The Golden Cap
The Golden Cap is a magical headpiece that appears in the Land of Oz, distinguished by its circle of diamonds and rubies. Its primary power is the ability to summon the Winged Monkeys, a band of flying creatures who must obey the commands of the Cap's wearer. However, this power is limited: no person can command the Monkeys more than three times. The Cap's history is tied to the ancient sorceress Gayelette, who created it as a wedding gift for her husband Quelala, and its charm was the price the Winged Monkeys paid for their freedom after they played a mischievous trick on Quelala by dropping him into a river.
The Wicked Witch's Use of the Cap
The Wicked Witch of the West owned the Golden Cap and had already used its charm twice before Dorothy's arrival. The first time, she called the Winged Monkeys to help her enslave the Winkies and establish her rule over their country. The second time, she used them to fight against the Great Oz himself, driving him out of the Land of the West. When Dorothy and her companions entered her territory, the Witch had exhausted her other powers—her wolves, crows, and bees had been destroyed, and her Winkie slaves had been frightened away by the Cowardly Lion. With only one use of the Cap remaining, she finally resorted to it. Standing on her left foot, she chanted "Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!"; then on her right foot, "Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!"; and finally on both feet, "Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" The Winged Monkeys appeared, and she commanded them to destroy the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow, and to bring the Lion to her so she could harness him like a horse. The Monkeys obeyed, dropping the Tin Woodman onto sharp rocks, pulling the straw from the Scarecrow and throwing his clothes into a tall tree, and binding the Lion with ropes. However, they dared not harm Dorothy because of the mark of the Good Witch's kiss on her forehead, and they carried her gently to the Witch's castle.
Dorothy's Discovery and Use of the Cap
After the Wicked Witch was melted by Dorothy's bucket of water, Dorothy explored the Witch's cupboard to fill her basket with food for the journey and found the Golden Cap. She tried it on and found it fit her exactly, but she did not know about its charm and simply wore it because it was pretty. Later, when she and her companions became lost in the vast fields of buttercups and yellow daisies on their way back to the Emerald City, the Queen of the Field Mice noticed the Cap and asked Dorothy why she did not use its charm to call the Winged Monkeys. Dorothy looked inside the Cap and saw words written on the lining. She read the directions carefully, put the Cap on her head, and performed the same three-part chant the Wicked Witch had used. The Winged Monkeys appeared, and the King bowed low before her, asking for her command. Dorothy asked to be taken to the Emerald City, and the Monkeys carried the entire party through the air, setting them down carefully before the City's gate. During the flight, the King told Dorothy the story of the Cap's origin, explaining that the Monkeys were bound to serve the owner of the Cap three times, and that the Cap had passed from Quelala to the Wicked Witch of the West, and now to her.
The Cap's Final Commands and Liberation
Dorothy used the Cap a second time when she and her companions encountered the Hammer-Heads, a tribe of armless creatures with heads that could shoot forward to knock intruders down the hill. Unable to cross the hill, Dorothy put on the Golden Cap and uttered the magic words for the second time. The Winged Monkeys promptly appeared, and she commanded them to carry the party over the hill to the country of the Quadlings. The Monkeys obeyed, and the King reminded Dorothy that this was the last time she could summon them. When Dorothy reached Glinda the Good Witch's castle, Glinda asked for the Golden Cap in exchange for telling Dorothy how to return to Kansas. Dorothy willingly gave it to her, saying it was of no use to her now. Glinda then used the Cap's three remaining commands to fulfill the wishes of Dorothy's companions: she commanded the Winged Monkeys to carry the Scarecrow to the gates of the Emerald City, to carry the Tin Woodman safely to the land of the Winkies, and to carry the Lion to his forest. After using up the Cap's powers, Glinda gave it to the King of the Monkeys, declaring that he and his band would thereafter be free forevermore. The Golden Cap thus began as an instrument of bondage and ended as a key to liberation, its journey mirroring the story's themes of earned freedom and the proper use of power.
