AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

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"That remains to be seen," said the other.

"If you are able to prove that you are better," said the Prince to the
little man, "I will make you the Chief Wizard of this domain.
Otherwise--"

"What will happen otherwise?" asked the Wizard.

"I will stop you from living, and forbid you to be planted," returned
the Prince.

"That does not sound especially pleasant," said the little man, looking
at the one with the star uneasily. "But never mind. I'll beat Old
Prickly, all right."

"My name is Gwig," said the Sorcerer, turning his heartless, cruel eyes
upon his rival. "Let me see you equal the sorcery I am about to
perform."

He waved a thorny hand and at once the tinkling of bells was heard,
playing sweet music. Yet, look where she would, Dorothy could discover
no bells at all in the great glass hall.

The Mangaboo people listened, but showed no great interest. It was one
of the things Gwig usually did to prove he was a sorcerer.

Now was the Wizard's turn, so he smiled upon the assemblage and asked:

"Will somebody kindly loan me a hat?"

No one did, because the Mangaboos did not wear hats, and Zeb had lost
his, somehow, in his flight through the air.

"Ahem!" said the Wizard, "will somebody please loan me a handkerchief?"

But they had no handkerchiefs, either.

"Very good," remarked the Wizard. "I'll use my own hat, if you please.
Now, good people, observe me carefully. You see, there is nothing up my
sleeve and nothing concealed about my person. Also, my hat is quite
empty." He took off his hat and held it upside down, shaking it
briskly.

"Let me see it," said the Sorcerer.

He took the hat and examined it carefully, returning it afterward to the
Wizard.

"Now," said the little man, "I will create something out of nothing."

He placed the hat upon the glass floor, made a pass with his hand, and
then removed the hat, displaying a little white piglet no bigger than a
mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal
in a tiny, shrill voice.

The people watched it intently, for they had never seen a pig before,
big or little. The Wizard reached out, caught the wee creature in his
hand, and holding its head between one thumb and finger and its tail
between the other thumb and finger he pulled it apart, each of the two
parts becoming a whole and separate piglet in an instant.

He placed one upon the floor, so that it could run around, and pulled
apart the other, making three piglets in all; and then one of these was
pulled apart, making four piglets. The Wizard continued this surprising
performance until nine tiny piglets were running about at his feet, all
squealing and grunting in a very comical way.

"Now," said the Wizard of Oz, "having created something from nothing, I
will make something nothing again."

With this he caught up two of the piglets and pushed them together, so
that the two were one. Then he caught up another piglet and pushed it
into the first, where it disappeared. And so, one by one, the nine tiny
piglets were pushed together until but a single one of the creatures
remained. This the Wizard placed underneath his hat and made a mystic
sign above it. When he removed his hat the last piglet had disappeared
entirely.

The little man gave a bow to the silent throng that had watched him, and
then the Prince said, in his cold, calm voice:

"You are indeed a wonderful Wizard, and your powers are greater than
those of my Sorcerer."

"He will not be a wonderful Wizard long," remarked Gwig.

"Why not?" enquired the Wizard.

"Because I am going to stop your breath," was the reply. "I perceive
that you are curiously constructed, and that if you cannot breathe you
cannot keep alive."

The little man looked troubled.

"How long will it take you to stop my breath?" he asked.

"About five minutes. I'm going to begin now. Watch me carefully."

He began making queer signs and passes toward the Wizard; but the little
man did not watch him long. Instead, he drew a leathern case from his

"That remains to be seen," said the other.

"If you are able to prove that you are better," said the Prince to the

little man, "I will make you the Chief Wizard of this domain.

Otherwise--"

"What will happen otherwise?" asked the Wizard.

"I will stop you from living, and forbid you to be planted," returned

the Prince.

"That does not sound especially pleasant," said the little man, looking

at the one with the star uneasily. "But never mind. I'll beat Old

Prickly, all right."

"My name is Gwig," said the Sorcerer, turning his heartless, cruel eyes

upon his rival. "Let me see you equal the sorcery I am about to

perform."

He waved a thorny hand and at once the tinkling of bells was heard,

playing sweet music. Yet, look where she would, Dorothy could discover

no bells at all in the great glass hall.

The Mangaboo people listened, but showed no great interest. It was one

of the things Gwig usually did to prove he was a sorcerer.

Now was the Wizard's turn, so he smiled upon the assemblage and asked:

"Will somebody kindly loan me a hat?"

No one did, because the Mangaboos did not wear hats, and Zeb had lost

his, somehow, in his flight through the air.

"Ahem!" said the Wizard, "will somebody please loan me a handkerchief?"

But they had no handkerchiefs, either.

"Very good," remarked the Wizard. "I'll use my own hat, if you please.

Now, good people, observe me carefully. You see, there is nothing up my

sleeve and nothing concealed about my person. Also, my hat is quite

empty." He took off his hat and held it upside down, shaking it

briskly.

"Let me see it," said the Sorcerer.

He took the hat and examined it carefully, returning it afterward to the

Wizard.

"Now," said the little man, "I will create something out of nothing."

He placed the hat upon the glass floor, made a pass with his hand, and

then removed the hat, displaying a little white piglet no bigger than a

mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal

in a tiny, shrill voice.

The people watched it intently, for they had never seen a pig before,

big or little. The Wizard reached out, caught the wee creature in his

hand, and holding its head between one thumb and finger and its tail

between the other thumb and finger he pulled it apart, each of the two

parts becoming a whole and separate piglet in an instant.

He placed one upon the floor, so that it could run around, and pulled

apart the other, making three piglets in all; and then one of these was

pulled apart, making four piglets. The Wizard continued this surprising

performance until nine tiny piglets were running about at his feet, all

squealing and grunting in a very comical way.

"Now," said the Wizard of Oz, "having created something from nothing, I

will make something nothing again."

With this he caught up two of the piglets and pushed them together, so

that the two were one. Then he caught up another piglet and pushed it

into the first, where it disappeared. And so, one by one, the nine tiny

piglets were pushed together until but a single one of the creatures

remained. This the Wizard placed underneath his hat and made a mystic

sign above it. When he removed his hat the last piglet had disappeared

entirely.

The little man gave a bow to the silent throng that had watched him, and

then the Prince said, in his cold, calm voice:

"You are indeed a wonderful Wizard, and your powers are greater than

those of my Sorcerer."

"He will not be a wonderful Wizard long," remarked Gwig.

"Why not?" enquired the Wizard.

"Because I am going to stop your breath," was the reply. "I perceive

that you are curiously constructed, and that if you cannot breathe you

cannot keep alive."

The little man looked troubled.

"How long will it take you to stop my breath?" he asked.

"About five minutes. I'm going to begin now. Watch me carefully."

He began making queer signs and passes toward the Wizard; but the little

man did not watch him long. Instead, he drew a leathern case from his