Chapter XVIII.
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Away to the SouthDorothy 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. &quo<bdi></bdi>t;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 whi<s></s>le 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
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