The new General of the Nome King's army knew perfectly well that to
fail in his plans meant death for him. Yet he was not at all anxious
or worried. He hated every one who was good and longed to make all who
were happy unhappy. Therefore he had accepted this dangerous position
as General quite willingly, feeling sure in his evil mind that he would
be able to do a lot of mischief and finally conquer the Land of Oz.
Yet Guph determined to be careful, and to lay his plans well, so as not
to fail. He argued that only careless people fail in what they attempt
to do.
The mountains underneath which the Nome King's extensive caverns were
located lay grouped just north of the Land of Ev, which lay directly
across the deadly desert to the east of the Land of Oz. As the
mountains were also on the edge of the desert the Nome King found that
he had only to tunnel underneath the desert to reach Ozma's dominions.
He did not wish his armies to appear above ground in the Country of the
Winkies, which was the part of the Land of Oz nearest to King Roquat's
own country, as then the people would give the alarm and enable Ozma to
fortify the Emerald City and assemble an army. He wanted to take all
the Oz people by surprise; so he decided to run the tunnel clear
through to the Emerald City, where he and his hosts could break through
the ground without warning and conquer the people before they had time
to defend themselves.
Roquat the Red began work at once upon his tunnel, setting a thousand
miners at the task and building it high and broad enough for his armies
to march through it with ease. The Nomes were used to making tunnels,
as all the kingdom in which they lived was under ground; so they made
rapid progress.
While this work was going on General Guph started out alone to visit
the Chief of the Whimsies.
These Whimsies were curious people who lived in a retired country of
their own. They had large, strong bodies, but heads so small that they
were no bigger than door-knobs. Of course, such tiny heads could not
contain any great amount of brains, and the Whimsies were so ashamed of
their personal appearance and lack of commonsense that they wore big
heads made of pasteboard, which they fastened over their own little
heads. On these pasteboard heads they sewed sheep's wool for hair, and
the wool was colored many tints--pink, green and lavender being the
favorite colors. The faces of these false heads were painted in many
ridiculous ways, according to the whims of the owners, and these big,
burly creatures looked so whimsical and absurd in their queer masks
that they were called "Whimsies." They foolishly imagined that no one
would suspect the little heads that were inside the imitation ones, not
knowing that it is folly to try to appear otherwise than as nature has
made us.
The Chief of the Whimsies had as little wisdom as the others, and had
been chosen chief merely because none among them was any wiser or more
capable of ruling. The Whimsies were evil spirits and could not be
killed. They were hated and feared by every one and were known as
terrible fighters because they were so strong and muscular and had not
sense enough to know when they were defeated.
General Guph thought the Whimsies would be a great help to the Nomes in
the conquest of Oz, for under his leadership they could be induced to
fight as long so they could stand up. So he traveled to their country
and asked to see the Chief, who lived in a house that had a picture of
his grotesque false head painted over the doorway.
The Chief's false head had blue hair, a turned-up nose, and a mouth
that stretched half across the face. Big green eyes had been painted
upon it, but in the center of the chin were two small holes made in the
pasteboard, so that the Chief could see through them with his own tiny
eyes; for when the big head was fastened upon his shoulders the eyes in
his own natural head were on a level with the false chin.
Said General Guph to the Chief of the Whimsies:
"We Nomes are going to conquer the Land of Oz and capture our King's
Magic Belt, which the Oz people stole from him. Then we are going to
plunder and destroy the whole country. And we want the Whimsies to
help us."
"Will there be any fighting?" asked the Chief.
"Plenty," replied Guph.
That must have pleased the Chief, for he got up and danced around the
room three times. Then he seated himself again, adjusted his false
head, and said:
"We have no quarrel with Ozma of Oz."
"But you Whimsies love to fight, and here is a splendid chance to do
so," urged Guph.
"Wait till I sing a song," said the Chief. Then he lay back in his
chair and sang a foolish song that did not seem to the General to mean
anything, although he listened carefully. When he had finished, the
Chief Whimsie looked at him through the holes in his chin and asked:
"What reward will you give us if we help you?"
The General was prepared for this question, for he had been thinking
the matter over on his journey. People often do a good deed without
hope of reward, but for an evil deed they always demand payment.
"When we get our Magic Belt," he made reply, "our King, Roquat the Red,
will use its power to give every Whimsie a natural head as big and fine
as the false head he now wears. Then you will no longer be ashamed
because your big strong bodies have such teenty-weenty heads."
"Oh! Will you do that?" asked the Chief, eagerly.
"We surely will," promised the General.
"I'll talk to my people," said the Chief.
So he called a meeting of all the Whimsies and told them of the offer
made by the Nomes. The creatures were delighted with the bargain, and
at once agreed to fight for the Nome King and help him to conquer Oz.
One Whimsie alone seemed to have a glimmer of sense, for he asked:
"Suppose we fail to capture the Magic Belt? What will happen then, and
what good will all our fighting do?"
But they threw him into the river for asking foolish questions, and
laughed when the water ruined his pasteboard head before he could swim
out again.
So the compact was made and General Guph was delighted with his success
in gaining such powerful allies.
But there were other people, too, just as important as the Whimsies,
whom the clever old Nome had determined to win to his side.