once to pick a beautiful flower; and after a time the Tin Woodman
cried out: "Look!"
Then they all looked at the river and saw the Scarecrow perched
upon his pole in the middle of the water, looking very lonely and
sad.
"What can we do to save him?" asked Dorothy.
The Lion and the Woodman both shook their heads, for they did
not know. So they sat down upon the bank and gazed wistfully at the
Scarecrow until a Stork flew by, who, upon seeing them, stopped to
rest at the water's edge.
"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; and we are going to the
Emerald City."
"This isn't the road," said the Stork, as she twisted her long
neck and looked sharply at the queer party.
"I know it," returned Dorothy, "but we have lost the Scarecrow,
and are wondering how we shall get him again."
"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,"
remarked the Stork.
"He isn't heavy a bit," said Dorothy eagerly, "for he is stuffed
with straw; and if you will bring him back to us, we shall 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 shall have to drop him in the river again."
So the big bird flew into the air and over the water till she
came to where the Scarecrow was perched upon his pole. Then the
Stork with her great claws grabbed the Scarecrow by the arm and
carried him up into the air and back to the bank, where Dorothy and
the Lion and the Tin Woodman and Toto were sitting.
When the Scarecrow found himself among his friends again, he was
so happy that he hugged them all, even the Lion and Toto; and as
they walked along he sang "Tol-de-ri-de-oh!" at every step, he felt
so gay.
"I was afraid I should have to stay in the river forever," he
said, "but the kind Stork saved me, and if I ever get any brains Isaid, "but the kind Stork saved me, and if I ever get any brains I
shall find the Stork again and do her some kindness 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,
for my babies are waiting in the nest for me. I hope you will find
the Emerald City and that Oz will help you."
"Thank you," replied Dorothy, and then the kind Stork flew into
the air and was soon out of sight.
They walked along listening to the singing of the brightly
colored birds and looking at the lovely flowers which now became so
thick that the ground was carpeted with them. There were big yellow
and white and blue and purple blossoms, besides great clusters of
scarlet poppies, which were so brilliant in color 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
shall probably like them better."
"If I only had a heart, I should love them," added the Tin
Woodman.
"I always did like flowers," said the Lion. "They seem so
helpless and frail. But there are none in the forest so bright as
these."
They now came upon more and more of the big scarlet poppies, and
fewer and fewer of the other flowers; and soon they found
themselves in the midst of a great meadow of poppies. Now it is
well known that when there are many of these flowers together their
odor is so powerful that 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, nor
could she get away from the bright red flowers that were everywhere
about; so presently her eyes grew heavy and she felt 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 keptdark," he said; and the Scarecrow agreed with him. So they kept
walking until Dorothy could stand no longer. Her eyes closed in
spite of herself and 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 myself can scarcely keep my
eyes open, and the dog is asleep already."
It was true; Toto had fallen down beside his little mistress.
But the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, not being made of flesh,
were not troubled by the scent of the flowers.
"Run fast," said the Scarecrow 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 should fall asleep you are too big to be
carried."
So the Lion aroused himself and bounded forward 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,
and then they made a chair with their hands for the seat and their
arms for the arms and carried the sleeping girl between them
through the flowers.
On and on they walked, and it seemed that the great carpet of
deadly flowers that surrounded them would never end. They followed
the bend of the river, and at last came upon their friend the Lion,
lying fast asleep among the poppies. The flowers had been too
strong for the huge beast and he had given up at last, and fallen
only a short distance from the end of the poppy bed, where the
sweet grass spread in beautiful green fields before them.
"We can do nothing for him," said the Tin Woodman, sadly; "for
he is much too heavy to lift. We must leave him here to sleep on
forever, and 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 one so cowardly. But let us go on."
They carried the sleeping girl to a pretty spot beside theThey carried the sleeping girl to a pretty spot beside the
river, far enough from the poppy field to prevent her breathing any
more of the poison of the flowers, and here they laid her gently on
the soft grass and waited for the fresh breeze to waken her.