the lost princess of oz-第3章

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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？







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



cupboards　and　threw　open　the　doors；　all　of　her　magical



instruments　and　rare　chemical　compounds　had　been



removed　from　the　shelves。







The　Sorceress　was　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　never　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？







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　instrument　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。







〃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。〃







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　mounted　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。







〃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。〃







〃Alas；〃　returned　the　Sorceress　sorrowfully；　〃we



cannot　do　that；　for　the　Great　Book　of　Records　has　also



disappeared！〃



















Chapter　Three







Robbery　of　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook











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。







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。







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。







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　this



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



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。







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。







There　was　another　pool　on　the　tableland；　which　was



not　enchanted　but　contained　good　c