The Wicked Witch was so angry when she saw her black bees in little heaps like fine coal that she stamped her foot and tore her hair and gnashed her teeth.
And then she called a dozan of her slaves, who were the Winkies, and gave them sharp spears, telling them to go to the strangers and destory them.
The Winkies were not a brave people, but they had to do as they were told.
So they marched away until they came near to Dorothy.
Then the Lion gave a great roar and sprang towards them, and the poor Winkies were so frightened that they ran back as fast as they could.
When they returned to the castle the Wicked Witch beat then well with a strap, and sent them back to their work, after which she sat down to think what she should do next.
She could not understand how all her plants to destory these strangers had failed;
but she was a powerful Witch, as well as a wicked one, and she soon made up her mind how to act.
There was, in her cupboard, a Golden Cap, with a circle of diamonds and rubies running round it.
This Golden Cap had a charm.
Whoever owned it could call three times upon the Winged Monkeys, who would obey any order they were given.
But no person could command these strange creatures more than three times.
Twice already the Wicked Witch had used the charm of the Cap.
Once was then she had made the Winkies her slaves, and set herself to rule over their country.
The Winged Monkeys had helped her to this.
The second time was when she had fough against the Great Oz himself, and driven him out of the land of the West.
The Winged Monkeys had also helped her in doing this.
Only once more could she use this Golden, for which reason she did not like to do until all her other pweres were exhausted.
But now that her fierece wolves and her wild crows and her stinging bees were gone,
and her salves had been scared away by the Cowardly Lion, she saw there was only one way left to destory Dorothy and her friends.