Part 21 (1/2)
”Indeed!” said Cayke. ”Then what about my dishpan?”
The Wizard looked puzzled at her tone of remonstrance, so she added, ”Didn't you people from the Emerald City promise that we would all stick together, and that you would help me to get my dishpan if I would help you to get your Ozma? And didn't I bring to you the little Pink Bear, which has told you where Ozma is hidden?”
”She's right,” said Dorothy to the Wizard.
”We must do as we agreed.”
”Well, first of all, let us go and rescue Ozma,” proposed the Wizard.
”Then our beloved Ruler may be able to advise us how to conquer Ugu the Shoemaker.” So they turned to the left and marched for half a mile until they came to a small but deep hole in the ground. At once, all rushed to the brim to peer into the hole, but instead of finding there Princess Ozma of Oz, all that they saw was b.u.t.ton-Bright, who was lying asleep on the bottom.
Their cries soon wakened the boy, who sat up and rubbed his eyes. When he recognized his friends, he smiled sweetly, saying, ”Found again!”
”Where is Ozma?” inquired Dorothy anxiously.
”I don't know,” answered b.u.t.ton-Bright from the depths of the hole. ”I got lost yesterday, as you may remember, and in the night while I was wandering around in the moonlight trying to find my way back to you, I suddenly fell into this hole.”
”And wasn't Ozma in it then?”
”There was no one in it but me, and I was sorry it wasn't entirely empty. The sides are so steep I can't climb out, so there was nothing to be done but sleep until someone found me. Thank you for coming. If you'll please let down a rope, I'll empty this hole in a hurry.”
”How strange!” said Dorothy, greatly disappointed.
”It's evident the Pink Bear didn't tell the truth.”
”He never makes a mistake,” declared the Lavender Bear King in a tone that showed his feelings were hurt. And then he turned the crank of the little Pink Bear again and asked, ”Is this the hole that Ozma of Oz is in?”
”Yes,” answered the Pink Bear.
”That settles it,” said the King positively. ”Your Ozma is in this hole in the ground.”
”Don't be silly,” returned Dorothy impatiently. ”Even your beady eyes can see there is no one in the hole but b.u.t.ton-Bright.”
”Perhaps b.u.t.ton-Bright is Ozma,” suggested the King.
”And perhaps he isn't! Ozma is a girl, and b.u.t.ton-Bright is a boy.”
”Your Pink Bear must be out of order,” said the Wizard, ”for, this time at least, his machinery has caused him to make an untrue statement.”
The Bear King was so angry at this remark that he turned away, holding the Pink Bear in his paws, and refused to discuss the matter in any further way.
”At any rate,” said the Frogman, ”the Pink Bear has led us to your boy friend and so enabled you to rescue him.”
Sc.r.a.ps was leaning so far over the hole trying to find Ozma in it that suddenly she lost her balance and pitched in head foremost. She fell upon b.u.t.ton-Bright and tumbled him over, but he was not hurt by her soft, stuffed body and only laughed at the mishap. The Wizard buckled some straps together and let one end of them down into the hole, and soon both Sc.r.a.ps and the boy had climbed up and were standing safely beside the others. They looked once more for Ozma, but the hole was now absolutely vacant. It was a round hole, so from the top they could plainly see every part of it. Before they left the place, Dorothy went to the Bear King and said, ”I'm sorry we couldn't believe what the little Pink Bear said, 'cause we don't want to make you feel bad by doubting him. There must be a mistake, somewhere, and we prob'ly don't understand just what the little Pink Bear said. Will you let me ask him one more question?”
The Lavender Bear King was a good-natured bear, considering how he was made and stuffed and jointed, so he accepted Dorothy's apology and turned the crank and allowed the little girl to question his wee Pink Bear.
”Is Ozma REALLY in this hole?” asked Dorothy.