Good evening beautiful souls and welcome to my reading of part two of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
So find yourself in a comfortable position in your bed,
Take a moment to stretch out,
To take up space,
To feel your muscles relaxing.
You've nowhere to go,
You've nothing to do,
It's time for rest.
Take some deep deep breaths,
Inhale and exhale.
Sink down into your mattress,
Make sure you're really really comfortable so that if this story of Dorothy and her friends sends you to sleep,
You're in a perfect position to float away.
Feel the duvet weighted on top of you,
Wiggle your toes against your sheets,
Snuggle them into the mattress and let's get ready to continue our adventures with Dorothy.
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.
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 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 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 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 and the girl was thankful the scarecrow did not have to eat anything,
For there was scarcely enough for herself and Toto 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 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 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 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,
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,
Dorothy 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,
Dorothy 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 then,
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.
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 a living.
When I grew up,
I too became a woodchopper.
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 of 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 nothing 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 chopping again,
My axe slipped and cut off my right leg.
Again I went to the tinsman 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 I 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 I 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,
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 got 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 to 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.
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,
And the walking was not 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,
What will protect Toto?
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.
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,
Pushed forward and slapped the lion upon his nose as hard as she could,
While she cried out,
Don't you dare bite Toto,
You ought to be ashamed of yourself,
A big beast like you,
To bite a poor little dog.
I didn't bite him,
Said the lion,
As he rubbed his nose with his paw,
Where Dorothy had hit it.
No,
But you tried to,
She retorted.
You are nothing but a big coward.
I know it,
Said the lion,
Hanging his head in shame.
I've always known it,
But how can I help it?
I don't know,
Said Dorothy,
To think of your striking a stuffed man,
Like the poor scarecrow.
Is he stuffed?
Asked the lion.
Surprised,
As he watched her pick up the scarecrow and set him upon his feet,
While she patted him into shape again.
Of course he's stuffed,
Replied Dorothy,
Who was still quite angry.
That's why he went over so easily,
Remarked the lion.
It astonished me to see him whirl around so.
Is the other one stuffed also?
No,
Said Dorothy.
He is made of tin and she helped the woodman up.
That's why he nearly blunted my claws,
Said the lion.
When they scratched against the tin,
It made a cold shiver run down my back.
What is that little animal you are so tender of?
He is my dog,
Toto,
Answered Dorothy.
Is he made of tin or is he stuffed?
Asked the lion.
Neither.
He's a meat dog,
Said the girl.
Oh,
He's a curious animal and seems remarkably small now that I look at him.
No one would think of biting such a little thing.
Well,
Except a coward like me.
What makes you a coward?
Asked Dorothy.
Looking at the great beast in wonder,
For he was as big as a small horse.
It's a mystery,
Replied the lion.
I suppose I was born that way.
All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave,
For the lion is everywhere thought to be the king of beasts.
I learned that if I roared very loudly,
Every living thing was frightened and got out of my way.
Whenever I've met a man,
I've been awfully scared.
But I just roared at him and he has always run away as fast as he could go.
If the elephants and the tigers and the bears ever tried to fight me,
I should have run myself.
I'm such a coward.
But just as soon as they hear me roar,
They all try to get away from me.
And of course I let them go.
But that isn't right,
Said the scarecrow.
The king of beasts shouldn't be a coward.
I know it,
Returned the lion,
Wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail.
It is my great sorrow and makes my life very unhappy.
But whenever there is danger,
My heart begins to beat so fast.
Perhaps you have heart disease,
Said the tin woodman.
It may be,
Said the lion.
If you have,
Continued the tin woodman,
You ought to be glad,
For it proves you have a heart.
For my part,
I have no heart,
So I cannot have heart disease.
Perhaps,
If I had no heart,
I should not be a coward,
Said the lion,
Thoughtfully.
Have you any brains?
Asked the scarecrow.
I suppose so.
I've never looked to see,
Replied the lion.
I am going to the great Oz to ask him to give me some brains,
Remarked the scarecrow.
For my head is stuffed with straw,
And I am going to ask him to give me a heart,
Said the woodman.
And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas,
Added Dorothy.
Do you think Oz could give me courage?
Asked the cowardly lion.
Just as easily as he could give me brains,
Said the scarecrow.
Or give me a heart,
Said the tin woodman.
Or send me back to Kansas,
Said Dorothy.
Then,
If you don't mind,
I'll go with you,
Said the lion.
For my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage.
You will be very welcome,
Said Dorothy.
For you will help to keep away the other wild beasts.
It seems to me that they must be more cowardly than you are,
If they allow you to scare them so easily.
They really are,
Said the lion.
But that doesn't make me any braver.
And as long as I know myself to be a coward,
I shall be unhappy.
So,
Once more,
The little company set off upon the journey,
The lion walking with stately strides at Dorothy's side.
Toto did not approve of this new comrade at first,
For he could not forget how nearly he had been crushed between the lion's great jaw.
But after a time,
He became more at ease.
And presently,
Toto and the cowardly lion had grown to be very good friends.
During the rest of that day,
There was no other adventure to mar the piece of their journey.
Once,
The tin woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road and killed the poor little thing.
This made the tin woodman very unhappy,
For he was always careful not to hurt any living creature.
And as he walked along,
He wept several tears of sorrow and regret.
These tears ran slowly down his face and over the hinges of his jaw,
And there they rusted.
When Dorothy presently asked him a question,
The tin woodman could not open his mouth,
For his jaw was tightly rusted together.
He became greatly frightened at this,
And made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him,
But she could not understand.
The lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong,
But the scarecrow seized the oil can from Dorothy's basket and oiled the woodman's jaw,
So that after a few moments,
He could talk as well as before.
This will serve me a lesson,
Said he.
To look where I step,
For if I should kill another bug or beetle,
I should surely cry again.
And crying rusts my jaw,
So that I cannot speak.
Thereafter,
He walked very carefully,
With his eyes on the road,
And when he saw a tiny ant toiling by,
He would step over it,
So as not to harm it.
The tin woodman knew very well he had no heart,
And therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.
You people with hearts,
He said,
Have something to guide you.
I need never do wrong,
That I have no heart,
And so I must be very careful when Oz gives me a heart.
Of course I needn't mind so much.
The Journey to the Great Oz.
They were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest,
For there were no houses near.
The tree made a good thick covering to protect them from the dew,
And the tin woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe,
And Dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely.
She and Toto ate the last of their bread,
And now she did not know what they would do for breakfast.
If you wish,
Said the lion,
I will go into the forest and kill a deer for you.
You can roast it by the fire,
Since your tastes are so peculiar that you prefer your food cooked,
And then you will have a very good breakfast.
Don't,
Please don't,
Begged the tin woodman.
I should certainly weep if you killed a poor deer,
And then my jaw would rust again.
But the lion went away into the forest and found his own supper,
And no one ever knew what it was,
For he didn't mention it.
And the scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy's basket with them,
So that she would not be hungry for a long time.
She thought this was very kind and very thoughtful of the scarecrow,
But she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts.
His padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket.
But the scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket,
For it enabled him to keep away from the fire as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him right up.
So he kept a good distance away from the flames and only came near to cover Dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep.
These kept her very snug and warm,
And she slept soundly until morning.
When it was daylight,
The girl bathed her face in a little rippling brook,
And soon after,
They all started toward the Emerald City.
This was to be an eventful day for the travellers.
They had hardly been walking for an hour when they saw before them a great ditch that crossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see on either side.
It was a very wide ditch,
And when they crept up to the edge and looked into it,
They could see that it was also very deep,
And there were many big jagged rocks at the bottom.
The sides were so steep that none of them could climb down,
And for a moment,
It seemed that their journey must end.
What shall we do?
Asked Dorothy.
I haven't the faintest idea,
Said the tin woodman,
And the lion shook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful.
But the scarecrow said,
We cannot fly,
That is certain.
Neither can we climb down into this great ditch.
Therefore,
If we cannot jump over it,
We must stop where we are.
I think I could jump over it,
Said the cowardly lion,
After measuring the distance carefully in his mind.
Then we are all right,
Said the scarecrow,
For you can carry us all over on your back,
One at a time.
Well,
I'll try it,
Said the lion.
Who will go first?
I will,
Declared the scarecrow,
For if you found that you could not jump over the gulf,
Dorothy would be killed,
Or the tin woodman badly dented on the rocks below.
But if I am on your back,
It will not matter so much,
For the fall would not hurt me at all.
I am terribly afraid of falling myself,
Said the cowardly lion,
But I suppose there is nothing to do but try it.
So get on my back,
Scarecrow,
And we will make the attempt.
The scarecrow sat upon the lion's back,
And the big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down.
Why don't you run and jump,
Asked the scarecrow,
Because that isn't the way that we lions do these things,
He replied.
Then,
Giving a great spring,
He shot through the air and landed safely on the other side.
They were all greatly pleased to see how easily he did it,
And after the scarecrow had got down from his back,
The lion sprang across the ditch again.
Dorothy thought she would go next,
So she took Toto in her arms and climbed on the lion's back,
Holding tightly to his mane with one hand.
The next moment it seemed as if she were flying through the air,
And then,
Before she had time to think about it,
She was safe on the other side.
The lion went back a third time and got the tin woodman,
And then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chance to rest,
For he had made great leaps,
Which had made his breath short,
And he panted like a big dog that has been running for too long.
They found the forest to be very thick on this side,
And it looked dark and gloomy.
After the lion had rested,
They started along the road of yellow brick,
Silently wondering,
Each in his own mind,
If ever they would come to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshine again.
To add to their discomfort,
They soon heard strange noises in the depths of the forest,
And the lion whispered to them that it was in this part of the country that the Kalidars live.
What are the Kalidars?
Asked the girl.
They are monstrous beasts,
With bodies like bears and heads like tigers,
Replied the lion,
And with claws so long and sharp that they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto.
I'm terribly afraid of the Kalidars.
I'm not surprised that you are,
Returned Dorothy.
They must be dreadful beasts,
The lion was about to reply,
When suddenly they came to another gulf across the road,
But this one was so broad and deep that the lion knew at once that he could not leap across it.
So,
They sat down to consider what they should do,
And after serious thought,
The scarecrow said,
Here is a great tree,
Standing close to the ditch.
If the tin woodman can chop it down so that it will fall to the other side,
We can walk across it easily.
That is a first-rate idea,
Said the lion.
One would almost suspect you had brains in your head instead of straw.
The woodman set to work at once,
And so sharp was his axe that the tree was soon chopped nearly through.
Then the lion put his strong front legs against the tree and pushed with all his might,
And slowly,
The big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch,
With its top branches on the other side.
They had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp growl made them all look up,
And to their horror,
They saw running toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears,
And heads like tigers.
They are the colliders,
Said the cowardly lion,
Beginning to tremble.
Quick,
Cried the scarecrow,
Let us cross over.
So,
Dorothy went first,
Holding Toto in her arms.
The tin woodman followed,
And the scarecrow came next.
The lion,
Although he was certainly afraid,
Turned to face the colliders.
And then,
He gave so loud and so terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed,
And the scarecrow fell over backward,
While even the colliders stopped short and looked at him in surprise.
But,
Seeing that they were bigger than the lion,
And remembering that there were two of them,
And only one of him,
The colliders again rushed forward,
And the lion crossed over the tree,
And turned to see what they would do next.
Without stopping an instant,
The beasts also began to cross the tree,
And the lion said to Dorothy,
We are lost,
For they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws.
But stand close behind me,
Dorothy,
And I will fight them as long as I am alive.
Wait a minute,
Called the scarecrow.
He had been thinking what was best to be done,
He had been thinking what was best to be done,
And now he asked the woodman to chop away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch.
The tin woodman began to use his axe at once,
And just as the two colliders were nearly across,
The tree fell with a crash into the gulf,
Carrying the ugly snarling brutes with it,
And both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom.
Well,
Said the cowardly lion,
Drawing a long breath of relief,
I see we are going to live a little while longer,
And I am glad of it,
For it must be a very uncomfortable thing uncomfortable thing not to be alive.
Those creatures frightened me so badly that my heart is beating so fast.
Oh,
Said the tin woodman sadly,
I wish I had a heart to beat.
This adventure made the travellers more anxious than ever to get out of the forest,
And they walked so fast that Dorothy became tired,
And had to ride on the lion's back.
To their great joy,
The trees became thinner and thinner,
The farther they advanced,
And in the afternoon,
They suddenly came upon a broad river,
Flowing swiftly just before them,
On the other side of the water.
They could see the road of yellow brick running through a beautiful countryside,
With green meadows dotted with bright flowers,
And all the road bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits.
They were greatly pleased to see this delightful country before them.
How shall we cross the river?
Asked Dorothy.
That is easily done,
Replied the scarecrow.
The tin woodman must build us a raft,
So that we can float to the other side.
So,
The woodman took his axe,
And began to chop down small trees,
To make them a raft,
And while he was busy at this,
The scarecrow found on the riverbank a tree full of fine fruit.
This pleased Dorothy,
Who had eaten nothing but nuts all day,
And she made a hearty meal of the ripe fruit.
But it takes time to make a raft,
Even when one is as industrious and untiring as the tin woodman,
And when night came,
The work was still not done.
So,
They found a cozy place under the trees,
Where they slept well until the morning,
And Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City,
And of the good Wizard of Oz,
Who would soon send her back to her own home once again.
