the lost princess of oz-第2部分

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trees　and　to　indulge　in　many　other　active　sports。







〃I'm　going　to　search　for　Ozma；〃　remarked　Dorothy；



〃for　she　isn't　in　her　rooms　and　I　want　to　ask　her　a



question。〃







〃I'll　go　with　you；〃　said　Scraps；　〃for　my　eyes　are



brighter　than　yours　and　they　can　see　farther。〃







〃I'm　not　sure　of　that；〃　remarked　Dorothy。　〃But　come



along；　if　you　like。〃







Together　they　searched　all　through　the　great　palace



and　even　to　the　farthest　limits　of　the　palace　grounds；



which　were　quite　extensive；　but　nowhere　could　they　find



a　trace　of　Ozma。　When　Dorothy　returned　to　where　Betsy



and　Trot　awaited　her；　the　little　girl's　face　was　rather



solemn　and　troubled；　for　never　before　had　Ozma　gone



away　without　telling　her　friends　where　she　was　going；



or　without　an　escort　that　befitted　her　royal　state。







She　was　gone；　however；　and　none　had　seen　her　go。



Dorothy　had　met　and　questioned　the　Scarecrow；　Tik…Tok；



the　Shaggy　Man；　Button…Bright；　Cap'n　Bill；　and　even　the



wise　and　powerful　Wizard　of　Oz；　but　not　one　of　them　had



seen　Ozma　since　she　parted　with　her　friends　the　evening



before　and　had　gone　to　her　own　rooms。







〃She　didn't　say　anything　las'　night　about　going



anywhere；〃　observed　little　Trot。







〃No；　and　thats　the　strange　Part　of　it；〃　replied



Dorothy。　〃Usually　Ozma　lets　us　know　of　everything　she



does。〃







〃Why　not　look　in　the　Magic　Picture？〃　suggested　Betsy



Bobbin。　〃That　will　tell　us　where　she　is；　in　just　one



second。〃







〃Of　course！〃　cried　Dorothy。　〃Why　didn't　I　think　of



that　before？〃　and　at　once　the　three　girls　hurried　away



to　Ozma's　boudoir；　where　the　Magic　Picture　always　hung。







This　wonderful　Magic　Picture　was　one　of　the　royal



Ozma's　greatest　treasures。　there　was　a　large　gold



frame；　in　the　center　of　which　was　a　bluish…gray　canvas



on　which　various　scenes　constantly　appeared　and



disappeared。　If　one　who　stood　before　it　wished　to　see



what　any　person　　anywhere　in　the　world　　was　doing；



it　was　only　necessary　to　make　the　wish　and　the　scene　in



the　Magic　Picture　would　shift　to　the　scene　where　that



person　was　and　show　exactly　what　he　or　she　was　then



engaged　in　doing。　So　the　girls　knew　it　would　be　easy



for　them　to　wish　to　see　Ozma；　and　from　the　picture　they



could　quickly　learn　where　she　was。







Dorothy　advanced　to　the　place　where　the　picture　was



usually　protected　by　thick　satin　Curtains；　and　pulled



the　draperies　aside。　Then　she　stared　in　amazement；



while　her　two　friends　uttered　exclamations　of



disappointment。







The　Magic　Picture　was　gone。　Only　a　blank　space　on　the



wall　behind　the　curtains　showed　where　it　had　formerly



hung。



















Chapter　Two







The　Troubles　of　Glinda　the　Good











That　same　morning　there　was　great　excitement　in　the



castle　of　the　powerful　Sorceress　of　Oz；　Glinda　the



Good。　This　castle；　situated　in　the　Quadling　Country；



far　south　of　the　Emerald　City　where　Ozma　ruled；　was　a



splendid　structure　of　exquisite　marbles　and　silver



grilles。　Here　the　Sorceress　lived；　surrounded　by　a　bevy



of　the　most　beautiful　maidens　of　Oz；　gathered　from　all



the　four　countries　of　that　fairyland　as　well　as　from



the　magnificent　Emerald　City　itself；　which　stood　in　the



place　where　the　four　countries　cornered。







It　was　considered　a　great　honor　to　be　allowed　to



serve　the　good　Sorceress；　whose　arts　of　magic　were　used



only　to　benefit　the　Oz　people。　Glinda　was　Ozma's　most



valued　servant；　for　her　knowledge　of　sorcery　was



wonderful　and　she　could　accomplish　almost　anything　that



her　mistress；　the　lovely　girl　Ruler　of　Oz；　wished　her



to。







Of　all　the　magical　things　which　surrounded　Glinda　in



her　castle　there　was　none　more　marvelous　than　her　Great



Book　of　Records。　On　the　pages　of　this　Record　Book　were



constantly　being　inscribed　　day　by　day　and　hour　by



hour　　all　the　important　events　that　happened　anywhere



in　the　known　world；　and　they　were　inscribed　in　the　book



at　exactly　the　moment　the　events　happened。　Every



adventure　in　the　Land　of　Oz　and　in　the　big　outside



world；　and　even　in　places　that　you　and　I　have　never



heard　of；　were　recorded　accurately　in　the　Great　Book；



which　never　made　a　mistake　and　stated　only　the　exact



truth。　For　that　reason　nothing　could　be　concealed　from



Glinda　the　Good；　who　had　only　to　look　at　the　pages　of



the　Great　Book　of　Records　to　know　everything　that　had



taken　place。　That　was　one　reason　she　was　such　a　great



Sorceress；　for　the　records　made　her　wiser　than　any



other　living　person。







This　wonderful　book　was　placed　upon　a　big　gold　table



that　stood　in　the　middle　of　Glinda's　drawing…room。　The



legs　of　the　table；　which　were　encrusted　with　precious



gems；　were　firmly　fastened　to　the　tiled　floor　and　the



book　itself　was　chained　to　the　table　and　locked　with



six　stout　golden　padlocks；　the　keys　to　which　Glinda



carried　on　a　chain　that　was　secured　around　her　own



neck。







The　pages　of　the　Great　Book　were　larger　in　size　than



those　of　an　American　newspaper　and　although　they　were



exceedingly　thin　there　were　so　many　of　them　that　they



made　an　enormous；　bulky　volume。　With　its　gold　cover　and



gold　clasps　the　book　was　so　heavy　that　three　men　could



scarcely　have　lifted　it。　Yet　this　morning；　when　Glinda



entered　her　drawing…room　after　breakfast；　with　all　her



maidens　trailing　after　her；　the　good　Sorceress　was



amazed　to　discover　that　her　Great　Book　of　Records　had



mysteriously　disappeared。







Advancing　to　the　table；　she　found　the　chains　had　been



cut　with　some　sharp　instrument；　and　this　must　have　been



done　while　all　in　the　castle　slept。　Glinda　was　shocked



and　grieved。　Who　could　have　done　this　wicked；　bold



thing？　And　who　could　wish　to　deprive　her　of　her　Great



Book　of　Records？







The　Sorceress　was　thoughtful　for　a　time；　considering



the　consequences　of　her　loss。　Then　she　went　to　her　Room



of　Magic　to　prepare　a　charm　that　would　tell　her　who　had



stolen　the　Record　Book。　But；　when　she　unlocked　her



cupboards　and　threw　open　the　doors；　all　of　her　magical



instruments　and　rare　chemical　compounds　had　been



removed　from　the　shelves。







The　Sorceress　was　now　both　angry　and　alarmed。　She　sat



down　in　a　chair　and　tried　to　think　how　this



extraordinary　robbery　could　have　taken　place。　It　was



evident　that　the　thief　was　some　person　of　very　great



power；　or　the　theft　could　never　have　been　accomplished



without　her　knowledge。　But　who；　in　all　the　Land　of　Oz；



was　powerful　and　skillful　enough　to　do　this　awful



thing？　And　who；　having　the　power；　could　also　have　an



object　in　defying　the　wisest　and　most　talented



Sorceress　the　world　has　ever　known？







Glinda　thought　over　the　perplexing　matter　for　a　full



hour；　at　the　end　of　which　time　she　was　still　puzzled



how　to　explain　it。　But　although　her　instrument　and



chemicals　were　gone　her　knowledge　of　magic　had　not　been



stolen；　by　any　means；　since　no　thief；　however　skillful；



can　rob　one　of　knowledge；　and　that　is　why　knowledge　is



the　best　and　safest　treasure　to　acquire。　Glinda



believed　that　when　she　had　time　to　gather　more　magical



herbs　and　elixirs　and　to　manufacture　more　magical



instruments　she　would　be　able　to　discover　who　the



robber　was；　and　what　had　become　of　her　precious　Book　of



Records。







〃Whoever　has　done　this；〃　she　said　to　her　maidens；　〃is



a　very　foolish　person；　for　in　time　he　is　sure　to　be



found　out　and　will　then　be　severely　punished。〃







She　now　made　a　list　of　the　things　she　needed　and



dispatched　messengers　to　every　part　of　Oz　with



instructions　to　obtain　them　and　bring　them　to　her　as



soon　as　possible。　And　one　of　her　messengers　met　the



little　Wizard　of　Oz；　who　was　mounted　on　the　back　of　the



famous　live　Sawhorse　and　was　clinging　to　its　neck　with



both　his　arms；　for　the　Sawhorse　was　speeding　to



Glinda's　castle　with　the　velocity　of　the　wind；　bearing



the　news　that　Royal　Ozma；　Ruler　of　all　the　great　Land



of　Oz；　had　suddenly　disappeared　and　no　one　in　the



Emerald　City　knew　what　had　become　of　her。







〃Also；〃　said　the　Wizard；　as　he　stood　before　the



astonished　Sorceress；　〃Ozma's　Magic　Picture　is　gone；　so



we　cannot　consult　it　to　discover　where　she　is。　So　I



came　to　you　for　assistance　as　soon　as　we　realized　our



loss。　Let　us　look　in　the　Great　Book　of　Records。〃







〃Alas；〃　returned　the　Sorceress　sorrowfully；　〃we



cannot　do　that；　for　the　Great　Book　of　Records　has　also



disappeared！〃



















Chapter　Three







Robbery　of　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook











One　more　important　theft　was　reported　in　the　Land　of　Oz



that　eventful　morning；　but　it　took　place　so　far　from



either　the　Emerald　City　or　the　castle　of　Glinda　the



Good　that　none　of　those　persons　we　have　mentioned



learned　of　the　robbery　until　long　afterward。







In　the　far　southwestern　corner　of　the　Winkie　Country



is　a　broad　tableland　that　can　be　reached　only　by



climbing　a　steep　hill；　whichever　side　one　approaches



it。　On　the　hillside　surrounding　this　tableland　are　no



paths　at　all；　but　there　are　quantities　of　bramble…



bushes　with　sharp　prickers　on　them；　which　prevent　any



of　the　Oz　people　who　live　down　below　from　climbing　up



to　see　what　is　on　top。　But　on　top　live　the　Yips；　and



although　the　space　they　occupy　is　not　great　in　extent



the　wee　country　is　all　their