按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Shoemaker？〃
〃Quite ready； Your Majesty。〃
〃But who will rule in your place； while you are
gone？〃 asked a big Yellow Bear。
〃I myself will rule while I am gone；〃 was the reply。
〃A King isn't required to stay at home forever； and if
he takes a notion to travel； whose business is it but
his own？ All I ask is that you bears behave yourselves
while I am away。 If any of you is naughty； I'll send
him to some girl or boy in America to play with。〃
This dreadful threat made all the toy bears look
solemn。 They assured the King； in a chorus of growls；
that they would be good。 Then the big Lavender Bear
picked up the little Pink Bear and after tucking it
carefully under one arm he said 〃Good…bye till I come
back！〃 and waddled along the path that led through the
forest。 The Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook also said
good…bye to the bears and then followed after the King；
much to the regret of the little Brown Bear； who pulled
the trigger of his gun and popped the cork as a parting
salute。
Chapter Seventeen
The Meeting
While the Frog man and his party were advancing from
the west； Dorothy and her party were advancing from
the east； and so it happened that on the following
night they all camped at a little hill that was only a
few miles from the wicker castle of Ugu the Shoemaker。
But the two parties did not see one another that night；
for one camped on one side of the hill while the other
camped on the opposite side。 But the next morning the
Frogman thought he would climb the hill and see what
was on top of it； and at the same time Scraps； the
Patchwork Girl； also decided to climb the hill to find
if the wicker castle was visible from its top。 So she
stuck her head over an edge just as the Frogman's head
appeared over another edge and both； being surprised；
kept still while they took a good look at one another。
Scraps recovered from her astonishment first and
bounding upward she turned a somersault and landed
sitting down and facing the big Frogman； who slowly
advanced and sat opposite her。
〃Well met； Stranger！〃 cried the Patchwork Girl； with
a whoop of laughter。 〃You are quite the funniest
individual I have seen in all my travels。〃
〃Do you suppose I can be any funnier than you？〃 asked
the Frogman； gazing at her in wonder。
〃I'm； not funny to myself； you know；〃 returned
Scraps。 〃I wish I were。 And perhaps you are so used to
your own absurd shape that you do not laugh whenever
you see your reflection in a pool； or in a mirror。
〃No；〃 said the Frogman gravely； 〃I do not。 I used to
be proud of my great size and vain of my culture and
education； but since I bathed in the Truth Pond I
sometimes think it is not right that I should be
different from all other frogs。〃
〃Right or wrong；〃 said the Patchwork Girl； 〃to be
different is to be distinguished。 Now； in my case； I'm
just like all other Patchwork Girls because I'm the
only one there is。 But； tell me； where did you come
from？〃
〃The Yip Country；〃 said he。
〃Is that in the Land of Oz？〃
〃Of course；〃 replied the Frogman。
〃And do you know that your Ruler； Ozma of Oz； has
been stolen？〃
〃I was not aware that I had a Ruler； so of course I
couldn't know that she was stolen。〃
〃Well； you have。 All the people of Oz；〃 explained
Scraps； 〃are ruled by Ozma； whether they know it or
not。 And she has been stolen。 Aren't you angry？ Aren't
you indignant？ Your Ruler； whom you didn't know you
had； has positively been stolen！〃
〃That is queer；〃 remarked the Frogman thoughtfully。
〃Stealing is a thing practically unknown in Oz； yet
this Ozma has been taken and a friend of mine has also
had her dishpan stolen。 With her I have traveled all
the way from the Yip Country in order to recover it。〃
〃I don't see any connection between a Royal Ruler of
Oz and a dishpan！〃 declared Scraps。
〃They've both been stolen； haven't they？〃
〃True。 But why can't your friend wash her dishes in
another dishpan？〃 asked Scraps。
〃Why can't you use another Royal Ruler？ I suppose you
prefer the one who is lost； and my friend wants her own
dishpan； which is made of gold and studded with
diamonds and has magic powers。
〃Magic； eh？〃 exclaimed Scraps。 〃There is a link that
connects the two steals； anyhow； for it seems that all
the magic in the Land of Oz was stolen at the same
time； whether it was in the Emerald City or in Glinda's
castle or in the Yip Country。 Seems mighty strange and
mysterious； doesn't it？〃
〃It used to seem that way to us；〃 admitted the
Frogman； 〃but we have now discovered who took our
dishpan。 It was Ugu the Shoemaker。〃
〃Ugu？ Good gracious！ That's the same magician we
think has stolen Ozma。 We are now on our way to the
castle of this Shoemaker。〃
〃So are we；〃 said the Frogman。
〃Then follow me； quick！ and let me introduce you to
Dorothy and the other girls and to the Wizard of Oz and
all the rest of us。〃
She sprang up and seized his coat…sleeve； dragging
him off the hilltop and down the other side from that
whence he had come。 And at the foot of the hill the
Frogman was astonished to find the three girls and the
Wizard and Button…Bright； who were surrounded by a
wooden Sawhorse； a lean Mule； a square Woozy and a
Cowardly Lion。 A little black dog ran up and smelled at
the Frogman； but couldn't growl at him。
〃I've discovered another party that has been robbed；〃
shouted Scraps as she joined them。 〃This is their
leader and they're all going to Ugu's castle to fight
the wicked Shoemaker！〃
They regarded the Frogman with much curiosity and
interest and； finding all eyes fixed upon him； the
newcomer arranged his necktie and smoothed his
beautiful vest and swung his gold…headed cane like a
regular dandy。 The big spectacles over his eyes quite
altered his froglike countenance and gave him a learned
and impressive look。 Used as she was to seeing strange
creatures in the Land of Oz； Dorothy was amazed at
discovering the Frogman。 So were all her companions。
Toto wanted to growl at him； but couldn't； and he
didn't dare bark。 The Sawhorse snorted rather
contemptuously； but the Lion whispered to the wooden
steed： 〃Bear with this strange creature； my friend； and
remember he is no more extraordin