Oz 12: The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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tumbled rocks, so Woot, with an agility born of fear, climbed from rock to rock until he_found himself crouched against the cavern roof . there he waited, for he_could go no farther, while on over the tumbled rocks slowly crept the Dragons -- the littlest one coming first because he_was hungry as_well as angry .

the beasts had almost reached him when Woot, remembering his lace apron -- now sadly torn and soiled -- recovered his wits and shouted: " open ! " at_the cry a hole appeared in_the roof of_the cavern, just over his head, and through it the sunlight streamed full upon_the green monkey

the Dragons paused, astonished at_the magic and blinking at_the sunlight, and this gave Woot time to climb through_the opening . as_soon_as he reached the surface of_the earth the hole closed again, and_the boy monkey realized, with a thrill of joy, that he had seen the last of_the dangerous dragon family

he sat upon_the ground, still panting hard from_his exertions, when_the bushes before him parted and_his former enemy, the jaguar, appeared .

"Don't run," said the woodland beast, as Woot sprang up; " you_are perfectly safe, so_far as I_am concerned, for since you so mysteriously disappeared I_have_had my breakfast . I_am now on my way home to sleep the rest of_the day ."

"Oh, indeed ! " returned the green monkey, in a tone both sorry and startled ." which of_my friends did you manage to eat ? "

" none_of_them," returned the jaguar, with a sly grin had a dish of magic scrambled eggs- on toast -- and it wasn't a bad feast, at all . there isn't room in me for even you, and I don't regret it because I judge, from your green color, that you_are_not ripe, and would make an indifferent meal . we jaguars have to_be careful of_our digestions . farewell, friend monkey . follow the path I_made through_the bushes and you_will_find your friends ."

with_this the jaguar marched on_his way and Woot took his advice and followed the trail he had made until he_came to_the place where the little brown bear, and_the tin owl, and_the canary were conferring together and wondering what had become of_their comrade, the green monkey .

chapter Ten

Tommy Kwikstep

" our best plan," said the Scarecrow bear, when_the green monkey had related the story of_his adventure with_the Dragons, " is to_get out of_this Gillikin country as_soon_as we_can and try to_find our way to_the castle of Glinda, the good sorceress . there_are too many dangers lurking here to suit me, and Glinda may_be_able to restore us to our proper forms ."

" if_we turn south now," the tin owl replied, " we_might go straight into_the emerald city . that's a place i_wish to avoid, for I'd hate to_have my friends see me in_this sad plight," and he blinked his eyes and fluttered his tin wings mournfully .

" but I_am certain we_have passed beyond emerald city," the canary assured him, sailing lightly around their heads ." so, should we turn south from here, we_would pass into_the Munchkin country, and continuing south we_would reach the Quadling country where Glinda's castle is located ."

" well, since you're sure of_that, let's start right away," proposed the bear ." it's a long journey, at_the best, and I'm getting tired of walking on four legs ."

" i_thought you never tired, being stuffed with straw," said Woot .

"I mean that_it annoys me, to_be obliged to_go on all fours, when two legs are my proper walking equipment," replied the Scarecrow ."I consider it beneath my dignity . in other words, my remarkable brains can tire, through humiliation, although my body cannot tire ."

" that_is one_of_the penalties of having brains," remarked the tin owl with a sigh ." I_have_had no brains since i_was a man of meat, and so I never worry . nevertheless, I prefer my former manly form to_this owl's shape and would_be_glad to break Mrs Yoop's enchantment as_soon_as_possible . I_am so noisy, just now, that I disturb myself," and he fluttered his wings with a clatter that echoed throughout_the forest .

so, being all of one mind, they turned southward, traveling steadily on until the woods were left behind and_the landscape turned from purple tints to blue tints, which assured them they had entered the country of_the Munchkins .

" now I_feel myself more safe," said the Scarecrow bear ." I_know this country pretty well, having been made here by aMunchkin farmer and having wandered over these lovely blue lands many_times .Seems to_me, indeed, that I even remember that group of three tall trees ahead of us; and, if I_do, we_are_not far from_the home of_my friend Jinjur ."

" who_is Jinjur ? " asked Woot, the green monkey .

" haven't you heard of Jinjur ? " exclaimed the Scarecrow, in surprise .

" no," said Woot ." is Jinjur a man, a woman, a beast or a bird ? "

"Jinjur is a girl," explained the Scarecrow bear ." she's a fine girl, too, although a bit restless and liable to_get excited . once, a long_time_ago, she raised an army of girls and called herself ' general Jinjur .' with her army she captured the emerald city, and drove me out of it, because I insisted that an army in Oz was highly improper . but Ozma punished the rash girl, and afterward Jinjur and I became fast friends . now Jinjur lives peacefully on a farm, near here, and raises fields of cream-puffs, chocolate-caramels and macaroons . they say she's a pretty good farmer, and in_addition to_that she's an artist, and paints pictures so perfect that one can scarcely tell them from nature . she often repaints my face for_me, when it gets worn or mussy, and_the lovely expression I wore when_the Giantess transformed me was painted by Jinjur only a month or so ago ."

" it_was certainly a pleasant expression," agreed Woot .

"Jinjur can paint anything," continued the Scarecrow bear, with enthusiasm, as_they walked along together ." once, when I_came to her house, my straw was old and crumpled, so_that my body sagged dreadfully .I needed new straw to replace the old, but Jinjur had no straw on all her ranch and i_was really unable to travel farther until I had_been restuffed . when I explained this to Jinjur, the girl at once painted a straw- stack which_was so natural that I went to_it and secured enough straw to_fill all my body . it_was a good quality of straw, too, and lasted me a long_time ."

this seemed very wonderful to Woot, who knew that such a thing could never happen in any place but a fairy country like Oz .

the Munchkin country was much nicer than_the Gillikin country, and all the fields were separated by blue fences, with grassy lanes and paths of blue ground, and_the land seemed well cultivated . they were on a little hill looking down upon_this favored country, but had_not quite reached the settled parts, when on turning a bend in_the path they were halted by a form that barred their way

a more curious creature they had seldom seen, even in_the land of Oz, where curious creatures abound . it had the head of a young man -- evidently aMunchkin -- with a pleasant face and hair neatly combed . but the body was very long, for_it had twenty legs -- ten legs on each side -- and this caused the body to stretch out and lie in a horizontal position, so_that all the legs could touch the ground and stand firm . from_the shoulders extended two small arms; at_least, they seemed small beside so_many legs .

this odd creature was dressed in_the regulation clothing of_the Munchkin people, a dark blue coat neatly fitting the long body and each pair of legs having a pair of sky- blue trousers, with blue- tinted stockings and blue leather shoes turned up at_the pointed toes .

"I wonder who you_are ? " said polychrome the canary, fluttering above the strange creature, who had probably been asleep on_the path .

"I sometimes wonder, myself, who I_am," replied the many-legged young man; " but, in reality, I_am Tommy Kwikstep, and I live in a hollow tree that fell to_the ground with age . I_have polished the inside of it, and made a door at each end, and_that's a very comfortable residence for_me because it just fits my shape ."

" how did you happen to_have such a shape ? " asked the Scarecrow bear, sitting on_his haunches and regarding Tommy Kwikstep with a serious look ." is_the shape natural ? "

" no; it_was wished on me," replied Tommy, with a sigh ."I used to_be very active and loved to run errands for anyone who needed my services . that was how I got my name of Tommy Kwikstep . I_could run an errand more quickly than any_other boy, and so i_was very proud of myself . one day, however, I met an old lady who was a fairy, or a witch, or something of_the sort, and she said if i_would run an errand for her -- to carry some magic medicine to another old woman -- she_would grant me just one wish, whatever the wish happened to_be . of_course I consented and, taking the medicine, I hurried away . it_was a long distance, mostly up hill, and my legs began to grow weary . without thinking what i_was doing I_said aloud: ' dear me; i_wish I had twenty legs ! ' and in an instant I became the unusual creature you_see beside you .Twenty legs ! Twenty on one man ! you_may count them, if_you doubt my word ."

" you've got 'em, all right," said Woot the monkey, who had already counted them .

" after I had delivered the magic medicine to_the old woman, I returned and tried to_find the witch, or fairy, or whatever she was, who had given me the unlucky wish, so she_could take it away again .I've been searching for her ever_since, but never can I_find her," continued poor Tommy Kwikstep, sadly "I suppose, said the tin owl, blinking at him, " you_can travel very fast, with those twenty legs ."

" at first i_was able to," was_the reply; " but I traveled so_much, searching for_the fairy, or witch, or whatever she was, that I soon got corns on my toes . now, a corn on one toe is_not so bad, but when_you have a hundred toes -- as I_have -- and get corns on most of_them, it_is far from pleasant . instead of running, I now painfully crawl, and although I try not to_be discouraged I_do hope I_shall find that witch or fairy, or whatever she was, before long ."

" I_hope so, too," said the Scarecrow ." but, after all, you_have the pleasure of knowing you_are unusual, and therefore remarkable among_the people of Oz . to_be just like other persons is small credit to one, while to_be unlike others is a mark of distinction ."

" that sounds very pretty," returned Tommy Kwikstep, " but if_you had to_put on ten pair of trousers every morning, and tie up twenty shoes, you_would prefer not to_be so distinguished ."

" was_the witch, or fairy, or whatever she was, an old person, with wrinkled skin and half her teeth gone ? " inquired the tin owl .

" no," said Tommy Kwikstep .

" then she wasn't old Mombi," remarked the transformed emperor .

"I'm not interested in who it wasn't, so_much as I_am in who it_was," said the twenty-legged young man ." and, whatever or whomsoever she was, she has managed to_keep out of_my way ."

" if_you found her, do_you suppose she'd change you back into a two-legged boy ? " asked Woot .

" perhaps so, if I_could run another errand for her and so earn another wish ."

" would you really like to_be as_you were before ? " asked polychrome the canary, perching upon_the green monkey's shoulder to observe Tommy Kwikstep more attentively .

" i_would, indeed," was_the earnest reply .

" then i_will_see what I_can do for_you," promised the rainbow's daughter, and flying to_the ground she took a small twig in her bill and with it made several mystic figures on each side of Tommy Kwikstep .

" are_you a witch, or fairy, or something of_the sort ? " he asked as he watched her wonderingly .

the canary made no answer, for she was busy, but the Scarecrow bear replied: " yes; she's something of_the sort, and a bird of a magician ."

the twenty-legged boy's transformation happened so queerly that_they were all surprised at its method . first, Tommy Kwikstep's last two legs disappeared; then the next two, and_the next, and as each pair of legs vanished his body shortened . all this while polychrome was running around him and chirping mystical words, and when all the young man's legs had disappeared but two he noticed that_the canary was still busy and cried out in alarm:

" stop -- stop ! leave me two of_my legs, or I_shall_be worse off than before ."

" I_know," said the canary ."I'm only removing with my magic the corns from your last ten toes ."

" thank_you_for being so thoughtful," he_said gratefully, and now they noticed that Tommy Kwikstep was quite a nice looking young fellow .

" what_will you_do now~" asked Woot the monkey .

" first," he answered, " I_must deliver a note which I've carried in my pocket ever_since the witch, or fairy, or whatever she was, granted my foolish wish . and I_am resolved never to_speak again without taking time to_think carefully on what I_am going to_say, for I realize_that speech without thought is dangerous . and after I've delivered the note, I_shall run errands again for anyone who needs my services ."

so he thanked polychrome again and started away in a different direction from their own, and_that was_the last they saw of Tommy Kwikstep .

chapter Eleven

Jinjur's ranch

as_they followed a path down the blue- grass hillside, the first house that met the view of_the travelers was joyously recognized by_the Scarecrow bear as_the one inhabited by

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