The Forest Monster of Oz

  CHAPTER 5

  THE QUEEN OF OZ

  The magic of Oz began with little more than a simple wish. The man whoruled at that long-forgotten time, King Ozroar, was not a very happymonarch. He ruled the beautiful land, but he had no magic with which toinsure the happiness of the people. Sickening fogs would envelop theland from time to time, and the area was never very prosperous. Still,it was too beautiful to go overlooked by the fairies. These magicalbeings are able to see things as they should be, not only as they are.One fairy who was especially interested in the land of Oz was a leaderof fairies named Lurline.

  Lurline was no ordinary fairy ruler, though. She had especial insightinto the things that made beauty what it is. It was her keen insightthat once brought her to Mount Olympus. This legendary mountain has longbeen said to be the home of many ancient Gods. According to the Ozianstorytellers, who still today will sit by your campfire and tell you atale in exchange for a cup of tea or a morsel of food, these Immortalsrecognized her abilities at once, and she was admitted into theirsociety of Godhood. As a Goddess, Lurline was able to gain access tomany things.

  With the help of her fairy band, as well as the input of her sisterfairy, Polychrome, Lurline was able to give the Land of Oz the magicalenchantment that made it what it is today. But she did not do the deedwithout a few pitfalls.

  Among the things that Lurline required to fulfill the spell's needs wereApollo's own sky chariot, the flying horses to pull it through the air,Kole's essence of crystal, and Lillith's brazier of endless flame. AtPolychrome's suggestion, she also obtained Iris' jug of rainbow.

  Unfortunately, Lurline was not always scrupulous. In this event, sheelected to take the various magical requirements without the permissionof the various deities. She stole into their chambers at night as theylay sleeping and took the elements she wished. She then went togetherwith her fairy band and performed the enchantment over Oz.

  She was banished from Mount Olympus as a result of her rash action. But,supposing the legend is all true, the marvelous Land of Oz remains as aglowing tribute to the powers of the Fairy Queen Lurline. And to insureits longevity, Lurline arranged for a fairy ruler to watch over thecountry she had created. Of course, the ruler would have to be a nativeOzite. She would be a beautiful princess.

  Princess Ozma was born several generations later unto a descendant ofOzroar and his wife Ozia, herself a descendant of fairies and daughterof Oziana. Young Ozma was prepared to take on the leadership of Oz uponreaching adulthood.

  But Lurline's plan was balked by the arrival of Oscar Zoroaster PhadrigIsaac Norman Henckle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs. This was a mortal man fromoutside of the enchanted land who landed there in a balloon. It had beenhe who had erected the Emerald City, and he who had sold the infant Ozmainto slavery at the hands of a heartless old Witch named Mombi. To hidethe infant queen, Mombi had transformed her into a boy. She believedthat no one would ever think to look to a little boy to find the fairyprincess, so Ozma was aptly hidden away for a very long time.

  But things in Oz do have a way of working out for the best. After Diggsleft the country, Ozma was found and restored to her proper being. Shehad aged very little, being that Oz folk age only when they choose to,and little Ozma had just been given her rightful place on the royalthrone. Most of this history, of course, was unknown to Elephant andhis companions. They saw only the fact that she was a child. They didnot know of her unique experiences at all. If they had, they'd havesurely recognized that she was more aware of human needs and thedifferences there connected. But even to their eyes, it was clear thatthis child was very special. They had every hope that she would be ableto do as they needed done to rid their land of the terrifying ForestMonster.

  Tiger caught in a Spiderweb.]