The Little Pink Bear
CHAPTER 16
"One Person and one Freak," said the big Lavender Bear, when he hadcarefully examined the strangers.
"I am sorry to hear you call poor Cayke the Cookie Cook a Freak,"remonstrated the Frogman.
"She is the Person," asserted the King. "Unless I am mistaken, it is youwho are the Freak."
The Frogman was silent, for he could not truthfully deny it.
"Why have you dared intrude in my forest?" demanded the Bear King.
"We didn't know it _was_ your forest," said Cayke, "and we are on ourway to the far east, where the Emerald City is."
"Ah, it's a long way from here to the Emerald City," remarked the King."It is so far away, indeed, that no bear among us has ever been there.But what errand requires you to travel such a distance?"
"Someone has stolen my diamond-studded gold dishpan," explained Cayke;"and, as I cannot be happy without it, I have decided to search theworld over until I find it again. The Frogman, who is very learned andwonderfully wise, has come with me to give me his assistance. Isn't itkind of him?"
The King looked at the Frogman.
"What makes you so wonderfully wise?" he asked.
"I'm not," was the candid reply. "The Cookie Cook, and some others inthe Yip Country, think because I am a big frog and talk and act like aman, that I must be very wise. I have learned more than a frog usuallyknows, it is true, but I am not yet so wise as I hope to become at somefuture time."
The King nodded, and when he did so something squeaked in his chest.
"Did Your Majesty speak?" asked Cayke.
"Not just then," answered the Lavender Bear, seeming to be somewhatembarrassed. "I am so built, you must know, that when anything pushesagainst my chest, as my chin accidentally did just then, I make thatsilly noise. In this city it isn't considered good manners to notice it.But I like your Frogman. He is honest and truthful, which is more thancan be said of many others. As for your late lamented dishpan, I'll showit to you."
With this he waved three times the metal wand which he held in his pawand instantly there appeared upon the ground, midway between the Kingand Cayke, a big round pan made of beaten gold. Around the top edge wasa row of small diamonds; around the center of the pan was another row oflarger diamonds; and at the bottom was a row of exceedingly large andbrilliant diamonds. In fact, they all sparkled magnificently and the panwas so big and broad that it took a lot of diamonds to go around itthree times.
Cayke stared so hard that her eyes seemed about to pop out of her head.
"O-o-o-oh!" she exclaimed, drawing a deep breath of delight.
"Is this your dishpan?" inquired the King.
"It is--it is!" cried the Cookie Cook, and rushing forward she fell onher knees and threw her arms around the precious pan. But her arms cametogether without meeting any resistance at all. Cayke tried to seize theedge, but found nothing to grasp. The pan was surely there, she thought,for she could see it plainly; but it was not solid; she could not feelit at all. With a moan of astonishment and despair she raised her headto look at the Bear King, who was watching her actions curiously. Thenshe turned to the pan again, only to find it had completely disappeared.
"Poor creature!" murmured the King pityingly. "You must have thought,for the moment, that you had actually recovered your dishpan. But whatyou saw was merely the image of it, conjured up by means of my magic. Itis a pretty dishpan, indeed, though rather big and awkward to handle. Ihope you will some day find it."
Cayke was grievously disappointed. She began to cry, wiping her eyes onher apron. The King turned to the throng of toy bears surrounding himand asked:
"Has any of you ever seen this golden dishpan before?"
"No," they answered in a chorus.
The King seemed to reflect. Presently he inquired:
"Where is the Little Pink Bear?"
"At home, Your Majesty," was the reply, "Fetch him here," commanded theKing.
Several of the bears waddled over to one of the trees and pulled fromits hollow a tiny pink bear, smaller than any of the others. A big whitebear carried the pink one in his arms and set it down beside the King,arranging the joints of its legs so that it would stand upright.
This Pink Bear seemed lifeless until the King turned a crank whichprotruded from its side, when the little creature turned its headstiffly from side to side and said in a small shrill voice:
"Hurrah for the King of Bear Center!"
"Very good," said the big Lavender Bear; "he seems to be working verywell to-day. Tell me, my Pink Pinkerton, what has become of this lady'sjeweled dishpan?"
"U--u--u," said the Pink Bear, and then stopped short.
The King turned the crank again.
"U-g-u the Shoemaker has it," said the Pink Bear.
"Who is Ugu the Shoemaker?" demanded the King, again turning the crank.
"A magician who lives on a mountain in a wickerwork castle," was thereply.
"Where is this mountain?" was the next question.
"Nineteen miles and three furlongs from Bear Center to the northeast."
"And is the dishpan still at the castle of Ugu the Shoemaker?" asked theKing.
"It is."
The King turned to Cayke.
"You may rely on this information," said he. "The Pink Bear can tell usanything we wish to know, and his words are always words of truth."
"Is he alive?" asked the Frogman, much interested in the Pink Bear.
"Something animates him--when you turn his crank," replied the King. "Ido not know if it is life, or what it is, or how it happens that theLittle Pink Bear can answer correctly every question put to him. Wediscovered his talent a long time ago and whenever we wish to knowanything--which is not very often--we ask the Pink Bear. There is nodoubt whatever, madam, that Ugu the Magician has your dishpan, and ifyou dare go to him you may be able to recover it. But of that I am notcertain."
"Can't the Pink Bear tell?" asked Cayke anxiously.
"No, for that is in the future. He can tell anything that _has_happened, but nothing that is going to happen. Don't ask me why, for Idon't know."
"Well," said the Cookie Cook, after a little thought, "I mean to go tothis magician, anyhow, and tell him I want my dishpan. I wish I knewwhat Ugu the Shoemaker is like."
"Then I'll show him to you," promised the King. "But do not befrightened; it won't be Ugu, remember, but only his image."
With this he waved his metal wand again and in the circle suddenlyappeared a thin little man, very old and skinny, who was seated on awicker stool before a wicker table. On the table lay a Great Book withgold clasps. The Book was open and the man was reading in it. He woregreat spectacles, which were fastened before his eyes by means of aribbon that passed around his head and was tied in a bow at the back.His hair was very thin and white; his skin, which clung fast to hisbones, was brown and seared with furrows; he had a big, fat nose andlittle eyes set close together.
On no account was Ugu the Shoemaker a pleasant person to gaze at. As hisimage appeared before them, all were silent and intent until CorporalWaddle, the Brown Bear, became nervous and pulled the trigger of hisgun. Instantly the cork flew out of the tin barrel with a loud "pop!"that made them all jump. And, at this sound, the image of the magicianvanished.
"So! _that's_ the thief, is it?" said Cayke, in an angry voice. "Ishould think he'd be ashamed of himself for stealing a poor woman'sdiamond dishpan! But I mean to face him in his wicker castle and forcehim to return my property."
"To me," said the Bear King, reflectively, "he looked like a dangerousperson. I hope he won't be so unkind as to argue the matter with you."
The Frogman was much disturbed by the vision of Ugu the Shoemaker, andCayke's determination to go to the magician filled her companion withmisgivings. But he would not break his pledged word to assist the CookieCook and after breathing a deep sigh of resignation he asked the King:
"Will Your Majesty lend us this Pink Bear who answers questions, that wema
y take him with us on our journey? He would be very useful to us andwe will promise to bring him safely back to you."
The King did not reply at once; he seemed to be thinking.
"_Please_ let us take the Pink Bear," begged Cayke. "I'm sure he wouldbe a great help to us."
"The Pink Bear," said the King, "is the best bit of magic I possess, andthere is not another like him in the world. I do not care to let him outof my sight; nor do I wish to disappoint you; so I believe I will makethe journey in your company and carry my Pink Bear with me. He can walk,when you wind the other side of him, but so slowly and awkwardly that hewould delay you. But if I go along I can carry him in my arms, so I willjoin your party. Whenever you are ready to start, let me know."
"But--Your Majesty!" exclaimed Corporal Waddle in protest, "I hope youdo not intend to let these prisoners escape without punishment."
"Of what crime do you accuse them?" inquired the King.
"Why, they trespassed on your domain, for one thing," said the BrownBear.
"We didn't know it was private property, Your Majesty," said the CookieCook.
"And they asked if any of us had stolen the dishpan!" continued CorporalWaddle indignantly. "That is the same thing as calling us thieves androbbers, and bandits and brigands, is it not?"
"Every person has the right to ask questions," said the Frogman.
"But the Corporal is quite correct," declared the Lavender Bear. "Icondemn you both to death, the execution to take place ten years fromthis hour."
"But we belong in the Land of Oz, where no one ever dies," Caykereminded him.
"Very true," said the King. "I condemn you to death merely as a matterof form. It sounds quite terrible, and in ten years we shall haveforgotten all about it. Are you ready to start for the wicker castle ofUgu the Shoemaker?"
"Quite ready, Your Majesty."
"But who will rule in your place, while you are gone?" asked a bigYellow Bear.
"I myself will rule while I am gone," was the reply. "A King isn'trequired to stay at home forever, and if he takes a notion to travel,whose business is it but his own? All I ask is that you bears behaveyourselves while I am away. If any of you is naughty, I'll send him tosome girl or boy in America to play with."
This dreadful threat made all the toy bears look solemn. They assuredthe King, in a chorus of growls, that they would be good. Then the bigLavender Bear picked up the little Pink Bear and after tucking itcarefully under one arm he said "Good-bye till I come back!" and waddledalong the path that led through the forest. The Frogman and Cayke theCookie Cook also said good-bye to the bears and then followed after theKing, much to the regret of the little Brown Bear, who pulled thetrigger of his gun and popped the cork as a parting salute.
The Lost Princess of Oz Page 17
