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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Chapter 19. Attacked by the Fighting Trees
The next morning Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl goodbye.
And they all shook hands with the soldier with the green beard, who had walked with them as far as the gate.
When the gate guard saw them again, he was surprised they left the beautiful City for new trouble.
He unlocked their glasses, put them back in the green box, and gave them many good wishes to carry with them.
"You're now our ruler," he said to the Scarecrow, "so you must come back to us as soon as possible."
"I certainly shall if I'm able," the Scarecrow replied, "but I must help Dorothy to get home first."
As Dorothy said goodbye to the kind Guard she said,
"I've been treated very kindly in your lovely City, and everyone has been good to me."
"I can't tell you how grateful I'm."
"Don't try, my dear," he answered.
"We'd like to keep you with us, but if it's your wish to return to Kansas, I hope you'll find a way."
He then opened the gate of the outer wall, and they walked out and started on their journey.
The sun shone as our friends turned their faces toward the Land of the South.
They're all in the best mood, and laughed and chatted together.
Dorothy had hope of getting home again, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to be of use to her.
As for the Lion, he sniffed the fresh air with delight.
He moved his tail from side to side with pure joy to be in the country again.
Toto ran around them and chased the moths and butterflies, barking happily all the time.
"City life doesn't agree with me at all," said the Lion, as they walked along at a fast pace.
"I've lost much flesh since I lived there, and now I'm anxious for a chance to show the other beasts how brave I have grown."
They now turned and took a last look at the Emerald City.
All they could see was a mass of towers and steeples behind the green walls.
High up above everything stood the towers and dome of the Palace of Oz.
"Oz wasn't such a bad Wizard, after all," said the Tin Woodman, as he felt his heart moving in his chest.
"He knew how to give me brains, and very good brains, too," said the Scarecrow.
"If Oz had taken some of the same courage he gave me," added the Lion, "he'd have been a brave man."
Dorothy said nothing, only looking at them with a small, sad smile.
Oz hadn't kept the promise he made her, but he had done his best, so she forgave him.
As he said, he was a good man, even if he was a bad Wizard.
Their first day was through the green fields and bright flowers that spread around the Emerald City on every side.
They slept that night on the grass, with only the stars above them, and they slept very well.
In the morning they traveled on until they came to a thick forest.
There was no way around it, for it seemed to stretch right and left as far as they could see.
Besides, they didn't dare change their direction for fear of getting lost.
So they looked for the place where it would be easiest to get into the forest.
The Scarecrow led and found a big tree with wide branches, so the group could pass under it.
So he walked forward to the tree, but just as he came under the first branches they bent down and twisted around him.
The next minute he was raised from the ground and thrown among his fellow travelers.
This didn't hurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he looked rather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.
"Here's another space between the trees," called the Lion.
"Let me try it first," said the Scarecrow.
"For it doesn't hurt me to get thrown about."
He walked up to another tree as he spoke, but its branches at once bent down and tossed him back again.
"This is strange," said Dorothy.
"What shall we do?"
"The trees seem to have decided to fight us, and stop our journey," said the Lion.
"I believe I'll try it myself," said the Woodman, and carrying his axe, he walked up to the first tree that had handled the Scarecrow so roughly.
When a big branch bent down to take him the Woodman chopped it hard and cut it in two.
At once the tree shook its branches like it was in pain, and the Tin Woodman passed safely under it.
"Come on!" he shouted to the others.
"Be quick!" They ran and passed under the tree not hurt, except Toto, who was caught by a small branch and shaken until he howled.
But the Woodman quickly cut off the branch and set the little dog free.
The other trees of the forest did nothing to stop them.
So they decided that only the first row of trees could bend down their branches.
They thought these trees were the guards of the forest, given this power to keep strangers out.
The four travelers walked easily through the trees until they came to the far edge of the wood.
Then, to their surprise, they found before them a high wall which seemed to be made of white china.
It was smooth, like the surface of a dish, and higher than their heads.
"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy.
"I'll make a ladder," said the Tin Woodman, "for we certainly must climb over the wall."