The Lost Princess of Oz | Page 5

called "the
Patchwork Girl" because her body and limbs were made from a
gay-colored patchwork quilt which had been cut into shape and stuffed
with cotton. Her head was a round ball stuffed in the same manner and
fastened to her shoulders. For hair, she had a mass of brown yarn, and
to make a nose for her a part of the cloth had been pulled out into the
shape of a knob and tied with a string to hold it in place. Her mouth had
been carefully made by cutting a slit in the proper place and lining it
with red silk, adding two rows of pearls for teeth and a bit of red
flannel for a tongue.
In spite of this queer make-up, the Patchwork Girl was magically alive
and had proved herself not the least jolly and agreeable of the many
quaint characters who inhabit the astonishing Fairyland of Oz. Indeed,
Scraps was a general favorite, although she was rather flighty and
erratic and did and said many things that surprised her friends. She was
seldom still, but loved to dance, to turn handsprings and somersaults, to
climb trees and to indulge in many other active sports.
"I'm going to search for Ozma," remarked Dorothy, "for she isn't in her
rooms, and I want to ask her a question."
"I'll go with you," said Scraps, "for my eyes are brighter than yours,
and they can see farther."
"I'm not sure of that," returned Dorothy. "But come along, if you like."
Together they searched all through the great palace and even to the

farthest limits of the palace grounds, which were quite extensive, but
nowhere could they find a trace of Ozma. When Dorothy returned to
where Betsy and Trot awaited her, the little girl's face was rather
solemn and troubled, for never before had Ozma gone away without
telling her friends where she was going, or without an escort that
befitted her royal state. She was gone, however, and none had seen her
go. Dorothy had met and questioned the Scarecrow, Tik-Tok, the
Shaggy Man, Button-Bright, Cap'n Bill, and even the wise and
powerful Wizard of Oz, but not one of them had seen Ozma since she
parted with her friends the evening before and had gone to her own
rooms.
"She didn't say anything las' night about going anywhere," observed
little Trot.
"No, and that's the strange part of it," replied Dorothy. "Usually Ozma
lets us know of everything she does."
"Why not look in the Magic Picture?" suggested Betsy Bobbin. "That
will tell us where she is in just one second."
"Of course!" cried Dorothy. "Why didn't I think of that before?" And at
once the three girls hurried away to Ozma's boudoir, where the Magic
Picture always hung. This wonderful Magic Picture was one of the
royal Ozma's greatest treasures. There was a large gold frame in the
center of which was a bluish-gray canvas on which various scenes
constantly appeared and disappeared. If one who stood before it wished
to see what any person anywhere in the world was doing, it was only
necessary to make the wish and the scene in the Magic Picture would
shift to the scene where that person was and show exactly what he or
she was then engaged in doing. So the girls knew it would be easy for
them to wish to see Ozma, and from the picture they could quickly
learn where she was.
Dorothy advanced to the place where the picture was usually protected
by thick satin curtains and pulled the draperies aside. Then she stared in
amazement, while her two friends uttered exclamations of
disappointment.

The Magic Picture was gone. Only a blank space on the wall behind the
curtains showed where it had formerly hung.



CHAPTER 2
THE TROUBLES OF GLINDA THE GOOD
That same morning there was great excitement in the castle of the
powerful Sorceress of Oz, Glinda the Good. This castle, situated in the
Quadling Country, far south of the Emerald City where Ozma ruled,
was a splendid structure of exquisite marbles and silver grilles. Here
the Sorceress lived, surrounded by a bevy of the most beautiful
maidens of Oz, gathered from all the four countries of that fairyland as
well as from the magnificent Emerald City itself, which stood in the
place where the four countries cornered. It was considered a great
honor to be allowed to serve the good Sorceress, whose arts of magic
were used only to benefit the Oz people. Glinda was Ozma's most
valued servant, for her knowledge of sorcery was wonderful, and she
could accomplish almost anything that her mistress, the lovely girl
Ruler of Oz, wished her to.
Of all the magical things which surrounded Glinda in her castle, there
was