out, and frightful things may happen to us all. Our
Queen has such conceit that she thinks she can overcome
the Su-dic and his people, but it is said Su-dic's
magic is very powerful, although not as great as that
possessed by his wife Rora, before Coo-ee-oh
transformed her into a Golden Pig."

"I don't blame her very much for doing that,"
remarked Dorothy, "for the Flatheads were wicked to try
to catch your beautiful fish and the Witch Rora wanted
to poison all the fishes in the lake."

"Do you know the reason?" asked the Lady Aurex.

"I don't s'pose there was any reason, 'cept just
wickedness," replied Dorothy.

"Tell us the reason," said Ozma earnestly.

"Well, your Majesty, once -- a long time ago -- the
Flatheads and the Skeezers were friendly. They visited
our island and we visited their mountain, and
everything was pleasant between the two peoples. At
that time the Flatheads were ruled by three Adepts in
Sorcery, beautiful girls who were not Flatheads, but
had wandered to the Flat Mountain and made their home
there. These three Adepts used their magic only for
good, and the mountain people gladly made them their
rulers. They taught the Flatheads how to use their
canned brains and how to work metals into clothing that