| Kaliko the Nome King | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Kaliko |
|
First Appearance |
Ozma of Oz (1907) |
|
Original Publisher |
Reilly-Britton |
|
Created by |
L. Frank Baum |
Origin[]
Princess Ozma of Oz led an expedition from the Land of Oz to the Nome Kingdom to rescue the Royal Family of Ev, whom King Roquat had transformed into purple ornaments. The King toyed with the rescue party, offering them the chance to find the enchanted ornaments in him impossibly large collection. Fortunately, however, Dorothy Gale's pet hen, Billina, overheard an argument between Kaliko and Roquat, learned the secret, and was able to set the prisoners free.
When Roquat the Red planned to attack the Emerald City to retrieve the Magic Belt Ozma had taken from him, Kaliko advised against it. Roquat was defeated and lost his memory, but he was returned to the Nome Kingdom where he was re-educated and re-named as Ruggedo.
The Nome King captured and imprisoned a miner from Colorado who happened to be the Shaggy Man's Brother. When the Shaggy Man came to the Nome Kingdom with a rescue party, Kaliko looked through his Magic Spyglass and reported what he saw to the King. Although Kaliko advised against it, Ruggedo decided to drop the intruders down the Hollow Tube. Tititi-Hoochoo sent Shaggy and his comrades back through the tube along with Quox the Dragon, his instrument of vengeance. Quox deprived Ruggedo of his magic powers and exiled him from the kingdom. Then, he installed Kaliko as the new Metal Monarch.
When King Gos and Queen Cor of Regos and Coregos arrived with the King and Queen of Pingaree as prisoners, Kaliko agreed to keep them captive, even though he knew Gos and Cor were lying and that the King and Queen of Pingaree were good people. He felt obligated, as a king, to help the powerful against the weak, although in his heart he was sympathetic to the King and Queen of Pingaree. He refused to make them work so that they would not suffer. When Inga of Pingaree, King Rinkitink, and Bilbil arrived to recover Inga's parents, he tried using magic to destroy them, but failed because they were protected by magic pearls. Again, he liked the party except for Bilbil, who had headbutted him; but he felt obligated to try and destroy them. He made Inga overcome great trials, which he did. Finally, Princess Dorothy of Oz arrived and scolded him for his actions, and made him give up the King and Queen and promise to cease being wicked. As she carried a basket of eggs, he dared not refuse.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- Ozma of Oz
- The Emerald City of Oz
- Little Wizard Stories of Oz
- Tik-Tok of Oz
- Rinkitink in Oz
Notes[]
While the original character who appeared in Oz books published before 1923 is in public domain, any versions published post-1923 are NOT.