Oz 11: The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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as big around as treetrunks . each giant had around his neck a broad band of gold, riveted on, to show he_was a slave .

as our friends entered riding upon_the lion, the woozy, the sawhorse and_the mule, the giants half turned and walked in two files on either side of_them, as_if escorting them on their way . it looked to Dorothy as_if all her party had_been made prisoners, for even mounted on their animals their heads scarcely reached to_the knees of_the marching giants . the girls and button- bright were anxious to_know what sort of a city they had entered, and what the people were like who had made these powerful creatures their slaves . through_the legs of_the giants as_they walked, Dorothy could_see rows of houses on each side of_the street and throngs of people standing on_the sidewalks, but the people were of ordinary size and_the only remarkable thing about_them was_the fact that_they were dreadfully lean and thin . between their skin and their bones there seemed to_be little or no flesh, and_they were mostly stoop- shouldered and weary looking, even to_the little children .

more and more, Dorothy wondered how and why the great giants had ever submitted to_become slaves of_such skinny, languid masters, but there_was no chance to question anyone until they arrived at a big palace located in_the heart of_the city . here the giants formed lines to_the entrance and stood still while our friends rode into_the courtyard of_the palace . then the gates closed behind them, and before them was a skinny little man who bowed low and said in a sad voice, " if_you_will_be so obliging as_to dismount, it_will give_me pleasure to lead you into_the presence of_the world's most mighty ruler, Vig the Czarover ."

"I don't believe it ! " said Dorothy indignantly .

" what don't you believe ? " asked the man .

"I don't believe your Czarover can hold a candle to our Ozma ."

" he wouldn't hold a candle under any circumstances, or to any living person," replied the man very seriously, " for he has slaves to_do such things and_the mighty Vig is too dignified to_do anything that others can do for him . he even obliges a slave to sneeze for him, if ever he catches cold . however, if_you dare to_face our powerful ruler, follow me ."

" we dare anything," said the wizard, " so go ahead ."

through several marble corridors having lofty ceilings they passed, finding each corridor and doorway guarded by servants . but these servants of_the palace were of_the people and not giants, and_they were so thin that_they almost resembled skeletons . finally, they entered a great circular room with a high, domed ceiling, where the Czarover sat on a throne cut from a solid block of white marble and decorated with purple silk hangings and gold tassels .

the ruler of_these people was combing his eyebrows when our friends entered the throne room and stood before him, but he put the comb in_his pocket and examined the strangers with evident curiosity . then he_said, " dear me, what a surprise ! you_have really shocked me . for no outsider has ever before come to our city of Herku, and I_cannot imagine why you_have ventured to_do_so ."

" we_are looking for Ozma, the supreme ruler of_the land of Oz," replied the wizard .

" do you_see her anywhere around here ? " asked the Czarover .

" not yet, your majesty, but perhaps you_may tell us where she_is ."

" no, I_have my hands full keeping track of_my own people . I_find them hard to manage because they_are so tremendously strong ."

" they don't look very strong," said Dorothy ." it seems as_if a good wind would blow 'em way out_of_the city if_it wasn't for_the wall ."

" just so, just so," admitted the Czarover ." they really look that way, don't they ? but you_must never trust to appearances, which_have a way of fooling one . perhaps you noticed that I prevented you from meeting any of_my people .I protected you with my giants while you were on_the way from_the gates to my palace so_that not aHerku got near you ."

" are your people so dangerous, then ? " asked the wizard .

" to strangers, yes . but only because they_are so friendly . for if_they shake hands with_you, they_are likely to break your arms or crush your fingers to a jelly ."

" why ? " asked button- bright .

" because we_are the strongest people in all the world ."

"Pshaw ! " exclaimed the boy ." that's bragging . you prob'ly don't know how strong other people are . why, once I_knew a man in Philadelphi' who_could bend iron bars with just his hands ! "

" but mercy me, it's no trick to bend iron bars," said his majesty ." tell me, could this man crush a block of stone with_his bare hands ? "

" no one could do_that," declared the boy .

" if I had a block of stone, I'd show you," said the Czarover, looking around the room ."Ah, here_is my throne . the back is too high, anyhow, so I'll just break off a piece of_that ." he rose to_his feet and tottered in an uncertain way around the throne . then he_took hold of_the back and broke off a piece of marble over a foot thick ." this," said he, coming back to_his seat, " is very solid marble and much harder than ordinary stone . yet I_can crumble it easily with my fingers, a proof that I_am very strong ."

even as he spoke, he began breaking off chunks of marble and crumbling them as one would a bit of earth . the wizard was so astonished that he_took a piece in_his own hands and tested it, finding it very hard indeed .

just then one_of_the giant servants entered and exclaimed, "Oh, your majesty, the cook has burned the soup ! what shall we_do ? "

" how dare you interrupt me ? " .

" asked the Czarover, and grasping the immense giant by one of_his legs, he raised him in_the air and threw him headfirst out of an open window ." now, tell me," he_said, turning to button- bright, " could your man in Philadelphia crumble marble in_his fingers ? "

."I guess not," said button- bright, much impressed by_the skinny monarch's strength .

" what makes you so strong ? " inquired Dorothy .

" it's the zosozo," he explained, " which_is an invention of_my own .I and all my people eat zosozo, and it gives us tremendous strength . would you like to eat some ? "

" no thank_you," replied the girl ."I--I don't want to_get so thin ."

" well, of_course one can't have strength and flesh at_the same time," said the Czarover ."Zosozo is pure energy, and it's the only compound of_its sort in existence .I never allow our giants to_have it, you_know, or they_would soon become our masters, since they_are bigger that we; so I keep all the stuff locked up in my private laboratory . once a year I feed a teaspoonful of it to each of_my people-- men, women and children-- so every_one_of_them is nearly as strong as I_am .Wouldn't you like a dose, sir ? " he asked, turning to_the wizard .

" well," said the wizard, " if_you_would give_me a little zosozo in a bottle, I'd like to_take it with me on my travels . it might come in handy on occasion ."

" to_be_sure .I'll give_you enough for six doses," promised the Czarover .

" but don't take more than a teaspoonful at_a_time . once Ugu the shoemaker took two teaspoonsful, and it made him so strong that when he leaned against the city wall, he pushed it over, and we had to build it up again ."

" who_is Ugu the shoemaker ? "

button- bright curiously, for he now remembered that_the bird and_the rabbit had claimed Ugu the shoemaker had enchanted the peach he had eaten .

" why, Ugu is a great magician who used to live here . but he's gone away now," replied the Czarover .

" where has he gone ? " asked the wizard quickly .

" I_am told he lives in a wickerwork castle in_the mountains to_the west of here . you_see, Ugu became such a powerful magician that he didn't care to live in_our city any longer for fear we_would discover some of_his secrets . so he went to_the mountains and built him a splendid wicker castle which_is so strong that even I and my people could_not batter it down, and there he lives all by himself ."

" this_is good news," declared the wizard, " for i_think this_is just the magician we_are searching for . but why is he_called Ugu the shoemaker ? "

" once he_was a very common citizen here and made shoes for aliving," replied the monarch of Herku ." but he_was descended from_the greatest wizard and sorcerer who ever lived in_this or in any_other country, and one day Ugu the shoemaker discovered all the magical books and recipes of_his famous great- grandfather, which had_been hidden away in_the attic of_his house . so he began to study the papers and books and to practice magic, and in_time he became so skillful that, as I_said, he scorned our city and built a solitary castle for himself ."

" do_you_think" asked Dorothy anxiously, " that Ugu the shoemaker would_be wicked enough to steal our Ozma of Oz ? "

" and_the magic picture ? " asked trot .

" and_the great book of Records of Glinda the good ? " asked Betsy .

" and my own magic tools ? " asked the wizard .

" replied the Czarover, "I won't say that Ugu is wicked, exactly, but he_is very ambitious to_become the most powerful magician in_the_world, and so I suppose he_would_not_be too proud to steal any magic things that belonged to anybody else-- if he_could manage to_do_so ."

" but how about Ozma ? why would he wish to steal her ? "questioned Dorothy .

"Don't ask me, my dear .Ugu doesn't tell me why he_does things, I assure you ."

then we_must go and ask him ourselves," declared the little girl .

"I wouldn't do_that if I were you," advised the Czarover, looking first at_the three girls and then at_the boy and_the little wizard and finally at_the stuffed patchwork girl ." if Ugu has really stolen your Ozma, he_will probably keep her a prisoner, in_spite of all your threats or entreaties . and with all his magical knowledge he_would_be a dangerous person to attack . therefore, if_you_are wise, you_will go home again and find a new ruler for_the emerald city and_the land of Oz . but perhaps it isn't Ugu the shoemaker who has stolen your Ozma ."

" the only way to settle that question," replied the wizard, " is to_go to Ugu's castle and_see if Ozma is_there . if she_is, we_will report the matter to_the great sorceress Glinda the good, and I'm pretty sure she will_find a way to rescue our darling ruler from_the shoemaker ."

" well, do as_you please," said the Czarover, " but if_you_are all transformed into hummingbirds or caterpillars, don't blame me for not warning you ."

they stayed the rest of_that day in_the city of Herku and were fed at_the royal table of_the Czarover and given sleeping rooms in_his palace . the strong monarch treated them very nicely and gave the wizard a little golden vial of zosozo to use if ever he or any of_his

even at_the last, the Czarover tried to_persuade them not to_go near Ugu the shoemaker, but they were resolved on_the venture, and_the next morning bade the friendly monarch a cordial goodbye and, mounting upon their animals, left the Herkus and_the city of Herku and headed for_the mountains that lay to_the west .

chapter 13

truth pond

it seems a long_time since we_have heard anything of_the Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook, who had left the Yip country in search of_the diamond- studded dishpan which had_been mysteriously stolen the same night that Ozma had disappeared from_the emerald city . but you_must remember that while the Frogman and_the Cookie Cook were preparing to descend from their mountaintop, and even while on their way to_the farmhouse of Wiljon the Winkie, Dorothy and_the wizard and their friends were encountering the adventures we_have just related .

so it was_that on_the very morning when_the travelers from_the emerald city bade farewell to_the Czarover of_the city of Herku, Cayke and_the Frogman awoke in a grove in_which they had passed the night sleeping on beds of leaves . there were plenty of farmhouses in_the neighborhood, but no one seemed to welcome the puffy, haughty Frogman or the little dried- up Cookie Cook, and so they slept comfortably enough underneath the trees of_the grove . the Frogman wakened first on this_morning, and after going to_the tree where Cayke slept and finding her still wrapped in slumber, he decided to_take a little walk and seek some breakfast .Coming to_the edge of_the grove, he observed half a mile away a pretty yellow house that was surrounded by a yellow picket fence, so he walked toward this house and on entering the yard found aWinkie woman picking up sticks with_which to build a fire to cook her morning meal .

" for goodness sake ! " she exclaimed on seeing the Frogman ." what_are you doing out of your frog- pond ? "

" I_am traveling in search of a jeweled gold dishpan, my good woman," he replied with an air of great dignity .

" you won't find it here, then," said she ." our dishpans are tin, and_they're good enough for anybody . so go back to your pond and leave me alone ." she spoke rather crossly and with a lack of respect that greatly annoyed the Frogman .

" allow me to_tell you, madam," said he, " that although I_am a frog, I_am the greatest and wisest frog in all the world

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