Ozma of Oz · Chapter
The Yellow Hen explained
Dorothy awakens in the hen coop adrift at sea and discovers a talking yellow hen named Billina.
What happens
Dorothy awakens in the hen coop adrift at sea and discovers a talking yellow hen named Billina. They discuss the hen's ability to speak, her egg-laying habit, and their shared hunger. They drift to a beautiful but uninhabited shore, where Billina finds a golden key buried in the sand. Dorothy decides to explore the area for breakfast.
Themes in this chapter
Friendship and Loyalty
Dorothy and Billina form a quick bond of companionship and mutual support while stranded.
Resourcefulness and Cleverness
Billina uses her beak to find food and uncovers the golden key, showing cleverness in survival.
Characters to notice
- Dorothy Gale
Awakens in the coop, talks with Billina, lands on shore, and finds a golden key.
- Billina
A yellow hen who can talk, lays an egg, and discovers a golden key in the sand.
Key passages
“Kut-kut-kut, ka-daw-kut! Kut-kut-kut, ka-daw-kut!”
A hen's cackling sound.
The noise that awakens Dorothy, signaling Billina's presence.
“Why, I've just laid an egg, that's all”
I just laid an egg.
Billina's first spoken words to Dorothy.
“My name is Bill”
My name is Bill.
Billina introduces herself with a masculine name.
“Putting the 'eena' on the end makes it a girl's name, you see.”
Adding 'eena' makes it a feminine name.
Dorothy renames the hen Billina.
“I struck metal, that time, and it nearly broke my beak.”
I hit metal and almost broke my beak.
Billina discovers the golden key.