Page:The Royal Book of Oz.djvu/224

The Royal Book of Oz mountains, the Grand Gheewizard of the Silver Island was stirring a huge kettle of magic. Every few moments he paused to read out of a great yellow book that he had propped up on the mantle. The fire in the huge grate leaped fiercely under the big black pot and the sputtering candles on each side of the book sent creepy shadows into the dark cave. Dark chests, books, bundles of herbs and heaps of gold and silver were everywhere. Whenever the Gheewizard turned his back, a rheumatic silver scaled old dragon would crawl toward the fire and swallow a mouthful of coals, until the old Gheewizard caught him in the act and chained him to a ring in the corner of the cave.

"Be patient, little joy of my heart! Our fortune is about to be made," hissed the wizened little man, waving a long iron spoon at the dragon. "You shall have a bucket of red hot coals every hour and I a silver cap with a tassel. Have not the Royal Princes promised it?" The dragon shuffled about and finally went to sleep, smoking sulkily.

"Is it finished son of a yellow dog?" Through the narrow opening of the cave the youngest Prince stuck his head.

"I am working as fast as I can, Honorable Prince,