The Oz Series

Chapter 87

Part of the Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz: The Underground World arc.

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What happens

Several days of festivity follow the holiday, during which old friends reunite and enjoy the country's amusements. Ozma is happy to have Dorothy beside her because there are few girls of her own age suitable for the Princess to associate with, and the young Ruler of Oz is often lonely. On the third morning after Dorothy's arrival, while sitting with Ozma and their friends in a reception room, Ozma sends her green-robed maid Jellia to fetch the white piglet left on the dressing-table in her boudoir. Jellia returns troubled, reporting the piglet is not there; she had searched every part of the room, the door had been closed, and when she opened it Dorothy's white kitten Eureka crept out and ran up the stairs.

Dorothy and the Wizard exchange startled glances, remembering Eureka's longing to eat a piglet. Dorothy and Ozma search the boudoir but find no trace of the tiny creature. Ozma concludes the piglet has likely been eaten by the kitten and declares the offender must be punished, while Dorothy protests Eureka's innocence and asks Jellia to bring the kitten; Jellia reports Eureka threatened to scratch her eyes out and is hiding under the bed in Dorothy's room. Dorothy retrieves the surly, defiant kitten, who refuses to answer whether she ate the piglet, arguing that a mind's-eye guess is no proof and that no one can prove her guilt. Ozma, incensed, summons her Captain-General and orders Eureka carried to prison to await trial by law for the crime of murder.

Ozma announces she will summon the Court to the Throne Room at three o'clock, will act as judge, and will give the kitten a fair trial; if found guilty Eureka must die 'as many times as is necessary.' She appoints the Tin Woodman to defend the prisoner because of his kind heart, and the Woggle-Bug as Public Accuser because of his learning. She names a jury of nine required by law: the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger, Jim the Cab-horse, the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Wizard, Tik-tok, the Sawhorse, and Zeb of Hugson's Ranch, with the public admitted to hear testimony. Because Oz has no lawyers and no Ruler has judged an offender in years, the news of Eureka's arrest and murder trial causes tremendous excitement in the Emerald City.

The Wizard, certain Eureka ate his piglet but knowing a kitten's nature is to destroy small animals and that the tame cat descends from the wild jungle cat, resolves to save Eureka's life to spare Dorothy unhappiness. He takes the Tin Woodman aside and, drawing out one of the eight remaining tiny piglets, instructs him to hide it and, if the jury convicts, produce it and claim it is the lost piglet, since all the piglets are identical and no one can dispute his word. The Tin Woodman is reluctant to deceive his friends but trusts his kind heart to do right and agrees, placing the little pig inside his funnel-shaped hat before going to prepare his speech to the jury.

Who is in play

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