\"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。