8. How the Grand Gallipoot Joined The Nomes

The Emerald City of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

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."