"Your Majesty forgets that my tools of magic stolen," said the Wizard sadly, "and wizard without tools is as helpless as carpenter without hammer or saw "

"Don't give up," pleaded Button-Bright, "20'cause 't get out queer prison, we'll all starve to death "

"Not I ! " laughed the Patchwork Girl, now standing on top chandelier place that was meant the bottom of it

"Don't talk dreadful things," said Trot, shuddering "We came here to capture the Shoemaker, didn't we ? "

"Yes, and to save Ozma," said Betsy

"And here , captured ourselves, and my darling dishpan up there in plain sight ! " wailed the Cookie Cook, wiping her eyes tail Frogman's coat

"Hush ! " called the Lion with low, deep growl "Give the Wizard time "

"He has plenty ," said Scraps "What Scarecrow's brains "

After all, little Dorothy who came rescue, and her ability to save them was almost surprise girl as to her friends Dorothy secretly testing the powers of her Magic Belt, which she had once captured Nome King, and experimenting with it in various ways she had started eventful journey At different times she had stolen away others of her party and in solitude had tried out what the Magic Belt could do and what it do There were lot of things it do, she discovered, but she learned some things Belt which even her girl friends suspect she knew

, she had remembered that Nome King owned it, the Magic Belt used to perform transformations, and by thinking hard she had finally recalled the way such transformations accomplished Better than this, however, discovery Magic Belt would grant its wearer one wish day All she need do was close her right eye and wiggle her left toe and then draw long breath and make her wish Yesterday she had wished in secret for box of caramels, and instantly found the box beside her Today she had saved her daily wish she might need it in an emergency, time had now come when use the wish to enable her to escape with her friends prison Ugu had caught them

So without telling anyone what she intended --for she had only used the wish once and certain how powerful the Magic Belt --Dorothy closed her right eye and wiggled her left big toe and drew long breath and wished with all her might The next moment the room began to revolve again, as slowly as before, and by degrees they all slid side wall and down the wall floor--all but Scraps, who was so astonished that she still clung chandelier big hall was in its proper position again others stood firmly floor of it, they looked far up the dome and saw the Patchwork girl swinging chandelier

"Good gracious ! " cried Dorothy "How ever get down ? "

"Won't the room keep turning ? " asked Scraps

" not I believe it has stopped for good," said Princess Dorothy

"Then stand from under, so you won't get hurt ! " shouted the PatchworkGirl, and they had obeyed this request, she let go the chandelier and came tumbling down heels over head and twisting and turning in very exciting manner Plump ! She fell tiled floor, ran to her and rolled her and patted her into shape again

CHAPTER 23

THE DEFIANCE OF UGU THE SHOEMAKER

The delay caused by Scraps had prevented anyone from running shelves to secure the magic instruments so badly needed Even Cayke neglected her diamond-studded dishpan because she was watching the Patchwork Girl And now the magician had opened his trap door and appeared golden cage again, frowning angrily because his prisoners able their upside-down prison right side up "Which of you has dared defy my magic ? " he shouted in terrible voice

" I," answered Dorothy calmly

"Then destroy you, are only an Earth girl and no fairy," , and began to mumble some magic words

Dorothy now realized that Ugu treated as an enemy, so she advanced toward the corner he sat, saying as she went, " not afraid of you, Mr Shoemaker, and you'll be sorry, pretty soon, that you're such bad man 't destroy me, and I won't destroy you, but I'm going to punish you for your wickedness "

Ugu laughed, laugh that was not nice to hear, and then he waved his hand Dorothy was halfway across the room when suddenly wall of glass rose before her and stopped her progress glass she the magician sneering at her because she was weak little girl, and this provoked her Although the glass wall obliged her to halt, she instantly pressed both hands to her Magic Belt and cried in loud voice, "Ugu the Shoemaker, magic virtues Magic Belt, I command you dove ! "

The magician instantly realized being enchanted, for feel his form changing He struggled desperately against the enchantment, mumbling magic words and making magic passes hands And in he succeeded in defeating Dorothy's purpose, for while his form soon changed of gray dove, the dove was of an enormous size, bigger even than Ugu as man, and this feat he able to accomplish before his powers of magic wholly deserted him

dove was not gentle, as doves usually are, for Ugu was terribly enraged little girl's success His books had told him nothing Nome King's Magic Belt, the Country Nomes being outside the Land of Oz , however, that likely conquered unless fierce fight, so he spread his wings and rose air and flew directly toward Dorothy The Wall of Glass had disappeared the instant Ugu became transformed

Dorothy had meant to command the Belt to transform the magician into Dove of Peace, but in her excitement she forgot more than "dove," and now Ugu was not Dove of Peace by any means, but rather spiteful Dove of War His size made his sharp beak and claws very dangerous, but Dorothy was not afraid when darting toward her talons outstretched sword-like beak open She knew the Magic Belt would protect its wearer from harm

But the Frogman know that fact and became alarmed little girl's seeming danger So sudden leap and leaped full back great dove Then began desperate struggle The dove was as strong as Ugu , and in size considerably bigger Frogman But the Frogman had eaten the zosozo, and it had made him fully as strong as Ugu the Dove first leap he bore the dove floor, but the giant bird got free and began to bite and claw the Frogman, beating him down with its great wings whenever he attempted to rise The thick, tough skin big frog was not easily damaged, but Dorothy feared for her champion, and by again using the transformation power Magic Belt, she made the dove grow small until no larger than canary bird Ugu lost his knowledge of magic when his shape as man, and he now realized hopeless to oppose the power Magic Belt and knew that his only hope of escape lay in instant action So he quickly flew golden jeweled dishpan he had stolen from Cayke the Cookie Cook, and as birds can talk as beasts or men Fairyland of Oz, he muttered the magic word that was required and wished himself Country Quadlings, as far away wicker castle as he believed get

Our friends know, , what Ugu was about They saw the dishpan tremble an instant and then disappear, the dove disappearing with it, and although they waited expectantly for some minutes magician's return, Ugu come back again "Seems ," said the Wizard in cheerful voice, "that conquered the wicked magician more quickly than we expected to "

"Don't say 'we ' Dorothy did it ! " cried the Patchwork Girl, turning three somersaults in succession and then walking around on her hands "Hurrah for Dorothy ! "

" you said know how to use the magic Nome King's Belt," said the Wizard to Dorothy

"I didn't know ," she replied, "but afterward I remembered how the Nome King once used the Magic Belt to enchant people and transform 'em into ornaments and all sorts of things, so I tried some enchantments in secret, and after while I transformed the Sawhorse into potato masher and back again, Cowardly Lion into pussycat and back again, and then the thing would work all right "

"When did you perform those enchantments ? " asked the Wizard, much surprised

"One night when all the rest of you were asleep but Scraps, and she had gone chasing moonbeams "

"Well," remarked the Wizard, "your discovery has certainly saved us lot of trouble, and all thank the Frogman, too, for making such good fight The dove's shape had Ugu's evil disposition inside it, made the monster bird dangerous "

The Frogman was looking sad because the bird's talons had torn his pretty clothes, but he bowed with much dignity well-deserved praise Cayke, however, had squatted floor and was sobbing bitterly "My precious dishpan is gone ! " she wailed "Gone, just as I had found it again ! "

"Never mind," said Trot, trying to comfort her, "it's sure SOMEWHERE, so we'll cert'nly run across it some day "

"Yes indeed," added Betsy, "now that Ozma's Magic Picture, tell just where the Dove went with your dishpan They all approached the Magic Picture, and Dorothy wished it to show the enchanted form of Ugu the Shoemaker, wherever it At once there appeared frame Picture scene far Quadling Country, where the Dove was perched disconsolately limb of tree jeweled dishpan lay ground just underneath the limb

"But where place ? How far or how near ? " asked Cayke anxiously

"The Book of Records will tell us that," answered the Wizard So they looked Great Book and read the following:

"Ugu the Magician, being transformed into dove by Princess Dorothy of Oz, has used the magic golden dishpan to carry him instantly northeast corner Quadling Country "

"Don't worry, Cayke, Scarecrow Tin Woodman are part country looking for Ozma, 'll surely find your dishpan "

"Good gracious ! " exclaimed Button-Bright "We've forgot all about Ozma Let's find out where the magician hid her "

Back Magic Picture they trooped, but wished Ozma wherever she hidden, only round black spot appeared center canvas "I don't see how Ozma ! " said Dorothy, much puzzled

"It the best the Magic Picture can do, however," said the Wizard, no less surprised " 's an enchantment, looks as magician had transformed Ozma into chunk of pitch "

CHAPTER 24

THE LITTLE PINK BEAR SPEAKS TRULY

For several minutes they all stood staring black spot canvas Magic Picture, wondering what it could mean "P'r'aps we'd better little Pink Bear about Ozma," suggested Trot