The Wizard Of Oz. 5: The Rescue Of The Tin Woodman

In the fifth chapter of L Frank Baum's beloved story, Dorothy and the Scarecrow discover the rusted Tin Woodman in the woods. Dorothy oils his joints and he joins them (bringing the oil can along) in their journey to the Emerald City along the yellow brick road. On the way, he tells them the story of how he became a tin man and lost his heart.

L Frank Baum openly admitted to being influenced by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking Glass. If you're enjoying The Wizard of Oz, you will definitely enjoy these stories too, both narrated by me on Insight Timer.

Both of these books are available, complete, on playlists. Feel free to download the Wizard of Oz playlist too from the Insight Timer app, and listen to the tracks seamlessly. Tracks are added as they are published.

Transcript

Hello there,

It's Mandy here.

Thanks for joining me tonight and welcome back to The Wizard of Oz by L.

Frank Baum.

Baum was infatuated for more or less his whole lifetime on the theatre.

Things didn't always go well but he could never stay away long from the stage.

He performed in plays under the stage names of Louis F.

Baum and George Brooks.

In 1880 his father built him a theatre in Richburg,

New York and Baum set about writing plays and gathering a company to act in them.

His plays were moderately successful and for one play he composed songs which made it in a way a sort of musical.

We've reached chapter five,

The Rescue of the Tin Woodman and before I go ahead please make yourself really comfortable.

Settle down into your chair or your bed,

Relax your hands,

Soften your shoulders and loosen your jaw.

That's great.

So if you're ready then I shall begin.

Chapter five.

When Dorothy awoke the sun was shining through the trees and Toto had long been out chasing birds and squirrels.

She sat up and looked around her.

There was the scarecrow still standing patiently in his corner waiting for her.

We must go and search for water,

She said to him.

Why do you need 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 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's worth a lot 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'd finished her meal and was about to go back to the road of yellow brick she was startled to hear a deep groan nearby.

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.

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 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 couldn't 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'll find an oil can on the 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.

Though 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 lent 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 but 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're 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 also 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 but soon after they'd begun their journey again they came to a place where the trees and branches grew so thick over the road that travellers 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 didn't 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's why I'm 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 a living.

When I grew up I too became a wood chopper 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 didn't 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 a cow 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 woodchopper 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 shopping again my axe slipped and cut off my right leg.

Again I went to the tinner 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 but 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'd 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 now have no heart so I lost all my love for the munchkin girl and didn't care whether I married her or not.

I suppose she's 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 didn't matter now if my axe slipped for it couldn't 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 Wood Man 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 Wood Man for brains do not make one happy and happiness is the best thing in the world.

Dorothy didn't 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 didn't matter so much whether the Wood Man had no brains and the Scarecrow had 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 Wood Man nor the Scarecrow ever ate anything but she was not made of tin nor straw and could not live unless she was fed.

To be continued.

Reviews

I’m so impressed by the creativity of the actual story as well as its underlying sensitivity. Thanks for reading Mandy 🙏🏻

Remarkable how different the story is from the movie. Really enjoying your reading, Mandy!! Thank you!!

Wow! The TinMan’s origin story! Now when I watch the movie (for the umpteenth time as it is always shown around Thanksgiving for some reason) I’ll share that morsel with friends.
Thanks for reading the original to us Mandy!