Oz 01: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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road of yellow brick . when she had gone several miles she thought she_would stop to rest, and so climbed to_the top of_the fence beside the road and sat down . there_was a great cornfield beyond the fence, and not far away she saw aScarecrow, placed high on a pole to_keep the birds from_the ripe corn .

Dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully at_the Scarecrow . its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on_it to represent a face . an old, pointed blue hat, that had belonged to some Munchkin, was perched on_his head, and_the rest of_the figure was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw . on_the feet were some old boots with blue tops, such as every man wore in_this country, and_the figure was raised above the stalks of corn by_means of_the pole stuck up its back .

while Dorothy was looking earnestly into_the queer, painted face of_the Scarecrow, she was surprised to_see one_of_the eyes slowly wink at her . she thought she must_have been mistaken at first, for none_of_the scarecrows in Kansas ever wink; but presently the figure nodded its head to her in a friendly way . then she climbed down from_the fence and walked up to_it, while Toto ran around the pole and barked .

" good day," said the Scarecrow, in a rather husky voice .

" did you speak ? " asked the girl, in wonder .

" certainly," answered the Scarecrow ." how do_you do ? "

"I'm pretty well, thank_you," replied Dorothy politely ." how do_you do ? "

"I'm not feeling well," said the Scarecrow, with a smile, " for_it is very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows ."

" can't you get down ? " asked Dorothy .

" no, for_this pole is stuck up my back . if_you_will please take away the pole I_shall_be greatly obliged to_you ."

Dorothy reached up both arms and lifted the figure off the pole, for, being stuffed with straw, it_was quite light .

" thank_you very_much," said the Scarecrow, when he had_been set down on_the ground ." I_feel like a new man ."

Dorothy was puzzled at_this, for_it sounded queer to hear a stuffed man speak, and to_see him bow and walk along beside her .

" who_are you ? " asked the Scarecrow when he had stretched himself and yawned ." and where are_you going ? "

" my name is Dorothy," said the girl, " and I_am going to_the emerald city, to ask_the great Oz to send me back to Kansas ."

" where is_the emerald city ? " he inquired ." and who_is Oz ? "

" why, don't you_know ? " she returned, in surprise .

" no, indeed .I don't know anything . you_see, I_am stuffed, so I_have no brains at all," he answered sadly .

"Oh," said Dorothy, "I'm awfully sorry for_you ."

" do_you_think," he asked, " if I go to_the emerald city with_you, that Oz would give_me some brains ? "

" I_cannot tell," she returned, " but you_may come with me, if_you like . if Oz will not give_you any brains you_will_be no worse off than you_are now ."

" that_is true," said the Scarecrow ." you_see," he continued confidentially, "I don't mind my legs and arms and body being stuffed, because I_cannot get hurt . if anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn't matter, for I_can't feel it . but I_do_not want people to_call me a fool, and if_my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, as yours is, how am I ever to_know anything ? "

"I understand how you feel," said the little girl, who was truly sorry for him ." if_you_will come with me I'll ask Oz to_do all he_can for_you ."

" thank_you," he answered gratefully .

they walked back to_the road . Dorothy helped him over the fence, and_they started along the path of yellow brick for_the emerald city .

Toto did_not like this addition to_the party at first . he smelled around the stuffed man as_if he suspected there_might_be a nest of rats in_the straw, and he often growled in an unfriendly way at_the Scarecrow .

"Don't mind Toto," said Dorothy to her new friend ." he never bites ."

"Oh, I'm not afraid," replied the Scarecrow ." he_can't hurt the straw . do let me carry that basket for_you . I_shall_not mind it, for I_can't get tired .I'll tell you a secret," he continued, as he walked along ." there_is only one_thing in_the_world I_am afraid of ."

" what_is that ? " asked Dorothy; " the Munchkin farmer who_made you ? "

" no," answered the Scarecrow; " it's a lighted match ."

4 . the road through_the forest

after a few hours the road began to_be rough, and_the walking grew so difficult that_the Scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow bricks, 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 .

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 ."

" 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 aMunchkin; 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:

"`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 ."

" well," said the girl, " let_us go ." and she handed the basket to_the Scarecrow .

there were no fences at all by_the roadside now, and_the land was rough and untilled . toward 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 travelers 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 .

5 . the rescue of_the tin woodman

when Dorothy awoke the sun was shining through_the trees and Toto had long been out chasing birds around him and squirrels . she sat up and looked around her .Scarecrow, still standing patiently in_his corner, waiting for her .

" we_must go and search for water," she said to him .

" why do_you_want water ? " he asked .

" to wash my face clean after_the dust of_the road, and to drink, so the dry bread will not stick in my throat ."

" it

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