_How_ THE GRAND GALLIPOOT JOINED THE NOMES
CHAPTER EIGHT
After leaving the Whimsies, Guph continued on his journey and penetratedfar into the Northwest. He wanted to get to the Country of theGrowleywogs, and in order to do that he must cross the Ripple Land,which was a hard thing to do. For the Ripple Land was a succession ofhills and valleys, all very steep and rocky, and they changed placesconstantly by rippling. While Guph was climbing a hill it sank downunder him and became a valley, and while he was descending into a valleyit rose up and carried him to the top of a hill. This was veryperplexing to the traveler, and a stranger might have thought he couldnever cross the Ripple Land at all. But Guph knew that if he keptsteadily on he would get to the end at last; so he paid no attention tothe changing hills and valleys and plodded along as calmly as if walkingupon the level ground.
The result of this wise persistence was that the General finally reachedfirmer soil and, after penetrating a dense forest, came to the Dominionof the Growleywogs.
No sooner had he crossed the border of this domain when two guardsseized him and carried him before the Grand Gallipoot of theGrowleywogs, who scowled upon him ferociously and asked him why he daredintrude upon his territory.
"I'm the Lord High General of the Invincible Army of the Nomes, and myname is Guph," was the reply. "All the world trembles when that name ismentioned."
The Growleywogs gave a shout of jeering laughter at this, and one ofthem caught the Nome in his strong arms and tossed him high into theair. Guph was considerably shaken when he fell upon the hard ground, buthe appeared to take no notice of the impertinence and composed himselfto speak again to the Grand Gallipoot.
"My master, King Roquat the Red, has sent me here to confer with you. Hewishes your assistance to conquer the Land of Oz."
Here the General paused, and the Grand Gallipoot scowled upon him moreterribly than ever and said:
"Go on!"
The voice of the Grand Gallipoot was partly a roar and partly a growl.He mumbled his words badly and Guph had to listen carefully in order tounderstand him.
These Growleywogs were certainly remarkable creatures. They were ofgigantic size, yet were all bone and skin and muscle, there being nomeat or fat upon their bodies at all. Their powerful muscles lay justunderneath their skins, like bunches of tough rope, and the weakestGrowleywog was so strong that he could pick up an elephant and toss itseven miles away.
It seems unfortunate that strong people are usually so disagreeable andoverbearing that no one cares for them. In fact, to be different fromyour fellow creatures is always a misfortune. The Growleywogs knewthat they were disliked and avoided by every one, so they had becomesurly and unsociable even among themselves. Guph knew that they hatedall people, including the Nomes; but he hoped to win them over,nevertheless, and knew that if he succeeded they would afford him verypowerful assistance.
"The Land of Oz is ruled by a namby-pamby girl who is disgustingly kindand good," he continued. "Her people are all happy and contented andhave no care or worries whatever."
"Go on!" growled the Grand Gallipoot.
"Once the Nome King enslaved the Royal Family of Ev--another goody-goodylot that we detest," said the General. "But Ozma interfered, although itwas none of her business, and marched her army against us. With her wasa Kansas girl named Dorothy, and a Yellow Hen, and they marcheddirectly into the Nome King's cavern. There they liberated our slavesfrom Ev and stole King Roquat's Magic Belt, which they carried away withthem. So now our King is making a tunnel under the deadly desert, so wecan march through it to the Emerald City. When we get there we mean toconquer and destroy all the land and recapture the Magic Belt."
Again he paused, and again the Grand Gallipoot growled:
"Go on!"
Guph tried to think what to say next, and a happy thought soon occurredto him.
"We want you to help us in this conquest," he announced, "for we needthe mighty aid of the Growleywogs in order to make sure that we shallnot be defeated. You are the strongest people in all the world, and youhate good and happy creatures as much as we Nomes do. I am sure it willbe a real pleasure to you to tear down the beautiful Emerald City, andin return for your valuable assistance we will allow you to bring backto your country ten thousand people of Oz, to be your slaves."
"Twenty thousand!" growled the Grand Gallipoot.
"All right, we promise you twenty thousand," agreed the General.
The Gallipoot made a signal and at once his attendants picked up GeneralGuph and carried him away to a prison, where the jailor amused himselfby sticking pins in the round fat body of the old Nome, to see him jumpand hear him yell.
But while this was going on the Grand Gallipoot was talking with hiscounselors, who were the most important officials of the Growleywogs.When he had stated to them the proposition of the Nome King he said:
"My advice is to offer to help them. Then, when we have conquered theLand of Oz, we will take not only our twenty thousand prisoners but allthe gold and jewels we want."
"Let us take the Magic Belt, too," suggested one counselor.
"And rob the Nome King and make him our slave," said another.
"That is a good idea," declared the Grand Gallipoot. "I'd like KingRoquat for my own slave. He could black my boots and bring me myporridge every morning while I am in bed."
"There is a famous Scarecrow in Oz. I'll take him for my slave," said acounselor.
"I'll take Tiktok, the machine man," said another.
"Give me the Tin Woodman," said a third.
They went on for some time, dividing up the people and the treasure ofOz in advance of the conquest. For they had no doubt at all that theywould be able to destroy Ozma's domain. Were they not the strongestpeople in all the world?
"The deadly desert has kept us out of Oz before," remarked the GrandGallipoot, "but now that the Nome King is building a tunnel we shall getinto the Emerald City very easily. So let us send the little fat Generalback to his King with our promise to assist him. We will not say that weintend to conquer the Nomes after we have conquered Oz, but we will doso, just the same."
This plan being agreed upon, they all went home to dinner, leavingGeneral Guph still in prison. The Nome had no idea that he had succeededin his mission, for finding himself in prison he feared the Growleywogsintended to put him to death.
By this time the jailor had tired of sticking pins in the General, andwas amusing himself by carefully pulling the Nome's whiskers out by theroots, one at a time. This enjoyment was interrupted by the GrandGallipoot sending for the prisoner.
"Wait a few hours," begged the jailor. "I haven't pulled out a quarterof his whiskers yet."
"If you keep the Grand Gallipoot waiting he'll break your back,"declared the messenger.
"Perhaps you're right," sighed the jailor. "Take the prisoner away, ifyou will, but I advise you to kick him at every step he takes. It willbe good fun, for he is as soft as a ripe peach."
So Guph was led away to the royal castle, where the Grand Gallipoot toldhim that the Growleywogs had decided to assist the Nomes in conqueringthe Land of Oz.
"Whenever you are ready," he added, "send me word and I will march witheighteen thousand of my most powerful warriors to your aid."
Guph was so delighted that he forgot all the smarting caused by the pinsand the pulling of whiskers. He did not even complain of the treatmenthe had received, but thanked the Grand Gallipoot and hurried away uponhis journey.
He had now secured the assistance of the Whimsies and the Growleywogs;but his success made him long for still more allies. His own lifedepended upon his conquering Oz, and he said to himself:
"I'll take no chances. I'll be certain of success. Then, when Oz isdestroyed, perhaps I shall be a greater man than old Roquat, and I canthrow him away and be King of the Nomes myself. Why not? The Whimsiesare stronger than the Nomes, and they are my friends. The Growleywogsare stronger than the Whimsies, and they also are my friends. There aresome people still st
ronger than the Growleywogs, and if I can but inducethem to aid me I shall have nothing more to fear."
The Emerald City of Oz Page 9