Chapter Nineteen. Red Reera, the Yookoohoo

Glinda of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

After the meal was over and Reera had fed her pets, including the
four monster spiders which had come down from their webs to secure
their share, she made the table disappear from the floor of the
cottage.

"I wish you'd consent to my transforming your fishes," she said,
as she took up her knitting again.

The Skeezer made no reply. He thought it unwise to hurry
matters. All during the afternoon they sat silent. Once Reera went to
her cupboard and after thrusting her hand into the same drawer as
before, touched the wolf and transformed it into a bird with gorgeous
colored feathers. This bird was larger than a parrot and of a
somewhat different form, but Ervic had never seen one like it
before.

"Sing!" said Reera to the bird, which had perched itself on a
big wooden peg -- as if it had been in the cottage before and knew
just what to do.

And the bird sang jolly, rollicking songs with words to them --
just as a person who had been carefully trained might do. The songs
were entertaining and Ervic enjoyed listening to them. In an hour or
so the bird stopped singing, tucked its head under its wing and went
to sleep. Reera continued knitting but seemed thoughtful.

Now Ervic had marked this cupboard drawer well and had concluded
that Reera took something from it which enabled her to perform her
transformations. He thought that if he managed to remain in the
cottage, and Reera fell asleep, he could slyly open the cupboard,
take a portion of whatever was in the drawer, and by dropping it into
the copper kettle transform the three fishes into their natural
shapes. Indeed, he had firmly resolved to carry out this plan when
the Yookoohoo put down her knitting and walked toward the door.

"I'm going out for a few minutes," said she; "do you wish to go
with me, or will you remain here?"

Ervic did not answer but sat quietly on his bench. So Reera went
out and closed the cottage door.

As soon as she was gone, Ervic rose and tiptoed to the
cupboard.

"Take care! Take care!" cried several voices, coming from the
kittens and chipmunks. "If you touch anything we'll tell the
Yookoohoo!"

Ervic hesitated a moment but, remembering that he need not
consider Reera's anger if he succeeded in transforming the fishes, he
was about to open the cupboard when he was arrested by the voices of
the fishes, which stuck their heads above the water in the kettle and
called out:

"Come here, Ervic!"

So he went back to the kettle and bent over it

"Let the cupboard alone," said the goldfish to him earnestly.
"You could not succeed by getting that magic powder, for only the
Yookoohoo knows how to use it. The best way is to allow her to
transform us into three girls, for then we will have our natural
shapes and be able to perform all the Arts of Magic we have learned
and well understand. You are acting wisely and in the most effective
manner. We did not know you were so intelligent, or that Reera could
be so easily deceived by you. Continue as you have begun and try to
persuade her to transform us. But insist that we be given the forms
of girls."

The goldfish ducked its head down just as Reera re- entered the
cottage. She saw Ervic bent over the kettle, so she came and joined
him.

"Can your fishes talk?" she asked.

"Sometimes," he replied, "for all fishes in the Land of Oz know
how to speak. Just now they were asking me for some bread. They are
hungry."

"Well, they can have some bread," said Reera. "But it is nearly
supper-time, and if you would allow me to transform your fishes into
girls they could join us at the table and have plenty of food much
nicer than crumbs. Why not let me transform them?"

"Well," said Ervic, as if hesitating, "ask the fishes. If they
consent, why -- why, then, I'll think it over."

Reera bent over the kettle and asked:

"Can you hear me, little fishes?"

All three popped their heads above water.

"We can hear you," said the bronzefish.

"I want to give you other forms, such as rabbits, or turtles or
girls, or something; but your master, the surly Skeezer, does not
wish me to. However, he has agreed to the plan if you will
consent."

"We'd like to be girls," said the silverfish.

"No, no!" exclaimed Ervic.

"If you promise to make us three beautiful girls, we will
consent," said the goldfish.

"No, no!" exclaimed Ervic again.

"Also make us Adepts at Magic," added the bronzefish.

"I don't know exactly what that means," replied Reera musingly,
"but as no Adept at Magic is as powerful as Yookoohoo, I'll add that
to the transformation."

"We won't try to harm you, or to interfere with your magic in
any way," promised the goldfish. "On the contrary, we will be your
friends."

"Will you agree to go away and leave me alone in my cottage,
whenever I command you to do so?" asked Reera.

"We promise that," cried the three fishes.

"Don't do it! Don't consent to the transformation," urged
Ervic.

"They have already consented," said the Yookoohoo, laughing in
his face, "and you have promised me to abide by their decision. So,
friend Skeezer, I shall perform the transformation whether you like
it or not."

Ervic seated himself on the bench again, a deep scowl on his
face but joy in his heart. Reera moved over to the cupboard, took
something from the drawer and returned to the copper kettle. She was
clutching something tightly in her right hand, but with her left she
reached within the kettle, took out the three fishes and laid them
carefully on the floor, where they gasped in distress at being out of
water.

Reera did not keep them in misery more than a few seconds, for
she touched each one with her right hand and instantly the fishes
were transformed into three tall and slender young women, with fine,
intelligent faces and clothed in handsome, clinging gowns. The one
who had been a goldfish had beautiful golden hair and blue eyes and
was exceedingly fair of skin; the one who had been a bronzefish had
dark brown hair and clear gray eyes and her complexion matched these
lovely features. The one who had been a silverfish had snow- white
hair of the finest texture and deep brown eyes. The hair contrasted
exquisitely with her pink cheeks and ruby-red lips, nor did it make
her look a day older than her two companions.

As soon as they secured these girlish shapes, all three bowed
low to the Yookoohoo and said:

"We thank you, Reera."

Then they bowed to the Skeezer and said:

"We thank you, Ervic."

"Very good!" cried the Yookoohoo, examining her work with
critical approval. "You are much better and more interesting than
fishes, and this ungracious Skeezer would scarcely allow me to do the
transformations. You surely have nothing to thank him for. But now
let us dine in honor of the occasion."

She clapped her hands together and again a table loaded with
food appeared in the cottage. It was a longer table, this time, and
places were set for the three Adepts as well as for Reera and
Ervic.

"Sit down, friends, and eat your fill," said the Yookoohoo, but
instead of seating herself at the head of the table she went to the
cupboard, saying to the Adepts: "Your beauty and grace, my fair
friends, quite outshine my own. So that I may appear properly at the
banquet table I intend, in honor of this occasion, to take upon
myself my natural shape."

Scarcely had she finished this speech when Reera transformed
herself into a young woman fully as lovely as the three Adepts. She
was not quite so tall as they, but her form was more rounded and more
handsomely clothed, with a wonderful jeweled girdle and a necklace of
shining pearls. Her hair was a bright auburn red, and her eyes large
and dark.

"Do you claim this is your natural form?" asked Ervic of the
Yookoohoo.

"Yes," she replied. "This is the only form I am really entitled
to wear. But I seldom assume it because there is no one here to
admire or appreciate it and I get tired admiring it myself."

"I see now why you are named Reera the Red," remarked Ervic.

"It is on account of my red hair," she explained smiling. "I do
not care for red hair myself, which is one reason I usually wear
other forms."

"It is beautiful," asserted the young man; and then remembering
the other women present he added: "But, of course, all women should
not have red hair, because that would make it too common. Gold and
silver and brown hair are equally handsome."

The smiles that he saw interchanged between the four filled the
poor Skeezer with embarrassment, so he fell silent and attended to
eating his supper, leaving the others to do the talking. The three
Adepts frankly told Reera who they were. how they became fishes and
how they had planned secretly to induce the Yookoohoo to transform
them. They admitted that they had feared, had they asked her to help,
that she would have refused them.

"You were quite right," returned the Yookoohoo. "I make it my
rule never to perform magic to assist others, for if I did there
would always be crowd at my cottage demanding help and I hate crowds
and want to be left alone."

"However, now that you are restored to your proper shapes, I do
not regret my action and I hope you will be of use in saving the
Skeezer people by raising their island to the surface of the lake,
where it really belongs. But you must promise me that after you go
away you will never come here again, nor tell anyone what I have done
for you."

The three Adepts and Ervic thanked the Yookoohoo warmly. They
promised to remember her wish that they should not come to her
cottage again and so, with a good-bye, took their departure.