The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection by L. Frank Baum. Illustrated - L. Frank Baum - E-Book

The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection by L. Frank Baum. Illustrated E-Book

L. Frank Baum

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If you've read one or more of the books, read to your kids or looking for a safe book for your kids to read, this is it. This carefully crafted ebook - The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection (all Oz novels by L.Frank Baum) contents all 16 stories in chronological order. This is the best and maybe cheapest way to enjoy the whole series Land of Oz. 1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 2. The Marvelous Land of Oz 3. The Woggle-Bug Book 4. Ozma of Oz 5. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz 6. The Road to Oz 7. The Emerald City of Oz 8. The Patchwork Girl of Oz 9. Little Wizard Stories of Oz 10. Tik-Tok of Oz 11. The Scarecrow of Oz 12. Rinkitink in Oz 13. The Lost Princess of Oz 14. The Tin Woodman of Oz 15. The Magic of Oz 16. Glinda of Oz Illustrated by John R. Neill 

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The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection

by L. Frank Baum

If you've read one or more of the books, read to your kids or looking for a safe book for your kids to read, this is it.

This carefully crafted ebook - The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection (all Oz novels by L.Frank Baum) contents all 18 stories in chronological order.

This is the best and maybe cheapest way to enjoy the whole series Land of Oz.

 

1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2. The Marvelous Land of Oz

3. The Woggle-Bug Book

4. Ozma of Oz

5. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

6. The Road to Oz

7. The Emerald City of Oz

8. The Patchwork Girl of Oz

9. Little Wizard Stories of Oz

10. Tik-Tok of Oz

11. The Scarecrow of Oz

12. Rinkitink in Oz

13. The Lost Princess of Oz

14. The Tin Woodman of Oz

15. The Magic of Oz

16. Glinda of Oz

 

Illustrated by John R. Neill.

Table of Contents:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Introduction
Chapter I. The Cyclone
Chapter II. The Council with the Munchkins
Chapter III. How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow
Chapter IV. The Road Through the Forest
Chapter V. The Rescue of the Tin Woodman
Chapter VI. The Cowardly Lion
Chapter VII. The Journey to the Great Oz
Chapter VIII. The Deadly Poppy Field
Chapter IX. The Queen of the Field Mice
Chapter X. The Guardian of the Gate
Chapter XI. The Wonderful City of Oz
Chapter XII. The Search for the Wicked Witch
Chapter XIII. The Rescue
Chapter XIV. The Winged Monkeys
Chapter XV. The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible
Chapter XVI. The Magic Art of the Great Humbug
Chapter XVII. How the Balloon Was Launched
Chapter XVIII. Away to the South
Chapter XIX. Attacked by the Fighting Trees
Chapter XX. The Dainty China Country
Chapter XXI. The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts
Chapter XXII. The Country of the Quadlings
Chapter XXIII. Glinda The Good Witch Grants Dorothy’s Wish
Chapter XXIV. Home Again
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Author's Note
Tip Manufactures a Pumpkinhead
The Marvelous Powder of Life
The Flight of the Fugitives
Tip Makes an Experiment in Magic
The Awakening of the Saw-horse
Jack Pumpkinhead's Ride to the Emerald City
His Majesty the Scarecrow
Gen. Jinjur's Army of Revolt
The Scarecrow Plans an escape
The Journey to the Tin Woodman
A Nickel-Plated Emperor
Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E
A Highly Magnified History
Old Mombi indulges in Witchcraft
The Prisoners of the Queen
The Scarecrow Takes Time to Think
The Astonishing Flight of the Gump
In the Jackdaw's Nest
Dr. Nikidik's Famous Wishing Pills
The Scarecrow Appeals to Glinda the Good
The Tin-Woodman Plucks a Rose
The Transformation of Old Mombi
Princess Ozma of Oz
The Riches of Content
The Woggle-Bug Book
Ozma of Oz
The Land of Oz John Dough and The Cherub
Author's Note
The Girl in the Chicken Coop
The Yellow Hen
Letters in the Sand
Tiktok the Machine Man
Dorothy Opens the Dinner Pail
The Heads of Langwidere
Ozma of Oz to the Rescue
The Hungry Tiger
The Royal Family of Ev
The Giant with the Hammer
The Nome King
The Eleven Guesses
The Nome King Laughs
Dorothy Tries to be Brave
Billina Frightens the Nome King
Purple, Green and Gold
The Scarecrow Wins the Fight
The Fate of the Tin Woodman
The King of Ev
The Emerald City
Dorothy's Magic Belt
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
To My Readers
Chapter 1. The Earthquake
Chapter 2. The Glass City
Chapter 3. The Arrival of the Wizard
Chapter 4. The Vegetable Kingdom
Chapter 5. Dorothy Picks the Princess
Chapter 6. The Mangaboos Prove Dangerous
Chapter 7. Into The Black Pit and Out Again
Chapter 8. The Valley of Voices
Chapter 9. They Fight the Invisible Bears
Chapter 10. The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain
Chapter 11. They Meet the Wooden Gargoyles
Chapter 12. A Wonderful Escape
Chapter 13. The Den of the Dragonettes
Chapter 14. Ozma Uses the Magic Belt
Chapter 15. Old Friends are Reunited
Chapter 16. Jim, the Cab-Horse
Chapter 17. The Nine Tiny Piglets
Chapter 18. The Trial of Eureka the Kitten
Chapter 19. The Wizard Performs Another Trick
Chapter 20. Zeb Returns to the Ranch
The Road to Oz
The Way to Butterfield
Dorothy Meets Button-bright
A Queer Village
King Dox
The Rainbow's Daughter
The City of Beasts
The Shaggy Man's Transformation
The Musicker
Facing the Scoodlers
Escaping the Soup-kettle
Johnny Dooit Does It
The Deadly Desert Crossed
The Truth Pond
Tik-Tok and Billina
The Emperor's Tin Castle
Visiting the Pumpkin-Field
The Royal Chariot Arrives
The Emerald City
The Shaggy Man's Welcome
Princess Ozma of Oz
Dorothy Receives the Guests
Important Arrivals
The Grand Banquet
The Birthday Celebration
The Emerald City of Oz
Dedicated
Chapter 1. How the Nome King Became Angry
Chapter 2. How Uncle Henry Got into Trouble
Chapter 3. How Ozma Granted Dorothy's Request
Chapter 4. How the Nome King Planned Revenge
Chapter 5. How Dorothy Became a Princess
Chapter 6. How Guph Visited the Whimsie
Chapter 7. How Aunt Em Conquered the Lion
Chapter 8. How the Grand Gallipoot Joined the Nomes
Chapter 9. How the Wogglebug Taught Athletics
Chapter 10. How the Wogglebug Taught Athletics
Chapter 11. How the General Met the First and Foremost
Chapter 12. How They Matched the Fuddles
Chapter 13. How the General Talked to the King
Chapter 14. How the Wizard Practiced Sorcery
Chapter 15. How Dorothy Happened to Get Lost
Chapter 16. How Dorothy Visited Utensia
Chapter 17. How They Came to Bunbury
Chapter 18. How Ozma Looked Into the Magic Picture
Chapter 19. How Bunnybury Welcomed the Strangers
Chapter 20. How Dorothy Lunched with a King
Chapter 21. How The King Changed His Mind
Chapter 22. How the Wizard Found Dorothy
Chapter 23. How They Encountered the Flutterbudgets
Chapter 24. How the Tin Woodman Told the Sad News
Chapter 25. How the Scarecrow Displayed His Wisdom
Chapter 26. How Ozma Refused to Fight for Her Kingdom
Chapter 27. How the Fierce Warriors Invaded Oz
Chapter 28. How They Drank at the Forbidden Fountain
Chapter 29. How Glinda Worked a Magic Spell
Chapter 30. How The Story of Oz Came to an End
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Prologue
Chapter 1. Ojo and Unk Nunkie
Chapter 2. The Crooked Magician
Chapter 3. The Patchwork Girl
Chapter 4. The Glass Cat
Chapter 5. A Terrible Accident
Chapter 6. The Journey
Chapter 7. The Troublesome Phonograph
Chapter 8. The Foolish Owl and the Wise Donkey
Chapter 9. They Meet the Woozy
Chapter 10. Shaggy Man to the Rescue
Chapter 11. A Good Friend
Chapter 12. The Giant Porcupine
Chapter 13. Scraps and the Scarecrow
Chapter 14. Ojo Breaks the Law
Chapter 15. Ozma's Prisoner
Chapter 16. Princess Dorothy
Chapter 17. Ozma and her Friends
Chapter 18. Ojo is Forgiven
Chapter 19. Trouble with the Tottenhots
Chapter 20. The Captive Yoop
Chapter 21. Hip Hopper the Champion
Chapter 22. The Joking Horners
Chapter 23. Peace is Declared
Chapter 24. Ojo Finds the Dark Well
Chapter 25. They Bribe the Lazy Quadling
Chapter 26. The Trick River
Chapter 27. The Tin Woodman Objects
Chapter 28. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Little Wizard Stories of Oz
The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger
Little Dorothy and Toto
Tiktok and the Nome King
Ozma and the Little Wizard
Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman
Tik-Tok of Oz
To My Readers
Chapter 1. Ann’s Army
Chapter 2. Out of Oogaboo
Chapter 3. Magic Mystifies the Marchers
Chapter 4. Betsy Braves the Billows
Chapter 5. The Roses Repulse the Refugees
Chapter 6. Shaggy Seeks his Stray Brother
Chapter 7. Polychrome’s Pitiful Plight
Chapter 8. Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task
Chapter 9. Ruggedo’s Rage is Rash and Reckless
Chapter 10. A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube
Chapter 11. The Famous Fellowship of Fairies
Chapter 12. The Lovely Lady of Light
Chapter 13. The Jinjin’s Just Judgment
Chapter 14. The Long-Eared Hearer Learns by Listening
Chapter 15. The Dragon Defies Danger
Chapter 16. The Naughty Nome
Chapter 17. A Tragic Transformation
Chapter 18. A Clever Conquest
Chapter 19. King Kaliko
Chapter 20. Quox Quietly Quits
Chapter 21. A Bashful Brother
Chapter 22. Kindly Kisses
Chapter 23. Ruggedo Reforms
Chapter 24. Dorothy is Delighted
Chapter 25. The Land of Love
The Scarecrow of Oz
’Twixt You and Me
Chapter 1. The Great Whirlpool
Chapter 2. The Cavern Under the Sea
Chapter 3. The Ork
Chapter 4. Daylight at Last
Chapter 5. The Little Old Man of the Island
Chapter 6. The Flight of the Midgets
Chapter 7. The Bumpy Man
Chapter 8. Button-Bright is Lost and Found Again
Chapter 9. The Kingdom of Jinxland
Chapter 10. Pon, the Gardener’s Boy
Chapter 11. The Wicked King and Googly-Goo
Chapter 12. The Wooden-Legged Grass-Hopper
Chapter 13. Glinda the Good and the Scarecrow of Oz
Chapter 14. The Frozen Heart
Chapter 15. Trot Meets the Scarecrow
Chapter 16. Pon Summons the King to Surrender
Chapter 17. The Ork Rescues Button-Bright
Chapter 18. The Scarecrow Meets an Enemy
Chapter 19. The Conquest of the Witch
Chapter 20. Queen Gloria
Chapter 21. Dorothy, Betsy and Ozma
Chapter 22. The Waterfall
Chapter 23. The Land of Oz
Chapter 24. The Royal Reception
Rinkitink in Oz
Introducing This Story
Chapter 1. The Prince of Pingaree
Chapter 2. The Coming of King Rinkitink
Chapter 3. The Warriors from the North
Chapter 4. The Deserted Island
Chapter 5. The Three Pearls
Chapter 6. The Magic Boat
Chapter 7. The Twin Islands
Chapter 8. Rinkitink Makes a Great Mistake
Chapter 9. A Present for Zella
Chapter 10. The Cunning of Queen Cor
Chapter 11. Zella Goes to Coregos
Chapter 12. The Excitement of Bilbil the Goat
Chapter 13. Zella Saves the Prince
Chapter 14. The Escape
Chapter 15. The Flight of the Rulers
Chapter 16. Nikobob Refuses a Crown
Chapter 17. The Nome King
Chapter 18. Inga Parts With His Pink Pearl
Chapter 19. Rinkitink Chuckles
Chapter 20. Dorothy to the Rescue
Chapter 21. The Wizard Finds an Enchantment
Chapter 22. Ozma's Banquet
Chapter 23. The Pearl Kingdom
Chapter 24. The Captive King
The Lost Princess of Oz
To My Readers
Chapter 1. A Terrible Loss
Chapter 2. The Troubles of Glinda the Good
Chapter 3. Robbery of Cayke the Cookie Cook
Chapter 4. Among the Winkies
Chapter 5. Ozma's Friends Are Perplexed
Chapter 6. The Search Party
Chapter 7. The Merry-Go-Round Mountains
Chapter 8. The Mysterious City
Chapter 9. The High Coco-Lorum of Thi
Chapter 10. Toto Loses Something
Chapter 11. Button-Bright Loses Himself
Chapter 12. The Czarover of Herku
Chapter 13. The Truth Pond
Chapter 14. The Unhappy Ferryman
Chapter 15. The Big Lavender Bear
Chapter 16. The Little Pink Bear
Chapter 17. The Meeting
Chapter 18. The Conference
Chapter 19. Ugu the Shoemaker
Chapter 20. More Surprises
Chapter 21. Magic Against Magic
Chapter 22. In the Wicker Castle
Chapter 23. The Defiance of Ugu the Shoemaker
Chapter 24. The Little Pink Bear Speaks Truly
Chapter 25. Ozma of Oz
Chapter 26. Dorothy Forgives
The Tin Woodman of Oz
To My Readers
Chapter 1. Woot the Wanderer
Chapter 2. The Heart of the Tin Woodman
Chapter 3. Roundabout
Chapter 4. The Loons of Loonville
Chapter 5. Mrs. Yoop, the Giantess
Chapter 6. The Magic of a Yookoohoo
Chapter 7. The Lace Apron
Chapter 8. The Menace of the Forest
Chapter 9. The Quarrelsome Dragons
Chapter 10. Tommy Kwikstep
Chapter 11. Jinjur's Ranch
Chapter 12. Ozma and Dorothy
Chapter 13. The Restoration
Chapter 14. The Green Monkey
Chapter 15. The Man of Tin
Chapter 16. Captain Fyter
Chapter 17. The Workshop of Ku-Klip
Chapter 18. The Tin Woodman Talks to Himself
Chapter 19. The Invisible Country
Chapter 20. Over Night
Chapter 21. Polychrome's Magic
Chapter 22. Nimmie Amee
Chapter 23. Through the Tunnel
Chapter 24. The Curtain Falls
The Magic of Oz
To My Readers
Chapter 1. Mount Munch
Chapter 2. The Hawk
Chapter 3. Two Bad Ones
Chapter 4. Conspirators
Chapter 5. A Happy Corner of Oz
Chapter 6. Ozma's Birthday Presents
Chapter 7. The Forest of Gugu
Chapter 8. The Li-Mon-Eags Make Trouble
Chapter 9. The Isle of the Magic Flower
Chapter 10. Stuck Fast
Chapter 11. The Beasts of the Forest of Gugu
Chapter 12. Kiki Uses His Magic
Chapter 13. The Loss of the Black Bag
Chapter 14. The Wizard Learns the Magic Word
Chapter 15. The Lonesome Duck
Chapter 16. The Glass Cat Finds the Black Bag
Chapter 17. A Remarkable Journey
Chapter 18. The Magic of the Wizard
Chapter 19. Dorothy and the Bumble Bees
Chapter 20. The Monkeys Have Trouble
Chapter 21. The College of Athletic Arts
Chapter 22. Ozma's Birthday Party
Chapter 23. The Fountain of Oblivion
Glinda of Oz
To Our Readers
Chapter 1. The Call to Duty
Chapter 2. Ozma and Dorothy
Chapter 3. The Mist Maidens
Chapter 4. The Magic Tent
Chapter 5. The Magic Stairway
Chapter 6. Flathead Mountain
Chapter 7. The Magic Isle
Chapter 8. Queen Coo-ee-oh
Chapter 9. Lady Aurex
Chapter 10. Under Water
Chapter 11. The Conquest of the Skeezers
Chapter 12. The Diamond Swan
Chapter 13. The Alarm Bell
Chapter 14. Ozma's Counsellors
Chapter 15. The Great Sorceress
Chapter 16. The Enchanted Fishes
Chapter 17. Under the Great Dome
Chapter 18. The Cleverness of Ervic
Chapter 19. Red Reera the Yookoohoo
Chapter 20. A Puzzling Problem
Chapter 21. The Three Adepts
Chapter 22. The Sunken Island
Chapter 23. The Magic Words
Chapter 24. Glinda's Triumph

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

This book is dedicated to my good friend amp; comrade My Wife

L.F.B.

 

Introduction

Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal. The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations.

Yet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as “historical” in the children’s library; for the time has come for a series of newer “wonder tales” in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale. Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident.

Having this thought in mind, the story of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.

L. Frank Baum

Chicago, April, 1900.

Chapter I. The Cyclone

Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar-except a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which 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. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that 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, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and 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 left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child’s laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy’s merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at.

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

It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings. Toto was not gray; he was a little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose. Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly.

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

From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction also.

Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.

“There’s a cyclone coming, Em,” he called to his wife. “I’ll go 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 glance told her of the danger close at hand.

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

Toto jumped out of Dorothy’s arms and hid under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor.

Then a strange thing happened.

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

The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center of the cyclone. In the middle of a cyclone the air is generally still, but the great pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cyclone; and there it remained and 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 she was riding quite easily. After the first few whirls around, and one other time when the house tipped badly, 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 fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him. But soon she saw one of his ears sticking up through the hole, for the strong pressure of the air was keeping him up so that he could not fall. She crept to the hole, caught Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again, afterward closing the trap door so that no more accidents could happen.

Hour after hour passed away, and slowly Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite lonely, and the wind shrieked so loudly all about her that she nearly became deaf. At first she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again; but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring. At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her.

In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

Chapter II. The Council with the Munchkins

She was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. As it was, the jar made her catch her breath and wonder what had happened; and Toto put his cold little nose into her face and whined dismally. Dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving; nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came in at the window, flooding the little room. She sprang from her bed and with Toto at her heels ran and opened the door.

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

The cyclone had set the house down very gently-for a cyclone-in the midst of a country of marvelous beauty. There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes. A little way off was a small brook, rushing and sparkling along between green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies.

While she stood looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older.

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

When these people drew near the house where Dorothy was standing in the doorway, they paused and whispered among themselves, as if afraid to come farther. But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice:

“You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed 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 possibly mean by calling her a sorceress, and saying she had killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a cyclone many miles from home; and she had never killed anything in all her life.

But the little woman evidently expected her to answer; so Dorothy said, with hesitation, “You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything.”

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

Dorothy looked, and gave a little cry of fright. There, indeed, just under the corner of the great beam the house rested on, two feet were sticking out, shod in silver shoes with pointed toes.

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried Dorothy, clasping her hands together in dismay. “The house must have fallen on her. Whatever 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 held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favor.”

“Who are the Munchkins?” inquired 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. When they saw the Witch of the East was dead the Munchkins sent a swift 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 was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself.”

“But I thought all witches were wicked,” said the girl, who was half frightened at facing a real witch. “Oh, no, that is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am one of them myself, and cannot be mistaken. Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one Wicked Witch in all the Land of Oz-the one who lives in the West.”

“But,” said Dorothy, after a moment’s thought, “Aunt Em has told me that the witches were all dead-years and years ago.”

“Who is Aunt Em?” inquired 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, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, “I do not know where Kansas is, for I have never heard that country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?”

“Oh, yes,” replied Dorothy.

“Then that accounts for it. In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. Therefore we still have witches and wizards amongst us.”

“Who are the wizards?” asked Dorothy.

“Oz himself is the Great Wizard,” answered the Witch, sinking her voice to a whisper. “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, who had been standing silently by, gave a loud shout and pointed to the corner of the house where the Wicked Witch had been lying.

“What is it?” asked the little old woman, and looked, and began to laugh. The feet of the dead Witch had disappeared entirely, and 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, and after shaking the dust out of them handed them to Dorothy.

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

Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and placed them on the table. Then she came out again to the Munchkins and said:

“I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for 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, and then shook their heads.

“At the East, not far from here,” said one, “there is a great desert, and none could live to cross it.”

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

“I am told,” said the third man, “that it is the same at the West. And that country, where the Winkies live, is ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West, who would make you her slave if you passed her 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.”

Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind-hearted Munchkins, for they immediately took out their handkerchiefs and began to weep also. As for the little old woman, she took off her cap and balanced the point on the end of her nose, while she counted “One, two, three” in a solemn voice. At once the cap changed to a slate, on which was written in big, white chalk marks:

“LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS”

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

“Yes,” answered the child, looking up and drying 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, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of.”

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

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

“How can I get there?” asked Dorothy.

“You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”

“Won’t you go with me?” pleaded the girl, who had begun to look upon the little old woman as her only friend.

“No, I cannot do that,” she replied, “but I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure 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, as Dorothy found 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, but 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, after which they walked away through the trees. The Witch gave Dorothy a friendly little nod, whirled around on her left heel three times, and straightway disappeared, much to the surprise of little Toto, who barked after her loudly enough when she had gone, because he had been afraid even to growl while she stood by.

But Dorothy, knowing her to be a witch, had expected her to disappear in just that way, and was not surprised in the least.

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, which she spread with butter. She gave some to Toto, and taking a pail from the shelf she carried it down to the little brook and 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, and saw such delicious fruit hanging from the branches that she gathered some of it, finding it just what she wanted to help out her breakfast.

Then she went back to the house, and having helped herself and Toto to a good drink of the cool, clear water, she set about making ready for the journey to the City of Emeralds.

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

“They surely will never do for a long journey, Toto,” she said. And Toto looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what she meant.

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

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

She took off her old leather shoes and tried on the silver ones, which 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, locked it, and put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress. And so, with Toto trotting along soberly behind her, she started on her journey.

There were several roads nearby, but it did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time she was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her silver shoes tinkling merrily on the hard, yellow road-bed. The sun shone bright and the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own country and set down in the midst of a strange land.

She was surprised, as she walked along, to see how pretty the country was about her. There were neat fences at the sides of the road, painted a dainty blue color, and beyond them were fields of grain and vegetables in abundance. Evidently the Munchkins were good farmers and able to raise large crops. Once in a while she would pass a house, and the people came out to look at her and bow low as she went by; for everyone knew she had been the means of destroying the Wicked Witch and setting them free from bondage. The houses of the Munchkins were odd-looking dwellings, for each was round, with a big dome for a roof. All were painted blue, for in this country of the East blue was the favorite color.

Toward evening, when Dorothy was tired with her long walk and began to wonder where she should pass the night, she came to a house rather larger than the rest. On the green lawn before it many men and women were dancing. Five little fiddlers played as loudly as possible, and the people were laughing and singing, while a big table near by was loaded with delicious fruits and nuts, pies and cakes, and many other good things to eat.

The people greeted Dorothy kindly, and invited her to supper and to pass the night with them; for this was the home of one of the richest Munchkins in the land, and his friends were gathered with him to celebrate their freedom from the bondage of the Wicked Witch.

Dorothy ate a hearty supper and was waited upon by the rich Munchkin himself, whose name was Boq. Then she sat upon 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 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, smoothing 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, for all the people seemed to think her a witch, and she knew very well she was only an ordinary little girl who had come by the chance of a cyclone into a strange land.

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

She ate a hearty breakfast, and watched a wee Munchkin baby, who played with Toto and pulled his tail and crowed and laughed in a way that greatly amused Dorothy. Toto was a fine curiosity to all the people, for they had never seen a dog before.

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

“I do not know,” answered Boq gravely, “for 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 resolved not to turn back.

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

Dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully at the Scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent a face. An old, pointed blue hat, that had belonged to some Munchkin, was perched on his head, and the rest of the figure was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw. On the feet were some old boots with blue tops, such as every man wore in this country, and the figure was raised above the stalks of corn by means of the pole stuck up its back.

While Dorothy was looking earnestly into the queer, painted face of the Scarecrow, she was surprised to see one of the eyes slowly wink at her. She thought she must have been mistaken at first, for none of the scarecrows in Kansas ever wink; but presently the figure nodded its head to her in a friendly way. Then she climbed down from the fence and walked up to it, while Toto ran around the pole and barked.

“Good day,” said the Scarecrow, in a rather husky 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, “for it is very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows.”

“Can’t you get down?” asked Dorothy.

“No, for this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take away the pole I shall be greatly obliged to you.”

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

“Thank you very much,” said the Scarecrow, when he had been set down on the ground. “I feel like a new man.”

Dorothy was puzzled at this, for it sounded queer to hear a stuffed man speak, and to see him bow and walk along beside her.

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

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

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

“Why, don’t you know?” she returned, 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.”

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

“I cannot tell,” she returned, “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. “You see,” he continued confidentially, “I don’t mind my legs and arms and body being stuffed, because I cannot get hurt. If anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn’t matter, for I can’t feel it. But I do not want people to call me a fool, and if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, as yours is, how am I ever to know anything?”

“I understand how you feel,” said the little girl, who was truly sorry for him. “If you will 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.

Toto did not like this addition to the party at first. He smelled around the stuffed man as if he suspected there might be a nest of rats in the straw, and he often growled in an unfriendly way at the Scarecrow.

“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. Do let me carry that basket for you. I shall not mind it, for I can’t get tired. I’ll tell you a secret,” he continued, as he walked along. “There is only one thing in the world I am afraid of.”

“What is that?” asked Dorothy; “the Munchkin farmer who made you?”

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

Chapter IV. The Road Through the Forest

After a few hours the road began to be rough, and the walking grew so difficult that the Scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow bricks, which were here very uneven. Sometimes, indeed, they were broken or missing altogether, leaving holes that Toto jumped across and Dorothy walked around. As for the Scarecrow, having no brains, he walked straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full length on the hard bricks. It never hurt him, however, and Dorothy would pick him up and set him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughing merrily at his own mishap.

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

At noon they sat down by the roadside, near a little brook, and Dorothy opened her basket and got out some bread. She offered a piece to the Scarecrow, but he refused.

“I am never hungry,” he said, “and it is a lucky thing I am not, for my mouth is only painted, and if I should cut a hole in it so I could eat, the straw I am stuffed with would come out, and 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, and how the cyclone had carried her to this queer Land of Oz.

The Scarecrow listened carefully, and said, “I cannot understand why you should wish to leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry, gray place you call Kansas.”

“That is because you have no brains” answered the girl. “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. 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 fortunate for Kansas that you have brains.”

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

The Scarecrow looked at her reproachfully, and answered:

“My life has been so short that I really know nothing whatever. I was only made day before yesterday. What happened in the world before that time is all unknown to me. Luckily, when the farmer made my head, one of the first things he did was to paint my ears, so that I heard what was going on. There was another Munchkin with him, and 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,’” which was true enough.

“‘Now I’ll make the eyes,’” said the farmer. So he painted my right eye, and as soon as it was finished I found myself looking at him and at everything around me with a great deal of curiosity, for this was my first glimpse of the world.

“‘That’s a rather pretty eye,’” remarked the Munchkin who was watching the farmer. “‘Blue paint is just the color for eyes.’

“‘I think I’ll make the other a little bigger,’” said the farmer. And 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 the fun of watching them make my body and my arms and legs; and when they fastened on my head, at last, I felt very proud, for I thought I was just as good a man as anyone.

“‘This fellow will scare the crows fast 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, and set me up on a tall stick, where you found me. He and his friend soon after walked away and left me alone.

“I did not like to be deserted this way. So I tried to walk after them. But my feet would not touch the ground, and I was forced to stay on that pole. It was a lonely life to lead, for I had nothing to think of, having been made such a little while before. Many crows and other birds flew into the cornfield, but as soon as they saw me they flew away again, thinking I was a Munchkin; and this pleased me and made me feel that I was quite an important person. By and by an old crow flew near me, and after looking at me carefully he perched upon my shoulder and said:

“‘I wonder if that farmer thought to fool me in this clumsy manner. Any crow of sense could 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, seeing he was not harmed by me, came to eat the corn too, so in a short time there was a great flock of them about me.

“I felt sad at this, for it showed I was not such a good Scarecrow after all; but the old crow comforted me, saying, ‘If you only had brains in your head you would be as good a man as any of them, and 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 this over, and decided I would try hard to get some brains. By good luck you came along and pulled me off the stake, and from what you say I am sure the Great Oz will give me brains as soon as we get to the Emerald City.”

“I hope so,” said Dorothy earnestly, “since you seem anxious to have them.”

“Oh, yes; I am anxious,” returned the Scarecrow. “It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is 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 roadside now, and the land was rough and untilled. Toward evening they came to a great forest, where the trees grew so big and close together that their branches met over the road of yellow brick. It was almost dark under the trees, for the branches shut out the daylight; but the travelers did not stop, and went on into the forest.

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

“Anyone would know that,” said Dorothy.

“Certainly; that is why I know it,” returned the Scarecrow. “If it required brains to figure it out, I never should have said it.”

After an hour or so the light faded away, and they found themselves stumbling along in the darkness. Dorothy could not see at all, but Toto could, for some dogs see very well in the dark; and the Scarecrow declared he could see as well as by day. So she took hold of his arm and managed to get along fairly well.

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

Soon after the Scarecrow stopped.

“I see a little cottage at the right of us,” he said, “built of logs and branches. Shall we go there?”

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

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

Chapter V. The Rescue of the Tin Woodman

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

“We must go and search 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 inconvenient to be made of flesh,” said the Scarecrow thoughtfully, “for you must sleep, and eat and drink. However, you have brains, and it is worth a lot of bother to be able to think properly.”

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

When she had finished her meal, and was about to go back to the road of yellow brick, she was startled to hear a deep groan near by.

“What was that?” she asked timidly.

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

Just then another groan reached their ears, and the sound seemed to come from behind them. They turned and walked through the forest a few steps, when Dorothy discovered something shining in a ray of sunshine that fell between the trees. She ran to the place and then stopped short, with a little cry of surprise.

One of the big trees had been partly chopped through, and standing beside it, with an uplifted axe in his hands, was a man made entirely of tin. His head and arms and legs were jointed upon his body, but he stood perfectly motionless, as if he could not stir at all.

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

“Did you groan?” asked Dorothy.

“Yes,” answered the tin man, “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 inquired softly, for she was moved by the sad voice in which the man spoke.

“Get an oil-can and oil my joints,” he answered. “They are rusted so badly 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, and then she returned and asked anxiously, “Where are your joints?”

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

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

The Tin Woodman gave a sigh of satisfaction and lowered his axe, which he leaned against the tree.

“This is a great comfort,” he said. “I have been holding that axe in the air ever since I rusted, and 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; and he thanked them again and again for his release, for he seemed a very polite creature, and very grateful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“True,” the Tin Woodman returned. “So, if you will allow me to join your party, I will also go to the Emerald City and ask Oz to help me.”

“Come along,” said the Scarecrow heartily, and Dorothy added that she would be pleased to have his company. So the Tin Woodman shouldered his axe and they all passed 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. “For,” he said, “if I should get caught in the rain, and rust again, I would need the oil-can badly.”

It was a bit of good luck to have their new comrade join the party, for soon after they had begun their journey again they came to a place where the trees and branches grew so thick over the road that the travelers could not pass. But the Tin Woodman set to work with his axe and chopped so well that soon he cleared a passage for the entire party.

Dorothy was thinking so earnestly as they walked along that she did not notice when the Scarecrow stumbled into a hole and rolled over to the side of the road. Indeed he was obliged to call to her to help him up again.

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