MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_01D084F6.AD1D6370" This document is a Single File Web Page, also known as a Web Archive file. If you are seeing this message, your browser or editor doesn't support Web Archive files. Please download a browser that supports Web Archive, such as Windows® Internet Explorer®. ------=_NextPart_01D084F6.AD1D6370 Content-Location: file:///C:/8F239E5A/GlindaOfOz.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
Glinda Of Oz
By
L. Frank Baum
(AKA Edith Van Dyne)
In
which are related the Exciting Experiences of Princess
=
Ozma of Oz, and
Dorothy, in their hazardous journey
=
to
the home of the Flatheads, and to the Magic
=
=
Isle of the Skeezers, and how they were
=
=
rescued from dire peril by the
=
=
sorcery of Glinda the
=
=
&nb=
sp;
Good
=
by L.=
FRANK
BAUM
=
=
"Royal Historian of Oz"
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
This
Book is Dedicated to My Son Robert Stanton Baum
Contents
Chapter
One - The Call to Duty
Chapter Two - Ozma and
Dorothy
Chapter Three - The M=
ist
Maidens
Chapter Four - The Ma=
gic Tent
Chapter Five - The Ma=
gic
Stairway
Chapter Six - Flathead
Mountain
Chapter Seven - The M=
agic
Isle
Chapter Eight - Queen
Coo-ee-oh
Chapter Eleven - The =
Conquest
of the Skeezers
Chapter Twelve - The =
Diamond
Swan
Chapter Thirteen - Th=
e Alarm
Bell
Chapter Fourteen - Oz=
ma's
Counsellors
Chapter Fifteen - The=
Great
Sorceress
Chapter Sixteen - The
Enchanted Fishes
Chapter Seventeen - U=
nder the
Great Dome
Chapter Eighteen - The
Cleverness of Ervic
Chapter Nineteen - Re=
d Reera,
the Yookoohoo
Chapter Twenty - A Pu=
zzling
Problem
Chapter Twenty-One - =
The
Three Adepts
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three =
- The
Magic Words
Chapter Twenty-Four -
Glinda's Triumph
Glinda, the good Sorceress of Oz, sat in the g=
rand
court of her palace, surrounded by her maids of honor--a hundred of the most
beautiful girls of the Fairyland of Oz. The palace court was built of rare
marbles, exquisitely polished. Fountains tinkled musically here and there; =
the vast
colonnade, open to the south, allowed the maidens, as they raised their hea=
ds
from their embroideries, to gaze upon a vista of rose-hued fields and grove=
s of
trees bearing fruits or laden with sweet-scented flowers. At times one of t=
he
girls would start a song, the others joining in the chorus, or one would ri=
se
and dance, gracefully swaying to the music of a harp played by a companion.=
And
then Glinda smiled, glad to see her maids mixing play with work.
Presently among the fields an object was seen
moving, threading the broad path that led to the castle gate. Some of the g=
irls
looked upon this object enviously; the Sorceress merely gave it a glance and
nodded her stately head as if pleased, for it meant the coming of her frien=
d and
mistress--the only one in all the land that Glinda bowed to.
Then up the path trotted a wooden animal attac=
hed
to a red wagon, and as the quaint steed halted at the gate there descended =
from
the wagon two young girls, Ozma, Ruler of Oz, and her companion, Princess D=
orothy.
Both were dressed in simple white muslin gowns, and as they ran up the marb=
le
steps of the palace they laughed and chatted as gaily as if they were not t=
he
most important persons in the world's loveliest fairyland.
The maids of honor had risen and stood with bo=
wed
heads to greet the royal Ozma, while Glinda came forward with outstretched =
arms
to greet her guests.
"We've just come on a visit, you know,&qu=
ot;
said Ozma. "Both Dorothy and I were wondering how we should pass the d=
ay
when we happened to think we'd not been to your Quadling Country for weeks,=
so
we took the Sawhorse and rode straight here."
"And we came so fast," added Dorothy,
"that our hair is blown all fuzzy, for the Sawhorse makes a wind of his
own. Usually it's a day's journey from the Em'rald City, but I don't s'pose=
we
were two hours on the way."
"You are most welcome," said Glinda =
the
Sorceress, and led them through the court to her magnificent reception hall.
Ozma took the arm of her hostess, but Dorothy lagged behind, kissing some of
the maids she knew best, talking with others, and making them all feel that=
she
was their friend. When at last she joined Glinda and Ozma in the reception
hall, she found them talking earnestly about the condition of the people, a=
nd how
to make them more happy and contented--although they were already the happi=
est
and most contented folks in all the world.
This interested Ozma, of course, but it didn't
interest Dorothy very much, so the little girl ran over to a big table on w=
hich
was lying open Glinda's Great Book of Records.
This Book is one of the greatest treasures in =
Oz,
and the Sorceress prizes it more highly than any of her magical possessions.
That is the reason it is firmly attached to the big marble table by means of
golden chains, and whenever Glinda leaves home she locks the Great Book tog=
ether
with five jeweled padlocks, and carries the keys safely hidden in her bosom=
.
I do not suppose there is any magical thing in=
any
fairyland to compare with the Record Book, on the pages of which are consta=
ntly
being printed a record of every event that happens in any part of the world=
, at
exactly the moment it happens. And
the records are always truthful, although sometimes they do not give as many
details as one could wish. But then, lots of things happen, and so the reco=
rds
have to be brief or even Glinda's Great Book could not hold them all.
Glinda looked at the records several times each
day, and Dorothy, whenever she visited the Sorceress, loved to look in the =
Book
and see what was happening everywhere. Not much was recorded about the Land=
of Oz,
which is usually peaceful and uneventful, but today Dorothy found something
which interested her. Indeed, the printed letters were appearing on the page
even while she looked.
"This is funny!" she exclaimed.
"Did you know, Ozma, that there were people in your Land of Oz called
Skeezers?"
"Yes," replied Ozma, coming to her s=
ide,
"I know that on Professor Wogglebug's Map of the Land of Oz there is a
place marked 'Skeezer,' but what the Skeezers are like I do not know. No on=
e I
know has ever seen them or heard of them. The Skeezer Country is 'way at the
upper edge of the Gillikin Country, with the sandy, impassable desert on on=
e side
and the mountains of Oogaboo on another side. That is a part of the Land of=
Oz
of which I know very little."
"I guess no one else knows much about it either, unless it's the Skeezers themselves," remarked Dorothy. "= But the Book says: 'The Skeezers of Oz have declared war on the Flatheads of Oz, and there is likely to be fighting and much trouble as the result.'" <= o:p>
"Is that all the Book says?" asked O=
zma.
"Every word," said Dorothy, and Ozma=
and
Glinda both looked at the Record and seemed surprised and perplexed.
"Tell me, Glinda," said Ozma, "=
who
are the Flatheads?"
"I cannot, your Majesty," confessed =
the
Sorceress. "Until now I never have heard of them, nor have I ever heard
the Skeezers mentioned. In the faraway corners of Oz are hidden many curious
tribes of people, and those who never leave their own countries and never a=
re
visited by those from our favored part of Oz, naturally are unknown to me. =
However,
if you so desire, I can learn through my arts of sorcery something of the
Skeezers and the Flatheads."
"I wish you would," answered Ozma
seriously. "You see, Glinda, if these are Oz people they are my subjec=
ts
and I cannot allow any wars or troubles in the Land I rule, if I can possib=
ly
help it."
"Very well, your Majesty," said the
Sorceress, "I will try to get some information to guide you. Please ex=
cuse
me for a time, while I retire to my Room of Magic and Sorcery."
"May I go with you?" asked Dorothy,
eagerly.
"No, Princess," was the reply. "=
;It
would spoil the charm to have anyone present."
So Glinda locked herself in her own Room of Ma=
gic
and Dorothy and Ozma waited patiently for her to come out again.
In about an hour Glinda appeared, looking grave
and thoughtful.
"Your Majesty," she said to Ozma,
"the Skeezers live on a Magic Isle in a great lake. For that
reason--because the Skeezers deal in magic--I can learn little about
them."
"Why, I didn't know there was a lake in t=
hat
part of Oz," exclaimed Ozma. "The map shows a river running throu=
gh
the Skeezer Country, but no lake."
"That is because the person who made the =
map
never had visited that part of the country," explained the Sorceress.
"The lake surely is there, and in the lake is an island--a Magic Isle-=
-and
on that island live the people called the Skeezers."
"What are they like?" inquired the R=
uler
of Oz.
"My magic cannot tell me that,"
confessed Glinda, "for the magic of the Skeezers prevents anyone outsi=
de
of their domain knowing anything about them."
"The Flatheads must know, if they're goin=
g to
fight the Skeezers," suggested Dorothy.
"Perhaps so," Glinda replied, "=
but
I can get little information concerning the Flatheads, either. They are peo=
ple
who inhabit a mountain just south of the Lake of the Skeezers. The mountain=
has
steep sides and a broad, hollow top, like a basin, and in this basin the Fl=
atheads
have their dwellings. They also are magic-workers and usually keep to
themselves and allow no one from outside to visit them. I have learned that=
the
Flatheads number about one hundred people--men, women and children--while t=
he
Skeezers number just one hundred and one."
"What did they quarrel about, and why do =
they
wish to fight one another?" was Ozma's next question.
"I cannot tell your Majesty that," s=
aid
Glinda.
"But see here!" cried Dorothy,
"it's against the law for anyone but Glinda and the Wizard to work mag=
ic
in the Land of Oz, so if these two strange people are magic-makers they are
breaking the law and ought to be punished!" Ozma smiled upon her little
friend.
"Those who do not know me or my laws,&quo=
t;
she said, "cannot be expected to obey my laws. If we know nothing of t=
he
Skeezers or the Flatheads, it is likely that they know nothing of us."=
"But they ought to know, Ozma, and we oug=
ht
to know. Who's going to tell them, and how are we going to make them
behave?"
"That," returned Ozma, "is what=
I
am now considering. What would you advise, Glinda?"
The Sorceress took a little time to consider t=
his
question, before she made reply. Then she said: "Had you not learned o=
f the
existence of the Flatheads and the Skeezers, through my Book of Records, you
would never have worried about them or their quarrels. So, if you pay no
attention to these peoples, you may never hear of them again."
"But that wouldn't be right," declar=
ed
Ozma. "I am Ruler of all the Land of Oz, which includes the Gillikin
Country, the Quadling Country, the Winkie Country and the Munchkin Country,=
as
well as the Emerald City, and being the Princess of this fairyland it is my
duty to make all my people--wherever they may be--happy and content and to
settle their disputes and keep them from quarreling. So, while the Skeezers=
and
Flatheads may not know me or that I am their lawful Ruler, I now know that =
they
inhabit my kingdom and are my subjects, so I would not be doing my duty if I
kept away from them and allowed them to fight."
"That's&=
nbsp;
a fact, Ozma," commented Dorothy. "You've got to go up=
to the
Gillikin Country and make these people behave themselves and make up their
quarrels. But how are you going to do it?"
"That is what is puzzling me also, your
Majesty," said the Sorceress. "It may be dangerous for you to go =
into
those strange countries, where the people are possibly fierce and
warlike."
"I am not afraid," said Ozma, with a
smile.
"'Tisn't a question of being 'fraid,"
argued Dorothy. "Of course we know you're a fairy, and can't be killed=
or
hurt, and we know you've a lot of magic of your own to help you. But, Ozma
dear, in spite of all this you've been in trouble before, on account of wic=
ked
enemies, and it isn't right for the Ruler of all Oz to put herself in
danger."
"Perhaps I shall be in no danger at
all," returned Ozma, with a little laugh. "You mustn't imagine
danger, Dorothy, for one should only imagine nice things, and we do not kno=
w that
the Skeezers and Flatheads are wicked people or my enemies. Perhaps they wo=
uld
be good and listen to reason."
"Dorothy is right, your Majesty,"
asserted the Sorceress. "It is true we know nothing of these faraway
subjects, except that they intend to fight one another, and have a certain
amount of magic power at their command. Such folks do not like to submit to
interference and they are more likely to resent your coming among them than=
to
receive you kindly and graciously, as is your due."
"If you had an army to take with you,&quo=
t;
added Dorothy, "it wouldn't be so bad; but there isn't such a thing as=
an
army in all Oz."
"I have one soldier," said Ozma.
"Yes, the soldier with the green whiskers;
but he's dreadful 'fraid of his gun and never loads it. I'm sure he'd run
rather than fight. And one soldier, even if he were brave, couldn't do much
against two hundred and one Flatheads and Skeezers."
"What then, my friends, would you
suggest?" inquired Ozma.
"I advise you to send the Wizard of Oz to
them, and let him inform them that it is against the laws of Oz to fight, a=
nd
that you command them to settle their differences and become friends,"
proposed Glinda. "Let the Wizard tell them they will be punished if th=
ey
refuse to obey the commands of the Princess of all the Land of Oz."
Ozma shook her head, to indicate that the advi=
ce
was not to her satisfaction.
"If they refuse, what then?" she ask=
ed.
"I should be obliged to carry out my threat and punish them, and that
would be an unpleasant and difficult thing to do. I am sure it would be bet=
ter
for me to go peacefully, without an army and armed only with my authority as
Ruler, and plead with them to obey me. Then, if they prove obstinate I coul=
d resort
to other means to win their obedience."
"It's a ticklish thing, anyhow you look at
it," sighed Dorothy. "I'm sorry now that I noticed the Record in =
the
Great Book."
"But can't you realize, my dear, that I m=
ust
do my duty, now that I am aware of this trouble?" asked Ozma. "I =
am
fully determined to go at once to the Magic Isle of the Skeezers and to the
enchanted mountain of the Flatheads, and prevent war and strife between the=
ir
inhabitants. The only question to decide is whether it is better for me to =
go
alone, or to assemble a party of my friends and loyal supporters to accompa=
ny me."
"If you go I want to go, too," decla=
red
Dorothy. "Whatever happens it's going to be fun--'cause all excitement=
is
fun--and I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
Neither Ozma nor Glinda paid any attention to =
this
statement, for they were gravely considering the serious aspect of this
proposed adventure.
"There are plenty of friends who would li=
ke
to go with you," said the Sorceress, "but none of them would affo=
rd
your Majesty any protection in case you were in danger. You are yourself the
most powerful fairy in Oz, although both I and the Wizard have more varied =
arts
of magic at our command. However, you have one art that no other in all the
world can equal--the art of winning hearts and making people love to bow to=
your
gracious presence. For that reason I believe you can accomplish more good a=
lone
than with a large number of subjects in your train."
"I believe that also," agreed the
Princess. "I shall be quite able to take care of myself, you know, but
might not be able to protect others so well. I do not look for opposition,
however. I shall speak to these people in kindly words and settle their
dispute--whatever it may be--in a just manner."
"Aren't you going to take me?" plead=
ed
Dorothy. "You'll need some companion, Ozma."
The Princess smiled upon her little friend.
"I see no reason why you should not accom=
pany
me," was her reply. "Two girls are not very warlike and they will=
not
suspect us of being on any errand but a kindly and peaceful one. But, in or=
der
to prevent war and strife between these angry peoples, we must go to them at
once. Let us return immediately to the Emerald City and prepare to start on=
our
journey early tomorrow morning."
Glinda was not quite satisfied with this plan,=
but
could not think of any better way to meet the problem. She knew that Ozma, =
with
all her gentleness and sweet disposition, was accustomed to abide by any de=
cision
she had made and could not easily be turned from her purpose. Moreover she
could see no great danger to the fairy Ruler of Oz in the undertaking, even
though the unknown people she was to visit proved obstinate. But Dorothy was
not a fairy; she was a little girl who had come from Kansas to live in the =
Land
of Oz. Dorothy might encounter dangers that to Ozma would be as nothing but=
to
an "Earth child" would be very serious.
The very fact that Dorothy lived in Oz, and had
been made a Princess by her friend Ozma, prevented her from being killed or
suffering any great bodily pain as long as she lived in that fairyland. She
could not grow big, either, and would always remain the same little girl who
had come to Oz, unless in some way she left that fairyland or was spirited =
away
from it. But Dorothy was a mortal, nevertheless, and might possibly be dest=
royed,
or hidden where none of her friends could ever find her. She could, for
instance be cut into pieces, and the pieces, while still alive and free from
pain, could be widely scattered; or she might be buried deep underground or
"destroyed" in other ways by evil magicians, were she not properly
protected. These facts Glinda was considering while she paced with stately
tread her marble hall.
Finally the good Sorceress paused and drew a r=
ing
from her finger, handing it to Dorothy.
"Wear this ring constantly until your
return," she said to the girl. "If serious danger threatens you, =
turn
the ring around on your finger once to the right and another turn to the le=
ft.
That will ring the alarm bell in my palace and I will at once come to your
rescue. But do not use the ring unless you are actually in danger of
destruction. While you remain with Princess Ozma I believe she will be able=
to protect
you from all lesser ills."
"Thank you, Glinda," responded Dorot=
hy
gratefully, as she placed the ring on her finger. "I'm going to wear my
Magic Belt which I took from the Nome King, too, so I guess I'll be safe fr=
om
anything the Skeezers and Flatheads try to do to me."
Ozma had many arrangements to make before she could leave her throne and her palace in the Emerald City, even for a trip = of a few days, so she bade goodbye to Glinda and with Dorothy climbed into the R= ed Wagon. A word to the wooden Sawhorse started that astonishing creature on t= he return journey, and so swiftly did he run that Dorothy was unable to talk or do anything but hold tight to her seat all the way back to the Emerald City. <= o:p>
Residing in Ozma's palace at this time was a l=
ive
Scarecrow, a most remarkable and intelligent creature who had once ruled the
Land of Oz for a brief period and was much loved and respected by all the
people. Once a Munchkin farmer had stuffed an old suit of clothes with stra=
w and
put stuffed boots on the feet and used a pair of stuffed cotton gloves for
hands. The head of the Scarecrow was a stuffed sack fastened to the body, w=
ith
eyes, nose, mouth and ears painted on the sack. When a hat had been put on =
the
head, the thing was a good imitation of a man. The farmer placed the Scarec=
row
on a pole in his cornfield and it came to life in a curious manner. Dorothy,
who was passing by the field, was hailed by the live Scarecrow and lifted h=
im
off his pole. He then went with her to the Emerald City, where the Wizard o=
f Oz
gave him some excellent brains, and the Scarecrow soon became an important =
personage.
Ozma considered the Scarecrow one of her best
friends and most loyal subjects, so the morning after her visit to Glinda s=
he
asked him to take her place as Ruler of the Land of Oz while she was absent=
on
a journey, and the Scarecrow at once consented without asking any questions=
.
Ozma had warned Dorothy to keep their journey a
secret and say nothing to anyone about the Skeezers and Flatheads until the=
ir
return, and Dorothy promised to obey. She longed to tell her girl friends, =
tiny
Trot and Betsy Bobbin, of the adventure they were undertaking, but refrained
from saying a word on the subject although both these girls lived with her =
in
Ozma's palace.
Indeed, only Glinda the Sorceress knew they we=
re
going, until after they had gone, and even the Sorceress didn't know what t=
heir
errand might be.
Princess Ozma took the Sawhorse and the Red Wa=
gon,
although she was not sure there was a wagon road all the way to the Lake of=
the
Skeezers. The Land of Oz is a pretty big place, surrounded on all sides by =
a Deadly
Desert which it is impossible to cross, and the Skeezer Country, according =
to
the map, was in the farthest northwestern part of Oz, bordering on the north
desert. As the Emerald City was exactly in the center of Oz, it was no small
journey from there to the Skeezers.
Around the Emerald City the country is thickly
settled in every direction, but the farther away you get from the city the
fewer people there are, until those parts that border on the desert have sm=
all populations.
Also those faraway sections are little known to the Oz people, except in the
south, where Glinda lives and where Dorothy has often wandered on trips of
exploration.
The least known of all is the Gillikin Country,
which harbors many strange bands of people among its mountains and valleys =
and
forests and streams, and Ozma was now bound for the most distant part of th=
e Gillikin
Country.
"I am really sorry," said Ozma to
Dorothy, as they rode away in the Red Wagon, "not to know more about t=
he
wonderful Land I rule. It is my duty to be acquainted with every tribe of p=
eople
and every strange and hidden country in all Oz, but I am kept so busy at my
palace making laws and planning for the comforts of those who live near the
Emerald City, that I do not often find time to make long journeys."
"Well," replied Dorothy, "we'll=
prob'bly
find out a lot on this trip, and we'll learn all about the Skeezers and
Flatheads, anyhow. Time doesn't make much diff'rence in the Land of Oz, 'ca=
use
we don't grow up, or get old, or become sick and die, as they do other plac=
es;
so, if we explore one place at a time, we'll by-an'-by know all about every=
nook
and corner in Oz."
Dorothy wore around her waist the Nome King's
Magic Belt, which protected her from harm, and the Magic Ring which Glinda =
had
given her was on her finger. Ozma had merely slipped a small silver wand in=
to
the bosom of her gown, for fairies do not use chemicals and herbs and the t=
ools
of wizards and sorcerers to perform their magic. The Silver Wand was Ozma's=
one
weapon of offense and defense and by its use she could accomplish many thin=
gs.
They had left the Emerald City just at sunrise=
and
the Sawhorse traveled very swiftly over the roads towards the north, but in=
a
few hours the wooden animal had to slacken his pace because the farm houses=
had
become few and far between and often there were no paths at all in the
direction they wished to follow. At such times they crossed the fields,
avoiding groups of trees and fording the streams and rivulets whenever they
came to them. But finally they reached a broad hillside closely covered with
scrubby brush, through which the wagon could not pass.
"It will be difficult even for you and me=
to
get through without tearing our dresses," said Ozma, "so we must
leave the Sawhorse and the Wagon here until our return."
"That's all right," Dorothy replied,
"I'm tired riding, anyhow. Do you s'pose, Ozma, we're anywhere near the
Skeezer Country?"
"I cannot tell, Dorothy dear, but I know
we've been going in the right direction, so we are sure to find it in
time."
The scrubby brush was almost like a grove of s=
mall
trees, for it reached as high as the heads of the two girls, neither of whom
was very tall. They were obliged to thread their way in and out, until Doro=
thy was
afraid they would get lost, and finally they were halted by a curious thing=
that
barred their further progress. It was a huge web--as if woven by gigantic
spiders--and the delicate, lacy film was fastened stoutly to the branches of
the bushes and continued to the right and left in the form of a half circle.
The threads of this web were of a brilliant purple color and woven into
numerous artistic patterns, but it reached from the ground to branches above
the heads of the girls and formed a sort of fence that hedged them in.
"It doesn't look very strong, though,&quo=
t;
said Dorothy. "I wonder if we couldn't break through." She tried =
but
found the web stronger than it seemed. All her efforts could not break a si=
ngle
thread.
"We must go back, I think, and try to get
around this peculiar web," Ozma decided.
So they turned to the right and, following the=
web
found that it seemed to spread in a regular circle. On and on they went unt=
il
finally Ozma said they had returned to the exact spot from which they had
started. "Here is a handkerchief you dropped when we were here
before," she said to Dorothy.
"In that case, they must have built the w=
eb
behind us, after we walked into the trap," exclaimed the little girl. =
"True," agreed Ozma, "an enemy =
has
tried to imprison us."
"And they did it, too," said Dorothy.
"I wonder who it was."
"It's a spider-web, I'm quite sure,"
returned Ozma, "but it must be the work of enormous spiders."
"Quite right!" cried a voice behind
them. Turning quickly around they beheld a huge purple spider sitting not t=
wo
yards away and regarding them with its small bright eyes.
Then there crawled from the bushes a dozen more
great purple spiders, which saluted the first one and said:
"The web is finished, O King, and the
strangers are our prisoners."
Dorothy did not like the looks of these spider=
s at
all. They had big heads, sharp claws, small eyes and fuzzy hair all over th=
eir
purple bodies.
"They look wicked," she whispered to
Ozma. "What shall we do?"
Ozma gazed upon the spiders with a serious fac=
e.
"What is your object in making us
prisoners?" she inquired.
"We need someone to keep house for us,&qu=
ot;
answered the Spider King. "There is sweeping and dusting to be done, a=
nd
polishing and washing of dishes, and that is work my people dislike to do. =
So
we decided that if any strangers came our way we would capture them and make
them our servants."
"I am Princess Ozma, Ruler of all Oz,&quo=
t;
said the girl with dignity.
"Well, I am King of all Spiders," was
the reply, "and that makes me your master. Come with me to my palace a=
nd I
will instruct you in your work."
"I won't," said Dorothy indignantly.
"We won't have anything to do with you."
"We'll see about that," returned the
Spider in a severe tone, and the next instant he made a dive straight at
Dorothy, opening the claws in his legs as if to grab and pinch her with the
sharp points. But the girl was wearing her Magic Belt and was not harmed. T=
he
Spider King could not even touch her. He turned swiftly and made a dash at
Ozma, but she held her Magic Wand over his head and the monster recoiled as=
if
it had been struck.
"You'd better let us go," Dorothy
advised him, "for you see you can't hurt us."
"So I see," returned the Spider King
angrily. "Your magic is greater than mine. But I'll not help you to
escape. If you can break the magic web my people have woven you may go; if =
not
you must stay here and starve." With that the Spider King uttered a
peculiar whistle and all the spiders disappeared.
"There is more magic in my fairyland than=
I
dreamed of," remarked the beautiful Ozma, with a sigh of regret. "=
;It
seems that my laws have not been obeyed, for even these monstrous spiders d=
efy
me by means of Magic."
"Never mind that now," said Dorothy;
"let's see what we can do to get out of this trap."
They now examined the web with great care and =
were
amazed at its strength. Although finer than the finest silken hairs, it
resisted all their efforts to work through, even though both girls threw all
their weight against it.
"We must find some instrument which will =
cut
the threads of the web," said Ozma, finally. "Let us look about f=
or
such a tool."
So they wandered among the bushes and finally =
came
to a shallow pool of water, formed by a small bubbling spring. Dorothy stoo=
ped
to get a drink and discovered in the water a green crab, about as big as he=
r hand.
The crab had two big, sharp claws, and as soon as Dorothy saw them she had =
an
idea that those claws could save them.
"Come out of the water," she called =
to
the crab; "I want to talk to you."
Rather lazily the crab rose to the surface and
caught hold of a bit of rock. With his head above the water he said in a cr=
oss
voice:
"What do you want?"
"We want you to cut the web of the purple
spiders with your claws, so we can get through it," answered Dorothy.
"You can do that, can't you?"
"I suppose so," replied the crab.
"But if I do what will you give me?"
"What do you wish?" Ozma inquired. <= o:p>
"I wish to be white, instead of green,&qu=
ot;
said the crab. "Green crabs are very common, and white ones are rare;
besides the purple spiders, which infest this hillside, are afraid of white
crabs. Could you make me white if I should agree to cut the web for you?&qu=
ot;
"Yes," said Ozma, "I can do that
easily. And, so you may know I am speaking the truth, I will change your co=
lor
now."
She waved her silver wand over the pool and the
crab instantly became snow-white--all except his eyes, which remained black.
The creature saw his reflection in the water and was so delighted that he at
once climbed out of the pool and began moving slowly toward the web, by bac=
king
away from the pool. He moved so very slowly that Dorothy cried out impatien=
tly:
"Dear me, this will never do!" Caching the crab in her hands she =
ran
with him to the web.
She had to hold him up even then, so he could
reach with his claws strand after strand of the filmy purple web, which he =
was
able to sever with one nip.
When enough of the web had been cut to allow t=
hem
to pass, Dorothy ran back to the pool and placed the white crab in the wate=
r,
after which she rejoined Ozma. They were just in time to escape through the
web, for several of the purple spiders now appeared, having discovered that=
their
web had been cut, and had the girls not rushed through the opening the spid=
ers
would have quickly repaired the cuts and again imprisoned them.
Ozma and Dorothy ran as fast as they could and
although the angry spiders threw a number of strands of web after them, hop=
ing
to lasso them or entangle them in the coils, they managed to escape and cla=
mber
to the top of the hill.
From the top of the hill Ozma and Dorothy look=
ed
down into the valley beyond and were surprised to find it filled with a
floating mist that was as dense as smoke. Nothing in the valley was visible
except these rolling waves of mist, but beyond, on the other side, rose a
grassy hill that appeared quite beautiful.
"Well," said Dorothy, "what are=
we
to do, Ozma? Walk down into that thick fog, an' prob'bly get lost in it, or
wait till it clears away?"
"I'm not sure it will clear away, however
long we wait," replied Ozma, doubtfully. "If we wish to get on, I
think we must venture into the mist."
"But we can't see where we're going, or w=
hat
we're stepping on," protested Dorothy. "There may be dreadful things=
mixed
up in that fog, an' I'm scared just to think of wading into it."
Even Ozma seemed to hesitate. She was silent a=
nd
thoughtful for a little while, looking at the rolling drifts that were so g=
ray
and forbidding. Finally she said:
"I believe this is a Mist Valley, where t=
hese
moist clouds always remain, for even the sunshine above does not drive them
away. Therefore the Mist Maids must live here, and they are fairies and sho=
uld
answer my call."
She placed her two hands before her mouth, for=
ming
a hollow with them, and uttered a clear, thrilling, bird-like cry. It float=
ed
far out over the mist waves and presently was answered by a similar sound, =
as
of a far-off echo.
Dorothy was much impressed. She had seen many
strange things since coming to this fairy country, but here was a new
experience. At ordinary times Ozma was just like any little girl one might =
chance
to meet--simple, merry, lovable as could be--yet with a certain reserve that
lent her dignity in her most joyous moods. There were times, however, when
seated on her throne and commanding her subjects, or when her fairy powers =
were
called into use, when Dorothy and all others about her stood in awe of their
lovely girl Ruler and realized her superiority.
Ozma waited. Presently out from the billows ro=
se
beautiful forms, clothed in fleecy, trailing garments of gray that could
scarcely be distinguished from the mist. Their hair was mist-color, too; on=
ly
their gleaming arms and sweet, pallid faces proved they were living, intell=
igent
creatures answering the call of a sister fairy.
Like sea nymphs they rested on the bosom of the
clouds, their eyes turned questioningly upon the two girls who stood upon t=
he
bank. One came quite near and to her Ozma said:
"Will you please take us to the opposite
hillside? We are afraid to venture into the mist. I am Princess Ozma of Oz,=
and
this is my friend Dorothy, a Princess of Oz."
The Mist Maids came nearer, holding out their
arms. Without hesitation Ozma advanced and allowed them to embrace her and
Dorothy plucked up courage to follow. Very gently the Mist Maids held them.
Dorothy thought the arms were cold and misty--they didn't seem real at all-=
-yet
they supported the two girls above the surface of the billows and floated w=
ith
them so swiftly to the green hillside opposite that the girls were astonish=
ed
to find themselves set upon the grass before they realized they had fairly
started.
"Thank you!" said Ozma gratefully, a=
nd
Dorothy also added her thanks for the service.
The Mist Maids made no answer, but they smiled=
and
waved their hands in good-bye as again they floated out into the mist and
disappeared from view.
"Well," said Dorothy with a laugh,
"that was easier than I expected. It's worth while, sometimes, to be a
real fairy. But I wouldn't like to be that kind, and live in a dreadful fog=
all
the time."
They now climbed the bank and found before the=
m a
delightful plain that spread for miles in all directions. Fragrant wild flo=
wers
were scattered throughout the grass; there were bushes bearing lovely bloss=
oms
and luscious fruits; now and then a group of stately trees added to the bea=
uty
of the landscape. But there were no dwellings or signs of life.
The farther side of the plain was bordered by a
row of palms, and just in front of the palms rose a queerly shaped hill that
towered above the plain like a mountain. The sides of this hill were straig=
ht
up and down; it was oblong in shape and the top seemed flat and level.
"Oh, ho!" cried Dorothy; "I'll =
bet
that's the mountain Glinda told us of, where the Flatheads live."
"If it is," replied Ozma, "the =
Lake
of the Skeezers must be just beyond the line of palm trees. Can you walk th=
at
far, Dorothy?"
"Of course, in time," was the prompt
answer. "I'm sorry we had to leave the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon behi=
nd
us, for they'd come in handy just now; but with the end of our journey in s=
ight
a tramp across these pretty green fields won't tire us a bit."
It was a longer tramp than they suspected, however, and night overtook them before they could reach the flat mountain.= So Ozma proposed they camp for the night and Dorothy was quite ready to approv= e. She didn't like to admit to her friend she was tired, but she told herself = that her legs "had prickers in 'em," meaning they had begun to ache. <= o:p>
Usually when Dorothy started on a journey of
exploration or adventure, she carried with her a basket of food, and other
things that a traveler in a strange country might require, but to go away w=
ith
Ozma was quite a different thing, as experience had taught her. The fairy R=
uler
of Oz only needed her silver wand--tipped at one end with a great sparkling=
emerald--to
provide through its magic all that they might need. Therefore Ozma, having
halted with her companion and selected a smooth, grassy spot on the plain,
waved her wand in graceful curves and chanted some mystic words in her sweet
voice, and in an instant a handsome tent appeared before them. The canvas w=
as
striped purple and white, and from the center pole fluttered the royal bann=
er
of Oz.
"Come, dear," said Ozma, taking
Dorothy's hand, "I am hungry and I'm sure you must be also; so let us =
go
in and have our feast."
On entering the tent they found a table set for
two, with snowy linen, bright silver and sparkling glassware, a vase of ros=
es
in the center and many dishes of delicious food, some smoking hot, waiting =
to
satisfy their hunger. Also, on either side of the tent were beds, with sati=
n sheets,
warm blankets and pillows filled with swansdown. There were chairs, too, and
tall lamps that lighted the interior of the tent with a soft, rosy glow.
Dorothy, resting herself at her fairy friend's
command, and eating her dinner with unusual enjoyment, thought of the wonde=
rs
of magic. If one were a fairy and knew the secret laws of nature and the my=
stic
words and ceremonies that commanded those laws, then a simple wave of a sil=
ver
wand would produce instantly all that men work hard and anxiously for throu=
gh
weary years. And Dorothy wished in her kindly, innocent heart, that all men=
and
women could be fairies with silver wands, and satisfy all their needs witho=
ut
so much work and worry, for then, she imagined, they would have all their
working hours to be happy in. But Ozma, looking into her friend's face and
reading those thoughts, gave a laugh and said:
"No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all.
Instead of happiness your plan would bring weariness to the world. If every=
one
could wave a wand and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish
for. There would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing
would then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for, =
and
only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be utterly lost.
There would be nothing to do you see, and no interest in life and in our fe=
llow
creatures. That is all that makes life worth our while--to do good deeds an=
d to
help those less fortunate than ourselves."
"Well, you're a fairy, Ozma. Aren't you
happy?" asked Dorothy.
"Yes, dear, because I can use my fairy po=
wers
to make others happy. Had I no kingdom to rule, and no subjects to look aft=
er,
I would be miserable. Also, you must realize that while I am a more powerful
fairy than any other inhabitant of Oz, I am not as powerful as Glinda the S=
orceress,
who has studied many arts of magic that I know nothing of. Even the little
Wizard of Oz can do some things I am unable to accomplish, while I can
accomplish things unknown to the Wizard. This is to explain that I'm not
all-powerful, by any means. My magic is simply fairy magic, and not sorcery=
or
wizardry."
"All the same," said Dorothy, "=
I'm
mighty glad you could make this tent appear, with our dinners and beds all
ready for us."
Ozma smiled.
"Yes, it is indeed wonderful," she
agreed. "Not all fairies know that sort of magic, but some fairies can=
do
magic that fills me with astonishment. I think that is what makes us modest=
and
unassuming--the fact that our magic arts are divided, some being given each=
of
us. I'm glad I don't know everything, Dorothy, and that there still are thi=
ngs in
both nature and in wit for me to marvel at."
Dorothy couldn't quite understand this, so she
said nothing more on the subject and presently had a new reason to marvel. =
For
when they had quite finished their meal table and contents disappeared in a
flash.
"No dishes to wash, Ozma!" she said =
with
a laugh. "I guess you'd make a lot of folks happy if you could teach '=
em
just that one trick."
For an hour Ozma told stories, and talked with
Dorothy about various people in whom they were interested. And then it was
bedtime, and they undressed and crept into their soft beds and fell asleep
almost as soon as their heads touched their pillows.
The flat mountain looked much nearer in the cl=
ear
light of the morning sun, but Dorothy and Ozma knew there was a long tramp
before them, even yet. They finished dressing only to find a warm, delicious
breakfast awaiting them, and having eaten they left the tent and started to=
ward
the mountain which was their first goal. After going a little way Dorothy
looked back and found that the fairy tent had entirely disappeared. She was=
not
surprised, for she knew this would happen.
"Can't your magic give us a horse an' wag=
on,
or an automobile?" inquired Dorothy.
"No, dear; I'm sorry that such magic is
beyond my power," confessed her fairy friend.
"Perhaps Glinda could," said Dorothy
thoughtfully.
"Glinda has a stork chariot that carries =
her
through the air," said Ozma, "but even our great Sorceress cannot
conjure up other modes of travel. Don't forget what I told you last night, =
that
no one is powerful enough to do everything."
"Well, I s'pose I ought to know that, hav=
ing
lived so long in the Land of Oz," replied Dorothy; "but I can't do
any magic at all, an' so I can't figure out e'zactly how you an' Glinda an'=
the
Wizard do it."
"Don't try," laughed Ozma. "But=
you
have at least one magical art, Dorothy: you know the trick of winning all
hearts."
"No, I don't," said Dorothy earnestl=
y.
"If I really can do it, Ozma, I am sure I don't know how I do it."=
;
It took them a good two hours to reach the foo=
t of
the round, flat mountain, and then they found the sides so steep that they =
were
like the wall of a house.
"Even my purple kitten couldn't climb
'em," remarked Dorothy, gazing upward.
"But there is some way for the Flatheads =
to
get down and up again," declared Ozma; "otherwise they couldn't m=
ake
war with the Skeezers, or even meet them and quarrel with them."
"That's so, Ozma. Let's walk around a way=
s;
perhaps we'll find a ladder or something."
They walked quite a distance, for it was a big
mountain, and as they circled around it and came to the side that faced the
palm trees, they suddenly discovered an entrance way cut out of the rock wa=
ll.
This entrance was arched overhead and not very deep because it merely led t=
o a
short flight of stone stairs.
"Oh, we've found a way to the top at
last," announced Ozma, and the two girls turned and walked straight to=
ward
the entrance. Suddenly they bumped against something and stood still, unabl=
e to
proceed farther.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Dorothy, rubbing
her nose, which had struck something hard, although she could not see what =
it
was; "this isn't as easy as it looks. What has stopped us, Ozma? Is it
magic of some sort?"
Ozma was feeling around, her bands outstretched
before her.
"Yes, dear, it is magic," she replie=
d.
"The Flatheads had to have a way from their mountain top from the plain
below, but to prevent enemies from rushing up the stairs to conquer them, t=
hey
have built, at a small distance before the entrance a wall of solid stone, =
the
stones being held in place by cement, and then they made the wall
invisible."
"I wonder why they did that?" mused
Dorothy. "A wall would keep folks out anyhow, whether it could be seen=
or
not, so there wasn't any use making it invisible. Seems to me it would have
been better to have left it solid, for then no one would have seen the entr=
ance
behind it. Now anybody can see the entrance, as we did. And prob'bly anybody
that tries to go up the stairs gets bumped, as we did."
Ozma made no reply at once. Her face was grave=
and
thoughtful.
"I think I know the reason for making the
wall invisible," she said after a while. "The Flatheads use the
stairs for coming down and going up. If there was a solid stone wall to keep
them from reaching the plain they would themselves be imprisoned by the wal=
l.
So they had to leave some place to get around the wall, and, if the wall was
visible, all strangers or enemies would find the place to go around it and =
then
the wall would be useless. So the Flatheads cunningly made their wall invis=
ible,
believing that everyone who saw the entrance to the mountain would walk
straight toward it, as we did, and find it impossible to go any farther. I
suppose the wall is really high and thick, and can't be broken through, so
those who find it in their way are obliged to go away again."
"Well," said Dorothy, "if there=
's a
way around the wall, where is it?"
"We must find it," returned Ozma, and
began feeling her way along the wall. Dorothy followed and began to get
discouraged when Ozma had walked nearly a quarter of a mile away from the
entrance. But now the invisible wall curved in toward the side of the mount=
ain
and suddenly ended, leaving just space enough between the wall and the moun=
tain
for an ordinary person to pass through.
The girls went in, single file, and Ozma expla=
ined
that they were now behind the barrier and could go back to the entrance. Th=
ey
met no further obstructions.
"Most people, Ozma, wouldn't have figured
this thing out the way you did," remarked Dorothy. "If I'd been a=
lone
the invisible wall surely would have stumped me."
Reaching the entrance they began to mount the
stone stairs. They went up ten stairs and then down five stairs, following a
passage cut from the rock. The stairs were just wide enough for the two gir=
ls
to walk abreast, arm in arm. At the bottom of the five stairs the passage t=
urned
to the right, and they ascended ten more stairs, only to find at the top of=
the
flight five stairs leading straight down again. Again the passage turned
abruptly, this time to the left, and ten more stairs led upward.
The passage was now quite dark, for they were =
in
the heart of the mountain and all daylight had been shut out by the turns of
the passage. However, Ozma drew her silver wand from her bosom and the great
jewel at its end gave out a lustrous, green-tinted light which lighted the
place well enough for them to see their way plainly.
Ten steps up, five steps down, and a turn, this
way or that. That was the program, and Dorothy figured that they were only
gaining five stairs upward each trip that they made.
"Those Flatheads must be funny people,&qu=
ot;
she said to Ozma. "They don't seem to do anything in a bold
straightforward manner. In making this passage they forced everyone to walk
three times as far as is necessary. And of course this trip is just as tire=
some
to the Flatheads as it is to other folks."
"That is true," answered Ozma; "=
;yet
it is a clever arrangement to prevent their being surprised by intruders. E=
very
time we reach the tenth step of a flight, the pressure of our feet on the s=
tone
makes a bell ring on top of the mountain, to warn the Flatheads of our
coming."
"How do you know that?" demanded
Dorothy, astonished.
"I've heard the bell ever since we
started," Ozma told her. "You could not hear it, I know, but when=
I
am holding my wand in my hand I can hear sounds a great distance off."=
"Do you hear anything on top of the mount=
ain
'cept the bell?" inquired Dorothy.
"Yes. The people are calling to one anoth=
er
in alarm and many footsteps are approaching the place where we will reach t=
he
flat top of the mountain."
This made Dorothy feel somewhat anxious. "=
;I'd
thought we were going to visit just common, ordinary people," she
remarked, "but they're pretty clever, it seems, and they know some kin=
ds
of magic, too. They may be dangerous, Ozma. P'raps we'd better stayed at
home."
Finally the upstairs-and-downstairs passage se=
emed
coming to an end, for daylight again appeared ahead of the two girls and Oz=
ma
replaced her wand in the bosom of her gown. The last ten steps brought them=
to the
surface, where they found themselves surrounded by such a throng of queer
people that for a time they halted, speechless, and stared into the faces t=
hat
confronted them.
Dorothy knew at once why these mountain people
were called Flatheads. Their heads were really flat on top, as if they had =
been
cut off just above the eyes and ears. Also the heads were bald, with no hai=
r on
top at all, and the ears were big and stuck straight out, and the noses were
small and stubby, while the mouths of the Flatheads were well shaped and not
unusual. Their eyes were perhaps their best feature, being large and bright=
and
a deep violet in color.
The costumes of the Flatheads were all made of
metals dug from their mountain. Small gold, silver, tin and iron discs, abo=
ut
the size of pennies, and very thin, were cleverly wired together and made to
form knee trousers and jackets for the men and skirts and waists for the wo=
men.
The colored metals were skillfully mixed to form stripes and checks of vari=
ous
sorts, so that the costumes were quite gorgeous and reminded Dorothy of
pictures she had seen of Knights of old clothed armor.
Aside from their flat heads, these people were=
not
really bad looking. The men were armed with bows and arrows and had small a=
xes
of steel stuck in their metal belts. They wore no hats nor ornaments.
When they saw that the intruders on their moun=
tain
were only two little girls, the Flatheads grunted with satisfaction and drew
back, permitting them to see what the mountain top looked like. It was shap=
ed like
a saucer, so that the houses and other buildings--all made of rocks--could =
not
be seen over the edge by anyone standing in the plain below.
But now a big fat Flathead stood before the gi=
rls
and in a gruff voice demanded:
"What are you doing here? Have the Skeeze=
rs
sent you to spy upon us?"
"I am Princess Ozma, Ruler of all the Lan=
d of
Oz."
"Well, I've never heard of the Land of Oz=
, so
you may be what you claim," returned the Flathead.
"This is the Land of Oz--part of it,
anyway," exclaimed Dorothy. "So Princess Ozma rules you Flathead
people, as well as all the other people in Oz."
The man laughed, and all the others who stood
around laughed, too. Some one in the crowd called:
"She'd better not tell the Supreme Dictat=
or
about ruling the Flatheads. Eh, friends?"
"No, indeed!" they all answered in
positive tones.
"Who is your Supreme Dictator?" answ=
ered
Ozma.
"I think I'll let him tell you that
himself," answered the man who had first spoken. "You have broken=
our
laws by coming here; and whoever you are the Supreme Dictator must fix your
punishment. Come along with me."
He started down a path and Ozma and Dorothy
followed him without protest, as they wanted to see the most important pers=
on
in this queer country. The houses they passed seemed pleasant enough and ea=
ch had
a little yard in which were flowers and vegetables. Walls of rock separated=
the
dwellings, and all the paths were paved with smooth slabs of rock. This see=
med
their only building material and they utilized it cleverly for every purpos=
e.
Directly in the center of the great saucer sto=
od a
larger building which the Flathead informed the girls was the palace of the
Supreme Dictator. He led them through an entrance hall into a big reception=
room,
where they sat upon stone benches and awaited the coming of the Dictator.
Pretty soon he entered from another room--a rather lean and rather old
Flathead, dressed much like the others of this strange race, and only
distinguished from them by the sly and cunning expression of his face. He k=
ept
his eyes half closed and looked through the slits of them at Ozma and Dorot=
hy,
who rose to receive him.
"Are you the Supreme Dictator of the
Flatheads?" inquired Ozma.
"Yes, that's me," he said, rubbing h=
is
hands slowly together. "My word is law. I'm the head of the Flatheads =
on
this flat headland."
"I am Princess Ozma of Oz, and I have come
from the Emerald City to--"
"Stop a minute," interrupted the
Dictator, and turned to the man who had brought the girls there. "Go a=
way,
Dictator Felo Flathead!" he commanded. "Return to your duty and g=
uard
the Stairway. I will look after these strangers." The man bowed and
departed, and Dorothy asked wonderingly:
"Is he a Dictator, too?"
"Of course," was the answer.
"Everybody here is a dictator of something or other. They're all offic=
e holders.
That's what keeps them contented. But I'm the Supreme Dictator of all, and =
I'm
elected once a year. This is a democracy, you know, where the people are
allowed to vote for their rulers. A good many others would like to be Supre=
me
Dictator, but as I made a law that I am always to count the votes myself, I=
am
always elected."
"What is your name?" asked Ozma.
"I am called the Su-dic, which is short f=
or
Supreme Dictator. I sent that man away because the moment you mentioned Ozm=
a of
Oz, and the Emerald City, I knew who you are. I suppose I'm the only Flathe=
ad
that ever heard of you, but that's because I have more brains than the
rest."
Dorothy was staring hard at the Su-dic.
"I don't see how you can have any brains =
at
all," she remarked, "because the part of your head is gone where
brains are kept."
"I don't blame you for thinking that,&quo=
t;
he said. "Once the Flatheads had no brains because, as you say, there =
is
no upper part to their heads, to hold brains. But long, long ago a band of
fairies flew over this country and made it all a fairyland, and when they c=
ame
to the Flatheads the fairies were sorry to find them all very stupid and qu=
ite unable
to think. So, as there was no good place in their bodies in which to put br=
ains
the Fairy Queen gave each one of us a nice can of brains to carry in his po=
cket
and that made us just as intelligent as other people. See," he continu=
ed,
"here is one of the cans of brains the fairies gave us." He took =
from
a pocket a bright tin can having a pretty red label on it which said:
"Concentrated Brains, Extra Quality."
"And does every Flathead have the same ki=
nd
of brains?" asked Dorothy.
"Yes, they're all alike. Here's another
can." From another pocket he produced a second can of brains.
"Did the fairies give you a double
supply?" inquired Dorothy.
"No, but one of the Flatheads thought he
wanted to be the Su-dic and tried to get my people to rebel against me, so I
punished him by taking away his brains. One day my wife scolded me severely=
, so
I took away her can of brains. She didn't like that and went out and robbed
several women of their brains. Then I made a law that if anyone stole anoth=
er's
brains, or even tried to borrow them, he would forfeit his own brains to the
Su-dic. So each one is content with his own canned brains and my wife and I=
are
the only ones on the mountain with more than one can. I have three cans and
that makes me very clever--so clever that I'm a good Sorcerer, if I do say =
it
myself. My poor wife had four cans of brains and became a remarkable witch,=
but
alas! that was before those terrible enemies, the Skeezers, transformed her
into a Golden Pig."
"Good gracious!" cried Dorothy; &quo=
t;is
your wife really a Golden Pig?"
"She is. The Skeezers did it and so I have
declared war on them. In revenge for making my wife a Pig I intend to ruin
their Magic Island and make the Skeezers the slaves of the Flatheads!"=
The Su-dic was very angry now; his eyes flashed
and his face took on a wicked and fierce expression. But Ozma said to him, =
very
sweetly and in a friendly voice:
"I am sorry to hear this. Will you please
tell me more about your troubles with the Skeezers? Then perhaps I can help you."=
She was only a girl, but there was dignity in =
her
pose and speech which impressed the Su-dic.
"If you are really Princess Ozma of Oz,&q=
uot;
the Flathead said, "you are one of that band of fairies who, under Que=
en
Lurline, made all Oz a Fairyland. I have heard that Lurline left one of her=
own
fairies to rule Oz, and gave the fairy the name of Ozma."
"If you knew this why did you not come to=
me
at the Emerald City and tender me your loyalty and obedience?" asked t=
he
Ruler of Oz.
"Well, I only learned the fact lately, and
I've been too busy to leave home," he explained, looking at the floor
instead of into Ozma's eyes. She knew he had spoken a falsehood, but only s=
aid:
"Why did you quarrel with the Skeezers?&q=
uot;
"It was this way," began the Su-dic,
glad to change the subject. "We Flatheads love fish, and as we have no
fish on this mountain we would sometimes go to the Lake of the Skeezers to
catch fish. This made the Skeezers angry, for they declared the fish in the=
ir
lake belonged to them and were under their protection and they forbade us to
catch them. That was very mean and unfriendly in the Skeezers, you must adm=
it,
and when we paid no attention to their orders they set a guard on the shore=
of
the lake to prevent our fishing.
"Now, my wife, Rora Flathead, having four
cans of brains, had become a wonderful witch, and fish being brain food, she
loved to eat fish better than any one of us. So she vowed she would destroy
every fish in the lake, unless the Skeezers let us catch what we wanted. Th=
ey
defied us, so Rora prepared a kettleful of magic poison and went down to th=
e lake
one night to dump it all in the water and poison the fish. It was a clever
idea, quite worthy of my dear wife, but the Skeezer Queen--a young lady nam=
ed
Coo-ee-oh--hid on the bank of the lake and taking Rora unawares, transformed
her into a Golden Pig. The poison was spilled on the ground and wicked Quee=
n Coo-ee-oh,
not content with her cruel transformation, even took away my wife's four ca=
ns
of brains, so she is now a common grunting pig without even brains enough to
know her own name."
"Then," said Ozma thoughtfully,
"the Queen of the Skeezers must be a Sorceress."
"Yes," said the Su-dic, "but she
doesn't know much magic, after all. She is not as powerful as Rora Flathead
was, nor half as powerful as I am now, as Queen Coo-ee-oh will discover whe=
n we
fight our great battle and destroy her."
"The Golden Pig can't be a witch any more=
, of
course," observed Dorothy.
"No; even had Queen Coo-ee-oh left her the
four cans of brains, poor Rora, in a pig's shape, couldn't do any witchcraf=
t. A
witch has to use her fingers, and a pig has only cloven hoofs."
"It seems a sad story," was Ozma's
comment, "and all the trouble arose because the Flatheads wanted fish =
that
did not belong to them."
"As for that," said the Su-dic, again
angry, "I made a law that any of my people could catch fish in the Lak=
e of
the Skeezers, whenever they wanted to. So the trouble was through the Skeez=
ers
defying my law."
"You can only make laws to govern your own
people," asserted Ozma sternly. "I, alone, am empowered to make l=
aws
that must be obeyed by all the peoples of Oz."
"Pooh!" cried the Su-dic scornfully.
"You can't make me obey your laws, I assure you. I know the extent of =
your
powers, Princess Ozma of Oz, and I know that I am more powerful than you ar=
e.
To prove it I shall keep you and your companion prisoners in this mountain =
until
after we have fought and conquered the Skeezers. Then, if you promise to be=
good,
I may let you go home again."
Dorothy was amazed by this effrontery and defi=
ance
of the beautiful girl Ruler of Oz, whom all until now had obeyed without
question. But Ozma, still unruffled and dignified, looked at the Su-dic and
said:
"You did not mean that. You are angry and
speak unwisely, without reflection. I came here from my palace in the Emera=
ld
City to prevent war and to make peace between you and the Skeezers. I do not
approve of Queen Coo-ee-oh's action in transforming your wife Rora into a p=
ig,
nor do I approve of Rora's cruel attempt to poison the fishes in the lake. =
No
one has the right to work magic in my dominions without my consent, so the
Flatheads and the Skeezers have both broken my laws--which must be
obeyed."
"If you want to make peace," said the
Su-dic, "make the Skeezers restore my wife to her proper form and give
back her four cans of brains. Also make them agree to allow us to catch fis=
h in
their lake."
"No," returned Ozma, "I will no=
t do
that, for it would be unjust. I will have the Golden Pig again transformed =
into
your wife Rora, and give her one can of brains, but the other three cans mu=
st
be restored to those she robbed. Neither may you catch fish in the Lake of =
the Skeezers,
for it is their lake and the fish belong to them. This arrangement is just =
and
honorable, and you must agree to it."
"Never!" cried the Su-dic. Just then=
a
pig came running into the room, uttering dismal grunts. It was made of solid
gold, with joints at the bends of the legs and in the neck and jaws. The Go=
lden
Pig's eyes were rubies, and its teeth were polished ivory.
"There!" said the Su-dic, "gaze=
on
the evil work of Queen Coo-ee-oh, and then say if you can prevent my making=
war
on the Skeezers. That grunting beast was once my wife--the most beautiful
Flathead on our mountain and a skillful witch. Now look at her!"
"Fight the Skeezers, fight the Skeezers,
fight the Skeezers!" grunted the Golden Pig.
"I will fight the Skeezers," exclaim=
ed
the Flathead chief, "and if a dozen Ozmas of Oz forbade me I would fig=
ht
just the same."
"Not if I can prevent it!" asserted
Ozma.
"You can't prevent it. But since you thre=
aten
me, I'll have you confined in the bronze prison until the war is over,"
said the Su-dic. He whistled and four stout Flatheads, armed with axes and
spears, entered the room and saluted him. Turning to the men he said:
"Take these two girls, bind them with wire ropes and cast them into th=
e bronze
prison."
The four men bowed low and one of them asked: =
"Where are the two girls, most noble
Su-dic?"
The Su-dic turned to where Ozma and Dorothy had
stood but they had vanished!
Ozma, seeing it was useless to argue with the
Supreme Dictator of the Flatheads, had been considering how best to escape =
from
his power. She realized that his sorcery might be difficult to overcome, and
when he threatened to cast Dorothy and her into a bronze prison she slipped=
her
hand into her bosom and grasped her silver wand. With the other hand she
grasped the hand of Dorothy, but these motions were so natural that the Su-=
dic
did not notice them. Then when he turned to meet his four soldiers, Ozma
instantly rendered both herself and Dorothy invisible and swiftly led her
companion around the group of Flatheads and out of the room. As they reached
the entry and descended the stone steps, Ozma whispered:
"Let us run, dear! We are invisible, so no
one will see us."
Dorothy understood and she was a good runner. =
Ozma
had marked the place where the grand stairway that led to the plain was
located, so they made directly for it. Some people were in the paths but th=
ese
they dodged around. One or two Flatheads heard the pattering of footsteps o=
f the
girls on the stone pavement and stopped with bewildered looks to gaze around
them, but no one interfered with the invisible fugitives.
The Su-dic had lost no time in starting the ch=
ase.
He and his men ran so fast that they might have overtaken the girls before =
they
reached the stairway had not the Golden Pig suddenly run across their path.=
The
Su-dic tripped over the pig and fell flat, and his four men tripped over him
and tumbled in a heap. Before they could scramble up and reach the mouth of=
the
passage it was too late to stop the two girls.
There was a guard on each side of the stairway,
but of course they did not see Ozma and Dorothy as they sped past and desce=
nded
the steps. Then they had to go up five steps and down another ten, and so o=
n,
in the same manner in which they had climbed to the top of the mountain. Oz=
ma
lighted their way with her wand and they kept on without relaxing their spe=
ed
until they reached the bottom. Then they ran to the right and turned the co=
rner
of the invisible wall just as the Su-dic and his followers rushed out of the
arched entrance and looked around in an attempt to discover the fugitives. =
Ozma now knew they were safe, so she told Doro=
thy
to stop and both of them sat down on the grass until they could breathe fre=
ely
and become rested from their mad flight.
As for the Su-dic, he realized he was foiled a=
nd
soon turned and climbed his stairs again. He was very angry--angry with Ozma
and angry with himself--because, now that he took time to think, he remembe=
red that
he knew very well the art of making people invisible, and visible again, an=
d if
he had only thought of it in time he could have used his magic knowledge to
make the girls visible and so have captured them easily. However, it was now
too late for regrets and he determined to make preparations at once to march
all his forces against the Skeezers.
"What shall we do next?" asked Dorot=
hy,
when they were rested.
"Let us find the Lake of the Skeezers,&qu=
ot;
replied Ozma. "From what that dreadful Su-dic said I imagine the Skeez=
ers
are good people and worthy of our friendship, and if we go to them we may h=
elp
them to defeat the Flatheads."
"I s'pose we can't stop the war now,"
remarked Dorothy reflectively, as they walked toward the row of palm trees.=
"No; the Su-dic is determined to fight the
Skeezers, so all we can do is to warn them of their danger and help them as
much as possible."
"Of course you'll punish the Flatheads,&q=
uot;
said Dorothy.
"Well, I do not think the Flathead people=
are
as much to blame as their Supreme Dictator," was the answer. "If =
he
is removed from power and his unlawful magic taken from him, the people will
probably be good and respect the laws of the Land of Oz, and live at peace =
with
all their neighbors in the future."
"I hope so," said Dorothy with a sig=
h of
doubt
The palms were not far from the mountain and t=
he
girls reached them after a brisk walk. The huge trees were set close togeth=
er,
in three rows, and had been planted so as to keep people from passing them,=
but
the Flatheads had cut a passage through this barrier and Ozma found the path
and led Dorothy to the other side.
Beyond the palms they discovered a very beauti=
ful
scene. Bordered by a green lawn was a great lake fully a mile from shore to
shore, the waters of which were exquisitely blue and sparkling, with little=
wavelets
breaking its smooth surface where the breezes touched it. In the center of =
this
lake appeared a lovely island, not of great extent but almost entirely cove=
red
by a huge round building with glass walls and a high glass dome which glitt=
ered
brilliantly in the sunshine. Between the glass building and the edge of the
island was no grass, flowers or shrubbery, but only an expanse of highly
polished white marble. There were no boats on either shore and no signs of =
life
could be seen anywhere on the island.
"Well," said Dorothy, gazing wistful=
ly
at the island, "we've found the Lake of the Skeezers and their Magic I=
sle.
I guess the Skeezers are in that big glass palace, but we can't get at
'em."
Princess Ozma considered the situation gravely.
Then she tied her handkerchief to her wand and, standing at the water's edg=
e,
waved the handkerchief like a flag, as a signal. For a time they could obse=
rve
no response.
"I don't see what good that will do,"
said Dorothy. "Even if the Skeezers are on that island and see us, and
know we're friends, they haven't any boats to come and get us."
But the Skeezers didn't need boats, as the gir=
ls
soon discovered. For on a sudden an opening appeared at the base of the pal=
ace
and from the opening came a slender shaft of steel, reaching out slowly but
steadily across the water in the direction of the place where they stood. To
the girls this steel arrangement looked like a triangle, with the base near=
est
the water. It came toward them in the form of an arch, stretching out from =
the
palace wall until its end reached the bank and rested there, while the other
end still remained on the island.
Then they saw that it was a bridge, consisting=
of
a steel footway just broad enough to walk on, and two slender guide rails, =
one
on either side, which were connected with the footway by steel bars. The br=
idge
looked rather frail and Dorothy feared it would not bear their weight, but =
Ozma
at once called, "Come on!" and started to walk across, holding fa=
st
to the rail on either side. So Dorothy summoned her courage and followed af=
ter.
Before Ozma had taken three steps she halted and so forced Dorothy to halt,=
for
the bridge was again moving and returning to the island.
"We need not walk after all," said O=
zma.
So they stood still in their places and let the steel bridge draw them onwa=
rd.
Indeed, the bridge drew them well into the glass-domed building which cover=
ed
the island, and soon they found themselves standing in a marble room where =
two handsomely
dressed young men stood on a platform to receive them.
Ozma at once stepped from the end of the bridg=
e to
the marble platform, followed by Dorothy, and then the bridge disappeared w=
ith
a slight clang of steel and a marble slab covered the opening from which it=
had
emerged.
The two young men bowed profoundly to Ozma, and
one of them said:
"Queen Coo-ee-oh bids you welcome, O
Strangers. Her Majesty is waiting to receive you in her palace."
"Lead on," replied Ozma with dignity=
.
But instead of "leading on," the
platform of marble began to rise, carrying them upward through a square hole
above which just fitted it. A moment later they found themselves within the
great glass dome that covered almost all of the island.
Within this dome was a little village, with
houses, streets, gardens and parks. The houses were of colored marbles,
prettily designed, with many stained-glass windows, and the streets and gar=
dens
seemed well cared for. Exactly under the center of the lofty dome was a sma=
ll
park filled with brilliant flowers, with an elaborate fountain, and facing =
this
park stood a building larger and more imposing than the others. Toward this
building the young men escorted Ozma and Dorothy.
On the streets and in the doorways or open win=
dows
of the houses were men, women and children, all richly dressed. These were =
much
like other people in different parts of the Land of Oz, except that instead=
of seeming
merry and contented they all wore expressions of much solemnity or of nervo=
us
irritation. They had beautiful homes, splendid clothes, and ample food, but
Dorothy at once decided something was wrong with their lives and that they =
were
not happy. She said nothing, however, but looked curiously at the Skeezers.=
At the entrance of the palace Ozma and Dorothy
were met by two other young men, in uniform and armed with queer weapons th=
at
seemed about halfway between pistols and guns, but were like neither. Their=
conductors
bowed and left them, and the two in uniforms led the girls into the palace.=
In a beautiful throne room, surrounded by a do=
zen
or more young men and women, sat the Queen of the Skeezers, Coo-ee-oh. She =
was
a girl who looked older than Ozma or Dorothy--fifteen or sixteen, at least-=
-and
although she was elaborately dressed as if she were going to a ball she was=
too
thin and plain of feature to be pretty. But evidently Queen Coo-ee-oh did n=
ot
realize this fact, for her air and manner betrayed her as proud and haughty=
and
with a high regard for her own importance. Dorothy at once decided she was
"snippy" and that she would not like Queen Coo-ee-oh as a compani=
on.
The Queen's hair was as black as her skin was
white and her eyes were black, too. The eyes, as she calmly examined Ozma a=
nd
Dorothy, had a suspicious and unfriendly look in them, but she said quietly=
:
"I know who you are, for I have consulted=
my
Magic Oracle, which told me that one calls herself Princess Ozma, the Ruler=
of
all the Land of Oz, and the other is Princess Dorothy of Oz, who came from a
country called Kansas. I know nothing of the Land of Oz, and I know nothing=
of Kansas."
"Why, this is the Land of Oz!" cried
Dorothy. "It's a part of the Land of Oz, anyhow, whether you know it or
not."
"Oh, in-deed!" answered Queen Coo-ee=
-oh,
scornfully. "I suppose you will claim next that this Princess Ozma, ru=
ling
the Land of Oz, rules me!"
"Of course," returned Dorothy.
"There's no doubt of it."
The Queen turned to Ozma.
"Do you dare make such a claim?" she
asked.
By this time Ozma had made up her mind as to t=
he
character of this haughty and disdainful creature, whose self-pride evident=
ly
led her to believe herself superior to all others.
"I did not come here to quarrel with your
Majesty," said the girl Ruler of Oz, quietly. "What and who I am =
is
well established, and my authority comes from the Fairy Queen Lurline, of w=
hose
band I was a member when Lurline made all Oz a Fairyland. There are several=
countries
and several different peoples in this broad land, each of which has its
separate rulers, Kings, Emperors and Queens. But all these render obedience=
to
my laws and acknowledge me as the supreme Ruler."
"If other Kings and Queens are fools that
does not interest me in the least," replied Coo-ee-oh, disdainfully.
"In the Land of the Skeezers I alone am supreme. You are impudent to t=
hink
I would defer to you--or to anyone else."
"Let us not speak of this now, please,&qu=
ot;
answered Ozma. "Your island is in danger, for a powerful foe is prepar=
ing
to destroy it."
"Pah! The Flatheads. I do not fear
them."
"Their Supreme Dictator is a Sorcerer.&qu=
ot;
"My magic is greater than his. Let the
Flatheads come! They will never return to their barren mountain-top. I will=
see
to that."
Ozma did not like this attitude, for it meant =
that
the Skeezers were eager to fight the Flatheads, and Ozma's object in coming=
here
was to prevent fighting and induce the two quarrelsome neighbors to make pe=
ace.
She was also greatly disappointed in Coo-ee-oh, for the reports of Su-dic h=
ad
led her to imagine the Queen more just and honorable than were the Flathead=
s.
Indeed Ozma reflected that the girl might be better at heart than her
self-pride and overbearing manner indicated, and in any event it would be w=
ise
not to antagonize her but to try to win her friendship.
"I do not like wars, your Majesty," =
said
Ozma. "In the Emerald City, where I rule thousands of people, and in t=
he
countries near to the Emerald City, where thousands more acknowledge my rul=
e,
there is no army at all, because there is no quarreling and no need to figh=
t.
If differences arise between my people, they come to me and I judge the cas=
es
and award justice to all. So, when I learned there might be war between two
faraway people of Oz, I came here to settle the dispute and adjust the
quarrel."
"No one asked you to come," declared
Queen Coo-ee-oh. "It is my business to settle this dispute, not yours.=
You
say my island is a part of the Land of Oz, which you rule, but that is all
nonsense, for I've never heard of the Land of Oz, nor of you. You say you a=
re a
fairy, and that fairies gave you command over me. I don't believe it! What =
I do
believe is that you are an impostor and have come here to stir up trouble a=
mong
my people, who are already becoming difficult to manage. You two girls may =
even
be spies of the vile Flatheads, for all I know, and may be trying to trick =
me. But
understand this," she added, proudly rising from her jeweled throne to
confront them, "I have magic powers greater than any fairy possesses, =
and
greater than any Flathead possesses. I am a Krumbic Witch--the only Krumbic
Witch in the world--and I fear the magic of no other creature that exists! =
You
say you rule thousands. I rule one hundred and one Skeezers. But every one =
of
them trembles at my word. Now that Ozma of Oz and Princess Dorothy are here=
, I
shall rule one hundred and three subjects, for you also shall bow before my
power. More than that, in ruling you I also rule the thousands you say you
rule."
Dorothy was very indignant at this speech.
"I've got a pink kitten that sometimes ta=
lks
like that," she said, "but after I give her a good whipping she
doesn't think she's so high and mighty after all. If you only knew who Ozma=
is
you'd be scared to death to talk to her like that!"
Queen Coo-ee-oh gave the girl a supercilious l=
ook.
Then she turned again to Ozma.
"I happen to know," said she, "=
that
the Flatheads intend to attack us tomorrow, but we are ready for them. Until
the battle is over, I shall keep you two strangers prisoners on my island, =
from
which there is no chance for you to escape."
She turned and looked around the band of court=
iers
who stood silently around her throne.
"Lady Aurex," she continued, singling out one of the young women, "take these children to your house and care for them, giving them food and lodging. You may allow them to wander anywhe= re under the Great Dome, for they are harmless. After I have attended to the Flatheads I will consider what next to do with these foolish girls." <= o:p>
She resumed her seat and the Lady Aurex bowed =
low
and said in a humble manner:
"I obey your Majesty's commands." Th=
en
to Ozma and Dorothy she added, "Follow me," and turned to leave t=
he
throne room.
Dorothy looked to see what Ozma would do. To h=
er
surprise and a little to her disappointment Ozma turned and followed Lady
Aurex. So Dorothy trailed after them, but not without giving a parting, hau=
ghty
look toward Queen Coo-ee-oh, who had her face turned the other way and did =
not
see the disapproving look.
Lady Aurex led Ozma and Dorothy along a street=
to
a pretty marble house near to one edge of the great glass dome that covered=
the
village. She did not speak to the girls until she had ushered them into a
pleasant room, comfortably furnished, nor did any of the solemn people they=
met
on the street venture to speak.
When they were seated Lady Aurex asked if they
were hungry, and finding they were summoned a maid and ordered food to be
brought.
This Lady Aurex looked to be about twenty years
old, although in the Land of Oz where people have never changed in appearan=
ce
since the fairies made it a fairyland--where no one grows old or dies--it i=
s always
difficult to say how many years anyone has lived. She had a pleasant,
attractive face, even though it was solemn and sad as the faces of all Skee=
zers
seemed to be, and her costume was rich and elaborate, as became a lady in w=
aiting
upon the Queen.
Ozma had observed Lady Aurex closely and now a=
sked
her in a gentle tone:
"Do you, also, believe me to be an
impostor?"
"I dare not say," replied Lady Aurex=
in
a low tone.
"Why are you afraid to speak freely?"
inquired Ozma.
"The Queen punishes us if we make remarks
that she does not like."
"Are we not alone then, in this house?&qu=
ot;
"The Queen can hear everything that is sp=
oken
on this island--even the slightest whisper," declared Lady Aurex.
"She is a wonderful witch, as she has told you, and it is folly to
criticise her or disobey her commands."
Ozma looked into her eyes and saw that she wou=
ld
like to say more if she dared. So she drew from her bosom her silver wand, =
and
having muttered a magic phrase in a strange tongue, she left the room and w=
alked
slowly around the outside of the house, making a complete circle and waving=
her
wand in mystic curves as she walked. Lady Aurex watched her curiously and, =
when
Ozma had again entered the room and seated herself, she asked:
"What have you done?"
"I've enchanted this house in such a mann= er that Queen Coo-ee-oh, with all her witchcraft, cannot hear one word we speak within the magic circle I have made," replied Ozma. "We may now s= peak freely and as loudly as we wish, without fear of the Queen's anger." <= o:p>
Lady Aurex brightened at this.
"Can I trust you?" she asked.
"Ev'rybody trusts Ozma," exclaimed
Dorothy. "She is true and honest, and your wicked Queen will be sorry =
she
insulted the powerful Ruler of all the Land of Oz."
"The Queen does not know me yet," sa=
id
Ozma, "but I want you to know me, Lady Aurex, and I want you to tell me
why you, and all the Skeezers, are unhappy. Do not fear Coo-ee-oh's anger, =
for
she cannot hear a word we say, I assure you."
Lady Aurex was thoughtful a moment; then she s=
aid:
"I shall trust you, Princess Ozma, for I believe you are what you say =
you
are--our supreme Ruler. If you knew the dreadful punishments our Queen infl=
icts
upon us, you would not wonder we are so unhappy. The Skeezers are not bad p=
eople;
they do not care to quarrel and fight, even with their enemies the Flathead=
s;
but they are so cowed and fearful of Coo-ee-oh that they obey her slightest
word, rather than suffer her anger."
"Hasn't she any heart, then?" asked
Dorothy.
"She never displays mercy. She loves no o=
ne
but herself," asserted Lady Aurex, but she trembled as she said it, as=
if
afraid even yet of her terrible Queen.
"That's pretty bad," said Dorothy, shaking her head gravely. "I see you've a lot to do here, Ozma, in this forsaken corner of the Land of Oz. First place, you've got to take the magic away from Queen Coo-ee-oh, and from that awful Su-dic, too. My idea is that neither of them is fit to rule anybody, 'cause they're cruel and hateful. S= o you'll have to give the Skeezers and Flatheads new rulers and teach all their peop= le that they're part of the Land of Oz and must obey, above all, the lawful Ru= ler, Ozma of Oz. Then, when you've done that, we can go back home again." <= o:p>
Ozma smiled at her little friend's earnest
counsel, but Lady Aurex said in an anxious tone:
"I am surprised that you suggest these
reforms while you are yet prisoners on this island and in Coo-ee-oh's power.
That these things should be done, there is no doubt, but just now a dreadful
war is likely to break out, and frightful things may happen to us all. Our Queen has such conceit that she
thinks she can overcome the Su-dic and his people, but it is said Su-dic's
magic is very powerful, although not as great as that possessed by his wife
Rora, before Coo-ee-oh transformed her into a Golden Pig."
"I don't blame her very much for doing
that," remarked Dorothy, "for the Flatheads were wicked to try to
catch your beautiful fish and the Witch Rora wanted to poison all the fishe=
s in
the lake."
"Do you know the reason?" asked the =
Lady
Aurex.
"I don't s'pose there was any reason, 'ce=
pt
just wickedness," replied Dorothy.
"Tell us the reason," said Ozma
earnestly.
"Well, your Majesty, once--a long time
ago--the Flatheads and the Skeezers were friendly. They visited our island =
and
we visited their mountain, and everything was pleasant between the two peop=
les.
At that time the Flatheads were ruled by three Adepts in Sorcery, beautiful=
girls
who were not Flatheads, but had wandered to the Flat Mountain and made their
home there. These three Adepts used their magic only for good, and the moun=
tain
people gladly made them their rulers. They taught the Flatheads how to use
their canned brains and how to work metals into clothing that would never w=
ear
out, and many other things that added to their happiness and content.
"Coo-ee-oh was our Queen then, as now, but
she knew no magic and so had nothing to be proud of. But the three Adepts w=
ere
very kind to Coo-ee-oh. They built for us this wonderful dome of glass and =
our houses
of marble and taught us to make beautiful clothing and many other things.
Coo-ee-oh pretended to be very grateful for these favors, but it seems that=
all
the time she was jealous of the three Adepts and secretly tried to discover
their arts of magic. In this she was more clever than anyone suspected. She
invited the three Adepts to a banquet one day, and while they were feasting
Coo-ee-oh stole their charms and magical instruments and transformed them i=
nto
three fishes--a gold fish, a silver fish and a bronze fish. While the poor
fishes were gasping and flopping helplessly on the floor of the banquet room
one of them said reproachfully: 'You will be punished for this, Coo-ee-oh, =
for if
one of us dies or is destroyed, you will become shrivelled and helpless, and
all your stolen magic will depart from you.' Frightened by this threat,
Coo-ee-oh at once caught up the three fish and ran with them to the shore of
the lake, where she cast them into the water. This revived the three Adepts=
and
they swam away and disappeared.
"I, myself, witnessed this shocking
scene," continued Lady Aurex, "and so did many other Skeezers. The
news was carried to the Flatheads, who then turned from friends to enemies.=
The
Su-dic and his wife Rora were the only ones on the mountain who were glad t=
he
three Adepts had been lost to them, and they at once became Rulers of the
Flatheads and stole their canned brains from others to make themselves the =
more
powerful. Some of the Adepts' magic tools had been left on the mountain, an=
d these
Rora seized and by the use of them she became a witch.
"The result of Coo-ee-oh's treachery was =
to
make both the Skeezers and the Flatheads miserable instead of happy. Not on=
ly
were the Su-dic and his wife cruel to their people, but our Queen at once
became proud and arrogant and treated us very unkindly. All the Skeezers kn=
ew
she had stolen her magic powers and so she hated us and made us humble ours=
elves
before her and obey her slightest word. If we disobeyed, or did not please =
her,
or if we talked about her when we were in our own homes she would have us
dragged to the whipping post in her palace and lashed with knotted cords. T=
hat
is why we fear her so greatly."
This story filled Ozma's heart with sorrow and
Dorothy's heart with indignation.
"I now understand," said Ozma, "=
;why
the fishes in the lake have brought about war between the Skeezers and the
Flatheads."
"Yes," Lady Aurex answered, "now
that you know the story it is easy to understand. The Su-dic and his wife c=
ame
to our lake hoping to catch the silver fish, or gold fish, or bronze fish--=
any
one of them would do--and by destroying it deprive Coo-ee-oh of her magic. =
Then
they could easily conquer her. Also they had another reason for wanting to =
catch
the fish--they feared that in some way the three Adepts might regain their
proper forms and then they would be sure to return to the mountain and puni=
sh
Rora and the Su-dic. That was why Rora finally tried to poison all the fish=
es
in the lake, at the time Coo-ee-oh transformed her into a Golden Pig. Of co=
urse
this attempt to destroy the fishes frightened the Queen, for her safety lie=
s in
keeping the three fishes alive."
"I s'pose Coo-ee-oh will fight the Flathe=
ads
with all her might," observed Dorothy.
"And with all her magic," added Ozma,
thoughtfully.
"I do not see how the Flatheads can get to
this island to hurt us," said Lady Aurex.
"They have bows and arrows, and I guess t=
hey
mean to shoot the arrows at your big dome, and break all the glass in it,&q=
uot;
suggested Dorothy.
But Lady Aurex shook her head with a smile.
"They cannot do that," she replied. =
"Why not?"
"I dare not tell you why, but if the
Flatheads come to-morrow morning you will yourselves see the reason." =
"I do not think they will attempt to harm=
the
island," Ozma declared. "I believe they will first attempt to des=
troy
the fishes, by poison or some other means. If they succeed in that, the
conquest of the island will not be difficult."
"They have no boats," said Lady Aure=
x,
"and Coo-ee-oh, who has long expected this war, has been preparing for=
it
in many astonishing ways. I almost wish the Flatheads would conquer us, for
then we would be free from our dreadful Queen; but I do not wish to see the
three transformed fishes destroyed, for in them lies our only hope of future
happiness."
"Ozma will take care of you, whatever
happens," Dorothy assured her. But the Lady Aurex, not knowing the ext=
ent
of Ozma's power--which was, in fact, not so great as Dorothy imagined--could
not take much comfort in this promise.
It was evident there would be exciting times on
the morrow, if the Flatheads really attacked the Skeezers of the Magic Isle=
.
When night fell all the interior of the Great
Dome, streets and houses, became lighted with brilliant incandescent lamps,
which rendered it bright as day. Dorothy thought the island must look beaut=
iful
by night from the outer shore of the lake. There was revelry and feasting in
the Queen's palace, and the music of the royal band could be plainly heard =
in
Lady Aurex's house, where Ozma and Dorothy remained with their hostess and
keeper. They were prisoners, but treated with much consideration.
Lady Aurex gave them a nice supper and when th=
ey
wished to retire showed them to a pretty room with comfortable beds and wis=
hed
them a good night and pleasant dreams.
"What do you think of all this, Ozma?&quo=
t;
Dorothy anxiously inquired when they were alone.
"I am glad we came," was the reply,
"for although there may be mischief done to-morrow, it was necessary I
should know about these people, whose leaders are wild and lawless and oppr=
ess
their subjects with injustice and cruelties. My task, therefore, is to libe=
rate
the Skeezers and the Flatheads and secure for them freedom and happiness. I=
have
no doubt I can accomplish this in time."
"Just now, though, we're in a bad fix,&qu=
ot;
asserted Dorothy. "If Queen Coo-ee-oh conquers to-morrow, she won't be
nice to us, and if the Su-dic conquers, he'll be worse."
"Do not worry, dear," said Ozma, &qu=
ot;I
do not think we are in danger, whatever happens, and the result of our
adventure is sure to be good."
Dorothy was not worrying, especially. She had
confidence in her friend, the fairy Princess of Oz, and she enjoyed the
excitement of the events in which she was taking part. So she crept into bed
and fell asleep as easily as if she had been in her own cosy room in Ozma's
palace.
A sort of grating, grinding sound awakened her.
The whole island seemed to tremble and sway, as it might do in an earthquak=
e.
Dorothy sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them, and t=
hen
found it was daybreak.
Ozma was hurriedly dressing herself.
"What is it?" asked Dorothy, jumping=
out
of bed.
"I'm not sure," answered Ozma "=
but
it feels as if the island is sinking."
As soon as possible they finished dressing, wh=
ile
the creaking and swaying continued. Then they rushed into the living room of
the house and found Lady Aurex, fully dressed, awaiting them.
"Do not be alarmed," said their host=
ess.
"Coo-ee-oh has decided to submerge the island, that is all. But it pro=
ves
the Flatheads are coming to attack us."
"What do you mean by sub-sub-merging the
island?" asked Dorothy.
"Come here and see," was the reply. =
Lady Aurex led them to a window which faced the
side of the great dome which covered all the village, and they could see th=
at
the island was indeed sinking, for the water of the lake was already half w=
ay
up the side of the dome. Through the glass could be seen swimming fishes, a=
nd tall
stalks of swaying seaweeds, for the water was clear as crystal and through =
it
they could distinguish even the farther shore of the lake.
"The Flatheads are not here yet," sa=
id
Lady Aurex. "They will come soon, but not until all of this dome is un=
der
the surface of the water."
"Won't the dome leak?" Dorothy inqui=
red
anxiously.
"No, indeed."
"Was the island ever sub-sub-sunk
before?"
"Oh, yes; on several occasions. But Coo-e=
e-oh
doesn't care to do that often, for it requires a lot of hard work to operate
the machinery. The dome was built so that the island could disappear. I
think," she continued, "that our Queen fears the Flatheads will
attack the island and try to break the glass of the dome."
"Well, if we're under water, they can't f=
ight
us, and we can't fight them," asserted Dorothy.
"They could kill the fishes, however,&quo=
t;
said Ozma gravely.
"We have ways to fight, also, even though=
our
island is under water," claimed Lady Aurex. "I cannot tell you all
our secrets, but this island is full of surprises. Also our Queen's magic is
astonishing."
"Did she steal it all from the three Adep=
ts in
Sorcery that are now fishes?"
"She stole the knowledge and the magic to=
ols,
but she has used them as the three Adepts never would have done."
By this time the top of the dome was quite und=
er
water and suddenly the island stopped sinking and became stationary.
"See!" cried Lady Aurex, pointing to=
the
shore. "The Flatheads have come."
On the bank, which was now far above their hea=
ds,
a crowd of dark figures could be seen.
"Now let us see what Coo-ee-oh will do to
oppose them," continued Lady Aurex, in a voice that betrayed her
excitement.
* *<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> * * *
The Flatheads, pushing their way through the l=
ine
of palm trees, had reached the shore of the lake just as the top of the
island's dome disappeared beneath the surface. The water now flowed from sh=
ore
to shore, but through the clear water the dome was still visible and the ho=
uses
of the Skeezers could be dimly seen through the panes of glass.
"Good!" exclaimed the Su-dic, who had
armed all his followers and had brought with him two copper vessels, which =
he
carefully set down upon the ground beside him. "If Coo-ee-oh wants to =
hide
instead of fighting our job will be easy, for in one of these copper vessel=
s I
have enough poison to kill every fish in the lake."
"Kill them, then, while we have time, and
then we can go home again," advised one of the chief officers.
"Not yet," objected the Su-dic.
"The Queen of the Skeezers has defied me, and I want to get her into my
power, as well as to destroy her magic. She transformed my poor wife into a
Golden Pig, and I must have revenge for that, whatever else we do."
"Look out!" suddenly exclaimed the
officers, pointing into the lake; "something's going to happen." =
From the submerged dome a door opened and
something black shot swiftly out into the water. The door instantly closed
behind it and the dark object cleaved its way through the water, without ri=
sing
to the surface, directly toward the place where the Flatheads were standing=
.
"What is that?" Dorothy asked the La=
dy
Aurex.
"That is one of the Queen's submarines,&q=
uot;
was the reply. "It is all enclosed, and can move under water. Coo-ee-oh
has several of these boats which are kept in little rooms in the basement u=
nder
our village. When the island is submerged, the Queen uses these boats to re=
ach
the shore, and I believe she now intends to fight the Flatheads with
them."
The Su-dic and his people knew nothing of
Coo-ee-oh's submarines, so they watched with surprise as the under-water bo=
at
approached them. When it was quite near the shore it rose to the surface and
the top parted and fell back, disclosing a boat full of armed Skeezers. At =
the head
was the Queen, standing up in the bow and holding in one hand a coil of mag=
ic
rope that gleamed like silver.
The boat halted and Coo-ee-oh drew back her ar=
m to
throw the silver rope toward the Su-dic, who was now but a few feet from he=
r.
But the wily Flathead leader quickly realized his danger and before the Que=
en could
throw the rope he caught up one of the copper vessels and dashed its conten=
ts
full in her face!
Queen Coo-ee-oh dropped the rope, tottered and
fell headlong into the water, sinking beneath the surface, while the Skeeze=
rs
in the submarine assist her and only stared at the ripples in the water whe=
re
she had disappeared. A moment later there arose to the surface a beautiful =
White
Swan. This Swan was of large size, very gracefully formed, and scattered all
over its white feathers were tiny diamonds, so thickly placed that as the r=
ays
of the morning sun fell upon them the entire body of the Swan glistened like
one brilliant diamond. The head of the Diamond Swan had a bill of polished =
gold
and its eyes were two sparkling amethysts.
"Hooray!" cried the Su-dic, dancing =
up
and down with wicked glee. "My poor wife, Rora, is avenged at last. You
made her a Golden Pig, Coo-ee-oh, and now I have made you a Diamond Swan. F=
loat
on your lake forever, if you like, for your web feet can do no more magic a=
nd
you are as powerless as the Pig you made of my wife!
"Villain! Scoundrel!" croaked the
Diamond Swan. "You will be punished for this. Oh, what a fool I was to=
let
you enchant me!
"A fool you were, and a fool you are!&quo=
t;
laughed the Su-dic, dancing madly in his delight. And then he carelessly ti=
pped
over the other copper vessel with his heel and its contents spilled on the
sands and were lost to the last drop.
The Su-dic stopped short and looked at the
overturned vessel with a rueful countenance.
"That's too bad--too bad!" he exclai=
med
sorrowfully. "I've lost all the poison I had to kill the fishes with, =
and
I can't make any more because only my wife knew the secret of it, and she is
now a foolish Pig and has forgotten all her magic."
"Very well," said the Diamond Swan
scornfully, as she floated upon the water and swam gracefully here and ther=
e.
"I'm glad to see you are foiled. Your punishment is just beginning, for
although you have enchanted me and taken away my powers of sorcery you have
still the three magic fishes to deal with, and they'll destroy you in time,
mark my words."
The Su-dic stared at the Swan a moment. Then he
yelled to his men:
"Shoot her! Shoot the saucy bird!" <= o:p>
They let fly some arrows at the Diamond Swan, =
but
she dove under the water and the missiles fell harmless. When Coo-ce-oh ros=
e to
the surface she was far from the shore and she swiftly swam across the lake=
to
where no arrows or spears could reach her.
The Su-dic rubbed his chin and thought what to=
do
next. Near by floated the submarine in which the Queen had come, but the
Skeezers who were in it were puzzled what to do with themselves. Perhaps th=
ey
were not sorry their cruel mistress had been transformed into a Diamond Swa=
n,
but the transformation had left them quite helpless. The under-water boat w=
as not
operated by machinery, but by certain mystic words uttered by Coo-ee-oh. Th=
ey
didn't know how to submerge it, or how to make the water-tight shield cover
them again, or how to make the boat go back to the castle, or make it enter=
the
little basement room where it was usually kept. As a matter of fact, they w=
ere
now shut out of their village under the Great Dome and could not get back
again. So one of the men called to the Supreme Dictator of the Flatheads,
saying:
"Please make us prisoners and take us to =
your
mountain, and feed and keep us, for we have nowhere to go."
Then the Su-dic laughed and answered:
"Not so. I can't be bothered by caring fo=
r a
lot of stupid Skeezers. Stay where you are, or go wherever you please, so l=
ong
as you keep away from our mountain." He turned to his men and added:
"We have conquered Queen Coo-ee-oh and made her a helpless swan. The
Skeezers are under water and may stay there. So, having won the war, let us=
go
home again and make merry and feast, having after many years proved the
Flatheads to be greater and more powerful than the Skeezers."
So the Flatheads marched away and passed throu=
gh
the row of palms and went back to their mountain, where the Su-dic and a fe=
w of
his officers feasted and all the others were forced to wait on them.
"I'm sorry we couldn't have roast pig,&qu=
ot;
said the Su-dic, "but as the only pig we have is made of gold, we can't
eat her. Also the Golden Pig happens to be my wife, and even were she not g=
old
I am sure she would be too tough to eat."
When the Flatheads had gone away the Diamond S=
wan
swam back to the boat and one of the young Skeezers named Ervic said to her
eagerly:
"How can we get back to the island, your
Majesty?"
"Am I not beautiful?" asked Coo-ee-o=
h,
arching her neck gracefully and spreading her diamond-sprinkled wings. &quo=
t;I
can see my reflection in the water, and I'm sure there is no bird nor beast,
nor human as magnificent as I am!"
"How shall we get back to the island, your
Majesty?" pleaded Ervic.
"When my fame spreads throughout the land,
people will travel from all parts of this lake to look upon my
loveliness," said Coo-ee-oh, shaking her feathers to make the diamonds
glitter more brilliantly.
"But, your Majesty, we must go home and w=
e do
not know how to get there," Ervic persisted.
"My eyes," remarked the Diamond Swan, "are wonderfully blue and bright and will charm all beholders." <= o:p>
"Tell us how to make the boat go--how to =
get
back into the island," begged Ervic and the others cried just as
earnestly: "Tell us, Coo-ee-oh; tell us!"
"I don't know," replied the Queen in=
a
careless tone.
"You are a magic-worker, a sorceress, a
witch!"
"I was, of course, when I was a girl,&quo=
t;
she said, bending her head over the clear water to catch her reflection in =
it;
"but now I've forgotten all such foolish things as magic. Swans are
lovelier than girls, especially when they're sprinkled with diamonds. Don't=
you
think so?" And she gracefully swam away, without seeming to care wheth=
er
they answered or not.
Ervic and his companions were in despair. They=
saw
plainly that Coo-ee-oh could not or would not help them. The former Queen h=
ad
no further thought for her island, her people, or her wonderful magic; she =
was
only intent on admiring her own beauty.
"Truly," said Ervic, in a gloomy voi=
ce,
"the Flatheads have conquered us!"
* *<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> * * *
Some of these events had been witnessed by Ozma
and Dorothy and Lady Aurex, who had left the house and gone close to the gl=
ass
of the dome, in order to see what was going on. Many of the Skeezers had al=
so crowded
against the dome, wondering what would happen next. Although their vision w=
as
to an extent blurred by the water and the necessity of looking upward at an
angle, they had observed the main points of the drama enacted above. They s=
aw
Queen Coo-ee-oh's submarine come to the surface and open; they saw the Queen
standing erect to throw her magic rope; they saw her sudden transformation =
into
a Diamond Swan, and a cry of amazement went up from the Skeezers inside the
dome.
"Good!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I h=
ate
that old Su-dic, but I'm glad Coo-ee-oh is punished."
"This is a dreadful misfortune!" cri=
ed
Lady Aurex, pressing her hands upon her heart.
"Yes," agreed Ozma, nodding her head
thoughtfully; "Coo-ee-oh's misfortune will prove a terrible blow to her
people."
"What do you mean by that?" asked
Dorothy in surprise. "Seems to me the Skeezers are in luck to lose the=
ir
cruel Queen."
"If that were all you would be right,&quo=
t;
responded Lady Aurex; "and if the island were above water it would not=
be
so serious. But here we all are, at the bottom of the lake, and fast prison=
ers
in this dome."
"Can't you raise the island?" inquir=
ed
Dorothy.
"No. Only Coo-ee-oh knew how to do
that," was the answer.
"We can try," insisted Dorothy. &quo=
t;If
it can be made to go down, it can be made to come up. The machinery is still
here, I suppose.
"Yes; but the machinery works by magic, a=
nd
Coo-ee-oh would never share her secret power with any one of us."
Dorothy's face grew grave; but she was thinkin=
g.
"Ozma knows a lot of magic," she sai=
d.
"But not that kind of magic," Ozma
replied.
"Can't you learn how, by looking at the
machinery?"
"I'm afraid not, my dear. It isn't fairy
magic at all; it is witchcraft."
"Well," said Dorothy, turning to Lady
Aurex, "you say there are other sub-sub-sinking boats. We can get in o=
ne
of those, and shoot out to the top of the water, like Coo-ee-oh did, and so
escape. And then we can help to rescue all the Skeezers down here."
"No one knows how to work the under-water
boats but the Queen," declared Lady Aurex.
"Isn't there any door or window in this d=
ome
that we could open?"
"No; and, if there were, the water would =
rush
in to flood the dome, and we could not get out."
"The Skeezers," said Ozma, "cou=
ld
not drown; they only get wet and soggy and in that condition they would be =
very
uncomfortable and unhappy. But you are a mortal girl, Dorothy, and if your
Magic Belt protected you from death you would have to lie forever at the bo=
ttom
of the lake."
"No, I'd rather die quickly," assert=
ed
the little girl. "But there are doors in the basement that open--to let
out the bridges and the boats--and that would not flood the dome, you
know."
"Those doors open by a magic word, and on=
ly
Coo-ee-oh knows the word that must be uttered," said Lady Aurex.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Dorothy, "=
that
dreadful Queen's witchcraft upsets all my plans to escape. I guess I'll giv=
e it
up, Ozma, and let you save us."
Ozma smiled, but her smile was not so cheerful=
as
usual. The Princess of Oz found herself confronted with a serious problem, =
and
although she had no thought of despairing she realized that the Skeezers and
their island, as well as Dorothy and herself, were in grave trouble and tha=
t unless
she could find a means to save them they would be lost to the Land of Oz for
all future time.
"In such a dilemma," said she, musin=
gly,
"nothing is gained by haste. Careful thought may aid us, and so may the
course of events. The unexpected is always likely to happen, and cheerful
patience is better than reckless action."
"All right," returned Dorothy;
"take your time, Ozma; there's no hurry. How about some breakfast, Lady
Aurex?"
Their hostess led them back to the house, where
she ordered her trembling servants to prepare and serve breakfast. All the
Skeezers were frightened and anxious over the transformation of their Queen
into a swan. Coo-ee-oh was feared and hated, but they had depended on her m=
agic
to conquer the Flatheads and she was the only one who could raise their isl=
and
to the surface of the lake again.
Before breakfast was over several of the leadi=
ng
Skeezers came to Aurex to ask her advice and to question Princess Ozma, of =
whom
they knew nothing except that she claimed to be a fairy and the Ruler of all
the land, including the Lake of the Skeezers.
"If what you told Queen Coo-ee-oh was the
truth," they said to her, "you are our lawful mistress, and we may
depend on you to get us out of our difficulties."
"I will try to do that," Ozma gracio=
usly
assured them, "but you must remember that the powers of fairies are gr=
anted
them to bring comfort and happiness to all who appeal to them. On the contr=
ary,
such magic as Coo-ee-oh knew and practiced is unlawful witchcraft and her a=
rts
are such as no fairy would condescend to use. However, it is sometimes nece=
ssary
to consider evil in order to accomplish good, and perhaps by studying
Coo-ee-oh's tools and charms of witchcraft I may be able to save us. Do you
promise to accept me as your Ruler and to obey my commands?"
They promised willingly.
"Then," continued Ozma, "I will=
go
to Coo-ee-oh's palace and take possession of it. Perhaps what I find there =
will
be of use to me. In the meantime tell all the Skeezers to fear nothing, but
have patience. Let them return to their homes and perform their daily tasks=
as
usual. Coo-ee-oh's loss may not prove a misfortune, but rather a
blessing."
This speech cheered the Skeezers amazingly.
Really, they had no one now to depend upon but Ozma, and in spite of their
dangerous position their hearts were lightened by the transformation and ab=
sence
of their cruel Queen.
They got out their brass band and a grand
procession escorted Ozma and Dorothy to the palace, where all of Coo-ee-oh's
former servants were eager to wait upon them. Ozma invited Lady Aurex to st=
ay
at the palace also, for she knew all about the Skeezers and their island and
had also been a favorite of the former Queen, so her advice and information
were sure to prove valuable.
Ozma was somewhat disappointed in what she fou=
nd
in the palace. One room of Coo-ee-oh's private suite was entirely devoted to
the practice of witchcraft, and here were countless queer instruments and j=
ars
of ointments and bottles of potions labeled with queer names, and strange m=
achines
that Ozma could not guess the use of, and pickled toads and snails and liza=
rds,
and a shelf of books that were written in blood, but in a language which the
Ruler of Oz did not know.
"I do not see," said Ozma to Dorothy,
who accompanied her in her search, "how Coo-ee-oh knew the use of the
magic tools she stole from the three Adept Witches. Moreover, from all repo=
rts
these Adepts practiced only good witchcraft, such as would be helpful to th=
eir people,
while Coo-ee-oh performed only evil."
"Perhaps she turned the good things to ev=
il
uses?" suggested Dorothy.
"Yes, and with the knowledge she gained
Coo-ee-oh doubtless invented many evil things quite unknown to the good Ade=
pts,
who are now fishes," added Ozma. "It is unfortunate for us that t=
he
Queen kept her secrets so closely guarded, for no one but herself could use=
any
of these strange things gathered in this room."
"Couldn't we capture the Diamond Swan and
make her tell the secrets?" asked Dorothy.
"No; even were we able to capture her,
Coo-ee-oh now has forgotten all the magic she ever knew. But until we ourse=
lves
escape from this dome we could not capture the Swan, and were we to escape =
we
would have no use for Coo-ee-oh's magic."
"That's a fact," admitted Dorothy.
"But--say, Ozma, here's a good idea! Couldn't we capture the three
fishes--the gold and silver and bronze ones, and couldn't you transform 'em
back to their own shapes, and then couldn't the three Adepts get us out of
here?"
"You are not very practical, Dorothy dear=
. It
would be as hard for us to capture the three fishes, from among all the oth=
er
fishes in the lake, as to capture the Swan."
"But if we could, it would be more help to
us," persisted the little girl.
"That is true," answered Ozma, smili= ng at her friend's eagerness. "You find a way to catch the fish, and I'll promise when they are caught to restore them to their proper forms." <= o:p>
"I know you think I can't do it,"
replied Dorothy, "but I'm going to try."
She left the palace and went to a place where =
she
could look through a clear pane of the glass dome into the surrounding wate=
r.
Immediately she became interested in the queer sights that met her view.
The Lake of the Skeezers was inhabited by fish=
es
of many kinds and many sizes. The water was so transparent that the girl co=
uld
see for a long distance and the fishes came so close to the glass of the do=
me
that sometimes they actually touched it. On the white sands at the bottom o=
f the
lake were star-fish, lobsters, crabs and many shell fish of strange shapes =
and
with shells of gorgeous hues. The water foliage was of brilliant colors and=
to
Dorothy it resembled a splendid garden.
But the fishes were the most interesting of al=
l.
Some were big and lazy, floating slowly along or lying at rest with just th=
eir
fins waving. Many with big round eyes looked full at the girl as she watche=
d them
and Dorothy wondered if they could hear her through the glass if she spoke =
to
them. In Oz, where all the animals and birds can talk, many fishes are able=
to
talk also, but usually they are more stupid than birds and animals because =
they
think slowly and haven't much to talk about.
In the Lake of the Skeezers the fish of smaller
size were more active than the big ones and darted quickly in and out among=
the
swaying weeds, as if they had important business and were in a hurry. It wa=
s among
the smaller varieties that Dorothy hoped to spy the gold and silver and bro=
nze
fishes. She had an idea the three would keep together, being companions now=
as
they were in their natural forms, but such a multitude of fishes constantly
passed, the scene shifting every moment, that she was not sure she would no=
tice
them even if they appeared in view. Her eyes couldn't look in all directions
and the fishes she sought might be on the other side of the dome, or far aw=
ay in
the lake.
"P'raps, because they were afraid of
Coo-ee-oh, they've hid themselves somewhere, and don't know their enemy has
been transformed," she reflected.
She watched the fishes for a long time, until =
she
became hungry and went back to the palace for lunch. But she was not
discouraged.
"Anything new, Ozma?" she asked.
"No, dear. Did you discover the three
fishes?"
"Not yet. But there isn't anything better=
for
me to do, Ozma, so I guess I'll go back and watch again."
Glinda, the Good, in her palace in the Quadling
Country, had many things to occupy her mind, for not only did she look after
the weaving and embroidery of her bevy of maids, and assist all those who c=
ame
to her to implore her help--beasts and birds as well as people--but she was=
a
close student of the arts of sorcery and spent much time in her Magical
Laboratory, where she strove to find a remedy for every evil and to perfect=
her
skill in magic.
Nevertheless, she did not forget to look in the
Great Book of Records each day to see if any mention was made of the visit =
of
Ozma and Dorothy to the Enchanted Mountain of the Flatheads and the Magic I=
sle of
the Skeezers. The Records told her that Ozma had arrived at the mountain, t=
hat
she had escaped, with her companion, and gone to the island of the Skeezers,
and that Queen Coo-ee-oh had submerged the island so that it was entirely u=
nder
water. Then came the statement that the Flatheads had come to the lake to
poison the fishes and that their Supreme Dictator had transformed Queen
Coo-ee-oh into a swan.
No other details were given in the Great Book =
and
so Glinda did not know that since Coo-ee-oh had forgotten her magic none of=
the
Skeezers knew how to raise the island to the surface again. So Glinda was n=
ot worried
about Ozma and Dorothy until one morning, while she sat with her maids, the=
re
came a sudden clang of the great alarm bell. This was so unusual that every
maid gave a start and even the Sorceress for a moment could not think what =
the
alarm meant.
Then she remembered the ring she had given Dor=
othy
when she left the palace to start on her venture. In giving the ring Glinda=
had
warned the little girl not to use its magic powers unless she and Ozma were=
in real
danger, but then she was to turn it on her finger once to the right and onc=
e to
the left and Glinda's alarm bell would ring.
So the Sorceress now knew that danger threaten=
ed
her beloved Ruler and Princess Dorothy, and she hurried to her magic room to
seek information as to what sort of danger it was. The answer to her questi=
on
was not very satisfactory, for it was only: "Ozma and Dorothy are
prisoners in the great Dome of the Isle of the Skeezers, and the Dome is un=
der
the water of the lake."
"Hasn't Ozma the power to raise the islan=
d to
the surface?" inquired Glinda.
"No," was the reply, and the Record
refused to say more except that Queen Coo-ee-oh, who alone could command the
island to rise, had been transformed by the Flathead Su-dic into a Diamond
Swan.
Then Glinda consulted the past records of the
Skeezers in the Great Book. After diligent search she discovered that Coo-e=
e-oh
was a powerful sorceress who had gained most of her power by treacherously =
transforming
the Adepts of Magic, who were visiting her, into three fishes--gold, silver=
and
bronze--after which she had them cast into the lake.
Glinda reflected earnestly on this information=
and
decided that someone must go to Ozma's assistance. While there was no great
need of haste, because Ozma and Dorothy could live in a submerged dome a lo=
ng
time, it was evident they could not get out until someone was able to raise=
the
island.
The Sorceress looked through all her recipes a=
nd
books of sorcery, but could find no magic that would raise a sunken island.
Such a thing had never before been required in sorcery. Then Glinda made a
little island, covered by a glass dome, and sunk it in a pond near her cast=
le, and
experimented in magical ways to bring it to the surface. She made several s=
uch
experiments, but all were failures. It seemed a simple thing to do, yet she
could not do it.
Nevertheless, the wise Sorceress did not despa=
ir
of finding a way to liberate her friends. Finally she concluded that the be=
st
thing to do was to go to the Skeezer country and examine the lake. While th=
ere
she was more likely to discover a solution to the problem that bothered her,
and to work out a plan for the rescue of Ozma and Dorothy.
So Glinda summoned her storks and her aerial
chariot, and telling her maids she was going on a journey and might not soon
return, she entered the chariot and was carried swiftly to the Emerald City=
.
In Princess Ozma's palace the Scarecrow was now
acting as Ruler of the Land of Oz. There wasn't much for him to do, because=
all
the affairs of state moved so smoothly, but he was there in case anything
unforeseen should happen.
Glinda found the Scarecrow playing croquet with
Trot and Betsy Bobbin, two little girls who lived at the palace under Ozma's
protection and were great friends of Dorothy and much loved by all the Oz
people.
"Something's happened!" cried Trot, =
as
the chariot of the Sorceress descended near them. "Glinda never comes =
here
'cept something's gone wrong."
"I hope no harm has come to Ozma, or
Dorothy," said Betsy anxiously, as the lovely Sorceress stepped down f=
rom
her chariot.
Glinda approached the Scarecrow and told him of
the dilemma of Ozma and Dorothy and she added: "We must save them,
somehow, Scarecrow."
"Of course," replied the Scarecrow,
stumbling over a wicket and falling flat on his painted face.
The girls picked him up and patted his straw
stuffing into shape, and he continued, as if nothing had occurred: "But
you'll have to tell me what to do, for I never have raised a sunken island =
in
all my life."
"We must have a Council of State as soon =
as
possible," proposed the Sorceress. "Please send messengers to sum=
mon
all of Ozma's counsellors to this palace. Then we can decide what is best t=
o be
done."
The Scarecrow lost no time in doing this.
Fortunately most of the royal counsellors were in the Emerald City or near =
to
it, so they all met in the throne room of the palace that same evening.
No Ruler ever had such a queer assortment of
advisers as the Princess Ozma had gathered about her throne. Indeed, in no
other country could such amazing people exist. But Ozma loved them for their
peculiarities and could trust every one of them.
First there was the Tin Woodman. Every bit of =
him
was tin, brightly polished. All his joints were kept well oiled and moved
smoothly. He carried a gleaming axe to prove he was a woodman, but seldom h=
ad
cause to use it because he lived in a magnificent tin castle in the Winkie =
Country
of Oz and was the Emperor of all the Winkies. The Tin Woodman's name was Ni=
ck
Chopper. He had a very good mind, but his heart was not of much account, so=
he
was very careful to do nothing unkind or to hurt anyone's feelings.
Another counsellor was Scraps, the Patchwork G=
irl
of Oz, who was made of a gaudy patchwork quilt, cut into shape and stuffed =
with
cotton. This Patchwork Girl was very intelligent, but so full of fun and ma=
d pranks
that a lot of more stupid folks thought she must be crazy. Scraps was jolly
under all conditions, however grave they might be, but her laughter and good
spirits were of value in cheering others and in her seemingly careless rema=
rks
much wisdom could often be found.
Then there was the Shaggy Man--shaggy from hea=
d to
foot, hair and whiskers, clothes and shoes--but very kind and gentle and on=
e of
Ozma's most loyal supporters.
Tik-Tok was there, a copper man with machinery
inside him, so cleverly constructed that he moved, spoke and thought by thr=
ee
separate clock-works. Tik-Tok was very reliable because he always did exact=
ly what
he was wound up to do, but his machinery was liable to run down at times and
then he was quite helpless until wound up again.
A different sort of person was Jack Pumpkinhea=
d,
one of Ozma's oldest friends and her companion on many adventures. Jack's b=
ody
was very crude and awkward, being formed of limbs of trees of different siz=
es, jointed
with wooden pegs. But it was a substantial body and not likely to break or =
wear
out, and when it was dressed the clothes covered much of its roughness. The
head of Jack Pumpkinhead was, as you have guessed, a ripe pumpkin, with the
eyes, nose and mouth carved upon one side. The pumpkin was stuck on Jack's =
wooden
neck and was liable to get turned sidewise or backward and then he would ha=
ve
to straighten it with his wooden hands.
The worst thing about this sort of a head was =
that
it did not keep well and was sure to spoil sooner or later. So Jack's main =
business
was to grow a field of fine pumpkins each year, and always before his old h=
ead spoiled
he would select a fresh pumpkin from the field and carve the features on it
very neatly, and have it ready to replace the old head whenever it became
necessary. He didn't always carve it the same way, so his friends never knew
exactly what sort of an expression they would find on his face. But there w=
as
no mistaking him, because he was the only pumpkin-headed man alive in the L=
and
of Oz.
A one-legged sailor-man was a member of Ozma's
council. His name was Cap'n Bill and he had come to the Land of Oz with Tro=
t,
and had been made welcome on account of his cleverness, honesty and good
nature. He wore a wooden leg to replace the one he had lost and was a great
friend of all the children in Oz because he could whittle all sorts of toys=
out
of wood with his big jack-knife.
Professor H. M. Wogglebug, T. E., was another
member of the council. The "H. M." meant Highly Magnified, for the
Professor was once a little bug, who became magnified to the size of a man =
and
always remained so. The "T. E." meant that he was Thoroughly
Educated. He was at the head of Princess Ozma's Royal Athletic College, and=
so
that the students would not have to study and so lose much time that could =
be
devoted to athletic sports, such as football, baseball and the like, Profes=
sor Wogglebug
had invented the famous Educational Pills. If one of the college students t=
ook
a Geography Pill after breakfast, he knew his geography lesson in an instan=
t;
if he took a Spelling Pill he at once knew his spelling lesson, and an
Arithmetic Pill enabled the student to do any kind of sum without having to
think about it.
These useful pills made the college very popul=
ar
and taught the boys and girls of Oz their lessons in the easiest possible w=
ay.
In spite of this, Professor Wogglebug was not a favorite outside his colleg=
e,
for he was very conceited and admired himself so much and displayed his cle=
verness
and learning so constantly, that no one cared to associate with him. Ozma f=
ound
him of value in her councils, nevertheless.
Perhaps the most splendidly dressed of all tho=
se
present was a great frog as large as a man, called the Frogman, who was not=
ed
for his wise sayings. He had come to the Emerald City from the Yip Country =
of
Oz and was a guest of honor. His long-tailed coat was of velvet, his vest o=
f satin
and his trousers of finest silk. There were diamond buckles on his shoes an=
d he
carried a gold-headed cane and a high silk hat. All of the bright colors we=
re
represented in his rich attire, so it tired one's eyes to look at him for l=
ong,
until one became used to his splendor.
The best farmer in all Oz was Uncle Henry, who=
was
Dorothy's own uncle, and who now lived near the Emerald City with his wife =
Aunt
Em. Uncle Henry taught the Oz people how to grow the finest vegetables and
fruits and grains and was of much use to Ozma in keeping the Royal Storehou=
ses well
filled. He, too, was a counsellor.
The reason I mention the little Wizard of Oz l=
ast
is because he was the most important man in the Land of Oz. He wasn't a big=
man
in size but he was a man in power and intelligence and second only to Glinda
the Good in all the mystic arts of magic. Glinda had taught him, and the Wi=
zard
and the Sorceress were the only ones in Oz permitted by law to practice
wizardry and sorcery, which they applied only to good uses and for the bene=
fit
of the people.
The Wizard wasn't exactly handsome but he was
pleasant to look at. His bald head was as shiny as if it had been varnished;
there was always a merry twinkle in his eyes and he was as spry as a
schoolboy. Dorothy says the r=
eason
the Wizard is not as powerful as Glinda is because Glinda didn't teach him =
all
she knows, but what the Wizard knows he knows very well and so he performs =
some
very remarkable magic. The ten I have mentioned assembled, with the Scarecr=
ow
and Glinda, in Ozma's throne room, right after dinner that evening, and the
Sorceress told them all she knew of the plight of Ozma and Dorothy.
"Of course we must rescue them," she
continued, "and the sooner they are rescued the better pleased they wi=
ll
be; but what we must now determine is how they can be saved. That is why I =
have
called you together in council."
"The easiest way," remarked the Shag=
gy
Man, "is to raise the sunken island of the Skeezers to the top of the
water again."
"Tell me how?" said Glinda.
"I don't know how, your Highness, for I h=
ave
never raised a sunken island."
"We might all get under it and lift,"
suggested Professor Wogglebug.
"How can we get under it when it rests on=
the
bottom of the lake?" asked the Sorceress.
"Couldn't we throw a rope around it and p=
ull
it ashore?" inquired Jack Pumpkinhead.
"Why not pump the water out of the
lake?" suggested the Patchwork Girl with a laugh.
"Do be sensible!" pleaded Glinda.
"This is a serious matter, and we must give it serious thought." =
"How big is the lake and how big is the
island?" was the Frogman's question.
"None of us can tell, for we have not been
there."
"In that case," said the Scarecrow,
"it appears to me we ought to go to the Skeezer country and examine it
carefully."
"Quite right," agreed the Tin Woodma=
n.
"We-will-have-to-go-there-any-how,"
remarked Tik-Tok in his jerky machine voice.
"The question is which of us shall go, and
how many of us?" said the Wizard.
"I shall go of course," declared the
Scarecrow.
"And I," said Scraps.
"It is my duty to Ozma to go," asser=
ted
the Tin Woodman.
"I could not stay away, knowing our loved
Princess is in danger," said the Wizard.
"We all feel like that," Uncle Henry
said.
Finally one and all present decided to go to t=
he
Skeezer country, with Glinda and the little Wizard to lead them. Magic must
meet magic in order to conquer it, so these two skillful magic-workers were
necessary to insure the success of the expedition.
They were all ready to start at a moment's not=
ice,
for none had any affairs of importance to attend to. Jack was wearing a new=
ly
made Pumpkin-head and the Scarecrow had recently been stuffed with fresh st=
raw.
Tik-Tok's machinery was in good running order and the Tin Woodman always was
well oiled.
"It is quite a long journey," said
Glinda, "and while I might travel quickly to the Skeezer country by me=
ans
of my stork chariot the rest of you will be obliged to walk. So, as we must
keep together, I will send my chariot back to my castle and we will plan to
leave the Emerald City at sunrise to-morrow."
Betsy and Trot, when they heard of the rescue
expedition, begged the Wizard to permit them to join it and he consented. T=
he
Glass Cat, overhearing the conversation, wanted to go also and to this the
Wizard made no objection.
This Glass Cat was one of the real curiosities=
of
Oz. It had been made and brought to life by a clever magician named Dr. Pip=
t,
who was not now permitted to work magic and was an ordinary citizen of the
Emerald City. The cat was of transparent glass, through which one could pla=
inly
see its ruby heart beating and its pink brains whirling around in the top of
the head.
The Glass Cat's eyes were emeralds; its fluffy
tail was of spun glass and very beautiful. The ruby heart, while pretty to =
look
at, was hard and cold and the Glass Cat's disposition was not pleasant at a=
ll
times. It scorned to catch mice, did not eat, and was extremely lazy. If yo=
u complimented
the remarkable cat on her beauty, she would be very friendly, for she loved
admiration above everything. The pink brains were always working and their
owner was indeed more intelligent than most common cats.
Three other additions to the rescue party were
made the next morning, just as they were setting out upon their journey. The
first was a little boy called Button Bright, because he had no other name t=
hat anyone
could remember. He was a fine, manly little fellow, well mannered and good
humored, who had only one bad fault. He was continually getting lost. To be
sure, Button Bright got found as often as he got lost, but when he was miss=
ing
his friends could not help being anxious about him.
"Some day," predicted the Patchwork
Girl, "he won't be found, and that will be the last of him." But =
that
didn't worry Button Bright, who was so careless that he did not seem to be =
able
to break the habit of getting lost.
The second addition to the party was a Munchkin
boy of about Button Bright's age, named Ojo. He was often called "Ojo =
the
Lucky," because good fortune followed him wherever he went. He and But=
ton
Bright were close friends, although of such different natures, and Trot and
Betsy were fond of both.
The third and last to join the expedition was =
an
enormous lion, one of Ozma's regular guardians and the most important and
intelligent beast in all Oz. He called himself the Cowardly Lion, saying th=
at
every little danger scared him so badly that his heart thumped against his =
ribs,
but all who knew him knew that the Cowardly Lion's fears were coupled with
bravery and that however much he might be frightened he summoned courage to
meet every danger he encountered. Often he had saved Dorothy and Ozma in ti=
mes
of peril, but afterward he moaned and trembled and wept because he had been=
so
scared.
"If Ozma needs help, I'm going to help
her," said the great beast. "Also, I suspect the rest of you may =
need
me on the journey--especially Trot and Betsy--for you may pass through a
dangerous part of the country. I know that wild Gillikin country pretty wel=
l.
Its forests harbor many ferocious beasts."
They were glad the Cowardly Lion was to join t=
hem,
and in good spirits the entire party formed a procession and marched out of=
the
Emerald City amid the shouts of the people, who wished them success and a s=
afe return
with their beloved Ruler.
They followed a different route from that take=
n by
Ozma and Dorothy, for they went through the Winkie Country and up north tow=
ard
Oogaboo. But before they got there they swerved to the left and entered the=
Great
Gillikin Forest, the nearest thing to a wilderness in all Oz. Even the Cowa=
rdly
Lion had to admit that certain parts of this forest were unknown to him,
although he had often wandered among the trees, and the Scarecrow and Tin
Woodman, who were great travelers, never had been there at all.
The forest was only reached after a tedious tr=
amp,
for some of the Rescue Expedition were quite awkward on their feet. The
Patchwork Girl was as light as a feather and very spry; the Tin Woodman cov=
ered
the ground as easily as Uncle Henry and the Wizard; but Tik-Tok moved slowly
and the slightest obstruction in the road would halt him until the others
cleared it away. Then, too, Tik-Tok's machinery kept running down, so Betsy=
and
Trot took turns in winding it up.
The Scarecrow was more clumsy but less bother,=
for
although he often stumbled and fell he could scramble up again and a little
patting of his straw-stuffed body would put him in good shape again.
Another awkward one was Jack Pumpkinhead, for
walking would jar his head around on his neck and then he would be likely t=
o go
in the wrong direction. But the Frogman took Jack's arm and then he followed
the path more easily.
Cap'n Bill's wooden leg didn't prevent him fro=
m keeping
up with the others and the old sailor could walk as far as any of them.
When they entered the forest the Cowardly Lion
took the lead. There was no path here for men, but many beasts had made pat=
hs
of their own which only the eyes of the Lion, practiced in woodcraft, could
discern. So he stalked ahead and wound his way in and out, the others follo=
wing
in single file, Glinda being next to the Lion.
There are dangers in the forest, of course, bu=
t as
the huge Lion headed the party he kept the wild denizens of the wilderness =
from
bothering the travelers. Once, to be sure, an enormous leopard sprang upon =
the Glass
Cat and caught her in his powerful jaws, but he broke several of his teeth =
and
with howls of pain and dismay dropped his prey and vanished among the trees=
.
"Are you hurt?" Trot anxiously inqui=
red
of the Glass Cat.
"How silly!" exclaimed the creature =
in
an irritated tone of voice; "nothing can hurt glass, and I'm too solid=
to
break easily. But I'm annoyed at that leopard's impudence. He has no respect
for beauty or intelligence. If he had noticed my pink brains work, I'm sure=
he
would have realized I'm too important to be grabbed in a wild beast's
jaws."
"Never mind," said Trot consolingly;
"I'm sure he won't do it again."
They were almost in the center of the forest w=
hen
Ojo, the Munchkin boy, suddenly said: "Why, where's Button Bright?&quo=
t;
They halted and looked around them. Button Bri=
ght
was not with the party.
"Dear me," remarked Betsy, "I
expect he's lost again!"
"When did you see him last, Ojo?"
inquired Glinda.
"It was some time ago," replied Ojo.
"He was trailing along at the end and throwing twigs at the squirrels =
in
the trees. Then I went to talk to Betsy and Trot, and just now I noticed he=
was
gone."
"This is too bad," declared the Wiza=
rd,
"for it is sure to delay our journey. We must find Button Bright befor=
e we
go any farther, for this forest is full of ferocious beasts that would not
hesitate to tear the boy to pieces."
"But what shall we do?" asked the
Scarecrow. "If any of us leaves the party to search for Button Bright =
he
or she might fall a victim to the beasts, and if the Lion leaves us we will
have no protector.
"The Glass Cat could go," suggested =
the
Frogman. "The beasts can do her no harm, as we have discovered." =
The Wizard turned to Glinda.
"Cannot your sorcery discover where Button
Bright is?" he asked.
"I think so," replied the Sorceress.=
She called to Uncle Henry, who had been carryi=
ng
her wicker box, to bring it to her, and when he obeyed she opened it and dr=
ew
out a small round mirror. On the surface of the glass she dusted a white po=
wder
and then wiped it away with her handkerchief and looked in the mirror. It r=
eflected
a part of the forest, and there, beneath a wide-spreading tree, Button Brig=
ht
was lying asleep. On one side of him crouched a tiger, ready to spring; on =
the
other side was a big gray wolf, its bared fangs glistening in a wicked way.=
"Goodness me!" cried Trot, looking o=
ver
Glinda's shoulder. "They'll catch and kill him sure."
Everyone crowded around for a glimpse at the m=
agic
mirror.
"Pretty bad--pretty bad!" said the
Scarecrow sorrowfully.
"Comes of getting lost!" said Cap'n
Bill, sighing.
"Guess he's a goner!" said the Frogm=
an,
wiping his eyes on his purple silk handkerchief.
"But where is he? Can't we save him?" asked Ojo=
the
Lucky.
"If we knew where he is we could probably
save him," replied the little Wizard, "but that tree looks so much
like all the other trees, that we can't tell whether it's far away or near
by."
"Look at Glinda!" exclaimed Betsy
Glinda, having handed the mirror to the Wizard,
had stepped aside and was making strange passes with her outstretched arms =
and
reciting in low, sweet tones a mystical incantation. Most of them watched t=
he Sorceress
with anxious eyes, despair giving way to the hope that she might be able to
save their friend. The Wizard, however, watched the scene in the mirror, wh=
ile
over his shoulders peered Trot, the Scarecrow and the Shaggy Man.
What they saw was more strange than Glinda's
actions. The tiger started to spring on the sleeping boy, but suddenly lost=
its
power to move and lay flat upon the ground. The gray wolf seemed unable to =
lift
its feet from the ground. It pulled first at one leg and then at another, a=
nd finding
itself strangely confined to the spot began to back and snarl angrily. They
couldn't hear the barkings and snarls, but they could see the creature's mo=
uth
open and its thick lips move. Button Bright, however, being but a few feet =
away
from the wolf, heard its cries of rage, which wakened him from his untroubl=
ed
sleep. The boy sat up and looked first at the tiger and then at the wolf. H=
is
face showed that for a moment he was quite frightened, but he soon saw that=
the
beasts were unable to approach him and so he got upon his feet and examined=
them
curiously, with a mischievous smile upon his face. Then he deliberately kic=
ked
the tiger's head with his foot and catching up a fallen branch of a tree he
went to the wolf and gave it a good whacking. Both the beasts were furious =
at
such treatment but could not resent it.
Button Bright now threw down the stick and with
his hands in his pockets wandered carelessly away.
"Now," said Glinda, "let the Gl=
ass
Cat run and find him. He is in that direction," pointing the way,
"but how far off I do not know. Make haste and lead him back to us as
quickly as you can."
The Glass Cat did not obey everyone's orders, =
but
she really feared the great Sorceress, so as soon as the words were spoken =
the
crystal animal darted away and was quickly lost to sight.
The Wizard handed the mirror back to Glinda, f=
or
the woodland scene had now faded from the glass. Then those who cared to re=
st
sat down to await Button Bright's coming. It was not long before hye appear=
ed through
the trees and as he rejoined his friends he said in a peevish tone:
"Don't ever send that Glass Cat to find me
again. She was very impolite and, if we didn't all know that she had no
manners, I'd say she insulted me."
Glinda turned upon the boy sternly.
"You have caused all of us much anxiety a=
nd
annoyance," said she. "Only my magic saved you from destruction. I
forbid you to get lost again."
"Of course," he answered. "It w=
on't
be my fault if I get lost again; but it wasn't my fault this time."
I must now tell you what happened to Ervic and=
the
three other Skeezers who were left floating in the iron boat after Queen
Coo-ee-oh had been transformed into a Diamond Swan by the magic of the Flat=
head
Su-dic.
The four Skeezers were all young men and their=
leader
was Ervic. Coo-ee-oh had taken them with her in the boat to assist her if s=
he captured
the Flathead chief, as she hoped to do by means of her silver rope. They kn=
ew
nothing about the witchcraft that moved the submarine and so, when left
floating upon the lake, were at a loss what to do. The submarine could not =
be
submerged by them or made to return to the sunken island. There were neither
oars nor sails in the boat, which was not anchored but drifted quietly upon=
the
surface of the lake.
The Diamond Swan had no further thought or care
for her people. She had sailed over to the other side of the lake and all t=
he
calls and pleadings of Ervic and his companions were unheeded by the vain b=
ird.
As there was nothing else for them to do, they sat quietly in their boat and
waited as patiently as they could for someone to come to their aid.
The Flatheads had refused to help them and had
gone back to their mountain. All the Skeezers were imprisoned in the Great =
Dome
and could not help even themselves. When evening came, they saw the Diamond
Swan, still keeping to the opposite shore of the lake, walk out of the wate=
r to
the sands, shake her diamond-sprinkled feathers, and then disappear among t=
he
bushes to seek a resting place for the night.
"I'm hungry," said Ervic.
"I'm cold," said another Skeezer.
"I'm tired," said a third.
"I'm afraid," said the last one of t=
hem.
But it did them no good to complain. Night fell and the moon rose and cast a silvery sheen over the surface of the water. <= o:p>
"Go to sleep," said Ervic to his
companions. "I'll stay awake and watch, for we may be rescued in some
unexpected way."
So the other three laid themselves down in the
bottom of the boat and were soon fast asleep.
Ervic watched. He rested himself by leaning ov=
er
the bow of the boat, his face near to the moonlit water, and thought dreami=
ly
of the day's surprising events and wondered what would happen to the prison=
ers
in the Great Dome.
Suddenly a tiny goldfish popped its head above=
the
surface of the lake, not more than a foot from his eyes. A silverfish then
raised its head beside that of the goldfish, and a moment later a bronzefish
lifted its head beside the others. The three fish, all in a row, looked
earnestly with their round, bright eyes into the astonished eyes of Ervic t=
he Skeezer.
"We are the three Adepts whom Queen Coo-e=
e-oh
betrayed and wickedly transformed," said the goldfish, its voice low a=
nd
soft but distinctly heard in the stillness of the night.
"I know of our Queen's treacherous
deed," replied Ervic, "and I am sorry for your misfortune. Have y=
ou
been in the lake ever since?"
"Yes," was the reply.
"I--I hope you are well--and
comfortable," stammered Ervic, not knowing what else to say.
"We knew that some day Coo-ee-oh would me=
et
with the fate she so richly deserves," declared the bronzefish. "=
We
have waited and watched for this time. Now if you will promise to help us a=
nd
will be faithful and true, you can aid us in regaining our natural forms, a=
nd
save yourself and all your people from the dangers that now threaten you.&q=
uot;
"Well," said Ervic, "you can de=
pend
on my doing the best I can. But I'm no witch, nor magician, you must
know."
"All we ask is that you obey our
instructions," returned the silverfish. "We know that you are hon=
est
and that you served Coo-ee-oh only because you were obliged to in order to
escape her anger. Do as we command and all will be well."
"I promise!" exclaimed the young man.
"Tell me what I am to do first."
"You will find in the bottom of your boat=
the
silver cord which dropped from Coo-ee-oh's hand when she was transformed,&q=
uot;
said the goldfish. "Tie one end of that cord to the bow of your boat a=
nd
drop the other end to us in the water. Together we will pull your boat to t=
he
shore."
Ervic much doubted that the three small fishes
could move so heavy a boat, but he did as he was told and the fishes all se=
ized
their end of the silver cord in their mouths and headed toward the nearest
shore, which was the very place where the Flatheads had stood when they con=
quered
Queen Coo-ee-oh.
At first the boat did not move at all, although
the fishes pulled with all their strength. But presently the strain began to
tell. Very slowly the boat crept toward the shore, gaining more speed at ev=
ery
moment. A couple of yards away from the sandy beach the fishes dropped the =
cord
from their mouths and swam to one side, while the iron boat, being now under
way, continued to move until its prow grated upon the sands.
Ervic leaned over the side and said to the fis=
hes:
"What next?"
"You will find upon the sand," said =
the
silverfish, "a copper kettle, which the Su-dic forgot when he went awa=
y.
Cleanse it thoroughly in the water of the lake, for it has had poison in it.
When it is cleaned, fill it with fresh water and hold it over the side of t=
he
boat, so that we three may swim into the kettle. We will then instruct you
further."
"Do you wish me to catch you, then?"
asked Ervic in surprise.
"Yes," was the reply.
So Ervic jumped out of the boat and found the
copper kettle. Carrying it a little way down the beach, he washed it well,
scrubbing away every drop of the poison it had contained with sand from the
shore.
Then he went back to the boat.
Ervic's comrades were still sound asleep and k=
new
nothing of the three fishes or what strange happenings were taking place ab=
out
them. Ervic dipped the kettle in the lake, holding fast to the handle until=
it
was under water. The gold and silver and bronze fishes promptly swam into t=
he
kettle. The young Skeezer then lifted it, poured out a little of the water =
so
it would not spill over the edge, and said to the fishes: "What
next?"
"Carry the kettle to the shore. Take one
hundred steps to the east, along the edge of the lake, and then you will se=
e a
path leading through the meadows, up hill and down dale. Follow the path un=
til
you come to a cottage which is painted a purple color with white trimmings.=
When
you stop at the gate of this cottage we will tell you what to do next. Be
careful, above all, not to stumble and spill the water from the kettle, or =
you
would destroy us and all you have done would be in vain."
The goldfish issued these commands and Ervic
promised to be careful and started to obey. He left his sleeping comrades in
the boat, stepping cautiously over their bodies, and on reaching the shore =
took
exactly one hundred steps to the east. Then he looked for the path and the =
moonlight
was so bright that he easily discovered it, although it was hidden from vie=
w by
tall weeds until one came full upon it. This path was very narrow and did n=
ot
seem to be much used, but it was quite distinct and Ervic had no difficulty=
in
following it. He walked through a broad meadow, covered with tall grass and
weeds, up a hill and down into a valley and then up another hill and down
again.
It seemed to Ervic that he had walked miles and
miles. Indeed the moon sank low and day was beginning to dawn when finally =
he
discovered by the roadside a pretty little cottage, painted purple with whi=
te trimmings.
It was a lonely place--no other buildings were anywhere about and the ground
was not tilled at all. No farmer lived here, that was certain. Who would ca=
re
to dwell in such an isolated place?
But Ervic did not bother his head long with su=
ch
questions. He went up to the gate that led to the cottage, set the copper
kettle carefully down and bending over it asked:
"What next?"
When Glinda the Good and her followers of the
Rescue Expedition came in sight of the Enchanted Mountain of the Flatheads,=
it
was away to the left of them, for the route they had taken through the Great
Forest was some distance from that followed by Ozma and Dorothy.
They halted awhile to decide whether they shou=
ld
call upon the Supreme Dictator first, or go on to the Lake of the Skeezers.=
"If we go to the mountain," said the=
Wizard,
"we may get into trouble with that wicked Su-dic, and then we would be
delayed in rescuing Ozma and Dorothy. So I think our best plan will be to g=
o to
the Skeezer Country, raise the sunken island and save our friends and the i=
mprisoned
Skeezers. Afterward we can visit the mountain and punish the cruel magician=
of
the Flatheads."
"That is sensible," approved the Sha=
ggy
Man. "I quite agree with you."
The others, too, seemed to think the Wizard's =
plan
the best, and Glinda herself commended it, so on they marched toward the li=
ne
of palm trees that hid the Skeezers' lake from view.
Pretty soon they came to the palms. These were=
set
closely together, the branches, which came quite to the ground, being so
tightly interlaced that even the Glass Cat could scarcely find a place to s=
queeze
through. The path which the Flatheads used was some distance away.
"Here's a job for the Tin Woodman," =
said
the Scarecrow.
So the Tin Woodman, who was always glad to be =
of
use, set to work with his sharp, gleaming axe, which he always carried, and=
in
a surprisingly short time had chopped away enough branches to permit them a=
ll
to pass easily through the trees.
Now the clear waters of the beautiful lake were
before them and by looking closely they could see the outlines of the Great
Dome of the sunken island, far from shore and directly in the center of the
lake.
Of course every eye was at first fixed upon th=
is
dome, where Ozma and Dorothy and the Skeezers were still fast prisoners. But
soon their attention was caught by a more brilliant sight, for here was the=
Diamond
Swan swimming just before them, its long neck arched proudly, the amethyst =
eyes
gleaming and all the diamond-sprinkled feathers glistening splendidly under=
the
rays of the sun.
"That," said Glinda, "is the tr=
ansformation
of Queen Coo-ce-oh, the haughty and wicked witch who betrayed the three Ade=
pts
at Magic and treated her people like slaves."
"She's wonderfully beautiful now,"
remarked the Frogman.
"It doesn't seem like much of a
punishment," said Trot. "The Flathead Su-dic ought to have made h=
er a
toad."
"I am sure Coo-ee-oh is punished," s=
aid
Glinda, "for she has lost all her magic power and her grand palace and=
can
no longer misrule the poor Skeezers."
"Let us call to her, and hear what she ha=
s to
say," proposed the Wizard.
So Glinda beckoned the Diamond Swan, which swam
gracefully to a position near them. Before anyone could speak Coo-ee-oh cal=
led
to them in a rasping voice--for the voice of a swan is always harsh and unp=
leasant--and
said with much pride:
"Admire me, Strangers! Admire the lovely Coo-ee-oh, the
handsomest creature in all Oz. Admire me!"
"Handsome is as handsome does," repl=
ied
the Scarecrow. "Are your deeds lovely, Coo-ce-oh?"
"Deeds?&=
nbsp;
What deeds can a swan do but swim around and give pleasure to all
beholders?" said the sparkling bird.
"Have you forgotten your former life? Have
you forgotten your magic and witchcraft?" inquired the Wizard.
"Magic--witchcraft? Pshaw, who cares for =
such
silly things?" retorted Coo-ee-oh. "As for my past life, it seems
like an unpleasant dream. I wouldn't go back to it if I could. Don't you ad=
mire
my beauty, Strangers?"
"Tell us, Coo-ee-oh," said Glinda
earnestly, "if you can recall enough of your witchcraft to enable us to
raise the sunken island to the surface of the lake. Tell us that and I'll g=
ive
you a string of pearls to wear around your neck and add to your beauty.&quo=
t;
"Nothing can add to my beauty, for I'm the
most beautiful creature anywhere in the whole world."
"But how can we raise the island?" <= o:p>
"I don't know and I don't care. If ever I
knew I've forgotten, and I'm glad of it," was the response. "Just
watch me circle around and see me glitter!
"It's no use," said Button Bright;
"the old Swan is too much in love with herself to think of anything
else."
"That's a fact," agreed Betsy with a
sigh; "but we've got to get Ozma and Dorothy out of that lake, somehow=
or
other."
"And we must do it in our own way,"
added the Scarecrow.
"But how?" asked Uncle Henry in a gr=
ave
voice, for he could not bear to think of his dear niece Dorothy being out t=
here
under water; "how shall we do it?"
"Leave that to Glinda," advised the
Wizard, realizing he was helpless to do it himself.
"If it were just an ordinary sunken
island," said the powerful sorceress, "there would be several way=
s by
which I might bring it to the surface again. But this is a Magic Isle, and =
by
some curious art of witchcraft, unknown to any but Queen Coo-ce-oh, it obeys
certain commands of magic and will not respond to any other. I do not despa=
ir in
the least, but it will require some deep study to solve this difficult prob=
lem.
If the Swan could only remember the witchcraft that she invented and knew a=
s a
woman, I could force her to tell me the secret, but all her former knowledg=
e is
now forgotten."
"It seems to me," said the Wizard af=
ter
a brief silence had followed Glinda's speech, "that there are three fi=
shes
in this lake that used to be Adepts at Magic and from whom Coo-ee-oh stole =
much
of her knowledge. If we could find those fishes and return them to their fo=
rmer
shapes, they could doubtless tell us what to do to bring the sunken island =
to the
surface."
"I have thought of those fishes,"
replied Glinda, "but among so many fishes as this lake contains how ar=
e we
to single them out?"
You will understand, of course, that had Glinda
been at home in her castle, where the Great Book of Records was, she would =
have
known that Ervic the Skeezer already had taken the gold and silver and bron=
ze fishes
from the lake. But that act had been recorded in the Book after Glinda had =
set
out on this journey, so it was all unknown to her.
"I think I see a boat yonder on the
shore," said Ojo the Munchkin boy, pointing to a place around the edge=
of
the lake. "If we could get that boat and row all over the lake, callin=
g to
the magic fishes, we might be able to find them."
"Let us go to the boat," said the
Wizard.
They walked around the lake to where the boat =
was
stranded upon the beach, but found it empty. It was a mere shell of blacken=
ed
steel, with a collapsible roof that, when in position, made the submarine w=
atertight,
but at present the roof rested in slots on either side of the magic craft.
There were no oars or sails, no machinery to make the boat go, and although
Glinda promptly realized it was meant to be operated by witchcraft, she was=
not
acquainted with that sort of magic.
"However," said she, "the boat =
is
merely a boat, and I believe I can make it obey a command of sorcery, as we=
ll
as it did the command of witchcraft. After I have given a little thought to=
the
matter, the boat will take us wherever we desire to go."
"Not all of us," returned the Wizard,
"for it won't hold so many. But, most noble Sorceress, provided you can
make the boat go, of what use will it be to us?"
"Can't we use it to catch the three
fishes?" asked Button Bright.
"It will not be necessary to use the boat=
for
that purpose," replied Glinda. "Wherever in the lake the enchanted
fishes may be, they will answer to my call. What I am trying to discover is=
how
the boat came to be on this shore, while the island on which it belongs is
under water yonder. Did Coo-ee-oh come here in the boat to meet the Flathea=
ds before
the island was sunk, or afterward?"
No one could answer that question, of course; =
but
while they pondered the matter three young men advanced from the line of tr=
ees,
and rather timidly bowed to the strangers.
"Who are you, and where did you come
from?" inquired the Wizard.
"We are Skeezers," answered one of t=
hem,
"and our home is on the Magic Isle of the Lake. We ran away when we saw
you coming, and hid behind the trees, but as you are Strangers and seem to =
be
friendly we decided to meet you, for we are in great trouble and need
assistance."
"If you belong on the island, why are you
here?" demanded Glinda.
So they told her all the story: How the Queen =
had
defied the Flatheads and submerged the whole island so that her enemies cou=
ld
not get to it or destroy it; how, when the Flatheads came to the shore,
Coo-ee-oh had commanded them, together with their friend Ervic, to go with =
her
in the submarine to conquer the Su-dic, and how the boat had shot out from =
the basement
of the sunken isle, obeying a magic word, and risen to the surface, where it
opened and floated upon the water.
Then followed the account of how the Su-dic had transformed Coo-ee-oh into a swan, after which she had forgotten all the witchcraft she ever knew. The young men told how, in the night when they we= re asleep, their comrade Ervic had mysteriously disappeared, while the boat in some strange manner had floated to the shore and stranded upon the beach. <= o:p>
That was all they knew. They had searched in v=
ain
for three days for Ervic. As their island was under water and they could not
get back to it, the three Skeezers had no place to go, and so had waited pa=
tiently
beside their boat for something to happen.
Being questioned by Glinda and the Wizard, they
told all they knew about Ozma and Dorothy and declared the two girls were s=
till
in the village under the Great Dome. They were quite safe and would be well=
cared
for by Lady Aurex, now that the Queen who opposed them was out of the way. =
When they had gleaned all the information they
could from these Skeezers, the Wizard said to Glinda:
"If you find you can make this boat obey =
your
sorcery, you could have it return to the island, submerge itself, and enter=
the
door in the basement from which it came. But I cannot see that our going to=
the
sunken island would enable our friends to escape. We would only Join them as
prisoners."
"Not so, friend Wizard," replied Gli=
nda.
"If the boat would obey my commands to enter the basement door, it wou=
ld
also obey my commands to come out again, and I could bring Ozma and Dorothy
back with me."
"And leave all of our people still
imprisoned?" asked one of the Skeezers reproachfully.
"By making several trips in the boat, Gli=
nda
could fetch all your people to the shore," replied the Wizard.
"But what could they do then?" inqui=
red
another Skeezer. "They would have no homes and no place to go, and wou=
ld
be at the mercy of their enemies, the Flatheads."
"That is true," said Glinda the Good.
"And as these people are Ozma's subjects, I think she would refuse to
escape with Dorothy and leave the others behind, or to abandon the island w=
hich
is the lawful home of the Skeezers. I believe the best plan will be to summ=
on
the three fishes and learn from them how to raise the island."
The little Wizard seemed to think that this was
rather a forlorn hope.
"How will you summon them," he asked=
the
lovely Sorceress, "and how can they hear you?"
"That is something we must consider
carefully," responded stately Glinda, with a serene smile. "I think I can find a way.&qu=
ot;
All of Ozma's counsellors applauded this
sentiment, for they knew well the powers of the Sorceress.
"Very well," agreed the Wizard.
"Summon them, most noble Glinda."
We must now return to Ervic the Skeezer, who, =
when
he had set down the copper kettle containing the three fishes at the gate of
the lonely cottage, had asked, "What next?"
The goldfish stuck its head above the water in=
the
kettle and said in its small but distinct voice:
"You are to lift the latch, open the door,
and walk boldly into the cottage. Do not be afraid of anything you see, for
however you seem to be threatened with dangers, nothing can harm you. The
cottage is the home of a powerful Yookoohoo, named Reera the Red, who assum=
es
all sorts of forms, sometimes changing her form several times in a day, acc=
ording
to her fancy. What her real form may be we do not know. This strange creatu=
re
cannot be bribed with treasure, or coaxed through friendship, or won by pit=
y.
She has never assisted anyone, or done wrong to anyone, that we know of. All
her wonderful powers are used for her own selfish amusement. She will order=
you
out of the house but you must refuse to go. Remain and watch Reera closely =
and
try to see what she uses to accomplish her transformations. If you can disc=
over
the secret whisper it to us and we will then tell you what to do next."=
;
"That sounds easy," returned Ervic, =
who
had listened carefully. "But are you sure she will not hurt me, or try=
to
transform me?"
"She may change your form," replied =
the
goldfish, "but do not worry if that happens, for we can break that
enchantment easily. You may be sure that nothing will harm you, so you must=
not
be frightened at anything you see or hear."
Now Ervic was as brave as any ordinary young m=
an,
and he knew the fishes who spoke to him were truthful and to be relied upon=
, nevertheless
he experienced a strange sinking of the heart as he picked up the kettle and
approached the door of the cottage. His hand trembled as he raised the latc=
h,
but he was resolved to obey his instructions. He pushed the door open, took
three strides into the middle of the one room the cottage contained, and th=
en
stood still and looked around him.
The sights that met his gaze were enough to
frighten anyone who had not been properly warned. On the floor just before
Ervic lay a great crocodile, its red eyes gleaming wickedly and its wide op=
en
mouth displaying rows of sharp teeth. Horned toads hopped about; each of th=
e four
upper corners of the room was festooned with a thick cobweb, in the center =
of
which sat a spider as big around as a washbasin, and armed with pincher-like
claws; a red-and-green lizard was stretched at full length on the window-si=
ll
and black rats darted in and out of the holes they had gnawed in the floor =
of
the cottage.
But the most startling thing was a huge gray a=
pe
which sat upon a bench and knitted. It wore a lace cap, such as old ladies
wear, and a little apron of lace, but no other clothing. Its eyes were brig=
ht
and looked as if coals were burning in them. The ape moved as naturally as =
an ordinary
person might, and on Ervic's entrance stopped knitting and raised its head =
to
look at him.
"Get out!" cried a sharp voice, seem=
ing
to come from the ape's mouth.
Ervic saw another bench, empty, just beyond hi=
m,
so he stepped over the crocodile, sat down upon the bench and carefully pla=
ced
the kettle beside him.
"Get out!" again cried the voice.
Ervic shook his head.
"No," said he, "I'm going to
stay."
The spiders left their four corners, dropped to
the floor and made a rush toward the young Skeezer, circling around his legs
with their pinchers extended. Ervic paid no attention to them. An enormous
black rat ran up Ervic's body, passed around his shoulders and uttered pier=
cing
squeals in his ears, but he did not wince. The green-and-red lizard, coming
from the window-sill, approached Ervic and began spitting a flaming fluid a=
t him,
but Ervic merely stared at the creature and its flame did not touch him.
The crocodile raised its tail and, swinging
around, swept Ervic off the bench with a powerful blow. But the Skeezer man=
aged
to save the kettle from upsetting and he got up, shook off the horned toads
that were crawling over him and resumed his seat on the bench.
All the creatures, after this first attack,
remained motionless, as if awaiting orders. The old gray ape knitted on, not
looking toward Ervic now, and the young Skeezer stolidly kept his seat. He
expected something else to happen, but nothing did. A full hour passed and
Ervic was growing nervous.
"What do you want?" the ape asked at
last.
"Nothing," said Ervic.
"You may have that!" retorted the ap=
e,
and at this all the strange creatures in the room broke into a chorus of
cackling laughter.
Another long wait.
"Do you know who I am?" questioned t=
he
ape.
"You must be Reera the Red--the
Yookoohoo," Ervic answered.
"Knowing so much, you must also know that=
I
do not like strangers. Your presence here in my home annoys me. Do you not =
fear
my anger?"
"No," said the young man.
"Do you intend to obey me, and leave this
house?" "No," replied Ervic, just as quietly as the Yookoohoo
had spoken.
The ape knitted for a long time before resuming
the conversation.
"Curiosity," it said, "has led =
to
many a man's undoing. I suppose in some way you have learned that I do tric=
ks
of magic, and so through curiosity you have come here. You may have been to=
ld
that I do not injure anyone, so you are bold enough to disobey my commands =
to
go away. You imagine that you may witness some of the rites of witchcraft, =
and
that they may amuse you. Have I spoken truly?"
"Well," remarked Ervic, who had been
pondering on the strange circumstances of his coming here, "you are ri=
ght
in some ways, but not in others. I am told that you work magic only for your
own amusement. That seems to me very selfish. Few people understand magic. =
I'm
told that you are the only real Yookoohoo in all Oz. Why don't you amuse ot=
hers
as well as yourself?"
"What right have you to question my
actions?"
"None at all."
"And you say you are not here to demand a=
ny
favors of me?"
"For myself I want nothing from you."=
;
"You are wise in that. I never grant
favors."
"That doesn't worry me," declared Er=
vic.
"But you are curious? You hope to witness
some of my magic transformations?"
"If you wish to perform any magic, go
ahead," said Ervic. "It may interest me and it may not. If you'd
rather go on with your knitting, it's all the same to me. I am in no hurry =
at
all."
This may have puzzled Red Reera, but the face
beneath the lace cap could show no expression, being covered with hair. Per=
haps
in all her career the Yookoohoo had never been visited by anyone who, like =
this
young man, asked for nothing, expected nothing, and had no reason for coming
except curiosity. This attitude practically disarmed the witch and she bega=
n to
regard the Skeezer in a more friendly way. She knitted for some time, seemi=
ngly
in deep thought, and then she arose and walked to a big cupboard that stood
against the wall of the room. When the cupboard door was opened Ervic could=
see
a lot of drawers inside, and into one of these drawers--the second from the
bottom--Reera thrust a hairy hand.
Until now Ervic could see over the bent form of
the ape, but suddenly the form, with its back to him, seemed to straighten =
up
and blot out the cupboard of drawers. The ape had changed to the form of a
woman, dressed in the pretty Gillikin costume, and when she turned around h=
e saw
that it was a young woman, whose face was quite attractive.
"Do you like me better this way?" Re=
era
inquired with a smile.
"You look better," he said calmly,
"but I'm not sure I like you any better."
She laughed, saying: "During the heat of =
the
day I like to be an ape, for an ape doesn't wear any clothes to speak of. B=
ut
if one has gentlemen callers it is proper to dress up."
Ervic noticed her right hand was closed, as if=
she
held something in it. She shut the cupboard door, bent over the crocodile a=
nd
in a moment the creature had changed to a red wolf. It was not pretty even =
now,
and the wolf crouched beside its mistress as a dog might have done. Its tee=
th
looked as dangerous as had those of the crocodile.
Next the Yookoohoo went about touching all the
lizards and toads, and at her touch they became kittens. The rats she chang=
ed
into chipmunks. Now the only horrid creatures remaining were the four great
spiders, which hid themselves behind their thick webs.
"There!" Reera cried, "now my
cottage presents a more comfortable appearance. I love the toads and lizards
and rats, because most people hate them, but I would tire of them if they
always remained the same. Sometimes I change their forms a dozen times a
day."
"You are clever," said Ervic. "=
I did
not hear you utter any incantations or magic words. All you did was to touch
the creatures."
"Oh, do you think so?" she replied.
"Well, touch them yourself, if you like, and see if you can change the=
ir
forms."
"No," said the Skeezer, "I don't
understand magic and if I did I would not try to imitate your skill. You ar=
e a
wonderful Yookoohoo, while I am only a common Skeezer."
This confession seemed to please Reera, who li=
ked
to have her witchcraft appreciated.
"Will you go away now?" she asked.
"I prefer to be alone."
"I prefer to stay here," said Ervic.=
"In another person's home, where you are =
not
wanted?"
"Yes."
"Is not your curiosity yet satisfied?&quo=
t;
demanded Reera, with a smile.
"I don't know. Is there anything else you=
can
do?"
"Many things. But why should I exhibit my
powers to a stranger?"
"I can think of no reason at all," he
replied.
She looked at him curiously.
"You want no power for yourself, you say,=
and
you're too stupid to be able to steal my secrets. This isn't a pretty cotta=
ge,
while outside are sunshine, broad prairies and beautiful wildflowers. Yet y=
ou
insist on sitting on that bench and annoying me with your unwelcome presenc=
e. What
have you in that kettle?"
"Three fishes," he answered readily.=
"Where did you get them?"
"I caught them in the Lake of the
Skeezers."
"What do you intend to do with the
fishes?"
"I shall carry them to the home of a frie=
nd
of mine who has three children. The children will love to have the fishes f=
or
pets."
She came over to the bench and looked into the
kettle, where the three fishes were swimming quietly in the water.
"They're pretty," said Reera. "=
Let
me transform them into something else."
"No," objected the Skeezer.
"I love to transform things; it's so
interesting. And I've never transformed any fishes in all my life."
"Let them alone," said Ervic.
"What shapes would you prefer them to hav=
e? I
can make them turtles, or cute little sea-horses; or I could make them pigl=
ets,
or rabbits, or guinea-pigs; or, if you like I can make chickens of them, or
eagles, or bluejays."
"Let them alone!" repeated Ervic.
"You're not a very pleasant visitor,"
laughed Red Reera. "People accuse me of being cross and crabbed and
unsociable, and they are quite right. If you had come here pleading and beg=
ging
for favors, and half afraid of my Yookoohoo magic, I'd have abused you until
you ran away; but you're quite different from that. You're the unsociable a=
nd
crabbed and disagreeable one, and so I like you, and bear with your grumpin=
ess.
It's time for my midday meal; are you hungry?"
"No," said Ervic, although he really
desired food.
"Well, I am," Reera declared and cla=
pped
her hands together. Instantly a table appeared, spread with linen and beari=
ng
dishes of various foods, some smoking hot. There were two plates laid, one =
at
each end of the table, and as soon as Reera seated herself all her creature=
s gathered
around her, as if they were accustomed to be fed when she ate. The wolf
squatted at her right hand and the kittens and chipmunks gathered at her le=
ft.
"Come, Stranger, sit down and eat," =
she
called cheerfully, "and while we're eating let us decide into what for=
ms
we shall change your fishes."
"They're all right as they are,"
asserted Ervic, drawing up his bench to the table. "The fishes are
beauties--one gold, one silver and one bronze. Nothing that has life is more
lovely than a beautiful fish."
"What! Am I not more lovely?" Reera
asked, smiling at his serious face.
"I don't object to you--for a Yookoohoo, =
you
know," he said, helping himself to the food and eating with good appet=
ite.
"And don't you consider a beautiful girl =
more
lovely than a fish, however pretty the fish may be?"
"Well," replied Ervic, after a perio=
d of
thought, "that might be. If you transformed my three fish into three
girls--girls who would be Adepts at Magic, you know they might please me as
well as the fish do. You won't do that of course, because you can't, with a=
ll
your skill. And, should you be able to do so, I fear my troubles would be m=
ore
than I could bear. They would not consent to be my slaves--especially if th=
ey
were Adepts at Magic--and so they would command me to obey them. No, Mistre=
ss
Reera, let us not transform the fishes at all."
The Skeezer had put his case with remarkable
cleverness. He realized that if he appeared anxious for such a transformati=
on
the Yookoohoo would not perform it, yet he had skillfully suggested that th=
ey
be made Adepts at Magic.
After the meal was over and Reera had fed her
pets, including the four monster spiders which had come down from their web=
s to
secure their share, she made the table disappear from the floor of the cott=
age.
"I wish you'd consent to my transforming =
your
fishes," she said, as she took up her knitting again.
The Skeezer made no reply. He thought it unwis=
e to
hurry matters. All during the afternoon they sat silent. Once Reera went to=
her
cupboard and after thrusting her hand into the same drawer as before, touch=
ed the
wolf and transformed it into a bird with gorgeous colored feathers. This bi=
rd
was larger than a parrot and of a somewhat different form, but Ervic had ne=
ver
seen one like it before.
"Sing!" said Reera to the bird, which
had perched itself on a big wooden peg--as if it had been in the cottage be=
fore
and knew just what to do.
And the bird sang jolly, rollicking songs with
words to them--just as a person who had been carefully trained might do. The
songs were entertaining and Ervic enjoyed listening to them. In an hour or =
so
the bird stopped singing, tucked its head under its wing and went to sleep.=
Reera
continued knitting but seemed thoughtful.
Now Ervic had marked this cupboard drawer well=
and
had concluded that Reera took something from it which enabled her to perform
her transformations. He thought that if he managed to remain in the cottage,
and Reera fell asleep, he could slyly open the cupboard, take a portion of
whatever was in the drawer, and by dropping it into the copper kettle trans=
form
the three fishes into their natural shapes. Indeed, he had firmly resolved =
to
carry out this plan when the Yookoohoo put down her knitting and walked tow=
ard
the door.
"I'm going out for a few minutes," s=
aid
she; "do you wish to go with me, or will you remain here?"
Ervic did not answer but sat quietly on his be=
nch.
So Reera went out and closed the cottage door.
As soon as she was gone, Ervic rose and tiptoe=
d to
the cupboard.
"Take care! Take care!" cried several
voices, coming from the kittens and chipmunks. "If you touch anything
we'll tell the Yookoohoo!"
Ervic hesitated a moment but, remembering that=
he
need not consider Reera's anger if he succeeded in transforming the fishes,=
he
was about to open the cupboard when he was arrested by the voices of the
fishes, which stuck their heads above the water in the kettle and called ou=
t:
"Come here, Ervic!"
So he went back to the kettle and bent over it=
"Let the cupboard alone," said the
goldfish to him earnestly. "You could not succeed by getting that magic
powder, for only the Yookoohoo knows how to use it. The best way is to allow
her to transform us into three girls, for then we will have our natural sha=
pes
and be able to perform all the Arts of Magic we have learned and well
understand. You are acting wisely and in the most effective manner. We did =
not
know you were so intelligent, or that Reera could be so easily deceived by =
you.
Continue as you have begun and try to persuade her to transform us. But ins=
ist
that we be given the forms of girls."
The goldfish ducked its head down just as Reera
re-entered the cottage. She saw Ervic bent over the kettle, so she came and
joined him.
"Can your fishes talk?" she asked. <= o:p>
"Sometimes," he replied, "for a=
ll
fishes in the Land of Oz know how to speak. Just now they were asking me for
some bread. They are hungry."
"Well, they can have some bread," sa=
id
Reera. "But it is nearly supper-time, and if you would allow me to
transform your fishes into girls they could join us at the table and have
plenty of food much nicer than crumbs. Why not let me transform them?"=
"Well," said Ervic, as if hesitating,
"ask the fishes. If they consent, why--why, then, I'll think it
over."
Reera bent over the kettle and asked:
"Can you hear me, little fishes?"
All three popped their heads above water.
"We can hear you," said the bronzefi=
sh.
"I want to give you other forms, such as
rabbits, or turtles or girls, or something; but your master, the surly Skee=
zer,
does not wish me to. However, he has agreed to the plan if you will
consent."
"We'd like to be girls," said the
silverfish.
"No, no!" exclaimed Ervic.
"If you promise to make us three beautiful
girls, we will consent," said the goldfish.
"No, no!" exclaimed Ervic again.
"Also make us Adepts at Magic," added
the bronzefish.
"I don't know exactly what that means,&qu=
ot;
replied Reera musingly, "but as no Adept at Magic is as powerful as
Yookoohoo, I'll add that to the transformation."
"We won't try to harm you, or to interfere
with your magic in any way," promised the goldfish. "On the contr=
ary,
we will be your friends."
"Will you agree to go away and leave me a=
lone
in my cottage, whenever I command you to do so?" asked Reera.
"We promise that," cried the three
fishes.
"Don't do it! Don't consent to the
transformation," urged Ervic.
"They have already consented," said =
the
Yookoohoo, laughing in his face, "and you have promised me to abide by
their decision. So, friend Skeezer, I shall perform the transformation whet=
her
you like it or not."
Ervic seated himself on the bench again, a deep
scowl on his face but joy in his heart. Reera moved over to the cupboard, t=
ook
something from the drawer and returned to the copper kettle. She was clutch=
ing something
tightly in her right hand, but with her left she reached within the kettle,
took out the three fishes and laid them carefully on the floor, where they
gasped in distress at being out of water.
Reera did not keep them in misery more than a =
few
seconds, for she touched each one with her right hand and instantly the fis=
hes
were transformed into three tall and slender young women, with fine, intell=
igent
faces and clothed in handsome, clinging gowns. The one who had been a goldf=
ish
had beautiful golden hair and blue eyes and was exceedingly fair of skin; t=
he
one who had been a bronzefish had dark brown hair and clear gray eyes and h=
er
complexion matched these lovely features. The one who had been a silverfish=
had
snow-white hair of the finest texture and deep brown eyes. The hair contras=
ted
exquisitely with her pink cheeks and ruby-red lips, nor did it make her loo=
k a
day older than her two companions.
As soon as they secured these girlish shapes, =
all
three bowed low to the Yookoohoo and said:
"We thank you, Reera."
Then they bowed to the Skeezer and said:
"We thank you, Ervic."
"Very good!" cried the Yookoohoo,
examining her work with critical approval. "You are much better and mo=
re
interesting than fishes, and this ungracious Skeezer would scarcely allow m=
e to
do the transformations. You surely have nothing to thank him for. But now l=
et us
dine in honor of the occasion."
She clapped her hands together and again a tab=
le
loaded with food appeared in the cottage. It was a longer table, this time,=
and
places were set for the three Adepts as well as for Reera and Ervic.
"Sit down, friends, and eat your fill,&qu=
ot;
said the Yookoohoo, but instead of seating herself at the head of the table=
she
went to the cupboard, saying to the Adepts: "Your beauty and grace, my
fair friends, quite outshine my own. So that I may appear properly at the
banquet table I intend, in honor of this occasion, to take upon myself my n=
atural
shape."
Scarcely had she finished this speech when Ree=
ra
transformed herself into a young woman fully as lovely as the three Adepts.=
She
was not quite so tall as they, but her form was more rounded and more hands=
omely
clothed, with a wonderful jeweled girdle and a necklace of shining pearls. =
Her
hair was a bright auburn red, and her eyes large and dark.
"Do you claim this is your natural
form?" asked Ervic of the Yookoohoo.
"Yes," she replied. "This is the
only form I am really entitled to wear. But I seldom assume it because ther=
e is
no one here to admire or appreciate it and I get tired admiring it
myself."
"I see now why you are named Reera the
Red," remarked Ervic.
"It is on account of my red hair," s=
he
explained smiling. "I do not care for red hair myself, which is one re=
ason
I usually wear other forms."
"It is beautiful," asserted the young
man; and then remembering the other women present he added: "But, of
course, all women should not have red hair, because that would make it too
common. Gold and silver and brown hair are equally handsome."
The smiles that he saw interchanged between the
four filled the poor Skeezer with embarrassment, so he fell silent and atte=
nded
to eating his supper, leaving the others to do the talking. The three Adept=
s frankly
told Reera who they were, how they became fishes and how they had planned
secretly to induce the Yookoohoo to transform them. They admitted that they=
had
feared, had they asked her to help, that she would have refused them.
"You were quite right," returned the
Yookoohoo. "I make it my rule never to perform magic to assist others,=
for
if I did there would always be crowd at my cottage demanding help and I hate
crowds and want to be left alone."
"However, now that you are restored to yo=
ur
proper shapes, I do not regret my action and I hope you will be of use in
saving the Skeezer people by raising their island to the surface of the lak=
e,
where it really belongs. But you must promise me that after you go away you
will never come here again, nor tell anyone what I have done for you."=
The three Adepts and Ervic thanked the Yookooh=
oo
warmly. They promised to remember her wish that they should not come to her
cottage again and so, with a good-bye, took their departure.
Glinda the Good, having decided to try her sor=
cery
upon the abandoned submarine, so that it would obey her commands, asked all=
of
her party, including the Skeezers, to withdraw from the shore of the take to
the line of palm trees. She kept with her only the little Wizard of Oz, who=
was
her pupil and knew how to assist her in her magic rites. When they two were
alone beside the stranded boat, Glinda said to the Wizard:
"I shall first try my magic recipe No. 11=
63,
which is intended to make inanimate objects move at my command. Have you a
skeropythrope with you?"
"Yes, I always carry one in my bag,"
replied the Wizard. He opened his black bag of magic tools and took out a
brightly polished skeropythrope, which he handed to the Sorceress. Glinda h=
ad also
brought a small wicker bag, containing various requirements of sorcery, and
from this she took a parcel of powder and a vial of liquid. She poured the
liquid into the skeropythrope and added the powder. At once the skeropythro=
pe
began to sputter and emit sparks of a violet color, which spread in all
directions. The Sorceress instantly stepped into the middle of the boat and
held the instrument so that the sparks fell all around her and covered every
bit of the blackened steel boat. At the same time Glinda crooned a weird
incantation in the language of sorcery, her voice sounding low and musical.=
After a little the violet sparks ceased, and t=
hose
that had fallen upon the boat had disappeared and left no mark upon its
surface. The ceremony was ended and Glinda returned the skeropythrope to the
Wizard, who put it away in his black bag.
"That ought to do the business all
right," he said confidently.
"Let us make a trial and see," she
replied.
So they both entered the boat and seated
themselves.
Speaking in a tone of command the Sorceress sa=
id
to the boat: "Carry us across the lake, to the farther shore."
At once the boat backed off the sandy beach,
turned its prow and moved swiftly over the water.
"Very good--very good indeed!" cried=
the
Wizard, when the boat slowed up at the shore opposite from that whence they=
had
departed. "Even Coo-ee-oh, with all her witchcraft, could do no
better."
The Sorceress now said to the boat:
"Close up, submerge and carry us to the
basement door of the sunken island--the door from which you emerged at the
command of Queen Coo-ee-oh."
The boat obeyed. As it sank into the water the=
top
sections rose from the sides and joined together over the heads of Glinda a=
nd
the Wizard, who were thus enclosed in a water-proof chamber. There were four
glass windows in this covering, one on each side and one on either end, so =
that
the passengers could see exactly where they were going. Moving under water =
more
slowly than on the surface, the submarine gradually approached the island a=
nd
halted with its bow pressed against the huge marble door in the basement un=
der
the Dome. This door was tightly closed and it was evident to both Glinda and
the Wizard that it would not open to admit the underwater boat unless a mag=
ic
word was spoken by them or someone from within the basement of the island. =
But
what was this magic word? Nei=
ther
of them knew.
"I'm afraid," said the Wizard
regretfully, "that we can't get in, after all. Unless your sorcery can
discover the word to open the marble door."
"That is probably some word only known to
Coo-ce-oh," replied the Sorceress. "I may be able to discover wha=
t it
is, but that will require time. Let us go back again to our companions.&quo=
t;
"It seems a shame, after we have made the
boat obey us, to be balked by just a marble door," grumbled the Wizard=
.
At Glinda's command the boat rose until it was=
on
a level with the glass dome that covered the Skeezer village, when the
Sorceress made it slowly circle all around the Great Dome.
Many faces were pressed against the glass from=
the
inside, eagerly watching the submarine, and in one place were Dorothy and O=
zma,
who quickly recognized Glinda and the Wizard through the glass windows of t=
he
boat. Glinda saw them, too, and held the boat close to the Dome while the
friends exchanged greetings in pantomime. Their voices, unfortunately, could
not be heard through the Dome and the water and the side of the boat. The
Wizard tried to make the girls understand, through signs, that he and Glinda
had come to their rescue, and Ozma and Dorothy understood this from the very
fact that the Sorceress and the Wizard had appeared. The two girl prisoners
were smiling and in safety, and knowing this Glinda felt she could take all=
the
time necessary in order to effect their final rescue.
As nothing more could be done just then, Glinda
ordered the boat to return to shore and it obeyed readily. First it ascende=
d to
the surface of the water, then the roof parted and fell into the slots at t=
he
side of the boat, and then the magic craft quickly made the shore and beach=
ed
itself on the sands at the very spot from which it had departed at Glinda's
command. All the Oz people and the Skeezers at once ran to the boat to ask =
if
they had reached the island, and whether they had seen Ozma and Dorothy. Th=
e Wizard
told them of the obstacle they had met in the way of a marble door, and how
Glinda would now undertake to find a magic way to conquer the door.
Realizing that it would require several days to
succeed in reaching the island raising it and liberating their friends and =
the
Skeezer people, Glinda now prepared a camp half way between the lake shore =
and
the palm trees.
The Wizard's wizardry made a number of tents
appear and the sorcery of the Sorceress furnished these tents all complete,
with beds, chairs, tables, flags, lamps and even books with which to pass i=
dle
hours. All the tents had the Royal Banner of Oz flying from the centerpoles=
and
one big tent, not now occupied, had Ozma's own banner moving in the breeze.=
Betsy and Trot had a tent to themselves, and
Button Bright and Ojo had another. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman paired
together in one tent and so did Jack Pumpkinhead and the Shaggy Man, Cap'n =
Bill
and Uncle Henry, Tik-Tok and Professor Wogglebug. Glinda had the most splen=
did tent
of all, except that reserved for Ozma, while the Wizard had a little one of=
his
own. Whenever it was meal time, tables loaded with food magically appeared =
in
the tents of those who were in the habit of eating, and these complete
arrangements made the rescue party just comfortable as they would have been=
in
their own homes.
Far into the night Glinda sat in her tent stud=
ying
a roll of mystic scrolls in search of a word that would open the basement d=
oor
of the island and admit her to the Great Dome. She also made many magical e=
xperiments,
hoping to discover something that would aid her. Yet the morning found the
powerful Sorceress still unsuccessful.
Glinda's art could have opened any ordinary do=
or,
you may be sure, but you must realize that this marble door of the island h=
ad
been commanded not to open save in obedience to one magic word, and therefo=
re
all other magic words could have no effect upon it. The magic word that gua=
rded
the door had probably been invented by Coo-ee-oh, who had now forgotten it.=
The
only way, then, to gain entrance to the sunken island was to break the charm
that held the door fast shut. If this could be done no magic would be requi=
red
to open it.
The next day the Sorceress and the Wizard again
entered the boat and made it submerge and go to the marble door, which they
tried in various ways to open, but without success.
"We shall have to abandon this attempt, I
think," said Glinda. "The easiest way to raise the island would be
for us to gain admittance to the Dome and then descend to the basement and =
see
in what manner Coo-ee-oh made the entire island sink or rise at her command=
. It
naturally occurred to me that the easiest way to gain admittance would be by
having the boat take us into the basement through the marble door from which
Coo-ee-oh launched it. But there must be other ways to get inside the Dome =
and
join Ozma and Dorothy, and such ways we must find by study and the proper u=
se
of our powers of magic."
"It won't be easy," declared the Wiz=
ard,
"for we must not forget that Ozma herself understands considerable mag=
ic,
and has doubtless tried to raise the island or find other means of escape f=
rom
it and failed."
"That is true," returned Glinda,
"but Ozma's magic is fairy magic, while you are a Wizard and I am a
Sorceress. In this way the three of us have a great variety of magic to work
with, and if we should all fail it will be because the island is raised and
lowered by a magic power none of us is acquainted with. My idea therefore i=
s to
seek--by such magic as we possess--to accomplish our object in another
way."
They made the circle of the Dome again in their
boat, and once more saw Ozma and Dorothy through their windows and exchanged
signals with the two imprisoned girls.
Ozma realized that her friends were doing all =
in
their power to rescue her and smiled an encouragement to their efforts. Dor=
othy
seemed a little anxious but was trying to be as brave as her companion.
After the boat had returned to the camp and Gl=
inda
was seated in her tent, working out various ways by which Ozma and Dorothy
could be rescued, the Wizard stood on the shore dreamily eying the outlines=
of the
Great Dome which showed beneath the clear water, when he raised his eyes and
saw a group of strange people approaching from around the lake. Three were
young women of stately presence, very beautifully dressed, who moved with
remarkable grace. They were followed at a little distance by a good-looking
young Skeezer.
The Wizard saw at a glance that these people m=
ight
be very important, so he advanced to meet them. The three maidens received =
him
graciously and the one with the golden hair said:
"I believe you are the famous Wizard of O=
z,
of whom I have often heard. We are seeking Glinda, the Sorceress, and perha=
ps
you can lead us to her."
"I can, and will, right gladly,"
answered the Wizard. "Follow me, please."
The little Wizard was puzzled as to the identi=
ty
of the three lovely visitors but he gave no sign that might embarrass them.=
He understood they did not wish to be question=
ed,
and so he made no remarks as he led the way to Glinda's tent.
With a courtly bow the Wizard ushered the three
visitors into the gracious presence of Glinda, the Good.
The Sorceress looked up from her work as the t=
hree
maidens entered, and something in their appearance and manner led her to ri=
se
and bow to them in her most dignified manner. The three knelt an instant be=
fore
the great Sorceress and then stood upright and waited for her to speak.
"Whoever you may be," said Glinda,
"I bid you welcome."
"My name is Audah," said one.
"My name is Aurah," said another.
"My name is Aujah," said the third. =
Glinda had never heard these names before, but
looking closely at the three she asked:
"Are you witches or workers in magic?&quo=
t;
"Some of the secret arts we have gleaned =
from
Nature," replied the brownhaired maiden modestly, "but we do not
place our skill beside that of the Great Sorceress, Glinda the Good." =
"I suppose you are aware it is unlawful to
practice magic in the Land of Oz, without the permission of our Ruler, Prin=
cess
Ozma?"
"No, we were not aware of that," was=
the
reply. "We have heard of=
Ozma,
who is the appointed Ruler of all this great fairyland, but her laws have n=
ot
reached us, as yet."
Glinda studied the strange maidens thoughtfull=
y;
then she said to them:
"Princess Ozma is even now imprisoned in =
the
Skeezer village, for the whole island with its Great Dome, was sunk to the
bottom of the lake by the witchcraft of Coo-ee-oh, whom the Flathead Su-dic
transformed into a silly swan. I am seeking some way to overcome Coo-ee-oh's
magic and raise the isle to the surface again. Can you help me do this?&quo=
t;
The maidens exchanged glances, and the
white-haired one replied:
"We do not know; but we will try to assist
you."
"It seems," continued Glinda musingl=
y,
"that Coo-ee-oh derived most of her witchcraft from three Adepts at Ma=
gic,
who at one time ruled the Flatheads. While the Adepts were being entertaine=
d by
Coo-ee-oh at a banquet in her palace, she cruelly betrayed them and after
transforming them into fishes cast them into the lake.
"If I could find these three fishes and
return them to their natural shapes--they might know what magic Coo-ee-oh u=
sed
to sink the island. I was about to go to the shore and call these fishes to=
me
when you arrived. So, if you will join me, we will try to find them." =
The maidens exchanged smiles now, and the
golden-haired one, Audah, said to Glinda:
"It will not be necessary to go to the la=
ke.
We are the three fishes."
"Indeed!" cried Glinda. "Then y=
ou
are the three Adepts at Magic, restored to your proper forms?"
"We are the three Adepts," admitted
Aujah.
"Then," said Glinda, "my task is
half accomplished. But who destroyed the transformation that made you
fishes?"
"We have promised not to tell," answ=
ered
Aurah; "but this young Skeezer was largely responsible for our release=
; he
is brave and clever, and we owe him our gratitude."
Glinda looked at Ervic, who stood modestly beh=
ind
the Adepts, hat in hand. "He shall be properly rewarded," she
declared, "for in helping you he has helped us all, and perhaps saved =
his
people from being imprisoned forever in the sunken isle."
The Sorceress now asked her guests to seat
themselves and a long talk followed, in which the Wizard of Oz shared.
"We are quite certain," said Aurah,
"that if we could get inside the Dome we could discover Coo-ee-oh's
secrets, for in all her work, after we became fishes, she used the formulas=
and
incantations and arts that she stole from us. She may have added to these
things, but they were the foundation of all her work."
"What means do you suggest for our getting
into the Dome?" inquired Glinda.
The three Adepts hesitated to reply, for they =
had
not yet considered what could be done to reach the inside of the Great Dome.
While they were in deep thought, and Glinda and the Wizard were quietly
awaiting their suggestions, into the tent rushed Trot and Betsy, dragging b=
etween
them the Patchwork Girl.
"Oh, Glinda," cried Trot, "Scra=
ps
has thought of a way to rescue Ozma and Dorothy and all of the Skeezers.&qu=
ot;
The three Adepts could not avoid laughing merr=
ily,
for not only were they amused by the queer form of the Patchwork Girl, but
Trot's enthusiastic speech struck them as really funny. If the Great Sorcer=
ess and
the famous Wizard and the three talented Adepts at Magic were unable as yet=
to
solve the important problem of the sunken isle, there was little chance for=
a
patched girl stuffed with cotton to succeed.
But Glinda, smiling indulgently at the earnest
faces turned toward her, patted the children's heads and said:
"Scraps is very clever. Tell us what she =
has
thought of, my dear."
"Well," said Trot, "Scraps says
that if you could dry up all the water in the lake the island would be on d=
ry
land, an' everyone could come and go whenever they liked."
Glinda smiled again, but the Wizard said to the
girls:
"If we should dry up the lake, what would
become of all the beautiful fishes that now live in the water?"
"Dear me! That's so," admitted Betsy,
crestfallen; "we never thought of that, did we Trot?"
"Couldn't you transform 'em into
polliwogs?" asked Scraps, turning a somersault and then standing on one
leg. "You could give them a little, teeny pond to swim in, and they'd =
be
just as happy as they are as fishes."
"No indeed!" replied the Wizard,
severely. "It is wicked to transform any living creatures without their
consent, and the lake is the home of the fishes and belongs to them." =
"All right," said Scraps, making a f=
ace
at him; "I don't care."
"It's too bad," sighed Trot, "f=
or I
thought we'd struck a splendid idea."
"So you did," declared Glinda, her f=
ace
now grave and thoughtful. "There is something in the Patchwork Girl's =
idea
that may be of real value to us."
"I think so, too," agreed the
golden-haired Adept. "The top of the Great Dome is only a few feet bel=
ow
the surface of the water. If we could reduce the level of the lake until the
Dome sticks a little above the water, we could remove some of the glass and=
let
ourselves down into the village by means of ropes."
"And there would be plenty of water left =
for
the fishes to swim in," added the white-haired maiden.
"If we succeed in raising the island we c=
ould
fill up the lake again," suggested the brown-haired Adept.
"I believe," said the Wizard, rubbing
his hands together in delight, "that the Patchwork Girl has shown us t=
he
way to success."
The girls were looking curiously at the three
beautiful Adepts, wondering who they were, so Glinda introduced them to Trot
and Betsy and Scraps, and then sent the children away while she considered =
how
to carry the new idea into effect.
Not much could be done that night, so the Wiza=
rd
prepared another tent for the Adepts, and in the evening Glinda held a
reception and invited all her followers to meet the new arrivals. The Adepts
were greatly astonished at the extraordinary personages presented to them, =
and marveled
that Jack Pumpkinhead and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and Tik-Tok cou=
ld
really live and think and talk just like other people. They were especially
pleased with the lively Patchwork Girl and loved to watch her antics.
It was quite a pleasant party, for Glinda serv=
ed
some dainty refreshments to those who could eat, and the Scarecrow recited =
some
poems, and the Cowardly Lion sang a song in his deep bass voice. The only t=
hing
that marred their joy was the thought that their beloved Ozma and dear litt=
le
Dorothy were yet confined in the Great Dome of the Sunken island.
As soon as they had breakfasted the next morni= ng, Glinda and the Wizard and the three Adepts went down to the shore of the la= ke and formed a line with their faces toward the submerged island. All the oth= ers came to watch them, but stood at a respectful distance in the background. <= o:p>
At the right of the Sorceress stood Audah and =
Aurah,
while at the left stood the Wizard and Aujah. Together they stretched their
arms over the water's edge and in unison the five chanted a rhythmic
incantation.
This chant they repeated again and again, sway=
ing
their arms gently from side to side, and in a few minutes the watchers behi=
nd
them noticed that the lake had begun to recede from the shore. Before long =
the
highest point of the dome appeared above the water. Gradually the water fel=
l,
making the dome appear to rise. When it was three or four feet above the
surface Glinda gave the signal to stop, for their work had been accomplishe=
d.
The blackened submarine was now entirely out of
water, but Uncle Henry and Cap'n Bill managed to push it into the lake. Gli=
nda,
the Wizard, Ervic and the Adepts got into the boat, taking with them a coil=
of strong
rope, and at the command of the Sorceress the craft cleaved its way through=
the
water toward the part of the Dome which was now visible.
"There's still plenty of water for the fi=
sh
to swim in," observed the Wizard as they rode along. "They might =
like
more but I'm sure they can get along until we have raised the island and can
fill up the lake again."
The boat touched gently on the sloping glass of
the Dome, and the Wizard took some tools from his black bag and quickly rem=
oved
one large pane of glass, thus making a hole large enough for their bodies to
pass through. Stout frames of steel supported the glass of the Dome, and ar=
ound
one of these frames the Wizard tied the end of a rope.
"I'll go down first," said he, "=
;for
while I'm not as spry as Cap'n Bill I'm sure I can manage it easily. Are you sure the rope is long enou=
gh to
reach the bottom?"
"Quite sure," replied the Sorceress.=
So the Wizard let down the rope and climbing
through the opening lowered himself down, hand over hand, clinging to the r=
ope
with his legs and feet. Below in the streets of the village were gathered a=
ll the
Skeezers, men, women and children, and you may be sure that Ozma and Doroth=
y,
with Lady Aurex, were filled with joy that their friends were at last comin=
g to
their rescue.
The Queen's palace, now occupied by Ozma, was
directly in the center of the Dome, so that when the rope was let down the =
end
of it came just in front of the palace entrance. Several Skeezers held fast=
to
the rope's end to steady it and the Wizard reached the ground in safety. He
hugged first Ozma and then Dorothy, while all the Skeezers cheered as loud =
as they
could.
The Wizard now discovered that the rope was lo=
ng
enough to reach from the top of the Dome to the ground when doubled, so he =
tied
a chair to one end of the rope and called to Glinda to sit in the chair whi=
le
he and some of the Skeezers lowered her to the pavement. In this way the So=
rceress
reached the ground quite comfortably and the three Adepts and Ervic soon
followed her.
The Skeezers quickly recognized the three Adep=
ts
at Magic, whom they had learned to respect before their wicked Queen betray=
ed
them, and welcomed them as friends. All the inhabitants of the village had =
been
greatly frightened by their imprisonment under water, but now realized that=
an
attempt was to be made to rescue them.
Glinda, the Wizard and the Adepts followed Ozma
and Dorothy into the palace, and they asked Lady Aurex and Ervic to join th=
em.
After Ozma had told of her adventures in trying to prevent war between the =
Flatheads
and the Skeezers, and Glinda had told all about the Rescue Expedition and t=
he
restoration of the three Adepts by the help of Ervic, a serious consultation
was held as to how the island could be made to rise.
"I've tried every way in my power," =
said
Ozma, "but Coo-ee-oh used a very unusual sort of magic which I do not
understand. She seems to have prepared her witchcraft in such a way that a
spoken word is necessary to accomplish her designs, and these spoken words =
are
known only to herself."
"That is a method we taught her,"
declared Aurah the Adept.
"I can do no more, Glinda," continued
Ozma, "so I wish you would try what your sorcery can accomplish."=
"First, then," said Glinda, "le=
t us
visit the basement of the island, which I am told is underneath the
village."
A flight of marble stairs led from one of
Coo-ee-oh's private rooms down to the basement, but when the party arrived =
all
were puzzled by what they saw. In the center of a broad, low room, stood a =
mass
of great cog-wheels, chains and pulleys, all interlocked and seeming to for=
m a
huge machine; but there was no engine or other motive power to make the whe=
els
turn.
"This, I suppose, is the means by which t=
he
island is lowered or raised," said Ozma, "but the magic word whic=
h is
needed to move the machinery is unknown to us."
The three Adepts were carefully examining the =
mass
of wheels, and soon the golden-haired one said:
"These wheels do not control the island at
all. On the contrary, one set of them is used to open the doors of the litt=
le
rooms where the submarines are kept, as may be seen from the chains and pul=
leys
used. Each boat is kept in a little room with two doors, one to the basemen=
t room
where we are now and the other letting into the lake.
"When Coo-ee-oh used the boat in which she
attacked the Flatheads, she first commanded the basement door to open and w=
ith
her followers she got into the boat and made the top close over them. Then =
the
basement door being closed, the outer door was slowly opened, letting the w=
ater
fill the room to float the boat, which then left the island, keeping under
water."
"But how could she expect to get back
again?" asked the Wizard.
"Why the boat would enter the room filled
with water and after the outer door was closed a word of command started a =
pump
which pumped all the water from the room. Then the boat would open and
Coo-ee-oh could enter the basement."
"I see," said the Wizard. "It i=
s a
clever contrivance, but won't work unless one knows the magic words." =
"Another part of this machinery,"
explained the white-haired Adept, "is used to extend the bridge from t=
he
island to the mainland. The steel bridge is in a room much like that in whi=
ch
the boats are kept, and at Coo-ce-oh's command it would reach out, joint by
joint, until its far end touched the shore of the lake. The same magic comm=
and
would make the bridge return to its former position. Of course the bridge c=
ould
not be used unless the island was on the surface of the water."
"But how do you suppose Coo-ee-oh managed=
to
sink the island, and make it rise again?" inquired Glinda.
This the Adepts could not yet explain. As noth=
ing
more could be learned from the basement they mounted the steps to the Queen=
's
private suite again, and Ozma showed them to a special room where Coo-ee-oh
kept her magical instruments and performed all her arts of witchcraft.
Chapter Twenty-Three - The Magic Words
Many interesting things were to be seen in the
Room of Magic, including much that had been stolen from the Adepts when they
were transformed to fishes, but they had to admit that Coo-ee-oh had a rare
genius for mechanics, and had used her knowledge in inventing a lot of
mechanical apparatus that ordinary witches, wizards and sorcerers could not=
understand.
They all carefully inspected this room, taking
care to examine every article they came across.
"The island," said Glinda thoughtful=
ly,
"rests on a base of solid marble. When it is submerged, as it is now, =
the
base of the island is upon the bottom of the lake. What puzzles me is how s=
uch
a great weight can be lifted and suspended in the water, even by magic.&quo=
t;
"I now remember," returned Aujah,
"that one of the arts we taught Coo-ee-oh was the way to expand steel,=
and
I think that explains how the island is raised and lowered. I noticed in the
basement a big steel pillar that passed through the floor and extended upwa=
rd
to this palace. Perhaps the end of it is concealed in this very room. If th=
e lower
end of the steel pillar is firmly embedded in the bottom of the lake, Coo-e=
e-oh
could utter a magic word that would make the pillar expand, and so lift the
entire island to the level of the water."
"I've found the end of the steel pillar. =
It's
just here," announced the Wizard, pointing to one side of the room whe=
re a
great basin of polished steel seemed to have been set upon the floor.
They all gathered around, and Ozma said:
"Yes, I am quite sure that is the upper e=
nd
of the pillar that supports the island. I noticed it when I first came here=
. It
has been hollowed out, you see, and something has been burned in the basin,=
for
the fire has left its marks. I wondered what was under the great basin and =
got several
of the Skeezers to come up here and try to lift it for me. They were strong
men, but could not move it at all."
"It seems to me," said Audah the Ade=
pt,
"that we have discovered the manner in which Coo-ee-oh raised the isla=
nd.
She would burn some sort of magic powder in the basin, utter the magic word,
and the pillar would lengthen out and lift the island with it."
"What's this?" asked Dorothy, who had
been searching around with the others, and now noticed a slight hollow in t=
he
wall, near to where the steel basin stood. As she spoke Dorothy pushed her
thumb into the hollow and instantly a small drawer popped out from the wall=
.
The three Adepts, Glinda and the Wizard sprang
forward and peered into the drawer. It was half filled with a grayish powde=
r,
the tiny grains of which constantly moved as if impelled by some living for=
ce.
"It may be some kind of radium," said
the Wizard.
"No," replied Glinda, "it is mo=
re
wonderful than even radium, for I recognize it as a rare mineral powder cal=
led
Gaulau by the sorcerers. I wonder how Coo-ee-oh discovered it and where she
obtained it."
"There is no doubt," said Aujah the
Adept, "that this is the magic powder Coo-ee-oh burned in the basin. If
only we knew the magic word, I am quite sure we could raise the island.&quo=
t;
"How can we discover the magic word?"
asked Ozma, turning to Glinda as she spoke.
"That we must now seriously consider,&quo=
t;
answered the Sorceress.
So all of them sat down in the Room of Magic a=
nd
began to think. It was so still that after a while Dorothy grew nervous. The
little girl never could keep silent for long, and at the risk of displeasing
her magic-working friends she suddenly said:
"Well, Coo-ee-oh used just three magic wo=
rds,
one to make the bridge work, and one to make the submarines go out of their
holes, and one to raise and lower the island. Three words. And Coo-ee-oh's =
name
is made up of just three words. One is 'Coo,' and one is 'ee,' and one is
'oh.'"
The Wizard frowned but Glinda looked wondering=
ly
at the young girl and Ozma cried out:
"A good thought, Dorothy dear! You may ha=
ve
solved our problem."
"I believe it is worth a trial," agr=
eed
Glinda. "It would be quite natural for Coo-ee-oh to divide her name in=
to
three magic syllables, and Dorothy's suggestion seems like an
inspiration."
The three Adepts also approved the trial but t=
he
brown-haired one said:
"We must be careful not to use the wrong
word, and send the bridge out under water. The main thing, if Dorothy's ide=
a is
correct, is to hit upon the one word that moves the island."
"Let us experiment," suggested the
Wizard.
In the drawer with the moving gray powder was a
tiny golden cup, which they thought was used for measuring. Glinda filled t=
his
cup with the powder and carefully poured it into the shallow basin, which w=
as
the top of the great steel pillar supporting the island. Then Aurah the Ade=
pt
lighted a taper and touched it to the powder, which instantly glowed fiery =
red
and tumbled about the basin with astonishing energy. While the grains of po=
wder
still glowed red the Sorceress bent over it and said in a voice of command:
"Coo!"
They waited motionless to see what would happe=
n. There
was a grating noise and a whirl of machinery, but the island did not move a
particle.
Dorothy rushed to the window, which overlooked=
the
glass side of the dome.
"The boats!" she exclaimed. "The
boats are all loose an' sailing under water."
"We've made a mistake," said the Wiz=
ard
gloomily.
"But it's one which shows we are on the r=
ight
track," declared Aujah the Adept. "We know now that Coo-ee-oh used
the syllables of her name for the magic words."
"If 'Coo' sends out the boats, it is prob=
able
that ee' works the bridge," suggested Ozma. "So the last part of =
the
name may raise the island."
"Let us try that next then," proposed
the Wizard.
He scraped the embers of the burned powder out=
of
the basin and Glinda again filled the golden cup from the drawer and placed=
it
on top the steel pillar. Aurah lighted it with her taper and Ozma bent over=
the
basin and murmured the long drawn syllable: "Oh-h-h!"
Instantly the island trembled and with a weird
groaning noise it moved upward--slowly, very slowly, but with a steady moti=
on,
while all the company stood by in awed silence. It was a wonderful thing, e=
ven
to those skilled in the arts of magic, wizardry and sorcery, to realize tha=
t a
single word could raise that great, heavy island, with its immense glass Do=
me.
"Why, we're way above the lake now!"
exclaimed Dorothy from the window, when at last the island ceased to move. =
"That is because we lowered the level of =
the
water," explained Glinda.
They could hear the Skeezers cheering lustily =
in
the streets of the village as they realized that they were saved.
"Come," said Ozma eagerly, "let=
us
go down and join the people."
"Not just yet," returned Glinda, a h=
appy
smile upon her lovely face, for she was overjoyed at their success. "F=
irst
let us extend the bridge to the mainland, where our friends from the Emerald
City are waiting."
It didn't take long to put more powder in the
basin, light it and utter the syllable "EE!" The result was that a
door in the basement opened and the steel bridge moved out, extended itself
joint by joint, and finally rested its far end on the shore of the lake jus=
t in
front of the encampment.
"Now," said Glinda, "we can go =
up
and receive the congratulations of the Skeezers and of our friends of the
Rescue Expedition."
Across the water, on the shore of the lake, the
Patchwork Girl was waving them a welcome.
Of course all those who had joined Glinda's
expedition at once crossed the bridge to the island, where they were warmly
welcomed by the Skeezers. Before all the concourse of people Princess Ozma =
made
a speech from a porch of the palace and demanded that they recognize her as
their lawful Ruler and promise to obey the laws of the Land of Oz. In return
she agreed to protect them from all future harm and declared they would no
longer be subjected to cruelty and abuse.
This pleased the Skeezers greatly, and when Oz=
ma
told them they might elect a Queen to rule over them, who in turn would be
subject to Ozma of Oz, they voted for Lady Aurex, and that same day the
ceremony of crowning the new Queen was held and Aurex was installed as mist=
ress
of the palace.
For her Prime Minister the Queen selected Ervi=
c,
for the three Adepts had told of his good judgment, faithfulness and
cleverness, and all the Skeezers approved the appointment.
Glinda, the Wizard and the Adepts stood on the
bridge and recited an incantation that quite filled the lake with water aga=
in,
and the Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl climbed to the top of the Great Do=
me and
replaced the pane of glass that had been removed to allow Glinda and her
followers to enter.
When evening came Ozma ordered a great feast
prepared, to which every Skeezer was invited. The village was beautifully
decorated and brilliantly lighted and there was music and dancing until a l=
ate
hour to celebrate the liberation of the people. For the Skeezers had been f=
reed,
not only from the water of the lake but from the cruelty of their former Qu=
een.
As the people from the Emerald City prepared t=
he
next morning to depart Queen Aurex said to Ozma:
"There is only one thing I now fear for my
people, and that is the enmity of the terrible Su-dic of the Flatheads. He =
is
liable to come here at any time and try to annoy us, and my Skeezers are
peaceful folks and unable to fight the wild and wilful Flatheads."
"Do not worry," returned Ozma,
reassuringly. "We intend to stop on our way at the Flatheads' Enchanted
Mountain and punish the Su-dic for his misdeeds."
That satisfied Aurex and when Ozma and her
followers trooped over the bridge to the shore, having taken leave of their
friends, all the Skeezers cheered them and waved their hats and handkerchie=
fs,
and the band played and the departure was indeed a ceremony long to be reme=
mbered.
The three Adepts at Magic, who had formerly ru=
led
the Flatheads wisely and considerately, went with Princess Ozma and her peo=
ple,
for they had promised Ozma to stay on the mountain and again see that the l=
aws
were enforced.
Glinda had been told all about the curious
Flatheads and she had consulted with the Wizard and formed a plan to render
them more intelligent and agreeable.
When the party reached the mountain Ozma and
Dorothy showed them how to pass around the invisible wall--which had been b=
uilt
by the Flatheads after the Adepts were transformed--and how to gain the
up-and-down stairway that led to the mountain top.
The Su-dic had watched the approach of the par=
ty
from the edge of the mountain and was frightened when he saw that the three
Adepts had recovered their natural forms and were coming back to their form=
er home.
He realized that his power would soon be gone and yet he determined to figh=
t to
the last. He called all the Flatheads together and armed them, and told the=
m to
arrest all who came up the stairway and hurl them over the edge of the moun=
tain
to the plain below. But although they feared the Supreme Dictator, who had
threatened to punish them if they did not obey his commands, as soon as they
saw the three Adepts they threw down their arms and begged their former rul=
ers
to protect them.
The three Adepts assured the excited Flatheads
that they had nothing to fear.
Seeing that his people had rebelled the Su-dic=
ran
away and tried to hide, but the Adepts found him and had him cast into a
prison, all his cans of brains being taken away from him.
After this easy conquest of the Su-dic, Glinda
told the Adepts of her plan, which had already been approved by Ozma of Oz,=
and
they joyfully agreed to it. So, during the next few days, the great Sorcere=
ss transformed,
in a way, every Flathead on the mountain.
Taking them one at a time, she had the can of
brains that belonged to each one opened and the contents spread on the flat
head, after which, by means of her arts of sorcery, she caused the head to =
grow
over the brains--in the manner most people wear them--and they were thus re=
ndered
as intelligent and good looking as any of the other inhabitants of the Land=
of
Oz.
When all had been treated in this manner there
were no more Flatheads at all, and the Adepts decided to name their people =
Mountaineers.
One good result of Glinda's sorcery was that no one could now be deprived of
the brains that belonged to him and each person had exactly the share he was
entitled to.
Even the Su-dic was given his portion of brains
and his flat head made round, like the others, but he was deprived of all p=
ower
to work further mischief, and with the Adepts constantly watching him he wo=
uld be
forced to become obedient and humble.
The Golden Pig, which ran grunting about the
streets, with no brains at all, was disenchanted by Glinda, and in her woma=
n's
form was given brains and a round head. This wife of the Su-dic had once be=
en
even more wicked than her evil husband, but she had now forgotten all her w=
ickedness
and was likely to be a good woman thereafter.
These things being accomplished in a satisfact=
ory
manner, Princess Ozma and her people bade farewell to the three Adepts and
departed for the Emerald City, well pleased with their interesting adventur=
es.
They returned by the road over which Ozma and
Dorothy had come, stopping to get the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon where they=
had
left them.
"I'm very glad I went to see these
peoples," said Princess Ozma, "for I not only prevented any furth=
er
warfare between them, but they have been freed from the rule of the Su-dic =
and
Coo-ee-oh and are now happy and loyal subjects of the Land of Oz. Which pro=
ves
that it is always wise to do one's duty, however unpleasant that duty may s=
eem
to be."