"Really," said Dorothy, looking solemn, "this is very s'prising. We can't even find a shadow of Ozma anywhere in the Em'rald City, and wherever she's gone, she's taken her Magic Picture with her." She was standing¹ in the courtyard of the palace with Betsy and Trot², while Scraps³, the Patchwork⁴ Girl, danced around the group, her hair flying in the wind.

 

"P'raps," said Scraps, still dancing, "someone has stolen Ozma."

 

"Oh, they'd never dare do that!" exclaimed tiny Trot.

 

"And stolen the Magic Picture, too, so the thing can't tell where she is," added the Patchwork Girl.

 

"That's nonsense," said Dorothy. "Why, ev'ryone loves Ozma. There isn't a person in the Land of Oz who would steal a single thing she owns."

 

"Huh!" replied the Patchwork Girl. "You don't know ev'ry person in the Land of Oz."

 

"Why don't I?"

 

"It's a big country," said Scraps. "There are cracks and corners in it that even Ozma doesn't know of."

 

"The Patchwork Girl's just daffy," declared Betsy.

 

"No, she's right about that," replied Dorothy thoughtfully. "There are lots of queer people in this fairyland who never come near Ozma or the Em'rald City. I've seen some of 'em myself, girls. But I haven't seen all, of course, and there MIGHT be some wicked persons left in Oz yet, though I think the wicked witches have all been destroyed."

 

Just then the Wooden Sawhorse dashed into the courtyard with the Wizard of Oz on his back. "Have you found Ozma?" cried the Wizard when the Sawhorse stopped beside them.

 

"Not yet," said Dorothy. "Doesn't Glinda the Good know where she is?"

 

"No. Glinda's Book of Records and all her magic instruments are gone. Someone must have stolen them."

 

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Dorothy in alarm. "This is the biggest steal I ever heard of. Who do you think did it, Wizard?"

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