English
Well,therestofthestoryisquicklytold,forthereturnJourneyofouradventurerswaswithoutanyimportantincident.
TheScarecrowwassoafraidofmeetingtheHip-po-gy-raf,andhavinghisstraweatenagain,thatheurgedhiscomradestoselectanotherroutetotheEmeraldCity,andtheywillinglyconsented,sothattheInvisibleCountrywaswhollyavoided.
Ofcourse,whentheyreachedtheEmeraldCitytheirfirstdutywastovisitOzma’spalace,wheretheywereroyallyentertained.
TheTinSoldierandWoottheWandererwerewelcomedaswarmlyasanystrangersmightbewhohadbeenthetravelingcompanionsofOzma’sdearoldfriends,theScarecrowandtheTinWoodman.
AtthebanquettablethateveningtheyrelatedthemannerinwhichtheyhaddiscoveredNimmieAmee,andtoldhowtheyhadfoundherhappilymarriedtoChopfyt,whoserelationshiptoNickChopperandCaptainFyterwassobewilderingthattheyaskedOzma’sadvicewhattodoaboutit.
“YouneednotconsiderChopfytatall,”repliedthebeautifulgirlRulerofOz.
“IfNimmieAmeeiscontentwiththatmisfitmanforahusband,wehavenotevenjustcausetoblameKu-Klipforgluinghimtogether.”
“Ithinkitwasaverygoodidea,”addedlittleDorothy,“forifKu-Kliphadn’tusedupyourcastoffparts,theywouldhavebeenwasted.It’swickedtobewasteful,isn’tit?”
“Well,anyhow,”saidWoottheWanderer,“Chopfyt,beingkeptaprisonerbyhiswife,istoofarawayfromanyonetobothereitherofyoutinmeninanyway.
Ifyouhadn’tgonewhereheisanddiscoveredhim,youwouldneverhaveworriedabouthim.”
“Whatdoyoucare,anyhow,”BetsyBobbinaskedtheTinWoodman,“solongasNimmieAmeeissatisfied?”
“Andjusttothink,”remarkedTinyTrot,“thatanygirlwouldratherlivewithamixturelikeChopfyt,onfar-awayMountMunch,thantobetheEmpressoftheWinkies!”
“Itisherownchoice,”saidtheTinWoodmancontentedly;“and,afterall,I’mnotsuretheWinkieswouldcaretohaveanEmpress.”
ItpuzzledOzma,foratime,todecidewhattodowiththeTinSoldier.
IfhewentwiththeTinWoodmantotheEmperor’scastle,shefeltthatthetwotinmenmightnotbeabletolivetogetherinharmony,andmoreovertheEmperorwouldnotbesodistinguishedifhehadadoubleconstantlybesidehim.
SosheaskedCaptainFyterifhewaswillingtoserveherasasoldier,andhepromptlydeclaredthatnothingwouldpleasehimmore.
Afterhehadbeeninherserviceforsometime,OzmasenthimintotheGillikinCountry,withinstructionstokeeporderamongthewildpeoplewhoinhabitsomepartsofthatcountryofOz.
AsforWoot,beingaWandererbyprofession,hewasallowedtowanderwhereverhedesired,andOzmapromisedtokeepwatchoverhisfuturejourneysandtoprotecttheboyaswellasshewasable,incaseheevergotintomoretrouble.
Allthishavingbeenhappilyarranged,theTinWoodmanreturnedtohistincastle,andhischosencomrade,theScarecrow,accompaniedhimontheway.
Thetwofriendsweresuretopassmanypleasanthourstogetherintalkingovertheirrecentadventures,forastheyneitheratenorslepttheyfoundtheirgreatestamusementinconversation.
Share this article to
FINISH