The Oz Series

Chapter 61

Part of the Ozma of Oz: The Land of Ev and the Nome King arc.

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What happens

The King returns to his throne, relights his pipe, and the rest of the band settles for another long wait, greatly disheartened by the failure of their girl Ruler and the knowledge that she is now an ornament in the Nome King's magnificent but creepy palace; without their leader they fear becoming ornaments themselves. Suddenly the King bursts out laughing and, wiping tears of merriment, reports that the Tin Woodman has become the funniest ornament imaginable, then calls "Next!" The friends gaze at each other with sinking hearts, and one general begins to weep, explaining not out of loyalty but because the Tin Woodman owed him six weeks back pay. The Scarecrow declares the general shall go find him; when the terrified general refuses outright, the Scarecrow appeals to the Nome King, who threatens to throw the reluctant general into a fiery furnace, whereupon the general instantly volunteers and rushes into the palace. One after another, all twenty-six officers file into the palace, make their guesses, and become ornaments.

Meantime the King orders refreshments, and a rudely shaped Nome wearing a heavy gold chain to mark him as Chief Steward enters bearing a tray; assuming an air of importance, the Steward even tells his majesty not to eat too much cake late at night lest he be ill. Hungry and unafraid of illness, Dorothy eats several cakes and finds them good, and drinks a cup of excellent coffee made of richly flavored clay browned in the furnaces and ground fine, finding it refreshing and not muddy. Of the whole party, only Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tiktok, and the private remain as companions, along with the sleeping Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger (who ate cakes and dozed off) and the motionless Sawhorse. Billina has quietly picked up cake crumbs and, seeking a dark sleeping place, espies a hollow underneath the King's rocky throne and creeps into it unnoticed, soon falling fast asleep as she hears the chattering around her.

The King calls "Next!" and the private, whose turn it is, shakes hands with Dorothy and the Scarecrow, bids a sorrowful good-bye, and passes through the rocky portal. The party waits a long time, for the private, in no hurry to become an ornament, makes his guesses very slowly. The Nome King, who by some magical power knows all that takes place in his rooms, grows impatient and declares he will sit up no longer, saying he loves ornaments but can wait until tomorrow, so once the stupid private is transformed they will all go to bed. Dorothy asks if it is late; the King says it is after midnight, and though there is neither night nor day in his sunless underground kingdom, he and the Nomes must sleep like the up-stairs people. Soon the private makes his last guess, guesses wrongly, and becomes an ornament, greatly pleasing the King, who claps to summon his Chief Steward and commands him to show the guests to sleeping apartments quickly because he is dreadfully sleepy. The Steward gruffly rebukes the King for sitting up so late, predicting he will be as cross as a griffin in the morning.

The Chief Steward leads Dorothy through a doorway into a long hall of plain but comfortable sleeping rooms, giving the first to Dorothy, the next to the Scarecrow and Tiktok (though they never sleep), and the third to the Lion and Tiger; the Sawhorse hobbles into a fourth room to stand stiffly until morning. Each night is a bore to the Scarecrow, Tiktok, and Sawhorse, but they have learned to pass the time patiently since their flesh-and-blood friends must sleep. Left alone, the Scarecrow sadly laments the loss of his old comrade the Tin Woodman, with whom he escaped many dangerous adventures, now an ornament lost forever and mocked by the King as the funniest ornament in the palace; he says it will hurt his friend's pride to be laughed at. Tiktok remarks the Tin Woodman was always an ornament to society and observes they themselves will make rather absurd ornaments tomorrow. Just then Dorothy runs in, greatly anxious, asking where Billina is; the Scarecrow answers he has not seen the yellow hen since she picked up the cake crumbs and thought she was with Dorothy, leaving her whereabouts unknown.

Who is in play

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