In the central western part of the Gillikin Country is a greattangle of trees called Gugu Forest. It is the biggest forest in allOz and stretches miles and miles in every direction--north, south,east and west. Adjoining it on the east side is a range of ruggedmountains covered with underbrush and small twisted trees. You canfind this place by looking at the Map of the Land of Oz.

Gugu Forest is the home of most of the wild beasts that inhabit Oz.These are seldom disturbed in their leafy haunts because there is noreason why Oz people should go there, except on rare occasions, andmost parts of the forest have never been seen by any eyes but the eyesof the beasts who make their home there. The biggest beasts inhabitthe great forest, while the smaller ones live mostly in the mountainunderbrush at the east.

Now, you must know that there are laws in the forests, as well as inevery other place, and these laws are made by the beasts themselves,and are necessary to keep them from fighting and tearing one anotherto pieces. In Gugu Forest there is a King--an enormous yellow leopardcalled "Gugu"--after whom the forest is named. And this King hasthree other beasts to advise him in keeping the laws and maintainingorder--Bru the Bear, Loo the Unicorn and Rango the Gray Ape--who areknown as the King's Counselors. All these are fierce and ferociousbeasts, and hold their high offices because they are more intelligentand more feared then their fellows.

Since Oz became a fairyland, no man, woman or child ever dies inthat land nor is anyone ever sick. Likewise the beasts of the forestsnever die, so that long years add to their cunning and wisdom, as wellas to their size and strength. It is possible for beasts--or evenpeople--to be destroyed, but the task is so difficult that it isseldom attempted. Because it is free from sickness and death is onereason why Oz is a fairyland, but it is doubtful whether those whocome to Oz from the outside world, as Dorothy and Button-Bright andTrot and Cap'n Bill and the Wizard did, will live forever or cannot beinjured. Even Ozma is not sure about this, and so the guests of Ozmafrom other lands are always carefully protected from any danger, so asto be on the safe side.

In spite of the laws of the forests there are often fights among thebeasts; some of them have lost an eye or an ear or even had a leg tornoff. The King and the King's Counselors always punish those who starta fight, but so fierce is the nature of some beasts that they will attimes fight in spite of laws and punishment.

Over this vast, wild Forest of Gugu flew two eagles, one morning,and near the center of the jungle the eagles alighted on a branch of atall tree.

"Here is the place for us to begin our work," said one, who wasRuggedo, the Nome.

"Do many beasts live here?" asked Kiki Aru, the other eagle.

"The forest is full of them," said the Nome. "There are enoughbeasts right here to enable us to conquer the people of Oz, if we canget them to consent to join us. To do that, we must go among themand tell them our plans, so we must now decide on what shapes we hadbetter assume while in the forest."

"I suppose we must take the shapes of beasts?" said Kiki.

"Of course. But that requires some thought. All kinds of beastslive here, and a yellow leopard is King. If we become leopards, theKing will be jealous of us. If we take the forms of some of the otherbeasts, we shall not command proper respect."

"I wonder if the beasts will attack us?" asked Kiki.

"I'm a Nome, and immortal, so nothing can hurt me," replied Ruggedo.

"I was born in the Land of Oz, so nothing can hurt me," said Kiki.

"But, in order to carry out our plans, we must win the favor of allthe animals of the forest."

"Then what shall we do?" asked Kiki.

"Let us mix the shapes of several beasts, so we will not look likeany one of them," proposed the wily old Nome. "Let us have the headsof lions, the bodies of monkeys, the wings of eagles and the tails ofwild asses, with knobs of gold on the end of them instead of bunchesof hair."

"Won't that make a queer combination?" inquired Kiki.

"The queerer the better," declared Ruggedo.

"All right," said Kiki. "You stay here, and I'll fly away toanother tree and transform us both, and then we'll climb down ourtrees and meet in the forest."

"No," said the Nome, "we mustn't separate. You must transform uswhile we are together."

"I won't do that," asserted Kiki, firmly. "You're trying to get mysecret, and I won't let you."

The eyes of the other eagle flashed angrily, but Ruggedo did notdare insist. If he offended this boy, he might have to remain aneagle always and he wouldn't like that. Some day he hoped to be ableto learn the secret word of the magical transformations, but just nowhe must let Kiki have his own way.

"All right," he said gruffly; "do as you please."

So Kiki flew to a tree that was far enough distant so that Ruggedocould not overhear him and said: "I want Ruggedo, the Nome, and myselfto have the heads of lions, the bodies of monkeys, the wings of eaglesand the tails of wild asses, with knobs of gold on the ends of theminstead of bunches of hair--Pyrzqxgl!"

He pronounced the magic word in the proper manner and at once hisform changed to the one he had described. He spread his eagle's wingsand finding they were strong enough to support his monkey body andlion head he flew swiftly to the tree where he had left Ruggedo. TheNome was also transformed and was climbing down the tree because thebranches all around him were so thickly entwined that there was noroom between them to fly.

Kiki quickly joined his comrade and it did not take them long toreach the ground.