After a few hours the road began
to be rough, and the walking
grew so difficult that the Scarecrow
often stumbled over the yellow
bricks, which were here very
uneven. Sometimes, indeed, they
were broken or missing altogether,
leaving holes that Toto jumped
across and Dorothy walked around.
As for the Scarecrow, having
no brains, he walked straight
ahead, and so stepped into the
holes and fell at full length
on the hard bricks. It never
hurt him, however, and Dorothy
would pick him up and set him
upon his feet again, while he
joined her in laughing merrily
at his own mishap.
The farms were not nearly so
well cared for here as they were
farther back. There were fewer
houses and fewer fruit trees,
and the farther they went the
more dismal and lonesome the
country became.
At noon they sat down by the
roadside, near a little brook,
and Dorothy opened her basket
and got out some bread. She offered
a piece to the Scarecrow, but
he refused.
"I am never hungry," he said, "and
it is a lucky thing I am not,
for my mouth is only painted,
and if I should cut a hole in
it so I could eat, the straw
I am stuffed with would come
out, and that would spoil the
shape of my head."
Dorothy saw at once that this
was true, so she only nodded
and went on eating her bread.
"Tell me something about yourself
and the country you came from," said
the Scarecrow, when she had finished
her dinner. So she told him all
about Kansas, and how gray everything
was there, and how the cyclone
had carried her to this queer
Land of Oz.
The Scarecrow
listened carefully, and said, "I
cannot understand why you should
wish to leave
this beautiful country and go
back to the dry, gray place you
call Kansas."
"That is because you have no
brains" answered the girl. "No
matter how dreary and gray our
homes are, we people of flesh
and blood would rather live there
than in any other country, be
it ever so beautiful. There is
no place like home."
The Scarecrow sighed.
"Of course I cannot understand
it," he said. "If your heads
were stuffed with straw, like
mine, you would probably all
live in the beautiful places,
and then Kansas would have no
people at all. It is fortunate
for Kansas that you have brains."
"Won't you tell me a story,
while we are resting?" asked
the child.
The Scarecrow looked at her
reproachfully, and answered:
"My life has
been so short that I really
know nothing whatever.
I was only made day before yesterday.
What happened in the world before
that time is all unknown to me.
Luckily, when the farmer made
my head, one of the first things
he did was to paint my ears,
so that I heard what was going
on. There was another Munchkin
with him, and the first thing
I heard was the farmer saying,
`How do you like those ears?'
"`They aren't straight,'" answered
the other.
"`Never mind,'" said the farmer. "`They
are ears just the same,'" which
was true enough.
"`Now I'll make the eyes,'" said
the farmer. So he painted my
right eye, and as soon as it
was finished I found myself looking
at him and at everything around
me with a great deal of curiosity,
for this was my first glimpse
of the world.
"`That's a rather pretty eye,'" remarked
the Munchkin who was watching
the farmer. "`Blue paint is just
the color for eyes.'
"`I think I'll make the other
a little bigger,'" said the farmer.
And when the second eye was done
I could see much better than
before. Then he made my nose
and my mouth. But I did not speak,
because at that time I didn't
know what a mouth was for. I
had the fun of watching them
make my body and my arms and
legs; and when they fastened
on my head, at last, I felt very
proud, forI thought I was just
as good a man as anyone.
"`This fellow
will scare the crows fast enough,'
said the
farmer. `He looks just like a
man.'
"`Why, he is
a man,' said the other, and
I quite agreed with
him. The farmer carried me under
his arm to the cornfield, and
set me up on a tall stick, where
you found me. He and his friend
soon after walked away and left
me alone.
"I did not
like to be deserted this way.
So I tried to walk
after them. But my feet would
not touch the ground, and I was
forced to stay on that pole.
It was a lonely life to lead,
for I had nothing to think of,
having been made such a little
while before. Many crows and
other birds flew into the cornfield,
but as soon as they saw me they
flew away again, thinking I was
a Munchkin; and this pleased
me and made me feel that I was
quite an important person. By
and by an old crow flew near
me, and after looking at me carefully
he perched upon my shoulder and
said:
"`I wonder
if that farmer thought to fool
me in this clumsy manner.
Any crow of sense could see that
you are only stuffed with straw.'
Then he hopped down at my feet
and ate all the corn he wanted.
The other birds, seeing he was
not harmed by me, came to eat
the corn too, so in a short time
there was a great flock of them
about me.
"I felt sad
at this, for it showed I was
not such a good
Scarecrow after all; but the
old crow comforted me, saying,
`If you only had brains in your
head you would be as good a man
as any of them, and a better
man than some of them. Brains
are the only things worth having
in this world, no matter whether
one is a crow or a man.'
"After the
crows had gone I thought this
over, and decided
I would try hard to get some
brains. By good luck you came
along and pulled me off the stake,
and from what you say I am sure
the Great Oz will give me brains
as soon as we get to the Emerald
City."
"I hope so," said Dorothy earnestly, "since
you seem anxious to have them."
"Oh, yes; I am anxious," returned
the Scarecrow. "It is such an
uncomfortable feeling to know
one is a fool."
"Well," said the girl, "let
us go." And she handed the basket
to the Scarecrow.
There were no fences at all
by the roadside now, and the
land was rough and untilled.
Toward evening they came to a
great forest, where the trees
grew so big and close together
that their branches met over
the road of yellow brick. It
was almost dark under the trees,
for the branches shut out the
daylight; but the travelers did
not stop, and went on into the
forest.
"If this road goes in, it must
come out," said the Scarecrow, "and
as the Emerald City is at the
other end of the road, we must
go wherever it leads us."
"Anyone would know that," said
Dorothy.
"Certainly; that is why I know
it," returned the Scarecrow. "If
it required brains to figure
it out, I never should have said
it."
After an hour or so the light
faded away, and they found themselves
stumbling along in the darkness.
Dorothy could not see at all,
but Toto could, for some dogs
see very well in the dark; and
the Scarecrow declared he could
see as well as by day. So she
took hold of his arm and managed
to get along fairly well.
"If you see any house, or any
place where we can pass the night," she
said, "you must tell me; for
it is very uncomfortable walking
in the dark."
Soon after the Scarecrow stopped.
"I see a little cottage at
the right of us," he said, "built
of logs and branches. Shall we
go there?"
"Yes, indeed," answered the
child. "I am all tired out."
So the Scarecrow led her through
the trees until they reached
the cottage, and Dorothy entered
and found a bed of dried leaves
in one corner. She lay down at
once, and with Toto beside her
soon fell into a sound sleep.
The Scarecrow, who was never
tired, stood up in another corner
and waited patiently until morning
came.
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