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I am not expecting to satisfy you, but intend to please myself," she

declared, "and my pleasure is to give you new shapes. For, if by chance your

friends came in search of you, not one of them would be able to recognize

you."

Her tone was so positive that they knew it would be useless to protest. The

woman was not unpleasant to look at; her face was not cruel; her voice was

big but gracious in tone; but her words showed that she possessed a

merciless heart and no pleadings would alter her wicked purpose.

Mrs. Yoop took ample time to finish her breakfast and the prisoners had no

desire to hurry her, but finally the meal was concluded and she folded her

napkin and made the table disappear by clapping her hands together. Then

she turned to her captives and said:

The next thing on the programme is to change your forms."

Have you decided what forms to give us?" asked the Scarecrow, uneasily.

Yes; I dreamed it all out while I was asleep. This Tin Man seems a very

solemn person "--indeed, the Tin Woodman was looking solemn, just then,

for he was greatly disturbed--"so I shall change him into an Owl."

All she did was to point one finger at him as she spoke, but immediately the

form of the Tin Woodman began to change and in a few seconds Nick

Chopper, the Emperor of the Winkies, had been transformed into an Owl,

with eyes as big as saucers and a hooked beak and strong claws. But he

was still tin. He was a Tin Owl, with tin legs and beak and eyes and

feathers. When he flew to the back of a chair and perched upon it, his tin

feathers rattled against one another with a tinny clatter. The Giantess

seemed much amused by the Tin Owl's appearance, for her laugh was big

and jolly.

"You're not liable to get lost," said she, "for your wings and feathers will

make a racket wherever you go. And, on my word, a Tin Owl is so rare and

pretty that it is an improvement on the ordinary bird. I did not intend to

make you tin, but I forgot to wish you to be meat. However, tin you were,

and tin you are, and as it's too late to change you, that settles it."

Until now the Scarecrow had rather doubted the possibility of Mrs. Yoop's

being able to transform him, or his friend the Tin Woodman, for they were

not made as ordinary people are. He had worried more over what might

happen to Woot than to himself, but now he began to worry about himself.

The Tin Woodman of Oz