ing food, pretty clothes, lovely jewels,
and many other things that beasts know nothing of. Here in the dark
forests the poor beasts have hard work to get enough to eat and to find
a bed to rest in. But the beasts are better than the people, and why
should they not have all the good things the people have? So I propose
that before the Oz people have the time to make all those ropes to
snare you with, that all we beasts get together and march against the
Oz people and capture them. Then the beasts will become the masters
and the people their slaves."

"What good would that do us?" asked Bru the Bear.

"It would save you from slavery, for one thing, and you could enjoy all
the fine things of Oz people have."

"Beasts wouldn't know what to do with the things people use," said the
Gray Ape.

"But this is only part of my plan," insisted the Nome. "Listen to the
rest of it. We two Li-Mon-Eags are powerful magicians. When you have
conquered the Oz people we will transform them all into beasts, and
send them to the forests to live, and we will transform all the beasts
into people, so they can enjoy all the wonderful delights of the
Emerald City."

For a moment no beast spoke. Then the King said: "Prove it."

"Prove what?" asked Ruggedo.

"Prove that you can transform us. If you are a magician transform the
Unicorn into a man. Then we will believe you. If you fail, we will
destroy you."

"All right," said the Nome. "But I'm tired, so I'll let my comrade
make the transformation."

Kiki Aru had stood back from the circle, but he had heard all that was
said. He now realized that he must make good Ruggedo's boast, so he
retreated to the edge of the clearing and whispered the magic word.

Instantly the Unicorn became a fat, chubby little man, dressed in the
purple Gillikin costume, and it was hard to tell which was the more
astonished, the King, the Bear, the Ape or the former Unicorn.

"It's true!" shorted the man-beast. "Good gracious, look what I am!
It's wonderful!"

The King of Beasts now addressed Ruggedo in a more friendly tone.

"We must believe your story, since you have given us proof of your
power," said he. "But why, if you are so great a magician, cannot you
conquer the Oz people without our help, and so save us the trouble?"

"Alas!" replied the crafty old Nome, "no magician is able to do
everything. The transformations are easy to us because we are
Li-Mon-Eags, but we cannot fight, or