ration]

The Defiance of Ugu the Shoemaker

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 23

The delay caused by Scraps had prevented anyone from running to the
shelves to secure the magic instruments so badly needed. Even Cayke
neglected to get her diamond-studded dishpan because she was watching
the Patchwork Girl. And now the magician had opened his trap door and
appeared in his golden cage again, frowning angrily because his
prisoners had been able to turn their upside-down prison right-side-up.

"Which of you has dared defy my magic?" he shouted in a terrible voice.

"It was I," answered Dorothy calmly.

"Then I shall destroy you, for you are only an Earth girl and no fairy,"
he said, and began to mumble some magic words.

Dorothy now realized that Ugu must be treated as an enemy, so she
advanced toward the corner in which he sat, saying as she went:

"I am not afraid of you, Mr. Shoemaker, and I think you'll be sorry,
pretty soon, that you're such a bad man. You can't destroy me and I
won't destroy you, but I'm going to punish you for your wickedness."

Ugu laughed a laugh that was not nice to hear, and then he waved his
hand. Dorothy was halfway across the room when suddenly a wall of glass
rose before her and stopped her progress. Through the glass she could
see the magician sneering at her because she was a weak little girl, and
this provoked her. Although the glass wall obliged her to halt she
instantly pressed both hands to her Magic Belt and cried in a loud
voice:

"Ugu the Shoemaker, by the magic virtues of the Magic Belt, I command
you to become a dove!"

The magician instantly realized he was being enchanted, for he could
feel his form changing. He struggled desperately against the
enchantment, mumbling magic words and making magic passes with his
hands. And in one way he succeeded in defeating Dorothy's purpose, for
while his form soon changed to that of a gray dove, the dove was of an
enormous size--bigger even than Ugu had been as a man--and this feat he
had been able to accomplish before his powers of magic wholly deserted
him.

And the dove was not gentle, as doves usually are, for Ugu was terribly
enraged at the little girl's success. His books had told him nothing of
the Nome King's Magic Belt, the Country of the Nomes being outside the
Land of Oz. He knew, however, that he was likely to be conquered unless
he made a fierce fight, so he spread his wings and rose in the air and
flew directly tow