Talking animal in The Oz Series

Billina

Also known as the yellow hen, Bill, the yellow chicken, Mrs. Hen, the fluffy fowl.

A talking yellow hen, castaway with Dorothy on the floating chicken-coop after it blew off the ship; practical, opinionated, and unafraid to talk back to servants or princesses alike; fought off and defeated a speckled rooster after being imprisoned in Princess Langwidere's chicken house, then was freed and now travels with Ozma's expedition toward the Nome King's kingdom

Appears in 21 chapters, first in chapter 50, last in chapter 89.

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 the story establishes

Acquired speech account	She had clucked and cackled all her life and never spoken a word until this morning; when Dorothy asked her a question it seemed the most natural thing in the world to answer, and she found she could keep on speaking like a human being.
Affiliation	Dorothy's castaway companion; formerly a pet hen of a farm barn-yard where a little boy raised her. (as of ch. 50)
Age	A grown adult hen, hatched and raised on a farm before being cast away. (as of ch. 50)
Animal kind	A yellow hen (domestic chicken) — a former barn-yard fowl.
Appearance	A yellow hen with a sharp bill, strong claws, and wings; her feathers were soaked through by the sea and then dried by the sun. (as of ch. 50)
Being nature	A naturally-born biological barn-yard hen that has, without explanation, acquired human speech.
Body conditions	An ordinary hen's body — wings, a sharp bill, and strong claws — thoroughly soaked by the sea and then dried out by the sun.
Conflict	No longer has an unresolved conflict regarding the Tin Woodman: she deduced that Prince Evring had unknowingly pocketed him (transformed into a tin whistle) at the Nome King's palace, and disenchanted him by touching the whistle and speaking the magic word. (as of ch. 67)
Current goal	To remain in the Land of Oz permanently, enjoying its abundant bugs and ants, rather than return to the ordinary world. (as of ch. 69)
Dialogue style	Speaks in a small but sharp and distinct voice — matter-of-fact, wry, and faintly gruff; opinionated and argumentative, fussy about her grammar, and unafraid to retort. (as of ch. 50)
Equipment	Wears a string of beautiful pearls around her neck and bracelets of emeralds on her legs. (as of ch. 84)
Gender identity	woman (as of ch. 56)
Health condition	Battered from the fight with the speckled rooster: has lost a number of feathers, one eye is nearly pecked out, and her comb is bleeding. (as of ch. 56)
Is alive	yes (as of ch. 50)
Maturation stage	Adult
Motive	To satisfy her hunger by foraging for bugs, ants, and crumbs, while the party arranges its escape from the Wheelers; she remains skeptical, refusing to believe Dorothy's stories of the Land of Oz. (as of ch. 53)
Personality	Practical, unflappable, and opinionated; gruff but kindly, a little vain about her correct grammar and proud of her daily egg, and quick to argue her point. (as of ch. 50)
Quirks	Lays a fresh egg every morning (except when moulting) and must have her morning cackle afterward, or she is not happy; though a female hen, she was named 'Bill', a boy's name. (as of ch. 50)
Referential profile	feminine (as of ch. 50)
Sex profile	female (as of ch. 50)
Skills	Skilled forager who scratches up and eats ants, sand-bugs, and small crabs; can tell metal from rock by feel with her bill; and sharp-eyed enough to spot distant land. (as of ch. 50)
Social status	A former barn-yard hen kept as a boy's pet under the name 'Bill'; now a shipwrecked castaway and Dorothy's companion. (as of ch. 50)
Special capabilities	Newly acquired human-level speech, which came to her naturally the morning she met Dorothy though she had only clucked and cackled all her life before.
Status	Chose to remain permanently in the Land of Oz rather than return to the human world with Dorothy, preferring the fine bugs and ants she finds there. (as of ch. 69)

Relationships

ally of · Dorothy ch. 50
Dorothy leaves Billina behind in Oz: Billina refuses to accompany her to Australia, declaring she will end her days there among the finest bugs and ants, while Dorothy departs to nurse Uncle Henry.
guardian of ← Ozma ch. 69
Billina chooses to remain permanently in the Land of Oz rather than go with Dorothy, staying on in Ozma's domain where she can end her days among plentiful bugs and ants.
includes ← ozma_rescue_expedition ch. 57
Billina joins the expedition at Dorothy's invitation, riding along held in Dorothy's arms in the chariot.
frees → Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 67
Billina touches Prince Evring's tin whistle and speaks the magic word 'Ev,' instantly disenchanting the Tin Woodman, who had been transformed into the whistle by the Nome King's magic and carried unknowingly in the Prince's pocket.
frees → Ozma (ended) ch. 64
After turning up a hard, lifeless emerald grasshopper ornament, Billina and Ozma together search out and disenchant it, restoring Ozma to her true form.
restores form → Ozma (ended) ch. 65
By guessing correctly among the palace ornaments, Billina broke the Nome King's enchantment over Ozma, restoring her to her natural form, marked by the ringing of the enchantment bell.
discovers → royal_family_of_ev (ended) ch. 62
Hidden under the throne, Billina overhears the Nome King reveal to the Steward that the Queen of Ev and her family were transformed specifically into purple ornaments scattered among many colors and shapes throughout the palace.
restores form → royal_family_of_ev (ended) ch. 65
By guessing correctly which enchanted ornaments concealed them, Billina broke the Nome King's transformation spells and restored the royal family of Ev to their natural forms, each restoration marked by the ringing of the enchantment bell.
communicates with → Dorothy (ended) ch. 65
Billina flew to Dorothy, perched on the Lion's back, and whispered urgently to her to quickly get the Nome King's jeweled belt, which unbuckles in the back.
frees → Queen of Ev (ended) ch. 64
Billina touches a purple footstool with her claw and speaks the word 'Ev,' breaking the Nome King's enchantment and restoring the Queen of Ev to her true living form, freeing her from slavery.
frees → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 64
Billina, with Ozma's help, locates the golden ornament that is the Scarecrow's transformed shape and restores him to his proper form.
discovers → Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 67
Billina realizes that the tin whistle Prince Evring picked up in the Nome King's palace is actually the enchanted Tin Woodman, explaining why neither she nor the magic belt could find him earlier.
frees ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 56
Dorothy finds Billina in the palace chicken house after her fight with the speckled rooster, unlatches the door, and carries the hen out to freedom.
rescues → Dorothy (ended) ch. 51
As the Wheelers close in and Dorothy can run no farther, Billina directs her to climb the nearby heap of jagged rocks, leading her up to a refuge the wheeled creatures cannot follow onto.
protects → ozma_rescue_expedition (ended) ch. 63
With every officer and leader of the expedition transformed, Billina takes on the rescue herself, securing the King's promise that she may guess and release her enchanted friends.
communicates with → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 65
Billina whispered something in the Scarecrow's ear that made him smile and put his hands in his jacket pockets, prompting him to throw her eggs at the Nome King.
challenges → the Nome King (ended) ch. 63
Billina refuses to let the Scarecrow retrieve her egg until the Nome King promises to let her enter the palace and guess the enchantments herself, openly defying his mockery that she is 'only a hen'.
negotiates with → the Nome King (ended) ch. 63
Billina bargains with the Nome King, refusing to surrender her egg unless he grants her the same right the others had to enter the palace, guess his enchantments, and free her transformed friends.
negotiates with ← the Nome King (ended) ch. 63
The Nome King bargains with Billina: in exchange for her allowing the Scarecrow to remove the poisonous egg from under his throne, he promises to let her enter the enchanted palace, guess with her claws, speak the password, and try to free her friends if she succeeds.
restores form → the twenty-seven soldiers (ended) ch. 65
By guessing correctly among the palace ornaments, Billina broke the Nome King's enchantment over Ozma's followers/soldiers, restoring them to their natural forms, marked by the ringing of the enchantment bell.
frees → Tiktok (ended) ch. 64
Billina, aided by Ozma, finds the golden ornament that is Tiktok's transformed shape and restores the machine man to his working form.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 50
Waking on the drifting coop, Dorothy discovers the yellow hen can talk; the two converse at length about the hen's sudden speech, her egg and eating habits, and the approaching land, and Dorothy renames her from 'Bill' to 'Billina'.
warns → Dorothy (ended) ch. 51
Billina cries out in terror and screams at Dorothy to run, warning her that the approaching creature is a Wheeler and reminding her of the sand-warning 'Beware the Wheelers.'
communicates with → Dorothy (ended) ch. 84
Billina the hen arrives cackling, is caught up joyfully by Dorothy who remarks on how fat and sleek she has grown, and Billina explains she lives on the fat of the land thanks to Ozma.
frees → Evanna (ended) ch. 64
Billina breaks the Nome King's enchantment on a purple ornament, restoring the golden-haired Princess Evanna to her true form before her mother's eyes.
frees → Evardo (ended) ch. 64
Billina disenchants the boy Evardo, restoring him to his true form as the eldest Prince of Ev, older than his brother Evring.
gives ← Evardo (ended) ch. 67
As newly crowned King, Evardo has the yellow hen Billina publicly presented with a beautiful necklace of pearls and sapphires as a token of esteem.
frees → Evedna (ended) ch. 64
Billina continues disenchanting the purple ornaments, restoring Princess Evedna among the royal children of Ev.
frees → Evella (ended) ch. 64
Billina continues disenchanting the purple ornaments, restoring Princess Evella among the royal children of Ev.
frees → Evington (ended) ch. 64
Billina continues disenchanting the purple ornaments, restoring Prince Evington among the royal children of Ev.
frees → Evirene (ended) ch. 64
Billina continues disenchanting the purple ornaments, restoring Princess Evirene among the royal children of Ev.
frees → Evrob (ended) ch. 64
Billina continues disenchanting the purple ornaments, restoring Prince Evrob among the royal children of Ev.
frees → Evroland (ended) ch. 64
Billina continues disenchanting the purple ornaments, restoring Prince Evroland among the royal children of Ev.
frees → Evrose (ended) ch. 64
Billina disenchants another purple ornament, restoring Princess Evrose to her true form.
communicates with → Queen of Ev (ended) ch. 64
Billina greets the newly restored Queen of Ev, explains her rescue and identity, and reassures her that her enchanted children are safe and will soon be freed.
communicates with ← Queen of Ev (ended) ch. 64
The Queen of Ev anxiously questions Billina about the whereabouts and safety of her children, and later helps Billina identify the transformed Ozma as the green grasshopper.
defies → the Nome King (ended) ch. 63
Billina defies the Nome King by laying an egg in his throne room despite eggs being forbidden as poison to Nomes, refusing to hand it over until he grants her the right to enter the palace and guess, and insisting on her guessing rights even when he tries to excuse her.
frees → the twenty-seven soldiers (ended) ch. 64
Billina selects and disenchants the green ornaments throughout the palace, restoring all twenty-six officers and the private of Ozma's army to their true forms.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 51
Dorothy and Billina talk over the sand-warning and what the Wheelers might be, discuss the strange food-trees and what country this is, and debate whether it could be the Land of Oz.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 52
Dorothy and Billina converse throughout the chapter, together finding the hidden path, the rock door and key-hole, deciding to wind up the copper man, and arranging Billina's morning cackle as a waking signal.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 63
Dorothy begs Billina not to risk the palace guessing game, offering to return with her to the Land of Ev instead, but Billina reassures her and insists on going anyway.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 69
Dorothy tells Billina she is leaving for Australia to care for Uncle Henry, and Billina refuses to come along, declaring she prefers to stay in Oz among the finest bugs and ants and calling Dorothy foolish for returning to the ordinary world.
threatens ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 84
Dorothy sternly warns Billina and Eureka that if they do not stop quarrelling and become friends, she will use her Magic Belt to wish them both back home immediately.
confronts ← Eureka (ended) ch. 84
The kitten Eureka snarls with jealous anger and leaps up with a claw bared to strike Billina after the hen settles into Dorothy's lap, provoking a mutual exchange of scornful insults between the two animals.
communicates with ← Ozma (ended) ch. 64
Once restored, Ozma greets the Queen of Ev, asks Billina about the fate of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, and works with the hen to find and free their remaining transformed friends, ultimately proposing they confront the Nome King together.
communicates with ← Ozma (ended) ch. 68
Ozma invites Billina to visit the Land of Oz, and the yellow hen gladly agrees to go where new sights and scenes await her.
commands ← Ozma (ended) ch. 87
Ozma appoints the Yellow Hen (Billina) to serve on the nine-member animal jury for Eureka's murder trial.
shows respect ← Queen of Ev (ended) ch. 64
The Queen of Ev graciously thanks Billina with a courtesy for freeing her from the Nome King's slavery.
threatens → the Nome King (ended) ch. 66
Billina gleefully backs up the Scarecrow's threat, telling the Nome King he will become a goose-egg unless he fetches the ornament that is the Tin Woodman.
discovers → Tiktok (ended) ch. 52
Billina, whose sharp eyes spot the door-crack and key-hole in the rock, shares in discovering the copper man revealed inside the chamber and correctly notes it is not alive.
fears → Wheelers (ended) ch. 51
Billina cries out in a voice of terror at the first Wheeler and flutters away in great fright, screaming at Dorothy to run.
communicates with → Dorothy (ended) ch. 53
Billina the yellow hen talks with Dorothy, helping her find the lost clock-key and disputing her stories about the Land of Oz.
discovers → golden key (ended) ch. 50
Foraging in the beach sand, Billina strikes the buried metal with her bill and insists it is metal, not rock — locating the spot where Dorothy then digs up the golden key.
located in → Kingdom of the Nomes (ended) ch. 57–61
Billina rides along in Dorothy's arms in the golden chariot as the procession sets out from the palace toward the valley leading to the Nome King's domain.
located in → Nome King's Palace (ended) ch. 61–66
Billina emerges from under the Nome King's throne after laying an egg, negotiates the right to enter the enchanted guessing-palace, and marches through the entrance into it to make her own guesses.
threatens ← Princess Langwidere (ended) ch. 54
Langwidere threatens to have Billina fried for breakfast, and later to drown her in the horse trough if she fails to lay eggs.
defeats → speckled rooster (ended) ch. 56
Billina fights the speckled rooster in the chicken house and beats him, crouching victoriously on his prostrate form while he limps away with crumpled plumage.
shows respect ← the twenty-seven soldiers (ended) ch. 64
The freed twenty-six officers and the private gather joyfully around Billina, thanking her earnestly for saving them from the Nome King's magic.
communicates with ← Tiktok (ended) ch. 52
Tiktok greets Billina along with Dorothy and takes part in the conversation, and Billina hears his ticking and helps arrange her morning cackle as Dorothy's waking signal.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 57
Dorothy asks Billina whether she will join the expedition, and Billina agrees in an offhand way while preening her feathers.

4 further relationships are in the interactive codex.

From the text

It doesn't matter at all what you call me, so long as I know the name means ME.Chapter 50

"So shall I," answered her companion. "There is nothing in the world so miserable as a wet hen."Chapter 50

"Stay where we are," advised the yellow hen. "We are safe from the Wheelers until we starve to death, anyhow; and before that time comes a good many things can happen."Chapter 51

"Why, that crack in the rock, just facing you," replied Billina, whose little round eyes were very sharp and seemed to see everything. "It runs up one side and down the other, and across the top and the bottom."Chapter 52

the yellow hen forgot her dignity far enough to pick up all of the scattered crumbs, which she ate rather greedily, although she had so lately pretended to despise the things that Dorothy preferred as food.Chapter 53

"Shoo, yourself!" retorted the hen, drawing back in anger and ruffling up her feathers. "Haven't you any better manners than that?"Chapter 54

See Billina chapter by chapter in the interactive codex →

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