第1章
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  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。\"

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