"It's funny," said Toto, standing before his friend the Lion andwagging his tail, "but I've found my growl at last! I am positive nowthat it was the cruel magician who stole it."

"Let's hear your growl," requested the Lion.

"G-r-r-r-r-r!" said Toto.

"That is fine," declared the big beast. "It isn't as loud or as deepas the growl of the big Lavender Bear, but it is a very respectablegrowl for a small dog. Where did you find it, Toto?"

"I was smelling in the corner yonder," said Toto, "when suddenly amouse ran out--and I growled."

The others were all busy congratulating Ozma, who was very happy atbeing released from the confinement of the golden peach pit, where themagician had placed her with the notion that she never could be foundor liberated.

"And only to think," cried Dorothy, "that Button-Bright has beencarrying you in his pocket all this time, and we never knew it!"

"The little Pink Bear told you," said the Bear King, "but you wouldn'tbelieve him."

"Never mind, my dears," said Ozma graciously, "all is well that endswell, and you couldn't be expected to know I was inside the peach pit.Indeed, I feared I would remain a captive much longer than I did, forUgu is a bold and clever magician, and he had hidden me verysecurely."

"You were in a fine peach," said Button-Bright, "the best I ever ate."

"The magician was foolish to make the peach so tempting," remarked theWizard, "but Ozma would lend beauty to any transformation."

"How did you manage to conquer Ugu the Shoemaker?"inquired the girl Ruler of Oz.

Dorothy started to tell the story, and Trot helped her, andButton-Bright wanted to relate it in his own way, and the Wizard triedto make it clear to Ozma, and Betsy had to remind them of importantthings they left out, and all together there was such a chatter thatit was a wonder that Ozma understood any of it. But she listenedpatiently, with a smile on her lovely face at their eagerness, andpresently had gleaned all the details of their adventures.

Ozma thanked the Frogman very earnestly for his assistance, and sheadvised Cayke the Cookie Cook to dry her weeping eyes, for shepromised to take her to the Emerald City and see that her cherisheddishpan was restored to her. Then the beautiful Ruler took a chain ofemeralds from around her own neck and placed it around the neck of thelittle Pink Bear.

"Your wise answers to the questions of my friends,"said she, "helped them to rescue me. Therefore I am deeply gratefulto you and to your noble King."

The bead eyes of the little Pink Bear stared unresponsive to thispraise until the Big Lavender Bear turned the crank in its side, whenit said in its squeaky voice, "I thank Your Majesty."

"For my part," returned the Bear King, "I realize that you were wellworth saving, Miss Ozma, and so I am much pleased that we could be ofservice to you. By means of my Magic Wand I have been creating exactimages of your Emerald City and your Royal Palace, and I must confessthat they are more attractive than any places I have ever seen--notexcepting Bear Center."

"I would like to entertain you in my palace," returned Ozma sweetly,"and you are welcome to return with me and to make me a long visit, ifyour bear subjects can spare you from your own kingdom."

"As for that," answered the King, "my kingdom causes me little worry,and I often find it somewhat tame and uninteresting. Therefore I amglad to accept your kind invitation. Corporal Waddle may be trustedto care for my bears in my absence."

"And you'll bring the little Pink Bear?" asked Dorothy eagerly.

"Of course, my dear. I would not willingly part with him."

They remained in the wicker castle for three days, carefully packingall the magical things that had been stolen by Ugu and also takingwhatever in the way of magic the shoemaker had inherited from hisancestors. "For," said Ozma, "I have forbidden any of my subjectsexcept Glinda the Good and the Wizard of Oz to practice magical arts,because they cannot be trusted to do good and not harm. Therefore Ugumust never again be permitted to work magic of any sort."

"Well," remarked Dorothy cheerfully, "a dove can't do much in the wayof magic, anyhow, and I'm going to keep Ugu in the form of a doveuntil he reforms and becomes a good and honest shoemaker."

When everything was packed and loaded on the backs of the animals,they set out for the river, taking a more direct route than that bywhich Cayke and the Frogman had come. In this way they avoided theCities of Thi and Herku and Bear Center and after a pleasant journeyreached the Winkie River and found a jolly ferryman who had a fine,big boat and was willing to carry the entire party by water to a placequite near to the Emerald City.

The river had many windings and many branches, and the journey did notend in a day, but finally the boat floated into a pretty lake whichwas but a short distance from Ozma's home. Here the jolly ferrymanwas rewarded for his labors, and then the entire party set out in agrand procession to march to the Emerald City. News that the RoyalOzma had been found spread quickly throughout the neighborhood, andboth sides of the road soon became lined with loyal subjects of thebeautiful and beloved Ruler. Therefore Ozma's ears heard little butcheers, and her eyes beheld little else than waving handkerchiefs andbanners during all the triumphal march from the lake to the city'sgates.

And there she met a still greater concourse, for all the inhabitantsof the Emerald City turned out to welcome her return, and all thehouses were decorated with flags and bunting, and never before werethe people so joyous and happy as at this moment when they welcomedhome their girl Ruler. For she had been lost and was now found again,and surely that was cause for rejoicing. Glinda was at the royalpalace to meet the returning party, and the good Sorceress was indeedglad to have her Great Book of Records returned to her, as well as allthe precious collection of magic instruments and elixirs and chemicalsthat had been stolen from her castle. Cap'n Bill and the Wizard atonce hung the Magic Picture upon the wall of Ozma's boudoir, and theWizard was so light-hearted that he did several tricks with the toolsin his black bag to amuse his companions and prove that once again hewas a powerful wizard.

For a whole week there was feasting and merriment and all sorts ofjoyous festivities at the palace in honor of Ozma's safe return. TheLavender Bear and the little Pink Bear received much attention andwere honored by all, much to the Bear King's satisfaction. TheFrogman speedily became a favorite at the Emerald City, and the ShaggyMan and Tik-Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead, who had now returned from theirsearch, were very polite to the big frog and made him feel quite athome. Even the Cookie Cook, because she was quite a stranger andOzma's guest, was shown as much deference as if she had been a queen.

"All the same, Your Majesty," said Cayke to Ozma, day after day withtiresome repetition, "I hope you will soon find my jeweled dishpan,for never can I be quite happy without it."