The Magic of Oz

a flash, or into a stone, and leave you here by the roadside."

The wicked Nome shivered a little when he heard that, but it made

him long more than ever to possess the great secret. After a while he said:

I'll tell you what I'll do. If you will help me to conquer Oz and to

transform the Oz people, who are my enemies, into sticks or stones, by

telling me your secret, I'll agree to make YOU the Ruler of all Oz, and I

will be your Prime Minister and see that your orders are obeyed."

"I'll help do that," said Kiki, "but I won't tell you my secret."

The Nome was so furious at this refusal that he jumped up and down

with rage and spluttered and choked for a long time before he could

control his passion. But the boy was not at all frightened. He laughed at

the wicked old Nome, which made him more furious than ever.

Let's give up the idea," he proposed, when Ruggedo had quieted

somewhat. "I don't know the Oz people you mention and so they are not

my enemies. If they've kicked you out of your kingdom, that's your affair--

not mine."

Wouldn't you like to be king of that splendid fairyland?" asked

Ruggedo.

Yes, I would," replied Kiki Aru; "but you want to be king yourself,

and we would quarrel over it."

No," said the Nome, trying to deceive him. "I don't care to be King of

Oz, come to think it over. I don't even care to live in that country. What I

want first is revenge. If we can conquer Oz, I'll get enough magic then to

conquer my own Kingdom of the Nomes, and I'll go back and live in my

underground caverns, which are more home-like than the top of the earth.

So here's my proposition: Help me conquer Oz and get revenge, and help

me get the magic away from Glinda and the Wizard, and I'll let you be

King of Oz forever afterward."

I'll think it over," answered Kiki, and that is all he would say that

evening.

In the night when all in the Inn were asleep but himself, old Ruggedo

the Nome rose softly from his couch and went into the room of Kiki Aru

the Hyup, and searched everywhere for the magic tool that performed his