The Tin Woodman received Princess
Dorothy's party with much grace
and cordiality, yet the little
girl decided that something must
be worrying with her old friend,
because he was not so merry as
usual.
But at first she said nothing
about this, for Uncle Henry and
Aunt Em were fairly bubbling
over with admiration for the
beautiful tin castle and its
polished tin owner. So her suspicion
that something unpleasant had
happened was for a time forgotten.
"Where is the Scarecrow?" she
asked, when they had all been
ushered into the big tin drawing-room
of the castle, the Sawhorse being
led around to the tin stable
in the rear.
"Why, our old friend has just
moved into his new mansion," explained
the Tin Woodman. "It has been
a long time in building, although
my Winkies and many other people
from all parts of the country
have been busily working upon
it. At last, however, it is completed,
and the Scarecrow took possession
of his new home just two days
ago."
"I hadn't heard that he wanted
a home of his own," said Dorothy. "Why
doesn't he live with Ozma in
the Emerald City? He used to,
you know; and I thought he was
happy there."
"It seems," said the Tin Woodman, "that
our dear Scarecrow cannot be
contented with city life, however
beautiful his surroundings might
be. Originally he was a farmer,
for he passed his early life
in a cornfield, where he was
supposed to frighten away the
crows."
"I know," said Dorothy, nodding. "I
found him, and lifted him down
from his pole."
"So now, after a long residence
in the Emerald City, his tastes
have turned to farm life again," continued
the Tin Man. "He feels that he
cannot be happy without a farm
of his own, so Ozma gave him
some land and every one helped
him build his mansion, and now
he is settled there for good."
"Who designed his house?" asked
the Shaggy Man.
"I believe it was Jack Pumpkinhead,
who is also a farmer," was the
reply.
They were now invited to enter
the tin dining room, where luncheon
was served.
Aunt Em found, to her satisfaction,
that Dorothy's promise was more
than fulfilled; for, although
the Tin Woodman had no appetite
of his own, he respected the
appetites of his guests and saw
that they were bountifully fed.
They passed the afternoon in
wandering through the beautiful
gardens and grounds of the palace.
The walks were all paved with
sheets of tin, brightly polished,
and there were tin fountains
and tin statues here and there
among the trees. The flowers
were mostly natural flowers and
grew in the regular way; but
their host showed them one flower
bed which was his especial pride.
"You see, all common flowers
fade and die in time," he explained, "and
so there are seasons when the
pretty blooms are scarce. Therefore
I decided to make one tin flower
bed all of tin flowers, and my
workmen have created them with
rare skill. Here you see tin
camelias, tin marigolds, tin
carnations, tin poppies and tin
hollyhocks growing as naturally
as if they were real."
Indeed, they
were a pretty sight, and glistened
under the
sunlight like spun silver. "Isn't
this tin hollyhock going to seed?" asked
the Wizard, bending over the
flowers.
"Why, I believe it is!" exclaimed
the Tin Woodman, as if surprised. "I
hadn't noticed that before. But
I shall plant the tin seeds and
raise another bed of tin hollyhocks."
In one corner of the gardens
Nick Chopper had established
a fish-pond in which they saw
swimming and disporting themselves
many pretty tin fishes.
"Would they bite on hooks?" asked
Aunt Em, curiously.
The Tin Woodman seemed hurt
at this question.
"Madam," said he, "do
you suppose I would allow anyone
to catch
my beautiful fishes, even if
they were foolish enough to bite
on hooks? No, indeed! Every created
thing is safe from harm in my
domain, and I would as soon think
of killing my little friend Dorothy
as killing one of my tin fishes."
"The Emperor is very kind-hearted,
ma'am," explained the Wizard. "If
a fly happens to light upon his
tin body he doesn't rudely brush
it off, as some people might
do; he asks it politely to find
some other resting place."
"What does the fly do then?" enquired
Aunt Em.
"Usually it begs his pardon
and goes away," said the Wizard,
gravely. "Flies like to be treated
politely as well as other creatures,
and here in Oz they understand
what we say to them, and behave
very nicely."
"Well," said Aunt Em, "the
flies in Kansas, where I came
from, don't understand anything
but a swat. You have to smash
'em to make 'em behave; and it's
the same way with 'skeeters.
Do you have 'skeeters in Oz?"
"We have some very large mosquitoes
here, which sing as beautifully
as song birds," replied the Tin
Woodman. "But they never bite
or annoy our people, because
they are well fed and taken care
of. The reason they bite people
in your country is because they
are hungry--poor things!"
"Yes," agreed Aunt Em; "they're
hungry, all right. An' they ain't
very particular who they feed
on. I'm glad you've got the 'skeeters
educated in Oz."
That evening after dinner they
were entertained by the Emperor's
Tin Cornet Band, which played
for them several sweet melodies.
Also the Wizard did a few sleight-of-hand
tricks to amuse the company;
after which they all retired
to their cozy tin bedrooms and
slept soundly until morning.
After breakfast Dorothy said
to the Tin Woodman:
"If you'll
tell us which way to go we'll
visit the Scarecrow
on our way home."
"I will go with you, and show
you the way," replied the Emperor; "for
I must journey to-day to the
Emerald City."
He looked so anxious, as he
said this, that the little girl
asked:
"There isn't
anything wrong with Ozma, is
there?"
"Not yet," said he; "but
I'm afraid the time has come
when
I must tell you some very bad
news, little friend."
"Oh, what is it?" cried
Dorothy.
"Do you remember the Nome King?" asked
the Tin Woodman.
"I remember him very well," she
replied.
"The Nome King has not a kind
heart," said the Emperor, sadly, "and
he has been harboring wicked
thoughts of revenge, because
we once defeated him and liberated
his slaves and you took away
his Magic Belt. So he has ordered
his Nomes to dig a long tunnel
underneath the deadly desert,
so that he may march his hosts
right into the Emerald City.
When he gets there he intends
to destroy our beautiful country."
Dorothy was much surprised
to hear this.
"How did Ozma find out about
the tunnel?" she asked.
"She saw it
in her Magic Picture."
"Of course," said Dorothy; "I
might have known that. And what
is she going to do?"
"I cannot tell," was
the reply.
"Pooh!" cried the Yellow Hen. "We're
not afraid of the Nomes. If we
roll a few of our eggs down the
tunnel they'll run away back
home as fast as they can go."
"Why, that's true enough!" exclaimed
Dorothy. "The Scarecrow once
conquered all the Nome King's
army with some of Billina's eggs."
"But you do not understand
all of the dreadful plot," continued
the Tin Woodman. "The Nome King
is clever, and he knows his Nomes
would run from eggs; so he has
bargained with many terrible
creatures to help him. These
evil spirits are not afraid of
eggs or anything else, and they
are very powerful. So the Nome
King will send them through the
tunnel first, to conquer and
destroy, and then the Nomes will
follow after to get their share
of the plunder and slaves."
They were all startled to hear
this, and every face wore a troubled
look.
"Is the tunnel all ready?" asked
Dorothy.
"Ozma sent
me word yesterday that the
tunnel was all completed
except for a thin crust of earth
at the end. When our enemies
break through this crust, they
will be in the gardens of the
royal palace, in the heart of
the Emerald City. I offered to
arm all my Winkies and march
to Ozma's assistance; but she
said no."
"I wonder why?" asked
Dorothy.
"She answered
that all the inhabitants of
Oz, gathered together,
were not powerful enough to fight
and overcome the evil forces
of the Nome King. Therefore she
refuses to fight at all."
"But they will capture and
enslave us, and plunder and ruin
all our lovely land!" exclaimed
the Wizard, greatly disturbed
by this statement.
"I fear they will," said the
Tin Woodman, sorrowfully. "And
I also fear that those who are
not fairies, such as the Wizard,
and Dorothy, and her uncle and
aunt, as well as Toto and Billina,
will be speedily put to death
by the conquerors."
"What can be done?" asked
Dorothy, shuddering a little
at the prospect
of this awful fate.
"Nothing can be done!" gloomily
replied the Emperor of the Winkies. "But
since Ozma refuses my army I
will go myself to the Emerald
City. The least I may do is to
perish beside my beloved Ruler."
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