Species in The Oz Series
Wheelers
Also known as a Wheeler, these awful creatures, a race that was destined to cause her a lot of trouble, the band of Wheelers, their cunning enemies, those ugly creatures.
A strange wheeled race of this country, man-formed but rolling on all fours on round wheels that grow at the ends of their arms and legs (of the hard substance of nails); they are born so, dress in splendid, gorgeously embroidered tight-fitting garments, can speak, and are fiercely hostile, claiming the lunch-box and dinner-pail trees and enforcing a death-law against outsiders who pick their fruit.
Appears in 6 chapters, first in chapter 51, last in chapter 67.
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
| Cultural norms | They inhabit only a small portion of the Land of Ev just back of the woods, and have always been mischievous and impertinent; King Evoldo used to carry a whip when he walked out to keep them in order. They claim the royal family of Ev's lunch-box and dinner-pail trees as their own and pick the luncheons and dinners to eat themselves, though the trees bear the royal 'E' and belong to the King. (as of ch. 53) |
| Habitat | The forest and the level sandy ground of the unknown seaside land, from which they emerge in a great procession; they cannot venture onto rough rocky hills. (as of ch. 51) |
| Innate traits | Born with wheels of hard nail-substance instead of hands and feet; roll very swiftly on all fours. These wheels make them innately helpless to injure anyone: they have no fists and cannot scratch or pull hair, nor do they have feet to kick with. All they can do is yell and shout, which causes no real harm; their fierce reputation is a pretense to frighten others into leaving them alone. (as of ch. 54) |
Relationships
- subordinate to → Evardo ch. 67At Evardo's coronation, the Wheelers present in the crowd loudly promise to obey the new King along with the rest of the people.
- located in → Land of Ev ch. 53The Wheelers inhabit a small portion of the Land of Ev, just back of the woods.
- leader of ← leader of the Wheelers ch. 51The most gorgeously clad Wheeler stands out as leader and spokesman of the race, voicing their accusation against Dorothy and pronouncing their law.
- species of ← leader of the Wheelers ch. 51The leader is himself one of the Wheelers, a member of the wheeled race whose limbs end in wheels.
- threatens → Dorothy (ended) ch. 51The Wheelers chase Dorothy and Billina and, circling the rocky hill where the pair have taken refuge, shake their front wheels menacingly and shout that they will get her in time and tear her into little bits.
- enemy of · Dorothy (ended) ch. 51–54Dorothy's enmity with the Wheelers is reframed from cornered flight to protected departure: Tiktok reveals the Wheelers are only mischievous and harmless to anyone who fights them, and he agrees to protect her from them and lead her away from the rocks toward the town of Evna.
- fears ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 51Terrified of the strange wheeled creatures, Dorothy flees in full flight and scrambles up the rocks, panting that they are sure to catch her and that she can run no farther.
- threatens → Dorothy (ended) ch. 53The Wheelers, waiting below the rocks, threaten to kill Dorothy and her companions, though Tiktok assures her they are harmless to anyone who dares fight them.
- defeats ← Tiktok (ended) ch. 54Tiktok routs the attacking Wheelers, swinging the tin dinner-pail against their heads until they flee in panic, then seizes their leader.
- discovers ← Tiktok (ended) ch. 54Tiktok exposes the Wheelers' secret weakness, deducing that their wheels leave them helpless and that their fierceness is only pretense.
- fears ← Billina (ended) ch. 51Billina cries out in a voice of terror at the first Wheeler and flutters away in great fright, screaming at Dorothy to run.
- defies → royal_family_of_ev (ended) ch. 53With the throne of Ev empty, the Wheelers usurp the royal family's property, claiming the lunch-box and dinner-pail trees for themselves and picking their luncheons and dinners though they belong to the King.
From the text
"We'll get you in time, never fear! And when we do get you, we'll tear you into little bits!"Chapter 51
instead of hands and feet there grew at the end of its arms and legs round wheels, and by means of these wheels it rolled very swiftly over the level ground.Chapter 51
the Wheel-ers are harm-less e-nough to an-y one that dares to fight them. They might try to hurt a lit-tle girl like you, per-haps, be-cause they are ver-y mis-chiev-ous.Chapter 53
Being so helpless, our only hope is to make people afraid of us, by pretending we are very fierce and terrible, and writing in the sand warnings to Beware the Wheelers.Chapter 54