The Magic of Oz

the eagle.

Ruggedo realized that this time he had been outwitted. He had thought

Kiki would utter the magic word in his presence, and so he would learn

what it was, but the boy had been too shrewd for that.

As the two eagles mounted high into the air and began their flight

across the great Desert that separates the Land of Oz from all the rest of

the world, the Nome said:

When I was King of the Nomes I had a magic way of working

transformations that I thought was good, but it could not compare with

your secret word. I had to have certain tools and make passes and say a lot

of mystic words before I could transform anybody."

What became of your magic tools?" inquired Kiki.

The Oz people took them all away from me--that horrid girl, Dorothy,

and that terrible fairy, Ozma, the Ruler of Oz--at the time they took away

my underground kingdom and kicked me upstairs into the cold, heartless

world."

Why did you let them do that?" asked the boy.

Well," said Ruggedo, "I couldn't help it. They rolled eggs at me--

EGGS--dreadful eggs!--and if an egg even touches a Nome, he is ruined

for life."

Is any kind of an egg dangerous to a Nome?"

Any kind and every kind. An egg is the only thing I'm afraid of."