The Lost Princess of Oz | Page 9

that no Yip has taken your dishpan, and since it is
gone from the Yip Country, I suspect that some stranger came from the

world down below us in the darkness of night when all of us were
asleep and took away your treasure. There can be no other explanation
of its disappearance. So if you wish to recover that golden,
diamond-studded dishpan, you must go into the lower world after it."
This was indeed a startling proposition. Cayke and her friends went to
the edge of the flat tableland and looked down the steep hillside to the
plains below. It was so far to the bottom of the hill that nothing there
could be seen very distinctly, and it seemed to the Yips very
venturesome, if not dangerous, to go so far from home into an unknown
land. However, Cayke wanted her dishpan very badly, so she turned to
her friends and asked, "Who will go with me?"
No one answered the question, but after a period of silence one of the
Yips said, "We know what is here on the top of this flat hill, and it
seems to us a very pleasant place, but what is down below we do not
know. The chances are it is not so pleasant, so we had best stay where
we are."
"It may be a far better country than this is," suggested the Cookie Cook.
"Maybe, maybe," responded another Yip, "but why take chances?
Contentment with one's lot is true wisdom.
Perhaps in some other country there are better cookies than you cook,
but as we have always eaten your cookies and liked them--except when
they are burned on the bottom--we do not long for any better ones."
Cayke might have agreed to this argument had she not been so anxious
to find her precious dishpan, but now she exclaimed impatiently, "You
are cowards, all of you! If none of you are willing to explore with me
the great world beyond this small hill, I will surely go alone."
"That is a wise resolve," declared the Yips, much relieved. "It is your
dishpan that is lost, not ours. And if you are willing to risk your life and
liberty to regain it, no one can deny you the privilege."
While they were thus conversing, the Frogman joined them and looked

down at the plain with his big eyes and seemed unusually thoughtful. In
fact, the Frogman was thinking that he'd like to see more of the world.
Here in the Yip Country he had become the most important creature of
them all, and his importance was getting to be a little tame. It would be
nice to have other people defer to him and ask his advice, and there
seemed no reason so far as he could see why his fame should not
spread throughout all Oz. He knew nothing of the rest of the world, but
it was reasonable to believe that there were more people beyond the
mountain where he now lived than there were Yips, and if he went
among them he could surprise them with his display of wisdom and
make them bow down to him as the Yips did. In other words, the
Frogman was ambitious to become still greater than he was, which was
impossible if he always remained upon this mountain. He wanted
others to see his gorgeous clothes and listen to his solemn sayings, and
here was an excuse for him to get away from the Yip Country. So he
said to Cayke the Cookie Cook, "I will go with you, my good woman,"
which greatly pleased Cayke because she felt the Frogman could be of
much assistance to her in her search.
But now, since the mighty Frogman had decided to undertake the
journey, several of the Yips who were young and daring at once made
up their minds to go along, so the next morning after breakfast the
Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook and nine of the Yips started to
slide down the side of the mountain. The bramble bushes and cactus
plants were very prickly and uncomfortable to the touch, so the
Frogman quickly commanded the Yips to go first and break a path, so
that when he followed them he would not tear his splendid clothes.
Cayke, too, was wearing her best dress and was likewise afraid of the
thorns and prickers, so she kept behind the Frogman.
They made rather slow progress and night overtook them before they
were halfway down the mountainside, so they found a cave in which
they sought shelter until morning. Cayke had brought along a basket
full of her famous cookies, so they all had plenty to eat. On the second
day the Yips began to wish they had not embarked on this