"That," said Dr.Pipt, in a pleased and triumphant tone, "is the wonderful Powder of Life, which I alone in the world know how to make.It has taken me nearly six years to prepare these precious grains of dust, but the little heap on that dish is worth the price of a kingdom and many a king would give all he has to possess it.When it has become cooled I will place it in a small bottle; but meantime I must watch it carefully, lest a gust of wind blow it away or scatter it.'
Unc Nunkie, Margolotte and the Magician all stood looking at the marvelous Powder, but Ojo was more interested just then in the Patchwork Girl's brains.Thinking it both unfair and unkind to deprive her of any good qualities that were handy, the boy took down every bottle on the shelf and poured some of the contents in Margolotte's dish.No one saw him do this, for all were looking at the Powder of Life; but soon the woman remembered what she had been doing, and came back to the cupboard.
"Let's see," she remarked; "I was about to give my girl a little 'Cleverness,' which is the Doctor's substitute for 'Intelligence'--a quality he has not yet learned how to manufacture." Taking down the bottle of "Cleverness" she added some of the powder to the heap on the dish.Ojo became a bit uneasy at this, for he had already put quite a lot of the "Cleverness" powder in the dish; but he dared not interfere and so he comforted himself with the thought that one cannot have too much cleverness.
Margolotte now carried the dish of brains to the bench.Ripping the seam of the patch on the girl's forehead, she placed the powder within the head and then sewed up the seam as neatly and securely as before.
"My girl is all ready for your Powder of Life, my dear," she said to her husband.But the Magician replied:
"This powder must not be used before tomorrow morning; but I think it is now cool enough to be bottled."He selected a small gold bottle with a pepper-box top, so that the powder might be sprinkled on any object through the small holes.Very carefully he placed the Powder of Life in the gold bottle and then locked it up in a drawer of his cabinet.
"At last," said he, rubbing his hands together gleefully, "I have ample leisure for a good talk with my old friend Unc Nunkie.So let us sit down cosily and enjoy ourselves.After stirring those four kettles for six years I am glad to have a little rest.""You will have to do most of the talking,"said Ojo, "for Unc is called the Silent One and uses few words.""I know; but that renders your uncle a most agreeable companion and gossip," declared Dr.Pipt."Most people talk too much, so it is a relief to find one who talks too little."Ojo looked at the Magician with much awe and curiosity.
"Don't you find it very annoying to be so crooked?" he asked.
"No; I am quite proud of my person," was the reply."I suppose I am the only Crooked Magician in all the world.Some others are accused of being crooked, but I am the only genuine."He was really very crooked and Ojo wondered how he managed to do so many things with such a twisted body.When he sat down upon a crooked chair that had been made to fit him, one knee was under his chin and the other near the small of his back; but he was a cheerful man and his face bore a pleasant and agreeable expression.
"I am not allowed to perform magic, except for my own amusement," he told his visitors, as he lighted a pipe with a crooked stem and began to smoke."Too many people were working magic in the Land of Oz, and so our lovely Princess Ozma put a stop to it.I think she was quite right.There were several wicked Witches who caused a lot of trouble; but now they are all out of business and only the great Sorceress, Glinda the Good, is permitted to practice her arts, which never harm anybody.The Wizard of Oz, who used to be a humbug and knew no magic at all, has been taking lessons of Glinda, and I'm told he is getting to be a pretty good Wizard; but he is merely the assistant of the great Sorceress.I've the right to make a servant girl for my wife, you know, or a Glass Cat to catch our mice--which she refuses to do--but I am forbidden to work magic for others, or to use it as a profession.""Magic must be a very interesting study,"said Ojo.
"It truly is," asserted the Magician."In my time I've performed some magical feats that were worthy of the skill of Glinda the Good.For instance, there's the Powder of Life, and my Liquid of Petrifaction, which is contained in that bottle on the shelf yonder-over the window.""What does the Liquid of Petrifaction do?"inquired the boy.
"Turns everything it touches to solid marble.
It's an invention of my own, and I find it very useful.Once two of those dreadful Kalidahs, with bodies like bears and heads like tigers, came here from the forest to attack us; but Isprinkled some of that Liquid on them and instantly they turned to marble.I now use them as ornamental statuary in my garden.This table looks to you like wood, and once it really was wood; but I sprinkled a few drops of the Liquid of Petrifaction on it and now it is marble.It will never break nor wear out.
"Fine!" said Unc Nunkie, wagging his head and stroking his long gray beard.
"Dear me; what a chatterbox you're getting to be, Unc," remarked the Magician, who was pleased with the compliment.But just then there came a scratching at the back door and a shrill voice cried:
"Let me in! Hurry up, can't you? Let me in!"Margolotte got up and went to the door.
"Ask like a good cat, then," she said.
"Meeee-ow-w-w! There; does that suit your royal highness?" asked the voice, in scornful accents.
"Yes; that's proper cat talk," declared the woman, and opened the door.At once a cat entered, came to the center of the room and stopped short at the sight of strangers.Ojo and Unc Nunkie both stared at it with wide open eyes, for surely no such curious creature had ever existed before--even in the Land of Oz.
