teeth a foot long; but its head was joined to the pudgy body by a
neck as slender as a wasp's waist. This gave the Lion a hint of the
best way to attack the creature, and as he knew it was easier to
fight it asleep than awake, he gave a great spring and landed
directly upon the monster's back. Then, with one blow of his heavy
paw, all armed with sharp claws, he knocked the spider's head from
its body. Jumping down, he watched it until the long legs stopped
wiggling, when he knew it was quite dead.
The Lion went back to the opening where the beasts of the forest
were waiting for him and said proudly:
"You need fear your enemy no longer."
Then the beasts bowed down to the Lion as their King, and he
promised to come back and rule over them as soon as Dorothy was
safely on her way to Kansas.The four travelers passed through the rest of the forest in
safety, and when they came out from its gloom saw before them a
steep hill, 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, nevertheless."
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 showed itself 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 there stepped from
behind the rock the strangest man the travelers had ever seen.
He was quite short and stout and had a big head, which was flat
at the top and supported by a thick neck full of wrinkles. But he
had no arms at all, and, seeing this, the Scarecrow did not fear
that so helpless a creature could prevent 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
boldly forward.
As quick as lightning the man's head shot forward and his neck
stretched out until the top of the head, where it was flat, struck
the Scarecrow in the middle and sent him tumbling, over and over,
down the hill. Almost as quickly as it came the head went back to
the body, and the man laughed harshly as he said, "It isn't as easy
as you think!"
A chorus of boisterous laughter came from the other rocks, and
Dorothy saw hundreds of the armless Hammer-Heads upon the hillside,
one behind every rock.
The Lion became quite angry at the laughter caused by the
Scarecrow's mishap, and giving a loud roar that echoed like
thunder, he dashed up the hill.
Again a head shot swiftly out, and the great Lion went rolling
down the hill as if he had been struck by a cannon ball.
Dorothy ran down and helped the Scarecrow to his feet, and theDorothy ran down and helped the Scarecrow to his feet, and the
Lion came up to her, feeling rather bruised and sore, and said, "It
is useless to fight people with shooting heads; no one can
withstand them."
"What can we do, then?" she asked.
"Call the Winged Monkeys," suggested the Tin Woodman. "You have
still the right to command them once more."
"Very well," she answered, and putting on the Golden Cap she
uttered the magic words. The Monkeys were as prompt as ever, and in
a few moments the entire band stood before her.
"What are your commands?" inquired the King of the Monkeys,
bowing low.
"Carry us over the hill to the country of the Quadlings,"
answered the girl.
"It shall be done," said the King, and 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 with vexation, and shot their heads high in the air, but
they could not reach the Winged Monkeys, which carried Dorothy and
her comrades safely over the hill and 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," returned the girl; and the
Monkeys rose into the air and were out of sight in a twinkling.
The country of the Quadlings seemed rich and happy. There was
field upon field of ripening grain, with well-paved roads running
between, and pretty rippling brooks with strong bridges across
them. The fences and houses and bridges were all painted bright
red, just as they had been painted yellow in the country of the
Winkies and blue in the country of the Munchkins. The Quadlings
themselves, who were short and fat and looked chubby and
good-natured, were dressed all in red, which showed bright against
the green grass and the yellowing grain.
The Monkeys had set them down near a farmhouse, and the four
travelers walked up to it and knocked at the door. It was opened bytravelers walked up to it and knocked at the door. It was opened by
the farmer's wife, and when Dorothy asked for something to eat the
woman gave them all a good dinner, with 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 a great way," answered the farmer's wife. "Take the
road to the South and you will soon reach it."
Thanking the good woman, they started afresh and walked by the
fields and across the pretty bridges until they saw before them a
very beautiful Castle. Before the gates were three young girls,
dressed in handsome red uniforms trimmed with gold braid; and as
Dorothy approached, one of them said to her:
"Why have you come to the South Country?"
"To see the Good Witch who rules here," she answered. "Will you
take me to her?"
"Let me have your name, and I will ask Glinda if she will
receive you." They told who they were, and the girl soldier went
into the Castle. After a few moments she came back to say that
Dorothy and the others were to be admitted at once.