The Lost Princess of Oz | Page 6

none more marvelous than her Great Book of Records. On the
pages of this Record Book were constantly being inscribed, day by day
and hour by hour, all the important events that happened anywhere in
the known world, and they were inscribed in the book at exactly the
moment the events happened. Every adventure in the Land of Oz and in
the big outside world, and even in places that you and I have never
heard of, were recorded accurately in the Great Book, which never
made a mistake and stated only the exact truth. For that reason, nothing
could be concealed from Glinda the Good, who had only to look at the
pages of the Great Book of Records to know everything that had taken

place. That was one reason she was such a great Sorceress, for the
records made her wiser than any other living person.
This wonderful book was placed upon a big gold table that stood in the
middle of Glinda's drawing room. The legs of the table, which were
incrusted with precious gems, were firmly fastened to the tiled floor,
and the book itself was chained to the table and locked with six stout
golden padlocks, the keys to which Glinda carried on a chain that was
secured around her own neck. The pages of the Great Book were larger
in size than those of an American newspaper, and although they were
exceedingly thin, there were so many of them that they made an
enormous, bulky volume. With its gold cover and gold clasps, the book
was so heavy that three men could scarcely have lifted it. Yet this
morning when Glinda entered her drawing room after breakfast, the
good Sorceress was amazed to discover that her Great Book of Records
had mysteriously disappeared.
Advancing to the table, she found the chains had been cut with some
sharp instrument, and this must have been done while all in the castle
slept. Glinda was shocked and grieved. Who could have done this
wicked, bold thing? And who could wish to deprive her of her Great
Book of Records?
The Sorceress was thoughtful for a time, considering the consequences
of her loss. Then she went to her Room of Magic to prepare a charm
that would tell her who had stolen the Record Book. But when she
unlocked her cupboard and threw open the doors, all of her magical
instruments and rare chemical compounds had been removed from the
shelves. The Sorceress has now both angry and alarmed. She sat down
in a chair and tried to think how this extraordinary robbery could have
taken place. It was evident that the thief was some person of very great
power, or the theft could not have been accomplished without her
knowledge. But who, in all the Land of Oz, was powerful and skillful
enough to do this awful thing? And who, having the power, could also
have an object in defying the wisest and most talented Sorceress the
world has ever known?
Glinda thought over the perplexing matter for a full hour, at the end of

which time she was still puzzled how to explain it. But although her
instruments and chemicals were gone, her KNOWLEDGE of magic
had not been stolen, by any means, since no thief, however skillful, can
rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest
treasure to acquire. Glinda believed that when she had time to gather
more magical herbs and elixirs and to manufacture more magical
instruments, she would be able to discover who the robber was and
what had become of her precious Book of Records.
"Whoever has done this," she said to her maidens, "is a very foolish
person, for in time he is sure to be found out and will then be severely
punished."
She now made a list of the things she needed and dispatched
messengers to every part of Oz with instructions to obtain them and
bring them to her as soon as possible. And one of her messengers met
the little Wizard of Oz, who was seated on the back of the famous live
Sawhorse and was clinging to its neck with both his arms, for the
Sawhorse was speeding to Glinda's castle with the velocity of the wind,
bearing the news that Royal Ozma, Ruler of all the great Land of Oz,
had suddenly disappeared and no one in the Emerald City knew what
had become of her.
"Also," said the Wizard as he stood before the astonished Sorceress,
"Ozma's Magic Picture is gone, so we cannot consult it to discover
where she is. So I came to you for assistance as soon as we realized our
loss. Let us look in the Great Book of Records."
"Alas," returned the Sorceress sorrowfully,