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fright； now came nearer and looked from one to
another of the people with deep interest。 Then she
looked at herself and laughed。 Noticing the
mirror； she stood before it and examined her
extraordinary features with amazementher button
eyes； pearl bead teeth and puffy nose。 Then；
addressing her reflection in the glass； she exclaimed：
〃Whee； but there's a gaudy dame！
Makes a paint…box blush with shame。
Razzle…dazzle； fizzle…fazzle！
Howdy…do； Miss What's…your…name？〃
She bowed； and the reflection bowed。 Then
she laughed again； long and merrily； and the
Glass Cat crept out from under the table and said：
〃I don't blame you for laughing at yourself。
Aren't you horrid？〃
〃Horrid？〃 she replied。 〃Why； I'm thoroughly
delightful。 I'm an Original； if you please； and
therefore incomparable。 Of all the comic； absurd；
rare and amusing creatures the world contains； I
must be the supreme freak。 Who but poor Margolotte
could have managed to invent such an unreasonable
being as I？ But I'm gladI'm awfully glad！that
I'm just what I am； and nothing else。〃
〃Be quiet； will you？〃 cried the frantic
Magician； 〃be quiet and let me think！ If I don't
think I shall go mad。〃
〃Think ahead；〃 said the Patchwork Girl； seating
herself in a chair。 〃Think all you want to。 I
don't mind。〃
〃Gee！ but I'm fired playing that tune；〃 called
the phonograph； speaking through its horn in
a brazen； scratchy voice。 〃If you don't mind；
Pipt； old boy； I'll cut it out and take a rest。〃
The Magician looked gloomily at the music…
machine。
〃What dreadful luck！〃 he wailed； despondently。
〃The Powder of Life must have fallen on the
phonograph。〃
He went up to it and found that the gold bottle
that contained the precious powder had dropped
upon the stand and scattered its life…giving
grains over the machine。 The phonograph was very
much alive； and began dancing a jig with the legs
of the table to which it was attached； and this
dance so annoyed Dr。 Pipt that he kicked the thing
into a corner and pushed a bench against it； to
hold it quiet。
〃You were bad enough before；〃 said the Magician；
resentfully； 〃but a live phonograph is enough to
drive every sane person in the Land of Oz stark
crazy。〃
〃No insults； please；〃 answered the phonograph in
a surly； tone。 〃You did it； my boy； don't blame
me。 〃
〃You've bungled everything； Dr。 Pipt；〃 added
the Glass Cat； contemptuously。
〃Except me；〃 said the Patchwork Girl； jumping up
to whirl merrily around the room。
〃I think；〃 said Ojo； almost ready to cry
through grief over Unc Nunkie's sad fate； 〃it
must all be my fault； in some way。 I'm called
Ojo the Unlucky； you know。〃
〃That's nonsense； kiddie；〃 retorted the
Patchwork Girl cheerfully。 〃No one can be unlucky
who has the intelligence to direct his own
actions。 The unlucky ones are those who beg for a
chance to think； like poor Dr。 Pipt here。 What's
the row about； anyway； Mr。 Magic…maker？〃
〃The Liquid of Petrifaction has accidentally
fallen upon my dear wife and Unc Nunkie and
turned them into marble；〃 he sadly replied。
〃Well； why don't you sprinkle some of that
powder on them and bring them to life again？〃
asked the Patchwork Girl。
The Magician gave a jump。
〃Why； I hadn't thought of that！〃 he joyfully
cried； and grabbed up the golden bottle； with
which he ran to Margolotte。
Said the Patchwork Girl：
〃Higgledy； piggledy； dee…
What fools magicians be！
His head's so thick
He can't think quick；
So he takes advice from me。〃
Standing upon the bench； for he was so
crooked he could not reach the top of his wife's
head in any other way； Dr。 Pipt began shaking
the bottle。 But not a grain of powder came out。
He pulled off the cover； glanced within； and
then threw the bottle from him with a wail of
despair。
〃Gone…gone！ Every bit gone；〃 he cried。
〃Wasted on that miserable phonograph when
it might have saved my dear wife！〃
Then the Magician bowed his head on his
crooked arms and began to cry。
Ojo was sorry for him。 He went up to the
sorrowful man and said softly：
〃You can make more Powder of Life； Dr。 Pipt。〃
〃Yes； but it will take me six yearssix long；
weary years of stirring four kettles with both
feet and both hands；〃 was the agonized reply。 〃Six
years！ while poor Margolotte stands watching me as
a marble image。 〃
〃Can't anything else be done？〃 asked the
Patchwork Girl。
The Magician shook his head。 Then he seemed to
remember something and looked up。
〃There is one other compound that would destroy
the magic spell of the Liquid of Petrifaction and
restore my wife and Unc Nunkie to life；〃 said he。
〃It may be hard to find the things I need to make
this magic compound； but if they were found I
could do in an instant what will otherwise take
six long； weary years of stirring kettles with
both hands and both feet。〃
〃All right； let's find the things； then；〃
suggested the Patchwork Girl。 〃That seems a lot
more sensible than those stirring times with the
kettles。〃
〃That's the idea； Scraps；〃 said the Glass Cat；
approvingly。 〃I'm glad to find you have decent
brains。 Mine are exceptionally good。 You can
see em work； they're pink。〃
〃Scraps？〃 repeated the girl。 〃Did you call me
'Scraps'？ Is that my name？〃
〃II believe my poor wife had intended to
name you 'Angeline；'〃 said the Magician。
〃But I like 'Scraps' best；〃 she replied with a
laugh。 〃It fits me better； for my patchwork is
all scraps； and nothing else。 Thank you for
naming me； Miss Cat。 Have you any name of
your own？〃
〃I have a foolish name that Margolotte once
gave me； but which is quite undignified for
one of my importance；〃 answered the cat。 〃She
called me 'Bungle。'〃
〃Yes；〃 sighed the Magician； 〃you were a sad
bungle； taken all in all。 I was wrong to make
you as I did； for a more useless； conceited and
brittle thing never before existed。〃
〃I'm not so brittle as you think；〃 retorted the
cat。 〃I've been alive a good many years； for
Dr。 Pipt experimented on me with the first
magic Powder of Life he ever made； and so
far I've never broken or cracked or chipped any
part of me。〃
〃You seem to have a chip on your shoulder；〃
laughed the Patchwork Girl； and the cat went
to the mirror to see。
〃Tell me；〃 pleaded Ojo； speaking to the
Crooked Magician； 〃what must we find to make
the compound that will save Unc Nunkie？〃
〃First；〃 was the reply； 〃I must have a six…
leaved clover。 That can only be found in the green
country around the Emerald City； and six…leaved
clovers are very scarce； even there。〃
〃I'll find it for you；〃 promised Ojo。
〃The next thing；〃 continued the Magician；
〃is the left wing of a yellow butterfly。 That
color can only be found in the yellow country
of the Winkies； West of the Emerald City。〃
〃I'll find it；〃 declared Ojo。 〃Is that all？〃
〃Oh； no； I'll get my Book of Recipes and see
what comes next。〃
Saying this； the Magici