Living being in The Oz Series

Jim

Also known as the big horse, the boney horse, the poor beast, a respectable horse, the old cab-horse, the old horse, my good steed, the tired horse, the big beast, the patient cab-horse, Jim the cab-horse, this great beast.

A big, bony old cab-horse with long legs, large knees and feet, visible ribs, an oversized head, and a short scraggly tail; having left the Land of Oz, he has returned home to Hugson's Ranch.

Appears in 19 chapters, first in chapter 70, 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

Affiliation	Belongs to / is used by Zeb and the Hugson ranch household. (as of ch. 1)
Age	Old. (as of ch. 71)
Appearance	A big, bony old horse with long legs, large knees and feet, his ribs showing plainly, an oversized head, and a short scraggly tail. (as of ch. 79)
Being nature	An ordinary, non-magical horse used to pull a buggy.
Body conditions	Emaciated-looking, with ribs visible through the skin and a body covered in foam sweat from exertion and fear.
Conflict	His humiliation at losing the race to the wooden Sawhorse drove him to beg to leave Oz; that conflict is resolved as he returns home to the ranch with a contented motion. (as of ch. 89)
Current goal	Achieved his wish to leave Oz and return home; now trots contentedly back to Hugson's Ranch. (as of ch. 89)
Dialogue style	Gruff, blunt, and given to grumbling complaints; speaks in short growled or scornful remarks about his hunger, weight, and past troubles. (as of ch. 71)
Equipment	A harness broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits of leather; this chapter Zeb unbuckled it into a long strap and later reassembled it, wiring four of the captured Gargoyle wooden wings to it (two near the head, two near the tail) so Jim could fly. (as of ch. 81)
Gender identity	man (as of ch. 70)
Health condition	Thin and worn, with visible ribs and a scraggly tail; the Lion notes his joints are swollen and overgrown and that he lacks flesh and is old in years, and the Tiger calls him dreadfully tough. (as of ch. 85)
Is alive	yes (as of ch. 70)
Maturation stage	Adult (aged/old horse)
Motive	To be treated with the dignity and comfort he was denied as a cab-horse, and to enjoy simple pleasures like grazing and rest now that he is a guest in the Emerald City. (as of ch. 85)
Personality	Stubborn, business-like, and proud to the point of arrogance about his Kentucky racing pedigree; hot-tempered enough to lash out violently when his pride is wounded, yet capable of shame and a sincere apology once he is cowed. (as of ch. 86)
Quirks	Watches over the tiny piglets and kitten with approval, calling out "Don't be rough!" when Eureka roughhouses with them; when goaded to fight, backs into a crowd and kicks with his hind legs, charging repeatedly into the Mangaboos. (as of ch. 75)
Referential profile	masculine (as of ch. 70)
Sex profile	male (as of ch. 70)
Skills	An experienced, capable buggy-pulling horse who knows commands and his job well; also capable of fighting effectively by kicking with his hind legs, knocking down and scattering a dozen Mangaboos at a time. (as of ch. 75)
Social status	Back to being an ordinary old ranch horse at Hugson's Ranch, no longer a guest of honor in Ozma's palace. (as of ch. 89)
Special capabilities	Able to walk safely through open air in the inner world, floating down gently despite his great weight.
Status	Left Oz and is trotting contentedly along the familiar road back to Hugson's Ranch, harnessed to Zeb's buggy. (as of ch. 89)

Relationships

located in → Hugson's Ranch ch. 89
Jim the horse returns with Zeb to Hugson's Ranch, trotting the well-known road up to its gates.
oath bound ← Dorothy ch. 75
fulfillment_status: fulfilled. Dorothy used the Nome King's Magic Belt to wish Jim (along with the Wizard and Zeb) to safety in the Land of Oz, transporting them from the underground cave to the Emerald City, thereby saving Jim as she had promised.
provides service → Zeb ch. 70
Jim is Zeb's ranch horse, pulling his buggy and obeying him despite being stubborn and frightened by the earthquakes.
provides service ← Royal Steward ch. 85
The Royal Steward attends to Jim's dinner request, arranging for oatmeal to be mixed uncooked with water after Jim rejects soup, fish, and quail, showing deference to the horse as an honored guest.
born in → Kentucky ch. 86
Jim reveals he was born in Kentucky, home of the finest and most aristocratic horses, where he was once a winning race horse.
rescues ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 83
Dorothy assures Jim the cab-horse that she will save him too via the Magic Belt once she is in the Land of Oz.
injures → Mangaboos (ended) ch. 75
Jim kicks and charges into the crowd of Mangaboos with his iron-shod hooves, smashing a dozen at once and knocking many others down across the field.
imprisoned by → Mangaboos (ended) ch. 76
[CASCADE] Created by CAPTURES(mangaboos→jim_the_horse)
captures ← Mangaboos (ended) ch. 76
The Mangaboos drove Jim the horse into the dark cave in the glass mountain, along with the kitten and piglets, and sealed the entrance with glass rocks to imprison them.
located in → the glass city (ended) ch. 71–72
Jim floats down from the roof into the street of the glass city and lands softly, then pulls the buggy through the city streets.
communicates with → Dorothy (ended) ch. 71
Jim speaks with Dorothy for the first time, complaining about their situation and their chances, and later argues with her about his thinness and hunger.
threatens → Eureka (ended) ch. 80
Jim the horse warns Eureka that if she harms any of the piglets he will chew her up instantly, glaring at her with his big round eyes until she backs down.
defeats → Gargoyles (ended) ch. 80
Jim turns his heels toward the attacking Gargoyles and kicks out with his iron-shod hoofs, battering their wooden bodies and scattering them, driving the whole group to flee to a distance.
confronts ← Gargoyles (ended) ch. 80
A flock of Gargoyles, drawn to Jim as the biggest and strangest creature they had seen, rose up and flew swiftly at him with their long arms outstretched, making him the target of their first attack.
banishes ← Mangaboos (ended) ch. 75
Armed with thorn branches, the Mangaboos surround Jim and drive him out of the House of the Sorcerer, through the city and gardens, toward the Black Pit in the mountain.
frees ← Oz (ended) ch. 76
The Wizard began pulling down the glass rocks sealing the Black Pit in an attempt to liberate Jim, though the Mangaboos then resealed the entrance, trapping the Wizard, Dorothy, and Zeb inside with Jim instead.
communicates with → Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 85
Jim the Cab-horse and the Sawhorse meet for the first time outside the palace, each startled by the other's strangeness, and exchange a long comparative conversation about being a 'real' horse of flesh and blood versus a wooden imitation.
injures ← the bears of the Valley of Voe (ended) ch. 78
Invisible bears claw at Jim the horse while he is being coated with the water-walking leaves, leaving two or three deep, freely bleeding gashes on his flanks before he kicks free and escapes onto the river.
located in → the Black Pit (ended) ch. 76
The Mangaboos drove Jim the horse, along with Eureka and the piglets, into the dark cave in the glass mountain and sealed the entrance with glass rocks, trapping him there.
threatens ← the Royal Princess (ended) ch. 75
The Princess decrees that Jim the horse must be driven into the Black Pit in the mountain because her subjects cannot bear to have the animals around.
includes ← underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 71–89
Jim, the old cab-horse pulling the buggy, fell with the party and is one of its members.
located in → Valley of Voe (ended) ch. 77–79
Jim draws the buggy over the loose rocks down into the Valley of Voe and grazes contentedly on the grass there.
threatens ← Cowardly Lion (ended) ch. 86
After Jim kicks the Sawhorse, the Cowardly Lion crouches menacingly at his side with glowing eyes and growls that no one may injure their friends in their presence.
communicates with → Eureka (ended) ch. 75
Eureka suggests to Jim that he fight the Mangaboos by kicking with his hoofs, and Jim agrees and follows through by kicking the crowd.
threatens ← immense Tiger (ended) ch. 86
The Hungry Tiger hurls its body at Jim, striking him and sending him rolling for kicking the Sawhorse, then crouches beside him with glowing eyes until he apologizes.
heals ← Oz (ended) ch. 78
Once the group is safe on the river, the Wizard opens his satchel and applies sticking-plaster to treat the claw wounds the bears inflicted on Jim.
defeats ← Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 86
In the foot-race at the games, the tireless wooden Sawhorse easily outruns Jim the cab-horse and wins.
injures → Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 86
Enraged at losing the race, Jim kicks the Sawhorse, breaking off one of its legs and its left ear.
located in → the House of the Sorcerer (ended) ch. 74–75
Jim the horse remained inside the House of the Sorcerer with the buggy while the Mangaboo crowd went outside to watch the balloon descend.
possesses → the wooden wings (ended) ch. 81–82
Four of the stolen Gargoyle wings were wired onto Jim's harness, two near his head and two near his tail, letting him fly despite their wobbliness.
member of → underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 89
Jim the cab-horse is a member of the surface-world party; longing to leave ever since losing the race, he is returned with Zeb to Hugson's Ranch as the party disbands.
communicates with → Zeb (ended) ch. 71
Jim grumbles to Zeb about not having had breakfast and the danger of going hungry, resenting Zeb's suggestion that he eats enough to be fat.
communicates with ← Cowardly Lion (ended) ch. 85
The Cowardly Lion, introduced to Jim by the Sawhorse, comments critically but politely on Jim's ungainly appearance and age, then calls for peaceful conversation and asks if Jim has breakfasted.
provides service → Dorothy (ended) ch. 70–89
Jim pulls the buggy carrying Dorothy from Hugson's Siding toward Hugson's Ranch despite his fear of the earthquakes.
communicates with ← Eureka (ended) ch. 76
Before escaping the sealed cave, Eureka reassured Jim and the piglets that she would fetch the Wizard and Dorothy to rescue them.
injures → Gargoyles (ended) ch. 81
Jim the cab-horse kicked at the swarming Gargoyles during the battle, though he was eventually weighed down and immobilized when many of them clung to his legs.
communicates with → immense Tiger (ended) ch. 85
After being introduced by the Sawhorse, Jim exchanges wary but ultimately civil banter with the Hungry Tiger about being too tough and old to eat, and about conscience restraining harm.
communicates with → Jellia Jamb (ended) ch. 84
Jim the horse indignantly questions Jellia Jamb after overhearing her call him unusual, and she reassures him that she does not consider him a freak, before arranging a palace room for him.
commands ← Ozma (ended) ch. 87
Ozma appoints Jim the Cab-horse to serve on the nine-member animal jury for Eureka's murder trial.
located in → Palace of Oz (ended) ch. 83–89
Jim the cab-horse trots into the palace courtyard in the Emerald City, drawing the buggy up to the entrance of the royal palace.
praises ← Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 85
The Sawhorse admiringly calls Jim the Real Horse the most beautiful creature it has ever seen, which pleases and flatters Jim.
witnesses ← the glass people (ended) ch. 71
The glass city people, who have never seen a horse before, pay close attention to Jim among the strange arrivals.
warns → underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 80
After peeking above the last stair and seeing the wooden Country of the Gargoyles, Jim warns the others that the place is dangerous, dead, and unfit for real creatures, and urges them to turn back.
uses ← Zeb (ended) ch. 70
Zeb drives and urges on his horse Jim with reins and whip to pull the buggy toward Hugson's Ranch despite the earthquakes.
uses ← Zeb (ended) ch. 76
Zeb harnessed Jim to the buggy and drove him through the dark tunnel of the glass mountain toward the far side.
warns ← Zeb (ended) ch. 86
Zeb warns Jim that unless he controls his temper in future he will probably be torn to pieces by the beasts.
threatens → immense Tiger (ended) ch. 85
Jim warns the Tiger that his own conscience prevents him from crushing the Tiger's skull with his hoof, an implicit threat which the Tiger meets calmly, unafraid, and even turns into a good-natured warning of his own.
communicates with ← Royal Steward (ended) ch. 85
The Royal Steward comes to Jim in response to his dissatisfaction with the food served, addresses him respectfully as 'your Highness', and negotiates over the dinner menu, eventually agreeing to serve uncooked oatmeal.
confesses to → Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 86
Cowed by the Lion and Tiger, Jim apologizes to the Sawhorse, admitting he was wrong to kick it and that the race was won fairly.
uses → the buggy (ended) ch. 79
Jim draws the buggy up the broad, gently-sloped spiral stairway inside Pyramid Mountain, panting and pausing to rest as the climb continues.
uses → the buggy (ended) ch. 82
Jim the cab-horse helps drag the disassembled buggy (with its wheels and top removed) through the narrow rocky passage, and later drags it over heaps of loose rock as the party pushes and lifts the wheels.
uses ← Zeb (ended) ch. 86
Zeb drives Jim the cab-horse (drawing the buggy) in the procession while the Wizard stands on the seat acknowledging the crowd.
located in ← Eureka (ended) ch. 75
Eureka lies beside Jim in the dome while the piglets play with her, before both are driven out together by the Mangaboos.

From the text

It was a big horse, tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.Chapter 70

"You don't weigh as much as you ought to, Jim," remarked the girl, shaking her head as she looked at the animal. "You're dreadfully skinny."Chapter 71

"Now it's blue," complained the horse. "As a matter of fact, I'm eating rainbow grass."Chapter 73

"A nice country this is," he grumbled, "where a respectable horse has to eat pink grass!"Chapter 73

"I've tried to eat a lot while I had the chance," said he, "for it's likely to be a long while between meals in this strange country."Chapter 74

Here—stop this foolishness!Chapter 75

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