Twiffle Says Goodbye
Conjo wandered from the doorway of the tower toward the Wizard and his
friends.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked the Wizard amiably.
Then the fat little man saw the young beavers. He immediately seated
himself on the floor and called to the animals to play with him.
"I think his Majesty, the King of the Fairy Beavers, can explain what
has happened to Conjo," said the Wizard.
"It is very simple," replied the beaver King. "As I have told you, I am
fairly proficient in water magic. So, when I saw that Conjo could not
be talked out of his mischievousness and that he meant further trouble,
I directed a stream of water through my Fairy Wand toward Conjo. The
water came from Ozma's Fountain of Oblivion."
"Then Conjo has forgotten all his bad ways and all his magic powers?"
asked Dorothy.
"Yes," replied the beaver King. "He is now as harmless as a child.
The water of the Fountain of Oblivion is truly wonderful. With Ozma's
gracious permission I shall take a quantity of it back to my kingdom
with me when I return."
"You have the permission now, your Majesty," said a girlish voice.
All eyes turned to the throne from which the voice came. There sat
Ozma, regarding them with a quiet smile.
"I returned only a moment ago," Ozma said. "Just in time to see the
outcome of Conjo's ambitious schemes and to grant the request of our
good friend the King of the Fairy Beavers. I am sure he will use the
water from the Fountain of Oblivion wisely and well."
"Then you know all about our adventures?" asked the Shaggy Man.
"Yes," replied Ozma. "Glinda and I finished our tasks on which we have
been working steadily, and only a few minutes ago we hurried to open
Glinda's Great Book of Records and brought ourselves up to date on what
has happened to you, Shaggy and your friends, as well as the events
transpiring here in the Emerald City during my absence. Now that we
are together I am happy to greet all my friends old and new," Ozma
concluded, smiling at Twink and Tom.
The Wizard stepped to the side of Conjo, who was still seated on
the throne room floor prattling to the beavers. He reached down and
unfastened from Conjo's wrist Ozma's Magic Compass.
The Girl Ruler received the magic instrument gravely, her eyes upon
Conjo. "I wonder," she said, "what we should do with him. He is quite
harmless now, but we don't want him to learn his old, bad ways again."
Here Twiffle stepped forward. "Your Highness," the little clown began,
"if I may make a suggestion. I have known Conjo longer than anyone
else here. He is not really a bad man. His threats are worse than his
deeds. Most of the time he is quite jovial and pleasant. He loves his
magic and his wizardry and wants to show off. Now that he has a chance
to begin all over again, if he learned everything again except vanity
and if he had the right guide, I believe it is possible that he might
become a good wizard."
"And you want to be that guide," said Ozma smiling kindly at Twiffle.
"What do you think, Wizard?"
"I believe Twiffle is right," said the Wizard. "Conjo needs someone to
help him now, and Twiffle seems the person to do it."
"I am very fond of my old home on the island and I would like to help
Conjo," said Twiffle simply.
"For my part, Twiffle is a brick," put in the Shaggy Man heartily.
"Then it is decided," replied Ozma. "I will use the Magic Belt to
send Conjo and Twiffle back to the Isle of Conjo. There, Twiffle will
help Conjo to become a thoroughly good wizard. Here, Twiffle," Ozma
removed a small golden ring from her finger and handed it to Twiffle.
"Keep this ring with you always. Should Conjo ever again cause any
mischief, or should you need my help, just rub this ring and you will
be transported immediately to wherever I may be."
"Thank you, your Majesty," said Twiffle, looking at Ozma gratefully.
Twiffle then bade a fond farewell to Twink and Tom, the Shaggy Man,
the King of the Fairy Beavers, and all his other new friends. When he
had finished, Ozma placed her hands on the Magic Belt and murmured a
command.
Twink and Tom looked about the throne room. Conjo and Twiffle were
nowhere to be seen. The children knew they would miss the little toy
clown. But perhaps he would come to their home sometimes to visit his
third cousin, Twoffle.