Oz 14: Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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friends, and eat your fill," said the Yookoohoo, but instead of seating herself at_the head of_the table she went to_the cupboard, saying to_the Adepts: " your beauty and grace, my fair friends, quite outshine my own . so_that I_may appear properly at_the banquet table I intend, in honor of_this occasion, to_take upon myself my natural shape ."

scarcely had she finished this speech when Reera transformed herself into a young woman fully as lovely as_the three Adepts . she was not quite so tall as_they, but her form was more rounded and more handsomely clothed, with a wonderful jeweled girdle and a necklace of shining pearls . her hair was a bright auburn red, and her eyes large and dark .

" do_you claim this_is your natural form ? " asked Ervic of_the Yookoohoo .

" yes," she replied ." this_is_the only form I_am really entitled to wear . but I seldom assume it because there_is no one here to admire or appreciate it and I get tired admiring it myself ."

" I_see now why you_are named Reera the red," remarked Ervic .

" it_is on account of_my red hair," she explained smiling ." I_do_not care for red hair myself, which_is one reason I usually wear other forms ."

" it_is beautiful," asserted the young man; and then remembering the other women present he added: " but, of_course, all women should_not have red hair, because that_would make it too common . gold and silver and brown hair are equally handsome ."

the smiles that he_saw interchanged between_the four filled the poor Skeezer with embarrassment, so he fell silent and attended to eating his supper, leaving the others to_do_the talking . the three Adepts frankly told Reera who they were . how they became fishes and how they had planned secretly to induce the Yookoohoo to transform them . they admitted that_they had feared, had they asked her to help, that she would_have refused them .

" you were quite right," returned the Yookoohoo ."I make it my rule never to perform magic to assist others, for if I_did there would always be crowd at my cottage demanding help and I hate crowds and want to_be left alone ."

" however, now that you_are restored to your proper shapes, I_do_not regret my action and I_hope_you_will be of use in saving the Skeezer people by raising their island to_the surface of_the lake, where it really belongs . but you_must promise me that after you go away you_will never come here again, nor tell anyone what I_have_done for_you ."

the three Adepts and Ervic thanked the Yookoohoo warmly . they promised to remember her wish that_they should_not come to her cottage again and so, with a good-bye, took their departure .

chapter Twenty

aPuzzling problem

Glinda the good, having decided to_try her sorcery upon_the abandoned submarine, so_that it would obey her commands, asked all of her party, including the Skeezers, to withdraw from_the shore of_the take to_the line of palm trees . she kept with her only the little wizard of Oz, who was her pupil and knew how to assist her in her magic rites . when_they two were alone beside the stranded boat, Glinda said to_the wizard:

" I_shall first try my magic recipe no .1163, which_is intended to_make inanimate objects move at my command . have_you askeropythrope with_you ? "

" yes, I always carry one in my bag," replied the wizard . he opened his black bag of magic tools and took out a brightly polished skeropythrope, which he handed to_the sorceress .Glinda had also brought a small wicker bag, containing various requirements of sorcery, and from_this she took a parcel of powder and a vial of liquid . she poured the liquid into_the skeropythrope and added the powder . at once the skeropythrope began to sputter and emit Sparks of a violet color, which spread in all directions . the sorceress instantly stepped into_the middle of_the boat and held the instrument so that_the Sparks fell all around her and covered every bit of_the blackened steel boat . at_the same time Glinda crooned a weird incantation in_the language of sorcery, her voice sounding low and musical .

after a little the violet Sparks ceased, and those that had fallen upon_the boat had disappeared and left no mark upon its surface . the ceremony was ended and Glinda returned the skeropythrope to_the wizard, who put it away in_his black bag .

" that ought to_do_the business all right," he_said confidently

" let_us_make a trial and_see," she replied .

so they both entered the boat and seated themselves .

Speaking in a tone of command the sorceress said to_the boat: " carry us across the lake, to_the farther shore ."

at once the boat backed off the sandy beach, turned its prow and moved swiftly over the water .

" very_good -- very_good indeed ! " cried the wizard, when_the boat slowed up at_the shore opposite from_that whence they had departed ." even Coo-ee-oh, with all her witchcraft, could do no better ."

the sorceress now said to_the boat:

" close up, submerge and carry us to_the basement door of_the sunken island -- the door from_which you emerged at_the command of queen Coo-ee-oh ."

the boat obeyed . as it sank into_the water the top sections rose from_the sides and joined together over the heads of Glinda and_the wizard, who were thus enclosed in a water- proof chamber . there were four glass windows in_this covering, one on each side and one on either end, so that_the passengers could_see exactly where they were going .Moving under water more slowly than on_the surface, the submarine gradually approached the island and halted with its bow pressed against the huge marble door in_the basement under the dome . this door was tightly closed and it_was evident to both Glinda and_the wizard that_it would_not open to admit the underwater boat unless a magic word was spoken by_them or someone from within_the basement of_the island . but what_was this magic word ? neither of_them knew .

"I'm afraid," said the wizard regretfully, " that we_can't get in, after all . unless your sorcery can discover the word to open the marble door ."

" that_is probably some word only known to Coo-ce-oh," replied the sorceress ."I may_be_able to discover what it_is, but that_will require time . let_us go back again to our companions ."

" it seems a shame, after we_have_made the boat obey us, to_be balked by just a marble door," grumbled the wizard .

at Glinda's command the boat rose until it_was on a level with_the glass dome that covered the Skeezer village, when_the sorceress made it slowly circle all around the great dome .

many faces were pressed against the glass from_the inside, eagerly watching the submarine, and in one place were Dorothy and Ozma, who quickly recognized Glinda and_the wizard through_the glass windows of_the boat .Glinda saw them, too, and held the boat close to_the dome while the friends exchanged greetings in pantomime . their voices, unfortunately, could_not_be heard through_the dome and_the water and_the side of_the boat . the wizard tried to make_the girls understand, through signs, that he and Glinda had come to_their rescue, and Ozma and Dorothy understood this from_the very fact that_the sorceress and_the wizard had appeared . the two girl prisoners were smiling and in safety, and knowing this Glinda felt she_could take all the time necessary in_order to effect their final rescue .

as nothing more could_be_done just then, Glinda ordered the boat to return to shore and it obeyed readily . first it ascended to_the surface of_the water, then the roof parted and fell into_the slots at_the side of_the boat, and then the magic craft quickly made the shore and beached itself on_the sands at_the very spot from_which it had departed at Glinda's command . all the Oz people and_the Skeezers at once ran to_the boat to ask if_they had reached the island, and whether they had seen Ozma and Dorothy . the wizard told them of_the obstacle they had met in_the way of a marble door, and how Glinda would now undertake to_find a magic way to conquer the door .

Realizing that_it would require several_days to succeed in reaching the island raising it and liberating their friends and_the Skeezer people, Glinda now prepared a camp half way between_the lake shore and_the palm trees .

the wizard's wizardry made a number of tents appear and_the sorcery of_the sorceress furnished these tents all complete, with beds, chairs, tables, flags, lamps and even books with_which to_pass idle hours . all the tents had the royal banner of Oz flying from_the centerpoles and one big tent, not now occupied, had Ozma's own banner moving in_the breeze .

Betsy and trot had a tent to themselves, and button bright and Ojo had another . the Scarecrow and_the tin woodman paired together in one tent and so did jack Pumpkinhead and_the shaggy man, Cap'n bill and uncle Henry, Tik-Tok and professor Wogglebug .Glinda had the most splendid tent of all, except that reserved for Ozma, while the wizard had a little one of_his own . whenever it_was meal time, tables loaded with food magically appeared in_the tents of_those who were in_the habit of eating, and these complete arrangements made the rescue party just comfortable as they_would_have been in their own homes .

far into_the night Glinda sat in her tent studying a roll of mystic scrolls in search of a word that_would open the basement door of_the island and admit her to_the great dome . she also made many magical experiments, hoping to discover something that_would aid her . yet the morning found the powerful sorceress still unsuccessful .

Glinda's art could_have opened any ordinary door, you_may_be_sure, but you_must realize_that this marble door of_the island had_been commanded not to open save in obedience to one magic word, and therefore all other magic words could_have no effect upon it . the magic word that guarded the door had probably been invented by Coo-ee-oh, who had now forgotten it . the only way, then, to gain entrance to_the sunken island was to break the charm that held the door fast shut . if_this could_be_done no magic would_be required to open it .

the next_day the sorceress and_the wizard again entered the boat and made it submerge and go to_the marble door, which they tried in various ways to open, but without success .

" we_shall_have to abandon this attempt, i_think," said Glinda ." the easiest way to raise the island would_be for_us to gain admittance to_the dome and then descend to_the basement and_see in what manner Coo-ee-oh made the entire island sink or rise at her command . it naturally occurred to_me that_the easiest way to gain admittance would_be by having the boat take us into_the basement through_the marble door from_which Coo-ee-oh launched it . but there_must_be other ways to_get inside the dome and join Ozma and Dorothy, and such ways we_must find by study and_the proper use of_our powers of magic ."

" it won't be easy," declared the wizard, " for we_must not forget that Ozma herself understands considerable magic, and has doubtless tried to raise the island or find other means of escape from_it and failed ."

" that_is true," returned Glinda, " but Ozma's magic is fairy magic, while you_are a wizard and I_am a sorceress . in_this_way the three of us have a great variety of magic to work with, and if we_should all fail it_will_be because the island is raised and lowered by a magic power none of us is acquainted with . my idea therefore is to seek -- by such magic as_we possess -- to accomplish our object in another way ."

they made the circle of_the dome again in their boat, and once more saw Ozma and Dorothy through their windows and exchanged signals with_the two imprisoned girls .

Ozma realized that her friends were doing all in their power to rescue her and smiled an encouragement to_their efforts . Dorothy seemed a little anxious but was trying to_be as brave as her companion .

after_the boat had returned to_the camp and Glinda was seated in her tent, working out various ways by_which Ozma and Dorothy could_be rescued, the wizard stood on_the shore dreamily eying the outlines of_the great dome which showed beneath the clear water, when he raised his eyes and saw a group of strange people approaching from around the lake . three were young women of stately presence, very beautifully dressed, who moved with remarkable grace . they were followed at a little distance by a good- looking young Skeezer .

the wizard saw at a glance that_these people might_be very_important, so he advanced to meet them . the three maidens received him graciously and_the one with_the golden hair said:

"I believe you_are the famous wizard of Oz, of whom I_have often heard . we_are seeking Glinda, the sorceress, and perhaps you_can lead us to her ."

" I_can, and will, right gladly," answered the wizard ." follow me, please ."

the little wizard was puzzled as_to_the identity of_the three lovely visitors but he_gave no sign that might embarrass them .

he understood they_did_not wish to_be questioned, and so he_made no remarks as he led the way to Glinda's tent .

with a courtly bow the wizard ushered the three visitors into_the gracious presence of Glinda, the good .

chapter Twenty- one

the three Adepts

the sorceress looked up from her work as_the three maidens entered, and something in their appearance and manner led her to rise and bow to_them in her most dignified manner . the three knelt an instant before_the great sorceress and then stood upright and waited for her to_speak .

" whoever you_may_be," said Glinda, "I bid you welcome ."

" my name is Audah," said one .

" my name is Aurah," said another .

" my

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