Chapter: Chapter IV. The Road through the Forest.


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After a few hours the road began to be rough, and the walking grew so
difficult that the Scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow brick,
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.

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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."

[Illustration: "_'I was only made yesterday,' said the Scarecrow._"]

"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,

[Illustration]

"'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."

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

There were no fences at all by the road side now, and the land was
rough and untilled. Towards 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 travellers 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.

[Illustration]

 As the three walk, they notice the road is beginning to get rough. The farms are fewer and further between. When they stop for lunch, Dorothy's relieved to find out that the Scarecrow doesn't eat. Good thing, because she didn't pack much food. Over the meal, Dorothy tells her new friend about Kansas. He thinks it sounds like a giant bummer and can't understand why she would want to go back there. Dorothy says Kansas is her home and she loves it. Dorothy asks the Scarecrow to tell her a story, but he says he's too new to the world. He was literally made two days ago. He settles on telling her the story of how he was made. Basically a farmer painted on his eyes, ears, etc., and then stuck him on the pole. The Scarecrow wasn't overly fond of the pole. He hated standing alone in the field. And he hated it even more when the crows came along and started bugging him. They set off walking again, and soon enough they come to a forest. It's dark, and not being able to see is making Dorothy nervous. The Scarecrow finds a cottage and they decide to stay there for the night.

