English
ThisamazingnewshadsaddenedeveryheartandallwerenowanxioustoreturntotheEmeraldCityandshareOzma’sfate.
Sotheystartedwithoutlossoftime,andastheroadledpasttheScarecrow’snewmansiontheydeterminedtomakeabriefhaltthereandconferwithhim.
“TheScarecrowisprobablythewisestmaninallOz,”remarkedtheTinWoodman,whentheyhadstartedupontheirjourney.
“Hisbrainsareplentifulandofexcellentquality,andoftenhehastoldmethingsImightneverhavethoughtofmyself.
ImustsayIrelyagreatdealupontheScarecrow’sbrainsinthisemergency.”
TheTinWoodmanrodeonthefrontseatofthewagon,whereDorothysatbetweenhimandtheWizard.
“HastheScarecrowheardofOzma’strouble?”askedtheCaptainGeneral.
“Idonotknow,sir,”wasthereply.
“WhenIwasaprivate,”saidOmbyAmby,“Iwasanexcellentarmy,asIfullyprovedinourwaragainsttheNomes.
Butnowthereisnotasingleprivateleftinourarmy,sinceOzmamademetheCaptainGeneral,sothereisnoonetofightanddefendourlovelyRuler.”
“True,”saidtheWizard.“Thepresentarmyiscomposedonlyofofficers,andthebusinessofanofficeristoorderhismentofight.Sincetherearenomentherecanbenofighting.”
“PoorOzma!”whisperedDorothy,withtearsinhersweeteyes.
“It’sdreadfultothinkofallherlovelyfairycountrybeingdestroyed.
Iwonderifwecouldn’tmanagetoescapeandgetbacktoKansasbymeansoftheMagicBelt?
AndwemighttakeOzmawithusandallworkhardtogetmoneyforher,soshewouldn’tbesoVERYlonelyandunhappyaboutthelossofherfairyland.”
“DoyouthinktherewouldbeanyworkforMEinKansas?”askedtheTinWoodman.
“Ifyouarehollow,theymightuseyouinacanningfactory,”suggestedUncleHenry.“ButIcan’tseetheuseofyourworkingforaliving.Younevereatorsleeporneedanewsuitofclothes.”
“Iwasnotthinkingofmyself,”repliedtheEmperor,withdignity.“ImerelywonderedifIcouldnothelptosupportDorothyandOzma.”
AstheyindulgedinthesesadplansforthefuturetheyjourneyedinsightoftheScarecrow’snewmansion,andeventhoughfilledwithcareandworryovertheimpendingfateofOz,Dorothycouldn’thelpafeelingofwonderatthesightshesaw.
TheScarecrow’snewhousewasshapedlikeanimmenseearofcorn.
Therowsofkernelsweremadeofsolidgold,andthegreenuponwhichtheearstooduprightwasamassofsparklingemeralds.
UpontheverytopofthestructurewasperchedafigurerepresentingtheScarecrowhimself,anduponhisextendedarms,aswellasuponhishead,wereseveralcrowscarvedoutofebonyandhavingrubyeyes.
YoumayimaginehowbigthisearofcornwaswhenItellyouthatasinglegoldkernelformedawindow,swingingoutwarduponhinges,whilearowoffourkernelsopenedtomakethefrontentrance.
Insidetherewerefivestories,eachstorybeingasingleroom.
Thegardensaroundthemansionconsistedofcornfields,andDorothyacknowledgedthattheplacewasinallrespectsaveryappropriatehomeforhergoodfriendtheScarecrow.
“Hewouldhavebeenveryhappyhere,I’msure,”shesaid,“ifonlytheNomeKinghadleftusalone.ButifOzisdestroyedofcoursethisplacewillbedestroyedtoo.”
“Yes,”repliedtheTinWoodman,“andalsomybeautifultincastle,thathasbeenmyjoyandpride.”
“JackPumpkinhead’shousewillgotoo,”remarkedtheWizard,“aswellasProfessorWogglebug’sAthleticCollege,andOzma’sroyalpalace,andallourotherhandsomebuildings.”
“Yes,OzwillindeedbecomeadesertwhentheNomeKinggetsthroughwithit,”sighedOmbyAmby.
TheScarecrowcameouttomeetthemandgavethemallaheartywelcome.
“IhearyouhavedecidedalwaystoliveintheLandofOz,afterthis,”hesaidtoDorothy;“andthatwilldelightmyheart,forIhavegreatlydislikedourfrequentpartings.Butwhyareyouallsodowncast?”
“Haveyouheardthenews?”askedtheTinWoodman.
“Nonewstomakemesad,”repliedtheScarecrow.
ThenNickChoppertoldhisfriendoftheNomeKing’stunnel,andhowtheevilcreaturesoftheNorthhadalliedthemselveswiththeundergroundmonarchforthepurposeofconqueringanddestroyingOz.
“Well,”saidtheScarecrow,“itcertainlylooksbadforOzma,andallofus.
ButIbelieveitiswrongtoworryoveranythingbeforeithappens.
Itissurelytimeenoughtobesadwhenourcountryisdespoiledandourpeoplemadeslaves.
Soletusnotdepriveourselvesofthefewhappyhoursremainingtous.”
“Ah!thatisrealwisdom,”declaredtheShaggyMan,approvingly.“Afterwebecomereallyunhappyweshallregretthesefewhoursthatarelefttous,unlessweenjoythemtotheutmost.”
“Nevertheless,”saidtheScarecrow,“IshallgowithyoutotheEmeraldCityandofferOzmamyservices.”
“Shesayswecandonothingtoopposeourenemies,”announcedtheTinWoodman.
“Anddoubtlesssheisright,sir,”answeredtheScarecrow.“Still,shewillappreciateoursympathy,anditisthedutyofOzma’sfriendstostandbyhersidewhenthefinaldisasteroccurs.”
Hethenledthemintohisstrangemansionandshowedthemthebeautifulroomsinallthefivestories.
Thelowerroomwasagrandreceptionhall,withahand-organinonecorner.
ThisinstrumenttheScarecrow,whenalone,couldturntoamusehimself,ashewasveryfondofmusic.
Thewallswerehungwithwhitesilk,uponwhichflocksofblackcrowswereembroideredinblackdiamonds.
Someofthechairsweremadeintheshapeofbigcrowsandupholsteredwithcushionsofcorn-coloredsilk.
Thesecondstorycontainedafinebanquetroom,wheretheScarecrowmightentertainhisguests,andthethreestoriesabovethatwerebed-chambersexquisitelyfurnishedanddecorated.
“Fromtheserooms,”saidtheScarecrow,proudly,“onemayobtainfineviewsofthesurroundingcornfields.
ThecornIgrowisalwayshusky,andIcalltheearsmyregiments,becausetheyhavesomanykernels.
OfcourseIcannotridemycobs,butIreallydon’tcareshucksaboutthat.
Takenaltogether,myfarmwillstackupwithanyintheneighborhood.”
ThevisitorspartookofsomelightrefreshmentandthenhurriedawaytoresumetheroadtotheEmeraldCity.
TheScarecrowfoundaseatinthewagonbetweenOmbyAmbyandtheShaggyMan,andhisweightdidnotaddmuchtotheloadbecausehewasstuffedwithstraw.
“YouwillnoticeIhaveoneoat-fieldonmyproperty,”heremarked,astheydroveaway.
“Oat-strawis,Ihavefound,thebestofallstrawstore-stuffmyselfwithwhenmyinteriorgetsmustyoroutofshape.”
“Areyouabletore-stuffyourselfwithouthelp?”askedAuntEm.“Ishouldthinkthatafterthestrawwastakenoutofyoutherewouldn’tbeanythingleftbutyourclothes.”
“Youarealmostcorrect,madam,”heanswered.
“Myservantsdothestuffing,undermydirection.
Formyhead,inwhicharemyexcellentbrains,isabagtiedatthebottom.
Myfaceisneatlypaintedupononesideofthebag,asyoumaysee.
Myheaddoesnotneedre-stuffing,asmybodydoes,forallthatitrequiresistohavethefacetouchedupwithfreshpaintoccasionally.”
ItwasnotfarfromtheScarecrow’smansiontothefarmofJackPumpkinhead,andwhentheyarrivedtherebothUncleHenryandAuntEmweremuchimpressed.
Thefarmwasonevastpumpkinfield,andsomeofthepumpkinswereofenormoussize.
Inoneofthem,whichhadbeenneatlyhollowedout,Jackhimselflived,andhedeclaredthatitwasaverycomfortableresidence.
Thereasonhegrewsomanypumpkinswasinorderthathemightchangehisheadasoftenasitbecamewrinkledorthreatenedtospoil.
Thepumpkin-headedmanwelcomedhisvisitorsjoyfullyandofferedthemseveraldeliciouspumpkinpiestoeat.
“Idon’tindulgeinpumpkinpiesmyself,fortworeasons,”hesaid.
“OnereasonisthatwereItoeatpumpkinsIwouldbecomeacannibal,andtheotherreasonisthatInevereat,notbeinghollowinside.”
“Verygoodreasons,”agreedtheScarecrow.
TheytoldJackPumpkinheadofthedreadfulnewsabouttheNomeKing,andhedecidedtogowiththemtotheEmeraldCityandhelpcomfortOzma.
“Ihadexpectedtolivehereineaseandcomfortformanycenturies,”saidJack,dolefully;“butofcourseiftheNomeKingdestroyseverythinginOzIshallbedestroyedtoo.Really,itseemstoobad,doesn’tit?”
Theyweresoonontheirjourneyagain,andsoswiftlydidtheSawhorsedrawthewagonoverthesmoothroadsthatbeforetwilightfelltheyhadreachedtheroyalpalaceintheEmeraldCity,andwereattheirjourney’send.
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