The Lost Princess of Oz | Page 8

it, which seemed to answer just as well. Indeed, the Yips thought
the Frogman was much wiser than he really was, and he allowed them
to think so, being very proud of his position of authority.
There was another pool on the tableland which was not enchanted but
contained good, clear water and was located close to the dwellings.
Here the people built the Frogman a house of his own, close to the edge
of the pool so that he could take a bath or a swim whenever he wished.
He usually swam in the pool in the early morning before anyone else

was up, and during the day he dressed himself in his beautiful clothes
and sat in his house and received the visits of all the Yips who came to
him to ask his advice. The Frogman's usual costume consisted of
knee-breeches made of yellow satin plush, with trimmings of gold
braid and jeweled knee-buckles; a white satin vest with silver buttons
in which were set solitaire rubies; a swallow-tailed coat of bright
yellow; green stockings and red leather shoes turned up at the toes and
having diamond buckles. He wore, when he walked out, a purple silk
hat and carried a gold-headed cane. Over his eyes he wore great
spectacles with gold rims, not because his eyes were bad, but because
the spectacles made him look wise, and so distinguished and gorgeous
was his appearance that all the Yips were very proud of him.
There was no King or Queen in the Yip Country, so the simple
inhabitants naturally came to look upon the Frogman as their leader as
well as their counselor in all times of emergency. In his heart the big
frog knew he was no wiser than the Yips, but for a frog to know as
much as a person was quite remarkable, and the Frogman was shrewd
enough to make the people believe he was far more wise than he really
was. They never suspected he was a humbug, but listened to his words
with great respect and did just what he advised them to do.
Now when Cayke the Cookie Cook raised such an outcry over the theft
of her diamond-studded dishpan, the first thought of the people was to
take her to the Frogman and inform him of the loss, thinking that of
course he would tell her where to find it. He listened to the story with
his big eyes wide open behind his spectacles, and said in his deep,
croaking voice, "If the dishpan is stolen, somebody must have taken it."
"But who?"asked Cayke anxiously. "Who is the thief?"
"The one who took the dishpan, of course," replied the Frogman, and
hearing this all the Yips nodded their heads gravely and said to one
another, "It is absolutely true!"
"But I want my dishpan!" cried Cayke.
"No one can blame you for that wish," remarked the Frogman.

"Then tell me where I may find it," she urged.
The look the Frogman gave her was a very wise look, and he rose from
his chair and strutted up and down the room with his hands under his
coattails in a very pompous and imposing manner. This was the first
time so difficult a matter had been brought to him, and he wanted time
to think. It would never do to let them suspect his ignorance, and so he
thought very, very hard how best to answer the woman without
betraying himself. "I beg to inform you," said he, "that nothing in the
Yip Country has ever been stolen before."
"We know that already," answered Cayke the Cookie Cook impatiently.
"Therefore," continued the Frogman, "this theft becomes a very
important matter.""Therefore," continued the Frogman, "this theft
becomes a very important matter."
"Well, where is my dishpan?" demanded the woman.
"It is lost, but it must be found. Unfortunately, we have no policemen
or detectives to unravel the mystery, so we must employ other means to
regain the lost article. Cayke must first write a Proclamation and tack it
to the door of her house, and the Proclamation must read that whoever
stole the jeweled dishpan must return it at once."
"But suppose no one returns it," suggested Cayke.
"Then," said the Frogman, "that very fact will be proof that no one has
stolen it."
Cayke was not satisfied, but the other Yips seemed to approve the plan
highly. They all advised her to do as the Frogman had told her to, so
she posted the sign on her door and waited patiently for someone to
return the dishpan--which no one ever did. Again she went,
accompanied by a group of her neighbors, to the Frogman, who by this
time had given the matter considerable thought. Said he to Cayke, "I
am now convinced