Astheyfollowedapathdowntheblue-grasshillside,thefirsthousethatmettheviewofthetravelerswasjoyouslyrecognizedbytheScarecrowBearastheoneinhabitedbyhisfriendJinjur,sotheyincreasedtheirspeedandhurriedtowardit. Onreachingtheplace,however,theyfoundthehousedeserted. Thefrontdoorstoodopen,butnoonewasinside. Inthegardensurroundingthehousewereneatrowsofbushesbearingcream-puffsandmacaroons,someofwhichwerestillgreen,butothersripeandreadytoeat. Fartherbackwerefieldsofcaramels,andallthelandseemedwellcultivatedandcarefullytended. Theylookedthroughthefieldsforthegirlfarmer,butshewasnowheretobeseen. “Well,”finallyremarkedthelittleBrownBear,“letusgointothehouseandmakeourselvesathome. ThatwillbesuretopleasemyfriendJinjur,whohappenstobeawayfromhomejustnow. Whenshereturns,shewillbegreatlysurprised.” “WouldshecareifIatesomeofthoseripecream-puffs?”askedtheGreenMonkey. “No,indeed;Jinjurisverygenerous.Helpyourselftoallyouwant,”saidtheScarecrowBear. SoWootgatheredalotofthecream-puffsthatweregoldenyellowandfilledwithasweet,creamysubstance,andateuntilhishungerwassatisfied. Thenheenteredthehousewithhisfriendsandsatinarocking-chair—justashewasaccustomedtodowhenaboy. TheCanaryperchedherselfuponthemantelanddaintilyplumedherfeathers;theTinOwlsatonthebackofanotherchair;theScarecrowsquattedonhishairyhaunchesinthemiddleoftheroom. “IbelieveIrememberthegirlJinjur,”remarkedtheCanary,inhersweetvoice. “Shecannothelpusverymuch,excepttodirectusonourwaytoGlinda’scastle,forshedoesnotunderstandmagic. Butshe’sagoodgirl,honestandsensible,andI’llbegladtoseeher.” “Allourtroubles,”saidtheOwlwithadeepsigh,“arosefrommyfoolishresolvetoseekNimmieAmeeandmakeherEmpressoftheWinkies,andwhileIwishtoreproachnoone,ImustsaythatitwasWoottheWandererwhoputthenotionintomyhead.” “Well,formypart,Iamgladhedid,”respondedtheCanary. “YourjourneyresultedinsavingmefromtheGiantess,andhadyounottraveledtotheYoopValley,IwouldstillbeMrs.Yoop’sprisoner. Itismuchnicertobefree,eventhoughIstillbeartheenchantedformofaCanary-Bird.” “Doyouthinkweshalleverbeabletogetourproperformsbackagain?”askedtheGreenMonkeyearnestly. Polychromedidnotmakereplyatoncetothisimportantquestion,butafteraperiodofthoughtfulnessshesaid: “Ihavebeentaughttobelievethatthereisanantidoteforeverymagiccharm,yetMrs.Yoopinsiststhatnopowercanalterhertransformations. Irealizethatmyownfairymagiccannotdoit,althoughIhavethoughtthatweSkyFairieshavemorepowerthanisaccordedtoEarthFairies. TheYookoohoomagicisadmittedtobeverystrangeinitsworkingsanddifferentfromthemagicusuallypracticed,butperhapsGlindaorOzmamayunderstanditbetterthanI.Inthemliesouronlyhope. Unlesstheycanhelpus,wemustremainforeverasweare.” “ACanary-BirdonaRainbowwouldn’tbesobad,”assertedtheTinOwl,winkingandblinkingwithhisroundtineyes,“soifyoucanmanagetofindyourRainbowagainyouneedhavelittletoworryabout.” “That’snonsense,FriendChopper,”exclaimedWoot.“IknowjusthowPolychromefeels. Abeautifulgirlismuchsuperiortoalittleyellowbird,andaboy—suchasIwas—farbetterthanaGreenMonkey. Neitherofuscanbehappyagainunlesswerecoverourrightfulforms.” “Ifeelthesameway,”announcedthestuffedBear.“WhatdoyousupposemyfriendthePatchworkGirlwouldthinkofme,ifshesawmewearingthisbeastlyshape?” “She’dlaughtillshecried,”admittedtheTinOwl. “Formypart,I’llhavetogiveupthenotionofmarryingNimmieAmee,butI’lltrynottoletthatmakemeunhappy. Ifit’smyduty,I’dliketodomyduty,butifmagicpreventsmygettingmarriedI’llflutteralongallbymyselfandbejustascontented.” Theirseriousmisfortunesmadethemallsilentforatime,andastheirthoughtswerebusyindwellingupontheevilswithwhichfatehadburdenedthem,nonenoticedthatJinjurhadsuddenlyappearedinthedoorwayandwaslookingattheminastonishment. Thenextmomentherastonishmentchangedtoanger,forthere,inherbestrocking-chair,sataGreenMonkey. AgreatshinyOwlpercheduponanotherchairandaBrownBearsquatteduponherparlorrug. JinjurdidnotnoticetheCanary,butshecaughtupabroomstickanddashedintotheroom,shoutingasshecame: “Getoutofhere,youwildcreatures!Howdareyouentermyhouse?” WithablowofherbroomsheknockedtheBrownBearover,andtheTinOwltriedtoflyoutofherreachandmadeagreatclatterwithhistinwings. TheGreenMonkeywassostartledbythesuddenattackthathesprangintothefireplace—wheretherewasfortunatelynofire—andtriedtoescapebyclimbingupthechimney. Buthefoundtheopeningtoosmall,andsowasforcedtodropdownagain. Thenhecrouchedtremblinginthefireplace,hisprettygreenhairallblackenedwithsootandcoveredwithashes. FromthispositionWootwatchedtoseewhatwouldhappennext. “Stop,Jinjur—stop!”criedtheBrownBear,whenthebroomagainthreatenedhim.“Don’tyouknowme?I’myouroldfriendtheScarecrow!” “You’retryingtodeceiveme,younaughtybeast!Icanseeplainlythatyouareabear,andamightypoorspecimenofabear,too,”retortedthegirl. “That’sbecauseI’mnotproperlystuffed,”heassuredher.“WhenMrs.Yooptransformedme,shedidn’trealizeIshouldhavemorestuffing.” “WhoisMrs.Yoop?”inquiredJinjur,pausingwiththebroomstillupraised. “AGiantessintheGillikinCountry.” “Oh;Ibegintounderstand.AndMrs.Yooptransformedyou?YouarereallythefamousScarecrowofOz?” “Iwas,Jinjur.JustnowI’masyouseeme—amiserablelittleBrownBearwithapoorqualityofstuffing. ThatTinOwlisnoneotherthanourdearTinWoodman—NickChopper,theEmperoroftheWinkies—whilethisGreenMonkeyisanicelittleboywerecentlybecameacquaintedwith,WoottheWanderer.” “AndI,”saidtheCanary,flyingclosetoJinjur,“amPolychrome,theDaughteroftheRainbow,intheformofabird.” “Goodnessme!”criedJinjur,amazed;“thatGiantessmustbeapowerfulSorceress,andaswickedassheispowerful.” “She’saYookoohoo,”saidPolychrome.“Fortunately,wemanagedtoescapefromhercastle,andwearenowonourwaytoGlindatheGoodtoseeifshepossessesthepowertorestoreustoourformershapes.” “ThenImustbegyourpardons;allofyoumustforgiveme,”saidJinjur,puttingawaythebroom. “Itookyoutobealotofwild,unmannerlyanimals,aswasquitenatural. YouareverywelcometomyhomeandI’msorryIhaven’tthepowertohelpyououtofyourtroubles. PleaseusemyhouseandallthatIhave,asifitwereyourown.” Atthisdeclarationofpeace,theBeargotuponhisfeetandtheOwlresumedhisperchuponthechairandtheMonkeycreptoutofthefireplace.JinjurlookedatWootcritically,andscowled. “ForaGreenMonkey,”saidshe,“you’retheblackestcreatureIeversaw.Andyou’llgetmynicecleanroomalldirtywithsootandashes.Whateverpossessedyoutojumpupthechimney?” “I—Iwasscared,”explainedWoot,somewhatashamed. “Well,youneedrenovating,andthat’swhatwillhappentoyou,rightaway.Comewithme!”shecommanded. “Whatareyougoingtodo?”askedWoot. “Giveyouagoodscrubbing,”saidJinjur. Now,neitherboysnormonkeysrelishbeingscrubbed,soWootshrankawayfromtheenergeticgirl,tremblingfearfully. ButJinjurgrabbedhimbyhispawanddraggedhimouttothebackyard,where,inspiteofhiswhinesandstruggles,sheplungedhimintoatubofcoldwaterandbegantoscrubhimwithastiffbrushandacakeofyellowsoap. ThiswasthehardesttrialthatWoothadenduredsincehebecameamonkey,butnoprotesthadanyinfluencewithJinjur,wholatheredandscrubbedhiminabusiness-likemannerandafterwarddriedhimwithacoarsetowel. TheBearandtheOwlgravelywatchedthisoperationandnoddedapprovalwhenWoot’ssilkygreenfurshoneclearandbrightintheafternoonsun. TheCanaryseemedmuchamusedandlaughedasilveryrippleoflaughterasshesaid: “Verywelldone,mygoodJinjur;Iadmireyourenergyandjudgment.ButIhadnoideaamonkeycouldlooksocomicalasthismonkeydidwhilehewasbeingbathed.” “I’mnotamonkey!”declaredWoot,resentfully;“I’mjustaboyinamonkey’sshape,that’sall.” “Ifyoucanexplaintomethedifference,”saidJinjur,“I’llagreenottowashyouagain—thatis,unlessyoufoolishlygetintothefireplace. Allpersonsareusuallyjudgedbytheshapesinwhichtheyappeartotheeyesofothers.Lookatme,Woot;whatamI?” “You’reasprettyagirlasI’veeverseen,”hereplied. Jinjurfrowned.Thatis,shetriedhardtofrown. “Comeoutintothegardenwithme,”shesaid,“andI’llgiveyousomeofthemostdeliciouscaramelsyoueverate. They’reanewvariety,thatnoonecangrowbutme,andtheyhaveaheliotropeflavor.” 
