the lost princess of oz-第29节

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army　at　all。　If　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　had　so　many　people



living　with　him；　I'm　sure　the　Czarover　of　Herku　would



have　mentioned　the　fact　to　us。〃







〃They're　only　girls！〃　laughed　Scraps。







〃Girls　are　the　fiercest　soldiers　of　all；〃　declared



the　Frogman。　〃They　are　more　brave　than　men　and　they



have　better　nerves。　That　is　probably　why　the　magician



uses　them　for　soldiers　and　has　sent　them　to　oppose　us。〃







No　one　argued　this　statement；　for　all　were　staring



hard　at　the　line　of　soldiers；　which　now；　having　taken　a



defiant　position；　remained　motionless。







〃Here　is　a　trick　of　magic　to　me；〃　admitted　the



Wizard；　after　a　time。　〃I　do　not　believe　the　army　is



real；　but　the　spears　may　be　sharp　enough　to　prick　us；



nevertheless；　so　we　must　be　cautious。　Let　us　take　time



to　consider　how　to　meet　this　difficulty。〃







While　they　were　thinking　it　over　Scraps　danced　closer



to　the　line　of　girl　soldiers。　Her　button　eyes　sometimes



saw　more　than　did　the　natural　eyes　of　her　comrades　and



so；　after　staring　hard　at　the　magician's　army；　she



boldly　advanced　and　danced　right　through　the



threatening　line！　On　the　other　side　she　waved　her



stuffed　arms　and　called　out：







〃Come　on；　folks。　The　spears　can't　hurt　you。







〃Ah！〃　said　the　Wizard；　gaily；　〃an　optical　illusion；



as　I　thought。　Let　us　all　follow　the　Patchwork　Girl。〃







The　three　little　girls　were　somewhat　nervous　in



attempting　to　brave　the　spears　and　battle…axes；　but



after　the　others　had　safely　passed　the　line　they



ventured　to　follow。　And；　when　all　had　passed　through



the　ranks　of　the　girl　army；　the　army　itself　magically



disappeared　from　view。







All　this　time　our　friends　had　been　getting　farther　up



the　hill　and　nearer　to　the　wicker　castle。　Now；



continuing　their　advance；　they　expected　something　else



to　oppose　their　way；　but　to　their　astonishment　nothing



happened　and　presently　they　arrived　at　the　wicker



gates；　which　stood　wide　open；　and　boldly　entered　the



domain　of　Ugu　the　Shoemaker。



















Chapter　Twenty…Two







In　the　Wicker　Castle











No　sooner　were　the　Wizard　of　Oz　and　his　followers　well



within　the　castle　entrance　when　the　big　gates　swung　to



with　a　clang　and　heavy　bars　dropped　across　them。　They



looked　at　one　another　uneasily；　but　no　one　cared　to



speak　of　the　incident。　If　they　were　indeed　prisoners　in



the　wicker　castle　it　was　evident　they　must　find　a　way



to　escape；　but　their　first　duty　was　to　attend　to　the



errand　on　which　they　had　come　and　seek　the　Royal　Ozma；



whom　they　believed　to　be　a　prisoner　of　the　magician；



and　rescue　her。







They　found　they　had　entered　a　square　courtyard；　from



which　an　entrance　led　into　the　main　building　of　the



castle。　No　person　had　appeared　to　greet　them；　so　far；



although　a　gaudy　peacock；　perched　upon　the　wall；



cackled　with　laughter　and　said　in　its　sharp；　shrill



voice：　〃Poor　fools！　Poor　fools！〃







〃I　hope　the　peacock　is　mistaken；〃　remarked　the



Frogman；　but　no　one　else　paid　any　attention　to　the



bird。　They　were　a　little　awed　by　the　stillness　and



loneliness　of　the　place。







As　they　entered　the　doors　of　the　castle；　which　stood



invitingly　open；　these　also　closed　behind　them　and　huge



bolts　shot　into　place。　The　animals　had　all　accompanied



the　party　into　the　castle；　because　they　felt　it　would



be　dangerous　for　them　to　separate。　They　were　forced　to



follow　a　zigzag　passage；　turning　this　way　and　that；



until　finally　they　entered　a　great　central　hall；



circular　in　form　and　with　a　high　dome　from　which　was



suspended　an　enormous　chandelier。







The　Wizard　went　first；　and　Dorothy；　Betsy　and　Trot



followed　him；　Toto　keeping　at　the　heels　of　his　little



mistress。　Then　came　the　Lion；　the　Woozy　and　the



Sawhorse；　then　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　and　Button…Bright；



then　the　Lavender　Bear　carrying　the　Pink　Bear；　and



finally　the　Frogman　and　the　Patchwork　Girl；　with　Hank



the　Mule　tagging　behind。　So　it　was　the　Wizard　who



caught　the　first　glimpse　of　the　big　domed　hall；　but　the



others　quickly　followed　and　gathered　in　a　wondering



group　just　within　the　entrance。







Upon　a　raised　platform　at　one　side　was　a　heavy　table



on　which　lay　Glinda's　Great　Book　of　Records；　but　the



platform　was　firmly　fastened　to　the　floor　and　the　table



was　fastened　to　the　platform　and　the　Book　was　chained



fast　to　the　table　　just　as　it　had　been　when　it　was



kept　in　Glinda's　palace。　On　the　wall　over　the　table



hung　Ozma's　Magic　Picture。　On　a　row　of　shelves　at　the



opposite　side　of　the　hall　stood　all　the　chemicals　and



essences　of　magic　and　all　the　magical　instruments　that



had　been　stolen　from　Glinda　and　Ozma　and　the　Wizard；



with　glass　doors　covering　the　shelves　so　that　no　one



could　get　at　them。







And　in　a　far　corner　sat　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；　his　feet



lazily　extended；　his　skinny　hands　clasped　behind　his



head。　He　was　leaning　back　at　his　ease　and　calmly



smoking　a　long　pipe。　Around　the　magician　was　a　sort　of



cage；　seemingly　made　of　golden　bars　set　wide　apart；　and



at　his　feet　　also　within　the　cage　　reposed　the



long…sought　diamond…studded　dishpan　of　Cayke　the　Cookie



Cook。







Princess　Ozma　of　Oz　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。







〃Well；　well；〃　said　Ugu；　when　the　invaders　had　stood



in　silence　for　a　moment；　staring　about　them；　〃this



visit　is　an　expected　pleasure；　I　assure　you。　I　knew　you



were　coming　and　I　know　why　you　are　here。　You　are　not



welcome；　for　I　cannot　use　any　of　you　to　my　advantage；



but　as　you　have　insisted　on　coming　I　hope　you　will　make



the　afternoon　call　as　brief　as　possible。　It　won't　take



long　to　transact　your　business　with　me。　You　will　ask　me



for　Ozma；　and　my　reply　will　be　that　you　may　find　her　



if　you　can。〃







〃Sir；〃　answered　the　Wizard；　in　a　tone　of　rebuke；　〃you



are　a　very　wicked　and　cruel　person。　I　suppose　you



imagine；　because　you　have　stolen　this　poor　woman's



dishpan　and　all　the　best　magic　in　Oz；　that　you　are　more



powerful　than　we　are　and　will　be　able　to　triumph　over



us。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；　slowly　filling　his



pipe　with　fresh　tobacco　from　a　silver　bowl　that　stood



beside　him；　〃that　is　exactly　what　I　imagine。　It　will　do



you　no　good　to　demand　from　me　the　girl　who　was　formerly



the　Ruler　of　Oz；　because　I　will　not　tell　you　where　I



have　hidden　her　and　you　can't　guess　in　a　thousand



years。　Neither　will　I　restore　to　you　any　of　the　magic　I



have　captured。　I　am　not　so　foolish。　But　bear　this　in



mind：　I　mean　to　be　the　Ruler　of　Oz　myself；　hereafter；



so　I　advise　you　to　be　careful　how　you　address　your



future　Monarch。〃







〃Ozma　is　still　Ruler　of　Oz；　wherever　you　may　have



hidden　her；〃　declared　the　Wizard。　〃And　bear　this　in



mind；　miserable　Shoemaker：　We　intend　to　find　her　and　to



rescue　her；　in　time；　but　our　first　duty　and　pleasure



will　be　to　conquer　you　and　then　punish　you　for　your



misdeeds。〃







〃Very　well；　go　ahead　and　conquer；〃　said　Ugu。　〃I'd



really　like　to　see　how　you　can　do　it。〃







Now；　although　the　little　Wizard　had　spoken　so　boldly；



he　had　at　the　moment　no　idea　how　they　might　conquer　the



magician。　He　had　that　morning　given　the　Frogman；　at　his



request；　a　dose　of　zosozo　from　his　bottle；　and　the



Frogman　had　promised　to　fight　a　good　fight　if　it　was



necessary；　but　the　Wizard　knew　that　strength　alone



could　not　avail　against　magical　arts。　The　toy　Bear　King



seemed　to　have　some　pretty　good　magic；　however；　and　the



Wizard　depended　to　an　extent　on　that。　But　something



ought　to　be　done　right　away；　and　the　Wizard　didn't　know



what　it　was。







While　he　considered　this　perplexing　question　and　the



others　stood　looking　at　him　as　their　leader；　a　queer



thing　happened。　The　floor　of　the　great　circular　hall；



on　which　they　were　standing；　suddenly　began　to　tip。



Instead　of　being　flat　and　level　it　became　a　slant；　and



the　slant　grew　steeper　and　steeper　until　none　of　the



party　could　manage　to　stand　upon　it。　Presently　they　all



slid　down　to　the　wall；　which　was　now　under　them；　and



then　it　became　evident　that　the　whole　vast　room　was



slowly　turning　upside　down！　Only　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；



kept　in　place　by　the　bars　of　his　golden　cage；　remained



in　his　former　position；　and　the　wicked　magician　seemed



to　enjoy　the　surprise　of　his　victims　immensely。







First；　they　all　slid　down　to　the　wall　back　of　them；



but　as　the　room　continued　to　turn　over　they　next　slid