King of the Winged Monkeys
The King of the Winged Monkeys is the leader of the Winged Monkeys, a band of flying creatures with immense and powerful wings on their shoulders. He is larger than the others and speaks with authority, acting as the spokesperson for his kind. He appears in the story only when summoned by the owner of the Golden Cap, to whom he and his band are bound to render three services. His two appearances—first as an agent of the Wicked Witch of the West and later as a helper to Dorothy—reveal both his power and his tragic history of servitude.
First Summoning and the Capture of Dorothy's Companions
The King is first called by the Wicked Witch of the West, who uses the Golden Cap for the third and last time. When he appears, surrounded by a crowd of monkeys, he flies close to the Witch and asks, "You have called us for the third and last time. What do you command?" The Witch orders him to destroy all the strangers except the Lion, whom she wants to harness like a horse. The King replies, "Your commands shall be obeyed." Under his leadership, the Monkeys seize the Tin Woodman and drop him onto sharp rocks, pull all the straw out of the Scarecrow and throw his clothes into a tall tree, and bind the Lion with ropes before carrying him to the Witch's castle. But when the King approaches Dorothy, he sees the mark of the Good Witch's kiss on her forehead and stops short, motioning the others not to touch her. He declares, "We dare not harm this little girl, for she is protected by the Power of Good, and that is greater than the Power of Evil." Instead, he has the Monkeys carry her gently to the castle and set her down on the front doorstep. He then tells the Witch that their power over the band is now ended and that she will never see them again.
Second Summoning and the Flight to the Emerald City
Dorothy later uses the Golden Cap herself, having learned its charm from the Queen of the Field Mice. She speaks the magic words—"Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!" while standing on her left foot, "Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!" on her right foot, and "Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" on both feet—and the King and his band appear. The King bows low before Dorothy and asks, "What is your command?" She tells him they wish to go to the Emerald City but have lost their way. The King replies, "We will carry you." Two Monkeys catch Dorothy in their arms, others take the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion, and one little Monkey seizes Toto. The King himself is one of the two Monkeys carrying Dorothy, and they make a chair of their hands, careful not to hurt her. During the flight, Dorothy asks why the Monkeys must obey the charm of the Golden Cap, and the King tells her the long story of their enslavement.
The History of the Winged Monkeys' Enslavement
The King explains that long ago, the Winged Monkeys were a free people living happily in the great forest, flying from tree to tree and doing as they pleased. Their mischief—pulling the tails of animals, chasing birds, and throwing nuts at people—eventually led to their downfall. A beautiful princess and powerful sorceress named Gayelette lived in the North, and she planned to marry a handsome and wise young man named Quelala. The King's grandfather, then the King of the Winged Monkeys, loved a joke and decided to test Quelala. He and his band seized Quelala, carried him over the middle of a river, and dropped him in, ruining his rich costume of pink silk and purple velvet. Gayelette was furious and summoned all the Winged Monkeys. She initially threatened to tie their wings and drop them in the river, but after Quelala spoke a kind word for them, she spared them on condition that the Winged Monkeys would ever after do three times the bidding of the owner of the Golden Cap, which had been made as a wedding present for Quelala. The King's grandfather and all the other Monkeys agreed, and that is how they became the slaves of the Golden Cap's owner.
The End of Their Servitude
After the King finishes his story, the Monkeys set the travelers down carefully before the gate of the Emerald City. The King bows low to Dorothy and then flies swiftly away, followed by all his band. Later, when Dorothy meets Glinda the Good Witch, she gives the Golden Cap to Glinda. Glinda uses its three remaining commands to send the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion to their respective destinations, and then announces that she will give the Cap to the King of the Monkeys, so that he and his band may thereafter be free forevermore. Thus the King's long history of servitude, which began with his grandfather's prank and continued through the reigns of the Wicked Witch of the West and Dorothy, finally comes to an end.
