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diff --git a/419-h/419-h.htm b/419-h/419-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5a70931 --- /dev/null +++ b/419-h/419-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7656 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + +<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<TITLE> +The Project Gutenberg E-text of The Magic of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. +</TITLE> + +<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: small } + +P.finis { text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +</STYLE> + +</HEAD> + +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Magic of Oz, by L. Frank Baum + + +<table summary="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto" cellpadding="4" border="3"> +<tr> +<td> +THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A +TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS +AN IMPROVED ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY VIEWED AT EBOOK <big><b><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/50194/50194-h/50194-h.htm"> +[ #50194 ]</a></b></big> +</td> +</tr> +</table> + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Magic of Oz + +Author: L. Frank Baum + +Posting Date: July 20, 2008 [EBook #419] +Release Date: February, 1996 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGIC OF OZ *** + + + + +Produced by Dennis Amundson. + + + + + +</pre> + + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +The Magic of Oz +</H1> + +<BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +A Faithful Record of the Remarkable Adventures of Dorothy<BR> +and Trot and the Wizard of Oz, together with the<BR> +Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger and Cap'n Bill,<BR> +in their successful search for a Magical<BR> +and Beautiful Birthday Present for<BR> +Princess Ozma of Oz<BR> +</H3> + +<BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +by +</H3> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +L. Frank Baum +</H2> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +"Royal Historian of Oz" +</H2> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +Contents +</H2> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +<A HREF="#chap00">—To My Readers—</A><BR> +1. <A HREF="#chap01">Mount Munch</A><BR> +2. <A HREF="#chap02">The Hawk</A><BR> +3. <A HREF="#chap03">Two Bad Ones</A><BR> +4. <A HREF="#chap04">Conspirators</A><BR> +5. <A HREF="#chap05">A Happy Corner of Oz</A><BR> +6. <A HREF="#chap06">Ozma's Birthday Presents</A><BR> +7. <A HREF="#chap07">The Forest of Gugu</A><BR> +8. <A HREF="#chap08">The Li-Mon-Eags Make Trouble</A><BR> +9. <A HREF="#chap09">The Isle of the Magic Flower</A><BR> +10. <A HREF="#chap10">Stuck Fast</A><BR> +11. <A HREF="#chap11">The Beasts of the Forest of Gugu</A><BR> +12. <A HREF="#chap12">Kiki Uses His Magic</A><BR> +13. <A HREF="#chap13">The Loss of the Black Bag</A><BR> +14. <A HREF="#chap14">The Wizard Learns the Magic Word</A><BR> +15. <A HREF="#chap15">The Lonesome Duck</A><BR> +16. <A HREF="#chap16">The Glass Cat Finds the Black Bag</A><BR> +17. <A HREF="#chap17">A Remarkable Journey</A><BR> +18. <A HREF="#chap18">The Magic of the Wizard</A><BR> +19. <A HREF="#chap19">Dorothy and the Bumble Bees</A><BR> +20. <A HREF="#chap20">The Monkeys Have Trouble</A><BR> +21. <A HREF="#chap21">The College of Athletic Arts</A><BR> +22. <A HREF="#chap22">Ozma's Birthday Party</A><BR> +23. <A HREF="#chap23">The Fountain of Oblivion</A><BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap00"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +To My Readers +</H3> + +<P> +Curiously enough, in the events which have taken place in the last few +years in our "great outside world," we may find incidents so marvelous +and inspiring that I cannot hope to equal them with stories of The Land +of Oz. +</P> + +<P> +However, "The Magic of Oz" is really more strange and unusual than +anything I have read or heard about on our side of The Great Sandy +Desert which shuts us off from The Land of Oz, even during the past +exciting years, so I hope it will appeal to your love of novelty. +</P> + +<P> +A long and confining illness has prevented my answering all the good +letters sent me—unless stamps were enclosed—but from now on I hope to +be able to give prompt attention to each and every letter with which my +readers favor me. +</P> + +<P> +Assuring you that my love for you has never faltered and hoping the Oz +Books will continue to give you pleasure as long as I am able to write +them, I am +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +Yours affectionately, +<BR><BR> +L. FRANK BAUM,<BR> +"Royal Historian of Oz."<BR> +"OZCOT"<BR> +at HOLLYWOOD<BR> +in CALIFORNIA<BR> +1919<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +1. Mount Munch +</H3> + +<P> +On the east edge of the Land of Oz, in the Munchkin Country, is a big, +tall hill called Mount Munch. One one side, the bottom of this hill +just touches the Deadly Sandy Desert that separates the Fairyland of Oz +from all the rest of the world, but on the other side, the hill touches +the beautiful, fertile Country of the Munchkins. +</P> + +<P> +The Munchkin folks, however, merely stand off and look at Mount Munch +and know very little about it; for, about a third of the way up, its +sides become too steep to climb, and if any people live upon the top of +that great towering peak that seems to reach nearly to the skies, the +Munchkins are not aware of the fact. +</P> + +<P> +But people DO live there, just the same. The top of Mount Munch is +shaped like a saucer, broad and deep, and in the saucer are fields +where grains and vegetables grow, and flocks are fed, and brooks flow +and trees bear all sorts of things. There are houses scattered here +and there, each having its family of Hyups, as the people call +themselves. The Hyups seldom go down the mountain, for the same reason +that the Munchkins never climb up: the sides are too steep. +</P> + +<P> +In one of the houses lived a wise old Hyup named Bini Aru, who used to +be a clever Sorcerer. But Ozma of Oz, who rules everyone in the Land +of Oz, had made a decree that no one should practice magic in her +dominions except Glinda the Good and the Wizard of Oz, and when Glinda +sent this royal command to the Hyups by means of a strong-winged Eagle, +old Bini Aru at once stopped performing magical arts. He destroyed +many of his magic powders and tools of magic, and afterward honestly +obeyed the law. He had never seen Ozma, but he knew she was his Ruler +and must be obeyed. +</P> + +<P> +There was only one thing that grieved him. He had discovered a new and +secret method of transformations that was unknown to any other +Sorcerer. Glinda the Good did not know it, nor did the little Wizard +of Oz, nor Dr. Pipt nor old Mombi, nor anyone else who dealt in magic +arts. It was Bini Aru's own secret. By its means, it was the simplest +thing in the world to transform anyone into beast, bird or fish, or +anything else, and back again, once you know how to pronounce the +mystical word: "Pyrzqxgl." +</P> + +<P> +Bini Aru had used this secret many times, but not to cause evil or +suffering to others. When he had wandered far from home and was +hungry, he would say: "I want to become a cow—Pyrzqxgl!" In an instant +he would be a cow, and then he would eat grass and satisfy his hunger. +All beasts and birds can talk in the Land of Oz, so when the cow was no +longer hungry, it would say: "I want to be Bini Aru again: Pyrzqxgl!" +and the magic word, properly pronounced, would instantly restore him to +his proper form. +</P> + +<P> +Now, of course, I would not dare to write down this magic word so +plainly if I thought my readers would pronounce it properly and so be +able to transform themselves and others, but it is a fact that no one +in all the world except Bini Aru, had ever (up to the time this story +begins) been able to pronounce "Pyrzqxgl!" the right way, so I think it +is safe to give it to you. It might be well, however, in reading this +story aloud, to be careful not to pronounce Pyrzqxgl the proper way, +and thus avoid all danger of the secret being able to work mischief. +</P> + +<P> +Bini Aru, having discovered the secret of instant transformation, which +required no tools or powders or other chemicals or herbs and always +worked perfectly, was reluctant to have such a wonderful discovery +entirely unknown or lost to all human knowledge. He decided not to use +it again, since Ozma had forbidden him to do so, but he reflected that +Ozma was a girl and some time might change her mind and allow her +subjects to practice magic, in which case Bini Aru could again +transform himself and others at will,—unless, of course, he forgot how +to pronounce Pyrzqxgl in the meantime. +</P> + +<P> +After giving the matter careful thought, he decided to write the word, +and how it should be pronounced, in some secret place, so that he could +find it after many years, but where no one else could ever find it. +</P> + +<P> +That was a clever idea, but what bothered the old Sorcerer was to find +a secret place. He wandered all over the Saucer at the top of Mount +Munch, but found no place in which to write the secret word where +others might not be likely to stumble upon it. So finally he decided +it must be written somewhere in his own house. +</P> + +<P> +Bini Aru had a wife named Mopsi Aru who was famous for making fine +huckleberry pies, and he had a son named Kiki Aru who was not famous at +all. He was noted as being cross and disagreeable because he was not +happy, and he was not happy because he wanted to go down the mountain +and visit the big world below and his father would not let him. No one +paid any attention to Kiki Aru, because he didn't amount to anything, +anyway. +</P> + +<P> +Once a year there was a festival on Mount Munch which all the Hyups +attended. It was held in the center of the saucer-shaped country, and +the day was given over to feasting and merry-making. The young folks +danced and sang songs; the women spread the tables with good things to +eat, and the men played on musical instruments and told fairy tales. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki Aru usually went to these festivals with his parents, and then sat +sullenly outside the circle and would not dance or sing or even talk to +the other young people. So the festival did not make him any happier +than other days, and this time he told Bini Aru and Mopsi Aru that he +would not go. He would rather stay at home and be unhappy all by +himself, he said, and so they gladly let him stay. +</P> + +<P> +But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private +room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the +magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery. As +he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards. He +searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic. All had +been destroyed. +</P> + +<P> +Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe +on the same floor board. That set him thinking. Examining the board +more closely, Kiki found it had been pried up and then nailed down +again in such a manner that it was a little higher than the other +boards. But why had his father taken up the board? Had he hidden some +of his magic tools underneath the floor? +</P> + +<P> +Kiki got a chisel and pried up the board, but found nothing under it. +He was just about to replace the board when it slipped from his hand +and turned over, and he saw something written on the underside of it. +The light was rather dim, so he took the board to the window and +examined it, and found that the writing described exactly how to +pronounce the magic word Pyrzqxgl, which would transform anyone into +anything instantly, and back again when the word was repeated. +</P> + +<P> +Now, at first, Kiki Aru didn't realize what a wonderful secret he had +discovered; but he thought it might be of use to him and so he took a +piece of paper and made on it an exact copy of the instructions for +pronouncing Pyrzqxgl. Then he folded the paper and put it in his +pocket, and replaced the board in the floor so that no one would +suspect it had been removed. +</P> + +<P> +After this Kiki went into the garden and sitting beneath a tree made a +careful study of the paper. He had always wanted to get away from +Mount Munch and visit the big world—especially the Land of Oz—and the +idea now came to him that if he could transform himself into a bird, he +could fly to any place he wished to go and fly back again whenever he +cared to. It was necessary, however, to learn by heart the way to +pronounce the magic word, because a bird would have no way to carry a +paper with it, and Kiki would be unable to resume his proper shape if +he forgot the word or its pronunciation. +</P> + +<P> +So he studied it a long time, repeating it a hundred times in his mind +until he was sure he would not forget it. But to make safety doubly +sure he placed the paper in a tin box in a neglected part of the garden +and covered the box with small stones. +</P> + +<P> +By this time it was getting late in the day and Kiki wished to attempt +his first transformation before his parents returned from the festival. +So he stood on the front porch of his home and said: +</P> + +<P> +"I want to become a big, strong bird, like a hawk—Pyrzqxgl!" He +pronounced it the right way, so in a flash he felt that he was +completely changed in form. He flapped his wings, hopped to the porch +railing and said: "Caw-oo! Caw-oo!" +</P> + +<P> +Then he laughed and said half aloud: "I suppose that's the funny sound +this sort of a bird makes. But now let me try my wings and see if I'm +strong enough to fly across the desert." +</P> + +<P> +For he had decided to make his first trip to the country outside the +Land of Oz. He had stolen this secret of transformation and he knew he +had disobeyed the law of Oz by working magic. Perhaps Glinda or the +Wizard of Oz would discover him and punish him, so it would be good +policy to keep away from Oz altogether. +</P> + +<P> +Slowly Kiki rose into the air, and resting on his broad wings, floated +in graceful circles above the saucer-shaped mountain-top. From his +height, he could see, far across the burning sands of the Deadly +Desert, another country that might be pleasant to explore, so he headed +that way, and with strong, steady strokes of his wings, began the long +flight. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +2. The Hawk +</H3> + +<P> +Even a hawk has to fly high in order to cross the Deadly Desert, from +which poisonous fumes are constantly rising. Kiki Aru felt sick and +faint by the time he reached good land again, for he could not quite +escape the effects of the poisons. But the fresh air soon restored him +and he alighted in a broad table-land which is called Hiland. Just +beyond it is a valley known as Loland, and these two countries are +ruled by the Gingerbread Man, John Dough, with Chick the Cherub as his +Prime Minister. The hawk merely stopped here long enough to rest, and +then he flew north and passed over a fine country called Merryland, +which is ruled by a lovely Wax Doll. Then, following the curve of the +Desert, he turned north and settled on a tree-top in the Kingdom of +Noland. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki was tired by this time, and the sun was now setting, so he decided +to remain here till morning. From his tree-top he could see a house +near by, which looked very comfortable. A man was milking a cow in the +yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to +supper. +</P> + +<P> +That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate. He felt hungry, but +didn't know what to eat or where to get it. Also he thought a bed +would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to +the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +Instantly he had resumed his natural shape, and going to the house, he +knocked upon the door and asked for some supper. +</P> + +<P> +"Who are you?" asked the man of the house. +</P> + +<P> +"A stranger from the Land of Oz," replied Kiki Aru. +</P> + +<P> +"Then you are welcome," said the man. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki was given a good supper and a good bed, and he behaved very well, +although he refused to answer all the questions the good people of +Noland asked him. Having escaped from his home and found a way to see +the world, the young man was no longer unhappy, and so he was no longer +cross and disagreeable. The people thought him a very respectable +person and gave him breakfast next morning, after which he started on +his way feeling quite contented. +</P> + +<P> +Having walked for an hour or two through the pretty country that is +ruled by King Bud, Kiki Aru decided he could travel faster and see more +as a bird, so he transformed himself into a white dove and visited the +great city of Nole and saw the King's palace and gardens and many other +places of interest. Then he flew westward into the Kingdom of Ix, and +after a day in Queen Zixi's country went on westward into the Land of +Ev. Every place he visited he thought was much more pleasant than the +saucer-country of the Hyups, and he decided that when he reached the +finest country of all he would settle there and enjoy his future life +to the utmost. +</P> + +<P> +In the land of Ev he resumed his own shape again, for the cities and +villages were close together and he could easily go on foot from one to +another of them. +</P> + +<P> +Toward evening he came to a good Inn and asked the inn-keeper if he +could have food and lodging. +</P> + +<P> +"You can if you have the money to pay," said the man, "otherwise you +must go elsewhere." +</P> + +<P> +This surprised Kiki, for in the Land of Oz they do not use money at +all, everyone being allowed to take what he wishes without price. He +had no money, therefore, and so he turned away to seek hospitality +elsewhere. Looking through an open window into one of the rooms of the +Inn, as he passed along, he saw an old man counting on a table a big +heap of gold pieces, which Kiki thought to be money. One of these +would buy him supper and a bed, he reflected, so he transformed himself +into a magpie and, flying through the open window, caught up one of the +gold pieces in his beak and flew out again before the old man could +interfere. Indeed, the old man who was robbed was quite helpless, for +he dared not leave his pile of gold to chase the magpie, and before he +could place the gold in a sack in his pocket the robber bird was out of +sight and to seek it would be folly. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki Aru flew to a group of trees and, dropping the gold piece to the +ground, resumed his proper shape, and then picked up the money and put +it in his pocket. +</P> + +<P> +"You'll be sorry for this!" exclaimed a small voice just over his head. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki looked up and saw that a sparrow, perched upon a branch, was +watching him. +</P> + +<P> +"Sorry for what?" he demanded. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, I saw the whole thing," asserted the sparrow. "I saw you look in +the window at the gold, and then make yourself into a magpie and rob +the poor man, and then I saw you fly here and make the bird into your +former shape. That's magic, and magic is wicked and unlawful; and you +stole money, and that's a still greater crime. You'll be sorry, some +day." +</P> + +<P> +"I don't care," replied Kiki Aru, scowling. +</P> + +<P> +"Aren't you afraid to be wicked?" asked the sparrow. +</P> + +<P> +"No, I didn't know I was being wicked," said Kiki, "but if I was, I'm +glad of it. I hate good people. I've always wanted to be wicked, but +I didn't know how." +</P> + +<P> +"Haw, haw, haw!" laughed someone behind him, in a big voice; "that's +the proper spirit, my lad! I'm glad I've met you; shake hands." +</P> + +<P> +The sparrow gave a frightened squeak and flew away. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +3. Two Bad Ones +</H3> + +<P> +Kiki turned around and saw a queer old man standing near. He didn't +stand straight, for he was crooked. He had a fat body and thin legs +and arms. He had a big, round face with bushy, white whiskers that +came to a point below his waist, and white hair that came to a point on +top of his head. He wore dull-gray clothes that were tight fitting, +and his pockets were all bunched out as if stuffed full of something. +</P> + +<P> +"I didn't know you were here," said Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"I didn't come until after you did," said the queer old man. +</P> + +<P> +"Who are you?" asked Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"My name's Ruggedo. I used to be the Nome King; but I got kicked out +of my country, and now I'm a wanderer." +</P> + +<P> +"What made them kick you out?" inquired the Hyup boy. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, it's the fashion to kick kings nowadays. I was a pretty good +King—to myself—but those dreadful Oz people wouldn't let me alone. +So I had to abdicate." +</P> + +<P> +"What does that mean?" +</P> + +<P> +"It means to be kicked out. But let's talk about something pleasant. +Who are you and where did you come from?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm called Kiki Aru. I used to live on Mount Munch in the Land of Oz, +but now I'm a wanderer like yourself." +</P> + +<P> +The Nome King gave him a shrewd look. +</P> + +<P> +"I heard that bird say that you transformed yourself into a magpie and +back again. Is that true?" +</P> + +<P> +Kiki hesitated, but saw no reason to deny it. He felt that it would +make him appear more important. +</P> + +<P> +"Well—yes," he said. +</P> + +<P> +"Then you're a wizard?" +</P> + +<P> +"No; I only understand transformations," he admitted. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, that's pretty good magic, anyhow," declared old Ruggedo. "I +used to have some very fine magic, myself, but my enemies took it all +away from me. Where are you going now?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm going into the inn, to get some supper and a bed," said Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"Have you the money to pay for it?" asked the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"I have one gold piece." +</P> + +<P> +"Which you stole. Very good. And you're glad that you're wicked. +Better yet. I like you, young man, and I'll go to the inn with you if +you'll promise not to eat eggs for supper." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you like eggs?" asked Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm afraid of 'em; they're dangerous!" said Ruggedo, with a shudder. +</P> + +<P> +"All right," agreed Kiki; "I won't ask for eggs." +</P> + +<P> +"Then come along," said the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +When they entered the inn, the landlord scowled at Kiki and said: +</P> + +<P> +"I told you I would not feed you unless you had money." +</P> + +<P> +Kiki showed him the gold piece. +</P> + +<P> +"And how about you?" asked the landlord, turning to Ruggedo. "Have you +money?" +</P> + +<P> +"I've something better," answered the old Nome, and taking a bag from +one of his pockets he poured from it upon the table a mass of +glittering gems—diamonds, rubies and emeralds. +</P> + +<P> +The landlord was very polite to the strangers after that. He served +them an excellent supper, and while they ate it, the Hyup boy asked his +companion: +</P> + +<P> +"Where did you get so many jewels?" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I'll tell you," answered the Nome. "When those Oz people took +my kingdom away from me—just because it was my kingdom and I wanted to +run it to suit myself—they said I could take as many precious stones +as I could carry. So I had a lot of pockets made in my clothes and +loaded them all up. Jewels are fine things to have with you when you +travel; you can trade them for anything." +</P> + +<P> +"Are they better than gold pieces?" asked Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"The smallest of these jewels is worth a hundred gold pieces such as +you stole from the old man." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't talk so loud," begged Kiki, uneasily. "Some one else might hear +what you are saying." +</P> + +<P> +After supper they took a walk together, and the former Nome King said: +</P> + +<P> +"Do you know the Shaggy Man, and the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman, +and Dorothy, and Ozma and all the other Oz people?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," replied the boy, "I have never been away from Mount Munch until I +flew over the Deadly Desert the other day in the shape of a hawk." +</P> + +<P> +"Then you've never seen the Emerald City of Oz?" +</P> + +<P> +"Never." +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said the Nome, "I knew all the Oz people, and you can guess I +do not love them. All during my wanderings I have brooded on how I can +be revenged on them. Now that I've met you I can see a way to conquer +the Land of Oz and be King there myself, which is better than being +King of the Nomes." +</P> + +<P> +"How can you do that?" inquired Kiki Aru, wonderingly. +</P> + +<P> +"Never mind how. In the first place, I'll make a bargain with you. +Tell me the secret of how to perform transformations and I will give +you a pocketful of jewels, the biggest and finest that I possess." +</P> + +<P> +"No," said Kiki, who realized that to share his power with another +would be dangerous to himself. +</P> + +<P> +"I'll give you TWO pocketsful of jewels," said the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"No," answered Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"I'll give you every jewel I possess." +</P> + +<P> +"No, no, no!" said Kiki, who was beginning to be frightened. +</P> + +<P> +"Then," said the Nome, with a wicked look at the boy, "I'll tell the +inn-keeper that you stole that gold piece and he will have you put in +prison." +</P> + +<P> +Kiki laughed at the threat. +</P> + +<P> +"Before he can do that," said he, "I will transform myself into a lion +and tear him to pieces, or into a bear and eat him up, or into a fly +and fly away where he could not find me." +</P> + +<P> +"Can you really do such wonderful transformations?" asked the old Nome, +looking at him curiously. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," declared Kiki. "I can transform you into a stick of wood, +in a flash, or into a stone, and leave you here by the roadside." +</P> + +<P> +"The wicked Nome shivered a little when he heard that, but it made him +long more than ever to possess the great secret. After a while he said: +</P> + +<P> +"I'll tell you what I'll do. If you will help me to conquer Oz and to +transform the Oz people, who are my enemies, into sticks or stones, by +telling me your secret, I'll agree to make YOU the Ruler of all Oz, and +I will be your Prime Minister and see that your orders are obeyed." +</P> + +<P> +"I'll help do that," said Kiki, "but I won't tell you my secret." +</P> + +<P> +The Nome was so furious at this refusal that he jumped up and down with +rage and spluttered and choked for a long time before he could control +his passion. But the boy was not at all frightened. He laughed at the +wicked old Nome, which made him more furious than ever. +</P> + +<P> +"Let's give up the idea," he proposed, when Ruggedo had quieted +somewhat. "I don't know the Oz people you mention and so they are not +my enemies. If they've kicked you out of your kingdom, that's your +affair—not mine." +</P> + +<P> +"Wouldn't you like to be king of that splendid fairyland?" asked +Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, I would," replied Kiki Aru; "but you want to be king yourself, +and we would quarrel over it." +</P> + +<P> +"No," said the Nome, trying to deceive him. "I don't care to be King +of Oz, come to think it over. I don't even care to live in that +country. What I want first is revenge. If we can conquer Oz, I'll get +enough magic then to conquer my own Kingdom of the Nomes, and I'll go +back and live in my underground caverns, which are more home-like than +the top of the earth. So here's my proposition: Help me conquer Oz and +get revenge, and help me get the magic away from Glinda and the Wizard, +and I'll let you be King of Oz forever afterward." +</P> + +<P> +"I'll think it over," answered Kiki, and that is all he would say that +evening. +</P> + +<P> +In the night when all in the Inn were asleep but himself, old Ruggedo +the Nome rose softly from his couch and went into the room of Kiki Aru +the Hyup, and searched everywhere for the magic tool that performed his +transformations. Of course, there was no such tool, and although +Ruggedo searched in all the boy's pockets, he found nothing magical +whatever. So he went back to his bed and began to doubt that Kiki +could perform transformations. +</P> + +<P> +Next morning he said: +</P> + +<P> +"Which way do you travel to-day?" +</P> + +<P> +"I think I shall visit the Rose Kingdom," answered the boy. +</P> + +<P> +"That is a long journey," declared the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"I shall transform myself into a bird," said Kiki, "and so fly to the +Rose Kingdom in an hour." +</P> + +<P> +"Then transform me, also, into a bird, and I will go with you," +suggested Ruggedo. "But, in that case, let us fly together to the Land +of Oz, and see what it looks like." +</P> + +<P> +Kiki thought this over. Pleasant as were the countries he had visited, +he heard everywhere that the Land of Oz was more beautiful and +delightful. The Land of Oz was his own country, too, and if there was +any possibility of his becoming its King, he must know something about +it. +</P> + +<P> +While Kiki the Hyup thought, Ruggedo the Nome was also thinking. This +boy possessed a marvelous power, and although very simple in some ways, +he was determined not to part with his secret. However, if Ruggedo +could get him to transport the wily old Nome to Oz, which he could +reach in no other way, he might then induce the boy to follow his +advice and enter into the plot for revenge, which he had already +planned in his wicked heart. +</P> + +<P> +"There are wizards and magicians in Oz," remarked Kiki, after a time. +"They might discover us, in spite of our transformations." +</P> + +<P> +"Not if we are careful," Ruggedo assured him. "Ozma has a Magic +Picture, in which she can see whatever she wishes to see; but Ozma will +know nothing of our going to Oz, and so she will not command her Magic +Picture to show where we are or what we are doing. Glinda the Good has +a Great Book called the Book of Records, in which is magically written +everything that people do in the Land of Oz, just the instant they do +it." +</P> + +<P> +"Then," said Kiki, "there is no use our attempting to conquer the +country, for Glinda would read in her book all that we do, and as her +magic is greater than mine, she would soon put a stop to our plans." +</P> + +<P> +"I said 'people,' didn't I?" retorted the Nome. "The book doesn't make +a record of what birds do, or beasts. It only tells the doings of +people. So, if we fly into the country as birds, Glinda won't know +anything about it." +</P> + +<P> +"Two birds couldn't conquer the Land of Oz," asserted the boy, +scornfully. +</P> + +<P> +"No; that's true," admitted Ruggedo, and then he rubbed his forehead +and stroked his long pointed beard and thought some more. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, now I have the idea!" he declared. "I suppose you can transform +us into beasts as well as birds?" +</P> + +<P> +"Of course." +</P> + +<P> +"And can you make a bird a beast, and a beast a bird again, without +taking a human form in between?" +</P> + +<P> +"Certainly," said Kiki. "I can transform myself or others into +anything that can talk. There's a magic word that must be spoken in +connection with the transformations, and as beasts and birds and +dragons and fishes can talk in Oz, we may become any of these we desire +to. However, if I transformed myself into a tree, I would always +remain a tree, because then I could not utter the magic word to change +the transformation." +</P> + +<P> +"I see; I see," said Ruggedo, nodding his bushy, white head until the +point of his hair waved back and forth like a pendulum. "That fits in +with my idea, exactly. Now, listen, and I'll explain to you my plan. +We'll fly to Oz as birds and settle in one of the thick forests in the +Gillikin Country. There you will transform us into powerful beasts, +and as Glinda doesn't keep any track of the doings of beasts we can act +without being discovered." +</P> + +<P> +"But how can two beasts raise an army to conquer the powerful people of +Oz?" inquired Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"That's easy. But not an army of PEOPLE, mind you. That would be +quickly discovered. And while we are in Oz you and I will never resume +our human forms until we've conquered the country and destroyed Glinda, +and Ozma, and the Wizard, and Dorothy, and all the rest, and so have +nothing more to fear from them." +</P> + +<P> +"It is impossible to kill anyone in the Land of Oz," declared Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"It isn't necessary to kill the Oz people," rejoined Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm afraid I don't understand you," objected the boy. "What will +happen to the Oz people, and what sort of an army could we get +together, except of people?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'll tell you. The forests of Oz are full of beasts. Some of them, +in the far-away places, are savage and cruel, and would gladly follow a +leader as savage as themselves. They have never troubled the Oz people +much, because they had no leader to urge them on, but we will tell them +to help us conquer Oz and as a reward we will transform all the beasts +into men and women, and let them live in the houses and enjoy all the +good things; and we will transform all the people of Oz into beasts of +various sorts, and send them to live in the forests and the jungles. +That is a splendid idea, you must admit, and it's so easy that we won't +have any trouble at all to carry it through to success." +</P> + +<P> +"Will the beasts consent, do you think?" asked the boy. +</P> + +<P> +"To be sure they will. We can get every beast in Oz on our +side—except a few who live in Ozma's palace, and they won't count." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +4. Conspirators +</H3> + +<P> +Kiki Aru didn't know much about Oz and didn't know much about the +beasts who lived there, but the old Nome's plan seemed to him to be +quite reasonable. He had a faint suspicion that Ruggedo meant to get +the best of him in some way, and he resolved to keep a close watch on +his fellow-conspirator. As long as he kept to himself the secret word +of the transformations, Ruggedo would not dare to harm him, and he +promised himself that as soon as they had conquered Oz, he would +transform the old Nome into a marble statue and keep him in that form +forever. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo, on his part, decided that he could, by careful watching and +listening, surprise the boy's secret, and when he had learned the magic +word he would transform Kiki Aru into a bundle of faggots and burn him +up and so be rid of him. +</P> + +<P> +This is always the way with wicked people. They cannot be trusted even +by one another. Ruggedo thought he was fooling Kiki, and Kiki thought +he was fooling Ruggedo; so both were pleased. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a long way across the Desert," remarked the boy, "and the sands +are hot and send up poisonous vapors. Let us wait until evening and +then fly across in the night when it will be cooler." +</P> + +<P> +The former Nome King agreed to this, and the two spent the rest of that +day in talking over their plans. When evening came they paid the +inn-keeper and walked out to a little grove of trees that stood near by. +</P> + +<P> +"Remain here for a few minutes and I'll soon be back," said Kiki, and +walking swiftly away, he left the Nome standing in the grove. Ruggedo +wondered where he had gone, but stood quietly in his place until, all +of a sudden, his form changed to that of a great eagle, and he uttered +a piercing cry of astonishment and flapped his wings in a sort of +panic. At once his eagle cry was answered from beyond the grove, and +another eagle, even larger and more powerful than the transformed +Ruggedo, came sailing through the trees and alighted beside him. +</P> + +<P> +"Now we are ready for the start," said the voice of Kiki, coming from +the eagle. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo realized that this time he had been outwitted. He had thought +Kiki would utter the magic word in his presence, and so he would learn +what it was, but the boy had been too shrewd for that. +</P> + +<P> +As the two eagles mounted high into the air and began their flight +across the great Desert that separates the Land of Oz from all the rest +of the world, the Nome said: +</P> + +<P> +"When I was King of the Nomes I had a magic way of working +transformations that I thought was good, but it could not compare with +your secret word. I had to have certain tools and make passes and say +a lot of mystic words before I could transform anybody." +</P> + +<P> +"What became of your magic tools?" inquired Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"The Oz people took them all away from me—that horrid girl, Dorothy, +and that terrible fairy, Ozma, the Ruler of Oz—at the time they took +away my underground kingdom and kicked me upstairs into the cold, +heartless world." +</P> + +<P> +"Why did you let them do that?" asked the boy. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said Ruggedo, "I couldn't help it. They rolled eggs at +me—EGGS—dreadful eggs!—and if an egg even touches a Nome, he is +ruined for life." +</P> + +<P> +"Is any kind of an egg dangerous to a Nome?" +</P> + +<P> +"Any kind and every kind. An egg is the only thing I'm afraid of." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +5. A Happy Corner of Oz +</H3> + +<P> +There is no other country so beautiful as the Land of Oz. There are no +other people so happy and contented and prosperous as the Oz people. +They have all they desire; they love and admire their beautiful girl +Ruler, Ozma of Oz, and they mix work and play so justly that both are +delightful and satisfying and no one has any reason to complain. Once +in a while something happens in Oz to disturb the people's happiness +for a brief time, for so rich and attractive a fairyland is sure to +make a few selfish and greedy outsiders envious, and therefore certain +evil-doers have treacherously plotted to conquer Oz and enslave its +people and destroy its girl Ruler, and so gain the wealth of Oz for +themselves. But up to the time when the cruel and crafty Nome, +Ruggedo, conspired with Kiki Aru, the Hyup, all such attempts had +failed. The Oz people suspected no danger. Life in the world's nicest +fairyland was one round of joyous, happy days. +</P> + +<P> +In the center of the Emerald City of Oz, the capital city of Ozma's +dominions, is a vast and beautiful garden, surrounded by a wall inlaid +with shining emeralds, and in the center of this garden stands Ozma's +Royal Palace, the most splendid building ever constructed. From a +hundred towers and domes floated the banners of Oz, which included the +Ozmies, the Munchkins, the Gillikins, the Winkies and the Quadlings. +The banner of the Munchkins is blue, that of the Winkies yellow; the +Gillikin banner is purple, and the Quadling's banner is red. The +colors of the Emerald City are of course green. Ozma's own banner has +a green center, and is divided into four quarters. These quarters are +colored blue, purple, yellow and red, indicating that she rules over +all the countries of the Land of Oz. +</P> + +<P> +This fairyland is so big, however, that all of it is not yet known to +its girl Ruler, and it is said that in some far parts of the country, +in forests and mountain fastnesses, in hidden valleys and thick +jungles, are people and beasts that know as little about Ozma as she +knows of them. Still, these unknown subjects are not nearly so +numerous as the known inhabitants of Oz, who occupy all the countries +near to the Emerald City. Indeed, I'm sure it will not be long until +all parts of the fairyland of Oz are explored and their peoples made +acquainted with their Ruler, for in Ozma's palace are several of her +friends who are so curious that they are constantly discovering new and +extraordinary places and inhabitants. +</P> + +<P> +One of the most frequent discoverers of these hidden places in Oz is a +little Kansas girl named Dorothy, who is Ozma's dearest friend and +lives in luxurious rooms in the Royal Palace. Dorothy is, indeed, a +Princess of Oz, but she does not like to be called a princess, and +because she is simple and sweet and does not pretend to be anything but +an ordinary little girl, she is called just "Dorothy" by everybody and +is the most popular person, next to Ozma, in all the Land of Oz. +</P> + +<P> +One morning Dorothy crossed the hall of the palace and knocked on the +door of another girl named Trot, also a guest and friend of Ozma. When +told to enter, Dorothy found that Trot had company, an old sailor-man +with one wooden leg and one meat leg, who was sitting by the open +window puffing smoke from a corn-cob pipe. This sailor-man was named +Cap'n Bill, and he had accompanied Trot to the Land of Oz and was her +oldest and most faithful comrade and friend. Dorothy liked Cap'n Bill, +too, and after she had greeted him, she said to Trot: +</P> + +<P> +"You know, Ozma's birthday is next month, and I've been wondering what +I can give here as a birthday present. She's so good to us all that we +certainly ought to remember her birthday." +</P> + +<P> +"That's true," agreed Trot. "I've been wondering, too, what I could +give Ozma. It's pretty hard to decide, 'cause she's got already all +she wants, and as she's a fairy and knows a lot about magic, she could +satisfy any wish." +</P> + +<P> +"I know," returned Dorothy, "but that isn't the point. It isn't that +Ozma NEEDS anything, but that it will please her to know we've +remembered her birthday. But what shall we give her?" +</P> + +<P> +Trot shook her head in despair. +</P> + +<P> +"I've tried to think and I can't," she declared. +</P> + +<P> +"It's the same way with me," said Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"I know one thing that 'ud please her," remarked Cap'n Bill, turning +his round face with its fringe of whiskers toward the two girls and +staring at them with his big, light-blue eyes wide open. +</P> + +<P> +"What is it, Cap'n Bill?" +</P> + +<P> +"It's an Enchanted Flower," said he. "It's a pretty plant that stands +in a golden flower-pot an' grows all sorts o' flowers, one after +another. One minute a fine rose buds an' blooms, an' then a tulip, an' +next a chrys—chrys—" +</P> + +<P> +"—anthemum," said Dorothy, helping him. +</P> + +<P> +"That's it; and next a dahlia, an' then a daffydil, an' on all through +the range o' posies. Jus' as soon as one fades away, another comes, of +a different sort, an' the perfume from 'em is mighty snifty, an' they +keeps bloomin' night and day, year in an' year out." +</P> + +<P> +"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I think Ozma would like it." +</P> + +<P> +"But where is the Magic Flower, and how can we get it?" asked Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Dun'no, zac'ly," slowly replied Cap'n Bill. "The Glass Cat tol' me +about it only yesterday, an' said it was in some lonely place up at the +nor'east o' here. The Glass Cat goes travelin' all around Oz, you +know, an' the little critter sees a lot o' things no one else does." +</P> + +<P> +"That's true," said Dorothy, thoughtfully. "Northeast of here must be +in the Munchkin Country, and perhaps a good way off, so let's ask the +Glass Cat to tell us how to get to the Magic Flower." +</P> + +<P> +So the two girls, with Cap'n Bill stumping along on his wooden leg +after them, went out into the garden, and after some time spent in +searching, they found the Glass Cat curled up in the sunshine beside a +bush, fast sleep. +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat is one of the most curious creatures in all Oz. It was +made by a famous magician named Dr. Pipt before Ozma had forbidden her +subjects to work magic. Dr. Pipt had made the Glass Cat to catch mice, +but the Cat refused to catch mice and was considered more curious than +useful. +</P> + +<P> +This astonished cat was made all of glass and was so clear and +transparent that you could see through it as easily as through a +window. In the top of its head, however, was a mass of delicate pink +balls which looked like jewels but were intended for brains. It had a +heart made of blood-red ruby. The eyes were two large emeralds. But, +aside from these colors, all the rest of the animal was of clear glass, +and it had a spun-glass tail that was really beautiful. +</P> + +<P> +"Here, wake up," said Cap'n Bill. "We want to talk to you." +</P> + +<P> +Slowly the Glass Cat got upon its feed, yawned and then looked at the +three who stood before it. +</P> + +<P> +"How dare you disturb me?" it asked in a peevish voice. "You ought to +be ashamed of yourselves." +</P> + +<P> +"Never mind that," returned the Sailor. "Do you remember tellin' me +yesterday 'bout a Magic Flower in a Gold Pot?" +</P> + +<P> +"Do you think I'm a fool? Look at my brains—you can see 'em work. Of +course I remember!" said the cat. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, where can we find it?" +</P> + +<P> +"You can't. It's none of your business, anyhow. Go away and let me +sleep," advised the Glass Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"Now, see here," said Dorothy; "we want the Magic Flower to give to +Ozma on her birthday. You'd be glad to please Ozma, wouldn't you?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm not sure," replied the creature. "Why should I want to please +anybody?" +</P> + +<P> +"You've got a heart, 'cause I can see it inside of you," said Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; it's a pretty heart, and I'm fond of it," said the cat, twisting +around to view its own body. "But it's made from a ruby, and it's hard +as nails." +</P> + +<P> +"Aren't you good for ANYthing?" asked Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, I'm pretty to look at, and that's more than can be said of you," +retorted the creature. +</P> + +<P> +Trot laughed at this, and Dorothy, who understood the Glass Cat pretty +well, said soothingly: +</P> + +<P> +"You are indeed beautiful, and if you can tell Cap'n Bill where to find +the Magic Flower, all the people in Oz will praise your cleverness. +The Flower will belong to Ozma, but everyone will know the Glass Cat +discovered it." +</P> + +<P> +This was the kind of praise the crystal creature liked. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," it said, while the pink brains rolled around, "I found the +Magic Flower way up in the north of the Munchkin Country where few +people live or ever go. There's a river there that flows through a +forest, and in the middle of the forest there is a small island on +which stands the gold pot in which grows the Magic Flower." +</P> + +<P> +"How did you get to the island?" asked Dorothy. "Glass cats can't +swim." +</P> + +<P> +"No, but I'm not afraid of water," was the reply. "I just walked +across the river on the bottom." +</P> + +<P> +"Under the water?" exclaimed Trot. +</P> + +<P> +The cat gave her a scornful look. +</P> + +<P> +"How could I walk OVER the water on the BOTTOM of the river? If you +were transparent, anyone could see YOUR brains were not working. But +I'm sure you could never find the place alone. It has always been +hidden from the Oz people." +</P> + +<P> +"But you, with your fine pink brains, could find it again, I s'pose," +remarked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; and if you want that Magic Flower for Ozma, I'll go with you and +show you the way." +</P> + +<P> +"That's lovely of you!" declared Dorothy. "Trot and Cap'n Bill will go +with you, for this is to be their birthday present to Ozma. While +you're gone I'll have to find something else to give her." +</P> + +<P> +"All right. Come on, then, Cap'n," said the Glass Cat, starting to +move away. +</P> + +<P> +"Wait a minute," begged Trot. "How long will we be gone?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, about a week." +</P> + +<P> +"Then I'll put some things in a basket to take with us," said the girl, +and ran into the palace to make her preparations for the journey. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap06"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +6. Ozma's Birthday Presents +</H3> + +<P> +When Cap'n Bill and Trot and the Glass Cat had started for the hidden +island in the far-off river to get the Magic Flower, Dorothy wondered +again what she could give Ozma on her birthday. She met the Patchwork +Girl and said: +</P> + +<P> +"What are you going to give Ozma for a birthday present?" +</P> + +<P> +"I've written a song for her," answered the strange Patchwork Girl, who +went by the name of "Scraps," and who, through stuffed with cotton, had +a fair assortment of mixed brains. "It's a splendid song and the +chorus runs this way: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +I am crazy;<BR> +You're a daisy,<BR> + Ozma dear;<BR> +I'm demented;<BR> +You're contented,<BR> + Ozma dear;<BR> +I am patched and gay and glary;<BR> +You're a sweet and lovely fairy;<BR> +May your birthdays all be happy,<BR> + Ozma dear!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"How do you like it, Dorothy?" inquired the Patchwork Girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Is it good poetry, Scraps?" asked Dorothy, doubtfully. +</P> + +<P> +"It's as good as any ordinary song," was the reply. "I have given it a +dandy title, too. I shall call the song: 'When Ozma Has a Birthday, +Everybody's Sure to Be Gay, for She Cannot Help the Fact That She Was +Born.'" +</P> + +<P> +"That's a pretty long title, Scraps," said Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"That makes it stylish," replied the Patchwork Girl, turning a +somersault and alighting on one stuffed foot. "Now-a-days the titles +are sometimes longer than the songs." +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy left her and walked slowly toward the place, where she met the +Tin Woodman just going up the front steps. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you going to give Ozma on her birthday?" she asked. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a secret, but I'll tell you," replied the Tin Woodman, who was +Emperor of the Winkies. "I am having my people make Ozma a lovely +girdle set with beautiful tin nuggets. Each tin nugget will be +surrounded by a circle of emeralds, just to set it off to good +advantage. The clasp of the girdle will be pure tin! Won't that be +fine?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm sure she'll like it," said Dorothy. "Do you know what I can give +her?" +</P> + +<P> +"I haven't the slightest idea, Dorothy. It took me three months to +think of my own present for Ozma." +</P> + +<P> +The girl walked thoughtfully around to the back of the palace, and +presently came upon the famous Scarecrow of Oz, who has having two of +the palace servants stuff his legs with fresh straw. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you going to give Ozma on her birthday?" asked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"I want to surprise her," answered the Scarecrow. +</P> + +<P> +"I won't tell," promised Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I'm having some straw slippers made for her—all straw, mind +you, and braided very artistically. Ozma has always admired my straw +filling, so I'm sure she'll be pleased with these lovely straw +slippers." +</P> + +<P> +"Ozma will be pleased with anything her loving friends give her," said +the girl. "What I'M worried about, Scarecrow, is what to give Ozma +that she hasn't got already." +</P> + +<P> +"That's what worried me, until I thought of the slippers," said the +Scarecrow. "You'll have to THINK, Dorothy; that's the only way to get +a good idea. If I hadn't such wonderful brains, I'd never have thought +of those straw foot-decorations." +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy left him and went to her room, where she sat down and tried to +think hard. A Pink Kitten was curled up on the window-sill and Dorothy +asked her: +</P> + +<P> +"What can I give Ozma for her birthday present?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, give her some milk," replied the Pink Kitten; "that's the nicest +thing I know of." +</P> + +<P> +A fuzzy little black dog had squatted down at Dorothy's feet and now +looked up at her with intelligent eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"Tell me, Toto," said the girl; "what would Ozma like best for a +birthday present?" +</P> + +<P> +The little black dog wagged his tail. +</P> + +<P> +"Your love," said he. "Ozma wants to be loved more than anything else." +</P> + +<P> +"But I already love her, Toto!" +</P> + +<P> +"Then tell her you love her twice as much as you ever did before." +</P> + +<P> +"That wouldn't be true," objected Dorothy, "for I've always loved her +as much as I could, and, really, Toto, I want to give Ozma some +PRESENT, 'cause everyone else will give her a present." +</P> + +<P> +"Let me see," said Toto. "How would it be to give her that useless +Pink Kitten?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, Toto; that wouldn't do." +</P> + +<P> +"Then six kisses." +</P> + +<P> +"No; that's no present." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I guess you'll have to figure it out for yourself, Dorothy," +said the little dog. "To MY notion you're more particular than Ozma +will be." +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy decided that if anyone could help her it would be Glinda the +Good, the wonderful Sorceress of Oz who was Ozma's faithful subject and +friend. But Glinda's castle was in the Quadling Country and quite a +journey from the Emerald City. +</P> + +<P> +So the little girl went to Ozma and asked permission to use the Wooden +Sawhorse and the royal Red Wagon to pay a visit to Glinda, and the girl +Ruler kissed Princess Dorothy and graciously granted permission. +</P> + +<P> +The Wooden Sawhorse was one of the most remarkable creatures in Oz. +Its body was a small log and its legs were limbs of trees stuck in the +body. Its eyes were knots, its mouth was sawed in the end of the log +and its ears were two chips. A small branch had been left at the rear +end of the log to serve as a tail. +</P> + +<P> +Ozma herself, during one of her early adventures, had brought this +wooden horse to life, and so she was much attached to the queer animal +and had shod the bottoms of its wooden legs with plates of gold so they +would not wear out. The Sawhorse was a swift and willing traveler, and +though it could talk if need arose, it seldom said anything unless +spoken to. When the Sawhorse was harnessed to the Red Wagon there were +no reins to guide him because all that was needed was to tell him where +to go. +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy now told him to go to Glinda's Castle and the Sawhorse carried +her there with marvelous speed. +</P> + +<P> +"Glinda," said Dorothy, when she had been greeted by the Sorceress, who +was tall and stately, with handsome and dignified features and dressed +in a splendid and becoming gown, "what are you going to give Ozma for a +birthday present?" +</P> + +<P> +The Sorceress smiled and answered: +</P> + +<P> +"Come into my patio and I will show you." +</P> + +<P> +So they entered a place that was surrounded by the wings of the great +castle but had no roof, and was filled with flowers and fountains and +exquisite statuary and many settees and chairs of polished marble or +filigree gold. Here there were gathered fifty beautiful young girls, +Glinda's handmaids, who had been selected from all parts of the Land of +Oz on account of their wit and beauty and sweet dispositions. It was a +great honor to be made one of Glinda's handmaidens. +</P> + +<P> +When Dorothy followed the Sorceress into this delightful patio all the +fifty girls were busily weaving, and their shuttles were filled with a +sparkling green spun glass such as the little girl had never seen +before. +</P> + +<P> +"What is it, Glinda?" she asked. +</P> + +<P> +"One of my recent discoveries," explained the Sorceress. "I have found +a way to make threads from emeralds, by softening the stones and then +spinning them into long, silken strands. With these emerald threads we +are weaving cloth to make Ozma a splendid court gown for her birthday. +You will notice that the threads have all the beautiful glitter and +luster of the emeralds from which they are made, and so Ozma's new +dress will be the most magnificent the world has ever seen, and quite +fitting for our lovely Ruler of the Fairyland of Oz." +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy's eyes were fairly dazed by the brilliance of the emerald +cloth, some of which the girls had already woven. +</P> + +<P> +"I've never seen ANYthing so beautiful!" she said, with a sigh. "But +tell me, Glinda, what can I give our lovely Ozma on her birthday?" +</P> + +<P> +The good Sorceress considered this question for a long time before she +replied. Finally she said: +</P> + +<P> +"Of course there will be a grand feast at the Royal Palace on Ozma's +birthday, and all our friends will be present. So I suggest that you +make a fine big birthday cake of Ozma, and surround it with candles." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, just a CAKE!" exclaimed Dorothy, in disappointment. +</P> + +<P> +"Nothing is nicer for a birthday," said the Sorceress. +</P> + +<P> +"How many candles should there be on the cake?" asked the girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Just a row of them," replied Glinda, "for no one knows how old Ozma +is, although she appears to us to be just a young girl—as fresh and +fair as if she had lived but a few years." +</P> + +<P> +"A cake doesn't seem like much of a present," Dorothy asserted. +</P> + +<P> +"Make it a surprise cake," suggested the Sorceress. "Don't you +remember the four and twenty blackbirds that were baked in a pie? +Well, you need not use live blackbirds in your cake, but you could have +some surprise of a different sort." +</P> + +<P> +"Like what?" questioned Dorothy, eagerly. +</P> + +<P> +"If I told you, it wouldn't be YOUR present to Ozma, but MINE," +answered the Sorceress, with a smile. "Think it over, my dear, and I +am sure you can originate a surprise that will add greatly to the joy +and merriment of Ozma's birthday banquet." +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy thanked her friend and entered the Red Wagon and told the +Sawhorse to take her back home to the palace in the Emerald City. +</P> + +<P> +On the way she thought the matter over seriously of making a surprise +birthday cake and finally decided what to do. +</P> + +<P> +As soon as she reached home, she went to the Wizard of Oz, who had a +room fitted up in one of the high towers of the palace, where he +studied magic so as to be able to perform such wizardry as Ozma +commanded him to do for the welfare of her subjects. +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard and Dorothy were firm friends and had enjoyed many strange +adventures together. He was a little man with a bald head and sharp +eyes and a round, jolly face, and because he was neither haughty nor +proud he had become a great favorite with the Oz people. +</P> + +<P> +"Wizard," said Dorothy, "I want you to help me fix up a present for +Ozma's birthday." +</P> + +<P> +"I'll be glad to do anything for you and for Ozma," he answered. +"What's on your mind, Dorothy?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm going to make a great cake, with frosting and candles, and all +that, you know." +</P> + +<P> +"Very good," said the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"In the center of this cake I'm going to leave a hollow place, with +just a roof of the frosting over it," continued the girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Very good," repeated the Wizard, nodding his bald head. +</P> + +<P> +"In that hollow place," said Dorothy, "I want to hide a lot of monkeys +about three inches high, and after the cake is placed on the banquet +table, I want the monkeys to break through the frosting and dance +around on the table-cloth. Then, I want each monkey to cut out a piece +of cake and hand it to a guest." +</P> + +<P> +"Mercy me!" cried the little Wizard, as he chuckled with laughter. "Is +that ALL you want, Dorothy?" +</P> + +<P> +"Almost," said she. "Can you think of anything more the little monkeys +can do, Wizard?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not just now," he replied. "But where will you get such tiny monkeys?" +</P> + +<P> +"That's where you're to help me," said Dorothy. "In some of those wild +forests in the Gillikin Country are lots of monkeys." +</P> + +<P> +"Big ones," said the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you and I will go there, and we'll get some of the big monkeys, +and you will make them small—just three inches high—by means of your +magic, and we'll put the little monkeys all in a basket and bring them +home with us. Then you'll train them to dance—up here in your room, +where no one can see them—and on Ozma's birthday we'll put 'em into +the cake and they'll know by that time just what to do." +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard looked at Dorothy with admiring approval, and chuckled again. +</P> + +<P> +"That's really clever, my dear," he said, "and I see no reason why we +can't do it, just the way you say, if only we can get the wild monkeys +to agree to it." +</P> + +<P> +"Do you think they'll object?" asked the girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; but perhaps we can argue them into it. Anyhow it's worth trying, +and I'll help you if you'll agree to let this Surprise Cake be a +present to Ozma from you and me together. I've been wondering what I +could give Ozma, and as I've got to train the monkeys as well as make +them small, I think you ought to make me your partner." +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," said Dorothy; "I'll be glad to do so." +</P> + +<P> +"Then it's a bargain," declared the Wizard. "We must go to seek those +monkeys at once, however, for it will take time to train them and we'll +have to travel a good way to the Gillikin forests where they live." +</P> + +<P> +"I'm ready to go any time," agreed Dorothy. "Shall we ask Ozma to let +us take the Sawhorse?" +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard did not answer that at once. He took time to think of the +suggestion. +</P> + +<P> +"No," he answered at length, "the Red Wagon couldn't get through the +thick forests and there's some danger to us in going into the wild +places to search for monkeys. So I propose we take the Cowardly Lion +and the Hungry Tiger. We can ride on their backs as well as in the Red +Wagon, and if there is danger to us from other beasts, these two +friendly champions will protect us from all harm." +</P> + +<P> +"That's a splendid idea!" exclaimed Dorothy. "Let's go now and ask the +Hungry Tiger and the Cowardly Lion if they will help us. Shall we ask +Ozma if we can go?" +</P> + +<P> +"I think not," said the Wizard, getting his hat and his black bag of +magic tools. "This is to be a surprise for her birthday, and so she +mustn't know where we're going. We'll just leave word, in case Ozma +inquires for us, that we'll be back in a few days." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap07"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +7. The Forest of Gugu +</H3> + +<P> +In the central western part of the Gillikin Country is a great tangle +of trees called Gugu Forest. It is the biggest forest in all Oz and +stretches miles and miles in every direction—north, south, east and +west. Adjoining it on the east side is a range of rugged mountains +covered with underbrush and small twisted trees. You can find this +place by looking at the Map of the Land of Oz. +</P> + +<P> +Gugu Forest is the home of most of the wild beasts that inhabit Oz. +These are seldom disturbed in their leafy haunts because there is no +reason why Oz people should go there, except on rare occasions, and +most parts of the forest have never been seen by any eyes but the eyes +of the beasts who make their home there. The biggest beasts inhabit +the great forest, while the smaller ones live mostly in the mountain +underbrush at the east. +</P> + +<P> +Now, you must know that there are laws in the forests, as well as in +every other place, and these laws are made by the beasts themselves, +and are necessary to keep them from fighting and tearing one another to +pieces. In Gugu Forest there is a King—an enormous yellow leopard +called "Gugu"—after whom the forest is named. And this King has three +other beasts to advise him in keeping the laws and maintaining +order—Bru the Bear, Loo the Unicorn and Rango the Gray Ape—who are +known as the King's Counselors. All these are fierce and ferocious +beasts, and hold their high offices because they are more intelligent +and more feared then their fellows. +</P> + +<P> +Since Oz became a fairyland, no man, woman or child ever dies in that +land nor is anyone ever sick. Likewise the beasts of the forests never +die, so that long years add to their cunning and wisdom, as well as to +their size and strength. It is possible for beasts—or even people—to +be destroyed, but the task is so difficult that it is seldom attempted. +Because it is free from sickness and death is one reason why Oz is a +fairyland, but it is doubtful whether those who come to Oz from the +outside world, as Dorothy and Button-Bright and Trot and Cap'n Bill and +the Wizard did, will live forever or cannot be injured. Even Ozma is +not sure about this, and so the guests of Ozma from other lands are +always carefully protected from any danger, so as to be on the safe +side. +</P> + +<P> +In spite of the laws of the forests there are often fights among the +beasts; some of them have lost an eye or an ear or even had a leg torn +off. The King and the King's Counselors always punish those who start +a fight, but so fierce is the nature of some beasts that they will at +times fight in spite of laws and punishment. +</P> + +<P> +Over this vast, wild Forest of Gugu flew two eagles, one morning, and +near the center of the jungle the eagles alighted on a branch of a tall +tree. +</P> + +<P> +"Here is the place for us to begin our work," said one, who was +Ruggedo, the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"Do many beasts live here?" asked Kiki Aru, the other eagle. +</P> + +<P> +"The forest is full of them," said the Nome. "There are enough beasts +right here to enable us to conquer the people of Oz, if we can get them +to consent to join us. To do that, we must go among them and tell them +our plans, so we must now decide on what shapes we had better assume +while in the forest." +</P> + +<P> +"I suppose we must take the shapes of beasts?" said Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course. But that requires some thought. All kinds of beasts live +here, and a yellow leopard is King. If we become leopards, the King +will be jealous of us. If we take the forms of some of the other +beasts, we shall not command proper respect." +</P> + +<P> +"I wonder if the beasts will attack us?" asked Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm a Nome, and immortal, so nothing can hurt me," replied Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"I was born in the Land of Oz, so nothing can hurt me," said Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"But, in order to carry out our plans, we must win the favor of all the +animals of the forest." +</P> + +<P> +"Then what shall we do?" asked Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"Let us mix the shapes of several beasts, so we will not look like any +one of them," proposed the wily old Nome. "Let us have the heads of +lions, the bodies of monkeys, the wings of eagles and the tails of wild +asses, with knobs of gold on the end of them instead of bunches of +hair." +</P> + +<P> +"Won't that make a queer combination?" inquired Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"The queerer the better," declared Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"All right," said Kiki. "You stay here, and I'll fly away to another +tree and transform us both, and then we'll climb down our trees and +meet in the forest." +</P> + +<P> +"No," said the Nome, "we mustn't separate. You must transform us while +we are together." +</P> + +<P> +"I won't do that," asserted Kiki, firmly. "You're trying to get my +secret, and I won't let you." +</P> + +<P> +The eyes of the other eagle flashed angrily, but Ruggedo did not dare +insist. If he offended this boy, he might have to remain an eagle +always and he wouldn't like that. Some day he hoped to be able to +learn the secret word of the magical transformations, but just now he +must let Kiki have his own way. +</P> + +<P> +"All right," he said gruffly; "do as you please." +</P> + +<P> +So Kiki flew to a tree that was far enough distant so that Ruggedo +could not overhear him and said: "I want Ruggedo, the Nome, and myself +to have the heads of lions, the bodies of monkeys, the wings of eagles +and the tails of wild asses, with knobs of gold on the ends of them +instead of bunches of hair—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +He pronounced the magic word in the proper manner and at once his form +changed to the one he had described. He spread his eagle's wings and +finding they were strong enough to support his monkey body and lion +head he flew swiftly to the tree where he had left Ruggedo. The Nome +was also transformed and was climbing down the tree because the +branches all around him were so thickly entwined that there was no room +between them to fly. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki quickly joined his comrade and it did not take them long to reach +the ground. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap08"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +8. The Li-Mon-Eags Make Trouble +</H3> + +<P> +There had been trouble in the Forest of Gugu that morning. Chipo the +Wild Boar had bitten the tail off Arx the Giraffe while the latter had +his head among the leaves of a tree, eating his breakfast. Arx kicked +with his heels and struck Tirrip, the great Kangaroo, who had a new +baby in her pouch. Tirrip knew it was the Wild Boar's fault, so she +knocked him over with one powerful blow and then ran away to escape +Chipo's sharp tusks. In the chase that followed a giant porcupine +stuck fifty sharp quills into the Boar and a chimpanzee in a tree threw +a cocoanut at the porcupine that jammed its head into its body. +</P> + +<P> +All this was against the Laws of the Forest, and when the excitement +was over, Gugu the Leopard King called his royal Counselors together to +decide how best to punish the offenders. +</P> + +<P> +The four lords of the forest were holding solemn council in a small +clearing when they saw two strange beasts approaching them—beasts the +like of which they had never seen before. +</P> + +<P> +Not one of the four, however, relaxed his dignity or showed by a +movement that he was startled. The great Leopard crouched at full +length upon a fallen tree-trunk. Bru the Bear sat on his haunches +before the King; Rango the Gray Ape stood with his muscular arms +folded, and Loo the Unicorn reclined, much as a horse does, between his +fellow-councillors. With one consent they remained silent, eyeing with +steadfast looks the intruders, who were making their way into their +forest domain. +</P> + +<P> +"Well met, Brothers!" said one of the strange beasts, coming to a halt +beside the group, while his comrade with hesitation lagged behind. +</P> + +<P> +"We are not brothers," returned the Gray Ape, sternly. "Who are you, +and how came you in the forest of Gugu?" +</P> + +<P> +"We are two Li-Mon-Eags," said Ruggedo, inventing the name. "Our home +is in Sky Island, and we have come to earth to warn the forest beasts +that the people of Oz are about to make war upon them and enslave them, +so that they will become beasts of burden forever after and obey only +the will of their two-legged masters." +</P> + +<P> +A low roar of anger arose from the Council of Beasts. +</P> + +<P> +"WHO'S going to do that?" asked Loo the Unicorn, in a high, squeaky +voice, at the same time rising to his feet. +</P> + +<P> +"The people of Oz," said Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"But what will WE be doing?" inquired the Unicorn. +</P> + +<P> +"That's what I've come to talk to you about." +</P> + +<P> +"You needn't talk! We'll fight the Oz people!" screamed the Unicorn. +"We'll smash 'em; we'll trample 'em; we'll gore 'em; we'll—" +</P> + +<P> +"Silence!" growled Gugu the King, and Loo obeyed, although still +trembling with wrath. The cold, steady gaze of the Leopard wandered +over the two strange beasts. "The people of Oz," said he, "have not +been our friends; they have not been our enemies. They have let us +alone, and we have let them alone. There is no reason for war between +us. They have no slaves. They could not use us as slaves if they +should conquer us. I think you are telling us lies, you strange +Li-Mon-Eag—you mixed-up beast who are neither one thing nor another." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, on my word, it's the truth!" protested the Nome in the beast's +shape. "I wouldn't lie for the world; I—" +</P> + +<P> +"Silence!" again growled Gugu the King; and somehow, even Ruggedo was +abashed and obeyed the edict. +</P> + +<P> +"What do you say, Bru?" asked the King, turning to the great Bear, who +had until now said nothing. +</P> + +<P> +"How does the Mixed Beast know that what he says is true?" asked the +Bear. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, I can fly, you know, having the wings of an Eagle," explained the +Nome. "I and my comrade yonder," turning to Kiki, "flew to a grove in +Oz, and there we heard the people telling how they will make many ropes +to snare you beasts, and then they will surround this forest, and all +other forests, and make you prisoners. So we came here to warn you, +for being beasts ourselves, although we live in the sky, we are your +friends." +</P> + +<P> +The Leopard's lip curled and showed his enormous teeth, sharp as +needles. He turned to the Gray Ape. +</P> + +<P> +"What do YOU think, Rango?" he asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Send these mixed beasts away, Your Majesty," replied the Gray Ape. +"They are mischief-makers." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't do that—don't do that!" cried the Unicorn, nervously. "The +stranger said he would tell us what to do. Let him tell us, then. Are +we fools, not to heed a warning?" +</P> + +<P> +Gugu the King turned to Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"Speak, Stranger," he commanded. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said the Nome, "it's this way: The Land of Oz is a fine +country. The people of Oz have many good things—houses with soft +beds, all sorts of nice-tasting food, pretty clothes, lovely jewels, +and many other things that beasts know nothing of. Here in the dark +forests the poor beasts have hard work to get enough to eat and to find +a bed to rest in. But the beasts are better than the people, and why +should they not have all the good things the people have? So I propose +that before the Oz people have the time to make all those ropes to +snare you with, that all we beasts get together and march against the +Oz people and capture them. Then the beasts will become the masters +and the people their slaves." +</P> + +<P> +"What good would that do us?" asked Bru the Bear. +</P> + +<P> +"It would save you from slavery, for one thing, and you could enjoy all +the fine things of Oz people have." +</P> + +<P> +"Beasts wouldn't know what to do with the things people use," said the +Gray Ape. +</P> + +<P> +"But this is only part of my plan," insisted the Nome. "Listen to the +rest of it. We two Li-Mon-Eags are powerful magicians. When you have +conquered the Oz people we will transform them all into beasts, and +send them to the forests to live, and we will transform all the beasts +into people, so they can enjoy all the wonderful delights of the +Emerald City." +</P> + +<P> +For a moment no beast spoke. Then the King said: "Prove it." +</P> + +<P> +"Prove what?" asked Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"Prove that you can transform us. If you are a magician transform the +Unicorn into a man. Then we will believe you. If you fail, we will +destroy you." +</P> + +<P> +"All right," said the Nome. "But I'm tired, so I'll let my comrade +make the transformation." +</P> + +<P> +Kiki Aru had stood back from the circle, but he had heard all that was +said. He now realized that he must make good Ruggedo's boast, so he +retreated to the edge of the clearing and whispered the magic word. +</P> + +<P> +Instantly the Unicorn became a fat, chubby little man, dressed in the +purple Gillikin costume, and it was hard to tell which was the more +astonished, the King, the Bear, the Ape or the former Unicorn. +</P> + +<P> +"It's true!" shorted the man-beast. "Good gracious, look what I am! +It's wonderful!" +</P> + +<P> +The King of Beasts now addressed Ruggedo in a more friendly tone. +</P> + +<P> +"We must believe your story, since you have given us proof of your +power," said he. "But why, if you are so great a magician, cannot you +conquer the Oz people without our help, and so save us the trouble?" +</P> + +<P> +"Alas!" replied the crafty old Nome, "no magician is able to do +everything. The transformations are easy to us because we are +Li-Mon-Eags, but we cannot fight, or conquer even such weak creatures +as the Oz people. But we will stay with you and advise and help you, +and we will transform all the Oz people into beasts, when the time +comes, and all the beasts into people." +</P> + +<P> +Gugu the King turned to his Counselors. +</P> + +<P> +"How shall we answer this friendly stranger?" he asked. +</P> + +<P> +Loo the former Unicorn was dancing around and cutting capers like a +clown. +</P> + +<P> +"On my word, your Majesty," he said, "this being a man is more fun than +being a Unicorn." +</P> + +<P> +"You look like a fool," said the Gray Ape. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I FEEL fine!" declared the man-beast. +</P> + +<P> +"I think I prefer to be a Bear," said Big Bru. "I was born a Bear, and +I know a Bear's ways. So I am satisfied to live as a Bear lives." +</P> + +<P> +"That," said the old Nome, "is because you know nothing better. When +we have conquered the Oz people, and you become a man, you'll be glad +of it." +</P> + +<P> +The immense Leopard rested his chin on the log and seemed thoughtful. +</P> + +<P> +"The beasts of the forest must decide this matter for themselves," he +said. "Go you, Rango the Gray Ape, and tell your monkey tribe to order +all the forest beasts to assemble in the Great Clearing at sunrise +to-morrow. When all are gathered together, this mixed-up Beast who is +a magician shall talk to them and tell them what he has told us. Then, +if they decide to fight the Oz people, who have declared war on us, I +will lead the beasts to battle." +</P> + +<P> +Rango the Gray Ape turned at once and glided swiftly through the forest +on his mission. The Bear gave a grunt and walked away. Gugu the King +rose and stretched himself. Then he said to Ruggedo: "Meet us at +sunrise to-morrow," and with stately stride vanished among the trees. +</P> + +<P> +The man-unicorn, left alone with the strangers, suddenly stopped his +foolish prancing. +</P> + +<P> +"You'd better make me a Unicorn again," he said. "I like being a man, +but the forest beasts won't know I'm their friend, Loo, and they might +tear me in pieces before morning." +</P> + +<P> +So Kiki changed him back to his former shape, and the Unicorn departed +to join his people. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo the Nome was much pleased with his success. +</P> + +<P> +"To-morrow," he said to Kiki Aru, "we'll win over these beasts and set +them to fight and conquer the Oz people. Then I will have my revenge +on Ozma and Dorothy and all the rest of my enemies." +</P> + +<P> +"But I am doing all the work," said Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"Never mind; you're going to be King of Oz," promised Ruggedo. +</P> + +<P> +"Will the big Leopard let me be King?" asked the boy anxiously. +</P> + +<P> +The Nome came close to him and whispered: +</P> + +<P> +"If Gugu the Leopard opposes us, you will transform him into a tree, +and then he will be helpless." +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," agreed Kiki, and he said to himself: "I shall also +transform this deceitful Nome into a tree, for he lies and I cannot +trust him." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap09"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +9. The Isle of the Magic Flower +</H3> + +<P> +The Glass Cat was a good guide and led Trot and Cap'n Bill by straight +and easy paths through all the settled part of the Munchkin Country, +and then into the north section where there were few houses, and +finally through a wild country where there were no houses or paths at +all. But the walking was not difficult and at last they came to the +edge of a forest and stopped there to make camp and sleep until morning. +</P> + +<P> +From branches of trees Cap'n Bill made a tiny house that was just big +enough for the little girl to crawl into and lie down. But first they +ate some of the food Trot had carried in the basket. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you want some, too?" she asked the Glass Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"No," answered the creature. +</P> + +<P> +"I suppose you'll hunt around an' catch a mouse," remarked Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"Me? Catch a mouse! Why should I do that?" inquired the Glass Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, then you could eat it," said the sailor-man. +</P> + +<P> +"I beg to inform you," returned the crystal tabby, "that I do not eat +mice. Being transparent, so anyone can see through me, I'd look nice, +wouldn't I, with a common mouse inside me? But the fact is that I +haven't any stomach or other machinery that would permit me to eat +things. The careless magician who made me didn't think I'd need to +eat, I suppose." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you ever get hungry or thirsty?" asked Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Never. I don't complain, you know, at the way I'm made, for I've +never yet seen any living thing as beautiful as I am. I have the +handsomest brains in the world. They're pink, and you can see 'em +work." +</P> + +<P> +"I wonder," said Trot thoughtfully, as she ate her bread and jam, "if +MY brains whirl around in the same way yours do." +</P> + +<P> +"No; not the same way, surely," returned the Glass Cat; "for, in that +case, they'd be as good as MY brains, except that they're hidden under +a thick, boney skull." +</P> + +<P> +"Brains," remarked Cap'n Bill, "is of all kinds and work different +ways. But I've noticed that them as thinks that their brains is best +is often mistook." +</P> + +<P> +Trot was a little disturbed by sounds from the forest, that night, for +many beasts seemed prowling among the trees, but she was confident +Cap'n Bill would protect her from harm. And in fact, no beast ventured +from the forest to attack them. +</P> + +<P> +At daybreak they were up again, and after a simple breakfast Cap'n Bill +said to the Glass Cat: +</P> + +<P> +"Up anchor, Mate, and let's forge ahead. I don't suppose we're far +from that Magic Flower, are we?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not far," answered the transparent one, as it led the way into the +forest, "but it may take you some time to get to it." +</P> + +<P> +Before long they reached the bank of a river. It was not very wide, at +this place, but as they followed the banks in a northerly direction it +gradually broadened. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly the blue-green leaves of the trees changed to a purple hue, +and Trot noticed this and said: +</P> + +<P> +"I wonder what made the colors change like that?" +</P> + +<P> +"It's because we have left the Munchkin Country and entered the +Gillikin Country," explained the Glass Cat. "Also it's a sign our +journey is nearly ended." +</P> + +<P> +The river made a sudden turn, and after the travelers had passed around +the bend, they saw that the stream had now become as broad as a small +lake, and in the center of the Lake they beheld a little island, not +more than fifty feet in extent, either way. Something glittered in the +middle of this tiny island, and the Glass Cat paused on the bank and +said: +</P> + +<P> +"There is the gold flower-pot containing the Magic Flower, which is +very curious and beautiful. If you can get to the island, your task is +ended—except to carry the thing home with you." +</P> + +<P> +Cap'n Bill looked at the broad expanse of water and began to whistle a +low, quavering tune. Trot knew that the whistle meant that Cap'n Bill +was thinking, and the old sailor didn't look at the island as much as +he looked at the trees upon the bank where they stood. Presently he +took from the big pocket of his coat an axe-blade, wound in an old +cloth to keep the sharp edge from cutting his clothing. Then, with a +large pocket knife, he cut a small limb from a tree and whittled it +into a handle for his axe. +</P> + +<P> +"Sit down, Trot," he advised the girl, as he worked. "I've got quite a +job ahead of me now, for I've got to build us a raft." +</P> + +<P> +"What do we need a raft for, Cap'n?" +</P> + +<P> +"Why, to take us to the island. We can't walk under water, in the +river bed, as the Glass Cat did, so we must float atop the water." +</P> + +<P> +"Can you make a raft, Cap'n Bill?" +</P> + +<P> +"O' course, Trot, if you give me time." +</P> + +<P> +The little girl sat down on a log and gazed at the Island of the Magic +Flower. Nothing else seemed to grow on the tiny isle. There was no +tree, no shrub, no grass, even, as far as she could make out from that +distance. But the gold pot glittered in the rays of the sun, and Trot +could catch glimpses of glowing colors above it, as the Magic Flower +changed from one sort to another. +</P> + +<P> +"When I was here before," remarked the Glass Cat, lazily reclining at +the girl's feet, "I saw two Kalidahs on this very bank, where they had +come to drink." +</P> + +<P> +"What are Kalidahs?" asked the girl. +</P> + +<P> +"The most powerful and ferocious beasts in all Oz. This forest is +their especial home, and so there are few other beasts to be found +except monkeys. The monkeys are spry enough to keep out of the way of +the fierce Kalidahs, which attack all other animals and often fight +among themselves." +</P> + +<P> +"Did they try to fight you when you saw 'em?" asked Trot, getting very +much excited. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes. They sprang upon me in an instant; but I lay flat on the ground, +so I wouldn't get my legs broken by the great weight of the beasts, and +when they tried to bite me I laughed at them and jeered them until they +were frantic with rage, for they nearly broke their teeth on my hard +glass. So, after a time, they discovered they could not hurt me, and +went away. It was great fun." +</P> + +<P> +"I hope they don't come here again to drink,—not while we're here, +anyhow," returned the girl, "for I'm not made of glass, nor is Cap'n +Bill, and if those bad beasts bit us, we'd get hurt." +</P> + +<P> +Cap'n Bill was cutting from the trees some long stakes, making them +sharp at one end and leaving a crotch at the other end. These were to +bind the logs of his raft together. He had fashioned several and was +just finishing another when the Glass Cat cried: "Look out! There's a +Kalidah coming toward us." +</P> + +<P> +Trot jumped up, greatly frightened, and looked at the terrible animal +as if fascinated by its fierce eyes, for the Kalidah was looking at +her, too, and its look wasn't at all friendly. But Cap'n Bill called +to her: "Wade into the river, Trot, up to your knees—an' stay there!" +and she obeyed him at once. The sailor-man hobbled forward, the stake +in one hand and his axe in the other, and got between the girl and the +beast, which sprang upon him with a growl of defiance. +</P> + +<P> +Cap'n Bill moved pretty slowly, sometimes, but now he was quick as +could be. As the Kalidah sprang toward him he stuck out his wooden leg +and the point of it struck the beast between the eyes and sent it +rolling upon the ground. Before it could get upon its feet again the +sailor pushed the sharp stake right through its body and then with the +flat side of the axe he hammered the stake as far into the ground as it +would go. By this means he captured the great beast and made it +harmless, for try as it would, it could not get away from the stake +that held it. +</P> + +<P> +Cap'n Bill knew he could not kill the Kalidah, for no living thing in +Oz can be killed, so he stood back and watched the beast wriggle and +growl and paw the earth with its sharp claws, and then, satisfied it +could not escape, he told Trot to come out of the water again and dry +her wet shoes and stockings in the sun. +</P> + +<P> +"Are you sure he can't get away?" she asked. +</P> + +<P> +"I'd bet a cookie on it," said Cap'n Bill, so Trot came ashore and took +off her shoes and stockings and laid them on the log to dry, while the +sailor-man resumed his work on the raft. +</P> + +<P> +The Kalidah, realizing after many struggles that it could not escape, +now became quiet, but it said in a harsh, snarling voice: +</P> + +<P> +"I suppose you think you're clever, to pin me to the ground in this +manner. But when my friends, the other Kalidahs, come here, they'll +tear you to pieces for treating me this way." +</P> + +<P> +"P'raps," remarked Cap'n Bill, coolly, as he chopped at the logs, "an' +p'raps not. When are your folks comin' here?" +</P> + +<P> +"I don't know," admitted the Kalidah. "But when they DO come, you +can't escape them." +</P> + +<P> +"If they hold off long enough, I'll have my raft ready," said Cap'n +Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you going to do with a raft?" inquired the beast. +</P> + +<P> +"We're goin' over to that island, to get the Magic Flower." +</P> + +<P> +The huge beast looked at him in surprise a moment, and then it began to +laugh. The laugh was a good deal like a roar, and it had a cruel and +derisive sound, but it was a laugh nevertheless. +</P> + +<P> +"Good!" said the Kalidah. "Good! Very good! I'm glad you're going to +get the Magic Flower. But what will you do with it?" +</P> + +<P> +"We're going to take it to Ozma, as a present on her birthday." +</P> + +<P> +The Kalidah laughed again; then it became sober. "If you get to the +land on your raft before my people can catch you," it said, "you will +be safe from us. We can swim like ducks, so the girl couldn't have +escaped me by getting into the water; but Kalidahs don't go to that +island over there." +</P> + +<P> +"Why not?" asked Trot. +</P> + +<P> +The beast was silent. +</P> + +<P> +"Tell us the reason," urged Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, it's the Isle of the Magic Flower," answered the Kalidah, "and +we don't care much for magic. If you hadn't had a magic leg, instead +of a meat one, you couldn't have knocked me over so easily and stuck +this wooden pin through me." +</P> + +<P> +"I've been to the Magic Isle," said the Glass Cat, "and I've watched +the Magic Flower bloom, and I'm sure it's too pretty to be left in that +lonely place where only beasts prowl around it and no else sees it. So +we're going to take it away to the Emerald City." +</P> + +<P> +"I don't care," the beast replied in a surly tone. "We Kalidahs would +be just as contented if there wasn't a flower in our forest. What good +are the things anyhow?" +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you like pretty things?" asked Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"No." +</P> + +<P> +"You ought to admire my pink brains, anyhow," declared the Glass Cat. +"They're beautiful and you can see 'em work." +</P> + +<P> +The beast only growled in reply, and Cap'n Bill, having now cut all his +logs to a proper size, began to roll them to the water's edge and +fasten them together. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap10"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +10. Stuck Fast +</H3> + +<P> +The day was nearly gone when, at last, the raft was ready. +</P> + +<P> +"It ain't so very big," said the old sailor, "but I don't weigh much, +an' you, Trot, don't weigh half as much as I do, an' the glass pussy +don't count." +</P> + +<P> +"But it's safe, isn't it?" inquired the girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; it's good enough to carry us to the island an' back again, an' +that's about all we can expect of it." +</P> + +<P> +Saying this, Cap'n Bill pushed the raft into the water, and when it was +afloat, stepped upon it and held out his hand to Trot, who quickly +followed him. The Glass Cat boarded the raft last of all. +</P> + +<P> +The sailor had cut a long pole, and had also whittled a flat paddle, +and with these he easily propelled the raft across the river. As they +approached the island, the Wonderful Flower became more plainly +visible, and they quickly decided that the Glass Cat had not praised it +too highly. The colors of the flowers that bloomed in quick succession +were strikingly bright and beautiful, and the shapes of the blossoms +were varied and curious. Indeed, they did not resemble ordinary +flowers at all. +</P> + +<P> +So intently did Trot and Cap'n Bill gaze upon the Golden Flower-pot +that held the Magic Flower that they scarcely noticed the island itself +until the raft beached upon its sands. But then the girl exclaimed: +"How funny it is, Cap'n Bill, that nothing else grows here excep' the +Magic Flower." +</P> + +<P> +Then the sailor glanced at the island and saw that it was all bare +ground, without a weed, a stone or a blade of grass. Trot, eager to +examine the Flower closer, sprang from the raft and ran up the bank +until she reached the Golden Flower-pot. Then she stood beside it +motionless and filled with wonder. Cap'n Bill joined her, coming more +leisurely, and he, too, stood in silent admiration for a time. +</P> + +<P> +"Ozma will like this," remarked the Glass Cat, sitting down to watch +the shifting hues of the flowers. "I'm sure she won't have as fine a +birthday present from anyone else." +</P> + +<P> +"Do you 'spose it's very heavy, Cap'n? And can we get it home without +breaking it?" asked Trot anxiously. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I've lifted many bigger things than that," he replied; "but +let's see what it weighs." +</P> + +<P> +He tried to take a step forward, but could not lift his meat foot from +the ground. His wooden leg seemed free enough, but the other would not +budge. +</P> + +<P> +"I seem stuck, Trot," he said, with a perplexed look at his foot. "It +ain't mud, an' it ain't glue, but somethin's holdin' me down." +</P> + +<P> +The girl attempted to lift her own feet, to go nearer to her friend, +but the ground held them as fast as it held Cap'n Bill's foot. She +tried to slide them, or to twist them around, but it was no use; she +could not move either foot a hair's breadth. +</P> + +<P> +"This is funny!" she exclaimed. "What do you 'spose has happened to us, +Cap'n Bill?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm tryin' to make out," he answered. "Take off your shoes, Trot. +P'raps it's the leather soles that's stuck to the ground." +</P> + +<P> +She leaned down and unlaced her shoes, but found she could not pull her +feet out of them. The Glass Cat, which was walking around as naturally +as ever, now said: +</P> + +<P> +"Your foot has got roots to it, Cap'n, and I can see the roots going +into the ground, where they spread out in all directions. It's the +same way with Trot. That's why you can't move. The roots hold you +fast." +</P> + +<P> +Cap'n Bill was rather fat and couldn't see his own feet very well, but +he squatted down and examined Trot's feet and decided that the Glass +Cat was right. +</P> + +<P> +"This is hard luck," he declared, in a voice that showed he was uneasy +at the discovery. "We're pris'ners, Trot, on this funny island, an' +I'd like to know how we're ever goin' to get loose, so's we can get +home again." +</P> + +<P> +"Now I know why the Kalidah laughed at us," said the girl, "and why he +said none of the beasts ever came to this island. The horrid creature +knew we'd be caught, and wouldn't warn us." +</P> + +<P> +In the meantime, the Kalidah, although pinned fast to the earth by +Cap'n Bill's stake, was facing the island, and now the ugly expression +which passed over its face when it defied and sneered at Cap'n Bill and +Trot, had changed to one of amusement and curiosity. When it saw the +adventurers had actually reached the island and were standing beside +the Magic Flower, it heaved a breath of satisfaction—a long, deep +breath that swelled its deep chest until the beast could feel the stake +that held him move a little, as if withdrawing itself from the ground. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah ha!" murmured the Kalidah, "a little more of this will set me free +and allow me to escape!" +</P> + +<P> +So he began breathing as hard as he could, puffing out his chest as +much as possible with each indrawing breath, and by doing this he +managed to raise the stake with each powerful breath, until at last the +Kalidah—using the muscles of his four legs as well as his deep +breaths—found itself free of the sandy soil. The stake was sticking +right through him, however, so he found a rock deeply set in the bank +and pressed the sharp point of the stake upon the surface of this rock +until he had driven it clear through his body. Then, by getting the +stake tangled among some thorny bushes, and wiggling his body, he +managed to draw it out altogether. +</P> + +<P> +"There!" he exclaimed, "except for those two holes in me, I'm as good +as ever; but I must admit that that old wooden-legged fellow saved both +himself and the girl by making me a prisoner." +</P> + +<P> +Now the Kalidahs, although the most disagreeable creatures in the Land +of Oz, were nevertheless magical inhabitants of a magical Fairyland, +and in their natures a certain amount of good was mingled with the +evil. This one was not very revengeful, and now that his late foes +were in danger of perishing, his anger against them faded away. +</P> + +<P> +"Our own Kalidah King," he reflected, "has certain magical powers of +his own. Perhaps he knows how to fill up these two holes in my body." +</P> + +<P> +So without paying any more attention to Trot and Cap'n Bill than they +were paying to him, he entered the forest and trotted along a secret +path that led to the hidden lair of all the Kalidahs. +</P> + +<P> +While the Kalidah was making good its escape Cap'n Bill took his pipe +from his pocket and filled it with tobacco and lighted it. Then, as he +puffed out the smoke, he tried to think what could be done. +</P> + +<P> +"The Glass Cat seems all right," he said, "an' my wooden leg didn't +take roots and grow, either. So it's only flesh that gets caught." +</P> + +<P> +"It's magic that does it, Cap'n!" +</P> + +<P> +"I know, Trot, and that's what sticks me. We're livin' in a magic +country, but neither of us knows any magic an' so we can't help +ourselves." +</P> + +<P> +"Couldn't the Wizard of Oz help us—or Glinda the Good?" asked the +little girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, now we're beginnin' to reason," he answered. "I'd probably +thought o' that, myself, in a minute more. By good luck the Glass Cat +is free, an' so it can run back to the Emerald City an' tell the Wizard +about our fix, an' ask him to come an' help us get loose." +</P> + +<P> +"Will you go?" Trot asked the cat, speaking very earnestly. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm no messenger, to be sent here and there," asserted the curious +animal in a sulky tone of voice. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said Cap'n Bill, "you've got to go home, anyhow, 'cause you +don't want to stay here, I take it. And, when you get home, it +wouldn't worry you much to tell the Wizard what's happened to us." +</P> + +<P> +"That's true," said the cat, sitting on its haunches and lazily washing +its face with one glass paw. "I don't mind telling the Wizard—when I +get home." +</P> + +<P> +"Won't you go now?" pleaded Trot. "We don't want to stay here any +longer than we can help, and everybody in Oz will be interested in you, +and call you a hero, and say nice things about you because you helped +your friends out of trouble." +</P> + +<P> +That was the best way to manage the Glass Cat, which was so vain that +it loved to be praised. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm going home right away," said the creature, "and I'll tell the +Wizard to come and help you." +</P> + +<P> +Saying this, it walked down to the water and disappeared under the +surface. Not being able to manage the raft alone, the Glass Cat walked +on the bottom of the river as it had done when it visited the island +before, and soon they saw it appear on the farther bank and trot into +the forest, where it was quickly lost to sight among the trees. +</P> + +<P> +Then Trot heaved a deep sigh. +</P> + +<P> +"Cap'n," said she, "we're in a bad fix. There's nothing here to eat, +and we can't even lie down to sleep. Unless the Glass Cat hurries, and +the Wizard hurries, I don't know what's going to become of us!" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap11"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +11. The Beasts of the Forest of Gugu +</H3> + +<P> +That was a wonderful gathering of wild animals in the Forest of Gugu +next sunrise. Rango, the Gray Ape, had even called his monkey +sentinels away from the forest edge, and every beast, little and big, +was in the great clearing where meetings were held on occasions of +great importance. +</P> + +<P> +In the center of the clearing stood a great shelving rock, having a +flat, inclined surface, and on this sat the stately Leopard Gugu, who +was King of the Forest. On the ground beneath him squatted Bru the +Bear, Loo the Unicorn, and Rango the Gray Ape, the King's three +Counselors, and in front of them stood the two strange beasts who had +called themselves Li-Mon-Eags, but were really the transformations of +Ruggedo the Nome, and Kiki Aru the Hyup. +</P> + +<P> +Then came the beasts—rows and rows and rows of them! The smallest +beasts were nearest the King's rock throne; then there were wolves and +foxes, lynxes and hyenas, and the like; behind them were gathered the +monkey tribes, who were hard to keep in order because they teased the +other animals and were full of mischievous tricks. Back of the monkeys +were the pumas, jaguars, tigers and lions, and their kind; next the +bears, all sizes and colors; after them bisons, wild asses, zebras and +unicorns; farther on the rhinoceri and hippopotami, and at the far edge +of the forest, close to the trees that shut in the clearing, was a row +of thick-skinned elephants, still as statues but with eyes bright and +intelligent. +</P> + +<P> +Many other kinds of beasts, too numerous to mention, were there, and +some were unlike any beasts we see in the menageries and zoos in our +country. Some were from the mountains west of the forest, and some +from the plains at the east, and some from the river; but all present +acknowledged the leadership of Gugu, who for many years had ruled them +wisely and forced all to obey the laws. +</P> + +<P> +When the beasts had taken their places in the clearing and the rising +sun was shooting its first bright rays over the treetops, King Gugu +rose on his throne. The Leopard's giant form, towering above all the +others, caused a sudden hush to fall on the assemblage. +</P> + +<P> +"Brothers," he said in his deep voice, "a stranger has come among us, a +beast of curious form who is a great magician and is able to change the +shapes of men or beasts at his will. This stranger has come to us, +with another of his kind, from out of the sky, to warn us of a danger +which threatens us all, and to offer us a way to escape from that +danger. He says he is our friend, and he has proved to me and to my +Counselors his magic powers. Will you listen to what he has to say to +you—to the message he has brought from the sky?" +</P> + +<P> +"Let him speak!" came in a great roar from the great company of +assembled beasts. +</P> + +<P> +So Ruggedo the Nome sprang upon the flat rock beside Gugu the King, and +another roar, gentle this time, showed how astonished the beasts were +at the sight of his curious form. His lion's face was surrounded by a +mane of pure white hair; his eagle's wings were attached to the +shoulders of his monkey body and were so long that they nearly touched +the ground; he had powerful arms and legs in addition to the wings, and +at the end of his long, strong tail was a golden ball. Never had any +beast beheld such a curious creature before, and so the very sight of +the stranger, who was said to be a great magician, filled all present +with awe and wonder. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki stayed down below and, half hidden by the shelf of rock, was +scarcely noticed. The boy realized that the old Nome was helpless +without his magic power, but he also realized that Ruggedo was the best +talker. So he was willing the Nome should take the lead. +</P> + +<P> +"Beasts of the Forest of Gugu," began Ruggedo the Nome, "my comrade and +I are your friends. We are magicians, and from our home in the sky we +can look down into the Land of Oz and see everything that is going on. +Also we can hear what the people below us are saying. That is how we +heard Ozma, who rules the Land of Oz, say to her people: 'The beasts in +the Forest of Gugu are lazy and are of no use to us. Let us go to +their forest and make them all our prisoners. Let us tie them with +ropes, and beat them with sticks, until they work for us and become our +willing slaves.' And when the people heard Ozma of Oz say this, they +were glad and raised a great shout and said: 'We will do it! We will +make the beasts of the Forest of Gugu our slaves!'" +</P> + +<P> +The wicked old Nome could say no more, just then, for such a fierce +roar of anger rose from the multitude of beasts that his voice was +drowned by the clamor. Finally the roar died away, like distant +thunder, and Ruggedo the Nome went on with his speech. +</P> + +<P> +"Having heard the Oz people plot against your liberty, we watched to +see what they would do, and saw them all begin making ropes—ropes long +and short—with which to snare our friends the beasts. You are angry, +but we also were angry, for when the Oz people became the enemies of +the beasts they also became our enemies; for we, too, are beasts, +although we live in the sky. And my comrade and I said: 'We will save +our friends and have revenge on the Oz people,' and so we came here to +tell you of your danger and of our plan to save you." +</P> + +<P> +"We can save ourselves," cried an old Elephant. "We can fight." +</P> + +<P> +"The Oz people are fairies, and you can't fight against magic unless +you also have magic," answered the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"Tell us your plan!" shouted the huge Tiger, and the other beasts +echoed his words, crying: "Tell us your plan." +</P> + +<P> +"My plan is simple," replied Ruggedo. "By our magic we will transform +all you animals into men and women—like the Oz people—and we will +transform all the Oz people into beasts. You can then live in the fine +houses of the Land of Oz, and eat the fine food of the Oz people, and +wear their fine clothes, and sing and dance and be happy. And the Oz +people, having become beasts, will have to live here in the forest and +hunt and fight for food, and often go hungry, as you now do, and have +no place to sleep but a bed of leaves or a hole in the ground. Having +become men and women, you beasts will have all the comforts you desire, +and having become beasts, the Oz people will be very miserable. That +is our plan, and if you agree to it, we will all march at once into the +Land of Oz and quickly conquer our enemies." +</P> + +<P> +When the stranger ceased speaking, a great silence fell on the +assemblage, for the beasts were thinking of what he had said. Finally +one of the walruses asked: +</P> + +<P> +"Can you really transform beasts into men, and men into beasts?" +</P> + +<P> +"He can—he can!" cried Loo the Unicorn, prancing up and down in an +excited manner. "He transformed ME, only last evening, and he can +transform us all." +</P> + +<P> +Gugu the King now stepped forward. +</P> + +<P> +"You have heard the stranger speak," said he, "and now you must answer +him. It is for you to decide. Shall we agree to this plan, or not?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes!" shouted some of the animals. +</P> + +<P> +"No!" shouted others. +</P> + +<P> +And some were yet silent. +</P> + +<P> +Gugu looked around the great circle. +</P> + +<P> +"Take more time to think," he suggested. "Your answer is very +important. Up to this time we have had no trouble with the Oz people, +but we are proud and free, and never will become slaves. Think +carefully, and when you are ready to answer, I will hear you." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap12"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +12. Kiki Uses His Magic +</H3> + +<P> +Then arose a great confusion of sounds as all the animals began talking +to their fellows. The monkeys chattered and the bears growled and the +voices of the jaguars and lions rumbled, and the wolves yelped and the +elephants had to trumpet loudly to make their voices heard. Such a +hubbub had never been known in the forest before, and each beast argued +with his neighbor until it seemed the noise would never cease. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo the Nome waved his arms and fluttered his wings to try to make +them listen to him again, but the beasts paid no attention. Some +wanted to fight the Oz people, some wanted to be transformed, and some +wanted to do nothing at all. +</P> + +<P> +The growling and confusion had grown greater than ever when in a flash +silence fell on all the beasts present, the arguments were hushed, and +all gazed in astonishment at a strange sight. +</P> + +<P> +For into the circle strode a great Lion—bigger and more powerful than +any other lion there—and on his back rode a little girl who smiled +fearlessly at the multitude of beasts. And behind the Lion and the +little girl came another beast—a monstrous Tiger, who bore upon his +back a funny little man carrying a black bag. Right past the rows of +wondering beasts the strange animals walked, advancing until they stood +just before the rock throne of Gugu. +</P> + +<P> +Then the little girl and the funny little man dismounted, and the great +Lion demanded in a loud voice: +</P> + +<P> +"Who is King in this forest?" +</P> + +<P> +"I am!" answered Gugu, looking steadily at the other. "I am Gugu the +Leopard, and I am King of this forest." +</P> + +<P> +"Then I greet Your Majesty with great respect," said the Lion. +"Perhaps you have heard of me, Gugu. I am called the 'Cowardly Lion,' +and I am King of all Beasts, the world over." +</P> + +<P> +Gugu's eyes flashed angrily. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said he, "I have heard of you. You have long claimed to be King +of Beasts, but no beast who is a coward can be King over me." +</P> + +<P> +"He isn't a coward, Your Majesty," asserted the little girl, "He's just +cowardly, that's all." +</P> + +<P> +Gugu looked at her. All the other beasts were looking at her, too. +</P> + +<P> +"Who are you?" asked the King. +</P> + +<P> +"Me? Oh, I'm just Dorothy," she answered. +</P> + +<P> +"How dare you come here?" demanded the King. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, I'm not afraid to go anywhere, if the Cowardly Lion is with me," +she said. "I know him pretty well, and so I can trust him. He's +always afraid, when we get into trouble, and that's why he's cowardly; +but he's a terrible fighter, and that's why he isn't a coward. He +doesn't like to fight, you know, but when he HAS to, there isn't any +beast living that can conquer him." +</P> + +<P> +Gugu the King looked at the big, powerful form of the Cowardly Lion, +and knew she spoke the truth. Also the other Lions of the forest now +came forward and bowed low before the strange Lion. +</P> + +<P> +"We welcome Your Majesty," said one. "We have known you many years +ago, before you went to live at the Emerald City, and we have seen you +fight the terrible Kalidahs and conquer them, so we know you are the +King of all Beasts." +</P> + +<P> +"It is true," replied the Cowardly Lion; "but I did not come here to +rule the beasts of this forest. Gugu is King here, and I believe he is +a good King and just and wise. I come, with my friends, to be the +guest of Gugu, and I hope we are welcome." +</P> + +<P> +That pleased the great Leopard, who said very quickly: +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; you, at least, are welcome to my forest. But who are these +strangers with you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Dorothy has introduced herself," replied the Lion, "and you are sure +to like her when you know her better. This man is the Wizard of Oz, a +friend of mine who can do wonderful tricks of magic. And here is my +true and tried friend, the Hungry Tiger, who lives with me in the +Emerald City." +</P> + +<P> +"Is he ALWAYS hungry?" asked Loo the Unicorn. +</P> + +<P> +"I am," replied the Tiger, answering the question himself. "I am +always hungry for fat babies." +</P> + +<P> +"Can't you find any fat babies in Oz to eat?" inquired Loo, the Unicorn. +</P> + +<P> +"There are plenty of them, of course," said the Tiger, "but +unfortunately I have such a tender conscience that it won't allow me to +eat babies. So I'm always hungry for 'em and never can eat 'em, +because my conscience won't let me." +</P> + +<P> +Now of all the surprised beasts in that clearing, not one was so much +surprised at the sudden appearance of these four strangers as Ruggedo +the Nome. He was frightened, too, for he recognized them as his most +powerful enemies; but he also realized that they could not know he was +the former King of the Nomes, because of the beast's form he wore, +which disguised him so effectually. So he took courage and resolved +that the Wizard and Dorothy should not defeat his plans. +</P> + +<P> +It was hard to tell, just yet, what the vast assemblage of beasts +thought of the new arrivals. Some glared angrily at them, but more of +them seemed to be curious and wondering. All were interested, however, +and they kept very quiet and listened carefully to all that was said. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki Aru, who had remained unnoticed in the shadow of the rock, was at +first more alarmed by the coming of the strangers than even Ruggedo +was, and the boy told himself that unless he acted quickly and without +waiting to ask the advice of the old Nome, their conspiracy was likely +to be discovered and all their plans to conquer and rule Oz be +defeated. Kiki didn't like the way Ruggedo acted either, for the +former King of the Nomes wanted to do everything his own way, and made +the boy, who alone possessed the power of transformations, obey his +orders as if he were a slave. +</P> + +<P> +Another thing that disturbed Kiki Aru was the fact that a real Wizard +had arrived, who was said to possess many magical powers, and this +Wizard carried his tools in a black bag, and was the friend of the Oz +people, and so would probably try to prevent war between the beasts of +the forest and the people of Oz. +</P> + +<P> +All these things passed through the mind of the Hyup boy while the +Cowardly Lion and Gugu the King were talking together, and that was why +he now began to do several strange things. +</P> + +<P> +He had found a place, near to the point where he stood, where there was +a deep hollow in the rock, so he put his face into this hollow and +whispered softly, so he would not be heard: +</P> + +<P> +"I want the Wizard of Oz to become a fox—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard, who had stood smilingly beside his friends, suddenly felt +his form change to that of a fox, and his black bag fell to the ground. +Kiki reached out an arm and seized the bag, and the Fox cried as loud +as it could: +</P> + +<P> +"Treason! There's a traitor here with magic powers!" +</P> + +<P> +Everyone was startled at this cry, and Dorothy, seeing her old friend's +plight, screamed and exclaimed: "Mercy me!" +</P> + +<P> +But the next instant the little girl's form had changed to that of a +lamb with fleecy white wool, and Dorothy was too bewildered to do +anything but look around her in wonder. +</P> + +<P> +The Cowardly Lion's eyes now flashed fire; he crouched low and lashed +the ground with his tail and gazed around to discover who the +treacherous magician might be. But Kiki, who had kept his face in the +hollow rock, again whispered the magic word, and the great lion +disappeared and in his place stood a little boy dressed in Munchkin +costume. The little Munchkin boy was as angry as the lion had been, +but he was small and helpless. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo the Nome saw what was happening and was afraid Kiki would spoil +all his plans, so he leaned over the rock and shouted: "Stop, +Kiki—stop!" +</P> + +<P> +Kiki would not stop, however. Instead, he transformed the Nome into a +goose, to Ruggedo's horror and dismay. But the Hungry Tiger had +witnessed all these transformations, and he was watching to see which +of those present was to blame for them. When Ruggedo spoke to Kiki, +the Hungry Tiger knew that he was the magician, so he made a sudden +spring and hurled his great body full upon the form of the Li-Mon-Eag +crouching against the rock. Kiki didn't see the Tiger coming because +his face was still in the hollow, and the heavy body of the tiger bore +him to the earth just as he said "Pyrzqxgl!" for the fifth time. +</P> + +<P> +So now the tiger which was crushing him changed to a rabbit, and +relieved of its weight, Kiki sprang up and, spreading his eagle's +wings, flew into the branches of a tree, where no beast could easily +reach him. He was not an instant too quick in doing this, for Gugu the +King had crouched on the rock's edge and was about to spring on the boy. +</P> + +<P> +From his tree Kiki transformed Gugu into a fat Gillikin woman, and +laughed aloud to see how the woman pranced with rage, and how +astonished all the beasts were at their King's new shape. +</P> + +<P> +The beasts were frightened, too, fearing they would share the fate of +Gugu, so a stampede began when Rango the Gray Ape sprang into the +forest, and Bru the Bear and Loo the Unicorn followed as quickly as +they could. The elephants backed into the forest, and all the other +animals, big and little, rushed after them, scattering through the +jungles until the clearing was far behind. The monkeys scrambled into +the trees and swung themselves from limb to limb, to avoid being +trampled upon by the bigger beasts, and they were so quick that they +distanced all the rest. A panic of fear seemed to have overtaken the +forest people and they got as far away from the terrible Magician as +they possibly could. +</P> + +<P> +But the transformed ones stayed in the clearing, being so astonished +and bewildered by their new shapes that they could only look at one +another in a dazed and helpless fashion, although each one was greatly +annoyed at the trick that had been played on him. +</P> + +<P> +"Who are you?" the Munchkin boy asked the Rabbit; and "Who are you?" +the Fox asked the Lamb; and "Who are you?" the Rabbit asked the fat +Gillikin woman. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm Dorothy," said the woolly Lamb. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm the Wizard," said the Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm the Cowardly Lion," said the Munchkin boy. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm the Hungry Tiger," said the Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm Gugu the King," said the fat Woman. +</P> + +<P> +But when they asked the Goose who he was, Ruggedo the Nome would not +tell them. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm just a Goose," he replied, "and what I was before, I cannot +remember." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap13"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +13. The Loss of the Black Bag +</H3> + +<P> +Kiki Aru, in the form of the Li-Mon-Eag, had scrambled into the high, +thick branches of the tree, so no one could see him, and there he +opened the Wizard's black bag, which he had carried away in his flight. +He was curious to see what the Wizard's magic tools looked like, and +hoped he could use some of them and so secure more power; but after he +had taken the articles, one by one, from the bag, he had to admit they +were puzzles to him. For, unless he understood their uses, they were +of no value whatever. Kiki Aru, the Hyup boy, was no wizard or +magician at all, and could do nothing unusual except to use the Magic +Word he had stolen from his father on Mount Munch. So he hung the +Wizard's black bag on a branch of the tree and then climbed down to the +lower limbs that he might see what the victims of his transformations +were doing. +</P> + +<P> +They were all on top of the flat rock, talking together in tones so low +that Kiki could not hear what they said. +</P> + +<P> +"This is certainly a misfortune," remarked the Wizard in the Fox's +form, "but our transformations are a sort of enchantment which is very +easy to break—when you know how and have the tools to do it with. The +tools are in my Black Bag; but where is the Bag?" +</P> + +<P> +No one knew that, for none had seen Kiki Aru fly away with it. +</P> + +<P> +"Let's look and see if we can find it," suggested Dorothy the Lamb. +</P> + +<P> +So they left the rock, and all of them searched the clearing high and +low without finding the Bag of Magic Tools. The Goose searched as +earnestly as the others, for if he could discover it, he meant to hide +it where the Wizard could never find it, because if the Wizard changed +him back to his proper form, along with the others, he would then be +recognized as Ruggedo the Nome, and they would send him out of the Land +of Oz and so ruin all his hopes of conquest. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo was not really sorry, now that he thought about it, that Kiki +had transformed all these Oz folks. The forest beasts, it was true, +had been so frightened that they would now never consent to be +transformed into men, but Kiki could transform them against their will, +and once they were all in human forms, it would not be impossible to +induce them to conquer the Oz people. +</P> + +<P> +So all was not lost, thought the old Nome, and the best thing for him +to do was to rejoin the Hyup boy who had the secret of the +transformations. So, having made sure the Wizard's black bag was not +in the clearing, the Goose wandered away through the trees when the +others were not looking, and when out of their hearing, he began +calling, "Kiki Aru! Kiki Aru! Quack—quack! Kiki Aru!" +</P> + +<P> +The Boy and the Woman, the Fox, the Lamb, and the Rabbit, not being +able to find the bag, went back to the rock, all feeling exceedingly +strange. +</P> + +<P> +"Where's the Goose?" asked the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"He must have run away," replied Dorothy. "I wonder who he was?" +</P> + +<P> +"I think," said Gugu the King, who was the fat Woman, "that the Goose +was the stranger who proposed that we make war upon the Oz people. If +so, his transformation was merely a trick to deceive us, and he has now +gone to join his comrade, that wicked Li-Mon-Eag who obeyed all his +commands." +</P> + +<P> +"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy. "Shall we go back to the +Emerald City, as we are, and then visit Glinda the Good and ask her to +break the enchantments?" +</P> + +<P> +"I think so," replied the Wizard Fox. "And we can take Gugu the King +with us, and have Glinda restore him to his natural shape. But I hate +to leave my Bag of Magic Tools behind me, for without it I shall lose +much of my power as a Wizard. Also, if I go back to the Emerald City +in the shape of a Fox, the Oz people will think I'm a poor Wizard and +will lose their respect for me." +</P> + +<P> +"Let us make still another search for your tools," suggested the +Cowardly Lion, "and then, if we fail to find the Black Bag anywhere in +this forest, we must go back home as we are." +</P> + +<P> +"Why did you come here, anyway?" inquired Gugu. +</P> + +<P> +"We wanted to borrow a dozen monkeys, to use on Ozma's birthday," +explained the Wizard. "We were going to make them small, and train +them to do tricks, and put them inside Ozma's birthday cake." +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said the Forest King, "you would have to get the consent of +Rango the Gray Ape, to do that. He commands all the tribes of monkeys." +</P> + +<P> +"I'm afraid it's too late, now," said Dorothy, regretfully. "It was a +splendid plan, but we've got troubles of our own, and I don't like +being a lamb at all." +</P> + +<P> +"You're nice and fuzzy," said the Cowardly Lion. +</P> + +<P> +"That's nothing," declared Dorothy. "I've never been 'specially proud +of myself, but I'd rather be the way I was born than anything else in +the whole world." +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +The Glass Cat, although it had some disagreeable ways and manners, +nevertheless realized that Trot and Cap'n Bill were its friends and so +was quite disturbed at the fix it had gotten them into by leading them +to the Isle of the Magic Flower. The ruby heart of the Glass Cat was +cold and hard, but still it was a heart, and to have a heart of any +sort is to have some consideration for others. But the queer +transparent creature didn't want Trot and Cap'n Bill to know it was +sorry for them, and therefore it moved very slowly until it had crossed +the river and was out of sight among the trees of the forest. Then it +headed straight toward the Emerald City, and trotted so fast that it +was like a crystal streak crossing the valleys and plains. Being +glass, the cat was tireless, and with no reason to delay its journey, +it reached Ozma's palace in wonderfully quick time. +</P> + +<P> +"Where's the Wizard?" it asked the Pink Kitten, which was curled up in +the sunshine on the lowest step of the palace entrance. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't bother me," lazily answered the Pink Kitten, whose name was +Eureka. +</P> + +<P> +"I must find the Wizard at once!" said the Glass Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"Then find him," advised Eureka, and went to sleep again. +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat darted up the stairway and came upon Toto, Dorothy's +little black dog. +</P> + +<P> +"Where's the Wizard?" asked the Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"Gone on a journey with Dorothy," replied Toto. +</P> + +<P> +"When did they go, and where have they gone?" demanded the Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"They went yesterday, and I heard them say they would go to the Great +Forest in the Munchkin Country." +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me," said the Glass Cat; "that is a long journey." +</P> + +<P> +"But they rode on the Hungry Tiger and the Cowardly Lion," explained +Toto, "and the Wizard carried his Black Bag of Magic Tools." +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat knew the Great Forest of Gugu well, for it had traveled +through this forest many times in its journeys through the Land of Oz. +And it reflected that the Forest of Gugu was nearer to the Isle of the +Magic Flower than the Emerald City was, and so, if it could manage to +find the Wizard, it could lead him across the Gillikin Country to where +Trot and Cap'n Bill were prisoned. It was a wild country and little +traveled, but the Glass Cat knew every path. So very little time need +be lost, after all. +</P> + +<P> +Without stopping to ask any more questions the Cat darted out of the +palace and away from the Emerald City, taking the most direct route to +the Forest of Gugu. Again the creature flashed through the country +like a streak of light, and it would surprise you to know how quickly +it reached the edge of the Great Forest. +</P> + +<P> +There were no monkey guards among the trees to cry out a warning, and +this was so unusual that it astonished the Glass Cat. Going farther +into the forest it presently came upon a wolf, which at first bounded +away in terror. But then, seeing it was only a Glass Cat, the Wolf +stopped, and the Cat could see it was trembling, as if from a terrible +fright. +</P> + +<P> +"What's the matter?" asked the Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"A dreadful Magician has come among us!" exclaimed the Wolf, "and he's +changing the forms of all the beasts—quick as a wink—and making them +all his slaves." +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat smiled and said: +</P> + +<P> +"Why, that's only the Wizard of Oz. He may be having some fun with you +forest people, but the Wizard wouldn't hurt a beast for anything." +</P> + +<P> +"I don't mean the Wizard," explained the Wolf. "And if the Wizard of +Oz is that funny little man who rode a great Tiger into the clearing, +he's been transformed himself by the terrible Magician." +</P> + +<P> +"The Wizard transformed? Why, that's impossible," declared the Glass +Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"No; it isn't. I saw him with my own eyes, changed into the form of a +Fox, and the girl who was with him was changed to a woolly Lamb." +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat was indeed surprised. +</P> + +<P> +"When did that happen?" it asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Just a little while ago in the clearing. All the animals had met +there, but they ran away when the Magician began his transformations, +and I'm thankful I escaped with my natural shape. But I'm still +afraid, and I'm going somewhere to hide." +</P> + +<P> +With this the Wolf ran on, and the Glass Cat, which knew where the big +clearing was, went toward it. But now it walked more slowly, and its +pink brains rolled and tumbled around at a great rate because it was +thinking over the amazing news the Wolf had told it. +</P> + +<P> +When the Glass Cat reached the clearing, it saw a Fox, a Lamb, a +Rabbit, a Munchkin boy and a fat Gillikin woman, all wandering around +in an aimless sort of way, for they were again searching for the Black +Bag of Magic Tools. +</P> + +<P> +The Cat watched them a moment and then it walked slowly into the open +space. At once the Lamb ran toward it, crying: +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, Wizard, here's the Glass Cat!" +</P> + +<P> +"Where, Dorothy?" asked the Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"Here!" +</P> + +<P> +The Boy and the Woman and the Rabbit now joined the Fox and the Lamb, +and they all stood before the Glass Cat and speaking together, almost +like a chorus, asked: "Have you seen the Black Bag?" +</P> + +<P> +"Often," replied the Glass Cat, "but not lately." +</P> + +<P> +"It's lost," said the Fox, "and we must find it." +</P> + +<P> +"Are you the Wizard?" asked the Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes." +</P> + +<P> +"And who are these others?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm Dorothy," said the Lamb. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm the Cowardly Lion," said the Munchkin boy. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm the Hungry Tiger," said the Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm Gugu, King of the Forest," said the fat Woman. +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat sat on its hind legs and began to laugh. "My, what a +funny lot!" exclaimed the Creature. "Who played this joke on you?" +</P> + +<P> +"It's no joke at all," declared the Wizard. "It was a cruel, wicked +transformation, and the Magician that did it has the head of a lion, +the body of a monkey, the wings of an eagle and a round ball on the end +of his tail." +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat laughed again. "That Magician must look funnier than you +do," it said. "Where is he now?" +</P> + +<P> +"Somewhere in the forest," said the Cowardly Lion. "He just jumped +into that tall maple tree over there, for he can climb like a monkey +and fly like an eagle, and then he disappeared in the forest." +</P> + +<P> +"And there was another Magician, just like him, who was his friend," +added Dorothy, "but they probably quarreled, for the wickedest one +changed his friend into the form of a Goose." +</P> + +<P> +"What became of the Goose?" asked the Cat, looking around. +</P> + +<P> +"He must have gone away to find his friend," answered Gugu the King. +"But a Goose can't travel very fast, so we could easily find him if we +wanted to." +</P> + +<P> +"The worst thing of all," said the Wizard, "is that my Black Bag is +lost. It disappeared when I was transformed. If I could find it I +could easily break these enchantments by means of my magic, and we +would resume our own forms again. Will you help us search for the +Black Bag, Friend Cat?" +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," replied the Glass Cat. "But I expect the strange Magician +carried it away with him. If he's a magician, he knows you need that +Bag, and perhaps he's afraid of your magic. So he's probably taken the +Bag with him, and you won't see it again unless you find the Magician." +</P> + +<P> +"That sounds reasonable," remarked the Lamb, which was Dorothy. "Those +pink brains of yours seem to be working pretty well to-day." +</P> + +<P> +"If the Glass Cat is right," said the Wizard in a solemn voice, +"there's more trouble ahead of us. That Magician is dangerous, and if +we go near him he may transform us into shapes not as nice as these." +</P> + +<P> +"I don't see how we could be any WORSE off," growled Gugu, who was +indignant because he was forced to appear in the form of a fat woman. +</P> + +<P> +"Anyway," said the Cowardly Lion, "our best plan is to find the +Magician and try to get the Black Bag from him. We may manage to steal +it, or perhaps we can argue him into giving it to us." +</P> + +<P> +"Why not find the Goose, first?" asked Dorothy. "The Goose will be +angry at the Magician, and he may be able to help us." +</P> + +<P> +"That isn't a bad idea," returned the Wizard. "Come on, Friends; let's +find that Goose. We will separate and search in different directions, +and the first to find the Goose must bring him here, where we will all +meet again in an hour." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap14"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +14. The Wizard Learns the Magic Word +</H3> + +<P> +Now, the Goose was the transformation of old Ruggedo, who was at one +time King of the Nomes, and he was even more angry at Kiki Aru than +were the others who shapes had been changed. The Nome detested +anything in the way of a bird, because birds lay eggs and eggs are +feared by all the Nomes more than anything else in the world. A goose +is a foolish bird, too, and Ruggedo was dreadfully ashamed of the shape +he was forced to wear. And it would make him shudder to reflect that +the Goose might lay an egg! +</P> + +<P> +So the Nome was afraid of himself and afraid of everything around him. +If an egg touched him he could then be destroyed, and almost any animal +he met in the forest might easily conquer him. And that would be the +end of old Ruggedo the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +Aside from these fears, however, he was filled with anger against Kiki, +whom he had meant to trap by cleverly stealing from him the Magic Word. +The boy must have been crazy to spoil everything the way he did, but +Ruggedo knew that the arrival of the Wizard had scared Kiki, and he was +not sorry the boy had transformed the Wizard and Dorothy and made them +helpless. It was his own transformation that annoyed him and made him +indignant, so he ran about the forest hunting for Kiki, so that he +might get a better shape and coax the boy to follow his plans to +conquer the Land of Oz. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki Aru hadn't gone very far away, for he had surprised himself as +well as the others by the quick transformations and was puzzled as to +what to do next. Ruggedo the Nome was overbearing and tricky, and Kiki +knew he was not to be depended on; but the Nome could plan and plot, +which the Hyup boy was not wise enough to do, and so, when he looked +down through the branches of a tree and saw a Goose waddling along +below and heard it cry out, "Kiki Aru! Quack—quack! Kiki Aru!" the +boy answered in a low voice, "Here I am," and swung himself down to the +lowest limb of the tree. +</P> + +<P> +The Goose looked up and saw him. +</P> + +<P> +"You've bungled things in a dreadful way!" exclaimed the Goose. "Why +did you do it?" +</P> + +<P> +"Because I wanted to," answered Kiki. "You acted as if I was your +slave, and I wanted to show these forest people that I am more powerful +than you." +</P> + +<P> +The Goose hissed softly, but Kiki did not hear that. +</P> + +<P> +Old Ruggedo quickly recovered his wits and muttered to himself: "This +boy is the goose, although it is I who wear the goose's shape. I will +be gentle with him now, and fierce with him when I have him in my +power." Then he said aloud to Kiki: +</P> + +<P> +"Well, hereafter I will be content to acknowledge you the master. You +bungled things, as I said, but we can still conquer Oz." +</P> + +<P> +"How?" asked the boy. +</P> + +<P> +"First give me back the shape of the Li-Mon-Eag, and then we can talk +together more conveniently," suggested the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"Wait a moment, then," said Kiki, and climbed higher up the tree. +There he whispered the Magic Word and the Goose became a Li-Mon-Eag, as +he had been before. +</P> + +<P> +"Good!" said the Nome, well pleased, as Kiki joined him by dropping +down from the tree. "Now let us find a quiet place where we can talk +without being overheard by the beasts." +</P> + +<P> +So the two started away and crossed the forest until they came to a +place where the trees were not so tall nor so close together, and among +these scattered trees was another clearing, not so large as the first +one, where the meeting of the beasts had been held. Standing on the +edge of this clearing and looking across it, they saw the trees on the +farther side full of monkeys, who were chattering together at a great +rate of the sights they had witnessed at the meeting. +</P> + +<P> +The old Nome whispered to Kiki not to enter the clearing or allow the +monkeys to see them. +</P> + +<P> +"Why not?" asked the boy, drawing back. +</P> + +<P> +"Because those monkeys are to be our army—the army which will conquer +Oz," said the Nome. "Sit down here with me, Kiki, and keep quiet, and +I will explain to you my plan." +</P> + +<P> +Now, neither Kiki Aru nor Ruggedo had noticed that a sly Fox had +followed them all the way from the tree where the Goose had been +transformed to the Li-Mon-Eag. Indeed, this Fox, who was none other +than the Wizard of Oz, had witnessed the transformation of the Goose +and now decided he would keep watch on the conspirators and see what +they would do next. +</P> + +<P> +A Fox can move through a forest very softly, without making any noise, +and so the Wizard's enemies did not suspect his presence. But when +they sat down by the edge of the clearing, to talk, with their backs +toward him, the Wizard did not know whether to risk being seen, by +creeping closer to hear what they said, or whether it would be better +for him to hide himself until they moved on again. +</P> + +<P> +While he considered this question he discovered near him a great tree +which had a hollow trunk, and there was a round hole in this tree, +about three feet above the ground. The Wizard Fox decided it would be +safer for him to hide inside the hollow tree, so he sprang into the +hole and crouched down in the hollow, so that his eyes just came to the +edge of the hole by which he had entered, and from here he watched the +forms of the two Li-Mon-Eags. +</P> + +<P> +"This is my plan," said the Nome to Kiki, speaking so low that the +Wizard could only hear the rumble of his voice. "Since you can +transform anything into any form you wish, we will transform these +monkeys into an army, and with that army we will conquer the Oz people." +</P> + +<P> +"The monkeys won't make much of an army," objected Kiki. +</P> + +<P> +"We need a great army, but not a numerous one," responded the Nome. +"You will transform each monkey into a giant man, dressed in a fine +uniform and armed with a sharp sword. There are fifty monkeys over +there and fifty giants would make as big an army as we need." +</P> + +<P> +"What will they do with the swords?" asked Kiki. "Nothing can kill the +Oz people." +</P> + +<P> +"True," said Ruggedo. "The Oz people cannot be killed, but they can be +cut into small pieces, and while every piece will still be alive, we +can scatter the pieces around so that they will be quite helpless. +Therefore, the Oz people will be afraid of the swords of our army, and +we will conquer them with ease." +</P> + +<P> +"That seems like a good idea," replied the boy, approvingly. "And in +such a case, we need not bother with the other beasts of the forest." +</P> + +<P> +"No; you have frightened the beasts, and they would no longer consent +to assist us in conquering Oz. But those monkeys are foolish +creatures, and once they are transformed to Giants, they will do just +as we say and obey our commands. Can you transform them all at once?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, I must take one at a time," said Kiki. "But the fifty +transformations can be made in an hour or so. Stay here, Ruggedo, and +I will change the first monkey—that one at the left, on the end of the +limb—into a Giant with a sword." +</P> + +<P> +"Where are you going?" asked the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"I must not speak the Magic Word in the presence of another person," +declared Kiki, who was determined not to allow his treacherous +companion to learn his secret, "so I will go where you cannot hear me." +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo the Nome was disappointed, but he hoped still to catch the boy +unawares and surprise the Magic Word. So he merely nodded his lion +head, and Kiki got up and went back into the forest a short distance. +Here he spied a hollow tree, and by chance it was the same hollow tree +in which the Wizard of Oz, now in the form of a Fox, had hidden himself. +</P> + +<P> +As Kiki ran up to the tree the Fox ducked its head, so that it was out +of sight in the dark hollow beneath the hole, and then Kiki put his +face into the hole and whispered: "I want that monkey on the branch at +the left to become a Giant man fifty feet tall, dressed in a uniform +and with a sharp sword—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +Then he ran back to Ruggedo, but the Wizard Fox had heard quite plainly +every word that he had said. +</P> + +<P> +The monkey was instantly transformed into the Giant, and the Giant was +so big that as he stood on the ground his head was higher than the +trees of the forest. The monkeys raised a great chatter but did not +seem to understand that the Giant was one of themselves. +</P> + +<P> +"Good!" cried the Nome. "Hurry, Kiki, and transform the others." +</P> + +<P> +So Kiki rushed back to the tree and putting his face to the hollow, +whispered: +</P> + +<P> +"I want the next monkey to be just like the first—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +Again the Wizard Fox heard the Magic Word, and just how it was +pronounced. But he sat still in the hollow and waited to hear it +again, so it would be impressed on his mind and he would not forget it. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki kept running to the edge of the forest and back to the hollow tree +again until he had whispered the Magic Word six times and six monkeys +had been changed to six great Giants. Then the Wizard decided he would +make an experiment and use the Magic Word himself. So, while Kiki was +running back to the Nome, the Fox stuck his head out of the hollow and +said softly: "I want that creature who is running to become a +hickory-nut—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +Instantly the Li-Mon-Eag form of Kiki Aru the Hyup disappeared and a +small hickory-nut rolled upon the ground a moment and then lay still. +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard was delighted, and leaped from the hollow just as Ruggedo +looked around to see what had become of Kiki. The Nome saw the Fox but +no Kiki, so he hastily rose to his feet. The Wizard did not know how +powerful the queer beast might be, so he resolved to take no chances. +</P> + +<P> +"I want this creature to become a walnut—Pyrzqxgl!" he said aloud. +But he did not pronounce the Magic Word in quite the right way, and +Ruggedo's form did not change. But the Nome knew at once that +"Pyrzqxgl!" was the Magic Word, so he rushed at the Fox and cried: +</P> + +<P> +"I want you to become a Goose—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +But the Nome did not pronounce the word aright, either, having never +heard it spoken but once before, and then with a wrong accent. So the +Fox was not transformed, but it had to run away to escape being caught +by the angry Nome. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo now began pronouncing the Magic Word in every way he could +think of, hoping to hit the right one, and the Fox, hiding in a bush, +was somewhat troubled by the fear that he might succeed. However, the +Wizard, who was used to magic arts, remained calm and soon remembered +exactly how Kiki Aru had pronounced the word. So he repeated the +sentence he had before uttered and Ruggedo the Nome became an ordinary +walnut. +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard now crept out from the bush and said: "I want my own form +again—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +Instantly he was the Wizard of Oz, and after picking up the hickory-nut +and the walnut, and carefully placing them in his pocket, he ran back +to the big clearing. +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy the Lamb uttered a bleat of delight when she saw her old friend +restored to his natural shape. The others were all there, not having +found the Goose. The fat Gillikin woman, the Munchkin boy, the Rabbit +and the Glass Cat crowded around the Wizard and asked what had happened. +</P> + +<P> +Before he explained anything of his adventure, he transformed them +all—except, of course, the Glass Cat—into their natural shapes, and +when their joy permitted them to quiet somewhat, he told how he had by +chance surprised the Magician's secret and been able to change the two +Li-Mon-Eags into shapes that could not speak, and therefore would be +unable to help themselves. And the little Wizard showed his astonished +friends the hickory-nut and the walnut to prove that he had spoken the +truth. +</P> + +<P> +"But—see here!"—exclaimed Dorothy. "What has become of those Giant +Soldiers who used to be monkeys?" +</P> + +<P> +"I forgot all about them!" admitted the Wizard; "but I suppose they are +still standing there in the forest." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap15"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +15. The Lonesome Duck +</H3> + +<P> +Trot and Cap'n Bill stood before the Magic Flower, actually rooted to +the spot. +</P> + +<P> +"Aren't you hungry, Cap'n?" asked the little girl, with a long sigh, +for she had been standing there for hours and hours. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," replied the sailor-man, "I ain't sayin' as I couldn't EAT, +Trot—if a dinner was handy—but I guess old folks don't get as hungry +as young folks do." +</P> + +<P> +"I'm not sure 'bout that, Cap'n Bill," she said thoughtfully. "Age +MIGHT make a diff'rence, but seems to me SIZE would make a bigger +diff'rence. Seeing you're twice as big as me, you ought to be twice as +hungry." +</P> + +<P> +"I hope I am," he rejoined, "for I can stand it a while longer. I do +hope the Glass Cat will hurry, and I hope the Wizard won't waste time +a-comin' to us." +</P> + +<P> +Trot sighed again and watched the wonderful Magic Flower, because there +was nothing else to do. Just now a lovely group of pink peonies budded +and bloomed, but soon they faded away, and a mass of deep blue lilies +took their place. Then some yellow chrysanthemums blossomed on the +plant, and when they had opened all their petals and reached +perfection, they gave way to a lot of white floral balls spotted with +crimson—a flower Trot had never seen before. +</P> + +<P> +"But I get awful tired watchin' flowers an' flowers an' flowers," she +said impatiently. +</P> + +<P> +"They're might pretty," observed Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"I know; and if a person could come and look at the Magic Flower just +when she felt like it, it would be a fine thing, but to HAVE TO stand +and watch it, whether you want to or not, isn't so much fun. I wish, +Cap'n Bill, the thing would grow fruit for a while instead of flowers." +</P> + +<P> +Scarcely had she spoken when the white balls with crimson spots faded +away and a lot of beautiful ripe peaches took their place. With a cry +of mingled surprise and delight Trot reached out and plucked a peach +from the bush and began to eat it, finding it delicious. Cap'n Bill +was somewhat dazed at the girl's wish being granted so quickly, so +before he could pick a peach they had faded away and bananas took their +place. "Grab one, Cap'n!" exclaimed Trot, and even while eating the +peach she seized a banana with her other hand and tore it from the bush. +</P> + +<P> +The old sailor was still bewildered. He put out a hand indeed, but he +was too late, for now the bananas disappeared and lemons took their +place. +</P> + +<P> +"Pshaw!" cried Trot. "You can't eat those things; but watch out, +Cap'n, for something else." +</P> + +<P> +Cocoanuts next appeared, but Cap'n Bill shook his head. +</P> + +<P> +"Ca'n't crack 'em," he remarked, "'cause we haven't anything handy to +smash 'em with." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, take one, anyhow," advised Trot; but the cocoanuts were gone +now, and a deep, purple, pear-shaped fruit which was unknown to them +took their place. Again Cap'n Bill hesitated, and Trot said to him: +</P> + +<P> +"You ought to have captured a peach and a banana, as I did. If you're +not careful, Cap'n, you'll miss all your chances. Here, I'll divide my +banana with you." +</P> + +<P> +Even as she spoke, the Magic Plant was covered with big red apples, +growing on every branch, and Cap'n Bill hesitated no longer. He +grabbed with both hands and picked two apples, while Trot had only time +to secure one before they were gone. +</P> + +<P> +"It's curious," remarked the sailor, munching his apple, "how these +fruits keep good when you've picked 'em, but dis'pear inter thin air if +they're left on the bush." +</P> + +<P> +"The whole thing is curious," declared the girl, "and it couldn't exist +in any country but this, where magic is so common. Those are limes. +Don't pick 'em, for they'd pucker up your mouth and—Ooo! here come +plums!" and she tucked her apple in her apron pocket and captured three +plums—each one almost as big as an egg—before they disappeared. +Cap'n Bill got some too, but both were too hungry to fast any longer, +so they began eating their apples and plums and let the magic bush bear +all sorts of fruits, one after another. The Cap'n stopped once to pick +a fine cantaloupe, which he held under his arm, and Trot, having +finished her plums, got a handful of cherries and an orange; but when +almost every sort of fruit had appeared on the bush, the crop ceased +and only flowers, as before, bloomed upon it. +</P> + +<P> +"I wonder why it changed back," mused Trot, who was not worried because +she had enough fruit to satisfy her hunger. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you only wished it would bear fruit 'for a while,'" said the +sailor, "and it did. P'raps if you'd said 'forever,' Trot, it would +have always been fruit." +</P> + +<P> +"But why should MY wish be obeyed?" asked the girl. "I'm not a fairy +or a wizard or any kind of a magic-maker." +</P> + +<P> +"I guess," replied Cap'n Bill, "that this little island is a magic +island, and any folks on it can tell the bush what to produce, an' +it'll produce it." +</P> + +<P> +"Do you think I could wish for anything else, Cap'n and get it?" she +inquired anxiously. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you thinkin' of, Trot?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm thinking of wishing that these roots on our feet would disappear, +and let us free." +</P> + +<P> +"Try it, Trot." +</P> + +<P> +So she tried it, and the wish had no effect whatever. +</P> + +<P> +"Try it yourself, Cap'n," she suggested. +</P> + +<P> +Then Cap'n Bill made the wish to be free, with no better result. +</P> + +<P> +"No," said he, "it's no use; the wishes only affect the Magic Plant; +but I'm glad we can make it bear fruit, 'cause now we know we won't +starve before the Wizard gets to us." +</P> + +<P> +"But I'm gett'n' tired standing here so long," complained the girl. +"If I could only lift one foot, and rest it, I'd feel better." +</P> + +<P> +"Same with me, Trot. I've noticed that if you've got to do a thing, +and can't help yourself, it gets to be a hardship mighty quick." +</P> + +<P> +"Folks that can raise their feet don't appreciate what a blessing it +is," said Trot thoughtfully. "I never knew before what fun it is to +raise one foot, an' then another, any time you feel like it." +</P> + +<P> +"There's lots o' things folks don't 'preciate," replied the sailor-man. +"If somethin' would 'most stop your breath, you'd think breathin' easy +was the finest thing in life. When a person's well, he don't realize +how jolly it is, but when he gets sick he 'members the time he was +well, an' wishes that time would come back. Most folks forget to thank +God for givin' 'em two good legs, till they lose one o' 'em, like I +did; and then it's too late, 'cept to praise God for leavin' one." +</P> + +<P> +"Your wooden leg ain't so bad, Cap'n," she remarked, looking at it +critically. "Anyhow, it don't take root on a Magic Island, like our +meat legs do." +</P> + +<P> +"I ain't complainin'," said Cap'n Bill. "What's that swimmin' towards +us, Trot?" he added, looking over the Magic Flower and across the water. +</P> + +<P> +The girl looked, too, and then she replied. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a bird of some sort. It's like a duck, only I never saw a duck +have so many colors." +</P> + +<P> +The bird swam swiftly and gracefully toward the Magic Isle, and as it +drew nearer its gorgeously colored plumage astonished them. The +feathers were of many hues of glistening greens and blues and purples, +and it had a yellow head with a red plume, and pink, white and violet +in its tail. When it reached the Isle, it came ashore and approached +them, waddling slowly and turning its head first to one side and then +to the other, so as to see the girl and the sailor better. +</P> + +<P> +"You're strangers," said the bird, coming to a halt near them, "and +you've been caught by the Magic Isle and made prisoners." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," returned Trot, with a sigh; "we're rooted. But I hope we won't +grow." +</P> + +<P> +"You'll grow small," said the Bird. "You'll keep growing smaller every +day, until bye and bye there'll be nothing left of you. That's the +usual way, on this Magic Isle." +</P> + +<P> +"How do you know about it, and who are you, anyhow?" asked Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm the Lonesome Duck," replied the bird. "I suppose you've heard of +me?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," said Trot, "I can't say I have. What makes you lonesome?" +</P> + +<P> +"Why, I haven't any family or any relations," returned the Duck. +</P> + +<P> +"Haven't you any friends?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not a friend. And I've nothing to do. I've lived a long time, and +I've got to live forever, because I belong in the Land of Oz, where no +living thing dies. Think of existing year after year, with no friends, +no family, and nothing to do! Can you wonder I'm lonesome?" +</P> + +<P> +"Why don't you make a few friends, and find something to do?" inquired +Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"I can't make friends because everyone I meet—bird, beast, or +person—is disagreeable to me. In a few minutes I shall be unable to +bear your society longer, and then I'll go away and leave you," said +the Lonesome Duck. "And, as for doing anything, there's no use in it. +All I meet are doing something, so I have decided it's common and +uninteresting and I prefer to remain lonesome." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you have to hunt for your food?" asked Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"No. In my diamond palace, a little way up the river, food is +magically supplied me; but I seldom eat, because it is so common." +</P> + +<P> +"You must be a Magician Duck," remarked Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"Why so?" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, ordinary ducks don't have diamond palaces an' magic food, like +you do." +</P> + +<P> +"True; and that's another reason why I'm lonesome. You must remember +I'm the only Duck in the Land of Oz, and I'm not like any other duck in +the outside world." +</P> + +<P> +"Seems to me you LIKE bein' lonesome," observed Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"I can't say I like it, exactly," replied the Duck, "but since it seems +to be my fate, I'm rather proud of it." +</P> + +<P> +"How do you s'pose a single, solitary Duck happened to be in the Land +of Oz?" asked Trot, wonderingly. +</P> + +<P> +"I used to know the reason, many years ago, but I've quite forgotten +it," declared the Duck. "The reason for a thing is never so important +as the thing itself, so there's no use remembering anything but the +fact that I'm lonesome." +</P> + +<P> +"I guess you'd be happier if you tried to do something," asserted Trot. +"If you can't do anything for yourself, you can do things for others, +and then you'd get lots of friends and stop being lonesome." +</P> + +<P> +"Now you're getting disagreeable," said the Lonesome Duck, "and I shall +have to go and leave you." +</P> + +<P> +"Can't you help us any," pleaded the girl. "If there's anything magic +about you, you might get us out of this scrape." +</P> + +<P> +"I haven't any magic strong enough to get you off the Magic Isle," +replied the Lonesome Duck. "What magic I possess is very simple, but I +find it enough for my own needs." +</P> + +<P> +"If we could only sit down a while, we could stand it better," said +Trot, "but we have nothing to sit on." +</P> + +<P> +"Then you will have to stand it," said the Lonesome Duck. +</P> + +<P> +"P'raps you've enough magic to give us a couple of stools," suggested +Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"A duck isn't supposed to know what stools are," was the reply. +</P> + +<P> +"But you're diff'rent from all other ducks." +</P> + +<P> +"That is true." The strange creature seemed to reflect for a moment, +looking at them sharply from its round black eyes. Then it said: +"Sometimes, when the sun is hot, I grow a toadstool to shelter me from +its rays. Perhaps you could sit on toadstools." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, if they were strong enough, they'd do," answered Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"Then, before I do I'll give you a couple," said the Lonesome Duck, and +began waddling about in a small circle. It went around the circle to +the right three times, and then it went around to the left three times. +Then it hopped backward three times and forward three times. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you doing?" asked Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't interrupt. This is an incantation," replied the Lonesome Duck, +but now it began making a succession of soft noises that sounded like +quacks and seemed to mean nothing at all. And it kept up these sounds +so long that Trot finally exclaimed: +</P> + +<P> +"Can't you hurry up and finish that 'cantation? If it takes all summer +to make a couple of toadstools, you're not much of a magician." +</P> + +<P> +"I told you not to interrupt," said the Lonesome Duck, sternly. "If +you get TOO disagreeable, you'll drive me away before I finish this +incantation." +</P> + +<P> +Trot kept quiet, after the rebuke, and the Duck resumed the quacky +muttering. Cap'n Bill chuckled a little to himself and remarked to +Trot in a whisper: "For a bird that ain't got anything to do, this +Lonesome Duck is makin' consider'ble fuss. An' I ain't sure, after +all, as toadstools would be worth sittin' on." +</P> + +<P> +Even as he spoke, the sailor-man felt something touch him from behind +and, turning his head, he found a big toadstool in just the right place +and of just the right size to sit upon. There was one behind Trot, +too, and with a cry of pleasure the little girl sank back upon it and +found it a very comfortable seat—solid, yet almost like a cushion. +Even Cap'n Bill's weight did not break his toadstool down, and when +both were seated, they found that the Lonesome Duck had waddled away +and was now at the water's edge. +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, ever so much!" cried Trot, and the sailor called out: "Much +obliged!" +</P> + +<P> +But the Lonesome Duck paid no attention. Without even looking in their +direction again, the gaudy fowl entered the water and swam gracefully +away. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap16"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +16. The Glass Cat Finds the Black Bag +</H3> + +<P> +When the six monkeys were transformed by Kiki Aru into six giant +soldiers fifty feet tall, their heads came above the top of the trees, +which in this part of the forest were not so high as in some other +parts; and, although the trees were somewhat scattered, the bodies of +the giant soldiers were so big that they quite filled the spaces in +which they stood and the branches pressed them on every side. +</P> + +<P> +Of course, Kiki was foolish to have made his soldiers so big, for now +they could not get out of the forest. Indeed, they could not stir a +step, but were imprisoned by the trees. Even had they been in the +little clearing they could not have made their way out of it, but they +were a little beyond the clearing. At first, the other monkeys who had +not been enchanted were afraid of the soldiers, and hastily quitted the +place; but soon finding that the great men stood stock still, although +grunting indignantly at their transformation, the band of monkeys +returned to the spot and looked at them curiously, not guessing that +they were really monkeys and their own friends. +</P> + +<P> +The soldiers couldn't see them, their heads being above the trees; they +could not even raise their arms or draw their sharp swords, so closely +were they held by the leafy branches. So the monkeys, finding the +giants helpless, began climbing up their bodies, and presently all the +band were perched on the shoulders of the giants and peering into their +faces. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm Ebu, your father," cried one soldier to a monkey who had perched +upon his left ear, "but some cruel person has enchanted me." +</P> + +<P> +"I'm your Uncle Peeker," said another soldier to another monkey. +</P> + +<P> +So, very soon all the monkeys knew the truth and were sorry for their +friends and relations and angry at the person—whoever it was—who had +transformed them. There was a great chattering among the tree-tops, +and the noise attracted other monkeys, so that the clearing and all the +trees around were full of them. +</P> + +<P> +Rango the Gray Ape, who was the Chief of all the monkey tribes of the +forest, heard the uproar and came to see what was wrong with his +people. And Rango, being wiser and more experienced, at once knew that +the strange magician who looked like a mixed-up beast was responsible +for the transformations. He realized that the six giant soldiers were +helpless prisoners, because of their size, and knew he was powerless to +release them. So, although he feared to meet the terrible magician, he +hurried away to the Great Clearing to tell Gugu the King what had +happened and to try to find the Wizard of Oz and get him to save his +six enchanted subjects. +</P> + +<P> +Rango darted into the Great Clearing just as the Wizard had restored +all the enchanted ones around him to their proper shapes, and the Gray +Ape was glad to hear that the wicked magician-beast had been conquered. +</P> + +<P> +"But now, O mighty Wizard, you must come with me to where six of my +people are transformed into six great giant men," he said, "for if they +are allowed to remain there, their happiness and their future lives +will be ruined." +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard did not reply at once, for he was thinking this a good +opportunity to win Rango's consent to his taking some monkeys to the +Emerald City for Ozma's birthday cake. +</P> + +<P> +"It is a great thing you ask of me, O Rango the Gray Ape," said he, +"for the bigger the giants are the more powerful their enchantment, and +the more difficult it will be to restore them to their natural forms. +However, I will think it over." +</P> + +<P> +Then the Wizard went to another part of the clearing and sat on a log +and appeared to be in deep thought. +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat had been greatly interested in the Gray Ape's story and +was curious to see what the giant soldiers looked like. Hearing that +their heads extended above the tree-tops, the Glass Cat decided that if +it climbed the tall avocado tree that stood at the side of the +clearing, it might be able to see the giants' heads. So, without +mentioning her errand, the crystal creature went to the tree and, by +sticking her sharp glass claws in the bark, easily climbed the tree to +its very top and, looking over the forest, saw the six giant heads, +although they were now a long way off. It was, indeed, a remarkable +sight, for the huge heads had immense soldier caps on them, with red +and yellow plumes and looked very fierce and terrible, although the +monkey hearts of the giants were at that moment filled with fear. +</P> + +<P> +Having satisfied her curiosity, the Glass Cat began to climb down from +the tree more slowly. Suddenly she discerned the Wizard's black bag +hanging from a limb of the tree. She grasped the black bag in her +glass teeth, and although it was rather heavy for so small an animal, +managed to get it free and to carry it safely down to the ground. Then +she looked around for the Wizard and seeing him seated upon the stump +she hid the black bag among some leaves and then went over to where the +Wizard sat. +</P> + +<P> +"I forgot to tell you," said the Glass Cat, "that Trot and Cap'n Bill +are in trouble, and I came here to hunt you up and get you to go and +rescue them." +</P> + +<P> +"Good gracious, Cat! Why didn't you tell me before?" exclaimed the +Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"For the reason that I found so much excitement here that I forgot Trot +and Cap'n Bill." +</P> + +<P> +"What's wrong with them?" asked the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +Then the Glass Cat explained how they had gone to get the Magic Flower +for Ozma's birthday gift and had been trapped by the magic of the queer +island. The Wizard was really alarmed, but he shook his head and said +sadly: +</P> + +<P> +"I'm afraid I can't help my dear friends, because I've lost my black +bag." +</P> + +<P> +"If I find it, will you go to them?" asked the creature. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," replied the Wizard. "But I do not think that a Glass Cat +with nothing but pink brains can succeed when all the rest of us have +failed." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you admire my pink brains?" demanded the Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"They're pretty," admitted the Wizard, "but they're not regular brains, +you know, and so we don't expect them to amount to much." +</P> + +<P> +"But if I find your black bag—and find it inside of five minutes—will +you admit my pink brains are better than your common human brains?" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I'll admit they're better HUNTERS," said the Wizard, +reluctantly, "but you can't do it. We've searched everywhere, and the +black bag isn't to be found." +</P> + +<P> +"That shows how much you know!" retorted the Glass Cat, scornfully. +"Watch my brains a minute, and see them whirl around." +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard watched, for he was anxious to regain his black bag, and the +pink brains really did whirl around in a remarkable manner. +</P> + +<P> +"Now, come with me," commanded the Glass Cat, and led the Wizard +straight to the spot where it had covered the bag with leaves. +"According to my brains," said the creature, "your black bag ought to +be here." +</P> + +<P> +Then it scratched at the leaves and uncovered the bag, which the Wizard +promptly seized with a cry of delight. Now that he had regained his +Magic Tools, he felt confident he could rescue Trot and Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +Rango the Gray Ape was getting impatient. He now approached the Wizard +and said: +</P> + +<P> +"Well, what do you intend to do about those poor enchanted monkeys?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'll make a bargain with you, Rango," replied the little man. "If you +will let me take a dozen of your monkeys to the Emerald City, and keep +them until after Ozma's birthday, I'll break the enchantment of the six +Giant Soldiers and return them to their natural forms." +</P> + +<P> +But the Gray Ape shook his head. +</P> + +<P> +"I can't do it," he declared. "The monkeys would be very lonesome and +unhappy in the Emerald City and your people would tease them and throw +stones at them, which would cause them to fight and bite." +</P> + +<P> +"The people won't see them till Ozma's birthday dinner," promised the +Wizard. "I'll make them very small—about four inches high, and I'll +keep them in a pretty cage in my own room, where they will be safe from +harm. I'll feed them the nicest kind of food, train them to do some +clever tricks, and on Ozma's birthday I'll hide the twelve little +monkeys inside a cake. When Ozma cuts the cake the monkeys will jump +out on to the table and do their tricks. The next day I will bring +them back to the forest and make them big as ever, and they'll have +some exciting stories to tell their friends. What do you say, Rango?" +</P> + +<P> +"I say no!" answered the Gray Ape. "I won't have my monkeys enchanted +and made to do tricks for the Oz people." +</P> + +<P> +"Very well," said the Wizard calmly; "then I'll go. Come, Dorothy," he +called to the little girl, "let's start on our journey." +</P> + +<P> +"Aren't you going to save those six monkeys who are giant soldiers?" +asked Rango, anxiously. +</P> + +<P> +"Why should I?" returned the Wizard. "If you will not do me the favor +I ask, you cannot expect me to favor you." +</P> + +<P> +"Wait a minute," said the Gray Ape. "I've changed my mind. If you +will treat the twelve monkeys nicely and bring them safely back to the +forest, I'll let you take them." +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you," replied the Wizard, cheerfully. "We'll go at once and +save those giant soldiers." +</P> + +<P> +So all the party left the clearing and proceeded to the place where the +giants still stood among the trees. Hundreds of monkeys, apes, baboons +and orangoutangs had gathered round, and their wild chatter could be +heard a mile away. But the Gray Ape soon hushed the babel of sounds, +and the Wizard lost no time in breaking the enchantments. First one +and then another giant soldier disappeared and became an ordinary +monkey again, and the six were shortly returned to their friends in +their proper forms. +</P> + +<P> +This action made the Wizard very popular with the great army of +monkeys, and when the Gray Ape announced that the Wizard wanted to +borrow twelve monkeys to take to the Emerald City for a couple of +weeks, and asked for volunteers, nearly a hundred offered to go, so +great was their confidence in the little man who had saved their +comrades. +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard selected a dozen that seemed intelligent and good-tempered, +and then he opened his black bag and took out a queerly shaped dish +that was silver on the outside and gold on the inside. Into this dish +he poured a powder and set fire to it. It made a thick smoke that +quite enveloped the twelve monkeys, as well as the form of the Wizard, +but when the smoke cleared away the dish had been changed to a golden +cage with silver bars, and the twelve monkeys had become about three +inches high and were all seated comfortably inside the cage. +</P> + +<P> +The thousands of hairy animals who had witnessed this act of magic were +much astonished and applauded the Wizard by barking aloud and shaking +the limbs of the trees in which they sat. Dorothy said: "That was a +fine trick, Wizard!" and the Gray Ape remarked: "You are certainly the +most wonderful magician in all the Land of Oz!" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, no," modestly replied the little man. "Glinda's magic is better +than mine, but mine seems good enough to use on ordinary occasions. +And now, Rango, we will say good-bye, and I promise to return your +monkeys as happy and safe as they are now." +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard rode on the back of the Hungry Tiger and carried the cage of +monkeys very carefully, so as not to joggle them. Dorothy rode on the +back of the Cowardly Lion, and the Glass Cat trotted, as before, to +show them the way. +</P> + +<P> +Gugu the King crouched upon a log and watched them go, but as he bade +them farewell, the enormous Leopard said: +</P> + +<P> +"I know now that you are the friends of beasts and that the forest +people may trust you. Whenever the Wizard of Oz and Princess Dorothy +enter the Forest of Gugu hereafter, they will be as welcome and as safe +with us as ever they are in the Emerald City." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap17"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +17. A Remarkable Journey +</H3> + +<P> +"You see," explained the Glass Cat, "that Magic Isle where Trot and +Cap'n Bill are stuck is also in this Gillikin Country—over at the east +side of it, and it's no farther to go across-lots from here than it is +from here to the Emerald City. So we'll save time by cutting across +the mountains." +</P> + +<P> +"Are you sure you know the way?" asked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"I know all the Land of Oz better than any other living creature knows +it," asserted the Glass Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"Go ahead, then, and guide us," said the Wizard. "We've left our poor +friends helpless too long already, and the sooner we rescue them the +happier they'll be." +</P> + +<P> +"Are you sure you can get 'em out of their fix?" the little girl +inquired. +</P> + +<P> +"I've no doubt of it," the Wizard assured her. "But I can't tell what +sort of magic I must use until I get to the place and discover just how +they are enchanted." +</P> + +<P> +"I've heard of that Magic Isle where the Wonderful Flower grows," +remarked the Cowardly Lion. "Long ago, when I used to live in the +forests, the beasts told stories about the Isle and how the Magic +Flower was placed there to entrap strangers—men or beasts." +</P> + +<P> +"Is the Flower really wonderful?" questioned Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"I have heard it is the most beautiful plant in the world," answered +the Lion. "I have never seen it myself, but friendly beasts have told +me that they have stood on the shore of the river and looked across at +the plant in the gold flower-pot and seen hundreds of flowers, of all +sorts and sizes, blossom upon it in quick succession. It is said that +if one picks the flowers while they are in bloom they will remain +perfect for a long time, but if they are not picked they soon disappear +and are replaced by other flowers. That, in my opinion, make the Magic +Plant the most wonderful in existence." +</P> + +<P> +"But these are only stories," said the girl. "Has any of your friends +ever picked a flower from the wonderful plant?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," admitted the Cowardly Lion, "for if any living thing ventures +upon the Magic Isle, where the golden flower-pot stands, that man or +beast takes root in the soil and cannot get away again." +</P> + +<P> +"What happens to them, then?" asked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"They grow smaller, hour by hour and day by day, and finally disappear +entirely." +</P> + +<P> +"Then," said the girl anxiously, "we must hurry up, or Cap'n Bill an' +Trot will get too small to be comf'table." +</P> + +<P> +They were proceeding at a rapid pace during this conversation, for the +Hungry Tiger and the Cowardly Lion were obliged to move swiftly in +order to keep pace with the Glass Cat. After leaving the Forest of +Gugu they crossed a mountain range, and then a broad plain, after which +they reached another forest, much smaller than that where Gugu ruled. +</P> + +<P> +"The Magic Isle is in this forest," said the Glass Cat, "but the river +is at the other side of the forest. There is no path through the +trees, but if we keep going east, we will find the river, and then it +will be easy to find the Magic Isle." +</P> + +<P> +"Have you ever traveled this way before?" inquired the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"Not exactly," admitted the Cat, "but I know we shall reach the river +if we go east through the forest." +</P> + +<P> +"Lead on, then," said the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat started away, and at first it was easy to pass between +the trees; but before long the underbrush and vines became thick and +tangled, and after pushing their way through these obstacles for a +time, our travelers came to a place where even the Glass Cat could not +push through. +</P> + +<P> +"We'd better go back and find a path," suggested the Hungry Tiger. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm s'prised at you," said Dorothy, eyeing the Glass Cat severely. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm surprised, myself," replied the Cat. "But it's a long way around +the forest to where the river enters it, and I thought we could save +time by going straight through." +</P> + +<P> +"No one can blame you," said the Wizard, "and I think, instead of +turning back, I can make a path that will allow us to proceed." +</P> + +<P> +He opened his black bag and after searching among his magic tools drew +out a small axe, made of some metal so highly polished that it +glittered brightly even in the dark forest. The Wizard laid the little +axe on the ground and said in a commanding voice: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Chop, Little Axe, chop clean and true;<BR> +A path for our feet you must quickly hew.<BR> +Chop till this tangle of jungle is passed;<BR> +Chop to the east, Little Axe—chop fast!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Then the little axe began to move and flashed its bright blade right +and left, clearing a way through vine and brush and scattering the +tangled barrier so quickly that the Lion and the Tiger, carrying +Dorothy and the Wizard and the cage of monkeys on their backs, were +able to stride through the forest at a fast walk. The brush seemed to +melt away before them and the little axe chopped so fast that their +eyes only saw a twinkling of the blade. Then, suddenly, the forest was +open again, and the little axe, having obeyed its orders, lay still +upon the ground. +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard picked up the magic axe and after carefully wiping it with +his silk handkerchief put it away in his black bag. Then they went on +and in a short time reached the river. +</P> + +<P> +"Let me see," said the Glass Cat, looking up and down the stream, "I +think we are below the Magic Isle; so we must go up the stream until we +come to it." +</P> + +<P> +So up the stream they traveled, walking comfortably on the river bank, +and after a while the water broadened and a sharp bend appeared in the +river, hiding all below from their view. They walked briskly along, +however, and had nearly reached the bend when a voice cried warningly: +"Look out!" +</P> + +<P> +The travelers halted abruptly and the Wizard said: "Look out for what?" +</P> + +<P> +"You almost stepped on my Diamond Palace," replied the voice, and a +duck with gorgeously colored feathers appeared before them. "Beasts +and men are terribly clumsy," continued the Duck in an irritated tone, +"and you've no business on this side of the River, anyway. What are +you doing here?" +</P> + +<P> +"We've come to rescue some friends of ours who are stuck fast on the +Magic Isle in this river," explained Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"I know 'em," said the Duck. "I've been to see 'em, and they're stuck +fast, all right. You may as well go back home, for no power can save +them." +</P> + +<P> +"This is the Wonderful Wizard of Oz," said Dorothy, pointing to the +little man. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I'm the Lonesome Duck," was the reply, as the fowl strutted up +and down to show its feathers to best advantage. "I'm the great Forest +Magician, as any beast can tell you, but even I have no power to +destroy the dreadful charm of the Magic Isle." +</P> + +<P> +"Are you lonesome because you're a magician?" inquired Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"No; I'm lonesome because I have no family and no friends. But I like +to be lonesome, so please don't offer to be friendly with me. Go away, +and try not to step on my Diamond Palace." +</P> + +<P> +"Where is it?" asked the girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Behind this bush." +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy hopped off the lion's back and ran around the bush to see the +Diamond Palace of the Lonesome Duck, although the gaudy fowl protested +in a series of low quacks. The girl found, indeed, a glistening dome +formed of clearest diamonds, neatly cemented together, with a doorway +at the side just big enough to admit the duck. +</P> + +<P> +"Where did you find so many diamonds?" asked Dorothy, wonderingly. +</P> + +<P> +"I know a place in the mountains where they are thick as pebbles," said +the Lonesome Duck, "and I brought them here in my bill, one by one and +put them in the river and let the water run over them until they were +brightly polished. Then I built this palace, and I'm positive it's the +only Diamond Palace in all the world." +</P> + +<P> +"It's the only one I know of," said the little girl; "but if you live +in it all alone, I don't see why it's any better than a wooden palace, +or one of bricks or cobble-stones." +</P> + +<P> +"You're not supposed to understand that," retorted the Lonesome Duck. +"But I might tell you, as a matter of education, that a home of any +sort should be beautiful to those who live in it, and should not be +intended to please strangers. The Diamond Palace is my home, and I +like it. So I don't care a quack whether YOU like it or not." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, but I do!" exclaimed Dorothy. "It's lovely on the outside, but—" +Then she stopped speaking, for the Lonesome Duck had entered his palace +through the little door without even saying good-bye. So Dorothy +returned to her friends and they resumed their journey. +</P> + +<P> +"Do you think, Wizard, the Duck was right in saying no magic can rescue +Trot and Cap'n Bill?" asked the girl in a worried tone of voice. +</P> + +<P> +"No, I don't think the Lonesome Duck was right in saying that," +answered the Wizard, gravely, "but it is possible that their +enchantment will be harder to overcome than I expected. I'll do my +best, of course, and no one can do more than his best." +</P> + +<P> +That didn't entirely relieve Dorothy's anxiety, but she said nothing +more, and soon, on turning the bend in the river, they came in sight of +the Magic Isle. +</P> + +<P> +"There they are!" exclaimed Dorothy eagerly. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, I see them," replied the Wizard, nodding. "They are sitting on +two big toadstools." +</P> + +<P> +"That's queer," remarked the Glass Cat. "There were no toadstools +there when I left them." +</P> + +<P> +"What a lovely flower!" cried Dorothy in rapture, as her gaze fell on +the Magic Plant. +</P> + +<P> +"Never mind the Flower, just now," advised the Wizard. "The most +important thing is to rescue our friends." +</P> + +<P> +By this time they had arrived at a place just opposite the Magic Isle, +and now both Trot and Cap'n Bill saw the arrival of their friends and +called to them for help. +</P> + +<P> +"How are you?" shouted the Wizard, putting his hands to his mouth so +they could hear him better across the water. +</P> + +<P> +"We're in hard luck," shouted Cap'n Bill, in reply. "We're anchored +here and can't move till you find a way to cut the hawser." +</P> + +<P> +"What does he mean by that?" asked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"We can't move our feet a bit!" called Trot, speaking as loud as she +could. +</P> + +<P> +"Why not?" inquired Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"They've got roots on 'em," explained Trot. +</P> + +<P> +It was hard to talk from so great a distance, so the Wizard said to the +Glass Cat: +</P> + +<P> +"Go to the island and tell our friends to be patient, for we have come +to save them. It may take a little time to release them, for the Magic +of the Isle is new to me and I shall have to experiment. But tell them +I'll hurry as fast as I can." +</P> + +<P> +So the Glass Cat walked across the river under the water to tell Trot +and Cap'n Bill not to worry, and the Wizard at once opened his black +bag and began to make his preparations. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap18"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +18. The Magic of the Wizard +</H3> + +<P> +He first set up a small silver tripod and placed a gold basin at the +top of it. Into this basin he put two powders—a pink one and a +sky-blue one—and poured over them a yellow liquid from a crystal vial. +Then he mumbled some magic words, and the powders began to sizzle and +burn and send out a cloud of violet smoke that floated across the river +and completely enveloped both Trot and Cap'n Bill, as well as the +toadstools on which they sat, and even the Magic Plant in the gold +flower-pot. Then, after the smoke had disappeared into air, the Wizard +called out to the prisoners: +</P> + +<P> +"Are you free?" +</P> + +<P> +Both Trot and Cap'n Bill tried to move their feet and failed. +</P> + +<P> +"No!" they shouted in answer. +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard rubbed his bald head thoughtfully and then took some other +magic tools from the bag. +</P> + +<P> +First he placed a little black ball in a silver pistol and shot it +toward the Magic Isle. The ball exploded just over the head of Trot +and scattered a thousand sparks over the little girl. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh!" said the Wizard, "I guess that will set her free." +</P> + +<P> +But Trot's feet were still rooted in the ground of the Magic Isle, and +the disappointed Wizard had to try something else. +</P> + +<P> +For almost an hour he worked hard, using almost every magic tool in his +black bag, and still Cap'n Bill and Trot were not rescued. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me!" exclaimed Dorothy, "I'm 'fraid we'll have to go to Glinda, +after all." +</P> + +<P> +That made the little Wizard blush, for it shamed him to think that his +magic was not equal to that of the Magic Isle. +</P> + +<P> +"I won't give up yet, Dorothy," he said, "for I know a lot of wizardry +that I haven't yet tried. I don't know what magician enchanted this +little island, or what his powers were, but I DO know that I can break +any enchantment known to the ordinary witches and magicians that used +to inhabit the Land of Oz. It's like unlocking a door; all you need is +to find the right key." +</P> + +<P> +"But 'spose you haven't the right key with you." suggested Dorothy; +"what then?" +</P> + +<P> +"Then we'll have to make the key," he answered. +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat now came back to their side of the river, walking under +the water, and said to the Wizard: "They're getting frightened over +there on the island because they're both growing smaller every minute. +Just now, when I left them, both Trot and Cap'n Bill were only about +half their natural sizes." +</P> + +<P> +"I think," said the Wizard reflectively, "that I'd better go to the +shore of the island, where I can talk to them and work to better +advantage. How did Trot and Cap'n Bill get to the island?" +</P> + +<P> +"On a raft," answered the Glass Cat. "It's over there now on the +beach." +</P> + +<P> +"I suppose you're not strong enough to bring the raft to this side, are +you?" +</P> + +<P> +"No; I couldn't move it an inch," said the Cat. +</P> + +<P> +"I'll try to get it for you," volunteered the Cowardly Lion. "I'm +dreadfully scared for fear the Magic Isle will capture me, too; but +I'll try to get the raft and bring it to this side for you." +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, my friend," said the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +So the Lion plunged into the river and swam with powerful strokes +across to where the raft was beached upon the island. Placing one paw +on the raft, he turned and struck out with his other three legs and so +strong was the great beast that he managed to drag the raft from off +the beach and propel it slowly to where the Wizard stood on the river +bank. +</P> + +<P> +"Good!" exclaimed the little man, well pleased. +</P> + +<P> +"May I go across with you?" asked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard hesitated. +</P> + +<P> +"If you'll take care not to leave the raft or step foot on the island, +you'll be quite safe," he decided. So the Wizard told the Hungry Tiger +and the Cowardly Lion to guard the cage of monkeys until he returned, +and then he and Dorothy got upon the raft. The paddle which Cap'n Bill +had made was still there, so the little Wizard paddled the clumsy raft +across the water and ran it upon the beach of the Magic Isle as close +to the place where Cap'n Bill and Trot were rooted as he could. +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy was shocked to see how small the prisoners had become, and Trot +said to her friends: "If you can't save us soon, there'll be nothing +left of us." +</P> + +<P> +"Be patient, my dear," counseled the Wizard, and took the little axe +from his black bag. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you going to do with that?" asked Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a magic axe," replied the Wizard, "and when I tell it to chop, it +will chop those roots from your feet and you can run to the raft before +they grow again." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't!" shouted the sailor in alarm. "Don't do it! Those roots are +all flesh roots, and our bodies are feeding 'em while they're growing +into the ground." +</P> + +<P> +"To cut off the roots," said Trot, "would be like cutting off our +fingers and toes." +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard put the little axe back in the black bag and took out a pair +of silver pincers. +</P> + +<P> +"Grow—grow—grow!" he said to the pincers, and at once they grew and +extended until they reached from the raft to the prisoners. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you going to do now?" demanded Cap'n Bill, fearfully eyeing +the pincers. +</P> + +<P> +"This magic tool will pull you up, roots and all, and land you on this +raft," declared the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't do it!" pleaded the sailor, with a shudder. "It would hurt us +awfully." +</P> + +<P> +"It would be just like pulling teeth to pull us up by the roots," +explained Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Grow small!" said the Wizard to the pincers, and at once they became +small and he threw them into the black bag. +</P> + +<P> +"I guess, friends, it's all up with us, this time," remarked Cap'n +Bill, with a dismal sigh. +</P> + +<P> +"Please tell Ozma, Dorothy," said Trot, "that we got into trouble +trying to get her a nice birthday present. Then she'll forgive us. +The Magic Flower is lovely and wonderful, but it's just a lure to catch +folks on this dreadful island and then destroy them. You'll have a +nice birthday party, without us, I'm sure; and I hope, Dorothy, that +none of you in the Emerald City will forget me—or dear ol' Cap'n Bill." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap19"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +19. Dorothy and the Bumble Bees +</H3> + +<P> +Dorothy was greatly distressed and had hard work to keep the tears from +her eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"Is that all you can do, Wizard?" she asked the little man. +</P> + +<P> +"It's all I can think of just now," he replied sadly. "But I intend to +keep on thinking as long—as long—well, as long as thinking will do +any good." +</P> + +<P> +They were all silent for a time, Dorothy and the Wizard sitting +thoughtfully on the raft, and Trot and Cap'n Bill sitting thoughtfully +on the toadstools and growing gradually smaller and smaller in size. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly Dorothy said: "Wizard, I've thought of something!" +</P> + +<P> +"What have you thought of?" he asked, looking at the little girl with +interest. +</P> + +<P> +"Can you remember the Magic Word that transforms people?" she asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," said he. +</P> + +<P> +"Then you can transform Trot and Cap'n Bill into birds or bumblebees, +and they can fly away to the other shore. When they're there, you can +transform 'em into their reg'lar shapes again!" +</P> + +<P> +"Can you do that, Wizard?" asked Cap'n Bill, eagerly. +</P> + +<P> +"I think so." +</P> + +<P> +"Roots an' all?" inquired Trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, the roots are now a part of you, and if you were transformed to a +bumblebee the whole of you would be transformed, of course, and you'd +be free of this awful island." +</P> + +<P> +"All right; do it!" cried the sailor-man. +</P> + +<P> +So the Wizard said slowly and distinctly: +</P> + +<P> +"I want Trot and Cap'n Bill to become bumblebees—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +Fortunately, he pronounced the Magic Word in the right way, and +instantly Trot and Cap'n Bill vanished from view, and up from the +places where they had been flew two bumblebees. +</P> + +<P> +"Hooray!" shouted Dorothy in delight; "they're saved!" +</P> + +<P> +"I guess they are," agreed the Wizard, equally delighted. +</P> + +<P> +The bees hovered over the raft an instant and then flew across the +river to where the Lion and the Tiger waited. The Wizard picked up the +paddle and paddled the raft across as fast as he could. When it +reached the river bank, both Dorothy and the Wizard leaped ashore and +the little man asked excitedly: +</P> + +<P> +"Where are the bees?" +</P> + +<P> +"The bees?" inquired the Lion, who was half asleep and did not know +what had happened on the Magic Isle. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; there were two of them." +</P> + +<P> +"Two bees?" said the Hungry Tiger, yawning. "Why, I ate one of them +and the Cowardly Lion ate the other." +</P> + +<P> +"Goodness gracious!" cried Dorothy horrified. +</P> + +<P> +"It was little enough for our lunch," remarked the Tiger, "but the bees +were the only things we could find." +</P> + +<P> +"How dreadful!" wailed Dorothy, wringing her hands in despair. "You've +eaten Trot and Cap'n Bill." +</P> + +<P> +But just then she heard a buzzing overhead and two bees alighted on her +shoulder. +</P> + +<P> +"Here we are," said a small voice in her ear. "I'm Trot, Dorothy." +</P> + +<P> +"And I'm Cap'n Bill," said the other bee. +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy almost fainted, with relief, and the Wizard, who was close by +and had heard the tiny voices, gave a laugh and said: +</P> + +<P> +"You are not the only two bees in the forest, it seems, but I advise +you to keep away from the Lion and the Tiger until you regain your +proper forms." +</P> + +<P> +"Do it now, Wizard!" advised Dorothy. "They're so small that you never +can tell what might happen to 'em." +</P> + +<P> +So the Wizard gave the command and pronounced the Magic Word, and in +the instant Trot and Cap'n Bill stood beside them as natural as before +they had met their fearful adventure. For they were no longer small in +size, because the Wizard had transformed them from bumblebees into the +shapes and sizes that nature had formerly given them. The ugly roots +on their feet had disappeared with the transformation. +</P> + +<P> +While Dorothy was hugging Trot, and Trot was softly crying because she +was so happy, the Wizard shook hands with Cap'n Bill and congratulated +him on his escape. The old sailor-man was so pleased that he also +shook the Lion's paw and took off his hat and bowed politely to the +cage of monkeys. +</P> + +<P> +Then Cap'n Bill did a curious thing. He went to a big tree and, taking +out his knife, cut away a big, broad piece of thick bark. Then he sat +down on the ground and after taking a roll of stout cord from his +pocket—which seemed to be full of all sorts of things—he proceeded to +bind the flat piece of bark to the bottom of his good foot, over the +leather sole. +</P> + +<P> +"What's that for?" inquired the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"I hate to be stumped," replied the sailor-man; "so I'm goin' back to +that island." +</P> + +<P> +"And get enchanted again?" exclaimed Trot, with evident disapproval. +</P> + +<P> +"No; this time I'll dodge the magic of the island. I noticed that my +wooden leg didn't get stuck, or take root, an' neither did the glass +feet of the Glass Cat. It's only a thing that's made of meat—like man +an' beasts—that the magic can hold an' root to the ground. Our shoes +are leather, an' leather comes from a beast's hide. Our stockin's are +wool, an' wool comes from a sheep's back. So, when we walked on the +Magic Isle, our feet took root there an' held us fast. But not my +wooden leg. So now I'll put a wooden bottom on my other foot an' the +magic can't stop me." +</P> + +<P> +"But why do you wish to go back to the island?" asked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"Didn't you see the Magic Flower in the gold flower-pot?" returned +Cap'n Bill. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course I saw it, and it's lovely and wonderful." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, Trot an' I set out to get the magic plant for a present to Ozma +on her birthday, and I mean to get it an' take it back with us to the +Emerald City." +</P> + +<P> +"That would be fine," cried Trot eagerly, "if you think you can do it, +and it would be safe to try!" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm pretty sure it is safe, the way I've fixed my foot," said the +sailor, "an' if I SHOULD happen to get caught, I s'pose the Wizard +could save me again." +</P> + +<P> +"I suppose I could," agreed the Wizard. "Anyhow, if you wish to try +it, Cap'n Bill, go ahead and we'll stand by and watch what happens." +</P> + +<P> +So the sailor-man got upon the raft again and paddled over to the Magic +Isle, landing as close to the golden flower-pot as he could. They +watched him walk across the land, put both arms around the flower-pot +and lift it easily from its place. Then he carried it to the raft and +set it down very gently. The removal did not seem to affect the Magic +Flower in any way, for it was growing daffodils when Cap'n Bill picked +it up and on the way to the raft it grew tulips and gladioli. During +the time the sailor was paddling across the river to where his friends +awaited him, seven different varieties of flowers bloomed in succession +on the plant. +</P> + +<P> +"I guess the Magician who put it on the island never thought that any +one would carry it off," said Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"He figured that only men would want the plant, and any man who went +upon the island to get it would be caught by the enchantment," added +the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"After this," remarked Trot, "no one will care to go on the island, so +it won't be a trap any more." +</P> + +<P> +"There," exclaimed Cap'n Bill, setting down the Magic Plant in triumph +upon the river bank, "if Ozma gets a better birthday present than that, +I'd like to know what it can be!" +</P> + +<P> +"It'll s'prise her, all right," declared Dorothy, standing in awed +wonder before the gorgeous blossoms and watching them change from +yellow roses to violets. +</P> + +<P> +"It'll s'prise ev'rybody in the Em'rald City," Trot asserted in glee, +"and it'll be Ozma's present from Cap'n Bill and me." +</P> + +<P> +"I think I ought to have a little credit," objected the Glass Cat. "I +discovered the thing, and led you to it, and brought the Wizard here to +save you when you got caught." +</P> + +<P> +"That's true," admitted Trot, "and I'll tell Ozma the whole story, so +she'll know how good you've been." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap20"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +20. The Monkeys Have Trouble +</H3> + +<P> +"Now," said the Wizard, "we must start for home. But how are we going +to carry that big gold flower-pot? Cap'n Bill can't lug it all the +way, that's certain." +</P> + +<P> +"No," acknowledged the sailor-man; "it's pretty heavy. I could carry +it for a little while, but I'd have to stop to rest every few minutes." +</P> + +<P> +"Couldn't we put it on your back?" Dorothy asked the Cowardly Lion, +with a good-natured yawn. +</P> + +<P> +"I don't object to carrying it, if you can fasten it on," answered the +Lion. +</P> + +<P> +"If it falls off," said Trot, "it might get smashed an' be ruined." +</P> + +<P> +"I'll fix it," promised Cap'n Bill. "I'll make a flat board out of one +of these tree trunks, an' tie the board on the lion's back, an' set the +flower-pot on the board." He set to work at once to do this, but as he +only had his big knife for a tool his progress was slow. +</P> + +<P> +So the Wizard took from his black bag a tiny saw that shone like silver +and said to it: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Saw, Little Saw, come show your power; <BR> +Make us a board for the Magic Flower." +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +And at once the Little Saw began to move and it sawed the log so fast +that those who watched it work were astonished. It seemed to +understand, too, just what the board was to be used for, for when it +was completed it was flat on top and hollowed beneath in such a manner +that it exactly fitted the Lion's back. +</P> + +<P> +"That beats whittlin'!" exclaimed Cap'n Bill, admiringly. "You don't +happen to have TWO o' them saws; do you, Wizard?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," replied the Wizard, wiping the Magic Saw carefully with his silk +handkerchief and putting it back in the black bag. "It's the only saw +of its kind in the world; and if there were more like it, it wouldn't +be so wonderful." +</P> + +<P> +They now tied the board on the Lion's back, flat side up, and Cap'n +Bill carefully placed the Magic Flower on the board. +</P> + +<P> +"For fear o' accidents," he said, "I'll walk beside the Lion and hold +onto the flower-pot." +</P> + +<P> +Trot and Dorothy could both ride on the back of the Hungry Tiger, and +between them they carried the cage of monkeys. But this arrangement +left the Wizard, as well as the sailor, to make the journey on foot, +and so the procession moved slowly and the Glass Cat grumbled because +it would take so long to get to the Emerald City. +</P> + +<P> +The Cat was sour-tempered and grumpy, at first, but before they had +journeyed far, the crystal creature had discovered a fine amusement. +The long tails of the monkeys were constantly sticking through the bars +of their cage, and when they did, the Glass Cat would slyly seize the +tails in her paws and pull them. That made the monkeys scream, and +their screams pleased the Glass Cat immensely. Trot and Dorothy tried +to stop this naughty amusement, but when they were not looking the Cat +would pull the tails again, and the creature was so sly and quick that +the monkeys could seldom escape. They scolded the Cat angrily and +shook the bars of their cage, but they could not get out and the Cat +only laughed at them. +</P> + +<P> +After the party had left the forest and were on the plains of the +Munchkin Country, it grew dark, and they were obliged to make camp for +the night, choosing a pretty place beside a brook. By means of his +magic the Wizard created three tents, pitched in a row on the grass and +nicely fitted with all that was needful for the comfort of his +comrades. The middle tent was for Dorothy and Trot, and had in it two +cosy white beds and two chairs. Another tent, also with beds and +chairs, was for the Wizard and Cap'n Bill, while the third tent was for +the Hungry Tiger, the Cowardly Lion, the cage of Monkeys and the Glass +Cat. Outside the tents the Wizard made a fire and placed over it a +magic kettle from which he presently drew all sorts of nice things for +their supper, smoking hot. +</P> + +<P> +After they had eaten and talked together for a while under the +twinkling stars, they all went to bed and the people were soon asleep. +The Lion and the Tiger had almost fallen asleep, too, when they were +roused by the screams of the monkeys, for the Glass Cat was pulling +their tails again. Annoyed by the uproar, the Hungry Tiger cried: +"Stop that racket!" and getting sight of the Glass Cat, he raised his +big paw and struck at the creature. The cat was quick enough to dodge +the blow, but the claws of the Hungry Tiger scraped the monkey's cage +and bent two of the bars. +</P> + +<P> +Then the Tiger lay down again to sleep, but the monkeys soon discovered +that the bending of the bars would allow them to squeeze through. They +did not leave the cage, however, but after whispering together they let +their tails stick out and all remained quiet. Presently the Glass Cat +stole near the cage again and gave a yank to one of the tails. +Instantly the monkeys leaped through the bars, one after another, and +although they were so small the entire dozen of them surrounded the +Glass Cat and clung to her claws and tail and ears and made her a +prisoner. Then they forced her out of the tent and down to the banks +of the stream. The monkeys had noticed that these banks were covered +with thick, slimy mud of a dark blue color, and when they had taken the +Cat to the stream, they smeared this mud all over the glass body of the +cat, filling the creature's ears and eyes with it, so that she could +neither see nor hear. She was no longer transparent and so thick was +the mud upon her that no one could see her pink brains or her ruby +heart. +</P> + +<P> +In this condition they led the pussy back to the tent and then got +inside their cage again. +</P> + +<P> +By morning the mud had dried hard on the Glass Cat and it was a dull +blue color throughout. Dorothy and Trot were horrified, but the Wizard +shook his head and said it served the Glass Cat right for teasing the +monkeys. +</P> + +<P> +Cap'n Bill, with his strong hands, soon bent the golden wires of the +monkeys' cage into the proper position and then he asked the Wizard if +he should wash the Glass Cat in the water of the brook. +</P> + +<P> +"Not just yet," answered the Wizard. "The Cat deserves to be punished, +so I think I'll leave that blue mud—which is as bad as paint—upon her +body until she gets to the Emerald City. The silly creature is so vain +that she will be greatly shamed when the Oz people see her in this +condition, and perhaps she'll take the lesson to heart and leave the +monkeys alone hereafter." +</P> + +<P> +However, the Glass Cat could not see or hear, and to avoid carrying her +on the journey the Wizard picked the mud out of her eyes and ears and +Dorothy dampened her handkerchief and washed both the eyes and ears +clean. +</P> + +<P> +As soon as she could speak the Glass Cat asked indignantly: "Aren't you +going to punish those monkeys for playing such a trick on me?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," answered the Wizard. "You played a trick on them by pulling +their tails, so this is only tit-for-tat, and I'm glad the monkeys had +their revenge." +</P> + +<P> +He wouldn't allow the Glass Cat to go near the water, to wash herself, +but made her follow them when they resumed their journey toward the +Emerald City. +</P> + +<P> +"This is only part of your punishment," said the Wizard, severely. +"Ozma will laugh at you, when we get to her palace, and so will the +Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman, and Tik-Tok, and the Shaggy Man, and +Button-Bright, and the Patchwork Girl, and—" +</P> + +<P> +"And the Pink Kitten," added Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +That suggestion hurt the Glass Cat more than anything else. The Pink +Kitten always quarreled with the Glass Cat and insisted that flesh was +superior to glass, while the Glass Cat would jeer at the Pink Kitten, +because it had no pink brains. But the pink brains were all daubed +with blue mud, just now, and if the Pink Kitten should see the Glass +Cat in such a condition, it would be dreadfully humiliating. +</P> + +<P> +For several hours the Glass Cat walked along very meekly, but toward +noon it seized an opportunity when no one was looking and darted away +through the long grass. It remembered that there was a tiny lake of +pure water near by, and to this lake the Cat sped as fast as it could +go. +</P> + +<P> +The others never missed her until they stopped for lunch, and then it +was too late to hunt for her. +</P> + +<P> +"I s'pect she's gone somewhere to clean herself," said Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"Never mind," replied the Wizard. "Perhaps this glass creature has +been punished enough, and we must not forget she saved both Trot and +Cap'n Bill." +</P> + +<P> +"After first leading 'em onto an enchanted island," added Dorothy. +"But I think, as you do, that the Glass Cat is punished enough, and +p'raps she won't try to pull the monkeys' tails again." +</P> + +<P> +The Glass Cat did not rejoin the party of travelers. She was still +resentful, and they moved too slowly to suit her, besides. When they +arrived at the Royal Palace, one of the first things they saw was the +Glass Cat curled up on a bench as bright and clean and transparent as +ever. But she pretended not to notice them, and they passed her by +without remark. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap21"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +21. The College of Athletic Arts +</H3> + +<P> +Dorothy and her friends arrived at the Royal Palace at an opportune +time, for Ozma was holding high court in her Throne Room, where +Professor H. M. Wogglebug, T.E., was appealing to her to punish some of +the students of the Royal Athletic College, of which he was the +Principal. +</P> + +<P> +This College is located in the Munchkin Country, but not far from the +Emerald City. To enable the students to devote their entire time to +athletic exercises, such as boating, foot-ball, and the like, Professor +Wogglebug had invented an assortment of Tablets of Learning. One of +these tablets, eaten by a scholar after breakfast, would instantly +enable him to understand arithmetic or algebra or any other branch of +mathematics. Another tablet eaten after lunch gave a student a +complete knowledge of geography. Another tablet made it possible for +the eater to spell the most difficult words, and still another enabled +him to write a beautiful hand. There were tablets for history, +mechanics, home cooking and agriculture, and it mattered not whether a +boy or a girl was stupid or bright, for the tablets taught them +everything in the twinkling of an eye. +</P> + +<P> +This method, which is patented in the Land of Oz by Professor +Wogglebug, saves paper and books, as well as the tedious hours devoted +to study in some of our less favored schools, and it also allows the +students to devote all their time to racing, base-ball, tennis and +other manly and womanly sports, which are greatly interfered with by +study in those Temples of Learning where Tablets of Learning are +unknown. +</P> + +<P> +But it so happened that Professor Wogglebug (who had invented so much +that he had acquired the habit) carelessly invented a Square-Meal +Tablet, which was no bigger than your little finger-nail but contained, +in condensed form, the equal of a bowl of soup, a portion of fried +fish, a roast, a salad and a dessert, all of which gave the same +nourishment as a square meal. +</P> + +<P> +The Professor was so proud of these Square-Meal Tablets that he began +to feed them to the students at his college, instead of other food, but +the boys and girls objected because they wanted food that they could +enjoy the taste of. It was no fun at all to swallow a tablet, with a +glass of water, and call it a dinner; so they refused to eat the +Square-Meal Tablets. Professor Wogglebug insisted, and the result was +that the Senior Class seized the learned Professor one day and threw +him into the river—clothes and all. Everyone knows that a wogglebug +cannot swim, and so the inventor of the wonderful Square-Meal Tablets +lay helpless on the bottom of the river for three days before a +fisherman caught one of his legs on a fishhook and dragged him out upon +the bank. +</P> + +<P> +The learned Professor was naturally indignant at such treatment, and so +he brought the entire Senior Class to the Emerald City and appealed to +Ozma of Oz to punish them for their rebellion. +</P> + +<P> +I do not suppose the girl Ruler was very severe with the rebellious +boys and girls, because she had herself refused to eat the Square-Meal +Tablets in place of food, but while she was listening to the +interesting case in her Throne Room, Cap'n Bill managed to carry the +golden flower-pot containing the Magic Flower up to Trot's room without +it being seen by anyone except Jellia Jamb, Ozma's chief Maid of Honor, +and Jellia promised not to tell. +</P> + +<P> +Also the Wizard was able to carry the cage of monkeys up to one of the +top towers of the palace, where he had a room of his own, to which no +one came unless invited. So Trot and Dorothy and Cap'n Bill and the +Wizard were all delighted at the successful end of their adventure. +The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger went to the marble stables +behind the Royal Palace, where they lived while at home, and they too +kept the secret, even refusing to tell the Wooden Sawhorse, and Hank +the Mule, and the Yellow Hen, and the Pink Kitten where they had been. +</P> + +<P> +Trot watered the Magic Flower every day and allowed no one in her room +to see the beautiful blossoms except her friends, Betsy Bobbin and +Dorothy. The wonderful plant did not seem to lose any of its magic by +being removed from its island, and Trot was sure that Ozma would prize +it as one of her most delightful treasures. +</P> + +<P> +Up in his tower the little Wizard of Oz began training his twelve tiny +monkeys, and the little creatures were so intelligent that they learned +every trick the Wizard tried to teach them. The Wizard treated them +with great kindness and gentleness and gave them the food that monkeys +love best, so they promised to do their best on the great occasion of +Ozma's birthday. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap22"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +22. Ozma's Birthday Party +</H3> + +<P> +It seems odd that a fairy should have a birthday, for fairies, they +say, were born at the beginning of time and live forever. Yet, on the +other hand, it would be a shame to deprive a fairy, who has so many +other good things, of the delights of a birthday. So we need not +wonder that the fairies keep their birthdays just as other folks do, +and consider them occasions for feasting and rejoicing. +</P> + +<P> +Ozma, the beautiful girl Ruler of the Fairyland of Oz, was a real +fairy, and so sweet and gentle in caring for her people that she was +greatly beloved by them all. She lived in the most magnificent palace +in the most magnificent city in the world, but that did not prevent her +from being the friend of the most humble person in her dominions. She +would mount her Wooden Sawhorse, and ride out to a farm house and sit +in the kitchen to talk with the good wife of the farmer while she did +her family baking; or she would play with the children and give them +rides on her famous wooden steed; or she would stop in a forest to +speak to a charcoal burner and ask if he was happy or desired anything +to make him more content; or she would teach young girls how to sew and +plan pretty dresses, or enter the shops where the jewelers and +craftsmen were busy and watch them at their work, giving to each and +all a cheering word or sunny smile. +</P> + +<P> +And then Ozma would sit in her jeweled throne, with her chosen +courtiers all about her, and listen patiently to any complaint brought +to her by her subjects, striving to accord equal justice to all. +Knowing she was fair in her decisions, the Oz people never murmured at +her judgments, but agreed, if Ozma decided against them, she was right +and they wrong. +</P> + +<P> +When Dorothy and Trot and Betsy Bobbin and Ozma were together, one +would think they were all about of an age, and the fairy Ruler no older +and no more "grown up" than the other three. She would laugh and romp +with them in regular girlish fashion, yet there was an air of quiet +dignity about Ozma, even in her merriest moods, that, in a manner, +distinguished her from the others. The three girls loved her +devotedly, but they were never able to quite forget that Ozma was the +Royal Ruler of the wonderful Fairyland of Oz, and by birth belonged to +a powerful race. +</P> + +<P> +Ozma's palace stood in the center of a delightful and extensive garden, +where splendid trees and flowering shrubs and statuary and fountains +abounded. One could walk for hours in this fascinating park and see +something interesting at every step. In one place was an aquarium, +where strange and beautiful fish swam; at another spot all the birds of +the air gathered daily to a great feast which Ozma's servants provided +for them, and were so fearless of harm that they would alight upon +one's shoulders and eat from one's hand. There was also the Fountain +of the Water of Oblivion, but it was dangerous to drink of this water, +because it made one forget everything he had ever before known, even to +his own name, and therefore Ozma had placed a sign of warning upon the +fountain. But there were also fountains that were delightfully +perfumed, and fountains of delicious nectar, cool and richly flavored, +where all were welcome to refresh themselves. +</P> + +<P> +Around the palace grounds was a great wall, thickly encrusted with +glittering emeralds, but the gates stood open and no one was forbidden +entrance. On holidays the people of the Emerald City often took their +children to see the wonders of Ozma's gardens, and even entered the +Royal Palace, if they felt so inclined, for they knew that they and +their Ruler were friends, and that Ozma delighted to give them pleasure. +</P> + +<P> +When all this is considered, you will not be surprised that the people +throughout the Land of Oz, as well as Ozma's most intimate friends and +her royal courtiers, were eager to celebrate her birthday, and made +preparations for the festival weeks in advance. All the brass bands +practiced their nicest tunes, for they were to march in the numerous +processions to be made in the Winkie Country, the Gillikin Country, the +Munchkin Country and the Quadling Country, as well as in the Emerald +City. Not all the people could go to congratulate their Ruler, but all +could celebrate her birthday, in one way or another, however far +distant from her palace they might be. Every home and building +throughout the Land of Oz was to be decorated with banners and bunting, +and there were to be games, and plays, and a general good time for +every one. +</P> + +<P> +It was Ozma's custom on her birthday to give a grand feast at the +palace, to which all her closest friends were invited. It was a +queerly assorted company, indeed, for there are more quaint and unusual +characters in Oz than in all the rest of the world, and Ozma was more +interested in unusual people than in ordinary ones—just as you and I +are. +</P> + +<P> +On this especial birthday of the lovely girl Ruler, a long table was +set in the royal Banquet Hall of the palace, at which were place-cards +for the invited guests, and at one end of the great room was a smaller +table, not so high, for Ozma's animal friends, whom she never forgot, +and at the other end was a big table where all of the birthday gifts +were to be arranged. +</P> + +<P> +When the guests arrived, they placed their gifts on this table and then +found their places at the banquet table. And, after the guests were +all placed, the animals entered in a solemn procession and were placed +at their table by Jellia Jamb. Then, while an orchestra hidden by a +bank of roses and ferns played a march composed for the occasion, the +Royal Ozma entered the Banquet Hall, attended by her Maids of Honor, +and took her seat at the head of the table. +</P> + +<P> +She was greeted by a cheer from all the assembled company, the animals +adding their roars and growls and barks and mewing and cackling to +swell the glad tumult, and then all seated themselves at their tables. +</P> + +<P> +At Ozma's right sat the famous Scarecrow of Oz, whose straw-stuffed +body was not beautiful, but whose happy nature and shrewd wit had made +him a general favorite. On the left of the Ruler was placed the Tin +Woodman, whose metal body had been brightly polished for this event. +The Tin Woodman was the Emperor of the Winkie Country and one of the +most important persons in Oz. +</P> + +<P> +Next to the Scarecrow, Dorothy was seated, and next to her was Tik-Tok, +the Clockwork Man, who had been wound up as tightly as his clockwork +would permit, so he wouldn't interrupt the festivities by running down. +Then came Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Dorothy's own relations, two kindly +old people who had a cozy home in the Emerald City and were very happy +and contented there. Then Betsy Bobbin was seated, and next to her the +droll and delightful Shaggy Man, who was a favorite wherever he went. +</P> + +<P> +On the other side of the table, opposite the Tin Woodman was placed +Trot, and next to her, Cap'n Bill. Then was seated Button-Bright and +Ojo the Lucky, and Dr. Pipt and his good wife Margalot, and the +astonishing Frogman, who had come from the Yip country to be present at +Ozma's birthday feast. +</P> + +<P> +At the foot of the table, facing Ozma, was seated the queenly Glinda, +the good Sorceress of Oz, for this was really the place of honor next +to the head of the table where Ozma herself sat. On Glinda's right was +the Little Wizard of Oz, who owed to Glinda all of the magical arts he +knew. Then came Jinjur, a pretty girl farmer of whom Ozma and Dorothy +were quite fond. The adjoining seat was occupied by the Tin Soldier, +and next to him was Professor H. M. Wogglebug, T.E., of the Royal +Athletic College. +</P> + +<P> +On Glinda's left was placed the jolly Patchwork Girl, who was a little +afraid of the Sorceress and so was likely to behave herself pretty +well. The Shaggy Man's brother was beside the Patchwork Girl, and then +came that interesting personage, Jack Pumpkinhead, who had grown a +splendid big pumpkin for a new head to be worn on Ozma's birthday, and +had carved a face on it that was even jollier in expression than the +one he had last worn. New heads were not unusual with Jack, for the +pumpkins did not keep long, and when the seeds—which served him as +brains—began to get soft and mushy, he realized his head would soon +spoil, and so he procured a new one from his great field of +pumpkins—grown by him so that he need never lack a head. +</P> + +<P> +You will have noticed that the company at Ozma's banquet table was +somewhat mixed, but every one invited was a tried and trusted friend of +the girl Ruler, and their presence made her quite happy. +</P> + +<P> +No sooner had Ozma seated herself, with her back to the birthday table, +than she noticed that all present were eyeing with curiosity and +pleasure something behind her, for the gorgeous Magic Flower was +blooming gloriously and the mammoth blossoms that quickly succeeded one +another on the plant were beautiful to view and filled the entire room +with their delicate fragrance. Ozma wanted to look, too, to see what +all were staring at, but she controlled her curiosity because it was +not proper that she should yet view her birthday gifts. +</P> + +<P> +So the sweet and lovely Ruler devoted herself to her guests, several of +whom, such as the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Patchwork Girl, +Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Tin Soldier, never ate anything but +sat very politely in their places and tried to entertain those of the +guests who did eat. +</P> + +<P> +And, at the animal table, there was another interesting group, +consisting of the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger, Toto—Dorothy's +little shaggy black dog—Hank the Mule, the Pink Kitten, the Wooden +Sawhorse, the Yellow Hen, and the Glass Cat. All of these had good +appetites except the Sawhorse and the Glass Cat, and each was given a +plentiful supply of the food it liked best. +</P> + +<P> +Finally, when the banquet was nearly over and the ice-cream was to be +served, four servants entered bearing a huge cake, all frosted and +decorated with candy flowers. Around the edge of the cake was a row of +lighted candles, and in the center were raised candy letters that +spelled the words: +</P> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +OZMA'S<BR> +Birthday Cake<BR> +from<BR> +Dorothy and the Wizard<BR> +</H3> + +<BR> + +<P> +"Oh, how beautiful!" cried Ozma, greatly delighted, and Dorothy said +eagerly: "Now you must cut the cake, Ozma, and each of us will eat a +piece with our ice-cream." +</P> + +<P> +Jellia Jamb brought a large golden knife with a jeweled handle, and +Ozma stood up in her place and attempted to cut the cake. But as soon +as the frosting in the center broke under the pressure of the knife +there leaped from the cake a tiny monkey three inches high, and he was +followed by another and another, until twelve monkeys stood on the +tablecloth and bowed low to Ozma. +</P> + +<P> +"Congratulations to our gracious Ruler!" they exclaimed in a chorus, +and then they began a dance, so droll and amusing that all the company +roared with laughter and even Ozma joined in the merriment. But after +the dance the monkeys performed some wonderful acrobatic feats, and +then they ran to the hollow of the cake and took out some band +instruments of burnished gold—cornets, horns, drums, and the like—and +forming into a procession the monkeys marched up and down the table +playing a jolly tune with the ease of skilled musicians. +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy was delighted with the success of her "Surprise Cake," and +after the monkeys had finished their performance, the banquet came to +an end. +</P> + +<P> +Now was the time for Ozma to see her other presents, so Glinda the Good +rose and, taking the girl Ruler by her hand, led her to the table where +all her gifts were placed in magnificent array. The Magic Flower of +course attracted her attention first, and Trot had to tell her the +whole story of their adventures in getting it. The little girl did not +forget to give due credit to the Glass Cat and the little Wizard, but +it was really Cap'n Bill who had bravely carried the golden flower-pot +away from the enchanted Isle. +</P> + +<P> +Ozma thanked them all, and said she would place the Magic Flower in her +boudoir where she might enjoy its beauty and fragrance continually. +But now she discovered the marvelous gown woven by Glinda and her +maidens from strands drawn from pure emeralds, and being a girl who +loved pretty clothes, Ozma's ecstasy at being presented with this +exquisite gown may well be imagined. She could hardly wait to put it +on, but the table was loaded with other pretty gifts and the night was +far spent before the happy girl Ruler had examined all her presents and +thanked those who had lovingly donated them. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap23"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +23. The Fountain of Oblivion +</H3> + +<P> +The morning after the birthday fete, as the Wizard and Dorothy were +walking in the grounds of the palace, Ozma came out and joined them, +saying: +</P> + +<P> +"I want to hear more of your adventures in the Forest of Gugu, and how +you were able to get those dear little monkeys to use in Dorothy's +Surprise Cake." +</P> + +<P> +So they sat down on a marble bench near to the Fountain of the Water of +Oblivion, and between them Dorothy and the Wizard related their +adventures. +</P> + +<P> +"I was dreadfully fussy while I was a woolly lamb," said Dorothy, "for +it didn't feel good, a bit. And I wasn't quite sure, you know, that +I'd ever get to be a girl again." +</P> + +<P> +"You might have been a woolly lamb yet, if I hadn't happened to have +discovered that Magic Transformation Word," declared the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"But what became of the walnut and the hickory-nut into which you +transformed those dreadful beast magicians?" inquired Ozma. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, I'd almost forgotten them," was the reply; "but I believe they +are still here in my pocket." +</P> + +<P> +Then he searched in his pockets and brought out the two nuts and showed +them to her. +</P> + +<P> +Ozma regarded them thoughtfully. +</P> + +<P> +"It isn't right to leave any living creatures in such helpless forms," +said she. "I think, Wizard, you ought to transform them into their +natural shapes again." +</P> + +<P> +"But I don't know what their natural shapes are," he objected, "for of +course the forms of mixed animals which they had assumed were not +natural to them. And you must not forget, Ozma, that their natures +were cruel and mischievous, so if I bring them back to life they might +cause us a great deal of trouble." +</P> + +<P> +"Nevertheless," said the Ruler of Oz, "we must free them from their +present enchantments. When you restore them to their natural forms we +will discover who they really are, and surely we need not fear any two +people, even though they prove to be magicians and our enemies." +</P> + +<P> +"I am not so sure of that," protested the Wizard, with a shake of his +bald head. "The one bit of magic I robbed them of—which was the Word +of Transformation—is so simple, yet so powerful, that neither Glinda +nor I can equal it. It isn't all in the word, you know, it's the way +the word is pronounced. So if the two strange magicians have other +magic of the same sort, they might prove very dangerous to us, if we +liberated them." +</P> + +<P> +"I've an idea!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I'm no wizard, and no fairy, but +if you do as I say, we needn't fear these people at all." +</P> + +<P> +"What is your thought, my dear?" asked Ozma. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," replied the girl, "here is this Fountain of the Water of +Oblivion, and that's what put the notion into my head. When the Wizard +speaks that ter'ble word that will change 'em back to their real forms, +he can make 'em dreadful thirsty, too, and we'll put a cup right here +by the fountain, so it'll be handy. Then they'll drink the water and +forget all the magic they ever knew—and everything else, too." +</P> + +<P> +"That's not a bad idea," said the Wizard, looking at Dorothy +approvingly. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a very GOOD idea," declared Ozma. "Run for a cup, Dorothy." +</P> + +<P> +So Dorothy ran to get a cup, and while she was gone the Wizard said: +</P> + +<P> +"I don't know whether the real forms of these magicians are those of +men or beasts. If they're beasts, they would not drink from a cup but +might attack us at once and drink afterward. So it might be safer for +us to have the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger here to protect us if +necessary." +</P> + +<P> +Ozma drew out a silver whistle which was attached to a slender gold +chain and blew upon the whistle two shrill blasts. The sound, though +not harsh, was very penetrating, and as soon as it reached the ears of +the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the two huge beasts quickly +came bounding toward them. Ozma explained to them what the Wizard was +about to do, and told them to keep quiet unless danger threatened. So +the two powerful guardians of the Ruler of Oz crouched beside the +fountain and waited. +</P> + +<P> +Dorothy returned and set the cup on the edge of the fountain. Then the +Wizard placed the hickory-nut beside the fountain and said in a solemn +voice: +</P> + +<P> +"I want you to resume your natural form, and to be very +thirsty—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +In an instant there appeared, in the place of the hickory-nut, the form +of Kiki Aru, the Hyup boy. He seemed bewildered, at first, as if +trying to remember what had happened to him and why he was in this +strange place. But he was facing the fountain, and the bubbling water +reminded him that he was thirsty. Without noticing Ozma, the Wizard +and Dorothy, who were behind him, he picked up the cup, filled it with +the Water of Oblivion, and drank it to the last drop. +</P> + +<P> +He was now no longer thirsty, but he felt more bewildered than ever, +for now he could remember nothing at all—not even his name or where he +came from. He looked around the beautiful garden with a pleased +expression, and then, turning, he beheld Ozma and the Wizard and +Dorothy regarding him curiously and the two great beasts crouching +behind them. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki Aru did not know who they were, but he thought Ozma very lovely +and Dorothy very pleasant. So he smiled at them—the same innocent, +happy smile that a baby might have indulged in, and that pleased +Dorothy, who seized his hand and led him to a seat beside her on the +bench. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, I thought you were a dreadful magician," she exclaimed, "and +you're only a boy!" +</P> + +<P> +"What is a magician?" he asked, "and what is a boy?" +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you know?" inquired the girl. +</P> + +<P> +Kiki shook his head. Then he laughed. +</P> + +<P> +"I do not seem to know anything," he replied. +</P> + +<P> +"It's very curious," remarked the Wizard. "He wears the dress of the +Munchkins, so he must have lived at one time in the Munchkin Country. +Of course the boy can tell us nothing of his history or his family, for +he has forgotten all that he ever knew." +</P> + +<P> +"He seems a nice boy, now that all the wickedness has gone from him," +said Ozma. "So we will keep him here with us and teach him our +ways—to be true and considerate of others." +</P> + +<P> +"Why, in that case, it's lucky for him he drank the Water of Oblivion," +said Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +"It is indeed," agreed the Wizard. "But the remarkable thing, to me, +is how such a young boy ever learned the secret of the Magic Word of +Transformation. Perhaps his companion, who is at present this walnut, +was the real magician, although I seem to remember that it was this boy +in the beast's form who whispered the Magic Word into the hollow tree, +where I overheard it." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, we will soon know who the other is," suggested Ozma. "He may +prove to be another Munchkin boy." +</P> + +<P> +The Wizard placed the walnut near the fountain and said, as slowly and +solemnly as before: +</P> + +<P> +"I want you to resume your natural form, and to be very +thirsty—Pyrzqxgl!" +</P> + +<P> +Then the walnut disappeared and Ruggedo the Nome stood in its place. +He also was facing the fountain, and he reached for the cup, filled it, +and was about to drink when Dorothy exclaimed: +</P> + +<P> +"Why, it's the old Nome King!" +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo swung around and faced them, the cup still in his hand. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," he said in an angry voice, "it's the old Nome King, and I'm +going to conquer all Oz and be revenged on you for kicking me out of my +throne." He looked around a moment, and then continued: "There isn't +an egg in sight, and I'm stronger than all of you people put together! +I don't know how I came here, but I'm going to fight the fight of my +life—and I'll win!" +</P> + +<P> +His long white hair and beard waved in the breeze; his eyes flashed +hate and vengeance, and so astonished and shocked were they by the +sudden appearance of this old enemy of the Oz people that they could +only stare at him in silence and shrink away from his wild glare. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo laughed. He drank the water, threw the cup on the ground and +said fiercely: +</P> + +<P> +"And now—and now—and—" +</P> + +<P> +His voice grew gentle. He rubbed his forehead with a puzzled air and +stroked his long beard. +</P> + +<P> +"What was I going to say?" he asked, pleadingly. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you remember?" said the Wizard. +</P> + +<P> +"No; I've forgotten." +</P> + +<P> +"Who ARE you?" asked Dorothy. +</P> + +<P> +He tried to think. "I—I'm sure I don't know," he stammered. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you know who WE are, either?" questioned the girl. +</P> + +<P> +"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Nome. +</P> + +<P> +"Tell us who this Munchkin boy is," suggested Ozma. +</P> + +<P> +Ruggedo looked at the boy and shook his head. +</P> + +<P> +"He's a stranger to me. You are all strangers. I—I'm a stranger to +myself," he said. +</P> + +<P> +Then he patted the Lion's head and murmured, "Good doggie!" and the +Lion growled indignantly. +</P> + +<P> +"What shall we do with him?" asked the Wizard, perplexed. +</P> + +<P> +"Once before the wicked old Nome came here to conquer us, and then, as +now, he drank of the Water of Oblivion and became harmless. But we +sent him back to the Nome Kingdom, where he soon learned the old evil +ways again. +</P> + +<P> +"For that reason," said Ozma, "we must find a place for him in the Land +of Oz, and keep him here. For here he can learn no evil and will +always be as innocent of guile as our own people." +</P> + +<P> +And so the wandering ex-King of the Nomes found a new home, a peaceful +and happy home, where he was quite content and passed his days in +innocent enjoyment. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Magic of Oz, by L. 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