Oz 01: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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it must_be inconvenient to_be made of flesh," said the Scarecrow thoughtfully, " for you_must sleep, and eat and drink . however, you_have brains, and it_is worth alot of bother to_be_able to_think properly ."

they left the cottage and walked through_the trees until they found a little spring of clear water, where Dorothy drank and bathed and ate her breakfast . she saw there_was not much bread left in_the basket, and_the girl was thankful the Scarecrow did_not have to eat anything, for there_was scarcely enough for herself and Toto for_the day .

when she had finished her meal, and was about to_go back to_the road of yellow brick, she was startled to hear a deep groan near by .

" what_was that ? " she asked timidly .

" I_cannot imagine," replied the Scarecrow; " but we_can go and_see ."

just then another groan reached their ears, and_the sound seemed to_come from behind them . they turned and walked through_the forest a few steps, when Dorothy discovered something shining in a ray of sunshine that fell between_the trees . she ran to_the place and then stopped short, with a little cry of surprise .

one_of_the big trees had_been partly chopped through, and standing beside it, with an uplifted axe in_his hands, was a man made entirely of tin . his head and arms and legs were jointed upon his body, but he stood perfectly motionless, as_if he_could_not stir at all .

Dorothy looked at him in amazement, and so did the Scarecrow, while Toto barked sharply and made a snap at_the tin legs, which hurt his teeth .

" did you groan ? " asked Dorothy .

" yes," answered the tin man, " I_did .I've been groaning for more than a year, and no one has ever heard me before or come to help me ."

" what can I_do for_you ? " she inquired softly, for she was moved by_the sad voice in_which_the man spoke .

" get an oil- can and oil my joints," he answered ." they_are rusted so badly that I_cannot move them at all; if I_am well oiled I_shall soon be all right again . you_will_find an oil- can on a shelf in my cottage ."

Dorothy at once ran back to_the cottage and found the oil- can, and then she returned and asked anxiously, " where are your joints ? "

" oil my neck, first," replied the tin woodman . so she oiled it, and as it_was quite badly rusted the Scarecrow took hold of_the tin head and moved it gently from side to side until it worked freely, and then the man could turn it himself .

" now oil the joints in my arms," he_said . and Dorothy oiled them and_the Scarecrow bent them carefully until they were quite free from rust and as good as new .

the tin woodman gave a sigh of satisfaction and lowered his axe, which he leaned against the tree .

" this_is a great comfort," he_said ." I_have_been holding that axe in_the air ever_since I rusted, and I'm glad to_be_able to_put it down at last . now, if_you_will oil the joints of_my legs, I_shall_be all right once more ."

so they oiled his legs until he_could move them freely; and he thanked them again and again for_his release, for he_seemed a very polite creature, and very grateful .

" I_might_have stood there always if_you had_not come along," he_said; " so you_have certainly saved my life . how did you happen to_be here ? "

" we_are on_our way to_the emerald city to_see the great Oz," she answered, " and we stopped at your cottage to_pass the night ."

" why do_you wish to_see Oz ? " he asked .

" i_want him to send me back to Kansas, and_the Scarecrow wants him to_put a few brains into his head," she replied .

the tin woodman appeared to_think deeply for a moment . then he_said:

" do_you suppose Oz could give_me a heart ? "

" why, I guess so," Dorothy answered ." it would_be as easy as to_give the Scarecrow brains ."

" true," the tin woodman returned ." so, if_you_will allow me to join your party, i_will also go to_the emerald city and ask Oz to help me ."

" come along," said the Scarecrow heartily, and Dorothy added that she_would be pleased to_have his company . so the tin woodman shouldered his axe and_they all passed through_the forest until they came to_the road that was paved with yellow brick .

the tin woodman had asked Dorothy to_put the oil- can in her basket ." for," he_said, " if i_should get caught in_the rain, and rust again, i_would need the oil- can badly ."

it_was a bit of good luck to_have their new comrade join the party, for soon after they had begun their journey again they came to a place where the trees and branches grew so thick over the road that_the travelers could_not pass . but the tin woodman set to work with_his axe and chopped so_well that soon he cleared a passage for_the entire party .

Dorothy was thinking so earnestly as_they walked along that she did_not notice when_the Scarecrow stumbled into a hole and rolled over to_the side of_the road . indeed he_was obliged to_call to her to help him up again .

" why didn't you walk around the hole ? " asked the tin woodman .

"I don't know enough," replied the Scarecrow cheerfully ." my head is stuffed with straw, you_know, and_that is why I_am going to Oz to ask him for some brains ."

"Oh, I_see," said the tin woodman ." but, after all, brains are_not the best things in_the_world ."

" have_you any ? " inquired the Scarecrow .

" no, my head is quite empty," answered the woodman ." but once I had brains, and a heart also; so, having tried them both, i_should much rather have a heart ."

" and why is_that ? " asked the Scarecrow .

" i_will tell you my story, and then you_will know ."

so, while they were walking through_the forest, the tin woodman told the following story:

" i_was born the son of a woodman who chopped down trees in_the forest and sold the wood for aliving . when I grew up, I too became awoodchopper, and after my father died i_took care of_my old mother as long as she lived . then I_made up my mind that instead of living alone i_would marry, so_that I might_not become lonely .

" there_was one_of_the Munchkin girls who was so beautiful that I soon grew to love her with all my heart . she, on her part, promised to marry me as_soon_as I_could earn enough money to build a better house for her; so I set to work harder than ever . but the girl lived with an old woman who did_not want her to marry anyone, for she was so lazy she wished the girl to remain with her and do_the cooking and_the housework . so the old woman went to_the wicked witch of_the east, and promised her two sheep and acow if she_would prevent the marriage . thereupon the wicked witch enchanted my axe, and when i_was chopping away at my best one day, for i_was anxious to_get the new house and my wife as_soon_as_possible, the axe slipped all at once and cut off my left leg .

" this at first seemed a great misfortune, for I_knew a one-legged man could_not do very_well as a wood- chopper . so I went to a tinsmith and had him make me a new leg out of tin . the leg worked very_well, once i_was used to_it . but my action angered the wicked witch of_the east, for she had promised the old woman I should_not marry the pretty Munchkin girl . when I began chopping again, my axe slipped and cut off my right leg . again I went to_the tinsmith, and again he_made me a leg out of tin . after_this the enchanted axe cut off my arms, one after_the other; but, nothing daunted, I had them replaced with tin ones . the wicked witch then made the axe slip and cut off my head, and at first i_thought that was_the end of me . but the tinsmith happened to_come along, and he_made me a new head out of tin .

" i_thought I had beaten the wicked witch then, and I worked harder than ever; but I little knew how cruel my enemy could_be . she thought of a new way to kill my love for_the beautiful Munchkin maiden, and made my axe slip again, so_that it cut right through my body, splitting me into two halves . once more the tinsmith came to my help and made me a body of tin, fastening my tin arms and legs and head to_it, by_means of joints, so_that I_could move around as_well as ever . but, alas ! I had now no heart, so_that I lost all my love for_the Munchkin girl, and did_not care whether I married her or not .I suppose she_is still living with_the old woman, waiting for_me to_come after her .

" my body shone so brightly in_the sun that I_felt very proud of it and it did_not matter now if_my axe slipped, for_it could_not cut me . there_was only_one danger-- that my joints would rust; but I kept an oil- can in my cottage and took care to oil myself whenever I needed it . however, there came a day when I forgot to do_this, and, being caught in a rainstorm, before i_thought of_the danger my joints had rusted, and i_was left to stand in_the woods until you came to help me . it_was a terrible thing to undergo, but during_the_year I stood there I had time to_think that_the greatest loss I had known was_the loss of_my heart . while i_was in love I was_the happiest man on earth; but no one can love who has_not a heart, and so I_am resolved to ask Oz to_give_me one . if he_does, i_will go back to_the Munchkin maiden and marry her ."

both Dorothy and_the Scarecrow had_been greatly interested in_the story of_the tin woodman, and now they knew why he_was so anxious to_get a new heart .

" all the same," said the Scarecrow, " I_shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would_not know what to_do with a heart if he had one ."

" I_shall take_the heart," returned the tin woodman; " for brains do_not make one happy, and happiness is_the best thing in_the_world ."

Dorothy did_not say anything, for she was puzzled to_know which of her two friends was right, and she decided if she_could only get back to Kansas and aunt Em, it did_not matter so_much whether the woodman had no brains and_the Scarecrow no heart, or each got what he_wanted .

what worried her most was_that the bread was nearly gone, and another meal for herself and Toto would empty the basket . to_be_sure neither the woodman nor the Scarecrow ever ate anything, but she was not made of tin nor straw, and could_not live unless she was fed .

6 . the cowardly lion

all this_time Dorothy and her companions had_been walking through_the thick woods . the road was still paved with yellow brick, but these were much covered by dried branches and dead leaves from_the trees, and_the walking was not at all good .

there were few birds in_this part of_the forest, for birds love the open country where there_is plenty of sunshine . but now_and_then there came a deep growl from some wild animal hidden among_the trees . these sounds made the little girl's heart beat fast, for she did_not know what made them; but Toto knew, and he walked close to Dorothy's side, and did_not even bark in return .

" how long will it be," the child asked of_the tin woodman, " before we_are out_of_the forest ? "

" I_cannot tell," was_the answer, " for I_have never been to_the emerald city . but my father went there once, when i_was a boy, and he_said it_was a long journey through a dangerous country, although nearer to_the city where Oz dwells the country is beautiful . but I_am not afraid so_long as I_have my oil- can, and nothing can hurt the Scarecrow, while you bear upon your forehead the mark of_the good witch's kiss, and that_will protect you from harm ."

" but Toto ! " said the girl anxiously ." what_will protect him ? "

" we_must protect him ourselves if he_is in danger," replied the tin woodman .

just as he spoke there came from_the forest a terrible roar, and_the next moment a great lion bounded into_the road . with one blow of_his paw he sent the Scarecrow spinning over and over to_the edge of_the road, and then he struck at_the tin woodman with_his sharp claws . but, to_the lion's surprise, he_could make no impression on_the tin, although the woodman fell over in_the road and lay still .

little Toto, now that he had an enemy to_face, ran barking toward the lion, and_the great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog, when Dorothy, fearing Toto would_be killed, and heedless of danger, rushed forward and slapped the lion upon his nose as hard as she_could, while she cried out:

"Don't you dare to

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