The Oz Series
Chapter 56
Part of the Ozma of Oz: The Land of Ev and the Nome King arc.
What happens
The freed Dorothy first rushes into the embrace of the Scarecrow, whose painted face beams with delight, then is embraced gently by the Tin Woodman, who fears his tin arms might hurt her. After these greetings, Dorothy takes the key from her pocket and winds up Tiktok's action so he can bow properly when introduced, telling the company how useful he has been; the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman shake hands with the machine and thank him for protecting their friend. Dorothy then asks for Billina, and the Princess reveals the yellow hen is in the chicken house in the back yard, saying her drawing-room is no place for hens.
Dorothy runs to fetch Billina and outside the door comes upon the Cowardly Lion, still hitched to the chariot beside the Tiger; the Lion wears a big blue ribbon bow between his ears and the Tiger a red ribbon bow on his tail. Dorothy joyfully hugs the Lion, who says he is as cowardly as ever, scared by every little thing, and introduces his new friend the Hungry Tiger. The Tiger, yawning to display two rows of terrible teeth, says he is dreadfully hungry; he explains eating is no use because he always gets hungry again, and that as a savage beast he has an appetite for all sorts of living creatures from chipmunks to fat babies, but his conscience forbids him to eat them, so he was born hungry and shall die hungry rather than have cruel deeds to be sorry for. Dorothy calls him a very good tiger, but he insists he is a good beast yet a disgracefully bad tiger, since refusing to eat harmless creatures runs against tiger nature, which is why he left the forest to join the Cowardly Lion. The Lion likewise protests he is not really brave, having never been in danger without being afraid.
Dorothy runs to the back yard, guided by loud cackling and crowing, and through the chicken house door slats sees a group of hens and roosters huddled in a corner watching a whirling ball of feathers bounding about. The whirling stops, and Dorothy sees Billina crouching upon the prostrate form of a speckled rooster; the yellow hen then shakes her wings, struts to the door with a cluck of victory, while the defeated speckled rooster limps away trailing his crumpled plumage. Shocked, Dorothy asks whether Billina has been fighting, and Billina admits she has, refusing to let the speckled villain of a rooster lord it over her, declaring "Not if my name is Bill!" Dorothy corrects that her name is Billina and reproves her for slang, then says she will let her out because Ozma of Oz is here and has set them free. Dorothy unlatches the door, lifts Billina, and exclaims over her dreadful appearance: lost feathers, an eye nearly pecked out, and a bleeding comb. Billina dismisses this, pointing to the worse-off rooster. Dorothy disapproves of Billina associating with common chickens who would spoil her manners, while Billina blames the cross old Princess and insists that, raised in the United States, she will not let any one-horse chicken of Ev run over her while she can lift a claw in self-defense. Dorothy drops the subject.
Dorothy carries Billina back and introduces her to the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger. The Lion politely welcomes any friend of Dorothy's and notes Billina is no coward. The Tiger says her appearance makes his mouth water and imagines how good she would taste, but decides she would only briefly appease his appetite so is not worth eating; when Dorothy insists he must never eat Billina under any circumstances, he promises to try to remember, though he is sometimes absent-minded. Dorothy then carries Billina into the drawing-room, where Tiktok, invited by Ozma, has seated himself between the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, with Ozma and Princess Langwidere opposite and a vacant chair for Dorothy. The Army of Oz is ranged around this group, and Dorothy observes they all seem to be officers. The Tin Woodman confirms they are all officers except one, listing eight Generals, six Colonels, seven Majors, five Captains, and one private for them to command; he wishes to promote the private, believing no private should be in public life, and holds that officers fight better, are more reliable, more important-looking, and lend dignity to the army. Dorothy seats herself beside Ozma, and the girlish Ruler of Oz announces they will hold a solemn conference to decide the best manner of liberating the royal family of Ev from their long imprisonment.
Who is in play
- Dorothy
- Cowardly Lion
- Ozma
- Tin Woodman
- Billina
- Princess Langwidere
- Scarecrow
- Tiktok
- royal_family_of_ev
- royal palace of Ev
- immense Tiger
- Land of Ev
- the twenty-seven soldiers
- speckled rooster