"
The Wizard placed the walnut near the fountain and said, as slowly
and solemnly as before:
"I want you to resume your natural form, and to be very
thirsty--Pyrzqxgl!"
Then the walnut disappeared and Ruggedo the Nome stood in its place.
He also was facing the fountain, and he reached for the cup, filled
it, and was about to drink when Dorothy exclaimed:
"Why, it's the old Nome King!"
Ruggedo swung around and faced them, the cup still in his hand.
"Yes," he said in an angry voice, "it's the old Nome King, and I'm
going to conquer all Oz and be revenged on you for kicking me out of
my throne." He looked around a moment, and then continued: "There
isn't an egg in sight, and I'm stronger than all of you people put
together! I don't know how I came here, but I'm going to fight the
fight of my life--and I'll win!"
His long white hair and beard waved in the breeze; his eyes flashed
hate and vengeance, and so astonished and shocked were they by the
sudden appearance of this old enemy of the Oz people that they could
only stare at him in silence and shrink away from his wild glare.
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