The new General of the Nome King’s army knew perfectly well that to
fail in his plans meant death for him. Yet he was not at all anxious
or worried. He hated every one who was good and longed to make all who
were happy unhappy. Therefore he had accepted this dangerous position
as General quite willingly, feeling sure in his evil mind that he would
be able to do a lot of mischief and finally conquer the Land of Oz.

Yet Guph determined to be careful, and to lay his plans well, so as
not to fail. He argued that only careless people fail in what they
attempt to do.

The mountains underneath which the Nome King’s extensive caverns were
located lay grouped just north of the Land of Ev, which lay directly
across the deadly desert to the east of the Land of Oz. As the
mountains were also on the edge of the desert the Nome King found
that he had only to tunnel underneath the desert to reach Ozma’s
dominions. He did not wish his armies to appear above ground in the
Country of the Winkies, which was the part of the Land of Oz nearest
to King Roquat’s own country, as then the people would give the alarm
and enable Ozma to fortify the Emerald City and assemble an army. He
wanted to take all the Oz people by surprise; so he decided to run the
tunnel clear through to the Emerald City, where he and his hosts could
break through the ground without warning and conquer the people before
they had time to defend themselves.

Roquat the Red began work at once upon his tunnel, setting a thousand
miners at the task and building it high and broad enough for his
armies to march through it with ease. The Nomes were used to making
tunnels, as all the kingdom in which they lived was under ground; so
they made rapid progress.

While this work was going on General Guph started out alone to visit
the Chief of the Whimsies.

These Whimsies were curious people who lived in a retired country of
their own. They had large, strong bodies, but heads so small that
they were no bigger than door-knobs. Of course, such tiny heads could
not contain any great amount of brains, and the Whimsies were so
ashamed of their personal appearance and lack of commonsense that
they wore big heads made of pasteboard, which they fastened over their
own little heads. On these pasteboard heads they sewed sheep’s wool
for hair, and the wool was colored many tints–pink, green and
lavender being the favorite colors. The faces of these false heads
were painted in many ridiculous ways, according to the whims of the
owners, and these big, burly creatures looked so whimsical and absurd
in their queer masks that they were called “Whimsies.” They foolishly
imagined that no one would suspect the little heads that were inside
the imitation ones, not knowing that it is folly to try to appear
otherwise than as nature has made us.

The Chief of the Whimsies had as little wisdom as the others, and had
been chosen chief merely because none among them was any wiser or more
capable of ruling. The Whimsies were evil spirits and could not be
killed. They were hated and feared by every one and were known as
terrible fighters because they were so strong and muscular and had not
sense enough to know when they were defeated.

General Guph thought the Whimsies would be a great help to the Nomes
in the conquest of Oz, for under his leadership they could be induced
to fight as long so they could stand up. So he traveled to their
country and asked to see the Chief, who lived in a house that had a
picture of his grotesque false head painted over the doorway.

The Chief’s false head had blue hair, a turned-up nose, and a mouth
that stretched half across the face. Big green eyes had been painted
upon it, but in the center of the chin were two small holes made in
the pasteboard, so that the Chief could see through them with his own
tiny eyes; for when the big head was fastened upon his shoulders the
eyes in his own natural head were on a level with the false chin.

Said General Guph to the Chief of the Whimsies:

“We Nomes are going to conquer the Land of Oz and capture our King’s
Magic Belt, which the Oz people stole from him. Then we are going
to plunder and destroy the whole country. And we want the Whimsies
to help us.”

“Will there be any fighting?” asked the Chief.

“Plenty,” replied Guph.

That must have pleased the Chief, for he got up and danced around the
room three times. Then he seated himself again, adjusted his false
head, and said:

“We have no quarrel with Ozma of Oz.”

“But you Whimsies love to fight, and here is a splendid chance to do
so,” urged Guph.

“Wait till I sing a song,” said the Chief. Then he lay back in his
chair and sang a foolish song that did not seem to the General to mean
anything, although he listened carefully. When he had finished, the
Chief Whimsie looked at him through the holes in his chin and asked:

“What reward will you give us if we help you?”

The General was prepared for this question, for he had been thinking
the matter over on his journey. People often do a good deed without
hope of reward, but for an evil deed they always demand payment.

“When we get our Magic Belt,” he made reply, “our King, Roquat the
Red, will use its power to give every Whimsie a natural head as big
and fine as the false head he now wears. Then you will no longer be
ashamed because your big strong bodies have such teenty-weenty heads.”

“Oh! Will you do that?” asked the Chief, eagerly.

“We surely will,” promised the General.

“I’ll talk to my people,” said the Chief.

So he called a meeting of all the Whimsies and told them of the offer
made by the Nomes. The creatures were delighted with the bargain, and
at once agreed to fight for the Nome King and help him to conquer Oz.

One Whimsie alone seemed to have a glimmer of sense, for he asked:

“Suppose we fail to capture the Magic Belt? What will happen then,
and what good will all our fighting do?”

But they threw him into the river for asking foolish questions, and
laughed when the water ruined his pasteboard head before he could swim
out again.

So the compact was made and General Guph was delighted with his
success in gaining such powerful allies.

But there were other people, too, just as important as the Whimsies,
whom the clever old Nome had determined to win to his side.