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Cap'n Bill was the only one who had a match, but he lost no time in handing

it to Blinkie, who quickly set fire to the hair and the cloth and the purple

powder. At once a purple cloud enveloped Gloria, and this gradually turned to

a rosy pink color--brilliant and quite transparent. Through the rosy cloud they

could all see the beautiful Princess, standing proud and erect. Then her heart

became visible, at first frosted with ice but slowly growing brighter and

warmer until all the frost had disappeared and it was beating as softly and

regularly as any other heart. And now the cloud dispersed and disclosed

Gloria, her face suffused with joy, smiling tenderly upon the friends who were

grouped about her.

Poor Pon stepped forward--timidly, fearing a repulse, but with pleading eyes

and arms fondly outstretched toward his former sweetheart--and the Princess

saw him and her sweet face lighted with a radiant smile. Without an instant's

hesitation she threw herself into Pon's arms and this reunion of two loving

hearts was so affecting that the people turned away and lowered their eyes so

as not to mar the sacred joy of the faithful lovers.

But Blinkie's small voice was shouting to the Scarecrow for help.

The antidote!" she screamed. "Give me the other box--quick!"

The Scarecrow looked at the witch with his quaint, painted eyes and saw that

she was now no taller than his knee. So he took from his pocket the second

box and scattered its contents on Blinkie. She ceased to grow any smaller, but

she could never regain her former size, and this the wicked old woman well

knew.

She did not know, however, that the second powder had destroyed all her

power to work magic, and seeking to be revenged upon the Scarecrow and his

friends she at once began to mumble a charm so terrible in its effect that it

would have destroyed half the population of Jinxland--had it worked. But it

did not work at all, to the amazement of old Blinkie. And by this time the

Scarecrow noticed what the little witch was trying to do, and said to her:

Go home, Blinkie, and behave yourself. You are no longer a witch, but an

ordinary old woman, and since you are powerless to do more evil I advise you

to try to do some good in the world. Believe me, it is more fun to accomplish a

good act than an evil one, as you will discover when once you have tried it."

The Scarecrow of Oz