The Magic of Oz

Oz people."

"True," said Ruggedo. "The Oz people cannot be killed, but they can

be cut into small pieces, and while every piece will still be alive, we can

scatter the pieces around so that they will be quite helpless. Therefore, the

Oz people will be afraid of the swords of our army, and we will conquer

them with ease."

That seems like a good idea," replied the boy, approvingly. "And in

such a case, we need not bother with the other beasts of the forest."

No; you have frightened the beasts, and they would no longer consent

to assist us in conquering Oz. But those monkeys are foolish creatures, and

once they are transformed to Giants, they will do just as we say and obey

our commands. Can you transform them all at once?"

No, I must take one at a time," said Kiki. "But the fifty

transformations can be made in an hour or so. Stay here, Ruggedo, and I

will change the first monkey--that one at the left, on the end of the limb--

into a Giant with a sword."

Where are you going?" asked the Nome.

I must not speak the Magic Word in the presence of another person,"

declared Kiki, who was determined not to allow his treacherous

companion to learn his secret, "so I will go where you cannot 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 into the forest a short distance. Here

he spied a hollow tree, and by chance it was the same hollow tree in which

the Wizard of Oz, now in the form of a Fox, had hidden himself.

As Kiki ran up to the tree the Fox ducked its head, so that it was out of

sight in the dark hollow beneath the hole, and then Kiki put his face into

the hole and whispered: "I want that monkey on the branch at the left to

become a Giant man fifty feet tall, dressed in a uniform and with a sharp

sword--Pyrzqxgl!"

Then he ran back to Ruggedo, but the Wizard Fox had heard quite

plainly every word that he had said.

The monkey was instantly transformed into the Giant, and the Giant