The Magic of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

  The Magic of the Wizard

  CHAPTER 18

  He first set up a small silver tripod and placed a gold basin at the topof it. Into this basin he put two powders--a pink one and a sky-blueone--and poured over them a yellow liquid from a crystal vial. Then hemumbled some magic words, and the powders began to sizzle and burn andsend out a cloud of violet smoke that floated across the river andcompletely enveloped both Trot and Cap'n Bill, as well as the toadstoolson which they sat, and even the Magic Plant in the gold flowerpot. Then,after the smoke had disappeared into air, the Wizard called out to theprisoners:

  "Are you free?"

  Both Trot and Cap'n Bill tried to move their feet and failed.

  "No!" they shouted in answer.

  The Wizard rubbed his bald head thoughtfully and then took some othermagic tools from the bag.

  First he placed a little black ball in a silver pistol and shot ittoward the Magic Isle. The ball exploded just over the head of Trot andscattered a thousand sparks over the little girl.

  "Oh!" said the Wizard, "I guess that will set her free."

  But Trot's feet were still rooted in the ground of the Magic Isle, andthe disappointed Wizard had to try something else.

  For almost an hour he worked hard, using almost every magic tool in hisblack bag, and still Cap'n Bill and Trot were not rescued.

  "Dear me!" exclaimed Dorothy, "I'm 'fraid we'll have to go to Glinda,after all."

  That made the little Wizard blush, for it shamed him to think that hismagic was not equal to that of the Magic Isle.

  "I won't give up yet, Dorothy," he said, "for I know a lot of wizardrythat I haven't yet tried. I don't know what magician enchanted thislittle island, or what his powers were, but I do know that I can breakany enchantment known to the ordinary witches and magicians that used toinhabit the Land of Oz. It's like unlocking a door; all you need is tofind the right key."

  "But 'spose you haven't the right key with you," suggested Dorothy;"what then?"

  "Then we'll have to make the key," he answered.

  The Glass Cat now came back to their side of the river, walking underthe water, and said to the Wizard: "They're getting frightened overthere on the island because they're both growing smaller every minute.Just now, when I left them, both Trot and Cap'n Bill were only abouthalf their natural sizes."

  "I think," said the Wizard reflectively, "that I'd better go to theshore of the island, where I can talk to them and work to betteradvantage. How did Trot and Cap'n Bill get to the island?"

  "On a raft," answered the Glass Cat. "It's over there now on the beach."

  "I suppose you're not strong enough to bring the raft to this side, areyou?"

  "No; I couldn't move it an inch," said the Cat.

  "I'll try to get it for you," volunteered the Cowardly Lion. "I'mdreadfully scared for fear the Magic Isle will capture me, too; but I'lltry to get the raft and bring it to this side for you."

  "Thank you, my friend," said the Wizard.

  So the Lion plunged into the river and swam with powerful strokes acrossto where the raft was beached upon the island. Placing one paw on theraft, he turned and struck out with his other three legs and so strongwas the great beast that he managed to drag the raft from off the beachand propel it slowly to where the Wizard stood on the river bank.

  "Good!" exclaimed the little man, well pleased.

  "May I go across with you?" asked Dorothy.

  The Wizard hesitated.

  "If you'll take care not to leave the raft or step foot on the island,you'll be quite safe," he decided. So the Wizard told the Hungry Tigerand the Cowardly Lion to guard the cage of monkeys until he returned,and then he and Dorothy got upon the raft. The paddle which Cap'n Billhad made was still there so the little Wizard paddled the clumsy raftacross the water and ran it upon the beach of the Magic Isle as close tothe place where Cap'n Bill and Trot were rooted as he could.

 

  Dorothy was shocked to see how small the prisoners had become, and Trotsaid to her friends: "If you can't save us soon, there'll be nothingleft of us."

  "Be patient, my dear," counselled the Wizard, and took the little axefrom his black bag.

  "What are you going to do with that?" asked Cap'n Bill.

  "It's a magic axe," replied the Wizard, "and when I tell it to chop, itwill chop those roots from your feet and you can run to the raft beforethey grow again."

  "Don't!" shouted the sailor in alarm. "Don't do it! Those roots are allflesh roots, and our bodies are feeding 'em while they're growing intothe ground."

  "To cut off the roots," said Trot, "would be like cutting off ourfingers and toes."

  The Wizard put the little axe back in the black bag and took out a pairof silver pincers.

  "Grow--grow--grow!" he said to the pincers, and at once they grew andextended until they reached from the raft to the prisoners.

  "What are you going to do now?" demanded Cap'n Bill, fearfully eyeingthe pincers.

  "This magic tool will pull you up, roots and all, and land you on thisraft," declared the Wizard.

  "Don't do it!" pleaded the sailor, with a shudder. "It would hurt usawfully."

 

  "It would be just like pulling teeth to pull us up by the roots,"explained Trot.

  "Grow small!" said the Wizard to the pincers, and at once they becamesmall and he threw them into the black bag.

  "I guess, friends, it's all up with us, this time," remarked Cap'n Bill,with a dismal sigh.

  "Please tell Ozma, Dorothy," said Trot, "that we got into trouble tryingto get her a nice birthday present. Then she'll forgive us. The MagicFlower is lovely and wonderful, but it's just a lure to catch folks onthis dreadful island and then destroy them. You'll have a nice birthdayparty, without us, I'm sure; and I hope, Dorothy, that none of you inthe Emerald City will forget me--or dear ol' Cap'n Bill."