the lost princess of oz-第31节

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Dorothy　now　realized　that　Ugu　must　be　treated　as　an



enemy；　so　she　advanced　toward　the　corner　in　which　he



sat；　saying　as　she　went：







〃I　am　not　afraid　of　you；　Mr。　Shoemaker；　and　I　think



you'll　be　sorry；　pretty　soon；　that　you're　such　a　bad



man。　You　can't　destroy　me　and　I　won't　destroy　you；　but



I'm　going　to　punish　you　for　your　wickedness。〃







Ugu　laughed　a　laugh　that　was　not　nice　to　hear；　and



then　he　waved　his　hand。　Dorothy　was　halfway　across　the



room　when　suddenly　a　wall　of　glass　rose　before　her　and



stopped　her　progress。　Through　the　glass　she　could　see



the　magician　sneering　at　her　because　she　was　a　weak



little　girl；　and　this　provoked　her。　Although　the　glass



wall　obliged　her　to　halt　she　instantly　pressed　both



hands　to　her　Magic　Belt　and　cried　in　a　loud　voice：







〃Ugu　the　Shoemaker；　by　the　magic　virtues　of　the　Magic



Belt；　I　command　you　to　become　a　dove！〃







The　magician　instantly　realized　he　was　being



enchanted；　for　he　could　feel　his　form　changing。　He



struggled　desperately　against　the　enchantment；　mumbling



magic　words　and　making　magic　passes　with　his　hands。　And



in　one　way　he　succeeded　in　defeating　Dorothy's　purpose；



for　while　his　form　soon　changed　to　that　of　a　gray　dove；



the　dove　was　of　an　enormous　size　　bigger　even　than



Ugu　had　been　as　a　man　　and　this　feat　he　had　been　able



to　accomplish　before　his　powers　of　magic　wholly



deserted　him。







And　the　dove　was　not　gentle；　as　doves　usually　are；



for　Ugu　was　terribly　enraged　at　the　little　girl's



success。　His　books　had　told　him　nothing　of　the　Nome



King's　Magic　Belt；　the　Country　of　the　Nomes　being



outside　the　Land　of　Oz。　He　knew；　however；　that　he　was



likely　to　be　conquered　unless　he　made　a　fierce　fight；



so　he　spread　his　wings　and　rose　in　the　air　and　flew



directly　toward　Dorothy。　The　Wall　of　Glass　had



disappeared　the　instant　Ugu　became　transformed。







Dorothy　had　meant　to　command　the　Belt　to　transform



the　magician　into　a　Dove　of　Peace；　but　in　her



excitement　she　forgot　to　say　more　than　〃dove；〃　and　now



Ugu　was　not　a　Dove　of　Peace　by　any　means；　but　rather　a



spiteful　Dove　of　War。　His　size　made　his　sharp　beak　and



claws　very　dangerous；　but　Dorothy　was　not　afraid　when



he　came　darting　toward　her　with　his　talons　outstretched



and　his　sword…like　beak　open。　She　knew　the　Magic　Belt



would　protect　its　wearer　from　harm。







But　the　Frogman　did　not　know　that　fact　and　became



alarmed　at　the　little　girl's　seeming　danger。　So　he　gave



a　sudden　leap　and　leaped　full　upon　the　back　of　the



great　dove。







Then　began　a　desperate　struggle。　The　dove　was　as



strong　as　Ugu　had　been；　and　in　size　it　was　considerably



bigger　than　the　Frogman。　But　the　Frogman　had　eaten　the



zosozo　and　it　had　made　him　fully　as　strong　as　Ugu　the



Dove。　At　the　first　leap　he　bore　the　dove　to　the　floor；



but　the　giant　bird　got　free　and　began　to　bite　and　claw



the　Frogman；　beating　him　down　with　its　great　wings



whenever　he　attempted　to　rise。　The　thick；　tough　skin　of



the　big　frog　was　not　easily　damaged；　but　Dorothy　feared



for　her　champion　and　by　again　using　the　transformation



power　of　the　Magic　Belt　she　made　the　dove　grow　small；



until　it　was　no　larger　than　a　canary　bird。







Ugu　had　not　lost　his　knowledge　of　magic　when　he　lost



his　shape　as　a　man；　and　he　now　realized　it　was　hopeless



to　oppose　the　power　of　the　Magic　Belt　and　knew　that　his



only　hope　of　escape　lay　in　instant　action。　So　he



quickly　flew　into　the　golden　jeweled　dishpan　he　had



stolen　from　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　and；　as　birds　can



talk　as　well　as　beasts　or　men　in　the　Fairyland　of　Oz；



he　muttered　the　magic　word　that　was　required　and　wished



himself　in　the　Country　of　the　Quadlings　　which　was　as



far　away　from　the　wicker　castle　as　he　believed　he　could



get。







Our　friends　did　not　know；　of　course；　what　Ugu　was



about　to　do。　They　saw　the　dishpan　tremble　an　instant



and　then　disappear；　the　dove　disappearing　with　it；　and



although　they　waited　expectantly　for　some　minutes　for



the　magician's　return；　Ugu　did　not　come　back　again。







〃Seems　to　me；〃　said　the　Wizard　in　a　cheerful　voice；



〃that　we　have　conquered　the　wicked　magician　more



quickly　than　we　expected　to。〃







〃Don't　say　'we'　　Dorothy　did　it！〃　cried　the



Patchwork　Girl；　turning　three　somersaults　in　succession



and　then　walking　around　on　her　hands。　〃Hurrah　for



Dorothy！〃







〃I　thought　you　said　you　did　not　know　how　to　use　the



magic　of　the　Nome　King's　Belt；〃　said　the　Wizard　to



Dorothy。







〃I　didn't　know；　at　that　time；〃　she　replied；　〃but



afterward　I　remembered　how　the　Nome　King　once　used　the



Magic　Belt　to　enchant　people　and　transform　'em　into



ornaments　and　all　sorts　of　things；　so　I　tried　some



enchantments　in　secret　and　after　a　while　I　transformed



the　Sawhorse　into　a　potato…masher　and　back　again；　and



the　Cowardly　Lion　into　a　pussycat　and　back　again；　and



then　I　knew　the　thing　would　work　all　right。〃







〃When　did　you　perform　those　enchantments？〃　asked　the



Wizard；　much　surprised。







〃One　night　when　all　the　rest　of　you　were　asleep　but



Scraps；　and　she　had　gone　chasing　moonbeams。〃







〃Well；〃　remarked　the　Wizard；　〃your　discovery　has



certainly　saved　us　a　lot　of　trouble；　and　we　must　all



thank　the　Frogman；　too；　for　making　such　a　good　fight。



The　dove's　shape　had　Ugu's　evil　disposition　inside　it；



and　that　made　the　monster　bird　dangerous。〃







The　Frogman　was　looking　sad　because　the　bird's　talons



had　torn　his　pretty　clothes；　but　he　bowed　with　much



dignity　at　this　well　deserved　praise。　Cayke；　however；



had　squatted　on　the　floor　and　was　sobbing　bitterly。







〃My　precious　dishpan　is　gone！〃　she　wailed。　〃Gone；



just　as　I　had　found　it　again！〃







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Trot；　trying　to　comfort　her；　〃it's



sure　to　be　somewhere；　so　we'll　cert'nly　run　across　it



some　day。〃







〃Yes；　indeed；〃　added　Betsy；　〃now　that　we　have　Ozma's



Magic　Picture；　we　can　tell　just　where　the　Dove　went



with　your　dishpan。〃







They　all　approached　the　Magic　Picture；　and　Dorothy



wished　it　to　show　the　enchanted　form　of　Ugu　the



Shoemaker；　wherever　it　might　be。　At　once　there　appeared



in　the　frame　of　the　Picture　a　scene　in　the　far　Quadling



Country；　where　the　Dove　was　perched　disconsolately　on



the　limb　of　a　tree　and　the　jeweled　dishpan　lay　on　the



ground　just　underneath　the　limb。







〃But　where　is　the　place　　how　far　or　how　near？〃



asked　Cayke　anxiously。







〃The　Book　of　Records　will　tell　us　that；〃　answered　the



Wizard。　So　they　looked　in　the　Great　Book　and　read　the



following：







〃Ugu　the　Magician；　being　transformed



into　a　dove　by　Princess　Dorothy　of



Oz；　has　used　the　magic　of　the　golden



dishpan　to　carry　him　instantly　to　the



northeast　corner　of　the　Quadling



Country。〃











〃That's　all　right；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃Don't　worry；



Cayke；　for　the　Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman　are　in



that　part　of　the　country；　looking　for　Ozma；　and　they'll



surely　find　your　dishpan。〃







〃Good　gracious！〃　exclaimed　Button…Bright；　〃we've



forgot　all　about　Ozma。　Let's　find　out　where　the



magician　hid　her。〃







Back　to　the　Magic　Picture　they　trooped；　but　when　they



wished　to　see　Ozma；　wherever　she　might　be　hidden；　only



a　round　black　spot　appeared　in　the　center　of　the



canvas。







〃I　don't　see　how　that　can　be　Ozma！〃　said　Dorothy；



much　puzzled。







〃It　seems　to　be　the　best　the　Magic　Picture　can　do；



however；〃　said　the　Wizard；　no　less　surprised。　〃If　it's



an　enchantment；　it　looks　as　if　the　magician　had



transformed　Ozma　into　a　chunk　of　pitch。〃



















Chapter　Twenty…Four







The　Little　Pink　Bear　Speaks　Truly











For　several　minutes　they　all　stood　staring　at　the　black



spot　on　the　　canvas　of　　the　Magic　Picture；　wondering



what　it　could　mean。







〃P'r'aps　we'd　better　ask　the　little　Pink　Bear　about



Ozma；〃　suggested　Trot。







〃Pshaw！〃　said　Button…Bright；　〃he　don't　know



anything。〃







〃He　never　makes　a　mistake；〃　declared　the　King。







〃He　did　once；　surely；〃　said　Betsy。　〃But　perhaps　he



wouldn't　make　a　mistake　again。〃







〃He　won't　have　the　chance；〃　grumbled　the　Bear　King。







〃We　might　hear　what　he　has　to　say；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃It



won't　do　any　harm　to　ask　the　Pink　Bear　where　Ozma　is。〃







〃I　will　not　have　him　questioned；〃　declared　the　King；



in