the lost princess of oz-第7章

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〃Hurry；　then；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃for　we're　all　getting



terr'bly　worried。〃







The　Wizard　rushed　away　to　his　rooms　but　presently



came　back　with　a　long；　sad　face。







〃It's　gone！〃　he　said。







〃What's　gone？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃My　black　bag　of　magic　tools。　Someone　must　have



stolen　it！〃







They　looked　at　one　another　in　amazement。







〃This　thing　is　getting　desperate；〃　continued　the



Wizard。　〃All　the　magic　that　belongs　to　Ozma；　or　to



Glinda；　or　to　me；　has　been　stolen。〃







〃Do　you　suppose　Ozma　could　have　taken　them；　herself；



for　some　purpose？〃　asked　Betsy。







〃No；　indeed；〃　declared　the　Wizard。　〃I　suspect　some



enemy　has　stolen　Ozma　and；　for　fear　we　would　follow　and



recapture　her；　has　taken　all　our　magic　away　from　us。〃







〃How　dreadful！〃　cried　Dorothy。　〃The　idea　of　anyone



wanting　to　injure　our　dear　Ozma！　Can't　we　do　anything



to　find　her；　Wizard？〃







〃I'll　ask　Glinda。　I　must　go　straight　back　to　her　and



tell　her　that　my　magic　tools　have　also　disappeared。　The



good　Sorceress　will　be　greatly　shocked；　I　know。〃







With　this　he　jumped　upon　the　back　of　the　Sawhorse



again　and　the　quaint　steed；　which　never　tired；　dashed



away　at　fall　speed。







The　three　girls　were　very　much　disturbed　in　mind。



Even　the　Patchwork　Girl　was　more　quiet　than　usual　and



seemed　to　realize　that　a　great　calamity　had　overtaken



them　all。　Ozma　was　a　fairy　of　considerable　power　and



all　the　creatures　in　Oz；　as　well　as　the　three　mortal



girls　from　the　outside　world；　looked　upon　her　as　their



protector　and　friend。　The　idea　of　their　beautiful　girl



Ruler's　being　overpowered　by　an　enemy　and　dragged　from



her　splendid　palace　a　captive　was　too　astonishing　for



them　to　comprehend；　at　first。　Yet　what　other



explanation　of　the　mystery　could　there　be？







〃Ozma　wouldn't　go　away　willingly；　without　letting　us



know　about　it；〃　asserted　Dorothy；　〃and　she　wouldn't



steal　Glinda's　Great　Book　of　Records；　or　the　Wizard's



magic；　'cause　she　could　get　them　any　time；　just　asking



for　'em。　I'm　sure　some　wicked　person　has　done　all



this。〃







〃Someone　in　the　Land　of　Oz？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Of　course。　No　one　could　get　across　the　Deadly



Desert；　you　know；　and　no　one　but　an　Oz　person　could



know　about　the　Magic　Picture　and　the　Book　of　Records



and　the　Wizard's　magic；　or　where　they　were　kept；　and　so



be　able　to　steal　the　whole　outfit　before　we　could　stop



'em。　It　must　be　someone　who　lives　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃But　who…who…who？〃　asked　Scraps。　〃That's　the



question。　Who？〃







〃If　we　knew；〃　replied　Dorothy；　severely；　〃we　wouldn't



be　standing　here；　doing　nothing。〃







Just　then　two　boys　entered　the　courtyard　and



approached　the　group　of　girls。　One　boy　was　dressed　in



the　fantastic　Munchkin　costume　　a　blue　jacket　and



knickerbockers；　blue　leather　shoes　and　a　blue　hat　with



a　high　peak　and　tiny　silver　bells　dangling　from　its　rim



　and　this　was　Ojo　the　Lucky；　who　had　once　come　from



the　Munchkin　Country　of　Oz　and　now　lived　in　the　Emerald



City。　The　other　boy　was　an　American；　from　Philadelphia；



and　had　lately　found　his　way　to　Oz　in　the　company　of



Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill。　His　name　was　Button…Bright；　that



is；　everyone　called　him　by　that　name；　and　knew　no



other。







Button…Bright　was　not　quite　as　big　as　the　Munchkin



boy；　but　he　wore　the　same　kind　of　clothes；　only　they



were　of　different　colors。　As　the　two　came　up　to　the



girls；　arm　in　arm；　Button…Bright　remarked：







〃Hello；　Dorothy。　They　say　Ozma　is　lost。〃







〃Who　says　so？〃　she　asked。







〃Ev'rybody's　talking　about　it；　in　the　City；〃　he



replied。







〃I　wonder　how　the　people　found　it　out？〃　Dorothy



asked。







〃I　know；〃　said　Ojo。　〃Jellia　Jamb　told　them。　She　has



been　asking　everywhere　if　anyone　has　seen　Ozma。〃







〃That's　too　bad；〃　observed　Dorothy；　frowning。







〃Why？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃There　wasn't　any　use　making　all　our　people　unhappy；



till　we　were　dead　certain　that　Ozma　can't　be　found。〃







〃Pshaw；〃　said　Button…Bright；　〃It's　nothing　to　get



lost。　I've　been　lost　lots　of　times。〃







〃That's　true；〃　admitted　Trot；　who　knew　that　the　boy



had　a　habit　of　getting　lost　and　then　finding　himself



again；　〃but　it's　diff'rent　with　Ozma。　She's　the　Ruler



of　all　this　big　fairyland　and　we're　'fraid　that　the



reason　she's　lost　is　because　somebody　has　stolen　her



away。〃







〃Only　wicked　people　steal；〃　said　Ojo。　〃Do　you　know　of



any　wicked　people　in　Oz；　Dorothy？〃







〃No；〃　she　replied。







〃They're　here；　though；〃　cried　Scraps；　dancing　up　to



them　and　then　circling　around　the　group。　Ozma's　stolen；



someone　in　Oz　stole　her；　only　wicked　people　steal；　so



someone　in　Oz　is　wicked！〃







There　was　no　denying　the　truth　of　this　statement。　The



faces　of　all　of　them　were　now　solemn　and　sorrowful。







〃One　thing　is　sure；〃　said　Button…Bright；　after　a



time；　〃if　Ozma　has　been　stolen；　someone　ought　to　find



her　and　punish　the　thief。〃







〃There　may　be　a　lot　of　thieves；〃　suggested　Trot



gravely；　〃and　in　this　fairy　country　they　don　t　seem　to



have　any　soldiers　or　policemen。〃







〃There　is　one　soldier；〃　claimed　Dorothy。　〃He　has



green　whiskers　and　a　gun　and　is　a　Major…General；　but　no



one　is　afraid　of　either　his　gun　or　his　whiskers；　'cause



he's　so　tender…hearted　that　he　wouldn't　hurt　a　fly。〃







〃Well；　a　soldier's　a　soldier；〃　said　Betsy；　〃and



perhaps　he'd　hurt　a　wicked　thief　if　he　wouldn't　hurt　a



fly。　Where　is　he？〃







〃He　went　fishing　about　two　months　ago　and　hasn't　come



back　yet；〃　explained　Button…Bright。







〃Then　I　can't　see　that　he　will　be　of　much　use　to　us



in　this　trouble；〃　sighed　little　Trot。　〃But　p'raps　Ozma；



who　is　a　fairy；　can　get　away　from　the　thieves　without



any　help　from　anybody。〃







〃She　might　be　able　to；〃　admitted　Dorothy；



reflectively；　〃but　if　she　had　the　power　to　do　that；　it



isn't　likely　she'd　have　let　herself　be　stolen。　So　the



thieves　must　have　been　even　more　powerful　in　magic　than



our　Ozma。〃







There　was　no　denying　this　argument　and；　although　they



talked　the　matter　over　all　the　rest　of　that　day；　they



were　unable　to　decide　how　Ozma　had　been　stolen　against



her　will　or　who　had　committed　the　dreadful　deed。







Toward　evening　the　Wizard　came　back；　riding　slowly



upon　the　Sawhorse　because　he　felt　discouraged　and



perplexed。　Glinda　came；　later；　in　her　aerial　chariot



drawn　by　twenty　milk…white　swans；　and　she　also　seemed



worried　and　unhappy。　More　of　Ozma's　friends　joined　them



and　that　evening　they　all　had　a　long　talk　together。







〃I　think；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃we　ought　to　start　out　right



away　in　search　of　our　dear　Ozma。　It　seems　cruel　for　us



to　live　comf'tably　in　her　Palace　while　she　is　a



pris'ner　in　the　power　of　some　wicked　enemy。〃







〃Yes；〃　agreed　Glinda　the　Sorceress；　〃someone　ought　to



search　for　her。　I　cannot　go　myself；　because　I　must　work



hard　in　order　to　create　some　new　instruments　of　sorcery



by　means　of　which　I　may　rescue　our　fair　Ruler。　But　if



you　can　find　her；　in　the　meantime；　and　let　me　know　who



has　stolen　her；　it　will　enable　me　to　rescue　her　much



more　quickly。〃







〃Then　we'll　start　to…morrow　morning；〃　decided



Dorothy。　〃Betsy　and　Trot　and　I　won't　waste　another



minute。〃







〃I'm　not　sure　you　girls　will　make　good　detectives；〃



remarked　the　Wizard；　〃but　I'll　go　with　you；　to　protect



you　from　harm　and　to　give　you　my