"Well, Coo-ee-oh used just three magic words, one to make the bridge work, and one to make the submarines go out of their holes, and one to raise and lower the island. Three words. And Coo-ee-oh's name is made up of just three words. One is 'Coo,' and one is 'ee,' and one is 'oh.'
The Wizard frowned but Glinda looked wonderingly at the young girl and Ozma cried out:
"A good thought, Dorothy dear! You may have solved our problem.""I believe it is worth a trial," agreed Glinda. "It would be quite natural for Coo-ee-oh to divide her name into three magic syllables, and Dorothy's suggestion seems like an inspiration."The three Adepts also approved the trial but the brown-haired one said:
"We must be careful not to use the wrong word, and send the bridge out under water. The main thing, if Dorothy's idea is correct, is to hit upon the one word that moves the island.""Let us experiment," suggested the Wizard.
In the drawer with the moving gray powder was a tiny golden cup, which they thought was used for measuring.
Glinda filled this cup with the powder and carefully poured it into the shallow basin, which was the top of the great steel pillar supporting the island. Then Aurah the Adept lighted a taper and touched it to the powder, which instantly glowed fiery red and tumbled about the basin with astonishing energy. While the grains of powder still glowed red the Sorceress bent over it and said in a voice of command: "Coo!"They waited motionless to see what would happen.
There was a grating noise and a whirl of machinery, but the island did not move a particle.
Dorothy rushed to the window, which overlooked the glass side of the dome.
"The boats!" she exclaimed. "The boats are all loose an' sailing under water.""We've made a mistake," said the Wizard gloomily.
"But it's one which shows we are on the right track,"declared Aujah the Adept. "We know now that Coo-ee-oh used the syllables of her name for the magic words.""If 'Coo' sends out the boats, it is probable that ee' works the bridge," suggested Ozma. "So the last part of the name may raise the island.""Let us try that next then," proposed the Wizard.
He scraped the embers of the burned powder out of the basin and Glinda again filled the golden cup from the drawer and placed it on top the steel pillar. Aurah lighted it with her taper and Ozma bent over the basin and murmured the long drawn syllable: "Oh-h-h!"Instantly the island trembled and with a weird groaning noise it moved upward -- slowly, very slowly, but with a steady motion, while all the company stood by in awed silence. It was a wonderful thing, even to those skilled in the arts of magic, wizardry and sorcery, to realize that a single word could raise that great, heavy island, with its immense glass Dome.
"Why, we're way above the lake now!" exclaimed Dorothy from the window, when at last the island ceased to move.
"That is because we lowered the level of the water,"explained Glinda.
They could hear the Skeezers cheering lustily in the streets of the village as they realized that they were saved.
"Come," said Ozma eagerly, "let us go down and join the people.""Not just yet," returned Glinda, a happy smile upon her lovely face, for she was overjoyed at their success. "First let us extend the bridge to the mainland, where our friends from the Emerald City are waiting."It didn't take long to put more powder in the basin, light it and utter the syllable "EE!" The result was that a door in the basement opened and the steel bridge moved out, extended itself joint by joint, and finally rested its far end on the shore of the lake just in front of the encampment.
"Now," said Glinda, "we can go up and receive the congratulations of the Skeezers and of our friends of the Rescue Expedition."Across the water, on the shore of the lake, the Patchwork Girl was waving them a welcome.
