Chapter VI.
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The Cowardly LionALL 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 <var></var>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 Doro<s></s>thy, 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<bdo>?99lｉb.</bdo>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
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