The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
edge of the gulf and crouched down.
“Why don’t you run and jump?” asked the Scarecrow.
“Because that isn’t the way we Lions do these things,” he replied. Then
giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safely on the
other side. They were all greatly pleased to see how easily he did it,
and after the Scarecrow had got down from his back the Lion sprang
across the ditch again.
Dorothy thought she would go next; so she took Toto in her arms and
climbed on the Lion’s back, holding tightly to his mane with one hand.
The next moment it seemed as if she were flying through the air; and
then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the other
side. The Lion went back a third time and got the Tin Woodman, and then
they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chance to rest,
for his great leaps had made his breath short, and he panted like a big
dog that has been running too long.
They found the forest very thick on this side, and it looked dark and
gloomy. After the Lion had rested they started along the road of yellow
brick, silently wondering, each in his own mind, if ever they would
come to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshine again. To
add to their discomfort, they soon heard strange noises in the depths
of the forest, and the Lion whispered to them that it was in this part
of the country that the Kalidahs lived.
“What are the Kalidahs?” asked the girl.
“They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like
tigers,” replied the Lion, “and with claws so long and sharp that they
could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I’m terribly
afraid of the Kalidahs.”
“I’m not surprised that you are,” returned Dorothy. “They must be
dreadful beasts.”
The Lion was about to reply when suddenly they came to another gulf
across the road. But this one was so broad and deep that the Lion knew
at once he could not leap across it.
So they sat down to consider what they should do, and after serious
thought the Scarecrow said:
“Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. If the Tin Woodman
can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we can walk
across it easily.”
“That is a first-rate idea,” said the Lion. “One would almost suspect
you had brains in your head, instead of straw.”
The Woodman set to work at once, and so sharp was his axe that the tree
was soon chopped nearly through. Then the Lion put his strong front
legs against the tree and pushed with all his might, and slowly the big
tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch, with its top
branches on the other side.
They had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp growl
made them all look up, and to their horror they saw running toward them
two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers.
“They are the Kalidahs!” said the Cowardly Lion, beginning to tremble.
“Quick!” cried the Scarecrow. “Let us cross over.”
So Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms, the Tin Woodman
followed, and the Scarecrow came next. The Lion, although he was
certainly afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and then he gave so loud
and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow fell over
backward, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and looked at him
in surprise.
But, seeing they were bigger than the Lion, and remembering that there
were two of them and only one of him, the Kalidahs again rushed
forward, and the Lion crossed over the tree and turned to see what they
would do next. Without stopping an instant the fierce beasts also began
to cross the tree. And the Lion said to Dorothy:
“We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp
claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am
alive.”
“Wait a minute!” called the Scarecrow. He had been thinking what was
best to be done, and now he asked the Woodman to chop away the end of
the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The Tin Woodman began
to use his axe at once, and, just as the two Kalidahs were nearly
across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly,
snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp
rocks at the bottom.
“Well,” said the Cowardly Lion, drawing a long breath of relief, “I see
we are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it, for it
must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive. Those creatures
frightened me so badly that my heart is beating yet.”
“Ah,” said the Tin Woodman sadly, “I wish I had a heart to beat.”
This adventure made the travelers more anxious than ever to get out of
the forest, and they walked so fast that Dorothy became tired, and had
to ride on the Lion’s back. To their great joy the trees became thinner
the farther they advanced, and in the afternoon they suddenly came upon
a broad river, flowing swiftly just before them. On the other side of
the water they could see the road of yellow brick running through a
beautiful country, with green meadows dotted with bright flowers and
all the road bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits. They
were greatly pleased to see this delightful country before them.
“How shall we cross the river?” asked Dorothy.
“That is easily done,” replied the Scarecrow. “The Tin Woodman must
build us a raft, so we can float to the other side.”
So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make
a raft, and while he was busy at this the Scarecrow found on the
riverbank a tree full of fine fruit. This pleased Dorothy, who had
eaten nothing but nuts all day, and she made a hearty meal of the ripe
fruit.
But it takes time to make a raft, even when one is as industrious and
untiring as the Tin Woodman, and when night came the work was not done.
So they found a cozy place under the trees where they slept well until
the morning; and Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City, and of the good
Wizard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again.
Chapter VIII
The Deadly Poppy Field
Our little party of travelers awakened the next morning refreshed and
full of hope, and Dorothy breakfasted like a princess off peaches and
plums from the trees beside the river. Behind them was the dark forest
they had passed safely through, although they had suffered many
discouragements; but before them was a lovely, sunny country that
seemed to beckon them on to the Emerald City.
To be sure, the broad river now cut them off from this beautiful land.
But the raft was nearly done, and after the Tin Woodman had cut a few
more logs and fastened them together with wooden pins, they were ready
to start. Dorothy sat down in the middle of the raft and held Toto in
her arms. When the Cowardly Lion stepped upon the raft it tipped badly,
for he was big and heavy; but the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood
upon the other end to steady it, and they had long poles in their hands
to push the raft through the water.
They got along quite well at first, but when they reached the middle of
the river the swift current swept the raft downstream, farther and
farther away from the road of yellow brick. And the water grew so deep
that the long poles would not touch the bottom.
“This is bad,” said the Tin Woodman, “for if we cannot get to the land
we shall be carried into the country of the Wicked Witch of the West,
and she will enchant us and make us her slaves.”
“And then I should get no brains,” said the Scarecrow.
“And I should get no courage,” said the Cowardly Lion.
“And I should get no heart,” said the Tin Woodman.
“And I should never get back to Kansas,” said Dorothy.
“We must certainly get to the Emerald City if we can,” the Scarecrow
continued, and he pushed so hard on his long pole that it stuck fast in
the mud at the bottom of the river. Then, before he could pull it out
again—or let go—the raft was swept away, and the poor Scarecrow was
left clinging to the pole in the middle of the river.
“Good-bye!” he called after them, and they were very sorry to leave
him. Indeed, the Tin Woodman began to cry, but fortunately remembered
that he might rust, and so dried his tears on Dorothy’s apron.
Of course this was a bad thing for the Scarecrow.
“I am now worse off than when I first met Dorothy,” he thought. “Then,
I was stuck on a pole in a cornfield, where I could make-believe scare
the crows, at any rate. But surely there is no use for a Scarecrow
stuck on a pole in the middle of a river. I am afraid I shall never
have any brains, after all!”
Down the stream the raft floated, and the poor Scarecrow was left far
behind. Then the Lion said:
“Something must be done to save us. I think I can swim to the shore and
pull the raft after me, if you will only hold fast to the tip of my
tail.”
So he sprang into the water, and the Tin Woodman caught fast hold of
his tail. Then the Lion began to swim with all his might toward the
shore. It was hard work, although he was so big; but by and by they
were drawn out of the current, and then Dorothy took the Tin Woodman’s
long pole and helped push the raft to the land.
They were all tired out when they reached the shore at last and stepped
off upon the pretty green grass, and they also knew that the stream had
carried them a long way past the road of yellow brick that led to the
Emerald City.
“What shall we do now?” asked the Tin Woodman, as the Lion lay down on
the grass to let the sun dry him.
“We must get back to the road, in some way,” said Dorothy.
“The best plan will be to walk along the riverbank until we come to the
road again,” remarked the Lion.
So, when they were rested, Dorothy picked up her basket and they
started along the grassy bank, to the road from which the river had
carried them. It was a lovely country, with plenty of flowers and fruit
trees and sunshine to cheer them, and had they not felt so sorry for
the poor Scarecrow, they could have been very happy.
They walked along as fast as they could, Dorothy only stopping 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