ocked and grieved. Who could have done this
wicked, bold thing? And who could wish to deprive her of her Great
Book of Records?

The Sorceress was thoughtful for a time, considering the consequences
of her loss. Then she went to her Room of Magic to prepare a charm
that would tell her who had stolen the Record Book. But when she
unlocked her cupboard and threw open the doors, all of her magical
instruments and rare chemical compounds had been removed from the
shelves. The Sorceress has now both angry and alarmed. She sat down
in a chair and tried to think how this extraordinary robbery could have
taken place. It was evident that the thief was some person of very
great power, or the theft could not have been accomplished without her
knowledge. But who, in all the Land of Oz, was powerful and skillful
enough to do this awful thing? And who, having the power, could also
have an object in defying the wisest and most talented Sorceress the
world has ever known?

Glinda thought over the perplexing matter for a full hour, at the end
of which time she was still puzzled how to explain it. But although
her instruments and chemicals were gone, her KNOWLEDGE of magic had not
been stolen, by any means, since no thief, however skillful, can rob
one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest
treasure to acquire. Glinda believed that when she had time to gather
more magical herbs and elixirs and to manufacture more magical
instruments, she would be able to discover who the robber was and what
had become of her precious Book of Records.

"Whoever has done this," she said to her maidens, "is a very foolish
person, for in time he is sure to be found out and will then be
severely punished."

She now made a list of the things she needed and dispatched messengers
to every part of Oz with instructions to obtain them and bring them to
her as soon as possible. And one of her messengers met the little
Wizard of Oz, who was seated on the back of the famous live Sawhorse
and was clinging to its neck with both his arms, for the Sawhorse was
speeding to Glinda's castle with the velocity of the wind, bearing the
news that Royal Ozma, Ruler of all the great Land of Oz, had suddenly
disappeared and no one in the Emerald City knew what had become of her.

"Also," said the Wizard as he stood before the astonished Sorceress,
"Ozma's Magic Picture is gone, so we cannot consult it to discover
where she is. So I came to