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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."
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