The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Page 6

  Chapter VI.

  The Cowardly Lion.

  "_You ought to be ashamed of yourself!_"]

  All this time Dorothy and her companions had been walking through thethick woods. The road was still paved with yellow brick, but thesewere much covered by dried branches and dead leaves from the trees,and the walking was not at all good.

  There were few birds in this part of the forest, for birds love theopen country where there is plenty of sunshine; but now and thenthere 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 notknow what made them; but Toto knew, and he walked close to Dorothy'sside, and did not even bark in return.

  "How long will it be," the child asked of the Tin Woodman, "before weare out of the forest?"

  "I cannot tell," was the answer, "for I have never been to theEmerald City. But my father went there once, when I was a boy, andhe said it was a long journey through a dangerous country, althoughnearer to the city where Oz dwells the country is beautiful. But Iam not afraid so long as I have my oil-can, and nothing can hurt theScarecrow, while you bear upon your forehead the mark of the goodWitch's kiss, and that will protect you from harm."

  "But Toto!" said the girl, anxiously; "what will protect him?"

  "We must protect him ourselves, if he is in danger," replied the TinWoodman.

  Just as he spoke there came from the forest a terrible roar, and thenext moment a great Lion bounded into the road. With one blow of hispaw he sent the Scarecrow spinning over and over to the edge of theroad, 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.

  Little Toto, now that he had an enemy to face, ran barking toward theLion, and the great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog, whenDorothy, fearing Toto would be killed, and heedless of danger, rushedforward and slapped the Lion upon his nose as hard as she could,while she cried out:

  "Don't you dare to bite Toto! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, abig beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!"

  "I didn't bite him," said the Lion, as he rubbed his nose with hispaw where Dorothy had hit it.

  "No, but you tried to," she retorted. "You are nothing but a bigcoward."

  "I know it," said the Lion, hanging his head in shame; "I've alwaysknown it. But how can I help it?"

  "I don't know, I'm sure. To think of your striking a stuffed man,like the poor Scarecrow!"

  "Is he stuffed?" asked the Lion, in surprise, as he watched her pickup the Scarecrow and set him upon his feet, while she patted him intoshape again.

  "Of course he's stuffed," replied Dorothy, who was still angry.

  "That's why he went over so easily," remarked the Lion. "It astonishedme to see him whirl around so. Is the other one stuffed, also?"

  "No," said Dorothy, "he's made of tin." And she helped the Woodman upagain.

  "That's why he nearly blunted my claws," said the Lion. "When theyscratched 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 stuffed?" asked the Lion.

  "Neither. He's a--a--a meat dog," said the girl.

  "Oh. He's a curious animal, and seems remarkably small, now that Ilook at him. No one would think of biting such a little thing excepta coward like me," continued the Lion, sadly.

  "What makes you a coward?" asked Dorothy, looking at the great beastin wonder, for he was as big as a small horse.

  "It's a mystery," replied the Lion. "I suppose I was born thatway. All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to bebrave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts.I learned that if I roared very loudly every living thing wasfrightened and got out of my way. Whenever I've met a man I've beenawfully scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run awayas fast as he could go. If the elephants and the tigers and the bearshad ever tried to fight me, I should have run myself--I'm such acoward; but just as soon as they hear me roar they all try to getaway from me, and of course I let them go."

  "But that isn't right. The King of Beasts shouldn't be a coward,"said the Scarecrow.

  "I know it," returned the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with thetip of his tail; "it is my great sorrow, and makes my life veryunhappy. But whenever there is danger my heart begins to beat 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, forit proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I cannothave heart disease."

  "Perhaps," said the Lion, thoughtfully, "if I had no heart I shouldnot be a coward."

  "Have you 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," remarked theScarecrow, "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," addedDorothy.

  "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 mylife is simply unbearable without a bit of courage."

  "You will be very welcome," answered Dorothy, "for you will help tokeep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me they must be morecowardly 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 Lionwalking with stately strides at Dorothy's side. Toto did not approvethis new comrade at first, for he could not forget how nearly hehad been crushed between the Lion's great jaws; but after a time hebecame more at ease, and presently Toto and the Cowardly Lion hadgrown to be good friends.

  During the rest of that day there was no other adventure to mar thepeace of their journey. Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon abeetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor littlething. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was alwayscareful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along hewept several tears of sorrow and regret. These tears ran slowly downhis face and over the hinges of his jaw, and there they rusted.When Dorothy presently asked him a question the Tin Woodman couldnot open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together. Hebecame greatly frightened at this and made many motions to Dorothy torelieve him, but she could not understand. The Lion was also puzzledto know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow seized the oil-can fromDorothy's basket and oiled the Woodman's jaws, so that after a fewmoments he could talk as well as before.

  "This will serve me a lesson," said he, "to look where I step. For ifI should kill another bug or beetle I should surely cry again, andcrying 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 asnot to harm it. The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, andtherefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.

  "You people with hearts," he said, "have something to guide you,and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be verycareful. When Oz gives me a heart of course I needn't mind so much."