"One Person and one Freak," said the big Lavender Bear when he hadcarefully examined the strangers.

"I am sorry to hear you call poor Cayke the Cookie Cook a Freak,"remonstrated the Frogman.

"She is the Person," asserted the King. "Unless I am mistaken, it isyou who are the Freak."

The Frogman was silent, for he could not truthfully deny it.

"Why have you dared intrude in my forest?" demandeddemanded the Bear King.

"We didn't know it was your forest," said Cayke, "and we are on ourway to the far east, where the Emerald City is."

"Ah, it's a long way from here to the Emerald City," remarked theKing. "It is so far away, indeed, that no bear among us has even beenthere. But what errand requires you to travel such a distance?"

"Someone has stolen my diamond-studded gold dishpan," explained Cayke,"and as I cannot be happy without it, I have decided to search theworld over until I find it again. The Frogman, who is very learnedand wonderfully wise, has come with me to give me his assistance.Isn't it kind of him?"

The King looked at the Frogman.

"What makes you so wonderfully wise?" he asked.

"I'm not," was the candid reply."The Cookie Cook and some others inthe Yip Country think because I am a big frog and talk and act like aman that I must be very wise. I have learned more than a frog usuallyknows, it is true, but I am not yet so wise as I hope to become atsome future time."

The King nodded, and when he did so, something squeaked in his chest."Did Your Majesty speak?" asked Cayke.

"Not just then," answered the Lavender Bear, seeming to be somewhatembarrassed. "I am so built, you must know, that when anything pushesagainst my chest, as my chin accidentally did just then, I make thatsilly noise. In this city it isn't considered good manners to notice.But I like your Frogman.

He is honest and truthful, which is more than can be said of many others. As for your late lamented dishpan, I'll show it to you." With this he waved three times the metal wandwhich he held in his paw, and instantly there appeared upon the groundmidway between the King and Cayke a big, round pan made of beatengold. Around the top edge was a row of small diamonds; around thecenter of the pan was another row of larger diamonds; and at thebottom was a row of exceedingly large and brilliant diamonds. Infact, they all sparkled magnificently, and the pan was so big andbroad that it took a lot of diamonds to go around it three times.

Cayke stared so hard that her eyes seemed about to pop out of herhead. "O-o-o-h!" she exclaimed, drawing a deep breath of delight.

"Is this your dishpan?" inquired the King.

"It is, it is!" cried the Cookie Cook, and rushing forward, she fellon her knees and threw her arms around the precious pan. But her armscame together without meeting any resistance at all. Cayke tried toseize the edge, but found nothing to grasp. The pan was surely there,she thought, for she could see it plainly; but it was not solid; shecould not feel it at all. With a moan of astonishment and despair,she raised her head to look at the Bear King, who was watching heractions curiously. Then she turned to the pan again, only to find ithad completely disappeared.

"Poor creature!" murmured the King pityingly. "You must have thought,for the moment, that you had actually recovered your dishpan. Butwhat you saw was merely the image of it, conjured up by means of mymagic. It is a pretty dishpan, indeed, though rather big and awkwardto handle. I hope you will some day find it."

Cayke was grievously disappointed. She began to cry, wiping her eyeson her apron. The King turned to the throng of toy bears surroundinghim and asked, "Has any of you ever seen this golden dishpan before?"

"No," they answered in a chorus.

The King seemed to reflect. Presently he inquired, "Where is theLittle Pink Bear?"

"At home, Your Majesty," was the reply.

"Fetch him here," commanded the King.

Several of the bears waddled over to one of the trees and pulled from its hollow a tiny pink bear, smaller than any of the others. A big, white bear carried the pink one in his arms and set it down beside the King, arranging the joints of its legs so that it would stand upright.

This Pink Bear seemed lifeless until the King turned a crank whichprotruded from its side, when the little creature turned its headstiffly from side to side and said in a small, shrill voice, "Hurrahfor the King of Bear Center!"

"Very good," said the big Lavender Bear. "He seems to be working verywell today. Tell me, my Pink Pinkerton, what has become of thislady's jeweled dishpan?"

"U-u-u," said the Pink Bear, and then stopped short.

The King turned the crank again.

"U-g-u the Shoemaker has it," saidthe Pink Bear.

"Who is Ugu the Shoemaker?" demanded the King, again turning thecrank.

"A magician who lives on a mountain in a wickerwork castle," was thereply.

"Where is the mountain?" was the next question.

"Nineteen miles and three furlongs from Bear Center to the northeast."

"And is the dishpan still at the castle of Ugu the Shoemaker?" askedthe King.

"It is."

The King turned to Cayke.

"You may rely on this information," said he. "The Pink Bear can tell us anything we wish to know, and hiswords are always words of truth."

"Is he alive?" asked the Frogman, much interested in the Pink Bear.

"Something animates him when you turn his crank," replied the King."I do not know if it is life or what it is or how it happens that theLittle Pink Bear can answer correctly every question put to him. Wediscovered his talent a long time ago, and whenever we wish to knowanything--which is not very often--we ask the Pink Bear. There is nodoubt whatever, madam, that Ugu the Magician has your dishpan, and ifyou dare to go to him, you may be able to recover it. But of that Iam not certain."

"Can't the Pink Bear tell?" asked Cayke anxiously.

"No, for that is in the future. He can tell anything that HAShappened, but nothing that is going to happen. Don't ask me why, forI don't know."

"Well," said the Cookie Cook after a little thought, "I mean to go tothis magician, anyhow, and tell him I want my dishpan. I wish I knewwhat Ugu the Shoemaker is like."

"Then I'll show him to you," promised the King. "But do not befrightened. It won't be Ugu, remember, but only his image." Withthis, he waved his metal wand, and in the circle suddenly appeared athin little man, very old and skinny, who was seated on a wicker stoolbefore a wicker table. On the table lay a Great Book with goldclasps. The Book was open, and the man was reading in it. He woregreat spectacles which were fastened before his eyes by means of aribbon that passed around his head and was tied in a bow at the neck.His hair was very thin and white; his skin, which clung fast to hisbones, was brown and seared with furrows; he had a big, fat nose andlittle eyes set close together.

On no account was Ugu the Shoemaker a pleasant person to gaze at. Ashis image appeared before the, all were silent and intent untilCorporal Waddle, the Brown Bear, became nervous and pulled the triggerof his gun. Instantly, the cork flew out of the tin barrel with aloud "pop!" that made them all jump. And at this sound, the image ofthe magician vanished. "So THAT'S the thief, is it?" said Cayke in anangry voice. "I should think he'd be ashamed of himself for stealinga poor woman's diamond dishpan! But I mean to face him in his wickercastle and force him to return my property."

"To me," said the Bear King reflectively, "he looked like a dangerousperson. I hope he won't be so unkind as to argue the matter withyou."

The Frogman was much disturbed by the vision of Ugu the Shoemaker, andCayke's determination to go to the magician filled her companion withmisgivings. But he would not break his pledged word to assist theCookie Cook, and after breathing a deep sigh of resignation, he askedthe King, "Will Your Majesty lend us this Pink Bear who answersquestions that we may take him with us on our journey? He would bevery useful to us, and we will promise to bring him safely back toyou."

The King did not reply at once. He seemed to be thinking.

"PLEASE let us take the Pink Bear," begged Cayke. "I'm sure he wouldbe a great help to us."

"The Pink Bear," said the King, "is the best bit of magic I possess,and there is not another like him in the world. I do not care to lethim out of my sight, nor do I wish to disappoint you; so I believe Iwill make the journey in your company and carry my Pink Bear with me.He can walk when you wind the other side of him, but so slowly andawkwardly that he would delay you. But if I go along, I can carry himin my arms, so I will join your party. Whenever you are ready tostart, let me know."

"But Your Majesty!" exclaimed Corporal Waddle in protest, "I hope youdo not intend to let these prisoners escape without punishment."

"Of what crime do you accuse them?" inquired the King.

"Why, they trespassed on your domain, for one thing," said the BrownBear.

"We didn't know it was private property, Your Majesty," said theCookie Cook. "And they asked if any of us had stolen the dishpan!"continued Corporal Waddle indignantly. "That is the same thing as calling usthieves and robbers and bandits and brigands, is it not?"

"Every person has the right to ask questions," said the Frogman.

"But the Corporal is quite correct," declared the Lavender Bear. "Icondemn you both to death, the execution to take place ten years fromthis hour."

"But we belong in the Land of Oz, where no one ever dies," Caykereminded him.

"Very true," said the King. "I condemn you to death merely as amatter of form. It sounds quite terrible, and in ten years we shallhave forgotten all about it. Are you ready to start for the wickercastle of Ugu the Shoemaker?"

"Quite ready, Your Majesty."

"But who will rule in your place while you are gone?" asked a bigYellow Bear.

"I myself will rule while I am gone," was the reply.

"A King isn't required to stay at home forever, and if he takes a notion to travel, whose business is it but his own? All I ask is that you bears behave yourselves while I am away. If any of you is naughty, I'll send himto some girl or boy in America to play with."

This dreadful threat made all the toy bears look solemn. They assuredthe King in a chorus of growls that they would be good. Then the bigLavender Bear picked up the little Pink Bear, and after tucking itcarefully under one arm, he said, "Goodbye till I come back!" andwaddled along the path that led through the forest. The Frogman andCayke the Cookie Cook also said goodbye to the bears and then followedafter the King, much to the regret of the little Brown Bear, whopulled the trigger of his gun and popped the cork as a parting salute.