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03 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum · Adventure Books Library

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  Chapter three, How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow. When Dorothy was left alone,
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  she began to feel hungry, so she went to the cupboard and cut herself
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  some bread, which she spread with butter. She gave some to Toto,
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  and taking a pail from the shelf, she carried it down to the little
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  brook and filled it with clear, sparkling water. Toto ran over to the
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  trees and began to bark at the birds sitting there. Dorothy went to get
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  him and saw such delicious fruit hanging from the branches that she gathered some of
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  it, finding it just what she wanted to help out her breakfast. Then
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  she went back to the house, and having helped herself and Toto to a
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  good drink of cool, clear water, she set about making ready for the
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  journey to the city of Emeralds. Dorothy had only one other dress, but
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  that happened to be clean, and was hanging on a peg beside her bed.
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  It was gingham with checks of white and blue, and although the blue
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  was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty The girl washed
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  herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet
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  on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from
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  the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down
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  at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were. Do for
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  a long journey, Toto, she said, And Toto looked up into her
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  face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what
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  she meant. At that moment, Dorothy saw lying on the table the silver
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  shoes that had belonged to the Witch of the East. I wonder if they'll
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  fit me, she said to Toto. They would be just the thing to
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  take a long walk in, for they could not wear out. She took
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  off her old leather shoes and tried on the silver ones, which fit her
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  as well as if they had been made for. Finally, she picked up
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  her basket. Come along, Toto, she said, we will go to
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  the Emerald city, and asked a great oz how to get back to Kansas
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  again. She closed the door, locked it, and put the key carefully
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  in the pocket of her dress, and so, with Toto trotting along soberly
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  behind her, she started on her journey. There were several roads nearby,
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  but It did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow bricks.
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  Within a short time she was walking briskly towards the Emerald City, her
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  silver shoes tinkling merrily on the hard yellow roadbed. The sun shone bright,
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  and the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as
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  you might think a little girl who had been suddenly whisked away from her own
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  country and sat down in the midst of a strange land. She was surprised
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  as she walked along to see how pretty the country was about her. There
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  were neat fences at the sides of the road painted a dainty blue color,
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  and beyond them were fields of grain and vegetables in abundance. Evidently, the
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  Munchkins were good farmers and able to raise large crops. Once in a while
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  she would pass a house, and the people came out to look at her
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  and bow low as she went by, for everyone knew she had been the
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  means of destroying the wicked witch and setting them free from bondage. The houses
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  of the Munchkins were odd looking dwellings, for each was round with a big
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  dome for a roof. All were painted blue for in this country of the
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  east, blue was the favorite color. Toward evening, when Dorothy was tired
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  with her long walk and began to wonder where she should pass the night,
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  she came to a house rather larger than the rest on the green lawn.
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  Before it, many men and women were dancing. Five little fiddlers played as
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  loudly as possible, and the people were laughing and singing, while a big
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  table near by was loaded with delicious fruits and nuts, pies and cakes,
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  and many other good things to eat. People greeted Dorothy kindly and invited her
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  to supper and to pass the night with them, for this was the home
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  of one of the richest munchkins in the land, and his friends were gathered
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  with him to celebrate their freedom from the bondage of the wicked Witch. Dorothy
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  ate a hearty supper and was waited upon by the rich munchkin himself, whose
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  name was back Then she sat upon a settie and watched the people dance.
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  When Bok saw her silver shoes, he said, you must be a great
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  sorceress. Why, asked the girl, because you wear silver shoes and have
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  killed the wicked witch. Besides, you have white in your frock, and
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  only witches and sorceresses wear white. My dress is blue and white, checked,
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  said Dorothy, smoothing out the wrinkles in it. It is kind of
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  you to wear that, said Bock. Blue is the color of the munchkins,
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  and white is the witch color, so we know you are a friendly
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  witch. Dorothy did not know what to say to this, for all the
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  people seemed to think her a witch, and she knew very well she was
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  only an ordinary little girl who had come by the chance of a cyclone into
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  a strange land. When she had tired watching the dancing, Boq led her
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  into the house, where he gave her a room with a pretty bed in
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  it. The sheets were made of blue cloth, and Dorothy slept soundly in
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  them till morning, with Toto curled up on the blue rug beside her.
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  She ate a hearty breakfast and watched a wee munchkin baby who played with Toto
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  and pulled his tail and crowed and laughed in a way that greatly amused Dorothy.
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  Toto was a fine curiosity to all the people, for they had never
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  seen a dog before. How far is it to the Emerald City, the
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  girl asked, I do not know, answered Bob gravely, for I have
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  never been there. It is better for people to keep away from Oz unless
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  they have business with him. But is a long way to the Emerald City,
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  and it will take you many days. The country here is rich and
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  pleasant, but you must pass through rough and dangerous places before you reached the
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  end of your journey. This worried Dorothy a little, but she knew that
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  only the Great Oz could help get back to Kansas again, so she bravely
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  resolved not to turn back. She bade her friends goodbye and again started along
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  the road of Yellow Brick. When she had gone several miles, she thought
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  she would stop to rest, and so she climbed to the top of the
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  fence beside the road and sat down. There was a great cornfield beyond the
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  fence, and not far away she saw a scarecrow placed high on a pole
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  to keep the birds from the ripe corn. Dorothy leaned her chin upon her
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  hand and gazed thoughtfully at the scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed
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  with straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent
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  a face. An old pointed blue hat that had belonged to some munchkin was
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  perched on his head, and the rest of the figure was a blue suit
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  of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw.
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  On the feet were some old boots with blue tops, such as every man
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  wore in this country, and the figure was raised above the stalks of corn
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  by means of the pole stuck up its back. While Dorothy was looking earnestly
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  into the queer painted face of the scarecrow, she was surprised to see one
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  of the eyes slowly wink at her. She thought she must have been mistaken
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  at first, for none of the scarecrows in Kansas ever winked, But presently
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  the figure nodded its head to her in a friendly way. Then she climbed
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  down from the fence and walked up to it, while Toto ran around the
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  pole and barked. Good day, said the scarecrow in a rather husky voice.
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  Did you speak, asked the girl in wonder, certainly, answered the
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  scarecrow, How do you do. I'm pretty well, thank you, replied
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  Dorothy politely. How do you do. I'm not feeling well, said the
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  scarecrow with a smile, for it is very tedious being perched up here night
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  and day to scare away crows. Can't you get down, asked Dorothy.
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  No, this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take
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  away the pole, I shall be greatly obliged to you. Dorothy reached up
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  both arms and lifted the figure off the pole. For being stuffed with straw,
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  it was quite light. Thank you very much, said the scarecrow,
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  when he had been set down on the ground. I feel like a new
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  man. Dorothy was puzzled at this, for it sounded queer to hear a
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  stuffed man speak and to see him bow and walk along beside her. Who
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  are you? Asked the scarecrow when he had stretched himself and yawned. And
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  where are you going? My name is Dorothy, said the girl. And
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  I am going to the Emerald City to ask the Great Oz to send me
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  back to Kansas. Where's the Emerald City? He inquired? And who is
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  Oz? Why don't you know? She returned in surprise. No, indeed,
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  I don't know anything. You see. I am stuffed, so I
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  have no brains at all, he answered sadly. Oh oh, said Dorothy.
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  I'm awfully sorry for you. Do you think, he asked? If
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  I go to the Emerald City with you, that OZ could give me some
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  brains, I cannot tell, she returned, But you may come with me
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  if you like. If the OZ will not give you any brains, you
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  will be no worse off than you are now. That is true, said
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  the scarecrow. You see, he continued confidently. I don't mind my legs
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  and arms and body being stuffed because I cannot get hurt. If anyone treads
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  on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn't matter, for
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  I can't feel it. But I do not want people to call me a
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  fool. And if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains as
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  yours is, how am I ever to know anything. I understand how you
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  feel, said the little girl, who was truly sorry for him. If
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  you will come with me, I'll ask Oz to do all he can for
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  you. Thank you, he answered rightfully. They walked back to the road.
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  Dorothy helped him over the fence, and they started along the path of
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  yellow brick for the Emerald City. Toto did not like this addition to the
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  party. At first. He smelled around the stuffed man as if he suspected
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  there might be a nest of rats in the straw, and he often growled
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  in an unfriendly way at the scarecrow. Don't mind Toto, said Dorothy to
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  her new friend. He never bites. Oh I'm not afraid, replied the
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  scarecrow. He can't hurt the straw. Do let me carry that basket for
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  you. I shall not mind it, for I can't get tired. I'll
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  tell you a secret, he continued as he walked along. There is only
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  one thing in the world I am afraid of. What is that? Asked
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  Dorothy, the Munchkin's farmer. Who made you? No, answered the scarecrow.
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  It's a lighted match. End of chapter three.