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CHAPTER 23 - THE DEFIANCE OF UGU THE SHOEMAKER

The delay caused by Scraps had prevented anyone from running to the

shelves to secure the magic instruments so badly needed. Even Cayke

neglected to get her diamond-studded dishpan because she was watching the

Patchwork Girl. And now the magician had opened his trap door and

appeared in his golden cage again, frowning angrily because his prisoners had

been able to turn their upside-down prison right side up. "Which of you has

dared defy my magic?" he shouted in a terrible voice.

It was I," answered Dorothy calmly.

Then I shall destroy you, for you are only an Earth girl and no fairy," he said,

and began to mumble some magic words.

Dorothy now realized that Ugu must be treated as an enemy, so she advanced

toward the corner in which he sat, saying as she went, "I am not afraid of you,

Mr. Shoemaker, and I think you'll be sorry, pretty soon, that you're such a

bad man. You can't destroy me, and I won't destroy you, but I'm going to

punish you for your wickedness."

Ugu laughed, a laugh that was not nice to hear, and then he waved his hand.

Dorothy was halfway across the room when suddenly a wall of glass rose

before her and stopped her progress. Through the glass she could see the

magician sneering at her because she was a weak little girl, and this provoked

her. Although the glass wall obliged her to halt, she instantly pressed both

hands to her Magic Belt and cried in a loud voice, "Ugu the Shoemaker, by the

magic virtues of the Magic Belt, I command you to become a dove!"

The magician instantly realized he was being enchanted, for he could feel his

form changing. He struggled desperately against the enchantment, mumbling

magic words and making magic passes with his hands. And in one way he

succeeded in defeating Dorothy's purpose, for while his form soon changed to

that of a gray dove, the dove was of an enormous size, bigger even than Ugu

had been as a man, and this feat he had been able to accomplish before his

powers of magic wholly deserted him.

And the dove was not gentle, as doves usually are, for Ugu was terribly

enraged at the little girl's success. His books had told him nothing of the

Nome King's Magic Belt, the Country of the Nomes being outside the Land of

Oz. He knew, however, that he was likely to be conquered unless he made a

The Lost Princess of Oz