Chapter-2
Dorothy and Toto followed the Yellow Brick Road for many miles. After a while, they stopped beside a big cornfield and sat down to rest. Not too far away, Dorothy could see a Scarecrow. It was placed high on a pole, so it would scare the birds away from the ripe corn.
The Scarecrow’s head was a small sack stuffed with straw. Someone had painted its face with eyes, a nose and a mouth. It was dressed in a blue suit and wore old boots and a pointed blue hat.
While Dorothy was looking at the Scarecrow, she was surprised to see one of the eyes slowly wink at her. Then the figure nodded its head in her direction. Dorothy walked up to the Scarecrow.
“Good day,” said the Scarecrow.
“Did you speak?” asked Dorothy.
“Certainly,” answered the Scarecrow, “How do you do?”
“I’m pretty well, thank you,” replied Dorothy, “How are you?”
“I’m not feeling well,” said the Scarecrow, “This pole is stuck up my back, and I can’t get down.”
Dorothy reached up and lifted the figure off the pole. Since the Scarecrow was made of straw, he was very light.
“Thank you very much,” said the Scarecrow, “I feel like a new man.”
All this seemed very strange to Dorothy. She had never seen a stuffed man who could walk and talk.
“Who are you and where are you going?” asked the Scarecrow.
“My name is Dorothy,” she said, “and I am going to the Emerald City to ask the Great Oz to send me back to Kansas.”
But the Scarecrow had never heard of the Great Oz or the Emerald City. Sadly, he explained to Dorothy that since his head was stuffed with straw he had no brains. Dorothy felt very sorry for the unhappy Scarecrow.
“Do you think,” he asked, “that if I go to the Emerald City with you, the Great Oz will give me some brains?”
“I cannot tell,” she answered, “but you may come with me if you like. If Oz will not give you any brains, you will be no worse off than you are now.”
The Scarecrow nodded his head in agreement and joined Dorothy and Toto on their journey to the Emerald City.
After a few hours, the road began to get rough. Walking grew difficult, and the Scarecrow fell many times. But since he was made of straw, he never got hurt.
Soon the daylight faded away and the sky grew very dark. Dorothy could not see at all, but the Scarecrow said he could see in the dark just as well as in the light. Dorothy asked him to stop when he saw a house, for she was becoming very tired.
After a little while, the Scarecrow stopped and said, “I see a cottage built of logs and branches. Shall we go there?”
“Oh yes!” answered Dorothy, “I am really very tired.”
When they reached the cottage, Dorothy fell fast asleep with Toto beside her. The Scarecrow, who never needed to sleep, stood in a corner and waited for morning.
As the sun came up, Dorothy was wakened by an awful groan. The sound seemed to come from somewhere in the forest. Dorothy saw something shining not far from where she stood. When she walked deeper into the forest, she saw a remarkable thing. Standing beside a large tree was man made completely of tin. He held an axe in his hand. Dorothy looked at him in amazement.
“Did you groan?” she asked.
“Yes,” answered the Tinman.
“I’ve been groaning for a long time, but no one has ever come to help me.”
“What can I do for you?” asked Dorothy.
“Get an oil can and oil my joints,” answered the Tinman, “They are so rusty I cannot move.”
Dorothy ran back to the cottage and found an oil can. The Tinman told her where to put the oil. In just a few minutes, the Tinman was able to move.
“How can I ever thank you?” he said, “I would have stood in the forest for years if you hadn’t saved me. How did you happen to be here?”
Dorothy explained that she, Toto and the Scarecrow were all on their way to the Emerald City to see the Great Oz. When she told him this, the Tinman began to think.
“Do you suppose Oz could give me a heart?” he asked, “The wicked witch of the East cast an evil spell on me as I was out here chopping wood. She turned me into tin and took away my heart.”
Dorothy thought for a moment.
“Why, I think so,” she answered, “It would be as easy as giving the Scarecrow brains.”
So the Tinman picked up his axe and his oil can and joined his new friends on the journey to Oz.
