4. The Road Through the Forest
After a few hours the road began to be rough, and the walking grew sodifficult that the Scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow bricks,which were here very uneven. Sometimes, indeed, they were broken ormissing altogether, leaving holes that Toto jumped across and Dorothywalked around. As for the Scarecrow, having no brains, he walkedstraight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full lengthon the hard bricks. It never hurt him, however, and Dorothy would pickhim up and set him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughingmerrily at his own mishap.
The farms were not nearly so well cared for here as they were fartherback. There were fewer houses and fewer fruit trees, and the fartherthey went the more dismal and lonesome the country became.
At noon they sat down by the roadside, near a little brook, and Dorothyopened her basket and got out some bread. She offered a piece to theScarecrow, but he refused.
”I am never hungry,” he said, ”and it is a lucky thing I am not, for mymouth is only painted, and if I should cut a hole in it so I could eat,the straw I am stuffed with would come out, and that would spoil theshape of my head.”
Dorothy saw at once that this was true, so she only nodded and went oneating her bread.
”Tell me something about yourself and the country you came from,” saidthe Scarecrow, when she had finished her dinner. So she told him allabout Kansas, and how gray everything was there, and how the cyclonehad carried her to this queer Land of Oz.
The Scarecrow listened carefully, and said, ”I cannot understand whyyou should wish to leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry,gray place you call Kansas.”
”That is because you have no brains” answered the girl. ”No matter howdreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood wouldrather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful.There is no place like home.”
The Scarecrow sighed.
”Of course I cannot understand it,” he said. ”If your heads werestuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in thebeautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It isfortunate for Kansas that you have brains.”
”Won't you tell me a story, while we are resting?” asked the child.
The Scarecrow looked at her reproachfully, and answered:
”My life has been so short that I really know nothing whatever. I wasonly made day before yesterday. What happened in the world before thattime is all unknown to me. Luckily, when the farmer made my head, oneof the first things he did was to paint my ears, so that I heard whatwas going on. There was another Munchkin with him, and the first thingI heard was the farmer saying, 'How do you like those ears?'
”'They aren't straight,'” answered the other.
”'Never mind,'” said the farmer. ”'They are ears just the same,'”which was true enough.
”'Now I'll make the eyes,'” said the farmer. So he painted my righteye, and as soon as it was finished I found myself looking at him andat everything around me with a great deal of curiosity, for this was myfirst glimpse of the world.
”'That's a rather pretty eye,'” remarked the Munchkin who was watchingthe farmer. ”'Blue paint is just the color for eyes.'
”'I think I'll make the other a little bigger,'” said the farmer. Andwhen the second eye was done I could see much better than before. Thenhe made my nose and my mouth. But I did not speak, because at thattime I didn't know what a mouth was for. I had the fun of watchingthem make my body and my arms and legs; and when they fastened on myhead, at last, I felt very proud, for I thought I was just as good aman as anyone.
”'This fellow will scare the crows fast enough,' said the farmer. 'Helooks just like a man.'
”'Why, he is a man,' said the other, and I quite agreed with him. Thefarmer carried me under his arm to the cornfield, and set me up on atall stick, where you found me. He and his friend soon after walkedaway and left me alone.
”I did not like to be deserted this way. So I tried to walk afterthem. But my feet would not touch the ground, and I was forced to stayon that pole. It was a lonely life to lead, for I had nothing to thinkof, having been made such a little while before. Many crows and otherbirds flew into the cornfield, but as soon as they saw me they flewaway again, thinking I was a Munchkin; and this pleased me and made mefeel that I was quite an important person. By and by an old crow flewnear me, and after looking at me carefully he perched upon my shoulderand said:
”'I wonder if that farmer thought to fool me in this clumsy manner.Any crow of sense could see that you are only stuffed with straw.'Then he hopped down at my feet and ate all the corn he wanted. Theother birds, seeing he was not harmed by me, came to eat the corn too,so in a short time there was a great flock of them about me.
”I felt sad at this, for it showed I was not such a good Scarecrowafter all; but the old crow comforted me, saying, 'If you only hadbrains in your head you would be as good a man as any of them, and abetter man than some of them. Brains are the only things worth havingin this world, no matter whether one is a crow or a man.'
”After the crows had gone I thought this over, and decided I would tryhard to get some brains. By good luck you came along and pulled me offthe stake, and from what you say I am sure the Great Oz will give mebrains as soon as we get to the Emerald City.”
”I hope so,” said Dorothy earnestly, ”since you seem anxious to havethem.”
”Oh, yes; I am anxious,” returned the Scarecrow. ”It is such anuncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool.”
”Well,” said the girl, ”let us go.” And she handed the basket to theScarecrow.
There were no fences at all by the roadside now, and the land was roughand untilled. Toward evening they came to a great forest, where thetrees grew so big and close together that their branches met over theroad of yellow brick. It was almost dark under the trees, for thebranches shut out the daylight; but the travelers did not stop, andwent on into the forest.
”If this road goes in, it must come out,” said the Scarecrow, ”and asthe Emerald City is at the other end of the road, we must go whereverit leads us.”
”Anyone would know that,” said Dorothy.
”Certainly; that is why I know it,” returned the Scarecrow. ”If itrequired brains to figure it out, I never should have said it.”
After an hour or so the light faded away, and they found themselvesstumbling along in the darkness. Dorothy could not see at all, butToto could, for some dogs see very well in the dark; and the Scarecrowdeclared he could see as well as by day. So she took hold of his armand managed to get along fairly well.
”If you see any house, or any place where we can pass the night,” shesaid, ”you must tell me; for it is very uncomfortable walking in thedark.”
Soon after the Scarecrow stopped.
”I see a little cottage at the right of us,” he said, ”built of logsand branches. Shall we go there?”
”Yes, indeed,” answered the child. ”I am all tired out.”
So the Scarecrow led her through the trees until they reached thecottage, and Dorothy entered and found a bed of dried leaves in onecorner. She lay down at once, and with Toto beside her soon fell intoa sound sleep. The Scarecrow, who was never tired, stood up in anothercorner and waited patiently until morning came.