More actions
Billina, the Yellow Chicken was a chicken granted the power of speech by moving to the Land of Oz, who remained a friend of Dorothy Gale thereafter.
Biography
Visited by Acquaintanceship
A version of the Billina resided in one universe's Oz alongside Dorothy by the time it was visited by Acquaintanceship-982. At some point, she became familiar with Nomes and the power her eggs held over them.
Years later, after the Imps Olite, Udent and Ertinent escaped, stole Dorothy's Magic Belt and brought it back to Blinkie, also stealing the Magic Picture and the Great Book of Records, Ozma convened a great number of her friends and acquaintances to a room on the first floor the Emerald Palace to discuss the situation, including Dorothy, Billina, the Wizard, Toto, Tik-Tok, General Omby Amby, Jellia Jamb, the Glass Cat, Trot, the Sawhorse, the Shaggy Man, the Gump, Flipper, Eureka, the Lonesome Duck, Cap'n Bill, Jack Pumpkin Head, the Hungry Tiger, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, Ojo, the Woozy, the Woggle-Bug. Also brought to the meeting by mistake was Acquaintanceship-982, who had been mistaken for Tik-Tok by General Amby. The group decided to use Acquaintanceship-982's Fog Ship to quickly comb through the Land, with the Scarecrow falling over in the rough take-off.
They first landed in Munchkin Country, where the possé met the Phonograph of Oz, who had spotted the imps. During this brief stop, the Scarecrow applauded the Pathwork Girl's impromptu song trying to show off how much better a real musician was compared to a phonograph. Thanks to the Phonograph's directions, Acquaintanceship knew to fly towards Quadling Country, but on the way through the forest which separated the two Countries, they were attacked by three kalidahs. After evading them, they reached the mountains of Jinxland, where they found not only the imps, but also Blinkie. Gloating, the Wicked Witch unveiled a field full of hundreds of imp statues, which she intended to bring to life as an unstoppable army using the Powder of Life. Acquaintanceship attempted to romanticise Blinkie right there and then, but his shot missed and instead knocked the bottle Powder out of her hands. Taking his chance, Acquaintanceship grabbed the bottle and ran off with it into his Fog Ship, but Blinkie (who had yet to realise he had the Powder and thought he was just escaping) used the Belt to cause him to crash into the forest, and transformed most of the Ozites into various objects, with only Dorothy managing to escape, despite their attempts to attack her (with Billina notably pecking at the witch).
Acquaintanceship was unharmed, however, although his Ship was down. Out of other options, he used some of the Powder of Life to attempt to repair his Ship, with the effect of bringing it to life as a sentient entity. Startled, he dropped the rest of the Powder onto his bow and arrows, which similarly came to life. Together, they returned to Jinxland and managed to romanticise Blinkie and the Imps, who subsequently apologised to everyone and returned the magical items. However, the Ship's inexperience with flying itself caused it to crash again with Acquaintanceship itself, injuring him this time. With the Bow and Arrows finding them, however, the Imps worked with Tik-Tok to repair both of them. Healed, Acquaintanceship was offered the chance to stay in the Emerald Palace as a permanent resident but turned it down, unlike the Ship, Bow and Arrows, with Ozma decreeing that the Disagreeable Arrow would get a quiet room to himself. (PROSE: The Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids in Oz)
Other references
During his encounter with Jenny Everywhere at the Gnome Place, the Nome King recalled one of his nemeses summoning “armies of scarecrows, and, and metal men, and chickens” to her aid. (PROSE: The Interlude of Jenny Everywhere)