The Oz Series

Chapter 40

Part of the The Marvelous Land of Oz: Tip's Rebellion and the Return of Ozma arc.

This encyclopedia covers chapters 1 to 100 of the story and shows the world as it stands at chapter 100, so it contains spoilers up to that point. To read it spoiler free, one chapter at a time, open the interactive codex.

What happens

In the throne room of the Emerald City, the Scarecrow reasons aloud that Jinjur is rightfully Queen and that his party has no legitimate claim to occupy her palace. The Woggle-Bug argues Jinjur is the interloper, and Jack Pumpkinhead notes they conquered and drove her out. The Scarecrow directs Tip to the window; Tip reports the palace is surrounded by a double row of girl soldiers, confirming that the group are prisoners just as before the mice frightened Jinjur's forces away. Nick Chopper (the Tin Woodman) agrees that Jinjur remains Queen and they are her captives. Jack fears Jinjur's threat to make tarts of him, the Woggle-Bug recalls her threat to make a goulash of him, and the party dwells on grim scenarios of being cooked and eaten. The Tin Woodman condemns talk of eating Jack as cannibalism.

The Scarecrow resolves to stop the mournful talk and find a means of escape. As they gather around the throne, a pepper-box falls from Tip's pocket. Tip identifies it as his Powder of Life, of which only about one dose remains. He explains that old Mombi obtained the magical powder from a crooked sorcerer, used it to bring Jack to life, and that Tip later used it to animate the Saw-Horse; it will bring anything sprinkled with it to life. The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow recognize the powder as precious and a possible means of escape.

The Scarecrow asks Tip to cut the heavy crown from his forehead so he can think. Tip rips out the stitches, and the Scarecrow removes the crown with relief, hanging it on a peg and recounting that the crown passed from former King Pastoria to the Wonderful Wizard, then to himself, and now is claimed by Jinjur. After a long, quiet think, the Scarecrow announces his plan: since escape through the doors or the ground is impossible, they must escape through the air. He recalls that the Wonderful Wizard escaped in a balloon and proposes that the Tin Woodman, a skillful mechanic, build a flying machine with strong wings, which Tip can then bring to life with the Powder of Life. The machine must be built on the palace roof so it can rise into the air.

The others praise the plan. Before beginning, Jack Pumpkinhead asks to be released from the Saw-Horse and given a new leg. The Tin Woodman smashes a mahogany center-table with his axe and fits one of its carved legs onto Jack's body; Jack is proud that his left leg is now the most elegant part of him, and the Scarecrow praises the unusual as the only people worthy of consideration. Jack tries his new leg, declares himself as good as new, and the friends scatter through the palace to gather material for constructing their aerial machine.

Who is in play

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