in this conversation, gave a
great leap from Trot's shoulder and landed on that of the Scarecrow.
Blinkie saw him alight and at once began to make magic passes and to
mumble magic incantations. She was in a desperate hurry, knowing that
she had no time to waste, and the grasshopper was so suddenly
transformed into the old sailor-man, Cap'n Bill, that he had no
opportunity to jump off the Scarecrow's shoulder; so his great weight
bore the stuffed Scarecrow to the ground. No harm was done, however,
and the straw man got up and brushed the dust from his clothes while
Trot delightedly embraced Cap'n Bill.

"The other box! Quick! Give me the other box," begged Blinkie, who had
now shrunk to half her former size.

"Not yet," said the Scarecrow. "You must first melt Princess Gloria's
frozen heart."

"I can't; it's an awful job to do that! I can't," asserted the witch,
in an agony of fear--for still she was growing smaller.

"You must!" declared the Scarecrow, firmly.

The witch cast a shrewd look at him and saw that he meant it; so she
began dancing around Gloria in a frantic manner. The Princess looked
coldly on, as if not at all interested in the proceedings, while
Blinkie tore a handful of hair from her own head and ripped a strip of
cloth from the bottom of her gown. Then the witch sank upon her knees,
took a purple powder from her black bag and sprinkled it over the hair
and cloth.

"I hate to do it--I hate to do it!" she wailed, "for there is no more
of this magic compound in all the world. But I must sacrifice it to
save my own life. A match! Give me a match, quick!" and panting from
lack of breath she gazed imploringly from one to another.

Cap'n Bill was the only one who had a match, but he lost no time in
handing it to Blinkie, who quickly set fire to the hair and the cloth
and the purple powder. At once a purple cloud enveloped Gloria, and
this gradually turned to a rosy pink color--brilliant and quite
transparent. Through the rosy cloud they could all see the beautiful
Princess, standing proud and erect. Then her heart became visible, at
first frosted with ice but slowly growing brighter and warmer until all
the frost had disappeared and it was beating as softly and regularly as
any other heart. And now the cloud dispersed and disclosed Gloria, her
face suffused with joy, smiling tenderly upon the friends who were
grouped about her.

Poor Pon stepped forward--timidly, fearing a repulse, but with pleadin