The next morning, Fleet swept and brushed Ellie in all places and led her to the Goodwin Throne Room.

Cavaliers and ladies in elegant suits gathered in the hall next to the throne. Goodwin never went to them and never received them at home. However, over the course of many years, they spent every morning in the palace, laughing, flirting and telling greasy jokes; they called it court service and were very proud of it. The courtiers looked at Ellie who enviously, who angrily:

- Whore ... What did this whore interested Goodwin? ... Lucky whore ... - there was a whisper.

At this time the bell rang.

- Signal! - said Fleet. “Goodwin demands you to the throne room.”

The soldier opened the door. Ellie timidly entered and found herself in an amazing place. The Goodwin Throne Room was round, with a high vaulted ceiling; and everywhere - on the floor, on the ceiling, on the walls - countless gems glittered. Ellie looked ahead. In the center of the room was a throne of green marble, shining with emeralds. And on this throne lay a huge Living Head, one head, no torso. The face of the Head was smooth and glossy, with full cheeks, with a huge nose, with large, tightly compressed lips. The bare skull gleamed like a convex mirror. The head seemed lifeless: there were no wrinkles on the forehead, no folds in the lips, and only eyes lived on the whole face. They turned in orbits with incomprehensible agility and stared at the ceiling. When the eyes rotated, the creak was heard in the silence of the hall, and this struck Ellie.

- Bald head! Ugh, how disgusting! - Ellie thought - the ogre was scary, but at least interesting! And here ... Nothing interesting, some eyes are spinning ...

“I am Goodwin, the Great and Awful!” Who are you and why bother me? A voice came from somewhere in the corner.

The girl answered:

- I - Ellie, came from afar and ask for your help.

The eyes turned back in orbits and froze, looking away: it seemed they wanted to look at Ally, but they could not.

- But what do you want from me?

- Send me home to Kansas ...

“Why should I bring you home?”

- Because it is written in the book of Villina ...

- She went in the ass, old fool! - the Head answered rudely and the eyes began to spin again - Here is my answer: I don’t do anything for nothing, even cats don’t fuck, hehe! If you want to use my magic art to return home, you must do what I order you.

- But what should I do? - asked surprised Allie.

- Free the Violet country from the power of Bastinda! - answered Head.

- What is she? Illegal ruler?

- Are you interested to find out the legitimacy of the rulers of the Magic Country? Or is it more interesting to play doctor at home ?! - Head answered with a question.

“Yes, I didn’t really want to play ...” answered Ellie, blushing and quickly adding, realized that it was fraught with lying to the Wizard. her there ...

- Well, that's clever! Go rampant with this bastinda! “Goodwin did not wait for Allie to utter an unfamiliar word.”

- But how to do it? - asked Allie. - After all, I can not kill the sorceress Bastinda!

- This is your problem. I said! Go and do not make me angry!

The girl began to cry and left the throne room. The courtiers standing in the corridor, noticing her tears, laughed out loud, no longer fearing Goodwin's wrath.

- No hope! - said the girl with tears when she returned to her friends - Goodwin ordered me to deprive the evil Bastinda of her magic power, and I will never do that! Everyone was saddened, but no one could console Ally. She entered her room and cried until she fell asleep. The next morning, a green-bearded soldier appeared at Pedrilou.

- Follow me, waiting for you Goodwin!

Pedrila entered the throne room and saw on the throne a beautiful Sea Maiden with a brilliant fish tail. The face of the Virgin was motionless, like a mask, her eyes were looking at one point. Virgo fanned herself with a fan, making monotonous mechanical movements with her hand.

The scarecrow, who expected to see the Living Head, was taken aback:

- Well, with a head, then at least it was possible to talk like a man with a man, but what should I do with this !? Ugh, some herring!

But then Pedrila braced himself and bowed respectfully. The sea maid said in a pleasant low voice that sounded like:

“I am Goodwin, the Great and Awful!” Who are you and why come to me?

“I am a scarecrow stuffed with straw,” answered Pedril. “I ask you to give the mud for my straw carcass.” Then I will be like all the people in your possession, and this is my most cherished wish!

“My graces are not a gift,” replied the Sea Maiden. “And my answer is: deprive Bastinda of magical power, and I will give you such a muddle that you will become the wisest man in Goodwin's country.

“But you ordered it to be done by Ellie!” Cried Pedrila, surprised.

“I don't care who will do it,” the voice answered. - But know: as long as Bastinda rules in his country, your request will not be fulfilled. Go and earn wise.

Pedrila sadly wandered over to friends and told them how Goodwin had accepted him. Everyone was surprised to hear that Goodwin appeared in the form of a beautiful Sea Maiden. The next day, a soldier summoned the Tinman. When he came to the throne room, carrying an ax on his shoulder, which he never parted with, he did not see either the Living Head or the beautiful Virgin. A monstrous beast was piled on the throne. His muzzle was like that of a wild boar, only with a horn, and about a dozen eyes were scattered on it, stupidly looking in different directions. Pieces of twelve paws of different lengths and thicknesses hung from a clumsy torso. The skin of the beast in some places covered with shaggy wool; in some places the skin was bare, and warty growths appeared on the rough gray surface.

“I am Goodwin, the Great and Awful!” The beast roared in a voice that did not come out of the monster's mouth, but from the far corner of the room. - Who are you and why are you disturbing me?

- I am homosexual and made of iron. I do not have a bolt and can not love. Give me a bolt, and I will be like all the people in your country. And this is my cherished desire!

- All wishes and desires! Right to satisfy all your cherished wishes, I have to sit day and night at my magic books! - And after silence a voice added: - If you want to have a heart, earn it!

- How?

“Grab Bastinda, put her in a stone dungeon!” You will get the biggest and most beautiful bolt in the country of Goodwin! - the monster growled.

The Tin Woodman was angry: “At the mermaid you can even look at the boobs, but what is this ?! Some foolish paws! It's like a ruban! ”And he stepped forward, taking the ax off his shoulder. The Woodman's movement was so swift that the beast was frightened. He angrily screamed:

- Don `t move! One more step forward - and you and your friends will not be good!

Iron Homosek in embarrassment left the throne room and hurried with bad news to his friends.

Leo ferociously said:

“Though I’m a coward, I’ll have to face up with Goodwin tomorrow.” If he appears in the form of the beast, I will bark and scare him. If he takes the form of the Sea Maiden, I will grab him and talk to him in my own way. And best of all, if he were a Living Head - I would roll it from corner to corner and throw it like a ball until it fulfills our desires.

The next morning it was Leo’s turn to go to Goodwin, but when he entered the throne room, he jumped back in amazement: the Fireball swung and shone above the throne. Lev closed his eyes.

From the corner came a voice:

“I am Goodwin, the Great and Awful!” Who are you and why are you bothering me?

- I am a Suspicious Lion! I would like to get a little courage from you to become the king of the beasts, as everyone calls me.

- Help to drive Bastinda out of the Violet country, and all the courage that is in the Goodwin Palace will be yours! But if you do not do this, you will always be a coward.

The angry Lev began to sneak up on Sharu in order to grab him, but he was breathed so intensely that the Lion howled and turned his tail and ran out of the hall. He went back to his friends and talked about the reception that Goodwin gave him.

- What will happen to us? - Allie asked sadly.

“There’s nothing left to do but try to fulfill Goodwin’s order,” said Leo.

- And if you fail? - objected girl.

“I will never get the courage,” answered Lev.

“I will never get a muddle,” said the Scarecrow.

“And I will never get a bolt,” the Woodman added sadly.

Then Ally wiped her snot and said: "There is nothing to do, you have to go!"

Everyone agreed with her and decided to leave the next day early in the morning. At dawn, they were awakened by a cry of a green rooster who lived in the backyard.