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they had happened to come to Jinxland, and all about Cap'n Bill and the Ork
and Pessim and the Bumpy Man.
While they were thus conversing together, getting more and more friendly as
they became better acquainted, in the Council Chamber the King and Googly-
Goo were talking with the Wicked Witch.
This evil creature was old and ugly. She had lost one eye and wore a black
patch over it, so the people of Jinxland had named her "Blinkie." Of course
witches are forbidden to exist in the Land of Oz, but Jinxland was so far
removed from the center of Ozma's dominions, and so absolutely cut off from
it by the steep mountains and the bottomless gulf, that the laws of Oz were
not obeyed very well in that country. So there were several witches in Jinxland
who were the terror of the people, but King Krewl favored them and permitted
them to exercise their evil sorcery.
Blinkie was the leader of all the other witches and therefore the most hated
and feared. The King used her witchcraft at times to assist him in carrying out
his cruelties and revenge, but he was always obliged to pay Blinkie large sums
of money or heaps of precious jewels before she would undertake an
enchantment. This made him hate the old woman almost as much as his
subjects did, but to-day Lord Googly-Goo had agreed to pay the witch's price,
so the King greeted her with gracious favor.
"
Can you destroy the love of Princess Gloria for the gardener's boy?" inquired
his Majesty.
The Wicked Witch thought about it before she replied:
"
That's a hard question to answer. I can do lots of clever magic, but love is a
stubborn thing to conquer. When you think you've killed it, it's liable to bob
up again as strong as ever. I believe love and cats have nine lives. In other
words, killing love is a hard job, even for a skillful witch, but I believe I can do
something that will answer your purpose just as well."
"
"
What is that?" asked the King.
I can freeze the girl's heart. I've got a special incantation for that, and when
Gloria's heart is thoroughly frozen she can no longer love Pon."
"
Just the thing!" exclaimed Googly-Goo, and the King was likewise much
pleased.
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