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"I'm hungry; so I'll have breakfast at once."

She clapped her hands together and instantly the table appeared before her,

spread with snowy linen and laden with golden dishes. But there was no

food upon the table, nor anything else except a pitcher of water, a bundle of

weeds and a handful of pebbles. But the Giantess poured some water into

her coffee-pot, patted it once or twice with her hand, and then poured out a

cupful of steaming hot coffee.

Would you like some?" she asked Woot.

He was suspicious of magic coffee, but it smelled so good that he could not

resist it; so he answered: "If you please, Madam."

The Giantess poured out another cup and set it on the floor for Woot. It was

as big as a tub, and the golden spoon in the saucer beside the cup was so

heavy the boy could scarcely lift it. But Woot managed to get a sip of the

coffee and found it delicious.

Mrs. Yoop next transformed the weeds into a dish of oatmeal, which she ate

with good appetite.

"Now, then," said she, picking up the pebbles. "I'm wondering whether I

shall have fish-balls or lamb-chops to complete my meal. Which would you

prefer, Woot the Wanderer?"

If you please, I'll eat the food in my knapsack," answered the boy. "Your

magic food might taste good, but I'm afraid of it."

The woman laughed at his fears and transformed the pebbles into fish-balls.

"I suppose you think that after you had eaten this food it would turn to

stones again and make you sick," she remarked; "but that would be

impossible. Nothing I transform ever gets back to its former shape again, so

these fish-balls can never more be pebbles. That is why I have to be careful

of my transformations," she added, busily eating while she talked, "for while

I can change forms at will I can never change them back again--which

proves that even the powers of a clever Yookoohoo are limited. When I have

transformed you three people, you must always wear the shapes that I have

given you."

"Then please don't transform us," begged Woot, "for we are quite satisfied to

remain as we are."

The Tin Woodman of Oz