the lost princess of oz-第34章

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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。







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？〃







〃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。〃







〃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。







〃Don't　give　up；〃　pleaded　Button…Bright；　〃'cause　if　we



can't　get　out　of　this　queer　prison　we'll　all　starve　to



death。〃







〃Not　I！〃　laughed　the　Patchwork　Girl；　now　standing　on



top　the　chandelier；　at　the　place　that　was　meant　to　be



the　bottom　of　it。







〃Don't　talk　of　such　dreadful　things；〃　said　Trot；



shuddering。　〃We　came　here　to　capture　the　Shoemaker；



didn't　we？〃







〃Yes；　and　to　save　Ozma；〃　said　Betsy。







〃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。







〃Hush！〃　called　the　Lion；　with　a　low；　deep　growl。



〃Give　the　Wizard　time　to　think。〃







〃He　has　plenty　of　time；〃　said　Scraps。　〃What　he　needs



is　the　Scarecrow's　brains。〃







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。







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。







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　to　the　dome　and　saw　the



Patchwork　Girl　swinging　from　the　chandelier。







〃Good　gracious！〃　cried　Dorothy。　〃How　ever　will　you



get　down？〃







〃Won't　the　room　keep　turning？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃I　hope　not。　I　believe　it　has　stopped　for　good；〃　said



Princess　Dorothy。







〃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。



















Chapter　Twenty…Three







The　Defiance　of　Ugu　the　Shoemaker











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。







〃It　was　I；〃　answered　Dorothy　calmly。







〃Then　I　shall　destroy　you；　for　you　are　only　an　Earth



girl　and　no　fairy；〃　he　said；　and　began　to　mumble　some



magic　words。







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。〃







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！〃







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。







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。







Dorothy　had　meant　to　command　the　Belt　to　transform