The Forest Monster of Oz | Page 7

until he became
caught in her pocket. Ozma, being that she was only a little girl after all, began to scream
until Elephant reached into the pocket with his trunk and retrieved the rodent.

"Thank you," Ozma said, composing herself. "When I was a little boy named Tip, I'd
have probably thought that very funny. But I am beginning to feel like Ozma again. This
is who I am truly destined to be. Now tell me, what is the nature of your call?"
Elephant and the others quickly explained about the Forest Monster and how they feared
for their lives. As they spoke, the child grew more and more solemn.
"It is hard to be a ruler over such a big land as Oz," spoke the child after she had heard
the news concerning the spider creature. "But I am not willing to allow such a fiendish
creature to harm any of my subjects. I do not know of your Lunechien Forest, but I will
do all in my power to assist you."
[Illustration: Lurliné, leader of the fairies]


CHAPTER 5
THE QUEEN OF OZ
The magic of Oz began with little more than a simple wish. The man who ruled at that
long-forgotten time, King Ozroar, was not a very happy monarch. He ruled the beautiful
land, but he had no magic with which to insure the happiness of the people. Sickening
fogs would envelop the land from time to time, and the area was never very prosperous.
Still, it was too beautiful to go overlooked by the fairies. These magical beings are able to
see things as they should be, not only as they are. One fairy who was especially interested
in the land of Oz was a leader of fairies named Lurliné.
Lurliné was no ordinary fairy ruler, though. She had especial insight into the things that
made beauty what it is. It was her keen insight that once brought her to Mount Olympus.
This legendary mountain has long been said to be the home of many ancient Gods.
According to the Ozian storytellers, who still today will sit by your campfire and tell you
a tale in exchange for a cup of tea or a morsel of food, these Immortals recognized her
abilities at once, and she was admitted into their society of Godhood. As a Goddess,
Lurliné was able to gain access to many things.
With the help of her fairy band, as well as the input of her sister fairy, Polychrome,
Lurliné was able to give the Land of Oz the magical enchantment that made it what it is
today. But she did not do the deed without a few pitfalls.
Among the things that Lurliné required to fulfill the spell's needs were Apollo's own sky
chariot, the flying horses to pull it through the air, Kolé's essence of crystal, and Lillith's
brazier of endless flame. At Polychrome's suggestion, she also obtained Iris' jug of
rainbow.
Unfortunately, Lurliné was not always scrupulous. In this event, she elected to take the

various magical requirements without the permission of the various deities. She stole into
their chambers at night as they lay sleeping and took the elements she wished. She then
went together with her fairy band and performed the enchantment over Oz.
She was banished from Mount Olympus as a result of her rash action. But, supposing the
legend is all true, the marvelous Land of Oz remains as a glowing tribute to the powers of
the Fairy Queen Lurliné. And to insure its longevity, Lurliné arranged for a fairy ruler to
watch over the country she had created. Of course, the ruler would have to be a native
Ozite. She would be a beautiful princess.
Princess Ozma was born several generations later unto a descendant of Ozroar and his
wife Ozia, herself a descendant of fairies and daughter of Oziana. Young Ozma was
prepared to take on the leadership of Oz upon reaching adulthood.
But Lurliné's plan was balked by the arrival of Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman
Henckle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs. This was a mortal man from outside of the
enchanted land who landed there in a balloon. It had been he who had erected the
Emerald City, and he who had sold the infant Ozma into slavery at the hands of a
heartless old Witch named Mombi. To hide the infant queen, Mombi had transformed her
into a boy. She believed that no one would ever think to look to a little boy to find the
fairy princess, so Ozma was aptly hidden away for a very long time.
But things in Oz do have a way of working out for the best. After Diggs left the country,
Ozma was found and restored to her proper being. She had aged very little,