# The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (B1 edition)

*L. Frank Baum*

## Introduction

Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have always been part of childhood. Every healthy child has a natural and good love for stories. Children love stories that are fantastic and marvelous, and clearly not real. The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have made children’s hearts happier than all other human creations.

But the old fairy tale has served for many generations. Now we may call it “historical” in the children’s library. The time has come for a series of newer “wonder tales.” In these new tales there is no typical genie, dwarf or fairy any more. All the horrible and terrifying events are gone, too. The old authors invented these events to teach a frightening moral in each tale. But modern education already teaches children what is right and wrong. So the modern child wants only to be entertained by its wonder tales. It is happy to do without all the unpleasant events.

With this thought in mind, the story of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was written only to please the children of today. It tries to be a modern fairy tale. It keeps the wonder and the joy, and it leaves out the heartaches and the nightmares.

L. Frank Baum
Chicago, April, 1900.

### Glossary

- **folklore**: old stories and beliefs that people tell each other for many years
- **legend**: an old story about people or events long ago, which may not be true
- **myth**: a very old story, often about gods or heroes
- **fantastic**: very strange and full of imagination; not like real life
- **marvelous**: wonderful and surprising
- **generation**: all the people who are born and live at about the same time
- **genie**: a magic spirit in old stories who can make wishes come true
- **dwarf**: a very small man with magic powers in old fairy tales
- **moral**: a lesson about what is right and wrong that a story teaches
- **heartache**: a strong feeling of sadness

## Chapter I The Cyclone

Dorothy lived in the middle of the great Kansas prairies. She lived with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife. Their house was small, because the wood to build it had to come by wagon from many miles away. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, and these made one room. In this room there was a rusty old cookstove and a cupboard for the dishes. There was also a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy had a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar. There was only a small hole in the ground, called a cyclone cellar. The family could go there if one of those great whirlwinds came. These winds were strong enough to crush any building in their way. You reached the cellar through a trap door in the middle of the floor. From the trap door a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.

When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. There was not a single tree or house anywhere. The wide, flat country reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green. The sun had burned the tops of the long blades of grass. Now they were the same gray color that you could see everywhere. Once the house had been painted. But the sun made bubbles in the paint, and the rains washed it away. Now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.

When Aunt Em came there to live, she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes, and her eyes were a serious gray now. They had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and these were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and she never smiled now. Dorothy was an orphan. When she first came to live with Aunt Em, her laughter shocked her aunt. Whenever Aunt Em heard the child’s happy voice, she screamed and pressed her hand to her heart. And she still looked at the little girl with wonder. How could Dorothy find anything to laugh at?

Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night, and he did not know what joy was. He was gray too, from his long beard to his rough boots. He looked stern and serious, and he rarely spoke.

It was Toto who made Dorothy laugh. He saved her from growing as gray as everything else around her. Toto was not gray. He was a little black dog with long silky hair. He had small black eyes that twinkled happily on each side of his funny little nose. Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him and loved him dearly.

Today, however, they were not playing. Uncle Henry sat on the doorstep and looked anxiously at the sky. It was even grayer than usual. Dorothy stood in the door with Toto in her arms, and she looked at the sky too. Aunt Em was washing the dishes.

From the far north they heard the wind give a low, sad cry. Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see the long grass bending in waves before the coming storm. Then a sharp whistling came through the air from the south. They turned their eyes that way. There they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction too.

Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.

“There’s a cyclone coming, Em,” he called to his wife. “I’ll go and look after the stock.” Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept.

Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the door. One look told her that the danger was very near.

“Quick, Dorothy!” she screamed. “Run for the cellar!”

Toto jumped out of Dorothy’s arms and hid under the bed, and the girl went to get him. Aunt Em was badly frightened. She threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. At last Dorothy caught Toto and started to follow her aunt. She was halfway across the room when the wind gave a great scream. The house shook so hard that Dorothy lost her balance. She sat down suddenly on the floor.

Then a strange thing happened.

The house turned around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.

The north wind and the south wind met where the house stood. They made the house the exact center of the cyclone. In the middle of a cyclone the air is usually still. But the wind pushed hard on every side of the house. This great pressure raised it higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cyclone. There it stayed. It was carried miles and miles away, as easily as you could carry a feather.

It was very dark, and the wind howled horribly around her. But Dorothy found that she was riding quite easily. At first the house spun around a few times, and once it tipped badly. Apart from that, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle.

Toto did not like it. He ran about the room, now here, now there, barking loudly. But Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen.

Once Toto got too near the open trap door, and he fell in. At first the little girl thought she had lost him. But soon she saw one of his ears sticking up through the hole. The strong pressure of the air was holding him up, so he could not fall. Dorothy crawled to the hole and caught Toto by the ear. She pulled him back into the room. Then she closed the trap door so that no more accidents could happen.

Hour after hour passed, and slowly Dorothy stopped being afraid. But she felt very lonely. The wind screamed so loudly all around her that she nearly became deaf. At first she had wondered if she would be broken to pieces when the house fell again. But the hours passed and nothing terrible happened. So she stopped worrying. She decided to wait calmly and see what the future would bring. At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed and lay down on it. Toto followed her and lay down beside her.

The house was still swaying and the wind was still crying. But Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

### Glossary

- **cyclone**: a very strong wind that turns round and round very fast and can lift houses
- **prairie**: a very large, flat area of grassland
- **garret**: a room at the top of a house, under the roof
- **cyclone cellar**: a hole under the ground; here, a place to hide from a cyclone
- **trap door**: a small door in a floor
- **gaunt**: very thin, in a way that looks tired or ill
- **orphan**: a child whose mother and father are dead
- **the stock**: farm animals, such as cows and horses
- **stern**: serious and strict, not friendly
- **swaying**: moving slowly from side to side
- **cradle**: a small bed for a baby that can move gently from side to side

## Chapter II The Council with the Munchkins

Dorothy was woken by a shock. It was so sudden and hard that she might have been hurt. But she was lying on the soft bed, so she was not hurt. The shock made her catch her breath, and she wondered what had happened. Toto put his cold little nose into her face and whined sadly. Dorothy sat up. She noticed that the house was not moving. And it was not dark, because bright sunshine came in at the window and filled the little room. She jumped from her bed and ran to open the door, with Toto close behind her.

The little girl gave a cry of amazement and looked about her. Her eyes grew bigger and bigger at the wonderful sights she saw.

The cyclone had set the house down very gently, for a cyclone. It had put it down in the middle of a country of marvelous beauty. There were lovely areas of green grass all around. Tall, fine trees stood there, full of rich, delicious fruit. There were banks of beautiful flowers everywhere. Birds with rare and brilliant feathers sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes. A little way off was a small brook. It rushed and sparkled along between green banks. Its soft murmuring voice was very welcome to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies.

She stood looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights. Then she noticed a group of people coming toward her. They were the strangest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown-ups she knew, but they were not very small either. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy. She was a well-grown child for her age. But from their looks, these people were many years older.

Three were men and one was a woman, and all of them were dressed in an odd way. They wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads. Little bells hung around the brims of the hats, and they tinkled sweetly when the people moved. The men’s hats were blue. The little woman’s hat was white. She wore a white gown that hung in pleats from her shoulders. Little stars were sprinkled over it, and they glistened in the sun like diamonds. The men were dressed in blue, the same blue as their hats. They wore well-polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. Dorothy thought the men were about as old as Uncle Henry, because two of them had beards. But the little woman was surely much older. Her face was covered with wrinkles, and her hair was nearly white. She walked rather stiffly.

These people came near the house where Dorothy was standing in the doorway. Then they stopped and whispered to each other, as if they were afraid to come closer. But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy and made a low bow. She spoke in a sweet voice.

“You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for killing the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.”

Dorothy listened to this speech with wonder. What could the little woman mean? Why did she call her a sorceress? Why did she say that Dorothy had killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl. A cyclone had carried her many miles from home. And she had never killed anything in all her life.

But the little woman clearly expected her to answer. So Dorothy said slowly and unsurely, “You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything.”

“Your house did, anyway,” the little old woman replied with a laugh, “and that is the same thing. See!” She pointed to the corner of the house. “There are her two feet, still sticking out from under a block of wood.”

Dorothy looked, and she gave a little cry of fright. It was true. The house rested on a great beam of wood. Just under the corner of this beam, two feet were sticking out. They wore silver shoes with pointed toes.

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried Dorothy. She held her hands together in dismay. “The house must have fallen on her. What shall we do?”

“There is nothing to be done,” said the little woman calmly.

“But who was she?” asked Dorothy.

“She was the Wicked Witch of the East, as I said,” answered the little woman. “She has kept all the Munchkins in bondage for many years. She made them work for her night and day like slaves. Now they are all free, and they are grateful to you for the favor.”

“Who are the Munchkins?” asked Dorothy.

“They are the people who live in this land of the East, where the Wicked Witch ruled.”

“Are you a Munchkin?” asked Dorothy.

“No, but I am their friend, although I live in the land of the North. The Munchkins saw that the Witch of the East was dead. So they sent a fast messenger to me, and I came at once. I am the Witch of the North.”

“Oh, gracious!” cried Dorothy. “Are you a real witch?”

“Yes, indeed,” answered the little woman. “But I am a good witch, and the people love me. I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch who ruled here. If I were, I would have set the people free myself.”

“But I thought all witches were wicked,” said the girl. She was half frightened to be facing a real witch.

“Oh, no, that is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz. Two of them, the ones who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, because I am one of them myself. So I cannot be mistaken. The ones who lived in the East and the West were really wicked witches. But now you have killed one of them. So there is only one Wicked Witch in all the Land of Oz, the one who lives in the West.”

Dorothy thought for a moment. “But Aunt Em has told me that the witches were all dead,” she said. “She said they died years and years ago.”

“Who is Aunt Em?” asked the little old woman.

“She is my aunt who lives in Kansas, where I came from.”

The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time. Her head was bowed and her eyes were on the ground. Then she looked up and said, “I do not know where Kansas is. I have never heard anyone talk about that country before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?”

“Oh, yes,” replied Dorothy.

“Then that explains it. I believe there are no witches left in the civilized countries. There are no wizards, sorceresses or magicians either. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, because we are cut off from all the rest of the world. So we still have witches and wizards among us.”

“Who are the wizards?” asked Dorothy.

The Witch made her voice very low, almost a whisper. “Oz himself is the Great Wizard,” she answered. “He is more powerful than all the rest of us together. He lives in the City of Emeralds.”

Dorothy was going to ask another question. But just then the Munchkins gave a loud shout. They had been standing there silently. Now they pointed to the corner of the house where the Wicked Witch had been lying.

“What is it?” asked the little old woman. She looked, and she began to laugh. The feet of the dead Witch had disappeared completely. Nothing was left but the silver shoes.

“She was so old,” explained the Witch of the North, “that she dried up quickly in the sun. That is the end of her. But the silver shoes are yours, and you shall have them to wear.” She reached down and picked up the shoes. She shook the dust out of them and gave them to Dorothy.

“The Witch of the East was proud of those silver shoes,” said one of the Munchkins. “There is some charm connected with them. But we never knew what it is.”

Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and put them on the table. Then she came out again to the Munchkins and spoke.

“I want very much to get back to my aunt and uncle, because I am sure they will worry about me. Can you help me find my way?”

The Munchkins and the Witch first looked at one another, and then at Dorothy. Then they shook their heads.

“In the East, not far from here, there is a great desert,” said one. “Nobody could cross it and stay alive.”

“It is the same in the South,” said another. “I have been there and seen it. The South is the country of the Quadlings.”

“People have told me that it is the same in the West,” said the third man. “The Winkies live in that country. It is ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West. She would make you her slave if you went that way.”

“The North is my home,” said the old lady. “And at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. I’m afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us.”

At this Dorothy began to sob, because she felt lonely among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to make the kind Munchkins sad. At once they took out their handkerchiefs and began to cry too. The little old woman took off her cap. She balanced the point of it on the end of her nose. Then she counted “One, two, three” in a serious voice. At once the cap changed into a slate. On the slate there were words in big, white chalk letters:

“LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS”

The little old woman took the slate from her nose and read the words on it. Then she asked, “Is your name Dorothy, my dear?”

“Yes,” answered the child. She looked up and dried her tears.

“Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you.”

“Where is this city?” asked Dorothy.

“It is exactly in the center of the country. It is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you about.”

“Is he a good man?” asked the girl anxiously.

“He is a good Wizard. I cannot tell if he is a man or not, because I have never seen him.”

“How can I get there?” asked Dorothy.

“You must walk. It is a long journey. Sometimes the country is pleasant, and sometimes it is dark and terrible. But I will use all the magic I know to keep you from harm.”

“Won’t you go with me?” begged the girl. She had begun to think of the little old woman as her only friend.

“No, I cannot do that,” she replied. “But I will give you my kiss. No one will dare to hurt a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.”

She came close to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched the girl, they left a round, shining mark. Dorothy found this out soon after.

“The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick,” said the Witch, “so you cannot miss it. When you get to Oz, do not be afraid of him. Tell your story and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my dear.”

The three Munchkins bowed low to her and wished her a pleasant journey. Then they walked away through the trees. The Witch gave Dorothy a friendly little nod. She turned around on her left heel three times, and at once she disappeared. Little Toto was very surprised. When she had gone, he barked loudly after her. While she was there, he had been afraid even to growl.

But Dorothy knew that the old woman was a witch. So she had expected her to disappear in just that way, and she was not surprised at all.

### Glossary

- **council**: a meeting where people talk about something important and decide what to do
- **brook**: a small river
- **gown**: a long dress
- **pleats**: folds that are pressed into cloth
- **sorceress**: a woman who does magic
- **bondage**: being a slave; a slave is a person who must work for someone and is not free
- **wicked**: very bad, evil
- **civilized**: modern, with cities and laws
- **charm**: a magic power that an object has
- **slate**: a flat piece of dark stone that you can write on with chalk

## Chapter III How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow

When Dorothy was left alone, she began to feel hungry. So she went to the cupboard and cut herself some bread, and she spread butter on it. She gave some to Toto. Then she took a pail from the shelf and carried it down to the little brook. She filled it with clear, sparkling water. Toto ran over to the trees and began to bark at the birds sitting there. Dorothy went to get him. She saw delicious fruit hanging from the branches, so she picked some of it. It was just what she wanted with her breakfast.

Then she went back to the house. She and Toto both had a good drink of the cool, clear water. After that she began to get ready for the journey to the City of Emeralds.

Dorothy had only one other dress. Luckily it was clean, and it was hanging on a peg beside her bed. It was gingham, with checks of white and blue. The blue had faded a little after many washings, but it was still a pretty frock. The girl washed herself carefully and put on the clean gingham dress. She tied her pink sunbonnet on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard. She laid a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down at her feet. She noticed how old and worn her shoes were.

“These will never be good enough for a long journey, Toto,” she said. Toto looked up into her face with his little black eyes. He wagged his tail to show that he knew what she meant.

At that moment Dorothy saw the silver shoes lying on the table. They had belonged to the Witch of the East.

“I wonder if they will fit me,” she said to Toto. “They would be just right for a long walk, because they could not wear out.”

She took off her old leather shoes and tried on the silver ones. They fitted her as well as if they had been made for her.

Finally she picked up her basket.

“Come along, Toto,” she said. “We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again.”

She closed the door and locked it. She put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress. And so she started on her journey, with Toto trotting quietly behind her.

There were several roads nearby. But it did not take her long to find the one that was paved with yellow bricks. Soon she was walking quickly toward the Emerald City. Her silver shoes tinkled happily on the hard, yellow road. The sun shone brightly and the birds sang sweetly. She had suddenly been carried away from her own country and put down in the middle of a strange land. You might think a little girl would feel very bad about this. But Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think.

As she walked along, she was surprised to see how pretty the country around her was. There were neat fences at the sides of the road, painted a delicate blue color. Behind them were fields with plenty of grain and vegetables. Clearly the Munchkins were good farmers, and they were able to grow large crops. Now and then she passed a house. The people came out to look at her, and they bowed low as she went by. Everyone knew that because of her, the Wicked Witch was destroyed and they were set free from bondage. The houses of the Munchkins looked odd. Each one was round, with a big dome for a roof. All of them were painted blue, because blue was the favorite color in this country of the East.

Toward evening Dorothy was tired from her long walk. She began to wonder where she would spend the night. Then she came to a house that was rather larger than the others. Many men and women were dancing on the green lawn in front of it. Five little fiddlers played as loudly as they could. The people were laughing and singing. Nearby there was a big table full of delicious fruits and nuts, pies and cakes. There were many other good things to eat, too.

The people greeted Dorothy kindly. They invited her to have supper and to spend the night with them. This was the home of one of the richest Munchkins in the land. His friends had come together with him to celebrate. They were celebrating their freedom from the bondage of the Wicked Witch.

Dorothy ate a big supper. The rich Munchkin himself served her, and his name was Boq. Then she sat on a settee and watched the people dance.

When Boq saw her silver shoes, he said, “You must be a great sorceress.”

“Why?” asked the girl.

“Because you wear silver shoes and you have killed the Wicked Witch. Besides, you have white in your frock, and only witches and sorceresses wear white.”

“My dress is blue and white checked,” said Dorothy. She smoothed out the wrinkles in it.

“It is kind of you to wear that,” said Boq. “Blue is the color of the Munchkins, and white is the witch color. So we know you are a friendly witch.”

Dorothy did not know what to say to this. All the people seemed to think she was a witch. But she knew very well that she was only an ordinary little girl. She had come into a strange land only by the chance of a cyclone.

When she was tired of watching the dancing, Boq led her into the house. He gave her a room with a pretty bed in it. The sheets were made of blue cloth. Dorothy slept soundly in them till morning, with Toto curled up on the blue rug beside her.

She ate a big breakfast. While she ate, she watched a tiny Munchkin baby who played with Toto. The baby pulled his tail and made happy sounds and laughed. Dorothy found this very funny. All the people found Toto very interesting and strange, because they had never seen a dog before.

“How far is it to the Emerald City?” the girl asked.

“I do not know,” answered Boq seriously, “because I have never been there. It is better for people to keep away from Oz, unless they have business with him. But it is a long way to the Emerald City, and it will take you many days. The country here is rich and pleasant. But you must pass through rough and dangerous places before you reach the end of your journey.”

This worried Dorothy a little. But she knew that only the Great Oz could help her get to Kansas again. So she bravely decided not to turn back.

She said good-bye to her friends, and again she started along the road of yellow brick. When she had gone several miles, she thought she would stop to rest. So she climbed to the top of the fence beside the road and sat down. There was a great cornfield on the other side of the fence. Not far away she saw a Scarecrow. It was placed high on a pole to keep the birds away from the ripe corn.

Dorothy rested her chin on her hand and looked thoughtfully at the Scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed with straw. Eyes, nose and mouth were painted on it to look like a face. An old, pointed blue hat sat on its head. The hat had belonged to some Munchkin. The rest of the figure was a blue suit of clothes, old and faded, and this was also stuffed with straw. On the feet were some old boots with blue tops, like every man wore in this country. A pole was stuck up its back, and this held the figure up above the corn.

Dorothy was looking carefully into the strange, painted face of the Scarecrow. Then, to her surprise, she saw one of the eyes slowly wink at her. At first she thought she had made a mistake. None of the scarecrows in Kansas ever wink. But soon the figure nodded its head to her in a friendly way. So she climbed down from the fence and walked up to it. Toto ran around the pole and barked.

“Good day,” said the Scarecrow, in a rather rough voice.

“Did you speak?” asked the girl, in wonder.

“Certainly,” answered the Scarecrow. “How do you do?”

“I’m pretty well, thank you,” replied Dorothy politely. “How do you do?”

“I’m not feeling well,” said the Scarecrow with a smile. “It is very boring to sit up here night and day to scare away crows.”

“Can’t you get down?” asked Dorothy.

“No, because this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take away the pole, I shall be very grateful to you.”

Dorothy reached up both arms and lifted the figure off the pole. It was stuffed with straw, so it was quite light.

“Thank you very much,” said the Scarecrow, when she had put him down on the ground. “I feel like a new man.”

Dorothy was puzzled by this. It sounded strange to hear a stuffed man speak. And it was strange to see him bow and walk along beside her.

The Scarecrow stretched himself and yawned. “Who are you?” he asked. “And where are you going?”

“My name is Dorothy,” said the girl, “and I am going to the Emerald City. I want to ask the Great Oz to send me back to Kansas.”

“Where is the Emerald City?” he asked. “And who is Oz?”

“Why, don’t you know?” she replied in surprise.

“No, indeed. I don’t know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all,” he answered sadly.

“Oh,” said Dorothy, “I’m awfully sorry for you.”

“If I go to the Emerald City with you,” he asked, “do you think Oz would give me some brains?”

“I cannot tell,” she replied, “but you may come with me if you like. If Oz will not give you any brains, you will be no worse off than you are now.”

“That is true,” said the Scarecrow. Then he went on, as if he were telling her a secret. “You see, I don’t mind that my legs and arms and body are stuffed. That is because I cannot get hurt. If anyone steps on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn’t matter, because I can’t feel it. But I do not want people to call me a fool. Your head is stuffed with brains. If my head stays stuffed with straw instead, how will I ever know anything?”

“I understand how you feel,” said the little girl. She was truly sorry for him. “If you come with me, I’ll ask Oz to do all he can for you.”

“Thank you,” he answered gratefully.

They walked back to the road. Dorothy helped him over the fence, and they started along the path of yellow brick for the Emerald City.

At first Toto did not like this new member of the party. He smelled all around the stuffed man. It seemed as if he thought there might be a nest of rats in the straw. He often growled at the Scarecrow in an unfriendly way.

“Don’t mind Toto,” said Dorothy to her new friend. “He never bites.”

“Oh, I’m not afraid,” replied the Scarecrow. “He can’t hurt the straw. Please let me carry that basket for you. I shall not mind it, because I can’t get tired.” As he walked along, he went on, “I’ll tell you a secret. There is only one thing in the world that I am afraid of.”

“What is that?” asked Dorothy. “The Munchkin farmer who made you?”

“No,” answered the Scarecrow. “It’s a lighted match.”

### Glossary

- **pail**: a bucket
- **gingham**: cotton cloth with a pattern of small squares (checks)
- **frock**: a dress
- **sunbonnet**: a soft hat that protects the face from the sun
- **fiddler**: a person who plays the violin
- **settee**: a small sofa
- **sorceress**: a woman who does magic
- **bondage**: being a slave; a slave is a person who must work for someone and is not free
- **scarecrow**: a figure like a man, put in a field to frighten birds away
- **straw**: dry stems of grain, used for stuffing
- **brains**: what is inside the head and lets you think

## Chapter IV The Road Through the Forest

After a few hours the road began to be rough. Walking became so difficult that the Scarecrow often tripped over the yellow bricks, which were very uneven here. Sometimes the bricks were broken, or missing completely, and there were holes in the road. Toto jumped across these holes, and Dorothy walked around them. But the Scarecrow had no brains, so he walked straight ahead. He stepped into the holes and fell flat on the hard bricks. It never hurt him, however. Dorothy picked him up and put him on his feet again, and he laughed happily with her at his own accident.

The farms here were not cared for nearly as well as the farms farther back. There were fewer houses and fewer fruit trees. The farther they went, the sadder and lonelier the country became.

At noon they sat down by the side of the road, near a little brook. Dorothy opened her basket and took out some bread. She offered a piece to the Scarecrow, but he said no.

“I am never hungry,” he said, “and that is a lucky thing. My mouth is only painted. If I cut a hole in it so that I could eat, the straw inside me would come out. That would spoil the shape of my head.”

Dorothy saw at once that this was true. So she only nodded and went on eating her bread.

“Tell me something about yourself and the country you came from,” said the Scarecrow, when she had finished her dinner. So she told him all about Kansas, and how gray everything was there. She told him how the cyclone had carried her to this strange Land of Oz.

The Scarecrow listened carefully. Then he said, “I cannot understand why you want to leave this beautiful country. Why do you want to go back to the dry, gray place you call Kansas?”

“That is because you have no brains,” answered the girl. “Our homes may be dull and gray, but that does not matter. We people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, even a beautiful one. There is no place like home.”

The Scarecrow sighed.

“Of course I cannot understand it,” he said. “If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places. And then Kansas would have no people at all. It is lucky for Kansas that you have brains.”

“Won’t you tell me a story while we are resting?” asked the child.

The Scarecrow gave her a hurt look and answered:

“My life has been so short that I really know nothing at all. I was only made day before yesterday. I know nothing about what happened in the world before that time. Luckily, when the farmer made my head, one of the first things he did was to paint my ears. So I heard what was going on. Another Munchkin was with him. The first thing I heard was the farmer saying, ‘How do you like those ears?’

“‘They aren’t straight,’ answered the other.

“‘Never mind,’ said the farmer. ‘They are ears just the same.’ And that was true enough.

“‘Now I’ll make the eyes,’ said the farmer. So he painted my right eye. As soon as it was finished, I found myself looking at him and at everything around me. I was very curious, because this was my first look at the world.

“‘That’s quite a pretty eye,’ said the Munchkin who was watching the farmer. ‘Blue paint is just the right color for eyes.’

“‘I think I’ll make the other one a little bigger,’ said the farmer. When the second eye was done, I could see much better than before. Then he made my nose and my mouth. But I did not speak, because at that time I didn’t know what a mouth was for. I had fun watching them make my body and my arms and legs. At last they fastened on my head. Then I felt very proud, because I thought I was just as good a man as anyone.

“‘This fellow will scare the crows quickly enough,’ said the farmer. ‘He looks just like a man.’

“‘Why, he is a man,’ said the other, and I quite agreed with him. The farmer carried me under his arm to the cornfield. He put me up on a tall stick, where you found me. Soon after, he and his friend walked away and left me alone.

“I did not like being left alone like this. So I tried to walk after them. But my feet did not touch the ground, and I had to stay on that pole. It was a lonely life. I had nothing to think about, because I had been made such a short time before. Many crows and other birds flew into the cornfield. But as soon as they saw me, they flew away again. They thought I was a Munchkin. This pleased me, and it made me feel that I was quite an important person. After a while an old crow flew near me. He looked at me carefully. Then he sat on my shoulder and said:

“‘I wonder if that farmer thought he could fool me in this clumsy way. Any crow with sense can see that you are only stuffed with straw.’ Then he hopped down at my feet and ate all the corn he wanted. The other birds saw that I did not hurt him. So they came to eat the corn too, and soon there was a great flock of them around me.

“I felt sad about this, because it showed that I was not such a good Scarecrow after all. But the old crow comforted me. He said, ‘If you only had brains in your head, you would be as good a man as any of them. You would be a better man than some of them. Brains are the only things worth having in this world, no matter whether one is a crow or a man.’

“After the crows had gone, I thought about this. I decided to try hard to get some brains. By good luck you came along and pulled me off the stake. From what you say, I am sure the Great Oz will give me brains. He will do it as soon as we get to the Emerald City.”

“I hope so,” said Dorothy seriously, “because you seem to want them very much.”

“Oh, yes; I want them very much,” answered the Scarecrow. “It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know that you are a fool.”

“Well,” said the girl, “let us go.” And she handed the basket to the Scarecrow.

There were no fences at all by the side of the road now, and the land was rough and not farmed. Toward evening they came to a great forest. The trees grew so big and so close together that their branches met over the road of yellow brick. It was almost dark under the trees, because the branches shut out the daylight. But the travelers did not stop, and they went on into the forest.

“If this road goes in, it must come out,” said the Scarecrow. “The Emerald City is at the other end of the road, so we must go wherever it takes us.”

“Anyone would know that,” said Dorothy.

“Certainly; that is why I know it,” answered the Scarecrow. “If you needed brains to work it out, I would never have said it.”

After an hour or so the light faded away, and they found themselves stumbling along in the dark. Dorothy could not see at all. But Toto could, because some dogs see very well in the dark. And the Scarecrow said that he could see as well as by day. So she took hold of his arm, and she managed to walk along fairly well.

“If you see any house, or any place where we can spend the night,” she said, “you must tell me. It is very uncomfortable walking in the dark.”

Soon after, the Scarecrow stopped.

“I see a little cottage on our right,” he said. “It is built of logs and branches. Shall we go there?”

“Yes, indeed,” answered the child. “I am completely tired out.”

So the Scarecrow led her through the trees until they reached the cottage. Dorothy went in and found a bed of dried leaves in one corner. She lay down at once, and with Toto beside her she soon fell into a deep sleep. The Scarecrow was never tired. He stood up in another corner and waited patiently until morning came.

### Glossary

- **brook**: a small stream of water.
- **spoil**: to make something bad or less good than before.
- **flesh and blood**: real, living people with bodies (not made of straw or tin).
- **curious**: wanting to know or see more about something.
- **clumsy**: not careful or clever; done badly.
- **flock**: a large group of birds.
- **stake**: a strong wooden stick pushed into the ground; here, the Scarecrow's pole.
- **stumbling**: almost falling while you walk.
- **cottage**: a small, simple house.

## Chapter V The Rescue of the Tin Woodman

When Dorothy woke up, the sun was shining through the trees. Toto had been outside for a long time, chasing birds and squirrels around him. She sat up and looked around her. There was the Scarecrow, still standing patiently in his corner, waiting for her.

“We must go and look for water,” she said to him.

“Why do you want water?” he asked.

“To wash my face clean after the dust of the road. And to drink, so the dry bread will not stick in my throat.”

“It must be difficult to be made of flesh,” said the Scarecrow thoughtfully, “because you must sleep, and eat and drink. But you have brains, and it is worth a lot of trouble to be able to think properly.”

They left the cottage and walked through the trees until they found a little spring of clear water. There Dorothy drank and washed and ate her breakfast. She saw that there was not much bread left in the basket. The girl was thankful that the Scarecrow did not have to eat anything. There was hardly enough for herself and Toto for the day.

She finished her meal and was about to go back to the road of yellow brick. Then she was surprised to hear a deep groan nearby.

“What was that?” she asked shyly.

“I cannot imagine,” answered the Scarecrow, “but we can go and see.”

Just then they heard another groan, and the sound seemed to come from behind them. They turned and walked a few steps through the forest. Then Dorothy saw something shining in a ray of sunshine that fell between the trees. She ran to the place and then stopped suddenly, with a little cry of surprise.

One of the big trees had been partly chopped through. Beside it stood a man made entirely of tin, with an axe raised in his hands. His head and arms and legs were joined to his body. But he stood perfectly still, as if he could not move at all.

Dorothy looked at him in amazement, and so did the Scarecrow. Toto barked sharply and bit at the tin legs, which hurt his teeth.

“Did you groan?” asked Dorothy.

“Yes,” answered the man of tin, “I did. I’ve been groaning for more than a year, and no one has ever heard me before or come to help me.”

“What can I do for you?” she asked softly. His sad voice had touched her heart.

“Get an oil-can and oil my joints,” he answered. “They are so badly rusted that I cannot move them at all. If I am well oiled, I shall soon be all right again. You will find an oil-can on a shelf in my cottage.”

Dorothy at once ran back to the cottage and found the oil-can. Then she came back and asked anxiously, “Where are your joints?”

“Oil my neck first,” answered the Tin Woodman. So she oiled it. It was quite badly rusted, so the Scarecrow took hold of the tin head. He moved it gently from side to side until it worked freely. Then the man could turn it himself.

“Now oil the joints in my arms,” he said. Dorothy oiled them, and the Scarecrow bent them carefully. At last they were quite free from rust and as good as new.

The Tin Woodman gave a happy sigh. He lowered his axe and leaned it against the tree.

“This is a great comfort,” he said. “I have been holding that axe in the air ever since I rusted. I’m glad to be able to put it down at last. Now, if you will oil the joints of my legs, I shall be all right once more.”

So they oiled his legs until he could move them freely. He thanked them again and again for setting him free. He seemed to be a very polite creature, and very grateful.

“I might have stood there forever if you had not come along,” he said. “So you have certainly saved my life. How did you come to be here?”

“We are on our way to the Emerald City to see the Great Oz,” she answered. “We stopped at your cottage to spend the night.”

“Why do you want to see Oz?” he asked.

“I want him to send me back to Kansas,” she answered. “And the Scarecrow wants him to put a few brains into his head.”

The Tin Woodman seemed to think deeply for a moment. Then he said:

“Do you think Oz could give me a heart?”

“Why, I guess so,” Dorothy answered. “It would be as easy as giving the Scarecrow brains.”

“True,” the Tin Woodman answered. “So, if you will let me join your group, I will also go to the Emerald City. I will ask Oz to help me.”

“Come along,” said the Scarecrow warmly, and Dorothy added that she would be pleased to have his company. So the Tin Woodman put his axe on his shoulder. They all went through the forest until they came to the road that was paved with yellow brick.

The Tin Woodman had asked Dorothy to put the oil-can in her basket. “Because,” he said, “if I get caught in the rain and rust again, I will need the oil-can badly.”

It was good luck that their new friend had joined the group. Soon after they started their journey again, they came to a place where the trees and branches grew very thick over the road. The travelers could not pass. But the Tin Woodman started work with his axe. He chopped so well that soon he cleared a way through for the whole group.

Dorothy was thinking so hard as they walked along that she did not notice something. The Scarecrow stumbled into a hole and rolled over to the side of the road. In fact, he had to call to her to help him up again.

“Why didn’t you walk around the hole?” asked the Tin Woodman.

“I don’t know enough,” answered the Scarecrow cheerfully. “My head is stuffed with straw, you know. That is why I am going to Oz to ask him for some brains.”

“Oh, I see,” said the Tin Woodman. “But, after all, brains are not the best things in the world.”

“Have you any?” asked the Scarecrow.

“No, my head is quite empty,” answered the Woodman. “But once I had brains, and a heart too. I have tried them both, so I would much rather have a heart.”

“And why is that?” asked the Scarecrow.

“I will tell you my story, and then you will know.”

So, while they were walking through the forest, the Tin Woodman told this story:

“My father was a woodman. He chopped down trees in the forest and sold the wood for a living. When I grew up, I became a woodcutter too. After my father died, I took care of my old mother for as long as she lived. Then I decided that I would not live alone. I would marry, so that I would not become lonely.

“There was a Munchkin girl who was very beautiful, and I soon loved her with all my heart. She promised to marry me as soon as I could earn enough money to build a better house for her. So I started to work harder than ever. But the girl lived with an old woman who did not want her to marry anyone. The old woman was so lazy that she wanted the girl to stay with her. She wanted her to do the cooking and the housework. So the old woman went to the Wicked Witch of the East. She promised the Witch two sheep and a cow if she would stop the marriage. Then the Wicked Witch put a magic spell on my axe. One day I was chopping as hard as I could, because I wanted the new house and my wife as soon as possible. Suddenly the axe slipped and cut off my left leg.

“At first this seemed a great piece of bad luck. I knew that a man with one leg could not do very well as a woodcutter. So I went to a tinsmith and asked him to make me a new leg out of tin. The leg worked very well, once I was used to it. But this made the Wicked Witch of the East angry. She had promised the old woman that I would not marry the pretty Munchkin girl. When I began chopping again, my axe slipped and cut off my right leg. Again I went to the tinsmith, and again he made me a leg out of tin. After this the magic axe cut off my arms, one after the other. But I did not give up, and I had them replaced with tin ones. Then the Wicked Witch made the axe slip and cut off my head. At first I thought that was the end of me. But the tinsmith happened to come along, and he made me a new head out of tin.

“I thought I had beaten the Wicked Witch then, and I worked harder than ever. But I did not know how cruel my enemy could be. She thought of a new way to kill my love for the beautiful Munchkin girl. She made my axe slip again, and it cut right through my body. It split me into two halves. Once more the tinsmith came to help me. He made me a body of tin, and he fastened my tin arms and legs and head to it with joints. So I could move around as well as ever. But, sadly, I had no heart now. So I lost all my love for the Munchkin girl, and I did not care whether I married her or not. I suppose she is still living with the old woman, waiting for me to come for her.

“My body shone so brightly in the sun that I felt very proud of it. Now it did not matter if my axe slipped, because it could not cut me. There was only one danger: my joints might rust. But I kept an oil-can in my cottage, and I was careful to oil myself whenever I needed it. However, one day I forgot to do this. I was caught in a rainstorm, and my joints rusted before I thought of the danger. So I had to stand in the woods until you came to help me. It was a terrible thing to suffer. But during the year I stood there, I had time to think. I saw that the greatest loss I had known was the loss of my heart. While I was in love, I was the happiest man on earth. But no one can love without a heart. So I have decided to ask Oz to give me one. If he does, I will go back to the Munchkin girl and marry her.”

Both Dorothy and the Scarecrow had been very interested in the Tin Woodman’s story. Now they knew why he wanted a new heart so much.

“All the same,” said the Scarecrow, “I shall ask for brains instead of a heart. A fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.”

“I shall take the heart,” answered the Tin Woodman, “because brains do not make you happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”

Dorothy did not say anything. She could not decide which of her two friends was right. She decided that it did not matter so much, if she could only get back to Kansas and Aunt Em. Maybe the Woodman would have no brains and the Scarecrow no heart, or maybe each would get what he wanted.

What worried her most was the bread. It was nearly gone, and one more meal for herself and Toto would empty the basket. Of course, the Woodman and the Scarecrow never ate anything. But she was not made of tin or straw, and she could not live without food.

### Glossary

- **groan**: a long, low sound that a person makes when they are in pain or unhappy.
- **spring**: a place where water comes up out of the ground.
- **tin**: a light, silver-colored metal.
- **joints**: the places where two parts of a body (or a machine) join and can bend.
- **rusted**: covered with rust, the red-brown material that forms on wet metal; rusted metal cannot move well.
- **oil-can**: a small can with a thin spout for putting oil on machines.
- **woodman**: a man who cuts down trees (a woodcutter).
- **tinsmith**: a person who makes and mends things of tin.
- **magic spell**: words or acts that make magic happen to someone or something.

## Chapter VI The Cowardly Lion

All this time Dorothy and her friends had been walking through the thick woods. The road was still paved with yellow brick. But the bricks were mostly covered by dried branches and dead leaves from the trees, and the walking was not good at all.

There were few birds in this part of the forest, because birds love the open country where there is plenty of sunshine. But now and then a deep growl came from some wild animal hidden among the trees. These sounds made the little girl’s heart beat fast, because she did not know what made them. But Toto knew. He walked close to Dorothy’s side, and he did not even bark back.

“How long will it be,” the child asked the Tin Woodman, “before we are out of the forest?”

“I cannot tell,” he answered, “because I have never been to the Emerald City. But my father went there once, when I was a boy. He said it was a long journey through a dangerous country. But nearer to the city where Oz lives, the country is beautiful. I am not afraid as long as I have my oil-can. And nothing can hurt the Scarecrow. You have the mark of the Good Witch’s kiss on your forehead, and that will protect you from harm.”

“But Toto!” said the girl anxiously. “What will protect him?”

“We must protect him ourselves if he is in danger,” answered the Tin Woodman.

Just as he spoke, a terrible roar came from the forest. The next moment a great Lion jumped into the road. With one blow of his paw he sent the Scarecrow spinning over and over to the edge of the road. Then he struck at the Tin Woodman with his sharp claws. But the Lion was surprised, because he could not make any mark on the tin. The Woodman fell over in the road and lay still, however.

Now that little Toto had an enemy to face, he ran barking toward the Lion. The great beast opened his mouth to bite the dog. Dorothy was afraid that Toto would be killed. She did not think about the danger to herself. She rushed forward and hit the Lion on his nose as hard as she could, and she cried out:

“Don’t you dare bite Toto! You should be ashamed of yourself, a big beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!”

“I didn’t bite him,” said the Lion. He rubbed his nose with his paw where Dorothy had hit it.

“No, but you tried to,” she answered. “You are nothing but a big coward.”

“I know it,” said the Lion, and he hung his head in shame. “I’ve always known it. But how can I help it?”

“I don’t know, I’m sure. Just think of it, hitting a stuffed man like the poor Scarecrow!”

“Is he stuffed?” asked the Lion in surprise. He watched her pick up the Scarecrow and set him on his feet. She patted him into shape again.

“Of course he’s stuffed,” answered Dorothy, who was still angry.

“That’s why he went over so easily,” said the Lion. “I was very surprised to see him spin around like that. Is the other one stuffed too?”

“No,” said Dorothy, “he’s made of tin.” And she helped the Woodman up again.

“That’s why he nearly made my claws blunt,” said the Lion. “When they scratched against the tin, a cold shiver ran down my back. What is that little animal you are so gentle with?”

“He is my dog, Toto,” answered Dorothy.

“Is he made of tin, or stuffed?” asked the Lion.

“Neither. He’s a—a—a meat dog,” said the girl.

“Oh! He’s a strange animal, and he seems very small, now that I look at him. No one would think of biting such a little thing, except a coward like me,” the Lion went on sadly.

“What makes you a coward?” asked Dorothy. She looked at the great beast in wonder, because he was as big as a small horse.

“It’s a mystery,” answered the Lion. “I suppose I was born that way. All the other animals in the forest expect me to be brave, of course. Everywhere, people think that the Lion is the King of Beasts. I learned that if I roared very loudly, every living thing was frightened. They all got out of my way. Whenever I’ve met a man, I’ve been terribly scared. But I just roared at him, and he always ran away as fast as he could. If the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight me, I would have run away myself. I’m such a coward! But as soon as they hear me roar, they all try to get away from me. And of course I let them go.”

“But that isn’t right. The King of Beasts shouldn’t be a coward,” said the Scarecrow.

“I know it,” answered the Lion. He wiped a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. “It is my great sadness, and it makes my life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast.”

“Perhaps you have heart disease,” said the Tin Woodman.

“It may be,” said the Lion.

“If you have,” the Tin Woodman went on, “you should be glad, because it proves that you have a heart. As for me, I have no heart, so I cannot have heart disease.”

“Perhaps,” said the Lion thoughtfully, “if I had no heart, I would not be a coward.”

“Have you brains?” asked the Scarecrow.

“I suppose so. I’ve never looked to see,” answered the Lion.

“I am going to the Great Oz to ask him to give me some,” said the Scarecrow, “because my head is stuffed with straw.”

“And I am going to ask him to give me a heart,” said the Woodman.

“And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas,” added Dorothy.

“Do you think Oz could give me courage?” asked the Cowardly Lion.

“Just as easily as he could give me brains,” said the Scarecrow.

“Or give me a heart,” said the Tin Woodman.

“Or send me back to Kansas,” said Dorothy.

“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go with you,” said the Lion. “My life is really too hard to bear without a bit of courage.”

“You will be very welcome,” answered Dorothy, “because you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me that they must be more cowardly than you are, if they let you scare them so easily.”

“They really are,” said the Lion, “but that doesn’t make me any braver. As long as I know that I am a coward, I shall be unhappy.”

So once more the little group started on the journey. The Lion walked at Dorothy’s side with proud, slow steps. At first Toto did not like this new friend. He could not forget how close he had come to being crushed between the Lion’s great jaws. But after a time he felt more comfortable. Soon Toto and the Cowardly Lion had become good friends.

During the rest of that day, nothing else happened to spoil the peace of their journey. But once, the Tin Woodman stepped on a beetle that was crawling along the road, and he killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, because he was always careful not to hurt any living creature. As he walked along, he cried several tears of sadness and regret. These tears ran slowly down his face and over the hinges of his jaw, and there they rusted. Soon after, Dorothy asked him a question. But the Tin Woodman could not open his mouth, because his jaws were tightly rusted together. He became very frightened at this. He made many signs to Dorothy to help him, but she could not understand. The Lion was also puzzled and did not know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow grabbed the oil-can from Dorothy’s basket and oiled the Woodman’s jaws. After a few moments he could talk as well as before.

“This will teach me a lesson,” he said. “I must look where I step. If I kill another bug or beetle, I will surely cry again. And crying rusts my jaws so that I cannot speak.”

After that he walked very carefully, with his eyes on the road. When he saw a tiny ant working hard on its way, he stepped over it, so that he would not harm it. The Tin Woodman knew very well that he had no heart. So he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.

“You people with hearts,” he said, “have something to guide you, and you need never do wrong. But I have no heart, and so I must be very careful. When Oz gives me a heart, of course I won’t need to worry so much.”

### Glossary

- **coward / cowardly**: a person who is easily afraid; acting like a coward.
- **courage**: the ability to do something even when you are afraid.
- **King of Beasts**: a name for the lion, the “king” of all animals.
- **paw**: the foot of an animal such as a lion or a dog.
- **blunt**: not sharp.
- **meat dog**: Dorothy’s own words for a real, live dog of flesh and blood.
- **heart disease**: an illness of the heart; here it is a joke about the Lion’s fast heartbeat.
- **beetle**: a small insect with a hard, shiny back.
- **hinges**: metal parts that join two things and let one of them move, like on a door.

## Chapter VII The Journey to the Great Oz

That night they had to camp out under a large tree in the forest, because there were no houses near. The tree made a good, thick roof that protected them from the dew. The Tin Woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe. Dorothy built a wonderful fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely. She and Toto ate the last of their bread. Now she did not know what they would eat for breakfast.

“If you like,” said the Lion, “I will go into the forest and kill a deer for you. You can roast it by the fire, because your tastes are so strange that you like cooked food. Then you will have a very good breakfast.”

“Don’t! Please don’t,” begged the Tin Woodman. “I would certainly cry if you killed a poor deer, and then my jaws would rust again.”

But the Lion went away into the forest and found his own supper. No one ever knew what it was, because he didn’t talk about it. And the Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts. He filled Dorothy’s basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow. But she laughed loudly at the clumsy way the poor creature picked up the nuts. His padded hands were so clumsy, and the nuts were so small, that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket. But the Scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket. It allowed him to keep away from the fire. He was afraid that a spark might get into his straw and burn him up. So he stayed a good distance away from the flames. He only came near to cover Dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep. These kept her very warm and comfortable, and she slept deeply until morning.

When it was daylight, the girl washed her face in a little brook that rippled along. Soon after, they all started toward the Emerald City.

This was going to be a day full of events for the travelers. They had hardly been walking an hour when they saw a great ditch in front of them. It crossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see on both sides. It was a very wide ditch. They crept up to the edge and looked into it. Then they could see that it was also very deep, with many big, sharp rocks at the bottom. The sides were so steep that none of them could climb down. For a moment it seemed that their journey must end.

“What shall we do?” asked Dorothy, who had almost lost hope.

“I haven’t the smallest idea,” said the Tin Woodman. The Lion shook his thick, rough mane and looked thoughtful.

But the Scarecrow said, “We cannot fly, that is certain. And we cannot climb down into this great ditch. So if we cannot jump over it, we must stop where we are.”

The Cowardly Lion measured the distance carefully in his mind. Then he said, “I think I could jump over it.”

“Then we are all right,” answered the Scarecrow, “because you can carry us all over on your back, one at a time.”

“Well, I’ll try it,” said the Lion. “Who will go first?”

“I will,” said the Scarecrow. “Perhaps you will find that you cannot jump over the gulf. Then Dorothy would be killed, or the Tin Woodman would be badly dented on the rocks below. But if I am on your back, it will not matter so much. The fall would not hurt me at all.”

“I am terribly afraid of falling myself,” said the Cowardly Lion, “but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it. So get on my back, and we will try.”

The Scarecrow sat on the Lion’s back. The big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and bent down low.

“Why don’t you run and jump?” asked the Scarecrow.

“Because that isn’t the way we Lions do these things,” he answered. Then he gave a great jump. He shot through the air and landed safely on the other side. They were all very pleased to see how easily he did it. The Scarecrow got down from his back, and then the Lion jumped across the ditch again.

Dorothy thought she would go next. So she took Toto in her arms and climbed on the Lion’s back. She held tightly to his mane with one hand. The next moment she seemed to be flying through the air. Then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the other side. The Lion went back a third time and got the Tin Woodman. Then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chance to rest. His great jumps had made him short of breath. He was panting like a big dog that has been running too long.

They found that the forest was very thick on this side, and it looked dark and gloomy. After the Lion had rested, they started along the road of yellow brick. They walked in silence. Each of them was wondering if they would ever come to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshine again. Then things became even worse. Soon they heard strange noises from deep inside the forest. The Lion whispered to them that the Kalidahs lived in this part of the country.

“What are the Kalidahs?” asked the girl.

“They are monsters with bodies like bears and heads like tigers,” answered the Lion. “Their claws are so long and sharp that they could tear me in two. It would be as easy for them as killing Toto would be for me. I’m terribly afraid of the Kalidahs.”

“I’m not surprised that you are,” answered Dorothy. “They must be terrible beasts.”

The Lion was about to answer. But suddenly they came to another gulf across the road. This one was so wide and deep that the Lion knew at once he could not jump across it.

So they sat down to think about what they should do. After serious thought the Scarecrow said:

“Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. The Tin Woodman can chop it down so that it falls to the other side. Then we can walk across it easily.”

“That is an excellent idea,” said the Lion. “Anyone would almost think that you had brains in your head, instead of straw.”

The Woodman started work at once. His axe was so sharp that the tree was soon chopped nearly through. Then the Lion put his strong front legs against the tree and pushed with all his strength. Slowly the big tree leaned over. It fell with a crash across the ditch, with its top branches on the other side.

They had just started to cross this strange bridge when they heard a sharp growl. They all looked up. To their horror, they saw two great beasts running toward them. They had bodies like bears and heads like tigers.

“They are the Kalidahs!” said the Cowardly Lion, and he began to shake.

“Quick!” cried the Scarecrow. “Let us cross over.”

So Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms. The Tin Woodman followed, and the Scarecrow came next. The Lion was certainly afraid, but he turned to face the Kalidahs. Then he gave such a loud and terrible roar that Dorothy screamed. The Scarecrow fell over backward. Even the fierce beasts stopped suddenly and looked at him in surprise.

But the Kalidahs saw that they were bigger than the Lion. They also remembered that there were two of them and only one of him. So they rushed forward again. The Lion crossed over the tree and turned to see what they would do next. The fierce beasts did not stop for a moment. They also began to cross the tree. And the Lion said to Dorothy:

“We are lost, because they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.”

“Wait a minute!” called the Scarecrow. He had been thinking about the best thing to do. Now he asked the Woodman to chop away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The Tin Woodman began to use his axe at once. The two Kalidahs were nearly across. Just then the tree fell with a crash into the gulf. It carried the ugly, snarling beasts with it. Both of them were broken to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom.

“Well,” said the Cowardly Lion, and he took a long breath of relief, “I see we are going to live a little while longer. I am glad of it, because it must be very uncomfortable not to be alive. Those creatures frightened me so badly that my heart is still beating fast.”

“Ah,” said the Tin Woodman sadly, “I wish I had a heart to beat.”

After this adventure the travelers wanted to get out of the forest more than ever. They walked so fast that Dorothy became tired, and she had to ride on the Lion’s back. To their great joy, the trees became thinner the farther they went. In the afternoon they suddenly came to a wide river, flowing fast just in front of them. On the other side of the water they could see the road of yellow brick. It ran through a beautiful country, with green fields full of bright flowers. All along the road there were trees, hanging full of delicious fruits. They were very pleased to see this lovely country in front of them.

“How shall we cross the river?” asked Dorothy.

“That is easy,” answered the Scarecrow. “The Tin Woodman must build us a raft, so we can float to the other side.”

So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft. While he was busy with this, the Scarecrow found a tree full of fine fruit on the riverbank. This pleased Dorothy, who had eaten nothing but nuts all day. She ate a big meal of the ripe fruit.

But it takes time to make a raft, even for someone as hard-working and tireless as the Tin Woodman. When night came, the work was not finished. So they found a warm, comfortable place under the trees, where they slept well until the morning. And Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City, and of the good Wizard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again.

### Glossary

- **dew**: small drops of water that form on grass and plants during the night.
- **padded**: filled with soft material (here, with straw).
- **spark**: a very small piece of fire that flies out of a fire.
- **ditch / gulf**: a long, deep hole across the ground.
- **mane**: the long, thick hair on the head and neck of a lion.
- **dented**: with a hollow place pushed into it after it is hit.
- **Kalidahs**: monsters in Oz with the body of a bear and the head of a tiger.
- **snarling**: making an angry, low sound and showing the teeth.
- **relief**: the good feeling you have when danger or worry is over.
- **raft**: a flat boat made of logs tied together.

## Chapter VIII The Deadly Poppy Field

Our little party of travelers woke up the next morning. They felt rested and full of hope. Dorothy had a breakfast fit for a princess, with peaches and plums from the trees beside the river. Behind them was the dark forest. They had passed safely through it, although many things there had made them lose heart. But in front of them was a lovely, sunny country. It seemed to call them on to the Emerald City.

Of course, the wide river now cut them off from this beautiful land. But the raft was nearly finished. The Tin Woodman cut a few more logs and fastened them together with wooden pins. Then they were ready to start. Dorothy sat down in the middle of the raft and held Toto in her arms. When the Cowardly Lion stepped onto the raft, it tipped badly, because he was big and heavy. But the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood on the other end to keep it steady. They had long poles in their hands to push the raft through the water.

At first they moved along quite well. But when they reached the middle of the river, the fast current pulled the raft downstream. It carried them farther and farther away from the road of yellow brick. And the water grew so deep that the long poles could not touch the bottom.

“This is bad,” said the Tin Woodman. “We must get to the land. If we don’t, we will be carried into the country of the Wicked Witch of the West. She will enchant us and make us her slaves.”

“And then I would get no brains,” said the Scarecrow.

“And I would get no courage,” said the Cowardly Lion.

“And I would get no heart,” said the Tin Woodman.

“And I would never get back to Kansas,” said Dorothy.

“We must certainly get to the Emerald City if we can,” the Scarecrow went on. He pushed so hard on his long pole that it got stuck in the mud at the bottom of the river. Then, before he could pull it out again—or let go—the raft was carried away. The poor Scarecrow was left holding on to the pole in the middle of the river.

“Good-bye!” he called after them. They were very sorry to leave him. In fact, the Tin Woodman began to cry. But luckily he remembered that he might rust, and so he dried his tears on Dorothy’s apron.

Of course, this was a bad thing for the Scarecrow.

“Now I am worse off than when I first met Dorothy,” he thought. “Then I was stuck on a pole in a cornfield. There I could at least pretend to scare the crows. But surely a Scarecrow stuck on a pole in the middle of a river is no use at all. I am afraid I will never have any brains, after all!”

The raft floated on down the river, and the poor Scarecrow was left far behind. Then the Lion said:

“Something must be done to save us. I think I can swim to the shore and pull the raft after me. You only have to hold on tightly to the tip of my tail.”

So he jumped into the water, and the Tin Woodman took a firm hold of his tail. Then the Lion began to swim toward the shore with all his strength. It was hard work, although he was so big. But after a while they were pulled out of the current. Then Dorothy took the Tin Woodman’s long pole and helped to push the raft to the land.

They were all very tired when they reached the shore at last and stepped off onto the pretty green grass. They also knew that the river had carried them a long way past the road of yellow brick. That was the road that led to the Emerald City.

“What shall we do now?” asked the Tin Woodman, while the Lion lay down on the grass to let the sun dry him.

“We must get back to the road somehow,” said Dorothy.

“The best plan will be to walk along the riverbank until we come to the road again,” said the Lion.

So when they had rested, Dorothy picked up her basket. They started along the grassy bank, back toward the road from which the river had carried them. It was a lovely country. There were plenty of flowers and fruit trees, and sunshine to cheer them. If they had not felt so sorry for the poor Scarecrow, they could have been very happy.

They walked along as fast as they could. Dorothy stopped only once, to pick a beautiful flower. After a time the Tin Woodman cried out, “Look!”

Then they all looked at the river. They saw the Scarecrow sitting on his pole in the middle of the water. He looked very lonely and sad.

“What can we do to save him?” asked Dorothy.

The Lion and the Woodman both shook their heads, because they did not know. So they sat down on the bank and looked sadly at the Scarecrow. Then a Stork flew by. When she saw them, she stopped to rest at the edge of the water.

“Who are you, and where are you going?” asked the Stork.

“I am Dorothy,” answered the girl. “And these are my friends, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion. We are going to the Emerald City.”

“This isn’t the road,” said the Stork. She twisted her long neck and looked sharply at the strange group.

“I know it,” said Dorothy. “But we have lost the Scarecrow, and we are wondering how we can get him back.”

“Where is he?” asked the Stork.

“Over there in the river,” answered the little girl.

“If he wasn’t so big and heavy, I would get him for you,” said the Stork.

“He isn’t heavy at all,” said Dorothy eagerly, “because he is stuffed with straw. And if you will bring him back to us, we will thank you ever and ever so much.”

“Well, I’ll try,” said the Stork. “But if I find he is too heavy to carry, I will have to drop him in the river again.”

So the big bird flew up into the air and over the water. She came to the place where the Scarecrow was sitting on his pole. Then the Stork took hold of the Scarecrow’s arm with her great claws. She carried him up into the air and back to the bank. Dorothy and the Lion and the Tin Woodman and Toto were sitting there.

When the Scarecrow was among his friends again, he was so happy that he hugged them all, even the Lion and Toto. As they walked along, he sang “Tol-de-ri-de-oh!” at every step, because he felt so cheerful.

“I was afraid I would have to stay in the river forever,” he said. “But the kind Stork saved me. If I ever get any brains, I will find the Stork again and do something kind for her in return.”

“That’s all right,” said the Stork, who was flying along beside them. “I always like to help anyone in trouble. But I must go now, because my babies are waiting for me in the nest. I hope you will find the Emerald City and that Oz will help you.”

“Thank you,” answered Dorothy. Then the kind Stork flew up into the air, and soon she was out of sight.

They walked along and listened to the singing of the brightly colored birds. They looked at the lovely flowers, which now grew so thick that they covered the ground like a carpet. There were big yellow and white and blue and purple flowers. There were also great bunches of scarlet poppies. Their color was so bright that they almost dazzled Dorothy’s eyes.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” the girl asked, as she breathed in the spicy scent of the bright flowers.

“I suppose so,” answered the Scarecrow. “When I have brains, I will probably like them better.”

“If I only had a heart, I would love them,” added the Tin Woodman.

“I always did like flowers,” said the Lion. “They seem so helpless and weak. But there are none in the forest as bright as these.”

Now they came to more and more of the big scarlet poppies, and fewer and fewer of the other flowers. Soon they found themselves in the middle of a great field of poppies. Now, it is well known that many of these flowers together have a very strong smell. Anyone who breathes it falls asleep. And if the sleeper is not carried away from the scent of the flowers, he sleeps on and on forever. But Dorothy did not know this. And she could not get away from the bright red flowers, because they were everywhere around her. So soon her eyes grew heavy. She felt that she must sit down to rest and to sleep.

But the Tin Woodman would not let her do this.

“We must hurry and get back to the road of yellow brick before dark,” he said, and the Scarecrow agreed with him. So they kept walking until Dorothy could not stand any longer. Her eyes closed, although she tried to keep them open. She forgot where she was and fell among the poppies, fast asleep.

“What shall we do?” asked the Tin Woodman.

“If we leave her here, she will die,” said the Lion. “The smell of the flowers is killing us all. I can hardly keep my eyes open myself, and the dog is asleep already.”

It was true. Toto had fallen down beside his little mistress. But the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were not made of flesh, so the scent of the flowers did not trouble them.

“Run fast,” the Scarecrow said to the Lion, “and get out of this deadly flower bed as soon as you can. We will bring the little girl with us. But if you fall asleep, you are too big to be carried.”

So the Lion woke himself up and ran forward in great jumps, as fast as he could go. In a moment he was out of sight.

“Let us make a chair with our hands and carry her,” said the Scarecrow. So they picked up Toto and put the dog in Dorothy’s lap. Then they made a chair, with their hands for the seat and their arms for the arms. They carried the sleeping girl between them through the flowers.

On and on they walked. It seemed that the great carpet of deadly flowers around them would never end. They followed the bend of the river. At last they came to their friend the Lion, who was lying fast asleep among the poppies. The flowers had been too strong for the huge animal. He had given up at last and fallen down. He was only a short distance from the end of the poppy field. There, in front of them, the sweet grass spread out in beautiful green fields.

“We can do nothing for him,” said the Tin Woodman sadly, “because he is much too heavy to lift. We must leave him here to sleep on forever. Perhaps he will dream that he has found courage at last.”

“I’m sorry,” said the Scarecrow. “The Lion was a very good comrade for someone so cowardly. But let us go on.”

They carried the sleeping girl to a pretty place beside the river. It was far enough from the poppy field, so she could not breathe any more of the poison of the flowers. Here they laid her gently on the soft grass. Then they waited for the fresh breeze to wake her.

### Glossary

- **raft**: a flat boat made of logs tied together.
- **current**: the movement of water in one direction in a river.
- **enchant**: to use magic on someone and control them.
- **apron**: a piece of cloth you wear over the front of your clothes to keep them clean.
- **Stork**: a large bird with long legs and a long neck.
- **scarlet**: bright red.
- **poppy**: a bright red flower; in this story, its smell makes people sleep.
- **dazzle**: when a light or color is so bright that you cannot see well for a moment.
- **scent**: a smell.
- **mistress**: here, the girl who owns a pet animal.
- **comrade**: a friend and companion, often on a journey.

## Chapter IX The Queen of the Field Mice

“We cannot be far from the road of yellow brick now,” said the Scarecrow, as he stood beside the girl. “We have come nearly as far as the river carried us away.”

The Tin Woodman was about to answer when he heard a low growl. He turned his head, which worked beautifully on hinges. He saw a strange animal running toward them over the grass in big jumps. It was a great yellow Wildcat. The Woodman thought it must be chasing something. Its ears were lying flat against its head, and its mouth was wide open. It showed two rows of ugly teeth, and its red eyes were glowing like balls of fire. As it came nearer, the Tin Woodman saw a little gray field mouse running in front of it. He had no heart, but he knew it was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless creature.

So the Woodman raised his axe. As the Wildcat ran past, he gave it a quick blow. The blow cut the animal’s head clean off its body, and it rolled over at his feet in two pieces.

Now that the field mouse was free from its enemy, it stopped suddenly. It came slowly up to the Woodman and said in a squeaky little voice:

“Oh, thank you! Thank you ever so much for saving my life.”

“Please don’t speak of it,” answered the Woodman. “I have no heart, you know. So I am careful to help everyone who may need a friend, even if it is only a mouse.”

“Only a mouse!” cried the little animal angrily. “Why, I am a Queen—the Queen of all the Field Mice!”

“Oh, really,” said the Woodman, and he made a bow.

“So you have done a great deed, as well as a brave one, in saving my life,” added the Queen.

At that moment several mice came running up, as fast as their little legs could carry them. When they saw their Queen, they cried:

“Oh, your Majesty, we thought you would be killed! How did you escape from the great Wildcat?” They all bowed so low to the little Queen that they almost stood on their heads.

“This funny tin man killed the Wildcat and saved my life,” she answered. “So from now on you must all serve him and do anything he wishes, even the smallest thing.”

“We will!” cried all the mice together in high voices. And then they ran off in all directions, because Toto had woken up from his sleep. When he saw all these mice around him, he gave one happy bark and jumped right into the middle of the group. Toto had always loved to chase mice when he lived in Kansas, and he saw no harm in it.

But the Tin Woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him tight. He called to the mice, “Come back! Come back! Toto will not hurt you.”

When she heard this, the Queen of the Mice put her head out from under a clump of grass. “Are you sure he will not bite us?” she asked in a shy voice.

“I will not let him,” said the Woodman, “so do not be afraid.”

One by one the mice came creeping back. Toto did not bark again, although he tried to get out of the Woodman’s arms. He would have bitten the Woodman, but he knew very well that the Woodman was made of tin. At last one of the biggest mice spoke.

“Is there anything we can do to pay you back for saving the life of our Queen?” it asked.

“Nothing that I know of,” answered the Woodman.

But the Scarecrow had been trying to think. He could not, because his head was stuffed with straw. Still, he said quickly, “Oh, yes. You can save our friend, the Cowardly Lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed.”

“A Lion!” cried the little Queen. “Why, he would eat us all up.”

“Oh, no,” said the Scarecrow. “This Lion is a coward.”

“Really?” asked the Mouse.

“He says so himself,” answered the Scarecrow. “And he would never hurt anyone who is our friend. If you will help us to save him, I promise that he will treat you all kindly.”

“Very well,” said the Queen. “We trust you. But what shall we do?”

“Are there many of these mice who call you Queen and are willing to obey you?” asked the Scarecrow.

“Oh, yes. There are thousands,” she answered.

“Then send for them all to come here as soon as possible. And tell each one to bring a long piece of string.”

The Queen turned to the mice who were with her. She told them to go at once and get all her people. As soon as they heard her orders, they ran away in every direction as fast as they could.

“Now,” said the Scarecrow to the Tin Woodman, “you must go to those trees by the river and make a truck that will carry the Lion.”

So the Woodman went at once to the trees and began to work. Soon he made a truck out of thick branches. He chopped away all the leaves and small branches from them. He fastened it together with wooden pegs. He made the four wheels out of short pieces of a big tree trunk. He worked so fast and so well that the truck was ready when the mice began to arrive.

They came from all directions, and there were thousands of them. There were big mice and little mice and middle-sized mice, and each one had a piece of string in its mouth. At about this time Dorothy woke from her long sleep and opened her eyes. She was very surprised to find herself lying on the grass. Thousands of mice were standing around her and looking at her shyly. But the Scarecrow told her everything. Then he turned to the little Mouse, who looked very proud and serious, and he said:

“Allow me to introduce you to her Majesty, the Queen.”

Dorothy nodded seriously, and the Queen made a curtsy. After that she became quite friendly with the little girl.

Now the Scarecrow and the Woodman began to tie the mice to the truck with the strings they had brought. They tied one end of a string around the neck of each mouse and the other end to the truck. Of course, the truck was a thousand times bigger than any of the mice who had to pull it. But when all the mice were harnessed, they were able to pull it quite easily. Even the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman could sit on it. Their strange little horses pulled them quickly to the place where the Lion lay asleep.

It was very hard work, because the Lion was heavy. But at last they got him up onto the truck. Then the Queen quickly gave her people the order to start. She was afraid that the mice would fall asleep too, if they stayed among the poppies too long.

At first the little creatures could hardly move the heavy truck, although there were so many of them. But the Woodman and the Scarecrow both pushed from behind, and then they moved along better. Soon they rolled the Lion out of the poppy bed to the green fields. There he could breathe the sweet, fresh air again, instead of the poisonous scent of the flowers.

Dorothy came to meet them. She thanked the little mice warmly for saving her companion from death. She had grown so fond of the big Lion that she was glad he had been rescued.

Then the mice were unharnessed from the truck, and they ran away through the grass to their homes. The Queen of the Mice was the last to leave.

“If you ever need us again,” she said, “come out into the field and call. We will hear you and come to help you. Good-bye!”

“Good-bye!” they all answered. Away the Queen ran. Dorothy held Toto tightly, so that he would not run after her and frighten her.

After this they sat down beside the Lion and waited for him to wake up. The Scarecrow brought Dorothy some fruit from a tree nearby, and she ate it for her dinner.

### Glossary

- **hinges**: metal parts that let a door, or here a tin head, turn and move.
- **field mouse**: a small wild mouse that lives in fields.
- **deed**: something that a person does, often something important.
- **your Majesty**: the polite way to speak to a king or queen.
- **truck**: here, a low wooden cart with wheels.
- **curtsy**: a polite greeting where a woman or girl bends her knees a little.
- **harnessed**: tied with straps or strings so that an animal can pull a cart.
- **unharnessed**: set free from the straps or strings that tied it to a cart.
- **companion**: a friend who travels or spends time with you.

## Chapter X The Guardian of the Gate

It was some time before the Cowardly Lion woke up. He had lain among the poppies for a long while, and he had breathed in their deadly scent. But at last he opened his eyes and rolled off the truck. He was very glad to find that he was still alive.

“I ran as fast as I could,” he said, as he sat down and yawned, “but the flowers were too strong for me. How did you get me out?”

Then they told him about the field mice, and how kindly they had saved him from death. The Cowardly Lion laughed and said:

“I have always thought that I was very big and terrible. Yet such little things as flowers almost killed me, and such small animals as mice have saved my life. How strange it all is! But, comrades, what shall we do now?”

“We must travel on until we find the road of yellow brick again,” said Dorothy. “Then we can go on to the Emerald City.”

The Lion was now fully rested and felt quite like himself again. So they all started on the journey. They enjoyed the walk through the soft, fresh grass very much. Soon they reached the road of yellow brick. They turned again toward the Emerald City, where the Great Oz lived.

The road was smooth and well paved now, and the country around it was beautiful. The travelers were very glad to leave the forest far behind them. They were glad to leave behind the many dangers they had met in its dark shadows, too. Once more they could see fences beside the road, but these were painted green. They came to a small house where a farmer clearly lived, and it was painted green too. They passed several of these houses during the afternoon. Sometimes people came to the doors and looked at them. They looked as if they would like to ask questions. But no one came near them or spoke to them, because they were very much afraid of the great Lion. The people were all dressed in clothes of a lovely emerald-green color. They wore pointed hats like the hats of the Munchkins.

“This must be the Land of Oz,” said Dorothy, “and we are surely getting near the Emerald City.”

“Yes,” answered the Scarecrow. “Everything is green here, while in the country of the Munchkins blue was the favorite color. But the people do not seem to be as friendly as the Munchkins. I’m afraid we will not be able to find a place to spend the night.”

“I would like something to eat besides fruit,” said the girl, “and I’m sure Toto is nearly starving. Let us stop at the next house and talk to the people.”

So when they came to a large farmhouse, Dorothy walked bravely up to the door and knocked.

A woman opened it just far enough to look out. “What do you want, child?” she said. “And why is that great Lion with you?”

“We would like to spend the night with you, if you will let us,” answered Dorothy. “And the Lion is my friend and comrade. He would not hurt you for anything in the world.”

“Is he tame?” asked the woman, and she opened the door a little wider.

“Oh, yes,” said the girl, “and he is a great coward, too. He will be more afraid of you than you are of him.”

The woman thought about it and took another quick look at the Lion. “Well,” she said, “if that is true, you may come in. I will give you some supper and a place to sleep.”

So they all went into the house. Besides the woman, there were two children and a man inside. The man had hurt his leg, and he was lying on the couch in a corner. They all seemed very surprised to see such a strange group. While the woman was busy setting the table, the man asked:

“Where are you all going?”

“To the Emerald City,” said Dorothy, “to see the Great Oz.”

“Oh, really!” cried the man. “Are you sure that Oz will see you?”

“Why not?” she answered.

“Well, people say that he never lets anyone come near him. I have been to the Emerald City many times. It is a beautiful and wonderful place. But I have never been allowed to see the Great Oz. And I do not know any living person who has seen him.”

“Does he never go out?” asked the Scarecrow.

“Never. He sits day after day in the great Throne Room of his Palace. Even the servants who wait on him do not see him face to face.”

“What is he like?” asked the girl.

“That is hard to say,” said the man thoughtfully. “You see, Oz is a Great Wizard, and he can take any form he wishes. So some say he looks like a bird. Some say he looks like an elephant, and some say he looks like a cat. To others he appears as a beautiful fairy, or a brownie, or in any other form that he likes. But who the real Oz is, in his own form, no living person can tell.”

“That is very strange,” said Dorothy. “But we must try to see him somehow, or our journey will be for nothing.”

“Why do you want to see the terrible Oz?” asked the man.

“I want him to give me some brains,” said the Scarecrow eagerly.

“Oh, Oz could do that easily enough,” said the man. “He has more brains than he needs.”

“And I want him to give me a heart,” said the Tin Woodman.

“That will not be difficult for him,” the man went on, “because Oz has a large collection of hearts, of all sizes and shapes.”

“And I want him to give me courage,” said the Cowardly Lion.

“Oz keeps a great pot of courage in his Throne Room,” said the man. “He has covered it with a golden plate, so that it does not run over. He will be glad to give you some.”

“And I want him to send me back to Kansas,” said Dorothy.

“Where is Kansas?” asked the man in surprise.

“I don’t know,” answered Dorothy sadly, “but it is my home, and I’m sure it’s somewhere.”

“Very likely. Well, Oz can do anything, so I suppose he will find Kansas for you. But first you must get to see him, and that will be hard. The Great Wizard does not like to see anyone, and he usually gets his own way.” Then he turned to Toto. “But what do *you* want?” he asked. Toto only wagged his tail, because, strange to say, he could not speak.

Now the woman called to them that supper was ready. So they sat down around the table. Dorothy ate some delicious porridge, a dish of scrambled eggs and a plate of nice white bread. She enjoyed her meal. The Lion ate some of the porridge, but he did not like it. He said it was made from oats, and oats were food for horses, not for lions. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman ate nothing at all. Toto ate a little of everything, and he was glad to have a good supper again.

Then the woman gave Dorothy a bed to sleep in, and Toto lay down beside her. The Lion guarded the door of her room, so that no one would disturb her. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood in a corner and kept quiet all night. Of course, they could not sleep.

The next morning, as soon as the sun was up, they started on their way. Soon they saw a beautiful green glow in the sky in front of them.

“That must be the Emerald City,” said Dorothy.

As they walked on, the green glow became brighter and brighter. It seemed that at last they were coming to the end of their travels. But it was afternoon before they reached the great wall around the City. It was high and thick, and it was a bright green color.

In front of them, at the end of the road of yellow brick, was a big gate. It was covered with emeralds. They shone so brightly in the sun that even the painted eyes of the Scarecrow were dazzled.

There was a bell beside the gate. Dorothy pushed the button and heard a silvery ringing sound inside. Then the big gate swung slowly open. They all went through and found themselves in a high room with a curved roof. Its walls shone with more emeralds than anyone could count.

In front of them stood a little man, about the same size as the Munchkins. He was dressed all in green, from his head to his feet, and even his skin was a little green. Next to him was a large green box.

When he saw Dorothy and her companions, the man asked, “What do you wish for in the Emerald City?”

“We came here to see the Great Oz,” said Dorothy.

The man was so surprised at this answer that he sat down to think about it.

“It has been many years since anyone asked me to see Oz,” he said, and he shook his head. He did not know what to do. “He is powerful and terrible. You may come for no good reason, or for a foolish one, and disturb the wise thoughts of the Great Wizard. Then he might be angry and destroy you all in a moment.”

“But we have not come for a foolish reason, or for no reason,” answered the Scarecrow. “It is important. And we have been told that Oz is a good Wizard.”

“So he is,” said the green man, “and he rules the Emerald City wisely and well. But to people who are not honest, or who come to him because they are curious, he is very terrible. Few people have ever dared to ask to see his face. I am the Guardian of the Gates. You demand to see the Great Oz, so I must take you to his Palace. But first you must put on the spectacles.”

“Why?” asked Dorothy.

“Because if you did not wear spectacles, the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you. Even the people who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day. They are all locked on, because Oz ordered it when the City was first built. And I have the only key that will unlock them.”

He opened the big box. Dorothy saw that it was full of spectacles of every size and shape. All of them had green glass in them. The Guardian of the Gates found a pair that fitted Dorothy just right and put them over her eyes. Two golden bands were fastened to them, and they went around the back of her head. There they were locked together with a little key. The key was at the end of a chain that the Guardian of the Gates wore around his neck. When the spectacles were on, Dorothy could not take them off, even if she wanted to. But of course she did not want to be blinded by the bright light of the Emerald City, so she said nothing.

Then the green man fitted spectacles on the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion, and even on little Toto. All of them were locked on tightly with the key.

Then the Guardian of the Gates put on his own glasses. He told them he was ready to take them to the Palace. He took a big golden key from a peg on the wall and opened another gate. They all followed him through the gateway into the streets of the Emerald City.

### Glossary

- **comrades**: friends and companions, often on a journey.
- **tame**: not wild; an animal that is used to people and will not hurt them.
- **brownie**: a small, helpful fairy creature in old stories.
- **porridge**: a hot breakfast food made by cooking oats in milk or water.
- **oats**: a kind of grain, often used as food for horses.
- **emeralds**: bright green precious stones.
- **dazzled**: not able to see well for a moment because a light is too bright.
- **guardian**: a person who watches and protects a place.
- **spectacles**: glasses for the eyes.
- **peg**: a small piece of wood or metal on a wall, used for hanging things.

## Chapter XI The Wonderful City of Oz

Dorothy and her friends had the green spectacles over their eyes. But even so, the brightness of the wonderful City dazzled them at first. Beautiful houses stood along the streets. They were all built of green marble, and sparkling emeralds were set in them everywhere. The friends walked on a pavement of the same green marble. Where the blocks were joined together, there were rows of emeralds. The emeralds were set close together, and they glittered in the bright sun. The windows were made of green glass. Even the sky above the City had a green color, and the rays of the sun were green.

There were many people walking about: men, women and children. They were all dressed in green clothes, and their skin was greenish. They looked at Dorothy and her strange group of friends with wondering eyes. When the children saw the Lion, they all ran away and hid behind their mothers. But no one spoke to the travelers. There were many shops in the street, and Dorothy saw that everything in them was green. The shops sold green candy and green pop-corn. They also sold green shoes, green hats and green clothes of all kinds. In one place a man was selling green lemonade. When the children bought some, Dorothy saw that they paid for it with green pennies.

There seemed to be no horses, and no animals of any kind. The men carried things around in little green carts, which they pushed in front of them. Everyone seemed happy, contented and well off.

The Guardian of the Gates led them through the streets. At last they came to a big building in the exact middle of the City. It was the Palace of Oz, the Great Wizard. A soldier stood in front of the door. He was dressed in a green uniform, and he had a long green beard.

“Here are strangers,” the Guardian of the Gates said to him, “and they demand to see the Great Oz.”

“Step inside,” answered the soldier, “and I will take your message to him.”

So they went through the Palace Gates. They were led into a big room with a green carpet and lovely green furniture. The furniture was set with emeralds. Before they went into this room, the soldier made them all wipe their feet on a green mat. When they were sitting down, he said politely:

“Please make yourselves comfortable while I go to the door of the Throne Room and tell Oz you are here.”

They had to wait a long time before the soldier came back. When at last he returned, Dorothy asked:

“Have you seen Oz?”

“Oh, no,” answered the soldier. “I have never seen him. But I spoke to him while he sat behind his screen, and I gave him your message. He said he will give you an audience, if you wish. But each one of you must go in to see him alone. And he will only let one of you in each day. So you must stay in the Palace for several days. I will have someone show you to rooms where you can rest comfortably after your journey.”

“Thank you,” replied the girl. “That is very kind of Oz.”

Then the soldier blew on a green whistle, and at once a young girl came into the room. She was dressed in a pretty green silk gown. She had lovely green hair and green eyes. She bowed low in front of Dorothy and said, “Follow me and I will show you your room.”

So Dorothy said good-bye to all her friends except Toto. She took the dog in her arms and followed the green girl. They went through seven passages and up three flights of stairs. At last they came to a room at the front of the Palace. It was the sweetest little room in the world. It had a soft, comfortable bed with sheets of green silk and a green velvet counterpane. In the middle of the room there was a tiny fountain. It shot a spray of green perfume into the air. The perfume fell back into a beautifully carved basin of green marble. Beautiful green flowers stood in the windows. There was also a shelf with a row of little green books. Later, when Dorothy had time to open these books, she found them full of strange green pictures. They were so funny that they made her laugh.

In a wardrobe there were many green dresses made of silk, satin and velvet. All of them fitted Dorothy exactly.

“Make yourself perfectly at home,” said the green girl, “and if you want anything, ring the bell. Oz will send for you tomorrow morning.”

She left Dorothy alone and went back to the others. She led them to rooms too, and each of them found that he was staying in a very pleasant part of the Palace. Of course, this politeness was wasted on the Scarecrow. When he was alone in his room, he stood stupidly in one spot, just inside the door, and waited for morning. Lying down would not rest him, and he could not close his eyes. So he stayed there all night and stared at a little spider. It was weaving its web in a corner of the room. He stared at it just as if this were not one of the most wonderful rooms in the world. The Tin Woodman lay down on his bed out of habit, because he remembered the time when he was made of flesh. But he was not able to sleep. So he spent the night moving his joints up and down, to make sure they still worked well. The Lion would have liked a bed of dried leaves in the forest better, and he did not like being shut up in a room. But he had too much sense to let this worry him. So he jumped onto the bed and rolled himself up like a cat. He purred himself to sleep in a minute.

The next morning, after breakfast, the green maiden came to get Dorothy. She dressed her in one of the prettiest gowns, made of green brocaded satin. Dorothy put on a green silk apron and tied a green ribbon around Toto’s neck. Then they set off for the Throne Room of the Great Oz.

First they came to a great hall. Many ladies and gentlemen of the court were there, all dressed in rich clothes. These people had nothing to do but talk to each other. But every morning they came to wait outside the Throne Room, although they were never allowed to see Oz. When Dorothy came in, they looked at her with curiosity, and one of them whispered:

“Are you really going to look at the face of Oz the Terrible?”

“Of course,” answered the girl, “if he will see me.”

“Oh, he will see you,” said the soldier who had taken her message to the Wizard. “But he does not like people to ask to see him. In fact, at first he was angry. He said I should send you back where you came from. Then he asked me what you looked like. When I mentioned your silver shoes, he was very interested. At last I told him about the mark on your forehead. Then he decided that he would let you come in to see him.”

Just then a bell rang, and the green girl said to Dorothy, “That is the signal. You must go into the Throne Room alone.”

She opened a little door. Dorothy walked bravely through it and found herself in a wonderful place. It was a big, round room with a high arched roof. The walls, the ceiling and the floor were covered with large emeralds, set close together. In the center of the roof was a great light, as bright as the sun. It made the emeralds sparkle wonderfully.

But what interested Dorothy most was the big throne of green marble in the middle of the room. It was shaped like a chair, and it sparkled with jewels, like everything else. In the center of the chair was an enormous Head. It had no body to hold it up, and no arms or legs at all. There was no hair on this head. But it had eyes, a nose and a mouth, and it was much bigger than the head of the biggest giant.

Dorothy looked at it with wonder and fear. As she looked, the eyes turned slowly and looked at her sharply and steadily. Then the mouth moved, and Dorothy heard a voice say:

“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?”

The voice was not as awful as she had expected from the big Head. So she found her courage and answered:

“I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek. I have come to you for help.”

The eyes looked at her thoughtfully for a full minute. Then the voice said:

“Where did you get the silver shoes?”

“I got them from the Wicked Witch of the East, when my house fell on her and killed her,” she replied.

“Where did you get the mark on your forehead?” the voice went on.

“That is where the Good Witch of the North kissed me. She kissed me when she said good-bye and sent me to you,” said the girl.

Again the eyes looked at her sharply, and they saw that she was telling the truth. Then Oz asked, “What do you wish me to do?”

“Send me back to Kansas, where my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are,” she answered seriously. “I don’t like your country, although it is so beautiful. And I am sure Aunt Em will be terribly worried because I have been away so long.”

The eyes winked three times. Then they turned up to the ceiling and down to the floor. They rolled around so strangely that they seemed to see every part of the room. At last they looked at Dorothy again.

“Why should I do this for you?” asked Oz.

“Because you are strong and I am weak; because you are a Great Wizard and I am only a little girl.”

“But you were strong enough to kill the Wicked Witch of the East,” said Oz.

“That just happened,” answered Dorothy simply. “I could not help it.”

“Well,” said the Head, “I will give you my answer. You have no right to expect me to send you back to Kansas. Not unless you do something for me in return. In this country everyone must pay for everything he gets. If you want me to use my magic to send you home, you must do something for me first. Help me and I will help you.”

“What must I do?” asked the girl.

“Kill the Wicked Witch of the West,” answered Oz.

“But I cannot!” cried Dorothy, very surprised.

“You killed the Witch of the East, and you wear the silver shoes, which have a powerful charm. There is now only one Wicked Witch left in all this land. When you can tell me she is dead, I will send you back to Kansas—but not before.”

The little girl began to cry, because she was so disappointed. The eyes winked again and looked at her anxiously. It seemed as if the Great Oz felt that she could help him if she wanted to.

“I never killed anything on purpose,” she sobbed. “Even if I wanted to, how could I kill the Wicked Witch? You are Great and Terrible, and you cannot kill her yourself. So how do you expect me to do it?”

“I do not know,” said the Head, “but that is my answer. Until the Wicked Witch dies, you will not see your uncle and aunt again. Remember that the Witch is Wicked—terribly Wicked—and she ought to be killed. Now go, and do not ask to see me again until you have done your task.”

Sadly Dorothy left the Throne Room. She went back to the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, who were waiting to hear what Oz had said to her.

“There is no hope for me,” she said sadly. “Oz will not send me home until I have killed the Wicked Witch of the West. And that I can never do.”

Her friends were sorry, but they could do nothing to help her. So Dorothy went to her own room, lay down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

The next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came to the Scarecrow and said:

“Come with me, for Oz has sent for you.”

So the Scarecrow followed him and was let into the great Throne Room. There, sitting on the emerald throne, he saw a most lovely Lady. She was dressed in thin, light green silk. On her long, flowing green hair she wore a crown of jewels. Wings grew from her shoulders. They had wonderful colors, and they were so light that they fluttered at the smallest breath of air.

The Scarecrow bowed to this beautiful creature, as prettily as his straw stuffing allowed him. She looked at him sweetly and said:

“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?”

The Scarecrow had expected to see the great Head that Dorothy had told him about, so he was very surprised. But he answered her bravely.

“I am only a Scarecrow, stuffed with straw. So I have no brains. I have come to beg you to put brains in my head instead of straw. Then I may become as much a man as any other in your lands.”

“Why should I do this for you?” asked the Lady.

“Because you are wise and powerful, and no one else can help me,” answered the Scarecrow.

“I never do favors without getting something in return,” said Oz. “But I will promise you this much. If you kill the Wicked Witch of the West for me, I will give you a great many brains. They will be such good brains that you will be the wisest man in all the Land of Oz.”

“I thought you asked Dorothy to kill the Witch,” said the Scarecrow in surprise.

“So I did. I don’t care who kills her. But until she is dead, I will not grant your wish. Now go, and do not seek me again until you have earned the brains you want so much.”

The Scarecrow went sadly back to his friends and told them what Oz had said. Dorothy was surprised to hear that the Great Wizard was not a Head, as she had seen him, but a lovely Lady.

“All the same,” said the Scarecrow, “she needs a heart as much as the Tin Woodman does.”

The next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came to the Tin Woodman and said:

“Oz has sent for you. Follow me.”

So the Tin Woodman followed him and came to the great Throne Room. He did not know if he would find Oz as a lovely Lady or as a Head. But he hoped it would be the lovely Lady.

“Because,” he said to himself, “if it is the Head, I am sure I will not be given a heart. A head has no heart of its own, so it cannot feel for me. But if it is the lovely Lady, I will beg hard for a heart. People say that all ladies are kind-hearted.”

But when the Woodman went into the great Throne Room, he saw neither the Head nor the Lady. Oz had taken the shape of a most terrible Beast. It was nearly as big as an elephant, and the green throne hardly seemed strong enough to hold its weight. The Beast had a head like a rhinoceros, but there were five eyes in its face. Five long arms grew out of its body, and it also had five long, thin legs. Thick, woolly hair covered every part of it. No one could imagine a more dreadful-looking monster. It was lucky that the Tin Woodman had no heart at that moment. If he had one, it would have beaten loud and fast with terror. But he was only tin, so he was not afraid at all. He was very disappointed, though.

“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible,” said the Beast, in a voice that was one great roar. “Who are you, and why do you seek me?”

“I am a Woodman, and I am made of tin. So I have no heart, and I cannot love. I beg you to give me a heart, so that I may be like other men.”

“Why should I do this?” demanded the Beast.

“Because I ask it, and only you can grant my request,” answered the Woodman.

Oz gave a low growl at this. But then he said roughly, “If you really want a heart, you must earn it.”

“How?” asked the Woodman.

“Help Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West,” replied the Beast. “When the Witch is dead, come to me. Then I will give you the biggest and kindest and most loving heart in all the Land of Oz.”

So the Tin Woodman had to go sadly back to his friends. He told them about the terrible Beast he had seen. They all wondered very much at the many shapes the Great Wizard could take. And the Lion said:

“If he is a Beast when I go to see him, I will roar my loudest. I will frighten him so much that he will grant everything I ask. And if he is the lovely Lady, I will pretend to jump on her. That way I will make her do what I say. And if he is the great Head, he will be in my power. I will roll this head all around the room until he promises to give us what we want. So be cheerful, my friends, for everything will still turn out well.”

The next morning the soldier with the green whiskers led the Lion to the great Throne Room. He told him to go in and see Oz.

The Lion went through the door at once. He looked around, and to his surprise he saw a Ball of Fire in front of the throne. It was so fierce and bright that he could hardly look at it. His first thought was that Oz had caught fire by accident and was burning up. He tried to go nearer. But the heat was so strong that it singed his whiskers. Trembling, he crept back to a place nearer the door.

Then a low, quiet voice came from the Ball of Fire. These were the words it spoke:

“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?”

And the Lion answered, “I am a Cowardly Lion, afraid of everything. I came to beg you to give me courage. Then I may really become the King of Beasts, as men call me.”

“Why should I give you courage?” demanded Oz.

“Because you are the greatest of all Wizards,” answered the Lion. “Only you have the power to grant my request.”

The Ball of Fire burned fiercely for a time. Then the voice said, “Bring me proof that the Wicked Witch is dead. At that moment I will give you courage. But as long as the Witch lives, you must stay a coward.”

The Lion was angry at these words, but he could say nothing in reply. He stood silently and stared at the Ball of Fire. Then it became so terribly hot that he turned and rushed out of the room. He was glad to find his friends waiting for him. He told them about his terrible meeting with the Wizard.

“What shall we do now?” asked Dorothy sadly.

“There is only one thing we can do,” answered the Lion. “We must go to the land of the Winkies, find the Wicked Witch and destroy her.”

“But what if we cannot?” said the girl.

“Then I shall never have courage,” said the Lion.

“And I shall never have brains,” added the Scarecrow.

“And I shall never have a heart,” said the Tin Woodman.

“And I shall never see Aunt Em and Uncle Henry,” said Dorothy, and she began to cry.

“Be careful!” cried the green girl. “The tears will fall on your green silk gown and leave spots on it.”

So Dorothy dried her eyes and said, “I suppose we must try it. But I am sure I do not want to kill anybody, even to see Aunt Em again.”

“I will go with you, but I’m too much of a coward to kill the Witch,” said the Lion.

“I will go too,” said the Scarecrow, “but I will not be much help to you. I am such a fool.”

“I haven’t the heart to hurt even a Witch,” said the Tin Woodman, “but if you go, I will certainly go with you.”

So they decided to start on their journey the next morning. The Woodman sharpened his axe on a green grindstone and had all his joints well oiled. The Scarecrow stuffed himself with fresh straw. Dorothy put new paint on his eyes, so that he could see better. The green girl, who was very kind to them, filled Dorothy’s basket with good things to eat. She also tied a little bell around Toto’s neck with a green ribbon.

They went to bed quite early and slept well until daylight. Then they were woken by the crowing of a green cock that lived in the back yard of the Palace. They also heard the cackling of a hen that had laid a green egg.

### Glossary

- **spectacles**: glasses for the eyes.
- **emerald**: a bright green precious stone.
- **audience**: a formal meeting with an important person, such as a ruler.
- **counterpane**: a cover that lies on top of a bed.
- **brocaded satin**: smooth, shiny cloth with a raised pattern woven into it.
- **seek**: to look for someone or something.
- **meek**: quiet, gentle and not proud.
- **singed**: burned a little at the ends or on the outside.
- **haven’t the heart to**: cannot make yourself do something unkind; here it is also a joke, because the Tin Woodman really has no heart.
- **grindstone**: a round stone used to make knives and axes sharp.

## Chapter XII The Search for the Wicked Witch

The soldier with the green whiskers led them through the streets of the Emerald City. At last they reached the room where the Guardian of the Gates lived. He unlocked their spectacles and put them back in his great box. Then he politely opened the gate for our friends.

“Which road leads to the Wicked Witch of the West?” asked Dorothy.

“There is no road,” answered the Guardian of the Gates. “No one ever wants to go that way.”

“Then how are we going to find her?” asked the girl.

“That will be easy,” replied the man. “When she knows you are in the country of the Winkies, she will find you. And she will make you all her slaves.”

“Perhaps not,” said the Scarecrow, “because we plan to destroy her.”

“Oh, that is different,” said the Guardian of the Gates. “No one has ever destroyed her before. So of course I thought she would make slaves of you, as she has of all the rest. But be careful, for she is wicked and fierce. She may not let you destroy her. Keep going to the West, where the sun sets, and you will surely find her.”

They thanked him and said good-bye. Then they turned toward the West. They walked over fields of soft grass, with daisies and buttercups here and there. Dorothy still wore the pretty silk dress that she had put on in the palace. But now, to her surprise, she saw that it was no longer green. It was pure white. The ribbon around Toto’s neck had also lost its green color. It was as white as Dorothy’s dress.

Soon the Emerald City was far behind them. As they went on, the ground became rougher and hillier. There were no farms or houses in this country of the West, and no one had plowed the land.

In the afternoon the sun shone hot in their faces, because there were no trees to give them shade. So before night Dorothy, Toto and the Lion were tired. They lay down on the grass and fell asleep, and the Woodman and the Scarecrow kept watch.

Now the Wicked Witch of the West had only one eye. But that eye was as powerful as a telescope, and it could see everywhere. She was sitting in the door of her castle, and she happened to look around. She saw Dorothy lying asleep, with her friends all around her. They were a long way off. But the Wicked Witch was angry to find them in her country. So she blew on a silver whistle that hung around her neck.

At once a pack of great wolves came running to her from all directions. They had long legs, fierce eyes and sharp teeth.

“Go to those people,” said the Witch, “and tear them to pieces.”

“Are you not going to make them your slaves?” asked the leader of the wolves.

“No,” she answered. “One is of tin, and one of straw. One is a girl and another a Lion. None of them is fit to work, so you may tear them into small pieces.”

“Very well,” said the wolf. He ran off at full speed, and the others followed him.

It was lucky that the Scarecrow and the Woodman were wide awake and heard the wolves coming.

“This is my fight,” said the Woodman, “so get behind me. I will meet them as they come.”

He took hold of his axe, which he had made very sharp. The leader of the wolves came at him. The Tin Woodman swung his arm and chopped the wolf’s head from its body, so that it died at once. As soon as he could raise his axe again, another wolf came up. This wolf also fell under the sharp edge of the Tin Woodman’s axe. There were forty wolves, and forty times a wolf was killed. At last they all lay dead in a heap in front of the Woodman.

Then he put down his axe and sat beside the Scarecrow. The Scarecrow said, “It was a good fight, friend.”

They waited until Dorothy woke up the next morning. The little girl was quite frightened when she saw the great pile of shaggy wolves. But the Tin Woodman told her everything. She thanked him for saving them and sat down to breakfast. After that they started on their journey again.

On this same morning the Wicked Witch came to the door of her castle. She looked out with her one eye that could see far away. She saw all her wolves lying dead, and the strangers still traveling through her country. This made her angrier than before, and she blew her silver whistle twice.

At once a great flock of wild crows came flying toward her. There were so many that they made the sky dark.

The Wicked Witch said to the King Crow, “Fly at once to the strangers. Peck out their eyes and tear them to pieces.”

The wild crows flew in one great flock toward Dorothy and her companions. When the little girl saw them coming, she was afraid.

But the Scarecrow said, “This is my battle, so lie down beside me and you will not be hurt.”

So they all lay on the ground except the Scarecrow. He stood up and stretched out his arms. When the crows saw him, they were frightened, as these birds always are by scarecrows. They did not dare to come any nearer. But the King Crow said:

“It is only a stuffed man. I will peck his eyes out.”

The King Crow flew at the Scarecrow. The Scarecrow caught it by the head and twisted its neck until it died. Then another crow flew at him, and the Scarecrow twisted its neck too. There were forty crows, and forty times the Scarecrow twisted a neck. At last they were all lying dead beside him. Then he called to his companions to get up, and they went on with their journey again.

The Wicked Witch looked out again and saw all her crows lying in a heap. She got into a terrible rage and blew three times on her silver whistle.

At once a great buzzing was heard in the air, and a swarm of black bees came flying toward her.

“Go to the strangers and sting them to death!” the Witch ordered. The bees turned and flew fast until they came to the place where Dorothy and her friends were walking. But the Woodman had seen them coming, and the Scarecrow had decided what to do.

“Take out my straw and scatter it over the little girl and the dog and the Lion,” he said to the Woodman. “Then the bees cannot sting them.”

The Woodman did this. Dorothy lay close beside the Lion and held Toto in her arms, and the straw covered them completely.

The bees came and found no one to sting but the Woodman. So they flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin. They did not hurt the Woodman at all. Bees cannot live when their stings are broken, so that was the end of the black bees. They lay scattered thickly around the Woodman, like little heaps of fine coal.

Then Dorothy and the Lion got up. The girl helped the Tin Woodman put the straw back into the Scarecrow, until he was as good as ever. So they started on their journey once more.

The Wicked Witch saw her black bees in little heaps like fine coal. She was so angry that she stamped her foot, tore her hair and ground her teeth. Then she called a dozen of her slaves, who were the Winkies. She gave them sharp spears and told them to go to the strangers and destroy them.

The Winkies were not a brave people, but they had to do as they were told. So they marched away until they came near Dorothy. Then the Lion gave a great roar and jumped toward them. The poor Winkies were so frightened that they ran back as fast as they could.

When they returned to the castle, the Wicked Witch beat them hard with a strap and sent them back to their work. After that she sat down to think about what to do next. She could not understand how all her plans to destroy these strangers had failed. But she was a powerful Witch, as well as a wicked one, and she soon decided what to do.

In her cupboard there was a Golden Cap, with a circle of diamonds and rubies around it. This Golden Cap had a charm. Whoever owned it could call the Winged Monkeys three times. The Monkeys would obey any order they were given. But no person could command these strange creatures more than three times. The Wicked Witch had already used the charm of the Cap twice. The first time was when she made the Winkies her slaves and began to rule over their country. The Winged Monkeys had helped her do this. The second time was when she fought against the Great Oz himself and drove him out of the land of the West. The Winged Monkeys had helped her with this too. She could use the Golden Cap only once more. For this reason she did not want to use it until all her other powers were used up. But now her fierce wolves, her wild crows and her stinging bees were gone. And the Cowardly Lion had scared her slaves away. So she saw that there was only one way left to destroy Dorothy and her friends.

So the Wicked Witch took the Golden Cap from her cupboard and put it on her head. Then she stood on her left foot and said slowly:

“Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!”

Next she stood on her right foot and said:

“Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!”

After this she stood on both feet and cried in a loud voice:

“Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!”

Now the charm began to work. The sky grew dark, and a low rumbling sound was heard in the air. There was a rushing of many wings and a great chattering and laughing. Then the sun came out of the dark sky. It showed the Wicked Witch with a crowd of monkeys all around her. Each monkey had a pair of huge, powerful wings on his shoulders.

One of them was much bigger than the others, and he seemed to be their leader. He flew close to the Witch and said, “You have called us for the third and last time. What do you command?”

“Go to the strangers who are in my land and destroy them all except the Lion,” said the Wicked Witch. “Bring that beast to me. I want to harness him like a horse and make him work.”

“Your commands shall be obeyed,” said the leader. Then, with a great deal of chattering and noise, the Winged Monkeys flew away. They flew to the place where Dorothy and her friends were walking.

Some of the Monkeys seized the Tin Woodman and carried him through the air. At last they were over a country thickly covered with sharp rocks. Here they dropped the poor Woodman. He fell a great distance onto the rocks. There he lay so battered and dented that he could neither move nor groan.

Other Monkeys caught the Scarecrow. With their long fingers they pulled all of the straw out of his clothes and head. They made his hat and boots and clothes into a small bundle. Then they threw it into the top branches of a tall tree.

The rest of the Monkeys threw pieces of strong rope around the Lion. They wound many coils around his body, head and legs. At last he could not bite or scratch or struggle in any way. Then they lifted him up and flew away with him to the Witch’s castle. There they put him in a small yard with a high iron fence around it, so that he could not escape.

But they did not harm Dorothy at all. She stood with Toto in her arms and watched the sad fate of her comrades. She thought that it would soon be her turn. The leader of the Winged Monkeys flew up to her. His long, hairy arms were stretched out, and his ugly face was grinning terribly. But then he saw the mark of the Good Witch’s kiss on her forehead. He stopped short and made a sign to the others not to touch her.

“We dare not harm this little girl,” he said to them. “She is protected by the Power of Good, and that is greater than the Power of Evil. All we can do is carry her to the castle of the Wicked Witch and leave her there.”

So they lifted Dorothy in their arms, carefully and gently. They carried her quickly through the air until they came to the castle. There they set her down on the front doorstep. Then the leader said to the Witch:

“We have obeyed you as far as we were able. The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow are destroyed, and the Lion is tied up in your yard. We dare not harm the little girl, or the dog she carries in her arms. Your power over our band is now ended, and you will never see us again.”

Then all the Winged Monkeys flew into the air, with much laughing and chattering and noise. Soon they were out of sight.

The Wicked Witch was both surprised and worried when she saw the mark on Dorothy’s forehead. She knew well that neither the Winged Monkeys nor she herself dared to hurt the girl in any way. She looked down at Dorothy’s feet and saw the Silver Shoes. Then she began to tremble with fear, because she knew what a powerful charm they had. At first the Witch wanted to run away from Dorothy. But she happened to look into the child’s eyes. She saw how simple the soul behind them was. And she saw that the little girl did not know about the wonderful power the Silver Shoes gave her. So the Wicked Witch laughed to herself and thought, “I can still make her my slave, because she does not know how to use her power.” Then she spoke to Dorothy in a hard, strict voice:

“Come with me. And make sure that you do everything I tell you. If you do not, I will make an end of you, as I did of the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow.”

Dorothy followed her through many of the beautiful rooms in her castle. At last they came to the kitchen. There the Witch told her to clean the pots and kettles and sweep the floor. She also had to keep the fire fed with wood.

Dorothy went to work meekly. She made up her mind to work as hard as she could, because she was glad that the Wicked Witch had decided not to kill her.

Dorothy was hard at work, so the Witch thought she would go into the courtyard. She wanted to harness the Cowardly Lion like a horse. She was sure it would amuse her to make him pull her chariot whenever she wanted to go for a drive. But as she opened the gate, the Lion gave a loud roar. He jumped at her so fiercely that the Witch was afraid. She ran out and shut the gate again.

“If I cannot harness you,” the Witch said to the Lion through the bars of the gate, “I can starve you. You shall have nothing to eat until you do as I wish.”

So after that she took no food to the Lion in his prison. But every day at noon she came to the gate and asked, “Are you ready to be harnessed like a horse?”

And the Lion always answered, “No. If you come into this yard, I will bite you.”

There was a reason why the Lion did not have to do as the Witch wished. Every night, while the woman was asleep, Dorothy took him food from the cupboard. After he had eaten, he lay down on his bed of straw. Dorothy lay beside him and put her head on his soft, shaggy mane. Then they talked about their troubles and tried to plan some way to escape. But they could find no way to get out of the castle. It was always guarded by the yellow Winkies. They were the slaves of the Wicked Witch, and they were too afraid of her to disobey her.

The girl had to work hard during the day. The Witch often threatened to beat her with the old umbrella that she always carried in her hand. But in truth she did not dare to hit Dorothy, because of the mark on her forehead. The child did not know this, and she was full of fear for herself and Toto. Once the Witch hit Toto with her umbrella. The brave little dog jumped at her and bit her leg in return. The Witch did not bleed where she was bitten. She was so wicked that the blood in her had dried up many years before.

Dorothy’s life became very sad. She began to understand that it would be harder than ever to get back to Kansas and Aunt Em again. Sometimes she cried bitterly for hours. Toto sat at her feet and looked into her face. He whined sadly to show how sorry he was for his little mistress. Toto did not really care if he was in Kansas or in the Land of Oz. It did not matter to him, as long as Dorothy was with him. But he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.

Now the Wicked Witch wanted very much to have the Silver Shoes for her own. The girl always wore them. The Witch’s bees and crows and wolves were lying in heaps and drying up. She had used up all the power of the Golden Cap. If only she could get the Silver Shoes! They would give her more power than all the other things she had lost. She watched Dorothy carefully to see if she ever took off her shoes. She thought that she might steal them. But the child was very proud of her pretty shoes. She only took them off at night and when she had her bath. The Witch was too afraid of the dark to go into Dorothy’s room at night and take the shoes. And her fear of water was even greater than her fear of the dark. So she never came near when Dorothy was having her bath. In fact, the old Witch never touched water, and she never let water touch her in any way.

But the wicked creature was very cunning. At last she thought of a trick that would give her what she wanted. She put a bar of iron in the middle of the kitchen floor. Then, by her magic, she made the iron invisible to human eyes. So when Dorothy walked across the floor, she tripped over the bar, because she could not see it. She fell flat on the floor. She was not badly hurt. But as she fell, one of the Silver Shoes came off. Before she could reach it, the Witch grabbed it and put it on her own skinny foot.

The wicked woman was very pleased that her trick had worked. As long as she had one of the shoes, she owned half the power of their charm. And Dorothy could not use the charm against her, even if she had known how.

The little girl saw that she had lost one of her pretty shoes. She grew angry and said to the Witch, “Give me back my shoe!”

“I will not,” answered the Witch sharply, “for it is now my shoe, and not yours.”

“You are a wicked creature!” cried Dorothy. “You have no right to take my shoe from me.”

“I shall keep it, just the same,” said the Witch, laughing at her, “and someday I shall get the other one from you, too.”

This made Dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucket of water that stood nearby. She threw it over the Witch and wet her from head to foot.

At once the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear. Dorothy looked at her in wonder, and the Witch began to shrink and fall away.

“See what you have done!” she screamed. “In a minute I shall melt away.”

“I’m very sorry, indeed,” said Dorothy. She was truly frightened to see the Witch really melting away like brown sugar in front of her eyes.

“Didn’t you know water would be the end of me?” asked the Witch, in a wailing voice full of despair.

“Of course not,” answered Dorothy. “How should I?”

“Well, in a few minutes I shall be all melted, and you will have the castle to yourself. I have been wicked in my day. But I never thought a little girl like you would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds. Look out—here I go!”

With these words the Witch fell down in a brown, melted, shapeless mass. It began to spread over the clean boards of the kitchen floor. Dorothy saw that the Witch had really melted away to nothing. So she got another bucket of water and threw it over the mess. Then she swept it all out the door. She picked out the Silver Shoe, which was all that was left of the old woman. She cleaned and dried it with a cloth and put it on her foot again. Now at last she was free to do as she wanted. So she ran out to the courtyard to tell the Lion. The Wicked Witch of the West had come to an end. They were no longer prisoners in a strange land.

### Glossary

- **telescope**: a tube with glass in it that makes things far away look near.
- **swarm**: a very large group of insects flying together.
- **spears**: long sticks with a sharp metal point, used as weapons.
- **charm**: a magic power that an object has.
- **harness**: to put straps on an animal so that it can pull a cart.
- **battered and dented**: badly hit and damaged, with places pushed in.
- **meekly**: quietly and gently, without arguing.
- **chariot**: a small cart with two wheels, pulled by a horse.
- **invisible**: not possible to see.
- **despair**: the feeling that there is no hope at all.

## Chapter XIII The Rescue

The Cowardly Lion was very pleased to hear that a bucket of water had melted the Wicked Witch. Dorothy at once unlocked the gate of his prison and set him free. They went into the castle together. There, the first thing Dorothy did was to call all the Winkies together. She told them that they were no longer slaves.

The yellow Winkies were full of joy. For many years they had been made to work hard for the Wicked Witch. She had always treated them very cruelly. They kept this day as a holiday, then and ever after, and they spent the time eating and dancing.

“If only our friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, were with us,” said the Lion, “I would be quite happy.”

“Don’t you think we could rescue them?” asked the girl anxiously.

“We can try,” answered the Lion.

So they called the yellow Winkies and asked them if they would help to rescue their friends. The Winkies said that they would be delighted to do everything they could for Dorothy. After all, she had set them free from bondage. So she chose a number of the Winkies who looked as if they knew the most. Then they all started out. They traveled that day and part of the next. At last they came to the rocky plain where the Tin Woodman lay. He was all battered and bent. His axe was near him, but the blade was rusted and the handle was broken off short.

The Winkies lifted him gently in their arms and carried him back to the Yellow Castle again. On the way Dorothy cried a few tears, because her old friend was in such a sad state. The Lion looked serious and sorry. When they reached the castle, Dorothy said to the Winkies:

“Are any of your people tinsmiths?”

“Oh, yes. Some of us are very good tinsmiths,” they told her.

“Then bring them to me,” she said.

The tinsmiths came, and they brought all their tools with them in baskets. Then Dorothy asked, “Can you straighten out those dents in the Tin Woodman? Can you bend him back into shape again, and solder him together where he is broken?”

The tinsmiths looked the Woodman over carefully. Then they answered that they thought they could mend him. He would be as good as ever. So they started work in one of the big yellow rooms of the castle. They worked for three days and four nights. They hammered and twisted and bent and soldered and polished and pounded his legs and body and head. At last he was straightened out into his old shape, and his joints worked as well as ever. It is true that there were several patches on him. But the tinsmiths did a good job. And the Woodman was not a vain man, so he did not mind the patches at all.

At last he walked into Dorothy’s room and thanked her for rescuing him. He was so pleased that he cried tears of joy. Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron, so that his joints would not rust. At the same time her own tears fell thick and fast. She was so happy to meet her old friend again. These tears did not need to be wiped away. As for the Lion, he wiped his eyes very often with the tip of his tail. Soon it became quite wet. He had to go out into the courtyard and hold it in the sun until it was dry.

Dorothy told the Tin Woodman everything that had happened. When she had finished, he said, “If only we had the Scarecrow with us again, I would be quite happy.”

“We must try to find him,” said the girl.

So she called the Winkies to help her. They walked all that day and part of the next. At last they came to the tall tree where the Winged Monkeys had thrown the Scarecrow’s clothes into the branches.

It was a very tall tree, and the trunk was so smooth that no one could climb it. But the Woodman said at once, “I’ll chop it down, and then we can get the Scarecrow’s clothes.”

Now, while the tinsmiths had been at work mending the Woodman himself, another of the Winkies had been busy too. He was a goldsmith. He had made an axe-handle of solid gold. He had fitted it to the Woodman’s axe, in place of the old broken handle. Other Winkies had polished the blade until all the rust was gone. Now it shone like polished silver.

As soon as he had spoken, the Tin Woodman began to chop. In a short time the tree fell over with a crash. The Scarecrow’s clothes fell out of the branches and rolled onto the ground.

Dorothy picked them up and had the Winkies carry them back to the castle. There they were stuffed with nice, clean straw. And look! Here was the Scarecrow, as good as ever. He thanked them over and over again for saving him.

Now they were all together again. Dorothy and her friends spent a few happy days at the Yellow Castle. They found everything there that they needed to make them comfortable.

But one day the girl thought of Aunt Em, and she said, “We must go back to Oz and ask him to keep his promise.”

“Yes,” said the Woodman, “at last I shall get my heart.”

“And I shall get my brains,” added the Scarecrow joyfully.

“And I shall get my courage,” said the Lion thoughtfully.

“And I shall get back to Kansas,” cried Dorothy, clapping her hands. “Oh, let us start for the Emerald City tomorrow!”

They decided to do this. The next day they called the Winkies together and said good-bye to them. The Winkies were sorry to see them go. They had grown so fond of the Tin Woodman that they begged him to stay. They wanted him to rule over them and the Yellow Land of the West. But the travelers were determined to go. So the Winkies gave Toto and the Lion each a golden collar. To Dorothy they gave a beautiful bracelet covered with diamonds. To the Scarecrow they gave a walking stick with a gold top, to stop him from falling over. And to the Tin Woodman they gave a silver oil-can. It was decorated with gold and set with precious jewels.

Every one of the travelers made a pretty speech to the Winkies in return. They all shook hands with them until their arms hurt.

Dorothy went to the Witch’s cupboard to fill her basket with food for the journey. There she saw the Golden Cap. She tried it on her own head and found that it fitted her exactly. She did not know anything about the charm of the Golden Cap. But she saw that it was pretty, so she decided to wear it and carry her sunbonnet in the basket.

Then they were ready for the journey, and they all started for the Emerald City. The Winkies gave them three cheers and many good wishes to take with them.

### Glossary

- **bondage**: being a slave; not being free.
- **battered**: badly damaged by being hit many times.
- **tinsmith**: a person who makes and mends things made of tin.
- **solder**: to join pieces of metal with a little melted metal.
- **dent**: a hollow place in a hard surface where something has hit it.
- **vain**: too proud of how you look.
- **goldsmith**: a person who makes things from gold.
- **charm**: a magic power that an object has.
- **sunbonnet**: a soft hat that protects the face from the sun.

## Chapter XIV The Winged Monkeys

You will remember that there was no road between the castle of the Wicked Witch and the Emerald City. There was not even a path. When the four travelers went to look for the Witch, she had seen them coming. So she had sent the Winged Monkeys to bring them to her. Being carried had been easy. It was much harder to find their way back through the big fields of buttercups and yellow daisies. Of course, they knew that they must go straight east, toward the rising sun. And they started off in the right direction. But at noon the sun was over their heads. Then they did not know which way was east and which was west. That was the reason they got lost in the great fields. But they kept on walking. At night the moon came out and shone brightly. So they lay down among the sweet-smelling yellow flowers and slept deeply until morning. Only the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman did not sleep.

The next morning the sun was behind a cloud. But they started on, as if they were quite sure which way they were going.

“If we walk far enough,” said Dorothy, “I am sure we shall come to some place one day.”

But day after day passed, and they still saw nothing in front of them except the scarlet fields. The Scarecrow began to complain a little.

“We have surely lost our way,” he said. “And unless we find it again in time to reach the Emerald City, I shall never get my brains.”

“And I shall never get my heart,” said the Tin Woodman. “I feel that I can hardly wait until I get to Oz. And you must agree that this is a very long journey.”

The Cowardly Lion gave a sad little cry. “You see,” he said, “I haven’t the courage to keep walking forever without getting anywhere at all.”

Then Dorothy lost hope. She sat down on the grass and looked at her companions, and they sat down and looked at her. A butterfly flew past Toto’s head. For the first time in his life, Toto was too tired to chase it. So he put out his tongue and panted. He looked at Dorothy as if to ask what they should do next.

“Suppose we call the field mice,” she said. “They could probably tell us the way to the Emerald City.”

“Of course they could,” cried the Scarecrow. “Why didn’t we think of that before?”

Dorothy blew the little whistle that she always carried around her neck. She had carried it there since the Queen of the Mice had given it to her. In a few minutes they heard the sound of tiny feet. Many of the small gray mice came running up to her. Among them was the Queen herself. She asked, in her squeaky little voice:

“What can I do for my friends?”

“We have lost our way,” said Dorothy. “Can you tell us where the Emerald City is?”

“Certainly,” answered the Queen. “But it is a long way off, because you have had it behind you all this time.” Then she noticed Dorothy’s Golden Cap. “Why don’t you use the charm of the Cap and call the Winged Monkeys to you?” she said. “They will carry you to the City of Oz in less than an hour.”

“I didn’t know there was a charm,” answered Dorothy, in surprise. “What is it?”

“It is written inside the Golden Cap,” replied the Queen of the Mice. “But if you are going to call the Winged Monkeys, we must run away. They are full of mischief, and they think it is great fun to tease us.”

“Won’t they hurt me?” asked the girl anxiously.

“Oh, no. They must obey the person who wears the Cap. Good-bye!”

And she ran quickly out of sight, with all the mice hurrying after her.

Dorothy looked inside the Golden Cap and saw some words written on the lining. She thought that these must be the charm. So she read the directions carefully and put the Cap on her head.

“Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!” she said, standing on her left foot.

“What did you say?” asked the Scarecrow. He did not know what she was doing.

“Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!” Dorothy went on. This time she was standing on her right foot.

“Hello!” replied the Tin Woodman calmly.

“Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!” said Dorothy, who was now standing on both feet.

This was the end of the charm. They heard a great chattering and flapping of wings, and the band of Winged Monkeys flew up to them.

The King bowed low in front of Dorothy and asked, “What is your command?”

“We wish to go to the Emerald City,” said the child, “and we have lost our way.”

“We will carry you,” replied the King.

As soon as he had spoken, two of the Monkeys caught Dorothy in their arms and flew away with her. Others took the Scarecrow and the Woodman and the Lion. One little Monkey grabbed Toto and flew after them, although the dog tried hard to bite him.

The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were rather frightened at first. They remembered how badly the Winged Monkeys had treated them before. But they saw that the Monkeys did not mean to hurt them. So they rode through the air quite happily. They had a fine time looking at the pretty gardens and woods far below them.

Dorothy found herself riding comfortably between two of the biggest Monkeys. One of them was the King himself. They had made a chair of their hands, and they were careful not to hurt her.

“Why do you have to obey the charm of the Golden Cap?” she asked.

“That is a long story,” answered the King, with a winged laugh. “But we have a long journey in front of us. So I will pass the time by telling you about it, if you wish.”

“I shall be glad to hear it,” she replied.

“Once,” began the leader, “we were a free people. We lived happily in the great forest. We flew from tree to tree, ate nuts and fruit, and did just what we liked. We did not call anybody master. Perhaps some of us were sometimes too full of mischief. We flew down to pull the tails of the animals that had no wings. We chased birds, and we threw nuts at the people who walked in the forest. But we were free from worry and happy and full of fun, and we enjoyed every minute of the day. This was many years ago, long before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land.

“At that time a beautiful princess lived here, far away in the North. She was also a powerful sorceress. She used all her magic to help the people, and she never hurt anyone who was good. Her name was Gayelette. She lived in a beautiful palace built from great blocks of ruby. Everyone loved her. But her greatest sorrow was that she could find no one to love in return. All the men were much too stupid and ugly to marry someone so beautiful and wise. But at last she found a boy who was handsome and strong. He was also wise for his age. Gayelette decided that she would marry him when he grew up. So she took him to her ruby palace. There she used all her magic to make him as strong and good and lovely as any woman could wish. His name was Quelala. When he grew up, people said that he was the best and wisest man in all the land. He was so handsome and manly that Gayelette loved him dearly. She hurried to make everything ready for the wedding.

“At that time my grandfather was the King of the Winged Monkeys who lived in the forest near Gayelette’s palace. The old fellow loved a joke more than a good dinner. One day, just before the wedding, my grandfather was flying out with his band. He saw Quelala walking beside the river. Quelala was wearing rich clothes of pink silk and purple velvet. My grandfather thought he would see what he could do. He gave the order, and the band flew down and grabbed Quelala. They carried him in their arms until they were over the middle of the river. Then they dropped him into the water.

“‘Swim out, my fine fellow,’ cried my grandfather, ‘and see if the water has spotted your clothes.’

“Quelala was much too wise not to swim. And all his good luck had not spoiled him at all. When he came up to the top of the water, he laughed and swam to the shore. But Gayelette came running out to him. She found that his silks and velvet were all ruined by the river.

“The princess was angry, and of course she knew who had done it. She had all the Winged Monkeys brought before her. At first she said that their wings should be tied. Then they should be dropped in the river, as they had dropped Quelala. But my grandfather begged hard. He knew the Monkeys would drown in the river with their wings tied. Quelala said a kind word for them, too. So in the end Gayelette did not punish them. But she made one condition. Forever after, the Winged Monkeys must do three times what the owner of the Golden Cap ordered. This Cap had been made as a wedding present for Quelala. People say that it cost the princess half her kingdom. Of course my grandfather and all the other Monkeys agreed to the condition at once. And that is why we are three times the slaves of the owner of the Golden Cap, whoever he may be.”

“And what happened to them?” asked Dorothy. She had been very interested in the story.

“Quelala was the first owner of the Golden Cap,” replied the Monkey. “So he was the first to give us his orders. His bride could not bear to look at us. So after the wedding he called us all to him in the forest. He ordered us always to stay where she could never see a Winged Monkey again. We were glad to do this, because we were all afraid of her.

“This was all we ever had to do. Then the Golden Cap came into the hands of the Wicked Witch of the West. She made us make slaves of the Winkies. After that she made us drive Oz himself out of the Land of the West. Now the Golden Cap is yours. Three times you have the right to give us your orders.”

As the Monkey King finished his story, Dorothy looked down. She saw the green, shining walls of the Emerald City in front of them. She was surprised at how fast the Monkeys had flown, but she was glad the journey was over. The strange creatures set the travelers down carefully in front of the gate of the City. The King bowed low to Dorothy. Then he flew quickly away, and all his band followed him.

“That was a good ride,” said the little girl.

“Yes, and a quick way out of our troubles,” replied the Lion. “How lucky it was that you brought that wonderful Cap away with you!”

### Glossary

- **buttercups**: small, bright yellow wild flowers.
- **scarlet**: bright red.
- **charm**: a magic power that an object has; here, also the magic words that call the Monkeys.
- **mischief**: playful bad behavior that causes small trouble for others.
- **lining**: the cloth on the inside of a hat or a piece of clothing.
- **sorceress**: a woman who does magic.
- **ruby**: a dark red precious stone.
- **velvet**: a soft, thick cloth with a smooth surface.
- **condition**: something that must happen before something else is allowed.

## Chapter XV The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible

The four travelers walked up to the great gate of the Emerald City and rang the bell. They rang several times. Then the gate was opened by the same Guardian of the Gates they had met before.

“What! Are you back again?” he asked, in surprise.

“Do you not see us?” answered the Scarecrow.

“But I thought you had gone to visit the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“We did visit her,” said the Scarecrow.

“And she let you go again?” asked the man, in wonder.

“She could not stop us, because she is melted,” explained the Scarecrow.

“Melted! Well, that is good news, indeed,” said the man. “Who melted her?”

“It was Dorothy,” said the Lion seriously.

“Good gracious!” cried the man, and he bowed very low indeed in front of her.

Then he led them into his little room. He took the spectacles from the great box and locked them on all their eyes, just as he had done before. After that they went on through the gate into the Emerald City. The Guardian of the Gates told the people that Dorothy had melted the Wicked Witch of the West. When they heard this, they all gathered around the travelers. They followed them in a great crowd to the Palace of Oz.

The soldier with the green whiskers was still on guard in front of the door. But he let them in at once. There they were met again by the beautiful green girl. She showed each of them to their old rooms at once. There they could rest until the Great Oz was ready to receive them.

The soldier sent the news straight to Oz that Dorothy and the other travelers had come back again. He told Oz that they had destroyed the Wicked Witch. But Oz did not answer. They thought the Great Wizard would send for them at once, but he did not. They had no word from him the next day, nor the next, nor the next. The waiting was boring and tiring. At last they grew annoyed. Oz had sent them to suffer hardships and slavery. And now he was treating them so badly! So at last the Scarecrow asked the green girl to take another message to Oz. If he did not let them in to see him at once, they would call the Winged Monkeys for help. Then they would find out whether he kept his promises or not. When the Wizard got this message, he was very frightened. He sent word for them to come to the Throne Room at four minutes after nine o’clock the next morning. He had once met the Winged Monkeys in the Land of the West. He did not want to meet them again.

The four travelers did not sleep that night. Each of them was thinking of the gift that Oz had promised to give him. Dorothy fell asleep only once. Then she dreamed that she was in Kansas. Aunt Em was telling her how glad she was to have her little girl at home again.

At exactly nine o’clock the next morning the green-whiskered soldier came to them. Four minutes later they all went into the Throne Room of the Great Oz.

Of course, each of them expected to see the Wizard in the shape he had taken before. So they were all very surprised when they looked around the room. They saw no one there at all. They stayed close to the door and closer to one another. The silence of the empty room was more frightening than any of the shapes they had seen Oz take.

Soon they heard a solemn Voice. It seemed to come from somewhere near the top of the great dome, and it said:

“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Why do you seek me?”

They looked again in every part of the room. They saw no one, so Dorothy asked, “Where are you?”

“I am everywhere,” answered the Voice, “but to the eyes of common mortals I am invisible. I will now sit down on my throne, so that you may talk with me.”

And indeed, the Voice now seemed to come straight from the throne itself. So they walked toward it and stood in a row. Then Dorothy said:

“We have come to ask you to keep your promise, O Oz.”

“What promise?” asked Oz.

“You promised to send me back to Kansas when the Wicked Witch was destroyed,” said the girl.

“And you promised to give me brains,” said the Scarecrow.

“And you promised to give me a heart,” said the Tin Woodman.

“And you promised to give me courage,” said the Cowardly Lion.

“Is the Wicked Witch really destroyed?” asked the Voice. Dorothy thought that it trembled a little.

“Yes,” she answered, “I melted her with a bucket of water.”

“Dear me,” said the Voice, “how sudden! Well, come to me tomorrow. I must have time to think it over.”

“You’ve had plenty of time already,” said the Tin Woodman angrily.

“We shan’t wait a day longer,” said the Scarecrow.

“You must keep your promises to us!” cried Dorothy.

The Lion thought it might be a good idea to frighten the Wizard. So he gave a large, loud roar. It was so fierce and terrible that Toto jumped away from him in alarm. The little dog knocked over the screen that stood in a corner. It fell with a crash, and they all looked that way. The next moment they were all filled with wonder. In the very spot that the screen had hidden, there stood a little old man. He had a bald head and a wrinkled face. He seemed to be just as surprised as they were. The Tin Woodman raised his axe and rushed toward the little man. “Who are you?” he cried.

“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible,” said the little man, in a trembling voice. “But don’t hit me—please don’t—and I’ll do anything you want me to.”

Our friends looked at him in surprise and shock.

“I thought Oz was a great Head,” said Dorothy.

“And I thought Oz was a lovely Lady,” said the Scarecrow.

“And I thought Oz was a terrible Beast,” said the Tin Woodman.

“And I thought Oz was a Ball of Fire,” cried the Lion.

“No, you are all wrong,” said the little man meekly. “I have been making believe.”

“Making believe!” cried Dorothy. “Are you not a Great Wizard?”

“Hush, my dear,” he said. “Don’t speak so loud, or someone will hear you—and then I would be ruined. Everyone thinks I am a Great Wizard.”

“And aren’t you?” she asked.

“Not a bit of it, my dear. I’m just a common man.”

“You’re more than that,” said the Scarecrow, in a hurt voice. “You’re a humbug.”

“Exactly so!” said the little man. He rubbed his hands together as if this pleased him. “I am a humbug.”

“But this is terrible,” said the Tin Woodman. “How shall I ever get my heart?”

“Or I my courage?” asked the Lion.

“Or I my brains?” cried the Scarecrow sadly. He wiped the tears from his eyes with his coat sleeve.

“My dear friends,” said Oz, “please do not speak of these little things. Think of me, and the terrible trouble I am in now that I have been found out.”

“Doesn’t anyone else know you’re a humbug?” asked Dorothy.

“No one knows it except you four—and myself,” replied Oz. “I have fooled everyone for so long that I thought I would never be found out. It was a great mistake to let you into the Throne Room. Usually I will not see even my own people. And so they believe that I am something terrible.”

“But I don’t understand,” said Dorothy. She was very confused. “How did you appear to me as a great Head?”

“That was one of my tricks,” answered Oz. “Come this way, please, and I will tell you all about it.”

He led the way to a small room behind the Throne Room, and they all followed him. He pointed to one corner. There lay the great Head. It was made of many layers of paper, and it had a carefully painted face.

“I hung this from the ceiling by a wire,” said Oz. “I stood behind the screen and pulled a thread. That made the eyes move and the mouth open.”

“But what about the voice?” she asked.

“Oh, I am a ventriloquist,” said the little man. “I can throw the sound of my voice wherever I want. So you thought it was coming out of the Head. Here are the other things I used to trick you.”

He showed the Scarecrow the dress and the mask he had worn when he seemed to be the lovely Lady. And the Tin Woodman saw that his terrible Beast was only a lot of skins sewn together. There were slats inside to hold the sides out. The false Wizard had also hung the Ball of Fire from the ceiling. It was really a ball of cotton. But when oil was poured on it, the ball burned fiercely.

“Really,” said the Scarecrow, “you ought to be ashamed of yourself for being such a humbug.”

“I am—I certainly am,” answered the little man sadly. “But it was the only thing I could do. Sit down, please. There are plenty of chairs. And I will tell you my story.”

So they sat down and listened while he told them this story.

“I was born in Omaha—”

“Why, that isn’t very far from Kansas!” cried Dorothy.

“No, but it’s farther from here,” he said, shaking his head at her sadly. “When I grew up, I became a ventriloquist. A great master trained me very well in that. I can copy the sound of any kind of bird or animal.”

Here he mewed so much like a kitten that Toto pricked up his ears. The dog looked everywhere to see where she was.

“After a time,” Oz went on, “I grew tired of that, and I became a balloonist.”

“What is that?” asked Dorothy.

“A man who goes up in a balloon on circus day,” he explained. “He does it to bring a crowd of people together. Then they pay to see the circus.”

“Oh,” she said, “I know.”

“Well, one day I went up in a balloon, and the ropes got twisted. So I couldn’t come down again. The balloon went high up above the clouds. It went so far that a current of air hit it. The air carried it many, many miles away. For a day and a night I traveled through the air. On the morning of the second day I woke up. I found the balloon floating over a strange and beautiful country.

“It came down slowly, and I was not hurt a bit. But I found myself among a strange people. They saw me come from the clouds, so they thought I was a great Wizard. Of course I let them think so. They were afraid of me, and they promised to do anything I wanted.

“Just to amuse myself, and to keep the good people busy, I ordered them to build this City and my Palace. They did it all willingly and well. The country was so green and beautiful that I decided to call it the Emerald City. And to make the name fit better, I put green spectacles on all the people. So everything they saw was green.”

“But isn’t everything here green?” asked Dorothy.

“No more than in any other city,” replied Oz. “But when you wear green spectacles, of course everything you see looks green to you. The Emerald City was built a great many years ago. I was a young man when the balloon brought me here, and I am a very old man now. But my people have worn green glasses on their eyes for a very long time. So most of them think it really is an Emerald City. And it certainly is a beautiful place. It is full of jewels and precious metals, and every good thing that a person needs to be happy. I have been good to the people, and they like me. But ever since this Palace was built, I have shut myself up in it. I would not see any of them.

“One of my greatest fears was the Witches. I had no magic powers at all. But I soon found out that the Witches really could do wonderful things. There were four of them in this country. They ruled the people who live in the North and South and East and West. Luckily, the Witches of the North and South were good. I knew they would do me no harm. But the Witches of the East and West were terribly wicked. They thought I was more powerful than they were. If they had not thought so, they would surely have destroyed me. Even so, I lived in deadly fear of them for many years. Then I heard that your house had fallen on the Wicked Witch of the East. You can imagine how pleased I was! When you came to me, I would have promised anything if you would only get rid of the other Witch. But now that you have melted her, I am ashamed to say that I cannot keep my promises.”

“I think you are a very bad man,” said Dorothy.

“Oh, no, my dear. I’m really a very good man, but I’m a very bad Wizard, I must admit.”

“Can’t you give me brains?” asked the Scarecrow.

“You don’t need them. You are learning something every day. A baby has brains, but it doesn’t know much. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge. And the longer you are on earth, the more experience you are sure to get.”

“That may all be true,” said the Scarecrow, “but I shall be very unhappy unless you give me brains.”

The false Wizard looked at him carefully.

“Well,” he said with a sigh, “I’m not much of a magician, as I said. But if you come to me tomorrow morning, I will stuff your head with brains. But I cannot tell you how to use them. You must find that out for yourself.”

“Oh, thank you—thank you!” cried the Scarecrow. “I’ll find a way to use them, don’t worry!”

“But what about my courage?” asked the Lion anxiously.

“You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid. And you have plenty of that kind of courage.”

“Perhaps I have, but I’m scared just the same,” said the Lion. “I shall really be very unhappy unless you give me the sort of courage that makes one forget he is afraid.”

“Very well, I will give you that sort of courage tomorrow,” replied Oz.

“What about my heart?” asked the Tin Woodman.

“Why, as for that,” answered Oz, “I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only knew it, you are lucky not to have a heart.”

“People may think differently about that,” said the Tin Woodman. “As for me, I will accept all the unhappiness without one complaint, if you will give me the heart.”

“Very well,” answered Oz meekly. “Come to me tomorrow and you shall have a heart. I have played the part of a Wizard for so many years. So I may as well go on playing it a little longer.”

“And now,” said Dorothy, “how am I to get back to Kansas?”

“We shall have to think about that,” replied the little man. “Give me two or three days to think about it. I’ll try to find a way to carry you over the desert. In the meantime you shall all be my guests. While you live in the Palace, my people will serve you. They will obey your smallest wish. There is only one thing I ask in return for my help—such as it is. You must keep my secret and tell no one that I am a humbug.”

They agreed to say nothing about what they had learned. Then they went back to their rooms in very good spirits. Even Dorothy had hope now. “The Great and Terrible Humbug,” as she called him, might find a way to send her back to Kansas. And if he did, she was ready to forgive him everything.

### Glossary

- **seek**: to look for (someone or something).
- **common mortals**: ordinary people, who live and die (not magic beings).
- **invisible**: not possible to see.
- **screen**: a tall, flat piece of furniture that stands on the floor and hides part of a room.
- **making believe**: pretending.
- **humbug**: a person who tricks people and pretends to be what he is not; a fake.
- **ventriloquist**: a person who can make his voice seem to come from another place.
- **slats**: long, thin, flat pieces of wood.
- **balloonist**: a person who goes up into the sky in a big balloon.
- **spectacles**: glasses for the eyes.

## Chapter XVI The Magic Art of the Great Humbug

The next morning the Scarecrow spoke to his friends.

“Be happy for me,” he said. “I am going to Oz to get my brains at last. When I come back, I shall be like other men.”

“I have always liked you as you were,” said Dorothy simply.

“It is kind of you to like a Scarecrow,” he answered. “But you will surely think more of me when you hear my new brain’s splendid thoughts.”

Then he said good-bye to them all in a cheerful voice. He went to the Throne Room and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” said Oz.

The Scarecrow went in. He found the little man sitting by the window, deep in thought.

“I have come for my brains,” said the Scarecrow, a little nervously.

“Oh, yes. Sit down in that chair, please,” answered Oz. “Please excuse me for taking your head off. I shall have to do it to put your brains in their proper place.”

“That’s all right,” said the Scarecrow. “You are quite welcome to take my head off. But it must be a better head when you put it on again.”

So the Wizard took off his head and emptied out the straw. Then he went into the back room. There he took some bran and mixed it with a great many pins and needles. He shook them together very well. Then he filled the top of the Scarecrow’s head with the mixture. He stuffed the rest of the space with straw, to hold it in place.

He fastened the Scarecrow’s head on his body again. Then he said to him, “From now on you will be a great man. I have given you a lot of bran-new brains.”

The Scarecrow’s greatest wish had come true, and he was both pleased and proud. He thanked Oz warmly and went back to his friends.

Dorothy looked at him with curiosity. His head was quite fat at the top with brains.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“I feel very wise,” he answered seriously. “When I get used to my brains, I shall know everything.”

“Why are those needles and pins sticking out of your head?” asked the Tin Woodman.

“That proves he is sharp,” said the Lion.

“Well, I must go to Oz and get my heart,” said the Woodman. So he walked to the Throne Room and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” called Oz.

The Woodman went in and said, “I have come for my heart.”

“Very well,” answered the little man. “But I shall have to cut a hole in your chest. Then I can put your heart in the right place. I hope it won’t hurt you.”

“Oh, no,” answered the Woodman. “I shall not feel it at all.”

So Oz brought a pair of tinsmith’s shears. He cut a small, square hole in the left side of the Tin Woodman’s chest. Then he went to a chest of drawers. He took out a pretty heart, made completely of silk and stuffed with sawdust.

“Isn’t it a beauty?” he asked.

“It is, indeed!” answered the Woodman, who was very pleased. “But is it a kind heart?”

“Oh, very!” answered Oz.

He put the heart in the Woodman’s chest. Then he put back the square of tin. He soldered it neatly together where he had cut it.

“There,” he said. “Now you have a heart that any man could be proud of. I’m sorry I had to put a patch on your chest. But I really couldn’t help it.”

“Never mind the patch,” cried the happy Woodman. “I am very grateful to you. I shall never forget your kindness.”

“Don’t speak of it,” answered Oz.

Then the Tin Woodman went back to his friends. They wished him every joy because of his good luck.

Now the Lion walked to the Throne Room and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” said Oz.

“I have come for my courage,” said the Lion, as he came into the room.

“Very well,” answered the little man. “I will get it for you.”

He went to a cupboard and reached up to a high shelf. He took down a square green bottle. He poured what was inside it into a green-gold dish, which was beautifully carved. He put this in front of the Cowardly Lion. The Lion smelled it as if he did not like it.

“Drink,” said the Wizard.

“What is it?” asked the Lion.

“Well,” answered Oz, “if it were inside you, it would be courage. Of course, you know that courage is always inside a person. So this really cannot be called courage until you have swallowed it. So I advise you to drink it as soon as possible.”

The Lion did not wait any longer. He drank until the dish was empty.

“How do you feel now?” asked Oz.

“Full of courage,” answered the Lion. He went happily back to his friends to tell them about his good luck.

Oz was left alone. He smiled to think of his success. He had given the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion exactly what they thought they wanted.

“How can I help being a humbug?” he said. “All these people make me do things that everybody knows can’t be done. It was easy to make the Scarecrow and the Lion and the Woodman happy. They imagined I could do anything. But it will take more than imagination to carry Dorothy back to Kansas. And I’m sure I don’t know how it can be done.”

### Glossary

- **humbug**: a person who tricks people and pretends to be what he is not; a fake.
- **bran**: the outer skin of grain, often used as animal food.
- **bran-new**: a joke on “brand-new” (completely new), because the Scarecrow’s new brains are made of bran.
- **sharp**: here it has two meanings: pointed (like a needle) and clever.
- **shears**: big, strong scissors.
- **tinsmith**: a person who makes and mends things of tin.
- **sawdust**: very small pieces of wood that fall when you cut wood with a saw.
- **soldered**: joined pieces of metal with a little melted metal.
- **patch**: a small piece of material used to cover a hole.
- **courage**: the ability to do something even when you are afraid.

## Chapter XVII How the Balloon Was Launched

For three days Dorothy heard nothing from Oz. These were sad days for the little girl, although her friends were all quite happy and satisfied.

The Scarecrow told them there were wonderful thoughts in his head. But he would not say what they were. He knew that no one could understand them except himself.

When the Tin Woodman walked about, he felt his heart rattling around in his chest. He told Dorothy that he had found it was a kinder and more tender heart than his old one. That was the heart he had owned when he was made of flesh.

The Lion said that he was afraid of nothing on earth. He would gladly face an army or a dozen of the fierce Kalidahs.

So each of the little party was satisfied except Dorothy. She wanted more than ever to get back to Kansas.

On the fourth day, to her great joy, Oz sent for her. When she came into the Throne Room, he greeted her in a friendly way.

“Sit down, my dear,” he said. “I think I have found the way to get you out of this country.”

“And back to Kansas?” she asked eagerly.

“Well, I’m not sure about Kansas,” said Oz. “I haven’t the faintest idea which way it is. But the first thing to do is to cross the desert. Then it should be easy to find your way home.”

“How can I cross the desert?” she asked.

“Well, I’ll tell you what I think,” said the little man. “You see, I came to this country in a balloon. You also came through the air, carried by a cyclone. So I believe the best way across the desert will be through the air. Now, I don’t have the power to make a cyclone. But I’ve been thinking about it, and I believe I can make a balloon.”

“How?” asked Dorothy.

“A balloon is made of silk,” said Oz. “The silk is covered with glue to keep the gas in it. I have plenty of silk in the Palace, so it will be easy to make the balloon. But in all this country there is no gas. We need gas to fill the balloon and make it float.”

“If it won’t float,” said Dorothy, “it will be no use to us.”

“True,” answered Oz. “But there is another way to make it float. We can fill it with hot air. Hot air isn’t as good as gas. If the air got cold, the balloon would come down in the desert. And then we would be lost.”

“We!” cried the girl. “Are you going with me?”

“Yes, of course,” answered Oz. “I am tired of being such a humbug. If I went out of this Palace, my people would soon find out I am not a Wizard. Then they would be angry with me because I tricked them. So I have to stay shut up in these rooms all day, and it gets boring. I’d much rather go back to Kansas with you and be in a circus again.”

“I shall be glad to have your company,” said Dorothy.

“Thank you,” he answered. “Now, if you will help me sew the silk together, we will begin to work on our balloon.”

So Dorothy took a needle and thread. Oz cut the strips of silk into the right shape. As fast as he cut them, the girl sewed them neatly together. First there was a strip of light green silk. Then came a strip of dark green, and then a strip of emerald green. Oz had a wish to make the balloon in different shades of the color around them.

It took three days to sew all the strips together. When it was finished, they had a big bag of green silk. It was more than twenty feet long.

Then Oz painted it on the inside with a coat of thin glue, to make it airtight. After that he said that the balloon was ready.

“But we must have a basket to ride in,” he said.

So he sent the soldier with the green whiskers for a big clothes basket. Oz fastened it with many ropes to the bottom of the balloon.

When it was all ready, Oz sent a message to his people. He said that he was going to visit a great brother Wizard who lived in the clouds. The news spread quickly through the city. Everyone came to see the wonderful sight.

Oz ordered the balloon to be carried out in front of the Palace. The people looked at it with great curiosity.

The Tin Woodman had chopped a big pile of wood, and now he made a fire of it. Oz held the bottom of the balloon over the fire. The hot air rose from the fire and was caught in the silk bag. Slowly the balloon grew bigger and rose into the air. At last the basket only just touched the ground.

Then Oz got into the basket. He spoke to all the people in a loud voice.

“I am now going away to make a visit,” he said. “While I am gone, the Scarecrow will rule over you. I command you to obey him as you would obey me.”

By this time the balloon was pulling hard at the rope that held it to the ground. The air inside it was hot. This made it much lighter than the air outside, so it pulled hard to rise into the sky.

“Come, Dorothy!” cried the Wizard. “Hurry up, or the balloon will fly away.”

“I can’t find Toto anywhere,” answered Dorothy. She did not want to leave her little dog behind.

Toto had run into the crowd to bark at a kitten. At last Dorothy found him. She picked him up and ran towards the balloon.

She was only a few steps away from it. Oz was holding out his hands to help her into the basket. Then, crack! The ropes broke, and the balloon rose into the air without her.

“Come back!” she screamed. “I want to go, too!”

“I can’t come back, my dear,” called Oz from the basket. “Good-bye!”

“Good-bye!” shouted everyone.

All eyes looked up at the Wizard. He was riding in the basket, and every moment he rose farther and farther into the sky.

And that was the last any of them ever saw of Oz, the Wonderful Wizard. But he may have reached Omaha safely, and he may be there now, for all we know.

The people remembered him lovingly. They said to one another, “Oz was always our friend. When he was here, he built this beautiful Emerald City for us. And now he is gone, he has left the Wise Scarecrow to rule over us.”

Still, for many days they were very sad about the loss of the Wonderful Wizard. Nothing could comfort them.

### Glossary

- **balloon**: a very large bag filled with gas or hot air that can rise and carry people in a basket.
- **launched**: sent up into the air.
- **rattling**: making short, loud knocking sounds when shaken.
- **desert**: a large, dry area of land where almost nothing lives.
- **humbug**: a person who tricks people and pretends to be what he is not; a fake.
- **circus**: a show with animals, clowns and other performers that travels from town to town.
- **airtight**: closed so well that no air can get in or out.
- **shades**: lighter and darker kinds of the same color.
- **whiskers**: the hair that grows on a man’s face.
- **for all we know**: we do not know; it is possible.

## Chapter XVIII Away to the South

Dorothy cried bitterly, because her hope of getting home to Kansas was gone. But when she thought it all over, she was glad she had not gone up in a balloon. She also felt sorry to lose Oz, and so did her companions.

The Tin Woodman came to her and spoke.

“Oz gave me my lovely heart,” he said. “I would truly be ungrateful if I did not feel sad for him. I would like to cry a little because Oz is gone. Will you kindly wipe away my tears, so that I do not rust?”

“With pleasure,” she answered, and she brought a towel at once.

Then the Tin Woodman cried for several minutes. She watched the tears carefully and wiped them away with the towel. When he had finished, he thanked her kindly. Then he oiled himself very well with his jeweled oil-can, so that no accident could happen.

The Scarecrow was now the ruler of the Emerald City. He was not a Wizard, but the people were proud of him.

“There is not another city in all the world that is ruled by a stuffed man,” they said.

And, as far as they knew, they were quite right.

The morning after the balloon had gone up with Oz, the four travelers met in the Throne Room. They talked about what to do. The Scarecrow sat on the big throne, and the others stood politely in front of him.

“We are not so unlucky,” said the new ruler. “This Palace and the Emerald City belong to us, and we can do just as we like. A short time ago I was up on a pole in a farmer’s cornfield. Now I am the ruler of this beautiful City. When I remember that, I am quite satisfied with my life.”

“I also am very pleased with my new heart,” said the Tin Woodman. “And really, that was the only thing I wanted in all the world.”

“As for me, I am happy,” said the Lion modestly. “I know that I am as brave as any beast that ever lived. Maybe I am even braver.”

“If only Dorothy were happy to live in the Emerald City,” the Scarecrow went on, “we could all be happy together.”

“But I don’t want to live here,” cried Dorothy. “I want to go to Kansas, and live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.”

“Well, then, what can we do?” asked the Woodman.

The Scarecrow decided to think. He thought so hard that the pins and needles began to stick out of his brains. At last he spoke.

“Why not call the Winged Monkeys?” he said. “You could ask them to carry you over the desert.”

“I never thought of that!” said Dorothy happily. “It’s just the right thing. I’ll go and get the Golden Cap at once.”

She brought it into the Throne Room and spoke the magic words. Soon the band of Winged Monkeys flew in through the open window. They stood beside her.

“This is the second time you have called us,” said the Monkey King, and he bowed to the little girl. “What do you wish?”

“I want you to fly with me to Kansas,” said Dorothy.

But the Monkey King shook his head.

“That cannot be done,” he said. “We belong to this country only, and we cannot leave it. There has never been a Winged Monkey in Kansas yet. I suppose there never will be, because they don’t belong there. We shall be glad to serve you in any way we can. But we cannot cross the desert. Good-bye.”

The Monkey King bowed again. Then he spread his wings and flew away through the window, and all his band followed him.

Dorothy was so disappointed that she was ready to cry.

“I have wasted the charm of the Golden Cap for nothing,” she said. “The Winged Monkeys cannot help me.”

“It is certainly too bad!” said the tender-hearted Woodman.

The Scarecrow was thinking again. His head bulged out so horribly that Dorothy was afraid it would burst.

“Let us call in the soldier with the green whiskers,” he said, “and ask his advice.”

So they sent for the soldier. He came into the Throne Room shyly. While Oz was there, he was never allowed to come farther than the door.

“This little girl wants to cross the desert,” the Scarecrow said to the soldier. “How can she do it?”

“I cannot tell,” answered the soldier. “Nobody has ever crossed the desert, except perhaps Oz himself.”

“Is there no one who can help me?” asked Dorothy seriously.

“Glinda might,” he said.

“Who is Glinda?” asked the Scarecrow.

“The Witch of the South,” said the soldier. “She is the most powerful of all the Witches, and she rules over the Quadlings. Also, her castle stands on the edge of the desert. So she may know a way to cross it.”

“Glinda is a Good Witch, isn’t she?” asked the child.

“The Quadlings think she is good,” said the soldier, “and she is kind to everyone. I have heard that Glinda is a beautiful woman. She knows how to stay young, although she has lived many years.”

“How can I get to her castle?” asked Dorothy.

“The road goes straight to the South,” he answered. “But people say it is full of dangers for travelers. There are wild beasts in the woods. And there is a race of strange men who do not like strangers to cross their country. For this reason none of the Quadlings ever come to the Emerald City.”

Then the soldier left them, and the Scarecrow spoke.

“There are dangers,” he said. “But it seems that the best thing Dorothy can do is to travel to the Land of the South. She can ask Glinda to help her. Because, of course, if Dorothy stays here, she will never get back to Kansas.”

“You must have been thinking again,” said the Tin Woodman.

“I have,” said the Scarecrow.

“I shall go with Dorothy,” said the Lion. “I am tired of your city, and I want to be in the woods and the country again. I am really a wild beast, you know. Also, Dorothy will need someone to protect her.”

“That is true,” agreed the Woodman. “My axe may be useful to her. So I will go with her to the Land of the South too.”

“When shall we start?” asked the Scarecrow.

“Are you going?” they asked, surprised.

“Certainly,” said the Scarecrow. “Without Dorothy I would never have had brains. She lifted me from the pole in the cornfield and brought me to the Emerald City. So all my good luck is thanks to her. I shall never leave her until she starts back to Kansas for good and all.”

“Thank you,” said Dorothy gratefully. “You are all very kind to me. But I would like to start as soon as possible.”

“We shall go tomorrow morning,” answered the Scarecrow. “So now let us all get ready, because it will be a long journey.”

### Glossary

- **ungrateful**: not thankful when someone has done something good for you.
- **rust**: to become covered with a red-brown material when metal gets wet; rusted metal cannot move well.
- **jeweled oil-can**: a small can for oil on joints, decorated with precious stones.
- **charm**: a magic power that an object has.
- **bulged out**: became round and pushed outward.
- **whiskers**: the hair that grows on a man’s face.
- **advice**: an opinion that someone gives you about what you should do.
- **Quadlings**: the people of the South of Oz, who wear red.
- **for good and all**: forever; for the last time.
- **tender-hearted**: kind and gentle; easily feeling sorry for others.

## Chapter XIX Attacked by the Fighting Trees

The next morning Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good-bye. They all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers. He had walked with them as far as the gate.

The Guardian of the Gates saw them again. He was very surprised that they could leave the beautiful City to get into new trouble. But at once he unlocked their spectacles and put them back into the green box. Then he gave them many good wishes to take with them.

“You are now our ruler,” he said to the Scarecrow. “So you must come back to us as soon as possible.”

“I certainly shall if I am able,” the Scarecrow answered. “But first I must help Dorothy to get home.”

Dorothy said a last good-bye to the kind Guardian.

“I have been treated very kindly in your lovely City,” she said, “and everyone has been good to me. I cannot tell you how grateful I am.”

“Don’t try, my dear,” he answered. “We would like to keep you with us. But if you wish to return to Kansas, I hope you will find a way.”

Then he opened the gate of the outer wall. They walked out and started on their journey.

The sun shone brightly as our friends turned their faces toward the Land of the South. They were all in very good spirits, and they laughed and chatted together. Dorothy was once more full of the hope of getting home. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to be useful to her.

As for the Lion, he smelled the fresh air with delight. He moved his tail quickly from side to side, full of joy at being in the country again. Toto ran around them and chased the moths and butterflies. He barked happily all the time.

“City life does not suit me at all,” said the Lion, as they walked along quickly. “I have lost a lot of weight since I lived there. Now I really want a chance to show the other beasts how brave I have become.”

They now turned and took a last look at the Emerald City. All they could see was a mass of towers and steeples behind the green walls. High up above everything were the spires and dome of the Palace of Oz.

“Oz was not such a bad Wizard, after all,” said the Tin Woodman. He could feel his heart rattling around in his chest.

“He knew how to give me brains, and very good brains, too,” said the Scarecrow.

“If Oz had taken a dose of the same courage he gave me,” added the Lion, “he would have been a brave man.”

Dorothy said nothing. Oz had not kept the promise he made her. But he had done his best, so she forgave him. As he said, he was a good man, even if he was a bad Wizard.

On the first day they traveled through the green fields and bright flowers. These lay all around the Emerald City on every side. That night they slept on the grass, with nothing but the stars above them. And they rested very well indeed.

In the morning they traveled on until they came to a thick wood. There was no way of going around it. It seemed to go to the right and left as far as they could see. Also, they did not dare to change the direction of their journey. They were afraid of getting lost. So they looked for the place where it would be easiest to get into the forest.

The Scarecrow was in front. At last he found a big tree with very wide branches. There was room for them all to pass underneath. So he walked up to the tree. But just as he came under the first branches, they bent down and wrapped around him. The next minute he was lifted from the ground. He was thrown head first among his fellow travelers.

This did not hurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him. He looked rather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.

“Here is another space between the trees,” called the Lion.

“Let me try it first,” said the Scarecrow, “because it doesn’t hurt me to get thrown about.”

As he spoke, he walked up to another tree. But at once its branches grabbed him and threw him back again.

“This is strange,” cried Dorothy. “What shall we do?”

“The trees seem to have decided to fight us and stop our journey,” said the Lion.

“I believe I will try it myself,” said the Woodman.

He put his axe on his shoulder and marched up to the first tree. This was the tree that had treated the Scarecrow so roughly. A big branch bent down to grab him. The Woodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it in two. At once the tree began shaking all its branches, as if it were in pain. And the Tin Woodman passed safely under it.

“Come on!” he shouted to the others. “Be quick!”

They all ran forward and passed under the tree without being hurt. Only Toto was caught by a small branch. It shook him until he howled. But the Woodman quickly chopped off the branch and set the little dog free.

The other trees of the forest did nothing to stop them. So they decided that only the first row of trees could bend down their branches. These were probably the policemen of the forest. They had been given this wonderful power to keep strangers out.

The four travelers walked easily through the trees until they came to the far edge of the wood. Then, to their surprise, they found a high wall in front of them. It seemed to be made of white china. It was smooth, like the surface of a dish, and higher than their heads.

“What shall we do now?” asked Dorothy.

“I will make a ladder,” said the Tin Woodman, “because we certainly must climb over the wall.”

### Glossary

- **spectacles**: glasses for the eyes.
- **Guardian of the Gates**: the man who watches and protects the gates of the Emerald City.
- **steeples**: tall, pointed towers on top of a church.
- **spires**: tall, thin, pointed tops of towers.
- **dome**: a round roof, shaped like half a ball.
- **dose**: an amount of medicine or drink that you take at one time.
- **dizzy**: feeling as if everything is turning round and you may fall.
- **howled**: made a long, loud cry, like a dog in pain.
- **policemen of the forest**: the travelers’ name for the trees that guard the forest and keep strangers out.
- **china**: a hard, white material made from clay, used for cups, plates and small figures.

## Chapter XX The Dainty China Country

While the Woodman was making a ladder from wood that he found in the forest, Dorothy lay down and slept. She was tired after the long walk. The Lion also curled himself up to sleep, and Toto lay beside him.

The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while he worked, and said to him:

“I cannot think why this wall is here, or what it is made of.”

“Rest your brains and do not worry about the wall,” replied the Woodman. “When we have climbed over it, we shall know what is on the other side.”

After a time the ladder was finished. It looked clumsy, but the Tin Woodman was sure it was strong and would do the job. The Scarecrow woke Dorothy and the Lion and Toto, and told them that the ladder was ready. The Scarecrow climbed up the ladder first. But he was so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind him and stop him from falling off. When he got his head over the top of the wall, the Scarecrow said, “Oh, my!”

“Go on,” cried Dorothy.

So the Scarecrow climbed higher and sat down on the top of the wall. Then Dorothy put her head over and cried, “Oh, my!” just as the Scarecrow had done.

Then Toto came up, and at once he began to bark, but Dorothy made him be quiet.

The Lion climbed the ladder next, and the Tin Woodman came last. Both of them cried, “Oh, my!” as soon as they looked over the wall. Soon they were all sitting in a row on the top of the wall. They looked down and saw a strange sight.

In front of them was a great stretch of country. Its floor was as smooth and shining and white as the bottom of a big platter. Many houses stood here and there. They were made completely of china and painted in the brightest colors. These houses were quite small. The biggest of them was only as high as Dorothy’s waist. There were also pretty little barns with china fences around them. Many cows and sheep and horses and pigs and chickens stood about in groups. They were all made of china too.

But the strangest of all were the people who lived in this strange country. There were milkmaids and shepherdesses. They wore brightly colored bodices, and their gowns had golden spots all over them. There were princesses in beautiful, rich frocks of silver and gold and purple. There were shepherds in knee breeches with pink and yellow and blue stripes down them. They had golden buckles on their shoes. There were princes with crowns of jewels on their heads, who wore ermine robes and satin doublets. And there were funny clowns in gowns with ruffles. They had round red spots on their cheeks and tall, pointed caps. And strangest of all, these people were all made of china, even their clothes. They were so small that the tallest of them was no higher than Dorothy’s knee.

At first nobody even looked at the travelers. Only one little purple china dog with an extra-large head came to the wall. It barked at them in a tiny voice, and then it ran away again.

“How shall we get down?” asked Dorothy.

The ladder was so heavy that they could not pull it up. So the Scarecrow fell off the wall, and the others jumped down on top of him. In this way the hard floor would not hurt their feet. Of course they took care not to land on his head and get the pins in their feet. When they were all safely down, they picked up the Scarecrow. His body was quite flat, so they patted his straw back into shape.

“We must cross this strange place to get to the other side,” said Dorothy. “It would be unwise for us to go any other way except straight South.”

They began walking through the country of the china people. The first thing they came to was a china milkmaid milking a china cow. As they came near, the cow suddenly gave a kick. It kicked over the stool, the pail, and even the milkmaid herself. They all fell on the china ground with a great clatter.

Dorothy was shocked. The cow had broken her leg off, and the pail was lying in several small pieces. The poor milkmaid had a nick in her left elbow.

“There!” cried the milkmaid angrily. “See what you have done! My cow has broken her leg. Now I must take her to the mender’s shop and have it glued on again. Why did you come here and frighten my cow?”

“I’m very sorry,” answered Dorothy. “Please forgive us.”

But the pretty milkmaid was much too annoyed to answer. She picked up the leg sulkily and led her cow away. The poor animal limped on three legs. As she left them, the milkmaid looked back over her shoulder many times. She gave the clumsy strangers angry, blaming looks. And she held her nicked elbow close to her side.

Dorothy was very sad about this accident.

“We must be very careful here,” said the kind-hearted Woodman. “Or we may hurt these pretty little people so badly that they never get over it.”

A little farther on, Dorothy met a young Princess in the most beautiful clothes. The Princess stopped suddenly when she saw the strangers, and then she started to run away.

Dorothy wanted to see more of the Princess, so she ran after her. But the china girl cried out:

“Don’t chase me! Don’t chase me!”

She had such a frightened little voice that Dorothy stopped. “Why not?” she asked.

The Princess had also stopped, a safe distance away. “Because if I run, I may fall down and break myself,” she answered.

“But couldn’t you be mended?” asked the girl.

“Oh, yes. But you are never so pretty after you have been mended, you know,” replied the Princess.

“I suppose not,” said Dorothy.

“Now, there is Mr. Joker, one of our clowns,” the china lady went on. “He is always trying to stand on his head. He has broken himself so often that he is mended in a hundred places. He doesn’t look pretty at all. Here he comes now, so you can see for yourself.”

And really, a jolly little clown came walking toward them. He wore pretty clothes of red and yellow and green. But Dorothy could see that he was completely covered with cracks. They ran in every direction. They showed clearly that he had been mended in many places.

The Clown put his hands in his pockets. He puffed out his cheeks and nodded his head at them cheekily. Then he said:

“My lady fair,
Why do you stare
At poor old Mr. Joker?
You’re quite as stiff
And prim as if
You’d eaten up a poker!”

“Be quiet, sir!” said the Princess. “Can’t you see that these are strangers? They should be treated with respect.”

“Well, that’s respect, I expect,” said the Clown, and at once he stood on his head.

“Don’t mind Mr. Joker,” the Princess said to Dorothy. “He is quite cracked in his head, and that makes him foolish.”

“Oh, I don’t mind him a bit,” said Dorothy. “But you are so beautiful,” she went on, “that I am sure I could love you dearly. Won’t you let me carry you back to Kansas? I could stand you on Aunt Em’s mantel. I could carry you in my basket.”

“That would make me very unhappy,” answered the china Princess. “You see, here in our country we live happily. We can talk and move around as we like. But whenever any of us are taken away, our joints stiffen at once. Then we can only stand straight and look pretty. Of course, that is all people expect of us on mantels and cabinets and drawing-room tables. But our lives are much nicer here in our own country.”

“I would not make you unhappy for anything in the world!” cried Dorothy. “So I’ll just say good-bye.”

“Good-bye,” replied the Princess.

They walked carefully through the china country. The little animals and all the people ran quickly out of their way. They were afraid that the strangers would break them. After an hour or so, the travelers reached the other side of the country. There they came to another china wall.

But this wall was not as high as the first one. By standing on the Lion’s back, they all managed to climb to the top. Then the Lion pulled his legs under him and jumped onto the wall. But just as he jumped, his tail knocked over a china church. It smashed into pieces.

“That was too bad,” said Dorothy. “But really, I think we were lucky. We did these little people no more harm than breaking a cow’s leg and a church. They are all so brittle!”

“They are, indeed,” said the Scarecrow. “And I am thankful that I am made of straw and cannot be damaged easily. There are worse things in the world than being a Scarecrow.”

### Glossary

- **dainty**: small, pretty and delicate.
- **china**: a hard, white material made from clay, used for cups, plates and small figures.
- **platter**: a large, flat plate for serving food.
- **milkmaid**: a girl or woman who milks cows.
- **shepherdess**: a girl or woman who looks after sheep (a man who does this is a shepherd).
- **bodice / gown / frock**: a bodice is the top part of a dress; a gown is a long dress; a frock is a dress.
- **knee breeches / doublet / ermine**: old-fashioned clothes: trousers that end at the knee, a short jacket, and white fur.
- **mender**: a person who repairs broken things.
- **prim**: very stiff, correct and serious.
- **poker**: a metal stick for moving wood in a fire.
- **mantel**: the shelf above a fireplace.
- **brittle**: hard but easily broken.

## Chapter XXI The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts

After they climbed down from the china wall, the travelers found themselves in an unpleasant country. It was full of bogs and marshes, and it was covered with tall, thick, wild grass. It was difficult to walk without falling into muddy holes. The grass was so thick that it hid the holes from sight. But they chose each step carefully, and they got along safely until they reached solid ground. Here the country seemed wilder than ever. They had a long and tiring walk through the bushes and small trees. Then they entered another forest. The trees there were bigger and older than any trees they had ever seen.

“This forest is perfectly wonderful,” said the Lion, and he looked around him with joy. “I have never seen a more beautiful place.”

“It seems dark and sad,” said the Scarecrow.

“Not a bit,” answered the Lion. “I would like to live here all my life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet. And see how rich and green the moss is on these old trees. Surely no wild beast could wish for a nicer home.”

“Perhaps there are wild beasts in the forest now,” said Dorothy.

“I suppose there are,” answered the Lion, “but I do not see any of them around.”

They walked through the forest until it became too dark to go any farther. Dorothy and Toto and the Lion lay down to sleep. The Woodman and the Scarecrow kept watch over them, as usual.

When morning came, they started again. Before they had gone far, they heard a low rumble. It sounded like the growling of many wild animals. Toto whimpered a little, but none of the others was frightened. They kept walking along the well-used path. At last they came to an open place in the wood. Hundreds of beasts of every kind had gathered there. There were tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes, and all the others in the natural history. For a moment Dorothy was afraid. But the Lion explained that the animals were holding a meeting. From their snarling and growling, he could tell that they were in great trouble.

As he spoke, several of the beasts saw him. At once the great crowd went quiet, as if by magic. The biggest of the tigers came up to the Lion and bowed. Then he said:

“Welcome, O King of Beasts! You have come at the right time to fight our enemy. Now you can bring peace to all the animals of the forest once more.”

“What is your trouble?” asked the Lion quietly.

“We are all in danger from a fierce enemy,” answered the tiger. “It came into this forest not long ago. It is a terrible, enormous monster, like a great spider. Its body is as big as an elephant, and its legs are as long as a tree trunk. It has eight of these long legs. As the monster crawls through the forest, he catches an animal with one of his legs. Then he pulls it to his mouth and eats it, as a spider eats a fly. Not one of us is safe while this fierce creature is alive. So we called a meeting to decide how to protect ourselves. And then you came among us.”

The Lion thought for a moment.

“Are there any other lions in this forest?” he asked.

“No. There were some, but the monster has eaten them all,” said the tiger. “And anyway, none of them was nearly as large and brave as you.”

“If I put an end to your enemy, will you bow down to me?” asked the Lion. “Will you obey me as King of the Forest?”

“We will do that gladly,” answered the tiger. And all the other beasts roared together with a mighty roar: “We will!”

“Where is this great spider of yours now?” asked the Lion.

“Over there, among the oak trees,” said the tiger, and he pointed with his front foot.

“Take good care of these friends of mine,” said the Lion, “and I will go at once to fight the monster.”

He said good-bye to his comrades and marched proudly away to fight the enemy.

The great spider was lying asleep when the Lion found him. It looked so ugly that the Lion turned up his nose in disgust. Its legs were quite as long as the tiger had said. Its body was covered with rough black hair. It had a great mouth, with a row of sharp teeth a foot long. But its head was joined to its fat body by a very thin neck. The neck was as thin as the waist of a wasp. This showed the Lion the best way to attack the creature. He knew it was easier to fight it asleep than awake. So he gave a great jump and landed right on the monster’s back. His heavy paw was armed with sharp claws. With one blow of this paw, he knocked the spider’s head from its body. Then he jumped down. He watched the spider until the long legs stopped moving. Then he knew it was quite dead.

The Lion went back to the open place where the beasts of the forest were waiting for him. He said proudly:

“You do not need to fear your enemy any longer.”

Then the beasts bowed down to the Lion as their King. He promised to come back and rule over them as soon as Dorothy was safely on her way to Kansas.

### Glossary

- **bog / marsh**: wet, soft ground where it is easy to sink.
- **moss**: a soft green plant that grows on trees, rocks and the ground.
- **whimper**: to make small, weak, unhappy sounds.
- **snarl**: to make an angry sound and show the teeth.
- **natural history**: the study of animals and plants; here, all the animals that are written about in books.
- **King of Beasts**: a name for the lion, the "king" of all animals.
- **comrade**: a friend and companion.
- **wasp**: a flying insect with a sting and a very thin waist.
- **claw**: a sharp, hard nail on the foot of an animal.

## Chapter XXII The Country of the Quadlings

The four travelers passed safely through the rest of the forest. When they came out of its darkness, they saw a steep hill in front of them. It was covered from top to bottom with great pieces of rock.

“That will be a hard climb,” said the Scarecrow, “but we must get over the hill all the same.”

So he led the way, and the others followed. They had nearly reached the first rock when they heard a rough voice cry out, “Keep back!”

“Who are you?” asked the Scarecrow.

Then a head appeared over the rock, and the same voice said, “This hill belongs to us, and we don’t allow anyone to cross it.”

“But we must cross it,” said the Scarecrow. “We’re going to the country of the Quadlings.”

“But you shall not!” replied the voice. And from behind the rock stepped the strangest man the travelers had ever seen.

He was quite short and fat, and he had a big head. The head was flat at the top, and it sat on a thick neck full of wrinkles. But he had no arms at all. The Scarecrow saw this. He did not believe that such a helpless creature could stop them from climbing the hill. So he said, “I’m sorry not to do as you wish. But we must pass over your hill, whether you like it or not.” And he walked bravely forward.

As quick as lightning, the man’s head shot forward. His neck stretched out until the flat top of his head hit the Scarecrow in the middle. It sent him rolling over and over down the hill. Almost as quickly as it came, the head went back to the body. The man laughed in a hard, unkind way. “It isn’t as easy as you think!” he said.

Loud, noisy laughter came from the other rocks. Dorothy saw hundreds of the armless Hammer-Heads on the hillside, one behind every rock.

The Lion became quite angry when they laughed at the Scarecrow’s accident. He gave a loud roar that echoed like thunder, and he rushed up the hill.

Again a head shot quickly out. The great Lion went rolling down the hill, as if a cannon ball had hit him.

Dorothy ran down and helped the Scarecrow to his feet. The Lion came up to her. He felt rather bruised and sore. “It is useless to fight people with shooting heads,” he said. “No one can stand against them.”

“What can we do, then?” she asked.

“Call the Winged Monkeys,” said the Tin Woodman. “You still have the right to command them once more.”

“Very well,” she answered. She put on the Golden Cap and said the magic words. The Monkeys were as quick as ever. In a few moments the whole band stood in front of her.

“What are your commands?” asked the King of the Monkeys, and he bowed low.

“Carry us over the hill to the country of the Quadlings,” answered the girl.

“It shall be done,” said the King. At once the Winged Monkeys caught the four travelers and Toto up in their arms and flew away with them. As they passed over the hill, the Hammer-Heads yelled angrily. They shot their heads high in the air, but they could not reach the Winged Monkeys. The Monkeys carried Dorothy and her comrades safely over the hill. They set them down in the beautiful country of the Quadlings.

“This is the last time you can summon us,” said the leader to Dorothy. “So good-bye and good luck to you.”

“Good-bye, and thank you very much,” answered the girl. The Monkeys rose into the air, and in a moment they were out of sight.

The country of the Quadlings seemed rich and happy. There were fields and fields of grain that was getting ripe, with good, well-made roads between them. There were pretty little brooks with strong bridges across them. The fences and houses and bridges were all painted bright red. In the same way, they had been painted yellow in the country of the Winkies and blue in the country of the Munchkins. The Quadlings themselves were short and fat. They looked chubby and good-natured. They were dressed all in red, which looked bright against the green grass and the yellowing grain.

The Monkeys had set them down near a farmhouse. The four travelers walked up to it and knocked at the door. The farmer’s wife opened it. Dorothy asked for something to eat, and the woman gave them all a good dinner. There were three kinds of cake and four kinds of cookies, and a bowl of milk for Toto.

“How far is it to the Castle of Glinda?” asked the child.

“It is not very far,” answered the farmer’s wife. “Take the road to the South, and you will soon reach it.”

They thanked the good woman and started again. They walked by the fields and across the pretty bridges. At last they saw a very beautiful Castle in front of them. Three young girls stood in front of the gates. They were dressed in handsome red uniforms with gold braid on them. As Dorothy came near, one of them spoke to her.

“Why have you come to the South Country?”

“To see the Good Witch who rules here,” Dorothy answered. “Will you take me to her?”

“Tell me your name, and I will ask Glinda if she will see you.”

They told her who they were, and the girl soldier went into the Castle. After a few moments she came back. She said that Dorothy and the others could come in at once.

### Glossary

- **Quadlings**: the people of the South of Oz, who wear red.
- **Hammer-Heads**: armless men on the hill who hit people by shooting their heads forward.
- **echo**: to sound again and again, as a sound does among hills or walls.
- **cannon ball**: a heavy iron ball that is shot from a big gun.
- **bruised**: hurt, with dark marks on the skin.
- **summon**: to call someone to come to you.
- **brook**: a small river.
- **chubby**: a little fat, in a nice way.
- **braid**: a narrow band of thread used to decorate clothes.

## Chapter XXIII Glinda The Good Witch Grants Dorothy’s Wish

But before they went to see Glinda, they were taken to a room of the Castle. There Dorothy washed her face and combed her hair. The Lion shook the dust out of his mane. The Scarecrow patted himself into his best shape. And the Woodman polished his tin and oiled his joints.

When they all looked neat and fit to be seen, they followed the soldier girl into a big room. There the Witch Glinda sat on a throne of rubies.

To their eyes she was both beautiful and young. Her hair was a rich red color, and it fell in long, curling ringlets over her shoulders. Her dress was pure white, but her eyes were blue. They looked kindly at the little girl.

“What can I do for you, my child?” she asked.

Dorothy told the Witch her whole story. She told her how the cyclone had brought her to the Land of Oz. She told her how she had found her companions. And she told her about the wonderful adventures they had had.

“My greatest wish now,” she added, “is to get back to Kansas. Aunt Em will surely think something terrible has happened to me. That will make her put on mourning. And unless the crops are better this year than last year, I am sure Uncle Henry cannot pay for it.”

Glinda leaned forward and kissed the sweet face of the loving little girl, which was turned up toward her.

“Bless your dear heart,” she said. “I am sure I can tell you of a way to get back to Kansas.” Then she added, “But if I do, you must give me the Golden Cap.”

“Gladly!” cried Dorothy. “It is no use to me now. And when you have it, you can command the Winged Monkeys three times.”

“And I think I shall need their help just those three times,” answered Glinda, smiling.

Dorothy then gave her the Golden Cap. The Witch said to the Scarecrow, “What will you do when Dorothy has left us?”

“I will go back to the Emerald City,” he replied. “Oz has made me its ruler, and the people like me. The only thing that worries me is how to cross the hill of the Hammer-Heads.”

“I shall use the Golden Cap,” said Glinda. “I shall command the Winged Monkeys to carry you to the gates of the Emerald City. It would be a shame to take such a wonderful ruler away from the people.”

“Am I really wonderful?” asked the Scarecrow.

“You are unusual,” replied Glinda.

She turned to the Tin Woodman and asked, “What will happen to you when Dorothy leaves this country?”

He leaned on his axe and thought for a moment. Then he said, “The Winkies were very kind to me. They wanted me to rule over them after the Wicked Witch died. I am fond of the Winkies. If I could return to the Country of the West, I’d like nothing better than to rule them forever.”

“My second command to the Winged Monkeys,” said Glinda, “will be to carry you safely to the land of the Winkies. Your brain may not look as large as the Scarecrow’s. But you are really brighter than he is, when you are well polished. And I am sure you will rule the Winkies wisely and well.”

Then the Witch looked at the big, shaggy Lion. “When Dorothy has gone back to her own home, what will happen to you?” she asked.

“Over the hill of the Hammer-Heads,” he answered, “there is a grand old forest. All the beasts that live there have made me their King. If I could only get back to this forest, I would live there very happily all my life.”

“My third command to the Winged Monkeys,” said Glinda, “shall be to carry you to your forest. Then I will have used up the powers of the Golden Cap. So I shall give it to the King of the Monkeys. Then he and his band will be free forever after.”

The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion now thanked the Good Witch warmly for her kindness. And Dorothy cried:

“You are certainly as good as you are beautiful! But you have not told me yet how to get back to Kansas.”

“Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert,” replied Glinda. “If you had known their power, you could have gone back to your Aunt Em. You could have gone on the very first day you came to this country.”

“But then I would not have my wonderful brains!” cried the Scarecrow. “I might have spent my whole life in the farmer’s cornfield.”

“And I would not have my lovely heart,” said the Tin Woodman. “I might have stood and rusted in the forest till the end of the world.”

“And I would have lived as a coward forever,” said the Lion. “And no beast in all the forest would ever have had a good word to say to me.”

“This is all true,” said Dorothy, “and I am glad I was useful to these good friends. Now each of them has what he wanted most. And each is happy to have a kingdom to rule as well. So I think I would like to go back to Kansas.”

“The Silver Shoes have wonderful powers,” said the Good Witch. “And one of the strangest things about them is this. They can carry you to any place in the world in three steps. And each step will be made in the wink of an eye. You only have to knock the heels together three times. Then command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go.”

“If that is so,” said the child joyfully, “I will ask them to carry me back to Kansas at once.”

She threw her arms around the Lion’s neck and kissed him, and she patted his big head tenderly. Then she kissed the Tin Woodman. He was crying, which was very dangerous for his joints. But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow in her arms instead of kissing his painted face. She found that she was crying herself. It was so sad to say good-bye to her loving comrades.

Glinda the Good stepped down from her ruby throne to give the little girl a good-bye kiss. Dorothy thanked her for all the kindness she had shown to her friends and to herself.

Now Dorothy seriously took Toto up in her arms. She said one last good-bye. Then she clapped the heels of her shoes together three times and said:

“Take me home to Aunt Em!”

At once she was whirling through the air. She went so fast that all she could see or feel was the wind whistling past her ears.

The Silver Shoes took only three steps. Then she stopped so suddenly that she rolled over on the grass several times. At first she did not know where she was.

But at last she sat up and looked around her.

“Good gracious!” she cried.

She was sitting on the wide Kansas prairie. Just in front of her was the new farmhouse. Uncle Henry had built it after the cyclone carried away the old one. Uncle Henry was milking the cows in the barnyard. Toto had jumped out of her arms and was running toward the barn, barking wildly.

Dorothy stood up and found that she was in her stocking-feet. The Silver Shoes had fallen off during her flight through the air. They were lost forever in the desert.

### Glossary

- **ringlets**: long hair that hangs in curls.
- **mourning**: black clothes that people wear to show that someone has died.
- **crops**: plants such as grain or vegetables that a farmer grows.
- **shaggy**: with long, thick, untidy hair.
- **comrades**: friends and companions.
- **in the wink of an eye**: very, very quickly.
- **whirling**: turning round and round very fast.
- **prairie**: a very large, flat area of grassland.
- **barnyard**: the open space around a barn on a farm.
- **stocking-feet**: with only socks or stockings on the feet, without shoes.

## Chapter XXIV Home Again

Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages. Then she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.

“My darling child!” she cried. She took the little girl in her arms and covered her face with kisses. “Where in the world did you come from?”

“From the Land of Oz,” said Dorothy seriously. “And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I’m so glad to be at home again!”

### Glossary

- **cabbages**: large, round vegetables with thick green leaves.
- **darling**: a word for someone you love very much.
- **Where in the world**: a way of asking "where" with great surprise.
- **seriously**: in a quiet, thoughtful way, without smiling.