He saw at a
glance how lovely and sweet she was, and his heart
gave a bound of joy, for he hoped she would be
merciful.
Ozma sat looking at the prisoner a long time.
Then she said gently:
"One of the Laws of Oz forbids anyone to
pick a six-leaved clover. You are accused of
having broken this Law, even after you had
been warned not to do so."
Ojo hung his head and while he hesitated how to
reply the Patchwork Girl stepped forward and spoke
for him.
"All this fuss is about nothing at all," she
said, facing Ozma unabashed. "You can't prove he
picked the six-leaved clover, so you've no right
to accuse him of it. Search him, if you like, but
you won't find the clover; look in his basket and
you'll find it's not there. He hasn't got it, so I
demand that you set this poor Munchkin boy free."
The people of Oz listened to this defiance in
amazement and wondered at the queer Patchwork Girl
who dared talk so boldly to their Ruler. But Ozma
sat silent and motionless and it was the little
Wizard who answered Scraps.
"So the clover hasn't been picked, eh?" he said.
"I think it has. I think the boy hid it in his
basket, and then gave the basket to you. I also
think you dropped the clover into this vase, which
stood in Princess Dorothy's room, hoping to get
rid of it so it would not prove the boy guilty.
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