14. The Wizard Learns the Magic Word

           Now,theGoosewasthetransformationofoldRuggedo,whowasatonetimeKingoftheNomes,andhewasevenmoreangryatKikiAruthanweretheotherswhoshapeshadbeenchanged.TheNomedetestedanythinginthewayofabird,becausebirdslayeggsandeggsarefearedbyalltheNomesmorethananythingelseintheworld.Agooseisafoolishbird,too,andRuggedowasdreadfullyashamedoftheshapehewasforcedtowear.AnditwouldmakehimshuddertoreflectthattheGoosemightlayanegg!

           SotheNomewasafraidofhimselfandafraidofeverythingaroundhim.Ifaneggtouchedhimhecouldthenbedestroyed,andalmostanyanimalhemetintheforestmighteasilyconquerhim.AndthatwouldbetheendofoldRuggedotheNome.

           Asidefromthesefears,however,hewasfilledwithangeragainstKiki,whomhehadmeanttotrapbycleverlystealingfromhimtheMagicWord.Theboymusthavebeencrazytospoileverythingthewayhedid,butRuggedoknewthatthearrivaloftheWizardhadscaredKiki,andhewasnotsorrytheboyhadtransformedtheWizardandDorothyandmadethemhelpless.Itwashisowntransformationthatannoyedhimandmadehimindignant,soheranabouttheforesthuntingforKiki,sothathemightgetabettershapeandcoaxtheboytofollowhisplanstoconquertheLandofOz.

           KikiAruhadn’tgoneveryfaraway,forhehadsurprisedhimselfaswellastheothersbythequicktransformationsandwaspuzzledastowhattodonext.