English
OzmaandDorothywerequitepleasedwithWoottheWanderer,whomtheyfoundmodestandintelligentandverywellmannered.
Theboywastrulygratefulforhisreleasefromthecruelenchantment,andhepromisedtolove,revereanddefendthegirlRulerofOzforeverafterward,asafaithfulsubject.
“Youmayvisitmeatmypalace,ifyouwish,”saidOzma,“whereIwillbegladtointroduceyoutotwootherniceboys,OjotheMunchkinandButton-Bright.”
“ThankyourMajesty,”repliedWoot,andthenheturnedtotheTinWoodmanandinquired:“Whatareyourfurtherplans,Mr.Emperor?
WillyoustillseekNimmieAmeeandmarryher,orwillyouabandonthequestandreturntotheEmeraldCityandyourowncastle?”
TheTinWoodman,nowashighlypolishedandwell-oiledasever,reflectedawhileonthisquestionandthenanswered:
“Well,IseenoreasonwhyIshouldnotfindNimmieAmee.
WearenowintheMunchkinCountry,whereweareperfectlysafe,andifitwasrightforme,beforeourenchantment,tomarryNimmieAmeeandmakeherEmpressoftheWinkies,itmustberightnow,whentheenchantmenthasbeenbrokenandIamoncemoremyself.AmIcorrect,friendScarecrow?”
“Youare,indeed,”answeredtheScarecrow.“Noonecanopposesuchlogic.”
“ButI’mafraidyoudon’tloveNimmieAmee,”suggestedDorothy.
“ThatisjustbecauseIcan’tloveanyone,”repliedtheTinWoodman.“But,ifIcannotlovemywife,Icanatleastbekindtoher,andallhusbandsarenotabletodothat.”
“Doyous’poseNimmieAmeestilllovesyou,afteralltheseyears?”askedDorothy
“I’mquitesureofit,andthatiswhyIamgoingtohertomakeherhappy.
WoottheWandererthinksIoughttorewardherforbeingfaithfultomeaftermymeatbodywaschoppedtopiecesandIbecametin.Whatdoyouthink,Ozma?”
Ozmasmiledasshesaid:
“IdonotknowyourNimmieAmee,andsoIcannottellwhatshemostneedstomakeherhappy.
Butthereisnoharminyourgoingtoherandaskingherifshestillwishestomarryyou.
Ifshedoes,wewillgiveyouagrandweddingattheEmeraldCityand,afterward,asEmpressoftheWinkies,NimmieAmeewouldbecomeoneofthemostimportantladiesinallOz.”
SoitwasdecidedthattheTinWoodmanwouldcontinuehisjourney,andthattheScarecrowandWoottheWanderershouldaccompanyhim,asbefore.
Polychromealsodecidedtojointheirparty,somewhattothesurpriseofall.
“Ihatetobecoopedupinapalace,”shesaidtoOzma,“andofcoursethefirsttimeImeetmyRainbowIshallreturntomyowndearhomeintheskies,wheremyfairysistersareevennowawaitingmeandmyfatheriscrossbecauseIgetlostsooften.
ButIcanfindmyRainbowjustasquicklywhiletravelingintheMunchkinCountryasIcouldiflivingintheEmeraldCity--oranyotherplaceinOz--soIshallgowiththeTinWoodmanandhelphimwooNimmieAmee.”
Dorothywantedtogo,too,butastheTinWoodmandidnotinvitehertojoinhisparty,shefeltshemightbeintrudingifsheaskedtobetaken.
Shehinted,butshefoundhedidn’ttakethehint.
Itisquiteadelicatematterforonetoaskagirltomarryhim,howevermuchsheloveshim,andperhapstheTinWoodmandidnotdesiretohavetoomanylookingonwhenhefoundhisoldsweetheart,NimmieAmee.
SoDorothycontentedherselfwiththethoughtthatshewouldhelpOzmaprepareasplendidweddingfeast,tobefollowedbyaroundofpartiesandfestivitieswhentheEmperoroftheWinkiesreachedtheEmeraldCitywithhisbride.
OzmaofferedtotakethemallintheRedWagontoaplaceasneartothegreatMunchkinforestasawagoncouldget.
TheRedWagonwasbigenoughtoseatthemall,andso,biddinggood-byetoJinjur,whogaveWootabasketofripecream-puffsandcaramelstotakewithhim,OzmacommandedtheWoodenSawhorsetostart,andthestrangecreaturemovedswiftlyoverthelanesandpresentlycametotheRoadofYellowBricks.
Thisroadledstraighttoadenseforest,wherethepathwastoonarrowfortheRedWagontoproceedfarther,soherethepartyseparated.
OzmaandDorothyandTotoreturnedtotheEmeraldCity,afterwishingtheirfriendsasafeandsuccessfuljourney,whiletheTinWoodman,theScarecrow,WoottheWandererandPolychrome,theRainbow’sDaughter,preparedtopushtheirwaythroughthethickforest.
However,theseforestpathswerewellknowntotheTinManandtheScarecrow,whofeltquiteathomeamongthetrees.
“Iwasborninthisgrandforest,”saidNickChopper,thetinEmperor,speakingproudly,“anditwasherethattheWitchenchantedmyaxeandIlostdifferentpartsofmymeatbodyuntilIbecamealltin.
Here,also--foritisabigforest--NimmieAmeelivedwiththeWickedWitch,andattheotheredgeofthetreesstandsthecottageofmyfriendKu-Klip,thefamoustinsmithwhomademypresentbeautifulform.”
“Hemustbeacleverworkman,”declaredWoot,admiringly.
“Heissimplywonderful,”declaredtheTinWoodman.“Ishallbegladtomakehisacquaintance,”saidWoot.
“Ifyouwishtomeetwithrealcleverness,”remarkedtheScarecrow,“youshouldvisittheMunchkinfarmerwhofirstmademe.
Iwon’tsaythatmyfriendtheEmperorisn’tallrightforatinman,butanyjudgeofbeautycanunderstandthataScarecrowisfarmoreartisticandrefined.”
“Youaretoosoftandflimsy,”saidtheTinWoodman.
“Youaretoohardandstiff,”saidtheScarecrow,andthiswasasneartoquarrelingasthetwofriendsevercame.
Polychromelaughedatthemboth,aswellshemight,andWoothastenedtochangethesubject.
Atnighttheyallcampedunderneaththetrees.
Theboyatecream-puffsforsupperandofferedPolychromesome,butshepreferredotherfoodandatdaybreaksippedthedewthatwasclusteredthickontheforestflowers.
Thentheytrampedonwardagain,andpresentlytheScarecrowpausedandsaid:
“ItwasonthisveryspotthatDorothyandIfirstmettheTinWoodman,whowasrustedsobadlythatnoneofhisjointswouldmove.
Butafterwehadoiledhimup,hewasasgoodasnewandaccompaniedustotheEmeraldCity.”
“Ah,thatwasasadexperience,”assertedtheTinWoodmansoberly.
“Iwascaughtinarainstormwhilechoppingdownatreeforexercise,andbeforeIrealizedit,Iwasfirmlyrustedineveryjoint.
ThereIstood,axeinhand,butunabletomove,fordaysandweeksandmonths!
Indeed,Ihaveneverknownexactlyhowlongthetimewas;butfinallyalongcameDorothyandIwassaved.See!
ThisistheverytreeIwaschoppingatthetimeIrusted.”
“Youcannotbefarfromyouroldhome,inthatcase,”saidWoot.
“No;mylittlecabinstandsnotagreatwayoff,butthereisnooccasionforustovisitit.OurerrandiswithNimmieAmee,andherhouseissomewhatfartheraway,totheleftofus.”
“Didn’tyousaysheliveswithaWickedWitch,whomakesheraslave?”askedtheboy.
“Shedid,butshedoesn’t,”wasthereply.
“IamtoldtheWitchwasdestroyedwhenDorothy’shousefellonher,sonowNimmieAmeemustliveallalone.
Ihaven’tseenher,ofcourse,sincetheWitchwascrushed,foratthattimeIwasstandingrustedintheforestandhadbeentherealongtime,butthepoorgirlmusthavefeltveryhappytobefreefromhercruelmistress.”
“Well,”saidtheScarecrow,“let’stravelonandfindNimmieAmee.Leadon,yourMajesty,sinceyouknowtheway,andwewillfollow.”
SotheTinWoodmantookapaththatledthroughthethickestpartoftheforest,andtheyfolloweditforsometime.
Thelightwasdimhere,becausevinesandbushesandleafyfoliagewereallaboutthem,andoftentheTinManhadtopushasidethebranchesthatobstructedtheirway,orcutthemoffwithhisaxe.
Aftertheyhadproceededsomedistance,theEmperorsuddenlystoppedshortandexclaimed:“Goodgracious!”
TheScarecrow,whowasnext,firstbumpedintohisfriendandthenpeeredaroundhistinbody,andsaidinatoneofwonder:
“Well,Ideclare!”
WoottheWandererpushedforwardtoseewhatwasthematter,andcriedoutinastonishment:“Forgoodness’sake!”
Thenthethreestoodmotionless,staringhard,untilPolychrome’smerrylaughterrangoutbehindthemandarousedthemfromtheirstupor.
InthepathbeforethemstoodatinmanwhowastheexactduplicateoftheTinWoodman.
Hewasofthesamesize,hewasjointedinthesamemanner,andhewasmadeofshiningtinfromtoptotoe.
Buthestoodimmovable,withhistinjawshalfpartedandhistineyesturnedupward.
Inoneofhishandswasheldalong,gleamingsword.
Yes,therewasthedifference,theonlythingthatdistinguishedhimfromtheEmperoroftheWinkies.
Thistinmanboreasword,whiletheTinWoodmanboreanaxe.
“It’sadream;itmustbeadream!”gaspedWoot.
“That’sit,ofcourse,”saidtheScarecrow;“therecouldn’tbetwoTinWoodmen.”
“No,”agreedPolychrome,dancingnearertothestranger,“thisoneisaTinSoldier.Don’tyouseehissword?”
TheTinWoodmancautiouslyputoutonetinhandandfeltofhisdouble’sarm.Thenhesaidinavoicethattrembledwithemotion:
“Whoareyou,friend?”
Therewasnoreply
“Can’tyouseehe’srusted,justasyouwereonce?”askedPolychrome,laughingagain.“Here,NickChopper,lendmeyouroil-canaminute!”
TheTinWoodmansilentlyhandedherhisoil-can,withoutwhichhenevertraveled,andPolychromefirstoiledthestranger’stinjawsandthenworkedthemgentlytoandfrountiltheTinSoldiersaid:“That’senough.Thankyou.Icannowtalk.Butpleaseoilmyotherjoints.”
Wootseizedtheoil-cananddidthis,butalltheothershelpedwigglethesoldier’sjointsassoonastheywereoiled,untiltheymovedfreely.
TheTinSoldierseemedhighlypleasedathisrelease.
Hestruttedupanddownthepath,sayinginahigh,thinvoice:
“TheSoldierisasplendidman
Whenmarchingonparade,
Andwhenhemeetstheenemy
Heneverisafraid.
Herightsthewrongsofnations,
Hiscountry’sflagdefends,
Thefoehe’llfightwithgreatdelight,
Butseldomfightshisfriends.”
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