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TheTinOwlgaveahootofdelightwhenhesawtheRedWagondrawupbeforeJinjur’shouse,andtheBrownBeargruntedandgrowledwithgleeandtrottedtowardOzmaasfastashecouldwobble.
AsfortheCanary,itflewswiftlytoDorothy’sshoulderandperchedthere,sayinginherear:
“Thankgoodnessyouhavecometoourrescue!”
“Butwhoareyou?”askedDorothy
“Don’tyouknow?”returnedtheCanary.
“No;forthefirsttimewenoticedyouintheMagicPicture,youwerejustabird,asyouarenow.Butwe’veguessedthatthegiantwomanhadtransformedyou,asshedidtheothers.”
“Yes;I’mPolychrome,theRainbow’sDaughter,”announcedtheCanary.
“Goodnessme!”criedDorothy.“Howdreadful.”
“Well,Imakearatherprettybird,Ithink,”returnedPolychrome,“butofcourseI’manxioustoresumemyownshapeandgetbackuponmyrainbow.”
“Ozmawillhelpyou,I’msure,”saidDorothy.“Howdoesitfeel,Scarecrow,tobeaBear?”sheasked,addressingheroldfriend.
“Idon’tlikeit,”declaredtheScarecrowBear.“Thisbrutalformisquitebeneaththedignityofawholesomestrawman.”
“Andthinkofme,”saidtheOwl,perchinguponthedashboardoftheRedWagonwithmuchnoisyclatteringofhistinfeathers.
“Don’tIlookhorrid,Dorothy,witheyesseveralsizestoobigformybody,andsoweakthatIoughttowearspectacles?”
“Well,”saidDorothycritically,asshelookedhimover,“you’renothingtobragof,Imustconfess.ButOzmawillsoonfixyouupagain.”
TheGreenMonkeyhadhungback,bashfulatmeetingtwolovelygirlswhileintheformofabeast;butJinjurnowtookhishandandledhimforwardwhilesheintroducedhimtoOzma,andWootmanagedtomakealowbow,notreallyungraceful,beforehergirlishMajesty,theRulerofOz.
“Youhaveallbeenforcedtoendureasadexperience,”saidOzma,“andsoIamanxioustodoallinmypowertobreakMrs.Yoop’senchantments.
ButfirsttellmehowyouhappenedtostrayintothatlonelyValleywhereYoopCastlestands.”
Betweenthemtheyrelatedtheobjectoftheirjourney,theScarecrowBeartellingoftheTinWoodman’sresolvetofindNimmieAmeeandmarryher,asajustrewardforherloyaltytohim.
WoottoldoftheiradventureswiththeLoonsofLoonville,andtheTinOwldescribedthemannerinwhichtheyhadbeencapturedandtransformedbytheGiantess.
ThenPolychromerelatedherstory,andwhenallhadbeentold,andDorothyhadseveraltimesreprovedTotoforgrowlingattheTinOwl,Ozmaremainedthoughtfulforawhile,ponderinguponwhatshehadheard.
Finallyshelookedup,andwithoneofherdelightfulsmiles,saidtotheanxiousgroup:
“Iamnotsuremymagicwillbeabletorestoreeveryoneofyou,becauseyourtransformationsareofsuchastrangeandunusualcharacter.
Indeed,Mrs.Yoopwasquitejustifiedinbelievingnopowercouldalterherenchantments.
However,IamsureIcanrestoretheScarecrowtohisoriginalshape.
Hewasstuffedwithstrawfromthebeginning,andeventheYookoohoomagiccouldnotalterthat.
TheGiantesswasmerelyabletomakeabear’sshapeofaman’sshape,butthebearisstuffedwithstraw,justasthemanwas.
SoIfeelconfidentIcanmakeamanofthebearagain.”
“Hurrah!”criedtheBrownBear,andtriedclumsilytodanceajigofdelight.
“AsfortheTinWoodman,hiscaseismuchthesame,”resumedOzma,stillsmiling.
“ThepoweroftheGiantesscouldnotmakehimanythingbutatincreature,whatevershapeshetransformedhiminto,soitwillnotbeimpossibletorestorehimtohismanlyform.
Anyhow,Ishalltestmymagicatonce,andseeifitwilldowhatIhavepromised.”
ShedrewfromherbosomasmallsilverWandand,makingpasseswiththeWandovertheheadoftheBear,shesucceededinthebriefspaceofamomentinbreakinghisenchantment.
TheoriginalScarecrowofOzagainstoodbeforethem,wellstuffedwithstrawandwithhisfeaturesnicelypainteduponthebagwhichformedhishead.
TheScarecrowwasgreatlydelighted,asyoumaysuppose,andhestruttedproudlyaroundwhilethepowerfulfairy,OzmaofOz,broketheenchantmentthathadtransformedtheTinWoodmanandmadeaTinOwlintoaTinManagain.
“Now,then,”chirpedtheCanary,eagerly;“I’mnext,Ozma!”
“Butyourcaseisdifferent,”repliedOzma,nolongersmilingbutwearingagraveexpressiononhersweetface.“Ishallhavetoexperimentonyou,Polychrome,andImayfailinallmyattempts.”
Shethentriedtwoorthreedifferentmethodsofmagic,hopingoneofthemwouldsucceedinbreakingPolychrome’senchantment,butstilltheRainbow’sDaughterremainedaCanary-Bird.
Finally,however,sheexperimentedinanotherway.
ShetransformedtheCanaryintoaDove,andthentransformedtheDoveintoaSpeckledHen,andthenchangedtheSpeckledHenintoarabbit,andthentherabbitintoaFawn.
Andatthelast,aftermixingseveralpowdersandsprinklingthemupontheFawn,theYookoohooenchantmentwassuddenlybrokenandbeforethemstoodoneofthedaintiestandloveliestcreaturesinanyfairylandintheworld.
Polychromewasassweetandmerryindispositionasshewasbeautiful,andwhenshedancedandcaperedaroundindelight,herbeautifulhairfloatedaroundherlikeagoldenmistandhermany-huedraiment,assoftascobwebs,remindedoneofdriftingcloudsinasummersky.
WootwassoawedbytheentrancingsightofthisexquisiteSkyFairythathequiteforgothisownsadplightuntilbenoticedOzmagazinguponhimwithanintentexpressionthatdenotedsympathyandsorrow.
Dorothywhisperedinherfriend’sear,buttheRulerofOzshookherheadsadly.
Jinjur,noticingthisandunderstandingOzma’slooks,tookthepawoftheGreenMonkeyinherownhandandpatteditsoftly.
“Nevermind,”shesaidtohim.“Youareaverybeautifulcolor,andamonkeycanclimbbetterthanaboyanddoalotofotherthingsnoboycaneverdo.”
“What’sthematter?”askedWoot,asinkingfeelingathisheart.“IsOzma’smagicallusedup?”
Ozmaherselfansweredhim.
“Yourformofenchantment,mypoorboy,”shesaidpityingly,“isdifferentfromthatoftheothers.
Indeed,itisaformthatisimpossibletoalterbyanymagicknowntofairiesorYookoohoos.
ThewickedGiantesswaswellaware,whenshegaveyoutheformofaGreenMonkey,thattheGreenMonkeymustexistintheLandofOzforallfuturetime.”
Wootdrewalongsigh.
“Well,that’sprettyhardluck,”hesaidbravely,“butifitcan’tbehelpedImustendureit;that’sall.Idon’tlikebeingamonkey,butwhat’stheuseofkickingagainstmyfate?”
Theywereallverysorryforhim,andDorothyanxiouslyaskedOzma:
“Couldn’tGlindasavehim?”
“No,”wasthereply.“Glinda’spowerintransformationsisnogreaterthanmyown.
BeforeIleftmypalaceIwenttomyMagicRoomandstudiedWoot’scaseverycarefully.
IfoundthatnopowercandoawaywiththeGreenMonkey.
Hemighttransfer,orexchangehisformwithsomeotherperson,itistrue;buttheGreenMonkeywecannotgetridofbyanymagicartsknowntoscience.”
“But—seehere,”saidtheScarecrow,whohadlistenedintentlytothisexplanation,“whynotputthemonkey’sformonsomeoneelse?”
“Whowouldagreetomakethechange?”askedOzma.
“IfbyforcewecausedanyoneelsetobecomeaGreenMonkey,wewouldbeascruelandwickedasMrs.Yoop.Andwhatgoodwouldanexchangedo?”shecontinued.
“Suppose,forinstance,weworkedtheenchantment,andmadeTotointoaGreenMonkey.
AtthesamemomentWootwouldbecomealittledog.”
“Leavemeoutofyourmagic,please,”saidToto,withareproachfulgrowl.“Iwouldn’tbecomeaGreenMonkeyforanything.”
“AndIwouldn’tbecomeadog,”saidWoot.“Agreenmonkeyismuchbetterthanadog,itseemstome.”
“Thatisonlyamatterofopinion,”answeredToto.
“Now,here’sanotheridea,”saidtheScarecrow.
“Mybrainsareworkingfinelytoday,youmustadmit.
WhynottransformTotointoWoottheWanderer,andthenhavethemexchangeforms?
Thedogwouldbecomeagreenmonkeyandthemonkeywouldhavehisownnaturalshapeagain.”
“Tobesure!”criedJinjur.“That’safineidea.”
“Leavemeoutofit,”saidToto.“Iwon’tdoit.”
“Wouldn’tyoubewillingtobecomeagreenmonkey—seewhataprettycoloritis—sothatthispoorboycouldberestoredtohisownshape?”askedJinjur,pleadingly.
“No,”saidToto.
“Idon’tlikethatplantheleastbit,”declaredDorothy,“forthenIwouldn’thaveanylittledog.”
“Butyou’dhaveagreenmonkeyinhisplace,”persistedJinjur,wholikedWootandwantedtohelphim.
“Idon’twantagreenmonkey,”saidDorothypositively.
“Don’tspeakofthisagain,Ibegofyou,”saidWoot.
“ThisismyownmisfortuneandIwouldrathersufferitalonethandeprivePrincessDorothyofherdog,ordeprivethedogofhispropershape.
AndperhapsevenherMajesty,OzmaofOz,mightnotbeabletotransformanyoneelseintotheshapeofWoottheWanderer.”
“Yes;IbelieveImightdothat,”Ozmareturned;“butWootisquiteright;wearenotjustifiedininflictinguponanyone—manordog—theformofagreenmonkey.
Alsoitiscertainthatinordertorelievetheboyoftheformhenowwears,wemustgiveittosomeoneelse,whowouldbeforcedtowearitalways.”
“Iwonder,”saidDorothy,thoughtfully,“ifwecouldn’tfindsomeoneintheLandofOzwhowouldbewillingtobecomeagreenmonkey?
Seemstomeamonkeyisactiveandspry,andhecanclimbtreesanddoalotofcleverthings,andgreenisn’tabadcolorforamonkey—itmakeshimunusual.”
“Iwouldn’taskanyonetotakethisdreadfulform,”saidWoot;“itwouldn’tberight,youknow.
I’vebeenamonkeyforsometime,now,andIdon’tlikeit.
ItmakesmeashamedtobeabeastofthissortwhenbyrightofbirthI’maboy;soI’msureitwouldbewickedtoaskanyoneelsetotakemyplace.”
Theywereallsilent,fortheyknewhespokethetruth.
DorothywasalmostreadytocrywithpityandOzma’ssweetfacewassadanddisturbed.
TheScarecrowrubbedandpattedhisstuffedheadtotrytomakeitthinkbetter,whiletheTinWoodmanwentintothehouseandbegantooilhistinjointssothatthesorrowofhisfriendsmightnotcausehimtoweep.
Weepingisliabletorusttin,andtheEmperorpridedhimselfuponhishighlypolishedbody—nowdoublydeartohimbecauseforatimehehadbeendeprivedofit.
Polychromehaddanceddownthegardenpathsandbackagainadozentimes,forshewasseldomstillamoment,yetshehadheardOzma’sspeechandunderstoodverywellWoot’sunfortunateposition.
ButtheRainbow’sDaughter,evenwhiledancing,couldthinkandreasonveryclearly,andsuddenlyshesolvedtheprobleminthenicestpossibleway.ComingclosetoOzma,shesaid:
“YourMajesty,allthistroublewascausedbythewickednessofMrs.Yoop,theGiantess.
Yetevennowthatcruelwomanislivinginhersecludedcastle,enjoyingthethoughtthatshehasputthisterribleenchantmentonWoottheWanderer.
Evennowsheislaughingatourdespairbecausewecanfindnowaytogetridofthegreenmonkey.
Verywell,wedonotwishtogetridofit.
Letthewomanwhocreatedtheformwearitherself,asajustpunishmentforherwickedness.
IamsureyourfairypowercangivetoMrs.YooptheformofWoottheWanderer—evenatthisdistancefromher—andthenitwillbepossibletoexchangethetwoforms.
Mrs.YoopwillbecometheGreenMonkey,andWootwillrecoverhisownformagain.”
Ozma’sfacebrightenedasshelistenedtothiscleverproposal.
“Thankyou,Polychrome,”saidshe.“Thetaskyouproposeisnotsoeasyasyousuppose,butIwillmaketheattempt,andperhapsImaysucceed.”
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