When all this is considered, you will not be surprised that the people throughout the Land of Oz, as well as Ozma’s most intimate friends and her royal courtiers, were eager to celebrate her birthday, and made preparations for the festival weeks in advance. All the brass bands practiced their nicest tunes, for they were to march in the numerous processions to be made in the Winkie Country, the Gillikin Country, the Munchkin Country and the Quadling Country, as well as in the Emerald City. Not all the people could go to congratulate their Ruler, but all could celebrate her birthday, in one way or another, however far distant from her palace they might be. Every home and building throughout the Land of Oz was to be decorated with banners and bunting, and there were to be games, and plays, and a general good time for every one.

  It was Ozma’s custom on her birthday to give a grand feast at the palace, to which all her closest friends were invited. It was a queerly assorted company, indeed, for there are more quaint and unusual characters in Oz than in all the rest of the world, and Ozma was more interested in unusual people than in ordinary ones—just as you and I are.

  On this especial birthday of the lovely girl Ruler, a long table was set in the royal Banquet Hall of the palace, at which were place-cards for the invited guests, and at one end of the great room was a smaller table, not so high, for Ozma’s animal friends, whom she never forgot, and at the other end was a big table where all of the birthday gifts were to be arranged.

  When the guests arrived, they placed their gifts on this table and then found their places at the banquet table. And, after the guests were all placed, the animals entered in a solemn procession and were placed at their table by Jellia Jamb. Then, while an orchestra hidden by a bank of roses and ferns played a march composed for the occasion, the Royal Ozma entered the Banquet Hall, attended by her Maids of Honor, and took her seat at the head of the table.

  She was greeted by a cheer from all the assembled company, the animals adding their roars and growls and barks and mewing and cackling to swell the glad tumult, and then all seated themselves at their tables.

  At Ozma’s right sat the famous Scarecrow of Oz, whose straw-stuffed body was not beautiful, but whose happy nature and shrewd wit had made him a general favorite. On the left of the Ruler was placed the Tin Woodman, whose metal body had been brightly polished for this event. The Tin Woodman was the Emperor of the Winkie Country and one of the most important persons in Oz.

  Next to the Scarecrow, Dorothy was seated, and next to her was Tik-Tok, the Clockwork Man, who had been wound up as tightly as his clockwork would permit, so he wouldn’t interrupt the festivities by running down. Then came Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Dorothy’s own relations, two kindly old people who had a cozy home in the Emerald City and were very happy and contented there. Then Betsy Bobbin was seated, and next to her the droll and delightful Shaggy Man, who was a favorite wherever he went.

  On the other side of the table, opposite the Tin Woodman was placed Trot, and next to her, Cap’n Bill. Then was seated Button-Bright and Ojo the Lucky, and Dr. Pipt and his good wife Margalot, and the astonishing Frogman, who had come from the Yip country to be present at Ozma’s birthday feast.

  At the foot of the table, facing Ozma, was seated the queenly Glinda, the good Sorceress of Oz, for this was really the place of honor next to the head of the table where Ozma herself sat. On Glinda’s right was the Little Wizard of Oz, who owed to Glinda all of the magical arts he knew. Then came Jinjur, a pretty girl farmer of whom Ozma and Dorothy were quite fond. The adjoining seat was occupied by the Tin Soldier, and next to him was Professor H. M. Wogglebug, T.E., of the Royal Athletic College.

  On Glinda’s left was placed the jolly Patchwork Girl, who was a little afraid of the Sorceress and so was likely to behave herself pretty well. The Shaggy Man’s brother was beside the Patchwork Girl, and then came that interesting personage, Jack Pumpkinhead, who had grown a splendid big pumpkin for a new head to be worn on Ozma’s birthday, and had carved a face on it that was even jollier in expression than the one he had last worn. New heads were not unusual with Jack, for the pumpkins did not keep long, and when the seeds—which served him as brains—began to get soft and mushy, he realized his head would soon spoil, and so he procured a new one from his great field of pumpkins—grown by him so that he need never lack a head.

  You will have noticed that the company at Ozma’s banquet table was somewhat mixed, but every one invited was a tried and trusted friend of the girl Ruler, and their presence made her quite happy.

  No sooner had Ozma seated herself, with her back to the birthday table, than she noticed that all present were eyeing with curiosity and pleasure something behind her, for the gorgeous Magic Flower was blooming gloriously and the mammoth blossoms that quickly succeeded one another on the plant were beautiful to view and filled the entire room with their delicate fragrance. Ozma wanted to look, too, to see what all were staring at, but she controlled her curiosity because it was not proper that she should yet view her birthday gifts.

  So the sweet and lovely Ruler devoted herself to her guests, several of whom, such as the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Patchwork Girl, Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Tin Soldier, never ate anything but sat very politely in their places and tried to entertain those of the guests who did eat.

  And, at the animal table, there was another interesting group, consisting of the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger, Toto—Dorothy’s little shaggy black dog—Hank the Mule, the Pink Kitten, the Wooden Sawhorse, the Yellow Hen, and the Glass Cat. All of these had good appetites except the Sawhorse and the Glass Cat, and each was given a plentiful supply of the food it liked best.

  Finally, when the banquet was nearly over and the ice-cream was to be served, four servants entered bearing a huge cake, all frosted and decorated with candy flowers. Around the edge of the cake was a row of lighted candles, and in the center were raised candy letters that spelled the words:

  OZMA’S

  Birthday Cake

  from

  Dorothy and the Wizard

  “Oh, how beautiful!” cried Ozma, greatly delighted, and Dorothy said eagerly: “Now you must cut the cake, Ozma, and each of us will eat a piece with our ice-cream.”

  Jellia Jamb brought a large golden knife with a jeweled handle, and Ozma stood up in her place and attempted to cut the cake. But as soon as the frosting in the center broke under the pressure of the knife there leaped from the cake a tiny monkey three inches high, and he was followed by another and another, until twelve monkeys stood on the tablecloth and bowed low to Ozma.

  “Congratulations to our gracious Ruler!” they exclaimed in a chorus, and then they began a dance, so droll and amusing that all the company roared with laughter and even Ozma joined in the merriment. But after the dance the monkeys performed some wonderful acrobatic feats, and then they ran to the hollow of the cake and took out some band instruments of burnished gold—cornets, horns, drums, and the like—and forming into a procession the monkeys marched up and down the table playing a jolly tune with the ease of skilled musicians.

  Dorothy was delighted with the success of her “Surprise Cake,” and after the monkeys had finished their performance, the banquet came to an end.

  Now was the time for Ozma to see her other presents, so Glinda the Good rose and, taking the girl Ruler by her hand, led her to the table where all her gifts were placed in magnificent array. The Magic Flower of course attracted her attention first, and Trot had to tell her the whole story of their adventures in getting it. The little girl did not forget to give due credit to the Glass Cat and the little Wizard, but it was really Cap’n Bill who had bravely carried the golden flower-pot away from the enchanted Isle.

  Ozma thanked them all, and said she would place the Magic Flower in her boudoir where she might enjoy its beauty and fragrance continually. But now she discovered the marvelous gown woven by Glinda and her maidens from strands drawn from pure emeralds, and being a girl who loved pretty clothes, Ozma’s ecstasy at being presented with this exquisite gown may well be imagined. She could hardly wait to put it on, but the table was loaded with other pretty gifts and the night was far spent before the happy girl Ruler had examined all her presents and thanked those who had lovingly donated them.

  23. The Fountain of Oblivion

  The morning after the birthday fete, as the Wizard and Dorothy were walking in the grounds of the palace, Ozma came out and joined them, saying:

  “I want to hear more of your adventures in the Forest of Gugu, and how you were able to get those dear little monkeys to use in Dorothy’s Surprise Cake.”

  So they sat down on a marble bench near to the Fountain of the Water of Oblivion, and between them Dorothy and the Wizard related their adventures.

  “I was dreadfully fussy while I was a woolly lamb,” said Dorothy, “for it didn’t feel good, a bit. And I wasn’t quite sure, you know, that I’d ever get to be a girl again.”

  “You might have been a woolly lamb yet, if I hadn’t happened to have discovered that Magic Transformation Word,” declared the Wizard.

  “But what became of the walnut and the hickory-nut into which you transformed those dreadful beast magicians?” inquired Ozma.

  “Why, I’d almost forgotten them,” was the reply; “but I believe they are still here in my pocket.”

  Then he searched in his pockets and brought out the two nuts and showed them to her.

  Ozma regarded them thoughtfully.

  “It isn’t right to leave any living creatures in such helpless forms,” said she. “I think, Wizard, you ought to transform them into their natural shapes again.”

  “But I don’t know what their natural shapes are,” he objected, “for of course the forms of mixed animals which they had assumed were not natural to them. And you must not forget, Ozma, that their natures were cruel and mischievous, so if I bring them back to life they might cause us a great deal of trouble.”

  “Nevertheless,” said the Ruler of Oz, “we must free them from their present enchantments. When you restore them to their natural forms we will discover who they really are, and surely we need not fear any two people, even though they prove to be magicians and our enemies.”

  “I am not so sure of that,” protested the Wizard, with a shake of his bald head. “The one bit of magic I robbed them of—which was the Word of Transformation—is so simple, yet so powerful, that neither Glinda nor I can equal it. It isn’t all in the word, you know, it’s the way the word is pronounced. So if the two strange magicians have other magic of the same sort, they might prove very dangerous to us, if we liberated them.”

  “I’ve an idea!” exclaimed Dorothy. “I’m no wizard, and no fairy, but if you do as I say, we needn’t fear these people at all.”

  “What is your thought, my dear?” asked Ozma.

  “Well,” replied the girl, “here is this Fountain of the Water of Oblivion, and that’s what put the notion into my head. When the Wizard speaks that ter’ble word that will change ‘em back to their real forms, he can make ‘em dreadful thirsty, too, and we’ll put a cup right here by the fountain, so it’ll be handy. Then they’ll drink the water and forget all the magic they ever knew—and everything else, too.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” said the Wizard, looking at Dorothy approvingly.

  “It’s a very GOOD idea,” declared Ozma. “Run for a cup, Dorothy.”

  So Dorothy ran to get a cup, and while she was gone the Wizard said:

  “I don’t know whether the real forms of these magicians are those of men or beasts. If they’re beasts, they would not drink from a cup but might attack us at once and drink afterward. So it might be safer for us to have the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger here to protect us if necessary.”

  Ozma drew out a silver whistle which was attached to a slender gold chain and blew upon the whistle two shrill blasts. The sound, though not harsh, was very penetrating, and as soon as it reached the ears of the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the two huge beasts quickly came bounding toward them. Ozma explained to them what the Wizard was about to do, and told them to keep quiet unless danger threatened. So the two powerful guardians of the Ruler of Oz crouched beside the fountain and waited.

  Dorothy returned and set the cup on the edge of the fountain. Then the Wizard placed the hickory-nut beside the fountain and said in a solemn voice:

  “I want you to resume your natural form, and to be very thirsty—Pyrzqxgl!”

  In an instant there appeared, in the place of the hickory-nut, the form of Kiki Aru, the Hyup boy. He seemed bewildered, at first, as if trying to remember what had happened to him and why he was in this strange place. But he was facing the fountain, and the bubbling water reminded him that he was thirsty. Without noticing Ozma, the Wizard and Dorothy, who were behind him, he picked up the cup, filled it with the Water of Oblivion, and drank it to the last drop.

  He was now no longer thirsty, but he felt more bewildered than ever, for now he could remember nothing at all—not even his name or where he came from. He looked around the beautiful garden with a pleased expression, and then, turning, he beheld Ozma and the Wizard and Dorothy regarding him curiously and the two great beasts crouching behind them.

  Kiki Aru did not know who they were, but he thought Ozma very lovely and Dorothy very pleasant. So he smiled at them—the same innocent, happy smile that a baby might have indulged in, and that pleased Dorothy, who seized his hand and led him to a seat beside her on the bench.

  “Why, I thought you were a dreadful magician,” she exclaimed, “and you’re only a boy!”

  “What is a magician?” he asked, “and what is a boy?”

  “Don’t you know?” inquired the girl.

  Kiki shook his head. Then he laughed.

  “I do not seem to know anything,” he replied.

  “It’s very curious,” remarked the Wizard. “He wears the dress of the Munchkins, so he must have lived at one time in the Munchkin Country. Of course the boy can tell us nothing of his history or his family, for he has forgotten all that he ever knew.”

  “He seems a nice boy, now that all the wickedness has gone from him,” said Ozma. “So we will keep him here with us and teach him our ways—to be true and considerate of others.”

  “Why, in that case, it’s lucky for him he drank the Water of Oblivion,” said Dorothy.

  “It is indeed,” agreed the Wizard. “But the remarkable thing, to me, is how such a young boy ever learned the secret of the Magic Word of Transformation. Perhaps his companion, who is at present this walnut, was the real magician, although I seem to remember that it was this boy in the beast’s form who whispered the Magic Word into the hollow tree, where I overheard it.”

  “Well, we will soon know who the other is,” suggested Ozma. “He may prove to be another Munchkin boy.”

  The Wizard placed the walnut near the fountain and said, as slowly and solemnly as before:

  “I want you to resume your natural form, and to be very thirsty—Pyrzqxgl!”

  Then the walnut disappeared and Ruggedo the Nome stood in its place. He also was facing the fountain, and he reached for the cup, filled it, and was about to drink when Dorothy exclaimed:

  “Why, it’s the old Nome King!”

  Ruggedo swung around and faced them, the cup still in his hand.

  “Yes,” he said in an angry voice, “it’s the old Nome King, and I’m going to conquer all Oz and be revenged on you for kicking me out of my throne.” He looked around a moment, and then continued: “There isn’t an egg in sight, and I’m stronger than all of you people put together! I don’t know how I came here, but I’m going to fight the fight of my life—and I’ll win!”

  His long white hair and beard waved in the breeze; his eyes flashed hate and vengeance, and so astonished and shocked were they by the sudden appearance of this old enemy of the Oz people that they could only stare at him in silence and shrink away from his wild glare.

  Ruggedo laughed. He drank the water, threw the cup on the ground and said fiercely:

  “And now—and now—and—”

  His voice grew gentle. He rubbed his forehead with a puzzled air and stroked his long beard.

  “What was I going to say?” he asked, pleadingly.

  “Don’t you remember?” said the Wizard.

  “No; I’ve forgotten.”

  “Who ARE you?” asked Dorothy.

  He tried to think. “I—I’m sure I don’t know,” he stammered.

  “Don’t you know who WE are, either?” questioned the girl.

  “I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Nome.

  “Tell us who this Munchkin boy is,” suggested Ozma.

  Ruggedo looked at the boy and shook his head.

  “He’s a stranger to me. You are all strangers. I—I’m a stranger to myself,” he said.

  Then he patted the Lion’s head and murmured, “Good doggie!” and the Lion growled indignantly.

  “What shall we do with him?” asked the Wizard, perplexed.

  “Once before the wicked old Nome came here to conquer us, and then, as now, he drank of the Water of Oblivion and became harmless. But we sent him back to the Nome Kingdom, where he soon learned the old evil ways again.

  “For that reason,” said Ozma, “we must find a place for him in the Land of Oz, and keep him here. For here he can learn no evil and will always be as innocent of guile as our own people.”

  And so the wandering ex-King of the Nomes found a new home, a peaceful and happy home, where he was quite content and passed his days in innocent enjoyment.