Ozma of Oz · Chapter
The Fate of the Tin Woodman explained
Dorothy uses the magic belt to open the passage out of the Nome King's cavern, but the Tin Woodman cannot be found.
What happens
Dorothy uses the magic belt to open the passage out of the Nome King's cavern, but the Tin Woodman cannot be found. The Nome King is forced to admit he is missing, and the party sorrowfully departs without him, using the belt to turn pursuing warriors into eggs and to freeze the giant on the road.
Themes in this chapter
Good Versus Evil
Dorothy and her friends confront the Nome King's treachery and use the magic belt to overcome his final attempts to imprison them.
Resourcefulness and Cleverness
Dorothy quickly learns to wield the magic belt, Billina advises against returning it, and the Scarecrow devises the goose-egg threat to force the King's cooperation.
Leadership and Responsibility
Ozma leads the search for the Tin Woodman and commands the group's departure, while Dorothy takes decisive action to protect the party.
Characters to notice
- Dorothy Gale
Takes the magic belt from the Nome King, commands it to open passages and transform warriors, and leads the search for the Tin Woodman.
- Nome King
Defeated and humiliated, he loses his magic belt, is threatened with transformation into a goose-egg, and fails to produce the Tin Woodman.
- Billina
Warns Dorothy not to return the belt, advises using it to threaten the King, and is credited with saving the royal family of Ev.
- Ozma
Leads the cavalcade on the Cowardly Lion, expresses concern over the missing Tin Woodman, and commands the search.
- Scarecrow
Proposes the plan to threaten the Nome King with transformation, and sorrowfully acknowledges the loss of the Tin Woodman.
- Tin Woodman
Missing; transformed into an ornament that cannot be found in the palace, despite the King's knowledge of his location.
- Cowardly Lion
Carries Ozma at the head of the procession.
- Hungry Tiger
Carries the Queen of Ev during the journey out of the cavern.
Key passages
“I'll make you suffer for this, you hay-stuffed dummy! Don't you know eggs are poison to Nomes?”
The Nome King threatens the Scarecrow, explaining that eggs are toxic to Nomes.
The King's anger after being hit with eggs reveals a key weakness of the Nome people.
“It's gone, and I am ruined!”
The Nome King realizes his magic belt has been taken and declares himself powerless.
The loss of the belt marks the turning point in the King's defeat.
“Don't you do it! If the Nome King gets the belt again he will make every one of us prisoners, for we will be in his power.”
Billina warns Dorothy not to return the belt, as it would give the King control over them.
Billina's caution prevents a disastrous mistake.
“Let Dorothy transform the King into a goose-egg unless he agrees to go into the palace and bring out to us the ornament which is our friend Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman.”
The Scarecrow suggests threatening the King with transformation into a goose-egg to force him to retrieve the Tin Woodman.
A clever bluff that compels the King to cooperate.
“He's gone! The Tin Woodman is nowhere in the palace.”
The Nome King returns empty-handed, reporting that the Tin Woodman has disappeared.
A surprising twist that leaves the group without their friend.
