第1章

ARecordofHerAdventureswithDorothyGaleofKansas,theYellowHen,theScarecrow,theTinWoodman,Tiktok,theCowardlyLionandtheHungryTiger;BesidesOtherGoodPeopletooNumeroustoMentionFaithfullyRecordedHereinContents——Author’sNote——

1。TheGirlintheChickenCoop2。TheYellowHen3。LettersintheSand4。Tiktok,theMachineMan5。DorothyOpenstheDinnerPail6。TheHeadsofLangwidere7。OzmaofOztotheRescue8。TheHungryTiger9。TheRoyalFamilyofEv10。TheGiantwiththeHammer11。TheNomeKing12。TheElevenGuesses13。TheNomeKingLaughs14。DorothyTriestobeBrave15。BillinaFrightenstheNomeKing16。Purple,GreenandGold17。TheScarecrowWinstheFight18。TheFateoftheTinWoodman19。TheKingofEv20。TheEmeraldCity21。Dorothy’sMagicBeltAuthor’sNoteMyfriendsthechildrenareresponsibleforthisnew\"OzBook,\"astheywereforthelastone,whichwascalledTheLandofOz。Theirsweetlittleletterspleadtoknow\"moreaboutDorothy\";andtheyask:

\"WhatbecameoftheCowardlyLion?\"and\"WhatdidOzmadoafterward?\"——meaning,ofcourse,aftershebecametheRulerofOz。

Andsomeofthemsuggestplotstome,saying:\"PleasehaveDorothygototheLandofOzagain\";or,\"Whydon’tyoumakeOzmaandDorothymeet,andhaveagoodtimetogether?\"Indeed,couldIdoallthatmylittlefriendsask,Iwouldbeobligedtowritedozensofbookstosatisfytheirdemands。AndIwishIcould,forIenjoywritingthesestoriesjustasmuchasthechildrensaytheyenjoyreadingthem。

Well,hereis\"moreaboutDorothy,\"andaboutouroldfriendstheScarecrowandtheTinWoodman,andabouttheCowardlyLion,andOzma,andalltherestofthem;andhere,likewise,isagooddealaboutsomenewfolksthatarequeerandunusual。Onelittlefriend,whoreadthisstorybeforeitwasprinted,saidtome:\"BillinaisREAL

OZZY,Mr。Baum,andsoareTiktokandtheHungryTiger。\"

Ifthisjudgmentisunbiasedandcorrect,andthelittlefolksfindthisnewstory\"realOzzy,\"IshallbeverygladindeedthatIwroteit。ButperhapsIshallgetsomemoreofthoseverywelcomelettersfrommyreaders,tellingmejusthowtheylike\"OzmaofOz。\"Ihopeso,anyway。

L。FRANKBAUM。

MACATAWA,1907。

1。TheGirlintheChickenCoopThewindblewhardandjoggledthewateroftheocean,sendingripplesacrossitssurface。Thenthewindpushedtheedgesoftheripplesuntiltheybecamewaves,andshovedthewavesarounduntiltheybecamebillows。Thebillowsrolleddreadfullyhigh:highereventhanthetopsofhouses。Someofthem,indeed,rolledashighasthetopsoftalltrees,andseemedlikemountains;andthegulfsbetweenthegreatbillowswerelikedeepvalleys。

Allthismaddashingandsplashingofthewatersofthebigocean,whichthemischievouswindcausedwithoutanygoodreasonwhatever,resultedinaterriblestorm,andastormontheoceanisliabletocutmanyqueerpranksanddoalotofdamage。

Atthetimethewindbegantoblow,ashipwassailingfaroutuponthewaters。Whenthewavesbegantotumbleandtossandtogrowbiggerandbiggertheshiprolledupanddown,andtippedsidewise——firstonewayandthentheother——andwasjostledaroundsoroughlythateventhesailor-menhadtoholdfasttotheropesandrailingstokeepthemselvesfrombeingsweptawaybythewindorpitchedheadlongintothesea。

Andthecloudsweresothickintheskythatthesunlightcouldn’tgetthroughthem;sothatthedaygrewdarkasnight,whichaddedtotheterrorsofthestorm。

TheCaptainoftheshipwasnotafraid,becausehehadseenstormsbefore,andhadsailedhisshipthroughtheminsafety;butheknewthathispassengerswouldbeindangeriftheytriedtostayondeck,soheputthemallintothecabinandtoldthemtostaythereuntilafterthestormwasover,andtokeepbraveheartsandnotbescared,andallwouldbewellwiththem。

Now,amongthesepassengerswasalittleKansasgirlnamedDorothyGale,whowasgoingwithherUncleHenrytoAustralia,tovisitsomerelativestheyhadneverbeforeseen。UncleHenry,youmustknow,wasnotverywell,becausehehadbeenworkingsohardonhisKansasfarmthathishealthhadgivenwayandlefthimweakandnervous。SoheleftAuntEmathometowatchafterthehiredmenandtotakecareofthefarm,whilehetraveledfarawaytoAustraliatovisithiscousinsandhaveagoodrest。

Dorothywaseagertogowithhimonthisjourney,andUncleHenrythoughtshewouldbegoodcompanyandhelpcheerhimup;sohedecidedtotakeheralong。Thelittlegirlwasquiteanexperiencedtraveller,forshehadoncebeencarriedbyacycloneasfarawayfromhomeasthemarvelousLandofOz,andshehadmetwithagoodmanyadventuresinthatstrangecountrybeforeshemanagedtogetbacktoKansasagain。Soshewasn’teasilyfrightened,whateverhappened,andwhenthewindbegantohowlandwhistle,andthewavesbegantotumbleandtoss,ourlittlegirldidn’tmindtheuproartheleastbit。

\"Ofcoursewe’llhavetostayinthecabin,\"shesaidtoUncleHenryandtheotherpassengers,\"andkeepasquietaspossibleuntilthestormisover。FortheCaptainsaysifwegoondeckwemaybeblownoverboard。\"

Noonewantedtorisksuchanaccidentasthat,youmaybesure;

soallthepassengersstayedhuddledupinthedarkcabin,listeningtotheshriekingofthestormandthecreakingofthemastsandriggingandtryingtokeepfrombumpingintooneanotherwhentheshiptippedsidewise。

DorothyhadalmostfallenasleepwhenshewasarousedwithastarttofindthatUncleHenrywasmissing。Shecouldn’timaginewherehehadgone,andashewasnotverystrongshebegantoworryabouthim,andtofearhemighthavebeencarelessenoughtogoondeck。Inthatcasehewouldbeingreatdangerunlessheinstantlycamedownagain。

ThefactwasthatUncleHenryhadgonetoliedowninhislittlesleeping-berth,butDorothydidnotknowthat。SheonlyrememberedthatAuntEmhadcautionedhertotakegoodcareofheruncle,soatonceshedecidedtogoondeckandfindhim,inspiteofthefactthatthetempestwasnowworsethanever,andtheshipwasplunginginareallydreadfulmanner。Indeed,thelittlegirlfounditwasasmuchasshecoulddotomountthestairstothedeck,andassoonasshegottherethewindstruckhersofiercelythatitalmosttoreawaytheskirtsofherdress。YetDorothyfeltasortofjoyousexcitementindefyingthestorm,andwhilesheheldfasttotherailingshepeeredaroundthroughthegloomandthoughtshesawthedimformofamanclingingtoamastnotfarawayfromher。Thismightbeheruncle,soshecalledasloudlyasshecould:

\"UncleHenry!UncleHenry!\"

Butthewindscreechedandhowledsomadlythatshescarceheardherownvoice,andthemancertainlyfailedtohearher,forhedidnotmove。

Dorothydecidedshemustgotohim;soshemadeadashforward,duringalullinthestorm,towhereabigsquarechicken-coophadbeenlashedtothedeckwithropes。Shereachedthisplaceinsafety,butnosoonerhadsheseizedfastholdoftheslatsofthebigboxinwhichthechickenswerekeptthanthewind,asifenragedbecausethelittlegirldaredtoresistitspower,suddenlyredoubleditsfury。

Withascreamlikethatofanangrygiantittoreawaytheropesthatheldthecoopandliftedithighintotheair,withDorothystillclingingtotheslats。Aroundandoveritwhirled,thiswayandthat,andafewmomentslaterthechicken-coopdroppedfarawayintothesea,wherethebigwavescaughtitandsliditup-hilltoafoamingcrestandthendown-hillintoadeepvalley,asifitwerenothingmorethanaplaythingtokeepthemamused。

Dorothyhadagoodducking,youmaybesure,butshedidn’tlooseherpresenceofmindevenforasecond。Shekepttightholdofthestoutslatsandassoonasshecouldgetthewateroutofhereyesshesawthatthewindhadrippedthecoverfromthecoop,andthepoorchickenswereflutteringawayineverydirection,beingblownbythewinduntiltheylookedlikefeatherdusterswithouthandles。Thebottomofthecoopwasmadeofthickboards,soDorothyfoundshewasclingingtoasortofraft,withsidesofslats,whichreadilyboreupherweight。Aftercoughingthewateroutofherthroatandgettingherbreathagain,shemanagedtoclimbovertheslatsandstanduponthefirmwoodenbottomofthecoop,whichsupportedhereasilyenough。

\"Why,I’vegotashipofmyown!\"shethought,moreamusedthanfrightenedathersuddenchangeofcondition;andthen,asthecoopclimbeduptothetopofabigwave,shelookedeagerlyaroundfortheshipfromwhichshehadbeenblown。

Itwasfar,faraway,bythistime。Perhapsnooneonboardhadyetmissedher,orknewofherstrangeadventure。Downintoavalleybetweenthewavesthecoopswepther,andwhensheclimbedanothercresttheshiplookedlikeatoyboat,itwassuchalongwayoff。

Soonithadentirelydisappearedinthegloom,andthenDorothygaveasighofregretatpartingwithUncleHenryandbegantowonderwhatwasgoingtohappentohernext。

Justnowshewastossingonthebosomofabigocean,withnothingtokeepherafloatbutamiserablewoodenhen-coopthathadaplankbottomandslattedsides,throughwhichthewaterconstantlysplashedandwettedherthroughtotheskin!Andtherewasnothingtoeatwhenshebecamehungry——asshewassuretodobeforelong——andnofreshwatertodrinkandnodryclothestoputon。

\"Well,Ideclare!\"sheexclaimed,withalaugh。\"You’reinaprettyfix,DorothyGale,Icantellyou!andIhaven’ttheleastideahowyou’regoingtogetoutofit!\"

Asiftoaddtohertroublesthenightwasnowcreepingon,andthegraycloudsoverheadchangedtoinkyblackness。Butthewind,asifsatisfiedatlastwithitsmischievouspranks,stoppedblowingthisoceanandhurriedawaytoanotherpartoftheworldtoblowsomethingelse;sothatthewaves,notbeingjoggledanymore,begantoquietdownandbehavethemselves。

ItwasluckyforDorothy,Ithink,thatthestormsubsided;otherwise,bravethoughshewas,Ifearshemighthaveperished。Manychildren,inherplace,wouldhaveweptandgivenwaytodespair;butbecauseDorothyhadencounteredsomanyadventuresandcomesafelythroughthemitdidnotoccurtoheratthistimetobeespeciallyafraid。

Shewaswetanduncomfortable,itistrue;but,aftersighingthatonesighItoldyouof,shemanagedtorecallsomeofhercustomarycheerfulnessanddecidedtopatientlyawaitwhateverherfatemightbe。

Byandbytheblackcloudsrolledawayandshowedablueskyoverhead,withasilvermoonshiningsweetlyinthemiddleofitandlittlestarswinkingmerrilyatDorothywhenshelookedtheirway。Thecoopdidnottossaroundanymore,butrodethewavesmoregently——almostlikeacradlerocking——sothattheflooruponwhichDorothystoodwasnolongersweptbywatercomingthroughtheslats。Seeingthis,andbeingquiteexhaustedbytheexcitementofthepastfewhours,thelittlegirldecidedthatsleepwouldbethebestthingtorestoreherstrengthandtheeasiestwayinwhichshecouldpassthetime。Thefloorwasdampandshewasherselfwringingwet,butfortunatelythiswasawarmclimateandshedidnotfeelatallcold。

Soshesatdowninacornerofthecoop,leanedherbackagainsttheslats,noddedatthefriendlystarsbeforesheclosedhereyes,andwasasleepinhalfaminute。

2。TheYellowHenAstrangenoiseawokeDorothy,whoopenedhereyestofindthatdayhaddawnedandthesunwasshiningbrightlyinaclearsky。ShehadbeendreamingthatshewasbackinKansasagain,andplayingintheoldbarn-yardwiththecalvesandpigsandchickensallaroundher;

andatfirst,assherubbedthesleepfromhereyes,shereallyimaginedshewasthere。

\"Kut-kut-kut,ka-daw-kut!Kut-kut-kut,ka-daw-kut!\"

Ah;hereagainwasthestrangenoisethathadawakenedher。Surelyitwasahencackling!Butherwide-openeyesfirstsaw,throughtheslatsofthecoop,thebluewavesoftheocean,nowcalmandplacid,andherthoughtsflewbacktothepastnight,sofullofdangeranddiscomfort。Alsoshebegantorememberthatshewasawaifofthestorm,adriftuponatreacherousandunknownsea。

\"Kut-kut-kut,ka-daw-w-w——kut!\"

\"What’sthat?\"criedDorothy,startingtoherfeet。

\"Why,I’vejustlaidanegg,that’sall,\"repliedasmall,butsharpanddistinctvoice,andlookingaroundherthelittlegirldiscoveredayellowhensquattingintheoppositecornerofthecoop。

\"Dearme!\"sheexclaimed,insurprise;\"haveYOUbeenhereallnight,too?\"

\"Ofcourse,\"answeredthehen,flutteringherwingsandyawning。

\"WhenthecoopblewawayfromtheshipIclungfasttothiscorner,withclawsandbeak,forIknewifIfellintothewaterI’dsurelybedrowned。Indeed,Inearlydrowned,asitwas,withallthatwaterwashingoverme。Ineverwassowetbeforeinmylife!\"

\"Yes,\"agreedDorothy,\"itwasprettywet,foratime,Iknow。Butdoyoufeelcomfor’blenow?\"

\"Notvery。Thesunhashelpedtodrymyfeathers,asithasyourdress,andIfeelbettersinceIlaidmymorningegg。Butwhat’stobecomeofus,Ishouldliketoknow,afloatonthisbigpond?\"

\"I’dliketoknowthat,too,\"saidDorothy。\"But,tellme;howdoesithappenthatyouareabletotalk?Ithoughthenscouldonlycluckandcackle。\"

\"Why,asforthat,\"answeredtheyellowhenthoughtfully,\"I’vecluckedandcackledallmylife,andneverspokenawordbeforethismorning,thatIcanremember。Butwhenyouaskedaquestion,aminuteago,itseemedthemostnaturalthingintheworldtoansweryou。SoIspoke,andIseemtokeeponspeaking,justasyouandotherhumanbeingsdo。Strange,isn’tit?\"

\"Very,\"repliedDorothy。\"IfwewereintheLandofOz,Iwouldn’tthinkitsoqueer,becausemanyoftheanimalscantalkinthatfairycountry。ButouthereintheoceanmustbeagoodlongwayfromOz。\"

\"Howismygrammar?\"askedtheyellowhen,anxiously。\"DoIspeakquiteproperly,inyourjudgment?\"

\"Yes,\"saidDorothy,\"youdoverywell,forabeginner。\"

\"I’mgladtoknowthat,\"continuedtheyellowhen,inaconfidentialtone;\"because,ifoneisgoingtotalk,it’sbesttotalkcorrectly。

Theredroosterhasoftensaidthatmycluckandmycacklewerequiteperfect;andnowit’sacomforttoknowIamtalkingproperly。\"

\"I’mbeginningtogethungry,\"remarkedDorothy。\"It’sbreakfasttime;butthere’snobreakfast。\"

\"Youmayhavemyegg,\"saidtheyellowhen。\"Idon’tcareforit,youknow。\"

\"Don’tyouwanttohatchit?\"askedthelittlegirl,insurprise。

\"No,indeed;InevercaretohatcheggsunlessI’veanicesnugnest,insomequietplace,withabaker’sdozenofeggsunderme。That’sthirteen,youknow,andit’saluckynumberforhens。Soyoumayaswelleatthisegg。\"

\"Oh,Icouldn’tPOSS’BLYeatit,unlessitwascooked,\"exclaimedDorothy。\"ButI’mmuchobligedforyourkindness,justthesame。\"

\"Don’tmentionit,mydear,\"answeredthehen,calmly,andbeganpruningherfeathers。

ForamomentDorothystoodlookingoutoverthewidesea。Shewasstillthinkingoftheegg,though;sopresentlysheasked:

\"Whydoyoulayeggs,whenyoudon’texpecttohatchthem?\"

\"It’sahabitIhave,\"repliedtheyellowhen。\"Ithasalwaysbeenmypridetolayafresheggeverymorning,exceptwhenI’mmoulting。I

neverfeellikehavingmymorningcackletilltheeggisproperlylaid,andwithoutthechancetocackleIwouldnotbehappy。\"

\"It’sstrange,\"saidthegirl,reflectively;\"butasI’mnotahenI

can’tbe’spectedtounderstandthat。\"

\"Certainlynot,mydear。\"

ThenDorothyfellsilentagain。Theyellowhenwassomecompany,andabitofcomfort,too;butitwasdreadfullylonelyoutonthebigocean,nevertheless。

Afteratimethehenflewupandpercheduponthetopmostslatofthecoop,whichwasalittleaboveDorothy’sheadwhenshewassittinguponthebottom,asshehadbeendoingforsomemomentspast。

\"Why,wearenotfarfromland!\"exclaimedthehen。

\"Where?Whereisit?\"criedDorothy,jumpingupingreatexcitement。

\"Overtherealittleway,\"answeredthehen,noddingherheadinacertaindirection。\"Weseemtobedriftingtowardit,sothatbeforenoonweoughttofindourselvesupondrylandagain。\"

\"Ishalllikethat!\"saidDorothy,withalittlesigh,forherfeetandlegswerestillwettednowandthenbythesea-waterthatcamethroughtheopenslats。

\"SoshallI,\"answeredhercompanion。\"Thereisnothingintheworldsomiserableasawethen。\"

Theland,whichtheyseemedtoberapidlyapproaching,sinceitgrewmoredistincteveryminute,wasquitebeautifulasviewedbythelittlegirlinthefloatinghen-coop。Nexttothewaterwasabroadbeachofwhitesandandgravel,andfartherbackwereseveralrockyhills,whilebeyondtheseappearedastripofgreentreesthatmarkedtheedgeofaforest。Buttherewerenohousestobeseen,noranysignofpeoplewhomightinhabitthisunknownland。

\"Ihopeweshallfindsomethingtoeat,\"saidDorothy,lookingeagerlyattheprettybeachtowardwhichtheydrifted。\"It’slongpastbreakfasttime,now。\"

\"I’matriflehungry,myself,\"declaredtheyellowhen。

\"Whydon’tyoueattheegg?\"askedthechild。\"Youdon’tneedtohaveyourfoodcooked,asIdo。\"

\"Doyoutakemeforacannibal?\"criedthehen,indignantly。\"IdonotknowwhatIhavesaidordonethatleadsyoutoinsultme!\"

\"Ibegyourpardon,I’msureMrs。——Mrs。——bytheway,mayIinquireyourname,ma’am?\"askedthelittlegirl。

\"MynameisBill,\"saidtheyellowhen,somewhatgruffly。

\"Bill!Why,that’saboy’sname。\"

\"Whatdifferencedoesthatmake?\"

\"You’realadyhen,aren’tyou?\"

\"Ofcourse。ButwhenIwasfirsthatchedoutnoonecouldtellwhetherIwasgoingtobeahenorarooster;sothelittleboyatthefarmwhereIwasborncalledmeBill,andmadeapetofmebecauseI

wastheonlyyellowchickeninthewholebrood。WhenIgrewup,andhefoundthatIdidn’tcrowandfight,asalltheroostersdo,hedidnotthinktochangemyname,andeverycreatureinthebarn-yard,aswellasthepeopleinthehouse,knewmeas’Bill。’SoBillI’vealwaysbeencalled,andBillismyname。\"

\"Butit’sallwrong,youknow,\"declaredDorothy,earnestly;\"and,ifyoudon’tmind,Ishallcallyou’Billina。’Puttingthe’eena’ontheendmakesitagirl’sname,yousee。\"

\"Oh,Idon’tminditintheleast,\"returnedtheyellowhen。\"Itdoesn’tmatteratallwhatyoucallme,solongasIknowthenamemeansME。\"

\"Verywell,Billina。MYnameisDorothyGale——justDorothytomyfriendsandMissGaletostrangers。YoumaycallmeDorothy,ifyoulike。We’regettingveryneartheshore。Doyousupposeitistoodeepformetowadetherestoftheway?\"

\"Waitafewminuteslonger。Thesunshineiswarmandpleasant,andweareinnohurry。\"

\"Butmyfeetareallwetandsoggy,\"saidthegirl。\"Mydressisdryenough,butIwon’tfeelrealcomfor’bletillIgetmyfeetdried。\"

Shewaited,however,asthehenadvised,andbeforelongthebigwoodencoopgratedgentlyonthesandybeachandthedangerousvoyagewasover。

Itdidnottakethecastawayslongtoreachtheshore,youmaybesure。Theyellowhenflewtothesandsatonce,butDorothyhadtoclimboverthehighslats。Still,foracountrygirl,thatwasnotmuchofafeat,andassoonasshewassafeashoreDorothydrewoffherwetshoesandstockingsandspreadthemuponthesun-warmedbeachtodry。

ThenshesatdownandwatchedBillina,whowaspick-peckingawaywithhersharpbillinthesandandgravel,whichshescratchedupandturnedoverwithherstrongclaws。

\"Whatareyoudoing?\"askedDorothy。

\"Gettingmybreakfast,ofcourse,\"murmuredthehen,busilypeckingaway。

\"Whatdoyoufind?\"inquiredthegirl,curiously。

\"Oh,somefatredants,andsomesand-bugs,andonceinawhileatinycrab。Theyareverysweetandnice,Iassureyou。\"

\"Howdreadful!\"exclaimedDorothy,inashockedvoice。

\"Whatisdreadful?\"askedthehen,liftingherheadtogazewithonebrighteyeathercompanion。

\"Why,eatinglivethings,andhorridbugs,andcrawlyants。Yououghttobe’SHAMEDofyourself!\"

\"Goodnessme!\"returnedthehen,inapuzzledtone;\"howqueeryouare,Dorothy!Livethingsaremuchfresherandmorewholesomethandeadones,andyouhumanseatallsortsofdeadcreatures。\"

\"Wedon’t!\"saidDorothy。

\"Youdo,indeed,\"answeredBillina。\"Youeatlambsandsheepandcowsandpigsandevenchickens。\"

\"Butwecook’em,\"saidDorothy,triumphantly。

\"Whatdifferencedoesthatmake?\"

\"Agooddeal,\"saidthegirl,inagravertone。\"Ican’tjust’splainthediff’rence,butit’sthere。And,anyhow,wenevereatsuchdreadfulthingsasBUGS。\"

\"Butyoueatthechickensthateatthebugs,\"retortedtheyellowhen,withanoddcackle。\"Soyouarejustasbadaswechickensare。\"

ThismadeDorothythoughtful。WhatBillinasaidwastrueenough,anditalmosttookawayherappetiteforbreakfast。Asfortheyellowhen,shecontinuedtopeckawayatthesandbusily,andseemedquitecontentedwithherbill-of-fare。

Finally,downnearthewater’sedge,Billinastuckherbilldeepintothesand,andthendrewbackandshivered。

\"Ow!\"shecried。\"Istruckmetal,thattime,anditnearlybrokemybeak。\"

\"Itprob’blywasarock,\"saidDorothy,carelessly。

\"Nonsense。Iknowarockfrommetal,Iguess,\"saidthehen。

\"There’sadifferentfeeltoit。\"

\"Buttherecouldn’tbeanymetalonthiswild,desertedseashore,\"

persistedthegirl。\"Where’stheplace?I’lldigitup,andprovetoyouI’mright,\"

Billinashowedhertheplacewhereshehad\"stubbedherbill,\"assheexpressedit,andDorothydugawaythesanduntilshefeltsomethinghard。Then,thrustinginherhand,shepulledthethingout,anddiscoveredittobealargesizedgoldenkey——ratherold,butstillbrightandofperfectshape。

\"WhatdidItellyou?\"criedthehen,withacackleoftriumph。\"CanItellmetalwhenIbumpintoit,oristhethingarock?\"

\"It’smetal,sureenough,\"answeredthechild,gazingthoughtfullyatthecuriousthingshehadfound。\"Ithinkitispuregold,anditmusthavelainhiddeninthesandforalongtime。Howdoyousupposeitcamethere,Billina?Andwhatdoyousupposethismysteriouskeyunlocks?\"

\"Ican’tsay,\"repliedthehen。\"YououghttoknowmoreaboutlocksandkeysthanIdo。\"

Dorothyglancedaround。Therewasnosignofanyhouseinthatpartofthecountry,andshereasonedthateverykeymustfitalockandeverylockmusthaveapurpose。Perhapsthekeyhadbeenlostbysomebodywholivedfaraway,buthadwanderedonthisveryshore。

Musingonthesethingsthegirlputthekeyinthepocketofherdressandthenslowlydrewonhershoesandstockings,whichthesunhadfullydried。

\"Ib’lieve,Billina,\"shesaid,\"I’llhavealook’round,andseeifI

canfindsomebreakfast。\"

3。LettersintheSandWalkingalittlewaybackfromthewater’sedge,towardthegroveoftrees,Dorothycametoaflatstretchofwhitesandthatseemedtohavequeersignsmarkeduponitssurface,justasonewouldwriteuponsandwithastick。

\"Whatdoesitsay?\"sheaskedtheyellowhen,whotrottedalongbesideherinaratherdignifiedfashion。

\"HowshouldIknow?\"returnedthehen。\"Icannotread。\"

\"Oh!Can’tyou?\"

\"Certainlynot;I’veneverbeentoschool,youknow。\"

\"Well,Ihave,\"admittedDorothy;\"butthelettersarebigandfarapart,andit’shardtospelloutthewords。\"

Butshelookedateachlettercarefully,andfinallydiscoveredthatthesewordswerewritteninthesand:

\"BEWARETHEWHEELERS!\"

\"That’sratherstrange,\"declaredthehen,whenDorothyhadreadaloudthewords。\"WhatdoyousupposetheWheelersare?\"

\"Folksthatwheel,Iguess。Theymusthavewheelbarrows,orbaby-cabsorhand-carts,\"saidDorothy。

\"Perhapsthey’reautomobiles,\"suggestedtheyellowhen。\"Thereisnoneedtobewareofbaby-cabsandwheelbarrows;butautomobilesaredangerousthings。Severalofmyfriendshavebeenrunoverbythem。\"

\"Itcan’tbeauto’biles,\"repliedthegirl,\"forthisisanew,wildcountry,withouteventrolley-carsortel’phones。Thepeopleherehaven’tbeendiscoveredyet,I’msure;thatis,ifthereAREanypeople。SoIdon’tb’lievethereCANbeanyauto’biles,Billina。\"

\"Perhapsnot,\"admittedtheyellowhen。\"Whereareyougoingnow?\"

\"Overtothosetrees,toseeifIcanfindsomefruitornuts,\"

answeredDorothy。

Shetrampedacrossthesand,skirtingthefootofoneofthelittlerockyhillsthatstoodnear,andsoonreachedtheedgeoftheforest。

Atfirstshewasgreatlydisappointed,becausethenearertreeswereallpunita,orcotton-woodoreucalyptus,andborenofruitornutsatall。But,byeandbye,whenshewasalmostindespair,thelittlegirlcameupontwotreesthatpromisedtofurnishherwithplentyoffood。

Onewasquitefullofsquarepaperboxes,whichgrewinclustersonallthelimbs,anduponthebiggestandripestboxestheword\"Lunch\"

couldberead,inneatraisedletters。Thistreeseemedtobearalltheyeararound,fortherewerelunch-boxblossomsonsomeofthebranches,andonotherstinylittlelunch-boxesthatwereasyetquitegreen,andevidentlynotfittoeatuntiltheyhadgrownbigger。

Theleavesofthistreewereallpapernapkins,anditpresentedaverypleasingappearancetothehungrylittlegirl。

Butthetreenexttothelunch-boxtreewasevenmorewonderful,foritborequantitiesoftindinner-pails,whichweresofullandheavythatthestoutbranchesbentunderneaththeirweight。Someweresmallanddark-brownincolor;thoselargerwereofadulltincolor;butthereallyripeoneswerepailsofbrighttinthatshoneandglistenedbeautifullyintheraysofsunshinethattouchedthem。

Dorothywasdelighted,andeventheyellowhenacknowledgedthatshewassurprised。

Thelittlegirlstoodontip-toeandpickedoneofthenicestandbiggestlunch-boxes,andthenshesatdownuponthegroundandeagerlyopenedit。Insideshefound,nicelywrappedinwhitepapers,ahamsandwich,apieceofsponge-cake,apickle,asliceofnewcheeseandanapple。Eachthinghadaseparatestem,andsohadtobepickedoffthesideofthebox;butDorothyfoundthemalltobedelicious,andsheateeverybitofluncheonintheboxbeforeshehadfinished。

\"Alunchisn’tzactlybreakfast,\"shesaidtoBillina,whosatbesidehercuriouslywatching。\"Butwhenoneishungryonecaneatevensupperinthemorning,andnotcomplain。\"

\"Ihopeyourlunch-boxwasperfectlyripe,\"observedtheyellowhen,inaanxioustone。\"Somuchsicknessiscausedbyeatinggreenthings。\"

\"Oh,I’msureitwasripe,\"declaredDorothy,\"all,thatis,’ceptthepickle,andapicklejustHAStobegreen,Billina。Buteverythingtastedperfectlysplendid,andI’dratherhaveitthanachurchpicnic。AndnowIthinkI’llpickadinner-pail,tohavewhenIgethungryagain,andthenwe’llstartoutand’splorethecountry,andseewhereweare。\"

\"Haven’tyouanyideawhatcountrythisis?\"inquiredBillina。

\"Noneatall。Butlisten:I’mquitesureit’safairycountry,orsuchthingsaslunch-boxesanddinner-pailswouldn’tbegrowingupontrees。Besides,Billina,beingahen,youwouldn’tbeabletotalkinanyciv’lizedcountry,likeKansas,wherenofairiesliveatall。\"

\"Perhapswe’reintheLandofOz,\"saidthehen,thoughtfully。

\"No,thatcan’tbe,\"answeredthelittlegirl;becauseI’vebeentotheLandofOz,andit’sallsurroundedbyahorriddesertthatnoonecancross。\"

\"Thenhowdidyougetawayfromthereagain?\"askedBillina。

\"Ihadapairofsilvershoes,thatcarriedmethroughtheair;butI

lostthem,\"saidDorothy。

\"Ah,indeed,\"remarkedtheyellowhen,inatoneofunbelief。

\"Anyhow,\"resumedthegirl,\"thereisnoseashoreneartheLandofOz,sothismustsurelybesomeotherfairycountry。\"

Whileshewasspeakingsheselectedabrightandprettydinner-pailthatseemedtohaveastouthandle,andpickeditfromitsbranch。

Then,accompaniedbytheyellowhen,shewalkedoutoftheshadowofthetreestowardthesea-shore。

TheywerepartwayacrossthesandswhenBillinasuddenlycried,inavoiceofterror:

\"What’sthat?\"

Dorothyturnedquicklyaround,andsawcomingoutofapaththatledfrombetweenthetreesthemostpeculiarpersonhereyeshadeverbeheld。

Ithadtheformofaman,exceptthatitwalked,orratherrolled,uponallfours,anditslegswerethesamelengthasitsarms,givingthemtheappearanceofthefourlegsofabeast。YetitwasnobeastthatDorothyhaddiscovered,forthepersonwasclothedmostgorgeouslyinembroideredgarmentsofmanycolors,andworeastrawhatperchedjauntilyuponthesideofitshead。Butitdifferedfromhumanbeingsinthisrespect,thatinsteadofhandsandfeettheregrewattheendofitsarmsandlegsroundwheels,andbymeansofthesewheelsitrolledveryswiftlyoverthelevelground。AfterwardDorothyfoundthattheseoddwheelswereofthesamehardsubstancethatourfinger-nailsandtoe-nailsarecomposedof,andshealsolearnedthatcreaturesofthisstrangeracewereborninthisqueerfashion。Butwhenourlittlegirlfirstcaughtsightofthefirstindividualofaracethatwasdestinedtocauseheralotoftrouble,shehadanideathatthebrilliantly-clothedpersonagewasonroller-skates,whichwereattachedtohishandsaswellastohisfeet。

\"Run!\"screamedtheyellowhen,flutteringawayingreatfright。

\"It’saWheeler!\"

\"AWheeler?\"exclaimedDorothy。\"Whatcanthatbe?\"

\"Don’tyourememberthewarninginthesand:’BewaretheWheelers’?

Run,Itellyou——run!\"

SoDorothyran,andtheWheelergaveasharp,wildcryandcameafterherinfullchase。

Lookingoverhershoulderassheran,thegirlnowsawagreatprocessionofWheelersemergingfromtheforest——dozensanddozensofthem——allcladinsplendid,tight-fittinggarmentsandallrollingswiftlytowardherandutteringtheirwild,strangecries。

\"They’resuretocatchus!\"pantedthegirl,whowasstillcarryingtheheavydinner-pailshehadpicked。\"Ican’trunmuchfarther,Billina。\"

\"Climbupthishill,——quick!\"saidthehen;andDorothyfoundshewasveryneartotheheapoflooseandjaggedrockstheyhadpassedontheirwaytotheforest。Theyellowhenwasevennowflutteringamongtherocks,andDorothyfollowedasbestshecould,halfclimbingandhalftumblinguptheroughandruggedsteep。

Shewasnonetoosoon,fortheforemostWheelerreachedthehillamomentafterher;butwhilethegirlscrambleduptherocksthecreaturestoppedshortwithhowlsofrageanddisappointment。

Dorothynowheardtheyellowhenlaughing,inhercackling,hennyway。

\"Don’thurry,mydear,\"criedBillina。\"Theycan’tfollowusamongtheserocks,sowe’resafeenoughnow。\"

Dorothystoppedatonceandsatdownuponabroadboulder,forshewasalloutofbreath。

TherestoftheWheelershadnowreachedthefootofthehill,butitwasevidentthattheirwheelswouldnotrollupontheroughandjaggedrocks,andthereforetheywerehelplesstofollowDorothyandthehentowheretheyhadtakenrefuge。Buttheycircledallaroundthelittlehill,sothechildandBillinawerefastprisonersandcouldnotcomedownwithoutbeingcaptured。

ThenthecreaturesshooktheirfrontwheelsatDorothyinathreateningmanner,anditseemedtheywereabletospeakaswellastomaketheirdreadfuloutcries,forseveralofthemshouted:

\"We’llgetyouintime,neverfear!Andwhenwedogetyou,we’lltearyouintolittlebits!\"

\"Whyareyousocrueltome?\"askedDorothy。\"I’mastrangerinyourcountry,andhavedoneyounoharm。\"

\"Noharm!\"criedonewhoseemedtobetheirleader。\"Didyounotpickourlunch-boxesanddinner-pails?Haveyounotastolendinner-pailstillinyourhand?\"

\"Ionlypickedoneofeach,\"sheanswered。\"Iwashungry,andI

didn’tknowthetreeswereyours。\"

\"Thatisnoexcuse,\"retortedtheleader,whowasclothedinamostgorgeoussuit。\"Itisthelawherethatwhoeverpicksadinner-pailwithoutourpermissionmustdieimmediately。\"

\"Don’tyoubelievehim,\"saidBillina。\"I’msurethetreesdonotbelongtotheseawfulcreatures。Theyarefitforanymischief,andit’smyopiniontheywouldtrytokillusjustthesameifyouhadn’tpickedadinner-pail。\"

\"Ithinkso,too,\"agreedDorothy。\"Butwhatshallwedonow?\"

\"Staywhereweare,\"advisedtheyellowhen。\"WearesafefromtheWheelersuntilwestarvetodeath,anyhow;andbeforethattimecomesagoodmanythingscanhappen。\"

4。TiktoktheMachineManAfteranhourorsomostofthebandofWheelersrolledbackintotheforest,leavingonlythreeoftheirnumbertoguardthehill。Thesecurledthemselvesuplikebigdogsandpretendedtogotosleeponthesands;butneitherDorothynorBillinawerefooledbythistrick,sotheyremainedinsecurityamongtherocksandpaidnoattentiontotheircunningenemies。

Finallythehen,flutteringoverthemound,exclaimed:\"Why,here’sapath!\"

SoDorothyatonceclamberedtowhereBillinasat,andthere,sureenough,wasasmoothpathcutbetweentherocks。Itseemedtowindaroundthemoundfromtoptobottom,likeacork-screw,twistinghereandtherebetweentheroughbouldersbutalwaysremaininglevelandeasytowalkupon。

Indeed,DorothywonderedatfirstwhytheWheelersdidnotrollupthispath;butwhenshefollowedittothefootofthemoundshefoundthatseveralbigpiecesofrockhadbeenplaceddirectlyacrosstheendoftheway,thuspreventinganyoneoutsidefromseeingitandalsopreventingtheWheelersfromusingittoclimbupthemound。

ThenDorothywalkedbackupthepath,andfollowedituntilshecametotheverytopofthehill,whereasolitaryroundrockstoodthatwasbiggerthananyoftheotherssurroundingit。Thepathcametoanendjustbesidethisgreatrock,andforamomentitpuzzledthegirltoknowwhythepathhadbeenmadeatall。Butthehen,whohadbeengravelyfollowingheraroundandwasnowpercheduponapointofrockbehindDorothy,suddenlyremarked:

\"Itlookssomethinglikeadoor,doesn’tit?\"

\"Whatlookslikeadoor?\"enquiredthechild。

\"Why,thatcrackintherock,justfacingyou,\"repliedBillina,whoselittleroundeyeswereverysharpandseemedtoseeeverything。\"Itrunsuponesideanddowntheother,andacrossthetopandthebottom。\"

\"Whatdoes?\"

\"Why,thecrack。SoIthinkitmustbeadoorofrock,althoughIdonotseeanyhinges。\"

\"Oh,yes,\"saidDorothy,nowobservingforthefirsttimethecrackintherock。\"Andisn’tthisakey-hole,Billina?\"pointingtoaround,deepholeatonesideofthedoor。

\"Ofcourse。Ifweonlyhadthekey,now,wecouldunlockitandseewhatisthere,\"repliedtheyellowhen。\"Maybeit’satreasurechamberfullofdiamondsandrubies,orheapsofshininggold,or——\"

\"Thatremindsme,\"saidDorothy,\"ofthegoldenkeyIpickedupontheshore。Doyouthinkthatitwouldfitthiskey-hole,Billina?\"

\"Tryitandsee,\"suggestedthehen。

SoDorothysearchedinthepocketofherdressandfoundthegoldenkey。Andwhenshehadputitintotheholeoftherock,andturnedit,asuddensharpsnapwasheard;then,withasolemncreakthatmadetheshiversrundownthechild’sback,thefaceoftherockfelloutward,likeadooronhinges,andrevealedasmalldarkchamberjustinside。

\"Goodgracious!\"criedDorothy,shrinkingbackasfarasthenarrowpathwouldlether。

For,standingwithinthenarrowchamberofrock,wastheformofaman——or,atleast,itseemedlikeaman,inthedimlight。HewasonlyaboutastallasDorothyherself,andhisbodywasroundasaballandmadeoutofburnishedcopper。Alsohisheadandlimbswerecopper,andthesewerejointedorhingedtohisbodyinapeculiarway,withmetalcapsoverthejoints,likethearmorwornbyknightsindaysofold。Hestoodperfectlystill,andwherethelightstruckuponhisformitglitteredasifmadeofpuregold。

\"Don’tbefrightened,\"calledBillina,fromherperch。\"Itisn’talive。\"

\"Iseeitisn’t,\"repliedthegirl,drawingalongbreath。

\"Itisonlymadeoutofcopper,liketheoldkettleinthebarn-yardathome,\"continuedthehen,turningherheadfirsttoonesideandthentotheother,sothatbothherlittleroundeyescouldexaminetheobject。

\"Once,\"saidDorothy,\"Iknewamanmadeoutoftin,whowasawoodmannamedNickChopper。Buthewasasaliveasweare,’causehewasbornarealman,andgothistinbodyalittleatatime——firstalegandthenafingerandthenanear——forthereasonthathehadsomanyaccidentswithhisaxe,andcuthimselfupinaverycarelessmanner。\"

\"Oh,\"saidthehen,withasniff,asifshedidnotbelievethestory。

\"Butthiscopperman,\"continuedDorothy,lookingatitwithbigeyes,\"isnotaliveatall,andIwonderwhatitwasmadefor,andwhyitwaslockedupinthisqueerplace。\"

\"Thatisamystery,\"remarkedthehen,twistingherheadtoarrangeherwing-featherswithherbill。

Dorothysteppedinsidethelittleroomtogetabackviewofthecopperman,andinthiswaydiscoveredaprintedcardthathungbetweenhisshoulders,itbeingsuspendedfromasmallcopperpegatthebackofhisneck。Sheunfastenedthiscardandreturnedtothepath,wherethelightwasbetter,andsatherselfdownuponaslabofrocktoreadtheprinting。

\"Whatdoesitsay?\"askedthehen,curiously。

Dorothyreadthecardaloud,spellingoutthebigwordswithsomedifficulty;andthisiswhatsheread:

+————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————+

||

|SMITH&TINKER’S|

|PatentDouble-Action,Extra-Responsive,|

|Thought-Creating,Perfect-Talking|

|MECHANICALMAN|

|FittedwithourSpecialClock-WorkAttachment。|

|Thinks,Speaks,Acts,andDoesEverythingbutLive。|

|ManufacturedonlyatourWorksatEvna,LandofEv。|

|AllinfringementswillbepromptlyProsecutedaccordingtoLaw。|

||

+————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————+

\"Howqueer!\"saidtheyellowhen。\"Doyouthinkthatisalltrue,mydear?\"

\"Idon’tknow,\"answeredDorothy,whohadmoretoread。\"Listentothis,Billina:\"

+——————————————————————————————————————————————————+

||

|DIRECTIONSFORUSING:|

|ForTHINKING:——WindtheClock-workManunderhis|

|leftarm,(markedNo。1。)|

|ForSPEAKING:——WindtheClock-workManunderhis|

|rightarm,(markedNo。2。)|

|ForWALKINGandACTION:——WindClock-workinthe|

|middleofhisback,(markedNo。3。)|

|N。B。——ThisMechanismisguaranteedtowork|

|perfectlyforathousandyears。|

||

+——————————————————————————————————————————————————+

\"Well,Ideclare!\"gaspedtheyellowhen,inamazement;\"ifthecoppermancandohalfofthesethingsheisaverywonderfulmachine。ButI

supposeitisallhumbug,likesomanyotherpatentedarticles。\"

\"Wemightwindhimup,\"suggestedDorothy,\"andseewhathe’lldo。\"

\"Whereisthekeytotheclock-work?\"askedBillina。

\"HangingonthepegwhereIfoundthecard。\"

\"Then,\"saidthehen,\"letustryhim,andfindoutifhewillgo。Heiswarrantedforathousandyears,itseems;butwedonotknowhowlonghehasbeenstandinginsidethisrock。\"

Dorothyhadalreadytakentheclockkeyfromthepeg。

\"WhichshallIwindupfirst?\"sheasked,lookingagainatthedirectionsonthecard。

\"NumberOne,Ishouldthink,\"returnedBillina。\"Thatmakeshimthink,doesn’tit?\"

\"Yes,\"saidDorothy,andwoundupNumberOne,undertheleftarm。

\"Hedoesn’tseemanydifferent,\"remarkedthehen,critically。

\"Why,ofcoursenot;heisonlythinking,now,\"saidDorothy。

\"Iwonderwhatheisthinkingabout。\"

\"I’llwinduphistalk,andthenperhapshecantellus,\"saidthegirl。

SoshewoundupNumberTwo,andimmediatelytheclock-workmansaid,withoutmovinganypartofhisbodyexcepthislips:

\"Goodmorn-ing,lit-tlegirl。Goodmorn-ing,Mrs。Hen。\"

Thewordssoundedalittlehoarseandcreaky,andtheywereutteredallinthesametone,withoutanychangeofexpressionwhatever;butbothDorothyandBillinaunderstoodthemperfectly。

\"Goodmorning,sir,\"theyanswered,politely。

\"Thankyouforres-cu-ingme,\"continuedthemachine,inthesamemonotonousvoice,whichseemedtobeworkedbyabellowsinsideofhim,likethelittletoylambsandcatsthechildrensqueezesothattheywillmakeanoise。

\"Don’tmentionit,\"answeredDorothy。Andthen,beingverycurious,sheasked:\"Howdidyoucometobelockedupinthisplace?\"

\"Itisalongsto-ry,\"repliedthecopperman;\"butIwilltellittoyoubrief-ly。Iwaspur-chasedfromSmith&Tin-ker,myman-u-fac-tur-ers,byacru-elKingofEv,namedEv-ol-do,whousedtobeatallhisserv-antsun-tiltheydied。How-ev-er,hewasnota-bletokillme,be-causeIwasnota-live,andonemustfirstliveinor-dertodie。Sothatallhisbeat-ingdidmenoharm,andmere-lykeptmycop-perbod-ywellpol-ished。

\"Thiscru-elkinghadalove-lywifeandtenbeau-ti-fulchil-dren——fiveboysandfivegirls——butinafitofan-gerhesoldthemalltotheNomeKing,whobymeansofhismag-icartschangedthemallin-tooth-erformsandputtheminhisun-der-groundpal-acetoor-na-menttherooms。

\"Af-ter-wardtheKingofEvre-gret-tedhiswick-edac-tion,andtriedtogethiswifeandchil-drena-wayfromtheNomeKing,butwith-outa-vail。So,inde-spair,helockedmeupinthisrock,threwthekeyin-totheo-cean,andthenjumpedinaf-teritandwasdrowned。\"

\"Howverydreadful!\"exclaimedDorothy。

\"Itis,in-deed,\"saidthemachine。\"WhenIfoundmy-selfim-pris-onedIshout-edforhelpun-tilmyvoicerandown;andthenI

walkedbackandforthinthislit-tleroomun-tilmyac-tionrandown;

andthenIstoodstillandthoughtun-tilmythoughtsrandown。

Af-terthatIre-mem-bernoth-ingun-tilyouwoundmeupa-gain。\"

\"It’saverywonderfulstory,\"saidDorothy,\"andprovesthattheLandofEvisreallyafairyland,asIthoughtitwas。\"

\"Ofcourseitis,\"answeredthecopperman。\"Idonotsup-posesuchaper-fectma-chineasIamcouldbemadeinan-yplacebutafair-yland。\"

\"I’veneverseenoneinKansas,\"saidDorothy。

\"Butwheredidyougetthekeytoun-lockthisdoor?\"askedtheclock-workvoice。

\"Ifounditontheshore,whereitwasprob’lywashedupbythewaves,\"sheanswered。\"Andnow,sir,ifyoudon’tmind,I’llwindupyouraction。\"

\"Thatwillpleasemeve-rymuch,\"saidthemachine。

SoshewoundupNumberThree,andatoncethecoppermaninasomewhatstiffandjerkyfashionwalkedoutoftherockycavern,tookoffhiscopperhatandbowedpolitely,andthenkneeledbeforeDorothy。

Saidhe:

\"FromthistimeforthIamyouro-be-di-entser-vant。What-ev-eryoucom-mand,thatIwilldowill-ing-ly——ifyoukeepmewoundup。\"

\"Whatisyourname?\"sheasked。

\"Tik-tok,\"hereplied。\"Myfor-mermas-tergavemethatnamebe-causemyclock-workal-waystickswhenitiswoundup。\"

\"Icanhearitnow,\"saidtheyellowhen。

\"SocanI,\"saidDorothy。Andthensheadded,withsomeanxiety:\"Youdon’tstrike,doyou?\"

\"No,\"answeredTiktok;\"andthereisnoa-larmcon-nec-tedwithmyma-chin-er-y。Icantellthetime,though,byspeak-ing,andasInev-ersleepIcanwak-enyouatan-yhouryouwishtogetupinthemorn-ing。\"

\"That’snice,\"saidthelittlegirl;\"onlyIneverwishtogetupinthemorning。\"

\"YoucansleepuntilIlaymyegg,\"saidtheyellowhen。\"Then,whenIcackle,Tiktokwillknowitistimetowakenyou。\"

\"Doyoulayyoureggveryearly?\"askedDorothy。

\"Abouteighto’clock,\"saidBillina。\"Andeverybodyoughttobeupbythattime,I’msure。\"

5。DorothyOpenstheDinnerPail\"NowTiktok,\"saidDorothy,\"thefirstthingtobedoneistofindawayforustoescapefromtheserocks。TheWheelersaredownbelow,youknow,andthreatentokillus。\"

\"Thereisnorea-sontobea-fraidoftheWheel-ers,\"saidTiktok,thewordscomingmoreslowlythanbefore。

\"Whynot?\"sheasked。

\"Be-causetheyareag-g-g——gr-gr-r-r-\"

Hegaveasortofgurgleandstoppedshort,wavinghishandsfranticallyuntilsuddenlyhebecamemotionless,withonearmintheairandtheotherheldstifflybeforehimwithallthecopperfingersofthehandspreadoutlikeafan。

\"Dearme!\"saidDorothy,inafrightenedtone。\"Whatcanthematterbe?\"

\"He’srundown,Isuppose,\"saidthehen,calmly。\"Youcouldn’thavewoundhimupverytight。\"

\"Ididn’tknowhowmuchtowindhim,\"repliedthegirl;\"butI’lltrytodobetternexttime。\"

Sheranaroundthecoppermantotakethekeyfromthepegatthebackofhisneck,butitwasnotthere。

\"It’sgone!\"criedDorothy,indismay。

\"What’sgone?\"askedBillina。

\"Thekey。\"

\"Itprobablyfelloffwhenhemadethatlowbowtoyou,\"returnedthehen。\"Lookaround,andseeifyoucannotfinditagain。\"

Dorothylooked,andthehenhelpedher,andbyandbythegirldiscoveredtheclock-key,whichhadfallenintoacrackoftherock。

AtonceshewoundupTiktok’svoice,takingcaretogivethekeyasmanyturnsasitwouldgoaround。Shefoundthisquiteatask,asyoumayimagineifyouhaveevertriedtowindaclock,butthemachineman’sfirstwordsweretoassureDorothythathewouldnowrunforatleasttwenty-fourhours。