rt and no pleadings would alter her wicked
purpose.

Mrs. Yoop took ample time to finish her breakfast and the prisoners had
no desire to hurry her, but finally the meal was concluded and she
folded her napkin and made the table disappear by clapping her hands
together. Then she turned to her captives and said:

"The next thing on the programme is to change your forms."

"Have you decided what forms to give us?" asked the Scarecrow, uneasily.

"Yes; I dreamed it all out while I was asleep. This Tin Man seems a very
solemn person"--indeed, the Tin Woodman _was_ looking solemn, just then,
for he was greatly disturbed--"so I shall change him into an Owl."

All she did was to point one finger at him as she spoke, but immediately
the form of the Tin Woodman began to change and in a few seconds Nick
Chopper, the Emperor of the Winkies, had been transformed into an Owl,
with eyes as big as saucers and a hooked beak and strong claws. But he
was still tin. He was a Tin Owl, with tin legs and beak and eyes and
feathers. When he flew to the back of a chair and perched upon it, his
tin feathers rattled against one another with a tinny clatter.

The Giantess seemed much amused by the Tin Owl's appearance, for her
laugh was big and jolly.

"You're not liable to get lost," said she, "for your wings and feathers
will make a racket wherever you go. And, on my word, a Tin Owl is so
rare and pretty that it is an improvement on the ordinary bird. I did
not intend to make you tin, but I forgot to wish you to be meat.
However, tin you were, and tin you are, and as it's too late to change
you, that settles it."

Until now the Scarecrow had rather doubted the possibility of Mrs.
Yoop's being able to transform him, or his friend the Tin Woodman, for
they were not made as ordinary people are. He had worried more over what
might happen to Woot than to himself, but now he began to worry about
himself.

"Madam," he said hastily, "I consider this action very impolite. It may
even be called rude, considering we are your guests."

"You are not guests, for I did not invite you here," she replied.

"Perhaps not; but we craved hospitality. We threw ourselves upon your
mercy, so to speak, and we now find you have no mercy. Therefore, if you
will excuse the expression, I must say it is downright wicked to take
our proper forms away from us and give us others that we do not care
for."

"Are you trying to make me angry?" she asked, frowning.