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"Madam," he said hastily, "I consider this action very impolite. It may even
be called rude, considering we are your guests."
"You are not guests, for I did not invite you here," she replied.
"Perhaps not; but we craved hospitality. We threw ourselves upon your
mercy, so to speak, and we now find you have no mercy. Therefore, if you
will excuse the expression, I must say it is downright wicked to take our
proper forms away from us and give us others that we do not care for."
"Are you trying to make me angry?" she asked, frowning.
"By no means," said the Scarecrow; "I'm just trying to make you act more
ladylike."
"
Oh, indeed! In my opinion, Mr. Scarecrow, you are now acting like a bear--
so a Bear you shall be!"
Again the dreadful finger pointed, this time in the Scarecrow's direction, and
at once his form began to change. In a few seconds he had become a small
Brown Bear, but he was stuffed with straw as he had been before, and when
the little Brown Bear shuffled across the floor he was just as wobbly as the
Scarecrow had been and moved just as awkwardly.
Woot was amazed, but he was also thoroughly frightened.
"Did it hurt?" he asked the little Brown Bear.
"No, of course not," growled the Scarecrow in the Bear's form; "but I don't
like walking on four legs; it's undignified."
"Consider my humiliation!" chirped the Tin Owl, trying to settle its tin
feathers smoothly with its tin beak. "And I can't see very well, either. The
light seems to hurt my eyes."
"
That's because you are an Owl," said Woot. "I think you will see better in
the dark."
"
Well," remarked the Giantess, "I'm very well pleased with these new forms,
for my part, and I'm sure you will like them better when you get used to
them. So now," she added, turning to the boy, "it is your turn."
"
Don't you think you'd better leave me as I am?" asked Woot in a trembling
voice.
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