"That sounds reasonable," remarked the Lamb, Dorothy "Those pink brains of yours working pretty well to-day "

" Glass Cat is right," said the Wizard in solemn voice, "there's more trouble ahead of us That Magician is dangerous, and go near him transform us into shapes not as nice "

"I don't see how any WORSE off," growled Gugu, who was indignant because forced to appear form of fat woman

"Anyway," said the Cowardly Lion, "our best plan is the Magician and try the Black Bag manage to steal it, or perhaps argue him into giving it "

" find the Goose, first ? " asked Dorothy "The Goose angry Magician, and to "

"That isn't bad idea," returned the Wizard "Come on, Friends; let's find that Goose separate and search in different directions, first the Goose must bring him here, where all meet again in an hour "

14 The Wizard Learns the Magic Word

Now, the Goose transformation of old Ruggedo, who was at King Nomes, and even more angry at Kiki Aru than were the others who shapes changed The Nome detested anything way of bird, because birds lay eggs and eggs are feared by all the Nomes more than anything else goose is foolish bird, too, and Ruggedo was dreadfully ashamed shape forced to wear And it would make him shudder to reflect Goose might lay an egg !

So the Nome was afraid of himself and afraid of everything around him If an egg touched him then be destroyed, and almost any animal he met forest might easily conquer him And the end of old Ruggedo the Nome

Aside fears, however, filled with anger against Kiki, whom he had meant to trap by cleverly stealing the Magic Word The boy must crazy to spoil everything the way , but Ruggedo knew arrival Wizard had scared Kiki, and not sorry the boy had transformed the Wizard and Dorothy and made them helpless his own transformation that annoyed him and made him indignant, so he ran forest hunting for Kiki, he might get better shape and coax the boy his plans to conquer the Land of Oz

Kiki Aru hadn't gone very far away, for he had surprised himself others quick transformations and was puzzled what next Ruggedo the Nome was overbearing and tricky, and Kiki knew not depended on; but the Nome could plan and plot, which the Hyup boy was not wise enough , and so, when he looked down branches of tree and saw Goose waddling along below and heard it cry out, "Kiki Aru ! Quack--quack ! Kiki Aru ! " the boy answered in low voice, "Here ," and swung himself down lowest limb tree

The Goose looked up and saw him

"You've bungled things in dreadful way ! " exclaimed the Goose "Why did it ? "

"Because to," answered Kiki "You acted your slave, and to show these forest people that more powerful than you "

The Goose hissed softly, but Kiki hear that

Old Ruggedo quickly recovered his wits and muttered to himself: "This boy goose, although I who wear the goose's shape gentle now, and fierce when him in my power " Then aloud to Kiki:

"Well, hereafter content to acknowledge you the master You bungled things, as , but still conquer Oz "

"How ? " asked the boy

"First back the shape Li-Mon-Eag, and then talk together more conveniently," suggested the Nome

"Wait moment, then," said Kiki, and climbed higher up the tree There he whispered the Magic Word Goose became Li-Mon-Eag, as he before

"Good ! " said the Nome, well pleased, as Kiki joined him by dropping down tree "Now find quiet place where talk without being overheard beasts "

So the two started away and crossed the forest until they came to place where the trees so tall nor so close together, and scattered trees was another clearing, not so large first one, where the meeting beasts held Standing edge clearing and looking across it, they saw the trees farther side full of monkeys, who were chattering together at great rate sights they had witnessed meeting

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

" ? " asked the boy, drawing back

"Because those monkeys are our army--the army which will conquer Oz," said the Nome "Sit down here with me, Kiki, and keep quiet, explain my plan "

Now, neither Kiki Aru nor Ruggedo had noticed that sly Fox had followed them all the way tree where the Goose transformed Li-Mon-Eag Indeed, this Fox, who was none the Wizard of Oz, had witnessed the transformation Goose and now decided keep watch conspirators what do next

Fox can move through forest very softly, without making any noise, and so the Wizard's enemies suspect his presence But sat down edge clearing, , with their backs toward him, the Wizard know whether to risk being seen, by creeping closer to hear what they said, or whether it better for him to hide himself until they moved on again

While he considered this question he discovered near him great tree which had hollow trunk, and round hole tree, about three feet above the ground The Wizard Fox decided it safer for him to hide inside the hollow tree, so he sprang hole and crouched down hollow, his eyes just came edge hole he had entered, and from here he watched the forms two Li-Mon-Eags

" my plan," said the Nome to Kiki, speaking so low Wizard could only hear the rumble voice "Since transform anything into any form you wish, transform these monkeys into an army, and army conquer the Oz people "

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

" great army, but not numerous one," responded the Nome " transform each monkey into giant man, dressed in fine uniform and armed with sharp sword fifty monkeys over there and fifty giants would make as big an army as "

" swords ? " asked Kiki "Nothing can kill the Oz people "

"True," said Ruggedo "The Oz people killed, but cut into small pieces, and while every piece will still be alive, scatter the pieces around quite helpless Therefore, the Oz people afraid swords army, and conquer them with ease "

"That seems like good idea," replied the boy, approvingly "And case, not bother other beasts forest "

"No; frightened the beasts, and no longer consent to assist us in conquering Oz But those monkeys are foolish creatures, and once transformed to Giants, do just say and obey our commands transform them all at once ? "

"No, take one ," said Kiki "But the fifty transformations made in an hour or so Stay here, Ruggedo, change the first monkey--that one left, end limb--into Giant with sword "

"Where going ? " asked the Nome

" not speak the Magic Word presence of another person," declared Kiki, who was determined not to allow his treacherous companion to learn his secret, "so go where 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 forest short distance Here he spied hollow tree, and by chance it same hollow tree Wizard of Oz, now form of Fox, had hidden himself

As Kiki ran tree the Fox ducked its head, so out of sight dark hollow beneath the hole, and then Kiki put his face hole and whispered: " that monkey branch left Giant man fifty feet tall, dressed in uniform and with sharp sword--Pyrzqxgl ! "

Then he ran back to Ruggedo, but the Wizard Fox had heard quite plainly every word that he had said