Oz 13: The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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a round ball on_the end of_his tail ."

the glass Cat laughed again ." that magician must look funnier than you_do," it said ." where is he now ? "

" 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 ."

" 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 ."

" what became of_the goose ? " asked the Cat, looking around .

" 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 ."

" 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 ? "

" 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 ."

" that sounds reasonable," remarked the Lamb, which_was Dorothy ." those pink brains of yours seem_to_be working pretty well to- day ."

" 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 ."

"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 .

" 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 ."

" why_not find the goose, first ? " asked Dorothy ." the goose will_be angry at_the magician, and he_may_be_able to help_us ."

" 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 ."

14 . the wizard Learns the magic word

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 !

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 .

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 .

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 .

the goose looked up and saw him .

" you've bungled things in a dreadful way ! " exclaimed the goose ." why did you_do it ? "

" 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 ."

the goose hissed softly, but Kiki did_not hear that .

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:

" well, hereafter i_will_be content to acknowledge you the master . you bungled things, as I_said, but we_can still conquer Oz ."

" how ? " asked the boy .

" first give_me back the shape of_the LI-Mon-Eag, and then we_can talk together more conveniently," suggested the Nome .

" 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 .

" 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 ."

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 .

the old Nome whispered to Kiki not to enter the clearing or allow the monkeys to_see them .

" why_not ? " asked the boy, drawing back .

" 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 ."

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 .

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 .

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 .

" 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 ."

" the monkeys won't make much of an army," objected Kiki .

" 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 ."

" what_will they_do with_the swords ? " asked Kiki ." nothing can kill the Oz people ."

" 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 ."

" 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 ."

" 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 ? "

" 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 ."

" where are_you going ? " asked the Nome .

" 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 ."

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 .

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 ! "

then he ran back to Ruggedo, but the wizard fox had heard quite plainly every word that he had said .

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 .

" good ! " cried the Nome ." hurry, Kiki, and transform the others ."

so Kiki rushed back to_the tree and putting his face to_the hollow, whispered:

" i_want the next monkey to_be just like the first--Pyrzqxgl ! "

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 .

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 ! "

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 .

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 .

" 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:

" i_want you to_become a goose--Pyrzqxgl ! "

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 .

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 .

the wizard now crept out from_the bush and said: " i_want my own

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