"You are my prisoner, and it is useless for you to struggle any longer,"said Glinda, in her soft, sweet voice. "Lie still a moment, and restyourself, and then I will carry you back to my tent."

"Why do you seek me?" asked Mombi, still scarce able to speak plainly forlack of breath. "What have I done to you, to be so persecuted?"

"You have done nothing to me," answered the gentle Sorceress; "but I suspectyou have been guilty of several wicked actions; and if I find it is truethat you have so abused your knowledge of magic, I intend to punish youseverely."

"I defy you!" croaked the old hag. "You dare not harm me!"

Just then the Gump flew up to them and alighted upon the desert sands besideGlinda. Our friendswere delighted to find that Mombi had finally been captured, and after ahurried consultation it was decided they should all return to the camp inthe Gump. So the Saw-Horse was tossed aboard, and then Glinda still holdingan end of the golden thread that was around Mombi's neck, forced herprisoner to climb into the sofas. The others now followed, and Tip gave theword to the Gump to return.

The Journey was made in safety, Mombi sitting in her place with a grim andsullen air; for the old hag was absolutely helpless so long as the magicalthread encircled her throat. The army hailed Glinda's return with loudcheers, and the party of friends soon gathered again in the royal tent,which had been neatly repaired during their absence.

"Now," said the Sorceress to Mombi, "I want you to tell us why the WonderfulWizard of Oz paid you three visits, and what became of the child, Ozma,which so curiously disappeared."

The Witch looked at Glinda defiantly, but said not a word.

"Answer me!" cried the Sorceress.

But still Mombi remained silent.

"Perhaps she doesn't know," remarked Jack.

"I beg you will keep quiet," said Tip. "You might spoil everything with yourfoolishness."

"Very well, dear father!" returned the Pumpkinhead, meekly.

"How glad I am to be a Woggle-Bug!" murmured the Highly Magnified Insect,softly. "No one can expect wisdom to flow from a pumpkin."

"Well," said the Scarecrow, "what shall we do to make Mombi speak? Unlessshe tells us what we wish to know her capture will do us no good at all."

"Suppose we try kindness," suggested the Tin Woodman. "I've heard thatanyone can be conquered with kindness, no matter how ugly they may be."

At this the Witch turned to glare upon him so horribly that the Tin Woodmanshrank back abashed.

Glinda had been carefully considering what to do, and now she turned toMombi and said:

"You will gain nothing, I assure you, by thus defying us. For I amdetermined to learn the truth about the girl Ozma, and unless you tell meall that you know, I will certainly put you to death."

"Oh, no! Don't do that!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman. "It would be an awfulthing to kill anyone -- even old Mombi!"

"But it is merely a threat," returned Glinda. "I shall not put Mombi todeath, because she will prefer to tell me the truth."

"Oh, I see!" said the tin man, much relieved.

"Suppose I tell you all that you wish to know,". said Mombi, speaking sosuddenly that she startled them all. "What will you do with me then?"

"In that case," replied Glinda, "I shall merely ask you to drink a powerfuldraught which will cause you to forget all the magic you have ever learned."

"Then I would become a helpless old woman!"

"But you would be alive," suggested the Pumpkinhead, consolingly.

"Do try to keep silent!" said Tip, nervously.

"I'll try," responded Jack; "but you will admit that it's a good thing to bealive."

"Especially if one happens to be Thoroughly Educated," added the Woggle-Bug,nodding approval.

"You may make your choice," Glinda said to old Mombi, "between death if youremain silent, and the loss of your magical powers if you tell me the truth.But I think you will prefer to live.

Mombi cast an uneasy glance at the Sorceress, and saw that she was inearnest, and not to be trifled with. So she replied, slowly:

"I will answer your questions."

"That is what I expected," said Glinda, pleasantly. "You have chosen wisely,I assure you."

She then motioned to one of her Captains, who brought her a beautiful goldencasket. From thisthe Sorceress drew an immense white pearl, attached to a slender chain whichshe placed around her neck in such a way that the pearl rested upon herbosom, directly over her heart.

"Now," said she, "I will ask my first question: Why did the Wizard pay youthree visits?"

"Because I would not come to him," answered Mombi.

"That is no answer," said Glinda, sternly. "Tell me the truth."

"Well," returned Mombi, with downcast eyes, "he visited me to learn the wayI make tea-biscuits."

"Look up!" commanded the Sorceress.

Mombi obeyed.

"What is the color of my pearl?" demanded Glinda.

"Why -- it is black!" replied the old Witch, in a tone of wonder.

"Then you have told me a falsehood!" cried Glinda, angrily. "Only when thetruth is spoken will my magic pearl remain a pure white in color."

Mombi now saw how useless it was to try to deceive the Sorceress; so shesaid, meanwhile scowling at her defeat:

"The Wizard brought to me the girl Ozma, who was then no more than a baby,and begged me to conceal the child."

"That is what I thought," declared Glinda, calmly. "What did he give you forthus serving him?"

"He taught me all the magical tricks he knew. Some were good tricks, andsome were only frauds; but I have remained faithful to my promise."

"What did you do with the girl?" asked Glinda; and at this question everyonebent forward and listened eagerly for the reply.

"I enchanted her," answered Mombi.

"In what way?"

"I transformed her into -- into -- "

"Into what?" demanded Glinda, as the Witch hesitated.

"Into a boy!" said Mombi, in a low tone."

A boy!" echoed every voice; and then, because they knew that this old womanhad reared Tip from childhood, all eyes were turned to where the boy stood.

"Yes," said the old Witch, nodding her head; "that is the Princess Ozma --the child brought to me by the Wizard who stole her father's throne. That isthe rightful ruler of the Emerald City!" and she pointed her long bonyfinger straight at the boy.

"I!" cried Tip, in amazement. "Why, I'm no Princess Ozma -- I'm not a girl!"

Glinda smiled, and going to Tip she took his small brown hand within herdainty white one.

"You are not a girl just now" said she, gently, "because Mombi transformedyou into a boy. But you were born a girl, and also a Princess; so you mustresume your proper form, that you may become Queen of the Emerald City."

"Oh, let Jinjur be the Queen!" exclaimed Tip, ready to cry. "I want to staya boy, and travel with the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, and the Woggle-Bug, and Jack -- yes! and my friend the Saw-Horse -- and the Gump! I don'twant to be a girl!"

"Never mind, old chap," said the Tin Woodman, soothingly; "it don't hurt tobe a girl, I'm told; and we will all remain your faithful friends just thesame. And, to be honest with you, I've always considered girls nicer thanboys."

"They're just as nice, anyway," added the Scarecrow, patting Tipaffectionately upon the head.

"And they are equally good students," proclaimed the Woggle-Bug. "I shouldlike to become your tutor, when you are transformed into a girl again."

"But -- see here!" said Jack Pumpkinhead, with a gasp: "if you become agirl, you can't be my dear father any more!"

"No," answered Tip, laughing in spite of his anxiety. "and I shall not besorry to escape the relationship." Then he added, hesitatingly, as he turnedtoGlinda: "I might try it for awhile,-just to see how it seems, you know. Butif I don't like being a girl you must promise to change me into a boyagain."

"Really," said the Sorceress, "that is beyond my magic. I never deal intransformations, for they are not honest, and no respectable sorceress likesto make things appear to be what they are not. Only unscrupulous witches usethe art, and therefore I must ask Mombi to effect your release from hercharm, and restore you to your proper form. It will be the last opportunityshe will have to practice magic."

Now that the truth about Princes Ozma had been discovered, Mombi did notcare what became of Tip; but she feared Glinda's anger, and the boygenerously promised to provide for Mombi in her old age if he became theruler of the Emerald City. So the Witch consented to effect thetransformation, and preparations for the event were at once made.

Glinda ordered her own royal couch to be placed in the center of the tent.It was piled high with cushions covered with rose-colored silk, and from agolden railing above hung many folds of pink gossamer, completely concealingthe interior of the couch.

The first act of the Witch was to make the boy drink a potion which quicklysent him into a deep and dreamless sleep. Then the Tin Woodman and theWoggle-Bug bore him gently to the couch, placed him upon the soft cushions,and drew the gossamer hangings to shut him from all earthly view.

The Witch squatted upon the ground and kindled a tiny fire of dried herbs,which she drew from her bosom. When the blaze shot up and burned clearly oldMombi scattered a handful of magical powder over the fire, which straightwaygave off a rich violet vapor, filling all the tent with its fragrance andforcing the Saw-Horse to sneeze -- although he had been warned to keepquiet.

Then, while the others watched her curiously, the hag chanted a rhythmicalverse in words which no one understood, and bent her lean body seven timesback and forth over the fire. And now the incantation seemed complete, forthe Witch stood upright and cried the one word "Yeowa!" in a loud voice.

The vapor floated away; the atmosphere became, clear again; a whiff of freshair filled the tent, and the pink curtains of the couch trembled slightly,as if stirred from within.

Glinda walked to the canopy and parted the silken hangings. Then she bentover the cushions, reached out her hand, and from the couch arose the formof a young girl, fresh and beautiful as a May morning. Her eyes sparkled astwo diamonds, and her lips were tinted like a tourmaline. All adown her backfloated tresses of ruddy gold, with a slender jeweled circlet confining themat the brow. Her robes of silken gauze floated around her like a cloud, anddainty satin slippers shod her feet.

At this exquisite vision Tip's old comrades stared in wonder for the spaceof a full minute, and then every head bent low in honest admiration of thelovely Princess Ozma. The girl herself cast one look into Glinda's brightface, which glowed with pleasure and satisfaction, and then turned upon theothers. Speaking the words with sweet diffidence, she said:

"I hope none of you will care less for me than you did before. I'm just thesame Tip, you know; only -- only -- "

"Only you're different!" said the Pumpkinhead; and everyone thought it wasthe wisest speech he had ever made.