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Chapter 27 · The Emerald City of Oz

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  This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The Emerald
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  City of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Chapter twenty seven, How the
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  Fierce Warriors invaded Oz. The Nome King and his terrible allies sat at the
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  banquet table until midnight. There was much quarreling between the growleywogs and Phanfasms,
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  and one of the wee headed Whimsies got angry at General Guph and choked him
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  until he nearly stopped breathing. Yet no one was seriously hurt, and the
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  Nome King felt much relieved when the clock struck twelve and they all sprang up
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  and seized their weapons. Aha shouted, the First and Foremost now to conquer
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  the land of Oz. He marshaled his Phanfasms in battle array, and at
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  his word of command, they marched into the tunnel and began the long journey
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  through it to the Emerald City. The First and Foremost intended to take all
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  the treasures in Oz for himself, to kill all who could be killed,
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  and enslave the rest to destroy and lay waste the whole country. And afterward
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  to conquer and enslave the Nomes, the Growleywogs, and the Whimsies. And
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  he knew his power was sufficient to enable him to do all these things easily.
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  Next marched into the tunnel the army of gigantic Groleywogs, with their Grand
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  Gallipoot at their head. They were dreadful beings, indeed, and longed to
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  get to Oz that they might begin to pilfer and destroy the Grand Gallipoot.
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  Was a little afraid of the First and Foremost, but had a cunning plan
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  to murder or destroy that powerful being and secure the wealth of Oz for himself.
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  Mighty little of the plunder would the Nome king get, thought the Grand
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  Gallipoot, the chief of the Whimsies, now marched his false headed forces into
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  the tunnel. In his wicked little head was a plot to destroy both the
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  First and Foremost and the Grand Gallipoot. He intended to let them conquer Oz,
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  since they insisted on going first, but he would afterward treacherously destroy them
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  as well as King Roquat, and keep all the slaves and treasure of Ozma's
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  kingdom for himself. After all, his dangerous allies had marched into the tunnel.
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  The Nome King and General Guph started to follow them, at the head
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  of fifty thousand Nomes, all fully armed. Guph, said the King.
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  Those creatures ahead of us mean mischief. They intend to get everything for themselves
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  and leave us nothing. I know, replied the General, but they are
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  not as clever as they think they are. When you get the magic Belt,
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  you must at once wish the whimsies and growleywogs and phanfasms all back into
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  their own countries, and the belt will surely take them there. Good,
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  cried the King. An excellent plan, Guph. I'll do it while they
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  are conquering Oz. I'll get the magic Belt, and then only the Nomes
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  will remain to ravage the country. So you see, there was only one
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  thing that all were agreed upon, that Oz should be destroyed. On on
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  on the vast ranks of invaders marched, filling the tunnel from side to side
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  with a steady tramp tramp. They advanced every step, taking them nearer to
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  the beautiful Emerald City. Nothing can save the land of Oz, thought the
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  first and foremost, scowling until his bare face was as black as the tunnel.
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  The Emerald City is as good as destroyed, already, muttered the Grand
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  Gallipoot, shaking his war club fiercely. In a few hours, Oz will
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  be a desert, said the Chief of the Whimsies, with an evil laugh.
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  My dear guph, remarked the Nome King to his general. At last,
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  my vengeance upon Ozma of Oz and her people is about to be accomplished.
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  You are right, declared the General Ozma is surely lost. And now
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  the first and foremost, who was in advance and nearing the Emerald city,
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  began to cough and to sneeze. This tunnel is terribly dusty, he growled
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  angrily. I'll punish that Nome King for not having it swept clean. My
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  throat and eyes are getting full of dust, and I'm as thirsty as a
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  fish. The Grand Gallipoot was coughing, too, and his throat was parched
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  and dry. What a dusty place, he cried. I'll be glad when
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  we reach Oz where we can get a drink. Who has any water,
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  asked the Whimsie chief, gasping and choking, But none of his followers carried
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  a drop of water, so he hastened on to get through the dusty tunnel.
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  To the land of Oz. Where did all this dust come from?
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  Demanded General Guph, trying hard to swallow, but finding his throat so dry,
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  he couldn't. I don't know, answered the Nome King. I've been
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  in the tunnel every day while it was being built, but I never noticed
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  any dust before. Let's hurry, cried the General. I'd give half the
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  golden Oz for a drink of water. The dust grew thicker and thicker,
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  and the throats and eyes and noses of the invaders were filled with it.
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  But not one halted or turned back. They hurried forward, more fierce and
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  vengeful than ever. End of Chapter twenty seven.