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.
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."