the lost princess of oz-第3节

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found　out　and　will　then　be　severely　punished。〃







She　now　made　a　list　of　the　things　she　needed　and



dispatched　messengers　to　every　part　of　Oz　with



instructions　to　obtain　them　and　bring　them　to　her　as



soon　as　possible。　And　one　of　her　messengers　met　the



little　Wizard　of　Oz；　who　was　mounted　on　the　back　of　the



famous　live　Sawhorse　and　was　clinging　to　its　neck　with



both　his　arms；　for　the　Sawhorse　was　speeding　to



Glinda's　castle　with　the　velocity　of　the　wind；　bearing



the　news　that　Royal　Ozma；　Ruler　of　all　the　great　Land



of　Oz；　had　suddenly　disappeared　and　no　one　in　the



Emerald　City　knew　what　had　become　of　her。







〃Also；〃　said　the　Wizard；　as　he　stood　before　the



astonished　Sorceress；　〃Ozma's　Magic　Picture　is　gone；　so



we　cannot　consult　it　to　discover　where　she　is。　So　I



came　to　you　for　assistance　as　soon　as　we　realized　our



loss。　Let　us　look　in　the　Great　Book　of　Records。〃







〃Alas；〃　returned　the　Sorceress　sorrowfully；　〃we



cannot　do　that；　for　the　Great　Book　of　Records　has　also



disappeared！〃



















Chapter　Three







Robbery　of　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook











One　more　important　theft　was　reported　in　the　Land　of　Oz



that　eventful　morning；　but　it　took　place　so　far　from



either　the　Emerald　City　or　the　castle　of　Glinda　the



Good　that　none　of　those　persons　we　have　mentioned



learned　of　the　robbery　until　long　afterward。







In　the　far　southwestern　corner　of　the　Winkie　Country



is　a　broad　tableland　that　can　be　reached　only　by



climbing　a　steep　hill；　whichever　side　one　approaches



it。　On　the　hillside　surrounding　this　tableland　are　no



paths　at　all；　but　there　are　quantities　of　bramble…



bushes　with　sharp　prickers　on　them；　which　prevent　any



of　the　Oz　people　who　live　down　below　from　climbing　up



to　see　what　is　on　top。　But　on　top　live　the　Yips；　and



although　the　space　they　occupy　is　not　great　in　extent



the　wee　country　is　all　their　own。　The　Yips　had　never　



up　to　the　time　this　story　begins　　left　their　broad



tableland　to　go　down　into　the　Land　of　Oz；　nor　had　the



Oz　people　ever　climbed　up　to　the　country　of　the　Yips。







Living　all　alone　as　they　did；　the　Yips　had　queer　ways



and　notions　of　their　own　and　did　not　resemble　any　other



people　of　the　Land　of　Oz。　Their　houses　were　scattered



all　over　the　flat　surface；　not　like　a　city；　grouped



together；　but　set　wherever　their　owners'　fancy



dictated；　with　fields　here；　trees　there；　and　odd　little



paths　connecting　the　houses　one　with　another。







It　was　here；　on　the　morning　when　Ozma　so　strangely



disappeared　from　the　Emerald　City；　that　Cayke　the



Cookie　Cook　discovered　that　her　diamond…studded　gold



dishpan　had　been　stolen；　and　she　raised　such　a　hue…and…



cry　over　her　loss　and　wailed　and　shrieked　so　loudly



that　many　of　the　Yips　gathered　around　her　house　to



inquire　what　was　the　matter。







It　was　a　serious　thing；　in　any　part　of　the　Land　of



Oz；　to　accuse　one　of　stealing；　so　when　the　Yips　heard



Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　declare　that　her　jeweled　dishpan



had　been　stolen　they　were　both　humiliated　and　disturbed



and　forced　Cayke　to　go　with　them　to　the　Frogman　to　see



what　could　be　done　about　it。







I　do　not　suppose　you　have　ever　before　heard　of　the



Frogman；　for　like　all　other　dwellers　on　that　tableland



he　had　never　been　away　from　it；　nor　had　anyone　come　up



there　to　see　him。　The　Frogman　was；　in　truth；　descended



from　the　common　frogs　of　Oz；　and　when　he　was　first　born



he　lived　in　a　pool　in　the　Winkie　Country　and　was　much



like　any　other　frog。　Being　of　an　adventurous　nature；



however；　he　soon　hopped　out　of　his　pool　and　began　to



travel；　when　a　big　bird　came　along　and　seized　him　in



its　beak　and　started　to　fly　away　with　him　to　its　nest。



When　high　in　the　air　the　frog　wriggled　so　frantically



that　he　got　loose　and　fell　down…down…down　into　a　small



hidden　pool　on　the　tableland　of　the　Yips。　Now　this



pool；　it　seems；　was　unknown　to　the　Yips　because　it　was



surrounded　by　thick　bushes　and　was　not　near　to　any



dwelling；　and　it　proved　to　be　an　enchanted　pool；　for



the　frog　grew　very　fast　and　very　big；　feeding　on　the



magic　skosh　which　is　found　nowhere　else　on　earth　except



in　that　one　pool。　And　the　skosh　not　only　made　the　frog



very　big；　so　that　when　he　stood　on　his　hind　legs　he　was



tall　as　any　Yip　in　the　country；　but　it　made　him



unusually　intelligent；　so　that　he　soon　knew　more　than



the　Yips　did　and　was　able　to　reason　and　to　argue　very



well　indeed。







No　one　could　expect　a　frog　with　these　talents　to



remain　in　a　hidden　pool；　so　he　finally　got　out　of　it



and　mingled　with　the　people　of　the　tableland；　who　were



amazed　at　his　appearance　and　greatly　impressed　by　his



learning。　They　had　never　seen　a　frog　before　and　the



frog　had　never　seen　a　Yip　before；　but　as　there　were



plenty　of　Yips　and　only　one　frog；　the　frog　became　the



most　important。　He　did　not　hop　any　more；　but　stood



upright　on　his　hind　legs　and　dressed　himself　in　fine



clothes　and　sat　in　chairs　and　did　all　the　things　that



people　do；　so　he　soon　came　to　be　called　the　Frogman；



and　that　is　the　only　name　he　has　ever　had。







After　some　years　had　passed　the　people　came　to　regard



the　Frogman　as　their　adviser　in　all　matters　that



puzzled　them。　They　brought　all　their　difficulties　to



him　and　when　he　did　not　know　anything　he　pretended　to



know　it；　which　seemed　to　answer　just　as　well。　Indeed；



the　Yips　thought　the　Frogman　was　much　wiser　than　he



really　was；　and　he　allowed　them　to　think　so；　being　very



proud　of　his　position　of　authority。







There　was　another　pool　on　the　tableland；　which　was



not　enchanted　but　contained　good　clear　water　and　was



located　close　to　the　dwellings。　Here　the　people　built



the　Frogman　a　house　of　his　own；　close　to　the　edge　of



the　pool；　so　that　he　could　take　a　bath　or　a　swim



whenever　he　wished。　He　usually　swam　in　the　pool　in　the



early　morning；　before　anyone　else　was　up；　and　during



the　day　he　dressed　himself　in　his　beautiful　clothes　and



sat　in　his　house　and　received　the　visits　of　all　the



Yips　who　came　to　him　to　ask　his　advice。







The　Frogman's　usual　costume　consisted　of　knee…



breeches　made　of　yellow　satin　plush；　with　trimmings　of



gold　braid　and　jeweled　knee…buckles；　a　white　satin　vest



with　silver　buttons　in　which　were　set　solitaire　rubies；



a　swallow…tailed　coat　of　bright　yellow；　green　stockings



and　red　leather　shoes　turned　up　at　the　toes　and　having



diamond　buckles。　He　wore；　when　he　walked　out；　a　purple



silk　hat　and　carried　a　gold…headed　cane。　Over　his　eyes



he　wore　great　spectacles　with　gold　rims；　not　because



his　eyes　were　bad　but　because　the　spectacles　made　him



look　wise；　and　so　distinguished　and　gorgeous　was　his



appearance　that　all　the　Yips　were　very　proud　of　him。







There　was　no　King　or　Queen　in　the　Yip　Country；　so　the



simple　inhabitants　naturally　came　to　look　upon　the



Frogman　as　their　leader　as　well　as　their　counselor　in



all　times　of　emergency。　In　his　heart　the　big　frog　knew



he　was　no　wiser　than　the　Yips；　but　for　a　frog　to　know



as　much　as　a　person　was　quite　remarkable；　and　the



Frogman　was　shrewd　enough　to　make　the　people　believe　he



was　far　more　wise　than　he　really　was。　They　never



suspected　he　was　a　humbug；　but　listened　to　his　words



with　great　respect　and　did　just　what　he　advised　them



to　do。







Now；　when　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　raised　such　an　outcry



over　the　theft　of　her　diamond…studded　dishpan；　the



first　thought　of　the　people　was　to　take　her　to　the



Frogman　and　inform　him　of　the　loss；　thinking　that　of



course　he　could　tell　her　where　to　find　it。







He　listened　to　the　story　with　his　big　eyes　wide　open



behind　his　spectacles；　and　said　in　his　deep；　croaking



voice：







〃If　the　dishpan　is　stolen；　somebody　must　have　taken



it。〃







〃But　who？〃　asked　Cayke；　anxiously。　〃Who　is　the



thief？〃







〃The　one　who　took　the　dishpan；　of　course；　replied　the



Frogman；　and　hearing　this　all　the　Yips　nodded　their



heads　gravely　and　said　to　one　another：







〃It　is　absolutely　true！〃







〃But　I　want　my　dishpan！〃　cried　Cayke。







〃No　one　can　blame　you　for　that　wish；〃　remarked　the



Frogman。







〃Then　tell　me　where　I　may　find　it；〃　she　urged。







The　look　the　Frogman　gave　her　was　a　very　wise　look



and　he　rose　from　his　chair　and　strutted　up　and　down　the



room　with　his　hands　under　his　coat…tails；　in　a　very



pompous　and　imposing　manner。　This　was