The Nome came close to him and whispered:

"If Gugu the Leopard opposes us, you will transform him into a tree,
and then he will be helpless."

"Of course," agreed Kiki, and he said to himself: "I shall also
transform this deceitful Nome into a tree, for he lies and I cannot
trust him."

9. The Isle of the Magic Flower

The Glass Cat was a good guide and led Trot and Cap'n Bill by straight
and easy paths through all the settled part of the Munchkin Country,
and then into the north section where there were few houses, and
finally through a wild country where there were no houses or paths at
all. But the walking was not difficult and at last they came to the
edge of a forest and stopped there to make camp and sleep until morning.

From branches of trees Cap'n Bill made a tiny house that was just big
enough for the little girl to crawl into and lie down. But first they
ate some of the food Trot had carried in the basket.

"Don't you want some, too?" she asked the Glass Cat.

"No," answered the creature.

"I suppose you'll hunt around an' catch a mouse," remarked Cap'n Bill.

"Me? Catch a mouse! Why should I do that?" inquired the Glass Cat.

"Why, then you could eat it," said the sailor-man.

"I beg to inform you," returned the crystal tabby, "that I do not eat
mice. Being transparent, so anyone can see through me, I'd look nice,
wouldn't I, with a common mouse inside me? But the fact is that I
haven't any stomach or other machinery that would permit me to eat
things. The careless magician who made me didn't think I'd need to
eat, I suppose."

"Don't you ever get hungry or thirsty?" asked Trot.

"Never. I don't complain, you know, at the way I'm made, for I've
never yet seen any living thing as beautiful as I am. I have the
handsomest brains in the world. They're pink, and you can see 'em
work."

"I wonder," said Trot thoughtfully, as she ate her bread and jam, "if
MY brains whirl around in the same way yours do."

"No; not the same way, surely," returned the Glass Cat; "for, in that
case, they'd be as good as MY brains, except that they're hidden under
a thick, boney skull."

"Brains," remarked Cap'n Bill, "is of all kinds and work different
ways. But I've noticed that them as thinks that their brains is best
is often mistook."

Trot was a little disturbed by sounds from the forest, that night, for
many beasts seemed prowling among the trees, but she was confident
Cap'n Bill wo