www.freeclassicebooks.com

Your Majesty forgets that my tools of magic have been stolen," said the

Wizard sadly, "and a wizard without tools is as helpless as a carpenter without

a hammer or saw."

Don't give up," pleaded Button-Bright, "'cause if we can't get out of this queer

prison, we'll all starve to death."

Not I!" laughed the Patchwork Girl, now standing on top of the chandelier at

the place that was meant to be the bottom of it.

Don't talk of such dreadful things," said Trot, shuddering. "We came here to

capture the Shoemaker, didn't we?"

Yes, and to save Ozma," said Betsy.

And here we are, captured ourselves, and my darling dishpan up there in

plain sight!" wailed the Cookie Cook, wiping her eyes on the tail of the

Frogman's coat.

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

think."

He has plenty of time," said Scraps. "What he needs is the Scarecrow's

brains."

After all, it was little Dorothy who came to their rescue, and her ability to save

them was almost as much a surprise to the girl as it was to her friends.

Dorothy had been secretly testing the powers of her Magic Belt, which she had

once captured from the Nome King, and experimenting with it in various ways

ever since she had started on this eventful journey. At different times she had

stolen away from the others of her party and in solitude had tried to find out

what the Magic Belt could do and what it could not do. There were a lot of

things it could not do, she discovered, but she learned some things about the

Belt which even her girl friends did not suspect she knew.

For one thing, she had remembered that when the Nome King owned it, the

Magic Belt used to perform transformations, and by thinking hard she had

finally recalled the way in which such transformations had been

accomplished. Better than this, however, was the discovery that the Magic

Belt would grant its wearer one wish a day. All she need do was close her

right eye and wiggle her left toe and then draw a long breath and make her

wish. Yesterday she had wished in secret for a box of caramels, and instantly

found the box beside her. Today she had saved her daily wish in case she

The Lost Princess of Oz