27. How the Fierce Warriors Invaded Oz

The Emerald City of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

The Nome King and his terrible allies sat at the banquet table
until midnight. There was much quarreling between the Growleywogs
and Phanfasms, and one of the wee-headed Whimsies got angry at
General Guph and choked him until he nearly stopped breathing. Yet
no one was seriously hurt, and the Nome King felt much relieved when
the clock struck twelve and they all sprang up and seized their
weapons.

"Aha!" shouted the First and Foremost. "Now to conquer the Land
of Oz!"

He marshaled his Phanfasms in battle array and at his word of
command they marched into the tunnel and began the long journey
through it to the Emerald City. The First and Foremost intended to
take all the treasures of Oz for himself; to kill all who could be
killed and enslave the rest; to destroy and lay waste the whole
country, and afterward to conquer and enslave the Nomes, the
Growleywogs and the Whimsies. And he knew his power was sufficient
to enable him to do all these things easily.

Next marched into the tunnel the army of gigantic Growleywogs,
with their Grand Gallipoot at their head. They were dreadful beings,
indeed, and longed to get to Oz that they might begin to pilfer and
destroy. The Grand Gallipoot was a little afraid of the First and
Foremost, but had a cunning plan to murder or destroy that powerful
being and secure the wealth of Oz for himself. Mighty little of the
plunder would the Nome King get, thought the Grand Gallipoot.

The Chief of the Whimsies now marched his false-headed forces
into the tunnel. In his wicked little head was a plot to destroy
both the First and Foremost and the Grand Gallipoot. He intended to
let them conquer Oz, since they insisted on going first; but he would
afterward treacherously destroy them, as well as King Roquat, and
keep all the slaves and treasure of Ozma's kingdom for himself.

After all his dangerous allies had marched into the tunnel the
Nome King and General Guph started to follow them, at the head of
fifty thousand Nomes, all fully armed.

"Guph," said the King, "those creatures ahead of us mean
mischief. They intend to get everything for themselves and leave us
nothing."

"I know," replied the General; "but they are not as clever as
they think they are. When you get the Magic Belt you must at once
wish the Whimsies and Growleywogs and Phanfasms all back into their
own countries--and the Belt will surely take them there."

"Good!" cried the King. "An excellent plan, Guph. I'll do it.
While they are conquering Oz I'll get the Magic Belt, and then only
the Nomes will remain to ravage the country."

So you see there was only one thing that all were agreed
upon--that Oz should be destroyed.

On, on, on the vast ranks of invaders marched, filling the
tunnel from side to side. With a steady tramp, tramp, they advanced,
every step taking them nearer to the beautiful Emerald City.

"Nothing can save the Land of Oz!" thought the First and
Foremost, scowling until his bear face was as black as the tunnel.

"The Emerald City is as good as destroyed already!" muttered the
Grand Gallipoot, shaking his war club fiercely.

"In a few hours Oz will be a desert!" said the Chief of the
Whimsies, with an evil laugh.

"My dear Guph," remarked the Nome King to his General, "at last
my vengeance upon Ozma of Oz and her people is about to be
accomplished."

"You are right!" declared the General. "Ozma is surely
lost."

And now the First and Foremost, who was in advance and nearing
the Emerald City, began to cough and to sneeze.

"This tunnel is terribly dusty," he growled, angrily. "I'll
punish that Nome King for not having it swept clean. My throat and
eyes are getting full of dust and I'm as thirsty as a fish!"

The Grand Gallipoot was coughing too, and his throat was parched
and dry.

"What a dusty place!" he cried. "I'll be glad when we reach Oz,
where we can get a drink."

"Who has any water?" asked the Whimsie Chief, gasping and
choking. But none of his followers carried a drop of water, so he
hastened on to get through the dusty tunnel to the Land of Oz.

"Where did all this dust come from?" demanded General Guph,
trying hard to swallow but finding his throat so dry he couldn't.

"I don't know," answered the Nome King. "I've been in the
tunnel every day while it was being built, but I never noticed any
dust before."

"Let's hurry!" cried the General. "I'd give half the gold in Oz
for a drink of water."

The dust grew thicker and thicker, and the throats and eyes and
noses of the invaders were filled with it. But not one halted or
turned back. They hurried forward more fierce and vengeful than
ever.