Talking animal in The Oz Series
Woggle-Bug
Also known as the stranger, the creature, the Highly Magnified one, this immense Woggle-Bug, the only Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated Woggle-Bug, the Educated Insect, the Educated, Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug, the Highly Magnified Insect, Public Educator, Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E., the strange insect, a very big bug.
A gigantic Woggle-Bug — an insect magnified several thousand times to human size, standing as tall as the Tin Woodman — who walks upright on two slender legs, speaks and reasons like an educated gentleman, dresses in fine clothes, and introduces himself grandly as 'H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E.' (Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated).
Appears in 18 chapters, first in chapter 36, last in chapter 88.
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 | He gained his learning and cultivated speech by eavesdropping: hidden for about three years in a nest between the hearth-bricks of Professor Nowitall's schoolhouse, he listened to the Professor's daily lectures and acquired a marvelous education, and was later magnified to human size by the Professor's magnifying-glass. |
| Affiliation | A newly-joined member of the traveling party (the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Tip, Jack, and the Saw-Horse), accompanying them to the Emerald City. (as of ch. 37) |
| Age | At least several years old as a magnified being — he lived fully three years in the schoolhouse hearth before his magnification, then wandered further. (as of ch. 37) |
| Animal kind | An insect — a woggle-bug — magnified several thousand times to human size, with a round buglike body, antennae, and slender legs. |
| Appearance | A great, round, flat buglike body of glistening dark brown on the back and light-brown-and-white stripes in front, borne on two slender legs ending in delicate upcurled toes, with equally slender arms and a long neck bearing a nearly man-like head; its nose ends in a curling antenna 'feeler,' curling antennae like pigtails rise from its ears, and its round black eyes bulge. It is dressed as a dandy — a dark-blue swallowtail coat with yellow silk lining and a buttonhole flower, a tight white duck vest, fawn plush knickerbockers with gilt knee-buckles, and a tall silk hat — and stands as tall as the Tin Woodman. (as of ch. 36) |
| Being nature | A naturally-born insect (a Woggle-Bug) grown to enormous size and endowed with human-level speech and reason — a living creature, not a manufactured one. |
| Body conditions | An enormously enlarged insect body — a round, flat buglike trunk on slender legs and arms, with a long neck, a near-human head, antennae, and bulging round black eyes — sound and whole. |
| Conflict | His abiding concern is to be esteemed for his magnified size and marvelous erudition rather than dismissed as a tiny, insignificant insect — he prizes his escape from obscurity above all. (as of ch. 37) |
| Current goal | His aim of prosecuting Eureka is now spent: he formally accused her and demanded her death, but the prosecution collapsed when the piglet was found alive; with the trial over he has no active prosecutorial goal. (as of ch. 88) |
| Dialogue style | Grandiloquent, pompous, and self-congratulatory; speaks in elaborate, formal, faintly condescending phrases, delighting in his own learning and size. (as of ch. 36) |
| Equipment | Carries a personal calling card reading 'MR. H. M. WOGGLE-BUG, T. E.' and wears a dandy's outfit topped by a tall silk hat. (as of ch. 36) |
| Gender identity | man (as of ch. 37) |
| Health condition | Sound and unharmed; though he panicked at Mombi's illusory sheet of flame and dropped to all fours to flee, the fire proved a mere deception and he passed through unscorched. (as of ch. 38) |
| Is alive | yes (as of ch. 36) |
| Maturation stage | Adult |
| Motive | To win the curiosity and admiration of those he meets and to relate his remarkable history, taking pleasure in surprising people with his magnified, educated singularity. (as of ch. 36) |
| Personality | Vain, pompous, genial, and loquacious; proud of his magnification and education, courteous and self-important, and openly pleased to astonish others. (as of ch. 36) |
| Quirks | Removes his hat with a flourish and bows very low in greeting, presents a formal calling card, and lards his speech with pompous, self-admiring flourishes. (as of ch. 36) |
| Referential profile | masculine (as of ch. 36) |
| Sex profile | male (as of ch. 68) |
| Skills | Claims to be Thoroughly Educated — learned and erudite, treating his education as a formal degree. (as of ch. 36) |
| Social status | Dean of the Royal College of Athletic Science in the Emerald City; friend of Princess Ozma, whom he once assisted in a time of great distress. (as of ch. 84) |
| Special capabilities | Possesses human-level speech and reasoning and has been magnified several thousand times beyond the size of an ordinary Woggle-Bug, standing as tall as a man. |
| Status | Acted as Public Accuser: delivered a pompous prosecution demanding the death penalty nine times, and the jury recommended death; but his accusation was overturned when the lost piglet was produced alive and Eureka was proved innocent. The trial is now over. (as of ch. 88) |
Relationships
- ally of · Tin Woodman ch. 37The Tin Woodman welcomed the Woggle-Bug into the party, but this chapter, wearied by the Bug's punning, the kind-hearted Woodman menacingly twirls his gleaming axe until the frightened Bug shrinks away and humbly promises to restrain himself.
- enemy of · Jackdaws ch. 42The Woggle-Bug regards the Jackdaws as the greatest enemies of his race and, fearing them, hides under the Scarecrow's straw when the flock attacks.
- mentor of ← Professor Nowitall ch. 37For about three years the hidden Woggle-Bug listened to Professor Nowitall's daily lectures and discourses from a nest in the schoolhouse hearth, acquiring a marvelous education entirely without the Professor's knowledge.
- ally of · Scarecrow ch. 37The Scarecrow welcomes the Woggle-Bug into the party and admires his cleverness, but this chapter he reproves the Bug's tiresome over-education — suspecting his brains are tangled and bidding him restrain his 'superior education' — after which good nature is happily restored between them.
- leader of → College of Art and Athletic Perfection ch. 68The Woggle-Bug is Dean of the Royal College of Athletic Science, as introduced by Princess Ozma.
- subordinate to → Ozma ch. 48The Woggle-Bug takes service under Queen Ozma as her Public Educator, a post from which he helps her with perplexing royal duties.
- accuses → Eureka (ended) ch. 88As Public Accuser at the trial, the Woggle-Bug charges Eureka with murdering and eating Ozma's fat piglet and demands that the death penalty be inflicted nine times.
- rescues ← Field Mice (ended) ch. 39The field mice's rout of the Army rescues the Woggle-Bug from Jinjur's threat of being made into soup, prompting his sigh of relief.
- captures ← General Jinjur (ended) ch. 39The Army of Revolt surrounds and takes the Woggle-Bug prisoner along with the rest of the devoted band.
- threatens ← General Jinjur (ended) ch. 39Jinjur threatens to have the Woggle-Bug made into green-turtle soup, or else a stewed and highly spiced Hungarian goulash.
- communicates with → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 36The Woggle-Bug greets the party, presents his calling card, and converses at length with the Scarecrow, explaining that 'H. M.' means Highly Magnified and 'T. E.' Thoroughly Educated.
- repairs → the Gump (ended) ch. 43The Woggle-Bug wishes the Gump's broken wings mended and as good as new; the wish is granted instantly, leaving the Gump in perfect repair and able to fly as when first animated.
- invokes → Dr. Nikidik's Celebrated Wishing Pills (ended) ch. 43The Woggle-Bug boldly swallows a Wishing Pill and counts seventeen by twos without any pain, successfully readying a wish to save the party.
- imprisoned by → General Jinjur (ended) ch. 39–48[CASCADE] Created by CAPTURES(general_jinjur→woggle_bug)
- shows respect → Ozma (ended) ch. 47When the restored Princess Ozma arises, the Woggle-Bug, with the other comrades, bends his head low in honest admiration of the lovely Princess.
- imprisoned by → Professor Nowitall (ended) ch. 37–40[CASCADE] Created by CAPTURES(professor_nowitall→woggle_bug)
- captures ← Professor Nowitall (ended) ch. 37The Professor discovers the Woggle-Bug crawling across his hearth and catches it between his thumb and forefinger to show his class, then throws it upon a screen with his magnifying-glass, magnifying it.
- confronts ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 88The Scarecrow repeatedly challenges the Woggle-Bug during his prosecution, mocking his pompous manner and ridiculing his 'mind's eye' argument.
- insults ← Eureka (ended) ch. 88Eureka mocks the Woggle-Bug from the prisoner's cage, declaring his 'mind's eye' is no proof because he has no mind to see with.
- deceives ← Mombi (ended) ch. 38Mombi's illusory flame terrifies the Woggle-Bug into fleeing on all fours, though it and her other obstacles are only cleverly contrived deceptions.
- communicates with ← Oz (ended) ch. 84The Wizard exchanges a brief pleasantry with the Woggle-Bug after being introduced to him, remarking approvingly on the insect's boastful self-description before the Woggle-Bug turns away to read.
- appoints ← Ozma (ended) ch. 48Ozma appoints the Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug to the important post of Public Educator, where he proves helpful when her royal duties grow perplexing.
- commands ← Ozma (ended) ch. 87Ozma appoints the Woggle-Bug as Public Accuser at Eureka's trial, because he is so learned that no one can deceive him.
- communicates with → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 37The Woggle-Bug and the Scarecrow trade praise over education and philosophy during and after the Bug's tale, each admiring the other's cleverness.
- communicates with → Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 36The Woggle-Bug converses with the Tin Woodman, who remarks on his peculiarity and tells him he may say what he pleases before relating his history.
- communicates with → Tip (ended) ch. 36Tip reads the Woggle-Bug's calling card aloud and studies the wonderful insect closely as it introduces itself to the party.
- communicates with → Tip (ended) ch. 37Tip questions the Woggle-Bug about why insects wear clothes and where he was going, and the Woggle-Bug answers, telling of the tailor and his intended lecture-visit to the Emerald City.
- insults ← General Jinjur (ended) ch. 39Jinjur cruelly mocks the Woggle-Bug, dismissing his correction and musing that she will have him made into green-turtle soup or a spiced goulash.
- communicates with → Jack Pumpkinhead (ended) ch. 37Jack reacts admiringly to the Woggle-Bug's story and banters with him about the party's congeniality.
- communicates with → Oz (ended) ch. 84Ozma introduces the pompous, self-important Woggle-Bug to the Wizard as Dean of the Royal College of Athletic Science; the Woggle-Bug boasts of being Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated and the most intelligent being in the domain, then rudely turns his back to read a book, which the Wizard answers with dry politeness.
- located in → Palace of Oz (ended) ch. 39–42The Woggle-Bug enters the royal palace with the party and remains there after the rebels are routed.
- confronts ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 38The Scarecrow chides the Woggle-Bug that one can be over-educated, suspects his brains are tangled, and begs him to restrain his superior education while in their society.
- confronts ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 44Much provoked, the Scarecrow sharply rebukes the Woggle-Bug for calling the Wizard a humbug, defending the Wizard who gave him his wonderful set of brains.
- insults ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 88The Scarecrow repeatedly ridicules the Woggle-Bug during his accusation, jibing that his manner is a trial to everyone and that his mind has no eye.
- threatens ← Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 38The Tin Woodman warns the Woggle-Bug against more puns and twirls his gleaming axe so carelessly that the frightened Bug shrinks away to a safe distance.
- persuades ← Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 38The Tin Woodman stops the Woggle-Bug's panicked flight from the fire-illusion by showing the Field Mouse walking calmly through the flames, restoring courage to the whole party.
- confronts ← Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 44The Tin Woodman glares indignantly at the Woggle-Bug over his slur on the Wizard, insisting there is no humbug about the heart the Wizard gave him.
- confronts ← Tip (ended) ch. 38Provoked on behalf of the Saw-Horse and Jack, Tip rebukes the Woggle-Bug's pun as a poor and stale joke and disputes his claim that punning requires education.
- communicates with → General Jinjur (ended) ch. 39The Woggle-Bug flippantly suggests to Jinjur that the Scarecrow marry the Queen so they can both rule.
- communicates with → Jack Pumpkinhead (ended) ch. 38When the puzzled Pumpkinhead asks what his remark means, the Woggle-Bug explains to him at length how double-meaning words make a pun a mark of culture.
- teaches → Jack Pumpkinhead (ended) ch. 48The Woggle-Bug tries to teach Jack Pumpkinhead several arts and sciences, but Jack proves so poor a student that the attempt to educate him is soon abandoned.
- insults → Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 38The Woggle-Bug mocks the grumbling Saw-Horse with a pun, saying the broken leg was fortunate because 'a horse is never of much use until he has been broken.'
From the text
“Therefore it is plainly evident that I am Highly Magnified, and there is no good reason why you should doubt the fact.”Chapter 36
“my greatest pride lies in the fact that the world cannot produce another Woggle-Bug with a tenth part of my own culture and erudition.”Chapter 37
“It affords me great pleasure to surprise people; for surely I cannot be classed with ordinary insects and am entitled to both curiosity and admiration from those I meet.”Chapter 36
“a Joke derived from a play upon words is considered among educated people to be eminently proper.”Chapter 38
“Highly Magnified, if you please!” interrupted the insect.Chapter 39
“I think that I could live for some time on Jack Pumpkinhead. Not that I prefer pumpkins for food; but I believe they are somewhat nutritious, and Jack’s head is large and plump.”Chapter 40
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