the lost princess of oz-第21章

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〃Where　has　he　gone？〃　asked　the　Wizard　quickly。







〃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。〃







〃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？〃







〃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　has　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…grand…



father；　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。〃







〃Do　you　think；〃　asked　Dorothy　anxiously；　〃that　Ugu



the　Shoemaker　would　he　wicked　enough　to　steal　our　Ozma



of　Oz？〃







〃And　the　Magic　Picture？〃　asked　Trot。







〃And　the　Great　Book　of　Records　of　Glinda　the　Good？〃



asked　Betsy。







〃And　my　own　magic　tools？〃　asked　the　Wizard。







〃Well；〃　replied　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。〃







〃But　how　about　Ozma？　Why　would　he　wish　to　steal　her？〃



questioned　Dorothy。







〃Don't　ask　me；　my　dear。　Ugu　doesn't　tell　me　why　he



does　things；　I　assure　you。〃







〃Then　we　must　go　and　ask　him　ourselves；〃　declared　the



little　girl。







〃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。〃







〃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。〃







〃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。〃







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。







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　good…bye　and；　mounting　upon



their　animals；　left　the　Herkus　and　the　City　of　Herku



and　headed　for　the　mountains　that　lay　to　the　west。



















Chapter　Thirteen







The　Truth　Pond











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　gold



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



mountain…top；　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。







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　wrapt　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。







〃For　goodness　sakes！〃　she　exclaimed　on　seeing　the



Frogman；　〃what　are　you　doing　out　of　your　frogpond？〃







〃I　am　traveling　in　search　of　a　jeweled　gold　dishpan；



my　good　woman；〃　he　replied；　with　an　air　of　great



dignity。







〃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。







〃Allow　me　to　tell　you；　madam；〃　he　said；　〃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！〃







〃If　you　know　so　much；〃　she　retorted；　〃why　don't　you



know　where　your　dishpan　is；　instead　of　chasing　around



the　country　after　it？〃







〃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。〃







〃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。







〃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。〃







〃Then　that's　the　place　to　go　for　your　breakfast；〃



declared　the　woman。







〃I　fear　you　do　not　realize　my　importance；〃　urged　the



Frogman。　〃Exceeding　wisdom　renders　me　superior　to



menial　duties。〃







〃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。







The　Frogman　felt　he　had　been　insulted；　so　he　gave　a



loud　croak　of　indignation　and　turned　away。