The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Page 7

  Chapter VII.

  The Journey to The Great Oz.

  They were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in theforest, for there were no houses near. The tree made a good, thickcovering to protect them from the dew, and the Tin Woodman chopped agreat pile of wood with his axe and Dorothy built a splendid fire thatwarmed her and made her feel less lonely. She and Toto ate the last oftheir 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 adeer for you. You can roast it by the fire, since your tastes are sopeculiar that you prefer cooked food, and then you will have a verygood breakfast."

  "Don't! please don't," begged the Tin Woodman. "I should certainlyweep if you killed a poor deer, and then my jaws would rust again."

  But the Lion went away into the forest and found his own supper, and noone ever knew what it was, for he didn't mention it. And the Scarecrowfound a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy's basket with them, sothat she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was verykind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at theawkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. His paddedhands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almostas many as he put in the basket. But the Scarecrow did not mind howlong it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled him to keep awayfrom the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burnhim up. So he kept a good distance away from the flames, and only camenear to cover Dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep. Thesekept her very snug and warm and she slept soundly until morning.

  When it was daylight the girl bathed her face in a little ripplingbrook and soon after they all started toward the Emerald City.

  This was to be an eventful day for the travellers. They had hardlybeen walking an hour when they saw before them a great ditch thatcrossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see oneither side. It was a very wide ditch, and when they crept up to theedge and looked into it they could see it was also very deep, andthere were many big, jagged rocks at the bottom. The sides were sosteep that none of them could climb down, and for a moment it seemedthat their journey must end.

  "What shall we do?" asked Dorothy, despairingly.

  "I haven't the faintest idea," said the Tin Woodman; and the Lionshook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful. But the Scarecrow said:

  "We cannot fly, that is certain; neither can we climb down into thisgreat ditch. Therefore, if we cannot jump over it, we must stop wherewe are."

  "I think I could jump over it," said the Cowardly Lion, aftermeasuring the distance carefully in his mind.

  "Then we are all right," answered the Scarecrow, "for you can carryus 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 couldnot jump over the gulf, Dorothy would be killed, or the Tin Woodmanbadly dented on the rocks below. But if I am on your back it will notmatter 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 backand we will make the attempt."

  The Scarecrow sat upon the Lion's back, and the big beast walked tothe edge of the gulf and crouched down.

  "Why don't you run and jump?" asked the Scarecrow.

  "Because that isn't the way we Lions do these things," he replied.Then giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safelyon the other side. They were all greatly pleased to see how easily hedid it, and after the Scarecrow had got down from his back the Lionsprang across the ditch again.

  Dorothy thought she would go next; so she took Toto in her arms andclimbed on the Lion's back, holding tightly to his mane with onehand. The next moment it seemed as if she was flying through the air;and then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on theother 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 achance to rest, for his great leaps had made his breath short, and hepanted like a big dog that has been running too long.

  They found the forest very thick on this side, and it looked darkand gloomy. After the Lion had rested they started along the roadof yellow brick, silently wondering, each in his own mind, if everthey would come to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshineagain. To add to their discomfort, they soon heard strange noises inthe depths of the forest, and the Lion whispered to them that it wasin this part of the country that the Kalidahs lived.

  "What are the Kalidahs?" asked the girl.

  "They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads liketigers," replied the Lion; "and with claws so long and sharp thatthey could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I'mterribly afraid of the Kalidahs."

  "I'm not surprised that you are," returned Dorothy "They must bedreadful beasts."

  The Lion was about to reply when suddenly they came to another gulfacross the road; but this one was so broad and deep that the Lionknew at once he could not leap across it.

  So they sat down to consider what they should do, and after seriousthought the Scarecrow said,

  "Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. If the TinWoodman can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, wecan walk across it easily."

  "That is a first rate idea," said the Lion. "One would almost suspectyou had brains in your head, instead of straw."

  The Woodman set to work at once, and so sharp was his axe that thetree was soon chopped nearly through. Then the Lion put his strongfront legs against the tree and pushed with all his might, and slowlythe big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch, with itstop branches on the other side.

  They had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp growlmade them all look up, and to their horror they saw running towardthem two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers.

  "They are the Kalidahs!" said the Cowardly Lion, beginning to tremble.

  "Quick!" cried the Scarecrow, "let us cross over."

  "_The tree fell with a crash into the gulf._"]

  So Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms; the Tin Woodmanfollowed, and the Scarecrow came next. The Lion, although he wascertainly afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and then he gave soloud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow fellover backwards, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and lookedat him in surprise.

  But, seeing they were bigger than the Lion, and remembering thatthere were two of them and only one of him, the Kalidahs again rushedforward, and the Lion crossed over the tree and turned to see whatthey would do next. Without stopping an instant the fierce beastsalso began to cross the tree, and the Lion said to Dorothy,

  "We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharpclaws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as Iam alive."

  "Wait a minute!" called the Scarecrow. He had been thinking what wasbest to be done, and now he asked the Woodman to chop away the endof the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The Tin Woodmanbegan to use his axe at once, and, just as the two Kalidahs werenearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying theugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on thesharp rocks at the bottom.

  "Well," said the Cowardly Lion, drawing a long breath of relief, "Isee we are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it,for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive. Thosecreatures frightened me so badly that my heart is beating yet."

  "Ah." 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 ofthe forest, and they walked so fast that Dorothy became tired, and hadto ride on the Lion's back. To their great joy the trees became thinnerthe f
urther they advanced, and in the afternoon they suddenly came upona broad river, flowing swiftly just before them. On the other side ofthe water they could see the road of yellow brick running through abeautiful country, with green meadows dotted with bright flowers andall the road bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits. Theywere 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 mustbuild us a raft, so we can float to the other side."

  So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to makea 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 eatennothing 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 anduntiring as the Tin Woodman, and when night came the work was not done.So they found a cozy place under the trees where they slept well untilthe morning; and Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City, and of the goodWizard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again.