Ozma had seen in her Magic Picture the liberation of Inga's parents and
the departure of the entire party for the Emerald City, so with her
usual hospitality she ordered a splendid banquet prepared and invited
all her quaint friends who were then in the Emerald City to be present
that evening to meet the strangers who were to become her guests.
Glinda, also, in her wonderful Record Book had learned of the events
that had taken place in the caverns of the Nome King and she became
especially interested in the enchantment of the Prince of Boboland. So
she hastily prepared several of her most powerful charms and then
summoned her flock of sixteen white storks, which swiftly bore her to
Ozma's palace. She arrived there before the Red Wagon did and was warmly
greeted by the girl Ruler.
Realizing that the costume of Queen Garee of Pingaree must have become
sadly worn and frayed, owing to her hardships and adventures, Ozma
ordered a royal outfit prepared for the good Queen and had it laid in
her chamber ready for her to put on as soon as she arrived, so she would
not be shamed at the banquet. New costumes were also provided for King
Kitticut and King Rinkitink and Prince Inga, all cut and made and
embellished in the elaborate and becoming style then prevalent in the
Land of Oz, and as soon as the party arrived at the palace Ozma's guests
were escorted by her servants to their rooms, that they might bathe and
dress themselves.
Glinda the Sorceress and the Wizard of Oz took charge of Bilbil the goat
and went to a private room where they were not likely to be interrupted.
Glinda first questioned Bilbil long and earnestly about the manner of
his enchantment and the ceremony that had been used by the magician who
enchanted him. At first Bilbil protested that he did not want to be
restored to his natural shape, saying that he had been forever disgraced
in the eyes of his people and of the entire world by being obliged to
exist as a scrawny, scraggly goat. But Glinda pointed out that any
person who incurred the enmity of a wicked magician was liable to suffer
a similar fate, and assured him that his misfortune would make him
better beloved by his subjects when he returned to them freed from his
dire enchantment.
Bilbil was finally convinced of the truth of this assertion and agreed
to submit to the experiments of Glinda and the Wizard, who knew they had
a hard task before them and were not at all sure they could succeed. We
know that Glinda is the most complete mistress of magic who has ever
existed, and she was wise enough to guess that the clever but evil
magician who had enchanted Prince Bobo had used a spell that would
puzzle any ordinary wizard or sorcerer to break; therefore she had given
the matter much shrewd thought and hoped she had conceived a plan that
would succeed. But because she was not positive of success she would
have no one present at the incantation except her assistant, the Wizard
of Oz.
[Illustration: GOAT LAMB OSTRICH]
First she transformed Bilbil the goat into a lamb, and this was done
quite easily. Next she transformed the lamb into an ostrich, giving it
two legs and feet instead of four. Then she tried to transform the
ostrich into the original Prince Bobo, but this incantation was an utter
failure. Glinda was not discouraged, however, but by a powerful spell
transformed the ostrich into a tottenhot--which is a lower form of a
man. Then the tottenhot was transformed into a mifket, which was a great
step in advance and, finally, Glinda transformed the mifket into a
handsome young man, tall and shapely, who fell on his knees before the
great Sorceress and gratefully kissed her hand, admitting that he had
now recovered his proper shape and was indeed Prince Bobo of Boboland.
[Illustration: MIFKET PRINCE]
This process of magic, successful though it was in the end, had required
so much time that the banquet was now awaiting their presence. Bobo was
already dressed in princely raiment and although he seemed very much
humbled by his recent lowly condition, they finally persuaded him to
join the festivities.
When Rinkitink saw that his goat had now become a Prince, he did not
know whether to be sorry or glad, for he felt that he would miss the
companionship of the quarrelsome animal he had so long been accustomed
to ride upon, while at the same time he rejoiced that poor Bilbil had
come to his own again.
[Illustration: BETSY TROT]
Prince Bobo humbly begged Rinkitink's forgiveness for having been so
disagreeable to him, at times, saying that the nature of a goat had
influenced him and the surly disposition he had shown was a part of his
enchantment. But the jolly King assured the Prince that he had really
enjoyed Bilbil's grumpy speeches and forgave him readily. Indeed, they
all discovered the young Prince Bobo to be an exceedingly courteous and
pleasant person, although he was somewhat reserved and dignified.
[Illustration: OZMA DOROTHY]
Ah, but it was a great feast that Ozma served in her gorgeous banquet
hall that night and everyone was as happy as could be. The Shaggy Man
was there, and so was Jack Pumpkinhead and the Tin Woodman and Cap'n
Bill. Beside Princess Dorothy sat Tiny Trot and Betsy Bobbin, and the
three little girls were almost as sweet to look upon as was Ozma, who
sat at the head of her table and outshone all her guests in loveliness.
King Rinkitink was delighted with the quaint people of Oz and laughed
and joked with the tin man and the pumpkin-headed man and found Cap'n
Bill a very agreeable companion. But what amused the jolly King most
were the animal guests, which Ozma always invited to her banquets and
seated at a table by themselves, where they talked and chatted together
as people do but were served the sort of food their natures required.
The Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion and the Glass Cat were much admired
by Rinkitink, but when he met a mule named Hank, which Betsy Robbin had
brought to Oz, the King found the creature so comical that he laughed
and chuckled until his friends thought he would choke. Then while the
banquet was still in progress, Rinkitink composed and sang a song to the
mule and they all joined in the chorus, which was something like this:
"It's very queer how big an ear
Is worn by Mr. Donkey;
And yet I fear he could not hear
If it were on a monkey.
'Tis thick and strong and broad and long
And also very hairy;
It's quite becoming to our Hank
But might disgrace a fairy!"
[Illustration]
This song was received with so much enthusiasm that Rinkitink was
prevailed upon to sing another. They gave him a little time to compose
the rhyme, which he declared would be better if he could devote a month
or two to its composition, but the sentiment he expressed was so
admirable that no one criticized the song or the manner in which the
jolly little King sang it.
Dorothy wrote down the words on a piece of paper, and here they are:
"We're merry comrades all, to-night,
Because we've won a gallant fight
And conquered all our foes.
We're not afraid of anything,
So let us gayly laugh and sing
Until we seek repose.
"We've all our grateful hearts can wish;
King Gos has gone to feed the fish,
Queen Cor has gone, as well;
King Kitticut has found his own,
Prince Bobo soon will have a throne
Relieved of magic spell.
"So let's forget the horrid strife
That fell upon our peaceful life
And caused distress and pain;
For very soon across the sea
We'll all be sailing merrily
To Pingaree again."
[Illustration]
The Pearl Kingdom
[Illustration]