"Why do you seek me?" asked Mombi, still scarce able to speak plainly for lack of breath. "What have I done to you, to be so persecuted1?"
"You have done nothing to me," answered the gentle Sorceress; "but I suspect you have been guilty of several wicked actions; and if I find it is true that you have so abused your knowledge of magic, I intend to punish you severely2."
"I defy you!" croaked3 the old hag. "You dare not harm me!"
Just then the Gump flew up to them and alighted upon the desert sands beside Glinda. Our friends were delighted to find that Mombi had finally been captured, and after a hurried consultation4 it was decided5 they should all return to the camp in the Gump. So the Saw-Horse was tossed aboard, and then Glinda still holding an end of the golden thread that was around Mombi's neck, forced her prisoner to climb into the sofas. The others now followed, and Tip gave the word to the Gump to return.
The Journey was made in safety, Mombi sitting in her place with a grim and sullen6 air; for the old hag was absolutely helpless so long as the magical thread encircled her throat. The army hailed Glinda's return with loud cheers, and the party of friends soon gathered again in the royal tent, which had been neatly7 repaired during their absence.
"Now," said the Sorceress to Mombi, "I want you to tell us why the Wonderful Wizard of Oz paid you three visits, and what became of the child, Ozma, which so curiously8 disappeared."
The Witch looked at Glinda defiantly9, but said not a word.
"Answer me!" cried the Sorceress.
But still Mombi remained silent.
"Perhaps she doesn't know," remarked Jack10.
"I beg you will keep quiet," said Tip. "You might spoil everything with your foolishness."
"Very well, dear father!" returned the Pumpkinhead, meekly12.
"How glad I am to be a Woggle-Bug!" murmured the Highly Magnified Insect, softly. "No one can expect wisdom to flow from a pumpkin11."
"Well," said the Scarecrow, "what shall we do to make Mombi speak? Unless she tells us what we wish to know her capture will do us no good at all."
"Suppose we try kindness," suggested the Tin Woodman. "I've heard that anyone can be conquered with kindness, no matter how ugly they may be."
At this the Witch turned to glare upon him so horribly that the Tin Woodman shrank back abashed13.
Glinda had been carefully considering what to do, and now she turned to Mombi and said:
"You will gain nothing, I assure you, by thus defying us. For I am determined14 to learn the truth about the girl Ozma, and unless you tell me all that you know, I will certainly put you to death."
"Oh, no! Don't do that!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman. "It would be an awful thing to kill anyone—even old Mombi!"
"But it is merely a threat," returned Glinda. "I shall not put Mombi to death, because she will prefer to tell me the truth."
"Oh, I see!" said the tin man, much relieved.
"Suppose I tell you all that you wish to know,". said Mombi, speaking so suddenly that she startled them all. "What will you do with me then?"
"In that case," replied Glinda, "I shall merely ask you to drink a powerful draught15 which will cause you to forget all the magic you have ever learned."
"Then I would become a helpless old woman!"
"But you would be alive," suggested the Pumpkinhead, consolingly.
"Do try to keep silent!" said Tip, nervously16.
"I'll try," responded Jack; "but you will admit that it's a good thing to be alive."
"Especially if one happens to be Thoroughly17 Educated," added the Woggle-Bug, nodding approval.
"You may make your choice," Glinda said to old Mombi, "between death if you remain silent, and the loss of your magical powers if you tell me the truth. But I think you will prefer to live."
Mombi cast an uneasy glance at the Sorceress, and saw that she was in earnest, and not to be trifled with. So she replied, slowly:
"I will answer your questions."
"That is what I expected," said Glinda, pleasantly. "You have chosen wisely, I assure you."
She then motioned to one of her Captains, who brought her a beautiful golden casket. From this the Sorceress drew an immense white pearl, attached to a slender chain which she placed around her neck in such a way that the pearl rested upon her bosom18, directly over her heart.
"Now," said she, "I will ask my first question: Why did the Wizard pay you three visits?"
"Because I would not come to him," answered Mombi.
"That is no answer," said Glinda, sternly. "Tell me the truth."
"Well," returned Mombi, with downcast eyes, "he visited me to learn the way I make tea-biscuits."
"Look up!" commanded the Sorceress.
Mombi obeyed.
"What is the color of my pearl?" demanded Glinda.
"Why—it is black!" replied the old Witch, in a tone of wonder.
"Then you have told me a falsehood!" cried Glinda, angrily. "Only when the truth is spoken will my magic pearl remain a pure white in color."
Mombi now saw how useless it was to try to deceive the Sorceress; so she said, meanwhile scowling19 at her defeat:
"The Wizard brought to me the girl Ozma, who was then no more than a baby, and begged me to conceal20 the child."
"That is what I thought," declared Glinda, calmly. "What did he give you for thus serving him?"
"He taught me all the magical tricks he knew. Some were good tricks, and some were only frauds; but I have remained faithful to my promise."
"What did you do with the girl?" asked Glinda; and at this question everyone bent21 forward and listened eagerly for the reply.
"I enchanted22 her," answered Mombi.
"In what way?"
"I transformed her into—into—"
"Into what?" demanded Glinda, as the Witch hesitated.
"Into a boy!" said Mombi, in a low tone.
"A boy!" echoed every voice; and then, because they knew that this old woman had reared Tip from childhood, all eyes were turned to where the boy stood.
"Yes," said the old Witch, nodding her head; "that is the Princess Ozma—the child brought to me by the Wizard who stole her father's throne. That is the rightful ruler of the Emerald City!" and she pointed23 her long bony finger straight at the boy.
"I!" cried Tip, in amazement24. "Why, I'm no Princess Ozma—I'm not a girl!"
Glinda smiled, and going to Tip she took his small brown hand within her dainty white one.
"You are not a girl just now" said she, gently, "because Mombi transformed you into a boy. But you were born a girl, and also a Princess; so you must resume your proper form, that you may become Queen of the Emerald City."
"Oh, let Jinjur be the Queen!" exclaimed Tip, ready to cry. "I want to stay a boy, and travel with the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, and the Woggle-Bug, and Jack—yes! and my friend the Saw-Horse—and the Gump! I don't want to be a girl!"
"Never mind, old chap," said the Tin Woodman, soothingly25; "it don't hurt to be a girl, I'm told; and we will all remain your faithful friends just the same. And, to be honest with you, I've always considered girls nicer than boys."
"They're just as nice, anyway," added the Scarecrow, patting Tip affectionately upon the head.
"And they are equally good students," proclaimed the Woggle-Bug. "I should like to become your tutor, when you are transformed into a girl again."
"But—see here!" said Jack Pumpkinhead, with a gasp26: "if you become a girl, you can't be my dear father any more!"
"No," answered Tip, laughing in spite of his anxiety. "and I shall not be sorry to escape the relationship." Then he added, hesitatingly, as he turned to Glinda: "I might try it for awhile,-just to see how it seems, you know. But if I don't like being a girl you must promise to change me into a boy again."
"Really," said the Sorceress, "that is beyond my magic. I never deal in transformations27, for they are not honest, and no respectable sorceress likes to make things appear to be what they are not. Only unscrupulous witches use the art, and therefore I must ask Mombi to effect your release from her charm, and restore you to your proper form. It will be the last opportunity she will have to practice magic."
Now that the truth about Princes Ozma had been discovered, Mombi did not care what became of Tip; but she feared Glinda's anger, and the boy generously promised to provide for Mombi in her old age if he became the ruler of the Emerald City. So the Witch consented to effect the transformation28, and preparations for the event were at once made.
Glinda ordered her own royal couch to be placed in the center of the tent. It was piled high with cushions covered with rose-colored silk, and from a golden railing above hung many folds of pink gossamer29, completely concealing30 the interior of the couch.
The first act of the Witch was to make the boy drink a potion which quickly sent him into a deep and dreamless sleep. Then the Tin Woodman and the Woggle-Bug bore him gently to the couch, placed him upon the soft cushions, and drew the gossamer hangings to shut him from all earthly view.
The Witch squatted31 upon the ground and kindled32 a tiny fire of dried herbs, which she drew from her bosom. When the blaze shot up and burned clearly old Mombi scattered33 a handful of magical powder over the fire, which straightway gave off a rich violet vapor34, filling all the tent with its fragrance35 and forcing the Saw-Horse to sneeze—although he had been warned to keep quiet.
Then, while the others watched her curiously, the hag chanted a rhythmical36 verse in words which no one understood, and bent her lean body seven times back and forth37 over the fire. And now the incantation seemed complete, for the Witch stood upright and cried the one word "Yeowa!" in a loud voice.
The vapor floated away; the atmosphere became, clear again; a whiff of fresh air filled the tent, and the pink curtains of the couch trembled slightly, as if stirred from within.
Glinda walked to the canopy38 and parted the silken hangings. Then she bent over the cushions, reached out her hand, and from the couch arose the form of a young girl, fresh and beautiful as a May morning. Her eyes sparkled as two diamonds, and her lips were tinted39 like a tourmaline. All adown her back floated tresses of ruddy gold, with a slender jeweled circlet confining them at the brow. Her robes of silken gauze floated around her like a cloud, and dainty satin slippers40 shod her feet.
At this exquisite41 vision Tip's old comrades stared in wonder for the space of a full minute, and then every head bent low in honest admiration42 of the lovely Princess Ozma. The girl herself cast one look into Glinda's bright face, which glowed with pleasure and satisfaction, and then turned upon the others. Speaking the words with sweet diffidence, she said:
"I hope none of you will care less for me than you did before. I'm just the same Tip, you know; only—only—"
"Only you're different!" said the Pumpkinhead; and everyone thought it was the wisest speech he had ever made.
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1
persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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2
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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3
croaked
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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6
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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9
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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10
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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11
pumpkin
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| n.南瓜 | |
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12
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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13
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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15
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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16
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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17
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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18
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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19
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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20
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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21
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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22
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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23
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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24
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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26
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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27
transformations
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| n.变化( transformation的名词复数 )；转换；转换；变换 | |
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28
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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29
gossamer
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| n.薄纱，游丝 | |
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30
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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31
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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32
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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33
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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34
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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35
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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36
rhythmical
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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37
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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38
canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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39
tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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40
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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41
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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42
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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