English
Itwasnotmorethanatwohours’journeytothehousewhereNimmieAmeehadlived,butwhenourtravelersarrivedtheretheyfoundtheplacedeserted.
Thedoorwaspartlyoffitshinges,theroofhadfalleninattherearandtheinteriorofthecottagewasthickwithdust.
Notonlywastheplacevacant,butitwasevidentthatnoonehadlivedthereforalongtime.
“Isuppose,”saidtheScarecrow,astheyallstoodlookingwonderinglyattheruinedhouse,“thataftertheWickedWitchwasdestroyed,NimmieAmeebecamelonelyandwentsomewhereelsetolive.”
“Onecouldscarcelyexpectayounggirltoliveallaloneinaforest,”addedWoot.“Shewouldwantcompany,ofcourse,andsoIbelieveshehasgonewhereotherpeoplelive.”
“Andperhapssheisstillcryingherpoorlittleheartoutbecausenotinmancomestomarryher,”suggestedPolychrome.
“Well,inthatcase,itisthecleardutyofyoutwotinpersonstoseekNimmieAmeeuntilyoufindher,”declaredtheScarecrow.
“Idonotknowwheretolookforthegirl,”saidtheTinSoldier,“forIamalmostastrangertothispartofthecountry.”
“Iwasbornhere,”saidtheTinWoodman,“buttheforesthasfewinhabitantsexceptthewildbeasts.IcannotthinkofanyonelivingnearherewithwhomNimmieAmeemightcaretolive.”
“WhynotgotoKu-Klipandaskhimwhathasbecomeofthegirl?”proposedPolychrome.
Thatstruckthemallasbeingagoodsuggestion,sooncemoretheystartedtotrampthroughtheforest,takingthedirectpathtoKu-Klip’shouse,forboththetintwinsknewtheway,havingfolloweditmanytimes.
Ku-Kliplivedatthefaredgeofthegreatforest,hishousefacingthebroadplainsoftheMunchkinCountrythatlaytotheeastward.
But,whentheycametothisresidencebytheforest’sedge,thetinsmithwasnotathome.
Itwasaprettyplace,allpainteddarkbluewithtrimmingsoflighterblue.
Therewasaneatbluefencearoundtheyardandseveralbluebencheshadbeenplacedunderneaththeshadybluetreeswhichmarkedthelinebetweenforestandplain.
Therewasabluelawnbeforethehouse,whichwasagoodsizedbuilding.
Ku-Kliplivedinthefrontpartofthehouseandhadhiswork-shopinthebackpart,wherehehadalsobuiltalean-toaddition,inordertogivehimmoreroom.
Althoughtheyfoundthetinsmithabsentontheirarrival,therewassmokecomingoutofhischimney,whichprovedthathewouldsoonreturn.
“AndperhapsNimmieAmeewillbewithhim,”saidtheScarecrowinacheerfulvoice.
Whiletheywaited,theTinWoodmanwenttothedooroftheworkshopand,findingitunlocked,enteredandlookedcuriouslyaroundtheroomwherehehadbeenmade.
“Itseemsalmostlikehometome,”hetoldhisfriends,whohadfollowedhimin.
“ThefirsttimeIcamehereIhadlostaleg,soIhadtocarryitinmyhandwhileIhoppedontheotherlegallthewayfromtheplaceintheforestwheretheenchantedaxecutme.
IrememberthatoldKu-Klipcarefullyputmymeatlegintoabarrel—Ithinkthatisthesamebarrel,stillstandinginthecorneryonder—andthenatoncehebegantomakeatinlegforme.
Heworkedfastandwithskill,andIwasmuchinterestedinthejob.”
“Myexperiencewasmuchthesame,”saidtheTinSoldier.
“Iusedtobringallthepartsofme,whichtheenchantedswordhadcutaway,heretothetinsmith,andKu-Klipwouldputthemintothebarrel.”
“Iwonder,”saidWoot,“ifthosecast-offpartsofyoutwounfortunatesarestillinthatbarrelinthecorner?”
“Isupposeso,”repliedtheTinWoodman.“IntheLandofOznopartofalivingcreaturecaneverbedestroyed.”
“Ifthatistrue,howwasthatWickedWitchdestroyed?”inquiredWoot.
“Why,shewasveryoldandwasalldriedupandwitheredbeforeOzbecameafairyland,”explainedtheScarecrow.
“Onlyhermagicartshadkeptheralivesolong,andwhenDorothy’shousefelluponhershejustturnedtodust,andwasblownawayandscatteredbythewind.
Idonotthink,however,thatthepartscutawayfromthesetwoyoungmencouldeverbeentirelydestroyedand,iftheyarestillinthosebarrels,theyarelikelytobejustthesameaswhentheenchantedaxeorswordseveredthem.”
“Itdoesn’tmatter,however,”saidtheTinWoodman;“ourtinbodiesaremorebrilliantanddurable,andquitesatisfyus.”
“Yes,thetinbodiesarebest,”agreedtheTinSoldier.“Nothingcanhurtthem.”
“Unlesstheygetdentedorrusted,”saidWoot,butboththetinmenfrownedonhim.
Scrapsoftin,ofallshapesandsizes,layscatteredaroundtheworkshop.
Alsotherewerehammersandanvilsandsolderingironsandacharcoalfurnaceandmanyothertoolssuchasatinsmithworkswith.
Againsttwoofthesidewallshadbeenbuiltstoutwork-benchesandinthecenteroftheroomwasalongtable.
Attheendoftheshop,whichadjoinedthedwelling,wereseveralcupboards.
Afterexaminingtheinterioroftheworkshopuntilhiscuriositywassatisfied,Wootsaid;
“IthinkIwillgooutsideuntilKu-Klipcomes.Itdoesnotseemquiteproperforustotakepossessionofhishousewhileheisabsent.”
“Thatistrue,”agreedtheScarecrow,andtheywereallabouttoleavetheroomwhentheTinWoodmansaid:“Waitaminute,”andtheyhaltedinobediencetothecommand.
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