The Sorceress looked up from her work as the three maidens2 entered, and something in their appearance and manner led her to rise and bow to them in her most dignified3 manner. The three knelt an instant before the great Sorceress and then stood upright and waited for her to speak.
"Whoever you may be," said Glinda, "I bid you welcome."
"My name is Audah," said one.
"My name is Aurah," said another.
"My name is Aujah," said the third.
Glinda had never heard these names before, but looking closely at the three she asked:
"Are you witches or workers in magic?"
"Some of the secret arts we have gleaned4 from Nature," replied the brownhaired maiden1 modestly, "but we do not place our skill beside that of the Great Sorceress, Glinda the Good."
"I suppose you are aware it is unlawful to practice magic in the Land of Oz, without the permission of our Ruler, Princess Ozma?"
"No, we were not aware of that," was the reply. "We have heard of Ozma, who is the appointed Ruler of all this great fairyland, but her laws have not reached us, as yet."
Glinda studied the strange maidens thoughtfully; then she said to them:
"Princess Ozma is even now imprisoned5 in the Skeezer village, for the whole island with its Great Dome6, was sunk to the bottom of the lake by the witchcraft7 of Coo-ee-oh, whom the Flathead Su-dic transformed into a silly swan. I am seeking some way to overcome Coo-ee-oh's magic and raise the isle8 to the surface again. Can you help me do this?"
The maidens exchanged glances, and the white-haired one replied:
"We do not know; but we will try to assist you."
"It seems," continued Glinda musingly9, "that Coo-ee-oh derived10 most of her witchcraft from three Adepts11 at Magic, who at one time ruled the Flatheads. While the Adepts were being entertained by Coo-ee-oh at a banquet in her palace, she cruelly betrayed them and after transforming them into fishes cast them into the lake.
"If I could find these three fishes and return them to their natural shapes—they might know what magic Coo-ee-oh used to sink the island. I was about to go to the shore and call these fishes to me when you arrived. So, if you will join me, we will try to find them."
The maidens exchanged smiles now, and the golden-haired one, Audah, said to Glinda:
"It will not be necessary to go to the lake. We are the three fishes."
"Indeed!" cried Glinda. "Then you are the three Adepts at Magic, restored to your proper forms?"
"We are the three Adepts," admitted Aujah.
"Then," said Glinda, "my task is half accomplished13. But who destroyed the transformation14 that made you fishes?"
"We have promised not to tell," answered Aurah; "but this young Skeezer was largely responsible for our release; he is brave and clever, and we owe him our gratitude15."
Glinda looked at Ervic, who stood modestly behind the Adepts, hat in hand. "He shall be properly rewarded," she declared, "for in helping16 you he has helped us all, and perhaps saved his people from being imprisoned forever in the sunken isle."
The Sorceress now asked her guests to seat themselves and a long talk followed, in which the Wizard of Oz shared.
"We are quite certain," said Aurah, "that if we could get inside the Dome we could discover Coo-ee-oh's secrets, for in all her work, after we became fishes, she used the formulas and incantations and arts that she stole from us. She may have added to these things, but they were the foundation of all her work."
"What means do you suggest for our getting into the Dome?" inquired Glinda.
The three Adepts hesitated to reply, for they had not yet considered what could be done to reach the inside of the Great Dome. While they were in deep thought, and Glinda and the Wizard were quietly awaiting their suggestions, into the tent rushed Trot17 and Betsy, dragging between them the Patchwork18 Girl.
"Oh, Glinda," cried Trot, "Scraps19 has thought of a way to rescue Ozma and Dorothy and all of the Skeezers."
The three Adepts could not avoid laughing merrily, for not only were they amused by the queer form of the Patchwork Girl, but Trot's enthusiastic speech struck them as really funny. If the Great Sorceress and the famous Wizard and the three talented Adepts at Magic were unable as yet to solve the important problem of the sunken isle, there was little chance for a patched girl stuffed with cotton to succeed.
But Glinda, smiling indulgently at the earnest faces turned toward her, patted the children's heads and said:
"Scraps is very clever. Tell us what she has thought of, my dear."
"Well," said Trot, "Scraps says that if you could dry up all the water in the lake the island would be on dry land, an' everyone could come and go whenever they liked."
Glinda smiled again, but the Wizard said to the girls:
"If we should dry up the lake, what would become of all the beautiful fishes that now live in the water?"
"Dear me! That's so," admitted Betsy, crestfallen20; "we never thought of that, did we Trot?"
"Couldn't you transform 'em into polliwogs?" asked Scraps, turning a somersault and then standing21 on one leg. "You could give them a little, teeny pond to swim in, and they'd be just as happy as they are as fishes."
"No indeed!" replied the Wizard, severely22. "It is wicked to transform any living creatures without their consent, and the lake is the home of the fishes and belongs to them."
"All right," said Scraps, making a face at him; "I don't care."
"It's too bad," sighed Trot, "for I thought we'd struck a splendid idea."
"So you did," declared Glinda, her face now grave and thoughtful. "There is something in the Patchwork Girl's idea that may be of real value to us."
"I think so, too," agreed the golden-haired Adept12. "The top of the Great Dome is only a few feet below the surface of the water. If we could reduce the level of the lake until the Dome sticks a little above the water, we could remove some of the glass and let ourselves down into the village by means of ropes."
"And there would be plenty of water left for the fishes to swim in," added the white-haired maiden.
"If we succeed in raising the island we could fill up the lake again," suggested the brown-haired Adept.
"I believe," said the Wizard, rubbing his hands together in delight, "that the Patchwork Girl has shown us the way to success."
The girls were looking curiously23 at the three beautiful Adepts, wondering who they were, so Glinda introduced them to Trot and Betsy and Scraps, and then sent the children away while she considered how to carry the new idea into effect.
Not much could be done that night, so the Wizard prepared another tent for the Adepts, and in the evening Glinda held a reception and invited all her followers24 to meet the new arrivals. The Adepts were greatly astonished at the extraordinary personages presented to them, and marveled that Jack25 Pumpkinhead and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and Tik-Tok could really live and think and talk just like other people. They were especially pleased with the lively Patchwork Girl and loved to watch her antics.
It was quite a pleasant party, for Glinda served some dainty refreshments26 to those who could eat, and the Scarecrow recited some poems, and the Cowardly Lion sang a song in his deep bass27 voice. The only thing that marred28 their joy was the thought that their beloved Ozma and dear little Dorothy were yet confined in the Great Dome of the Sunken island.
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1
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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gleaned
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| v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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adepts
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| n.专家，能手( adept的名词复数 ) | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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16
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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patchwork
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| n.混杂物；拼缝物 | |
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scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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25
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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27
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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marred
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| adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
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