Chapter: Chapter XIX. Attacked by the Fighting Trees.


[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The next morning Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good-bye, and
they all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers, who
had walked with them as far as the gate. When the Guardian of the
Gate saw them again he wondered greatly that they could leave the
beautiful City to get into new trouble. But he at once unlocked their
spectacles, which he put back into the green box, and gave them many
good wishes to carry 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 replied; "but I must
help Dorothy to get home, first."

As Dorothy bade the good-natured Guardian a last farewell she said,

"I have been very kindly treated in your lovely City, and everyone
has been good to me. I cannot tell you how grateful I am."

"Don't try, my dear," he answered. "We should like to keep you with
us, but if it is your wish to return to Kansas I hope you will find a
way." He then opened the gate of the outer wall and they walked forth
and started upon their journey.

The sun shone brightly as our friends turned their faces toward the
Land of the South. They were all in the best of spirits, and laughed
and chatted together. Dorothy was once more filled with the hope of
getting home, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to be
of use to her. As for the Lion, he sniffed the fresh air with delight
and whisked his tail from side to side in pure joy at being in the
country again, while Toto ran around them and chased the moths and
butterflies, barking merrily all the time.

"City life does not agree with me at all," remarked the Lion, as they
walked along at a brisk pace. "I have lost much flesh since I lived
there, and now I am anxious for a chance to show the other beasts how
courageous I have grown."

[Illustration: "_The branches bent down and twined around him._"]

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,
and high up above everything the spires and dome of the Palace of Oz.

"Oz was not such a bad Wizard, after all," said the Tin Woodman, as
he felt his heart rattling around in his breast.

"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.

The first day's journey was through the green fields and bright
flowers that stretched about the Emerald City on every side. They
slept that night on the grass, with nothing but the stars over them;
and they rested very well indeed.

In the morning they travelled on until they came to a thick wood. There
was no way of going around it, for it seemed to extend to the right and
left as far as they could see; and, besides, they did not dare change
the direction of their journey for fear of getting lost. So they looked
for the place where it would be easiest to get into the forest.

The Scarecrow, who was in the lead, finally discovered a big tree
with such wide spreading-branches that there was room for the party
to pass underneath. So he walked forward to the tree, but just as he
came under the first branches they bent down and twined around him,
and the next minute he was raised from the ground and flung headlong
among his fellow travellers.

This did not hurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he looked
rather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.

"Here is another space between the trees," called the Lion.

[Illustration]

"Let me try it first," said the Scarecrow, "for it doesn't hurt me to
get thrown about." He walked up to another tree, as he spoke, but its
branches immediately seized him and tossed him back again.

"This is strange," exclaimed Dorothy; "what shall we do?"

"The trees seem to have made up their minds to fight us, and stop our
journey," remarked the Lion.

"I believe I will try it myself," said the Woodman, and shouldering
his axe he marched up to the first tree that had handled the
Scarecrow so roughly. When a big branch bent down to seize 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 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 injury, except
Toto, who was caught by a small branch and shaken until he howled. But
the Woodman promptly chopped off the branch and set the little dog free.

The other trees of the forest did nothing to keep them back, so they
made up their minds that only the first row of trees could bend down
their branches, and that probably these were the policemen of the
forest, and given this wonderful power in order to keep strangers out
of it.

The four travellers walked with ease through the trees until they came
to the further edge of the wood. Then, to their surprise, they found
before them a high wall, which 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, "for we certainly must
climb over the wall."

 The gang leaves the Emerald City. On their way out, the Guardian of the Gates tells the Scarecrow that he needs to return ASAP to rule the land. Everyone's in a great mood. Toto's back to chasing butterflies, so you know all's well. They talk about Oz. Dorothy has come to the conclusion that he really was a good man. He was a terrible wizard, though. Day One goes really well. Day Two they come to a dense forest. The Scarecrow tries to enter under the branches of a big tree, but the tree wallops him good. Even so, the Scarecrow's fine. He tries to pass under another tree and gets tossed again. Dang, these trees are violent! The Tin Woodman goes back to the first tree that assaulted the Scarecrow and gives it a good hack with his axe. Everyone's able to pass into the forest without further ado. It was just that first line of trees that was the problem. When they emerge from the woods, they come to a tall, smooth wall. The tin man says he'll build a ladder. Give that man a raise!

