The Capture by the Winged Monkeys

The capture by the Winged Monkeys marks the decisive turning point in the travelers' quest, shattering their unity and leaving Dorothy isolated and enslaved in the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West. After the Witch's wolves, crows, bees, and Winkie slaves had all failed to destroy the intruders, she resorted to her last and most powerful weapon: the Golden Cap, which gave her the third and final command over the Winged Monkeys. The Monkeys, a band of creatures with immense and powerful wings on their shoulders, appeared in response to the Witch's incantation, and their leader asked for her orders. She commanded them to destroy all the strangers except the Lion, whom she intended to harness like a horse and make him work.

The Destruction of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman

The Monkeys executed the Witch's orders with brutal efficiency. Some of them seized the Tin Woodman and carried him through the air until they were over a country thickly covered with sharp rocks. There they dropped him, and he fell a great distance onto the rocks, where he lay so battered and dented that he could neither move nor groan. Others caught the Scarecrow and, with their long fingers, pulled all the straw out of his clothes and head. They made his hat, boots, and clothes into a small bundle and threw it into the top branches of a tall tree. The Scarecrow, reduced to a pile of empty garments, and the Tin Woodman, a crumpled heap of metal, were left for dead, their quest for brains and a heart seemingly ended in utter ruin.

The Imprisonment of the Cowardly Lion

The remaining Monkeys turned their attention to the Cowardly Lion. They threw pieces of stout rope around him, winding many coils about his body, head, and legs until he was unable to bite, scratch, or struggle in any way. Then they lifted him up and flew away with him to the Witch's castle, where he was placed in a small yard with a high iron fence around it, ensuring he could not escape. The Lion, who had only recently begun to feel a glimmer of courage, was now a helpless prisoner, awaiting whatever fate the Witch had in store for him.

Dorothy Spared by the Mark of Goodness

Dorothy, however, was not harmed at all. She stood, with Toto in her arms, watching the sad fate of her comrades and thinking it would soon be her turn. The leader of the Winged Monkeys flew up to her, his long, hairy arms stretched out and his ugly face grinning terribly. But he saw the mark of the Good Witch's kiss upon her forehead and stopped short, motioning the others not to touch her. He declared that they dared not harm this little girl, for she was protected by the Power of Good, which is greater than the Power of Evil. All they could do was carry her to the castle of the Wicked Witch and leave her there. Carefully and gently, they lifted Dorothy in their arms and carried her swiftly through the air until they came to the castle, where they set her down upon the front doorstep. The leader then informed the Witch that they had obeyed her as far as they were able: the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow were destroyed, the Lion was tied up in the yard, but the little girl and the dog she carried they dared not harm. With that, the Winged Monkeys, their power over the band now ended, flew into the air and were soon out of sight.

Aftermath and the Witch's Fear

The Wicked Witch was both surprised and worried when she saw the mark on Dorothy's forehead, for she knew well that neither the Winged Monkeys nor she herself dared hurt the girl in any way. She looked down at Dorothy's feet and, seeing the Silver Shoes, began to tremble with fear, for she knew what a powerful charm belonged to them. At first, the Witch was tempted to run away from Dorothy, but she happened to look into the child's eyes and saw how simple the soul behind them was, and that the little girl did not know of the wonderful power the Silver Shoes gave her. So the Wicked Witch laughed to herself and thought she could still make Dorothy her slave, for the girl did not know how to use her power. She then commanded Dorothy to follow her, threatening to make an end of her as she had of the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. Dorothy, meekly following, was led to the kitchen and set to work cleaning pots and kettles, sweeping the floor, and keeping the fire fed with wood. The capture by the Winged Monkeys thus completed the Witch's temporary triumph, scattering the fellowship and reducing Dorothy to a state of servitude, with only the hidden power of the Silver Shoes and the protective mark on her forehead as her unseen defenses.