Kiki stayed down below and, half hidden by the shelf of rock, was
scarcely noticed. The boy realized that the old Nome was helpless
without his magic power, but he also realized that Ruggedo was the
best talker. So he was willing the Nome should take the lead.
"Beasts of the Forest of Gugu," began Ruggedo the Nome, "my comrade
and I are your friends. We are magicians, and from our home in the
sky we can look down into the Land of Oz and see everything that is
going on. Also we can hear what the people below us are saying. That
is how we heard Ozma, who rules the Land of Oz, say to her people:
'The beasts in the Forest of Gugu are lazy and are of no use to us.
Let us go to their forest and make them all our prisoners. Let us tie
them with ropes, and beat them with sticks, until they work for us and
become our willing slaves.' And when the people heard Ozma of Oz say
this, they were glad and raised a great shout and said: 'We will do
it! We will make the beasts of the Forest of Gugu our slaves!'"
The wicked old Nome could say no more, just then, for such a fierce
roar of anger rose from the multitude of beasts that his voice was
drowned by the clamor.
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