Chapter XIX.
Attacked by the Fighting Trees.
The next morning Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good-bye, andthey all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers, whohad walked with them as far as the gate. When the Guardian of theGate saw them again he wondered greatly that they could leave thebeautiful City to get into new trouble. But he at once unlocked theirspectacles, which he put back into the green box, and gave them manygood wishes to carry with them.
"You are now our ruler," he said to the Scarecrow; "so you must comeback to us as soon as possible."
"I certainly shall if I am able," the Scarecrow replied; "but I musthelp Dorothy to get home, first."
As Dorothy bade the good-natured Guardian a last farewell she said,
"I have been very kindly treated in your lovely City, and everyonehas been good to me. I cannot tell you how grateful I am."
"Don't try, my dear," he answered. "We should like to keep you withus, but if it is your wish to return to Kansas I hope you will find away." He then opened the gate of the outer wall and they walked forthand started upon their journey.
The sun shone brightly as our friends turned their faces toward theLand of the South. They were all in the best of spirits, and laughedand chatted together. Dorothy was once more filled with the hope ofgetting home, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to beof use to her. As for the Lion, he sniffed the fresh air with delightand whisked his tail from side to side in pure joy at being in thecountry again, while Toto ran around them and chased the moths andbutterflies, barking merrily all the time.
"City life does not agree with me at all," remarked the Lion, as theywalked along at a brisk pace. "I have lost much flesh since I livedthere, and now I am anxious for a chance to show the other beasts howcourageous I have grown."
"_The branches bent down and twined around him._"]
They now turned and took a last look at the Emerald City. All theycould see was a mass of towers and steeples behind the green walls,and high up above everything the spires and dome of the Palace of Oz.
"Oz was not such a bad Wizard, after all," said the Tin Woodman, ashe felt his heart rattling around in his breast.
"He knew how to give me brains, and very good brains, too," said theScarecrow.
"If Oz had taken a dose of the same courage he gave me," added theLion, "he would have been a brave man."
Dorothy said nothing. Oz had not kept the promise he made her, but hehad done his best, so she forgave him. As he said, he was a good man,even if he was a bad Wizard.
The first day's journey was through the green fields and brightflowers that stretched about the Emerald City on every side. Theyslept that night on the grass, with nothing but the stars over them;and they rested very well indeed.
In the morning they travelled on until they came to a thick wood. Therewas no way of going around it, for it seemed to extend to the right andleft as far as they could see; and, besides, they did not dare changethe direction of their journey for fear of getting lost. So they lookedfor the place where it would be easiest to get into the forest.
The Scarecrow, who was in the lead, finally discovered a big treewith such wide spreading-branches that there was room for the partyto pass underneath. So he walked forward to the tree, but just as hecame under the first branches they bent down and twined around him,and the next minute he was raised from the ground and flung headlongamong his fellow travellers.
This did not hurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he lookedrather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.
"Here is another space between the trees," called the Lion.
"Let me try it first," said the Scarecrow, "for it doesn't hurt me toget thrown about." He walked up to another tree, as he spoke, but itsbranches immediately seized him and tossed him back again.
"This is strange," exclaimed Dorothy; "what shall we do?"
"The trees seem to have made up their minds to fight us, and stop ourjourney," remarked the Lion.
"I believe I will try it myself," said the Woodman, and shoulderinghis axe he marched up to the first tree that had handled theScarecrow so roughly. When a big branch bent down to seize him theWoodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it in two. At oncethe tree began shaking all its branches as if in pain, and the TinWoodman passed safely under it.
"Come on!" he shouted to the others; "be quick!"
They all ran forward and passed under the tree without injury, exceptToto, who was caught by a small branch and shaken until he howled. Butthe Woodman promptly chopped off the branch and set the little dog free.
The other trees of the forest did nothing to keep them back, so theymade up their minds that only the first row of trees could bend downtheir branches, and that probably these were the policemen of theforest, and given this wonderful power in order to keep strangers outof it.
The four travellers walked with ease through the trees until they cameto the further edge of the wood. Then, to their surprise, they foundbefore them a high wall, which seemed to be made of white china. It wassmooth, like the surface of a dish, and higher than their heads.
"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy.
"I will make a ladder," said the Tin Woodman, "for we certainly mustclimb over the wall."
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Page 19