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The Mule turned his head to look reproachfully at his old friend, the young

girl. "Who can fight against magic?" he asked.

The Cowardly Lion could," said Dorothy.

The Lion, who was lying with his front legs spread out, his chin on his paws,

raised his shaggy head. "I can fight when I'm not afraid," said he calmly, "but

the mere mention of a fight sets me to trembling."

Ugu's magic couldn't hurt the Sawhorse," suggested tiny Trot.

And the Sawhorse couldn't hurt the Magician," declared that wooden animal.

For my part," said Toto, "I am helpless, having lost my growl."

Then," said Cayke the Cookie Cook, "we must depend upon the Frogman. His

marvelous wisdom will surely inform him how to conquer the wicked Magician

and restore to me my dishpan."

All eyes were now turned questioningly upon the Frogman. Finding himself

the center of observation, he swung his gold-headed cane, adjusted his big

spectacles, and after swelling out his chest, sighed and said in a modest tone

of voice:

Respect for truth obliges me to confess that Cayke is mistaken in regard to

my superior wisdom. I am not very wise. Neither have I had any practical

experience in conquering magicians. But let us consider this case. What is

Ugu, and what is a magician? Ugu is a renegade shoemaker, and a magician

is an ordinary man who, having learned how to do magical tricks, considers

himself above his fellows. In this case, the Shoemaker has been naughty

enough to steal a lot of magical tools and things that did not belong to him,

and he is more wicked to steal than to be a magician. Yet with all the arts at

his command, Ugu is still a man, and surely there are ways in which a man

may be conquered. How, do you say, how? Allow me to state that I don't

know. In my judgment, we cannot decide how best to act until we get to Ugu's

castle. So let us go to it and take a look at it. After that, we may discover an

idea that will guide us to victory."

That may not be a wise speech, but it sounds good," said Dorothy

approvingly. "Ugu the Shoemaker is not only a common man, but he's a

wicked man and a cruel man and deserves to be conquered. We mustn't have

any mercy on him till Ozma is set free. So let's go to his castle as the

Frogman says and see what the place looks like."

The Lost Princess of Oz