When the six monkeys were transformed by Kiki Aru into six giantsoldiers fifty feet tall, their heads came above the top of thetrees, which in this part of the forest were not so high as in someother parts; and, although the trees were somewhat scattered, thebodies of the giant soldiers were so big that they quite filled thespaces in which they stood and the branches pressed them on every side.

Of course, Kiki was foolish to have made his soldiers so big, fornow they could not get out of the forest. Indeed, they could not stira step, but were imprisoned by the trees. Even had they been in thelittle clearing they could not have made their way out of it, but theywere a little beyond the clearing. At first, the other monkeys whohad not been enchanted were afraid of the soldiers, and hastilyquitted the place; but soon finding that the great men stood stockstill, although grunting indignantly at their transformation, the bandof monkeys returned to the spot and looked at them curiously, notguessing that they were really monkeys and their own friends.

The soldiers couldn't see them, their heads being above the trees;they could not even raise their arms or draw their sharp swords, soclosely were they held by the leafy branches. So the monkeys, findingthe giants helpless, began climbing up their bodies, and presently allthe band were perched on the shoulders of the giants and peering intotheir faces.

"I'm Ebu, your father," cried one soldier to a monkey who hadperched upon his left ear, "but some cruel person has enchanted me."

"I'm your Uncle Peeker," said another soldier to another monkey.

So, very soon all the monkeys knew the truth and were sorry fortheir friends and relations and angry at the person--whoever itwas--who had transformed them. There was a great chattering among thetree-tops, and the noise attracted other monkeys, so that the clearingand all the trees around were full of them.

Rango the Gray Ape, who was the Chief of all the monkey tribes ofthe forest, heard the uproar and came to see what was wrong with hispeople. And Rango, being wiser and more experienced, at once knewthat the strange magician who looked like a mixed-up beast wasresponsible for the transformations. He realized that the six giantsoldiers were helpless prisoners, because of their size, and knew hewas powerless to release them. So, although he feared to meet theterrible magician, he hurried away to the Great Clearing to tell Guguthe King what had happened and to try to find the Wizard of Oz andget him to save his six enchanted subjects.

Rango darted into the Great Clearing just as the Wizard had restoredall the enchanted ones around him to their proper shapes, and the GrayApe was glad to hear that the wicked magician-beast had been conquered.

"But now, O mighty Wizard, you must come with me to where six of mypeople are transformed into six great giant men," he said, "for ifthey are allowed to remain there, their happiness and their futurelives will be ruined."

The Wizard did not reply at once, for he was thinking this a goodopportunity to win Rango's consent to his taking some monkeys to theEmerald City for Ozma's birthday cake.

"It is a great thing you ask of me, O Rango the Gray Ape," said he,"for the bigger the giants are the more powerful their enchantment,and the more difficult it will be to restore them to their naturalforms. However, I will think it over."

Then the Wizard went to another part of the clearing and sat on alog and appeared to be in deep thought.

The Glass Cat had been greatly interested in the Gray Ape's story andwas curious to see what the giant soldiers looked like. Hearing thattheir heads extended above the tree-tops, the Glass Cat decided thatif it climbed the tall avocado tree that stood at the side of theclearing, it might be able to see the giants' heads. So, withoutmentioning her errand, the crystal creature went to the tree and, bysticking her sharp glass claws in the bark, easily climbed the tree toits very top and, looking over the forest, saw the six giant heads,although they were now a long way off. It was, indeed, a remarkablesight, for the huge heads had immense soldier caps on them, with redand yellow plumes and looked very fierce and terrible, although themonkey hearts of the giants were at that moment filled with fear.

Having satisfied her curiosity, the Glass Cat began to climb downfrom the tree more slowly. Suddenly she discerned the Wizard's blackbag hanging from a limb of the tree. She grasped the black bag in herglass teeth, and although it was rather heavy for so small an animal,managed to get it free and to carry it safely down to the ground.Then she looked around for the Wizard and seeing him seated upon thestump she hid the black bag among some leaves and then went over towhere the Wizard sat.

"I forgot to tell you," said the Glass Cat, "that Trot and Cap'nBill are in trouble, and I came here to hunt you up and get you to goand rescue them."

"Good gracious, Cat! Why didn't you tell me before?" exclaimed the Wizard.

"For the reason that I found so much excitement here that I forgotTrot and Cap'n Bill."

"What's wrong with them?" asked the Wizard.

Then the Glass Cat explained how they had gone to get the MagicFlower for Ozma's birthday gift and had been trapped by the magic ofthe queer island. The Wizard was really alarmed, but he shook hishead and said sadly:

"I'm afraid I can't help my dear friends, because I've lost my black bag."

"If I find it, will you go to them?" asked the creature.

"Of course," replied the Wizard. "But I do not think that a GlassCat with nothing but pink brains can succeed when all the rest of ushave failed."

"Don't you admire my pink brains?" demanded the Cat.

"They're pretty," admitted the Wizard, "but they're not regularbrains, you know, and so we don't expect them to amount to much."

"But if I find your black bag--and find it inside of fiveminutes--will you admit my pink brains are better than your commonhuman brains?"

"Well, I'll admit they're better HUNTERS," said the Wizard,reluctantly, "but you can't do it. We've searched everywhere, and theblack bag isn't to be found."

"That shows how much you know!" retorted the Glass Cat, scornfully."Watch my brains a minute, and see them whirl around."

The Wizard watched, for he was anxious to regain his black bag, andthe pink brains really did whirl around in a remarkable manner.

"Now, come with me," commanded the Glass Cat, and led the Wizardstraight to the spot where it had covered the bag with leaves."According to my brains," said the creature, "your black bag ought tobe here."

Then it scratched at the leaves and uncovered the bag, which theWizard promptly seized with a cry of delight. Now that he hadregained his Magic Tools, he felt confident he could rescue Trot andCap'n Bill.

Rango the Gray Ape was getting impatient. He now approached theWizard and said:

"Well, what do you intend to do about those poor enchanted monkeys?"

"I'll make a bargain with you, Rango," replied the little man. "Ifyou will let me take a dozen of your monkeys to the Emerald City, andkeep them until after Ozma's birthday, I'll break the enchantment ofthe six Giant Soldiers and return them to their natural forms."

But the Gray Ape shook his head.

"I can't do it," he declared. "The monkeys would be very lonesomeand unhappy in the Emerald City and your people would tease them andthrow stones at them, which would cause them to fight and bite."

"The people won't see them till Ozma's birthday dinner," promisedthe Wizard. "I'll make them very small--about four inches high, andI'll keep them in a pretty cage in my own room, where they will besafe from harm. I'll feed them the nicest kind of food, train them todo some clever tricks, and on Ozma's birthday I'll hide the twelvelittle monkeys inside a cake. When Ozma cuts the cake the monkeyswill jump out on to the table and do their tricks. The next day Iwill bring them back to the forest and make them big as ever, andthey'll have some exciting stories to tell their friends. What do yousay, Rango?"

"I say no!" answered the Gray Ape. "I won't have my monkeysenchanted and made to do tricks for the Oz people."

"Very well," said the Wizard calmly; "then I'll go. Come, Dorothy,"he called to the little girl, "let's start on our journey."

"Aren't you going to save those six monkeys who are giant soldiers?"asked Rango, anxiously.

"Why should I?" returned the Wizard. "If you will not do me thefavor I ask, you cannot expect me to favor you."

"Wait a minute," said the Gray Ape. "I've changed my mind. If youwill treat the twelve monkeys nicely and bring them safely back to theforest, I'll let you take them."

"Thank you," replied the Wizard, cheerfully. "We'll go at once andsave those giant soldiers."

So all the party left the clearing and proceeded to the place wherethe giants still stood among the trees. Hundreds of monkeys, apes,baboons and orangoutangs had gathered round, and their wild chattercould be heard a mile away. But the Gray Ape soon hushed the babel ofsounds, and the Wizard lost no time in breaking the enchantments.First one and then another giant soldier disappeared and became anordinary monkey again, and the six were shortly returned to theirfriends in their proper forms.

This action made the Wizard very popular with the great army ofmonkeys, and when the Gray Ape announced that the Wizard wanted toborrow twelve monkeys to take to the Emerald City for a couple ofweeks, and asked for volunteers, nearly a hundred offered to go,so great was their confidence in the little man who had savedtheir comrades.

The Wizard selected a dozen that seemed intelligent andgood-tempered, and then he opened his black bag and took out a queerlyshaped dish that was silver on the outside and gold on the inside.Into this dish he poured a powder and set fire to it. It made a thicksmoke that quite enveloped the twelve monkeys, as well as the form ofthe Wizard, but when the smoke cleared away the dish had been changedto a golden cage with silver bars, and the twelve monkeys had becomeabout three inches high and were all seated comfortably inside the cage.

The thousands of hairy animals who had witnessed this act of magicwere much astonished and applauded the Wizard by barking aloud andshaking the limbs of the trees in which they sat. Dorothy said: "Thatwas a fine trick, Wizard!" and the Gray Ape remarked: "You arecertainly the most wonderful magician in all the Land of Oz!"

"Oh, no," modestly replied the little man. "Glinda's magic isbetter than mine, but mine seems good enough to use on ordinaryoccasions. And now, Rango, we will say good-bye, and I promise toreturn your monkeys as happy and safe as they are now."

The Wizard rode on the back of the Hungry Tiger and carried the cageof monkeys very carefully, so as not to joggle them. Dorothy rode onthe back of the Cowardly Lion, and the Glass Cat trotted, as before,to show them the way.

Gugu the King crouched upon a log and watched them go, but as hebade them farewell, the enormous Leopard said:

"I know now that you are the friends of beasts and that the forestpeople may trust you. Whenever the Wizard of Oz and Princess Dorothyenter the Forest of Gugu hearafter, they will be as welcome and assafe with us as ever they are in the Emerald City."