All this time Dorothy and her
companions had been walking through
the thick woods. The road was
still paved with yellow brick,
but these were 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 the open country where there
is plenty of sunshine. But now
and then there 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 not know
what made them; but Toto knew,
and he walked close to Dorothy's
side, and did not even bark in
return.
"How long will it be," the
child asked of the Tin Woodman, "before
we are out of the forest?"
"I cannot tell," was the answer, "for
I have never been to the Emerald
City. But my father went there
once, when I was a boy, and he
said it was a long journey through
a dangerous country, although
nearer to the city where Oz dwells
the country is beautiful. But
I am not afraid so long as I
have my oil-can, and nothing
can hurt the Scarecrow, while
you bear upon your forehead the
mark of the Good Witch'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 Tin Woodman.
Just as he spoke there came
from the forest a terrible roar,
and the next moment a great Lion
bounded into the road. With one
blow of his paw he sent the Scarecrow
spinning over and over to the
edge of the road, 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 the Lion, and the great
beast had opened his mouth to
bite the dog, when Dorothy, fearing
Toto would be killed, and heedless
of danger, rushed forward 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,
a big beast like you, to bite
a poor little dog!"
"I didn't bite him," said
the Lion, as he rubbed his
nose with
his paw where Dorothy had hit
it.
"No, but you tried to," she
retorted. "You are nothing but
a big coward."
"I know it," said the Lion,
hanging his head in shame. "I've
always known 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 pick up the Scarecrow and
set him upon his feet, while
she patted him into shape again.
"Of course he's stuffed," replied
Dorothy, who was still angry.
"That's why he went over so
easily," remarked the Lion. "It
astonished me 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
up again.
"That's why he nearly blunted
my claws," said the Lion. "When
they scratched 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 I look at him. No one would
think of biting such a little
thing, except a coward like me," continued
the Lion sadly.
"What makes you a coward?" asked
Dorothy, looking at the great
beast in wonder, for he was as
big as a small horse.
"It's a mystery," replied the
Lion. "I suppose I was born that
way. All the other animals in
the forest naturally expect me
to be brave, for the Lion is
everywhere thought to be the
King of Beasts. I learned that
if I roared very loudly every
living thing was frightened and
got out of my way. Whenever I've
met a man I've been awfully scared;
but I just roared at him, and
he has always run away as fast
as he could go. If the elephants
and the tigers and the bears
had ever tried to fight me, I
should have run myself--I'm such
a coward; but just as soon as
they hear me roar they all try
to get away 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
the tip of his tail. "It is my
great sorrow, and makes my life
very unhappy. 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, for it proves you have
a heart. For my part, I have
no heart; so I cannot have heart
disease."
"Perhaps," said the Lion thoughtfully, "if
I had no heart I should not 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
the Scarecrow, "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," added
Dorothy.
"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
my life is simply unbearable
without a bit of courage."
"You will be very welcome," answered
Dorothy, "for you will help to
keep away the other wild beasts.
It seems to me they must be more
cowardly 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
Lion walking with stately strides
at Dorothy's side. Toto did not
approve this new comrade at first,
for he could not forget how nearly
he had been crushed between the
Lion's great jaws. But after
a time he became more at ease,
and presently Toto and the Cowardly
Lion had grown to be good friends.
During the rest of that day
there was no other adventure
to mar the peace of their journey.
Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman
stepped upon a beetle that was
crawling along the road, and
killed the poor little thing.
This made the Tin Woodman very
unhappy, for he was always careful
not to hurt any living creature;
and as he walked along he wept
several tears of sorrow and regret.
These tears ran slowly down his
face and over the hinges of his
jaw, and there they rusted. When
Dorothy presently asked him a
question the Tin Woodman could
not open his mouth, for his jaws
were tightly rusted together.
He became greatly frightened
at this and made many motions
to Dorothy to relieve him, but
she could not understand. The
Lion was also puzzled to know
what was wrong. But the Scarecrow
seized the oil-can from Dorothy's
basket and oiled the Woodman's
jaws, so that after a few moments
he could talk as well as before.
"This will serve me a lesson," said
he, "to look where I step. For
if I should kill another bug
or beetle I should surely cry
again, and crying rusts my jaws
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
as not to harm it. The Tin Woodman
knew very well he had no heart,
and therefore 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 very careful.
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