第2章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz",免费读到尾

  \"Don’t!Pleasedon’t,\"beggedtheTinWoodman。\"Ishouldcertainlyweepifyoukilledapoordeer,andthenmyjawswouldrustagain。\"

  ButtheLionwentawayintotheforestandfoundhisownsupper,andnooneeverknewwhatitwas,forhedidn’tmentionit。AndtheScarecrowfoundatreefullofnutsandfilledDorothy’sbasketwiththem,sothatshewouldnotbehungryforalongtime。ShethoughtthiswasverykindandthoughtfuloftheScarecrow,butshelaughedheartilyattheawkwardwayinwhichthepoorcreaturepickedupthenuts。Hispaddedhandsweresoclumsyandthenutsweresosmallthathedroppedalmostasmanyasheputinthebasket。ButtheScarecrowdidnotmindhowlongittookhimtofillthebasket,foritenabledhimtokeepawayfromthefire,ashefearedasparkmightgetintohisstrawandburnhimup。Sohekeptagooddistanceawayfromtheflames,andonlycameneartocoverDorothywithdryleaveswhenshelaydowntosleep。Thesekeptherverysnugandwarm,andshesleptsoundlyuntilmorning。

  Whenitwasdaylight,thegirlbathedherfaceinalittleripplingbrook,andsoonaftertheyallstartedtowardtheEmeraldCity。

  Thiswastobeaneventfuldayforthetravelers。Theyhadhardlybeenwalkinganhourwhentheysawbeforethemagreatditchthatcrossedtheroadanddividedtheforestasfarastheycouldseeoneitherside。Itwasaverywideditch,andwhentheycreptuptotheedgeandlookedintoittheycouldseeitwasalsoverydeep,andthereweremanybig,jaggedrocksatthebottom。

  Thesidesweresosteepthatnoneofthemcouldclimbdown,andforamomentitseemedthattheirjourneymustend。

  \"Whatshallwedo?\"askedDorothydespairingly。

  \"Ihaven’tthefaintestidea,\"saidtheTinWoodman,andtheLionshookhisshaggymaneandlookedthoughtful。

  ButtheScarecrowsaid,\"Wecannotfly,thatiscertain。

  Neithercanweclimbdownintothisgreatditch。Therefore,ifwecannotjumpoverit,wemuststopwhereweare。\"

  \"IthinkIcouldjumpoverit,\"saidtheCowardlyLion,aftermeasuringthedistancecarefullyinhismind。

  \"Thenweareallright,\"answeredtheScarecrow,\"foryoucancarryusalloveronyourback,oneatatime。\"

  \"Well,I’lltryit,\"saidtheLion。\"Whowillgofirst?\"

  \"Iwill,\"declaredtheScarecrow,\"for,ifyoufoundthatyoucouldnotjumpoverthegulf,Dorothywouldbekilled,ortheTinWoodmanbadlydentedontherocksbelow。ButifIamonyourbackitwillnotmattersomuch,forthefallwouldnothurtmeatall。\"

  \"Iamterriblyafraidoffalling,myself,\"saidtheCowardlyLion,\"butIsupposethereisnothingtodobuttryit。Sogetonmybackandwewillmaketheattempt。\"

  TheScarecrowsatupontheLion’sback,andthebigbeastwalkedtotheedgeofthegulfandcroucheddown。

  \"Whydon’tyourunandjump?\"askedtheScarecrow。

  \"Becausethatisn’tthewayweLionsdothesethings,\"hereplied。

  Thengivingagreatspring,heshotthroughtheairandlandedsafelyontheotherside。Theywereallgreatlypleasedtoseehoweasilyhedidit,andaftertheScarecrowhadgotdownfromhisbacktheLionsprangacrosstheditchagain。

  Dorothythoughtshewouldgonext;soshetookTotoinherarmsandclimbedontheLion’sback,holdingtightlytohismanewithonehand。Thenextmomentitseemedasifshewereflyingthroughtheair;andthen,beforeshehadtimetothinkaboutit,shewassafeontheotherside。TheLionwentbackathirdtimeandgottheTinWoodman,andthentheyallsatdownforafewmomentstogivethebeastachancetorest,forhisgreatleapshadmadehisbreathshort,andhepantedlikeabigdogthathasbeenrunningtoolong。

  Theyfoundtheforestverythickonthisside,anditlookeddarkandgloomy。AftertheLionhadrestedtheystartedalongtheroadofyellowbrick,silentlywondering,eachinhisownmind,ifevertheywouldcometotheendofthewoodsandreachthebrightsunshineagain。Toaddtotheirdiscomfort,theysoonheardstrangenoisesinthedepthsoftheforest,andtheLionwhisperedtothemthatitwasinthispartofthecountrythattheKalidahslived。

  \"WhataretheKalidahs?\"askedthegirl。

  \"Theyaremonstrousbeastswithbodieslikebearsandheadsliketigers,\"repliedtheLion,\"andwithclawssolongandsharpthattheycouldtearmeintwoaseasilyasIcouldkillToto。

  I’mterriblyafraidoftheKalidahs。\"

  \"I’mnotsurprisedthatyouare,\"returnedDorothy。

  \"Theymustbedreadfulbeasts。\"

  TheLionwasabouttoreplywhensuddenlytheycametoanothergulfacrosstheroad。ButthisonewassobroadanddeepthattheLionknewatoncehecouldnotleapacrossit。

  Sotheysatdowntoconsiderwhattheyshoulddo,andafterseriousthoughttheScarecrowsaid:

  \"Hereisagreattree,standingclosetotheditch。IftheTinWoodmancanchopitdown,sothatitwillfalltotheotherside,wecanwalkacrossiteasily。\"

  \"Thatisafirst-rateidea,\"saidtheLion。\"Onewouldalmostsuspectyouhadbrainsinyourhead,insteadofstraw。\"

  TheWoodmansettoworkatonce,andsosharpwashisaxethatthetreewassoonchoppednearlythrough。ThentheLionputhisstrongfrontlegsagainstthetreeandpushedwithallhismight,andslowlythebigtreetippedandfellwithacrashacrosstheditch,withitstopbranchesontheotherside。

  Theyhadjuststartedtocrossthisqueerbridgewhenasharpgrowlmadethemalllookup,andtotheirhorrortheysawrunningtowardthemtwogreatbeastswithbodieslikebearsandheadsliketigers。

  \"TheyaretheKalidahs!\"saidtheCowardlyLion,beginningtotremble。

  \"Quick!\"criedtheScarecrow。\"Letuscrossover。\"

  SoDorothywentfirst,holdingTotoinherarms,theTinWoodmanfollowed,andtheScarecrowcamenext。TheLion,althoughhewascertainlyafraid,turnedtofacetheKalidahs,andthenhegavesoloudandterriblearoarthatDorothyscreamedandtheScarecrowfelloverbackward,whileeventhefiercebeastsstoppedshortandlookedathiminsurprise。

  But,seeingtheywerebiggerthantheLion,andrememberingthatthereweretwoofthemandonlyoneofhim,theKalidahsagainrushedforward,andtheLioncrossedoverthetreeandturnedtoseewhattheywoulddonext。Withoutstoppinganinstantthefiercebeastsalsobegantocrossthetree。

  AndtheLionsaidtoDorothy:

  \"Wearelost,fortheywillsurelytearustopieceswiththeirsharpclaws。Butstandclosebehindme,andIwillfightthemaslongasIamalive。\"

  \"Waitaminute!\"calledtheScarecrow。Hehadbeenthinkingwhatwasbesttobedone,andnowheaskedtheWoodmantochopawaytheendofthetreethatrestedontheirsideoftheditch。

  TheTinWoodmanbegantousehisaxeatonce,and,justasthetwoKalidahswerenearlyacross,thetreefellwithacrashintothegulf,carryingtheugly,snarlingbruteswithit,andbothweredashedtopiecesonthesharprocksatthebottom。

  \"Well,\"saidtheCowardlyLion,drawingalongbreathofrelief,\"Iseewearegoingtolivealittlewhilelonger,andI

  amgladofit,foritmustbeaveryuncomfortablethingnottobealive。Thosecreaturesfrightenedmesobadlythatmyheartisbeatingyet。\"

  \"Ah,\"saidtheTinWoodmansadly,\"IwishIhadahearttobeat。\"

  Thisadventuremadethetravelersmoreanxiousthanevertogetoutoftheforest,andtheywalkedsofastthatDorothybecametired,andhadtorideontheLion’sback。Totheirgreatjoythetreesbecamethinnerthefarthertheyadvanced,andintheafternoontheysuddenlycameuponabroadriver,flowingswiftlyjustbeforethem。Ontheothersideofthewatertheycouldseetheroadofyellowbrickrunningthroughabeautifulcountry,withgreenmeadowsdottedwithbrightflowersandalltheroadborderedwithtreeshangingfullofdeliciousfruits。Theyweregreatlypleasedtoseethisdelightfulcountrybeforethem。

  \"Howshallwecrosstheriver?\"askedDorothy。

  \"Thatiseasilydone,\"repliedtheScarecrow。\"TheTinWoodmanmustbuildusaraft,sowecanfloattotheotherside。\"

  SotheWoodmantookhisaxeandbegantochopdownsmalltreestomakearaft,andwhilehewasbusyatthistheScarecrowfoundontheriverbankatreefulloffinefruit。ThispleasedDorothy,whohadeatennothingbutnutsallday,andshemadeaheartymealoftheripefruit。

  Butittakestimetomakearaft,evenwhenoneisasindustriousanduntiringastheTinWoodman,andwhennightcametheworkwasnotdone。

  Sotheyfoundacozyplaceunderthetreeswheretheysleptwelluntilthemorning;andDorothydreamedoftheEmeraldCity,andofthegoodWizardOz,whowouldsoonsendherbacktoherownhomeagain。

  8。TheDeadlyPoppyFieldOurlittlepartyoftravelersawakenedthenextmorningrefreshedandfullofhope,andDorothybreakfastedlikeaprincessoffpeachesandplumsfromthetreesbesidetheriver。

  Behindthemwasthedarkforesttheyhadpassedsafelythrough,althoughtheyhadsufferedmanydiscouragements;butbeforethemwasalovely,sunnycountrythatseemedtobeckonthemontotheEmeraldCity。

  Tobesure,thebroadrivernowcutthemofffromthisbeautifulland。Buttheraftwasnearlydone,andaftertheTinWoodmanhadcutafewmorelogsandfastenedthemtogetherwithwoodenpins,theywerereadytostart。DorothysatdowninthemiddleoftheraftandheldTotoinherarms。WhentheCowardlyLionsteppedupontheraftittippedbadly,forhewasbigandheavy;buttheScarecrowandtheTinWoodmanstoodupontheotherendtosteadyit,andtheyhadlongpolesintheirhandstopushtheraftthroughthewater。

  Theygotalongquitewellatfirst,butwhentheyreachedthemiddleoftherivertheswiftcurrentswepttheraftdownstream,fartherandfartherawayfromtheroadofyellowbrick。Andthewatergrewsodeepthatthelongpoleswouldnottouchthebottom。

  \"Thisisbad,\"saidtheTinWoodman,\"forifwecannotgettothelandweshallbecarriedintothecountryoftheWickedWitchoftheWest,andshewillenchantusandmakeusherslaves。\"

  \"AndthenIshouldgetnobrains,\"saidtheScarecrow。

  \"AndIshouldgetnocourage,\"saidtheCowardlyLion。

  \"AndIshouldgetnoheart,\"saidtheTinWoodman。

  \"AndIshouldnevergetbacktoKansas,\"saidDorothy。

  \"WemustcertainlygettotheEmeraldCityifwecan,\"

  theScarecrowcontinued,andhepushedsohardonhislongpolethatitstuckfastinthemudatthebottomoftheriver。Then,beforehecouldpullitoutagain——orletgo——theraftwassweptaway,andthepoorScarecrowleftclingingtothepoleinthemiddleoftheriver。

  \"Good-bye!\"hecalledafterthem,andtheywereverysorrytoleavehim。

  Indeed,theTinWoodmanbegantocry,butfortunatelyrememberedthathemightrust,andsodriedhistearsonDorothy’sapron。

  OfcoursethiswasabadthingfortheScarecrow。

  \"IamnowworseoffthanwhenIfirstmetDorothy,\"hethought。\"Then,Iwasstuckonapoleinacornfield,whereI

  couldmake-believescarethecrows,atanyrate。ButsurelythereisnouseforaScarecrowstuckonapoleinthemiddleofariver。IamafraidIshallneverhaveanybrains,afterall!\"

  Downthestreamtheraftfloated,andthepoorScarecrowwasleftfarbehind。ThentheLionsaid:

  \"Somethingmustbedonetosaveus。IthinkIcanswimtotheshoreandpulltheraftafterme,ifyouwillonlyholdfasttothetipofmytail。\"

  Sohesprangintothewater,andtheTinWoodmancaughtfastholdofhistail。ThentheLionbegantoswimwithallhismighttowardtheshore。Itwashardwork,althoughhewassobig;butbyandbytheyweredrawnoutofthecurrent,andthenDorothytooktheTinWoodman’slongpoleandhelpedpushtherafttotheland。

  Theywerealltiredoutwhentheyreachedtheshoreatlastandsteppedoffupontheprettygreengrass,andtheyalsoknewthatthestreamhadcarriedthemalongwaypasttheroadofyellowbrickthatledtotheEmeraldCity。

  \"Whatshallwedonow?\"askedtheTinWoodman,astheLionlaydownonthegrasstoletthesundryhim。

  \"Wemustgetbacktotheroad,insomeway,\"saidDorothy。

  \"Thebestplanwillbetowalkalongtheriverbankuntilwecometotheroadagain,\"remarkedtheLion。

  So,whentheywererested,Dorothypickedupherbasketandtheystartedalongthegrassybank,totheroadfromwhichtheriverhadcarriedthem。Itwasalovelycountry,withplentyofflowersandfruittreesandsunshinetocheerthem,andhadtheynotfeltsosorryforthepoorScarecrow,theycouldhavebeenveryhappy。

  Theywalkedalongasfastastheycould,Dorothyonlystoppingoncetopickabeautifulflower;andafteratimetheTinWoodmancriedout:\"Look!\"

  ThentheyalllookedattheriverandsawtheScarecrowpercheduponhispoleinthemiddleofthewater,lookingverylonelyandsad。

  \"Whatcanwedotosavehim?\"askedDorothy。

  TheLionandtheWoodmanbothshooktheirheads,fortheydidnotknow。SotheysatdownuponthebankandgazedwistfullyattheScarecrowuntilaStorkflewby,who,uponseeingthem,stoppedtorestatthewater’sedge。

  \"Whoareyouandwhereareyougoing?\"askedtheStork。

  \"IamDorothy,\"answeredthegirl,\"andthesearemyfriends,theTinWoodmanandtheCowardlyLion;andwearegoingtotheEmeraldCity。\"

  \"Thisisn’ttheroad,\"saidtheStork,asshetwistedherlongneckandlookedsharplyatthequeerparty。

  \"Iknowit,\"returnedDorothy,\"butwehavelosttheScarecrow,andarewonderinghowweshallgethimagain。\"

  \"Whereishe?\"askedtheStork。

  \"Overthereintheriver,\"answeredthelittlegirl。

  \"Ifhewasn’tsobigandheavyIwouldgethimforyou,\"

  remarkedtheStork。

  \"Heisn’theavyabit,\"saidDorothyeagerly,\"forheisstuffedwithstraw;andifyouwillbringhimbacktous,weshallthankyoueverandeversomuch。\"

  \"Well,I’lltry,\"saidtheStork,\"butifIfindheistooheavytocarryIshallhavetodrophimintheriveragain。\"

  SothebigbirdflewintotheairandoverthewatertillshecametowheretheScarecrowwaspercheduponhispole。ThentheStorkwithhergreatclawsgrabbedtheScarecrowbythearmandcarriedhimupintotheairandbacktothebank,whereDorothyandtheLionandtheTinWoodmanandTotoweresitting。

  WhentheScarecrowfoundhimselfamonghisfriendsagain,hewassohappythathehuggedthemall,eventheLionandToto;andastheywalkedalonghesang\"Tol-de-ri-de-oh!\"ateverystep,hefeltsogay。

  \"IwasafraidIshouldhavetostayintheriverforever,\"

  hesaid,\"butthekindStorksavedme,andifIevergetanybrainsIshallfindtheStorkagainanddohersomekindnessinreturn。\"

  \"That’sallright,\"saidtheStork,whowasflyingalongbesidethem。\"Ialwaysliketohelpanyoneintrouble。ButI

  mustgonow,formybabiesarewaitinginthenestforme。IhopeyouwillfindtheEmeraldCityandthatOzwillhelpyou。\"

  \"Thankyou,\"repliedDorothy,andthenthekindStorkflewintotheairandwassoonoutofsight。

  Theywalkedalonglisteningtothesingingofthebrightlycoloredbirdsandlookingatthelovelyflowerswhichnowbecamesothickthatthegroundwascarpetedwiththem。Therewerebigyellowandwhiteandblueandpurpleblossoms,besidesgreatclustersofscarletpoppies,whichweresobrilliantincolortheyalmostdazzledDorothy’seyes。

  \"Aren’ttheybeautiful?\"thegirlasked,asshebreathedinthespicyscentofthebrightflowers。

  \"Isupposeso,\"answeredtheScarecrow。\"WhenIhavebrains,Ishallprobablylikethembetter。\"

  \"IfIonlyhadaheart,Ishouldlovethem,\"addedtheTinWoodman。

  \"Ialwaysdidlikeflowers,\"saidtheLion。\"Theyofseemsohelplessandfrail。Buttherearenoneintheforestsobrightasthese。\"

  Theynowcameuponmoreandmoreofthebigscarletpoppies,andfewerandfeweroftheotherflowers;andsoontheyfoundthemselvesinthemidstofagreatmeadowofpoppies。Nowitiswellknownthatwhentherearemanyoftheseflowerstogethertheirodorissopowerfulthatanyonewhobreathesitfallsasleep,andifthesleeperisnotcarriedawayfromthescentoftheflowers,hesleepsonandonforever。ButDorothydidnotknowthis,norcouldshegetawayfromthebrightredflowersthatwereeverywhereabout;sopresentlyhereyesgrewheavyandshefeltshemustsitdowntorestandtosleep。

  ButtheTinWoodmanwouldnotletherdothis。

  \"Wemusthurryandgetbacktotheroadofyellowbrickbeforedark,\"

  hesaid;andtheScarecrowagreedwithhim。SotheykeptwalkinguntilDorothycouldstandnolonger。Hereyesclosedinspiteofherselfandsheforgotwhereshewasandfellamongthepoppies,fastasleep。

  \"Whatshallwedo?\"askedtheTinWoodman。

  \"Ifweleaveherhereshewilldie,\"saidtheLion。\"Thesmelloftheflowersiskillingusall。Imyselfcanscarcelykeepmyeyesopen,andthedogisasleepalready。\"

  Itwastrue;Totohadfallendownbesidehislittlemistress。

  ButtheScarecrowandtheTinWoodman,notbeingmadeofflesh,werenottroubledbythescentoftheflowers。

  \"Runfast,\"saidtheScarecrowtotheLion,\"andgetoutofthisdeadlyflowerbedassoonasyoucan。Wewillbringthelittlegirlwithus,butifyoushouldfallasleepyouaretoobigtobecarried。\"

  SotheLionarousedhimselfandboundedforwardasfastashecouldgo。Inamomenthewasoutofsight。

  \"Letusmakeachairwithourhandsandcarryher,\"saidtheScarecrow。SotheypickedupTotoandputthedoginDorothy’slap,andthentheymadeachairwiththeirhandsfortheseatandtheirarmsforthearmsandcarriedthesleepinggirlbetweenthemthroughtheflowers。

  Onandontheywalked,anditseemedthatthegreatcarpetofdeadlyflowersthatsurroundedthemwouldneverend。Theyfollowedthebendoftheriver,andatlastcameupontheirfriendtheLion,lyingfastasleepamongthepoppies。Theflowershadbeentoostrongforthehugebeastandhehadgivenupatlast,andfallenonlyashortdistancefromtheendofthepoppybed,wherethesweetgrassspreadinbeautifulgreenfieldsbeforethem。

  \"Wecandonothingforhim,\"saidtheTinWoodman,sadly;\"forheismuchtooheavytolift。Wemustleavehimheretosleeponforever,andperhapshewilldreamthathehasfoundcourageatlast。\"

  \"I’msorry,\"saidtheScarecrow。\"TheLionwasaverygoodcomradeforonesocowardly。Butletusgoon。\"

  Theycarriedthesleepinggirltoaprettyspotbesidetheriver,farenoughfromthepoppyfieldtopreventherbreathinganymoreofthepoisonoftheflowers,andheretheylaidhergentlyonthesoftgrassandwaitedforthefreshbreezetowakenher。

  9。TheQueenoftheFieldMice\"Wecannotbefarfromtheroadofyellowbrick,now,\"remarkedtheScarecrow,ashestoodbesidethegirl,\"forwehavecomenearlyasfarastherivercarriedusaway。\"

  TheTinWoodmanwasabouttoreplywhenheheardalowgrowl,andturninghishead(whichworkedbeautifullyonhinges)hesawastrangebeastcomeboundingoverthegrasstowardthem。Itwas,indeed,agreatyellowWildcat,andtheWoodmanthoughtitmustbechasingsomething,foritsearswerelyingclosetoitsheadanditsmouthwaswideopen,showingtworowsofuglyteeth,whileitsredeyesglowedlikeballsoffire。AsitcamenearertheTinWoodmansawthatrunningbeforethebeastwasalittlegrayfieldmouse,andalthoughhehadnoheartheknewitwaswrongfortheWildcattotrytokillsuchapretty,harmlesscreature。

  SotheWoodmanraisedhisaxe,andastheWildcatranbyhegaveitaquickblowthatcutthebeast’sheadcleanofffromitsbody,anditrolledoverathisfeetintwopieces。

  Thefieldmouse,nowthatitwasfreedfromitsenemy,stoppedshort;

  andcomingslowlyuptotheWoodmanitsaid,inasqueakylittlevoice:

  \"Oh,thankyou!Thankyoueversomuchforsavingmylife。\"

  \"Don’tspeakofit,Ibegofyou,\"repliedtheWoodman。

  \"Ihavenoheart,youknow,soIamcarefultohelpallthosewhomayneedafriend,evenifithappenstobeonlyamouse。\"

  \"Onlyamouse!\"criedthelittleanimal,indignantly。

  \"Why,IamaQueen——theQueenofalltheFieldMice!\"

  \"Oh,indeed,\"saidtheWoodman,makingabow。

  \"Thereforeyouhavedoneagreatdeed,aswellasabraveone,insavingmylife,\"addedtheQueen。

  Atthatmomentseveralmicewereseenrunningupasfastastheirlittlelegscouldcarrythem,andwhentheysawtheirQueentheyexclaimed:

  \"Oh,yourMajesty,wethoughtyouwouldbekilled!HowdidyoumanagetoescapethegreatWildcat?\"TheyallbowedsolowtothelittleQueenthattheyalmoststoodupontheirheads。

  \"Thisfunnytinman,\"sheanswered,\"killedtheWildcatandsavedmylife。Sohereafteryoumustallservehim,andobeyhisslightestwish。\"

  \"Wewill!\"criedallthemice,inashrillchorus。Andthentheyscamperedinalldirections,forTotohadawakenedfromhissleep,andseeingallthesemicearoundhimhegaveonebarkofdelightandjumpedrightintothemiddleofthegroup。TotohadalwayslovedtochasemicewhenhelivedinKansas,andhesawnoharminit。

  ButtheTinWoodmancaughtthedoginhisarmsandheldhimtight,whilehecalledtothemice,\"Comeback!Comeback!Totoshallnothurtyou。\"

  AtthistheQueenoftheMicestuckherheadoutfromunderneathaclumpofgrassandasked,inatimidvoice,\"Areyousurehewillnotbiteus?\"

  \"Iwillnotlethim,\"saidtheWoodman;\"sodonotbeafraid。\"

  Onebyonethemicecamecreepingback,andTotodidnotbarkagain,althoughhetriedtogetoutoftheWoodman’sarms,andwouldhavebittenhimhadhenotknownverywellhewasmadeoftin。Finallyoneofthebiggestmicespoke。

  \"Isthereanythingwecando,\"itasked,\"torepayyouforsavingthelifeofourQueen?\"

  \"NothingthatIknowof,\"answeredtheWoodman;buttheScarecrow,whohadbeentryingtothink,butcouldnotbecausehisheadwasstuffedwithstraw,said,quickly,\"Oh,yes;youcansaveourfriend,theCowardlyLion,whoisasleepinthepoppybed。\"

  \"ALion!\"criedthelittleQueen。\"Why,hewouldeatusallup。\"

  \"Oh,no,\"declaredtheScarecrow;\"thisLionisacoward。\"

  \"Really?\"askedtheMouse。

  \"Hesayssohimself,\"answeredtheScarecrow,\"andhewouldneverhurtanyonewhoisourfriend。IfyouwillhelpustosavehimIpromisethatheshalltreatyouallwithkindness。\"

  \"Verywell,\"saidtheQueen,\"wetrustyou。Butwhatshallwedo?\"

  \"AretheremanyofthesemicewhichcallyouQueenandarewillingtoobeyyou?\"

  \"Oh,yes;therearethousands,\"shereplied。

  \"Thensendforthemalltocomehereassoonaspossible,andleteachonebringalongpieceofstring。\"

  TheQueenturnedtothemicethatattendedherandtoldthemtogoatonceandgetallherpeople。Assoonastheyheardherorderstheyranawayineverydirectionasfastaspossible。

  \"Now,\"saidtheScarecrowtotheTinWoodman,\"youmustgotothosetreesbytheriversideandmakeatruckthatwillcarrytheLion。\"

  SotheWoodmanwentatoncetothetreesandbegantowork;

  andhesoonmadeatruckoutofthelimbsoftrees,fromwhichhechoppedawayalltheleavesandbranches。Hefastenedittogetherwithwoodenpegsandmadethefourwheelsoutofshortpiecesofabigtreetrunk。Sofastandsowelldidheworkthatbythetimethemicebegantoarrivethetruckwasallreadyforthem。

  Theycamefromalldirections,andtherewerethousandsofthem:bigmiceandlittlemiceandmiddle-sizedmice;andeachonebroughtapieceofstringinhismouth。ItwasaboutthistimethatDorothywokefromherlongsleepandopenedhereyes。

  Shewasgreatlyastonishedtofindherselflyinguponthegrass,withthousandsofmicestandingaroundandlookingathertimidly。

  ButtheScarecrowtoldherabouteverything,andturningtothedignifiedlittleMouse,hesaid:

  \"PermitmetointroducetoyouherMajesty,theQueen。\"

  DorothynoddedgravelyandtheQueenmadeacurtsy,afterwhichshebecamequitefriendlywiththelittlegirl。

  TheScarecrowandtheWoodmannowbegantofastenthemicetothetruck,usingthestringstheyhadbrought。Oneendofastringwastiedaroundtheneckofeachmouseandtheotherendtothetruck。Ofcoursethetruckwasathousandtimesbiggerthananyofthemicewhoweretodrawit;butwhenallthemicehadbeenharnessed,theywereabletopullitquiteeasily。EventheScarecrowandtheTinWoodmancouldsitonit,andweredrawnswiftlybytheirqueerlittlehorsestotheplacewheretheLionlayasleep。

  Afteragreatdealofhardwork,fortheLionwasheavy,theymanagedtogethimuponthetruck。ThentheQueenhurriedlygaveherpeopletheordertostart,forshefearedifthemicestayedamongthepoppiestoolongtheyalsowouldfallasleep。

  Atfirstthelittlecreatures,manythoughtheywere,couldhardlystirtheheavilyloadedtruck;buttheWoodmanandtheScarecrowbothpushedfrombehind,andtheygotalongbetter。

  SoontheyrolledtheLionoutofthepoppybedtothegreenfields,wherehecouldbreathethesweet,freshairagain,insteadofthepoisonousscentoftheflowers。

  Dorothycametomeetthemandthankedthelittlemicewarmlyforsavinghercompanionfromdeath。ShehadgrownsofondofthebigLionshewasgladhehadbeenrescued。

  Thenthemicewereunharnessedfromthetruckandscamperedawaythroughthegrasstotheirhomes。TheQueenoftheMicewasthelasttoleave。

  \"Ifeveryouneedusagain,\"shesaid,\"comeoutintothefieldandcall,andweshallhearyouandcometoyourassistance。

  Good-bye!\"

  \"Good-bye!\"theyallanswered,andawaytheQueenran,whileDorothyheldTototightlylestheshouldrunafterherandfrightenher。

  AfterthistheysatdownbesidetheLionuntilheshouldawaken;andtheScarecrowbroughtDorothysomefruitfromatreenearby,whichsheateforherdinner。

  10。TheGuardianoftheGateItwassometimebeforetheCowardlyLionawakened,forhehadlainamongthepoppiesalongwhile,breathingintheirdeadlyfragrance;butwhenhedidopenhiseyesandrolloffthetruckhewasverygladtofindhimselfstillalive。

  \"IranasfastasIcould,\"hesaid,sittingdownandyawning,\"buttheflowersweretoostrongforme。Howdidyougetmeout?\"

  Thentheytoldhimofthefieldmice,andhowtheyhadgenerouslysavedhimfromdeath;andtheCowardlyLionlaughed,andsaid:

  \"Ihavealwaysthoughtmyselfverybigandterrible;yetsuchlittlethingsasflowerscameneartokillingme,andsuchsmallanimalsasmicehavesavedmylife。Howstrangeitallis!

  But,comrades,whatshallwedonow?\"

  \"Wemustjourneyonuntilwefindtheroadofyellowbrickagain,\"

  saidDorothy,\"andthenwecankeepontotheEmeraldCity。\"

  So,theLionbeingfullyrefreshed,andfeelingquitehimselfagain,theyallstarteduponthejourney,greatlyenjoyingthewalkthroughthesoft,freshgrass;anditwasnotlongbeforetheyreachedtheroadofyellowbrickandturnedagaintowardtheEmeraldCitywheretheGreatOzdwelt。

  Theroadwassmoothandwellpaved,now,andthecountryaboutwasbeautiful,sothatthetravelersrejoicedinleavingtheforestfarbehind,andwithitthemanydangerstheyhadmetinitsgloomyshades。Oncemoretheycouldseefencesbuiltbesidetheroad;butthesewerepaintedgreen,andwhentheycametoasmallhouse,inwhichafarmerevidentlylived,thatalsowaspaintedgreen。Theypassedbyseveralofthesehousesduringtheafternoon,andsometimespeoplecametothedoorsandlookedatthemasiftheywouldliketoaskquestions;butnoonecamenearthemnorspoketothembecauseofthegreatLion,ofwhichtheywereverymuchafraid。Thepeoplewerealldressedinclothingofalovelyemerald-greencolorandworepeakedhatslikethoseoftheMunchkins。

  \"ThismustbetheLandofOz,\"saidDorothy,\"andwearesurelygettingneartheEmeraldCity。\"

  \"Yes,\"answeredtheScarecrow。\"Everythingisgreenhere,whileinthecountryoftheMunchkinsbluewasthefavoritecolor。

  ButthepeopledonotseemtobeasfriendlyastheMunchkins,andI’mafraidweshallbeunabletofindaplacetopassthenight。\"

  \"Ishouldlikesomethingtoeatbesidesfruit,\"saidthegirl,\"andI’msureTotoisnearlystarved。Letusstopatthenexthouseandtalktothepeople。\"

  So,whentheycametoagood-sizedfarmhouse,Dorothywalkedboldlyuptothedoorandknocked。

  Awomanopeneditjustfarenoughtolookout,andsaid,\"Whatdoyouwant,child,andwhyisthatgreatLionwithyou?\"

  \"Wewishtopassthenightwithyou,ifyouwillallowus,\"

  answeredDorothy;\"andtheLionismyfriendandcomrade,andwouldnothurtyoufortheworld。\"

  \"Ishetame?\"askedthewoman,openingthedooralittlewider。

  \"Oh,yes,\"saidthegirl,\"andheisagreatcoward,too。

  Hewillbemoreafraidofyouthanyouareofhim。\"

  \"Well,\"saidthewoman,afterthinkingitoverandtakinganotherpeepattheLion,\"ifthatisthecaseyoumaycomein,andIwillgiveyousomesupperandaplacetosleep。\"

  Sotheyallenteredthehouse,wheretherewere,besidesthewoman,twochildrenandaman。Themanhadhurthisleg,andwaslyingonthecouchinacorner。Theyseemedgreatlysurprisedtoseesostrangeacompany,andwhilethewomanwasbusylayingthetablethemanasked:

  \"Whereareyouallgoing?\"

  \"TotheEmeraldCity,\"saidDorothy,\"toseetheGreatOz。\"

  \"Oh,indeed!\"exclaimedtheman。\"AreyousurethatOzwillseeyou?\"

  \"Whynot?\"shereplied。

  \"Why,itissaidthatheneverletsanyonecomeintohispresence。

  IhavebeentotheEmeraldCitymanytimes,anditisabeautifulandwonderfulplace;butIhaveneverbeenpermittedtoseetheGreatOz,nordoIknowofanylivingpersonwhohasseenhim。\"

  \"Doeshenevergoout?\"askedtheScarecrow。

  \"Never。HesitsdayafterdayinthegreatThroneRoomofhisPalace,andeventhosewhowaituponhimdonotseehimfacetoface。\"

  \"Whatishelike?\"askedthegirl。

  \"Thatishardtotell,\"saidthemanthoughtfully。\"Yousee,OzisaGreatWizard,andcantakeonanyformhewishes。Sothatsomesayhelookslikeabird;andsomesayhelookslikeanelephant;andsomesayhelookslikeacat。Toothersheappearsasabeautifulfairy,orabrownie,orinanyotherformthatpleaseshim。ButwhotherealOzis,whenheisinhisownform,nolivingpersoncantell。\"

  \"Thatisverystrange,\"saidDorothy,\"butwemusttry,insomeway,toseehim,orweshallhavemadeourjourneyfornothing。\"

  \"WhydoyouwishtoseetheterribleOz?\"askedtheman。

  \"Iwanthimtogivemesomebrains,\"saidtheScarecroweagerly。

  \"Oh,Ozcoulddothateasilyenough,\"declaredtheman。

  \"Hehasmorebrainsthanheneeds。\"

  \"AndIwanthimtogivemeaheart,\"saidtheTinWoodman。

  \"Thatwillnottroublehim,\"continuedtheman,\"forOzhasalargecollectionofhearts,ofallsizesandshapes。\"

  \"AndIwanthimtogivemecourage,\"saidtheCowardlyLion。

  \"OzkeepsagreatpotofcourageinhisThroneRoom,\"saidtheman,\"whichhehascoveredwithagoldenplate,tokeepitfromrunningover。Hewillbegladtogiveyousome。\"

  \"AndIwanthimtosendmebacktoKansas,\"saidDorothy。

  \"WhereisKansas?\"askedtheman,withsurprise。

  \"Idon’tknow,\"repliedDorothysorrowfully,\"butitismyhome,andI’msureit’ssomewhere。\"

  \"Verylikely。Well,Ozcandoanything;soIsupposehewillfindKansasforyou。Butfirstyoumustgettoseehim,andthatwillbeahardtask;fortheGreatWizarddoesnotliketoseeanyone,andheusuallyhashisownway。ButwhatdoYOUwant?\"hecontinued,speakingtoToto。Totoonlywaggedhistail;for,strangetosay,hecouldnotspeak。

  Thewomannowcalledtothemthatsupperwasready,sotheygatheredaroundthetableandDorothyatesomedeliciousporridgeandadishofscrambledeggsandaplateofnicewhitebread,andenjoyedhermeal。TheLionatesomeoftheporridge,butdidnotcareforit,sayingitwasmadefromoatsandoatswerefoodforhorses,notforlions。TheScarecrowandtheTinWoodmanatenothingatall。Totoatealittleofeverything,andwasgladtogetagoodsupperagain。

  ThewomannowgaveDorothyabedtosleepin,andTotolaydownbesideher,whiletheLionguardedthedoorofherroomsoshemightnotbedisturbed。TheScarecrowandtheTinWoodmanstoodupinacornerandkeptquietallnight,althoughofcoursetheycouldnotsleep。

  Thenextmorning,assoonasthesunwasup,theystartedontheirway,andsoonsawabeautifulgreenglowintheskyjustbeforethem。

  \"ThatmustbetheEmeraldCity,\"saidDorothy。

  Astheywalkedon,thegreenglowbecamebrighterandbrighter,anditseemedthatatlasttheywerenearingtheendoftheirtravels。

  YetitwasafternoonbeforetheycametothegreatwallthatsurroundedtheCity。Itwashighandthickandofabrightgreencolor。

  Infrontofthem,andattheendoftheroadofyellowbrick,wasabiggate,allstuddedwithemeraldsthatglitteredsointhesunthateventhepaintedeyesoftheScarecrowweredazzledbytheirbrilliancy。

  Therewasabellbesidethegate,andDorothypushedthebuttonandheardasilverytinklesoundwithin。Thenthebiggateswungslowlyopen,andtheyallpassedthroughandfoundthemselvesinahigharchedroom,thewallsofwhichglistenedwithcountlessemeralds。

  BeforethemstoodalittlemanaboutthesamesizeastheMunchkins。Hewasclothedallingreen,fromhisheadtohisfeet,andevenhisskinwasofagreenishtint。Athissidewasalargegreenbox。

  WhenhesawDorothyandhercompanionsthemanasked,\"WhatdoyouwishintheEmeraldCity?\"

  \"WecameheretoseetheGreatOz,\"saidDorothy。

  Themanwassosurprisedatthisanswerthathesatdowntothinkitover。

  \"IthasbeenmanyyearssinceanyoneaskedmetoseeOz,\"

  hesaid,shakinghisheadinperplexity。\"Heispowerfulandterrible,andifyoucomeonanidleorfoolisherrandtobotherthewisereflectionsoftheGreatWizard,hemightbeangryanddestroyyouallinaninstant。\"

  \"Butitisnotafoolisherrand,noranidleone,\"repliedtheScarecrow;\"itisimportant。AndwehavebeentoldthatOzisagoodWizard。\"

  \"Soheis,\"saidthegreenman,\"andherulestheEmeraldCitywiselyandwell。Buttothosewhoarenothonest,orwhoapproachhimfromcuriosity,heismostterrible,andfewhaveeverdaredasktoseehisface。IamtheGuardianoftheGates,andsinceyoudemandtoseetheGreatOzImusttakeyoutohisPalace。

  Butfirstyoumustputonthespectacles。\"

  \"Why?\"askedDorothy。

  \"BecauseifyoudidnotwearspectaclesthebrightnessandgloryoftheEmeraldCitywouldblindyou。EventhosewholiveintheCitymustwearspectaclesnightandday。Theyarealllockedon,forOzsoordereditwhentheCitywasfirstbuilt,andIhavetheonlykeythatwillunlockthem。\"

  Heopenedthebigbox,andDorothysawthatitwasfilledwithspectaclesofeverysizeandshape。Allofthemhadgreenglassesinthem。TheGuardianoftheGatesfoundapairthatwouldjustfitDorothyandputthemoverhereyes。Thereweretwogoldenbandsfastenedtothemthatpassedaroundthebackofherhead,wheretheywerelockedtogetherbyalittlekeythatwasattheendofachaintheGuardianoftheGatesworearoundhisneck。

  Whentheywereon,Dorothycouldnottakethemoffhadshewished,butofcourseshedidnotwishtobeblindedbytheglareoftheEmeraldCity,soshesaidnothing。

  ThenthegreenmanfittedspectaclesfortheScarecrowandtheTinWoodmanandtheLion,andevenonlittleToto;andallwerelockedfastwiththekey。

  ThentheGuardianoftheGatesputonhisownglassesandtoldthemhewasreadytoshowthemtothePalace。Takingabiggoldenkeyfromapegonthewall,heopenedanothergate,andtheyallfollowedhimthroughtheportalintothestreetsoftheEmeraldCity。

  11。TheWonderfulCityofOzEvenwitheyesprotectedbythegreenspectacles,DorothyandherfriendswereatfirstdazzledbythebrilliancyofthewonderfulCity。Thestreetswerelinedwithbeautifulhousesallbuiltofgreenmarbleandstuddedeverywherewithsparklingemeralds。Theywalkedoverapavementofthesamegreenmarble,andwheretheblockswerejoinedtogetherwererowsofemeralds,setclosely,andglitteringinthebrightnessofthesun。Thewindowpaneswereofgreenglass;eventheskyabovetheCityhadagreentint,andtheraysofthesunweregreen。

  Thereweremanypeople——men,women,andchildren——walkingabout,andthesewerealldressedingreenclothesandhadgreenishskins。

  TheylookedatDorothyandherstrangelyassortedcompanywithwonderingeyes,andthechildrenallranawayandhidbehindtheirmotherswhentheysawtheLion;butnoonespoketothem。

  Manyshopsstoodinthestreet,andDorothysawthateverythinginthemwasgreen。Greencandyandgreenpopcornwereofferedforsale,aswellasgreenshoes,greenhats,andgreenclothesofallsorts。Atoneplaceamanwassellinggreenlemonade,andwhenthechildrenboughtitDorothycouldseethattheypaidforitwithgreenpennies。

  Thereseemedtobenohorsesnoranimalsofanykind;themencarriedthingsaroundinlittlegreencarts,whichtheypushedbeforethem。Everyoneseemedhappyandcontentedandprosperous。

  TheGuardianoftheGatesledthemthroughthestreetsuntiltheycametoabigbuilding,exactlyinthemiddleoftheCity,whichwasthePalaceofOz,theGreatWizard。Therewasasoldierbeforethedoor,dressedinagreenuniformandwearingalonggreenbeard。

  \"Herearestrangers,\"saidtheGuardianoftheGatestohim,\"andtheydemandtoseetheGreatOz。\"

  \"Stepinside,\"answeredthesoldier,\"andIwillcarryyourmessagetohim。\"

  SotheypassedthroughthePalaceGatesandwereledintoabigroomwithagreencarpetandlovelygreenfurnituresetwithemeralds。Thesoldiermadethemallwipetheirfeetuponagreenmatbeforeenteringthisroom,andwhentheywereseatedhesaidpolitely:

  \"PleasemakeyourselvescomfortablewhileIgotothedooroftheThroneRoomandtellOzyouarehere。\"

  Theyhadtowaitalongtimebeforethesoldierreturned。

  When,atlast,hecameback,Dorothyasked:

  \"HaveyouseenOz?\"

  \"Oh,no,\"returnedthesoldier;\"Ihaveneverseenhim。

  ButIspoketohimashesatbehindhisscreenandgavehimyourmessage。Hesaidhewillgrantyouanaudience,ifyousodesire;

  buteachoneofyoumustenterhispresencealone,andhewilladmitbutoneeachday。Therefore,asyoumustremaininthePalaceforseveraldays,Iwillhaveyoushowntoroomswhereyoumayrestincomfortafteryourjourney。\"

  \"Thankyou,\"repliedthegirl;\"thatisverykindofOz。\"

  Thesoldiernowblewuponagreenwhistle,andatonceayounggirl,dressedinaprettygreensilkgown,enteredtheroom。Shehadlovelygreenhairandgreeneyes,andshebowedlowbeforeDorothyasshesaid,\"FollowmeandIwillshowyouyourroom。\"

  SoDorothysaidgood-byetoallherfriendsexceptToto,andtakingthedoginherarmsfollowedthegreengirlthroughsevenpassagesandupthreeflightsofstairsuntiltheycametoaroomatthefrontofthePalace。Itwasthesweetestlittleroomintheworld,withasoftcomfortablebedthathadsheetsofgreensilkandagreenvelvetcounterpane。Therewasatinyfountaininthemiddleoftheroom,thatshotasprayofgreenperfumeintotheair,tofallbackintoabeautifullycarvedgreenmarblebasin。

  Beautifulgreenflowersstoodinthewindows,andtherewasashelfwitharowoflittlegreenbooks。WhenDorothyhadtimetoopenthesebooksshefoundthemfullofqueergreenpicturesthatmadeherlaugh,theyweresofunny。

  Inawardrobeweremanygreendresses,madeofsilkandsatinandvelvet;andallofthemfittedDorothyexactly。

  \"Makeyourselfperfectlyathome,\"saidthegreengirl,\"andifyouwishforanythingringthebell。Ozwillsendforyoutomorrowmorning。\"

  SheleftDorothyaloneandwentbacktotheothers。Theseshealsoledtorooms,andeachoneofthemfoundhimselflodgedinaverypleasantpartofthePalace。OfcoursethispolitenesswaswastedontheScarecrow;forwhenhefoundhimselfaloneinhisroomhestoodstupidlyinonespot,justwithinthedoorway,towaittillmorning。Itwouldnotresthimtoliedown,andhecouldnotclosehiseyes;soheremainedallnightstaringatalittlespiderwhichwasweavingitswebinacorneroftheroom,justasifitwerenotoneofthemostwonderfulroomsintheworld。

  TheTinWoodmanlaydownonhisbedfromforceofhabit,forherememberedwhenhewasmadeofflesh;butnotbeingabletosleep,hepassedthenightmovinghisjointsupanddowntomakesuretheykeptingoodworkingorder。TheLionwouldhavepreferredabedofdriedleavesintheforest,anddidnotlikebeingshutupinaroom;

  buthehadtoomuchsensetoletthisworryhim,sohespranguponthebedandrolledhimselfuplikeacatandpurredhimselfasleepinaminute。

  Thenextmorning,afterbreakfast,thegreenmaidencametofetchDorothy,andshedressedherinoneoftheprettiestgowns,madeofgreenbrocadedsatin。DorothyputonagreensilkapronandtiedagreenribbonaroundToto’sneck,andtheystartedfortheThroneRoomoftheGreatOz。

  Firsttheycametoagreathallinwhichweremanyladiesandgentlemenofthecourt,alldressedinrichcostumes。Thesepeoplehadnothingtodobuttalktoeachother,buttheyalwayscametowaitoutsidetheThroneRoomeverymorning,althoughtheywereneverpermittedtoseeOz。AsDorothyenteredtheylookedathercuriously,andoneofthemwhispered:

  \"AreyoureallygoingtolookuponthefaceofOztheTerrible?\"

  \"Ofcourse,\"answeredthegirl,\"ifhewillseeme。\"

  \"Oh,hewillseeyou,\"saidthesoldierwhohadtakenhermessagetotheWizard,\"althoughhedoesnotliketohavepeopleasktoseehim。Indeed,atfirsthewasangryandsaidIshouldsendyoubackwhereyoucamefrom。Thenheaskedmewhatyoulookedlike,andwhenImentionedyoursilvershoeshewasverymuchinterested。AtlastItoldhimaboutthemarkuponyourforehead,andhedecidedhewouldadmityoutohispresence。\"

  Justthenabellrang,andthegreengirlsaidtoDorothy,\"Thatisthesignal。YoumustgointotheThroneRoomalone。\"

  SheopenedalittledoorandDorothywalkedboldlythroughandfoundherselfinawonderfulplace。Itwasabig,roundroomwithahigharchedroof,andthewallsandceilingandfloorwerecoveredwithlargeemeraldssetcloselytogether。Inthecenteroftheroofwasagreatlight,asbrightasthesun,whichmadetheemeraldssparkleinawonderfulmanner。

  ButwhatinterestedDorothymostwasthebigthroneofgreenmarblethatstoodinthemiddleoftheroom。Itwasshapedlikeachairandsparkledwithgems,asdideverythingelse。InthecenterofthechairwasanenormousHead,withoutabodytosupportitoranyarmsorlegswhatever。Therewasnohairuponthishead,butithadeyesandanoseandmouth,andwasmuchbiggerthantheheadofthebiggestgiant。

  AsDorothygazeduponthisinwonderandfear,theeyesturnedslowlyandlookedathersharplyandsteadily。Thenthemouthmoved,andDorothyheardavoicesay:

  \"IamOz,theGreatandTerrible。Whoareyou,andwhydoyouseekme?\"

  ItwasnotsuchanawfulvoiceasshehadexpectedtocomefromthebigHead;soshetookcourageandanswered:

  \"IamDorothy,theSmallandMeek。Ihavecometoyouforhelp。\"

  Theeyeslookedatherthoughtfullyforafullminute。

  Thensaidthevoice:

  \"Wheredidyougetthesilvershoes?\"

  \"IgotthemfromtheWickedWitchoftheEast,whenmyhousefellonherandkilledher,\"shereplied。

  \"Wheredidyougetthemarkuponyourforehead?\"continuedthevoice。

  \"ThatiswheretheGoodWitchoftheNorthkissedmewhenshebademegood-byeandsentmetoyou,\"saidthegirl。

  Againtheeyeslookedathersharply,andtheysawshewastellingthetruth。ThenOzasked,\"Whatdoyouwishmetodo?\"

  \"SendmebacktoKansas,wheremyAuntEmandUncleHenryare,\"

  sheansweredearnestly。\"Idon’tlikeyourcountry,althoughitissobeautiful。AndIamsureAuntEmwillbedreadfullyworriedovermybeingawaysolong。\"

  Theeyeswinkedthreetimes,andthentheyturneduptotheceilinganddowntothefloorandrolledaroundsoqueerlythattheyseemedtoseeeverypartoftheroom。AndatlasttheylookedatDorothyagain。

  \"WhyshouldIdothisforyou?\"askedOz。

  \"BecauseyouarestrongandIamweak;becauseyouareaGreatWizardandIamonlyalittlegirl。\"

  \"ButyouwerestrongenoughtokilltheWickedWitchoftheEast,\"

  saidOz。

  \"Thatjusthappened,\"returnedDorothysimply;\"Icouldnothelpit。\"

  \"Well,\"saidtheHead,\"Iwillgiveyoumyanswer。YouhavenorighttoexpectmetosendyoubacktoKansasunlessyoudosomethingformeinreturn。Inthiscountryeveryonemustpayforeverythinghegets。Ifyouwishmetousemymagicpowertosendyouhomeagainyoumustdosomethingformefirst。HelpmeandIwillhelpyou。\"

  \"WhatmustIdo?\"askedthegirl。

  \"KilltheWickedWitchoftheWest,\"answeredOz。

  \"ButIcannot!\"exclaimedDorothy,greatlysurprised。

  \"YoukilledtheWitchoftheEastandyouwearthesilvershoes,whichbearapowerfulcharm。ThereisnowbutoneWickedWitchleftinallthisland,andwhenyoucantellmesheisdeadIwillsendyoubacktoKansas——butnotbefore。\"

  Thelittlegirlbegantoweep,shewassomuchdisappointed;

  andtheeyeswinkedagainandlookeduponheranxiously,asiftheGreatOzfeltthatshecouldhelphimifshewould。

  \"Ineverkilledanything,willingly,\"shesobbed。\"EvenifI

  wantedto,howcouldIkilltheWickedWitch?Ifyou,whoareGreatandTerrible,cannotkillheryourself,howdoyouexpectmetodoit?\"

  \"Idonotknow,\"saidtheHead;\"butthatismyanswer,anduntiltheWickedWitchdiesyouwillnotseeyouruncleandauntagain。RememberthattheWitchisWicked——tremendouslyWicked-andoughttobekilled。Nowgo,anddonotasktoseemeagainuntilyouhavedoneyourtask。\"

  SorrowfullyDorothylefttheThroneRoomandwentbackwheretheLionandtheScarecrowandtheTinWoodmanwerewaitingtohearwhatOzhadsaidtoher。\"Thereisnohopeforme,\"shesaidsadly,\"forOzwillnotsendmehomeuntilIhavekilledtheWickedWitchoftheWest;andthatIcanneverdo。\"

  Herfriendsweresorry,butcoulddonothingtohelpher;soDorothywenttoherownroomandlaydownonthebedandcriedherselftosleep。

  ThenextmorningthesoldierwiththegreenwhiskerscametotheScarecrowandsaid:

  \"Comewithme,forOzhassentforyou。\"

  SotheScarecrowfollowedhimandwasadmittedintothegreatThroneRoom,wherehesaw,sittingintheemeraldthrone,amostlovelyLady。Shewasdressedingreensilkgauzeandworeuponherflowinggreenlocksacrownofjewels。Growingfromhershoulderswerewings,gorgeousincolorandsolightthattheyflutterediftheslightestbreathofairreachedthem。

  WhentheScarecrowhadbowed,asprettilyashisstrawstuffingwouldlethim,beforethisbeautifulcreature,shelookeduponhimsweetly,andsaid:

  \"IamOz,theGreatandTerrible。Whoareyou,andwhydoyouseekme?\"

  NowtheScarecrow,whohadexpectedtoseethegreatHeadDorothyhadtoldhimof,wasmuchastonished;butheansweredherbravely。

  \"IamonlyaScarecrow,stuffedwithstraw。ThereforeIhavenobrains,andIcometoyouprayingthatyouwillputbrainsinmyheadinsteadofstraw,sothatImaybecomeasmuchamanasanyotherinyourdominions。\"

  \"WhyshouldIdothisforyou?\"askedtheLady。

  \"Becauseyouarewiseandpowerful,andnooneelsecanhelpme,\"

  answeredtheScarecrow。

  \"Inevergrantfavorswithoutsomereturn,\"saidOz;\"butthismuchIwillpromise。IfyouwillkillformetheWickedWitchoftheWest,Iwillbestowuponyouagreatmanybrains,andsuchgoodbrainsthatyouwillbethewisestmaninalltheLandofOz。\"

  \"IthoughtyouaskedDorothytokilltheWitch,\"saidtheScarecrow,insurprise。

  \"SoIdid。Idon’tcarewhokillsher。ButuntilsheisdeadIwillnotgrantyourwish。Nowgo,anddonotseekmeagainuntilyouhaveearnedthebrainsyousogreatlydesire。\"

  TheScarecrowwentsorrowfullybacktohisfriendsandtoldthemwhatOzhadsaid;andDorothywassurprisedtofindthattheGreatWizardwasnotaHead,asshehadseenhim,butalovelyLady。

  \"Allthesame,\"saidtheScarecrow,\"sheneedsaheartasmuchastheTinWoodman。\"

  OnthenextmorningthesoldierwiththegreenwhiskerscametotheTinWoodmanandsaid:

  \"Ozhassentforyou。Followme。\"

  SotheTinWoodmanfollowedhimandcametothegreatThroneRoom。HedidnotknowwhetherhewouldfindOzalovelyLadyoraHead,buthehopeditwouldbethelovelyLady。\"For,\"hesaidtohimself,\"ifitisthehead,IamsureIshallnotbegivenaheart,sinceaheadhasnoheartofitsownandthereforecannotfeelforme。ButifitisthelovelyLadyIshallbeghardforaheart,forallladiesarethemselvessaidtobekindlyhearted。

  ButwhentheWoodmanenteredthegreatThroneRoomhesawneithertheHeadnortheLady,forOzhadtakentheshapeofamostterribleBeast。Itwasnearlyasbigasanelephant,andthegreenthroneseemedhardlystrongenoughtoholditsweight。TheBeasthadaheadlikethatofarhinoceros,onlytherewerefiveeyesinitsface。Therewerefivelongarmsgrowingoutofitsbody,anditalsohadfivelong,slimlegs。Thick,woollyhaircoveredeverypartofit,andamoredreadful-lookingmonstercouldnotbeimagined。ItwasfortunatetheTinWoodmanhadnoheartatthatmoment,foritwouldhavebeatloudandfastfromterror。Butbeingonlytin,theWoodmanwasnotatallafraid,althoughhewasmuchdisappointed。

  \"IamOz,theGreatandTerrible,\"spoketheBeast,inavoicethatwasonegreatroar。\"Whoareyou,andwhydoyouseekme?\"

  \"IamaWoodman,andmadeoftin。ThereforeIhavenoheart,andcannotlove。IprayyoutogivemeaheartthatImaybeasothermenare。\"

  \"WhyshouldIdothis?\"demandedtheBeast。

  \"BecauseIaskit,andyoualonecangrantmyrequest,\"

  answeredtheWoodman。

  Ozgavealowgrowlatthis,butsaid,gruffly:\"Ifyouindeeddesireaheart,youmustearnit。\"

  \"How?\"askedtheWoodman。

  \"HelpDorothytokilltheWickedWitchoftheWest,\"repliedtheBeast。\"WhentheWitchisdead,cometome,andIwillthengiveyouthebiggestandkindestandmostlovingheartinalltheLandofOz。\"

  SotheTinWoodmanwasforcedtoreturnsorrowfullytohisfriendsandtellthemoftheterribleBeasthehadseen。

  TheyallwonderedgreatlyatthemanyformstheGreatWizardcouldtakeuponhimself,andtheLionsaid:

  \"IfheisaBeastwhenIgotoseehim,Ishallroarmyloudest,andsofrightenhimthathewillgrantallIask。AndifheisthelovelyLady,Ishallpretendtospringuponher,andsocompelhertodomybidding。AndifheisthegreatHead,hewillbeatmymercy;forIwillrollthisheadallabouttheroomuntilhepromisestogiveuswhatwedesire。Sobeofgoodcheer,myfriends,forallwillyetbewell。\"

  ThenextmorningthesoldierwiththegreenwhiskersledtheLiontothegreatThroneRoomandbadehimenterthepresenceofOz。

  TheLionatoncepassedthroughthedoor,andglancingaroundsaw,tohissurprise,thatbeforethethronewasaBallofFire,sofierceandglowinghecouldscarcelybeartogazeuponit。HisfirstthoughtwasthatOzhadbyaccidentcaughtonfireandwasburningup;butwhenhetriedtogonearer,theheatwassointensethatitsingedhiswhiskers,andhecreptbacktremblinglytoaspotnearerthedoor。

  Thenalow,quietvoicecamefromtheBallofFire,andthesewerethewordsitspoke:

  \"IamOz,theGreatandTerrible。Whoareyou,andwhydoyouseekme?\"

  AndtheLionanswered,\"IamaCowardlyLion,afraidofeverything。

  Icametoyoutobegthatyougivemecourage,sothatinrealityImaybecometheKingofBeasts,asmencallme。\"

  \"WhyshouldIgiveyoucourage?\"demandedOz。

  \"BecauseofallWizardsyouarethegreatest,andalonehavepowertograntmyrequest,\"answeredtheLion。

  TheBallofFireburnedfiercelyforatime,andthevoicesaid,\"BringmeproofthattheWickedWitchisdead,andthatmomentIwillgiveyoucourage。ButaslongastheWitchlives,youmustremainacoward。\"

  TheLionwasangryatthisspeech,butcouldsaynothinginreply,andwhilehestoodsilentlygazingattheBallofFireitbecamesofuriouslyhotthatheturnedtailandrushedfromtheroom。

  Hewasgladtofindhisfriendswaitingforhim,andtoldthemofhisterribleinterviewwiththeWizard。

  \"Whatshallwedonow?\"askedDorothysadly。

  \"Thereisonlyonethingwecando,\"returnedtheLion,\"andthatistogotothelandoftheWinkies,seekouttheWickedWitch,anddestroyher。\"

  \"Butsupposewecannot?\"saidthegirl。

  \"ThenIshallneverhavecourage,\"declaredtheLion。

  \"AndIshallneverhavebrains,\"addedtheScarecrow。

  \"AndIshallneverhaveaheart,\"spoketheTinofWoodman。

  \"AndIshallneverseeAuntEmandUncleHenry,\"saidDorothy,beginningtocry。

  \"Becareful!\"criedthegreengirl。\"Thetearswillfallonyourgreensilkgownandspotit。\"

  SoDorothydriedhereyesandsaid,\"Isupposewemusttryit;

  butIamsureIdonotwanttokillanybody,eventoseeAuntEmagain。\"

  \"Iwillgowithyou;butI’mtoomuchofacowardtokilltheWitch,\"saidtheLion。

  \"Iwillgotoo,\"declaredtheScarecrow;\"butIshallnotbeofmuchhelptoyou,Iamsuchafool。\"

  \"Ihaven’tthehearttoharmevenaWitch,\"remarkedtheTinWoodman;\"butifyougoIcertainlyshallgowithyou。\"

  Thereforeitwasdecidedtostartupontheirjourneythenextmorning,andtheWoodmansharpenedhisaxeonagreengrindstoneandhadallhisjointsproperlyoiled。TheScarecrowstuffedhimselfwithfreshstrawandDorothyputnewpaintonhiseyesthathemightseebetter。Thegreengirl,whowasverykindtothem,filledDorothy’sbasketwithgoodthingstoeat,andfastenedalittlebellaroundToto’sneckwithagreenribbon。

  Theywenttobedquiteearlyandsleptsoundlyuntildaylight,whentheywereawakenedbythecrowingofagreencockthatlivedinthebackyardofthePalace,andthecacklingofahenthathadlaidagreenegg。

  12。TheSearchfortheWickedWitchThesoldierwiththegreenwhiskersledthemthroughthestreetsoftheEmeraldCityuntiltheyreachedtheroomwheretheGuardianoftheGateslived。Thisofficerunlockedtheirspectaclestoputthembackinhisgreatbox,andthenhepolitelyopenedthegateforourfriends。

  \"WhichroadleadstotheWickedWitchoftheWest?\"askedDorothy。

  \"Thereisnoroad,\"answeredtheGuardianoftheGates。

  \"Nooneeverwishestogothatway。\"

  \"How,then,arewetofindher?\"inquiredthegirl。

  \"Thatwillbeeasy,\"repliedtheman,\"forwhensheknowsyouareinthecountryoftheWinkiesshewillfindyou,andmakeyouallherslaves。\"

  \"Perhapsnot,\"saidtheScarecrow,\"forwemeantodestroyher。\"

  \"Oh,thatisdifferent,\"saidtheGuardianoftheGates。

  \"Noonehaseverdestroyedherbefore,soInaturallythoughtshewouldmakeslavesofyou,asshehasoftherest。Buttakecare;

  forsheiswickedandfierce,andmaynotallowyoutodestroyher。

  KeeptotheWest,wherethesunsets,andyoucannotfailtofindher。\"

  Theythankedhimandbadehimgood-bye,andturnedtowardtheWest,walkingoverfieldsofsoftgrassdottedhereandtherewithdaisiesandbuttercups。Dorothystillworetheprettysilkdressshehadputoninthepalace,butnow,tohersurprise,shefounditwasnolongergreen,butpurewhite。TheribbonaroundToto’sneckhadalsolostitsgreencolorandwasaswhiteasDorothy’sdress。

  TheEmeraldCitywassoonleftfarbehind。Astheyadvancedthegroundbecamerougherandhillier,fortherewerenofarmsnorhousesinthiscountryoftheWest,andthegroundwasuntilled。

  Intheafternoonthesunshonehotintheirfaces,fortherewerenotreestoofferthemshade;sothatbeforenightDorothyandTotoandtheLionweretired,andlaydownuponthegrassandfellasleep,withtheWoodmanandtheScarecrowkeepingwatch。

  NowtheWickedWitchoftheWesthadbutoneeye,yetthatwasaspowerfulasatelescope,andcouldseeeverywhere。So,asshesatinthedoorofhercastle,shehappenedtolookaroundandsawDorothylyingasleep,withherfriendsallabouther。Theywerealongdistanceoff,buttheWickedWitchwasangrytofindtheminhercountry;sosheblewuponasilverwhistlethathungaroundherneck。

  Atoncetherecamerunningtoherfromalldirectionsapackofgreatwolves。Theyhadlonglegsandfierceeyesandsharpteeth。

  \"Gotothosepeople,\"saidtheWitch,\"andtearthemtopieces。\"

  \"Areyounotgoingtomakethemyourslaves?\"askedtheleaderofthewolves。

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