The Essential Works of L. Frank Baum. L. Frank Baum

of nerves and ifs, will soon make a Flutterbudget of any one.”

      Then there was another long silence, for all the travelers were thinking over this statement, and nearly all decided it must be true.

      The country they were now passing through was everywhere tinted purple, the prevailing color of the Gillikin Country; but as the Sawhorse ascended a hill they found that upon the other side everything was of a rich yellow hue.

      “Aha!” cried the Captain General; “here is the Country of the Winkies. We are just crossing the boundary line.”

      “Then we may be able to lunch with the Tin Woodman,” announced the Wizard, joyfully.

      “Must we lunch on tin?” asked Aunt Em.

      “Oh, no;” replied Dorothy. “Nick Chopper knows how to feed meat people, and he will give us plenty of good things to eat, never fear. I’ve been to his castle before.”

      “Is Nick Chopper the Tin Woodman’s name?” asked Uncle Henry.

      “Yes; that’s one of his names,” answered the little girl; “and another of his names is ‘Emp’ror of the Winkies.’ He’s the King of this country, you know, but Ozma rules over all the countries of Oz.”

      “Does the Tin Woodman keep any Flutterbudgets or Rigmaroles at his castle?” inquired Aunt Em, uneasily.

      “No indeed,” said Dorothy, positively. “He lives in a new tin castle, all full of lovely things.”

      “I should think it would rust,” said Uncle Henry.

      “He has thousands of Winkies to keep it polished for him,” explained the Wizard. “His people love to do anything in their power for their beloved Emperor, so there isn’t a particle of rust on all the big castle.”

      “I suppose they polish their Emperor, too,” said Aunt Em.

      “Why, some time ago he had himself nickel-plated,” the Wizard answered; “so he only needs rubbing up once in a while. He’s the brightest man in all the world, is dear Nick Chopper; and the kindest-hearted.”

      “I helped find him,” said Dorothy, reflectively. “Once the Scarecrow and I found the Tin Woodman in the woods, and he was just rusted still, that time, an’ no mistake. But we oiled his joints an’ got ‘em good and slippery, and after that he went with us to visit the Wizard at the Em’rald City.”

      “Was that the time the Wizard scared you?” asked Aunt Em.

      “He didn’t treat us well, at first,” acknowledged Dorothy; “for he made us go away and destroy the Wicked Witch. But after we found out he was only a humbug wizard we were not afraid of him.”

      The Wizard sighed and looked a little ashamed.

      “When we try to deceive people we always make mistakes,” he said. “But I’m getting to be a real wizard now, and Glinda the Good’s magic, that I am trying to practice, can never harm any one.”

      “You were always a good man,” declared Dorothy, “even when you were a bad wizard.”

      “He’s a good wizard now,” asserted Aunt Em, looking at the little man admiringly. “The way he made those tents grow out of handkerchiefs was just wonderful! And didn’t he enchant the wagon wheels so they’d find the road?”

      “All the people of Oz,” said the Captain General, “are very proud of their Wizard. He once made some soap-bubbles that astonished the world.”

      The Wizard blushed at this praise, yet it pleased him. He no longer looked sad, but seemed to have recovered his usual good humor.

      The country through which they now rode was thickly dotted with farmhouses, and yellow grain waved in all the fields. Many of the Winkies could be seen working on their farms and the wild and unsettled parts of Oz were by this time left far behind.

      These Winkies appeared to be happy, light-hearted folk, and all removed their caps and bowed low when the red wagon with its load of travelers passed by.

      It was not long before they saw something glittering in the sunshine far ahead.

      “See!” cried Dorothy; “that’s the Tin Castle, Aunt Em!”

      And the Sawhorse, knowing his passengers were eager to arrive, broke into a swift trot that soon brought them to their destination.

      24. How the Tin Woodman Told the Sad News

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      The Tin Woodman received Princess Dorothy’s party with much grace and cordiality, yet the little girl decided that something must be worrying with her old friend, because he was not so merry as usual.

      But at first she said nothing about this, for Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were fairly bubbling over with admiration for the beautiful tin castle and its polished tin owner. So her suspicion that something unpleasant had happened was for a time forgotten.

      “Where is the Scarecrow?” she asked, when they had all been ushered into the big tin drawing-room of the castle, the Sawhorse being led around to the tin stable in the rear.

      “Why, our old friend has just moved into his new mansion,” explained the Tin Woodman. “It has been a long time in building, although my Winkies and many other people from all parts of the country have been busily working upon it. At last, however, it is completed, and the Scarecrow took possession of his new home just two days ago.”

      “I hadn’t heard that he wanted a home of his own,” said Dorothy. “Why doesn’t he live with Ozma in the Emerald City? He used to, you know; and I thought he was happy there.”

      “It seems,” said the Tin Woodman, “that our dear Scarecrow cannot be contented with city life, however beautiful his surroundings might be. Originally he was a farmer, for he passed his early life in a cornfield, where he was supposed to frighten away the crows.”

      “I know,” said Dorothy, nodding. “I found him, and lifted him down from his pole.”

      “So now, after a long residence in the Emerald City, his tastes have turned to farm life again,” continued the Tin Man. “He feels that he cannot be happy without a farm of his own, so Ozma gave him some land and every one helped him build his mansion, and now he is settled there for good.”

      “Who designed his house?” asked the Shaggy Man.

      “I believe it was Jack Pumpkinhead, who is also a farmer,” was the reply.

      They were now invited to enter the tin dining room, where luncheon was served.

      Aunt Em found, to her satisfaction, that Dorothy’s promise was more than fulfilled; for, although the Tin Woodman had no appetite of his own, he respected the appetites of his guests and saw that they were bountifully fed.

      They passed the afternoon in wandering through the beautiful gardens and grounds of the palace. The walks were all paved with sheets of tin, brightly polished, and there were tin fountains and tin statues here and there among the trees. The flowers were mostly natural flowers and grew in the regular way; but their host showed them one flower bed which was his especial pride.

      “You see, all common flowers fade and die in time,” he explained, “and so there are seasons when the pretty blooms are scarce. Therefore I decided to make one tin flower bed all of tin flowers, and my workmen have created them with rare skill. Here you see tin camelias, tin marigolds, tin carnations, tin poppies and tin hollyhocks growing as naturally as if they were real.”

      Indeed, they were a pretty sight, and glistened under the sunlight like spun silver. “Isn’t this tin hollyhock going to seed?” asked the Wizard, bending over the flowers.

      “Why, I believe it is!” exclaimed the Tin Woodman, as if surprised. “I hadn’t noticed