Woot had seen very little of magic during hiswanderings, while the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman hadseen a great deal of many sorts in their lives, yet allthree were greatly impressed by Mrs. Yoop's powers. Shedid not affect any mysterious airs or indulge in chantsor mystic rites, as most witches do, nor was theGiantess old and ugly or disagreeable in face ormanner. Nevertheless, she frightened her prisoners morethan any witch could have done.

"Please be seated," she said to them, as she satherself down in a great arm-chair and spread herbeautiful embroidered skirts for them to admire. Butall the chairs in the room were so high that ourfriends could not climb to the seats of them. Mrs. Yoopobserved this and waved her hand, when instantly agolden ladder appeared leaning against a chair oppositeher own.

"Climb up," said she, and they obeyed, the Tin Manand the boy assisting the more clumsy Scarecrow. Whenthey were all seated in a row on the cushion of thechair, the Giantess continued: "Now tell me how youhappened to travel in this direction, and where youcame from and what your errand is."

So the Tin Woodman told her all about Nimmie Amee,and how he had decided to find her and marry her,although he had no Loving Heart. The story seemed toamuse the big woman, who then began to ask theScarecrow questions and for the first time in her lifeheard of Ozma of Oz, and of Dorothy and JackPumpkinhead and Dr. Pipt and Tik-tok and many other Ozpeople who are well known in the Emerald City. AlsoWoot had to tell his story, which. was very simple anddid not take long. The Giantess laughed heartily whenthe boy related their adventure at Loonville, but saidshe knew nothing of the Loons because she never lefther Valley.

"There are wicked people who would like to captureme, as they did my giant husband, Mr. Yoop," said she;"so I stay at home and mind my own business."

"If Ozma knew that you dared to work magic withouther consent, she would punish you severely," declaredthe Scarecrow, "for this castle is in the Land of Oz,and no persons in the Land of Oz are permitted to workmagic except Glinda the Good and the little Wizard wholives with Ozma in the Emerald City."

"That for your Ozma!" exclaimed the Giantess,snapping her fingers in derision. "What do I care for agirl whom I have never seen and who has never seen me?"

"But Ozma is a fairy," said the Tin Woodman, andtherefore she is very powerful. Also, we are underOzma's protection, and to injure us in any way wouldmake her extremely angry."

"What I do here, in my own private castle in thissecluded Valley -- where no one comes but fools likeyou -- can never be known to your fairy Ozma," returnedthe Giantess. "Do not seek to frighten me from mypurpose, and do not allow yourselves to be frightened,for it is best to meet bravely what cannot be avoided.I am now going to bed, and in the morning I will giveyou all new forms, such as will be more interesting tome than the ones you now wear. Good night, and pleasant dreams."

Saying this, Mrs. Yoop rose from her chair and walkedthrough a doorway into another room. So heavy was thetread of the Giantess that even the walls of the bigstone castle trembled as she stepped. She closed thedoor of her bedroom behind her, and then suddenly thelight went out and the three prisoners found themselvesin total darkness.

The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow didn't mind thedark at all, but Woot the Wanderer felt worried to beleft in this strange place in this strange manner,without being able to see any danger that might threaten.

"The big woman might have given me a bed, anyhow," hesaid to his companions, and scarcely had he spoken whenhe felt something press against his legs, which werethen dangling from the seat of the chair. Leaning down,he put out his hand and found that a bedstead hadappeared, with mattress, sheets and covers, allcomplete. He lost no time in slipping down upon the bedand was soon fast asleep.

During the night the Scarecrow and the Emperor talkedin low tones together, and they got out of the chairand moved all about the room, feeling for some hiddenspring that might open a door or window and permit themto escape.

Morning found them still unsuccessful in the questand as soon as it was daylight Woot's bed suddenlydisappeared, and he dropped to the floor with a thumpthat quickly wakened him. And after a time the Giantesscame from her bedroom, wearing another dress that wasquite as elaborate as the one in which she had beenattired the evening before, and also wearing the prettylace apron. Having seated herself in a chair, she said:

"I'm hungry; so I'll have breakfast at once."

She clapped her hands together and instantly thetable appeared before her, spread with snowy linenand laden with golden dishes. But there was nofood upon the table, nor anything else except apitcher of water, a bundle of weeds and a handfulof pebbles. But the Giantess poured some water intoher coffee-pot, patted it once or twice with her hand,and then poured out a cupful of steaming hot coffee.

"Would you like some?" she asked Woot.

He was suspicious of magic coffee, but it smelled sogood that he could not resist it; so he answered: "Ifyou please, Madam."

The Giantess poured out another cup and set it on thefloor for Woot. It was as big as a tub, and the goldenspoon in the saucer beside the cup was so heavy the boycould scarcely lift it. But Woot managed to get a sipof the coffee and found it delicious.

Mrs. Yoop next transformed the weeds into a dish ofoatmeal, which she ate with good appetite.

"Now, then," said she, picking up the pebbles. "I'mwondering whether I shall have fish-balls or lamb-chopsto complete my meal. Which would you prefer, Woot the Wanderer?"

"If you please, I'll eat the food in my knapsack,"answered the boy. "Your magic food might taste good,but I'm afraid of it."

The woman laughed at his fears and transformed thepebbles into fish-balls.

"I suppose you think that after you had eaten thisfood it would turn to stones again and make you sick,"she remarked; "but that would be impossible. Nothing Itransform ever gets back to its former shape again, sothese fish-balls can never more be pebbles. That is whyI have to be careful of my transformations," she added,busily eating while she talked, "for while I can changeforms at will I can never change them back again --which proves that even the powers of a clever Yookoohooare limited. When I have transformed you three people,you must always wear the shapes that I have given you."

"Then please don't transform us," begged Woot, "forwe are quite satisfied to remain as we are."

"I am not expecting to satisfy you, but intend toplease myself," she declared, "and my pleasure is togive you new shapes. For, if by chance your friendscame in search of you, not one of them would be able torecognize you."

Her tone was so positive that they knew it would beuseless to protest. The woman was not unpleasant tolook at; her face was not cruel; her voice was big butgracious in tone; but her words showed that shepossessed a merciless heart and no pleadings wouldalter her wicked purpose.

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

"The next thing on the programme is to change yourforms."

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

"Yes; I dreamed it all out while I was asleep. ThisTin Man seems a very solemn person " -- indeed, the TinWoodman was looking solemn, just then, for he wasgreatly disturbed -- "so I shall change him into anOwl."

All she did was to point one finger at him as shespoke, but immediately the form of the Tin Woodmanbegan to change and in a few seconds Nick Chopper, theEmperor of the Winkies, had been transformed into anOwl, with eyes as big as saucers and a hooked beak andstrong claws. But he was still tin. He was a Tin Owl,with tin legs and beak and eyes and feathers. When heflew to the back of a chair and perched upon it, histin feathers rattled against one another with a tinnyclatter. The Giantess seemed much amused by the TinOwl's appearance, for her laugh was big and jolly.

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

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

"Madam," he said hastily, "I consider this actionvery impolite. It may even be called rude, consideringwe are your guests."

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

"Perhaps not; but we craved hospitality. We threwourselves upon your mercy, so to speak, and we now findyou have no mercy. Therefore, if you will excuse theexpression, I must say it is downright wicked to takeour proper forms away from us and give us others thatwe do not care for."

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

"By no means," said the Scarecrow; "I'm just tryingto make you act more ladylike."

"Oh, indeed! In my opinion, Mr. Scarecrow, you arenow acting like a bear -- so a Bear you shall be!"

Again the dreadful finger pointed, this time in theScarecrow's direction, and at once his form began tochange. In a few seconds he had become a small BrownBear, but he was stuffed with straw as he had beenbefore, and when the little Brown Bear shuffled acrossthe floor he was just as wobbly as the Scarecrow hadbeen and moved just as awkwardly.

Woot was amazed, but he was also thoroughlyfrightened.

"Did it hurt?" he asked the little Brown Bear.

"No, of course not," growled the Scarecrow in theBear's form; "but I don't like walking on four legs;it's undignified."

"Consider my humiliation!" chirped the Tin Owl,trying to settle its tin feathers smoothly with its tinbeak. "And I can't see very well, either. The lightseems to hurt my eyes."

"That's because you are an Owl," said Woot. "I thinkyou will see better in the dark."

"Well," remarked the Giantess, "I'm very well pleasedwith these new forms, for my part, and I'm sure youwill like them better when you get used to them. Sonow," she added, turning to the boy, "it is your turn."

"Don't you think you'd better leave me as I am?"asked Woot in a trembling voice.

"No," she replied, "I'm going to make a Monkey ofyou. I love monkeys -- they're so cute! -- and I thinka Green Monkey will be lots of fun and amuse me when Iam sad."

Woot shivered, for again the terrible magic fingerpointed, and pointed directly his way. He felt himselfchanging; not so very much, however, and it didn't hurthim a bit. He looked down at his limbs and body andfound that his clothes were gone and his skin coveredwith a fine, silk-like green fur. His hands and feetwere now those of a monkey. He realized he really was amonkey, and his first feeling was one of anger. Hebegan to chatter as monkeys do. He bounded to the seatof a giant chair, and then to its back and with a wildleap sprang upon the laughing Giantess. His idea was toseize her hair and pull it out by the roots, and sohave revenge for her wicked transformations. But sheraised her hand and said:

"Gently, my dear Monkey -- gently! You're not angry;you're happy as can be!"

Woot stopped short. No; he wasn't a bit angry now; hefelt as good-humored and gay as ever he did when a boy.Instead of pulling Mrs. Yoop's hair, he perched on hershoulder and smoothed her soft cheek with his hairypaw. In return, she smiled at the funny green animaland patted his head.

"Very good," said the Giantess. "Let us all becomefriends and be happy together. How is my Tin Owlfeeling?"

"Quite comfortable," said the Owl. "I don't like it,to be sure, but I'm not going to allow my new form tomake me unhappy. But, tell me, please: what is a TinOwl good for?"

"You are only good to make me laugh," replied theGiantess.

"Will a stuffed Bear also make you laugh?" inquiredthe Scarecrow, sitting back on his haunches to look upat her.

"Of course," declared the Giantess; "and I have addeda little magic to your transformations to make you allcontented with wearing your new forms. I'm sorry Ididn't think to do that when I transformed Polychromeinto a Canary-Bird. But perhaps, when she sees howcheerful you are, she will cease to be silent andsullen and take to singing. I will go get the bird andlet you see her."

With this, Mrs. Yoop went into the next room and soonreturned bearing a golden cage in which sat upon aswinging perch a lovely yellow Canary. "Polychrome,"said the Giantess, "permit me to introduce to you aGreen Monkey, which used to be a boy called Woot theWanderer, and a Tin Owl, which used to be a Tin Woodmannamed Nick Chopper, and a straw-stuffed little BrownBear which used to be a live Scarecrow."

"We already know one another," declared theScarecrow. "The bird is Polychrome, the Rainbow'sDaughter, and she and I used to be good friends."

"Are you really my old friend, the Scarecrow?" asked;the bird, in a sweet, low voice.

"There!" cried Mrs. Yoop; "that's the first time shehas spoken since she was transformed."

"I am really your old friend," answered theScarecrow; "but you must pardon me for appearing justnow in this brutal form."

"I am a bird, as you are, dear Poly," said the TinWoodman; "but, alas! a Tin Owl is not as beautiful as aCanary-Bird."

"How dreadful it all is!" sighed the Canary."Couldn't you manage to escape from this terribleYookoohoo?"

No," answered the Scarecrow, "we tried to escape, butfailed. She first made us her prisoners and thentransformed us. But how did she manage to get you,Polychrome?"'

"I was asleep, and she took unfair advantage of me,"answered the bird sadly. "Had I been awake, I couldeasily have protected myself."

"Tell me," said the Green Monkey earnestly, as hecame close to the cage, "what must we do, Daughter ofthe Rainbow, to escape from these transformations?Can't you help us, being a Fairy?" "At present I ampowerless to help even myself," replied the Canary.

"That's the exact truth!" exclaimed the Giantess, whoseemed pleased to hear the bird talk, even though itcomplained; "you are all helpless and in my power, soyou may as well make up your minds to accept your fateand be content. Remember that you are transformed forgood, since no magic on earth can break yourenchantments. I am now going out for my morning walk,for each day after breakfast I walk sixteen timesaround my castle for exercise. Amuse yourselves while Iam gone, and when I return I hope to find you allreconciled and happy."

So the Giantess walked to the door by which ourfriends had entered the great hall and spoke one word:"Open!" Then the door swung open and after Mrs. Yoophad passed out it closed again with a snap as itspowerful bolts shot into place. The Green Monkey hadrushed toward the opening, hoping to escape, but he wastoo late and only got a bump on his nose as the doorslammed shut.