Magic Picture to show where we are or what we are doing. Glinda the
Good has a Great Book called the Book of Records, in which is
magically written everything that people do in the Land of Oz, just
the instant they do it."

"Then," said Kiki, "there is no use our attempting to conquer the
country, for Glinda would read in her book all that we do, and as her
magic is greater than mine, she would soon put a stop to our plans."

"I said 'people,' didn't I?" retorted the Nome. "The book doesn't
make a record of what birds do, or beasts. It only tells the doings
of people. So, if we fly into the country as birds, Glinda won't know
anything about it."

"Two birds couldn't conquer the Land of Oz," asserted the boy, scornfully.

"No; that's true," admitted Ruggedo, and then he rubbed his forehead
and stroked his long pointed beard and thought some more.

"Ah, now I have the idea!" he declared. "I suppose you can
transform us into beasts as well as birds?"

"Of course."

"And can you make a bird a beast, and a beast a bird again, without
taking a human form in between?"

"Certainly," said Kiki. "I can transform myself or others into
anything that can talk. There's a magic word that must be spoken in
connection with the transformations, and as beasts and birds and