第2章

\"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。