Oz 12: The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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a short apron of elaborate lace- work . such an apron was no protection, and was not in keeping with_the handsome gown, but the huge woman wore it, nevertheless . the table at which she sat was spread with a white cloth and had golden dishes upon it, so the travelers saw that_they had surprised the Giantess while she was eating her supper .

she had her back toward them and did_not even turn around, but taking a biscuit from a dish she began to butter it and said in a voice that was big and deep but not especially unpleasant:

" why don't you come in and allow the door to shut ? you're causing a draught, and I_shall catch cold and sneeze . when I sneeze, I get cross, and when I get cross I'm liable to_do something wicked . come in, you foolish strangers; come in ! "

being thus urged, they entered the room and approached the table, until they stood where they faced the great Giantess . she continued eating, but smiled in a curious way as she looked at them .Woot noticed that_the door had closed silently after they had entered, and_that didn't please him at all .

" well," said the Giantess, " what excuse have_you to offer ? "

" we didn't know anyone lived here, madam," explained the Scarecrow; " so, being travelers and strangers in_these parts, and wishing to_find a place for_our boy friend to sleep, we ventured to enter your castle ."

" you_knew it_was private property, I suppose ? " said she, buttering another biscuit .

" we saw the words, 'Yoop castle,' over the door, but we_knew that Mr Yoop is a prisoner in a cage in a far- off part of_the land of Oz, so we decided there_was no one now at home and_that we_might use the castle for_the night ."

" I_see," remarked the Giantess, nodding her head and smiling again in_that curious way -- a way that made Woot shudder ." you didn't know that Mr Yoop was married, or that after he_was cruelly captured his wife still lived in_his castle and ran it to suit herself ."

" who captured Mr Yoop ? " asked Woot, looking gravely at_the big woman .

" wicked enemies . people who selfishly objected to Yoop's taking their cows and sheep for_his food . I_must admit, however, that Yoop had a bad temper, and had the habit of knocking over a few houses, now_and_then, when he_was angry . so one day the little folks came in a great crowd and captured Mr Yoop, and carried him away to a cage somewhere in_the mountains .I don't know where it_is, and I don't care, for_my husband treated me badly at times, forgetting the respect a giant owes to agiantess . often he kicked me on my shins, when I wouldn't wait on him . so I'm glad he_is gone ."

" it's a wonder the people didn't capture you, too," remarked Woot .

" well, i_was too clever for_them," said she, giving a sudden laugh that caused such a breeze that_the wobbly Scarecrow was almost blown off his feet and had to grab his friend nick chopper to steady himself ." I_saw the people coining," continued Mrs Yoop, " and knowing they meant mischief I transformed myself into a mouse and hid in a cupboard . after they had gone away, carrying my shin-kicking husband with_them, I transformed myself back to my former shape again, and here I've lived in peace and comfort ever_since ."

" are_you a witch, then ? " inquired Woot .

" well, not exactly a witch," she replied, " but I'm an artist in Transformations . in other words, I'm more of aYookoohoo than a witch, and of_course you_know that_the Yookoohoos are the cleverest magic-workers in_the_world ."

the travelers were silent for a time, uneasily considering this statement and_the effect it might_have on their future . no_doubt the Giantess had wilfully made them her prisoners; yet she spoke so cheerfully, in her big voice, that until now they had_not_been alarmed in_the least .

by and by_the Scarecrow, whose mixed brains had_been working steadily, asked the woman:

" are we to consider you our friend, Mrs Yoop, or do_you intend to_be our enemy ? "

"I never have friends," she said in a matter- of- fact tone, " because friends get too familiar and always forget to mind their own business . but I_am not your enemy; not yet, anyhow . indeed, I'm glad you've come, for_my life here_is rather lonely .I've had no one to_talk to since I transformed polychrome, the daughter of_the rainbow, into a canary- bird ."

" how did you manage to do_that ? " asked the tin woodman, in amazement ." polychrome is a powerful fairy ! "

" she was," said the Giantess; " but now she's a canary- bird . one day after a rain, polychrome danced off the rainbow and fell asleep on a little mound in_this valley, not far from my castle . the sun came out and drove the rainbow away, and before Poly wakened, I stole out and transformed her into a canary- bird in a gold cage studded with diamonds . the cage was so she couldn't fly away .I expected she'd sing and talk and we'd have good times together; but she has proved no company for_me at all . ever_since the moment of her transformation, she has refused to_speak a single word ."

" where is she now ? " inquired Woot, who had heard tales of lovely polychrome and was much interested in her .

" the cage is hanging up in my bedroom," said the Giantess, eating another biscuit . the travelers were now more uneasy and suspicious of_the Giantess than before . if polychrome, the rainbow's daughter, who was a real fairy, had_been transformed and enslaved by_this huge woman, who claimed to_be aYookoohoo, what_was liable to happen to_them ? said the Scarecrow, twisting his stuffed head around in Mrs Yoop's direction:

" do_you_know, MA'am, who we_are ? "

" of_course," said she; "a straw man, a tin man and a boy ."

" we_are very_important people," declared the tin woodman .

" all the better," she replied ." I_shall enjoy your society the more on_that account . for I mean to_keep you here as long as I live, to amuse me when I get lonely . and," she added slowly, " in_this valley no one ever dies ."

they didn't like this speech at all, so the Scarecrow frowned in a way that made Mrs Yoop smile, while the tin woodman looked so fierce that Mrs Yoop laughed . the Scarecrow suspected she was going to laugh, so he slipped behind his friends to escape the wind from her breath . from_this safe position he_said warningly:

" we_have powerful friends who_will soon come to rescue us ."

" let them come," she returned, with an accent of scorn ." when_they get here they_will find neither a boy, nor a tin man, nor ascarecrow, for tomorrow morning I intend to transform you all into other shapes, so_that you_cannot be recognized ."

this threat filled them with dismay . the good-natured Giantess was more terrible than they had imagined . she_could smile and wear pretty clothes and at_the same time be even more cruel than her wicked husband had_been .

both the Scarecrow and_the tin woodman tried to_think of some way to escape from_the castle before morning, but she seemed to read their thoughts and shook her head .

"Don't worry your poor brains," said she ." you_can't escape me, however hard you try . but why should you wish to escape ? I_shall give_you new forms that_are much better than_the ones you now have . be contented with your fate, for discontent leads to unhappiness, and unhappiness, in any form, is_the greatest evil that_can befall you ."

" what forms do_you intend to_give us ? " asked Woot earnestly .

"I haven't decided, as_yet .I'll dream over it tonight, so in_the morning I_shall_have made up my mind how to transform you . perhaps you'd prefer to_choose your own transformations ? "

" no," said Woot, "I prefer to remain as I_am ."

" that's funny," she retorted ." you_are little, and you're weak; as_you_are, you're not much account, anyhow . the best thing about you is_that you're alive, for I_shall_be_able to_make of you some sort of live creature which will_be a great improvement on_your present form ."

she took another biscuit from a plate and dipped it in a pot of honey and calmly began eating it .

the Scarecrow watched her thoughtfully .

" there_are no fields of grain in your valley," said he; " where, then . did you get the flour to_make your biscuits ? "

" mercy me ! do_you_think I'd bother to_make biscuits out of flour ? " she replied ." that_is altogether too tedious a process for aYookoohoo .I set some traps this afternoon and caught alot of field-mice, but as I_do_not like to eat mice, I transformed them into hot biscuits for_my supper . the honey in_this pot was once a wasp's nest, but since being transformed it has become sweet and delicious . all I_need do, when i_wish to eat, is to_take something I don't care to_keep, and transform it into any sort of food I like, and eat it . are_you hungry ? "

"I don't eat, thank_you," said the Scarecrow .

" nor do I," said the tin woodman .

" I_have still a little natural food in my knapsack," said Woot the wanderer, " and I'd rather eat that than any wasp's nest ."

" every_one to_his taste," said the Giantess carelessly, and having now finished her supper she rose to her feet, clapped her hands together, and_the supper table at once disappeared .

chapter Six

the magic of aYookoohoo

Woot had seen very little of magic during his wanderings, while the Scarecrow and_the tin woodman had seen a great deal of many sorts in their lives, yet all three were greatly impressed by Mrs Yoop's powers . she did_not affect any mysterious airs or indulge in chants or mystic rites, as most witches do, nor was_the Giantess old and ugly or disagreeable in face or manner . nevertheless, she frightened her prisoners more than any witch could_have done .

" please be seated," she said to_them, as she sat herself down in a great arm- chair and spread her beautiful embroidered skirts for_them to admire . but all the chairs in_the room were so high that_our friends could_not climb to_the seats of_them .Mrs Yoop observed this and waved her hand, when instantly a golden ladder appeared leaning against a chair opposite her own .

" climb up," said she, and_they obeyed, the tin man and_the boy assisting the more clumsy Scarecrow . when_they were all seated in a row on_the cushion of_the chair, the Giantess continued: " now tell me how you happened to travel in_this direction, and where you came from and what your errand is ."

so the tin woodman told her all about Nimmie Amee, and how he had decided to_find her and marry her, although he had no Loving heart . the story seemed to amuse the big woman, who then began to ask_the Scarecrow questions and for_the first time in her life heard of Ozma of Oz, and of Dorothy and jack Pumpkinhead and Dr .Pipt and Tik-tok and many_other Oz people who_are well known in_the emerald city . also Woot had to_tell his story, which . was very simple and did_not take long . the Giantess laughed heartily when_the boy related their adventure at Loonville, but said she knew nothing of_the Loons because she never left her valley .

" there_are wicked people who_would like to capture me, as_they_did my giant husband, Mr Yoop," said she; " so I stay at home and mind my own business ."

" if Ozma knew that you dared to work magic without her consent, she_would punish you severely," declared the Scarecrow, " for_this castle is in_the land of Oz, and no persons in_the land of Oz are permitted to work magic except Glinda the good and_the little wizard who lives with Ozma in_the emerald city ."

" that for your Ozma ! " exclaimed the Giantess, snapping her fingers in derision ." what do I care for a girl whom I_have never seen and who has never seen me ? "

" but Ozma is a fairy," said the tin woodman, and therefore she_is very powerful . also, we_are under Ozma's protection, and to injure us in any_way would make her extremely angry ."

" what I_do here, in my own private castle in_this secluded valley -- where no one comes but fools like you -- can never be known to your fairy Ozma," returned the Giantess ." do_not seek to frighten me from my purpose, and do_not allow yourselves to_be frightened, for_it is best to meet bravely what cannot_be avoided . I_am now going to bed, and in_the morning i_will give_you all new forms, such as will_be more interesting to_me than_the ones you now wear . good night, and pleasant dreams ."

Saying this, Mrs Yoop rose from her chair and walked through a doorway into another room . so heavy was_the tread of_the Giantess that even the walls of_the big stone castle trembled as she stepped . she closed the door of her bedroom behind her, and then suddenly the light went out and_the three prisoners found themselves in total darkness .

the tin woodman and_the Scarecrow didn't mind the dark at all, but Woot the wanderer felt worried to_be left in_this strange place in_this strange manner, without being able to_see any danger that might threaten .

" the big woman might_have given me a bed, anyhow," he_said to_his companions, and scarcely had he spoken when he_felt something press against his legs, which were then dangling from_the seat

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