Glinda of Oz
by
L. Frank Baum
Part 2 out of 3
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 appearance since the fairies made it a
fairyland -- where no one grows old or dies -- it is
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 Skeezers
seemed to be, and her costume was rich and elaborate,
as became a lady in waiting upon the Queen.
Ozma had observed Lady Aurex closely and now asked
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?"
"The Queen can hear everything that is spoken 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 would 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 walked 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 manner 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 speak freely and as loudly as
we wish, without fear of the Queen's anger."
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," said 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 said: "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 inflicts upon us,
you would not wonder we are so unhappy. The Skeezers
are not bad people; they do not care to quarrel and
fight, even with their enemies the Flatheads; 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 one 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. So you'll have to give the Skeezers and
Flatheads new rulers and teach all their people that
they're part of the Land of Oz and must obey, above
all, the lawful Ruler, Ozma of Oz. Then, when you've
done that, we can go back home again."
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 fishes in the lake."
"Do you know the reason?" asked the Lady Aurex.
"I don't s'pose there was any reason, 'cept 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 peoples. 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 mountain 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 wear 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 were 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 into 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 the 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, and 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 only 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
knew she had stolen her magic powers and so she hated
us and made us humble ourselves 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. That 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
came 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 punish Rora and the Su-dic.
That was why Rora finally tried to poison all the
fishes in the lake, at the time Coo-ee-oh transformed
her into a Golden Pig. Of course this attempt to
destroy the fishes frightened the Queen, for her safety
lies in keeping the three fishes alive."
"I s'pose Coo-ee-oh will fight the Flatheads 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 they mean to
shoot the arrows at your big dome, and break all the
glass in it," 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 destroy 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 Aurex, "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 extent 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.
Chapter Ten
Under Water
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 beautiful 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 they
wished to retire showed them to a pretty room with
comfortable beds and wished them a good night and
pleasant dreams.
"What do you think of all this, Ozma?" 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 oppress their subjects with
injustice and cruelties. My task, therefore, is to
liberate 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," 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, "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 earthquake. Dorothy sat up in bed, rubbing her
eyes to get the sleep out of them, and then 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, while 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 hostess. "Coo-ee-oh
has decided to submerge the island, that is all. But it
proves 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 that the island was indeed sinking, for
the water of the lake was already half way up the side
of the dome. Through the glass could be seen swimming
fishes, and 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," said Lady Aurex.
"They will come soon, but not until all of this dome is
under the surface of the water."
"Won't the dome leak?" Dorothy inquired anxiously.
"No, indeed."
"Was the island ever sub-sub-sunk before?"
"Oh, yes; on several occasions. But Coo-ee-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 fight us, and
we can't fight them," asserted Dorothy.
"They could kill the fishes, however," 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 Adepts in
Sorcery that are now fishes?"
"She stole the knowledge and the magic tools, but she
has used them as the three Adepts never would have
done."
By this time the top of the dome was quite under
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 heads, 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.
* * * * * * * *
The Flatheads, pushing their way through the line 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 shore to shore, but
through the clear water the dome was still visible and
the houses 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 vessels 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 rising to the
surface, directly toward the place where the Flatheads
were standing.
"What is that?" Dorothy asked the Lady Aurex.
"That is one of the Queen's submarines," 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 under our village. When
the island is submerged, the Queen uses these boats to
reach 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 boat 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 magic rope that gleamed
like silver.
The boat halted and Coo-ee-oh drew back her arm to
throw the silver rope toward the Su-dic, who was now
but a few feet from her. But the wily Flathead leader
quickly realized his danger and before the Queen could
throw the rope he caught up one of the copper vessels
and dashed its contents full in her face!
Chapter Eleven
The Conquest of the Skeezers
Queen Coo-ee-oh dropped the rope, tottered and fell
headlong into the water, sinking beneath the surface,
while the Skeezers in the submarine assist her and only
stared at the ripples in the water where 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 rays 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. Float on your lake forever, if
you like, for your web feet can do no more magic and
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!" laughed the
Su-dic, dancing madly in his delight. And then he
carelessly tipped 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 exclaimed
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
there. 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!"
They let fly some arrows at the Diamond Swan, but she
dove under the water and the missiles fell harmless.
When Coo-ce-oh rose 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 they were not sorry
their cruel mistress had been transformed into a
Diamond Swan, but the transformation had left them
quite helpless. The under-water boat was not operated
by machinery, but by certain mystic words uttered by
Coo-ee-oh. They 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 were 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 for a lot of
stupid Skeezers. Stay where you are, or go wherever you
please, so long 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 through the
row of palms and went back to their mountain, where the
Su-dic and a few of his officers feasted and all the
others were forced to wait on them.
"I'm sorry we couldn't have roast pig," 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 gold I am sure she would be
too tough to eat."
Chapter Twelve
The Diamond Swan
When the Flatheads had gone away the Diamond Swan
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-oh, arching her
neck gracefully and spreading her diamond-sprinkled
wings. "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 we 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."
"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," 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 whether 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 had 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 voice, "the
Flatheads have conquered us!"
* * * * * * * *
Some of these events had been witnessed by Ozma
and Dorothy and Lady Aurex, who had left the house
and gone close to the glass of the dome, in order to see
what was going on. Many of the Skeezers had also
crowded against the dome, wondering what would
happen next. Although their vision was 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 saw 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 hate that old Su-dic,
but I'm glad Coo-ee-oh is punished."
"This is a dreadful misfortune!" cried 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
their cruel Queen."
"If that were all you would be right," 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 prisoners in this dome."
"Can't you raise the island?" inquired Dorothy.
"No. Only Coo-ee-oh knew how to do that," was the
answer.
"We can try," insisted Dorothy. "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, and Coo-ee-oh
would never share her secret power with any one of us."
Dorothy's face grew grave; but she was thinking.
"Ozma knows a lot of magic," she said.
"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
one 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 dome 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, "could 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 bottom
of the lake."
"No, I'd rather die quickly," asserted 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 only 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
give 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 that 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, musingly, "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 magic to conquer the Flatheads and she was the
only one who could raise their island to the surface of
the lake again.
Before breakfast was over several of the leading
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 graciously assured them,
"but you must remember that the powers of fairies are
granted them to bring comfort and happiness to all who
appeal to them. On the contrary, such magic as Coo-ee-
oh knew and practiced is unlawful witchcraft and her
arts are such as no fairy would condescend to use.
However, it is sometimes necessary 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 absence 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 stay 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 found 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 jars of
ointments and bottles of potions labeled with queer
names, and strange machines that Ozma could not guess
the use of, and pickled toads and snails and lizards,
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 reports these Adepts practiced only
good witchcraft, such as would be helpful to their
people, while Coo-ee-oh performed only evil."
"Perhaps she turned the good things to evil uses?"
suggested Dorothy.
"Yes, and with the knowledge she gained Coo-ee-oh
doubtless invented many evil things quite unknown to
the good Adepts, who are now fishes," added Ozma. "It
is unfortunate for us that the 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
ourselves 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 other 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, smiling 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."
"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 water. Immediately she became
interested in the queer sights that met her view.
The Lake of the Skeezers was inhabited by fishes of
many kinds and many sizes. The water was so transparent
that the girl could see for a long distance and the
fishes came so close to the glass of the dome that
sometimes they actually touched it. On the white sands
at the bottom of 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 all. Some
were big and lazy, floating slowly along or lying at
rest with just their fins waving. Many with big round
eyes looked full at the girl as she watched 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 was among
the smaller varieties that Dorothy hoped to spy the
gold and silver and bronze 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 notice 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 away 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."
Chapter Thirteen
The Alarm Bell
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 came 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 Isle of the
Skeezers. The Records told her that Ozma had arrived at
the mountain, that 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 under 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 not worried
about Ozma and Dorothy until one morning, while she sat
with her maids, there 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 Dorothy
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 once to the left and Glinda's
alarm bell would ring.
So the Sorceress now knew that danger threatened 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 question 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 under the water of the lake."
"Hasn't Ozma the power to raise the island 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-ee-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 long time,
it was evident they could not get out until someone was
able to raise the island.
The Sorceress looked through all her recipes and
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 castle, and experimented in magical ways to
bring it to the surface. She made several such
experiments, but all were failures. It seemed a simple
thing to do, yet she could not do it.
Nevertheless, the wise Sorceress did not despair of
finding a way to liberate her friends. Finally she
concluded that the best thing to do was to go to the
Skeezer country and examine the lake. While there 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
from 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 summon all of Ozma's counsellors to this
palace. Then we can decide what is best to 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.
Chapter Fourteen
Ozma's Counsellors
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 had 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 Nick 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 Girl 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 mad 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 remarks much wisdom could often be found.
Then there was the Shaggy Man -- shaggy from head to
foot, hair and whiskers, clothes and shoes -- but very
kind and gentle and one 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 three separate clock-works. Tik-Tok was very
reliable because he always did exactly 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 Pumpkinhead, one
of Ozma's oldest friends and her companion on many
adventures. Jack's body was very crude and awkward,
being formed of limbs of trees of different sizes,
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 have 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 head
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 was
no mistaking him, because he was the only pumpkin-
headed man alive in the Land 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 Trot, 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, Professor Wogglebug had invented the famous
Educational Pills. If one of the college students took
a Geography Pill after breakfast, he knew his geography
lesson in an instant; 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 popular and
taught the boys and girls of Oz their lessons in the
easiest possible way. In spite of this, Professor
Wogglebug was not a favorite outside his college, for
he was very conceited and admired himself so much and
displayed his cleverness and learning so constantly,
that no one cared to associate with him. Ozma found him
of value in her councils, nevertheless.
Perhaps the most splendidly dressed of all those
present was a great frog as large as a man, called the
Frogman, who was noted 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 of satin and his trousers of finest
silk. There were diamond buckles on his shoes and he
carried a gold-headed cane and a high silk hat. All of
the bright colors were represented in his rich attire,
so it tired one's eyes to look at him for long, 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
Storehouses well filled. He, too, was a counsellor.
The reason I mention the little Wizard of Oz last 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 Wizard 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 benefit 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 reason 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 Scarecrow 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
will 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 Shaggy 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 have 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 pull 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 Woodman.
"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," asserted 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 the
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 notice,
for none had any affairs of importance to attend to.
Jack was wearing a newly made Pumpkin-head and the
Scarecrow had recently been stuffed with fresh straw.
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 means
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."
Chapter Fifteen
The Great Sorceress
Betsy and Trot, when they heard of the rescue
expedition, begged the Wizard to permit them to join it
and he consented. The 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. Pipt, 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 plainly 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 all times.
It scorned to catch mice, did not eat, and was
extremely lazy. If you 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 that 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 missing 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 Button 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 that 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 times 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 well. Its
forests harbor many ferocious beasts."
They were glad the Cowardly Lion was to join them,
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
safe return with their beloved Ruler.
They followed a different route from that taken by
Ozma and Dorothy, for they went through the Winkie
Country and up north toward 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 Cowardly 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 tramp,
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 covered 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 to 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 from
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 paths 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 following in single file, Glinda being next to
the Lion.
There are dangers in the forest, of course, but 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 inquired 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 when
Ojo, the Munchkin boy, suddenly said: "Why, where's
Button Bright?"
They halted and looked around them. Button Bright 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 Wizard, "for it is
sure to delay our journey. We must find Button Bright
before 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 carrying her
wicker box, to bring it to her, and when he obeyed she
opened it and drew out a small round mirror. On the
surface of the glass she dusted a white powder and then
wiped it away with her handkerchief and looked in the
mirror. It reflected a part of the forest, and there,
beneath a wide-spreading tree, Button Bright 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 over Glinda's
shoulder. "They'll catch and kill him sure."
Everyone crowded around for a glimpse at the magic
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 Frogman, 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 the
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, while
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, and 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 mouth 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 untroubled sleep. The boy sat up and looked first
at the tiger and then at the wolf. His 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
kicked 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 Glass 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, for the
woodland scene had now faded from the glass. Then those
who cared to rest sat down to await Button Bright's
coming. It was not long before be appeared 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 and
annoyance," said she. "Only my magic saved you from
destruction. I forbid you to get lost again."
"Of course," he answered. "It won't be my fault if I
get lost again; but it wasn't my fault this time."
Chapter Sixteen
The Enchanted Fishes
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 Flathead 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 she captured the Flathead chief,
as she hoped to do by means of her silver rope. They
knew 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 the calls and pleadings of Ervic and
his companions were unheeded by the vain bird. 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 water to the sands, shake her diamond-
sprinkled feathers, and then disappear among the 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 them.
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.
"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 over the
bow of the boat, his face near to the moonlit water,
and thought dreamily of the day's surprising events and
wondered what would happen to the prisoners 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 the Skeezer.
"We are the three Adepts whom Queen Coo-ee-oh
betrayed and wickedly transformed," said the goldfish,
its voice low and 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 you
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 Ooo-ee-oh would meet 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 and will be faithful and true,
you can aid us in regaining our natural forms, and save
yourself and all your people from the dangers that now
threaten you."
"Well," said Ervic, "you can depend 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 honest
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," said the goldfish. "Tie one end of that
cord to the bow of your boat and drop the other end to
us in the water. Together we will pull your boat to the
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 seized 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
conquered 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 every 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 fishes:
"What next?"
"You will find upon the sand," said the silverfish,
"a copper kettle, which the Su-dic forgot when he went
away. 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 the
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 knew
nothing of the three fishes or what strange happenings
were taking place about 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 the 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 see a path leading through the meadows, up
hill and down dale. Follow the path until 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 view by tall
weeds until one came full upon it. This path was very
narrow and did not 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 white
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
care to dwell in such an isolated place?
But Ervic did not bother his head long with such
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?"
Chapter Seventeen
Under the Great Dome
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 should 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 go to the Skeezer
Country, raise the sunken island and save our friends
and the imprisoned Skeezers. Afterward we can visit the
mountain and punish the cruel magician of the
Flatheads."
"That is sensible," approved the Shaggy 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 line 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 squeeze 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 all 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 this
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 transformation of Queen
Coo-ce-oh, the haughty and wicked witch who betrayed
the three Adepts 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 her a
toad."
"I am sure Coo-ee-oh is punished," said 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 has 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 called to them in a rasping voice --
for the voice of a swan is always harsh and unpleasant
-- 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," replied the
Scarecrow. "Are your deeds lovely, Coo-ce-oh?"
"Deeds? 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 admire 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 give you a string of pearls to
wear around your neck and add to your beauty."
"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?"
"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 grave voice, for he
could not bear to think of his dear niece Dorothy being
out there 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 ways 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 despair in the least, but it will require some
deep study to solve this difficult problem. If the Swan
could only remember the witchcraft that she invented
and knew as a woman, I could force her to tell me the
secret, but all her former knowledge is now forgotten."
"It seems to me," said the Wizard after a brief
silence had followed Glinda's speech, "that there are
three fishes 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 former 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 are
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 bronze 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, calling 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 blackened steel, with a collapsible roof
that, when in position, made the submarine watertight,
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
well 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 Flatheads before the island was sunk, or
afterward?"
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