They were obliged to camp out
that night under a large tree
in the forest, for there were
no houses near. The tree made
a good, thick covering to protect
them from the dew, and the Tin
Woodman chopped a great pile
of wood with his axe and Dorothy
built a splendid fire that warmed
her and made her feel less lonely.
She and Toto ate the last of
their 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 a deer for
you. You can roast it by the
fire, since your tastes are so
peculiar that you prefer cooked
food, and then you will have
a very good breakfast."
"Don't! Please don't," begged
the Tin Woodman. "I should
certainly weep 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 no one ever knew
what it was, for he didn't mention
it. And the Scarecrow found a
tree full of nuts and filled
Dorothy's basket with them, so
that she would not be hungry
for a long time. She thought
this was very kind and thoughtful
of the Scarecrow, but she laughed
heartily at the awkward way in
which the poor creature picked
up the nuts. His padded hands
were so clumsy and the nuts were
so small that he dropped almost
as many as he put in the basket.
But the Scarecrow did not mind
how long it took him to fill
the basket, for it enabled him
to keep away from the fire, as
he feared a spark might get into
his straw and burn him up. So
he kept a good distance away
from the flames, and only came
near to cover Dorothy with dry
leaves when she lay down to sleep.
These kept her very snug and
warm, and she slept soundly until
morning.
When it was daylight, the girl
bathed her face in a little rippling
brook, and soon after they all
started toward the Emerald City.
This was to be an eventful day
for the travelers. They had hardly
been walking an hour when they
saw before them a great ditch
that crossed the road and divided
the forest as far as they could
see on either side. It was a
very wide ditch, and when they
crept up to the edge and looked
into it they could see it was
also very deep, and there were
many big, jagged rocks at the
bottom. The sides were so steep
that none of them could climb
down, and for a moment it seemed
that their journey must end.
"What shall we do?" asked
Dorothy despairingly.
"I haven't the faintest
idea," said the Tin Woodman,
and the Lion shook his shaggy
mane and looked thoughtful.
But the Scarecrow
said, "We
cannot fly, that is certain.
Neither can we climb down into
this great ditch. Therefore,
if we cannot jump over it, we
must stop where we are."
"I think I could jump over
it," said the Cowardly Lion,
after measuring the distance
carefully in his mind.
"Then we are all right," answered
the Scarecrow, "for you
can carry us 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 could not
jump over the gulf, Dorothy would
be killed, or the Tin Woodman
badly dented on the rocks below.
But if I am on your back it will
not matter 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 back and we
will make the attempt."
The Scarecrow sat upon the Lion's
back, and the big beast walked
to the 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 safely on the other
side. They were all greatly pleased
to see how easily he did it,
and after the Scarecrow had got
down from his back the Lion sprang
across the ditch again.
Dorothy thought she would go
next; so she took Toto in her
arms and climbed on the Lion's
back, holding tightly to his
mane with one hand. The next
moment it seemed as if she were
flying through the air; and then,
before she had time to think
about it, she was safe on the
other 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 a chance to rest, for
his great leaps had made his
breath short, and he panted like
a big dog that has been running
too long.
They found the forest very thick
on this side, and it looked dark
and gloomy. After the Lion had
rested they started along the
road of yellow brick, silently
wondering, each in his own mind,
if ever they would come to the
end of the woods and reach the
bright sunshine again. To add
to their discomfort, they soon
heard strange noises in the depths
of the forest, and the Lion whispered
to them that it was in 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
like tigers," replied the
Lion, "and with claws so
long and sharp that they could
tear me in two as easily as I
could kill Toto. I'm terribly
afraid of the Kalidahs."
"I'm not surprised that
you are," returned Dorothy. "They
must be dreadful beasts."
The Lion was about to reply
when suddenly they came to another
gulf across the road. But this
one was so broad and deep that
the Lion knew at once he could
not leap across it.
So they sat down to consider
what they should do, and after
serious thought the Scarecrow
said:
"Here is
a great tree, standing close
to the ditch.
If the Tin Woodman can chop it
down, so that it will fall to
the other side, we can walk across
it easily."
"That is a first-rate idea," said
the Lion. "One would almost
suspect you had brains in your
head, instead of straw."
The Woodman set to work at once,
and so sharp was his axe that
the tree was soon chopped nearly
through. Then the Lion put his
strong front legs against the
tree and pushed with all his
might, and slowly the big tree
tipped and fell with a crash
across the ditch, with its top
branches on the other side.
They had just started to cross
this queer bridge when a sharp
growl made them all look up,
and to their horror they saw
running toward them 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."
So Dorothy went first, holding
Toto in her arms, the Tin Woodman
followed, and the Scarecrow came
next. The Lion, although he was
certainly afraid, turned to face
the Kalidahs, and then he gave
so loud and terrible a roar that
Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow
fell over backward, while even
the fierce beasts stopped short
and looked at him in surprise.
But, seeing they were bigger
than the Lion, and remembering
that there were two of them and
only one of him, the Kalidahs
again rushed forward, and the
Lion crossed over the tree and
turned to see what they would
do next. Without stopping an
instant the fierce beasts also
began to cross the tree. And
the Lion said to Dorothy:
"We are
lost, for they will surely
tear us to pieces
with their sharp claws. But stand
close behind me, and I will fight
them as long as I am alive."
"Wait a minute!" called
the Scarecrow. He had been thinking
what was best to be done, and
now he asked the Woodman to chop
away the end of the tree that
rested on their side of the ditch.
The Tin Woodman began to use
his axe at once, and, just as
the two Kalidahs were nearly
across, the tree fell with a
crash into the gulf, carrying
the ugly, snarling brutes with
it, and both were dashed to pieces
on the sharp rocks at the bottom.
"Well," said the Cowardly
Lion, drawing a long breath of
relief, "I see 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. Those creatures
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 travelers
more anxious than ever to get
out of the forest, and they walked
so fast that Dorothy became tired,
and had to ride on the Lion's
back. To their great joy the
trees became thinner the farther
they advanced, and in the afternoon
they suddenly came upon a broad
river, flowing swiftly just before
them. On the other side of the
water they could see the road
of yellow brick running through
a beautiful country, with green
meadows dotted with bright flowers
and all the road bordered with
trees hanging full of delicious
fruits. They were 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 must build 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 make a 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 eaten nothing
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
and untiring 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 until the morning;
and Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald
City, and of the good Wizard
Oz, who would soon send her back
to her own home again.
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