The Forest Monster of Oz

d. The Chilepeppers, so far as I can determine, are different from one another only in their viewpoints. Some may have had a better education than others, but all wer

er group is necessarily better or more important than the ot

ong as we kept our distance from one another. Now that the Stinkfoots are infringing on our territory, we are forced to take action against them despite our f

s territory," added Hootsey. "It must pave away all

ust imagine the chaos it would create if, say, the human race were to become so plentiful that

ce they have pushed the Sniffers into either isolation or extinction, they may continue to out

pped at any cost," s

nd I will not have them entirely devastated. Our plan has to be fair to both sides, not just one. As we have said, neither side is better

rom expanding to wherever they l

way to settle the disp

t is up to us

they wouldn't smell so bad, and the Sniffers would have no further trouble with them. Als

like the smell that they get from the weeds, and they believe it will p

iffer citizen. "But we are no clos

ent," replied Ozma. "And I will als

us Schnozzle himself. Indeed, he must have had the largest nose that Ozma had ever seen. It was longer th

d with her are Elephant, Lisa, Hootsey, Tweaty and Nibbles from the Lunechien Fo

another letter. This time, they are threatening to burn down our village if we do no

even her. "I want to see the two sides come to an arrangement. If th

inkfoots are beyond rea

ecourse we have is to

mind without a struggle. "I do understand your position and I sympathize with your feelings

plied Schnozzle. "Otherwise, you'll be overw

Queen. "Just give me an hour to talk to M

"At least, from my side. But if those stinkers start anything, you'd b

I can't take you any further," he said. "My eyes are already starting to water. I hope you can

o indefinitely. She tried holding her nose and breathing with her mouth, but that was hardly a dignified pose for the Queen of all Oz. When the stench became absolutely unbearable, she found herself face

difficulty. "I amb here to visit with Presi

ffer," he said. "But it is sure a lot bigger than an

to hurt the boy's feelings by mentioning his feet, which Ozma felt certain were the real source of the offensi

boy. "But they are delicious

explaining her situation before she became physically ill. This proposed a problem, as she had never known illness to exist in Oz. Sti

take you to his mansion, anyway. I don't know if he'll want to talk. He is preparing to f

aid Ozma. "I need to discu

boy, "you are the

est Monster could be doing nearly anything at this point, and she was losing valuable time. She wished that she had sent the forest animals on to speak to the Saber-Toothed Light Bulbs without her, but she knew in her heart that such a

expansive. It was a good sixteen acres wide, and had more rooms than any on

by a Stinkfoot who wa

he said

z," she explained. "I

sid

you are just a child. How can you be the qu

she said. "I amb s

for a moment. If you are the Queen of Oz, what is

said the Queen. "I want to try to find a bette

matter is already settled. The Sniffer-snuffers will have to let us have the land we need to survive, and that is all

lly the Queen!

ife is the Queen of England. Now do run along." He shut

mmediately if she was to be of any practical use to either the Sniffers or the denizens of the Lunechien Forest. Dejectedly, she returned to the Sniffer Nation. Sh

ave to say?" President Schnoz

said Ozma sourly. "But I sure did ge

left with no other recourse but to go to war with them and destroy them all before they do it to us. Surely you can see that they are unreasonable and unkind and un-un-wel

or your pride. I just don't think that resorting to violence is the w

n," replied t

ur Lunechien animals at the Sniffer President's modest home, and was also a little disappointe

he simple fact remained that they were no cl

ber-Toothed Light Bulbs

nkfoots would be too s

not even sure that any Saber-Toothed Light Bulbs

n idea. What if we were to scare the St

no problem of overpopulation. It was really just their desire to g

the same crop. Anyone who lives in the forest knows that! And even t

r President. "You mean like a p

ally different next year. This way, the nutrients in the soil stay in balance and can be used to raise more carrots so

ts instead of stinkweeds for a year, they could go back

than likely,

ots can't live without their stinkw

e a solution,

hey will refuse to give up their

our land to grow their food here this year, while the Sniffer farmers use the Stinkfoot Nation to grow anything that they

ere. If we can only state this plan to the Stinkfoots, I'm sure it would work. I am beginning to recall that even our own farmers have spoken about

ikely!" said

w are we to propose this idea to a people who i

McIdiot-I mean, President McFoot. I suppose it

guys just said so that rotation of crops was a good idea. Mr. McFoot just doesn'

orry that I reacted so harshly to his actions, which I can now

always best to act, rather than to re-

owever, we still have to figure out a way t

we could lure him into a neutral place

ddenly blew in from the open window. A booming voice cried out

Foot in his military regalia, and he was backed

e Sniffer President

re too late to stop the offensive army from s

y books! My teddy bear!

d Ozma. "I a

inkfoot that Ozma recognized as the man who had answered the door

s of the Queen of Oz in the newspapers. The place no longer is ru

suddenly stood at att

that there is a war on. We have need of something that these Sniffers a

st have determined the problems with your crops, and we have come to a

building," sniffed President McFoot. "I would not want

burned up that little shack. I suggest that you put them to work

his idea," said the S

ce do th

h I must add that the whole place be fumigated before we trade

to defeat the Forest Monster that was terrorizing the Lunechien Forest. Of course, Ozma would have preferred that it be settled as well as this situation had bee