Chapter Six
The Magic of a Yookoohoo
Woot had seen very little of magic during his wanderings, while theScarecrow and the Tin Woodman had seen a great deal of many sorts intheir lives, yet all three were greatly impressed by Mrs. Yoop'spowers. She did not affect any mysterious airs or indulge in chants ormystic rites, as most witches do, nor was the Giantess old and ugly ordisagreeable in face or manner. Nevertheless, she frightened herprisoners more than any witch could have done.
"Please be seated," she said to them, as she sat herself down in agreat arm-chair and spread her beautiful embroidered skirts for them toadmire. But all the chairs in the room were so high that our friendscould not climb to the seats of them. Mrs. Yoop observed this and wavedher hand, when instantly a golden ladder appeared leaning against achair opposite her own.
"Climb up," said she, and they obeyed, the Tin Man and the boyassisting the more clumsy Scarecrow. When they were all seated in a rowon the cushion of the chair, the Giantess continued: "Now tell me howyou happened to travel in this direction, and where you came from andwhat your errand is."
So the Tin Woodman told her all about Nimmie Amee, and how he haddecided to find her and marry her, although he had no Loving Heart. Thestory seemed to amuse the big woman, who then began to ask theScarecrow questions and for the first time in her life heard of Ozma ofOz, and of Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead and Dr. Pipt and Tik-tok andmany other Oz people who are well known in the Emerald City. Also Woothad to tell his story, which was very simple and did not take long. TheGiantess laughed heartily when the boy related their adventure atLoonville, but said she knew nothing of the Loons because she neverleft her Valley.
"There are wicked people who would like to capture me, as they did mygiant husband, Mr. Yoop," said she; "so I stay at home and mind my ownbusiness."
"If Ozma knew that you dared to work magic without her consent, shewould punish you severely," declared the Scarecrow, "for this castle isin the Land of Oz, and no persons in the Land of Oz are permitted towork magic except Glinda the Good and the little Wizard who lives withOzma in the Emerald City."
"That for your Ozma!" exclaimed the Giantess, snapping her fingers inderision. "What do I care for a girl whom I have never seen and who hasnever seen me?"
"But Ozma is a fairy," said the Tin Woodman, "and therefore she is verypowerful. Also, we are under Ozma's protection, and to injure us in anyway would make her extremely angry."
"What I do here, in my own private castle in this secludedValley--where no one comes but fools like you--can never be known toyour fairy Ozma," returned the Giantess. "Do not seek to frighten mefrom my purpose, and do not allow yourselves to be frightened, for itis best to meet bravely what cannot be avoided. I am now going to bed,and in the morning I will give you all new forms, such as will be moreinteresting to me than the ones you now wear. Good night, and pleasantdreams."
Saying this, Mrs. Yoop rose from her chair and walked through a doorwayinto another room. So heavy was the tread of the Giantess that even thewalls of the big stone castle trembled as she stepped. She closed thedoor of her bedroom behind her, and then suddenly the light went outand the three prisoners found themselves in total darkness.
The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow didn't mind the dark at all, but Wootthe Wanderer felt worried to be left in this strange place in thisstrange manner, without being able to see any danger that mightthreaten.
"The big woman might have given me a bed, anyhow," he said to hiscompanions, and scarcely had he spoken when he felt something pressagainst his legs, which were then dangling from the seat of the chair.Leaning down, he put out his hand and found that a bedstead hadappeared, with mattress, sheets and covers, all complete. He lost notime in slipping down upon the bed and was soon fast asleep.
During the night the Scarecrow and the Emperor talked in low tonestogether, and they got out of the chair and moved all about the room,feeling for some hidden spring that might open a door or window andpermit them to escape.
Morning found them still unsuccessful in the quest and as soon as itwas daylight Woot's bed suddenly disappeared, and he dropped to thefloor with a thump that quickly wakened him. And after a time theGiantess came from her bedroom, wearing another dress that was quite aselaborate as the one in which she had been attired the evening before,and also wearing the pretty lace apron. Having seated herself in achair, she said:
"I'm hungry; so I'll have breakfast at once."
She clapped her hands together and instantly the table appeared beforeher, spread with snowy linen and laden with golden dishes. But therewas no food upon the table, nor anything else except a pitcher ofwater, a bundle of weeds and a handful of pebbles. But the Giantesspoured some water into her coffee-pot, patted it once or twice with herhand, 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 couldnot 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 thecup was so heavy the boy could scarcely lift it. But Woot managed toget a sip of the coffee and found it delicious.
Mrs. Yoop next transformed the weeds into a dish of oatmeal, which sheate with good appetite.
"Now, then," said she, picking up the pebbles. "I'm wondering whether Ishall have fish-balls or lamb-chops to complete my meal. Which wouldyou 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 intofish-balls.
"I suppose you think that after you had eaten this food it would turnto stones again and make you sick," she remarked; "but that would beimpossible. Nothing I transform ever gets back to its former shapeagain, so these fish-balls can never more be pebbles. That is why Ihave to be careful of my transformations," she added, busily eatingwhile she talked, "for while I can change forms at will I can neverchange them back again--which proves that even the powers of a cleverYookoohoo are limited. When I have transformed you three people, youmust always wear the shapes that I have given you."
"Then please don't transform us," begged Woot, "for we are quitesatisfied to remain as we are."
"I am not expecting to satisfy you, but intend to please myself," shedeclared, "and my pleasure is to give you new shapes. For, if by chanceyour friends came in search of you, not one of them would be able torecognize 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; hervoice was big but gracious in tone; but her words showed that shepossessed a merciless heart and no pleadings would alter her wickedpurpose.
Mrs. Yoop took ample time to finish her breakfast and the prisoners hadno desire to hurry her, but finally the meal was concluded and shefolded her napkin and made the table disappear by clapping her handstogether. 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 avery solemn person "--indeed, the Tin Woodman was looking solemn, justthen, 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, butimmediately the form of the Tin Woodman began to change and in a fewseconds Nick Chopper, the Emperor of the Winkies, had been transformedinto an Owl, with eyes as big as saucers and a hooked beak and strongclaws. But he was still tin. He was a Tin Owl, with tin legs and beakand eyes and feathers. When he flew to the back of a chair and perchedupon it, his tin feathers rattled against one another with a tinnyclatter. 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 featherswill make a racket wherever you go. And, on my word, a Tin Owl is sorare and pretty that it is an improvement on the ordinary bird. I didnot 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 changeyou, 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, forthey were not made as ordinary people are. He had worried more overwhat might happen to Woot than to himself, but now he began to worryabout himself.
"Madam," he said hastily, "I consider this action very impolite. It mayeven 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 yourmercy, so to speak, and we now find you have no mercy. Therefore, ifyou will excuse the expression, I must say it is downright wicked totake our proper forms away from us and give us others that we do notcare for."
"Are you trying to make me angry?" she asked, frowning.
"By no means," said the Scarecrow; "I'm just trying to make you actmore ladylike."
"Oh, indeed! In my opinion, Mr. Scarecrow, you are now acting like abear--so a Bear you shall be!"
Again the dreadful finger pointed, this time in the Scarecrow'sdirection, and at once his form began to change. In a few seconds hehad become a small Brown Bear, but he was stuffed with straw as he hadbeen before, and when the little Brown Bear shuffled across the floorhe was just as wobbly as the Scarecrow had been and moved just asawkwardly.
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 Idon't like walking on four legs; it's undignified."
"Consider my humiliation!" chirped the Tin Owl, trying to settle itstin 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 seebetter in the dark."
"Well," remarked the Giantess, "I'm very well pleased with these newforms, for my part, and I'm sure you will like them better when you getused 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 atrembling voice.
"No," she replied, "I'm going to make a Monkey of you. I lovemonkeys--they're so cute!--and I think a Green Monkey will be lots offun and amuse me when I am sad."
Woot shivered, for again the terrible magic finger pointed, and pointeddirectly his way. He felt himself changing; not so very much, however,and it didn't hurt him a bit. He looked down at his limbs and body andfound that his clothes were gone and his skin covered with a fine,silk-like green fur. His hands and feet were now those of a monkey. Herealized he really was a monkey, and his first feeling was one ofanger. He began to chatter as monkeys do. He bounded to the seat of agiant chair, and then to its back and with a wild leap sprang upon thelaughing Giantess. His idea was to seize her hair and pull it out bythe roots, and so have revenge for her wicked transformations. But sheraised her hand and said:
"Gently, my dear Monkey--gently! You're not angry; you're happy as canbe!"
Woot stopped short. No; he wasn't a bit angry now; he felt asgood-humored and gay as ever he did when a boy. Instead of pulling Mrs.Yoop's hair, he perched on her shoulder and smoothed her soft cheekwith his hairy paw. In return, she smiled at the funny green animal andpatted his head.
"Very good," said the Giantess. "Let us all become friends and be happytogether. How is my Tin Owl feeling?"
"Quite comfortable," said the Owl. "I don't like it, to be sure, butI'm not going to allow my new form to make me unhappy. But, tell me,please: what is a Tin Owl good for?"
"You are only good to make me laugh," replied the Giantess.
"Will a stuffed Bear also make you laugh?" inquired the Scarecrow,sitting back on his haunches to look up at her.
"Of course," declared the Giantess; "and I have added a little magic toyour transformations to make you all contented with wearing your newforms. I'm sorry I didn't think to do that when I transformedPolychrome into a Canary-Bird. But perhaps, when she sees how cheerfulyou are, she will cease to be silent and sullen and take to singing. Iwill go get the bird and let you see her."
With this, Mrs. Yoop went into the next room and soon returned bearinga golden cage in which sat upon a swinging perch a lovely yellowCanary. "Polychrome," said the Giantess, "permit me to introduce to youa Green Monkey, which used to be a boy called Woot the Wanderer, and aTin Owl, which used to be a Tin Woodman named Nick Chopper, and astraw-stuffed little Brown Bear which used to be a live Scarecrow."
"We already know one another," declared the Scarecrow. "The bird isPolychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter, and she and I used to be goodfriends."
"Are you really my old friend, the Scarecrow?" asked; the bird, in asweet, low voice.
"There!" cried Mrs. Yoop; "that's the first time she has spoken sinceshe was transformed."
"I am really your old friend," answered the Scarecrow; "but you mustpardon me for appearing just now in this brutal form."
"I am a bird, as you are, dear Poly," said the Tin Woodman; "but, alas!a Tin Owl is not as beautiful as a Canary-Bird."
"How dreadful it all is!" sighed the Canary. "Couldn't you manage toescape from this terrible Yookoohoo?"
"No," answered the Scarecrow, "we tried to escape, but failed. Shefirst made us her prisoners and then transformed us. But how did shemanage to get you, Polychrome?"
"I was asleep, and she took unfair advantage of me," answered the birdsadly. "Had I been awake, I could easily have protected myself."
"Tell me," said the Green Monkey earnestly, as he came close to thecage, "what must we do, Daughter of the Rainbow, to escape from thesetransformations? Can't you help us, being a Fairy?"
"At present I am powerless to help even myself," replied the Canary.
"That's the exact truth!" exclaimed the Giantess, who seemed pleased tohear the bird talk, even though it complained; "you are all helplessand in my power, so you may as well make up your minds to accept yourfate and be content. Remember that you are transformed for good, sinceno magic on earth can break your enchantments. I am now going out formy morning walk, for each day after breakfast I walk sixteen timesaround my castle for exercise. Amuse yourselves while I am gone, andwhen I return I hope to find you all reconciled and happy."
So the Giantess walked to the door by which our friends had entered thegreat hall and spoke one word: "Open!" Then the door swung open andafter Mrs. Yoop had passed out it closed again with a snap as itspowerful bolts shot into place. The Green Monkey had rushed toward theopening, hoping to escape, but he was too late and only got a bump onhis nose as the door slammed shut.
The Tin Woodman of Oz Page 6
