evident they could not get out until someone was able to raise the
island.

The Sorceress looked through all her recipes and books of sorcery, but
could find no magic that would raise a sunken island. Such a thing had
never before been required in sorcery. Then Glinda made a little
island, covered by a glass dome, and sunk it in a pond near her castle,
and experimented in magical ways to bring it to the surface. She made
several such experiments, but all were failures. It seemed a simple
thing to do, yet she could not do it.

Nevertheless, the wise Sorceress did not despair of finding a way to
liberate her friends. Finally she concluded that the best thing to do
was to go to the Skeezer country and examine the lake. While there she
was more likely to discover a solution to the problem that bothered
her, and to work out a plan for the rescue of Ozma and Dorothy.

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

In Princess Ozma's palace the Scarecrow was now acting as Ruler of the
Land of Oz. There wasn't much for him to do, because all the affairs of
state moved so smoothly, but he was there in case anything unforeseen
should happen.

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

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

"I hope no harm has come to Ozma, or Dorothy," said Betsy anxiously, as
the lovely Sorceress stepped down from her chariot.

Glinda approached the Scarecrow and told him of the dilemma of Ozma and
Dorothy and she added: "We must save them, somehow, Scarecrow."

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

The girls picked him up and patted his straw stuffing into shape, and
he continued, as if nothing had occurred: "But you'll have to tell me
what to do, for I never have raised a sunken island in all my life."

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

The Scarecrow lost