Ojo examined this curious contrivance with wonder.The Patchwork Girl was taller than he, when shestood upright, and her body was plump and roundedbecause it had been so neatly stuffed with cotton.Margolotte had first made the girl's form from thepatchwork quilt and then she had dressed it with apatchwork skirt and an apron with pockets in it--using the same gay material throughout. Upon thefeet she had sewn a pair of red leather shoes withpointed toes. All the fingers and thumbs of thegirl's hands had been carefully formed and stuffedand stitched at the edges, with gold plates at theends to serve as finger-nails.

"She will have to work, when she comes tolife," said Marglotte.

The head of the Patchwork Girl was the mostcurious part of her. While she waited for herhusband to finish making his Powder of Life thewoman had found ample time to complete the head asher fancy dictated, and she realized that a goodservant's head must be properly constructed. Thehair was of brown yarn and hung down on her neckin several neat braids. Her eyes were two silversuspender-buttons cut from a pair of theMagician's old trousers, and they were sewed onwith black threads, which formed the pupils of theeyes. Margolotte had puzzled over the ears forsome time, for these were important if the servantwas to hear distinctly, but finally she had madethem out of thin plates of gold and attached themin place by means of stitches through tiny holesbored in the metal. Gold is the most common metalin the Land of Oz and is used for many purposesbecause it is soft and pliable.

The woman had cut a slit for the PatchworkGirl's mouth and sewn two rows of white pearlsin it for teeth, using a strip of scarlet plush fora tongue. This mouth Ojo considered very artisticand lifelike, and Margolotte was pleased when theboy praised it. There were almost too many patcheson the face of the girl for her to be consideredstrictly beautiful, for one cheek was yellow andthe other red, her chin blue, her forehead purpleand the center, where her nose had been formed andpadded, a bright yellow.

"You ought to have had her face all pink,"suggested the boy.

"I suppose so; but I had no pink cloth," repliedthe woman. "Still, I cannot see as it mattersmuch, for I wish my Patchwork Girl to be usefulrather than ornamental. If I get tired looking ather patched face I can whitewash it."

"Has she any brains?" asked Ojo.

"No; I forgot all about the brains!" exclaimedthe woman. "I am glad you reminded me ofthem, for it is not too late to supply them, byany means. Until she is brought to life I cando anything I please with this girl. But I mustbe careful not to give her too much brains, andthose she has must be such as are fitted to thestation she is to occupy in life. In other words,her brains mustn't be very good."

"Wrong," said Unc Nunkie.

"No; I am sure I am right about that," returnedthe woman.

"He means," explained Ojo, "that unless yourservant has good brains she won't know how to obeyyou properly, nor do the things you ask her todo."

"Well, that may be true," agreed Margolotte;"but, on the contrary, a servant with too muchbrains is sure to become independent and high-and-mighty and feel above her work. This is avery delicate task, as I said, and I must takecare to give the girl just the right quantity ofthe right sort of brains. I want her to know justenough, but not too much."

With this she went to another cupboard which wasfilled With shelves. All the shelves were linedWith blue glass bottles, neatly labeled by theMagician to show what they contained. One wholeshelf was marked: "Brain Furniture," and thebottles on this shelf were labeled as follows:"Obedience," "Cleverness," "Judgment," "Courage,""Ingenuity," "Amiability," "Learning," "Truth,""Poesy," "Self Reliance."

"Let me see," said Margolotte; "of thosequalities she must have 'Obedience' first of all,"and she took down the bottle bearing that labeland poured from it upon a dish several grains ofthe contents. "'Amiability' is also good and'Truth.'" She poured into the dish a quantity fromeach of these bottles. "I think that will do," shecontinued, "for the other qualities are not neededin a servant."

Unc Nunkie, who with Ojo stood beside her,touched the bottle marked "Cleverness."

"Little," said he.

"A little 'Cleverness'? Well, perhaps you areright, sir," said she, and was about to take downthe bottle when the Crooked Magician suddenlycalled to her excitedly from the fireplace.

"Quick, Margolotte! Come and help me."

She ran to her husband's side at once andhelped him lift the four kettles from the fire.Their contents had all boiled away, leaving inthe bottom of each kettle a few grains of finewhite powder. Very carefully the Magician removedthis powder, placing it all together in a goldendish, where he mixed it with a golden spoon. Whenthe mixture was complete there was scarcely ahandful, all told.

"That," said Dr. Pipt, in a pleased andtriumphant tone, "is the wonderful Powder of Life,which I alone in the world know how to make. Ithas taken me nearly six years to prepare theseprecious grains of dust, but the little heap onthat dish is worth the price of a kingdom and manya king would give all he has to possess it. Whenit has become cooled I will place it in a smallbottle; but meantime I must watch it carefully,lest a gust of wind blow it away or scatter it.'

Unc Nunkie, Margolotte and the Magicianall stood looking at the marvelous Powder, butOjo was more interested just then in the PatchworkGirl's brains. Thinking it both unfair and unkindto deprive her of any good qualities that werehandy, the boy took down every bottle on the shelfand poured some of the contents in Margolotte'sdish. No one saw him do this, for all were lookingat the Powder of Life; but soon the womanremembered what she had been doing, and came backto the cupboard.

"Let's see," she remarked; "I was about to givemy girl a little 'Cleverness,' which is theDoctor's substitute for 'Intelligence'--a qualityhe has not yet learned how to manufacture." Takingdown the bottle of "Cleverness" she added some ofthe powder to the heap on the dish. Ojo became abit uneasy at this, for he had already put quitea lot of the "Cleverness" powder in the dish; buthe dared not interfere and so he comforted himselfwith the thought that one cannot have too muchcleverness.

Margolotte now carried the dish of brains tothe bench. Ripping the seam of the patch onthe girl's forehead, she placed the powder withinthe head and then sewed up the seam as neatlyand securely as before.

"My girl is all ready for your Powder of Life,my dear," she said to her husband. But theMagician replied:

"This powder must not be used before tomorrowmorning; but I think it is now cool enough to bebottled."

He selected a small gold bottle with a pepper-box top, so that the powder might be sprinkled onany object through the small holes. Very carefullyhe placed the Powder of Life in the gold bottleand then locked it up in a drawer of his cabinet.

"At last," said he, rubbing his hands togethergleefully, "I have ample leisure for a good talkwith my old friend Unc Nunkie. So let us sitdown cosily and enjoy ourselves. After stirringthose four kettles for six years I am glad tohave a little rest."

"You will have to do most of the talking,"said Ojo, "for Unc is called the Silent One anduses few words."

"I know; but that renders your uncle amost agreeable companion and gossip," declaredDr. Pipt. "Most people talk too much, so it isa relief to find one who talks too little."

Ojo looked at the Magician with much aweand curiosity.

"Don't you find it very annoying to be socrooked?" he asked.

"No; I am quite proud of my person," wasthe reply. "I suppose I am the only CrookedMagician in all the world. Some others are accusedof being crooked, but I am the only genuine."

He was really very crooked and Ojo wondered howhe managed to do so many things with such atwisted body. When he sat down upon a crookedchair that had been made to fit him, one knee wasunder his chin and the other near the small of hisback; but he was a cheerful man and his face borea pleasant and agreeable expression.

"I am not allowed to perform magic, exceptfor my own amusement," he told his visitors,as he lighted a pipe with a crooked stem andbegan to smoke. "Too many people were workingmagic in the Land of Oz, and so our lovelyPrincess Ozma put a stop to it. I think she wasquite right. There were several wicked Witches whocaused a lot of trouble; but now they are all outof business and only the great Sorceress, Glindathe Good, is permitted to practice her arts, whichnever harm anybody. The Wizard of Oz, who used tobe a humbug and knew no magic at all, has beentaking lessons of Glinda, and I'm told he isgetting to be a pretty good Wizard; but he ismerely the assistant of the great Sorceress. I'vethe right to make a servant girl for my wife, youknow, or a Glass Cat to catch our mice--which sherefuses to do--but I am forbidden to work magic forothers, or to use it as a profession."

"Magic must be a very interesting study,"said Ojo.

"It truly is," asserted the Magician. "In mytime I've performed some magical feats that wereworthy of the skill of Glinda the Good. Forinstance, there's the Powder of Life, and myLiquid of Petrifaction, which is contained in thatbottle 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 veryuseful. 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 andinstantly they turned to marble. I now use themas ornamental statuary in my garden. This tablelooks to you like wood, and once it really waswood; but I sprinkled a few drops of the Liquidof Petrifaction on it and now it is marble. Itwill never break nor wear out.

"Fine!" said Unc Nunkie, wagging his headand stroking his long gray beard.

"Dear me; what a chatterbox you're gettingto be, Unc," remarked the Magician, who waspleased with the compliment. But just thenthere came a scratching at the back door and ashrill 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 yourroyal highness?" asked the voice, in scornfulaccents.

"Yes; that's proper cat talk," declared thewoman, and opened the door. At once a cat entered,came to the center of the room and stopped shortat the sight of strangers. Ojo and Unc Nunkie bothstared at it with wide open eyes, for surely nosuch curious creature had ever existed before--even in the Land of Oz.