Glinda, the Good, in her palace in the QuadlingCountry, had many things to occupy her mind, for notonly did she look after the weaving and embroidery ofher bevy of maids, and assist all those who came to herto implore her help -- beasts and birds as well aspeople -- but she was a close student of the arts ofsorcery and spent much time in her Magical Laboratory,where she strove to find a remedy for every evil and toperfect her skill in magic.

Nevertheless, she did not forget to look in the GreatBook of Records each day to see if any mention was madeof the visit of Ozma and Dorothy to the EnchantedMountain of the Flatheads and the Magic Isle of theSkeezers. The Records told her that Ozma had arrived atthe mountain, that she had escaped, with her companion,and gone to the island of the Skeezers, and that QueenCoo-ee-oh had submerged the island so that it wasentirely under water. Then came the statement that theFlatheads had come to the lake to poison the fishes andthat their Supreme Dictator had transformed Queen Coo-ee-oh into a swan.

No other details were given in the Great Book and soGlinda did not know that since Coo-ee-oh had forgottenher magic none of the Skeezers knew how to raise theisland to the surface again. So Glinda was not worriedabout Ozma and Dorothy until one morning, while she satwith her maids, there came a sudden clang of thegreat alarm bell. This was so unusual that every maidgave a start and even the Sorceress for a moment couldnot think what the alarm meant.

Then she remembered the ring she had given Dorothywhen she left the palace to start on her venture. Ingiving the ring Glinda had warned the little girl notto use its magic powers unless she and Ozma were inreal danger, but then she was to turn it on her fingeronce to the right and once to the left and Glinda'salarm bell would ring.

So the Sorceress now knew that danger threatened herbeloved Ruler and Princess Dorothy, and she hurried toher magic room to seek information as to what sort ofdanger it was. The answer to her question was not verysatisfactory, for it was only: "Ozma and Dorothy areprisoners in the great Dome of the Isle of theSkeezers, and the Dome is under the water of the lake."

"Hasn't Ozma the power to raise the island to thesurface?" inquired Glinda.

"No," was the reply, and the Record refused to saymore except that Queen Coo-ee-oh, who alone couldcommand the island to rise, had been transformed by theFlathead Su-dic into a Diamond Swan.

Then Glinda consulted the past records of theSkeezers in the Great Book. After diligent search shediscovered that Coo-ee-oh was a powerful sorceress whohad gained most of her power by treacherouslytransforming the Adepts of Magic, who were visitingher, into three fishes -- gold, silver and bronze --after which she had them cast into the lake.

Glinda reflected earnestly on this information anddecided that someone must go to Ozma's assistance.While there was no great need of haste, because Ozmaand Dorothy could live in a submerged dome a long time,it was evident they could not get out until someone wasable to raise the island.

The Sorceress looked through all her recipes andbooks of sorcery, but could find no magic that wouldraise a sunken island. Such a thing had never beforebeen required in sorcery. Then Glinda made a littleisland, covered by a glass dome, and sunk it in a pondnear her castle, and experimented in magical ways tobring it to the surface. She made several suchexperiments, but all were failures. It seemed a simplething to do, yet she could not do it.

Nevertheless, the wise Sorceress did not despair offinding a way to liberate her friends. Finally sheconcluded that the best thing to do was to go to theSkeezer country and examine the lake. While there shewas more likely to discover a solution to the problemthat bothered her, and to work out a plan for therescue of Ozma and Dorothy.

So Glinda summoned her storks and her aerial chariot,and telling her maids she was going on a journey andmight not soon return, she entered the chariot and wascarried swiftly to the Emerald City.

In Princess Ozma's palace the Scarecrow was nowacting as Ruler of the Land of Oz. There wasn't muchfor him to do, because all the affairs of state movedso smoothly, but he was there in case anythingunforeseen should happen.

Glinda found the Scarecrow playing croquet with Trotand Betsy Bobbin, two little girls who lived at thepalace under Ozma's protection and were great friendsof Dorothy and much loved by all the Oz people.

"Something's happened!" cried Trot, as the chariot ofthe Sorceress descended near them. "Glinda never comeshere 'cept something's gone wrong."

"I hope no harm has come to Ozma, or Dorothy," saidBetsy anxiously, as the lovely Sorceress stepped downfrom her chariot.

Glinda approached the Scarecrow and told him of thedilemma of Ozma and Dorothy and she added: "We mustsave them, somehow, Scarecrow."

"Of course," replied the Scarecrow, stumbling over awicket and falling flat on his painted face.

The girls picked him up and patted his straw stuffinginto shape, and he continued, as if nothing hadoccurred: "But you'll have to tell me what to do, for Inever have raised a sunken island in all my life."

"We must have a Council of State as soon aspossible," proposed the Sorceress. "Please sendmessengers to summon all of Ozma's counsellors to thispalace. Then we can decide what is best to be done."

The Scarecrow lost no time in doing this. Fortunatelymost of the royal counsellors were in the Emerald Cityor near to it, so they all met in the throne room ofthe palace that same evening.