Oz 02: The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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." you_might spoil everything with your foolishness ."

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" very_well, dear father ! " returned the Pumpkinhead, meekly .

"How glad I_am to_be aWoggle-Bug ! " murmured the Highly Magnified Insect, softly ."No one can expect wisdom to flow from apumpkin ."

"Well," said the Scarecrow, "what shall we_do to_make Mombi speak ? Unless she tells us what we_wish to_know her capture will do us no good at all ."

"Suppose we_try kindness," suggested the Tin Woodman ."I've heard that anyone can_be conquered with kindness, no matter how ugly they_may_be ."

at_this the Witch turned to glare upon him so horribly that_the Tin Woodman shrank back abashed .

Glinda had_been carefully considering what to_do, and now she turned to Mombi and said:

" you_will gain nothing, I assure you, by thus defying us .For I_am determined to learn the truth about_the girl Ozma, and unless you tell me all that you_know, i_will certainly put you to death ."

"Oh, no ! Don't do_that ! " exclaimed the Tin Woodman ."It would_be an awful thing to kill anyone -- even old Mombi ! "

"But it_is merely athreat," returned Glinda ." I_shall_not put Mombi to death, because she will prefer to_tell me the truth ."

"Oh, I_see ! " said the tin man, much relieved .

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"Suppose I tell you all that you wish to_know," .said Mombi, speaking so suddenly that she startled them all ." what_will you_do with me then ? "

" in_that case," replied Glinda, " I_shall merely ask_you to drink apowerful draught which will cause you to forget all the magic you_have ever learned ."

"Then i_would become ahelpless old woman ! "

"But you_would_be alive," suggested the Pumpkinhead, consolingly .

"Do try to_keep silent ! " said Tip, nervously .

"I'll try," responded Jack; "but you_will admit that_it's agood thing to_be alive ."

"Especially if one happens to_be Thoroughly Educated," added the Woggle-Bug, nodding approval .

" you_may make your choice," Glinda said to old Mombi, "between death if_you remain silent, and_the loss of your magical powers if_you tell me the truth .But i_think you_will prefer to live .

Mombi cast an uneasy glance at_the Sorceress, and saw that she was in earnest, and not to_be trifled with .So she replied, slowly:

" i_will answer your questions ."

" that_is what I expected," said Glinda, pleasantly ." you_have chosen wisely, I assure you ."

She then motioned to one of her Captains, who brought her abeautiful golden casket . from_this

268 the Sorceress drew an immense white pearl, attached to aslender chain which she placed around her neck in_such_a_way that_the pearl rested upon her bosom, directly over her heart .

"Now," said she, " i_will ask my first question: Why did the Wizard pay you three visits ? "

"Because i_would_not come to him," answered Mombi .

" that_is no answer," said Glinda, sternly ."Tell me the truth ."

"Well," returned Mombi, with downcast eyes, "he visited me to learn the way I make tea-biscuits ."

"Look up ! " commanded the Sorceress .

Mombi obeyed .

" what_is the color of_my pearl ? " demanded Glinda .

"Why -- it_is black ! " replied the old Witch, in atone of wonder .

"Then you_have told me afalsehood ! " cried Glinda, angrily ."Only when_the truth is spoken will my magic pearl remain apure white in color ."

Mombi now saw how useless it_was to_try to deceive the Sorceress; so she said, meanwhile scowling at her defeat:

"The Wizard brought to_me the girl Ozma, who was then no more than ababy, and begged me to conceal the child ."

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" that_is what i_thought," declared Glinda, calmly ."What did he give_you for thus serving him ? "

"He taught me all the magical tricks he_knew .Some were good tricks, and some were only frauds; but I_have remained faithful to my promise ."

"What did you_do with_the girl ? " asked Glinda; and at_this question everyone bent forward and listened eagerly for_the reply .

"I enchanted her," answered Mombi .

"In what way ? "

"I transformed her into -- into -- "

"Into what ? " demanded Glinda, as_the Witch hesitated .

"Into aboy ! " said Mombi, in alow tone ."

aboy ! " echoed every voice; and then, because they knew that_this old woman had reared Tip from childhood, all eyes were turned to where the boy stood .

"Yes," said the old Witch, nodding her head; " that_is_the Princess Ozma -- the child brought to_me by_the Wizard who stole her father's throne . that_is_the rightful ruler of_the Emerald City ! " and she pointed her long bony finger straight at_the boy .

"I ! " cried Tip, in amazement ."Why, I'm no Princess Ozma -- I'm not agirl ! "

Glinda smiled, and going to Tip she took his small brown hand within her dainty white one .

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MOMBI POINTED HER LONG, BONY FINGER at_the BOY

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" you_are_not agirl just now" said she, gently, "because Mombi transformed you into aboy .But you were born agirl, and also aPrincess; so you_must resume your proper form, that you_may become Queen of_the Emerald City ."

"Oh, let Jinjur be the Queen ! " exclaimed Tip, ready to cry ." i_want to stay aboy, and travel with_the Scarecrow and_the Tin Woodman, and_the Woggle- Bug, and Jack -- yes ! and my friend the Saw-Horse -- and_the Gump ! I don't want to_be agirl ! "

"Never mind, old chap," said the Tin Woodman, soothingly; "it don't hurt to_be agirl, I'm told; and we_will all remain your faithful friends just the same .And, to_be honest with_you, I've always considered girls nicer than boys ."

"They're just as nice, anyway," added the Scarecrow, patting Tip affectionately upon_the head .

"And they_are equally good students," proclaimed the Woggle-Bug ." i_should like to_become your tutor, when_you_are transformed into agirl again ."

"But -- see here ! " said Jack Pumpkinhead, with agasp: " if_you become agirl, you_can't be my dear father any more ! "

"No," answered Tip, laughing in_spite of_his anxiety ."and I_shall_not_be sorry to escape the relationship ." Then he added, hesitatingly, as he turned to

272 Line-Art Drawing

Glinda: " I_might try it for awhile,-just to_see how it seems, you_know .But if I don't like being agirl you_must promise to_change me into aboy again ."

"Really," said the Sorceress, " that_is beyond my magic .I never deal in transformations, for they_are_not honest, and no respectable sorceress likes to_make things appear to_be what they_are_not .Only unscrupulous witches use the art, and therefore I_must ask Mombi to effect your release from her charm, and restore you to your proper form . it_will_be the last opportunity she will_have to practice magic ."

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Now that_the truth about Princes Ozma had_been discovered, Mombi did_not care what became of Tip; but she feared Glinda's anger, and_the boy generously promised to_provide for Mombi in her old age if he became the ruler of_the Emerald City .So the Witch consented to effect the transformation, and preparations for_the event were at once made .

Glinda ordered her own royal couch to_be placed in_the center of_the tent . it_was piled high with cushions covered with rose-colored silk, and from agolden railing above hung many folds of pink gossamer, completely concealing the interior of_the couch .

The first act of_the Witch was to make_the boy drink apotion which quickly sent him into adeep and dreamless sleep .Then the Tin Woodman and_the Woggle-Bug bore him gently to_the couch, placed him upon_the soft cushions, and drew the gossamer hangings to shut him from all earthly view .

The Witch squatted upon_the ground and kindled atiny fire of dried herbs, which she drew from her bosom . when_the blaze shot up and burned clearly old Mombi scattered ahandful of magical powder over the fire, which straightway gave off arich violet vapor, filling all the tent with its fragrance and forcing the Saw-Horse to sneeze -- although he had_been warned to_keep quiet .

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MOMBI AT HER MAGICAL INCANTATIONS .

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Then, while the others watched her curiously, the hag chanted arhythmical verse in words which no one understood, and bent her lean body seven times back and forth over the fire .And now the incantation seemed complete, for_the Witch stood upright and cried the one word "Yeowa ! " in aloud voice .

The vapor floated away; the atmosphere became, clear again; awhiff of fresh air filled the tent, and_the pink curtains of_the couch trembled slightly, as_if stirred from within .

Glinda walked to_the canopy and parted the silken hangings .Then she bent over the cushions, reached out her hand, and from_the couch arose the form of ayoung girl, fresh and beautiful as aMay morning .Her eyes sparkled as two diamonds, and her lips were tinted like atourmaline .All adown her back floated tresses of ruddy gold, with aslender jeweled circlet confining them at_the brow .Her robes of silken gauze floated around her like acloud, and dainty satin slippers shod her feet .

at_this exquisite vision Tip's old comrades stared in wonder for_the space of afull minute, and then every head bent low in honest admiration of_the lovely Princess Ozma .The girl herself cast one look into Glinda's bright face, which glowed with pleasure and satisfaction, and then turned upon_the

276 others .Speaking the words with sweet diffidence, she said:

" I_hope none of you_will care less for_me than you_did before .I'm just the same Tip, you_know; only -- only -- "

"Only you're different ! " said the Pumpkinhead; and everyone thought it was_the wisest speech he had ever made .

Line-Art Drawing

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278 The Riches of Content

when_the wonderful tidings reached the ears of Queen Jinjur -- how Mombi the Witch had_been captured; how she had confessed her crime to Glinda; and how the long-lost Princess Ozma had_been discovered in no less apersonage than_the boy Tip -- she wept real tears of grief and despair .

" to_think," she moaned, "that after having ruled as Queen, and lived in

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