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《The Wonderful Wizard of Oz》
Introduction
Folklore, le?９9lｉb.gends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, mar- velous and maly unreal. The winged fairies of藏书网 Grimm and Andersen have brought more happio childish hearts than all other humaions.
Yet the old time fairy tale, having served feions, may ９９ｌｉｂ.now be classed as "historical" in the childrens library; for the time has e for a series of newer "woales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are elimio9９liｂ?gether with all the horrible and blood-curdling is de- vised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale.
Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks oertai in its woales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable i.
Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely to please children of today.
It aspires to b9９ｌｉｂ?eing a modernized fairy tale, in which the won- derment and joy are retained and the heartaches and night- mares are left out.
L. Frank Baum Chicago, April, .
This book is dedicated to my good friend and rade My Wife L. F. B.
Chapter I.
The Cye
DOROTHY LIVED IN the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmers wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room tained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one er, and Dorothy a little bed in another er. There was no garret at all, and no cel- lar?aexcept a small hole dug in the ground, called a cye cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.
When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side.
Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat try that reached to the edge of the sky in all dires. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burhe tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Ohe house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.
When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had ged her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes ahem a.. sray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the childs laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothys merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wohat she could find anything to laugh at.
Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from m till night and did not know what joy was. He was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke.
It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings. Toto was not gray; he was a little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily oher side of his funny, wee oto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly.
Today, however, they were not playing. Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked anxiously at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. Dorothy stood in the door with Toto in her arms, and looked at the sky too. Aunt Em was washing the dishes.
From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the ing storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turheir eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass ing from that dire also.
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.
"Theres a cye ing, Em," he called to his wife. "Ill go look after the stock." Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept.
Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the door. One glaold her of the danger close at hand.
"Quick, Dorothy!" she screamed. "Run for the cellar!”
Toto jumped out of Dorothys arms and hid uhe bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightehrew operap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor.
Then a strahing happened.
The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact ter of the cye. In the middle of a cy- e the air is generally still, but the great pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cye; and there it re- mained and was carried miles and miles away as easily as you could carry a feather.
It was very dark, and the wind howled horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was riding quite easily. After the first few whirls around, and oher time when the house tipped badly, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle.
Toto did not like it. He ran about the room, now here, now there, barking loudly; but Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen.
Oo got too he open trap door, and fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him. But soon she saw one of his ears stig up through the hole, for the strong pressure of the air was keeping him up so that he could not fall. She crept to the hole, caught Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again, afterward closing the trap door so that no more acts could happen.
Hour after hour passed away, and slowly Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite lonely, and the wind shrieked so loudly all about her that she nearly became deaf. At first she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again; but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped w and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring. At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her.
In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter II.
The cil with the Muns
SHE WAS AWAKENED by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. As it was, the jar made her catch her breath and wonder what had happened; and Toto put his cold little o her fad whined dismally. Dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving; nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came in at the window, flooding the little room. She sprang from her bed and with Toto at her heels ran and opehe door.
The little girl gave a azement and looked about her, her eyes growing bigger and bigger at the wonderful sights she saw.
The cye had set the house down very gently?afor a cy- e?ain the midst of a try of marvelous beauty. There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rid luscious fruits. Banks of geous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered irees and bushes. A little way off was a small brook, rushing and spa.rkling aloween green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies.
While she stood looking eagerly at the strange ai- ful sights, she noticed ing toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always beeo; but her were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many y..ears older.
Three were men and one a woman, and all were oddly dressed. They wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tin- kled sweetly as they moved. The hats of the men were blue; the little womans hat was white, and she wore a white gown that hung is from her shoulders. Over it were sprinkled little stars that glistened in the sun like diamonds. The men were dressed in blue, of the same shade as their hats, and wore well-polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. The men, Dorothy thought, were about as old as Uncle Henry, for two of them had beards. But the lit- tle woman was doubtless much older. Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly.
When these people drew he house where Dorothy was standing in the doorway, they paused and whispered among themselves, as if afraid to e farther. But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice:
"You are wele, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Muns. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.”
Dorothy listeo this speech with wonder. What could the little ossibly mean by calling her a sorceress, and saying she had killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy was an i, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a any miles from home; and she had never killed anything in all her life.
But the little woman evidently expected her to answer; so Dorothy said, with hesitation, "You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything.”
"Your house did, anyway," replied the little old woman, with a laugh, "and that is the same thing. See!" she tinued, pointing to the er of the house. "There are her two feet, still stig out from under a block of wood.”
Dorothy looked, and gave a little cry ht. There, in- deed, just uhe er of the great beam the house rested on, two feet were stig out, shod in silver shoes with poioes.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" cried Dorothy, clasping her hands to- gether in dismay. "The house must have fallen on her. What- ever shall we do?”
"There is nothing to be done," said the little woman calmly.
"But who was she?"藏书网 asked Dorothy.
"She was the Wicked Witch of the East, as I said," an- swered the little woman. "She has held all the Muns in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favor.”
"Who are the Muns?" inquired Dorothy.
"They are the people who live in this land of the East where the Wicked Witch ruled.”
"Are you a Mun?" asked Dorothy.
"No, but I am their friend, although I live in the land of the North. When they saw the Witch of the East was dead the Muns sent a swift messeo me, and I came at once.
I am the Witch of the North.”
"Oh, gracious!" cried Dorothy. "Are you a real witch?”
"Yes, indeed,&藏书网quot; answered the little woman. "But I am a good witch, and the people love me. I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself.”
"But I thought all witches were wicked," said the girl, who was half frighte fag a real witch. "Oh, no, that is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am one of them myself, and ot be mistaken. Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one Wicked Wit all the Land of Oz?athe one who lives in the West.”
"But," said Dorothy, after a moments thought, "Aunt Em has told me that the witches were all dead?ayears and years ago.”
"Who is Aunt Em?" inquired the little old woman.
"She is my aunt who lives in Kansas, where I came from.”
The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, "I do not know where Kansas is, for I have never heard that try mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civi- lized try?”
"Oh, yes," replied Dorothy.
"Then that ats for it. In the civilized tries I be- lieve there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nis. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world.
Therefore we still have witches and wizards amongst us.”
"Who are the wizards?" asked Dorothy.
"Oz himself is the Great Wizard," answered the Witch, sinking her voice to a whisper. "He is more powerful than all the rest of us together. He lives iy of Emeralds.”
Dorothy was going to ask another question, but just then the Muns, who had been standing silently by, gave a loud shout and poio the er of the house where the Wicked Witch had been lying.
"What is it?" asked the little old woman, and looked, and began to laugh. The feet of the dead Witch had disappeared entirely, and nothing was left but the silver shoes.
"She was so old," explaihe Witch of the North, that she dried up quickly in the sun. That is the end of her. But the silver shoes are yours, and you shall have them to wear." She reached doicked up the shoes, and after shaking the dust out of them hahem to Dorothy.
"The Witch of the East roud of those silver shoes,”
said one of the Muns, "and there is some charm - ed with them; but what it is we never knew.”
Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and placed them oable. Then she came out again to the Muns and said:
"I am anxious to get bay aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me. you help me find my way?”
The Muns and the Witch first looked at one another, and then at Dorothy, and then shook their heads.
"At the East, not far from here," said one, "there is a great desert, and none could live to cross it.”
"It is the same at the South," said another, "for I have been there and seen it. The South is the try of the Quadlings.”
"I am told," said the third man, "that it is the same at the West. And that try, where the Winkies live, is ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West, who would make you her slave if you passed her way.”
"The North is my home," said the old lady, "and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. Im afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us.”
Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind- hearted Muns, for they immediately took out their hand- kerchiefs and began to weep also. As for the little old woman, she took off her cap and balahe point on the end of her nose, while she ted "Owo, three" in a solemn voice.
At ohe cap ged to a slate, on which was written in big, white chalk marks:
"LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS”
The little old woman took the slate from her nose, and hav- ihe words on it, asked, "Is your name Dorothy, my dear?”
"Yes," answered the child, looking up and dryiears.
"Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you.”
"Where is this city?" asked Dorothy.
"It is exactly in the ter of the try, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of.”
"Is he a good man?" inquired the girl anxiously.
"He is a good Wizard. Whether he is a man or not I ot tell, for I have never seen him.”
"How I get there?" asked Dorothy.
"You must walk. It is a long jourhrough a try that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. How- ever, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”
"Wont you go with me?" pleaded the girl, who had begun to look upotle old woman as her only friend.
"No, I ot do that," she replied, "but I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.”
She came close to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched the girl they left a round, shining mark, as Dorothy found out soon after.
"The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick," said the Witch, "so you iss it. When you get to Oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my dear.”
The three Muns bowed low to her and wished her a pleasant journey, after which they walked away through the trees. The Witch gave Dorothy a friendly little nod, whirled around on her left heel three times, and straightway disap- peared, much to the surprise of little Toto, who barked after her loudly enough when she had gone, because he had been afraid even to growl while she stood by.
But Dorothy, knowio be a witch, had expected her to disappear in just that way, and was not surprised in the least.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter III.
How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow
WHEN DOROTHY WAS left alone she began to feel hungry. So she went to the cupboard and cut herself some bread, which she spread with butter. She gave some to Toto, and taking a pail from the shelf she carried it down to the little brook and filled it with clear, sparkling water. Toto rao the trees and began to bark at the birds sitting there. Dorothy went to get him, and saw such delicious fruit hanging from the brahat she gathered some of it, finding it just what she wao help out her breakfast.
Then she went back to the house, and having helped herself and Toto to a good drink of the cool, clear water, she set about making ready for the jouro the City of Emeralds.
Dorothy had only oher dress, but that happeo be and was hanging on a peg beside her bed. It was ging- ham, with checks of white and blue; and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty frock. The girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the gingham, and tied her pink sunbo on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were.
"They surely will never do for a long jouroto," she said. And Toto looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what she meant.
At that moment Dorothy saw lying oable the silver shoes that had beloo the Witch９９lｉb. of the East.
"I wonder if they will fit me," she said to Toto. "They would be just the thing to take a long walk in, for they could not wear out.”
She took off her old leather shoes and tried on the silver ones, which fitted her as well as if they had been made for her.
Finally she picked up her basket.
"e along, Toto," she said. "We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again.”
She closed the door, locked it, and put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress. And so, with Toto trotting along soberly behind her, she started on her journey.
There were several roads near by, but it did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time she was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her silver shoes tinkling merrily on the hard, yellow road-bed.
The sun shone bright and the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own try a down in the midst of a strange land.
She was surprised, as she walked along, to see how pretty the try was about her. There were fe the sides of the road, painted a dainty blue color, and beyond them were fields of grain aables in abundance. Evidently the Muns were good farmers and able to raise large crops. On a while she would pass a house, and the people came out to look at her and bow low as she went by; for ev- eryone knew she had been the means of destroying the Wicked Witd setting them free from bohe houses of the Muns were odd-looking dwellings, for each was round, with a big dome for a roof. All were painted blue, for in this try of the East blue was the favorite color.
Toward evening, when Dorothy was tired with her long walk and began to wonder where she should pass the night, she came to a house rather larger than the rest. On the green lawn before it many men and women were dang. Five little fiddlers played as loudly as possible, and the people were laughing and singing, while a big table near by was loaded with delicious fruits and nuts, pies and cakes, and many ood things to eat.
The people greeted Dorothy kindly, and invited her to sup- per and to pass the night with them; for this was the home of one of the richest Muns in the land, and his friends were gathered with him to celebrate their freedom from the bondage of the Wicked Witch.
Dorothy ate a hearty supper and was waited upon by the rich Mun himself, whose name was Boq. The upon a settee and watched the people dance.
When Boq saw her silver shoes he said, "You must be a great sorceress.”
"Why?" asked the girl.
"Because you wear silver shoes and have killed the Wicked Witch. Besides, you have white in your frock, and only witches and sorceresses wear white.”
"My dress is blue and white checked," said Dorothy, smoothing out the wrinkles in it.
"It is kind of you to wear that," said Boq. "Blue is the color of the Muns, and white is the witch color. So we know you are a friendly witch.”
Dorothy did not know what to say to this, for all the people seemed to think her a witch, and she knew very well she was only an ordinary little girl who had e by the ce of a cye into a strange land.
When she had tired watg the dang, Boq led her into the house, where he gave her a room with a pretty bed in it.
The sheets were made of blue cloth, and Dorothy slept soundly iill m, with Toto curled up on the blue rug beside her.
She ate a hearty breakfast, and watched a wee Mun baby, who played with Toto and pulled his tail and crowed and laughed in a way that greatly amused Dorothy. Toto was a fine curiosity to all the people, for they had never seen a dog before.
"How far is it to the Emerald City?" the girl asked.
"I do not know," answered Boq gravely, "for I have never been there. It is better for people to keep away from Oz, uhey have business with him. But it is a long way to the Emerald City, and it will take you many days. The try here is rid pleasant, but you must pass through rough and dangerous places before you reach the end of your journey.”
This worried Dorothy a little, but she khat only the Great Oz could help her get to Kansas again, so she bravely resolved not to turn back.
She bade her friends good-bye, and again started along the road of yellow brick. When she had gone several miles she thought she would stop to rest, and so climbed to the top of the fence beside the road and sat down. There was a great field beyond the fence, and not far away she saw a Scare- crow, placed 9９ｌiｂ?high on a pole to keep the birds from the ripe .
Dorothy leaned her upon her hand and gazed thought- fully at the Scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent a face. An old, pointed blue hat, that had beloo some Mun, erched on his head, and the rest of the figure was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw. On the feet were some old boots with blue tops, such as every man wore in this try, and the fig- ure was raised above the stalks of by means of the pole stuck up its back.
While Dorothy was looking early into the queer, painted face of the Scarecrow, she was surprised to see one of the eyes slowly wink at her. She thought she must have been mistaken at first, for none of the scarecrows in Kansas ever wink; but presently the figure s head to her in a friendly way. Then she climbed down from the fend walked up to it, while Toto ran around the pole and barked.
"Good day," said the Scarecrow, in a rather husky voice.
"Did you speak?" asked the girl, in wonder.
"Certainly," answered the Scarecrow. "How do you do?”
"Im pretty well, thank you," replied Dorothy politely.
"How do you do?”
"Im not feeling well," said the Scarecrow, with a smile, "for it is very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows.”
"t you get down?" asked Dorothy.
"No, for this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take away the pole I shall be greatly obliged to you.”
Dorothy reached up both arms and 9９ｌib?lifted the figure off the pole, for, being stuffed with straw, it was quite light.
"Thank you very much," said the Scarecrow, when he had bee down on the ground. "I feel like a new man.”
Dorothy uzzled at this, for it sounded queer to hear a stuffed man speak, and to see him bow and walk along beside her.
"Who are you?" asked the Scarecrow when he had stretched himself and yawned. "And where are you going?”
"My name is Dorothy," said the girl, "and I am going to the Emerald City, to ask the Great Oz to send me back to Kansas.”
"Where is the Emerald City?" he inquired. "And who is Oz?”
"Why, dont you know?" she returned, in surprise.
"No, indeed. I dont know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all," he answered sadly.
"Oh," said Dorothy, "Im awfully sorry for you.”
"Do you think," he asked, "if I go to the Emerald City with you, that Oz would give me some brains?”
"I ot tell," she returned, "but you may e with me, if you like. If Oz will not give you any brains you will be no worse off than you are now.”
"That is true," said the Scarecrow. "You see," he tinued fidentially, "I dont mind my legs and arms and body be- ing stuffed, because I ot get hurt. If areads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesnt matter, for I t feel it.
But I do not eople to call me a fool, and if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, as yours is, how am I ever to know anything?”
"I uand how you feel," said the little girl, who was truly sorry for him. "If you will e with me Ill ask Oz to do all he for you.”
"Thank you," he answered gratefully.
They walked back to the road. Dorothy helped him over the fence, and they started along the path of yellow brick for the Emerald City.
Toto did not like this addition to the party at first. He smelled around the stuffed man as if he suspected there might be a of rats iraw, aen growled in an un- friendly way at the Scarecrow.
"Dont mind Toto," said Dorothy to her new friend. "He never bites.”
"Oh, Im not afraid," replied the Scarecrow. "He t hurt the straw. Do let me carry that basket for you. I shall not mind it, for I t get tired. Ill tell you a secret," he tinued, as he walked along. "There is only ohing in the world I am afraid of.”
"What is that?" asked Dorothy; "the Mun farmer who made you?”
"No," answered the Scarecrow; "its a lighted match.”
L. Frank Baum
Chapter IV.
The Road Through the Forest
AFTER A FEW HOURS the road began to be rough, and the walk- ing grew so difficult that the Scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow bricks, which were here very uneven. S.ometimes, ihey were broken or missing altogether, leaving holes that Toto jumped across and Dorothy walked around. As for the Scarecrow, having no brains, he walked straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full length on the hard bricks. It never hurt him, however, and Dorothy would pick him up a him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughing merrily at his own mishap.
The farms were not nearly so well cared for here as they were farther back. There were fewer houses and fewer fruit trees, and the farther they went the more dismal and lonesome the try became.
At noon they sat down by the roadside, near a little brook, and Dorothy opened her basket and got out some bread. She offered ９9lｉb?a piece to the Scarecrow, but he refused.
"I am never hungry," he said, "and it is a lucky thing I am not, for my mouth is only painted, and if I should cut a hole in it so I could eat, the straw I am stuffed with would e out, and that would spoil the shape of my head.”
Dorothy saw at ohat this was true, so she only nodded a oing her bread.
"Tell me something about yourself and the try you came from," said the Scarecrow, when she had finished her dinner. So she told him all about Kansas, and how gray every- thing was there, and how the cye had carried her to this queer Land of Oz.
The Scarecrow listened carefully, and said, "I ot uand why you should wish to leave this beautiful try and go back to the dry, gray place you call Kansas.”
"That is because you have no brains" answered the girl.
"No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other try, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.”
The Scarecrow sighed.
"Of course I ot uand it," he said. "If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains.”
"Wont you tell me a story, while we are resting?" asked the child.
The Scarecrow looked at her reproachfully, and answered:
"My life has been so short that I really know nothing what- ever. I was only made day before yesterday. What happened in the world before that time is all unknown to me. Luckily, when the farmer made my head, one of the first things he did was to paint my ears, so that I heard what was going on.
There was another Mun with him, and the first thing I heard was the farmer saying, `How do you like those ears? "`They arent straight," answered the other.
"`Never mind," said the farmer. "`They are ears just the same," which was true enough.
"`Now Ill make the eyes," said the farmer. So he painted my right eye, and as soon as it was finished I found myself looking at him and at everything arouh a great deal of curiosity, for this was my first glimpse of the world.
"`Thats a rather pretty eye," remarked the Mun atg the farmer. "`Blue paint is just the color for eyes. "`I think Ill make the other a little bigger," said the farmer.
And when the sed eye was done I could see much better than before. Then he made my nose and my mouth. But I did not speak, because at that time I didnt know what a mouth was for. I had the fun of watg them make my body and my arms and legs; and when they fastened on my head, at last, I felt very proud, for I thought I was just as good a man as anyone.
"`This fellow will scare the crows fast enough, said the farmer. `He looks just like a man. "`Why, he is a man, said the other, and I quite agreed with him. The farmer carried me under his arm to the field, a me up on a tall stick, where you found me. He and his friend soon after walked away a me alone.
"I did not like to be deserted this way. So I tried to walk af- ter them. But my feet would not touch the ground, and I was forced to stay on that pole. It was a lonely life to lead, for I had nothing to think of, having been made such a little while before. Many crows and other birds flew into the field, but as soon as they saw me they flew away again, thinking I was a Mun; and this pleased me and made me feel that I was quite an important person. By and by an old crow flew near me, and after looking at me carefully he perched upon my shoulder and said:
"`I wonder if that farmer thought to fool me in this clumsy manner. Any crow of sense could see that you are only stuffed with straw. Then he hopped down at藏书网 my feet and ate all the he wahe other birds, seeing he was not harmed by me, came to eat the too, so in a short time there was a great flock of them about me.
"I felt sad at this, for it showed I was not such a good Scarecrow after all; but the old crow forted me, saying, `If you only had brains in your head you would be as good a man as any of them, and a better man than some of them.
Brains are the only things worth having in this world, no mat- ter whether one is a crow or a man. "After the crows had gohought this over, and decided I would try hard to get some brains. By good luck you came along and pulled me off the stake, and from what you say I am sure the Great Oz will give me brains as soon as we get to the Emerald City.”
"I hope so," said Dorothy early, "since you seem anx- ious to have them.”
"Oh, yes; I am anxious," returhe Scarecrow. "It is su unfortable feeling to know one is a fool.”
"Well," said the girl, "let us go." And she hahe basket to the Scarecrow.
There were no fe all by the roadside now, and the land was rough and untilled. Toward evening they came to a great forest, where the trees grew so big and close together that their branches met over the road of yellow brick. It was almost dark uhe trees, for the branches shut out the day- light; but the travelers did not stop, a on into the for- est.
"If this road goes in, it must e out," said the Scarecrow, "and as the Emerald City is at the other end of the road, we must go wherever it leads us.”
"Anyone would know that," said Dorothy.
"Certainly; that is why I know it," returhe Scarecrow.
"If it required brains to figure it out, I never should have said it.”
After an hour or so the light faded away, and they found themselves stumbling along in the darkness. Dorothy could not see at all, but Toto could, for some dogs see very well in the dark; and the Scarecrow declared he could see as well as by day. So she took hold of his arm and mao get along fairly well.
"If you see any house, or any place where ass the night," she said, "you must tell me; for it is very unfort- able walking in the dark.”
Soon after the Scarecrow stopped.
"I see a little cottage at the right of us," he said, "built of logs and branches. Shall we go there?”
"Yes, indeed," answered the child. "I am all tired out.”
So the Scarecrow led her through the trees until they reached the cottage, and Dorothy entered and found a bed of dried leaves in one er. She lay down at once, and with Toto beside her soon fell into a sound sleep. The Scarecroas ired, stood up in another er and waited patiently until m came.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter V.
The Rescue of the Tin Woodman
WHEN DOROTHY awoke the sun was shining through the trees and Toto had long been out chasing birds around him and squirrels. She sat up and looked around her. Scarecrow, still standing patiently in his er, waiting for her.
"We must go and search for water," she said to him.
"Why do you want water?" he asked.
"To wash my face after the dust of the road, and to drink, so the dry bread will not stick in my throat.”
"It must be inveo be made of flesh," said the Scarecrow thoughtfully, "for you must sleep, a and drink. However, you have brains, and it is worth a lot of bother to be able to think properly.”
They left the cottage and walked through the trees until they found a little spring of clear water, where Dorothy drank and bathed and ate her breakfast. She saw there was not much bread left in the basket, and the girl was thankful the Scare- crow did not have to eat anything, for there was scarcely enough for herself and Toto for the day.
When she had finished her meal, and was about to go back to the road of yellow brick, she was startled to hear a deep groan near by.
"What was that?" she asked timidly.
"I agine," replied the Scarecrow; "but we go and see.”
Just then anroan reached their ears, and the sound seemed to e from behind them. They turned and walked through the forest a few steps, when Dorothy discovered something shining in a ray of sunshihat fell betweerees. She ran to the plad then stopped short, with a little cry of surprise.
One of the big trees had been partly chopped through, and standing beside it, with an uplifted axe in his hands, was a man made entirely of tin. His head and arms and legs were jointed upon his body, but he stood perfectly motionless, as if he could not stir at all.
Dorothy looked at him in amazement, and so did the Scare- crow, while Toto barked sharply and made a snap at the tin legs, which hurt his teeth.
"Did you groan?" asked Dorothy.
"Yes," answered the tin man, "I did. Ive been groaning for more than a year, and no one has ever heard me before or e to help me.”
"What I do for you?" she inquired softly, for she was moved by the sad voi which the man spoke.
"Get an oil- and oil my joints," he answered. "They are rusted so badly that I ove them at all; if I am well oiled I shall soon be all right again. You will find an oil- on a shelf in my cottage.”
Dorothy at once ran back to the cottage and found the oil- , and theurned and asked anxiously, "Where are your joints?”
"Oil my neck, first," replied the Tin Woodman. So she oiled it, and as it was quite badly rusted the Scarecrow took hold of the tin head and moved it gently from side to side un- til it worked freely, and then the man could turn it himself.
"Now oil the joints in my arms," he said. And Dorothy oiled them and the Scarecrow bent them carefully until they were quite free from rust and as good as new.
The Tin Woodman gave a sigh of satisfa and lowered his axe, which he leaned against the tree.
"This is a great fort," he said. "I have been holding that axe in the air ever since I rusted, and Im glad to be able to put it down at last. Now, if you will oil the joints of my legs, I shall be all right once more.”
So they oiled his legs until he could move them ..freely; ahahem again and again for his release, for he seemed a very polite creature, and very grateful.
"I might have stood there always if you had not e along," he said; "so you have certainly saved my life. How did you happen to be here?”
"We are on our way to the Emerald City to see the Great Oz," she answered, "aopped at your cottage to pass the night.”
"Why do you wish to see Oz?" he asked.
"I want him to send me back to Kansas, and the Scarecrow wants him to put a few brains into his head," she replied.
The Tin Woodman appeared to think deeply for a moment.
Then he said:
"Do you suppose Oz could give me a heart?”
"Why, I guess so," Dorothy answered. "It would be as easy as to give the Scarecrow brains.”
"True," the Tin Woodmaurned. "So, if you will allow me to join your party, I will also go to the Emerald City and ask Oz to help me.”
"e along," said the Scarecrow heartily, and Dorothy added that she would be pleased to have his pany. So the Tin Woodman shouldered his axe and they all passed through the forest until they came to the road that aved with yel- low brick.
The Tin Woodman had asked Dorothy to put the oil- in her basket. "For," he said, "if I should get caught in the rain, and rust again, I would he oil- badly.”
It was a bit of good luck to have their new rade join the party, for soon after they had begun their journey again they came to a place where the trees and branches grew so thick over the road that the travelers could not pass. But the Tin Woodmao work with his axe and chopped so well that soon he cleared a passage for the entire party.
Dorothy was thinking so early as they walked along that she did not notice when the Scarecrow stumbled into a hole and rolled over to the side of the road. Indeed he was obliged to call to her to help him up again.
"Why didnt you walk around the hole?" asked the Tin Woodman.
"I dont know enough," replied the Scarecrow cheerfully.
"My head is stuffed with straw, you know, and that is why I am going to Oz to ask him for some brains.”
"Oh, I see," said the Tin Woodman. "But, after all, brains are not the best things in the world.”
"Have you any?" inquired the Scarecrow.
"No, my head is quite empty," answered the Woodman.
"But once I had brains, and a heart also; so, having tried them both, I should much rather have a heart.”
"And why is that?" asked the Scarecrow.
"I will tell you my story, and then you will know.”
So, while they were walking through the forest, the Tin Woodman told the following story:
"I was born the son of a woodman who chopped down trees in the forest and sold the wood for a living. When I grew up, I too became a woodchopper, and after my father died I took care of my old mother as long as she lived. Then I made up my mind that instead of living alone I would marry, so that I might not bee lonely.
"There was one of the Mun girls who was so beautiful that I sooo love her with all my heart. She, on her part, promised to marry me as soon as I could earn enough moo build a better house for her; so I set to work harder than ever. But the girl lived with an old woman who did not wao marry anyone, for she was so lazy she wished the藏书网 girl to remain with her and do the cooking and the housework.
So the old womao the Wicked Witch of the East, and promised her two sheep and a cow if she would prevent the marriage. Thereupon the Wicked Witted my axe, and when I was chopping away at my best one day, for I was anxious to get the new house and my wife as soon as possible, the axe slipped all at ond y left leg.
"This at first seemed a great misfortune, for I knew a one- legged man could not do very well as a wood-chopper. So I went to a tinsmith and had him make me a new leg out of tin.
The leg worked very well, once I was used to it. But my ac- tion ahe Wicked Witch of the East, for she had promised the old woman I should not marry the pretty Mun girl. When I began chopping again, my axe slipped and y right leg. Again I went to the tinsmith, and again he made me a leg out of tin. After this the ented axe y arms, oer the other; but, nothing daunted, I had them replaced with tihe Wicked Witch then made the axe slip and y head, and at first I thought that was the end of me. But the tinsmith happeo e along, and he made me a new head out of tin.
"I thought I had beaten the Wicked Witch then, and I worked harder than ever; but I little knew how cruel my en- emy could be. She thought of a new way to kill my love for the beautiful Mun maiden, and made my axe slip again, so that it cut right through my body, splittio two halves. Once more the tinsmith came to my help and made me a body of tin, fastening my tin arms and legs ao it, by means of joints, so that I could move around as well as ever.
But, alas! I had now , so that I lost all my love for the Mun girl, and did not care whether I married her or not.
I suppose she is still living with the old woman, waiting for me to e after her.
"My body shone shtly in the sun that I felt very proud of it and it did not matter now if my axe slipped, for it could not cut me. There was only one dahat my joints would rust; but I kept an oil- in my cottage and took care to oil myself whenever I . However, there came a day when I fot to do this, and, being caught in a rainstorm, be- fore I thought of the danger my joints had rusted, and I was left to stand in the woods until you came to help me. It was a terrible thing to undergo, but during the year I stood there I had time to think that the greatest loss I had known was the loss of my heart. While I was in love I was the happiest man oh; but no one love who has not a heart, and so I am resolved to ask Oz to give me one. If he does, I will go back to the Mun maiden and marry her.”
Both Dorothy and the Scarecrow had beely inter- ested iory of the Tin Woodman, and now they knew why he was so anxious to get a new heart.
"All the same," said the Scarecrow, "I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.”
"I shall take the heart," returhe Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”
Dorothy did not say anything, for she uzzled to know which of her two friends was right, and she decided if she could only get back to Kansas and Aunt Em, it did not matter so much whether the Woodman had no brains and the Scare- crow , or each got what he wanted.
What worried her most was that the bread ..was nearly gone, and another meal for herself and Toto would empty the bas- ket. To be sure her the Woodman nor the Scarecrow ever ate anything, but she was not made of tin nor straw, and could not live unless she was fed.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter VI.
The Cowardly Lion
ALL THIS TIME DOROTHY and her panions had been walking through the thick woods. The road was still paved with yellow brick, but these were much covered by dried branches and dead leaves from the trees, and the walking was not at all good.
There were few birds in this part of the forest, for birds love the open try where there is plenty of sunshine. But now and then there came a deep growl from some wild animal hidden among the trees. These sounds made the little girls heart beat fast, for she did not know what made them; but Toto knew, and he walked close to Dorothys side, and did not even bark iurn.
"How long will it be," the child asked of the Tin Woodman, "before we are out of the forest?”
"I ot tell," was the answer, "for I have never been to the Emerald City. But my father went there once, when I was a boy, and he said it was a long jourhrough a dangerous try, although o the city where Oz dwells the try is beautiful. But I am not afraid so long as I have my oil-, and nothing hurt the Scarecrow, while you bear upon your forehead the mark of the Good Witchs kiss, and that will protect you from harm.”
"But Toto!" said the girl anxiously. "What will protect him?”
"We must protect him ourselves if he is in danger," replied the Tin Woodman.
Just as he spoke there came from the forest a terrible roar, and the moment a great Lion bounded into the road. With one blow of his paw he sent the Scarecrow spinning over and over to the edge of the road, and theruck at the Tin Woodman with his sharp claws. But, to the Lions surprise, he could make no impression oin, although the Woodman fell over in the road and lay still.
Little Toto, now that he had ao face, ran barking toward the Lion, and the great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog, when Dorothy, fearing Toto would be killed, and heedless of danger, rushed forward and slapped the Lion upon his nose as hard as she could, while she cried out:
"Dont you dare to bite Toto! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, a big beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!”
"I didnt bite him," said the Lion, as he rubbed his h his paw where Dorothy had hit it.
"No, but you tried to," she retorted. "You are nothing but a big coward.”
"I know it," said the Lion, hanging his head in shame. "Ive always known it. But how I help it?”
"I dont know, Im sure. To think of your striking a stuffed man, like the poor Scarecrow!”
"Is he stuffed?" asked the Lion in surprise, as he watched her pick up the Scarecrow a him upon his feet, while she patted him into shape again.
"Of course hes stuffed," replied Dorothy, who was still an- gry.
"Thats why he went over so easily," remarked the Lion. "It astonished me to see him whirl around so. Is the other ouffed also?”
"No," said Dorothy, "hes made of tin." And she helped the Woodman up again.
"Thats why he nearly blunted my claws,".９9liｂ? said the Lion.
"When they scratched against the tin it made a cold shiver run down my back. What is that little animal you are so tender of?”
"He is my dog, Toto," answered Dorothy.
"Is he made of tin, or stuffed?" asked the Lion.
"her. Hes a?aa?aa meat dog," said the girl.
"Oh! Hes a curious animal and seems remarkably small, now that I look at him. No one would think of biting such a little thing, except a coward like me," tihe Lion sadly.
"What makes you a coward?" asked Dorothy, looking at the great beast in wonder, for he was as big as a small horse.
"Its a mystery," replied the Lion. "I suppose I was born that way. All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts. I learhat if I roared very loudly every living thing was frightened and got out of my way. Whenever Ive met a man Ive been awfully scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run away as fast as he could go. If the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight me, I should have run myself?aIm such a coward; but just as soon as they hear me roar they all try to get away from me, and of course I let them go.”
"But that isnt right. The King of Beasts shouldnt be a cow- ard," said the Scarecrow.
"I know it," returhe Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. "It is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. But whehere is danger, my heart be- gins to beat fast.”
"Perhaps you have heart disease," said the Tin Woodman.
"It may be," said the Lion.
"If you have," tihe Tin Woodman, "you ought to be glad, for it proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I ot have heart disease.”
"Perhaps," said the Lion thoughtfully, "if I had I should not be a coward.”
"Have you brains?" asked the Scarecrow.
"I suppose so. Ive never looked to see," replied the Lion.
"I am going to the Great Oz to ask him to give me some,”
remarked the Scarecrow, "for my head is stuffed with straw.”
"And I am going to ask him to give me a heart," said the Woodman.
"And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas," added Dorothy.
"Do you think Oz could give me ce?" asked the Cow- ardly Lion.
"Just as easily as he could give me brains," said the Scare- crow.
&quive me a heart," said the Tin Woodman.
"Or send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.
"Then, if you dont mind, Ill go with you," said the Lion, "for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of ce.”
"You will be very wele," answered Dorothy, "for you will help to keep away the other wild be?99lｉb.asts. It seems to me they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily.”
"They really are," said the Lion, "but that doesnt make me any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy.”
So once more the little pa off upon the jourhe Lion walking with stately strides at Dorothys side. Toto did not approve this new rade at first, for he could not fet how nearly he had been crushed between the Lions great jaws. But after a time he became more at ease, and presently Toto and the Cowardly Lion had grown to be good friends.
During the rest of that day there was no other adveo mar the peace of their journey. Once, ihe Tin Wood- man stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sor- row a. These tears ran slowly down his fad over the hinges of his jaw, and there they rusted. When Dorothy presently asked him a questioin Woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together. He became greatly frighte this and made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him, but she could not uand. The Lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow seized the oil- from Dorothys basket and oiled the Woodmans jaws, so that after a few moments he could talk as well as before.
"This will serve me a lesson," said he, "to look where I step. For if I should kill an or beetle I should surely cry again, and g rusts my jaws so that I ot speak.”
Thereafter he walked very carefully, with his eyes on the road, and when he saw a tiny ant toiling by he would step over it, so as not to harm it. The Tin Woodman knew very well he had , and therefore he took great care o be cruel or unkind to anything.
"You people with hearts," he said, "have something to guide you, and need never d; but I have , and so I must be very careful. When Oz gives me a heart of course I mind so much.”
L. Frank Baum
Chapter VII.
The Jouro the Great Oz
THEY WERE obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest, for there were no houses near. The tree made a good, thick c to protect them from the dew, and the Tin Woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe and Dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely. She and Toto ate the last of their bread, and now she did not know what they would do for breakfast.
"If you wish," said the Lion, "I will go into the forest and kill a deer for you. You roast it by the fire, since your tastes are so peculiar that you prefer cooked food, and then you will have a very good breakfast.”
"Dont! Please dont," begged the Tin Woodman. "I should certainly weep if you killed a poor deer, and then my jaws would rust again.”
But the Lio away into the forest and found his own supper, and no one ever knew what it was, for he didnt men- tion it. And the Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothys basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. His padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket. But the Scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the bas- ket, for it enabled him to keep away from the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him up. So he kept a good distance away from the flames, and only came o cover Dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep.
These kept her very snug and warm, and she slept soundly un- til m.
When it was daylight, the girl bathed her fa a little rip- pling brook, and soon after they all started toward the Emer- ald City.
This was to be aful day for the travelers. They had hardly been walking an hour when they saw before them a great ditch that crossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see oher side. It was a very wide ditch, and when they crept up to the edge and looked into it they could see it was also very deep, and there were many big, jagged rocks at the bottom. The sides were so steep that none of them could climb down, and for a moment it seemed that their jour- ney must end.
"What shall we do?" asked Dorothy despairingly.
"I havent the fai idea," said the Tin Woodman, and the Lion shook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful.
But the Scarecrow said, "We ot fly, that is certaiher we climb down into this great ditch. Therefore, if we ot jump over it, we must stop where we are.”
"I think I could jump over it," said the Cowardly Lion, after measuring the distance carefully in his mind.
"Then we are all right," answered the Scarecrow, "for you carry us all over on your back, o a time.”
"Well, Ill try it," said the Lion. "Who will go first?”
"I will," declared the Scarecrow, "for, if you found that you could not jump over the gulf, Dorothy would be killed, or the Tin Woodman badly dented on the rocks below. But if I am on your back it will not matter so much, for the fall would not hurt me at all.”
"I am terribly afraid of falling, myself," said the Cowardly Lion, "but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it. So get on my bad we will make the attempt.”
The Scarecroon the Lions back, and the big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down.
"Why dont you run and jump?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Because that isnt the way we Lions do these things," he replied. Then giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safely oher side. They were all greatly pleased to see how easily he did it, and after the Scarecrow had got down from his back the Lion sprang across the ditch again.
Dorothy thought she would go ; so she took Toto in her arms and climbed on the Lions back, holding tightly to his mah one hand. The moment it seemed as if she were flying through the air; and then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe oher side. The Lio back a third time and got the Tin Woodman, and then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a ce to rest, for his great leaps had made his breath short, and he panted like a big dog that has been running too long.
They found the forest very thi this side, and it looked dark and gloomy. After the Lion had rested they started along the road of yellow brick, silently w, ea his own mind, if ever they would e to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshine again. To add to their disfort, they soon heard strange noises in the depths of the forest, and the Lion whispered to them that it was in this part of the - try that the Kalidahs lived.
"What are the Kalidahs?" asked the girl.
"They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers," replied the Lion, "and with claws so long and sharp that they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. Im terribly afra99ｌｉb?id of the Kalidahs.”
"Im not surprised that you are," returned Dorothy. "They must be dreadful beasts.”
The Lion was about to reply when suddenly they came to anulf across the road. But this one was so broad ahat the Lio once he could not leap across it.
So they sat down to sider what they should do, and after serious thought the Scarecrow said:
"Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. If the Tin Woodman chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we walk across it easily.”
"That is a firs>t-rate idea," said the Lion. "One would almost suspect you had brains in your head, instead of straw.”
The Woodmao work at once, and so sharp was his axe that the tree was soon chopped nearly through. Then the Lion put his strong front legs against the tree and pushed with all his might, and slowly the big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch, with its top branches oher side.
They had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp growl made them all look up, and to their horror they saw running toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers.
"They are the Kalidahs!" said the Cowardly Lion, begin- ning to tremble.
"Quick!" cried the Scarecrow. "Let us cross over.”
So Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms, the Tin Woodman followed, and the Scarecrow came . The Lion, although he was certainly afraid, turo face the Kalidahs, and then he gave so loud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow fell over backward, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and looked at him in surprise.
But, seeing they were bigger than the Lion, and remember- ing that there were two of them and only one of him, the Kali- dahs again rushed forward, and the Lion crossed over the tree and turo see what they would do . Without stopping an instant the fierce beasts also began to cross the tree. And the Lion said to Dorothy:
"We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.”
"Wait a minute!" called the Scarecrow. He had been think- ing what was best to be done, and now he asked the Wood- man to chop away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The Tin Woodman began to use his axe at once, and, just as the two Kalidahs were nearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom.
"Well," said the Cowardly Lion, drawing a long breath of relief, "I see we are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it, for it must be a very unfortable thing not to be alive. Those creatures frightened me so badly that my heart is beati.”
"Ah," said the Tin Woodman sadly, "I wish I had a heart to beat.”
L. Frank Baum
This adventure made the travelers more anxious thao get out of the forest, and they walked so fast that Dorothy became tired, and had to ride on the Lions back. To their great joy the trees became thihe farther they advanced, and iernoon they suddenly came upon a broad river, flowing swiftly just before them. Oher side of the wa- ter they could see the road of yellow brick running through a beautiful try, with green meadows dotted with bright flowers and all the road bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits. They were greatly pleased to see this delight- ful try before them.
"How shall we cross the river?" asked Dorothy.
"That is easily done," replied the Scarecrow. "The Tin Woodman must build us a raft, so we float to the other side.”
So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft, and while he was busy at this the Scarecrow found on the riverbank a tree full of fine fruit. This pleased Dorothy, who had eaten nothing but nuts all day, and she made a hearty meal of the ripe fruit.
But it takes time to make a raft, even when one is as indus- trious and untiring as the Tin Woodman, and when night came the work was not done. So they found a cozy pla- der the trees where they slept well until the m; and Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City, and of the good Wiz- ard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again.
Chapter VIII.
The Deadly Poppy Field
OUR LITTLE PARTY of travelers awakehe m re- freshed and full of hope, and Dorothy breakfasted like a princess off peaches and plums from the trees beside the river.
Behind them was the dark forest they had passed safely through, although they had suffered many discements; but before them was a lovely, sunny try that seemed to be them on to the Emerald City.
To be sure, the broad river now cut them off from this beautiful land. But the raft was nearly done, and after the Tin Woodman had cut a few more logs and fastehem to- gether with wooden pins, they were ready to start. Dorothy sat down in the middle of the raft aoto in her arms.
When the Cowardly Lion stepped upon the raft it tipped badly, for he was big and heavy; but the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood upoher end to steady it, and they had long poles in their hands to push the raft through the wa- ter.
They got along quite well at first, but when they reached the middle of the river the swift current swept the raft down- stream, farther and farther away from the road of yellow brick. And the water grew so deep that the long poles would not touch the bottom.
"This is bad," said the Tin Woodman, "for if we ot get to the land we shall be carried into the try of the Wicked Witch of the West, and she will ent us and make us her slaves.”
"And then I should get no brains," said the Scarecrow.
"And I should get no ce," said the Cowardly Lion.
"And I should get ," said the Tin Woodman.
"And I should never get back to Kansas," said Dorothy.
"We must certainly get to the Emerald City if we ," the Scarecrow tinued, and he pushed so hard on his long pole that ibbr>..t stuck fast in the mud at the bottom of the river. Then, before he could pull it out again?aor let go?athe raft was swept away, and the poor Scarecrow left ging to the pole in the middle of the river.
"Good-bye!" he called after them, and they were very sorry to leave him. Ihe Tin Woodman began to cry, but for- tunately remembered that he might rust, and so dried his tears on Dorothys apron.
Of course this was a bad thing for the Scarecrow.
"I am now worse off than when I first met Dorothy," he thought. "Then, I was stu a pole in a field, where I could make-believe scare the crows, at any rate. But surely there is no use for a Scarecrow stu a pole in the middle of a river. I am afraid I shall never have any brains, after all!”
Dowream the raft floated, and the poor Scarecrow was left far behind. Then the Lion said:
"Something must be doo save us. I think I swim to the shore and pull the raft after me, if you will only hold fast to the tip of my tail.”
So he sprang into the water, and the Tin Woodman caught fast hold of his tail. Then the Lion began to swim with all his might toward the shore. It was hard work, although he was so big; but by and by they were drawn out of the current, and then Dorothy took the Tin Woodmans long pole and helped push the raft to the land.
They were all tired out when they reached the shore at last and stepped off upon the pretty green grass, and they also khat the stream had carried them a long ast the road of yellow brick that led to the Emerald City.
"What shall we do now?" asked the Tin Woodman, as the Lion lay down on the grass to let the sun dry him.
"We must get back to the road, in some way," said Dorothy.
"The best plan will be to walk along the riverbank until we e to the road again," remarked the Lion..
So, when they were rested, Dorothy picked up her basket and they started along the grassy bank, to the road from which the river had carried them. It was a lovely try, with plenty of flowers and fruit trees and sunshio cheer them, and had they not felt so sorry for the poor Scarecrow, they could have been very happy.
They walked along as fast as they could, Dorothy only stopping oo pick a beautiful flower; and after a time the Tin Woodman cried out: "Look!”
Then they all looked at the river and saw the Scarecrow perched upon his pole in the middle of the water, looking very lonely and sad.
"What we do to save him?" asked Dorothy.
The Lion and the Woodman both shook their heads, for they did not know. So they sat down upon the bank and gazed wistfully at the Scarecrow until a Stork flew by, who, upon seeing them, stopped to rest at the waters edge.
"Who are you and where are you going?" asked the Stork.
"I am Dorothy," answered the girl, "and these are my friends, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion; and we are going to the Emerald City.”
"This isnt the road," said the Stork, as she twisted her long ned looked sharply at the queer party.
"I know it," returned Dorothy, "but we have lost the Scare- crow, and are w how we shall get him again.”
"Where is he?" asked the Stork.
"Over there in the river," answered the little girl.
"If he wasnt so big and heavy I would get him for you," re- marked the Stork.
"He isnt heavy a bit," said Dorothy eagerly, "for he is stuffed with straw; and if you will bring him back to us, we shall thank you ever and ever so much.”
"Well, Ill try," said the Stork, "but if I find he is too heavy to carry I shall have to drop him in the river again.”
So the big bird flew into the air and over the water till she came to where the Scarecroerched upon his pole.
Theork with her great claws grabbed the Scarecrow by the arm and carried him up into the air and back to the bank, where Dorothy and the Lion and the Tin Woodman and Toto were sitting.
When the Scarecrow found himself among his friends again, he was so happy that he hugged them all, even the Lion and Toto; and as they walked along he sang "Tol- de-ri-de-oh!" at every step, he felt so gay.
"I was afraid I should have to stay in the river forever," he said, "but the kind Stork saved me, and if I ever get any brains I shall find the Stain and do her some kindness iurn.”
"Thats all right," said the Stork, who was flying along be- side them. "I always like to help anyone in trouble. But I must go now, for my babies are waiting in the for me. I hope you will find the Emerald City and that Oz will help you.”
"Thank you," replied Dorothy, and then the kind Stork flew into the air and was soon out of sight.
They walked along listening to the singing of the brightly colored birds and looking at the lovely flowers whiow became so thick that the ground was carpeted with them.
There were big yellow and white and blue and purple blos- soms, besides great clusters of scarlet poppies, which were so brilliant in color they almost dazzled Dorothys eyes.
"Arent they beautiful?" the girl asked, as she breathed in the spicy st of the bright flowers.
"I suppose so," answered the Scarecrow. "When I have brains, I shall probably like them better.”
"If I only had a heart, I should love them," added the Tin Woodman.
"I always did like flowers," said the Lion. "They of seem so helpless and frail. But there are none in the forest sht as these.”
They now came upon more and more of the big scarlet pop- pies, and fewer and fewer of the other flowers; and soon they found themselves in the midst of a great meadow of poppies.
Now it is well known that when there are many of these flow- ers together their odor is so powerful that anyone who breathes it falls asleep, and if the sleeper is not carried away from the st of the flowers, he sleeps on and on forever. But Dorothy did not know this, nor could she get away from the bright red flowers that were everywhere about; so presently her eyes grew heavy and she felt she must sit down to rest and to sleep.
But the Tin Woodman would not let her do this.
"We must hurry a back to the road of yellow brick before dark," he said; and the Scarecrow agreed with him. So they kept walking until Dorothy could stand no longer. Her eyes closed in spite of herself and she fot where she was and fell among the poppies, fast asleep.
"What shall we do?" asked the Tin Woodman.
"If we leave her here she will die," said the Lion. "The smell of the flowers is killing us all. I myself scarcely keep my eyes open, and the dog is asleep already.”
It was true; Toto had fallen down beside his little mistress.
But the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, not being made of flesh, were not troubled by the st of the flowers.
"Run fast," said the Scarecrow to the Lion, "a out of this deadly flower bed as soon as you . We will bring the little girl with us, but if you should fall asleep you are too big to be carried.”
So the Lion aroused himself and bounded forward as fast as he could go. In a moment he was out of sight.
"Let us make a chair with our hands and carry her," said the Scarecrow. So they picked up Toto and put the dog in Dorothys lap, and then they made a chair with their hands for the seat and their arms for the arms and carried the sleeping girl betweehrough the flowers.
On and on they walked, and it seemed that the great carpet of deadly flowers that surrouhem would never end.
They followed the bend of the river, and at last came upon their friend the Lion, lying fast asleep among the poppies. The flowers had been to for the huge beast and he had given up at last, and fallen only a short distance from the end of the poppy bed, where the sweet grass spread iiful green fields before them.
"We do nothing for him," said the Tin Woodman, sadly; "for he is much too heavy to lift. We must leave him here to sleep on forever, and perhaps he will dream that he has found ce at last.”
"Im sorry," said the Scarecrow. "The Lion was a very good rade for one so cowardly. But let us go on.”
They carried the sleeping girl to a pretty spot beside the river, far enough from the poppy field to prevent her breath- ing any more of the poison of the flowers, ahey laid her gely on the soft grass and waited for the fresh breeze to waken her.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter IX.
The Queen of the Field Mice
"WE OT BE FAR from tbbr>he road of yellow briow," re- marked the Scarecrow, as he stood beside the girl, "for we have e nearly as far as the river carried us away.”
The Tin Woodman was about to reply when he heard a low growl, and turning his head (which worked beautifully on hinges) he saw a strange beast e bounding over the grass toward them. It was, indeed, a great yellow Wildcat, and the Woodman thought it must be chasing something, for its ears were lying close to its head and its mouth was wide open, showing two rows of ugly teeth, while its red eyes glowed like balls of fire. As it came he Tin Woodman saw that running before the beast was a little gray field mouse, and al- though he had he k was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless creature.
So the Woodman raised his axe, and as the Wildcat ran by he gave it a quick blow that cut the beasts head off from its body, and it rolled over at his feet in two pieces.
The field mouse, now that it was freed from its enemy, stopped short; and ing slowly up to the Woodman it said, in a squeaky little voice:
"Oh, thank you! Thank you ever so much for saving my life.”
"Dont speak of it, I beg of you," replied the Woodman. "I have , you know, so I am careful to help all those who may need a friend, even if it happens to be only a mouse.”
"Only a mouse!" cried the little animal, indignantly. "Why, I am a Queen?athe Queen of all the Field Mice!”
"Oh, indeed," said the Woodman, making a bow.
"Therefore you have done a great deed, as well as a brave one, in saving my life," added the Queen.
At that moment several mice were seen running up as fast as their little legs could carry them, and when they saw their Queen they exclaimed:
"Oh, your Majesty, we thought you would be killed! How did you mao escape the great Wildcat?" and they all bowed so low to the little Queen that they almost stood upon their heads.
"This funny tin man," she answered, "killed the Wildcat and saved my life. So hereafter you must all serve him, and obey his slightest wish.”
"We will!" cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus. And then they scampered in all dires, for Toto had awakened from his sleep, and seeing all these mice around him he gave one bark of delight and jumped right into the middle of the group.
Toto had always loved to chase mice when he lived in Kansas, and he saw no harm in it.
But the Tin Woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him tight, while he called to the mice, "e back! e back! Toto shall not hurt you.”
At this the Queen of the Mice stuck her head out from un- derh a clump of grass and asked, in a timid voice, "Are you sure he will not bite us?”
"I will not let him," said the Woodman; "so do not be afraid.”
One by ohe mice came creeping back, and Toto did not bark again, although he tried to get out of the Woodmans arms, and would have bitten him had he not known very well he was made of tin. Finally one of the biggest mice spokebbr>.
"Is there anything we do," it asked, "to repay you for saving the life of our Queen?”
"Nothing that I know of," answered the Woodman; but the Scarecrow, who had been trying to think, but could not be- cause his head was stuffed with straw, said, quickly, "Oh, yes; you save our friend, the Cowardly Lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed.”
"A Lion!" cried the little Queen. "Why, he would eat us all up.”
"Oh, no," declared the Scarecrow; "this Lion is a coward.”
"Really?" asked the Mouse.
"He says so himself," answered 藏书网the Scarecrow, "and he would never hurt anyone who is our friend. If you will help us to save him I promise that he shall treat you all with kind- ness.”
"Very well," said the Queen, "we trust you. But what shall we do?”
"Are there many of these mice which call you Queen and are willing to obey you?”
"Oh, yes; there are thousands," she replied.
"Then send for them all to e here as soon as possible, a eae bring a long piece of string.”
The Queen turo the mice that attended her and told them to go at ond get all her people. As soon as they heard her orders they ran away in every dire as fast as possible.
"Now," said the Scarecrow to the Tin Woodman, "you must go to those trees by the riverside and make a truck that will carry the Lion.”
So the Woodma at oo the trees and began to work; and he soon made a truck out of the limbs of trees, from which he chopped away all the leaves and branches. He fas- te together with wooden pegs and made the four wheels out of short pieces of a big tree trunk. So fast and so well did he work that by the time the mice began to arrive the truck was all ready for them.
They came from all dires, and there were thousands of them: big mid little mid middle-sized mice; and eae brought a piece of string in his mouth. It was about this time that Dorothy woke from her long sleep and opened her eyes. She was greatly astoo find herself lying upon the grass, with thousands of mice standing around and looking at her timidly. But the Scarecrow told her about ev- erything, and turning to the dignified little Mouse, he said:
"Permit me to introduce to you her Majesty, the Queen.”
Dorothy nodded gravely and the Queen made a curtsy, after which she became quite friendly with the little girl.
The Scarecrow and the Woodman now began to fasten the mice to the truck, using the strings they had brought. One end of a string was tied around the neck of each mouse and the other end to the truck. Of course the truck was a thousand times bigger than any of the mice who were to draw it; but when all the mice had been harhey were able to pull it quite easily. Even the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman could sit on it, and were drawn swiftly by their queer li?99ｌｉb?le horses to the place where the Lion lay asleep.
After a great deal of hard work, for the Lion was heavy, they mao get him up oruck. Then the Queen hur- riedly gave her people the order to start, for she feared if the mice stayed among the poppies too long they also would fall asleep.
At first the little creatures, many though they were, could hardly stir the heavily loaded truck; but the Woodman and the Scarecrow both pushed from behind, and they got aloer. Soon they rolled the Lion out of the poppy bed to the green fields, where he could breathe the sweet, fresh air again, instead of the poisonous st of the flowers.
Dorothy came to meet them and thahe little mice warmly for saving her panion from death. She had grown so fond of the big Lion she was glad he had been rescued.
Then the mice were unharnessed from the trud scam- pered away through the grass to their homes. The Queen of the Mice was the last to leave.
"If ever you need us again," she said, "e out into the field and call, and we shall hear you and e to your assis- tance. Good-bye!”
"Good-bye!" they all answered, and away the Queen ran, while Dorothy held Toto tightly lest he should run after her and frighten her.
After this they sat down beside the Lion until he should awaken; and the Scarecrht Dorothy some fruit from a tree near by, which she ate for her dinner.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter X.
The Guardian of the Gate
IT WAS SOME TIME BEFORE THE Cowardly Lion awakened, for he had lain among the poppies a long while, breathing in their deadly fragrance; but when he did open his eyes and roll off the truck he was very glad to find himself still alive.
"I ran as fast as I could," he said, sitting down and yawn- ing, "but the flowers were to for me. How did you get me out?”
Theold him of the field mice, and how they had generously saved him from death; and the Cowardly Lion laughed, and said:
"I have always thought myself very big and terrible; yet such little things as flowers came o killing me, and such small animals as mice have saved my life. How stra all is! But, rades, what shall we do now?”
"We must journey on until we find the road of yellow brick again," said Dorothy, "and then we keep on to the Emer- ald City.”
So, the Lion being fully refreshed, and feeling quite himself again, they all started upon the journey, greatly enjoying the walk through the soft, fresh grass; and it was not long before they reached the road of yellow brid turned again toward the Emerald City where the Great Oz dwelt.
The road was smooth and well paved, now, and the try about was beautiful, so that the travelers rejoiced in leaving the forest far behind, and with it the many dahey had met in its gloomy shades. Once more they could see fences built beside the road; but these were painted green, and when they came to a small house, in which a farmer evidently lived, that also ainted green. They passed by several of these houses during the afternoon, and sometimes people came to the doors and looked at them as if they would like to ask questions; but no one came hem nor spoke to them be- cause of the great Lion, of which they were very much afraid.
The people were all dressed in clothing of a lovely emerald- green color and wore peaked hats like those of the Muns.
"This must be the Land of Oz," said Dorothy, "and we are surely gettihe Emerald City.”
"Yes," answered the Scarecrow. "Everything is green here, while in the try of the Muns blue was the favorite color. But the people do not seem to be as friendly as the Muns, and Im afraid we shall be uo find a place to pass the night.”
"I should like something to eat besides fruit," said the girl, "and Im sure Toto is nearly starved. Let us stop at the house and talk to the people.”
So, when they came to a good-sized farmhouse, Dorothy walked boldly up to the door and knocked.
A e just far enough to look out, and said, "What do you want, child, and why is that great Lion with you?”
"We wish to pass the night with you, if you will allow us,”
answered Dorothy; "and the Lion is my friend and rade, and would not hurt you for the world.”
"Is he tame?" asked the woman, opening the door a little wider.
"Oh, yes," said the girl, "and he is a great coward, too. He will be more afraid of you than you are of him.”
"Well," said the woman, after thinking it over and taking another peep at the Lion, "if that is the case you may e in, and I will give you some supper and a place to sleep.”
So they all ehe house, where there were, besides the woman, two children and a man. The man had hurt his leg, and was lying on the cou a er. They seemed greatly surprised to see se a pany, and while the woman was busy laying the table the man asked:
"Where are you all going?”
"To the Emerald City," said Dorothy, "to see the Great Oz.”
"Oh, indeed!" exclaimed the man. "Are you sure that Oz will see you?”
"Why not?" she replied.
"Why, it is said that he never lets anyone e into his presence. I have been to the Emerald City many times, and it is a beautiful and wonderful place; but I have never been per- mitted to see the Great Oz, nor do I know of any living person who has seen him.”
"Does he never go out?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Never. He sits day after day in the great Throne Room of his Palace, and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face.”
"What is he like?" asked the girl.
"That is hard to tell," said the man thoughtfully. "You see, Oz is a Great Wizard, and take on any form he wishes. So that some say he looks like a bird; and some say he looks like an elephant; and some say he looks like a cat. To others he ap- pears as a beautiful fairy, or a brownie, or in any other form that pleases him. But who the real Oz is, when he is in his own form, no living person tell.”
"That is very strange," said Dorothy, "but we must try, in some way, to see him, or we shall have made our journey for nothing.”
"Why do you wish to see the terrible Oz?" asked the man.
"I want him to give me some brains," said the Scarecrow eagerly.
"Oh, Oz could do that easily enough," declared the man.
"He has more brains than he needs.”
"And I want him to give me a heart," said the Tin Wood- man.
"That will not trouble him," tihe man, "for Oz has a large colle of hearts, of all sizes and shapes.”
"And I want him to give me ce," said the Cowardly Lion.
"Oz keeps a great pot ９９lｉｂ?of ce in his Throne Room," said the man, "which he has covered with a golden plate, to keep it from running over. He will be glad to give you some.”
"And I want him to send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.
"Where is Kansas?" asked the man, with surprise.
"I dont know," replied Dorothy sorrowfully, "but it is my home, and Im sure its somewhere.”
"Very likely. Well, Oz do anything; so I suppose he will find Kansas for you. But first you must get to see him, and that will be a hard task; for the Great Wizard does not like to see anyone, and he usually has his own way. But what do YOU want?" he tinu藏书网ed, speaking to Toto. Toto only wagged his tail; for, strao say, he could not speak.
The woman now called to them that supper was ready, so they gathered around the table and Dorothy ate some deli- cious pe and a dish of scrambled eggs and a plate of nice white bread, and enjoyed her meal. The Lion ate some of the pe, but did not care for it, saying it was made from oats and oats were food for horses, not for lions. The Scare- crow and the Tin Woodmahing at all. Toto ate a little of everything, and was glad to get a good supper again.
The woman now gave Dorothy a bed to sleep in, and Toto lay down beside her, while the Lion guarded the door of her room so she might not be disturbed. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood up in a er a quiet all night, although of course they could not sleep.
The m, as soon as the sun , they started on their way, and soon saw a beautiful green glow in the sky just before them.
"That must be the Emerald City," said Dorothy.
As they walked on, the green glow became brighter and brighter, and it seemed that at last they were nearing the end of their travels. Yet it was afternoon before they came to the great wall that surrouhe City. It was high and thid of a bright green color.
In front of them, and at the end of the road of yellow brick, was a big gate, all studded with emeralds that glittered so in the sun that even the painted eyes of the Scarecrow were daz- zled by their brilliancy.
There was a bell beside the gate, and Dorothy pushed the button and heard a silvery tinkle sound within. Then the big gate swung slowly open, and they all passed through and found themselves in a high arched room, the walls of which glistened with tless emeralds.
Before them stood a little man about the same size as the Muns. He was clothed all in green, from his head to his feet, and even his skin was of a greenish tint. At his side was a large green box.
When he saw Dorothy and her panions the man asked, "What do you wish in the Emerald City?”
"We came here to see the Great Oz," said Dorothy.
The man was so surprised at this ahat he sat down to think it over.
"It has been many years sinyone asked me to see Oz,”
he said, shaking his head in perplexity. "He is powerful and terrible, and if you e on an idle or foolish errand to bother the wise refles of the Great Wizard, he might be angry aroy you all in an instant.”
"But it is not a foolish errand, nor an idle one," replied the Scarecrow; "it is important. And we have been told that Oz is a good Wizard.”
"So he is," said the green man, "and he rules the Emerald City wisely and well. But to those who are not ho, or roach him from curiosity, he is most terrible, and few have ever dared ask to see his face. I am the Guardian of the Gates, and since you de?mand to see the Great Oz I must take you to his Palace. But first you must put on the spectacles.”
"Why?" asked Dorothy.
"Because if you did not ectacles the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live iy must ectacles night and day. They are all locked on, for Oz so ordered it whey was first built, and I have the only key that will unlock them.”
He opehe big box, and Dorothy saw that it was filled with spectacles of every size and shape. All of them had green glasses ihe Guardian of the Gates found a pair that would just fit Dorothy and put them over her eyes. There were two golden bands fasteo them that passed around the back of her head, where they were locked together by a little key that was at the end of a the Guardian of the Gates wore around his neck. When they were on, Dorothy could not take them off had she wished, but of course she did not wish to be blinded by the glare of the Emerald City, so she said nothing.
Then the green man fitted spectacles for the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion, and even on little Toto; and all were locked fast with the key.
Then the Guardian of the Gates put on his own glasses and told them he was ready to show them to the Palace. Taking a big golden key from a peg on the wall, he opened anate, and they all followed him through the portal into the streets of the Emerald City.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XI.
The Wonderful City of Oz
EVEN WITH EYES protected by the greeacles, Dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City. The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a pavement of the same green marble, and where the blocks were joiogether were rows of emeralds, set closely, and glittering in the brightness of the sun. The window panes were of green glass; even the sky above the City had a green tint, and the rays of the sun were green.
There were many people, men, women, and children, walk- ing about, and these were all dressed in green clothes and had greenish skins. They looked at Dorothy arangely as- sorted pany with w eyes, and the children all ran away and hid behind their mothers when they saw the Lion; but no one spoke to them. Many shops stood ireet, and Dorothy saw that everything in them was green. Green dy and green pop were offered for sale, as well as green shoes, green hats, and green clothes of all sorts. At one place a man was selling green lemonade, and when the children bought it Dorothy could see that they paid for it with green pennies.
There seemed to be no horses nor animals of any kind; the men carried things around in little green carts, which they pushed before them. Everyone seemed happy and tented and prosperous.
The Guardian of the Gates led them through the streets un- til they came to a big buildily in the middle of the City, which was the Palace of Oz, the Great Wizard. There was a soldier before the door, dressed in a green uniform and wearing a long green beard.
"Here are strangers," said the Guardian of the Gates to him, "and they demand to see the Great Oz.”
"Step inside," answered the soldier, "and I will carry your message to him.”
So they passed through the Palace Gates and were led into a big room with a green carpet and lovely green furniture set with emeralds. The soldier made them all wipe their feet upon a green mat before entering this room, and when they were seated he said politely:
"Please make yourselves fortable while I go to the door of the Throne Room and tell Oz you are here.”
They had to wait a long time before the soldier returned.
When, at last, he came back, Dorothy asked:
"Have you seen Oz?”
"Oh, no," returhe soldier; "I have never seen him. But I spoke to him as he sat behind his s and gave him your message. He said he will grant yobbr>９９ｌiｂ?u an audience, if you so de- sire; but eae of you must enter his presence alone, and he will admit but one each day. Therefore, as you must re- main in the Palace for several days, I will have you shown to rooms where you may rest in fort after your journey.”
"Thank you," replied the girl; "that is very kind of Oz.”
The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl, dressed in a pretty green silk gowered the room. She had lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as she said, "Follow me and I will show you your room.”
So Dorothy said good-bye to all her friends except Toto, and taking the dog in her arms followed the green girl through seven passages and up three flights of stairs until they came to a room at the front of the Palace. It was the sweetest little room in the world, with a soft fortable bed that had sheets of green silk and a gree terpahere was a tiny fountain in the middle of the room, that shot a spray of green perfume into the air, to fall bato a beautifully carved green marble basiiful green flowers stood in the win- dows, and there was a shelf with a row of little green books.
When Dorothy had time to open these books she found them full of queer green pictures that made her laugh, they were so funny.
In a wardrobe were many green dresses, made of silk and satin a; and all of them fitted Dorothy exactly.
"Make yourself perfectly at home," said the green girl, "and if you wish for anything ring the bell. Oz will send for you to- morrow m.”
She left Dorothy alone a back to the others. These she also led to rooms, and eae of them found himself lodged in a very pleasant part of the Palace. Of course this po- liteness was wasted on the Scarecrow; for when he found himself alone in his room he stood stupidly in one spot, just within the doorway, to wait till m. It would not rest him to lie down, and he could not close his eyes; so he remained all night staring at a little spider which was weaving its web in a er of the room, just as if it were not one of the most wonderful rooms in the world. The Tin Woodman lay down on his bed from force of habit, for he remembered when he was made of flesh; but not being able to sleep, he passed the night moving his joints up and down to make sure they kept in good w order. The Lion would have preferred a bed of dried leaves in the forest, and did not like being shut up in a room; but he had too much seo let this worry him, so he sprang upon the bed and rolled himself up like a cat and purred himself asleep in a minute.
The m, after breakfast, the green maiden came to fetch Dorothy, and she dressed her in one of the prettiest gowns, made of green brocaded satin. Dorothy put on a green silk apron and tied a green ribbon around Totos neck, and they started for the Throne Room of the Great Oz.
First they came to a great hall in which were many ladies alemen of the court, all dressed in ries.
These people had nothing to do but talk to each other, but they always came to wait outside the Throne Room every m, although they were never permitted to see Oz. As Dorothy ehey looked at her curiously, and one of them whispered:
"Are you really going to look upon the face of Oz the Terri- ble?”
"Of course," answered the girl, "if he will see me.”
"Oh, he will see you," said the soldier who had taken her message to the Wizard, "although he does not like to have people ask to see him. Indeed, at first he was angry and said I should send you back where you came from. Then he asked me what you looked like, and when I mentioned your silver shoes he was very muterested. At last I told him about the mark upon your forehead, and he decided he would admit you to his presence.”
Just then a bell rang, and the green girl said to Dorothy, "That is the signal. You must go into the Throne Room alone.”
She opened a little door and Dorothy walked boldly through and found herself in a wonderful place. It was a big, round room with a high arched roof, and the walls and ceiling and floor were covered with large emeralds set closely to- gether. In the ter of the roof was a great light, as bright as the sun, which made the emeralds sparkle in a wonderful manner.
But what ied Dorothy most was the big throne of green marble that stood in the middle of the room. It was shaped like a chair and sparkled with gems, as did every- thing else. In the ter of the chair was an enormous Head, without a body to support it or any arms s whatever.
There was no hair upon this head, but it had eyes and a nose and mouth, and was much bigger than the head of the biggest giant.
As Dorothy gazed upon this in wonder and fear, the eyes turned slowly and looked at her sharply and steadily. Then the mouth moved, and Dorothy heard a voice say:
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?”
It was not su awful voice as she had expected to e from the big Head; so she took ce and answered:
"I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek. I have e to you for help.”
The eyes looked at her thoughtfully for a full mihen said the voice:
"Where did you get the silver shoes?”
"I got them from the Wicked Witch of the East, when my house fell on her and killed her," she replied.
"Where did you get the mark upon your forehead?" tihe voice.
"That is where the Good Witch of the North kissed me when she bade me good-bye a me to you," said the girl.
Again the eyes looked at her sharply, and they saw she was telling the truth. Then Oz asked, "What do you wish me to do?”
"Send me back to Kansas, where my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are," she answered early. "I dont like your try, although it is so beautiful. And I am sure Aunt Em will be dreadfully worried over my being away so long.”
The eyes wihree times, and theurned up to the ceiling and down to the floor and rolled around so queerly that they seemed to see every part of the room. And at last they looked at Dorothy again.
"Why should I do this for you?" asked Oz.
"Because you are strong and I am weak; because you are a Great Wizard and I am only a little girl.”
"But you were strong enough to kill the Wicked Witch of the East," said Oz.
"That just happened," returned Dorothy simply; "I could not help it.”
"Well," said the Head, "I will give you my answer. You have nht to expect me to send you back to Kansas unless you do something for me iurn. In this try everyone must pay for everythis. If you wish me to use my magic power to send you home again you must do something for me first. Help me and I will help you.”
"What must I do?" asked the girl.
"Kill the Wicked Witch of the West," answered Oz.
"But I ot!" exclaimed Dorothy, greatly surprised.
"You killed the Witch of the East and you wear the silver shoes, which bear a powerful charm. There is now but one Wicked Witch left in all this land, and when you tell me she is dead I will send you back to Kansas?abut not before.”
The little girl began to weep, she was so much disap- pointed; and the eyes winked again and looked upon her anx- iously, as if the Great Oz felt that she could help him if she would.
"I never killed anything, willingly," she sobbed. "Even if I wao, how could I kill the Wicked Witch? If you, whreat and Terrible, ot kill her yourself, how do you expect me to do it?”
"I do not know," said the Head; "but that is my answer, and until the Wicked Witch dies you will not see your uncle and aunt again. Remember that the Witch is Wicked?atremendously Wicked -and ought to be killed. Now go, and do not ask to see me again until you have done your task.”
Sorrowfully Dorothy left the Throne Room a back where the Lion and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were waiting to hear what Oz had said to her. "There is no hope for me," she said sadly, "for Oz will not send me home until I have killed the Wicked Witch of the West; and that I ever do.”
Her friends were sorry, but could do nothing to help her; so Dorothy went to her own room and lay down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.
The m the soldier with the green whiskers came to the Scarecrow and said:
"e with me, for Oz has sent for you.”
So the Scarecrow followed him and was admitted into the great Throne Room, where he saw, sitting in the emerald throne, a most lovely Lady. She was dressed in green silk gauze and wore upon her flowing green locks a of jew- els. Growing from her shoulders were wings, geous in color and so light that they fluttered if the slightest breath of air reached them.
When the Scarecrow had bowed, as prettily as his straw stuffing would let him, before this beautiful creature, she looked upon him sweetly, and said:
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?”
Now the Scarecrow, who had expected to see the great Head Dorothy had told him of, was much astonished; but he answered her bravely.
"I am only a Scarecrow, stuffed with straw. Therefore I have no brains, and I e to you praying that you will put brains in my head instead of straw, so that I may bee as much a man as any other in your dominions.”
"Why should I do this for you?" asked the Lady.??
"Because you are wise and powerful, and no one else help me," answered the Scarecrow.
"I never grant favors without some return," said Oz; "but this much I will promise. If you will kill for me the Wicked Witch of the West, I will bestow upon you a great many brains, and such good brains that you will be the wisest man in all the Land of Oz.”
"I thought you asked Dorothy to kill the Witch," said the Scarecrow, in surprise.
"So I did. I dont care who kills her. But until she is dead I will not grant your wish. Now go, and do not seek me again until you have earhe brains you so greatly desire.”
The Scarecrow went sorrowfully back to his friends and told them what Oz had said; and Dorothy was surprised to find that the Great Wizard was not a Head, as she had seen him, but a lovely Lady.
"All the same," said the Scarecrow, "she needs a heart as much as the Tin Woodman.”
On the m the soldier with the green whiskers came to the Tin Woodman and said, "Oz has sent for you. Follow me.”
So the Tin Woodman followed him and came to the great Throne Room. He did not know whether he would find Oz a lovely Lady or a Head, but he hoped it would be the lovely Lady. "For," he said to himself, "if it is the head, I am sure I shall not be given a heart, since a head has of its own and therefore ot feel for me. But if it is the lovely Lady I shall beg hard for a heart, for all ladies are themselves said to be kindly hearted.
But when the Woodmaered the great Throne Room he saw her the Head nor the Lady, for Oz had taken the shape of a most terrible Beast. It was nearly as big as an elephant, and the green throne seemed hardly strong enough to hold its weight. The Beast had a head like that of a rhinoceros, only there were five eyes in its face. There were five long arms growing out of its body, and it also had five long, slim legs.
Thick, woolly hair covered every part of it, and a more dread- ful-looking monster could not be imagined. It was fortuhe Tin Woodman had at that moment, for it would have beat loud and fast from terror. But being only tin, the Woodman was not at all afraid, although he was much disap- pointed.
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible," spoke the Beast, in a voice that was one great roar. "Who are you, and why do you seek me?”
"I am a Woodman, and made of tin. Therefore I have , and ot love. I pray you to give me a heart that I may be as other men are.”
"Why should I do this?" demahe Beast.
"Because I ask it, and you alone grant my request," an- swered the Woodman.
Oz gave a low growl at this, but said, gruffly: "If you in- deed desire a heart, you must earn it.”
"How?" asked the Woodman.
"Help Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West,”
replied the Beast. "Whech is dead, e to me, and I will then give you the biggest and kindest and most lovi in all the Land of Oz.”
So the Tin Woodman was forced to return sorrowfully to his friends ahem of the terrible Beast he had seen.
They all wreatly at the many forms the Great Wiz- ard could take upon himself, and the Lion said:
"If he is a Beast when I go to see him, I shall roar my loud- est, and shten him that he will grant all I ask. And if he is the lovely Lady, I shall pretend t upon her, and so pel her to do my bidding. And if he is the great Head, he will be at my mercy; for I will roll this head all about the room until he promises to give us what we desire. So be of good cheer, my friends, for all will yet be well.”
The m the soldier with the green whiskers led the Lion to the great Throne Room and bade him ehe presence of Oz.
The Lion at once passed through the door, and glang around saw, to his surprise, that before the throne was a Ball of Fire, so fierd glowing he could scarcely bear to gaze upon it. His first thought was that Oz had by act caught on fire and was burning up; but wheried to go he heat was so intehat it singed his whiskers, and he crept back tremblingly to a spot he door.
Then a low, quiet voice came from the Ball of Fire, and these were the words it spoke:
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?”
And the Lion answered, "I am a Cowardly Lion, afraid of everything. I came to you to beg that you give me ce, so that iy I may bee the King of Beasts, as men call me.”
"Why should I give you ce?" demanded Oz.
"Because of all Wizards you are the greatest, and alone have power to grant my request," answered the Lion.
The Ball of Fire burned fiercely for a time, and the voice said, &qu me proof that the Wicked Witch is dead, and that moment I will give you ce. But as long as the Witch lives, you must remain a coward.”
The Lion was angry at this speech, but could say nothing in reply, and while he stood silently gazing at the Ball of Fire it became so furiously hot that he turail and rushed from the room. He was glad to find his friends waiting for him, and told them of his terrible interview with the Wizard.
"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy sadly.
"There is only ohing we do," returhe Lion, "and that is to go to the land of the Winkies, seek out the Wicked Witch, aroy her.”
"But suppose we ot?" said the girl.
"Then I shall never have ce," declared the Lion.
"And I shall never have brains," added the Scarecrow.
"And I shall never have a heart," spoke the Tin of Wood- man.
"And I shall never see Aunt Em and Uncle Henry," said Dorothy, beginning to cry.
"Be careful!" cried the green girl. "The tears will fall on yreen silk gown and spot it.”
So Dorothy dried her eyes and said, "I suppose we must try it; but I am sure I do not want to kill anybody, even to see Aunt Em again.”
"I will go with you; but Im too much of a coward to kill the Witch," said the Lion.
"I will go too," declared the Scarecrow; "but I shall not be of much help to you, I am such a fool.”
"I havent the heart to harm even a Witch," remarked the Tin Woodman; "but if you go I certainly shall go with you.”
Therefore it was decided to start upon their jourhe m, and the Woodman sharpened his axe on a green grindstone and had all his joints properly oiled. The Scare- crow stuffed himself with fresh straw and Dorothy put new paint on his eyes that he might see better. The green girl, who was very kind to them, filled Dorothys basket with good things to eat, and fastened a little bell around Totos neck with a green ribbon.
They went to bed quite early and slept soundly until day- light, when they were awakened by the crowing of a green cock that lived in the back yard of the Palace, and the cack- ling of a hen that had laid a green egg.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XII.
The Search for the Wicked Witch
THE SOLDIER WITH THE green whiskers led them through the streets of the Emerald City until they reached the room where the Guardian of the Gates lived. This officer unlocked their spectacles to put them ba his great box, and then he po- litely opehe gate for our friends.
"Which road leads to the Wicked Witch of the West?”
asked Dorothy.
"There is no road," answered the Guardian of the Gates.
"No one ever wishes to go that way.”
"How, then, are we to find her?" enquired the girl.
"That will be easy," replied the man, "for when she knows you are in the try of the Winkies she will find you, and make you all her slaves.”
"Perhaps not," said the Scarecrow, "for we mean to destroy her.”
"Oh, that is different," said the Guardian of the Gates. "No one has ever destroyed her before, so I naturally thought she would make slaves of you, as she has of the rest. But take care; for she is wicked and fierce, and may not allow you to destroy her. Keep to the West, where the sus, and you ot fail to find her.”
They thanked him and bade him good-bye, and turo- ward the West, walking over fields of soft grass dotted here and there with daisies and buttercups. Dorothy still wore the pretty silk dress she had put on in the palace, but now, to her surprise, she found it was no lreen, but pure white.
The ribbon around Totos neck had also lost its green color and was as white as Dorothys dress.
The Emerald City was soo far behind. As they ad- vahe ground became rougher and hillier, for there were no farms nor houses in this try of the West, and the ground was untilled.
Iernoon the sun sho in their faces, for there were no trees to offer them shade; so that before night Dorothy and Toto and the Lioired, and lay down upon the grass and fell asleep, with the Woodman and the Scare- crow keeping watch.
Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that owerful as a telescope, and could see every- where. So, as she sat in the door of her castle, she happeo look around and saw Dorothy lying asleep, with her friends all about her. They were a long distance off, but the Wicked Witch was angry to find them in her try; so she blew upon a silver whistle that hung around her neck.
At ohere came running to her from all dires a pack of great wolves. They had long legs and fierce eyes and sharp teeth.
"Go to those people," said the Witch, "ahem to pieces.”
"Are you not going to make them your slaves?" asked the leader of the wolves.
"No," she answered, "one is of tin, and one of straw; one is a girl and another a Lion. None of them is fit to work, so you may tear them into small pieces.”
"Very well," said the wolf, and he dashed away at full speed, followed by the others.
It was lucky the Scarecrow and the Woodman were wide awake and heard the wolves ing.
"This is my fight," said the Woodman, "so get behind me and I will meet them as they e.”
He seized his axe, which he had made very sharp, and as the leader of the wolves came oin Woodman swung his arm and chopped the wolfs head from its body, so that it im- mediately died. As soon as he could raise his axe another wolf came up, and he also fell uhe sharp edge of the Tin Woodmans on. There were forty wolves, and forty times a wolf was killed, so that at last they all lay dead in a heap be- fore the Woodman.
The down his axe and sat beside the Scarecrow, who said, "It was a good fight, friend.”
They waited until Dorothy awoke the m. The little girl was quite frightened when she saw the great pile of shaggy wolves, but the Tin Woodman told her all. She thanked him for saving them and sat down to breakfast, after which they started again upon their journey.
Now this same m the Wicked Witch came to the door of her castle and looked out with her ohat could see far off. She saw all her wolves lying dead, and the strangers still traveling through her try. This made her ahan before, and she blew her silver whistle twice.
Straightway a great flock of wild crows came flying toward her, enough to darken the sky.
And the Wicked Witch said to the King Crow, "Fly at oo the strangers; peck out their eyes ahem to pieces.”
The wild crows flew in one great flock toward Dorothy and her panions. Whetle girl saw them ing she was afraid.
But the Scarecrow said, "This is my battle, so lie down be- side me and you will not be harmed.”
So they all lay upon the ground except the Scarecrow, aood up and stretched out his arms. And when the crows saw him they were frightened, as these birds always are by scarecrows, and did not dare to e any nearer. But the King Crow said:
"It is only a stuffed man. I will peck his eyes out.”
The King Crow flew at the Scarecrow, who caught it by the head and twisted its netil it died. And then another crow flew at him, and the Scarecrow twisted its neck also. There were forty crows, and forty times the Scarecrow twisted a neck, until at last all were lying dead beside him. Then he called to his panions to rise, and again they went upon their journey.
When the Wicked Witch looked out again and saw all her crows lying in a heap, she got into a terrible rage, and blew three times upon her silver whistle.
Forthwith there was heard a great buzzing in the air, and a swarm of black bees came flying toward her.
"Go to the strangers and sting them to death!" ahe Witch, and the bees turned and fleidly until they came to where Dorothy and her friends were walking. But the Woodman had seen them ing, and the Scarecrow had de- cided what to do.
"Take out my straw and scatter it over the little girl and the dog and the Lion," he said to the Woodman, "and the bees ot sting them." This the Woodman did, and as Dorothy lay close beside the Lion aoto in her arms, the straw covered them entirely.
The bees came and found no o the Woodman to sting, so they flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin, without hurting the Woodman at all. And藏书网 as bees - not live when their stings are broken that was the end of the black bees, and they lay scattered thick about the Woodman, like little heaps of fine coal.
Then Dorothy and the Lion got up, and the girl helped the Tin Woodman put the straw bato the Scarecrow again, until he was as good as ever. So they started upon their jour- ney once more.
The Wicked Witch was so angry when she saw her black bees in little heaps like fine coal that she stamped her foot and tore her hair and gnashed her teeth. And then she called a dozen of her slaves, who were the Winkies, and gave them sharp spears, telling them to go to the strangers aroy them.
The Winkies were not a brave people, but they had to do as they were told. So they marched away until they came o Dorothy. Then the Lion gave a great roar and sprang towards them, and the poor Winkies were shtehat they ran back as fast as they could.
When they returo the castle the Wicked Witch beat them well with a strap, ahem back to their work, after which she sat down to think what she should do . She could not uand how all her plans to destroy these strangers had failed; but she owerful Witch, as well as a wicked one, and she soon made up her mind how to act.
There was, in her cupboard, a Golden Cap, with a circle of diamonds and rubies running round it. This Golden Cap had a charm. Whoever ow could call three times upon the Winged Monkeys, who would obey any order they were given. But no person could and these strange creatures more than three times. Twice already the Wicked Witch had used the charm of the Cap. Once was when she had made the Winkies her slaves, a herself to rule over their try.
The Winged Monkeys had helped her do this. The sed time was when she had fought against the Great Oz himself, and driven him out of the land of the West. The Winged Mon- keys had also helped her in doing this. Only once more could she use this Golden Cap, for which reason she did not like to do so until all her other powers were exhausted. But now that her fierce wolves and her wild crows ainging bees were gone, and her slaves had been scared away by the Cow- ardly Lion, she saw there was only one way left to destroy Dorothy and her friends.
So the Wicked Witch took the Golden Cap from her cup- board and placed it upon her head. Theood upon her left foot and said slowly:
"Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!”
she stood upon her right foot and said:
"Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!”
After this she stood upon both feet and cried in a loud voice:
"Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!”
Now the charm began to work. The sky was darkened, and a low rumbling sound was heard in the air. There was a rush- ing of many wings, a great chattering and laughing, and the sun came out of the dark sky to show the Wicked Witch sur- rounded by a crowd of monkeys, each with a pair of immense and powerful wings on his shoulders.
One, much bigger thahers, seemed to be their leader. He flew close to the Witd said, "You have called us for the third and last time. What do you and?”
"Go to the strangers who are within my land aroy them all except the Lion," said the Wicked Witch. &qu that beast to me, for I have a mind to harness him like a horse, and make him work.”
"Your ands shall be obeyed," said the leader. Then, with a great deal of chattering and he Winged Mon- keys flew away to the place where Dorothy and her friends were walking.
Some of the Monkeys seized the Tin Woodman and carried him through the air until they were over a try thickly covered with sharp rocks. Here they dropped the poor Wood- man, who fell a great distao the rocks, where he lay so battered aed that he could her move nroan.
Others of the Monkeys caught the Scarecrow, and with their long fingers pulled all of the straw out of his clothes and head. They made his hat and boots and clothes into a small bundle and threw it into the top branches of a tall tree.
The remaining Mohrew pieces of stout rope around the Lion and wound many coils about his body and head and legs, until he was uo bite or scratch or struggle in any way. Then they lifted him up and fleith him to the Witchs castle, where he laced in a small yard with a high iron fence around it, so that he could not escape.
But Dorothy they did not harm at all. She stood, with Toto in her arms, watg the sad fate of her rades and think- ing it would soon be her turn. The leader of the Winged Mon- keys flew up to her, his long, hairy arms stretched out and his ugly face grinning terribly; but he saw the mark of the Good Witchs kiss upon her forehead and stopped short, motioning the others not to touch her.
"We dare not harm this little girl," he said to them, "for she is protected by the Power of Good, and that is greater than the Power of Evil. All we do is to carry her to the castle of the Wicked Witd leave her there.”
So, carefully aly, 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. Then the leader said to the Witch:
"We have obeyed you as far as we were able. The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow are destroyed, and the Lion is tied up in your yard. The little girl we dare not harm, nor the dog she carries in her arms. Your power over our band is now ended, and you will never see us again.”
Then all the Winged Monkeys, with much laughing and chattering and noise, flew into the air and were soon out of sight.
The Wicked Witch was both surprised and worried when she saw the mark on Dorothys forehead, for she knew well that her the Winged Monkeys nor she, herself, dare hurt the girl in any way. She looked down at Dorothys feet, and seeing the Silver Shoes, began to tremble with fear, for she knew what a powerful charm beloo them. At first the Witch was tempted to run away from Dorothy; but she hap- peo look into the childs 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, "I still make her my slave, for she does not know how to use her power." Then she said to Dorothy, harshly and severely:
"e with me; ahat you mind everything I tell you, for if you do not I will make an end of you, as I did of the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow.”
Dorothy followed her through many of the beautiful rooms in her castle until they came to the kit, where the Witch bade her the pots ales and sweep the floor ahe fire fed with wood.
Dorothy went to work meekly, with her mind made up to work as hard as she could; for she was glad the Wicked Witch had decided not to kill her.
With Dorothy hard at work, the Witch thought she would go into the courtyard and harhe Cowardly Lion like a horse; it would amuse her, she was sure, to make him draw her chariot whenever she wished to go to drive. But as she opehe gate the Lion gave a loud roar and bou her so fiercely that the Witch was afraid, and ran out and shut the gate again.
"If I ot harness you," said the Witch to the Lion, speaking through the bars of the gate, "I starve you. You shall have nothing to eat until you do as I wish.”
So after that she took no food to the imprisoned Lion; but every day she came to the gate at noon and asked, "Are you ready to be harnessed like a horse?”
And the Lion would answer, "No. If you e in this yard, I will bite you.”
The reason the Lion did not have to do as the Witch wished was that every night, while the woman was asleep, Dorothy carried him food from the cupboard. After he had eaten he would lie down on his bed of straw, and Dorothy would lie beside him and put her head on his soft, shaggy mane, while they talked of their troubles and tried to plan some way to es- cape. But they could find no way to get out of the castle, for it was stantly guarded by the yellow Winkies, who were the slaves of the Wicked Witd too afraid of her not to do as she told them.
The girl had to work hard during the day, and oftech threateo beat her with the same old umbrella she always carried in her hand. But, in truth, she did not dare to strike Dorothy, because of the mark upon her forehead. The child did not know this, and was full of fear for herself and Toto. Ohe Witch struck Toto a blow with her umbrella and the brave little dog flew at her and bit her leg iurn.
The Witch did not bleed where she was bitten, for she was so wicked that the blood in her had dried up many years before.
Dorothys life became very sad as she grew to uand that it would be harder thao get back to Kansas and Aunt Em again. Sometimes she would cry bitterly for hours, with Toto sitting at her feet and looking into her face, whining dismally to show how sorry he was for his little mistress. Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him; but he khe little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.
Now the Wicked Witch had a great longing to have for her own the Silver Shoes which the girl always wore. Her bees and her crows and her wolves were lying in heaps and drying up, and she had used up all the power of the Golden Cap; but if she could only get hold of the Silver Shoes, they would give her more power than all the other things she had lost. She watched Dorothy carefully, to see if she ever took off her shoes, thinking she might steal them. But the child was so proud of her pretty shoes that she ook them off except at night and wheook her bath. The Witch was too much afraid of the dark to in Dorothys room at night to take the shoes, and her dread of water was greater than her fear of the dark, so she never came near when Dorothy was bathing.
Ihe old Witever touched water, nor ever let water touch her in any way.
But the wicked creature was very ing, and she finally thought of a trick that would give her what she wanted. She placed a bar of iron in the middle of the kit floor, and then by her magic arts made the iron invisible to human eyes.
So that when Dorothy walked across the floor she stumbled over the bar, not being able to see it, and fell at full length.
She was not much hurt, but in her fall one of the Silver Shoes came off; and before she could reach it, the Witch had snatched it aut it on her own skinny foot.
The wicked woman was greatly pleased with the success of her trick, for as long as she had one of the shoes she owned half the power of their charm, and Dorothy could not use it against her, even had she known how to do so.
The little girl, seeing she had lost one of her pretty shoes, grew angry, and said to the Witch, "Give me back my shoe!”
"I will not," retorted the Witch, "for it is now my shoe, and not yours.”
";You are a wicked creature!" cried Dorothy. "You have nht to take my shoe from me.”
"I shall keep it, just the same," said the Witch, laughing at her, "and someday I shall get the other one from you, too.”
This made Dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucket of water that stood near and dashed it over the Witch, wetting her from head to foot.
Instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear, and then, as Dorothy looked at her in wohe Witch began to shrink and fall away.
"See what you have done!" she screamed. "In a minute I shall melt away.”
"Im very sorry, indeed," said Dorothy, who was truly frighteo see the Witch actually melting away like brown sugar before her very eyes.
"Didnt you know water would be the end of me?" asked the Witch, in a wailing, despairing voice.
"Of course not," answered Dorothy. "How should I?”
"Well, in a few minutes I shall be all melted, and you will have the castle to yourself. I have been wicked in my day, but I hought a little girl like you would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds. Look out?ahere I go!”
With these words the Witch fell down in a browed, shapeless mass and began to spread over the boards of the kit floor. Seeing that she had really melted away to nothing, Dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess. She the it all out the door. After pick- ing out the silver shoe, which was all that was left of the old woman, she ed and dried it with a cloth, and put it on her foot again. Then, being at last free to do as she chose, she ran out to the courtyard to tell the Lion that the Wicked Witch of the West had e to an end, and that they were no longer prisoners in a strange land.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XIII.
The Rescue
THE COWARDLY LION WAS much pleased to hear that the Wicked Witch had beeed by a bucket of water, and Dorothy at onlocked the gate of his prison a him free. They went in together to the castle, where Dorothys first act was to call all the Wiogether ahem tha..hey were no longer slaves.
There was great rejoig among the yellow Winkies, for they had been made to work hard during many years for the Wicked Witch, who had always treated them with great cru- elty. They kept this day as a holiday, then and ever after, and spent the time iing and dang.
"If our friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, were only with us," said the Lion, "I should be quite happy.”
"Dont you suppose we could rescue them?" asked the girl anxiously.
"We try," answered the Lion.
So they called the yellow Winkies and asked them if they would help to rescue their friends, and the Winkies said that they would be delighted to do all in their power for Dorothy, who had set them free from bondage. So she chose a number of the Winkies who looked as if they khe most, and they all started away. They traveled that day and part of the until they came to the rocky plaihe Tin Woodman lay, all battered a. His axe was near him, but the blade was rusted and the handle broken off short.
The Winkies lifted him tenderly in their arms, and carried him back to the Yellow Castle again, Dorothy shedding a few tears by the way at the sad plight of her old friend, and the Lion looking sober and sorry. When they reached the castle Dorothy said to the Winkies:
"Are any of your people tinsmiths?”
"Oh, yes. Some of us are very good tinsmiths," they told her.
"Then bring them to me," she said. And wheinsmiths came, bringing with them all their tools in baskets, she in- quired, " you straighten out those dents iin Wood- man, and bend him bato shape again, and solder him together where he is broken?”
The tinsmiths looked the Woodman over carefully and then answered that they thought they could mend him so藏书网 he would be as good as ever. So they set to work in one of the big yel- low rooms of the castle and worked for three days and fhts, hammering and twisting and bending and s and polishing and pounding at the legs and body and head of the Tin Woodman, until at last he was straightened out into his old form, and his joints worked as well as ever. To be sure, there were several patches on him, but the tinsmiths did a good job, and as the Woodman was not a vain man he did not mind the patches at all.
When, at last, he walked into Dorothys room and thanked her for resg him, he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy, and Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron, so his joints would not be rusted. At the same time her own tears fell thid fast at the joy of meet- ing her old friend again, and these tears did not o be wiped away. As for the Lion, he wiped his eyes so often with the tip of his tail that it became quite wet, and he was obliged to go out into the courtyard and hold it in the sun till it dried.
"If we only had the Scarecrow with us again," said the Tin Woodman, when Dorothy had fielling him everything that had happened, "I should be quite happy.”
"We must try to find him," said the girl.
So she called the Wio help her, and they walked all that day and part of the until they came to the tall tree in the branches of which the Winged Monkeys had tossed the carecrows clothes.
It was a very tall tree, and the trunk was so smooth that no one could climb it; but the Woodman said at once, "Ill chop it down, and then we get the Scarecrows clothes.”
Now while the tinsmiths had been at work mending the Woodman himself, another of the Winkies, who was a gold- smith, had made an axe-handle of solid gold and fitted it to the Woodmans axe, instead of the old broken hahers polished the blade until all the rust was removed and it glis- tened like burnished silver.
As soon as he had spoken, the Tin Woodman began to chop, and in a short time the tree fell over with a crash, whereupon the Scarecrows clothes fell out of the branches and rolled off on the ground.
Dorothy picked them up and had the Winkies carry them back to the castle, where they were stuffed with nice, straw; and behold! here was the Scarecrow, as good as ever, thanking them over and ain for saving him.
Now that they were reunited, Dorothy and her friends spent a fey days at the Yellow Castle, where they found ev- erything they o make them fortable.
But one day the girl thought of Aunt Em, and said, "We must go back to Oz, and claim his promise.”
"Yes," said the Woodman, "at last I shall get my heart.”
"And I shall get my brains," added the Scarecrow joyfully.
"And I shall get my ce," said the Lion thoughtfully.
"And I shall get back to Kansas," cried Dorothy, clapping her hands. "Oh, let us start for the Emerald City tomorrow!”
This they decided to do. The day they called the Wiogether and bade them good-bye. The Winkies were sorry to have them go, and they had grown so fond of the Tin Woodman that they begged him t?99lｉｂ?o stay and rule over them and the Yellow Land of the West. Finding they were deter- mio go, the Winkies gave Toto and the Lion each a golden collar; and to Dorothy they presented a beautiful bracelet studded with diamonds; and to the Scarecrow they gave a gold-headed walking stick, to keep him from stum- bling; and to the Tin Woodman they offered a silver oil-, inlaid with gold a with precious jewels.
Every one of the travelers made the Winkies a pretty spee return, and all shook hands with them until their arms ached.
Dorothy went to the Witchs cupboard to fill her basket with food for the journey, and there she saw the Golden Cap.
She tried it on her own head and found that it fitted her ex- actly. She did not know anything about the charm of the Golden Cap, but she saw that it retty, so she made up her mind to wear it and carry her sunbo in the basket.
Then, being prepared for the jourhey all started for the Emerald City; and the Winkies gave them three cheers and many good wishes to carry with them.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XIV.
The Winged Monkeys
YOU WILL REMEMBER there was no road?anot even a path- way?a between the castle of the Wicked Witd the Emer- ald City. When the four travelers went in search of the Witch she had seen them ing, and so sent the Winged Mo them to her. It was much harder to find their way back through the big fields of buttercups and yellow daisies than it was being carried. They knew, of course, they must ght east, toward the rising sun; and they started off in the right way. But at noon, >..when the sun was over their heads, they did not know which was east and which was west, and that was the reason they were lost in the great fields. They kept on walking, however, and at night the moon came out and shone brightly. So they lay down among the sweet smelling yellow flowers and slept soundly until m?aall but the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman.
The m the sun was behind a cloud, but they started on, as if they were quite sure which way they were go- ing.
"If we walk far enough," said Dorothy, "I am sure we shall sometime e to some place.”
But day by day passed away, and they still saw nothing be- fore them but the scarlet fields. The Scarecrow began to grumble a bit.
"We have surely lost our way," he said, "and unless we find it again in time to reach the Emerald City, I shall never get my brains.”
"Nor I my heart," declared the Tin Woodman. "It seems to me I scarcely wait till I get to Oz, and you must admit this is a very long journey.”
"You see," said the Cowardly Lion, with a whimper, "I havent the ce to keep tramping forever, without getting anywhere at all.”
Then Dorothy lost heart. She sat down on the grass and looked at her panions, and they sat down and looked at her, and Toto found that for the first time in his life he was too tired to chase a butterfly that flew past his head. So he pu.. out his tongue and panted and looked at Dorothy as if to ask what they should do .
"Suppose we call the field mice," she suggested. "They could probably tell us the way to the Emerald City.”
"To be sure they could," cried the Scarecrow. "Why didhink of that before?”
Dorothy blew the little whistle she had always carried about her neck sihe Queen of the Mice had given it to her. In a few mihey heard the pattering of ti, and many of the small gray mice came running up to her. Among them was the Queen herself, who asked, in her squeaky little voice:
"What I do for my friends?”
"We have lost our way," said Dorothy. " you tell us where the Emerald City is?”
"Certainly," answered the Queen; "but it is a great way off, for you have had it at your backs all this time." Then she no- ticed Dorothys Golden Cap, and said, "Why dont you use the charm of the Cap, and call the Winged Moo you? They will carry you to the City of Oz ihan an hour.”
"I didnt know there was a charm," answered Dorothy, in surprise. "What is it?”
"It is written ihe Golden Cap," replied the Queen of the Mice. "But if yoing to call the Winged Monkeys we must run away, for they are full of mischief and think it great fun to plague us.”
"Wont they hurt me?" asked the girl anxiously.
"Oh, no. They must obey the wearer of the Cap. Good- bye!" And she scampered out of sight, with all the mice hur- rying after her.
Dorothy looked ihe Golden Cap and saw some words written upon the lining. These, she thought, must be the charm, so she read the dires carefully and put the Cap upon her head.
"Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!" she said, standing on her left foot.
"What did you say?" asked the Scarecrow, who did not know what she was doing.
"Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!" Dorothy went on, standing this time on her right foot.
"Hello!" replied the Tin Woodman calmly.
"Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" said Dorothy, .who was now standing on both feet. This ehe saying of the charm, and they heard a great chattering and flapping of wings, as the band of Winged Monkeys flew up to them.
The King bowed low before Dorothy, and asked, "What is your and?”
"We wish to go to the Emerald City," said the child, "and we have lost our way.”
"We will carry you," replied the King, and no sooner had he spoken than two of the Monkeys caught Dorothy in their arms and fleith her. Others took the Scarecrow and the Woodman and the Lion, and otle Monkey seized Toto and flew after them, although the dog tried hard to bite him.
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were rather fright- e first, for they remembered how badly the Winged Monkeys had treated them before; but they saw that no harm was intended, so they rode through the air quite cheerfully, and had a fiime looking at the pretty gardens and woods far below them.
Dorothy found herself riding easily between two of the biggest Monkeys, one of them the King himself. They had made a chair of their hands and were careful not to hurt her.
"Why do you have to obey the charm of the Golden Cap?”
she asked.
"That is a long story," answered the King, with a Winged laugh; "but as we have a long journey before us, I will pass the time by telling you about it, if you wish.”
"I shall be glad to hear it," she replied.
"Once," began the leader, "we were a free people, living happily in the great forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit, and doing just as we pleased without calling any- body master. Perhaps some of us were rather too full of mis- chief at times, flying down to pull the tails of the animals that had no wings, chasing birds, and throwing nuts at the people who walke..d in the forest. But we were careless and happy and full of fun, and enjoyed every minute of the day. This was many years ago, long before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land.
"There lived here then, away at the North, a beautiful princess, who was also a powerful sorceress. All her magic was used to help the people, and she was never known to hurt anyone who was good. Her name was Gayelette, and she lived in a handsome palace built from great blocks of ruby. Every- one loved her, but her greatest sorrow was that she could find no oo love iurn, since all the men were much too stupid and ugly to mate with one so beautiful and wise. At last, however, she found a boy who was handsome and manly and wise beyond his years. Gayelette made up her mind that when he grew to be a man she would make him her husband, so she took him to her ruby palad used all her magic powers to make him as strong and good and lovely as any woman could wish. When he grew to manhood, Quelala, as he was called, was said to be the best and wisest man in all the land, while his manly beauty was so great that Gayelette loved him dearly, and hasteo make everything ready for the wedding.
"My grandfather was at that time the King of the Winged Monkeys which lived in the forest near Gayelettes palace, and the old fellow loved a joke better than a good dinner. One day, just before the wedding, my grandfather was flying out with his band when he saw Quelala walking beside the river.
He was dressed in a rie of pink silk and purple vel- vet, and my gr?.andfather thought he would see what he could do. At his word the band flew down and seized Quelala, car- ried him in their arms until they were over the middle of the river, and then dropped him into the water.
"`Swim out, my fine fellow, cried my grandfather, `and see if the water has spotted your clothes. Quelala was much too wise not to swim, and he was not in the least spoiled by all his good fortune. He laughed, when he came to the top of the wa- ter, and swam in to shore. But when Gayelette came running out to him she found his silks a all ruined by the river.
"The princess was angry, and she knew, of course, who did it. She had all the Winged Monkeys brought before her, and she said at first that their wings should be tied and they should be treated as they had treated Quelala, and dropped in the river. But my grandfather pleaded hard, for he khe Mon- keys would drown in the river with their wings tied, and Que- lala said a kind word for them also; so that Gayelette finally spared them, on dition that the Winged Monkeys should ever after do three times the bidding of the owner of the Golden Cap. This Cap had been made for a wedding present to Quelala, and it is said to have cost the princess half her kingdom. Of course my grandfather and all the other Mon- keys at once agreed to the dition, and that is how it hap- pens that we are three times the slaves of the owner of the Golden Cap, whosoever he may be.”
"And what became of them?" asked Dorothy, who had been greatly ied iory.
"Quelala being the first owner of the Golden Cap," replied the Monkey, "he was the first to lay his wishes upon us. As his bride could not bear the sight of us, he called us all to him in the forest after he had married her and ordered us always to keep where she could never agai eyes on a Winged Mon- key, which we were glad to do, for we were all afraid of her.
"This was all we ever had to do until the Golden Cap fell into the hands of the Wicked Witch of the West, who made us enslave the Winkies, and afterward drive Oz himself out of the Land of the West. Now the Golden Cap is yours, and three times you have the right to lay your wishes upon us.”
As the Monkey King finished his story Dorothy looked down and saw the green, shining walls of the Emerald City before them. She wo the rapid flight of the Monkeys, but was glad the journey was over. The strange creatures set the travelers down carefully before the gate of the City, the King bowed low to Dorothy, and then flew swiftly away, fol- lowed by all his band.
"That was a good ride," said the little girl.
"Yes, and a quick way out of our troubles," replied the Lion. "How lucky it was yht away that wonderful Cap!”
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XV.
The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible
The four travelers walked up to the great gate of Emerald City and rang the bell. After ringing several times, it ened by the same Guardian of the Gates they had met be- fore.
"What! are you back again?" he asked, in surprise.
"Do you not see us?" answered the Scarecrow.
"But I thought you had goo visit the Wicked Witch of the West.”
"We did visit her," said the Scarecrow.
"And she let you go again?" asked the man, in wonder.
"She could not help it, for she is melted," explaihe Scarecrow.
"Melted! Well, that is good news, indeed," said the man.
"Who melted her?”
"It was Dorothy," said the Lion gravely.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed the man, and he bowed very low indeed before her.
Then he led them into his little room and locked the specta- cles from the great box on all their eyes, just as he had done before. Afterward they passed on through the gate into the Emerald City. When the people heard from the Guardian of the Gates that Dorothy had melted the Wicked Witch of the West, they all gathered around the travelers and followed them in a great crowd to the Palace of Oz.
The soldier with the green whiskers was still on guard be- fore the door, but he let them in at once, and they were agai by the beautiful green girl, who showed each of them to their old rooms at once, so they might rest until the Great Oz was ready to receive them.
The soldier had the news carried straight to Oz that Dorothy and the other travelers had e back again, after destroying the Wicked Witch; but Oz made no reply. They thought the Great Wizard would send for them at once, but he did not. They had no word from him the day, nor the , nor the . The waiting was tiresome and wearing, and at last they grew vexed that Oz should treat them in so poor a fashion, after sending them to undergo hardships and slavery.
So the Scarecrow at last asked the green girl to take another message to Oz, saying if he did not let them in to see him at ohey would call the Winged Moo help them, and find out whether he kept his promises or not. When the Wiz- ard was given this message he was shtehat he sent word for them to e to the Throne Room at four minutes after nine oclock the m. He had o the Winged Monkeys in the Land of the West, and he did not wish to meet them again.
The four travelers passed a sleepless night, each thinking of the gift Oz had promised to bestow on him. Dorothy fell asleep only once, and then she dreamed she was in Kansas, where Aunt Em was telling her how glad she was to have her little girl at home again.
Promptly at nine oclock the m the green- whiskered soldier came to them, and four minutes later they all went into the Throne Room of the Great Oz.
Of course eae of them expected to see the Wizard in the shape he had taken before, and all were greatly surprised when they looked about and saw no o all in the room.
They kept close to the door and closer to one another, for the stillness of the empty room was more dreadful than any of the forms they had seen Oz take.
Presently they heard a Voice, seeming to e from some- where he top of the great dome, and it said, solemnly.
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Why do you seek me?”
They looked again in every part of the room, and then, see- ing no one, Dorothy asked, "Where are you?”
"I am everywhere," answered the Voice, "but to the eyes of ortals I am invisible. I will now seat myself upon my throhat you may verse with me." Ihe Voice seemed just then to e straight from the throself; so they walked toward it and stood in a row while Dorothy said:
"We have e to claim our promise, O Oz.”
"romise?" asked Oz.
"You promised to send me back to Kansas when the Wicked Witch was destroyed," said the girl.
"And you promised to give me brains," said the Scarecrow.
"And you promised to give me a heart," said the Tin Wood- man.
"And you promised to give me ce," said the Cowardly Lion.
"Is the Wicked Witch really destroyed?" asked the Voice, and Dorothy thought it trembled a little.
"Yes," she answered, "I melted her with a bucket of water.”
"Dear me," said the Voice, "how sudden! Well, e to me tomorrow, for I must have time to think it over.”
"Youve had plenty of time already," said the Tin Wood- man angrily.
"We shant wait a day longer," said the Scarecrow.
"You must keep your promises to us!" exclaimed Dorothy.
The Lion thought it might be as well thten the Wizard, so he gave a large, loud roar, which was so fierd dreadful that Toto jumped away from him in alarm and tipped over the s that stood in a er. As it fell with a crash they looked that way, and the moment all of them were filled with wonder. For they saw, standing in just the spot the s had hidden, a little old man, with a bald head and a wrinkled face, who seemed to be as much surprised as they were. The Tin Woodman, raising his axe, rushed toward the little man and cried out, "Who are you?”
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible," said the little man, in a trembling voice. "But dont strike me?aplease dont?aand Ill do anything you wao.”
Our friends looked at him in surprise and dismay.
"I thought Oz was a great Head," said Dorothy.
"And I thought Oz was a lovely Lady," said the Scarecrow.
"And I thought Oz was a terrible Beast," said the Tin Woodman.
"And I thought Oz was a Ball of Fire," exclaimed the Lion.
"No, you are all wrong," said the little man meekly. "I have been making believe.”
"Making believe!" cried Dorothy. "Are you not a Great Wizard?”
"Hush, my dear," he said. "Dont speak so loud, or you will be overheard?aand I should be ruined. Im supposed to be a Great Wizard.”
"And arent you?" she asked.
"Not a bit of it, my dear; Im just a an.”
"Youre more than that," said the Scarecrow, in a grieved tone; "youre a humbug.”
"Exactly so!" declared the little man, rubbing his hands to- gether as if it pleased him. "I am a humbug.”
"But this is terrible," said the Tin Woodman. "How shall I ever get my heart?”
"Or I my ce?" asked the Lion.
"Or I my brains?" wailed the Scarecrow, wiping the tears from his eyes with his coat sleeve.
"My dear friends," said Oz, "I pray you not to speak of these little things. Think of me, and the terrible trouble Im in at being found out.”
"Doesnt anyone else know youre a humbug?" asked Dorothy.
"No one knows it but you four?aand myself," replied Oz. "I have fooled everyone so long that I thought I should never be found out. It was a great mistake my ever letting you into the Throne Room. Usually I will not see even my subjects, and so they believe I am something terrible.”
"But, I dont uand," said Dorothy, in bewilderment.
"How was it that you appeared to me as a great Head?”
"That was one of my tricks," answered Oz. "Step this lease, and I will tell you all about it.”
He led the way to a small chamber in the rear of the Throne Room, and they all follo?wed him. He poio one er, in which lay the great Head, made out of many thiesses of paper, and with a carefully painted face.
"This I hung from the ceiling by a wire," said Oz. "I stood behind the s and pulled a thread, to make the eyes move and the mouth open.”
"But how about the voice?" she inquired.
"Oh, I am a ventriloquist," said the little man. "I throw the sound of my voice wherever I wish, so that you thought it was ing out of the Head. Here are the other things I used to deceive you." He showed the Scarecrow the dress and the mask he had worn when he seemed to be the lovely Lady.
And the Tin Woodman saw that his terrible Beast was nothing but a lot of skins, sewn together, with slats to keep their sides out. As for the Ball of Fire, the false Wizard had hung that also from the ceiling. It was really a ball of cotton, but when oil oured upon it the ball burned fiercely.
"Really," said the Scarecrow, "you ought to be ashamed of yourself for being such a humbug.”
"I am?aI certainly am," answered the little man sorrow- fully; "but it was the only thing I could do. Sit down, please, there are plenty of chairs; and I will tell you my story.”
So they sat down and listened while he told the following tale.
"I was born in Omaha?a”
"Why, that isnt very far from Kansas!" cried Dorothy.
"No, but its farther from here," he said, shaking his head at her sadly. "When I grew up I became a ventriloquist, and at that I was very well trained by a great master. I imitate any kind of a bird or beast." Here he mewed so like a kitten that Toto pricked up his ears and looked everywhere to see where she was. "After a time," tinued Oz, "I tired of that, and became a balloonist.”
"What is that?" asked Dorothy.
"A man who goes up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd of people together ahem to pay to see the circus," he explained.
"Oh," she said, "I know.”
"Well, one day I went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, so that I couldnt e down again. It went above the clouds, so far that a current of air struck it and car- ried it many, many miles away. For a day and a night I trav- eled through the air, and on the m of the sed day I awoke and found the balloon floating over a strange and beau- tiful try.
"It came down gradually, and I was not hurt a bit. But I found myself in the midst of a strange people, who, seeing me e from the clouds, thought I was a great Wizard. Of course I let them think so, because they were afraid of me, and promised to do anything I wished them to.
"Just to amuse myself, ahe good people busy, I or- dered them to build this City, and my Palace; and they did it all willingly and well. Then I thought, as the try was so green aiful, I would call it the Emerald City; and to make the better I put greeacles on all the peo- ple, so that everything they saw was green.”
"But isnt everything here green?" asked Dorothy.
"No more than in any other city," replied Oz; "but when you wear greeacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you. The Emerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young mahe balloht me here, and I am a very old man now. But my people have wreen glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an Emerald City, and it certainly is a beauti- ful place, abounding in jewels and preetals, and every good thing that is o make one happy. I have been good to the people, and they like me; but ever sihis Palace was built, I have shut myself up and would not see any of them.
"One of my greatest fears was the Witches, for while I had no magical powers at all I soon found out that the Witches were really able to do wonderful things. There were four of them in this try, and they ruled the people who live in the North and South a a. Fortunately, the Witches of the North and South were good, and I khey would do me no harm; but the Witches of the East a were terri- bly wicked, and had they not thought I was more powerful thahemselves, they would surely have destroyed me.
As it was, I lived in deadly fear of them for many years; so you imagine how pleased I was when I heard your house had fallen on the Wicked Witch of the East. When you came to me, I was willing to promise anything if you would only do away with the other Witch; but, now that you have melted her, I am ashamed to say that I ot keep my promises.”
"I think you are a very bad man," said Dorothy.
"Oh, no, my dear; Im really a very good man, but Im a very bad Wizard, I must admit.”
"t you give me brains?" asked the Scarecrow.
"You dohem. You are learning something every day. A baby has brains, but it doesnt know much. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are oh the more experience you are sure to get.”
"That may all be true," said the Scarecrow, "but I shall be very unhappy unless you give me brains.”
The false Wizard looked at him carefully.
"Well," he said with a sigh, "Im not.. much of a magi, as I said; but if you will e to me tomorrow m, I will stuff your head with brains. I ot tell you how to use them, however; you must find that out for yourself.”
"Oh, thank you?athank you!" cried the Scarecrow. "Ill find a way to use them, never fear!”
"But how about my ce?" asked the Lion anxiously.
"You have plenty of ce, I am sure," answered Oz.
"All you need is fiden yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces dahe True ce is in fag danger when you are afraid, and that kind of ce you have iy.”
"Perhaps I have, but Im scared just the same," said the Lion. "I shall really be very unhappy unless you give me the sort of ce that makes one fet he is afraid.”
"Very well, I will give you that sort of ce tomorrow,”
replied Oz.
"How about my heart?" asked the Tin Woodman.
"Why, as for that," answered Oz, "I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only k, you are in luot to have a heart.”
"That must be a matter of opinion," said the Tin Woodman.
"For my part, I will bear all the unhappiness without a mur- mur, if you will give me the heart.”
"Very well," answered Oz meekly. "e to me tomorrow and you shall have a heart. I have played Wizard for so many years that I may as well tihe part a little longer.”
"And now," said Dorothy, "how am I to get back to Kansas?”
"We shall have to think about that," replied the little man.
"Give me two or three days to sider the matter and Ill try to find a way to carry you over the desert. In the meantime you shall all be treated as my guests, and while you live in the Palace my people will wait upon you and obey your slightest wish. There is only ohing I ask iurn for my help?asuch as it is. You must keep my secret and tell no one I am a humbug.”
L. Frank Baum
They agreed to say nothing of what they had learned, a back to their rooms in high spirits. Even Dorothy had hope that "The Great and Terrible Humbug," as she called him, would find a way to send her back to Kansas, and if he did she was willing tive him everything.
Chapter XVI.
The Magic Art of the Great Humbug
M THE Scarecrow said to his friends:
"gratulate me. I am going to Oz to get my brains at last.
When I return I shall be as other men are.”
"I have always liked you as you were," said Dorothy sim- ply.
"It is kind of you to like a Scarecrow," he replied. "But surely you will think more of me when you hear the splendid thoughts my new brain is going to turn out." Then he said good-bye to them all in a cheerful void went to the Throne Room, where he rapped upon the door.
"e in," said Oz.
The Scarecrow went in and found the little man sitting down by the window, engaged ihought.
"I have e for my brains," remarked the Scarecrow, a lit- tle uneasily.
"Oh, yes; sit down in that chair, please," replied Oz. "You must excuse me for taking your head off, but I shall have to do it in order to put your brains inbbr>. their proper place.”
"Thats all right," said the Scarecrow. "You are quite wel- e to take my head off, as long as it will be a better one when you put it on again.”
So the Wizard unfastened his head aied out the straw. Theered the ba and took up a measure of bran, which he mixed with a great many pins and needles.
Having shakeogether thhly, he filled the top of the Scarecrows head with the mixture and stuffed the rest of the .space with straw, to hold it in place.
When he had fastehe Scarecrows head on his body again he said to him, "Hereafter you will be a great man, for I have given you a lot of bran-new brains.”
The Scarecrow was both pleased and proud at the fulfill- ment of his greatest wish, and having thanked Oz warmly he went back to his friends.
Dorothy looked at him curiously. His head was quite bulged out at the top with brains.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"I feel wise indeed," he answered early. "When I get used to my brains I shall know everything.”
"Why are those needles and pins stig out of your head?" asked the Tin Woodman.
"That is proof that he is sharp," remarked the Lion.
"Well, I must go to Oz a my heart," said the Wood- man. So he walked to the Throne Room and k the door.
"e in," called Oz, and the Woodmaered and said, "I have e for my heart.”
"Very well," answered the little man. "But I shall have to cut a hole in your breast, so I put your heart in the right place. I hope it wont hurt you.”
"Oh, no," answered the Woodman. "I shall not feel it at all.”
So ht a pair of tinsmiths shears and cut a small, square hole in the left side of the Tin Woodmans breast.
Then, going to a chest of drawers, he took out a pretty heart, made entirely of silk and stuffed with sawdust.
"Isnt it a beauty?" he asked.
"It is, indeed!" replied the Woodman, who was greatly pleased. "But is it a ki?”
"Oh, very!" answered Oz. He put the heart in the Wood- mans breast and then replaced the square of tin, s it ly together where it had been cut.
"There," said he; "now you have a heart that any man might be proud of. Im sorry I had to put a pat your breast, but it really couldnt be helped.”
"Never mind the patch," exclaimed the happy Woodman. "I am very grateful to you, and shall never fet your kind- ness.”
"Dont speak of it," replied Oz.
Thein Woodma back to his friends, who wished him every joy on at of his good fortune.
The Lion now walked to the Throne Room and k the door.
"e in," said Oz.
"I have e for my ce," annouhe Lioe99ｌｉｂ.r- ing the room.
"Very well," answered the little man; "I will get it for you.”
He went to a cupboard and reag up to a high shelf took down a square green bottle, the tents of which he poured into a green-gold dish, beautifully carved. Plag this before the Cowardly Lion, who s it as if he did not like it, the Wizard said:
"Drink.”
"What is it?" asked the Lion.
"Well," answered Oz, "if it were inside of you, it would be ce. You know, of course, that ce is always inside one; so that this really ot be called ce until you have swallowed it. Therefore I advise you to drink it as soon as possible.”
The Lioated no l>, but drank till the dish was empty.
"How do you feel now?" asked Oz.
"Full of ce," replied the Lion, who went joyfully back to his friends to tell them of his good fortune.
Oz, left to himself, smiled to think of his success in giving the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lioly what they thought they wanted. "How I help being a hum- bug," he said, "when all these people make me do things that everybody knows t be do was easy to make the Scarecrow and the Lion and th藏书网e Woodman happy, because they imagined I could do anything. But it will take more than imagination to carry Dorothy back to Kansas, and Im sure I dont know how it be done.”
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XVII.
How the Balloon Was Launched
For three days Dorothy heard nothing from Oz. These were sad days for the little girl, although her friends were all quite happy and tehe Scarecrow told them there were wonderful thoughts in his head; but he would not say what they were because he knew no one could uand them but himself. Whein Woodman walked about he felt his heart rattling around in his breast; aold Dorothy he had discovered it to be a kinder and more tender heart than the one he had owned when he was made of flesh. The Lion declared he was afraid of nothing oh, and would gladly fa army or a dozen of the fierce Kalidahs.
Thus each of the little party was satisfied except Dorothy, who longed more thao get back to Kansas.
On the fourth day, treat joy, Oz sent for her, and wheered the Throne Room he greeted her pleasantly:
"Sit down, my dear; I think I have found the way to get you out of this try.”
"And back to Kansas?" she asked eagerly.
"Well, Im not sure about Kansas," said Oz, "for I havent the fai notion which way it lies.bbr> But the first thing to do is to cross the desert, and then it should be easy to find your way home.”
"How I cross the desert?" she inquired.
"Well, Ill tell you what I think," said the little man. "You see, when I came to this try it was in a balloon. You also came through the air, being carried by a cye. So I believe the best way to get across the desert will be through the air.
Now, it is quite beyond my powers to make a cye; but Ive been thinking the matter over, and I believe I make a balloon.”
"How?" asked Dorothy.
"A balloon," said Oz, "is made of silk, which is coated with glue to keep the gas in it. I have plenty of silk in the Palace, so it will be no trouble to make the balloon. But in all this try there is no gas to fill the balloon with, to make it float.”
"If it wont float," remarked Dorothy, "it will be of no use to us.”
"True," answered Oz. "But there is another way to make it float, which is to fill it with hot air. Hot air isnt as good as gas, for if the air should get cold the balloon would e down in the desert, and we should be lost.”
"We!" exclaimed the girl. "Are you going with me?”
"Yes, of course," replied Oz. "I am tired of being such a humbug. If I should go out of this Palace my people would soon discover I am not a Wizard, and then they would be vexed with me for having deceived them. So I have to stay shut up in these rooms all day, and it gets tiresome. Id much rather go back to Kansas with you and be in a circus again.”
"I shall be glad to have your pany," said Dorothy.
"Thank you," he answered. "Now, if you will help me sew the silk together, we will begin to work on our balloon.”
So Dorothy took a needle and thread, and as fast as Oz cut the strips of silk into proper shape the girl sewed them ly together. First there was a strip of light green silk, then a strip of dark green and then a strip of emerald green; for Oz had a fanake the balloon in different shades of the color about them. It took three days to sew all the strips to９９lｉｂ.t farther and farther into the sky.
And tha藏书网t was the last any of them ever saw of Oz, the Won- derful Wizard, though he may have reached Omaha safely, ahere now, for all we know. But the people remem- bered him lovingly, and said to one another:
"Oz was always our friend. When he was here he built for us this beautiful Emerald City, and now he is gone he has left the Wise Scarecrow to rule over us.”
Still, for many days they grieved over the loss of the Won- derful Wizard, and would not be forted.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XVIII.
Away to the South
Dorothy wept bitterly at the passing of her hope to get home to Kansas again; but whehought it all over she was glad she had not gone up in a balloon. And she also felt sorry at losing Oz, and so did her panions.
The Tin Woodman came to her and said:
"Truly I should be ungrateful if I failed to mourn for the man who gave me my lovely heart. I should like to cry a little because Oz is gone, if you will kindly wipe away my tears, so that I shall not rust.”
"With pleasure," she answered, and brought a towel at ohein Woodma for several minutes, and she watched the tears carefully and wiped them away with the towel. When he had finished, he thanked her kindly and oiled himself thhly with his jeweled oil-, to guard against mishap.
The Scarecrow was now the ruler of the Emerald City, and although he was not a Wizard the people were proud of him.
"For," they said, "there is not another city in all the world that is ruled by a stuffed man." And, so far as they khey were quite right.
The m after the balloon had gone up with Oz, the four travelers met ihrone Room and talked matters over. The Scarecrow sat in the big throne and the others stood respectfully before him.
"We are not so unlucky," said the new ruler, "for this Palad the Emerald City belong to us, and we do just as we please. When I remember that a short time ago I on a pole in a farmers field, and that now I am the ruler of this beautiful City, I am quite.. satisfied with my lot.”
"I also," said the Tin Woodman, "am well-pleased with my new heart; and, really, that was the only thing I wished in all the world.”
"For my part, I am tent in knowing I am as brave as a that ever lived, if not braver," said the Lion modestly.
"If Dorothy would only be teo live in the Emerald City," tihe Scarecrow, "we might all be happy together.”
"But I dont want to live here," cried Dorothy. "I want to go to Kansas, and live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.”
"Well, then, what be done?" inquired the Woodman.
The Scarecrow decided to think, ahought so hard that the pins and needles began to stick out of his brains. Fi- nally he said:
"Why not call the Winged Monkeys, and ask them to carry you over the desert?”
"I hought of that!" said Dorothy joyfully. "Its just the thing. Ill go at once for the Golden Cap.”
When she brought it into the Throne Room she spoke the magic words, and soon the band of Winged Monkeys flew in through the open window and stood beside her.
"This is the sed time you have called us," said the Mon- key King, bowing before the little girl. "What do you wish?”
"I want you to fly with me to Kansas," said Dorothy.
But the Monkey King shook his head.
"That ot be done," he said. "We belong to this try alone, and ot leave it. There has never been a Winged Monkey in Kansas yet, and I suppose there never will be, for they dont belong there. We shall be glad to serve you in any way in our power, but we ot cross the desert. Good-bye.”
And with another bow, the Monkey King spread his wings and flew away through the window, followed by all his band.
Dorothy was ready to cry with disappoi. "I have wasted the charm of the Golden Cap to no purpose," she said, "for the Winged Monkeys ot help me.”
"It is certainly too bad!" said the tender-hearted Woodman.
The Scarecrow was thinking again, and his head bulged out so horribly that Dorothy feared it would burst.
"Let us call in the soldier with the green whiskers," he said, "and ask his advice.”
So the soldier was summoned aered the Throne Room timidly, for while Oz was alive he never was allowed to e farther than the door.
"This little girl," said the Scarecrow to the soldier, "wishes to cross the desert. How she do so?”
"I ot tell," answered the soldier, "for nobody has ever crossed the desert, unless it is Oz himself.”
"Is there no one who help me?" asked Dorothy early.
"Glinda might," he suggested.
"Who is Glinda?" inquired the Scarecrow.
"The Witch of the South. She is the most powerful of all the Witches, and rules over the Quadlings. Besides, her castle stands on the edge of the desert, so she may know a way to cross it.”
"Glinda is a Good Witch, isnt she?" asked the child.
"The Quadlings think she is good," said the soldier, &quo?;and she is kind to everyone. I have heard that Glinda is a beautiful woman, who knows how to keep young in spite of the many years she has lived.”
"How I get to her castle?" asked Dorothy.
"The road is straight to the South," he answered, "but it is said to be full of dao travelers. There are wild beasts in the woods, and a race of queer men who do not like strangers to cross their try. For this reason none of the Quadlings ever e to the Emerald City.”
The soldier them left them and the Scarecrow said:
"It seems, in spite of dangers, that the best thing Dorothy do is to travel to the Land of the South and ask Glinda to help her. For, of course, if Dorothy stays here she will never get back to Kansas.”
"You must have been thinking again," remarked the Tin Woodman.
"I have," said the Scarecrow.
"I shall go with Dorothy," declared the Lion, "for I am tired of your city and long for the woods and the try again. I am really a wild beast, you know. Besides, Dorothy will need someoo protect her.”
"That is true," agreed the Woodman. "My axe may be of service to her; so I also will go with her to the Land of the South.”
"When shall we start?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Are you going?" they asked, in surprise.
"Certainly. If it wasnt for Dorothy I should never have had brains. She lifted me from the pole in the field and brought me to the Emerald City. So my good luck is all due to her, and I shall never leave her until she starts back to Kansas food and all.”
"Thank you," said Dorothy gratefully. "You are all very kind to me. But I should like to start as soon as possible.”
"We shall go tomorrow m," returhe Scarecrow.
"So now let us all get ready, for it will be a long journey.”
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XIX.
Attacked by the Fighting Trees
The m Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good-bye, and they all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers, who had walked with them as far as the gate.
When the Guardian of the Gate saw them again he wreatly that they could leave the beautiful City to get into rouble. But he at onlocked their spectacles, which he put bato the green box, and gave them many good wishes to carry with them.
"You are now our ruler," he said to the Scarecrow; "so you must e back to us as soon as possible.”
"I certainly shall if I am able," the Scarecrow replied; "but I must help Dorothy to get home, first.”
As Dorothy bade the good-natured Guardian a last farewell she said:
"I have been very kindly treated in your lovely City, and everyone has been good to me. I ot tell you how grateful I am.”
"Dont try, my dear," he answered. "We should like to keep you with us, but if it is your wish to return to Kansas, I hope you will find a way." He then opehe gate of the outer wall, and they walked forth and started upon their journey.
The sun shone brightly as our friends turheir faces to- ward the Land of the South. They were all in the best of spir- its, and laughed and chatted together. Dorothy was once more filled with the hope of getting home, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to be of use to her. As for the Lion, he she fresh 藏书网air with delight and whisked his tail from side to side in pure joy at being in the try again, while Toto ran around them and chased the moths and butter- flies, barking merrily all the time.
"City life does not agree with me at all," remarked the Lion, as they walked along at a brisk pace. "I have lost much flesh since I lived there, and now I am anxious for a ce to show the other beasts how ceous I have grown.”
They now turned and took a last look at the Emerald City.
All they could see was a mass of towers and steeples behind the green walls, and high up above everything the spires and dome of the Palace of Oz.
"Oz was not such a bad Wizard, after all," said the Tin Woodman, as he felt his heart rattling around in his breast.
"He knew how to give me brains, and very good brains, too," said the Scarecrow.
"If Oz had taken a dose of the same ce he gave me,”
added the Lion, "he would have been a brave man.”
Dorothy said nothing. Oz had not kept the promise he made her, but he had done his best, so she fave him. As he said, he was a good man, even if he was a bad Wizard.
The first days journey was through the green fields and bright flowers that stretched about the Emerald City on every side. They slept that night on the grass, with nothing but the stars over them; and they rested very well indeed.
In the m they traveled on until they came to a thick wood. There was no way of going around it, for it seemed to extend to the right a as far as they could see; and, be- sides, they did not dare ge the dire of their journey for fear of getting lost. So they looked for the place where it would be easiest to get into the forest.
The Scarecroas in the lead, finally discovered a big tree with such wide-spreading brahat there was room for the party to pass underh. So he walked forward to the tree, but just as he came uhe first brahey bent down and twined around him, and the minute he was raised from the ground and flung headlong among his fel- low travelers.
This did not hurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he looked rather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.
"Here is another space betweerees," called the Lion.
"Let me try it first," said the Scarecrow, "f99ｌib?or it doesnt hurt me to get thrown about." He walked up to aree, as he spoke, but its branches immediately seized him and tossed him back again.
"This is strange," exclaimed Dorothy. "What shall we do?”
"The trees seem to have made up their minds to fight us, and stop our journey," remarked the Lion.
"I believe I will try it myself," said the Woodman, and shouldering his axe, he marched up to the first tree that had hahe Scarecrow shly. When a big branch bent down to seize him the Woodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it in two. At ohe tree began shaking all its branches as if in pain, and the.in Woodman passed safely u.
"e on!" he shouted to the others. "Be quick!" They all ran forward and passed uhe tree without injury, except Toto, who was caught by a small brand shaken until he howled. But the Woodman promptly chopped off the brand set the little dog free.
The other trees of the forest did nothing to keep them back, so they made up their minds that only the first row of trees could bend down their branches, and that probably these were the poli of the forest, and given this wonderful power in order to keep strangers out of it.
The four travelers walked with ease through the trees until they came to the farther edge of the wood. Then, to their sur- prise, they found before them a high wall which seemed to be made of white a. It was smooth, like the surface of ９9ｌib?a dish, and higher than their heads.
"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy.
"I will make a ladder," said the Tin Woodman, "for we cer- tainly must climb over the wall.”
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XX.
The Dainty a try
While the Woodman was making a ladder from wood which he found in the forest Dorothy lay down and slept, for she was tired by the long walk. The Lion also curled himself up to sleep and Toto lay beside him.
The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while he worked, and said to him:
"I ot think why this wall is here, nor what it is made of.”
"Rest your brains and do not worry about the wall," replied the Woodman. "When we have climbed over it, we shall know what is oher side.”
After a time the ladder was finished. It looked clumsy, but the Tin Woodman was sure it was strong and would aheir purpose. The Scarecrow w..aked Dorothy and the Lion and Toto, and told them that the ladder was ready. The Scare- crow climbed up the ladder first, but he was so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind and keep him from falling off. Whe his head over the top of the wall the Scare- crow said, "Oh, my!”
"Go on," exclaimed Dorothy.
So the Scarecrow climbed farther up and sat down oop of the wall, and Dorothy put her head over and cried, "Oh, my!" just as the Scarecrow had done.
Then Toto came up, and immediately began to bark, but Dorothy made him be still.
The Lion climbed the ladder , and the Tin Woodman came last; but both of them cried, "Oh, my!" as soon as they looked over the wall. When they were all sitting in a row oop of the wall, they looked down and saw a strange sight.
Before them was a great stretch of try having a floor as smooth and shining and white as the bottom of a big platter.
Scattered around were many houses made entirely of a and painted in the brightest colors. These houses were quite small, the biggest of them reag only as high as Dorothys waist. There were also pretty little barns, with a fences around them; and many cows and sheep and horses and pigs and chis, all made of a, were stand- ing about in groups.
But the stra of all were the people who lived in this queer try. There were milkmaids and shepherdesses, with brightly colored bodices and golden spots all over their gowns; and princesses with most geous frocks of silver and gold and purple; and shepherds dressed in knee breeches with pink and yellow and blue stripes down them, and golden buckles on their shoes; and princes with jeweled s upon their heads, wearing ermine robes and satin doublets; and funny s in ruffled gowns, with round red spots upon their cheeks and tall, pointed caps. And, stra of all, these people were all made of a, even to their clothes, and were so small that the tallest of them was no higher than Dorothys knee.
No one did so much as look at the travelers at first, except otle purple a dog with ara-large head, which came to the wall and barked at them in a tiny voice, after- wards running away again.
"How shall we get down?" asked Dorothy.
They found the ladder so heavy they could not pull it up, so the Scarecrow fell off the wall and the others jumped down upon him so that the hard floor would not hurt their feet. Of course they took pains not to light on his head ahe pins in their feet. When all were safely down they picked up the Scarecrow, whose body was quite flattened out, and patted his straw into shape again.
"We must cross this strange pla order to get to the other side," said Dorothy, "for it would be unwise for us to go any other way except due South.”
They began walking through the try of the a peo- ple, and the first thing they came to was a a milkmaid milking a a cow. As they drew near, the cow suddenly gave a kid kicked over the stool, the pail, and even the milkmaid herself, and all fell on the a ground with a great clatter.
Dorothy was shocked to see that the cow had broken her leg off, and that the pail was lying in several small pieces, while the poor. milkmaid had a ni her left elbow.
"There!" cried the milkmaid angrily. "See what you have done! My cow has broken her leg, and I must take her to the menders shop and have it glued on again. What do you mean by ing here and frightening my cow?”
"Im very sorry," returned Dorothy. "Please five us.”
But the pretty milkmaid was much too vexed to make any answer. She picked up the leg sulkily and led her cow away, the poor animal limping on three legs. As she left them the milkmaid cast many reproachful glances over her shoulder at the clumsy strangers, holding her nicked elbow close to her side.
Dorothy was quite grieved at this mishap.
"We must be very careful here," said the kied Woodman, "or we may hurt these pretty little people so they will never get over it.”
A little farther on Dorothy met a most beautifully dressed young Princess, who stopped short as she saw the strangers and started to run away.
Dorothy wao see more of the Princess, so she ran af- bbr>.ter her. But the a girl cried out:
"Dont chase me! Dont chase me!”
She had such a frightened little voice that Dorothy stopped and said, "Why not?”
"Because," answered the Princess, also stopping, a safe dis- tance away, "if I run I may fall down and break myself.”
"But could you not be mended?" asked the girl.
"Oh, yes; but one is never so pretty after being mended, you know," replied the Princess.
"I suppose not," said Dorothy.
"Now there is Mr. Joker, one of our s," tihe a lady, "who is always trying to stand upon his head. He has broken himself so often that he is mended in a hundred places, and doesnt look at all pretty. Here he es now, so you see for yourself.”
Indeed, a jolly little came walking toward them, and Dorothy could see that in spite of his pretty clothes of red and yellow and green he was pletely covered with cracks, run- ning every which way and showing plainly that he had been mended in many places.
The put his hands in his pockets, and after puffing out his cheeks and nodding his head at them saucily, he said:
"My lady fair, Why do you stare At poor old Mr. Joker?
Youre quite as stiff And prim as if Youd eaten up a poker!”
"Be quiet, sir!" said the Princess. "t you see these are strangers, and should be treated with respect?”
"Well, thats respect, I expect," declared the , and im- mediately stood upon his head.
"Dont mind Mr. Joker," said the Prio Dorothy. "He is siderably cracked in his head, and that makes him fool- ish.”
"Oh, I dont mind him a bit," said Dorothy. "But you are so beautiful," she tinued, "that I am sure I could love you dearly. Wont you let me carry you back to Kansas, and stand you on Aunt Ems mantel? I could carry you in my basket.”
"That would make me very unhappy," answered the a Princess. "You see, here in our try we live tentedly, and talk and move around as we please. But whenever any of us are taken away our joints at oiffen, and we only stand straight and look pretty. Of course that is all that is expected of us when we are on mantels and ets and drawing-room tables, but our lives are much pleasanter here in our own try.”
"I would not make you unhappy for all the world!" ex- claimed Dorothy. "So Ill just say good-bye.”
"Good-bye," replied the Princess.
They walked carefully through the a try. The little animals and all the people scampered out of their way, fearing the strangers would break them, and after an hour or so the travelers reached the other side of the try and came to an- other a wall.
It was not so high as the first, however, and by standing upon the Lions back they all mao scramble to the top.
Then the Lion gathered his legs under him and jumped on the wall; but just as he jumped, he upset a a church with his tail and smashe藏书网d it all to pieces.
"That was too bad," said Dorothy, "but really I think we were lucky in not doing these little people more harm than breaking a cows leg and a church. They are all so brittle!”
"They are, indeed," s藏书网aid the Scarecrow, "and I am thankful I am made of straw and ot be easily damaged. There are worse things in the world than being a Scarecrow.”
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XXI.
The Lion Bees the King of Beasts
After climbing down from the a wall the travelers found themselves in a disagreeable try, full of bogs and marshes and covered with tall, rank grass. It was difficult to walk without falling into muddy holes, for the grass was so thick that it hid them from sight. However, by carefully pick- ing their way, they got safely along until they reached solid ground. But here the try seemed wilder than ever, and af- ter a long and tiresome walk through the underbrush they en- tered another forest, where the trees were bigger and older than any they had ever seen.
"This forest is perfectly delightful," declared the Lion, looking around him with joy. "Never have I seen a more beautiful place.”
"It seems gloomy," said the Scarecrow.
"Not a bit of it," answered the Lion. "I should like to live here all my life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how rid green the moss is that gs to these old trees. Surely no wild beast could wish a pleasanter home.”
"Perhaps there are wild beasts in the forest now," said Dorothy.
"I suppose there are," returhe Lion, "but I do not see any of them about.”
They walked through the forest until it became too dark to go any farther. Dorothy and Toto and the Lion lay down to sleep, while the Woodman and the Scarecrow kept watch over them as usual.
When m came, they started again. Before they had gone far they heard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals. Toto whimpered a little, but none of the others was frightened, and they kept along the well-trodden path un- til they came to an opening in the wood, in which were gath- ered hundreds of beasts of every variety. There were tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes and all the oth- ers iural history, and for a moment Dorothy was afraid. But the Lion explaihat the animals were holding a meeting, and he judged by their snarling and growling that they were irouble.
As he spoke several of the beasts caught sight of him, and at ohe great assemblage hushed as if by magic. The biggest of the tigers came up to the Lion and bowed, saying:
"Wele, O King of Beasts! You have e in good time to fight our enemy and bring peace to all the animals of the forest once more.”
"What is your trouble?" asked the Lion quietly.
"We are all threatened," answered the tiger, "by a fier- emy which has lately e into this forest. It is a most tremendous monster, like a great spider, with a body as big as an elephant and legs as long as a tree trunk. It has eight of these long legs, and as the monster crawls through the forest he seizes an animal with a leg and drags it to his mouth, where he eats it as a spider does a fly. Not one of us is safe while this fierce creature is alive, and we had called a meeting to decide how to take care of ourselves when you came among us.”
The Lion thought for a moment.
"Are there any other lions in this forest?" he asked.
"No; there were some, but the monster has eaten them all.
And, besides, they were none of them nearly se and brave as you.”
"If I put ao your enemy, will you bow down to me and obey me as King of the Forest?" inquired the Lion.
"We will do that gladly," returhe tiger; and all the other beasts roared with a mighty roar: "We will!”
"Where is this great spider of yours now?" asked the Lion.
"Yonder, among the oak trees," said the tiger, pointing with his forefoot.
"Take good care of these friends of mine," said the Lion, "and I will go at oo fight the monster.”
He bade his rades good-bye and marched proudly away to do battle with the enemy.
The great spider was lying asleep when the Lion found him, and it looked so ugly that its foe turned up his nose in disgust. Its legs were quite as long as the tiger had said, and its body covered with coarse black hair. It had a great mouth, with a row of sharp teeth a foot long; but its head was joio the pudgy body by a neck as slender as a s waist. This gave the Lion a hint of the best way to attack the creature, and as he k was easier to fight it asleep than awake, he gave a great spring and landed directly upon the monsters back.
Then, with one blow of his heavy paw, all armed with sharp claws, he khe spiders head from its body. Jumping dowched it until the long legs stopped wiggling, when he k was quite dead.
The Lio back to the opening where the beasts of the forest were waiting for him and said proudly:
"You need fear your enemy no longer.”
Then the beasts bowed down to the Lion as their King, and he promised to e bad rule over them as soon as Dorothy was safely on her way to Kansas.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XXII.
The try of the Quadlings
THE FOUR TRAVELERS passed through the rest of the forest in safety, and when they came out from its gloom saw before them a steep hill, covered from top to bottom with great pieces of rock.
"That will be a hard climb," said the Scarecrow, "but we must get over the hill, heless.”
So he led the way and the others followed. They had nearly reached the first rock when they heard a rough voice cry out, "Keep back!”
"Who are you?" asked the Scarecrow.
Then a head showed itself over the rod the same voice said, "This hill belongs to us, and we dont allow ao cross it.”
"But we must cross it," said the Scarecrow. "Were going to the try of the Quadlings.”
"But you shall not!" replied the voice, and there stepped from behind the rock the stra maravelers had ever seen.
He was quite short and stout and had a big head, which was flat at the top and supported by a thieck full of wrinkles.
But he had no arms at all, and, seeing this, the Scarecrow did not fear that so helpless a creature could prevent them from climbing the hill. So he said, "Im sorry not to do as you wish, but we must pass over your hill whether you like it or not,”
and he walked boldly forward.
As quick as lightning the mans head shot forward and his neck stretched out until the top of the head, where it was flat, struck the Scarecrow in the middle a him tumbling, over and over, down the hill. Almost as quickly as it came the head went back to the body, and the man laughed harshly as he said, "It isnt as easy as you think!”
A chorus of boisterous laughter came from the other rocks, and Dorothy saw hundreds of the armless Hammer-Heads upon the hillside, one behind every rock.
The Lion became quite angry at the laughter caused by the Scareishap, and giving a loud roar that echoed like thunder, he dashed up the hill.
Again a head shot swiftly out, and the great Lio rolling down the hill as if he had been struck by a on ball.
Dorothy ran down and helped the Scarecrow to his feet, and the Lion came up to her, feeling rather bruised and sore, and said, "It is useless to fight people with shooting heads; no one withstand them.”
"What we do, then?" she asked.
"Call the Winged Monkeys," suggested the Tin Woodman.
"You have still the right to and them once more.”
"Very well," she answered, and putting on the Golden Cap she uttered the magic words. The Monkeys were as prompt as ever, and in a few moments the entire band stood before her.
"What are your ands?" inquired the King of the Mon- keys, bowing low.
"Carry us over the hill to the try of the Quadlings," an- swered the girl.
"It shall be done," said the King, and at ohe Winged Monkeys caught the four travelers and Toto up in their arms and fleith them. As they passed over the hill the Hammer-Heads yelled with vexation, and shot their heads high in the air, but they could not reach the Winged Monkeys, which carried Dorothy and her rades safely over the hill ahem down in the beautiful try of the Quadlings.
"This is the last time you summon us," said the leader to Dorothy; "so good-bye and good luck to you.”
"Good-bye, and thank you very much," returhe girl; and the Monkeys rose into the air and were out of sight in a twinkling.
The try of the Quadlings seemed rid happy.
There was field upon field of ripening grain, with well-paved roads runniween, and pretty rippling brooks with strong bridges across them. The fences and houses and bridges were all painted bright red, just as they had been painted yellow in the try of the Winkies and blue in the try of the Muns. The Quadlings themselves, who were short and fat and looked chubby and good-natured, were dressed all in red, which showed bright against the green grass and the yel- lowing grain.
The Monkeys had set them down near a farmhouse, and the four travelers walked up to it and k the door. It ened by the farmers wife, and when Dorothy asked for something to eat the woman gave them all a good dinner, with three kinds of cake and four kinds of cookies, and a bowl of milk for Toto.
"How far is it to the Castle of Glinda?" asked the child.
"It is not a great way," answered the farmers wife. "Take the road to the South and you will soon reach it.
Thanking the good woman, they started afresh and walked by the fields and across the pretty bridges until they saw be- fore them a very beautiful Castle. Before the gates were three young girls, dressed in handsome red uniforms trimmed with gold braid; and as Dorothy approached, one of them said to her:
"Why have you e to the South try?”
"To see the Good Witch who rules here," she answered.
"Will you take me to her?”
"Let me have your name, and I will ask Glinda if she will receive you." They told who they were, and the girl soldier went into the Castle. After a few moments she came back to say that Dorothy and the others were to be admitted at once.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XXIII.
Glinda The Good Witch Grants Dorothys
Wish Before they went to see Glinda, however, they were taken to a room of the Castle, where Dorothy washed her fad bed her hair, and the Lion shook the dust out of his mane, and the Scarecrow patted himself into his best shape, and the Woodman polished his tin and oiled his joints.
When they were all quite presentable they followed the sol- dier girl into a big room where the Witch Glinda sat upon a throne of rubies.
She was both beautiful and young to their eyes. Her hair was a rich red in color and fell in flowing ris over her shoulders. Her dress ure white but her eyes were blue, and they looked kindly upotle girl.
"What I do for you, my child?" she asked.
Dorothy told the Witch all her story: how the cye had brought her to the Land of Oz, how she had found her - panions, and of the wonderful advehey had met with.
"My greatest wish now," she added, "is to get back to Kansas, for Aunt Em will surely think something dreadful has happeo me, and that will make her put on m; and uhe crops are better this year than they were last, I am sure Uncle Henry ot afford it.”
Glinda leaned forward and kissed the sweet, upturned face of the loving little girl.
"Bless your dear heart," she said, "I am sure I tell you of a way to get back to Kansas." Then she added, "But, if I do, you must give me the Golden Cap.”
"Willingly!" exclaimed Dorothy; "indeed, it is of no use to me now, and when you have it you and the Winged Mohree times.”
"And I think I shall heir service just those three times," answered Glinda, smiling.
Dorothy then gave her the Golden Cap, and the Witch said to the Scarecrow, "What will you do when Dorothy has left us?”
"I will return to the Emerald City," he replied, "for Oz has made me its ruler and the people like me. The only thing that worries me is how to cross the hill of the Hammer-Heads.”
"By means of the Golden Cap I shall and the Winged Moo carry you to the gates of the Emerald City," said Glinda, "for it would be a shame to deprive the people of so wonderful a ruler.”
"Am I really wonderful?" asked the Scarecrow.
"You are unusual," replied Glinda.
Turning to the Tin Woodman, she asked, "What will be- e of you when Dorothy leaves this try?”
He leaned on his axe and thought a moment. Then he said, "The Winkies were very kind to me, and wanted me to rule over them after the Wicked Witch died. I am fond of the Winkies, and if I could get back again to the try of the West, I should like nothier than to rule over them for- ever.”
"My sed and to the Winged Monkeys," said Glinda "will be that they carry you safely to the land of the Winkies. Your brain may not be se to look at as those of the Scarecrow, but you are really brighter than he is?awhen you are well polished?aand I am sure you will rule the Winkies wisely and well.”
Thech looked at the big, shaggy Lion and asked, "When Dorothy has returo her own home, what will be- e of you?”
"Over the hill of the Hammer-Heads," he answered, "lies a grand old forest, and all the beasts that live there have made me their King. If I could only get back to this forest, I would pass my life very happily there.”
"My third and to the Winged Monkeys," said Glinda, "shall be to carry you to your forest. Then, having used up the powers of the Golden Cap, I shall give it to the King of the Monkeys, that he and his band may thereafter be free for ever- more.”
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion now thahe Good Witch early for her kindness; and Dorothy exclaimed:
"You are certainly as good as you are beautiful! But you have not yet told me how to get back to Kansas.”
"Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert," replied Glinda. "If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Auhe very first day you came to this try.”
"But then I should not have had my wonderful brains!”
cried the Scarecrow. "I might have passed my whole life in the farmers field.”
"And I should not have had my lovely heart," said the Tin Woodman. "I might have stood and rusted in the forest till the end of the world.”
"And I should have lived a coward forever," declared the Lion, "and in all the forest would have had a good word to say to me.”
"This is all true," said Dorothy, "and I am glad I was of use to these good friends. But now that each of them has had what he most desired, and each is happy in having a kingdom to rule besides, I think I should like to go back to Kansas.”
"The Silver Shoes," said the Good Witch, "have wonderful powers. And one of the most curious things about them is that they carry you to any pla the world in three steps, and each step will be made in the wink of an eye. All you have to do is to knock the heels together three times and and the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go.”
"If that is so," said the child joyfully, "I will ask them to carry me back to Kansas at once.”
She threw her arms around the Lions ned kissed him, patting his big head tenderly. Then she kissed the Tin Wood- man, eeping in a way most dangerous to his joints.
But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow in her arms instead of kissing hi.９9liｂ?s painted face, and found she was g herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving - rades.
Glinda the Good stepped down from her ruby throo give the little girl a good-bye kiss, and Dorothy thanked her for all the kindness she had shown to her friends and herself.
Dorothy now took Toto up solemnly in her arms, and hav- ing said one last good-bye she clapped the heels of her shoes together three times, saying:
"Take me home to Aunt Em!”
* * * * * Instantly she was whirling through the air, so swiftly that all she could see or feel was the wind whistling past her ears.
The Silver Shoes took but three steps, and theopped so suddenly that she rolled over upon the grass several times before she knew where she was.
At length, however, she sat up and looked about her.
"Good gracious!" she cried.
For she was sitting on the broad Kansas prairie, and just be- fore her was the new farmhouse Uncle Henry built after the cye had carried away the old one. Uncle Henry was milk- ing the cows in the barnyard, and Toto had jump..ed out of her arms and was running toward the barn, barking furiously.
Dorothy stood up and found she was iog-feet.
For the Silver Shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert.
L. Frank Baum
Chapter XXIV.
Home Again
AUNT EM HAD JUST E out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.
"My darling child!" she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and c her face with kisses. "Where in the ..ld did you e from?”
"From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! Im so glad to be at home again!”
HERE ends the story of ",”which was written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by William Wallace Denslow. The engravings were made by the Illinois Engraving pany, the paper was supplied by Dwight Brothers Paper pany, and Mssrs. A. R. Barnes & C..t>ompany prihe book for the publishers, the Gee M.Hill pany, pleting it on the fifteenth day of May, in the year een hundred.天涯在线书库《www.tianyabook.com》