse, so there were no reins to his harness; one had only to tell him +which way to go, fast or slow, and he understood perfectly. +</p> + +<p> +It was about this time that a shaggy little black dog who had been lying asleep +in Dorothy’s room in the palace woke up and discovered he was lonesome. +Everything seemed very still throughout the great building, and Toto—that was +the little dog’s name—missed the customary chatter of the three girls. He never +paid much attention to what was going on around him, and although he could +speak, he seldom said anything, so the little dog did not know about Ozma’s +loss or that everyone had gone in search of her. But he liked to be with +people, and especially with his own mistress, Dorothy, and having yawned and +stretched himself and found the door of the room ajar, he trotted out into the +corridor and went down the stately marble stairs to the hall of the palace, +where he met Jellia Jamb. +</p> + +<p> +“Where’s Dorothy?” asked Toto. +</p> + +<p> +“She’s gone to the Winkie Country,” answered the maid. +</p> + +<p> +“When?” +</p> + +<p> +“A little while ago,” replied Jellia. +</p> + +<p> +Toto turned and trotted out into the palace garden and down the long driveway +until he came to the streets of the Emerald City. Here he paused to listen, and +hearing sounds of cheering, he ran swiftly along until he came in sight of the +Red Wagon and the Woozy and the Lion and the Mule and all the others. Being a +wise little dog, he decided not to show himself to Dorothy just then, lest he +be sent back home, but he never lost sight of the party of travelers, all of +whom were so eager to get ahead that they never thought to look behind them. +When they came to the gates in the city wall, the Guardian of the Gates came +out to throw wide the golden portals and let them pass through. +</p> + +<p> +“Did any strange person come in or out of the city on the night before last +when Ozma was stolen?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“No indeed, Princess,” answered the Guardian of the Gates. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course not,” said the Wizard. “Anyone clever enough to steal all the things +we have lost would not mind the barrier of a wall like this in the least. I +think the thief must have flown through the air, for otherwise he could not +have stolen from Ozma’s royal palace and Glinda’s faraway castle in the same +night. Moreover, as there are no airships in Oz and no way for airships from +the outside world to get into this country, I believe the thief must have flown +from place to place by means of magic arts which neither Glinda nor I +understand.” +</p> + +<p> +On they went, and before the gates closed behind them, Toto managed to dodge +through them. The country surrounding the Emerald City was thickly settled, and +for a while our friends rode over nicely paved roads which wound through a +fertile country dotted with beautiful houses, all built in the quaint Oz +fashion. In the course of a few hours, however, they had left the tilled fields +and entered the Country of the Winkies, which occupies a quarter of all the +territory in the Land of Oz but is not so well known as many other parts of +Ozma’s fairyland. Long before night the travelers had crossed the Winkie River +near to the Scarecrow’s Tower (which was now vacant) and had entered the +Rolling Prairie where few people live. They asked everyone they met for news of +Ozma, but none in this district had seen her or even knew that she had been +stolen. And by nightfall they had passed all the farmhouses and were obliged to +stop and ask for shelter at the hut of a lonely shepherd. When they halted, +Toto was not far behind. The little dog halted, too, and stealing softly around +the party, he hid himself behind the hut. +</p> + +<p> +The shepherd was a kindly old man and treated the travelers with much courtesy. +He slept out of doors that night, giving up his hut to the three girls, who +made their beds on the floor with the blankets they had brought in the Red +Wagon. The Wizard and Button-Bright also slept out of doors, and so did the +Cowardly Lion and Hank the Mule. But Scraps and the Sawhorse did not sleep at +all, and the Woozy could stay awake for a month at a time if he wished to, so +these three sat in a little group by themselves and talked together all through +the night. +</p> + +<p> +In the darkness, the Cowardly Lion felt a shaggy little form nestling beside +his own, and he said sleepily, “Where did you come from, Toto?” +</p> + +<p> +“From home,” said the dog. “If you roll over, roll the other way so you won’t +smash me.” +</p> + +<p> +“Does Dorothy know you are here?” asked the Lion. +</p> + +<p> +“I believe not,” admitted Toto, and he added a little anxiously, “Do you think, +friend Lion, we are now far enough from the Emerald City for me to risk showing +myself, or will Dorothy send me back because I wasn’t invited?” +</p> + +<p> +“Only Dorothy can answer that question,” said the Lion. “For my part, Toto, I +consider this affair none of my business, so you must act as you think best.” +Then the huge beast went to sleep again, and Toto snuggled closer to the warm, +hairy body and also slept. He was a wise little dog in his way, and didn’t +intend to worry when there was something much better to do. +</p> + +<p> +In the morning the Wizard built a fire, over which the girls cooked a very good +breakfast. Suddenly Dorothy discovered Toto sitting quietly before the fire, +and the little girl exclaimed, “Goodness me, Toto! Where did YOU come from?” +</p> + +<p> +“From the place you cruelly left me,” replied the dog in a reproachful tone. +</p> + +<p> +“I forgot all about you,” admitted Dorothy, “and if I hadn’t, I’d prob’ly left +you with Jellia Jamb, seeing this isn’t a pleasure trip but stric’ly business. +But now that you’re here, Toto, I s’pose you’ll have to stay with us, unless +you’d rather go back again. We may get ourselves into trouble before we’re +done, Toto.” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind that,” said Toto, wagging his tail. “I’m hungry, Dorothy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Breakfas’ll soon be ready, and then you shall have your share,” promised his +little mistress, who was really glad to have her dog with her. She and Toto had +traveled together before, and she knew he was a good and faithful comrade. +</p> + +<p> +When the food was cooked and served, the girls invited the old shepherd to join +them in the morning meal. He willingly consented, and while they ate he said to +them, “You are now about to pass through a very dangerous country, unless you +turn to the north or to the south to escape its perils.” +</p> + +<p> +“In that case,” said the Cowardly Lion, “let us turn, by all means, for I dread +to face dangers of any sort.” +</p> + +<p> +“What’s the matter with the country ahead of us?” inquired Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Beyond this Rolling Prairie,” explained the shepherd, “are the Merry-Go-Round +Mountains, set close together and surrounded by deep gulfs so that no one is +able to get past them. Beyond the Merry-Go-Round Mountains it is said the +Thistle-Eaters and the Herkus live.” +</p> + +<p> +“What are they like?” demanded Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“No one knows, for no one has ever passed the Merry-Go-Round Mountains,” was +the reply, “but it is said that the Thistle-Eaters hitch dragons to their +chariots and that the Herkus are waited upon by giants whom they have conquered +and made their slaves.” +</p> + +<p> +“Who says all that?” asked Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“It is common report,” declared the shepherd. “Everyone believes it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t see how they know,” remarked little Trot, “if no one has been there.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps the birds who fly over that country brought the news,” suggested +Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“If you escaped those dangers,” continued the shepherd, “you might encounter +others still more serious before you came to the next branch of the Winkie +River. It is true that beyond that river there lies a fine country inhabited by +good people, and if you reached there, you would have no further trouble. It is +between here and the west branch of the Winkie River that all dangers lie, for +that is the unknown territory that is inhabited by terrible, lawless people.” +</p> + +<p> +“It may be, and it may not be,” said the Wizard. “We shall know when we get +there.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” persisted the shepherd, “in a fairy country such as ours, every +undiscovered place is likely to harbor wicked creatures. If they were not +wicked, they would discover themselves and by coming among us submit to Ozma’s +rule and be good and considerate, as are all the Oz people whom we know.” +</p> + +<p> +“That argument,” stated the little Wizard, “convinces me that it is our duty to +go straight to those unknown places, however dangerous they may be, for it is +surely some cruel and wicked person who has stolen our Ozma, and we know it +would be folly to search among good people for the culprit. Ozma may not be +hidden in the secret places of the Winkie Country, it is true, but it is our +duty to travel to every spot, however dangerous, where our beloved Ruler is +likely to be imprisoned.” +</p> + +<p> +“You’re right about that,” said Button-Bright approvingly. “Dangers don’t hurt +us. Only things that happen ever hurt anyone, and a danger is a thing that +might happen and might not happen, and sometimes don’t amount to shucks. I vote +we go ahead and take our chances.” +</p> + +<p> +They were all of the same opinion, so they packed up and said goodbye to the +friendly shepherd and proceeded on their way. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap07"></a> +CHAPTER 7<br/> +THE MERRY-GO-ROUND MOUNTAINS</h2> + +<p> +The Rolling Prairie was not difficult to travel over, although it was all +uphill and downhill, so for a while they made good progress. Not even a +shepherd was to be met with now, and the farther they advanced the more dreary +the landscape became. At noon they stopped for a “picnic luncheon,” as Betsy +called it, and then they again resumed their journey. All the animals were +swift and tireless, and even the Cowardly Lion and the Mule found they could +keep up with the pace of the Woozy and the Sawhorse. +</p> + +<p> +It was the middle of the afternoon when first they came in sight of a cluster +of low mountains. These were cone-shaped, rising from broad bases to sharp +peaks at the tops. From a distance the mountains appeared indistinct and seemed +rather small—more like hills than mountains—but as the travelers drew nearer, +they noted a most unusual circumstance: the hills were all whirling around, +some in one direction and some the opposite way. +</p> + +<p> +“I guess these are the Merry-Go-Round Mountains, all right,” said Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“They must be,” said the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“They go ’round, sure enough,” agreed Trot, “but they don’t seem very merry.” +</p> + +<p> +There were several rows of these mountains, extending both to the right and to +the left for miles and miles. How many rows there might be none could tell, but +between the first row of peaks could be seen other peaks, all steadily whirling +around one way or another. Continuing to ride nearer, our friends watched these +hills attentively, until at last, coming close up, they discovered there was a +deep but narrow gulf around the edge of each mountain, and that the mountains +were set so close together that the outer gulf was continuous and barred +farther advance. At the edge of the gulf they all dismounted and peered over +into its depths. There was no telling where the bottom was, if indeed there was +any bottom at all. From where they stood it seemed as if the mountains had been +set in one great hole in the ground, just close enough together so they would +not touch, and that each mountain was supported by a rocky column beneath its +base which extended far down in the black pit below. From the land side it +seemed impossible to get across the gulf or, succeeding in that, to gain a +foothold on any of the whirling mountains. +</p> + +<p> +“This ditch is too wide to jump across,” remarked Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“P’raps the Lion could do it,” suggested Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“What, jump from here to that whirling hill?” cried the Lion indignantly. “I +should say not! Even if I landed there and could hold on, what good would it +do? There’s another spinning mountain beyond it, and perhaps still another +beyond that. I don’t believe any living creature could jump from one mountain +to another when both are whirling like tops and in different directions.” +</p> + +<p> +“I propose we turn back,” said the Wooden Sawhorse with a yawn of his +chopped-out mouth as he stared with his knot eyes at the Merry-Go-Round +Mountains. +</p> + +<p> +“I agree with you,” said the Woozy, wagging his square head. +</p> + +<p> +“We should have taken the shepherd’s advice,” added Hank the Mule. +</p> + +<p> +The others of the party, however they might be puzzled by the serious problem +that confronted them, would not allow themselves to despair. “If we once get +over these mountains,” said Button-Bright, “we could probably get along all +right.” +</p> + +<p> +“True enough,” agreed Dorothy. “So we must find some way, of course, to get +past these whirligig hills. But how?” +</p> + +<p> +“I wish the Ork was with us,” sighed Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“But the Ork isn’t here,” said the Wizard, “and we must depend upon ourselves +to conquer this difficulty. Unfortunately, all my magic has been stolen, +otherwise I am sure I could easily get over the mountains.” +</p> + +<p> +“Unfortunately,” observed the Woozy, “none of us has wings. And we’re in a +magic country without any magic.” +</p> + +<p> +“What is that around your waist, Dorothy?” asked the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“That? Oh, that’s just the Magic Belt I once captured from the Nome King,” she +replied. +</p> + +<p> +“A Magic Belt! Why, that’s fine. I’m sure a Magic Belt would take you over +these hills.” +</p> + +<p> +“It might if I knew how to work it,” said the little girl. “Ozma knows a lot of +its magic, but I’ve never found out about it. All I know is that while I am +wearing it, nothing can hurt me.” +</p> + +<p> +“Try wishing yourself across and see if it will obey you,” suggested the +Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“But what good would that do?” asked Dorothy. “If I got across, it wouldn’t +help the rest of you, and I couldn’t go alone among all those giants and +dragons while you stayed here.” +</p> + +<p> +“True enough,” agreed the Wizard sadly. And then, after looking around the +group, he inquired, “What is that on your finger, Trot?” +</p> + +<p> +“A ring. The Mermaids gave it to me,” she explained, “and if ever I’m in +trouble when I’m on the water, I can call the Mermaids and they’ll come and +help me. But the Mermaids can’t help me on the land, you know, ’cause they +swim, and—and—they haven’t any legs.” +</p> + +<p> +“True enough,” repeated the Wizard, more sadly. +</p> + +<p> +There was a big, broad, spreading tree near the edge of the gulf, and as the +sun was hot above them, they all gathered under the shade of the tree to study +the problem of what to do next. “If we had a long rope,” said Betsy, “we could +fasten it to this tree and let the other end of it down into the gulf and all +slide down it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, what then?” asked the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Then, if we could manage to throw the rope up the other side,” explained the +girl, “we could all climb it and be on the other side of the gulf.” +</p> + +<p> +“There are too many ‘if’s’ in that suggestion,” remarked the little Wizard. +“And you must remember that the other side is nothing but spinning mountains, +so we couldn’t possibly fasten a rope to them, even if we had one.” +</p> + +<p> +“That rope idea isn’t half bad, though,” said the Patchwork Girl, who had been +dancing dangerously near to the edge of the gulf. +</p> + +<p> +“What do you mean?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +The Patchwork Girl suddenly stood still and cast her button eyes around the +group. “Ha, I have it!” she exclaimed. “Unharness the Sawhorse, somebody. My +fingers are too clumsy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Shall we?” asked Button-Bright doubtfully, turning to the others. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, Scraps has a lot of brains, even if she IS stuffed with cotton,” +asserted the Wizard. “If her brains can help us out of this trouble, we ought +to use them.” +</p> + +<p> +So he began unharnessing the Sawhorse, and Button-Bright and Dorothy helped +him. When they had removed the harness, the Patchwork Girl told them to take it +all apart and buckle the straps together, end to end. And after they had done +this, they found they had one very long strap that was stronger than any rope. +“It would reach across the gulf easily,” said the Lion, who with the other +animals had sat on his haunches and watched this proceeding. “But I don’t see +how it could be fastened to one of those dizzy mountains.” +</p> + +<p> +Scraps had no such notion as that in her baggy head. She told them to fasten +one end of the strap to a stout limb of the tree, pointing to one which +extended quite to the edge of the gulf. Button-Bright did that, climbing the +tree and then crawling out upon the limb until he was nearly over the gulf. +There he managed to fasten the strap, which reached to the ground below, and +then he slid down it and was caught by the Wizard, who feared he might fall +into the chasm. Scraps was delighted. She seized the lower end of the strap, +and telling them all to get out of her way, she went back as far as the strap +would reach and then made a sudden run toward the gulf. Over the edge she +swung, clinging to the strap until it had gone as far as its length permitted, +when she let go and sailed gracefully through the air until she alighted upon +the mountain just in front of them. +</p> + +<p> +Almost instantly, as the great cone continued to whirl, she was sent flying +against the next mountain in the rear, and that one had only turned halfway +around when Scraps was sent flying to the next mountain behind it. Then her +patchwork form disappeared from view entirely, and the amazed watchers under +the tree wondered what had become of her. “She’s gone, and she can’t get back,” +said the Woozy. +</p> + +<p> +“My, how she bounded from one mountain to another!” exclaimed the Lion. +</p> + +<p> +“That was because they whirl so fast,” the Wizard explained. “Scraps had +nothing to hold on to, and so of course she was tossed from one hill to +another. I’m afraid we shall never see the poor Patchwork Girl again.” +</p> + +<p> +“I shall see her,” declared the Woozy. “Scraps is an old friend of mine, and if +there are really Thistle-Eaters and Giants on the other side of those tops, she +will need someone to protect her. So here I go!” He seized the dangling strap +firmly in his square mouth, and in the same way that Scraps had done swung +himself over the gulf. He let go the strap at the right moment and fell upon +the first whirling mountain. Then he bounded to the next one back of it—not on +his feet, but “all mixed up,” as Trot said—and then he shot across to another +mountain, disappearing from view just as the Patchwork Girl had done. +</p> + +<p> +“It seems to work, all right,” remarked Button-Bright. “I guess I’ll try it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Wait a minute,” urged the Wizard. “Before any more of us make this desperate +leap into the beyond, we must decide whether all will go or if some of us will +remain behind.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you s’pose it hurt them much to bump against those mountains?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t s’pose anything could hurt Scraps or the Woozy,” said Dorothy, “and +nothing can hurt ME, because I wear the Magic Belt. So as I’m anxious to find +Ozma, I mean to swing myself across too.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll take my chances,” decided Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sure it will hurt dreadfully, and I’m afraid to do it,” said the Lion, who +was already trembling, “but I shall do it if Dorothy does.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, that will leave Betsy and the Mule and Trot,” said the Wizard, “for of +course I shall go that I may look after Dorothy. Do you two girls think you can +find your way back home again?” he asked, addressing Trot and Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not afraid. Not much, that is,” said Trot. “It looks risky, I know, but +I’m sure I can stand it if the others can.” +</p> + +<p> +“If it wasn’t for leaving Hank,” began Betsy in a hesitating voice. +</p> + +<p> +But the Mule interrupted her by saying, “Go ahead if you want to, and I’ll come +after you. A mule is as brave as a lion any day.” +</p> + +<p> +“Braver,” said the Lion, “for I’m a coward, friend Hank, and you are not. But +of course the Sawhorse—” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, nothing ever hurts ME,” asserted the Sawhorse calmly. “There’s never been +any question about my going. I can’t take the Red Wagon, though.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, we must leave the wagon,” said the wizard, “and also we must leave our +food and blankets, I fear. But if we can defy these Merry-Go-Round Mountains to +stop us, we won’t mind the sacrifice of some of our comforts.” +</p> + +<p> +“No one knows where we’re going to land!” remarked the Lion in a voice that +sounded as if he were going to cry. +</p> + +<p> +“We may not land at all,” replied Hank, “but the best way to find out what will +happen to us is to swing across as Scraps and the Woozy have done.” +</p> + +<p> +“I think I shall go last,” said the Wizard, “so who wants to go first?” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll go,” decided Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“No, it’s my turn first,” said Button-Bright. “Watch me!” +</p> + +<p> +Even as he spoke, the boy seized the strap, and after making a run swung +himself across the gulf. Away he went, bumping from hill to hill until he +disappeared. They listened intently, but the boy uttered no cry until he had +been gone some moments, when they heard a faint “Hullo-a!” as if called from a +great distance. The sound gave them courage, however, and Dorothy picked up +Toto and held him fast under one arm while with the other hand she seized the +strap and bravely followed after Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +When she struck the first whirling mountain, she fell upon it quite softly, but +before she had time to think, she flew through the air and lit with a jar on +the side of the next mountain. Again she flew and alighted, and again and still +again, until after five successive bumps she fell sprawling upon a green meadow +and was so dazed and bewildered by her bumpy journey across the Merry-Go-Round +Mountains that she lay quite still for a time to collect her thoughts. Toto had +escaped from her arms just as she fell, and he now sat beside her panting with +excitement. Then Dorothy realized that someone was helping her to her feet, and +here was Button-Bright on one side of her and Scraps on the other, both seeming +to be unhurt. The next object her eyes fell upon was the Woozy, squatting upon +his square back end and looking at her reflectively, while Toto barked joyously +to find his mistress unhurt after her whirlwind trip. +</p> + +<p> +“Good!” said the Woozy. “Here’s another and a dog, both safe and sound. But my +word, Dorothy, you flew some! If you could have seen yourself, you’d have been +absolutely astonished.” +</p> + +<p> +“They say ‘Time flies,’” laughed Button-Bright, “but Time never made a quicker +journey than that.” +</p> + +<p> +Just then, as Dorothy turned around to look at the whirling mountains, she was +in time to see tiny Trot come flying from the nearest hill to fall upon the +soft grass not a yard away from where she stood. Trot was so dizzy she couldn’t +stand at first, but she wasn’t at all hurt, and presently Betsy came flying to +them and would have bumped into the others had they not retreated in time to +avoid her. Then, in quick succession, came the Lion, Hank and the Sawhorse, +bounding from mountain to mountain to fall safely upon the greensward. Only the +Wizard was now left behind, and they waited so long for him that Dorothy began +to be worried. +</p> + +<p> +But suddenly he came flying from the nearest mountain and tumbled heels over +head beside them. Then they saw that he had wound two of their blankets around +his body to keep the bumps from hurting him and had fastened the blankets with +some of the spare straps from the harness of the Sawhorse. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap08"></a> +CHAPTER 8<br/> +THE MYSTERIOUS CITY</h2> + +<p> +There they sat upon the grass, their heads still swimming from their dizzy +flights, and looked at one another in silent bewilderment. But presently, when +assured that no one was injured, they grew more calm and collected, and the +Lion said with a sigh of relief, “Who would have thought those Merry-Go-Round +Mountains were made of rubber?” +</p> + +<p> +“Are they really rubber?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“They must be,” replied the Lion, “for otherwise we would not have bounded so +swiftly from one to another without getting hurt.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is all guesswork,” declared the Wizard, unwinding the blankets from his +body, “for none of us stayed long enough on the mountains to discover what they +are made of. But where are we?” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s guesswork,” said Scraps. “The shepherd said the Thistle-Eaters live +this side of the mountains and are waited on by giants.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh no,” said Dorothy, “it’s the Herkus who have giant slaves, and the +Thistle-Eaters hitch dragons to their chariots.” +</p> + +<p> +“How could they do that?” asked the Woozy. “Dragons have long tails, which +would get in the way of the chariot wheels.” +</p> + +<p> +“And if the Herkus have conquered the giants,” said Trot, “they must be at +least twice the size of giants. P’raps the Herkus are the biggest people in all +the world!” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps they are,” assented the Wizard in a thoughtful tone of voice. “And +perhaps the shepherd didn’t know what he was talking about. Let us travel on +toward the west and discover for ourselves what the people of this country are +like.” +</p> + +<p> +It seemed a pleasant enough country, and it was quite still and peaceful when +they turned their eyes away from the silently whirling mountains. There were +trees here and there and green bushes, while throughout the thick grass were +scattered brilliantly colored flowers. About a mile away was a low hill that +hid from them all the country beyond it, so they realized they could not tell +much about the country until they had crossed the hill. The Red Wagon having +been left behind, it was now necessary to make other arrangements for +traveling. The Lion told Dorothy she could ride upon his back as she had often +done before, and the Woozy said he could easily carry both Trot and the +Patchwork Girl. Betsy still had her mule, Hank, and Button-Bright and the +Wizard could sit together upon the long, thin back of the Sawhorse, but they +took care to soften their seat with a pad of blankets before they started. Thus +mounted, the adventurers started for the hill, which was reached after a brief +journey. +</p> + +<p> +As they mounted the crest and gazed beyond the hill, they discovered not far +away a walled city, from the towers and spires of which gay banners were +flying. It was not a very big city, indeed, but its walls were very high and +thick, and it appeared that the people who lived there must have feared attack +by a powerful enemy, else they would not have surrounded their dwellings with +so strong a barrier. There was no path leading from the mountains to the city, +and this proved that the people seldom or never visited the whirling hills, but +our friends found the grass soft and agreeable to travel over, and with the +city before them they could not well lose their way. When they drew nearer to +the walls, the breeze carried to their ears the sound of music—dim at first, +but growing louder as they advanced. +</p> + +<p> +“That doesn’t seem like a very terr’ble place,” remarked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, it LOOKS all right,” replied Trot from her seat on the Woozy, “but looks +can’t always be trusted.” +</p> + +<p> +“MY looks can,” said Scraps. “I LOOK patchwork, and I AM patchwork, and no one +but a blind owl could ever doubt that I’m the Patchwork Girl.” Saying which, +she turned a somersault off the Woozy and, alighting on her feet, began wildly +dancing about. +</p> + +<p> +“Are owls ever blind?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“Always, in the daytime,” said Button-Bright. “But Scraps can see with her +button eyes both day and night. Isn’t it queer?” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s queer that buttons can see at all,” answered Trot. “But good gracious! +What’s become of the city?” +</p> + +<p> +“I was going to ask that myself,” said Dorothy. “It’s gone!” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s gone!” +</p> + +<p> +The animals came to a sudden halt, for the city had really disappeared, walls +and all, and before them lay the clear, unbroken sweep of the country. “Dear +me!” exclaimed the Wizard. “This is rather disagreeable. It is annoying to +travel almost to a place and then find it is not there.” +</p> + +<p> +“Where can it be, then?” asked Dorothy. “It cert’nly was there a minute ago.” +</p> + +<p> +“I can hear the music yet,” declared Button-Bright, and when they all listened, +the strains of music could plainly be heard. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh! There’s the city over at the left,” called Scraps, and turning their eyes, +they saw the walls and towers and fluttering banners far to the left of them. +</p> + +<p> +“We must have lost our way,” suggested Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Nonsense,” said the Lion. +</p> + +<p> +“I, and all the other animals, have been tramping straight toward the city ever +since we first saw it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then how does it happen—” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind,” interrupted the Wizard, “we are no farther from it than we were +before. It is in a different direction, that’s all, so let us hurry and get +there before it again escapes us.” +</p> + +<p> +So on they went directly toward the city, which seemed only a couple of miles +distant. But when they had traveled less than a mile, it suddenly disappeared +again. Once more they paused, somewhat discouraged, but in a moment the button +eyes of Scraps again discovered the city, only this time it was just behind +them in the direction from which they had come. “Goodness gracious!” cried +Dorothy. “There’s surely something wrong with that city. Do you s’pose it’s on +wheels, Wizard?” +</p> + +<p> +“It may not be a city at all,” he replied, looking toward it with a speculative +glance. +</p> + +<p> +“What COULD it be, then?” +</p> + +<p> +“Just an illusion.” +</p> + +<p> +“What’s that?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“Something you think you see and don’t see.” +</p> + +<p> +“I can’t believe that,” said Button-Bright. “If we only saw it, we might be +mistaken, but if we can see it and hear it, too, it must be there.” +</p> + +<p> +“Where?” asked the Patchwork Girl. +</p> + +<p> +“Somewhere near us,” he insisted. +</p> + +<p> +“We will have to go back, I suppose,” said the Woozy with a sigh. +</p> + +<p> +So back they turned and headed for the walled city until it disappeared again, +only to reappear at the right of them. They were constantly getting nearer to +it, however, so they kept their faces turned toward it as it flitted here and +there to all points of the compass. Presently the Lion, who was leading the +procession, halted abruptly and cried out, “Ouch!” +</p> + +<p> +“What’s the matter?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Ouch—Ouch!” repeated the Lion, and leaped backward so suddenly that Dorothy +nearly tumbled from his back. At the same time Hank the Mule yelled “Ouch!” +</p> + +<p> +“Ouch! Ouch!” repeated the Lion and leaped backward so suddenly that Dorothy +nearly tumbled from his back. At the same time, Hank the Mule yelled “Ouch!” +almost as loudly as the Lion had done, and he also pranced backward a few +paces. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s the thistles,” said Betsy. “They prick their legs.” +</p> + +<p> +Hearing this, all looked down, and sure enough the ground was thick with +thistles, which covered the plain from the point where they stood way up to the +walls of the mysterious city. No pathways through them could be seen at all; +here the soft grass ended and the growth of thistles began. “They’re the +prickliest thistles I ever felt,” grumbled the Lion. “My legs smart yet from +their stings, though I jumped out of them as quickly as I could.” +</p> + +<p> +“Here is a new difficulty,” remarked the Wizard in a grieved tone. “The city +has stopped hopping around, it is true, but how are we to get to it over this +mass of prickers?” +</p> + +<p> +“They can’t hurt ME,” said the thick-skinned Woozy, advancing fearlessly and +trampling among the thistles. +</p> + +<p> +“Nor me,” said the Wooden Sawhorse. +</p> + +<p> +“But the Lion and the Mule cannot stand the prickers,” asserted Dorothy, “and +we can’t leave them behind.” +</p> + +<p> +“Must we all go back?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“Course not!” replied Button-Bright scornfully. “Always when there’s trouble, +there’s a way out of it if you can find it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I wish the Scarecrow was here,” said Scraps, standing on her head on the +Woozy’s square back. “His splendid brains would soon show us how to conquer +this field of thistles.” +</p> + +<p> +“What’s the matter with YOUR brains?” asked the boy. +</p> + +<p> +“Nothing,” she said, making a flip-flop into the thistles and dancing among +them without feeling their sharp points. “I could tell you in half a minute how +to get over the thistles if I wanted to.” +</p> + +<p> +“Tell us, Scraps!” begged Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t want to wear my brains out with overwork,” replied the Patchwork Girl. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you love Ozma? And don’t you want to find her?” asked Betsy +reproachfully. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes indeed,” said Scraps, walking on her hands as an acrobat does at the +circus. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, we can’t find Ozma unless we get past these thistles,” declared Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +Scraps danced around them two or three times without reply. Then she said, +“Don’t look at me, you stupid folks. Look at those blankets.” +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard’s face brightened at once. +</p> + +<p> +“Why didn’t we think of those blankets before?” +</p> + +<p> +“Because you haven’t magic brains,” laughed Scraps. “Such brains as you have +are of the common sort that grow in your heads, like weeds in a garden. I’m +sorry for you people who have to be born in order to be alive.” +</p> + +<p> +But the Wizard was not listening to her. He quickly removed the blankets from +the back of the Sawhorse and spread one of them upon the thistles, just next +the grass. The thick cloth rendered the prickers harmless, so the Wizard walked +over this first blanket and spread the second one farther on, in the direction +of the phantom city. “These blankets,” said he, “are for the Lion and the Mule +to walk upon. The Sawhorse and the Woozy can walk on the thistles.” +</p> + +<p> +So the Lion and the Mule walked over the first blanket and stood upon the +second one until the Wizard had picked up the one they had passed over and +spread it in front of them, when they advanced to that one and waited while the +one behind them was again spread in front. “This is slow work,” said the +Wizard, “but it will get us to the city after a while.” +</p> + +<p> +“The city is a good half mile away yet,” announced Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“And this is awful hard work for the Wizard,” added Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“Why couldn’t the Lion ride on the Woozy’s back?” asked Dorothy. “It’s a big, +flat back, and the Woozy’s mighty strong. Perhaps the Lion wouldn’t fall off.” +</p> + +<p> +“You may try it if you like,” said the Woozy to the Lion. “I can take you to +the city in a jiffy and then come back for Hank.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m—I’m afraid,” said the Cowardly Lion. He was twice as big as the Woozy. +</p> + +<p> +“Try it,” pleaded Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“And take a tumble among the thistles?” asked the Lion reproachfully. +</p> + +<p> +But when the Woozy came close to him, the big beast suddenly bounded upon its +back and managed to balance himself there, although forced to hold his four +legs so close together that he was in danger of toppling over. The great weight +of the monster Lion did not seem to affect the Woozy, who called to his rider, +“Hold on tight!” and ran swiftly over the thistles toward the city. +</p> + +<p> +The others stood on the blanket and watched the strange sight anxiously. Of +course, the Lion couldn’t “hold on tight” because there was nothing to hold to, +and he swayed from side to side as if likely to fall off any moment. Still, he +managed to stick to the Woozy’s back until they were close to the walls of the +city, when he leaped to the ground. Next moment the Woozy came dashing back at +full speed. +</p> + +<p> +“There’s a little strip of ground next the wall where there are no thistles,” +he told them when he had reached the adventurers once more. “Now then, friend +Hank, see if you can ride as well as the Lion did.” +</p> + +<p> +“Take the others first,” proposed the Mule. So the Sawhorse and the Woozy made +a couple of trips over the thistles to the city walls and carried all the +people in safety, Dorothy holding little Toto in her arms. The travelers then +sat in a group on a little hillock just outside the wall and looked at the +great blocks of gray stone and waited for the Woozy to bring Hank to them. The +Mule was very awkward, and his legs trembled so badly that more than once they +thought he would tumble off, but finally he reached them in safety, and the +entire party was now reunited. More than that, they had reached the city that +had eluded them for so long and in so strange a manner. +</p> + +<p> +“The gates must be around the other side,” said the Wizard. “Let us follow the +curve of the wall until we reach an opening in it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Which way?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“We must guess that,” he replied. “Suppose we go to the left. One direction is +as good as another.” They formed in marching order and went around the city +wall to the left. It wasn’t a big city, as I have said, but to go way around it +outside the high wall was quite a walk, as they became aware. But around it our +adventurers went without finding any sign of a gateway or other opening. When +they had returned to the little mound from which they had started, they +dismounted from the animals and again seated themselves on the grassy mound. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s mighty queer, isn’t it?” asked Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“There must be SOME way for the people to get out and in,” declared Dorothy. +“Do you s’pose they have flying machines, Wizard?” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” he replied, “for in that case they would be flying all over the Land of +Oz, and we know they have not done that. Flying machines are unknown here. I +think it more likely that the people use ladders to get over the walls.” +</p> + +<p> +“It would be an awful climb over that high stone wall,” said Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“Stone, is it?” Scraps, who was again dancing wildly around, for she never +tired and could never keep still for long. +</p> + +<p> +“Course it’s stone,” answered Betsy scornfully. “Can’t you see?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Scraps, going closer. “I can SEE the wall, but I can’t FEEL it.” +And then, with her arms outstretched, she did a very queer thing. She walked +right into the wall and disappeared. +</p> + +<p> +“For goodness sake!” Dorothy, amazed, as indeed they all were. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap09"></a> +CHAPTER 9<br/> +THE HIGH COCO-LORUM OF THI</h2> + +<p> +And now the Patchwork Girl came dancing out of the wall again. +</p> + +<p> +“Come on!” she called. “It isn’t there. There isn’t any wall at all.” +</p> + +<p> +“What? No wall?” exclaimed the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Nothing like it,” said Scraps. “It’s a make-believe. You see it, but it isn’t. +Come on into the city; we’ve been wasting our time.” +</p> + +<p> +With this, she danced into the wall again and once more disappeared. +Button-Bright, who was rather venture-some, dashed away after her and also +became invisible to them. The others followed more cautiously, stretching out +their hands to feel the wall and finding, to their astonishment, that they +could feel nothing because nothing opposed them. They walked on a few steps and +found themselves in the streets of a very beautiful city. Behind them they +again saw the wall, grim and forbidding as ever, but now they knew it was +merely an illusion prepared to keep strangers from entering the city. +</p> + +<p> +But the wall was soon forgotten, for in front of them were a number of quaint +people who stared at them in amazement as if wondering where they had come +from. Our friends forgot their good manners for a time and returned the stares +with interest, for so remarkable a people had never before been discovered in +all the remarkable Land of Oz. +</p> + +<p> +Their heads were shaped like diamonds, and their bodies like hearts. All the +hair they had was a little bunch at the tip top of their diamond-shaped heads, +and their eyes were very large and round, and their noses and mouths very +small. Their clothing was tight fitting and of brilliant colors, being +handsomely embroidered in quaint designs with gold or silver threads; but on +their feet they wore sandals with no stockings whatever. The expression of +their faces was pleasant enough, although they now showed surprise at the +appearance of strangers so unlike themselves, and our friends thought they +seemed quite harmless. +</p> + +<p> +“I beg your pardon,” said the Wizard, speaking for his party, “for intruding +upon you uninvited, but we are traveling on important business and find it +necessary to visit your city. Will you kindly tell us by what name your city is +called?” +</p> + +<p> +They looked at one another uncertainly, each expecting some other to answer. +Finally, a short one whose heart-shaped body was very broad replied, “We have +no occasion to call our city anything. It is where we live, that is all.” +</p> + +<p> +“But by what name do others call your city?” asked the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“We know of no others except yourselves,” said the man. And then he inquired, +“Were you born with those queer forms you have, or has some cruel magician +transformed you to them from your natural shapes?” +</p> + +<p> +“These are our natural shapes,” declared the Wizard, “and we consider them very +good shapes, too.” +</p> + +<p> +The group of inhabitants was constantly being enlarged by others who joined it. +All were evidently startled and uneasy at the arrival of strangers. +</p> + +<p> +“Have you a King?” asked Dorothy, who knew it was better to speak with someone +in authority. +</p> + +<p> +But the man shook his diamond-like head. “What is a King?” he asked. +</p> + +<p> +“Isn’t there anyone who rules over you?” inquired the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” was the reply, “each of us rules himself, or at least tries to do so. It +is not an easy thing to do, as you probably know.” +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard reflected. +</p> + +<p> +“If you have disputes among you,” said he after a little thought, “who settles +them?” +</p> + +<p> +“The High Coco-Lorum,” they answered in a chorus. +</p> + +<p> +“And who is he?” +</p> + +<p> +“The judge who enforces the laws,” said the man who had first spoken. +</p> + +<p> +“Then he is the principal person here?” continued the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I would not say that,” returned the man in a puzzled way. “The High +Coco-Lorum is a public servant. However, he represents the laws, which we must +all obey.” +</p> + +<p> +“I think,” said the Wizard, “we ought to see your High Coco-Lorum and talk with +him. Our mission here requires us to consult one high in authority, and the +High Coco-Lorum ought to be high, whatever else he is.” +</p> + +<p> +The inhabitants seemed to consider this proposition reasonable, for they nodded +their diamond-shaped heads in approval. So the broad one who had been their +spokesman said, “Follow me,” and turning led the way along one of the streets. +The entire party followed him, the natives falling in behind. The dwellings +they passed were quite nicely planned and seemed comfortable and convenient. +After leading them a few blocks, their conductor stopped before a house which +was neither better nor worse than the others. The doorway was shaped to admit +the strangely formed bodies of these people, being narrow at the top, broad in +the middle and tapering at the bottom. The windows were made in much the same +way, giving the house a most peculiar appearance. When their guide opened the +gate, a music box concealed in the gatepost began to play, and the sound +attracted the attention of the High Coco-Lorum, who appeared at an open window +and inquired, “What has happened now?” +</p> + +<p> +But in the same moment his eyes fell upon the strangers and he hastened to open +the door and admit them—all but the animals, which were left outside with the +throng of natives that had now gathered. For a small city there seemed to be a +large number of inhabitants, but they did not try to enter the house and +contented themselves with staring curiously at the strange animals. Toto +followed Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +Our friends entered a large room at the front of the house, where the High +Coco-Lorum asked them to be seated. “I hope your mission here is a peaceful +one,” he said, looking a little worried, “for the Thists are not very good +fighters and object to being conquered.” +</p> + +<p> +“Are your people called Thists?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. I thought you knew that. And we call our city Thi.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh!” +</p> + +<p> +“We are Thists because we eat thistles, you know,” continued the High +Coco-Lorum. +</p> + +<p> +“Do you really eat those prickly things?” inquired Button-Bright wonderingly. +</p> + +<p> +“Why not?” replied the other. “The sharp points of the thistles cannot hurt us, +because all our insides are gold-lined.” +</p> + +<p> +“Gold-lined!” +</p> + +<p> +“To be sure. Our throats and stomachs are lined with solid gold, and we find +the thistles nourishing and good to eat. As a matter of fact, there is nothing +else in our country that is fit for food. All around the City of Thi grow +countless thistles, and all we need do is to go and gather them. If we wanted +anything else to eat, we would have to plant it, and grow it, and harvest it, +and that would be a lot of trouble and make us work, which is an occupation we +detest.” +</p> + +<p> +“But tell me, please,” said the Wizard, “how does it happen that your city +jumps around so, from one part of the country to another?” +</p> + +<p> +“The city doesn’t jump. It doesn’t move at all,” declared the High Coco-Lorum. +“However, I will admit that the land that surrounds it has a trick of turning +this way or that, and so if one is standing upon the plain and facing north, he +is likely to find himself suddenly facing west or east or south. But once you +reach the thistle fields, you are on solid ground.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ah, I begin to understand,” said the Wizard, nodding his head. “But I have +another question to ask: How does it happen that the Thists have no King to +rule over them?” +</p> + +<p> +“Hush!” whispered the High Coco-Lorum, looking uneasily around to make sure +they were not overheard. “In reality, I am the King, but the people don’t know +it. They think they rule themselves, but the fact is I have everything my own +way. No one else knows anything about our laws, and so I make the laws to suit +myself. If any oppose me or question my acts, I tell them it’s the law and that +settles it. If I called myself King, however, and wore a crown and lived in +royal style, the people would not like me and might do me harm. As the High +Coco-Lorum of Thi, I am considered a very agreeable person.” +</p> + +<p> +“It seems a very clever arrangement,” said the Wizard. “And now, as you are the +principal person in Thi, I beg you to tell us if the Royal Ozma is a captive in +your city.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” answered the diamond-headed man. “We have no captives. No strangers but +yourselves are here, and we have never before heard of the Royal Ozma.” +</p> + +<p> +“She rules over all of Oz,” said Dorothy, “and so she rules your city and you, +because you are in the Winkie Country, which is a part of the Land of Oz.” +</p> + +<p> +“It may be,” returned the High Coco-Lorum, “for we do not study geography and +have never inquired whether we live in the Land of Oz or not. And any Ruler who +rules us from a distance and unknown to us is welcome to the job. But what has +happened to your Royal Ozma?” +</p> + +<p> +“Someone has stolen her,” said the Wizard. “Do you happen to have any talented +magician among your people, one who is especially clever, you know?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, none especially clever. We do some magic, of course, but it is all of the +ordinary kind. I do not think any of us has yet aspired to stealing Rulers, +either by magic or otherwise.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then we’ve come a long way for nothing!” exclaimed Trot regretfully. +</p> + +<p> +“But we are going farther than this,” asserted the Patchwork Girl, bending her +stuffed body backward until her yarn hair touched the floor and then walking +around on her hands with her feet in the air. +</p> + +<p> +The High Coco-Lorum watched Scraps admiringly. +</p> + +<p> +“You may go farther on, of course,” said he, “but I advise you not to. The +Herkus live back of us, beyond the thistles and the twisting lands, and they +are not very nice people to meet, I assure you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Are they giants?” asked Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“They are worse than that,” was the reply. “They have giants for their slaves +and they are so much stronger than giants that the poor slaves dare not rebel +for fear of being torn to pieces.” +</p> + +<p> +“How do you know?” asked Scraps. +</p> + +<p> +“Everyone says so,” answered the High Coco-Lorum. +</p> + +<p> +“Have you seen the Herkus yourself?” inquired Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“No, but what everyone says must be true, otherwise what would be the use of +their saying it?” +</p> + +<p> +“We were told before we got here that you people hitch dragons to your +chariots,” said the little girl. +</p> + +<p> +“So we do,” declared the High Coco-Lorum. “And that reminds me that I ought to +entertain you as strangers and my guests by taking you for a ride around our +splendid City of Thi.” He touched a button, and a band began to play. At least, +they heard the music of a band, but couldn’t tell where it came from. “That +tune is the order to my charioteer to bring around my dragon-chariot,” said the +High Coco-Lorum. “Every time I give an order, it is in music, which is a much +more pleasant way to address servants than in cold, stern words.” +</p> + +<p> +“Does this dragon of yours bite?” asked Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“Mercy no! Do you think I’d risk the safety of my innocent people by using a +biting dragon to draw my chariot? I’m proud to say that my dragon is harmless, +unless his steering gear breaks, and he was manufactured at the famous dragon +factory in this City of Thi. Here he comes, and you may examine him for +yourselves.” +</p> + +<p> +They heard a low rumble and a shrill squeaking sound, and going out to the +front of the house, they saw coming around the corner a car drawn by a gorgeous +jeweled dragon, which moved its head to right and left and flashed its eyes +like headlights of an automobile and uttered a growling noise as it slowly +moved toward them. When it stopped before the High Coco-Lorum’s house, Toto +barked sharply at the sprawling beast, but even tiny Trot could see that the +dragon was not alive. Its scales were of gold, and each one was set with +sparkling jewels, while it walked in such a stiff, regular manner that it could +be nothing else than a machine. The chariot that trailed behind it was likewise +of gold and jewels, and when they entered it, they found there were no seats. +Everyone was supposed to stand up while riding. The charioteer was a little, +diamond-headed fellow who straddled the neck of the dragon and moved the levers +that made it go. +</p> + +<p> +“This,” said the High Coco-Lorum pompously, “is a wonderful invention. We are +all very proud of our auto-dragons, many of which are in use by our wealthy +inhabitants. Start the thing going, charioteer!” +</p> + +<p> +The charioteer did not move. +</p> + +<p> +“You forgot to order him in music,” suggested Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Ah, so I did.” +</p> + +<p> +He touched a button and a music box in the dragon’s head began to play a tune. +At once the little charioteer pulled over a lever, and the dragon began to +move, very slowly and groaning dismally as it drew the clumsy chariot after it. +Toto trotted between the wheels. The Sawhorse, the Mule, the Lion and the Woozy +followed after and had no trouble in keeping up with the machine. Indeed, they +had to go slow to keep from running into it. When the wheels turned, another +music box concealed somewhere under the chariot played a lively march tune +which was in striking contrast with the dragging movement of the strange +vehicle, and Button-Bright decided that the music he had heard when they first +sighted this city was nothing else than a chariot plodding its weary way +through the streets. +</p> + +<p> +All the travelers from the Emerald City thought this ride the most +uninteresting and dreary they had ever experienced, but the High Coco-Lorum +seemed to think it was grand. He pointed out the different buildings and parks +and fountains in much the same way that the conductor does on an American +“sightseeing wagon” does, and being guests they were obliged to submit to the +ordeal. But they became a little worried when their host told them he had +ordered a banquet prepared for them in the City Hall. +</p> + +<p> +“What are we going to eat?” asked Button-Bright suspiciously. +</p> + +<p> +“Thistles,” was the reply. “Fine, fresh thistles, gathered this very day.” +</p> + +<p> +Scraps laughed, for she never ate anything, but Dorothy said in a protesting +voice, “OUR insides are not lined with gold, you know.” +</p> + +<p> +“How sad!” exclaimed the High Coco-Lorum, and then he added as an afterthought, +“but we can have the thistles boiled, if you prefer.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m ’fraid they wouldn’t taste good even then,” said little Trot. “Haven’t you +anything else to eat?” +</p> + +<p> +The High Coco-Lorum shook his diamond-shaped head. +</p> + +<p> +“Nothing that I know of,” said he. “But why should we have anything else when +we have so many thistles? However, if you can’t eat what we eat, don’t eat +anything. We shall not be offended, and the banquet will be just as merry and +delightful.” +</p> + +<p> +Knowing his companions were all hungry, the Wizard said, “I trust you will +excuse us from the banquet, sir, which will be merry enough without us, +although it is given in our honor. For, as Ozma is not in your city, we must +leave here at once and seek her elsewhere.” +</p> + +<p> +“Sure we must!” Dorothy, and she whispered to Betsy and Trot, “I’d rather +starve somewhere else than in this city, and who knows, we may run across +somebody who eats reg’lar food and will give us some.” +</p> + +<p> +So when the ride was finished, in spite of the protests of the High Coco-Lorum, +they insisted on continuing their journey. “It will soon be dark,” he objected. +</p> + +<p> +“We don’t mind the darkness,” replied the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Some wandering Herku may get you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you think the Herkus would hurt us?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“I cannot say, not having had the honor of their acquaintance. But they are +said to be so strong that if they had any other place to stand upon they could +lift the world.” +</p> + +<p> +“All of them together?” asked Button-Bright wonderingly. +</p> + +<p> +“Any one of them could do it,” said the High Coco-Lorum. +</p> + +<p> +“Have you heard of any magicians being among them?” asked the Wizard, knowing +that only a magician could have stolen Ozma in the way she had been stolen. +</p> + +<p> +“I am told it is quite a magical country,” declared the High Coco-Lorum, “and +magic is usually performed by magicians. But I have never heard that they have +any invention or sorcery to equal our wonderful auto-dragons.” +</p> + +<p> +They thanked him for his courtesy, and mounting their own animals rode to the +farther side of the city and right through the Wall of Illusion out into the +open country. “I’m glad we got away so easily,” said Betsy. “I didn’t like +those queer-shaped people.” +</p> + +<p> +“Nor did I,” agreed Dorothy. “It seems dreadful to be lined with sheets of pure +gold and have nothing to eat but thistles.” +</p> + +<p> +“They seemed happy and contented, though,” remarked the Wizard, “and those who +are contented have nothing to regret and nothing more to wish for.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap10"></a> +CHAPTER 10<br/> +TOTO LOSES SOMETHING</h2> + +<p> +For a while the travelers were constantly losing their direction, for beyond +the thistle fields they again found themselves upon the turning-lands, which +swung them around one way and then another. But by keeping the City of Thi +constantly behind them, the adventurers finally passed the treacherous +turning-lands and came upon a stony country where no grass grew at all. There +were plenty of bushes, however, and although it was now almost dark, the girls +discovered some delicious yellow berries growing upon the bushes, one taste of +which set them all to picking as many as they could find. The berries relieved +their pangs of hunger for a time, and as it now became too dark to see +anything, they camped where they were. +</p> + +<p> +The three girls lay down upon one of the blankets—all in a row—and the Wizard +covered them with the other blanket and tucked them in. Button-Bright crawled +under the shelter of some bushes and was asleep in half a minute. The Wizard +sat down with his back to a big stone and looked at the stars in the sky and +thought gravely upon the dangerous adventure they had undertaken, wondering if +they would ever be able to find their beloved Ozma again. The animals lay in a +group by themselves, a little distance from the others. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ve lost my growl!” said Toto, who had been very silent and sober all that +day. “What do you suppose has become of it?” +</p> + +<p> +“If you had asked me to keep track of your growl, I might be able to tell you,” +remarked the Lion sleepily. “But frankly, Toto, I supposed you were taking care +of it yourself.” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s an awful thing to lose one’s growl,” said Toto, wagging his tail +disconsolately. “What if you lost your roar, Lion? Wouldn’t you feel terrible?” +</p> + +<p> +“My roar,” replied the Lion, “is the fiercest thing about me. I depend on it to +frighten my enemies so badly that they won’t dare to fight me.” +</p> + +<p> +“Once,” said the Mule, “I lost my bray so that I couldn’t call to Betsy to let +her know I was hungry. That was before I could talk, you know, for I had not +yet come into the Land of Oz, and I found it was certainly very uncomfortable +not to be able to make a noise.” +</p> + +<p> +“You make enough noise now,” declared Toto. “But none of you have answered my +question: Where is my growl?” +</p> + +<p> +“You may search ME,” said the Woozy. “I don’t care for such things, myself.” +</p> + +<p> +“You snore terribly,” asserted Toto. +</p> + +<p> +“It may be,” said the Woozy. “What one does when asleep one is not accountable +for. I wish you would wake me up sometime when I’m snoring and let me hear the +sound. Then I can judge whether it is terrible or delightful.” +</p> + +<p> +“It isn’t pleasant, I assure you,” said the Lion, yawning. +</p> + +<p> +“To me it seems wholly unnecessary,” declared Hank the Mule. +</p> + +<p> +“You ought to break yourself of the habit,” said the Sawhorse. “You never hear +me snore, because I never sleep. I don’t even whinny as those puffy meat horses +do. I wish that whoever stole Toto’s growl had taken the Mule’s bray and the +Lion’s roar and the Woozy’s snore at the same time.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you think, then, that my growl was stolen?” +</p> + +<p> +“You have never lost it before, have you?” inquired the Sawhorse. +</p> + +<p> +“Only once, when I had a sore throat from barking too long at the moon.” +</p> + +<p> +“Is your throat sore now?” asked the Woozy. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” replied the dog. +</p> + +<p> +“I can’t understand,” said Hank, “why dogs bark at the moon. They can’t scare +the moon, and the moon doesn’t pay any attention to the bark. So why do dogs do +it?” +</p> + +<p> +“Were you ever a dog?” asked Toto. +</p> + +<p> +“No indeed,” replied Hank. “I am thankful to say I was created a mule—the most +beautiful of all beasts—and have always remained one.” +</p> + +<p> +The Woozy sat upon his square haunches to examine Hank with care. “Beauty,” he +said, “must be a matter of taste. I don’t say your judgment is bad, friend +Hank, or that you are so vulgar as to be conceited. But if you admire big, +waggy ears and a tail like a paintbrush and hoofs big enough for an elephant +and a long neck and a body so skinny that one can count the ribs with one eye +shut—if that’s your idea of beauty, Hank, then either you or I must be much +mistaken.” +</p> + +<p> +“You’re full of edges,” sneered the Mule. “If I were square as you are, I +suppose you’d think me lovely.” +</p> + +<p> +“Outwardly, dear Hank, I would,” replied the Woozy. “But to be really lovely, +one must be beautiful without and within.” +</p> + +<p> +The Mule couldn’t deny this statement, so he gave a disgusted grunt and rolled +over so that his back was toward the Woozy. But the Lion, regarding the two +calmly with his great, yellow eyes, said to the dog, “My dear Toto, our friends +have taught us a lesson in humility. If the Woozy and the Mule are indeed +beautiful creatures as they seem to think, you and I must be decidedly ugly.” +</p> + +<p> +“Not to ourselves,” protested Toto, who was a shrewd little dog. “You and I, +Lion, are fine specimens of our own races. I am a fine dog, and you are a fine +lion. Only in point of comparison, one with another, can we be properly judged, +so I will leave it to the poor old Sawhorse to decide which is the most +beautiful animal among us all. The Sawhorse is wood, so he won’t be prejudiced +and will speak the truth.” +</p> + +<p> +“I surely will,” responded the Sawhorse, wagging his ears, which were chips set +in his wooden head. “Are you all agreed to accept my judgment?” +</p> + +<p> +“We are!” they declared, each one hopeful. +</p> + +<p> +“Then,” said the Sawhorse, “I must point out to you the fact that you are all +meat creatures, who tire unless they sleep and starve unless they eat and +suffer from thirst unless they drink. Such animals must be very imperfect, and +imperfect creatures cannot be beautiful. Now, I am made of wood.” +</p> + +<p> +“You surely have a wooden head,” said the Mule. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, and a wooden body and wooden legs, which are as swift as the wind and as +tireless. I’ve heard Dorothy say that ‘handsome is as handsome does,’ and I +surely perform my duties in a handsome manner. Therefore, if you wish my honest +judgment, I will confess that among us all I am the most beautiful.” +</p> + +<p> +The Mule snorted, and the Woozy laughed; Toto had lost his growl and could only +look scornfully at the Sawhorse, who stood in his place unmoved. But the Lion +stretched himself and yawned, saying quietly, “Were we all like the Sawhorse, +we would all be Sawhorses, which would be too many of the kind. Were we all +like Hank, we would be a herd of mules; if like Toto, we would be a pack of +dogs; should we all become the shape of the Woozy, he would no longer be +remarkable for his unusual appearance. Finally, were you all like me, I would +consider you so common that I would not care to associate with you. To be +individual, my friends, to be different from others, is the only way to become +distinguished from the common herd. Let us be glad, therefore, that we differ +from one another in form and in disposition. Variety is the spice of life, and +we are various enough to enjoy one another’s society; so let us be content.” +</p> + +<p> +“There is some truth in that speech,” remarked Toto reflectively. “But how +about my lost growl?” +</p> + +<p> +“The growl is of importance only to you,” responded the Lion, “so it is your +business to worry over the loss, not ours. If you love us, do not afflict your +burdens on us; be unhappy all by yourself.” +</p> + +<p> +“If the same person stole my growl who stole Ozma,” said the little dog, “I +hope we shall find him very soon and punish him as he deserves. He must be the +most cruel person in all the world, for to prevent a dog from growling when it +is his nature to growl is just as wicked, in my opinion, as stealing all the +magic in Oz.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap11"></a> +CHAPTER 11<br/> +BUTTON-BRIGHT LOSES HIMSELF</h2> + +<p> +The Patchwork Girl, who never slept and who could see very well in the dark, +had wandered among the rocks and bushes all night long, with the result that +she was able to tell some good news the next morning. “Over the crest of the +hill before us,” she said, “is a big grove of trees of many kinds on which all +sorts of fruits grow. If you will go there, you will find a nice breakfast +awaiting you.” This made them eager to start, so as soon as the blankets were +folded and strapped to the back of the Sawhorse, they all took their places on +the animals and set out for the big grove Scraps had told them of. +</p> + +<p> +As soon as they got over the brow of the hill, they discovered it to be a +really immense orchard, extending for miles to the right and left of them. As +their way led straight through the trees, they hurried forward as fast as +possible. The first trees they came to bore quinces, which they did not like. +Then there were rows of citron trees and then crab apples and afterward limes +and lemons. But beyond these they found a grove of big, golden oranges, juicy +and sweet, and the fruit hung low on the branches so they could pluck it +easily. +</p> + +<p> +They helped themselves freely and all ate oranges as they continued on their +way. Then, a little farther along, they came to some trees bearing fine, red +apples, which they also feasted on, and the Wizard stopped here long enough to +tie a lot of the apples in one end of a blanket. +</p> + +<p> +“We do not know what will happen to us after we leave this delightful orchard,” +he said, “so I think it wise to carry a supply of apples with us. We can’t +starve as long as we have apples, you know.” +</p> + +<p> +Scraps wasn’t riding the Woozy just now. She loved to climb the trees and swing +herself by the branches from one tree to another. Some of the choicest fruit +was gathered by the Patchwork Girl from the very highest limbs and tossed down +to the others. Suddenly, Trot asked, “Where’s Button-Bright?” and when the +others looked for him, they found the boy had disappeared. +</p> + +<p> +“Dear me!” cried Dorothy. “I guess he’s lost again, and that will mean our +waiting here until we can find him.” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s a good place to wait,” suggested Betsy, who had found a plum tree and was +eating some of its fruit. +</p> + +<p> +“How can you wait here and find Button-Bright at one and the same time?” +inquired the Patchwork Girl, hanging by her toes on a limb just over the heads +of the three mortal girls. +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps he’ll come back here,” answered Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“If he tries that, he’ll prob’ly lose his way,” said Trot. “I’ve known him to +do that lots of times. It’s losing his way that gets him lost.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very true,” said the Wizard. “So all the rest of you must stay here while I go +look for the boy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Won’t YOU get lost, too?” asked Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“I hope not, my dear.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let ME go,” said Scraps, dropping lightly to the ground. “I can’t get lost, +and I’m more likely to find Button-Bright than any of you.” Without waiting for +permission, she darted away through the trees and soon disappeared from their +view. +</p> + +<p> +“Dorothy,” said Toto, squatting beside his little mistress, “I’ve lost my +growl.” +</p> + +<p> +“How did that happen?” she asked. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know,” replied Toto. “Yesterday morning the Woozy nearly stepped on +me, and I tried to growl at him and found I couldn’t growl a bit.” +</p> + +<p> +“Can you bark?” inquired Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, yes indeed.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then never mind the growl,” said she. +</p> + +<p> +“But what will I do when I get home to the Glass Cat and the Pink Kitten?” +asked the little dog in an anxious tone. +</p> + +<p> +“They won’t mind if you can’t growl at them, I’m sure,” said Dorothy. “I’m +sorry for you, of course, Toto, for it’s just those things we can’t do that we +want to do most of all; but before we get back, you may find your growl again.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you think the person who stole Ozma stole my growl?” +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy smiled. +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps, Toto.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then he’s a scoundrel!” cried the little dog. +</p> + +<p> +“Anyone who would steal Ozma is as bad as bad can be,” agreed Dorothy, “and +when we remember that our dear friend, the lovely Ruler of Oz, is lost, we +ought not to worry over just a growl.” +</p> + +<p> +Toto was not entirely satisfied with this remark, for the more he thought upon +his lost growl, the more important his misfortune became. When no one was +looking, he went away among the trees and tried his best to growl—even a little +bit—but could not manage to do so. All he could do was bark, and a bark cannot +take the place of a growl, so he sadly returned to the others. +</p> + +<p> +Now Button-Bright had no idea that he was lost at first. He had merely wandered +from tree to tree seeking the finest fruit until he discovered he was alone in +the great orchard. But that didn’t worry him just then, and seeing some apricot +trees farther on, he went to them. Then he discovered some cherry trees; just +beyond these were some tangerines. “We’ve found ’most ev’ry kind of fruit but +peaches,” he said to himself, “so I guess there are peaches here, too, if I can +find the trees.” +</p> + +<p> +He searched here and there, paying no attention to his way, until he found that +the trees surrounding him bore only nuts. He put some walnuts in his pockets +and kept on searching, and at last—right among the nut trees—he came upon one +solitary peach tree. It was a graceful, beautiful tree, but although it was +thickly leaved, it bore no fruit except one large, splendid peach, rosy-cheeked +and fuzzy and just right to eat. +</p> + +<p> +Button-Bright had some trouble getting that lonesome peach, for it hung far out +of reach; but he climbed the tree nimbly and crept out on the branch on which +it grew and after several trials, during which he was in danger of falling, he +finally managed to pick it. Then he got back to the ground and decided the +fruit was well worth his trouble. It was delightfully fragrant and when he bit +into it he found it the most delicious morsel he had ever tasted. +</p> + +<p> +“I really ought to divide it with Trot and Dorothy and Betsy,” he said; “but +p’rhaps there are plenty more in some other part of the orchard.” +</p> + +<p> +In his heart he doubted this statement, for this was a solitary peach tree, +while all the other fruits grew upon many trees set close to one another; but +that one luscious bite made him unable to resist eating the rest of it, and +soon the peach was all gone except the pit. Button-Bright was about to throw +this peach pit away when he noticed that it was of pure gold. Of course, this +surprised him, but so many things in the Land of Oz were surprising that he did +not give much thought to the golden peach pit. He put it in his pocket, +however, to show to the girls, and five minutes afterward had forgotten all +about it. +</p> + +<p> +For now he realized that he was far separated from his companions, and knowing +that this would worry them and delay their journey, he began to shout as loud +as he could. His voice did not penetrate very far among all those trees, and +after shouting a dozen times and getting no answer, he sat down on the ground +and said, “Well, I’m lost again. It’s too bad, but I don’t see how it can be +helped.” +</p> + +<p> +As he leaned his back against a tree, he looked up and saw a Bluefinch fly down +from the sky and alight upon a branch just before him. The bird looked and +looked at him. First it looked with one bright eye and then turned its head and +looked at him with the other eye. Then, fluttering its wings a little, it said, +“Oho! So you’ve eaten the enchanted peach, have you?” +</p> + +<p> +“Was it enchanted?” asked Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course,” replied the Bluefinch. “Ugu the Shoemaker did that.” +</p> + +<p> +“But why? And how was it enchanted? And what will happen to one who eats it?” +questioned the boy. +</p> + +<p> +“Ask Ugu the Shoemaker. He knows,” said the bird, preening its feathers with +its bill. +</p> + +<p> +“And who is Ugu the Shoemaker?” +</p> + +<p> +“The one who enchanted the peach and placed it here—in the exact center of the +Great Orchard—so no one would ever find it. We birds didn’t dare to eat it; we +are too wise for that. But you are Button-Bright from the Emerald City, and +you, YOU, YOU ate the enchanted peach! You must explain to Ugu the Shoemaker +why you did that.” +</p> + +<p> +And then, before the boy could ask any more questions, the bird flew away and +left him alone. +</p> + +<p> +Button-Bright was not much worried to find that the peach he had eaten was +enchanted. It certainly had tasted very good, and his stomach didn’t ache a +bit. So again he began to reflect upon the best way to rejoin his friends. +“Whichever direction I follow is likely to be the wrong one,” he said to +himself, “so I’d better stay just where I am and let THEM find ME—if they can.” +</p> + +<p> +A White Rabbit came hopping through the orchard and paused a little way off to +look at him. “Don’t be afraid,” said Button-Bright. “I won’t hurt you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I’m not afraid for myself,” returned the White Rabbit. “It’s you I’m +worried about.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I’m lost,” said the boy. +</p> + +<p> +“I fear you are, indeed,” answered the Rabbit. “Why on earth did you eat the +enchanted peach?” +</p> + +<p> +The boy looked at the excited little animal thoughtfully. “There were two +reasons,” he explained. “One reason was that I like peaches, and the other +reason was that I didn’t know it was enchanted.” +</p> + +<p> +“That won’t save you from Ugu the Shoemaker,” declared the White Rabbit, and it +scurried away before the boy could ask any more questions. +</p> + +<p> +“Rabbits and birds,” he thought, “are timid creatures and seem afraid of this +shoemaker, whoever he may be. If there was another peach half as good as that +other, I’d eat it in spite of a dozen enchantments or a hundred shoemakers!” +</p> + +<p> +Just then, Scraps came dancing along and saw him sitting at the foot of the +tree. “Oh, here you are!” she said. “Up to your old tricks, eh? Don’t you know +it’s impolite to get lost and keep everybody waiting for you? Come along, and +I’ll lead you back to Dorothy and the others.” +</p> + +<p> +Button-Bright rose slowly to accompany her. +</p> + +<p> +“That wasn’t much of a loss,” he said cheerfully. “I haven’t been gone half a +day, so there’s no harm done.” +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy, however, when the boy rejoined the party, gave him a good scolding. +“When we’re doing such an important thing as searching for Ozma,” said she, +“it’s naughty for you to wander away and keep us from getting on. S’pose she’s +a pris’ner in a dungeon cell! Do you want to keep our dear Ozma there any +longer than we can help?” +</p> + +<p> +“If she’s in a dungeon cell, how are you going to get her out?” inquired the +boy. +</p> + +<p> +“Never you mind. We’ll leave that to the Wizard. He’s sure to find a way.” +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard said nothing, for he realized that without his magic tools he could +do no more than any other person. But there was no use reminding his companions +of that fact; it might discourage them. “The important thing just now,” he +remarked, “is to find Ozma, and as our party is again happily reunited, I +propose we move on.” +</p> + +<p> +As they came to the edge of the Great Orchard, the sun was setting and they +knew it would soon be dark. So it was decided to camp under the trees, as +another broad plain was before them. The Wizard spread the blankets on a bed of +soft leaves, and presently all of them except Scraps and the Sawhorse were fast +asleep. Toto snuggled close to his friend the Lion, and the Woozy snored so +loudly that the Patchwork Girl covered his square head with her apron to deaden +the sound. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap12"></a> +CHAPTER 12<br/> +THE CZAROVER OF HERKU</h2> + +<p> +Trot wakened just as the sun rose, and slipping out of the blankets, went to +the edge of the Great Orchard and looked across the plain. Something glittered +in the far distance. “That looks like another city,” she said half aloud. +</p> + +<p> +“And another city it is,” declared Scraps, who had crept to Trot’s side +unheard, for her stuffed feet made no sound. “The Sawhorse and I made a journey +in the dark while you were all asleep, and we found over there a bigger city +than Thi. There’s a wall around it, too, but it has gates and plenty of +pathways.” +</p> + +<p> +“Did you get in?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“No, for the gates were locked and the wall was a real wall. So we came back +here again. It isn’t far to the city. We can reach it in two hours after you’ve +had your breakfasts.” +</p> + +<p> +Trot went back, and finding the other girls now awake, told them what Scraps +had said. So they hurriedly ate some fruit—there were plenty of plums and +fijoas in this part of the orchard—and then they mounted the animals and set +out upon the journey to the strange city. Hank the Mule had breakfasted on +grass, and the Lion had stolen away and found a breakfast to his liking; he +never told what it was, but Dorothy hoped the little rabbits and the field mice +had kept out of his way. She warned Toto not to chase birds and gave the dog +some apple, with which he was quite content. The Woozy was as fond of fruit as +of any other food except honey, and the Sawhorse never ate at all. +</p> + +<p> +Except for their worry over Ozma, they were all in good spirits as they +proceeded swiftly over the plain. Toto still worried over his lost growl, but +like a wise little dog kept his worry to himself. Before long, the city grew +nearer and they could examine it with interest. +</p> + +<p> +In outward appearance the place was more imposing than Thi, and it was a square +city, with a square, four-sided wall around it, and on each side was a square +gate of burnished copper. Everything about the city looked solid and +substantial; there were no banners flying, and the towers that rose above the +city wall seemed bare of any ornament whatever. +</p> + +<p> +A path led from the fruit orchard directly to one of the city gates, showing +that the inhabitants preferred fruit to thistles. Our friends followed this +path to the gate, which they found fast shut. But the Wizard advanced and +pounded upon it with his fist, saying in a loud voice, “Open!” +</p> + +<p> +At once there rose above the great wall a row of immense heads, all of which +looked down at them as if to see who was intruding. The size of these heads was +astonishing, and our friends at once realized that they belonged to giants who +were standing within the city. All had thick, bushy hair and whiskers, on some +the hair being white and on others black or red or yellow, while the hair of a +few was just turning gray, showing that the giants were of all ages. However +fierce the heads might seem, the eyes were mild in expression, as if the +creatures had been long subdued, and their faces expressed patience rather than +ferocity. +</p> + +<p> +“What’s wanted?” asked one old giant in a low, grumbling voice. +</p> + +<p> +“We are strangers, and we wish to enter the city,” replied the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Do you come in war or peace?” asked another. +</p> + +<p> +“In peace, of course,” retorted the Wizard, and he added impatiently, “Do we +look like an army of conquest?” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said the first giant who had spoken, “you look like innocent tramps; but +you never can tell by appearances. Wait here until we report to our masters. No +one can enter here without the permission of Vig, the Czarover.” +</p> + +<p> +“Who’s that?” inquired Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +But the heads had all bobbed down and disappeared behind the walls, so there +was no answer. They waited a long time before the gate rolled back with a +rumbling sound, and a loud voice cried, “Enter!” But they lost no time in +taking advantage of the invitation. +</p> + +<p> +On either side of the broad street that led into the city from the gate stood a +row of huge giants, twenty of them on a side and all standing so close together +that their elbows touched. They wore uniforms of blue and yellow and were armed +with clubs as big around as treetrunks. Each giant had around his neck a broad +band of gold, riveted on, to show he was a slave. +</p> + +<p> +As our friends entered riding upon the Lion, the Woozy, the Sawhorse and the +Mule, the giants half turned and walked in two files on either side of them, as +if escorting them on their way. It looked to Dorothy as if all her party had +been made prisoners, for even mounted on their animals their heads scarcely +reached to the knees of the marching giants. The girls and Button-Bright were +anxious to know what sort of a city they had entered, and what the people were +like who had made these powerful creatures their slaves. Through the legs of +the giants as they walked, Dorothy could see rows of houses on each side of the +street and throngs of people standing on the sidewalks, but the people were of +ordinary size and the only remarkable thing about them was the fact that they +were dreadfully lean and thin. Between their skin and their bones there seemed +to be little or no flesh, and they were mostly stoop-shouldered and weary +looking, even to the little children. +</p> + +<p> +More and more, Dorothy wondered how and why the great giants had ever submitted +to become slaves of such skinny, languid masters, but there was no chance to +question anyone until they arrived at a big palace located in the heart of the +city. Here the giants formed lines to the entrance and stood still while our +friends rode into the courtyard of the palace. Then the gates closed behind +them, and before them was a skinny little man who bowed low and said in a sad +voice, “If you will be so obliging as to dismount, it will give me pleasure to +lead you into the presence of the World’s Most Mighty Ruler, Vig the Czarover.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t believe it!” said Dorothy indignantly. +</p> + +<p> +“What don’t you believe?” asked the man. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t believe your Czarover can hold a candle to our Ozma.” +</p> + +<p> +“He wouldn’t hold a candle under any circumstances, or to any living person,” +replied the man very seriously, “for he has slaves to do such things and the +Mighty Vig is too dignified to do anything that others can do for him. He even +obliges a slave to sneeze for him, if ever he catches cold. However, if you +dare to face our powerful ruler, follow me.” +</p> + +<p> +“We dare anything,” said the Wizard, “so go ahead.” +</p> + +<p> +Through several marble corridors having lofty ceilings they passed, finding +each corridor and doorway guarded by servants. But these servants of the palace +were of the people and not giants, and they were so thin that they almost +resembled skeletons. Finally, they entered a great circular room with a high, +domed ceiling, where the Czarover sat on a throne cut from a solid block of +white marble and decorated with purple silk hangings and gold tassels. +</p> + +<p> +The ruler of these people was combing his eyebrows when our friends entered the +throne room and stood before him, but he put the comb in his pocket and +examined the strangers with evident curiosity. Then he said, “Dear me, what a +surprise! You have really shocked me. For no outsider has ever before come to +our City of Herku, and I cannot imagine why you have ventured to do so.” +</p> + +<p> +“We are looking for Ozma, the Supreme Ruler of the Land of Oz,” replied the +Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Do you see her anywhere around here?” asked the Czarover. +</p> + +<p> +“Not yet, Your Majesty, but perhaps you may tell us where she is.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I have my hands full keeping track of my own people. I find them hard to +manage because they are so tremendously strong.” +</p> + +<p> +“They don’t look very strong,” said Dorothy. “It seems as if a good wind would +blow ’em way out of the city if it wasn’t for the wall.” +</p> + +<p> +“Just so, just so,” admitted the Czarover. “They really look that way, don’t +they? But you must never trust to appearances, which have a way of fooling one. +Perhaps you noticed that I prevented you from meeting any of my people. I +protected you with my giants while you were on the way from the gates to my +palace so that not a Herku got near you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Are your people so dangerous, then?” asked the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“To strangers, yes. But only because they are so friendly. For if they shake +hands with you, they are likely to break your arms or crush your fingers to a +jelly.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” asked Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“Because we are the strongest people in all the world.” +</p> + +<p> +“Pshaw!” exclaimed the boy. “That’s bragging. You prob’ly don’t know how strong +other people are. Why, once I knew a man in Philadelphi’ who could bend iron +bars with just his hands!” +</p> + +<p> +“But mercy me, it’s no trick to bend iron bars,” said His Majesty. “Tell me, +could this man crush a block of stone with his bare hands?” +</p> + +<p> +“No one could do that,” declared the boy. +</p> + +<p> +“If I had a block of stone, I’d show you,” said the Czarover, looking around +the room. “Ah, here is my throne. The back is too high, anyhow, so I’ll just +break off a piece of that.” He rose to his feet and tottered in an uncertain +way around the throne. Then he took hold of the back and broke off a piece of +marble over a foot thick. “This,” said he, coming back to his seat, “is very +solid marble and much harder than ordinary stone. Yet I can crumble it easily +with my fingers, a proof that I am very strong.” +</p> + +<p> +Even as he spoke, he began breaking off chunks of marble and crumbling them as +one would a bit of earth. The Wizard was so astonished that he took a piece in +his own hands and tested it, finding it very hard indeed. +</p> + +<p> +Just then one of the giant servants entered and exclaimed, “Oh, Your Majesty, +the cook has burned the soup! What shall we do?” +</p> + +<p> +“How dare you interrupt me?” asked the Czarover, and grasping the immense giant +by one of his legs, he raised him in the air and threw him headfirst out of an +open window. “Now, tell me,” he said, turning to Button-Bright, “could your man +in Philadelphia crumble marble in his fingers?” +</p> + +<p> +“I guess not,” said Button-Bright, much impressed by the skinny monarch’s +strength. +</p> + +<p> +“What makes you so strong?” inquired Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s the zosozo,” he explained, “which is an invention of my own. I and all my +people eat zosozo, and it gives us tremendous strength. Would you like to eat +some?” +</p> + +<p> +“No thank you,” replied the girl. “I—I don’t want to get so thin.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, of course one can’t have strength and flesh at the same time,” said the +Czarover. “Zosozo is pure energy, and it’s the only compound of its sort in +existence. I never allow our giants to have it, you know, or they would soon +become our masters, since they are bigger that we; so I keep all the stuff +locked up in my private laboratory. Once a year I feed a teaspoonful of it to +each of my people—men, women and children—so every one of them is nearly as +strong as I am. Wouldn’t YOU like a dose, sir?” he asked, turning to the +Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said the Wizard, “if you would give me a little zosozo in a bottle, I’d +like to take it with me on my travels. It might come in handy on occasion.” +</p> + +<p> +“To be sure. I’ll give you enough for six doses,” promised the Czarover. +</p> + +<p> +“But don’t take more than a teaspoonful at a time. Once Ugu the Shoemaker took +two teaspoonsful, and it made him so strong that when he leaned against the +city wall, he pushed it over, and we had to build it up again.” +</p> + +<p> +“Who is Ugu the Shoemaker?” asked +Button-Bright curiously, for he now remembered that the bird and the rabbit had +claimed Ugu the Shoemaker had enchanted the peach he had eaten. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, Ugu is a great magician who used to live here. But he’s gone away now,” +replied the Czarover. +</p> + +<p> +“Where has he gone?” asked the Wizard quickly. +</p> + +<p> +“I am told he lives in a wickerwork castle in the mountains to the west of +here. You see, Ugu became such a powerful magician that he didn’t care to live +in our city any longer for fear we would discover some of his secrets. So he +went to the mountains and built him a splendid wicker castle which is so strong +that even I and my people could not batter it down, and there he lives all by +himself.” +</p> + +<p> +“This is good news,” declared the Wizard, “for I think this is just the +magician we are searching for. But why is he called Ugu the Shoemaker?” +</p> + +<p> +“Once he was a very common citizen here and made shoes for a living,” replied +the monarch of Herku. “But he was descended from the greatest wizard and +sorcerer who ever lived in this or in any other country, and one day Ugu the +Shoemaker discovered all the magical books and recipes of his famous +great-grandfather, which had been hidden away in the attic of his house. So he +began to study the papers and books and to practice magic, and in time he +became so skillful that, as I said, he scorned our city and built a solitary +castle for himself.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you think,” asked Dorothy anxiously, “that Ugu the Shoemaker would be +wicked enough to steal our Ozma of Oz?” +</p> + +<p> +“And the Magic Picture?” asked Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“And the Great Book of Records of Glinda the Good?” asked Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“And my own magic tools?” asked the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” replied the Czarover, “I won’t say that Ugu is wicked, exactly, but he +is very ambitious to become the most powerful magician in the world, and so I +suppose he would not be too proud to steal any magic things that belonged to +anybody else—if he could manage to do so.” +</p> + +<p> +“But how about Ozma? Why would he wish to steal HER?” questioned Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t ask me, my dear. Ugu doesn’t tell me why he does things, I assure you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then we must go and ask him ourselves,” declared the little girl. +</p> + +<p> +“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” advised the Czarover, looking first at the +three girls and then at the boy and the little Wizard and finally at the +stuffed Patchwork Girl. “If Ugu has really stolen your Ozma, he will probably +keep her a prisoner, in spite of all your threats or entreaties. And with all +his magical knowledge he would be a dangerous person to attack. Therefore, if +you are wise, you will go home again and find a new Ruler for the Emerald City +and the Land of Oz. But perhaps it isn’t Ugu the Shoemaker who has stolen your +Ozma.” +</p> + +<p> +“The only way to settle that question,” replied the Wizard, “is to go to Ugu’s +castle and see if Ozma is there. If she is, we will report the matter to the +great Sorceress Glinda the Good, and I’m pretty sure she will find a way to +rescue our darling ruler from the Shoemaker.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, do as you please,” said the Czarover, “but if you are all transformed +into hummingbirds or caterpillars, don’t blame me for not warning you.” +</p> + +<p> +They stayed the rest of that day in the City of Herku and were fed at the royal +table of the Czarover and given sleeping rooms in his palace. The strong +monarch treated them very nicely and gave the Wizard a little golden vial of +zosozo to use if ever he or any of his party wished to acquire great strength. +</p> + +<p> +Even at the last, the Czarover tried to persuade them not to go near Ugu the +Shoemaker, but they were resolved on the venture, and the next morning bade the +friendly monarch a cordial goodbye and, mounting upon their animals, left the +Herkus and the City of Herku and headed for the mountains that lay to the west. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap13"></a> +CHAPTER 13<br/> +THE TRUTH POND</h2> + +<p> +It seems a long time since we have heard anything of the Frogman and Cayke the +Cookie Cook, who had left the Yip Country in search of the diamond-studded +dishpan which had been mysteriously stolen the same night that Ozma had +disappeared from the Emerald City. But you must remember that while the Frogman +and the Cookie Cook were preparing to descend from their mountaintop, and even +while on their way to the farmhouse of Wiljon the Winkie, Dorothy and the +Wizard and their friends were encountering the adventures we have just related. +</p> + +<p> +So it was that on the very morning when the travelers from the Emerald City +bade farewell to the Czarover of the City of Herku, Cayke and the Frogman awoke +in a grove in which they had passed the night sleeping on beds of leaves. There +were plenty of farmhouses in the neighborhood, but no one seemed to welcome the +puffy, haughty Frogman or the little dried-up Cookie Cook, and so they slept +comfortably enough underneath the trees of the grove. The Frogman wakened first +on this morning, and after going to the tree where Cayke slept and finding her +still wrapped in slumber, he decided to take a little walk and seek some +breakfast. Coming to the edge of the grove, he observed half a mile away a +pretty yellow house that was surrounded by a yellow picket fence, so he walked +toward this house and on entering the yard found a Winkie woman picking up +sticks with which to build a fire to cook her morning meal. +</p> + +<p> +“For goodness sake!” she exclaimed on seeing the Frogman. “What are you doing +out of your frog-pond?” +</p> + +<p> +“I am traveling in search of a jeweled gold dishpan, my good woman,” he replied +with an air of great dignity. +</p> + +<p> +“You won’t find it here, then,” said she. “Our dishpans are tin, and they’re +good enough for anybody. So go back to your pond and leave me alone.” She spoke +rather crossly and with a lack of respect that greatly annoyed the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“Allow me to tell you, madam,” said he, “that although I am a frog, I am the +Greatest and Wisest Frog in all the world. I may add that I possess much more +wisdom than any Winkie—man or woman—in this land. Wherever I go, people fall on +their knees before me and render homage to the Great Frogman! No one else knows +so much as I; no one else is so grand, so magnificent!” +</p> + +<p> +“If you know so much,” she retorted, “why don’t you know where your dishpan is +instead of chasing around the country after it?” +</p> + +<p> +“Presently,” he answered, “I am going where it is, but just now I am traveling +and have had no breakfast. Therefore I honor you by asking you for something to +eat.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oho! The Great Frogman is hungry as any tramp, is he? Then pick up these +sticks and help me to build the fire,” said the woman contemptuously. +</p> + +<p> +“Me! The Great Frogman pick up sticks?” he exclaimed in horror. “In the Yip +Country where I am more honored and powerful than any King could be, people +weep with joy when I ask them to feed me.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then that’s the place to go for your breakfast,” declared the woman. +</p> + +<p> +“I fear you do not realize my importance,” urged the Frogman. “Exceeding wisdom +renders me superior to menial duties.” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s a great wonder to me,” remarked the woman, carrying her sticks to the +house, “that your wisdom doesn’t inform you that you’ll get no breakfast here.” +And she went in and slammed the door behind her. +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman felt he had been insulted, so he gave a loud croak of indignation +and turned away. After going a short distance, he came upon a faint path which +led across a meadow in the direction of a grove of pretty trees, and thinking +this circle of evergreens must surround a house where perhaps he would be +kindly received, he decided to follow the path. And by and by he came to the +trees, which were set close together, and pushing aside some branches he found +no house inside the circle, but instead a very beautiful pond of clear water. +</p> + +<p> +Now the Frogman, although he was so big and well educated and now aped the ways +and customs of human beings, was still a frog. As he gazed at this solitary, +deserted pond, his love for water returned to him with irresistible force. “If +I cannot get a breakfast, I may at least have a fine swim,” said he, and +pushing his way between the trees, he reached the bank. There he took off his +fine clothing, laying his shiny purple hat and his gold-headed cane beside it. +A moment later, he sprang with one leap into the water and dived to the very +bottom of the pond. +</p> + +<p> +The water was deliciously cool and grateful to his thick, rough skin, and the +Frogman swam around the pond several times before he stopped to rest. Then he +floated upon the surface and examined the pond. The bottom and sides were all +lined with glossy tiles of a light pink color; just one place in the bottom +where the water bubbled up from a hidden spring had been left free. On the +banks, the green grass grew to the edge of the pink tiling. And now, as the +Frogman examined the place, he found that on one side of the pool, just above +the water line, had been set a golden plate on which some words were deeply +engraved. He swam toward this plate, and on reaching it read the following +inscription: +</p> + +<h4><i>This is</i><br/> +THE TRUTH POND<br/> +<i>Whoever bathes in this<br/> +water must always<br/> +afterward tell</i><br/> +THE TRUTH.</h4> + +<p> +This statement startled the Frogman. It even worried him, so that he leaped +upon the bank and hurriedly began to dress himself. “A great misfortune has +befallen me,” he told himself, “for hereafter I cannot tell people I am wise, +since it is not the truth. The truth is that my boasted wisdom is all a sham, +assumed by me to deceive people and make them defer to me. In truth, no living +creature can know much more than his fellows, for one may know one thing, and +another know another thing, so that wisdom is evenly scattered throughout the +world. But—ah me!—what a terrible fate will now be mine. Even Cayke the Cookie +Cook will soon discover that my knowledge is no greater than her own, for +having bathed in the enchanted water of the Truth Pond, I can no longer deceive +her or tell a lie.” +</p> + +<p> +More humbled than he had been for many years, the Frogman went back to the +grove where he had left Cayke and found the woman now awake and washing her +face in a tiny brook. “Where has Your Honor been?” she asked. +</p> + +<p> +“To a farmhouse to ask for something to eat,” said he, “but the woman refused +me.” +</p> + +<p> +“How dreadful!” she exclaimed. “But never mind, there are other houses where +the people will be glad to feed the Wisest Creature in all the World.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you mean yourself?” he asked. +</p> + +<p> +“No, I mean you.” +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman felt strongly impelled to tell the truth, but struggled hard +against it. His reason told him there was no use in letting Cayke know he was +not wise, for then she would lose much respect for him, but each time he opened +his mouth to speak, he realized he was about to tell the truth and shut it +again as quickly as possible. He tried to talk about something else, but the +words necessary to undeceive the woman would force themselves to his lips in +spite of all his struggles. Finally, knowing that he must either remain dumb or +let the truth prevail, he gave a low groan of despair and said, “Cayke, I am +NOT the Wisest Creature in all the World; I am not wise at all.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, you must be!” she protested. “You told me so yourself, only last evening.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then last evening I failed to tell you the truth,” he admitted, looking very +shamefaced for a frog. “I am sorry I told you this lie, my good Cayke, but if +you must know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I am not +really as wise as you are.” +</p> + +<p> +The Cookie Cook was greatly shocked to hear this, for it shattered one of her +most pleasing illusions. She looked at the gorgeously dressed Frogman in +amazement. “What has caused you to change your mind so suddenly?” she inquired. +</p> + +<p> +“I have bathed in the Truth Pond,” he said, “and whoever bathes in that water +is ever afterward obliged to tell the truth.” +</p> + +<p> +“You were foolish to do that,” declared the woman. +</p> + +<p> +“It is often very embarrassing to tell the truth. I’m glad I didn’t bathe in +that dreadful water!” +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman looked at his companion thoughtfully. “Cayke,” said he, “I want you +to go to the Truth Pond and take a bath in its water. For if we are to travel +together and encounter unknown adventures, it would not be fair that I alone +must always tell you the truth, while you could tell me whatever you pleased. +If we both dip in the enchanted water, there will be no chance in the future of +our deceiving one another.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” she asserted, shaking her head positively, “I won’t do it, Your Honor. +For if I told you the truth, I’m sure you wouldn’t like me. No Truth Pond for +me. I’ll be just as I am, an honest woman who can say what she wants to without +hurting anyone’s feelings.” +</p> + +<p> +With this decision the Frogman was forced to be content, although he was sorry +the Cookie Cook would not listen to his advice. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap14"></a> +CHAPTER 14<br/> +THE UNHAPPY FERRYMAN</h2> + +<p> +Leaving the grove where they had slept, the Frogman and the Cookie Cook turned +to the east to seek another house, and after a short walk came to one where the +people received them very politely. The children stared rather hard at the big, +pompous Frogman, but the woman of the house, when Cayke asked for something to +eat, at once brought them food and said they were welcome to it. “Few people in +need of help pass this way,” she remarked, “for the Winkies are all prosperous +and love to stay in their own homes. But perhaps you are not a Winkie,” she +added. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Cayke, “I am a Yip, and my home is on a high mountain at the +southeast of your country.” +</p> + +<p> +“And the Frogman, is he also a Yip?” +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know what he is, other than a very remarkable and highly educated +creature,” replied the Cookie Cook. “But he has lived many years among the +Yips, who have found him so wise and intelligent that they always go to him for +advice.” +</p> + +<p> +“May I ask why you have left your home and where you are going?” said the +Winkie woman. +</p> + +<p> +Then Cayke told her of the diamond-studded gold dishpan and how it had been +mysteriously stolen from her house, after which she had discovered that she +could no longer cook good cookies. So she had resolved to search until she +found her dishpan again, because a Cookie cook who cannot cook good cookies is +not of much use. The Frogman, who had wanted to see more of the world, had +accompanied her to assist in the search. When the woman had listened to this +story, she asked, “Then you have no idea as yet who has stolen your dishpan?” +</p> + +<p> +“I only know it must have been some mischievous fairy, or a magician, or some +such powerful person, because none other could have climbed the steep mountain +to the Yip Country. And who else could have carried away my beautiful magic +dishpan without being seen?” +</p> + +<p> +The woman thought about this during the time that Cayke and the Frogman ate +their breakfast. When they had finished, she said, “Where are you going next?” +</p> + +<p> +“We have not decided,” answered the Cookie cook. +</p> + +<p> +“Our plan,” explained the Frogman in his important way, “is to travel from +place to place until we learn where the thief is located and then to force him +to return the dishpan to its proper owner.” +</p> + +<p> +“The plan is all right,” agreed the woman, “but it may take you a long time +before you succeed, your method being sort of haphazard and indefinite. +However, I advise you to travel toward the east.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” asked the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“Because if you went west, you would soon come to the desert, and also because +in this part of the Winkie Country no one steals, so your time here would be +wasted. But toward the east, beyond the river, live many strange people whose +honesty I would not vouch for. Moreover, if you journey far enough east and +cross the river for a second time, you will come to the Emerald City, where +there is much magic and sorcery. The Emerald City is ruled by a dear little +girl called Ozma, who also rules the Emperor of the Winkies and all the Land of +Oz. So, as Ozma is a fairy, she may be able to tell you just who has taken your +precious dishpan. Provided, of course, you do not find it before you reach +her.” +</p> + +<p> +“This seems to be to be excellent advice,” said the Frogman, and Cayke agreed +with him. +</p> + +<p> +“The most sensible thing for you to do,” continued the woman, “would be to +return to your home and use another dishpan, learn to cook cookies as other +people cook cookies, without the aid of magic. But if you cannot be happy +without the magic dishpan you have lost, you are likely to learn more about it +in the Emerald City than at any other place in Oz.” +</p> + +<p> +They thanked the good woman, and on leaving her house faced the east and +continued in that direction all the way. Toward evening they came to the west +branch of the Winkie River and there, on the riverbank, found a ferryman who +lived all alone in a little yellow house. This ferryman was a Winkie with a +very small head and a very large body. He was sitting in his doorway as the +travelers approached him and did not even turn his head to look at them. +</p> + +<p> +“Good evening,” said the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +The ferryman made no reply. +</p> + +<p> +“We would like some supper and the privilege of sleeping in your house until +morning,” continued the Frogman. “At daybreak, we would like some breakfast, +and then we would like to have you row us across the river.” +</p> + +<p> +The ferryman neither moved nor spoke. He sat in his doorway and looked straight +ahead. “I think he must be deaf and dumb,” Cayke whispered to her companion. +Then she stood directly in front of the ferryman, and putting her mouth close +to his ear, she yelled as loudly as she could, “Good evening!” +</p> + +<p> +The ferryman scowled. +</p> + +<p> +“Why do you yell at me, woman?” he asked. +</p> + +<p> +“Can you hear what I say?” asked in her ordinary tone of voice. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course,” replied the man. +</p> + +<p> +“Then why didn’t you answer the Frogman?” +</p> + +<p> +“Because,” said the ferryman, “I don’t understand the frog language.” +</p> + +<p> +“He speaks the same words that I do and in the same way,” declared Cayke. +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps,” replied the ferryman, “but to me his voice sounded like a frog’s +croak. I know that in the Land of Oz animals can speak our language, and so can +the birds and bugs and fishes; but in MY ears, they sound merely like growls +and chirps and croaks.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why is that?” asked the Cookie Cook in surprise. +</p> + +<p> +“Once, many years ago, I cut the tail off a fox which had taunted me, and I +stole some birds’ eggs from a nest to make an omelet with, and also I pulled a +fish from the river and left it lying on the bank to gasp for lack of water +until it died. I don’t know why I did those wicked things, but I did them. So +the Emperor of the Winkies—who is the Tin Woodman and has a very tender tin +heart—punished me by denying me any communication with beasts, birds or fishes. +I cannot understand them when they speak to me, although I know that other +people can do so, nor can the creatures understand a word I say to them. Every +time I meet one of them, I am reminded of my former cruelty, and it makes me +very unhappy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Really,” said Cayke, “I’m sorry for you, although the Tin Woodman is not to +blame for punishing you.” +</p> + +<p> +“What is he mumbling about?” asked the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“He is talking to me, but you don’t understand him,” she replied. And then she +told him of the ferryman’s punishment and afterward explained to the ferryman +that they wanted to stay all night with him and be fed. +</p> + +<p> +He gave them some fruit and bread, which was the only sort of food he had, and +he allowed Cayke to sleep in a room of his cottage. But the Frogman he refused +to admit to his house, saying that the frog’s presence made him miserable and +unhappy. At no time would he look directly at the Frogman, or even toward him, +fearing he would shed tears if he did so; so the big frog slept on the +riverbank where he could hear little frogs croaking in the river all the night +through. But that did not keep him awake; it merely soothed him to slumber, for +he realized how much superior he was to them. +</p> + +<p> +Just as the sun was rising on a new day, the ferryman rowed the two travelers +across the river—keeping his back to the Frogman all the way—and then Cayke +thanked him and bade him goodbye and the ferryman rowed home again. +</p> + +<p> +On this side of the river, there were no paths at all, so it was evident they +had reached a part of the country little frequented by travelers. There was a +marsh at the south of them, sandhills at the north, and a growth of scrubby +underbrush leading toward a forest at the east. So the east was really the +least difficult way to go, and that direction was the one they had determined +to follow. +</p> + +<p> +Now the Frogman, although he wore green patent-leather shoes with ruby buttons, +had very large and flat feet, and when he tramped through the scrub, his weight +crushed down the underbrush and made a path for Cayke to follow him. Therefore +they soon reached the forest, where the tall trees were set far apart but were +so leafy that they shaded all the spaces between them with their branches. +“There are no bushes here,” said Cayke, much pleased, “so we can now travel +faster and with more comfort.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap15"></a> +CHAPTER 15<br/> +THE BIG LAVENDER BEAR</h2> + +<p> +It was a pleasant place to wander, and the two travelers were proceeding at a +brisk pace when suddenly a voice shouted, “Halt!” +</p> + +<p> +They looked around in surprise, seeing at first no one at all. Then from behind +a tree there stepped a brown, fuzzy bear whose head came about as high as +Cayke’s waist—and Cayke was a small woman. The bear was chubby as well as +fuzzy; his body was even puffy, while his legs and arms seemed jointed at the +knees and elbows and fastened to his body by pins or rivets. His ears were +round in shape and stuck out in a comical way, while his round, black eyes were +bright and sparkling as beads. Over his shoulder the little brown bear bore a +gun with a tin barrel. The barrel had a cork in the end of it, and a string was +attached to the cork and to the handle of the gun. Both the Frogman and Cayke +gazed hard at this curious bear, standing silent for some time. But finally the +Frogman recovered from his surprise and remarked, “It seems to me that you are +stuffed with sawdust and ought not to be alive.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s all you know about it,” answered the little Brown Bear in a squeaky +voice. “I am stuffed with a very good quality of curled hair, and my skin is +the best plush that was ever made. As for my being alive, that is my own affair +and cannot concern you at all, except that it gives me the privilege to say you +are my prisoners.” +</p> + +<p> +“Prisoners! Why do you speak such nonsense?” the Frogman angrily. “Do you think +we are afraid of a toy bear with a toy gun?” +</p> + +<p> +“You ought to be,” was the confident reply, “for I am merely the sentry +guarding the way to Bear Center, which is a city containing hundreds of my +race, who are ruled by a very powerful sorcerer known as the Lavender Bear. He +ought to be a purple color, you know, seeing he is a King, but he’s only light +lavender, which is, of course, second cousin to royal purple. So unless you +come with me peaceably as my prisoners, I shall fire my gun and bring a hundred +bears of all sizes and colors to capture you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why do you wish to capture us?” inquired the Frogman, who had listened to his +speech with much astonishment. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t wish to, as a matter of fact,” replied the little Brown Bear, “but it +is my duty to, because you are now trespassing on the domain of His Majesty, +the King of Bear Center. Also, I will admit that things are rather quiet in our +city just now, and the excitement of your capture, followed by your trial and +execution, should afford us much entertainment.” +</p> + +<p> +“We defy you!” said the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh no, don’t do that,” pleaded Cayke, speaking to her companion. “He says his +King is a sorcerer, so perhaps it is he or one of his bears who ventured to +steal my jeweled dishpan. Let us go to the City of the Bears and discover if my +dishpan is there.” +</p> + +<p> +“I must now register one more charge against you,” remarked the little Brown +Bear with evident satisfaction. “You have just accused us of stealing, and that +is such a dreadful thing to say that I am quite sure our noble King will +command you to be executed.” +</p> + +<p> +“But how could you execute us?” inquired the Cookie Cook. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ve no idea. But our King is a wonderful inventor, and there is no doubt he +can find a proper way to destroy you. So tell me, are you going to struggle, or +will you go peaceably to meet your doom?” +</p> + +<p> +It was all so ridiculous that Cayke laughed aloud, and even the Frogman’s wide +mouth curled in a smile. Neither was a bit afraid to go to the Bear City, and +it seemed to both that there was a possibility they might discover the missing +dishpan. So the Frogman said, “Lead the way, little Bear, and we will follow +without a struggle.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s very sensible of you, very sensible indeed,” declared the Brown Bear. +“So for-ward, MARCH!” And with the command he turned around and began to waddle +along a path that led between the trees. +</p> + +<p> +Cayke and the Frogman, as they followed their conductor, could scarce forbear +laughing at his stiff, awkward manner of walking, and although he moved his +stuffy legs fast, his steps were so short that they had to go slowly in order +not to run into him. But after a time they reached a large, circular space in +the center of the forest, which was clear of any stumps or underbrush. The +ground was covered by a soft, gray moss, pleasant to tread upon. All the trees +surrounding this space seemed to be hollow and had round holes in their trunks, +set a little way above the ground, but otherwise there was nothing unusual +about the place and nothing, in the opinion of the prisoners, to indicate a +settlement. But the little Brown Bear said in a proud and impressive voice +(although it still squeaked), “This is the wonderful city known to fame as Bear +Center!” +</p> + +<p> +“But there are no houses, there are no bears living here at all!” exclaimed +Cayke. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh indeed!” retorted their captor, and raising his gun he pulled the trigger. +The cork flew out of the tin barrel with a loud “pop!” and at once from every +hole in every tree within view of the clearing appeared the head of a bear. +They were of many colors and of many sizes, but all were made in the same +manner as the bear who had met and captured them. +</p> + +<p> +At first a chorus of growls arose, and then a sharp voice cried, “What has +happened, Corporal Waddle?” +</p> + +<p> +“Captives, Your Majesty!” answered the Brown Bear. “Intruders upon our domain +and slanderers of our good name.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ah, that’s important,” answered the voice. +</p> + +<p> +Then from out the hollow trees tumbled a whole regiment of stuffed bears, some +carrying tin swords, some popguns and others long spears with gay ribbons tied +to the handles. There were hundreds of them, altogether, and they quietly +formed a circle around the Frogman and the Cookie Cook, but kept at a distance +and left a large space for the prisoners to stand in. Presently, this circle +parted, and into the center of it stalked a huge toy bear of a lovely lavender +color. He walked upon his hind legs, as did all the others, and on his head he +wore a tin crown set with diamonds and amethysts, while in one paw he carried a +short wand of some glittering metal that resembled silver but wasn’t. +</p> + +<p> +“His Majesty the King!” Corporal Waddle, and all the bears bowed low. Some +bowed so low that they lost their balance and toppled over, but they soon +scrambled up again, and the Lavender King squatted on his haunches before the +prisoners and gazed at them steadily with his bright, pink eyes. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap16"></a> +CHAPTER 16<br/> +THE LITTLE PINK BEAR</h2> + +<p> +“One Person and one Freak,” said the big Lavender Bear when he had carefully +examined the strangers. +</p> + +<p> +“I am sorry to hear you call poor Cayke the Cookie Cook a Freak,” remonstrated +the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“She is the Person,” asserted the King. “Unless I am mistaken, it is you who +are the Freak.” +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman was silent, for he could not truthfully deny it. +</p> + +<p> +“Why have you dared intrude in my forest?” demanded the Bear King. +</p> + +<p> +“We didn’t know it was your forest,” said Cayke, “and we are on our way to the +far east, where the Emerald City is.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ah, it’s a long way from here to the Emerald City,” remarked the King. “It is +so far away, indeed, that no bear among us has even been there. But what errand +requires you to travel such a distance?” +</p> + +<p> +“Someone has stolen my diamond-studded gold dishpan,” explained Cayke, “and as +I cannot be happy without it, I have decided to search the world over until I +find it again. The Frogman, who is very learned and wonderfully wise, has come +with me to give me his assistance. Isn’t it kind of him?” +</p> + +<p> +The King looked at the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“What makes you so wonderfully wise?” he asked. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not,” was the candid reply. “The Cookie Cook and some others in the Yip +Country think because I am a big frog and talk and act like a man that I must +be very wise. I have learned more than a frog usually knows, it is true, but I +am not yet so wise as I hope to become at some future time.” +</p> + +<p> +The King nodded, and when he did so, something squeaked in his chest. +</p> + +<p> +“Did Your Majesty speak?” asked Cayke. +</p> + +<p> +“Not just then,” answered the Lavender Bear, seeming to be somewhat +embarrassed. “I am so built, you must know, that when anything pushes against +my chest, as my chin accidentally did just then, I make that silly noise. In +this city it isn’t considered good manners to notice. But I like your Frogman. +He is honest and truthful, which is more than can be said of many others. As +for your late lamented dishpan, I’ll show it to you.” +</p> + +<p> +With this he waved three times the metal wand which he held in his paw, and +instantly there appeared upon the ground midway between the King and Cayke a +big, round pan made of beaten gold. Around the top edge was a row of small +diamonds; around the center of the pan was another row of larger diamonds; and +at the bottom was a row of exceedingly large and brilliant diamonds. In fact, +they all sparkled magnificently, and the pan was so big and broad that it took +a lot of diamonds to go around it three times. +</p> + +<p> +Cayke stared so hard that her eyes seemed about to pop out of her head. +“O-o-o-h!” she exclaimed, drawing a deep breath of delight. +</p> + +<p> +“Is this your dishpan?” inquired the King. +</p> + +<p> +“It is, it is!” cried the Cookie Cook, and rushing forward, she fell on her +knees and threw her arms around the precious pan. But her arms came together +without meeting any resistance at all. Cayke tried to seize the edge, but found +nothing to grasp. The pan was surely there, she thought, for she could see it +plainly; but it was not solid; she could not feel it at all. With a moan of +astonishment and despair, she raised her head to look at the Bear King, who was +watching her actions curiously. Then she turned to the pan again, only to find +it had completely disappeared. +</p> + +<p> +“Poor creature!” murmured the King pityingly. “You must have thought, for the +moment, that you had actually recovered your dishpan. But what you saw was +merely the image of it, conjured up by means of my magic. It is a pretty +dishpan, indeed, though rather big and awkward to handle. I hope you will some +day find it.” +</p> + +<p> +Cayke was grievously disappointed. She began to cry, wiping her eyes on her +apron. The King turned to the throng of toy bears surrounding him and asked, +“Has any of you ever seen this golden dishpan before?” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” they answered in a chorus. +</p> + +<p> +The King seemed to reflect. Presently he inquired, “Where is the Little Pink +Bear?” +</p> + +<p> +“At home, Your Majesty,” was the reply. +</p> + +<p> +“Fetch him here,” commanded the King. +</p> + +<p> +Several of the bears waddled over to one of the trees and pulled from its +hollow a tiny pink bear, smaller than any of the others. A big, white bear +carried the pink one in his arms and set it down beside the King, arranging the +joints of its legs so that it would stand upright. +</p> + +<p> +This Pink Bear seemed lifeless until the King turned a crank which protruded +from its side, when the little creature turned its head stiffly from side to +side and said in a small, shrill voice, “Hurrah for the King of Bear Center!” +</p> + +<p> +“Very good,” said the big Lavender Bear. “He seems to be working very well +today. Tell me, my Pink Pinkerton, what has become of this lady’s jeweled +dishpan?” +</p> + +<p> +“U-u-u,” said the Pink Bear, and then stopped short. +</p> + +<p> +The King turned the crank again. +</p> + +<p> +“U-g-u the Shoemaker has it,” said the Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“Who is Ugu the Shoemaker?” demanded the King, again turning the crank. +</p> + +<p> +“A magician who lives on a mountain in a wickerwork castle,” was the reply. +</p> + +<p> +“Where is the mountain?” was the next question. +</p> + +<p> +“Nineteen miles and three furlongs from Bear Center to the northeast.” +</p> + +<p> +“And is the dishpan still at the castle of Ugu the Shoemaker?” asked the King. +</p> + +<p> +“It is.” +</p> + +<p> +The King turned to Cayke. +</p> + +<p> +“You may rely on this information,” said he. “The Pink Bear can tell us +anything we wish to know, and his words are always words of truth.” +</p> + +<p> +“Is he alive?” asked the Frogman, much interested in the Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“Something animates him when you turn his crank,” replied the King. “I do not +know if it is life or what it is or how it happens that the Little Pink Bear +can answer correctly every question put to him. We discovered his talent a long +time ago, and whenever we wish to know anything—which is not very often—we ask +the Pink Bear. There is no doubt whatever, madam, that Ugu the Magician has +your dishpan, and if you dare to go to him, you may be able to recover it. But +of that I am not certain.” +</p> + +<p> +“Can’t the Pink Bear tell?” asked Cayke anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +“No, for that is in the future. He can tell anything that HAS happened, but +nothing that is going to happen. Don’t ask me why, for I don’t know.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said the Cookie Cook after a little thought, “I mean to go to this +magician, anyhow, and tell him I want my dishpan. I wish I knew what Ugu the +Shoemaker is like.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then I’ll show him to you,” promised the King. “But do not be frightened. It +won’t be Ugu, remember, but only his image.” With this, he waved his metal +wand, and in the circle suddenly appeared a thin little man, very old and +skinny, who was seated on a wicker stool before a wicker table. On the table +lay a Great Book with gold clasps. The Book was open, and the man was reading +in it. He wore great spectacles which were fastened before his eyes by means of +a ribbon that passed around his head and was tied in a bow at the neck. His +hair was very thin and white; his skin, which clung fast to his bones, was +brown and seared with furrows; he had a big, fat nose and little eyes set close +together. +</p> + +<p> +On no account was Ugu the Shoemaker a pleasant person to gaze at. As his image +appeared before them, all were silent and intent until Corporal Waddle, the +Brown Bear, became nervous and pulled the trigger of his gun. Instantly, the +cork flew out of the tin barrel with a loud “pop!” that made them all jump. And +at this sound, the image of the magician vanished. +</p> + +<p> +“So THAT’S the thief, is it?” said Cayke in an angry voice. “I should think +he’d be ashamed of himself for stealing a poor woman’s diamond dishpan! But I +mean to face him in his wicker castle and force him to return my property.” +</p> + +<p> +“To me,” said the Bear King reflectively, “he looked like a dangerous person. I +hope he won’t be so unkind as to argue the matter with you.” +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman was much disturbed by the vision of Ugu the Shoemaker, and Cayke’s +determination to go to the magician filled her companion with misgivings. But +he would not break his pledged word to assist the Cookie Cook, and after +breathing a deep sigh of resignation, he asked the King, “Will Your Majesty +lend us this Pink Bear who answers questions that we may take him with us on +our journey? He would be very useful to us, and we will promise to bring him +safely back to you.” +</p> + +<p> +The King did not reply at once. He seemed to be thinking. +</p> + +<p> +“PLEASE let us take the Pink Bear,” begged Cayke. “I’m sure he would be a great +help to us.” +</p> + +<p> +“The Pink Bear,” said the King, “is the best bit of magic I possess, and there +is not another like him in the world. I do not care to let him out of my sight, +nor do I wish to disappoint you; so I believe I will make the journey in your +company and carry my Pink Bear with me. He can walk when you wind the other +side of him, but so slowly and awkwardly that he would delay you. But if I go +along, I can carry him in my arms, so I will join your party. Whenever you are +ready to start, let me know.” +</p> + +<p> +“But Your Majesty!” exclaimed Corporal Waddle in protest, “I hope you do not +intend to let these prisoners escape without punishment.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of what crime do you accuse them?” inquired the King. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, they trespassed on your domain, for one thing,” said the Brown Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“We didn’t know it was private property, Your Majesty,” said the Cookie Cook. +“And they asked if any of us had stolen the dishpan!” continued Corporal Waddle +indignantly. “That is the same thing as calling us thieves and robbers and +bandits and brigands, is it not?” +</p> + +<p> +“Every person has the right to ask questions,” said the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“But the Corporal is quite correct,” declared the Lavender Bear. “I condemn you +both to death, the execution to take place ten years from this hour.” +</p> + +<p> +“But we belong in the Land of Oz, where no one ever dies,” Cayke reminded him. +</p> + +<p> +“Very true,” said the King. “I condemn you to death merely as a matter of form. +It sounds quite terrible, and in ten years we shall have forgotten all about +it. Are you ready to start for the wicker castle of Ugu the Shoemaker?” +</p> + +<p> +“Quite ready, Your Majesty.” +</p> + +<p> +“But who will rule in your place while you are gone?” asked a big Yellow Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“I myself will rule while I am gone,” was the reply. +</p> + +<p> +“A King isn’t required to stay at home forever, and if he takes a notion to +travel, whose business is it but his own? All I ask is that you bears behave +yourselves while I am away. If any of you is naughty, I’ll send him to some +girl or boy in America to play with.” +</p> + +<p> +This dreadful threat made all the toy bears look solemn. They assured the King +in a chorus of growls that they would be good. Then the big Lavender Bear +picked up the little Pink Bear, and after tucking it carefully under one arm, +he said, “Goodbye till I come back!” and waddled along the path that led +through the forest. The Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook also said goodbye to +the bears and then followed after the King, much to the regret of the little +Brown Bear, who pulled the trigger of his gun and popped the cork as a parting +salute. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap17"></a> +CHAPTER 17<br/> +THE MEETING</h2> + +<p> +While the Frogman and his party were advancing from the west, Dorothy and her +party were advancing from the east, and so it happened that on the following +night they all camped at a little hill that was only a few miles from the +wicker castle of Ugu the Shoemaker. But the two parties did not see one another +that night, for one camped on one side of the hill while the other camped on +the opposite side. But the next morning, the Frogman thought he would climb the +hill and see what was on top of it, and at the same time Scraps, the Patchwork +Girl, also decided to climb the hill to find if the wicker castle was visible +from its top. So she stuck her head over an edge just as the Frogman’s head +appeared over another edge, and both, being surprised, kept still while they +took a good look at one another. +</p> + +<p> +Scraps recovered from her astonishment first, and bounding upward, she turned a +somersault and landed sitting down and facing the big Frogman, who slowly +advanced and sat opposite her. “Well met, Stranger!” cried the Patchwork Girl +with a whoop of laughter. “You are quite the funniest individual I have seen in +all my travels.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you suppose I can be any funnier than you?” asked the Frogman, gazing at +her in wonder. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not funny to myself, you know,” returned Scraps. “I wish I were. And +perhaps you are so used to your own absurd shape that you do not laugh whenever +you see your reflection in a pool or in a mirror.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said the Frogman gravely, “I do not. I used to be proud of my great size +and vain of my culture and education, but since I bathed in the Truth Pond, I +sometimes think it is not right that I should be different from all other +frogs.” +</p> + +<p> +“Right or wrong,” said the Patchwork Girl, “to be different is to be +distinguished. Now in my case, I’m just like all other Patchwork Girls because +I’m the only one there is. But tell me, where did you come from?” +</p> + +<p> +“The Yip Country,” said he. +</p> + +<p> +“Is that in the Land of Oz?” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course,” replied the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“And do you know that your Ruler, Ozma of Oz, has been stolen?” +</p> + +<p> +“I was not aware that I had a Ruler, so of course I couldn’t know that she was +stolen.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, you have. All the people of Oz,” explained Scraps, “are ruled by Ozma, +whether they know it or not. And she has been stolen. Aren’t you angry? Aren’t +you indignant? Your Ruler, whom you didn’t know you had, has positively been +stolen!” +</p> + +<p> +“That is queer,” remarked the Frogman thoughtfully. “Stealing is a thing +practically unknown in Oz, yet this Ozma has been taken, and a friend of mine +has also had her dishpan stolen. With her I have traveled all the way from the +Yip Country in order to recover it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t see any connection between a Royal Ruler of Oz and a dishpan!” +declared Scraps. +</p> + +<p> +“They’ve both been stolen, haven’t they?” +</p> + +<p> +“True. But why can’t your friend wash her dishes in another dishpan?” asked +Scraps. +</p> + +<p> +“Why can’t you use another Royal Ruler? I suppose you prefer the one who is +lost, and my friend wants her own dishpan, which is made of gold and studded +with diamonds and has magic powers.” +</p> + +<p> +“Magic, eh?” exclaimed Scraps. “THERE is a link that connects the two steals, +anyhow, for it seems that all the magic in the Land of Oz was stolen at the +same time, whether it was in the Emerald City of in Glinda’s castle or in the +Yip Country. Seems mighty strange and mysterious, doesn’t it?” +</p> + +<p> +“It used to seem that way to me,” admitted the Frogman, “but we have now +discovered who took our dishpan. It was Ugu the Shoemaker.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ugu? Good gracious! That’s the same magician we think has stolen Ozma. We are +now on our way to the castle of this Shoemaker.” +</p> + +<p> +“So are we,” said the Frogman. +</p> + +<p> +“Then follow me, quick! And let me introduce you to Dorothy and the other girls +and to the Wizard of Oz and all the rest of us.” +</p> + +<p> +She sprang up and seized his coatsleeve, dragging him off the hilltop and down +the other side from that whence he had come. And at the foot of the hill, the +Frogman was astonished to find the three girls and the Wizard and +Button-Bright, who were surrounded by a wooden Sawhorse, a lean Mule, a square +Woozy, and a Cowardly Lion. A little black dog ran up and smelled at the +Frogman, but couldn’t growl at him. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ve discovered another party that has been robbed,” shouted Scraps as she +joined them. “This is their leader, and they’re all going to Ugu’s castle to +fight the wicked Shoemaker!” +</p> + +<p> +They regarded the Frogman with much curiosity and interest, and finding all +eyes fixed upon him, the newcomer arranged his necktie and smoothed his +beautiful vest and swung his gold-headed cane like a regular dandy. The big +spectacles over his eyes quite altered his froglike countenance and gave him a +learned and impressive look. Used as she was to seeing strange creatures in the +Land of Oz, Dorothy was amazed at discovering the Frogman. So were all her +companions. Toto wanted to growl at him, but couldn’t, and he didn’t dare bark. +The Sawhorse snorted rather contemptuously, but the Lion whispered to the +wooden steed, “Bear with this strange creature, my friend, and remember he is +no more extraordinary than you are. Indeed, it is more natural for a frog to be +big than for a Sawhorse to be alive.” +</p> + +<p> +On being questioned, the Frogman told them the whole story of the loss of +Cayke’s highly prized dishpan and their adventures in search of it. When he +came to tell of the Lavender Bear King and of the Little Pink Bear who could +tell anything you wanted to know, his hearers became eager to see such +interesting animals. +</p> + +<p> +“It will be best,” said the Wizard, “to unite our two parties and share our +fortunes together, for we are all bound on the same errand, and as one band we +may more easily defy this shoemaker magician than if separate. Let us be +allies.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will ask my friends about that,” replied the Frogman, and he climbed over +the hill to find Cayke and the toy bears. The Patchwork Girl accompanied him, +and when they came upon the Cookie Cook and the Lavender Bear and the Pink +Bear, it was hard to tell which of the lot was the most surprised. +</p> + +<p> +“Mercy me!” cried Cayke, addressing the Patchwork Girl. “However did you come +alive?” +</p> + +<p> +Scraps stared at the bears. +</p> + +<p> +“Mercy me!” she echoed, “You are stuffed, as I am, with cotton, and you appear +to be living. That makes me feel ashamed, for I have prided myself on being the +only live cotton-stuffed person in Oz.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps you are,” returned the Lavender Bear, “for I am stuffed with +extra-quality curled hair, and so is the Little Pink Bear.” +</p> + +<p> +“You have relieved my mind of a great anxiety,” declared the Patchwork Girl, +now speaking more cheerfully. “The Scarecrow is stuffed with straw and you with +hair, so I am still the Original and Only Cotton-Stuffed!” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope I am too polite to criticize cotton as compared with curled hair,” said +the King, “especially as you seem satisfied with it.” +</p> + +<p> +Then the Frogman told of his interview with the party from the Emerald City and +added that the Wizard of Oz had invited the bears and Cayke and himself to +travel in company with them to the castle of Ugu the Shoemaker. Cayke was much +pleased, but the Bear King looked solemn. He set the Little Pink Bear on his +lap and turned the crank in its side and asked, “Is it safe for us to associate +with those people from the Emerald City?” +</p> + +<p> +And the Pink Bear at once replied, +</p> + +<p class="poem"> +“Safe for you and safe for me;<br/> +Perhaps no others safe will be.” +</p> + +<p> +“That ‘perhaps’ need not worry us,” said the King, “so let us join the others +and offer them our protection.” +</p> + +<p> +Even the Lavender Bear was astonished, however, when on climbing over the hill +he found on the other side the group of queer animals and the people from the +Emerald City. The bears and Cayke were received very cordially, although +Button-Bright was cross when they wouldn’t let him play with the Little Pink +Bear. The three girls greatly admired the toy bears, and especially the pink +one, which they longed to hold. +</p> + +<p> +“You see,” explained the Lavender King in denying them this privilege, “he’s a +very valuable bear, because his magic is a correct guide on all occasions, and +especially if one is in difficulties. It was the Pink Bear who told us that Ugu +the Shoemaker had stolen the Cookie Cook’s dishpan.” +</p> + +<p> +“And the King’s magic is just as wonderful,” added Cayke, “because it showed us +the Magician himself.” +</p> + +<p> +“What did he look like?” inquired Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“He was dreadful!” +</p> + +<p> +“He was sitting at a table and examining an immense Book which had three golden +clasps,” remarked the King. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, that must have been Glinda’s Great Book of Records!” exclaimed Dorothy. +“If it is, it proves that Ugu the Shoemaker stole Ozma, and with her all the +magic in the Emerald City.” +</p> + +<p> +“And my dishpan,” said Cayke. +</p> + +<p> +And the Wizard added, “It also proves that he is following our adventures in +the Book of Records, and therefore knows that we are seeking him and that we +are determined to find him and reach Ozma at all hazards.” +</p> + +<p> +“If we can,” added the Woozy, but everybody frowned at him. +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard’s statement was so true that the faces around him were very serious +until the Patchwork Girl broke into a peal of laughter. +</p> + +<p> +“Wouldn’t it be a rich joke if he made prisoners of us, too?” she said. +</p> + +<p> +“No one but a crazy Patchwork Girl would consider that a joke,” grumbled +Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +And then the Lavender Bear King asked, “Would you like to see this magical +shoemaker?” +</p> + +<p> +“Wouldn’t he know it?” Dorothy inquired. +</p> + +<p> +“No, I think not.” +</p> + +<p> +Then the King waved his metal wand and before them appeared a room in the +wicker castle of Ugu. On the wall of the room hung Ozma’s Magic Picture, and +seated before it was the Magician. They could see the Picture as well as he +could, because it faced them, and in the Picture was the hillside where they +were now sitting, all their forms being reproduced in miniature. And curiously +enough, within the scene of the Picture was the scene they were now beholding, +so they knew that the Magician was at this moment watching them in the Picture, +and also that he saw himself and the room he was in become visible to the +people on the hillside. Therefore he knew very well that they were watching him +while he was watching them. +</p> + +<p> +In proof of this, Ugu sprang from his seat and turned a scowling face in their +direction; but now he could not see the travelers who were seeking him, +although they could still see him. His actions were so distinct, indeed, that +it seemed he was actually before them. “It is only a ghost,” said the Bear +King. “It isn’t real at all except that it shows us Ugu just as he looks and +tells us truly just what he is doing.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t see anything of my lost growl, though,” said Toto as if to himself. +</p> + +<p> +Then the vision faded away, and they could see nothing but the grass and trees +and bushes around them. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap18"></a> +CHAPTER 18<br/> +THE CONFERENCE</h2> + +<p> +“Now then,” said the Wizard, “let us talk this matter over and decide what to +do when we get to Ugu’s wicker castle. There can be no doubt that the Shoemaker +is a powerful Magician, and his powers have been increased a hundredfold since +he secured the Great Book of Records, the Magic Picture, all of Glinda’s +recipes for sorcery, and my own black bag, which was full of tools of wizardry. +The man who could rob us of those things and the man with all their powers at +his command is one who may prove somewhat difficult to conquer, therefore we +should plan our actions well before we venture too near to his castle.” +</p> + +<p> +“I didn’t see Ozma in the Magic Picture,” said Trot. “What do you suppose Ugu +has done with her?” +</p> + +<p> +“Couldn’t the Little Pink Bear tell us what he did with Ozma?” asked +Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“To be sure,” replied the Lavender King. “I’ll ask him.” So he turned the crank +in the Little Pink Bear’s side and inquired, “Did Ugu the Shoemaker steal Ozma +of Oz?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” answered the Little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“Then what did he do with her?” asked the King. +</p> + +<p> +“Shut her up in a dark place,” answered the Little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, that must be a dungeon cell!” cried Dorothy, horrified. “How dreadful!” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, we must get her out of it,” said the Wizard. “That is what we came for, +and of course we must rescue Ozma. But how?” +</p> + +<p> +Each one looked at some other one for an answer, and all shook their heads in a +grave and dismal manner. All but Scraps, who danced around them gleefully. +“You’re afraid,” said the Patchwork Girl, “because so many things can hurt your +meat bodies. Why don’t you give it up and go home? How can you fight a great +magician when you have nothing to fight with?” +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy looked at her reflectively. +</p> + +<p> +“Scraps,” said she, “you know that Ugu couldn’t hurt you a bit, whatever he +did, nor could he hurt ME, ’cause I wear the Gnome King’s Magic Belt. S’pose +just we two go on together and leave the others here to wait for us.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, no!” said the Wizard positively. “That won’t do at all. Ozma is more +powerful than either of you, yet she could not defeat the wicked Ugu, who has +shut her up in a dungeon. We must go to the Shoemaker in one mighty band, for +only in union is there strength.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is excellent advice,” said the Lavender Bear approvingly. +</p> + +<p> +“But what can we do when we get to Ugu?” inquired the Cookie Cook anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +“Do not expect a prompt answer to that important question,” replied the Wizard, +“for we must first plan our line of conduct. Ugu knows, of course, that we are +after him, for he has seen our approach in the Magic Picture, and he has read +of all we have done up to the present moment in the Great Book of Records. +Therefore we cannot expect to take him by surprise.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you suppose Ugu would listen to reason?” asked Betsy. “If we explained +to him how wicked he has been, don’t you think he’d let poor Ozma go?” +</p> + +<p> +“And give me back my dishpan?” added the Cookie Cook eagerly. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, yes, won’t he say he’s sorry and get on his knees and beg our pardon?” +cried Scraps, turning a flip-flop to show her scorn of the suggestion. “When +Ugu the Shoemaker does that, please knock at the front door and let me know.” +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard sighed and rubbed his bald head with a puzzled air. “I’m quite sure +Ugu will not be polite to us,” said he, “so we must conquer this cruel magician +by force, much as we dislike to be rude to anyone. But none of you has yet +suggested a way to do that. Couldn’t the Little Pink Bear tell us how?” he +asked, turning to the Bear King. +</p> + +<p> +“No, for that is something that is GOING to happen,” replied the Lavender Bear. +“He can only tell us what already HAS happened.” +</p> + +<p> +Again, they were grave and thoughtful. But after a time, Betsy said in a +hesitating voice, “Hank is a great fighter. Perhaps HE could conquer the +magician.” +</p> + +<p> +The Mule turned his head to look reproachfully at his old friend, the young +girl. “Who can fight against magic?” he asked. +</p> + +<p> +“The Cowardly Lion could,” said Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +The Lion, who was lying with his front legs spread out, his chin on his paws, +raised his shaggy head. “I can fight when I’m not afraid,” said he calmly, “but +the mere mention of a fight sets me to trembling.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ugu’s magic couldn’t hurt the Sawhorse,” suggested tiny Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“And the Sawhorse couldn’t hurt the Magician,” declared that wooden animal. +</p> + +<p> +“For my part,” said Toto, “I am helpless, having lost my growl.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then,” said Cayke the Cookie Cook, “we must depend upon the Frogman. His +marvelous wisdom will surely inform him how to conquer the wicked Magician and +restore to me my dishpan.” +</p> + +<p> +All eyes were now turned questioningly upon the Frogman. Finding himself the +center of observation, he swung his gold-headed cane, adjusted his big +spectacles, and after swelling out his chest, sighed and said in a modest tone +of voice: +</p> + +<p> +“Respect for truth obliges me to confess that Cayke is mistaken in regard to my +superior wisdom. I am not very wise. Neither have I had any practical +experience in conquering magicians. But let us consider this case. What is Ugu, +and what is a magician? Ugu is a renegade shoemaker, and a magician is an +ordinary man who, having learned how to do magical tricks, considers himself +above his fellows. In this case, the Shoemaker has been naughty enough to steal +a lot of magical tools and things that did not belong to him, and he is more +wicked to steal than to be a magician. Yet with all the arts at his command, +Ugu is still a man, and surely there are ways in which a man may be conquered. +How, do you say, how? Allow me to state that I don’t know. In my judgment, we +cannot decide how best to act until we get to Ugu’s castle. So let us go to it +and take a look at it. After that, we may discover an idea that will guide us +to victory.” +</p> + +<p> +“That may not be a wise speech, but it sounds good,” said Dorothy approvingly. +“Ugu the Shoemaker is not only a common man, but he’s a wicked man and a cruel +man and deserves to be conquered. We mustn’t have any mercy on him till Ozma is +set free. So let’s go to his castle as the Frogman says and see what the place +looks like.” +</p> + +<p> +No one offered any objection to this plan, and so it was adopted. They broke +camp and were about to start on the journey to Ugu’s castle when they +discovered that Button-Bright was lost again. The girls and the Wizard shouted +his name, and the Lion roared and the Donkey brayed and the Frogman croaked and +the Big Lavender Bear growled (to the envy of Toto, who couldn’t growl but +barked his loudest), yet none of them could make Button-Bright hear. So after +vainly searching for the boy a full hour, they formed a procession and +proceeded in the direction of the wicker castle of Ugu the Shoemaker. +</p> + +<p> +“Button-Bright’s always getting lost,” said Dorothy. “And if he wasn’t always +getting found again, I’d prob’ly worry. He may have gone ahead of us, and he +may have gone back, but wherever he is, we’ll find him sometime and somewhere, +I’m almost sure.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap19"></a> +CHAPTER 19<br/> +UGU THE SHOEMAKER</h2> + +<p> +A curious thing about Ugu the Shoemaker was that he didn’t suspect in the least +that he was wicked. He wanted to be powerful and great, and he hoped to make +himself master of all the Land of Oz that he might compel everyone in that +fairy country to obey him, His ambition blinded him to the rights of others, +and he imagined anyone else would act just as he did if anyone else happened to +be as clever as himself. +</p> + +<p> +When he inhabited his little shoemaking shop in the City of Herku, he had been +discontented, for a shoemaker is not looked upon with high respect, and Ugu +knew that his ancestors had been famous magicians for many centuries past and +therefore his family was above the ordinary. Even his father practiced magic +when Ugu was a boy, but his father had wandered away from Herku and had never +come back again. So when Ugu grew up, he was forced to make shoes for a living, +knowing nothing of the magic of his forefathers. But one day, in searching +through the attic of his house, he discovered all the books of magical recipes +and many magical instruments which had formerly been in use in his family. From +that day, he stopped making shoes and began to study magic. Finally, he aspired +to become the greatest magician in Oz, and for days and weeks and months he +thought on a plan to render all the other sorcerers and wizards, as well as +those with fairy powers, helpless to oppose him. +</p> + +<p> +From the books of his ancestors, he learned the following facts: +</p> + +<p class="noindent"> +(1) That Ozma of Oz was the fairy ruler of the Emerald City and the Land of Oz +and that she could not be destroyed by any magic ever devised. Also, by means +of her Magic Picture she would be able to discover anyone who approached her +royal palace with the idea of conquering it. +</p> + +<p class="noindent"> +(2) That Glinda the Good was the most powerful Sorceress in Oz, among her other +magical possessions being the Great Book of Records, which told her all that +happened anywhere in the world. This Book of Records was very dangerous to +Ugu’s plans, and Glinda was in the service of Ozma and would use her arts of +sorcery to protect the girl Ruler. +</p> + +<p class="noindent"> +(3) That the Wizard of Oz, who lived in Ozma’s palace, had been taught much +powerful magic by Glinda and had a bag of magic tools with which he might be +able to conquer the Shoemaker. +</p> + +<p class="noindent"> +(4) That there existed in Oz—in the Yip Country—a jeweled dishpan made of gold, +which dishpan would grow large enough for a man to sit inside it. Then, when he +grasped both the golden handles, the dishpan would transport him in an instant +to any place he wished to go within the borders of the Land of Oz. +</p> + +<p> +No one now living except Ugu knew of the powers of the Magic Dishpan, so after +long study, the shoemaker decided that if he could manage to secure the +dishpan, he could by its means rob Ozma and Glinda and the Wizard of Oz of all +their magic, thus becoming himself the most powerful person in all the land. +His first act was to go away from the City of Herku and build for himself the +Wicker Castle in the hills. Here he carried his books and instruments of magic, +and here for a full year he diligently practiced all the magical arts learned +from his ancestors. At the end of that time, he could do a good many wonderful +things. +</p> + +<p> +Then, when all his preparations were made, he set out for the Yip Country, and +climbing the steep mountain at night he entered the house of Cayke the Cookie +Cook and stole her diamond-studded gold dishpan while all the Yips were asleep, +Taking his prize outside, he set the pan upon the ground and uttered the +required magic word. Instantly, the dishpan grew as large as a big washtub, and +Ugu seated himself in it and grasped the two handles. Then he wished himself in +the great drawing room of Glinda the Good. +</p> + +<p> +He was there in a flash. First he took the Great Book of Records and put it in +the dishpan. Then he went to Glinda’s laboratory and took all her rare chemical +compounds and her instruments of sorcery, placing these also in the dishpan, +which he caused to grow large enough to hold them. Next he seated himself +amongst the treasures he had stolen and wished himself in the room in Ozma’s +palace which the Wizard occupied and where he kept his bag of magic tools. This +bag Ugu added to his plunder and then wished himself in the apartments of Ozma. +</p> + +<p> +Here he first took the Magic Picture from the wall and then seized all the +other magical things which Ozma possessed. Having placed these in the dishpan, +he was about to climb in himself when he looked up and saw Ozma standing beside +him. Her fairy instinct had warned her that danger was threatening her, so the +beautiful girl Ruler rose from her couch and leaving her bedchamber at once +confronted the thief. +</p> + +<p> +Ugu had to think quickly, for he realized that if he permitted Ozma to rouse +the inmates of her palace, all his plans and his present successes were likely +to come to naught. So he threw a scarf over the girl’s head so she could not +scream, and pushed her into the dishpan and tied her fast so she could not +move. Then he climbed in beside her and wished himself in his own wicker +castle. The Magic Dishpan was there in an instant, with all its contents, and +Ugu rubbed his hands together in triumphant joy as he realized that he now +possessed all the important magic in the Land of Oz and could force all the +inhabitants of that fairyland to do as he willed. +</p> + +<p> +So quickly had his journey been accomplished that before daylight the robber +magician had locked Ozma in a room, making her a prisoner, and had unpacked and +arranged all his stolen goods. The next day he placed the Book of Records on +his table and hung the Magic Picture on his wall and put away in his cupboards +and drawers all the elixirs and magic compounds he had stolen. The magical +instruments he polished and arranged, and this was fascinating work and made +him very happy. +</p> + +<p> +By turns the imprisoned Ruler wept and scolded the Shoemaker, haughtily +threatening him with dire punishment for the wicked deeds he had done. Ugu +became somewhat afraid of his fairy prisoner, in spite of the fact that he +believed he had robbed her of all her powers; so he performed an enchantment +that quickly disposed of her and placed her out of his sight and hearing. After +that, being occupied with other things, he soon forgot her. +</p> + +<p> +But now, when he looked into the Magic Picture and read the Great Book of +Records, the Shoemaker learned that his wickedness was not to go unchallenged. +Two important expeditions had set out to find him and force him to give up his +stolen property. One was the party headed by the Wizard and Dorothy, while the +other consisted of Cayke and the Frogman. Others were also searching, but not +in the right places. These two groups, however, were headed straight for the +wicker castle, and so Ugu began to plan how best to meet them and to defeat +their efforts to conquer him. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap20"></a> +CHAPTER 20<br/> +MORE SURPRISES</h2> + +<p> +All that first day after the union of the two parties, our friends marched +steadily toward the wicker castle of Ugu the Shoemaker. When night came, they +camped in a little grove and passed a pleasant evening together, although some +of them were worried because Button-Bright was still lost. +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps,” said Toto as the animals lay grouped together for the night, “this +Shoemaker who stole my growl and who stole Ozma has also stolen Button-Bright.” +</p> + +<p> +“How do you know that the Shoemaker stole your growl?” demanded the Woozy. +</p> + +<p> +“He has stolen about everything else of value in Oz, hasn’t he?” replied the +dog. +</p> + +<p> +“He has stolen everything he wants, perhaps,” agreed the Lion, “but what could +anyone want with your growl?” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said the dog, wagging his tail slowly, “my recollection is that it was +a wonderful growl, soft and low and—and—” +</p> + +<p> +“And ragged at the edges,” said the Sawhorse. +</p> + +<p> +“So,” continued Toto, “if that magician hadn’t any growl of his own, he might +have wanted mine and stolen it.” +</p> + +<p> +“And if he has, he will soon wish he hadn’t,” remarked the Mule. “Also, if he +has stolen Button-Bright, he will be sorry.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you like Button-Bright, then?” asked the Lion in surprise. +</p> + +<p> +“It isn’t a question of liking him,” replied the Mule. “It’s a question of +watching him and looking after him. Any boy who causes his friends so much +worry isn’t worth having around. I never get lost.” +</p> + +<p> +“If you did,” said Toto, “no one would worry a bit. I think Button-Bright is a +very lucky boy because he always gets found.” +</p> + +<p> +“See here,” said the Lion, “this chatter is keeping us all awake, and tomorrow +is likely to be a busy day. Go to sleep and forget your quarrels.” +</p> + +<p> +“Friend Lion,” retorted the dog, “if I hadn’t lost my growl, you would hear it +now. I have as much right to talk as you have to sleep.” +</p> + +<p> +The Lion sighed. +</p> + +<p> +“If only you had lost your voice when you lost your growl,” said he, “you would +be a more agreeable companion.” +</p> + +<p> +But they quieted down after that, and soon the entire camp was wrapped in +slumber. Next morning they made an early start, but had hardly proceeded on +their way an hour when, on climbing a slight elevation, they beheld in the +distance a low mountain on top of which stood Ugu’s wicker castle. It was a +good-sized building and rather pretty because the sides, roofs and domes were +all of wicker, closely woven as it is in fine baskets. +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder if it is strong?” said Dorothy musingly as she eyed the queer castle. +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose it is, since a magician built it,” answered the Wizard. “With magic +to protect it, even a paper castle might be as strong as if made of stone. This +Ugu must be a man of ideas, because he does things in a different way from +other people.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. No one else would steal our dear Ozma,” sighed tiny Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder if Ozma is there?” said Betsy, indicating the castle with a nod of +her head. +</p> + +<p> +“Where else could she be?” asked Scraps. +</p> + +<p> +“Suppose we ask the Pink Bear,” suggested Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +That seemed a good idea, so they halted the procession, and the Bear King held +the little Pink Bear on his lap and turned the crank in its side and asked, +“Where is Ozma of Oz?” +</p> + +<p> +And the little Pink Bear answered, “She is in a hole in the ground a half mile +away at your left.” +</p> + +<p> +“Good gracious!” cried Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Then she is not in Ugu’s castle at all.” +</p> + +<p> +“It is lucky we asked that question,” said the Wizard, “for if we can find Ozma +and rescue her, there will be no need for us to fight that wicked and dangerous +magician.” +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed!” said Cayke. “Then what about my dishpan?” +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard looked puzzled at her tone of remonstrance, so she added, “Didn’t +you people from the Emerald City promise that we would all stick together, and +that you would help me to get my dishpan if I would help you to get your Ozma? +And didn’t I bring to you the little Pink Bear, which has told you where Ozma +is hidden?” +</p> + +<p> +“She’s right,” said Dorothy to the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“We must do as we agreed.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, first of all, let us go and rescue Ozma,” proposed the Wizard. “Then our +beloved Ruler may be able to advise us how to conquer Ugu the Shoemaker.” So +they turned to the left and marched for half a mile until they came to a small +but deep hole in the ground. At once, all rushed to the brim to peer into the +hole, but instead of finding there Princess Ozma of Oz, all that they saw was +Button-Bright, who was lying asleep on the bottom. +</p> + +<p> +Their cries soon wakened the boy, who sat up and rubbed his eyes. When he +recognized his friends, he smiled sweetly, saying, “Found again!” +</p> + +<p> +“Where is Ozma?” inquired Dorothy anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know,” answered Button-Bright from the depths of the hole. “I got lost +yesterday, as you may remember, and in the night while I was wandering around +in the moonlight trying to find my way back to you, I suddenly fell into this +hole.” +</p> + +<p> +“And wasn’t Ozma in it then?” +</p> + +<p> +“There was no one in it but me, and I was sorry it wasn’t entirely empty. The +sides are so steep I can’t climb out, so there was nothing to be done but sleep +until someone found me. Thank you for coming. If you’ll please let down a rope, +I’ll empty this hole in a hurry.” +</p> + +<p> +“How strange!” said Dorothy, greatly disappointed. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s evident the Pink Bear didn’t tell the truth.” +</p> + +<p> +“He never makes a mistake,” declared the Lavender Bear King in a tone that +showed his feelings were hurt. And then he turned the crank of the little Pink +Bear again and asked, “Is this the hole that Ozma of Oz is in?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” answered the Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“That settles it,” said the King positively. “Your Ozma is in this hole in the +ground.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t be silly,” returned Dorothy impatiently. “Even your beady eyes can see +there is no one in the hole but Button-Bright.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps Button-Bright is Ozma,” suggested the King. +</p> + +<p> +“And perhaps he isn’t! Ozma is a girl, and Button-Bright is a boy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Your Pink Bear must be out of order,” said the Wizard, “for, this time at +least, his machinery has caused him to make an untrue statement.” +</p> + +<p> +The Bear King was so angry at this remark that he turned away, holding the Pink +Bear in his paws, and refused to discuss the matter in any further way. +</p> + +<p> +“At any rate,” said the Frogman, “the Pink Bear has led us to your boy friend +and so enabled you to rescue him.” +</p> + +<p> +Scraps was leaning so far over the hole trying to find Ozma in it that suddenly +she lost her balance and pitched in head foremost. She fell upon Button-Bright +and tumbled him over, but he was not hurt by her soft, stuffed body and only +laughed at the mishap. The Wizard buckled some straps together and let one end +of them down into the hole, and soon both Scraps and the boy had climbed up and +were standing safely beside the others. They looked once more for Ozma, but the +hole was now absolutely vacant. It was a round hole, so from the top they could +plainly see every part of it. Before they left the place, Dorothy went to the +Bear King and said, “I’m sorry we couldn’t believe what the little Pink Bear +said, ’cause we don’t want to make you feel bad by doubting him. There must be +a mistake, somewhere, and we prob’ly don’t understand just what the little Pink +Bear said. Will you let me ask him one more question?” +</p> + +<p> +The Lavender Bear King was a good-natured bear, considering how he was made and +stuffed and jointed, so he accepted Dorothy’s apology and turned the crank and +allowed the little girl to question his wee Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“Is Ozma REALLY in this hole?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said the little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +This surprised everybody. Even the Bear King was now puzzled by the +contradictory statements of his oracle. +</p> + +<p> +“Where IS she?” asked the King. +</p> + +<p> +“Here, among you,” answered the little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said Dorothy, “this beats me entirely! I guess the little Pink Bear has +gone crazy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps,” called Scraps, who was rapidly turning “cartwheels” all around the +perplexed group, “Ozma is invisible.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course!” cried Betsy. “That would account for it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I’ve noticed that people can speak, even when they’ve been made +invisible,” said the Wizard. And then he looked all around him and said in a +solemn voice, “Ozma, are you here?” +</p> + +<p> +There was no reply. Dorothy asked the question, too, and so did Button-Bright +and Trot and Betsy, but none received any reply at all. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s strange, it’s terrible strange!” muttered Cayke the Cookie Cook. “I was +sure that the little Pink Bear always tells the truth.” +</p> + +<p> +“I still believe in his honesty,” said the Frogman, and this tribute so pleased +the Bear King that he gave these last speakers grateful looks, but still gazed +sourly on the others. +</p> + +<p> +“Come to think of it,” remarked the Wizard, “Ozma couldn’t be invisible, for +she is a fairy, and fairies cannot be made invisible against their will. Of +course, she could be imprisoned by the magician or enchanted or transformed, in +spite of her fairy powers, but Ugu could not render her invisible by any magic +at his command.” +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder if she’s been transformed into Button-Bright?” said Dorothy +nervously. Then she looked steadily at the boy and asked, “Are you Ozma? Tell +me truly!” +</p> + +<p> +Button-Bright laughed. +</p> + +<p> +“You’re getting rattled, Dorothy,” he replied. “Nothing ever enchants ME. If I +were Ozma, do you think I’d have tumbled into that hole?” +</p> + +<p> +“Anyhow,” said the Wizard, “Ozma would never try to deceive her friends or +prevent them from recognizing her in whatever form she happened to be. The +puzzle is still a puzzle, so let us go on to the wicker castle and question the +magician himself. Since it was he who stole our Ozma, Ugu is the one who must +tell us where to find her.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap21"></a> +CHAPTER 21<br/> +MAGIC AGAINST MAGIC</h2> + +<p> +The Wizard’s advice was good, so again they started in the direction of the low +mountain on the crest of which the wicker castle had been built. They had been +gradually advancing uphill, so now the elevation seemed to them more like a +round knoll than a mountaintop. However, the sides of the knoll were sloping +and covered with green grass, so there was a stiff climb before them yet. +</p> + +<p> +Undaunted, they plodded on and had almost reached the knoll when they suddenly +observed that it was surrounded by a circle of flame. At first, the flames +barely rose above the ground, but presently they grew higher and higher until a +circle of flaming tongues of fire taller than any of their heads quite +surrounded the hill on which the wicker castle stood. When they approached the +flames, the heat was so intense that it drove them back again. +</p> + +<p> +“This will never do for me!” exclaimed the Patchwork Girl. “I catch fire very +easily.” +</p> + +<p> +“It won’t do for me either,” grumbled the Sawhorse, prancing to the rear. +</p> + +<p> +“I also strongly object to fire,” said the Bear King, following the Sawhorse to +a safe distance and hugging the little Pink Bear with his paws. +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose the foolish Shoemaker imagines these blazes will stop us,” remarked +the Wizard with a smile of scorn for Ugu. “But I am able to inform you that +this is merely a simple magic trick which the robber stole from Glinda the +Good, and by good fortune I know how to destroy these flames as well as how to +produce them. Will some one of you kindly give me a match?” +</p> + +<p> +You may be sure the girls carried no matches, nor did the Frogman or any of the +animals. But Button-Bright, after searching carefully through his pockets, +which contained all sorts of useful and useless things, finally produced a +match and handed it to the Wizard, who tied it to the end of a branch which he +tore from a small tree growing near them. Then the little Wizard carefully +lighted the match, and running forward thrust it into the nearest flame. +Instantly, the circle of fire began to die away, and soon vanished completely +leaving the way clear for them to proceed. +</p> + +<p> +“That was funny!” laughed Button-Bright. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” agreed the Wizard, “it seems odd that a little match could destroy such +a great circle of fire, but when Glinda invented this trick, she believed no +one would ever think of a match being a remedy for fire. I suppose even Ugu +doesn’t know how we managed to quench the flames of his barrier, for only +Glinda and I know the secret. Glinda’s Book of Magic which Ugu stole told how +to make the flames, but not how to put them out.” +</p> + +<p> +They now formed in marching order and proceeded to advance up the slope of the +hill, but had not gone far when before them rose a wall of steel, the surface +of which was thickly covered with sharp, gleaming points resembling daggers. +The wall completely surrounded the wicker castle, and its sharp points +prevented anyone from climbing it. Even the Patchwork Girl might be ripped to +pieces if she dared attempt it. “Ah!” exclaimed the Wizard cheerfully, “Ugu is +now using one of my own tricks against me. But this is more serious than the +Barrier of Fire, because the only way to destroy the wall is to get on the +other side of it.” +</p> + +<p> +“How can that be done?” asked Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard looked thoughtfully around his little party, and his face grew +troubled. “It’s a pretty high wall,” he sadly remarked. “I’m pretty sure the +Cowardly Lion could not leap over it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sure of that, too!” said the Lion with a shudder of fear. “If I foolishly +tried such a leap, I would be caught on those dreadful spikes.” +</p> + +<p> +“I think I could do it, sir,” said the Frogman with a bow to the Wizard. “It is +an uphill jump as well as being a high jump, but I’m considered something of a +jumper by my friends in the Yip Country, and I believe a good, strong leap will +carry me to the other side.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sure it would,” agreed the Cookie Cook. +</p> + +<p> +“Leaping, you know, is a froglike accomplishment,” continued the Frogman +modestly, “but please tell me what I am to do when I reach the other side of +the wall.” +</p> + +<p> +“You’re a brave creature,” said the Wizard admiringly. “Has anyone a pin?” +</p> + +<p> +Betsy had one, which she gave him. “All you need do,” said the Wizard to the +Frogman, giving him the pin, “is to stick this into the other side of the +wall.” +</p> + +<p> +“But the wall is of steel!” exclaimed the big frog. +</p> + +<p> +“I know. At least, it SEEMS to be steel, but do as I tell you. Stick the pin +into the wall, and it will disappear.” +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman took off his handsome coat and carefully folded it and laid it on +the grass. Then he removed his hat and laid it together with his gold-headed +cane beside the coat. He then went back a way and made three powerful leaps in +rapid succession. The first two leaps took him to the wall, and the third leap +carried him well over it, to the amazement of all. For a short time, he +disappeared from their view, but when he had obeyed the Wizard’s injunction and +had thrust the pin into the wall, the huge barrier vanished and showed them the +form of the Frogman, who now went to where his coat lay and put it on again. +</p> + +<p> +“We thank you very much,” said the delighted Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“That was the most wonderful leap I ever saw, and it has saved us from defeat +by our enemy. Let us now hurry on to the castle before Ugu the Shoemaker thinks +up some other means to stop us.” +</p> + +<p> +“We must have surprised him so far,” declared Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes indeed. The fellow knows a lot of magic—all of our tricks and some of his +own,” replied the Wizard. “So if he is half as clever as he ought to be, we +shall have trouble with him yet.” +</p> + +<p> +He had scarcely spoken these words when out from the gates of the wicker castle +marched a regiment of soldiers, clad in gay uniforms and all bearing long, +pointed spears and sharp battle axes. These soldiers were girls, and the +uniforms were short skirts of yellow and black satin, golden shoes, bands of +gold across their foreheads and necklaces of glittering jewels. Their jackets +were scarlet, braided with silver cords. There were hundreds of these +girl-soldiers, and they were more terrible than beautiful, being strong and +fierce in appearance. They formed a circle all around the castle and faced +outward, their spears pointed toward the invaders, and their battle axes held +over their shoulders, ready to strike. Of course, our friends halted at once, +for they had not expected this dreadful array of soldiery. The Wizard seemed +puzzled, and his companions exchanged discouraged looks. +</p> + +<p> +“I’d no idea Ugu had such an army as that,” said Dorothy. “The castle doesn’t +look big enough to hold them all.” +</p> + +<p> +“It isn’t,” declared the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“But they all marched out of it.” +</p> + +<p> +“They seemed to, but I don’t believe it is a real army at all. If Ugu the +Shoemaker had so many people living with him, I’m sure the Czarover of Herku +would have mentioned the fact to us.” +</p> + +<p> +“They’re only girls!” laughed Scraps. +</p> + +<p> +“Girls are the fiercest soldiers of all,” declared the Frogman. “They are more +brave than men, and they have better nerves. That is probably why the magician +uses them for soldiers and has sent them to oppose us.” +</p> + +<p> +No one argued this statement, for all were staring hard at the line of +soldiers, which now, having taken a defiant position, remained motionless. +</p> + +<p> +“Here is a trick of magic new to me,” admitted the Wizard after a time. “I do +not believe the army is real, but the spears may be sharp enough to prick us, +nevertheless, so we must be cautious. Let us take time to consider how to meet +this difficulty.” +</p> + +<p> +While they were thinking it over, Scraps danced closer to the line of girl +soldiers. Her button eyes sometimes saw more than did the natural eyes of her +comrades, and so after staring hard at the magician’s army, she boldly advanced +and danced right through the threatening line! On the other side, she waved her +stuffed arms and called out, “Come on, folks. The spears can’t hurt you.” said +the Wizard gaily. “An optical illusion, as I thought. Let us all follow the +Patchwork Girl.” The three little girls were somewhat nervous in attempting to +brave the spears and battle axes, but after the others had safely passed the +line, they ventured to follow. And when all had passed through the ranks of the +girl army, the army itself magically disappeared from view. +</p> + +<p> +All this time our friends had been getting farther up the hill and nearer to +the wicker castle. Now, continuing their advance, they expected something else +to oppose their way, but to their astonishment nothing happened, and presently +they arrived at the wicker gates, which stood wide open, and boldly entered the +domain of Ugu the Shoemaker. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap22"></a> +CHAPTER 22<br/> +IN THE WICKER CASTLE</h2> + +<p> +No sooner were the Wizard of Oz and his followers well within the castle +entrance when the big gates swung to with a clang and heavy bars dropped across +them. They looked at one another uneasily, but no one cared to speak of the +incident. If they were indeed prisoners in the wicker castle, it was evident +they must find a way to escape, but their first duty was to attend to the +errand on which they had come and seek the Royal Ozma, whom they believed to be +a prisoner of the magician, and rescue her. +</p> + +<p> +They found they had entered a square courtyard, from which an entrance led into +the main building of the castle. No person had appeared to greet them so far, +although a gaudy peacock perched upon the wall cackled with laughter and said +in its sharp, shrill voice, “Poor fools! Poor fools!” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope the peacock is mistaken,” remarked the Frogman, but no one else paid +any attention to the bird. They were a little awed by the stillness and +loneliness of the place. As they entered the doors of the castle, which stood +invitingly open, these also closed behind them and huge bolts shot into place. +The animals had all accompanied the party into the castle because they felt it +would be dangerous for them to separate. They were forced to follow a zigzag +passage, turning this way and that, until finally they entered a great central +hall, circular in form and with a high dome from which was suspended an +enormous chandelier. +</p> + +<p> +The Wizard went first, and Dorothy, Betsy and Trot followed him, Toto keeping +at the heels of his little mistress. Then came the Lion, the Woozy and the +Sawhorse, then Cayke the Cookie Cook and Button-Bright, then the Lavender Bear +carrying the Pink Bear, and finally the Frogman and the Patchwork Girl, with +Hank the Mule tagging behind. So it was the Wizard who caught the first glimpse +of the big, domed hall, but the others quickly followed and gathered in a +wondering group just within the entrance. +</p> + +<p> +Upon a raised platform at one side was a heavy table on which lay Glinda’s +Great Book of Records, but the platform was firmly fastened to the floor and +the table was fastened to the platform and the Book was chained fast to the +table, just as it had been when it was kept in Glinda’s palace. On the wall +over the table hung Ozma’s Magic Picture. On a row of shelves at the opposite +side of the hall stood all the chemicals and essences of magic and all the +magical instruments that had been stolen from Glinda and Ozma and the Wizard, +with glass doors covering the shelves so that no one could get at them. +</p> + +<p> +And in a far corner sat Ugu the Shoemaker, his feet lazily extended, his skinny +hands clasped behind his head. He was leaning back at his ease and calmly +smoking a long pipe. Around the magician was a sort of cage, seemingly made of +golden bars set wide apart, and at his feet, also within the cage, reposed the +long-sought diamond-studded dishpan of Cayke the Cookie Cook. Princess Ozma of +Oz was nowhere to be seen. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, well,” said Ugu when the invaders had stood in silence for a moment, +staring about them. “This visit is an unexpected pleasure, I assure you. I knew +you were coming, and I know why you are here. You are not welcome, for I cannot +use any of you to my advantage, but as you have insisted on coming, I hope you +will make the afternoon call as brief as possible. It won’t take long to +transact your business with me. You will ask me for Ozma, and my reply will be +that you may find her—if you can.” +</p> + +<p> +“Sir,” answered the Wizard in a tone of rebuke, “you are a very wicked and +cruel person. I suppose you imagine, because you have stolen this poor woman’s +dishpan and all the best magic in Oz, that you are more powerful than we are +and will be able to triumph over us.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Ugu the Shoemaker, slowly filling his pipe with fresh tobacco from +a silver bowl that stood beside him, “that is exactly what I imagine. It will +do you no good to demand from me the girl who was formerly the Ruler of Oz, +because I will not tell you where I have hidden her, and you can’t guess in a +thousand years. Neither will I restore to you any of the magic I have captured. +I am not so foolish. But bear this in mind: I mean to be the Ruler of Oz +myself, hereafter, so I advise you to be careful how you address your future +Monarch.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ozma is still Ruler of Oz, wherever you may have hidden her,” declared the +Wizard. “And bear this in mind, miserable Shoemaker: we intend to find her and +to rescue her in time, but our first duty and pleasure will be to conquer you +and then punish you for your misdeeds.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very well, go ahead and conquer,” said Ugu. “I’d really like to see how you +can do it.” +</p> + +<p> +Now although the little Wizard had spoken so boldly, he had at the moment no +idea how they might conquer the magician. He had that morning given the +Frogman, at his request, a dose of zosozo from his bottle, and the Frogman had +promised to fight a good fight if it was necessary, but the Wizard knew that +strength alone could not avail against magical arts. The toy Bear King seemed +to have some pretty good magic, however, and the Wizard depended to an extent +on that. But something ought to be done right away, and the Wizard didn’t know +what it was. +</p> + +<p> +While he considered this perplexing question and the others stood looking at +him as their leader, a queer thing happened. The floor of the great circular +hall on which they were standing suddenly began to tip. Instead of being flat +and level, it became a slant, and the slant grew steeper and steeper until none +of the party could manage to stand upon it. Presently they all slid down to the +wall, which was now under them, and then it became evident that the whole vast +room was slowly turning upside down! Only Ugu the Shoemaker, kept in place by +the bars of his golden cage, remained in his former position, and the wicked +magician seemed to enjoy the surprise of his victims immensely. +</p> + +<p> +First they all slid down to the wall back of them, but as the room continued to +turn over, they next slid down the wall and found themselves at the bottom of +the great dome, bumping against the big chandelier which, like everything else, +was now upside down. The turning movement now stopped, and the room became +stationary. Looking far up, they saw Ugu suspended in his cage at the very top, +which had once been the floor. +</p> + +<p> +“Ah,” said he, grinning down at them, “the way to conquer is to act, and he who +acts promptly is sure to win. This makes a very good prison, from which I am +sure you cannot escape. Please amuse yourselves in any way you like, but I must +beg you to excuse me, as I have business in another part of my castle.” +</p> + +<p> +Saying this, he opened a trap door in the floor of his cage (which was now over +his head) and climbed through it and disappeared from their view. The diamond +dishpan still remained in the cage, but the bars kept it from falling down on +their heads. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I declare,” said the Patchwork Girl, seizing one of the bars of the +chandelier and swinging from it, “we must peg one for the Shoemaker, for he has +trapped us very cleverly.” +</p> + +<p> +“Get off my foot, please,” said the Lion to the Sawhorse. +</p> + +<p> +“And oblige me, Mr. Mule,” remarked the Woozy, “by taking your tail out of my +left eye.” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s rather crowded down here,” explained Dorothy, “because the dome is +rounding and we have all slid into the middle of it. But let us keep as quiet +as possible until we can think what’s best to be done.” +</p> + +<p> +“Dear, dear!” wailed Cayke, “I wish I had my darling dishpan,” and she held her +arms longingly toward it. +</p> + +<p> +“I wish I had the magic on those shelves up there,” sighed the Wizard. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you s’pose we could get to it?” asked Trot anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +“We’d have to fly,” laughed the Patchwork Girl. +</p> + +<p> +But the Wizard took the suggestion seriously, and so did the Frogman. They +talked it over and soon planned an attempt to reach the shelves where the +magical instruments were. First the Frogman lay against the rounding dome and +braced his foot on the stem of the chandelier; then the Wizard climbed over him +and lay on the dome with his feet on the Frogman’s shoulders; the Cookie Cook +came next; then Button-Bright climbed to the woman’s shoulders; then Dorothy +climbed up and Betsy and Trot, and finally the Patchwork Girl, and all their +lengths made a long line that reached far up the dome, but not far enough for +Scraps to touch the shelves. +</p> + +<p> +“Wait a minute. Perhaps I can reach the magic,” called the Bear King, and began +scrambling up the bodies of the others. But when he came to the Cookie Cook, +his soft paws tickled her side so that she squirmed and upset the whole line. +Down they came, tumbling in a heap against the animals, and although no one was +much hurt, it was a bad mix-up, and the Frogman, who was at the bottom, almost +lost his temper before he could get on his feet again. +</p> + +<p> +Cayke positively refused to try what she called “the pyramid act” again, and as +the Wizard was now convinced they could not reach the magic tools in that +manner, the attempt was abandoned. “But SOMETHING must be done,” said the +Wizard, and then he turned to the Lavender Bear and asked, “Cannot Your +Majesty’s magic help us to escape from here?” +</p> + +<p> +“My magic powers are limited,” was the reply. “When I was stuffed, the fairies +stood by and slyly dropped some magic into my stuffing. Therefore I can do any +of the magic that’s inside me, but nothing else. You, however, are a wizard, +and a wizard should be able to do anything.” +</p> + +<p> +“Your Majesty forgets that my tools of magic have been stolen,” said the Wizard +sadly, “and a wizard without tools is as helpless as a carpenter without a +hammer or saw.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t give up,” pleaded Button-Bright, “’cause if we can’t get out of this +queer prison, we’ll all starve to death.” +</p> + +<p> +“Not I!” laughed the Patchwork Girl, now standing on top of the chandelier at +the place that was meant to be the bottom of it. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t talk of such dreadful things,” said Trot, shuddering. “We came here to +capture the Shoemaker, didn’t we?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, and to save Ozma,” said Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“And here we are, captured ourselves, and my darling dishpan up there in plain +sight!” wailed the Cookie Cook, wiping her eyes on the tail of the Frogman’s +coat. +</p> + +<p> +“Hush!” called the Lion with a low, deep growl. “Give the Wizard time to +think.” +</p> + +<p> +“He has plenty of time,” said Scraps. “What he needs is the Scarecrow’s +brains.” +</p> + +<p> +After all, it was little Dorothy who came to their rescue, and her ability to +save them was almost as much a surprise to the girl as it was to her friends. +Dorothy had been secretly testing the powers of her Magic Belt, which she had +once captured from the Nome King, and experimenting with it in various ways +ever since she had started on this eventful journey. At different times she had +stolen away from the others of her party and in solitude had tried to find out +what the Magic Belt could do and what it could not do. There were a lot of +things it could not do, she discovered, but she learned some things about the +Belt which even her girl friends did not suspect she knew. +</p> + +<p> +For one thing, she had remembered that when the Nome King owned it, the Magic +Belt used to perform transformations, and by thinking hard she had finally +recalled the way in which such transformations had been accomplished. Better +than this, however, was the discovery that the Magic Belt would grant its +wearer one wish a day. All she need do was close her right eye and wiggle her +left toe and then draw a long breath and make her wish. Yesterday she had +wished in secret for a box of caramels, and instantly found the box beside her. +Today she had saved her daily wish in case she might need it in an emergency, +and the time had now come when she must use the wish to enable her to escape +with her friends from the prison in which Ugu had caught them. +</p> + +<p> +So without telling anyone what she intended to do—for she had only used the +wish once and could not be certain how powerful the Magic Belt might be—Dorothy +closed her right eye and wiggled her left big toe and drew a long breath and +wished with all her might. The next moment the room began to revolve again, as +slowly as before, and by degrees they all slid to the side wall and down the +wall to the floor—all but Scraps, who was so astonished that she still clung to +the chandelier. When the big hall was in its proper position again and the +others stood firmly upon the floor of it, they looked far up the dome and saw +the Patchwork girl swinging from the chandelier. +</p> + +<p> +“Good gracious!” cried Dorothy. “How ever will you get down?” +</p> + +<p> +“Won’t the room keep turning?” asked Scraps. +</p> + +<p> +“I hope not. I believe it has stopped for good,” said Princess Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“Then stand from under, so you won’t get hurt!” shouted the Patchwork Girl, and +as soon as they had obeyed this request, she let go the chandelier and came +tumbling down heels over head and twisting and turning in a very exciting +manner. Plump! She fell on the tiled floor, and they ran to her and rolled her +and patted her into shape again. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap23"></a> +CHAPTER 23<br/> +THE DEFIANCE OF UGU THE SHOEMAKER</h2> + +<p> +The delay caused by Scraps had prevented anyone from running to the shelves to +secure the magic instruments so badly needed. Even Cayke neglected to get her +diamond-studded dishpan because she was watching the Patchwork Girl. And now +the magician had opened his trap door and appeared in his golden cage again, +frowning angrily because his prisoners had been able to turn their upside-down +prison right side up. “Which of you has dared defy my magic?” he shouted in a +terrible voice. +</p> + +<p> +“It was I,” answered Dorothy calmly. +</p> + +<p> +“Then I shall destroy you, for you are only an Earth girl and no fairy,” he +said, and began to mumble some magic words. +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy now realized that Ugu must be treated as an enemy, so she advanced +toward the corner in which he sat, saying as she went, “I am not afraid of you, +Mr. Shoemaker, and I think you’ll be sorry, pretty soon, that you’re such a bad +man. You can’t destroy me, and I won’t destroy you, but I’m going to punish you +for your wickedness.” +</p> + +<p> +Ugu laughed, a laugh that was not nice to hear, and then he waved his hand. +Dorothy was halfway across the room when suddenly a wall of glass rose before +her and stopped her progress. Through the glass she could see the magician +sneering at her because she was a weak little girl, and this provoked her. +Although the glass wall obliged her to halt, she instantly pressed both hands +to her Magic Belt and cried in a loud voice, “Ugu the Shoemaker, by the magic +virtues of the Magic Belt, I command you to become a dove!” +</p> + +<p> +The magician instantly realized he was being enchanted, for he could feel his +form changing. He struggled desperately against the enchantment, mumbling magic +words and making magic passes with his hands. And in one way he succeeded in +defeating Dorothy’s purpose, for while his form soon changed to that of a gray +dove, the dove was of an enormous size, bigger even than Ugu had been as a man, +and this feat he had been able to accomplish before his powers of magic wholly +deserted him. +</p> + +<p> +And the dove was not gentle, as doves usually are, for Ugu was terribly enraged +at the little girl’s success. His books had told him nothing of the Nome King’s +Magic Belt, the Country of the Nomes being outside the Land of Oz. He knew, +however, that he was likely to be conquered unless he made a fierce fight, so +he spread his wings and rose in the air and flew directly toward Dorothy. The +Wall of Glass had disappeared the instant Ugu became transformed. +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy had meant to command the Belt to transform the magician into a Dove of +Peace, but in her excitement she forgot to say more than “dove,” and now Ugu +was not a Dove of Peace by any means, but rather a spiteful Dove of War. His +size made his sharp beak and claws very dangerous, but Dorothy was not afraid +when he came darting toward her with his talons outstretched and his sword-like +beak open. She knew the Magic Belt would protect its wearer from harm. +</p> + +<p> +But the Frogman did not know that fact and became alarmed at the little girl’s +seeming danger. So he gave a sudden leap and leaped full upon the back of the +great dove. Then began a desperate struggle. The dove was as strong as Ugu had +been, and in size it was considerably bigger than the Frogman. But the Frogman +had eaten the zosozo, and it had made him fully as strong as Ugu the Dove. At +the first leap he bore the dove to the floor, but the giant bird got free and +began to bite and claw the Frogman, beating him down with its great wings +whenever he attempted to rise. The thick, tough skin of the big frog was not +easily damaged, but Dorothy feared for her champion, and by again using the +transformation power of the Magic Belt, she made the dove grow small until it +was no larger than a canary bird. Ugu had not lost his knowledge of magic when +he lost his shape as a man, and he now realized it was hopeless to oppose the +power of the Magic Belt and knew that his only hope of escape lay in instant +action. So he quickly flew into the golden jeweled dishpan he had stolen from +Cayke the Cookie Cook, and as birds can talk as well as beasts or men in the +Fairyland of Oz, he muttered the magic word that was required and wished +himself in the Country of the Quadlings, which was as far away from the wicker +castle as he believed he could get. +</p> + +<p> +Our friends did not know, of course, what Ugu was about to do. They saw the +dishpan tremble an instant and then disappear, the dove disappearing with it, +and although they waited expectantly for some minutes for the magician’s +return, Ugu did not come back again. “Seems to me,” said the Wizard in a +cheerful voice, “that we have conquered the wicked magician more quickly than +we expected to.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t say ‘we.’ Dorothy did it!” cried the Patchwork Girl, turning three +somersaults in succession and then walking around on her hands. “Hurrah for +Dorothy!” +</p> + +<p> +“I thought you said you did not know how to use the magic of the Nome King’s +Belt,” said the Wizard to Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +“I didn’t know at that time,” she replied, “but afterward I remembered how the +Nome King once used the Magic Belt to enchant people and transform ’em into +ornaments and all sorts of things, so I tried some enchantments in secret, and +after a while I transformed the Sawhorse into a potato masher and back again, +and the Cowardly Lion into a pussycat and back again, and then I knew the thing +would work all right.” +</p> + +<p> +“When did you perform those enchantments?” asked the Wizard, much surprised. +</p> + +<p> +“One night when all the rest of you were asleep but Scraps, and she had gone +chasing moonbeams.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” remarked the Wizard, “your discovery has certainly saved us a lot of +trouble, and we must all thank the Frogman, too, for making such a good fight. +The dove’s shape had Ugu’s evil disposition inside it, and that made the +monster bird dangerous.” +</p> + +<p> +The Frogman was looking sad because the bird’s talons had torn his pretty +clothes, but he bowed with much dignity at this well-deserved praise. Cayke, +however, had squatted on the floor and was sobbing bitterly. “My precious +dishpan is gone!” she wailed. “Gone, just as I had found it again!” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind,” said Trot, trying to comfort her, “it’s sure to be SOMEWHERE, so +we’ll cert’nly run across it some day.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes indeed,” added Betsy, “now that we have Ozma’s Magic Picture, we can tell +just where the Dove went with your dishpan. They all approached the Magic +Picture, and Dorothy wished it to show the enchanted form of Ugu the Shoemaker, +wherever it might be. At once there appeared in the frame of the Picture a +scene in the far Quadling Country, where the Dove was perched disconsolately on +the limb of a tree and the jeweled dishpan lay on the ground just underneath +the limb. +</p> + +<p> +“But where is the place? How far or how near?” asked Cayke anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +“The Book of Records will tell us that,” answered the Wizard. So they looked in +the Great Book and read the following: +</p> + +<p> +“Ugu the Magician, being transformed into a dove by Princess Dorothy of Oz, has +used the magic of the golden dishpan to carry him instantly to the northeast +corner of the Quadling Country.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t worry, Cayke, for the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman are in that part of +the country looking for Ozma, and they’ll surely find your dishpan.” +</p> + +<p> +“Good gracious!” exclaimed Button-Bright. “We’ve forgot all about Ozma. Let’s +find out where the magician hid her.” +</p> + +<p> +Back to the Magic Picture they trooped, but when they wished to see Ozma +wherever she might be hidden, only a round black spot appeared in the center of +the canvas. “I don’t see how THAT can be Ozma!” said Dorothy, much puzzled. +</p> + +<p> +“It seems to be the best the Magic Picture can do, however,” said the Wizard, +no less surprised. “If it’s an enchantment, looks as if the magician had +transformed Ozma into a chunk of pitch.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap24"></a> +CHAPTER 24<br/> +THE LITTLE PINK BEAR SPEAKS TRULY</h2> + +<p> +For several minutes they all stood staring at the black spot on the canvas of +the Magic Picture, wondering what it could mean. “P’r’aps we’d better ask the +little Pink Bear about Ozma,” suggested Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“Pshaw!” said Button-Bright. “HE don’t know anything.” +</p> + +<p> +“He never makes a mistake,” declared the King. +</p> + +<p> +“He did once, surely,” said Betsy. “But perhaps he wouldn’t make a mistake +again.” +</p> + +<p> +“He won’t have the chance,” grumbled the Bear King. +</p> + +<p> +“We might hear what he has to say,” said Dorothy. “It won’t do any harm to ask +the Pink Bear where Ozma is.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will not have him questioned,” declared the King in a surly voice. “I do not +intend to allow my little Pink Bear to be again insulted by your foolish +doubts. He never makes a mistake.” +</p> + +<p> +“Didn’t he say Ozma was in that hole in the ground?” asked Betsy. +</p> + +<p> +“He did, and I am certain she was there,” replied the Lavender Bear. +</p> + +<p> +Scraps laughed jeeringly, and the others saw there was no use arguing with the +stubborn Bear King, who seemed to have absolute faith in his Pink Bear. The +Wizard, who knew that magical things can usually be depended upon and that the +little Pink Bear was able to answer questions by some remarkable power of +magic, thought it wise to apologize to the Lavender Bear for the unbelief of +his friends, at the same time urging the King to consent to question the Pink +Bear once more. Cayke and the Frogman also pleaded with the big Bear, who +finally agreed, although rather ungraciously, to put the little Bear’s wisdom +to the test once more. So he sat the little one on his knee and turned the +crank, and the Wizard himself asked the questions in a very respectful tone of +voice. “Where is Ozma?” was his first query. +</p> + +<p> +“Here in this room,” answered the little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +They all looked around the room, but of course did not see her. “In what part +of the room is she?” was the Wizard’s next question. +</p> + +<p> +“In Button-Bright’s pocket,” said the little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +This reply amazed them all, you may be sure, and although the three girls +smiled and Scraps yelled “Hoo-ray!” in derision, the Wizard turned to consider +the matter with grave thoughtfulness. “In which one of Button-Bright’s pockets +is Ozma?” he presently inquired. +</p> + +<p> +“In the left-hand jacket pocket,” said the little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“The pink one has gone crazy!” exclaimed Button-Bright, staring hard at the +little bear on the big bear’s knee. +</p> + +<p> +“I am not so sure of that,” declared the Wizard. “If Ozma proves to be really +in your pocket, then the little Pink Bear spoke truly when he said Ozma was in +that hole in the ground. For at that time you were also in the hole, and after +we had pulled you out of it, the little Pink Bear said Ozma was not in the +hole.” +</p> + +<p> +“He never makes a mistake,” asserted the Bear King stoutly. +</p> + +<p> +“Empty that pocket, Button-Bright, and let’s see what’s in it,” requested +Dorothy. +</p> + +<p> +So Button-Bright laid the contents of his left jacket pocket on the table. +These proved to be a peg top, a bunch of string, a small rubber ball and a +golden peach pit. “What’s this?” asked the Wizard, picking up the peach pit and +examining it closely. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh,” said the boy, “I saved that to show to the girls, and then forgot all +about it. It came out of a lonesome peach that I found in the orchard back +yonder, and which I ate while I was lost. It looks like gold, and I never saw a +peach pit like it before.” +</p> + +<p> +“Nor I,” said the Wizard, “and that makes it seem suspicious.” +</p> + +<p> +All heads were bent over the golden peach pit. The Wizard turned it over +several times and then took out his pocket knife and pried the pit open. As the +two halves fell apart, a pink, cloud-like haze came pouring from the golden +peach pit, almost filling the big room, and from the haze a form took shape and +settled beside them. Then, as the haze faded away, a sweet voice said, “Thank +you, my friends!” and there before them stood their lovely girl Ruler, Ozma of +Oz. +</p> + +<p> +With a cry of delight, Dorothy rushed forward and embraced her. Scraps turned +gleeful flipflops all around the room. Button-Bright gave a low whistle of +astonishment. The Frogman took off his tall hat and bowed low before the +beautiful girl who had been freed from her enchantment in so startling a +manner. For a time, no sound was heard beyond the low murmur of delight that +came from the amazed group, but presently the growl of the big Lavender Bear +grew louder, and he said in a tone of triumph, “He never makes a mistake!” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap25"></a> +CHAPTER 25<br/> +OZMA OF OZ</h2> + +<p> +“It’s funny,” said Toto, standing before his friend the Lion and wagging his +tail, “but I’ve found my growl at last! I am positive now that it was the cruel +magician who stole it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s hear your growl,” requested the Lion. +</p> + +<p> +“G-r-r-r-r-r!” said Toto. +</p> + +<p> +“That is fine,” declared the big beast. “It isn’t as loud or as deep as the +growl of the big Lavender Bear, but it is a very respectable growl for a small +dog. Where did you find it, Toto?” +</p> + +<p> +“I was smelling in the corner yonder,” said Toto, “when suddenly a mouse ran +out—and I growled.” +</p> + +<p> +The others were all busy congratulating Ozma, who was very happy at being +released from the confinement of the golden peach pit, where the magician had +placed her with the notion that she never could be found or liberated. +</p> + +<p> +“And only to think,” cried Dorothy, “that Button-Bright has been carrying you +in his pocket all this time, and we never knew it!” +</p> + +<p> +“The little Pink Bear told you,” said the Bear King, “but you wouldn’t believe +him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind, my dears,” said Ozma graciously, “all is well that ends well, and +you couldn’t be expected to know I was inside the peach pit. Indeed, I feared I +would remain a captive much longer than I did, for Ugu is a bold and clever +magician, and he had hidden me very securely.” +</p> + +<p> +“You were in a fine peach,” said Button-Bright, “the best I ever ate.” +</p> + +<p> +“The magician was foolish to make the peach so tempting,” remarked the Wizard, +“but Ozma would lend beauty to any transformation.” +</p> + +<p> +“How did you manage to conquer Ugu the Shoemaker?” inquired the girl Ruler of +Oz. +</p> + +<p> +Dorothy started to tell the story, and Trot helped her, and Button-Bright +wanted to relate it in his own way, and the Wizard tried to make it clear to +Ozma, and Betsy had to remind them of important things they left out, and all +together there was such a chatter that it was a wonder that Ozma understood any +of it. But she listened patiently, with a smile on her lovely face at their +eagerness, and presently had gleaned all the details of their adventures. +</p> + +<p> +Ozma thanked the Frogman very earnestly for his assistance, and she advised +Cayke the Cookie Cook to dry her weeping eyes, for she promised to take her to +the Emerald City and see that her cherished dishpan was restored to her. Then +the beautiful Ruler took a chain of emeralds from around her own neck and +placed it around the neck of the little Pink Bear. +</p> + +<p> +“Your wise answers to the questions of my friends,” said she, “helped them to +rescue me. Therefore I am deeply grateful to you and to your noble King.” +</p> + +<p> +The bead eyes of the little Pink Bear stared unresponsive to this praise until +the Big Lavender Bear turned the crank in its side, when it said in its squeaky +voice, “I thank Your Majesty.” +</p> + +<p> +“For my part,” returned the Bear King, “I realize that you were well worth +saving, Miss Ozma, and so I am much pleased that we could be of service to you. +By means of my Magic Wand I have been creating exact images of your Emerald +City and your Royal Palace, and I must confess that they are more attractive +than any places I have ever seen—not excepting Bear Center.” +</p> + +<p> +“I would like to entertain you in my palace,” returned Ozma sweetly, “and you +are welcome to return with me and to make me a long visit, if your bear +subjects can spare you from your own kingdom.” +</p> + +<p> +“As for that,” answered the King, “my kingdom causes me little worry, and I +often find it somewhat tame and uninteresting. Therefore I am glad to accept +your kind invitation. Corporal Waddle may be trusted to care for my bears in my +absence.” +</p> + +<p> +“And you’ll bring the little Pink Bear?” asked Dorothy eagerly. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course, my dear. I would not willingly part with him.” +</p> + +<p> +They remained in the wicker castle for three days, carefully packing all the +magical things that had been stolen by Ugu and also taking whatever in the way +of magic the shoemaker had inherited from his ancestors. “For,” said Ozma, “I +have forbidden any of my subjects except Glinda the Good and the Wizard of Oz +to practice magical arts, because they cannot be trusted to do good and not +harm. Therefore Ugu must never again be permitted to work magic of any sort.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” remarked Dorothy cheerfully, “a dove can’t do much in the way of magic, +anyhow, and I’m going to keep Ugu in the form of a dove until he reforms and +becomes a good and honest shoemaker.” +</p> + +<p> +When everything was packed and loaded on the backs of the animals, they set out +for the river, taking a more direct route than that by which Cayke and the +Frogman had come. In this way they avoided the Cities of Thi and Herku and Bear +Center and after a pleasant journey reached the Winkie River and found a jolly +ferryman who had a fine, big boat and was willing to carry the entire party by +water to a place quite near to the Emerald City. +</p> + +<p> +The river had many windings and many branches, and the journey did not end in a +day, but finally the boat floated into a pretty lake which was but a short +distance from Ozma’s home. Here the jolly ferryman was rewarded for his labors, +and then the entire party set out in a grand procession to march to the Emerald +City. News that the Royal Ozma had been found spread quickly throughout the +neighborhood, and both sides of the road soon became lined with loyal subjects +of the beautiful and beloved Ruler. Therefore Ozma’s ears heard little but +cheers, and her eyes beheld little else than waving handkerchiefs and banners +during all the triumphal march from the lake to the city’s gates. +</p> + +<p> +And there she met a still greater concourse, for all the inhabitants of the +Emerald City turned out to welcome her return, and all the houses were +decorated with flags and bunting, and never before were the people so joyous +and happy as at this moment when they welcomed home their girl Ruler. For she +had been lost and was now found again, and surely that was cause for rejoicing. +Glinda was at the royal palace to meet the returning party, and the good +Sorceress was indeed glad to have her Great Book of Records returned to her, as +well as all the precious collection of magic instruments and elixirs and +chemicals that had been stolen from her castle. Cap’n Bill and the Wizard at +once hung the Magic Picture upon the wall of Ozma’s boudoir, and the Wizard was +so light-hearted that he did several tricks with the tools in his black bag to +amuse his companions and prove that once again he was a powerful wizard. +</p> + +<p> +For a whole week there was feasting and merriment and all sorts of joyous +festivities at the palace in honor of Ozma’s safe return. The Lavender Bear and +the little Pink Bear received much attention and were honored by all, much to +the Bear King’s satisfaction. The Frogman speedily became a favorite at the +Emerald City, and the Shaggy Man and Tik-Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead, who had now +returned from their search, were very polite to the big frog and made him feel +quite at home. Even the Cookie Cook, because she was quite a stranger and +Ozma’s guest, was shown as much deference as if she had been a queen. +</p> + +<p> +“All the same, Your Majesty,” said Cayke to Ozma, day after day with tiresome +repetition, “I hope you will soon find my jeweled dishpan, for never can I be +quite happy without it.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap26"></a> +CHAPTER 26<br/> +DOROTHY FORGIVES</h2> + +<p> +The gray dove which had once been Ugu the Shoemaker sat on its tree in the far +Quadling Country and moped, chirping dismally and brooding over its +misfortunes. After a time, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman came along and sat +beneath the tree, paying no heed to the mutterings of the gray dove. The Tin +Woodman took a small oilcan from his tin pocket and carefully oiled his tin +joints with it. +</p> + +<p> +While he was thus engaged, the Scarecrow remarked, “I feel much better, dear +comrade, since we found that heap of nice, clean straw and you stuffed me anew +with it.” +</p> + +<p> +“And I feel much better now that my joints are oiled,” returned the Tin Woodman +with a sigh of pleasure. “You and I, friend Scarecrow, are much more easily +cared for than those clumsy meat people, who spend half their time dressing in +fine clothes and who must live in splendid dwellings in order to be contented +and happy. You and I do not eat, and so we are spared the dreadful bother of +getting three meals a day. Nor do we waste half our lives in sleep, a condition +that causes the meat people to lose all consciousness and become as thoughtless +and helpless as logs of wood.” +</p> + +<p> +“You speak truly,” responded the Scarecrow, tucking some wisps of straw into +his breast with his padded fingers. “I often feel sorry for the meat people, +many of whom are my friends. Even the beasts are happier than they, for they +require less to make them content. And the birds are the luckiest creatures of +all, for they can fly swiftly where they will and find a home at any place they +care to perch. Their food consists of seeds and grains they gather from the +fields, and their drink is a sip of water from some running brook. If I could +not be a Scarecrow or a Tin Woodman, my next choice would be to live as a bird +does.” +</p> + +<p> +The gray dove had listened carefully to this speech and seemed to find comfort +in it, for it hushed its moaning. And just then the Tin Woodman discovered +Cayke’s dishpan, which was on the ground quite near to him. “Here is a rather +pretty utensil,” he said, taking it in his tin hand to examine it, “but I would +not care to own it. Whoever fashioned it of gold and covered it with diamonds +did not add to its usefulness, nor do I consider it as beautiful as the bright +dishpans of tin one usually sees. No yellow color is ever so handsome as the +silver sheen of tin,” and he turned to look at his tin legs and body with +approval. +</p> + +<p> +“I cannot quite agree with you there,” replied the Scarecrow. “My straw +stuffing has a light yellow color, and it is not only pretty to look at, but it +crunkles most delightfully when I move.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let us admit that all colors are good in their proper places,” said the Tin +Woodman, who was too kind-hearted to quarrel, “but you must agree with me that +a dishpan that is yellow is unnatural. What shall we do with this one, which we +have just found?” +</p> + +<p> +“Let us carry it back to the Emerald City,” suggested the Scarecrow. “Some of +our friends might like to have it for a foot-bath, and in using it that way, +its golden color and sparkling ornaments would not injure its usefulness.” +</p> + +<p> +So they went away and took the jeweled dishpan with them. And after wandering +through the country for a day or so longer, they learned the news that Ozma had +been found. Therefore they straightway returned to the Emerald City and +presented the dishpan to Princess Ozma as a token of their joy that she had +been restored to them. Ozma promptly gave the diamond-studded gold dishpan to +Cayke the Cookie Cook, who was delighted at regaining her lost treasure that +she danced up and down in glee and then threw her skinny arms around Ozma’s +neck and kissed her gratefully. Cayke’s mission was now successfully +accomplished, but she was having such a good time at the Emerald City that she +seemed in no hurry to go back to the Country of the Yips. +</p> + +<p> +It was several weeks after the dishpan had been restored to the Cookie Cook +when one day, as Dorothy was seated in the royal gardens with Trot and Betsy +beside her, a gray dove came flying down and alighted at the girl’s feet. +</p> + +<p> +“I am Ugu the Shoemaker,” said the dove in a soft, mourning voice, “and I have +come to ask you to forgive me for the great wrong I did in stealing Ozma and +the magic that belonged to her and to others.” +</p> + +<p> +“Are you sorry, then?” asked Dorothy, looking hard at the bird. +</p> + +<p> +“I am VERY sorry,” declared Ugu. “I’ve been thinking over my misdeeds for a +long time, for doves have little else to do but think, and I’m surprised that I +was such a wicked man and had so little regard for the rights of others. I am +now convinced that even had I succeeded in making myself ruler of all Oz, I +should not have been happy, for many days of quiet thought have shown me that +only those things one acquires honestly are able to render one content.” +</p> + +<p> +“I guess that’s so,” said Trot. +</p> + +<p> +“Anyhow,” said Betsy, “the bad man seems truly sorry, and if he has now become +a good and honest man, we ought to forgive him.” +</p> + +<p> +“I fear I cannot become a good MAN again,” said Ugu, “for the transformation I +am under will always keep me in the form of a dove. But with the kind +forgiveness of my former enemies, I hope to become a very good dove and highly +respected.” +</p> + +<p> +“Wait here till I run for my Magic Belt,” said Dorothy, “and I’ll transform you +back to your reg’lar shape in a jiffy.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, don’t do that!” pleaded the dove, fluttering its wings in an excited way. +“I only want your forgiveness. I don’t want to be a man again. As Ugu the +Shoemaker I was skinny and old and unlovely. As a dove I am quite pretty to +look at. As a man I was ambitious and cruel, while as a dove I can be content +with my lot and happy in my simple life. I have learned to love the free and +independent life of a bird, and I’d rather not change back.” +</p> + +<p> +“Just as you like, Ugu,” said Dorothy, resuming her seat. “Perhaps you are +right, for you’re certainly a better dove than you were a man, and if you +should ever backslide an’ feel wicked again, you couldn’t do much harm as a +gray dove.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then you forgive me for all the trouble I caused you?” he asked earnestly. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course. Anyone who’s sorry just has to be forgiven.” +</p> + +<p> +“Thank you,” said the gray dove, and flew away again. +</p> + +<p class="center"> +THE END +</p> + +<h4>The Wonderful Oz Books by L. Frank Baum</h4> + +<p class="noindent"> +The Wizard of Oz<br/> +The Land of Oz<br/> +Ozma of Oz<br/> +Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz<br/> +The Road to Oz<br/> +The Emerald City of Oz<br/> +The Patchwork Girl of Oz<br/> +Tik-Tok of Oz<br/> +The Scarecrow of Oz<br/> +Rinkitink in Oz<br/> +The Lost Princess of Oz<br/> +The Tin Woodman of Oz<br/> +The Magic of Oz<br/> +Glinda of Oz +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ ***</div> +<div style='text-align:left'> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will +be renamed. +</div> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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