The Tin Woodman of Oz Read online

  Produced by Anthony Matonac

  THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ

  by

  L. Frank Baum

  A Faithful Story of the Astonishing Adventure Undertaken by the Tin Woodman, assisted by Woot the Wanderer, the Scarecrow of Oz, and Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter

  by L. FRANK BAUM "Royal historian of Oz"

  This Book is dedicated to the son of my son Frank Alden Baum

  TO MY READERS

  I know that some of you have been waiting for this story of the TinWoodman, because many of my correspondents have asked me, time andagain what ever became of the "pretty Munchkin girl" whom Nick Chopperwas engaged to marry before the Wicked Witch enchanted his axe and hetraded his flesh for tin. I, too, have wondered what became of her, butuntil Woot the Wanderer interested himself in the matter the TinWoodman knew no more than we did. However, he found her, after manythrilling adventures, as you will discover when you have read thisstory.

  I am delighted at the continued interest of both young and old in theOz stories. A learned college professor recently wrote me to ask: "Forreaders of what age are your books intended?" It puzzled me to answerthat properly, until I had looked over some of the letters I havereceived. One says: "I'm a little boy 5 years old, and I Just love yourOz stories. My sister, who is writing this for me, reads me the Ozbooks, but I wish I could read them myself." Another letter says: "I'ma great girl 13 years old, so you'll be surprised when I tell you I amnot too old yet for the Oz stories." Here's another letter: "Since Iwas a young girl I've never missed getting a Baum book for Christmas.I'm married, now, but am as eager to get and read the Oz stories asever." And still another writes: "My good wife and I, both more than 70years of age, believe that we find more real enjoyment in your Oz booksthan in any other books we read." Considering these statements, I wrotethe college professor that my books are intended for all those whosehearts are young, no matter what their ages may be.

  I think I am justified in promising that there will be some astonishingrevelations about The Magic of Oz in my book for 1919. Always yourloving and grateful friend,

  L. FRANK BAUM. Royal Historian of Oz.

  "OZCOT" at HOLLYWOOD in CALIFORNIA 1918.

  LIST OF CHAPTERS

  1 Woot the Wanderer 2 The Heart of the Tin Woodman 3 Roundabout 4 The Loons of Loonville 5 Mrs. Yoop, the Giantess 6 The Magic of a Yookoohoo 7 The Lace Apron 8 The Menace of the Forest 9 The Quarrelsome Dragons 10 Tommy Kwikstep 11 Jinjur's Ranch 12 Ozma and Dorothy 13 The Restoration 14 The Green Monkey 15 The Man of Tin 16 Captain Fyter 17 The Workshop of Ku-Klip 18 The Tin Woodman Talks to Himself 19 The Invisible Country 20 Over Night 21 Polychrome's Magic 22 Nimmie Amee 23 Through the Tunnel 24 The Curtain Falls

  Chapter One

  Woot the Wanderer

  The Tin Woodman sat on his glittering tin throne in the handsome tinhall of his splendid tin castle in the Winkie Country of the Land ofOz. Beside him, in a chair of woven straw, sat his best friend, theScarecrow of Oz. At times they spoke to one another of curious thingsthey had seen and strange adventures they had known since first theytwo had met and become comrades. But at times they were silent, forthese things had been talked over many times between them, and theyfound themselves contented in merely being together, speaking now andthen a brief sentence to prove they were wide awake and attentive. Butthen, these two quaint persons never slept. Why should they sleep, whenthey never tired?

  And now, as the brilliant sun sank low over the Winkie Country of Oz,tinting the glistening tin towers and tin minarets of the tin castlewith glorious sunset hues, there approached along a winding pathwayWoot the Wanderer, who met at the castle entrance a Winkie servant.

  The servants of the Tin Woodman all wore tin helmets and tinbreastplates and uniforms covered with tiny tin discs sewed closelytogether on silver cloth, so that their bodies sparkled as beautifullyas did the tin castle--and almost as beautifully as did the Tin Woodmanhimself.

  Woot the Wanderer looked at the man servant--all bright andglittering--and at the magnificent castle--all bright andglittering--and as he looked his eyes grew big with wonder. For Wootwas not very big and not very old and, wanderer though he was, thisproved the most gorgeous sight that had ever met his boyish gaze.

  "Who lives here?" he asked.

  "The Emperor of the Winkies, who is the famous Tin Woodman of Oz,"replied the servant, who had been trained to treat all strangers withcourtesy.

  "A Tin Woodman? How queer!" exclaimed the little wanderer.

  "Well, perhaps our Emperor is queer," admitted the servant; "but he isa kind master and as honest and true as good tin can make him; so we,who gladly serve him, are apt to forget that he is not like otherpeople."

  "May I see him?" asked Woot the Wanderer, after a moment's thought.

  "If it please you to wait a moment, I will go and ask him," said theservant, and then he went into the hall where the Tin Woodman sat withhis friend the Scarecrow. Both were glad to learn that a stranger hadarrived at the castle, for this would give them something new to talkabout, so the servant was asked to admit the boy at once.

  By the time Woot the Wanderer had passed through the grandcorridors--all lined with ornamental tin--and under stately tinarchways and through the many tin rooms all set with beautiful tinfurniture, his eyes had grown bigger than ever and his whole littlebody thrilled with amazement. But, astonished though he was, he wasable to make a polite bow before the throne and to say in a respectfulvoice: "I salute your Illustrious Majesty and offer you my humbleservices."

  "Very good!" answered the Tin Woodman in his accustomed cheerfulmanner. "Tell me who you are, and whence you come."

  "I am known as Woot the Wanderer," answered the boy, "and I have come,through many travels and by roundabout ways, from my former home in afar corner of the Gillikin Country of Oz."

  "To wander from one's home," remarked the Scarecrow, "is to encounterdangers and hardships, especially if one is made of meat and bone. Hadyou no friends in that corner of the Gillikin Country? Was it nothomelike and comfortable?"

  To hear a man stuffed with straw speak, and speak so well, quitestartled Woot, and perhaps he stared a bit rudely at the Scarecrow. Butafter a moment he replied:

  "I had home and friends, your Honorable Strawness, but they were soquiet and happy and comfortable that I found them dismally stupid.Nothing in that corner of Oz interested me, but I believed that inother parts of the country I would find strange people and see newsights, and so I set out upon my wandering journey. I have been awanderer for nearly a full year, and now my wanderings have brought meto this splendid castle."

  "I suppose," said the Tin Woodman, "that in this year you have seen somuch that you have become very wise."

  "No," replied Woot, thoughtfully, "I am not at all wise, I beg toassure your Majesty. The more I wander the less I find that I know, forin the Land of Oz much wisdom and many things may be learned."

  "To learn is simple. Don't you ask questions?" inquired the Scarecrow.

  "Yes; I ask as many questions as I dare; but some people refuse toanswer questions."

  "That is not kind of them," declared the Tin Woodman. "If one does notask for information he seldom receives it; so I, for my part, make it arule to answer any civil question that is asked me."

  "So do I," added the Scarecrow, nodding.

  "I am glad to hear this," said the Wanderer, "for it makes me bold toask for something to eat."

  "Bless the boy!" cried the Emperor of the Winkies; "how careless of menot to remember that wanderers are usu
ally hungry. I will have foodbrought you at once."

  Saying this he blew upon a tin whistle that was suspended from his tinneck, and at the summons a servant appeared and bowed low. The TinWoodman ordered food for the stranger, and in a few minutes the servantbrought in a tin tray heaped with a choice array of good things to eat,all neatly displayed on tin dishes that were polished till they shonelike mirrors. The tray was set upon a tin table drawn before thethrone, and the servant placed a tin chair before the table for the boyto seat himself.

  "Eat, friend Wanderer," said the Emperor cordially, "and I trust thefeast will be to your liking. I, myself, do not eat, being made in suchmanner that I require no food to keep me alive. Neither does my friendthe Scarecrow. But all my Winkie people eat, being formed of flesh, asyou are, and so my tin cupboard is never bare, and strangers are alwayswelcome to whatever it contains."

  The boy ate in silence for a time, being really hungry, but after hisappetite was somewhat satisfied, he said:

  "How happened your Majesty to be made of tin, and still be alive?"

  "That," replied the tin man, "is a long story."

  "The longer the better," said the boy. "Won't you please tell me thestory?"

  "If you desire it," promised the Tin Woodman, leaning back in his tinthrone and crossing his tin legs. "I haven't related my history in along while, because everyone here knows it nearly as well as I do. Butyou, being a stranger, are no doubt curious to learn how I became sobeautiful and prosperous, so I will recite for your benefit my strangeadventures."

  "Thank you," said Woot the Wanderer, still eating.

  "I was not always made of tin," began the Emperor, "for in thebeginning I was a man of flesh and bone and blood and lived in theMunchkin Country of Oz. There I was, by trade, a woodchopper, andcontributed my share to the comfort of the Oz people by chopping up thetrees of the forest to make firewood, with which the women would cooktheir meals while the children warmed themselves about the fires. Formy home I had a little hut by the edge of the forest, and my life wasone of much content until I fell in love with a beautiful Munchkin girlwho lived not far away."

  "What was the Munchkin girl's name?" asked Woot.

  "Nimmie Amee. This girl, so fair that the sunsets blushed when theirrays fell upon her, lived with a powerful witch who wore silver shoesand who had made the poor child her slave. Nimmie Amee was obliged towork from morning till night for the old Witch of the East, scrubbingand sweeping her hut and cooking her meals and washing her dishes. Shehad to cut firewood, too, until I found her one day in the forest andfell in love with her. After that, I always brought plenty of firewoodto Nimmie Amee and we became very friendly. Finally I asked her tomarry me, and she agreed to do so, but the Witch happened to overhearour conversation and it made her very angry, for she did not wish herslave to be taken away from her. The Witch commanded me never to comenear Nimmie Amee again, but I told her I was my own master and would doas I pleased, not realizing that this was a careless way to speak to aWitch.

  "The next day, as I was cutting wood in the forest, the cruel Witchenchanted my axe, so that it slipped and cut off my right leg."

  "How dreadful!" cried Woot the Wanderer.

  "Yes, it was a seeming misfortune," agreed the Tin Man, "for aone-legged woodchopper is of little use in his trade. But I would notallow the Witch to conquer me so easily. I knew a very skillfulmechanic at the other side of the forest, who was my friend, so Ihopped on one leg to him and asked him to help me. He soon made me anew leg out of tin and fastened it cleverly to my meat body. It hadjoints at the knee and at the ankle and was almost as comfortable asthe leg I had lost."

  "Your friend must have been a wonderful workman!" exclaimed Woot.

  "He was, indeed," admitted the Emperor. "He was a tinsmith by trade andcould make anything out of tin. When I returned to Nimmie Amee, thegirl was delighted and threw her arms around my neck and kissed me,declaring she was proud of me. The Witch saw the kiss and was moreangry than before. When I went to work in the forest, next day, my axe,being still enchanted, slipped and cut off my other leg. Again Ihopped--on my tin leg--to my friend the tinsmith, who kindly made meanother tin leg and fastened it to my body. So I returned joyfully toNimmie Amee, who was much pleased with my glittering legs and promisedthat when we were wed she would always keep them oiled and polished.But the Witch was more furious than ever, and as soon as I raised myaxe to chop, it twisted around and cut off one of my arms. The tinsmithmade me a tin arm and I was not much worried, because Nimmie Ameedeclared she still loved me."