the lost princess of oz-第31章

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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。







〃At　any　rate；〃　said　the　Frogman；　〃the　Pink　Bear　has



led　us　to　your　boy　friend　and　so　enabled　you　to　rescue



him。〃







Scraps　was　leaning　so　far　over　the　hole；　trying　to



find　Ozma　in　it；　that　suddenly　she　lost　her　balance　and



pitched　in　headforemost。　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　means。　Will　you　let　me　ask　him　one　more　question？〃







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。







〃Is　Ozma　really　in　this　hole？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃No；〃　said　the　little　Pink　Bear。







This　surprised　everybody。　Even　the　Bear　King　was　now



puzzled　by　the　contradictory　statements　of　his　oracle。







〃Where　is　she？〃　asked　the　King。







〃Here；　among　you；〃　answered　the　little　Pink　Bear。







〃Well；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃this　beats　me；　entirely！　I



guess　the　little　Pink　Bear　has　gone　crazy。







〃Perhaps；〃　called　Scraps；　who　was　rapidly　turning



〃cart…wheels〃　all　around　the　perplexed　group；　〃Ozma　is



invisible。〃







〃Of　course！〃　cried　Betsy。　〃That　would　account　for



it。〃







〃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？〃







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。







〃It's　strange　　it's　terrible　strange！〃　muttered



Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook。　〃I　was　sure　that　the　little　Pink



Bear　always　tells　the　truth。〃







〃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。







〃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　even



enchanted；　or　transformed；　in　spite　of　her　fairy



powers；　but　Ugu　could　not　render　her　invisible　by　any



magic　at　his　command。〃







〃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！〃







Button…Bright　laughed。







〃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？〃







〃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。〃



















Chapter　Twenty…One







Magic　Against　Magic











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　up　hill；　so　now　the　elevation



seemed　to　them　more　like　a　round　knoll　than　a　mountain…



top。　However；　the　sides　of　the　knoll　were　sloping　and



covered　with　green　grass；　so　there　was　a　stiff　climb



before　them　yet。







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。







〃This　will　never　do　for　me！〃　exclaimed　the　Patchwork



Girl。　〃I　catch　fire　very　easily。〃







〃It　won't　do　for　me；　either；〃　grumbled　the　Sawhorse；



prancing　to　the　rear。







〃I　also　object　strongly　to　fire；〃　said　the　Bear　King；



following　the　Sawhorse　to　a　safe　distance　and　hugging



the　little　Pink　Bear　with　his　paws。







〃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？〃







You　may　be　sure　the　girls　carried　no　matches；　nor　did



the　Frogman　or　Cayke　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。







〃That　was　funny！〃　laughed　Button…Bright。







〃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。〃







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。〃







〃How　can　that　be　done？〃　asked　Dorothy。







The　Wizard　looked　thoughtfully　around　his　little



party　and　his　face　grew　troubled。