the lost princess of oz-第27章

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time；　whether　it　was　in　the　Emerald　City　or　in　Glinda's



castle　or　in　the　Yip　Country。　Seems　mighty　strange　and



mysterious；　doesn't　it？〃







〃It　used　to　seem　that　way　to　us；〃　admitted　the



Frogman；　〃but　we　have　now　discovered　who　took　our



dishpan。　It　was　Ugu　the　Shoemaker。〃







〃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。〃







〃So　are　we；〃　said　the　Frogman。







〃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。〃







She　sprang　up　and　seized　his　coat…sleeve；　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。







〃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！〃







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。〃







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。







〃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。〃







〃I　will　ask　my　friends　about　that；〃　replied　the



Frogman；　and　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。







〃Mercy　me！〃　cried　Cayke；　addressing　the　Patchwork



Girl。　〃However　did　you　come　alive？〃







Scraps　stared　at　the　bears。







〃Mercy　me！〃　she　echoed；　〃you　are　stuffed；　as　I　am；



with　cotton；　and　yet　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。〃







〃Perhaps　you　are；〃　returned　the　Lavender　Bear；　〃for　I



am　stuffed　with　extra…quality　curled　hair；　and　so　is



the　Little　Pink　Bear。〃







〃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！〃







〃I　hope　I　am　too　polite　to　criticize　cotton；　as



compared　with　curled　hair；〃　said　the　King；　〃especially



as　you　seem　satisfied　with　it。〃







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？〃







And　the　Pink　Bear　at　once　replied：　〃Safe　for　you　and



safe　for　me；　Perhaps　no　others　safe　will　be。〃







〃That　'perhaps'　need　not　worry　us；〃　said　the　King；



〃so　let　us　join　the　others　and　offer　them　our



protection。〃







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。







〃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。〃







〃And　the　King's　magic　is　just　as　wonderful；〃　added



Cayke；　〃because　it　showed　us　the　Magician　himself。〃







〃What　did　he　look　like？〃　inquired　Dorothy。







〃He　was　dreadful！〃







〃He　was　sitting　at　a　table　and　examining　an　immense



Book　which　had　three　golden　clasps；〃　remarked　the　King。







〃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。〃







〃And　my　dishpan；〃　said　Cayke。







　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



rescue　Ozma　at　all　hazards。〃







〃If　we　can；〃　added　the　Woozy；　but　everybody　frowned



at　him。







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。







〃Wouldn't　it　be　a　rich　joke　if　he　made　prisoners　of



us；　too？〃　she　said。







〃No　one　but　a　crazy　Patchwork　Girl　would　consider



that　a　joke；〃　grumbled　Button…Bright。







And　then　the　Lavender　Bear　King　asked：







〃Would　you　like　to　see　this　magical　shoemaker？〃







〃Wouldn't　he　know　it？〃　Dorothy　inquired。







〃No；　I　think　not。〃







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。







In　proof　of　this；　Ugu　sprang　from　his　seat　and　turned