They now entered the house, and as an interested group, watched Jinjur,
at Ozma's command, build a fire and put a kettle of water over to boil.
The Ruler of Oz stood before the fire silent and grave, while the
others, realizing that an important ceremony of magic was about to be
performed, stood quietly in the background so as not to interrupt
Ozma's proceedings. Only Polychrome kept going in and coming out,
humming softly to herself as she danced, for the Rainbow's Daughter
could not keep still for long, and the four walls of a room always made
her nervous and ill at ease. She moved so noiselessly, however, that her
movements were like the shifting of sunbeams and did not annoy anyone.
When the water in the kettle bubbled, Ozma drew from her bosom two tiny
packets containing powders. These powders she threw into the kettle and
after briskly stirring the contents with a branch from a macaroon bush,
Ozma poured the mystic broth upon a broad platter which Jinjur had
placed upon the table. As the broth cooled it became as silver,
reflecting all objects from its smooth surface like a mirror.
While her companions gathered around the table, eagerly attentive--and
Dorothy even held little Toto in her arms that he might see--Ozma waved
her wand over the mirror-like surface. At once it reflected the interior
of Yoop Castle, and in the big hall sat Mrs. Yoop, in her best
embroidered silken robes, engaged in weaving a new lace apron to replace
the one she had lost.
[Illustration]
The Giantess seemed rather uneasy, as if she had a faint idea that
someone was spying upon her, for she kept looking behind her and this
way and that, as though expecting danger from an unknown source. Perhaps
some yookoohoo instinct warned her. Woot saw that she had escaped from
her room by some of the magical means at her disposal, after her
prisoners had escaped her. She was now occupying the big hall of her
castle as she used to do. Also Woot thought, from the cruel expression
on the face of the Giantess, that she was planning revenge on them, as
soon as her new magic apron was finished.
But Ozma was now making passes over the platter with her silver Wand,
and presently the form of the Giantess began to shrink in size and to
change its shape. And now, in her place sat the form of Woot the
Wanderer, and as if suddenly realizing her transformation Mrs. Yoop
threw down her work and rushed to a looking-glass that stood against the
wall of her room. When she saw the boy's form reflected as her own, she
grew violently angry and dashed her head against the mirror, smashing it
to atoms.
Just then Ozma was busy with her magic Wand, making strange figures, and
she had also placed her left hand firmly upon the shoulder of the Green
Monkey. So now, as all eyes were turned upon the platter, the form of
Mrs. Yoop gradually changed again. She was slowly transformed into the
Green Monkey, and at the same time Woot slowly regained his natural
form.
It was quite a surprise to them all when they raised their eyes from the
platter and saw Woot the Wanderer standing beside Ozma. And, when they
glanced at the platter again, it reflected nothing more than the walls
of the room in Jinjur's house in which they stood. The magic ceremonial
was ended, and Ozma of Oz had triumphed over the wicked Giantess.
"What will become of her, I wonder?" said Dorothy, as she drew a long
breath.
"She will always remain a Green Monkey," replied Ozma, "and in that form
she will be unable to perform any magical arts whatsoever. She need not
be unhappy, however, and as she lives all alone in her castle she
probably won't mind the transformation very much after she gets used to
it."
"Anyhow, it serves her right," declared Dorothy, and all agreed with
her.
"But," said the kind hearted Tin Woodman, "I'm afraid the Green Monkey
will starve, for Mrs. Yoop used to get her food by magic, and now that
the magic is taken away from her, what can she eat?"
"Why, she'll eat what other monkeys do," returned the Scarecrow. "Even
in the form of a Green Monkey, she's a very clever person, and I'm sure
her wits will show her how to get plenty to eat."
"Don't worry about her," advised Dorothy. "She didn't worry about you,
and her condition is no worse than the condition she imposed on poor
Woot. She can't starve _to death_ in the Land of Oz, that's certain, and
if she gets hungry at times it's no more than the wicked thing deserves.
Let's forget Mrs. Yoop; for, in spite of her being a yookoohoo, our
fairy friends have broken all of her transformations."
[Illustration]
The Man of Tin
[Illustration]