Chapter: Chapter IX. The Queen of the Field Mice.


[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"We cannot be far from the road of yellow brick, now," remarked the
Scarecrow, as he stood beside the girl, "for we have come nearly as
far as the river carried us away."

The Tin Woodman was about to reply when he heard a low growl, and
turning his head (which worked beautifully on hinges) he saw a
strange beast come bounding over the grass towards them. It was,
indeed, a great, yellow wildcat, and the Woodman thought it must be
chasing something, for its ears were lying close to its head and its
mouth was wide open, showing two rows of ugly teeth, while its red
eyes glowed like balls of fire. As it came nearer the Tin Woodman
saw that running before the beast was a little gray field-mouse, and
although he had no heart he knew it was wrong for the wildcat to try
to kill such a pretty, harmless creature.

So the Woodman raised his axe, and as the wildcat ran by he gave it a
quick blow that cut the beast's head clean off from its body, and it
rolled over at his feet in two pieces.

The field-mouse, now that it was freed from its enemy, stopped short;
and coming slowly up to the Woodman it said, in a squeaky little voice,

"Oh, thank you! Thank you ever so much for saving my life."

"Don't speak of it, I beg of you," replied the Woodman. "I have no
heart, you know, so I am careful to help all those who may need a
friend, even if it happens to be only a mouse."

"Only a mouse!" cried the little animal, indignantly; "why, I am a
Queen--the Queen of all the field-mice!"

"Oh, indeed," said the Woodman, making a bow.

"Therefore you have done a great deed, as well as a brave one, in
saving my life," added the Queen.

At that moment several mice were seen running up as fast as their
little legs could carry them, and when they saw their Queen they
exclaimed,

[Illustration: "_Permit me to introduce to you her Majesty, the
Queen._"]

"Oh, your Majesty, we thought you would be killed! How did you manage
to escape the great Wildcat?" and they all bowed so low to the
little Queen that they almost stood upon their heads.

"This funny tin man," she answered, "killed the Wildcat and saved my
life. So hereafter you must all serve him, and obey his slightest wish."

"We will!" cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus. And then they
scampered in all directions, for Toto had awakened from his sleep,
and seeing all these mice around him he gave one bark of delight and
jumped right into the middle of the group. Toto had always loved to
chase mice when he lived in Kansas, and he saw no harm in it.

But the Tin Woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him tight,
while he called to the mice: "Come back! come back! Toto shall not
hurt you."

At this the Queen of the Mice stuck her head out from a clump of
grass and asked, in a timid voice,

"Are you sure he will not bite us?"

"I will not let him," said the Woodman; "so do not be afraid."

[Illustration]

One by one the mice came creeping back, and Toto did not bark again,
although he tried to get out of the Woodman's arms, and would have
bitten him had he not known very well he was made of tin. Finally one
of the biggest mice spoke.

"Is there anything we can do," it asked, "to repay you for saving the
life of our Queen?"

"Nothing that I know of," answered the Woodman; but the Scarecrow,
who had been trying to think, but could not because his head was
stuffed with straw, said, quickly,

"Oh, yes; you can save our friend, the Cowardly Lion, who is asleep
in the poppy bed."

"A Lion!" cried the little Queen; "why, he would eat us all up."

"Oh, no;" declared the Scarecrow; "this Lion is a coward."

"Really?" asked the Mouse.

"He says so himself," answered the Scarecrow, "and he would never
hurt anyone who is our friend. If you will help us to save him I
promise that he shall treat you all with kindness."

"Very well," said the Queen, "we will trust you. But what shall we do?"

"Are there many of these mice which call you Queen and are willing to
obey you?"

"Oh, yes; there are thousands," she replied.

"Then send for them all to come here as soon as possible, and let
each one bring a long piece of string."

The Queen turned to the mice that attended her and told them to go at
once and get all her people. As soon as they heard her orders they
ran away in every direction as fast as possible.

"Now," said the Scarecrow to the Tin Woodman, "you must go to those
trees by the river-side and make a truck that will carry the Lion."

So the Woodman went at once to the trees and began to work; and he
soon made a truck out of the limbs of trees, from which he chopped
away all the leaves and branches. He fastened it together with
wooden pegs and made the four wheels out of short pieces of a big
tree-trunk. So fast and so well did he work that by the time the mice
began to arrive the truck was all ready for them.

They came from all directions, and there were thousands of them: big
mice and little mice and middle-sized mice; and each one brought a
piece of string in his mouth. It was about this time that Dorothy woke
from her long sleep and opened her eyes. She was greatly astonished
to find herself lying upon the grass, with thousands of mice standing
around and looking at her timidly. But the Scarecrow told her about
everything, and turning to the dignified little Mouse, he said,

"Permit me to introduce to you her Majesty, the Queen."

Dorothy nodded gravely and the Queen made a courtesy, after which she
became quite friendly with the little girl.

The Scarecrow and the Woodman now began to fasten the mice to the
truck, using the strings they had brought. One end of a string was
tied around the neck of each mouse and the other end to the truck.
Of course the truck was a thousand times bigger than any of the mice
who were to draw it; but when all the mice had been harnessed they
were able to pull it quite easily. Even the Scarecrow and the Tin
Woodman could sit on it, and were drawn swiftly by their queer little
horses to the place where the Lion lay asleep.

[Illustration]

After a great deal of hard work, for the Lion was heavy, they managed
to get him up on the truck. Then the Queen hurriedly gave her people
the order to start, for she feared if the mice stayed among the
poppies too long they also would fall asleep.

[Illustration]

At first the little creatures, many though they were, could hardly stir
the heavily loaded truck; but the Woodman and the Scarecrow both pushed
from behind, and they got along better. Soon they rolled the Lion out
of the poppy bed to the green fields, where he could breathe the sweet,
fresh air again, instead of the poisonous scent of the flowers.

Dorothy came to meet them and thanked the little mice warmly for
saving her companion from death. She had grown so fond of the big
Lion she was glad he had been rescued.

Then the mice were unharnessed from the truck and scampered away
through the grass to their homes. The Queen of the Mice was the last
to leave.

"If ever you need us again," she said, "come out into the field and
call, and we shall hear you and come to your assistance. Good bye!"

"Good bye!" they all answered, and away the Queen ran, while Dorothy
held Toto tightly lest he should run after her and frighten her.

After this they sat down beside the Lion until he should awaken; and
the Scarecrow brought Dorothy some fruit from a tree near by, which
she ate for her dinner.

[Illustration]





Chapter X. The Guardian of the Gate.


[Illustration]

[Illustration]

It was some time before the Cowardly Lion awakened, for he had lain
among the poppies a long while, breathing in their deadly fragrance;
but when he did open his eyes and roll off the truck he was very glad
to find himself still alive.

"I ran as fast as I could," he said, sitting down and yawning; "but
the flowers were too strong for me. How did you get me out?"

Then they told him of the field-mice, and how they had generously
saved him from death; and the Cowardly Lion laughed, and said,

"I have always thought myself very big and terrible; yet such small
things as flowers came near to killing me, and such small animals as
mice have saved my life. How strange it all is! But, comrades, what
shall we do now?"

"We must journey on until we find the road of yellow brick again,"
said Dorothy; "and then we can keep on to the Emerald City."

So, the Lion being fully refreshed, and feeling quite himself again,
they all started upon the journey, greatly enjoying the walk through
the soft, fresh grass; and it was not long before they reached the
road of yellow brick and turned again toward the Emerald City where
the great Oz dwelt.

[Illustration]

The road was smooth and well paved, now, and the country about was
beautiful; so that the travelers rejoiced in leaving the forest far
behind, and with it the many dangers they had met in its gloomy
shades. Once more they could see fences built beside the road; but
these were painted green, and when they came to a small house, in
which a farmer evidently lived, that also was painted green. They
passed by several of these houses during the afternoon, and sometimes
people came to the doors and looked at them as if they would like to
ask questions; but no one came near them nor spoke to them because of
the great Lion, of which they were much afraid. The people were all
dressed in clothing of a lovely emerald green color and wore peaked
hats like those of the Munchkins.

[Illustration]

"This must be the Land of Oz," said Dorothy, "and we are surely
getting near the Emerald City."

"Yes," answered the Scarecrow; "everything is green here, while in
the country of the Munchkins blue was the favorite color. But the
people do not seem to be as friendly as the Munchkins and I'm afraid
we shall be unable to find a place to pass the night."

"I should like something to eat besides fruit," said the girl, "and
I'm sure Toto is nearly starved. Let us stop at the next house and
talk to the people."

So, when they came to a good sized farm house, Dorothy walked boldly
up to the door and knocked. A woman opened it just far enough to look
out, and said,

"What do you want, child, and why is that great Lion with you?"

"We wish to pass the night with you, if you will allow us," answered
Dorothy; "and the Lion is my friend and comrade, and would not hurt
you for the world."

"Is he tame?" asked the woman, opening the door a little wider.

"Oh, yes;" said the girl, "and he is a great coward, too; so that he
will be more afraid of you than you are of him."

"Well," said the woman, after thinking it over and taking another
peep at the Lion, "if that is the case you may come in, and I will
give you some supper and a place to sleep."

So they all entered the house, where there were, besides the woman,
two children and a man. The man had hurt his leg, and was lying on the
couch in a corner. They seemed greatly surprised to see so strange a
company, and while the woman was busy laying the table the man asked,

"Where are you all going?"

"To the Emerald City," said Dorothy, "to see the Great Oz."

"Oh, indeed!" exclaimed the man. "Are you sure that Oz will see you?"

"Why not?" she replied.

"Why, it is said that he never lets any one come into his presence. I
have been to the Emerald City many times, and it is a beautiful and
wonderful place; but I have never been permitted to see the Great Oz,
nor do I know of any living person who has seen him."

"Does he never go out?" asked the Scarecrow.

"Never. He sits day after day in the great throne room of his palace,
and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face."

"What is he like?" asked the girl.

"That is hard to tell," said the man, thoughtfully. "You see, Oz is a
great Wizard, and can take on any form he wishes. So that some say he
looks like a bird; and some say he looks like an elephant; and some
say he looks like a cat. To others he appears as a beautiful fairy,
or a brownie, or in any other form that pleases him. But who the real
Oz is, when he is in his own form, no living person can tell."

"That is very strange," said Dorothy; "but we must try, in some way,
to see him, or we shall have made our journey for nothing."

[Illustration]

"Why do you wish to see the terrible Oz?" asked the man.

"I want him to give me some brains," said the Scarecrow, eagerly.

"Oh, Oz could do that easily enough," declared the man. "He has more
brains than he needs."

"And I want him to give me a heart," said the Tin Woodman.

"That will not trouble him," continued the man, "for Oz has a large
collection of hearts, of all sizes and shapes."

"And I want him to give me courage," said the Cowardly Lion.

"Oz keeps a great pot of courage in his throne room," said the man,
"which he has covered with a golden plate, to keep it from running
over. He will be glad to give you some."

"And I want him to send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.

"Where is Kansas?" asked the man, in surprise.

"I don't know," replied Dorothy, sorrowfully; "but it is my home, and
I'm sure it's somewhere."

"Very likely. Well, Oz can do anything; so I suppose he will find
Kansas for you. But first you must get to see him, and that will be
a hard task; for the great Wizard does not like to see anyone, and
he usually has his own way. But what do you want?" he continued,
speaking to Toto. Toto only wagged his tail; for, strange to say, he
could not speak.

[Illustration: "_The Lion ate some of the porridge._"]

The woman now called to them that supper was ready, so they gathered
around the table and Dorothy ate some delicious porridge and a dish of
scrambled eggs and a plate of nice white bread, and enjoyed her meal.
The Lion ate some of the porridge, but did not care for it, saying it
was made from oats and oats were food for horses, not for lions. The
Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman ate nothing at all. Toto ate a little of
everything, and was glad to get a good supper again.

The woman now gave Dorothy a bed to sleep in, and Toto lay down beside
her, while the Lion guarded the door of her room so she might not be
disturbed. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood up in a corner and
kept quiet all night, although of course they could not sleep.

The next morning, as soon as the sun was up, they started on their
way, and soon saw a beautiful green glow in the sky just before them.

"That must be the Emerald City," said Dorothy.

As they walked on, the green glow became brighter and brighter, and it
seemed that at last they were nearing the end of their travels. Yet it
was afternoon before they came to the great wall that surrounded the
City. It was high, and thick, and of a bright green color.

In front of them, and at the end of the road of yellow brick, was a big
gate, all studded with emeralds that glittered so in the sun that even
the painted eyes of the Scarecrow were dazzled by their brilliancy.

There was a bell beside the gate, and Dorothy pushed the button and
heard a silvery tinkle sound within. Then the big gate swung slowly
open, and they all passed through and found themselves in a high
arched room, the walls of which glistened with countless emeralds.

Before them stood a little man about the same size as the Munchkins.
He was clothed all in green, from his head to his feet, and even his
skin was of a greenish tint. At his side was a large green box.

When he saw Dorothy and her companions the man asked,

"What do you wish in the Emerald City?"

"We came here to see the Great Oz," said Dorothy.

The man was so surprised at this answer that he sat down to think it
over.

"It has been many years since anyone asked me to see Oz," he said,
shaking his head in perplexity. "He is powerful and terrible, and if
you come on an idle or foolish errand to bother the wise reflections of
the Great Wizard, he might be angry and destroy you all in an instant."

[Illustration]

"But it is not a foolish errand, nor an idle one," replied the
Scarecrow; "it is important. And we have been told that Oz is a good
Wizard."

"So he is," said the green man; "and he rules the Emerald City wisely
and well. But to those who are not honest, or who approach him from
curiosity, he is most terrible, and few have ever dared ask to see
his face. I am the Guardian of the Gates, and since you demand to see
the Great Oz I must take you to his palace. But first you must put on
the spectacles."

"Why?" asked Dorothy.

"Because if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of
the Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live in the City
must wear spectacles night and day. They are all locked on, for Oz
so ordered it when the City was first built, and I have the only key
that will unlock them."

[Illustration]

He opened the big box, and Dorothy saw that it was filled with
spectacles of every size and shape. All of them had green glasses
in them. The Guardian of the gates found a pair that would just fit
Dorothy and put them over her eyes. There were two golden bands
fastened to them that passed around the back of her head, where they
were locked together by a little key that was at the end of a chain the
Guardian of the Gates wore around his neck. When they were on, Dorothy
could not take them off had she wished, but of course she did not want
to be blinded by the glare of the Emerald City, so she said nothing.

Then the green man fitted spectacles for the Scarecrow and the Tin
Woodman and the Lion, and even on little Toto; and all were locked
fast with the key.

Then the Guardian of the Gates put on his own glasses and told them
he was ready to show them to the palace. Taking a big golden key from
a peg on the wall he opened another gate, and they all followed him
through the portal into the streets of the Emerald City.





Chapter XI. The Wonderful Emerald City of Oz.

[Illustration]

Even with eyes protected by the green spectacles Dorothy and her
friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City.
The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble
and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a
pavement of the same green marble, and where the blocks were joined
together were rows of emeralds, set closely, and glittering in the
brightness of the sun. The window panes were of green glass; even the
sky above the City had a green tint, and the rays of the sun were green.

There were many people, men, women and children, walking about, and
these were all dressed in green clothes and had greenish skins. They
looked at Dorothy and her strangely assorted company with wondering
eyes, and the children all ran away and hid behind their mothers when
they saw the Lion; but no one spoke to them. Many shops stood in the
street, and Dorothy saw that everything in them was green. Green
candy and green pop-corn were offered for sale, as well as green
shoes, green hats and green clothes of all sorts. At one place a man
was selling green lemonade, and when the children bought it Dorothy
could see that they paid for it with green pennies.

There seemed to be no horses nor animals of any kind; the men carried
things around in little green carts, which they pushed before them.
Everyone seemed happy and contented and prosperous.

The Guardian of the Gates led them through the streets until they
came to a big building, exactly in the middle of the City, which was
the Palace of Oz, the Great Wizard. There was a soldier before the
door, dressed in a green uniform and wearing a long green beard.

"Here are strangers," said the Guardian of the Gates to him, "and
they demand to see the Great Oz."

"Step inside," answered the soldier, "and I will carry your message
to him."

So they passed through the Palace gates and were led into a big room
with a green carpet and lovely green furniture set with emeralds.
The soldier made them all wipe their feet upon a green mat before
entering this room, and when they were seated he said, politely,

"Please make yourselves comfortable while I go to the door of the
Throne Room and tell Oz you are here."

They had to wait a long time before the soldier returned. When, at
last, he came back, Dorothy asked,

"Have you seen Oz?"

[Illustration]

"Oh, no;" returned the soldier; "I have never seen him. But I spoke
to him as he sat behind his screen, and gave him your message. He
says he will grant you an audience, if you so desire; but each one
of you must enter his presence alone, and he will admit but one each
day. Therefore, as you must remain in the Palace for several days, I
will have you shown to rooms where you may rest in comfort after your
journey."

"Thank you," replied the girl; "that is very kind of Oz."

The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl,
dressed in a pretty green silk gown, entered the room. She had
lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as
she said,

"Follow me and I will show you your room."

So Dorothy said good-bye to all her friends except Toto, and taking
the dog in her arms followed the green girl through seven passages
and up three flights of stairs until they came to a room at the front
of the Palace. It was the sweetest little room in the world, with
a soft, comfortable bed that had sheets of green silk and a green
velvet counterpane. There was a tiny fountain in the middle of the
room, that shot a spray of green perfume into the air, to fall back
into a beautifully carved green marble basin. Beautiful green flowers
stood in the windows, and there was a shelf with a row of little
green books. When Dorothy had time to open these books she found them
full of queer green pictures that made her laugh, they were so funny.

In a wardrobe were many green dresses, made of silk and satin and
velvet; and all of them fitted Dorothy exactly.

"Make yourself perfectly at home," said the green girl, "and if you
wish for anything ring the bell. Oz will send for you to-morrow
morning."

She left Dorothy alone and went back to the others. These she also
led to rooms, and each one of them found himself lodged in a very
pleasant part of the Palace. Of course this politeness was wasted on
the Scarecrow; for when he found himself alone in his room he stood
stupidly in one spot, just within the doorway, to wait till morning.
It would not rest him to lie down, and he could not close his eyes;
so he remained all night staring at a little spider which was weaving
its web in a corner of the room, just as if it were not one of the
most wonderful rooms in the world. The Tin Woodman lay down on his
bed from force of habit, for he remembered when he was made of flesh;
but not being able to sleep he passed the night moving his joints up
and down to make sure they kept in good working order. The Lion would
have preferred a bed of dried leaves in the forest, and did not like
being shut up in a room; but he had too much sense to let this worry
him, so he sprang upon the bed and rolled himself up like a cat and
purred himself asleep in a minute.

The next morning, after breakfast, the green maiden came to fetch
Dorothy, and she dressed her in one of the prettiest gowns--made of
green brocaded satin. Dorothy put on a green silk apron and tied a
green ribbon around Toto's neck, and they started for the Throne Room
of the Great Oz.

[Illustration]

First they came to a great hall in which were many ladies and
gentlemen of the court, all dressed in rich costumes. These people
had nothing to do but talk to each other, but they always came to
wait outside the Throne Room every morning, although they were never
permitted to see Oz. As Dorothy entered they looked at her curiously,
and one of them whispered,

"Are you really going to look upon the face of Oz the Terrible?"

"Of course," answered the girl, "if he will see me."

"Oh, he will see you," said the soldier who had taken her message
to the Wizard, "although he does not like to have people ask to see
him. Indeed, at first he was angry, and said I should send you back
where you came from. Then he asked me what you looked like, and when
I mentioned your silver shoes he was very much interested. At last I
told him about the mark upon your forehead, and he decided he would
admit you to his presence."

Just then a bell rang, and the green girl said to Dorothy,

"That is the signal. You must go into the Throne Room alone."

She opened a little door and Dorothy walked boldly through and found
herself in a wonderful place. It was a big, round room with a high
arched roof, and the walls and ceiling and floor were covered with
large emeralds set closely together. In the center of the roof was a
great light, as bright as the sun, which made the emeralds sparkle in
a wonderful manner.

But what interested Dorothy most was the big throne of green marble
that stood in the middle of the room. It was shaped like a chair
and sparkled with gems, as did everything else. In the center of the
chair was an enormous Head, without body to support it or any arms or
legs whatever. There was no hair upon this head, but it had eyes and
nose and mouth, and was bigger than the head of the biggest giant.

As Dorothy gazed upon this in wonder and fear the eyes turned slowly
and looked at her sharply and steadily. Then the mouth moved, and
Dorothy heard a voice say:

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?"

It was not such an awful voice as she had expected to come from the
big Head; so she took courage and answered,

"I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek. I have come to you for help."

The eyes looked at her thoughtfully for a full minute. Then said the
voice:

"Where did you get the silver shoes?"

"I got them from the wicked Witch of the East, when my house fell on
her and killed her," she replied.

"Where did you get the mark upon your forehead?" continued the voice.

"That is where the good Witch of the North kissed me when she bade me
good-bye and sent me to you," said the girl.

Again the eyes looked at her sharply, and they saw she was telling
the truth. Then Oz asked,

"What do you wish me to do?"

"Send me back to Kansas, where my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are," she
answered, earnestly. "I don't like your country, although it is so
beautiful. And I am sure Aunt Em will be dreadfully worried over my
being away so long."

The eyes winked three times, and then they turned up to the ceiling and
down to the floor and rolled around so queerly that they seemed to see
every part of the room. And at last they looked at Dorothy again.

"Why should I do this for you?" asked Oz.

"Because you are strong and I am weak; because you are a Great Wizard
and I am only a helpless little girl," she answered.

"But you were strong enough to kill the wicked Witch of the East,"
said Oz.

"That just happened," returned Dorothy, simply; "I could not help it."

"Well," said the Head, "I will give you my answer. You have no right
to expect me to send you back to Kansas unless you do something for
me in return. In this country everyone must pay for everything he
gets. If you wish me to use my magic power to send you home again you
must do something for me first. Help me and I will help you."

"What must I do?" asked the girl.

"Kill the wicked Witch of the West," answered Oz.

"But I cannot!" exclaimed Dorothy, greatly surprised.

"You killed the Witch of the East and you wear the silver shoes,
which bear a powerful charm. There is now but one Wicked Witch left
in all this land, and when you can tell me she is dead I will send
you back to Kansas--but not before."

The little girl began to weep, she was so much disappointed; and the
eyes winked again and looked upon her anxiously, as if the Great Oz
felt that she could help him if she would.

"I never killed anything, willingly," she sobbed; "and even if I wanted
to, how could I kill the Wicked Witch? If you, who are Great and
Terrible, cannot kill her yourself, how do you expect me to do it?"

[Illustration]

"I do not know," said the Head; "but that is my answer, and until the
Wicked Witch dies you will not see your Uncle and Aunt again. Remember
that the Witch is Wicked--tremendously Wicked--and ought to be killed.
Now go, and do not ask to see me again until you have done your task."

Sorrowfully Dorothy left the Throne Room and went back where the
Lion and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were waiting to hear what
Oz had said to her.

"There is no hope for me," she said, sadly, "for Oz will not send me
home until I have killed the Wicked Witch of the West; and that I can
never do."

Her friends were sorry, but could do nothing to help her; so she went
to her own room and lay down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

The next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came to the
Scarecrow and said,

"Come with me, for Oz has sent for you."

So the Scarecrow followed him and was admitted into the great Throne
Room, where he saw, sitting in the emerald throne, a most lovely
lady. She was dressed in green silk gauze and wore upon her flowing
green locks a crown of jewels. Growing from her shoulders were wings,
gorgeous in color and so light that they fluttered if the slightest
breath of air reached them.

When the Scarecrow had bowed, as prettily as his straw stuffing would
let him, before this beautiful creature, she looked upon him sweetly,
and said,

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?"

Now the Scarecrow, who had expected to see the great Head Dorothy had
told him of, was much astonished; but he answered her bravely.

"I am only a Scarecrow, stuffed with straw. Therefore I have no
brains, and I come to you praying that you will put brains in my head
instead of straw, so that I may become as much a man as any other in
your dominions."

"Why should I do this for you?" asked the lady.

"Because you are wise and powerful, and no one else can help me,"
answered the Scarecrow.

"I never grant favors without some return," said Oz; "but this much I
will promise. If you will kill for me the Wicked Witch of the West I
will bestow upon you a great many brains, and such good brains that
you will be the wisest man in all the Land of Oz."

"I thought you asked Dorothy to kill the Witch," said, the Scarecrow,
in surprise.

[Illustration]

"So I did. I don't care who kills her. But until she is dead I will
not grant your wish. Now go, and do not seek me again until you have
earned the brains you so greatly desire."

The Scarecrow went sorrowfully back to his friends and told them what
Oz had said; and Dorothy was surprised to find that the great Wizard
was not a Head, as she had seen him, but a lovely lady.

"All the same," said the Scarecrow, "she needs a heart as much as the
Tin Woodman."

On the next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came to the
Tin Woodman and said,

"Oz has sent for you. Follow me,"

So the Tin Woodman followed him and came to the great Throne Room. He
did not know whether he would find Oz a lovely lady or a Head, but
he hoped it would be the lovely lady. "For," he said to himself, "if
it is the Head, I am sure I shall not be given a heart, since a head
has no heart of its own and therefore cannot feel for me. But if it
is the lovely lady I shall beg hard for a heart, for all ladies are
themselves said to be kindly hearted."

But when the Woodman entered the great Throne Room he saw neither
the Head nor the Lady, for Oz had taken the shape of a most terrible
Beast. It was nearly as big as an elephant, and the green throne
seemed hardly strong enough to hold its weight. The Beast had a head
like that of a rhinoceros, only there were five eyes in its face.
There were five long arms growing out of its body and it also had
five long, slim legs. Thick, woolly hair covered every part of it,
and a more dreadful looking monster could not be imagined. It was
fortunate the Tin Woodman had no heart at that moment, for it would
have beat loud and fast from terror. But being only tin, the Woodman
was not at all afraid, although he was much disappointed.

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible," spake the Beast, in a voice that
was one great roar. "Who are you, and why do you seek me?"

[Illustration: "_The Eyes looked at her thoughtfully._"]

"I am a Woodman, and made of tin. Therefore I have no heart, and cannot
love. I pray you to give me a heart that I may be as other men are."

"Why should I do this?" demanded the Beast.

"Because I ask it, and you alone can grant my request," answered the
Woodman.

Oz gave a low growl at this, but said, gruffly,

"If you indeed desire a heart, you must earn it."

"How?" asked the Woodman.

"Help Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West," replied the
Beast. "When the Witch is dead, come to me, and I will then give you
the biggest and kindest and most loving heart in all the Land of Oz."

So the Tin Woodman was forced to return sorrowfully to his friends
and tell them of the terrible Beast he had seen. They all wondered
greatly at the many forms the great Wizard could take upon himself,
and the Lion said,

[Illustration]

"If he is a beast when I go to see him, I shall roar my loudest, and
so frighten him that he will grant all I ask. And if he is the lovely
lady, I shall pretend to spring upon her, and so compel her to do my
bidding. And if he is the great Head, he will be at my mercy; for I
will roll this head all about the room until he promises to give us
what we desire. So be of good cheer my friends for all will yet be
well."

The next morning the soldier with the green whiskers led the Lion to
the great Throne Room and bade him enter the presence of Oz.

The Lion at once passed through the door, and glancing around saw, to
his surprise, that before the throne was a Ball of Fire, so fierce
and glowing he could scarcely bear to gaze upon it. His first thought
was that Oz had by accident caught on fire and was burning up; but,
when he tried to go nearer, the heat was so intense that it singed
his whiskers, and he crept back tremblingly to a spot nearer the door.

Then a low, quiet voice came from the Ball of Fire, and these were
the words it spoke:

[Illustration]

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek
me?" And the Lion answered,

"I am a Cowardly Lion, afraid of everything. I come to you to beg
that you give me courage, so that in reality I may become the King of
Beasts, as men call me."

"Why should I give you courage?" demanded Oz.

"Because of all Wizards you are the greatest, and alone have power to
grant my request," answered the Lion.

The Ball of Fire burned fiercely for a time, and the voice said,

"Bring me proof that the Wicked Witch is dead, and that moment I will
give you courage. But so long as the Witch lives you must remain a
coward."

The Lion was angry at this speech, but could say nothing in reply,
and while he stood silently gazing at the Ball of Fire it became
so furiously hot that he turned tail and rushed from the room. He
was glad to find his friends waiting for him, and told them of his
terrible interview with the Wizard.

"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy, sadly.

"There is only one thing we can do," returned the Lion, "and that
is to go to the land of the Winkies, seek out the Wicked Witch, and
destroy her."

"But suppose we cannot?" said the girl.

"Then I shall never have courage," declared the Lion.

"And I shall never have brains," added the Scarecrow.

"And I shall never have a heart," spoke the Tin Woodman.

"And I shall never see Aunt Em and Uncle Henry," said Dorothy,
beginning to cry.

"Be careful!" cried the green girl, "the tears will fall on your
green silk gown, and spot it."

So Dorothy dried her eyes and said,

"I suppose we must try it; but I am sure I do not want to kill
anybody, even to see Aunt Em again."

"I will go with you; but I'm too much of a coward to kill the Witch,"
said the Lion.

"I will go too," declared the Scarecrow; "but I shall not be of much
help to you, I am such a fool."

"I haven't the heart to harm even a Witch," remarked the Tin Woodman;
"but if you go I certainly shall go with you."

Therefore it was decided to start upon their journey the next
morning, and the Woodman sharpened his axe on a green grindstone and
had all his joints properly oiled. The Scarecrow stuffed himself with
fresh straw and Dorothy put new paint on his eyes that he might see
better. The green girl, who was very kind to them, filled Dorothy's
basket with good things to eat, and fastened a little bell around
Toto's neck with a green ribbon.

They went to bed quite early and slept soundly until daylight, when
they were awakened by the crowing of a green cock that lived in the
back yard of the palace, and the cackling of a hen that had laid a
green egg.

[Illustration: "_The Soldier with the green whiskers led them through
the streets._"]

 The Tin Woodman and The Scarecrow were standing near the edge of the field when they spotted a yellow wildcat chasing a little gray field mouse across the grass. The Tin Woodman knew the mouse was outmatched, so he lifted his axe and swung it, lopping the beast's head off. The field mouse was grateful and told them she was the Queen of the Field Mice and in return for saving her life, her subjects would do anything the Tin Woodman wanted. The Tin Woodman asked if they could help get the Lion out of the field of poppies, and assured the mice that he was cowardly and would not eat them. The Woodman made a truck from tree branches and the mice harnessed themselves to it with bits of string. The Cowardly Lion was finally pulled out of the field and Dorothy was glad, as "she had grown so fond of the big Lion." The mice told them to call if they ever needed anything again. The Lion awoke after a long sleep and they told him what had happened. They were now greatly refreshed and continued along their way along the smooth road in the beautiful country. The people watched them walk along the yellow brick road but did not talk to them. Everything was green in this land. They were tired and hungry and stopped at a farmhouse, where the woman who lived there agreed to let them in. The travelers told the family that they were going to visit Oz, which surprised them greatly. The woman's husband said that Oz took on many forms and no one knew who the real Oz was. He said it might be hard to see him since he does not like to see anyone. They slept and ate at the farmhouse and left the next morning, arriving at a great wall that surrounded the city. There was a massive gate studded with emeralds, and Dorothy pushed a bell that opened the gate and let them enter a high arched room that also sparkled with emeralds. A little man asked them what their purpose was and was perplexed when they said they wanted to see Oz since it had been many years since anyone asked to do that. He finally agreed to take them to Oz but told them to put on spectacles so the "brightness and glory of the Emerald City blind you." All of the travelers were fitted and followed the man inside the Emerald City. Dorothy and her friends were dazzled by the beauty and wealth of the City, and the men, women, and children all clad in green with greenish skins. Everyone "seemed happy and contented and prosperous." They were brought into the Palace of Oz's gates and waited in a big room with green carpets and furniture. The soldier who led them there explained that they could only see Oz one at a time and one per day so they would have to spend the night. This was agreeable, and all of the travelers were shown their rooms. Dorothy thought her room sweet and comfortable. A green girl told her in a friendly manner that she could wear any of the clothes in the wardrobe. The next morning Dorothy was summoned to Oz. They first passed a room where rich and idle men and women gathered and talked, but did not actually see Oz. The soldier informed Dorothy that the Wizard had almost not wanted to see Dorothy until he heard of her silver shoes and the mark on her forehead. A bell rang and Dorothy was told to enter the Throne Room alone. She walked into a large room with an arched roof; everything was covered in emeralds. There was a large throne of green marble and upon it was a huge head that had no limbs or support of any kind. It had no hair but had eyes and a nose and a mouth. It spoke: "I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?" Dorothy gave her name and Oz asked where she got her shoes and the mark on her forehead. She answered him and told him she wanted to go back to Kansas. Oz replied that she had to do something for him if she wanted him to help her - kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy exclaimed that this was impossible and wept in despair. When she left the Throne Room she told her friends what had happened, and they were very sorry for her. The Scarecrow went in the next day. Oz appeared as a lovely lady upon the throne who had gorgeous wings growing from her shoulders. The Scarecrow told her he wanted brains and Oz replied that he also had to try to kill the Witch. It did not matter who killed her as long as it was done. The Tin Woodman went in the next day, and Oz appeared as a fantastical and terrible beast. Oz told the Tin Woodman to help Dorothy kill the Witch. When the Lion went in the next day, Oz was a Ball of Fire "so fierce and glowing he could scarcely bear to gaze upon it." He asked for courage and was told he needed to bring back proof that the Witch was dead. Dorothy and her friends were confused what to do, but they realized they had to try and kill the Witch. The Lion said he would go but was too much of a coward to kill her. The Tin Woodman said he had no heart to harm even a Witch but he would go. The Scarecrow said he would go but was too much of a fool to help. Thus their plan to travel to the land of the Winkies where the Witch ruled was resolved, and they spent one more night in the Emerald City.

