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4) That there existed in Oz--in the Yip Country--a jeweled dishpan made of
gold, which dishpan would grow large enough for a man to sit inside it. Then,
when he grasped both the golden handles, the dishpan would transport him in
an instant to any place he wished to go within the borders of the Land of Oz.
No one now living except Ugu knew of the powers of the Magic Dishpan, so
after long study, the shoemaker decided that if he could manage to secure the
dishpan, he could by its means rob Ozma and Glinda and the Wizard of Oz of
all their magic, thus becoming himself the most powerful person in all the
land. His first act was to go away from the City of Herku and build for himself
the Wicker Castle in the hills. Here he carried his books and instruments of
magic, and here for a full year he diligently practiced all the magical arts
learned from his ancestors. At the end of that time, he could do a good many
wonderful things.
Then, when all his preparations were made, he set out for the Yip Country,
and climbing the steep mountain at night he entered the house of Cayke the
Cookie Cook and stole her diamond-studded gold dishpan while all the Yips
were asleep, Taking his prize outside, he set the pan upon the ground and
uttered the required magic word. Instantly, the dishpan grew as large as a big
washtub, and Ugu seated himself in it and grasped the two handles. Then he
wished himself in the great drawing room of Glinda the Good.
He was there in a flash. First he took the Great Book of Records and put it in
the dishpan. Then he went to Glinda's laboratory and took all her rare
chemical compounds and her instruments of sorcery, placing these also in the
dishpan, which he caused to grow large enough to hold them. Next he seated
himself amongst the treasures he had stolen and wished himself in the room
in Ozma's palace which the Wizard occupied and where he kept his bag of
magic tools. This bag Ugu added to his plunder and then wished himself in
the apartments of Ozma.
Here he first took the Magic Picture from the wall and then seized all the other
magical things which Ozma possessed. Having placed these in the dishpan,
he was about to climb in himself when he looked up and saw Ozma standing
beside him. Her fairy instinct had warned her that danger was threatening
her, so the beautiful girl Ruler rose from her couch and leaving her
bedchamber at once confronted the thief.
Ugu had to think quickly, for he realized that if he permitted Ozma to rouse
the inmates of her palace, all his plans and his present successes were likely
to come to naught. So he threw a scarf over the girl's head so she could not
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