The by L. Frank Baum of

Chapter 12 - Ozma and

In her magnificent palace in the Emer- Oz while on a journey, enchanted the coun- ald City, the beautiful girl Ruler of all the try and so made it a Fairyland. And Queen wonderful sat in her dainty bou- Lurline left one of her fairies to rule this en- doir with her friend Princess Dorothy beside chanted Land of Oz, and then passed on and her. Ozma studying a roll of manuscript forgot all about it. which she had taken from the Royal Library, From that moment no one in Oz ever while Dorothy worked at her embroidery died. Those who were old remained old; and at times stooped to pat a shaggy little those who were young and strong did not black dog that lay at her feet. The little dog’s change as years passed them by; the children name was , and he was Dorothy’s faith- remained children always, and played and ful companion. romped to their hearts’ content, while all the To judge by the standards babies lived in their cradles and were tenderly of our world, you would think her very cared for and never grew up. So people in young—perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of Oz stopped counting how old they were in age—yet for years she had ruled the Land of years, for years made no difference in their Oz and had never seemed a bit older. Doro- appearance and could not alter their station. thy appeared much younger than Ozma. They did not get sick, so there were no doc- She had been a little girl when first she came tors among them. Accidents might happen to to the Land of Oz, and she was a little girl some, on rare occasions, it is true, and while still, and would never seem to be a day older no one could die naturally, as other people while she lived in this wonderful fairyland. do, it was possible that one might be totally Oz was not always a fairyland, I am destroyed. Such incidents, however, were very told. Once it was much like other lands, ex- unusual, and so seldom was there anything to cept it was shut in by a dreadful desert of worry over that the Oz people were as happy sandy wastes that lay all around it, thus pre- and contented as can be. venting its people from all contact with the Another strange thing about this fairy rest of the world. Seeing this isolation, the Land of Oz was that whoever managed to en- fairy band of Queen Lurline, passing over ter it from the outside world came under the

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu : Chapter 12 By L. Frank Baum magic spell of the place and did not change Ozma and Dorothy were fast friends and in appearance as long as they lived there. So were much together. Everyone in Oz loved Dorothy, who now lived with Ozma, seemed Dorothy almost as well as they did their love- just the same sweet little girl she had been ly Ruler, for the little Kansas girl’s good for- when first she came to this delightful fairy- tune had not spoiled her or rendered her at land. all vain. She was just the same brave and true Perhaps all parts of Oz might not be and adventurous child as before she lived in called truly delightful, but it was surely de- a royal palace and became the chum of the lightful in the neighborhood of the Emer- fairy Ozma. ald City, where Ozma reigned. Her loving In the room in which the two sat—which influence was felt for many miles around, was one of Ozma’s private suite of apart- but there were places in the mountains of ments—hung the famous Magic Picture. This the , and the forests of the was the source of constant interest to little , and perhaps in far-away Dorothy. One had but to stand before it and parts of the and Winkie Coun- wish to see what any person was doing, and tries, where the inhabitants were somewhat at once a scene would flash upon the magic rude and uncivilized and had not yet come canvas which showed exactly where that per- under the spell of Ozma’s wise and kindly son was, and like our own moving pictures rule. Also, when Oz first became a fairyland, would reproduce the actions of that person it harbored several witches and magicians as long as you cared to watch them. So to- and sorcerers and necromancers, who were day when Dorothy tired of her embroidery, scattered in various parts, but most of these she drew the curtains from before the Magic had been deprived of their magic powers, Picture and wished to see what her friend and Ozma had issued a royal edict forbid- Button Bright was doing. Button Bright, she ding anyone in her dominions to work mag- saw, was playing ball with Ojo, the Munch- ic except Glinda the Good and the Wizard kin boy, so Dorothy next wished to see what of Oz. Ozma herself, being a real fairy, knew her was doing. The picture showed a lot of magic, but she only used it to benefit Aunt Em quietly engaged in darning socks her subjects. for , so Dorothy wished to see This little explanation will help you to what her old friend the Tin Woodman was understand better the story you are reach- doing. ing, but most of it is already known to those The Tin Woodman was then just leaving who are familiar with the Oz people whose his tin castle in the company of the adventures they have followed in other Oz and Woot the Wanderer. Dorothy had never books. seen this boy before, so she wondered who

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu The Tin Woodman of Oz: Chapter 12 By L. Frank Baum he was. Also she was curious to know where “Can’t something be done for them, the three were going, for she noticed Woot’s Ozma? Can’t you change ‘em back into their knapsack and guessed they had started on a own shapes? They’ve suffered enough from long journey. She asked Ozma about it, but these dreadful transformations, seems to me.” Ozma did not know. “I’ve been studying ways to help them, That afternoon Dorothy again saw the ever since they were transformed,” replied travelers in the Magic Picture, but they were Ozma. “Mrs. Yoop is now the only Yookoohoo merely tramping through the country and in my dominions, and the Yookoohoo magic Dorothy was not much interested in them. A is very peculiar and hard for others to under- couple of days later, however, the girl, being stand, yet I am resolved to make the attempt again with Ozma, wished to see her friends, to break these enchantments. I may not suc- the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman in the ceed, but I shall do the best I can. From the Magic Picture, and on this occasion found directions our friends are taking, I believe them in the great castle of Mrs. Yoop, the Gi- they are going to pass by ’s Ranch, so if antess, who was at the time about to transform we start now we may meet them there. Would them. Both Dorothy and Ozma now became you like to go with me, Dorothy?” greatly interested and watched the transfor- “Of course,” answered the little girl; “I mations with indignation and horror. wouldn’t miss it for anything.” “What a Giantess!” exclaimed “Then order the Red Wagon,” said Ozma Dorothy. of Oz, “and we will start at once.” “Yes,” answered Ozma, “she must be pun- Dorothy ran to do as she was bid, while ished for this cruelty to our friends, and to the Ozma went to her Magic Room to make poor boy who is with them.” ready the things she believed she would need. After this they followed the adventure of In half an hour the Red Wagon stood before the little Brown Bear and the Tin Owl and the grand entrance of the palace, and before the Green with breathless interest, it was hitched the Wooden Sawhorse, which and were delighted when they escaped from was Ozma’s favorite steed. Mrs. Yoop. They did not know, then, who the This Sawhorse, while made of wood, was Canary was, but realized it must be the trans- very much alive and could travel swiftly and formation of some person of consequence, without tiring. To keep the ends of his wood- whom the Giantess had also enchanted. en legs from wearing down short, Ozma had When, finally, the day came when the shod the Sawhorse with plates of pure gold. adventurers headed south into the Munchkin His harness was studded with brilliant emer- Country, Dorothy asked anxiously: alds and other jewels and so, while he him-

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu The Tin Woodman of Oz: Chapter 12 By L. Frank Baum self was not at all handsome, his outfit made a splendid appearance. Since the Sawhorse could understand her spoken words, Ozma used no reins to guide him. She merely told him where to go. When she came from the palace with Dorothy, they both climbed into the Red Wagon and then the little dog, Toto, ran up and asked: “Are you going to leave me behind, Dor- othy?” Dorothy looked at Ozma, who smiled in return and said: “Toto may go with us, if you wish him to.” So Dorothy lifted the little dog into the wagon, for, while he could run fast, he could not keep up with the speed of the wonderful Sawhorse. Away they went, over hills and through meadows, covering the ground with astonish- ing speed. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Red Wagon arrived before Jinjur’s house just as that energetic young lady had finished scrubbing the Green Monkey and was about to lead him to the caramel patch.

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu