Contents——Introduction——
1。TheCyclone2。TheCouncilwiththeMunchkins3。HowDorothySavedtheScarecrow4。TheRoadThroughtheForest5。TheRescueoftheTinWoodman6。TheCowardlyLion7。TheJourneytotheGreatOz8。TheDeadlyPoppyField9。TheQueenoftheFieldMice10。TheGuardianoftheGates11。TheEmeraldCityofOz12。TheSearchfortheWickedWitch13。TheRescue14。TheWingedMonkeys15。TheDiscoveryofOztheTerrible16。TheMagicArtoftheGreatHumbug17。HowtheBalloonWasLaunched18。AwaytotheSouth19。AttackedbytheFightingTrees20。TheDaintyChinaCountry21。TheLionBecomestheKingofBeasts22。TheCountryoftheQuadlings23。GlindaTheGoodWitchGrantsDorothy’sWish24。HomeAgainIntroductionFolklore,legends,mythsandfairytaleshavefollowedchildhoodthroughtheages,foreveryhealthyyoungsterhasawholesomeandinstinctiveloveforstoriesfantastic,marvelousandmanifestlyunreal。
ThewingedfairiesofGrimmandAndersenhavebroughtmorehappinesstochildishheartsthanallotherhumancreations。
Yettheoldtimefairytale,havingservedforgenerations,maynowbeclassedas"historical"inthechildren’slibrary;forthetimehascomeforaseriesofnewer"wondertales"inwhichthestereotypedgenie,dwarfandfairyareeliminated,togetherwithallthehorribleandblood-curdlingincidentsdevisedbytheirauthorstopointafearsomemoraltoeachtale。Moderneducationincludesmorality;thereforethemodernchildseeksonlyentertainmentinitswondertalesandgladlydispenseswithalldisagreeableincident。
Havingthisthoughtinmind,thestoryof"TheWonderfulWizardofOz"waswrittensolelytopleasechildrenoftoday。Itaspirestobeingamodernizedfairytale,inwhichthewondermentandjoyareretainedandtheheartachesandnightmaresareleftout。
L。FrankBaumChicago,April,1900。
THEWONDERFULWIZARDOFOZ
1。TheCycloneDorothylivedinthemidstofthegreatKansasprairies,withUncleHenry,whowasafarmer,andAuntEm,whowasthefarmer’swife。Theirhousewassmall,forthelumbertobuildithadtobecarriedbywagonmanymiles。Therewerefourwalls,afloorandaroof,whichmadeoneroom;andthisroomcontainedarustylookingcookstove,acupboardforthedishes,atable,threeorfourchairs,andthebeds。UncleHenryandAuntEmhadabigbedinonecorner,andDorothyalittlebedinanothercorner。Therewasnogarretatall,andnocellar——exceptasmallholedugintheground,calledacyclonecellar,wherethefamilycouldgoincaseoneofthosegreatwhirlwindsarose,mightyenoughtocrushanybuildinginitspath。Itwasreachedbyatrapdoorinthemiddleofthefloor,fromwhichaladderleddownintothesmall,darkhole。
WhenDorothystoodinthedoorwayandlookedaround,shecouldseenothingbutthegreatgrayprairieoneveryside。Notatreenorahousebrokethebroadsweepofflatcountrythatreachedtotheedgeoftheskyinalldirections。Thesunhadbakedtheplowedlandintoagraymass,withlittlecracksrunningthroughit。
Eventhegrasswasnotgreen,forthesunhadburnedthetopsofthelongbladesuntiltheywerethesamegraycolortobeseeneverywhere。Oncethehousehadbeenpainted,butthesunblisteredthepaintandtherainswasheditaway,andnowthehousewasasdullandgrayaseverythingelse。
WhenAuntEmcametheretoliveshewasayoung,prettywife。
Thesunandwindhadchangedher,too。Theyhadtakenthesparklefromhereyesandleftthemasobergray;theyhadtakentheredfromhercheeksandlips,andtheyweregrayalso。Shewasthinandgaunt,andneversmilednow。WhenDorothy,whowasanorphan,firstcametoher,AuntEmhadbeensostartledbythechild’slaughterthatshewouldscreamandpressherhanduponherheartwheneverDorothy’smerryvoicereachedherears;andshestilllookedatthelittlegirlwithwonderthatshecouldfindanythingtolaughat。
UncleHenryneverlaughed。Heworkedhardfrommorningtillnightanddidnotknowwhatjoywas。Hewasgrayalso,fromhislongbeardtohisroughboots,andhelookedsternandsolemn,andrarelyspoke。
ItwasTotothatmadeDorothylaugh,andsavedherfromgrowingasgrayasherothersurroundings。Totowasnotgray;hewasalittleblackdog,withlongsilkyhairandsmallblackeyesthattwinkledmerrilyoneithersideofhisfunny,weenose。Totoplayedalldaylong,andDorothyplayedwithhim,andlovedhimdearly。
Today,however,theywerenotplaying。UncleHenrysatuponthedoorstepandlookedanxiouslyatthesky,whichwasevengrayerthanusual。DorothystoodinthedoorwithTotoinherarms,andlookedattheskytoo。AuntEmwaswashingthedishes。
Fromthefarnorththeyheardalowwailofthewind,andUncleHenryandDorothycouldseewherethelonggrassbowedinwavesbeforethecomingstorm。Therenowcameasharpwhistlingintheairfromthesouth,andastheyturnedtheireyesthatwaytheysawripplesinthegrasscomingfromthatdirectionalso。
SuddenlyUncleHenrystoodup。
"There’sacyclonecoming,Em,"hecalledtohiswife。"I’llgolookafterthestock。"Thenherantowardtheshedswherethecowsandhorseswerekept。
AuntEmdroppedherworkandcametothedoor。Oneglancetoldherofthedangercloseathand。
"Quick,Dorothy!"shescreamed。"Runforthecellar!"
TotojumpedoutofDorothy’sarmsandhidunderthebed,andthegirlstartedtogethim。AuntEm,badlyfrightened,threwopenthetrapdoorinthefloorandclimbeddowntheladderintothesmall,darkhole。DorothycaughtTotoatlastandstartedtofollowheraunt。Whenshewashalfwayacrosstheroomtherecameagreatshriekfromthewind,andthehouseshooksohardthatshelostherfootingandsatdownsuddenlyuponthefloor。
Thenastrangethinghappened。
Thehousewhirledaroundtwoorthreetimesandroseslowlythroughtheair。Dorothyfeltasifsheweregoingupinaballoon。
Thenorthandsouthwindsmetwherethehousestood,andmadeittheexactcenterofthecyclone。Inthemiddleofacyclonetheairisgenerallystill,butthegreatpressureofthewindoneverysideofthehouseraisedituphigherandhigher,untilitwasattheverytopofthecyclone;andthereitremainedandwascarriedmilesandmilesawayaseasilyasyoucouldcarryafeather。
Itwasverydark,andthewindhowledhorriblyaroundher,butDorothyfoundshewasridingquiteeasily。Afterthefirstfewwhirlsaround,andoneothertimewhenthehousetippedbadly,shefeltasifshewerebeingrockedgently,likeababyinacradle。
Totodidnotlikeit。Heranabouttheroom,nowhere,nowthere,barkingloudly;butDorothysatquitestillonthefloorandwaitedtoseewhatwouldhappen。
OnceTotogottooneartheopentrapdoor,andfellin;andatfirstthelittlegirlthoughtshehadlosthim。Butsoonshesawoneofhisearsstickingupthroughthehole,forthestrongpressureoftheairwaskeepinghimupsothathecouldnotfall。
Shecrepttothehole,caughtTotobytheear,anddraggedhimintotheroomagain,afterwardclosingthetrapdoorsothatnomoreaccidentscouldhappen。
Hourafterhourpassedaway,andslowlyDorothygotoverherfright;butshefeltquitelonely,andthewindshriekedsoloudlyallaboutherthatshenearlybecamedeaf。Atfirstshehadwonderedifshewouldbedashedtopieceswhenthehousefellagain;
butasthehourspassedandnothingterriblehappened,shestoppedworryingandresolvedtowaitcalmlyandseewhatthefuturewouldbring。
Atlastshecrawledovertheswayingfloortoherbed,andlaydownuponit;
andTotofollowedandlaydownbesideher。
Inspiteoftheswayingofthehouseandthewailingofthewind,Dorothysoonclosedhereyesandfellfastasleep。
2。TheCouncilwiththeMunchkinsShewasawakenedbyashock,sosuddenandseverethatifDorothyhadnotbeenlyingonthesoftbedshemighthavebeenhurt。
Asitwas,thejarmadehercatchherbreathandwonderwhathadhappened;
andTotoputhiscoldlittlenoseintoherfaceandwhineddismally。
Dorothysatupandnoticedthatthehousewasnotmoving;norwasitdark,forthebrightsunshinecameinatthewindow,floodingthelittleroom。
ShesprangfromherbedandwithTotoatherheelsranandopenedthedoor。
Thelittlegirlgaveacryofamazementandlookedabouther,hereyesgrowingbiggerandbiggeratthewonderfulsightsshesaw。
Thecyclonehadsetthehousedownverygently——foracyclone——inthemidstofacountryofmarvelousbeauty。Therewerelovelypatchesofgreenswardallabout,withstatelytreesbearingrichandlusciousfruits。Banksofgorgeousflowerswereoneveryhand,andbirdswithrareandbrilliantplumagesangandflutteredinthetreesandbushes。Alittlewayoffwasasmallbrook,rushingandsparklingalongbetweengreenbanks,andmurmuringinavoiceverygratefultoalittlegirlwhohadlivedsolongonthedry,grayprairies。
Whileshestoodlookingeagerlyatthestrangeandbeautifulsights,shenoticedcomingtowardheragroupofthequeerestpeopleshehadeverseen。Theywerenotasbigasthegrownfolkshehadalwaysbeenusedto;butneitherweretheyverysmall。
Infact,theyseemedaboutastallasDorothy,whowasawell-grownchildforherage,althoughtheywere,sofaraslooksgo,manyyearsolder。
Threeweremenandoneawoman,andallwereoddlydressed。
Theyworeroundhatsthatrosetoasmallpointafootabovetheirheads,withlittlebellsaroundthebrimsthattinkledsweetlyastheymoved。Thehatsofthemenwereblue;thelittlewoman’shatwaswhite,andsheworeawhitegownthathunginpleatsfromhershoulders。Overitweresprinkledlittlestarsthatglistenedinthesunlikediamonds。Themenweredressedinblue,ofthesameshadeastheirhats,andworewell-polishedbootswithadeeprollofblueatthetops。Themen,Dorothythought,wereaboutasoldasUncleHenry,fortwoofthemhadbeards。Butthelittlewomanwasdoubtlessmucholder。Herfacewascoveredwithwrinkles,herhairwasnearlywhite,andshewalkedratherstiffly。
WhenthesepeopledrewnearthehousewhereDorothywasstandinginthedoorway,theypausedandwhisperedamongthemselves,asifafraidtocomefarther。ButthelittleoldwomanwalkeduptoDorothy,madealowbowandsaid,inasweetvoice:
"Youarewelcome,mostnobleSorceress,tothelandoftheMunchkins。
WearesogratefultoyouforhavingkilledtheWickedWitchoftheEast,andforsettingourpeoplefreefrombondage。"
Dorothylistenedtothisspeechwithwonder。Whatcouldthelittlewomanpossiblymeanbycallingherasorceress,andsayingshehadkilledtheWickedWitchoftheEast?Dorothywasaninnocent,harmlesslittlegirl,whohadbeencarriedbyacyclonemanymilesfromhome;
andshehadneverkilledanythinginallherlife。
Butthelittlewomanevidentlyexpectedhertoanswer;soDorothysaid,withhesitation,"Youareverykind,buttheremustbesomemistake。
Ihavenotkilledanything。"
"Yourhousedid,anyway,"repliedthelittleoldwoman,withalaugh,"andthatisthesamething。See!"shecontinued,pointingtothecornerofthehouse。"Therearehertwofeet,stillstickingoutfromunderablockofwood。"
Dorothylooked,andgavealittlecryoffright。There,indeed,justunderthecornerofthegreatbeamthehouserestedon,twofeetwerestickingout,shodinsilvershoeswithpointedtoes。
"Oh,dear!Oh,dear!"criedDorothy,claspingherhandstogetherindismay。"Thehousemusthavefallenonher。Whatevershallwedo?"
"Thereisnothingtobedone,"saidthelittlewomancalmly。
"Butwhowasshe?"askedDorothy。
"ShewastheWickedWitchoftheEast,asIsaid,"answeredthelittlewoman。"ShehasheldalltheMunchkinsinbondageformanyyears,makingthemslaveforhernightandday。Nowtheyareallsetfree,andaregratefultoyouforthefavor。"
"WhoaretheMunchkins?"inquiredDorothy。
"TheyarethepeoplewholiveinthislandoftheEastwheretheWickedWitchruled。"
"AreyouaMunchkin?"askedDorothy。
"No,butIamtheirfriend,althoughIliveinthelandoftheNorth。WhentheysawtheWitchoftheEastwasdeadtheMunchkinssentaswiftmessengertome,andIcameatonce。IamtheWitchoftheNorth。"
"Oh,gracious!"criedDorothy。"Areyouarealwitch?"
"Yes,indeed,"answeredthelittlewoman。"ButIamagoodwitch,andthepeopleloveme。IamnotaspowerfulastheWickedWitchwaswhoruledhere,orIshouldhavesetthepeoplefreemyself。"
"ButIthoughtallwitcheswerewicked,"saidthegirl,whowashalffrightenedatfacingarealwitch。"Oh,no,thatisagreatmistake。TherewereonlyfourwitchesinalltheLandofOz,andtwoofthem,thosewholiveintheNorthandtheSouth,aregoodwitches。Iknowthisistrue,forIamoneofthemmyself,andcannotbemistaken。ThosewhodweltintheEastandtheWestwere,indeed,wickedwitches;butnowthatyouhavekilledoneofthem,thereisbutoneWickedWitchinalltheLandofOz——theonewholivesintheWest。"
"But,"saidDorothy,afteramoment’sthought,"AuntEmhastoldmethatthewitcheswerealldead——yearsandyearsago。"
"WhoisAuntEm?"inquiredthelittleoldwoman。
"SheismyauntwholivesinKansas,whereIcamefrom。"
TheWitchoftheNorthseemedtothinkforatime,withherheadbowedandhereyesupontheground。Thenshelookedupandsaid,"IdonotknowwhereKansasis,forIhaveneverheardthatcountrymentionedbefore。Buttellme,isitacivilizedcountry?"
"Oh,yes,"repliedDorothy。
"Thenthataccountsforit。InthecivilizedcountriesI
believetherearenowitchesleft,norwizards,norsorceresses,normagicians。But,yousee,theLandofOzhasneverbeencivilized,forwearecutofffromalltherestoftheworld。
Thereforewestillhavewitchesandwizardsamongstus。"
"Whoarethewizards?"askedDorothy。
"OzhimselfistheGreatWizard,"answeredtheWitch,sinkinghervoicetoawhisper。"Heismorepowerfulthanalltherestofustogether。HelivesintheCityofEmeralds。"
Dorothywasgoingtoaskanotherquestion,butjustthentheMunchkins,whohadbeenstandingsilentlyby,gavealoudshoutandpointedtothecornerofthehousewheretheWickedWitchhadbeenlying。
"Whatisit?"askedthelittleoldwoman,andlooked,andbegantolaugh。ThefeetofthedeadWitchhaddisappearedentirely,andnothingwasleftbutthesilvershoes。
"Shewassoold,"explainedtheWitchoftheNorth,"thatshedriedupquicklyinthesun。Thatistheendofher。Butthesilvershoesareyours,andyoushallhavethemtowear。"
Shereacheddownandpickeduptheshoes,andaftershakingthedustoutofthemhandedthemtoDorothy。
"TheWitchoftheEastwasproudofthosesilvershoes,"saidoneoftheMunchkins,"andthereissomecharmconnectedwiththem;
butwhatitisweneverknew。"
Dorothycarriedtheshoesintothehouseandplacedthemonthetable。ThenshecameoutagaintotheMunchkinsandsaid:
"Iamanxioustogetbacktomyauntanduncle,forIamsuretheywillworryaboutme。Canyouhelpmefindmyway?"
TheMunchkinsandtheWitchfirstlookedatoneanother,andthenatDorothy,andthenshooktheirheads。
"AttheEast,notfarfromhere,"saidone,"thereisagreatdesert,andnonecouldlivetocrossit。"
"ItisthesameattheSouth,"saidanother,"forIhavebeenthereandseenit。TheSouthisthecountryoftheQuadlings。"
"Iamtold,"saidthethirdman,"thatitisthesameattheWest。
Andthatcountry,wheretheWinkieslive,isruledbytheWickedWitchoftheWest,whowouldmakeyouherslaveifyoupassedherway。"
"TheNorthismyhome,"saidtheoldlady,"andatitsedgeisthesamegreatdesertthatsurroundsthisLandofOz。I’mafraid,mydear,youwillhavetolivewithus。"
Dorothybegantosobatthis,forshefeltlonelyamongallthesestrangepeople。Hertearsseemedtogrievethekind-heartedMunchkins,fortheyimmediatelytookouttheirhandkerchiefsandbegantoweepalso。Asforthelittleoldwoman,shetookoffhercapandbalancedthepointontheendofhernose,whileshecounted"One,two,three"inasolemnvoice。Atoncethecapchangedtoaslate,onwhichwaswritteninbig,whitechalkmarks:
"LETDOROTHYGOTOTHECITYOFEMERALDS"
Thelittleoldwomantooktheslatefromhernose,andhavingreadthewordsonit,asked,"IsyournameDorothy,mydear?"
"Yes,"answeredthechild,lookingupanddryinghertears。
"ThenyoumustgototheCityofEmeralds。PerhapsOzwillhelpyou。"
"Whereisthiscity?"askedDorothy。
"Itisexactlyinthecenterofthecountry,andisruledbyOz,theGreatWizardItoldyouof。"
"Isheagoodman?"inquiredthegirlanxiously。
"HeisagoodWizard。WhetherheisamanornotIcannottell,forIhaveneverseenhim。"
"HowcanIgetthere?"askedDorothy。
"Youmustwalk。Itisalongjourney,throughacountrythatissometimespleasantandsometimesdarkandterrible。However,IwilluseallthemagicartsIknowoftokeepyoufromharm。"
"Won’tyougowithme?"pleadedthegirl,whohadbeguntolookuponthelittleoldwomanasheronlyfriend。
"No,Icannotdothat,"shereplied,"butIwillgiveyoumykiss,andnoonewilldareinjureapersonwhohasbeenkissedbytheWitchoftheNorth。"
ShecameclosetoDorothyandkissedhergentlyontheforehead。Whereherlipstouchedthegirltheyleftaround,shiningmark,asDorothyfoundoutsoonafter。
"TheroadtotheCityofEmeraldsispavedwithyellowbrick,"
saidtheWitch,"soyoucannotmissit。WhenyougettoOzdonotbeafraidofhim,buttellyourstoryandaskhimtohelpyou。
Good-bye,mydear。"
ThethreeMunchkinsbowedlowtoherandwishedherapleasantjourney,afterwhichtheywalkedawaythroughthetrees。TheWitchgaveDorothyafriendlylittlenod,whirledaroundonherleftheelthreetimes,andstraightwaydisappeared,muchtothesurpriseoflittleToto,whobarkedafterherloudlyenoughwhenshehadgone,becausehehadbeenafraideventogrowlwhileshestoodby。
ButDorothy,knowinghertobeawitch,hadexpectedhertodisappearinjustthatway,andwasnotsurprisedintheleast。
3。HowDorothySavedtheScarecrowWhenDorothywasleftaloneshebegantofeelhungry。Soshewenttothecupboardandcutherselfsomebread,whichshespreadwithbutter。ShegavesometoToto,andtakingapailfromtheshelfshecarrieditdowntothelittlebrookandfilleditwithclear,sparklingwater。Totoranovertothetreesandbegantobarkatthebirdssittingthere。Dorothywenttogethim,andsawsuchdeliciousfruithangingfromthebranchesthatshegatheredsomeofit,findingitjustwhatshewantedtohelpoutherbreakfast。
Thenshewentbacktothehouse,andhavinghelpedherselfandTototoagooddrinkofthecool,clearwater,shesetaboutmakingreadyforthejourneytotheCityofEmeralds。
Dorothyhadonlyoneotherdress,butthathappenedtobecleanandwashangingonapegbesideherbed。Itwasgingham,withchecksofwhiteandblue;andalthoughthebluewassomewhatfadedwithmanywashings,itwasstillaprettyfrock。Thegirlwashedherselfcarefully,dressedherselfinthecleangingham,andtiedherpinksunbonnetonherhead。Shetookalittlebasketandfilleditwithbreadfromthecupboard,layingawhiteclothoverthetop。Thenshelookeddownatherfeetandnoticedhowoldandwornhershoeswere。
"Theysurelywillneverdoforalongjourney,Toto,"shesaid。
AndTotolookedupintoherfacewithhislittleblackeyesandwaggedhistailtoshowheknewwhatshemeant。
AtthatmomentDorothysawlyingonthetablethesilvershoesthathadbelongedtotheWitchoftheEast。
"Iwonderiftheywillfitme,"shesaidtoToto。"Theywouldbejustthethingtotakealongwalkin,fortheycouldnotwearout。"
Shetookoffheroldleathershoesandtriedonthesilverones,whichfittedheraswellasiftheyhadbeenmadeforher。
Finallyshepickedupherbasket。
"Comealong,Toto,"shesaid。"WewillgototheEmeraldCityandasktheGreatOzhowtogetbacktoKansasagain。"
Sheclosedthedoor,lockedit,andputthekeycarefullyinthepocketofherdress。Andso,withTototrottingalongsoberlybehindher,shestartedonherjourney。
Therewereseveralroadsnearby,butitdidnottakeherlongtofindtheonepavedwithyellowbricks。WithinashorttimeshewaswalkingbrisklytowardtheEmeraldCity,hersilvershoestinklingmerrilyonthehard,yellowroad-bed。Thesunshonebrightandthebirdssangsweetly,andDorothydidnotfeelnearlysobadasyoumightthinkalittlegirlwouldwhohadbeensuddenlywhiskedawayfromherowncountryandsetdowninthemidstofastrangeland。
Shewassurprised,asshewalkedalong,toseehowprettythecountrywasabouther。Therewereneatfencesatthesidesoftheroad,paintedadaintybluecolor,andbeyondthemwerefieldsofgrainandvegetablesinabundance。EvidentlytheMunchkinsweregoodfarmersandabletoraiselargecrops。Onceinawhileshewouldpassahouse,andthepeoplecameouttolookatherandbowlowasshewentby;foreveryoneknewshehadbeenthemeansofdestroyingtheWickedWitchandsettingthemfreefrombondage。
ThehousesoftheMunchkinswereodd-lookingdwellings,foreachwasround,withabigdomeforaroof。Allwerepaintedblue,forinthiscountryoftheEastbluewasthefavoritecolor。
Towardevening,whenDorothywastiredwithherlongwalkandbegantowonderwheresheshouldpassthenight,shecametoahouseratherlargerthantherest。Onthegreenlawnbeforeitmanymenandwomenweredancing。Fivelittlefiddlersplayedasloudlyaspossible,andthepeoplewerelaughingandsinging,whileabigtablenearbywasloadedwithdeliciousfruitsandnuts,piesandcakes,andmanyothergoodthingstoeat。
ThepeoplegreetedDorothykindly,andinvitedhertosupperandtopassthenightwiththem;forthiswasthehomeofoneoftherichestMunchkinsintheland,andhisfriendsweregatheredwithhimtocelebratetheirfreedomfromthebondageoftheWickedWitch。
DorothyateaheartysupperandwaswaiteduponbytherichMunchkinhimself,whosenamewasBoq。Thenshesatuponasetteeandwatchedthepeopledance。
WhenBoqsawhersilvershoeshesaid,"Youmustbeagreatsorceress。"
"Why?"askedthegirl。
"BecauseyouwearsilvershoesandhavekilledtheWickedWitch。
Besides,youhavewhiteinyourfrock,andonlywitchesandsorceresseswearwhite。"
"Mydressisblueandwhitechecked,"saidDorothy,smoothingoutthewrinklesinit。
"Itiskindofyoutowearthat,"saidBoq。"BlueisthecoloroftheMunchkins,andwhiteisthewitchcolor。Soweknowyouareafriendlywitch。"
Dorothydidnotknowwhattosaytothis,forallthepeopleseemedtothinkherawitch,andsheknewverywellshewasonlyanordinarylittlegirlwhohadcomebythechanceofacycloneintoastrangeland。
Whenshehadtiredwatchingthedancing,Boqledherintothehouse,wherehegaveheraroomwithaprettybedinit。
Thesheetsweremadeofbluecloth,andDorothysleptsoundlyinthemtillmorning,withTotocurleduponthebluerugbesideher。
Sheateaheartybreakfast,andwatchedaweeMunchkinbaby,whoplayedwithTotoandpulledhistailandcrowedandlaughedinawaythatgreatlyamusedDorothy。Totowasafinecuriositytoallthepeople,fortheyhadneverseenadogbefore。
"HowfarisittotheEmeraldCity?"thegirlasked。
"Idonotknow,"answeredBoqgravely,"forIhaveneverbeenthere。ItisbetterforpeopletokeepawayfromOz,unlesstheyhavebusinesswithhim。ButitisalongwaytotheEmeraldCity,anditwilltakeyoumanydays。Thecountryhereisrichandpleasant,butyoumustpassthroughroughanddangerousplacesbeforeyoureachtheendofyourjourney。"
ThisworriedDorothyalittle,butsheknewthatonlytheGreatOzcouldhelphergettoKansasagain,soshebravelyresolvednottoturnback。
Shebadeherfriendsgood-bye,andagainstartedalongtheroadofyellowbrick。Whenshehadgoneseveralmilesshethoughtshewouldstoptorest,andsoclimbedtothetopofthefencebesidetheroadandsatdown。Therewasagreatcornfieldbeyondthefence,andnotfarawayshesawaScarecrow,placedhighonapoletokeepthebirdsfromtheripecorn。
DorothyleanedherchinuponherhandandgazedthoughtfullyattheScarecrow。Itsheadwasasmallsackstuffedwithstraw,witheyes,nose,andmouthpaintedonittorepresentaface。
Anold,pointedbluehat,thathadbelongedtosomeMunchkin,wasperchedonhishead,andtherestofthefigurewasabluesuitofclothes,wornandfaded,whichhadalsobeenstuffedwithstraw。
Onthefeetweresomeoldbootswithbluetops,suchaseverymanworeinthiscountry,andthefigurewasraisedabovethestalksofcornbymeansofthepolestuckupitsback。
WhileDorothywaslookingearnestlyintothequeer,paintedfaceoftheScarecrow,shewassurprisedtoseeoneoftheeyesslowlywinkather。Shethoughtshemusthavebeenmistakenatfirst,fornoneofthescarecrowsinKansaseverwink;butpresentlythefigurenoddeditsheadtoherinafriendlyway。Thensheclimbeddownfromthefenceandwalkeduptoit,whileTotoranaroundthepoleandbarked。
"Goodday,"saidtheScarecrow,inaratherhuskyvoice。
"Didyouspeak?"askedthegirl,inwonder。
"Certainly,"answeredtheScarecrow。"Howdoyoudo?"
"I’mprettywell,thankyou,"repliedDorothypolitely。
"Howdoyoudo?"
"I’mnotfeelingwell,"saidtheScarecrow,withasmile,"foritisverytediousbeingperchedupherenightanddaytoscareawaycrows。"
"Can’tyougetdown?"askedDorothy。
"No,forthispoleisstuckupmyback。IfyouwillpleasetakeawaythepoleIshallbegreatlyobligedtoyou。"
Dorothyreachedupbotharmsandliftedthefigureoffthepole,for,beingstuffedwithstraw,itwasquitelight。
"Thankyouverymuch,"saidtheScarecrow,whenhehadbeensetdownontheground。"Ifeellikeanewman。"
Dorothywaspuzzledatthis,foritsoundedqueertohearastuffedmanspeak,andtoseehimbowandwalkalongbesideher。
"Whoareyou?"askedtheScarecrowwhenhehadstretchedhimselfandyawned。"Andwhereareyougoing?"
"MynameisDorothy,"saidthegirl,"andIamgoingtotheEmeraldCity,toasktheGreatOztosendmebacktoKansas。"
"WhereistheEmeraldCity?"heinquired。"AndwhoisOz?"
"Why,don’tyouknow?"shereturned,insurprise。
"No,indeed。Idon’tknowanything。Yousee,Iamstuffed,soIhavenobrainsatall,"heansweredsadly。
"Oh,"saidDorothy,"I’mawfullysorryforyou。"
"Doyouthink,"heasked,"ifIgototheEmeraldCitywithyou,thatOzwouldgivemesomebrains?"
"Icannottell,"shereturned,"butyoumaycomewithme,ifyoulike。IfOzwillnotgiveyouanybrainsyouwillbenoworseoffthanyouarenow。"
"Thatistrue,"saidtheScarecrow。"Yousee,"hecontinuedconfidentially,"Idon’tmindmylegsandarmsandbodybeingstuffed,becauseIcannotgethurt。Ifanyonetreadsonmytoesorsticksapinintome,itdoesn’tmatter,forIcan’tfeelit。
ButIdonotwantpeopletocallmeafool,andifmyheadstaysstuffedwithstrawinsteadofwithbrains,asyoursis,howamI
evertoknowanything?"
"Iunderstandhowyoufeel,"saidthelittlegirl,whowastrulysorryforhim。"IfyouwillcomewithmeI’llaskOztodoallhecanforyou。"
"Thankyou,"heansweredgratefully。
Theywalkedbacktotheroad。Dorothyhelpedhimoverthefence,andtheystartedalongthepathofyellowbrickfortheEmeraldCity。
Totodidnotlikethisadditiontothepartyatfirst。
Hesmelledaroundthestuffedmanasifhesuspectedtheremightbeanestofratsinthestraw,andheoftengrowledinanunfriendlywayattheScarecrow。
"Don’tmindToto,"saidDorothytohernewfriend。
"Heneverbites。"
"Oh,I’mnotafraid,"repliedtheScarecrow。"Hecan’thurtthestraw。Doletmecarrythatbasketforyou。Ishallnotmindit,forIcan’tgettired。I’lltellyouasecret,"hecontinued,ashewalkedalong。"ThereisonlyonethingintheworldIamafraidof。"
"Whatisthat?"askedDorothy;"theMunchkinfarmerwhomadeyou?"
"No,"answeredtheScarecrow;"it’salightedmatch。"
4。TheRoadThroughtheForestAfterafewhourstheroadbegantoberough,andthewalkinggrewsodifficultthattheScarecrowoftenstumbledovertheyellowbricks,whichwerehereveryuneven。Sometimes,indeed,theywerebrokenormissingaltogether,leavingholesthatTotojumpedacrossandDorothywalkedaround。AsfortheScarecrow,havingnobrains,hewalkedstraightahead,andsosteppedintotheholesandfellatfulllengthonthehardbricks。Itneverhurthim,however,andDorothywouldpickhimupandsethimuponhisfeetagain,whilehejoinedherinlaughingmerrilyathisownmishap。
Thefarmswerenotnearlysowellcaredforhereastheywerefartherback。Therewerefewerhousesandfewerfruittrees,andthefarthertheywentthemoredismalandlonesomethecountrybecame。
Atnoontheysatdownbytheroadside,nearalittlebrook,andDorothyopenedherbasketandgotoutsomebread。SheofferedapiecetotheScarecrow,butherefused。
"Iamneverhungry,"hesaid,"anditisaluckythingIamnot,formymouthisonlypainted,andifIshouldcutaholeinitsoIcouldeat,thestrawIamstuffedwithwouldcomeout,andthatwouldspoiltheshapeofmyhead。"
Dorothysawatoncethatthiswastrue,sosheonlynoddedandwentoneatingherbread。
"Tellmesomethingaboutyourselfandthecountryyoucamefrom,"
saidtheScarecrow,whenshehadfinishedherdinner。SoshetoldhimallaboutKansas,andhowgrayeverythingwasthere,andhowthecyclonehadcarriedhertothisqueerLandofOz。
TheScarecrowlistenedcarefully,andsaid,"Icannotunderstandwhyyoushouldwishtoleavethisbeautifulcountryandgobacktothedry,grayplaceyoucallKansas。"
"Thatisbecauseyouhavenobrains"answeredthegirl。
"Nomatterhowdrearyandgrayourhomesare,wepeopleoffleshandbloodwouldratherlivetherethaninanyothercountry,beiteversobeautiful。Thereisnoplacelikehome。"
TheScarecrowsighed。
"OfcourseIcannotunderstandit,"hesaid。"Ifyourheadswerestuffedwithstraw,likemine,youwouldprobablyallliveinthebeautifulplaces,andthenKansaswouldhavenopeopleatall。
ItisfortunateforKansasthatyouhavebrains。"
"Won’tyoutellmeastory,whileweareresting?"askedthechild。
TheScarecrowlookedatherreproachfully,andanswered:
"MylifehasbeensoshortthatIreallyknownothingwhatever。
Iwasonlymadedaybeforeyesterday。Whathappenedintheworldbeforethattimeisallunknowntome。Luckily,whenthefarmermademyhead,oneofthefirstthingshedidwastopaintmyears,sothatIheardwhatwasgoingon。TherewasanotherMunchkinwithhim,andthefirstthingIheardwasthefarmersaying,`Howdoyoulikethoseears?’
"`Theyaren’tstraight,’"answeredtheother。
"`Nevermind,’"saidthefarmer。"`Theyareearsjustthesame,’"
whichwastrueenough。
"`NowI’llmaketheeyes,’"saidthefarmer。Sohepaintedmyrighteye,andassoonasitwasfinishedIfoundmyselflookingathimandateverythingaroundmewithagreatdealofcuriosity,forthiswasmyfirstglimpseoftheworld。
"`That’saratherprettyeye,’"remarkedtheMunchkinwhowaswatchingthefarmer。"`Bluepaintisjustthecolorforeyes。’
"`IthinkI’llmaketheotheralittlebigger,’"saidthefarmer。AndwhenthesecondeyewasdoneIcouldseemuchbetterthanbefore。Thenhemademynoseandmymouth。ButIdidnotspeak,becauseatthattimeIdidn’tknowwhatamouthwasfor。
Ihadthefunofwatchingthemmakemybodyandmyarmsandlegs;
andwhentheyfastenedonmyhead,atlast,Ifeltveryproud,forIthoughtIwasjustasgoodamanasanyone。
"`Thisfellowwillscarethecrowsfastenough,’saidthefarmer。`Helooksjustlikeaman。’
"`Why,heisaman,’saidtheother,andIquiteagreedwithhim。
Thefarmercarriedmeunderhisarmtothecornfield,andsetmeuponatallstick,whereyoufoundme。Heandhisfriendsoonafterwalkedawayandleftmealone。
"Ididnotliketobedesertedthisway。SoItriedtowalkafterthem。Butmyfeetwouldnottouchtheground,andIwasforcedtostayonthatpole。Itwasalonelylifetolead,forI
hadnothingtothinkof,havingbeenmadesuchalittlewhilebefore。
Manycrowsandotherbirdsflewintothecornfield,butassoonastheysawmetheyflewawayagain,thinkingIwasaMunchkin;andthispleasedmeandmademefeelthatIwasquiteanimportantperson。
Byandbyanoldcrowflewnearme,andafterlookingatmecarefullyhepercheduponmyshoulderandsaid:
"`Iwonderifthatfarmerthoughttofoolmeinthisclumsymanner。Anycrowofsensecouldseethatyouareonlystuffedwithstraw。’Thenhehoppeddownatmyfeetandateallthecornhewanted。Theotherbirds,seeinghewasnotharmedbyme,cametoeatthecorntoo,soinashorttimetherewasagreatflockofthemaboutme。
"Ifeltsadatthis,foritshowedIwasnotsuchagoodScarecrowafterall;buttheoldcrowcomfortedme,saying,`Ifyouonlyhadbrainsinyourheadyouwouldbeasgoodamanasanyofthem,andabettermanthansomeofthem。Brainsaretheonlythingsworthhavinginthisworld,nomatterwhetheroneisacroworaman。’
"AfterthecrowshadgoneIthoughtthisover,anddecidedI
wouldtryhardtogetsomebrains。Bygoodluckyoucamealongandpulledmeoffthestake,andfromwhatyousayIamsuretheGreatOzwillgivemebrainsassoonaswegettotheEmeraldCity。"
"Ihopeso,"saidDorothyearnestly,"sinceyouseemanxioustohavethem。"
"Oh,yes;Iamanxious,"returnedtheScarecrow。"Itissuchanuncomfortablefeelingtoknowoneisafool。"
"Well,"saidthegirl,"letusgo。"AndshehandedthebaskettotheScarecrow。
Therewerenofencesatallbytheroadsidenow,andthelandwasroughanduntilled。Towardeveningtheycametoagreatforest,wherethetreesgrewsobigandclosetogetherthattheirbranchesmetovertheroadofyellowbrick。Itwasalmostdarkunderthetrees,forthebranchesshutoutthedaylight;butthetravelersdidnotstop,andwentonintotheforest。
"Ifthisroadgoesin,itmustcomeout,"saidtheScarecrow,"andastheEmeraldCityisattheotherendoftheroad,wemustgowhereveritleadsus。"
"Anyonewouldknowthat,"saidDorothy。
"Certainly;thatiswhyIknowit,"returnedtheScarecrow。
"Ifitrequiredbrainstofigureitout,Inevershouldhavesaidit。"
Afteranhourorsothelightfadedaway,andtheyfoundthemselvesstumblingalonginthedarkness。Dorothycouldnotseeatall,butTotocould,forsomedogsseeverywellinthedark;
andtheScarecrowdeclaredhecouldseeaswellasbyday。Soshetookholdofhisarmandmanagedtogetalongfairlywell。
"Ifyouseeanyhouse,oranyplacewherewecanpassthenight,"shesaid,"youmusttellme;foritisveryuncomfortablewalkinginthedark。"
SoonaftertheScarecrowstopped。
"Iseealittlecottageattherightofus,"hesaid,"builtoflogsandbranches。Shallwegothere?"
"Yes,indeed,"answeredthechild。"Iamalltiredout。"
SotheScarecrowledherthroughthetreesuntiltheyreachedthecottage,andDorothyenteredandfoundabedofdriedleavesinonecorner。Shelaydownatonce,andwithTotobesidehersoonfellintoasoundsleep。TheScarecrow,whowasnevertired,stoodupinanothercornerandwaitedpatientlyuntilmorningcame。
5。TheRescueoftheTinWoodmanWhenDorothyawokethesunwasshiningthroughthetreesandTotohadlongbeenoutchasingbirdsaroundhimandsquirrels。
Shesatupandlookedaroundher。Scarecrow,stillstandingpatientlyinhiscorner,waitingforher。
"Wemustgoandsearchforwater,"shesaidtohim。
"Whydoyouwantwater?"heasked。
"Towashmyfacecleanafterthedustoftheroad,andtodrink,sothedrybreadwillnotstickinmythroat。"
"Itmustbeinconvenienttobemadeofflesh,"saidtheScarecrowthoughtfully,"foryoumustsleep,andeatanddrink。
However,youhavebrains,anditisworthalotofbothertobeabletothinkproperly。"
Theyleftthecottageandwalkedthroughthetreesuntiltheyfoundalittlespringofclearwater,whereDorothydrankandbathedandateherbreakfast。Shesawtherewasnotmuchbreadleftinthebasket,andthegirlwasthankfultheScarecrowdidnothavetoeatanything,fortherewasscarcelyenoughforherselfandTotofortheday。
Whenshehadfinishedhermeal,andwasabouttogobacktotheroadofyellowbrick,shewasstartledtohearadeepgroannearby。
"Whatwasthat?"sheaskedtimidly。
"Icannotimagine,"repliedtheScarecrow;"butwecangoandsee。"
Justthenanothergroanreachedtheirears,andthesoundseemedtocomefrombehindthem。Theyturnedandwalkedthroughtheforestafewsteps,whenDorothydiscoveredsomethingshininginarayofsunshinethatfellbetweenthetrees。Sherantotheplaceandthenstoppedshort,withalittlecryofsurprise。
Oneofthebigtreeshadbeenpartlychoppedthrough,andstandingbesideit,withanupliftedaxeinhishands,wasamanmadeentirelyoftin。Hisheadandarmsandlegswerejointeduponhisbody,buthestoodperfectlymotionless,asifhecouldnotstiratall。
Dorothylookedathiminamazement,andsodidtheScarecrow,whileTotobarkedsharplyandmadeasnapatthetinlegs,whichhurthisteeth。
"Didyougroan?"askedDorothy。
"Yes,"answeredthetinman,"Idid。I’vebeengroaningformorethanayear,andnoonehaseverheardmebeforeorcometohelpme。"
"WhatcanIdoforyou?"sheinquiredsoftly,forshewasmovedbythesadvoiceinwhichthemanspoke。
"Getanoil-canandoilmyjoints,"heanswered。"TheyarerustedsobadlythatIcannotmovethematall;ifIamwelloiledIshallsoonbeallrightagain。Youwillfindanoil-canonashelfinmycottage。"
Dorothyatonceranbacktothecottageandfoundtheoil-can,andthenshereturnedandaskedanxiously,"Whereareyourjoints?"
"Oilmyneck,first,"repliedtheTinWoodman。Sosheoiledit,andasitwasquitebadlyrustedtheScarecrowtookholdofthetinheadandmoveditgentlyfromsidetosideuntilitworkedfreely,andthenthemancouldturnithimself。
"Nowoilthejointsinmyarms,"hesaid。AndDorothyoiledthemandtheScarecrowbentthemcarefullyuntiltheywerequitefreefromrustandasgoodasnew。
TheTinWoodmangaveasighofsatisfactionandloweredhisaxe,whichheleanedagainstthetree。
"Thisisagreatcomfort,"hesaid。"IhavebeenholdingthataxeintheaireversinceIrusted,andI’mgladtobeabletoputitdownatlast。Now,ifyouwilloilthejointsofmylegs,I
shallbeallrightoncemore。"
Sotheyoiledhislegsuntilhecouldmovethemfreely;andhethankedthemagainandagainforhisrelease,forheseemedaverypolitecreature,andverygrateful。
"Imighthavestoodtherealwaysifyouhadnotcomealong,"hesaid;
"soyouhavecertainlysavedmylife。Howdidyouhappentobehere?"
"WeareonourwaytotheEmeraldCitytoseetheGreatOz,"
sheanswered,"andwestoppedatyourcottagetopassthenight。"
"WhydoyouwishtoseeOz?"heasked。
"IwanthimtosendmebacktoKansas,andtheScarecrowwantshimtoputafewbrainsintohishead,"shereplied。
TheTinWoodmanappearedtothinkdeeplyforamoment。Thenhesaid:
"DoyousupposeOzcouldgivemeaheart?"
"Why,Iguessso,"Dorothyanswered。"ItwouldbeaseasyastogivetheScarecrowbrains。"
"True,"theTinWoodmanreturned。"So,ifyouwillallowmetojoinyourparty,IwillalsogototheEmeraldCityandaskOztohelpme。"
"Comealong,"saidtheScarecrowheartily,andDorothyaddedthatshewouldbepleasedtohavehiscompany。SotheTinWoodmanshoulderedhisaxeandtheyallpassedthroughtheforestuntiltheycametotheroadthatwaspavedwithyellowbrick。
TheTinWoodmanhadaskedDorothytoputtheoil-caninherbasket。
"For,"hesaid,"ifIshouldgetcaughtintherain,andrustagain,Iwouldneedtheoil-canbadly。"
Itwasabitofgoodlucktohavetheirnewcomradejointheparty,forsoonaftertheyhadbeguntheirjourneyagaintheycametoaplacewherethetreesandbranchesgrewsothickovertheroadthatthetravelerscouldnotpass。ButtheTinWoodmansettoworkwithhisaxeandchoppedsowellthatsoonheclearedapassagefortheentireparty。
DorothywasthinkingsoearnestlyastheywalkedalongthatshedidnotnoticewhentheScarecrowstumbledintoaholeandrolledovertothesideoftheroad。Indeedhewasobligedtocalltohertohelphimupagain。
"Whydidn’tyouwalkaroundthehole?"askedtheTinWoodman。
"Idon’tknowenough,"repliedtheScarecrowcheerfully。
"Myheadisstuffedwithstraw,youknow,andthatiswhyIamgoingtoOztoaskhimforsomebrains。"
"Oh,Isee,"saidtheTinWoodman。"But,afterall,brainsarenotthebestthingsintheworld。"
"Haveyouany?"inquiredtheScarecrow。
"No,myheadisquiteempty,"answeredtheWoodman。
"ButonceIhadbrains,andaheartalso;so,havingtriedthemboth,Ishouldmuchratherhaveaheart。"
"Andwhyisthat?"askedtheScarecrow。
"Iwilltellyoumystory,andthenyouwillknow。"
So,whiletheywerewalkingthroughtheforest,theTinWoodmantoldthefollowingstory:
"Iwasbornthesonofawoodmanwhochoppeddowntreesintheforestandsoldthewoodforaliving。WhenIgrewup,Itoobecameawoodchopper,andaftermyfatherdiedItookcareofmyoldmotheraslongasshelived。ThenImadeupmymindthatinsteadoflivingaloneIwouldmarry,sothatImightnotbecomelonely。
"TherewasoneoftheMunchkingirlswhowassobeautifulthatIsoongrewtoloveherwithallmyheart。She,onherpart,promisedtomarrymeassoonasIcouldearnenoughmoneytobuildabetterhouseforher;soIsettoworkharderthanever。
Butthegirllivedwithanoldwomanwhodidnotwanthertomarryanyone,forshewassolazyshewishedthegirltoremainwithheranddothecookingandthehousework。SotheoldwomanwenttotheWickedWitchoftheEast,andpromisedhertwosheepandacowifshewouldpreventthemarriage。ThereupontheWickedWitchenchantedmyaxe,andwhenIwaschoppingawayatmybestoneday,forIwasanxioustogetthenewhouseandmywifeassoonaspossible,theaxeslippedallatonceandcutoffmyleftleg。
"Thisatfirstseemedagreatmisfortune,forIknewaone-leggedmancouldnotdoverywellasawood-chopper。SoI
wenttoatinsmithandhadhimmakemeanewlegoutoftin。Thelegworkedverywell,onceIwasusedtoit。ButmyactionangeredtheWickedWitchoftheEast,forshehadpromisedtheoldwomanIshouldnotmarrytheprettyMunchkingirl。WhenIbeganchoppingagain,myaxeslippedandcutoffmyrightleg。AgainI
wenttothetinsmith,andagainhemademealegoutoftin。
Afterthistheenchantedaxecutoffmyarms,oneaftertheother;but,nothingdaunted,Ihadthemreplacedwithtinones。
TheWickedWitchthenmadetheaxeslipandcutoffmyhead,andatfirstIthoughtthatwastheendofme。Butthetinsmithhappenedtocomealong,andhemademeanewheadoutoftin。
"IthoughtIhadbeatentheWickedWitchthen,andIworkedharderthanever;butIlittleknewhowcruelmyenemycouldbe。
ShethoughtofanewwaytokillmyloveforthebeautifulMunchkinmaiden,andmademyaxeslipagain,sothatitcutrightthroughmybody,splittingmeintotwohalves。Oncemorethetinsmithcametomyhelpandmademeabodyoftin,fasteningmytinarmsandlegsandheadtoit,bymeansofjoints,sothatI
couldmovearoundaswellasever。But,alas!Ihadnownoheart,sothatIlostallmylovefortheMunchkingirl,anddidnotcarewhetherImarriedherornot。Isupposesheisstilllivingwiththeoldwoman,waitingformetocomeafterher。
"MybodyshonesobrightlyinthesunthatIfeltveryproudofitanditdidnotmatternowifmyaxeslipped,foritcouldnotcutme。Therewasonlyonedanger——thatmyjointswouldrust;butIkeptanoil-caninmycottageandtookcaretooilmyselfwheneverIneededit。However,therecameadaywhenI
forgottodothis,and,beingcaughtinarainstorm,beforeI
thoughtofthedangermyjointshadrusted,andIwaslefttostandinthewoodsuntilyoucametohelpme。Itwasaterriblethingtoundergo,butduringtheyearIstoodthereIhadtimetothinkthatthegreatestlossIhadknownwasthelossofmyheart。
WhileIwasinloveIwasthehappiestmanonearth;butnoonecanlovewhohasnotaheart,andsoIamresolvedtoaskOztogivemeone。Ifhedoes,IwillgobacktotheMunchkinmaidenandmarryher。"
BothDorothyandtheScarecrowhadbeengreatlyinterestedinthestoryoftheTinWoodman,andnowtheyknewwhyhewassoanxioustogetanewheart。
"Allthesame,"saidtheScarecrow,"Ishallaskforbrainsinsteadofaheart;forafoolwouldnotknowwhattodowithaheartifhehadone。"
"Ishalltaketheheart,"returnedtheTinWoodman;"forbrainsdonotmakeonehappy,andhappinessisthebestthingintheworld。"
Dorothydidnotsayanything,forshewaspuzzledtoknowwhichofhertwofriendswasright,andshedecidedifshecouldonlygetbacktoKansasandAuntEm,itdidnotmattersomuchwhethertheWoodmanhadnobrainsandtheScarecrownoheart,oreachgotwhathewanted。
Whatworriedhermostwasthatthebreadwasnearlygone,andanothermealforherselfandTotowouldemptythebasket。TobesureneithertheWoodmannortheScarecroweverateanything,butshewasnotmadeoftinnorstraw,andcouldnotliveunlessshewasfed。
6。TheCowardlyLionAllthistimeDorothyandhercompanionshadbeenwalkingthroughthethickwoods。Theroadwasstillpavedwithyellowbrick,buttheseweremuchcoveredbydriedbranchesanddeadleavesfromthetrees,andthewalkingwasnotatallgood。
Therewerefewbirdsinthispartoftheforest,forbirdslovetheopencountrywherethereisplentyofsunshine。Butnowandthentherecameadeepgrowlfromsomewildanimalhiddenamongthetrees。Thesesoundsmadethelittlegirl’sheartbeatfast,forshedidnotknowwhatmadethem;butTotoknew,andhewalkedclosetoDorothy’sside,anddidnotevenbarkinreturn。
"Howlongwillitbe,"thechildaskedoftheTinWoodman,"beforeweareoutoftheforest?"
"Icannottell,"wastheanswer,"forIhaveneverbeentotheEmeraldCity。Butmyfatherwentthereonce,whenIwasaboy,andhesaiditwasalongjourneythroughadangerouscountry,althoughnearertothecitywhereOzdwellsthecountryisbeautiful。
ButIamnotafraidsolongasIhavemyoil-can,andnothingcanhurttheScarecrow,whileyoubearuponyourforeheadthemarkoftheGoodWitch’skiss,andthatwillprotectyoufromharm。"
"ButToto!"saidthegirlanxiously。"Whatwillprotecthim?"
"Wemustprotecthimourselvesifheisindanger,"repliedtheTinWoodman。
Justashespoketherecamefromtheforestaterribleroar,andthenextmomentagreatLionboundedintotheroad。WithoneblowofhispawhesenttheScarecrowspinningoverandovertotheedgeoftheroad,andthenhestruckattheTinWoodmanwithhissharpclaws。But,totheLion’ssurprise,hecouldmakenoimpressiononthetin,althoughtheWoodmanfelloverintheroadandlaystill。
LittleToto,nowthathehadanenemytoface,ranbarkingtowardtheLion,andthegreatbeasthadopenedhismouthtobitethedog,whenDorothy,fearingTotowouldbekilled,andheedlessofdanger,rushedforwardandslappedtheLionuponhisnoseashardasshecould,whileshecriedout:
"Don’tyoudaretobiteToto!Yououghttobeashamedofyourself,abigbeastlikeyou,tobiteapoorlittledog!"
"Ididn’tbitehim,"saidtheLion,asherubbedhisnosewithhispawwhereDorothyhadhitit。
"No,butyoutriedto,"sheretorted。"Youarenothingbutabigcoward。"
"Iknowit,"saidtheLion,hanginghisheadinshame。"I’vealwaysknownit。ButhowcanIhelpit?"
"Idon’tknow,I’msure。Tothinkofyourstrikingastuffedman,likethepoorScarecrow!"
"Ishestuffed?"askedtheLioninsurprise,ashewatchedherpickuptheScarecrowandsethimuponhisfeet,whileshepattedhimintoshapeagain。
"Ofcoursehe’sstuffed,"repliedDorothy,whowasstillangry。
"That’swhyhewentoversoeasily,"remarkedtheLion。
"Itastonishedmetoseehimwhirlaroundso。Istheotheronestuffedalso?"
"No,"saidDorothy,"he’smadeoftin。"AndshehelpedtheWoodmanupagain。
"That’swhyhenearlybluntedmyclaws,"saidtheLion。
"Whentheyscratchedagainstthetinitmadeacoldshiverrundownmyback。Whatisthatlittleanimalyouaresotenderof?"
"Heismydog,Toto,"answeredDorothy。
"Ishemadeoftin,orstuffed?"askedtheLion。
"Neither。He’sa——a——ameatdog,"saidthegirl。
"Oh!He’sacuriousanimalandseemsremarkablysmall,nowthatIlookathim。Noonewouldthinkofbitingsuchalittlething,exceptacowardlikeme,"continuedtheLionsadly。
"Whatmakesyouacoward?"askedDorothy,lookingatthegreatbeastinwonder,forhewasasbigasasmallhorse。
"It’samystery,"repliedtheLion。"IsupposeIwasbornthatway。Alltheotheranimalsintheforestnaturallyexpectmetobebrave,fortheLioniseverywherethoughttobetheKingofBeasts。IlearnedthatifIroaredveryloudlyeverylivingthingwasfrightenedandgotoutofmyway。WheneverI’vemetamanI’vebeenawfullyscared;butIjustroaredathim,andhehasalwaysrunawayasfastashecouldgo。Iftheelephantsandthetigersandthebearshadevertriedtofightme,Ishouldhaverunmyself——I’msuchacoward;butjustassoonastheyhearmeroartheyalltrytogetawayfromme,andofcourseIletthemgo。"
"Butthatisn’tright。TheKingofBeastsshouldn’tbeacoward,"
saidtheScarecrow。
"Iknowit,"returnedtheLion,wipingatearfromhiseyewiththetipofhistail。"Itismygreatsorrow,andmakesmylifeveryunhappy。Butwheneverthereisdanger,myheartbeginstobeatfast。"
"Perhapsyouhaveheartdisease,"saidtheTinWoodman。
"Itmaybe,"saidtheLion。
"Ifyouhave,"continuedtheTinWoodman,"yououghttobeglad,foritprovesyouhaveaheart。Formypart,Ihavenoheart;soI
cannothaveheartdisease。"
"Perhaps,"saidtheLionthoughtfully,"ifIhadnoheartIshouldnotbeacoward。"
"Haveyoubrains?"askedtheScarecrow。
"Isupposeso。I’veneverlookedtosee,"repliedtheLion。
"IamgoingtotheGreatOztoaskhimtogivemesome,"
remarkedtheScarecrow,"formyheadisstuffedwithstraw。"
"AndIamgoingtoaskhimtogivemeaheart,"saidtheWoodman。
"AndIamgoingtoaskhimtosendTotoandmebacktoKansas,"
addedDorothy。
"DoyouthinkOzcouldgivemecourage?"askedtheCowardlyLion。
"Justaseasilyashecouldgivemebrains,"saidtheScarecrow。
"Orgivemeaheart,"saidtheTinWoodman。
"OrsendmebacktoKansas,"saidDorothy。
"Then,ifyoudon’tmind,I’llgowithyou,"saidtheLion,"formylifeissimplyunbearablewithoutabitofcourage。"
"Youwillbeverywelcome,"answeredDorothy,"foryouwillhelptokeepawaytheotherwildbeasts。Itseemstometheymustbemorecowardlythanyouareiftheyallowyoutoscarethemsoeasily。"
"Theyreallyare,"saidtheLion,"butthatdoesn’tmakemeanybraver,andaslongasIknowmyselftobeacowardIshallbeunhappy。"
Sooncemorethelittlecompanysetoffuponthejourney,theLionwalkingwithstatelystridesatDorothy’sside。Totodidnotapprovethisnewcomradeatfirst,forhecouldnotforgethownearlyhehadbeencrushedbetweentheLion’sgreatjaws。Butafteratimehebecamemoreatease,andpresentlyTotoandtheCowardlyLionhadgrowntobegoodfriends。
Duringtherestofthatdaytherewasnootheradventuretomarthepeaceoftheirjourney。Once,indeed,theTinWoodmansteppeduponabeetlethatwascrawlingalongtheroad,andkilledthepoorlittlething。ThismadetheTinWoodmanveryunhappy,forhewasalwayscarefulnottohurtanylivingcreature;andashewalkedalongheweptseveraltearsofsorrowandregret。Thesetearsranslowlydownhisfaceandoverthehingesofhisjaw,andtheretheyrusted。WhenDorothypresentlyaskedhimaquestiontheTinWoodmancouldnotopenhismouth,forhisjawsweretightlyrustedtogether。HebecamegreatlyfrightenedatthisandmademanymotionstoDorothytorelievehim,butshecouldnotunderstand。TheLionwasalsopuzzledtoknowwhatwaswrong。
ButtheScarecrowseizedtheoil-canfromDorothy’sbasketandoiledtheWoodman’sjaws,sothatafterafewmomentshecouldtalkaswellasbefore。
"Thiswillservemealesson,"saidhe,"tolookwhereIstep。
ForifIshouldkillanotherbugorbeetleIshouldsurelycryagain,andcryingrustsmyjawssothatIcannotspeak。"
Thereafterhewalkedverycarefully,withhiseyesontheroad,andwhenhesawatinyanttoilingbyhewouldstepoverit,soasnottoharmit。TheTinWoodmanknewverywellhehadnoheart,andthereforehetookgreatcarenevertobecruelorunkindtoanything。
"Youpeoplewithhearts,"hesaid,"havesomethingtoguideyou,andneedneverdowrong;butIhavenoheart,andsoImustbeverycareful。
WhenOzgivesmeaheartofcourseIneedn’tmindsomuch。"
7。TheJourneytotheGreatOzTheywereobligedtocampoutthatnightunderalargetreeintheforest,fortherewerenohousesnear。Thetreemadeagood,thickcoveringtoprotectthemfromthedew,andtheTinWoodmanchoppedagreatpileofwoodwithhisaxeandDorothybuiltasplendidfirethatwarmedherandmadeherfeellesslonely。SheandTotoatethelastoftheirbread,andnowshedidnotknowwhattheywoulddoforbreakfast。
"Ifyouwish,"saidtheLion,"Iwillgointotheforestandkilladeerforyou。Youcanroastitbythefire,sinceyourtastesaresopeculiarthatyouprefercookedfood,andthenyouwillhaveaverygoodbreakfast。"