After leaving the Whimsies,
Guph continued on his journey
and penetrated far into the Northwest.
He wanted to get to the Country
of the Growleywogs, 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 of hills and
valleys, all very steep and rocky,
and they changed places constantly
by rippling. While Guph was climbing
a hill it sank down under him
and became a valley, and while
he was descending into a valley
it rose up and carried him to
the top of a hill. This was very
perplexing to the traveler, and
a stranger might have thought
he could never cross the Ripple
Land at all. But Guph knew that
if he kept steadily on he would
get to the end at last; so he
paid no attention to the changing
hills and valleys and plodded
along as calmly as if walking
upon the level ground.
The result of this wise persistence
was that the General finally
reached firmer soil and, after
penetrating a dense forest, came
to the Dominion of the Growleywogs.
No sooner had he crossed the
border of this domain when two
guards seized him and carried
him before the Grand Gallipoot
of the Growleywogs, who scowled
upon him ferociously and asked
him why he dared intrude upon
his territory.
"I'm the Lord High General
of the Invincible Army of the
Nomes, and my name is Guph," was
the reply. "All the world trembles
when that name is mentioned."
The Growleywogs gave a shout
of jeering laughter at this,
and one of them caught the Nome
in his strong arms and tossed
him high into the air. Guph was
considerably shaken when he fell
upon the hard ground, but he
appeared to take no notice of
the impertinence and composed
himself to speak again to the
Grand Gallipoot.
"My master,
King Roquat the Red, has sent
me here to confer
with you. He wishes your assistance
to conquer the Land of Oz."
Here the General paused, and
the Grand Gallipoot scowled upon
him more terribly 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 to understand
him.
These Growleywogs were certainly
remarkable creatures. They were
of gigantic size, yet were all
bone and skin and muscle, there
being no meat or fat upon their
bodies at all. Their powerful
muscles lay just underneath their
skins, like bunches of tough
rope, and the weakest Growleywog
was so strong that he could pick
up an elephant and toss it seven
miles away.
It seems unfortunate that strong
people are usually so disagreeable
and overbearing that no one cares
for them. In fact, to be different
from your fellow creatures is
always a misfortune. The Growleywogs
knew that they were disliked
and avoided by every one, so
they had become surly and unsociable
even among themselves. Guph knew
that they hated all people, including
the Nomes; but he hoped to win
them over, nevertheless, and
knew that if he succeeded they
would afford him very powerful
assistance.
"The Land of Oz is ruled by
a namby-pamby girl who is disgustingly
kind and good," he continued. "Her
people are all happy and contented
and have no care or worries whatever."
"Go on!" growled
the Grand Gallipoot.
"Once the Nome King enslaved
the Royal Family of Ev--another
goody-goody lot that we detest," said
the General. "But Ozma interfered,
although it was none of her business,
and marched her army against
us. With her was a Kansas girl
named Dorothy, and a Yellow Hen,
and they marched directly into
the Nome King's cavern. There
they liberated our slaves from
Ev and stole King Roquat's Magic
Belt, which they carried away
with them. So now our King is
making a tunnel under the deadly
desert, so we can march through
it to the Emerald City. When
we get there we mean to conquer
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 occurred to him.
"We want you to help us in
this conquest," he announced, "for
we need the mighty aid of the
Growleywogs in order to make
sure that we shall not be defeated.
You are the strongest people
in all the world, and you hate
good and happy creatures as much
as we Nomes do. I am sure it
will be a real pleasure to you
to tear down the beautiful Emerald
City, and in return for your
valuable assistance we will allow
you to bring back to 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 General Guph and carried him
away to a prison, where the jailer
amused himself by sticking pins
in the round fat body of the
old Nome, to see him jump and
hear him yell.
But while this was going on
the Grand Gallipoot was talking
with his counselors, 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
the Land of Oz, we will take
not only our twenty thousand
prisoners but all the 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
King Roquat for my own slave.
He could black my boots and bring
me my porridge every morning
while I am in bed."
"There is a famous Scarecrow
in Oz. I'll take him for my slave," said
a counselor.
"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 of Oz in advance of
the conquest. For they had no
doubt at all that they would
be able to destroy Ozma's domain.
Were they not the strongest people
in all the world?
"The deadly desert has kept
us out of Oz before," remarked
the Grand Gallipoot, "but now
that the Nome King is building
a tunnel we shall get into the
Emerald City very easily. So
let us send the little fat General
back to his King with our promise
to assist him. We will not say
that we intend to conquer the
Nomes after we have conquered
Oz, but we will do so, just the
same."
This plan being agreed upon,
they all went home to dinner,
leaving General Guph still in
prison. The Nome had no idea
that he had succeeded in his
mission, for finding himself
in prison he feared the Growleywogs
intended to put him to death.
By this time the jailer had
tired of sticking pins in the
General, and was amusing himself
by carefully pulling the Nome's
whiskers out by the roots, one
at a time. This enjoyment was
interrupted by the Grand Gallipoot
sending for the prisoner.
"Wait a few hours," begged
the jailer. "I haven't pulled
out a quarter of his whiskers
yet."
"If you keep the Grand Gallipoot
waiting, he'll break your back," declared
the messenger.
"Perhaps you're right," sighed
the jailer. "Take the prisoner
away, if you will, but I advise
you to kick him at every step
he takes. It will be good fun,
for he is as soft as a ripe peach."
So Guph was led away to the
royal castle, where the Grand
Gallipoot told him that the Growleywogs
had decided to assist the Nomes
in conquering the Land of Oz.
"Whenever you are ready," he
added, "send me word and I will
march with eighteen thousand
of my most powerful warriors
to your aid."
Guph was so delighted that
he forgot all the smarting caused
by the pins and the pulling of
whiskers. He did not even complain
of the treatment he had received,
but thanked the Grand Gallipoot
and hurried away upon his 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
life depended upon his conquering
Oz, and he said to himself:
"I'll take
no chances. I'll be certain
of success. Then,
when Oz is destroyed, perhaps
I shall be a greater man than
old Roquat, and I can throw him
away and be King of the Nomes
myself. Why not? The Whimsies
are stronger than the Nomes,
and they also are my friends.
There are some people still stronger
than the Growleywogs, and if
I can but induce them to aid
me I shall have nothing more
to fear."
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