The by L. Frank Baum of

Chapter 8 - The Menace of the Forest

“Quick!” cried the Canary; Valley, for fear of being captured by her en- “we must hurry, or Mrs. Yoop may find some emies. So we may take our time to consider way to recapture us, even now. Let us get out what to do next.” of her Valley as soon as possible.” “I’m afraid poor Mrs. Yoop will starve to So they set off toward the east, moving death, if no one lets her out of her bedroom,” as swiftly as they could, and for a long time said Woot, who had a heart as kind as that of they could hear the yells and struggles of the Tin Woodman. “We’ve taken her Magic the imprisoned Giantess. The Green Mon- Apron away, and now the doors will never key could run over the ground very swiftly, open.” and he carried with him the bird-cage con- “Don’t worry about that,” advised Poly- taining Polychrome the Rain-bow’s Daugh- chrome. “Mrs. Yoop has plenty of magic left ter. Also the Tin Owl could skip and fly to console her.” along at a good rate of speed, his feathers “Are you sure of that?” asked the Green rattling against one another with a tinkling Monkey. sound as he moved. But the little Brown “Yes, for I’ve been watching her for Bear, being stuffed with straw, was a clumsy weeks,” said the Canary. “She has six magic traveler and the others had to wait for him hairpins, which she wears in her hair, and a to follow. magic ring which she wears on her thumb However, they were not very long in and which is invisible to all eyes except those reaching the ridge that led out of Mrs. Yoop’s of a fairy, and magic bracelets on both her Valley, and when they had passed this ridge ankles. So I am positive that she will manage and descended into the next valley they to find a way out of her prison.” stopped to rest, for the Green Monkey was “She might transform the door into an tired. archway,” suggested the little Brown Bear. “I believe we are safe, now,” said Poly- “That would be easy for her,” said the chrome, when her cage was set down and Tin Owl; “but I’m glad she was too angry to the others had all gathered around it, “for think of that before we got out of her Val- Mrs. Yoop dares not go outside of her own ley.”

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu : Chapter 8 By L. Frank Baum

“Well, we have escaped the big woman, it. In the forest there may be fruits or nuts to be sure,” remarked the Green Monkey, growing, or berry bushes at its edge, so let us “but we still wear the awful forms the cruel go that way.” Yookoohoo gave us. How are we going to get They agreed to this and promptly set off, rid of these shapes, and become ourselves this time moving more deliberately. The Tin again?” Owl, which had guided their way during the None could answer that question. night, now found the sunshine very trying They sat around the cage, brooding over to his big eyes, so he shut them tight and the problem, until the Monkey fell asleep. perched upon the back of the little Brown Seeing this, the Canary tucked her head Bear, which carried the Owl’s weight with under her wing and also slept, and the Tin ease. The Canary sometimes perched upon Owl and the Brown Bear did not disturb the Green Monkey’s shoulder and sometimes them until morning came and it was broad fluttered on ahead of the party, and in this daylight. manner they traveled in good spirits across “I’m hungry,” said Woot, when he wak- that valley and into the next one to the east ened, for his knapsack of food had been left of it. behind at the castle. This they found to be an immense hol- “Then let us travel on until we can find low, shaped like a saucer, and on its farther something for you to eat,” returned the Scare- edge appeared the forest which Polychrome crow Bear. had seen from the sky. “There is no use in your lugging my cage “Come to think of it,” said the Tin Owl, any farther,” declared the Canary. “Let me waking up and blinking comically at his out, and throw the cage away. Then I can fly friends, “there’s no object, now, in our travel- with you and find my own breakfast of seeds. ing to the Country. My idea in Also I can search for water, and tell you where going there was to marry Nimmie Amee, but to find it.” however much the Munchkin girl may have So the Green Monkey unfastened the loved a Tin Woodman, I cannot reasonably door of the golden cage and the Canary expect her to marry a Tin Owl.” hopped out. At first she flew high in the “There is some truth in that, my friend,” air and made great circles overhead, but af- remarked the Brown Bear. “And to think that ter a time she returned and perched beside I, who was considered the handsomest Scare- them. crow in the world, am now condemned to “At the east in the direction we were fol- be a scrubby, no-account beast, whose only lowing,” announced the Canary, “there is a redeeming feature is that he is stuffed with fine forest, with a brook running through straw!”

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu The Tin Woodman of Oz: Chapter 8 By L. Frank Baum

“Consider my case, please,” said Woot. da’s castle. It lies in the , you “The cruel Giantess has made a Monkey of know, so it is a good way from here.” a Boy, and that is the most dreadful deed of “First, however, let us visit the forest and all!” search for something to eat,” pleaded Woot. “Your color is rather pretty,” said the So they continued on to the edge of the for- Brown Bear, eyeing Woot critically. “I have est, which consisted of many tall and beautiful never seen a pea-green monkey before, and it trees. They discovered no fruit trees, at first, so strikes me you are quite gorgeous.” the Green Monkey pushed on into the forest “It isn’t so bad to be a bird,” asserted the depths and the others followed close behind Canary, fluttering from one to another with a him. free and graceful motion, “but I long to enjoy They were traveling quietly along, under my own shape again.” the shade of the trees, when suddenly an enor- “As Polychrome, you were the loveliest mous jaguar leaped upon them from a limb maiden I have ever seen—except, of course, and with one blow of his paw sent the little Ozma,” said the Tin Owl; “so the Giantess did Brown Bear tumbling over and over until he well to transform you into the loveliest of all was stopped by a tree-trunk. Instantly they all birds, if you were to be transformed at all. But took alarm. The Tin Owl shrieked: “Hoot— tell me, since you are a fairy, and have a fairy hoot!” and flew straight up to the branch of a wisdom: do you think we shall be able to break tall tree, although he could scarcely see where these enchantments?” he was going. The Canary swiftly darted to a “Queer things happen in the Land of place beside the Owl, and the Green Monkey Oz,” replied the Canary, again perching on sprang up, caught a limb, and soon scrambled the Green Monkey’s shoulder and turning one to a high perch of safety. bright eye thoughtfully toward her question- The Jaguar crouched low and with hun- er. “Mrs. Yoop has declared that none of her gry eyes regarded the little Brown Bear, which transformations can ever be changed, even by slowly got upon its feet and asked reproach- herself, but I believe that if we could get to fully: Glinda the Good Sorceress, she might find a “For goodness’ sake, Beast, what were you way to restore us to our natural shapes. Glin- trying to do?” da, as you know, is the most powerful Sorcer- “Trying to get my breakfast,” answered ess in the world, and there are few things she the Jaguar with a snarl, “and I believe I’ve suc- cannot do if she tries.” ceeded. You ought to make a delicious meal— “In that case,” said the Little Brown Bear, unless you happen to be old and tough.” “let us return southward and try to get to Glin- “I’m worse than that, considered as a breakfast,” said the Bear, “for I’m only a skin

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu The Tin Woodman of Oz: Chapter 8 By L. Frank Baum stuffed with straw, and therefore not fit to the Jaguar followed him from below, his eyes eat.” fixed steadfastly on his prey. But presently “Indeed!” cried the Jaguar, in a disappoint- Woot got his feet tangled in the Lace Apron, ed voice; “then you must be a magic Bear, or which he was still wearing, and that tripped enchanted, and I must seek my breakfast from him in his flight and made him fall to the among your companions.” ground, where the Jaguar placed one huge With this he raised his lean head to look paw upon him and said grimly: up at the Tin Owl and the Canary and the “I’ve got you, now!” Monkey, and he lashed his tail upon the The fact that the Apron had tripped him ground and growled as fiercely as any jaguar made Woot remember its magic powers, and could. in his terror he cried out: “Open!” without “My friends are enchanted, also,” said the stopping to consider how this command little Brown Bear. might save him. But, at the word, the earth “All of them?” asked the Jaguar. opened at the exact spot where he lay under “Yes. The Owl is tin, so you couldn’t pos- the Jaguar’s paw, and his body sank down- sibly eat him. The Canary is a fairy—Poly- ward, the earth closing over it again. The last chrome, the Daughter of the Rainbow—and thing Woot the Monkey saw, as he glanced you never could catch her because she can eas- upward, was the Jaguar peering into the hole ily fly out of your reach.” in astonishment. “There still remains the Green Monkey,” “He’s gone!” cried the beast, with a long- remarked the Jaguar hungrily. “He is neither drawn sigh of disappointment; “he’s gone, made of tin nor stuffed with straw, nor can he and now I shall have no breakfast.” fly. I’m pretty good at climbing trees, myself, The clatter of the Tin Owl’s wings sound- so I think I’ll capture the Monkey and eat him ed above him, and the little Brown Bear came for my breakfast.” trotting up and asked: Woot the Monkey, hearing this speech “Where is the monkey? Have you eaten from his perch on the tree, became much him so quickly?” frightened, for he knew the nature of jaguars “No, indeed,” answered the Jaguar. “He and realized they could climb trees and leap disappeared into the earth before I could take from limb to limb with the agility of cats. So one bite of him!” he at once began to scamper through the for- And now the Canary perched upon a est as fast as he could go, catching at a branch stump, a little way from the forest beast, and with his long monkey arms and swinging his said: green body through space to grasp another branch in a neighboring tree, and so on, while

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu The Tin Woodman of Oz: Chapter 8 By L. Frank Baum

“I am glad our friend has escaped you; “Do you think me so cruel?” demanded but, as it is natural for a hungry beast to wish the Canary, indignantly. “The squirrels are his breakfast, I will try to give you one.” my special friends.” “Thank you,” replied the Jaguar. “You’re “How about a plump owl?” asked the rather small for a full meal, but it’s kind of beast. “Not a tin one, you know, but a real you to sacrifice yourself to my appetite.” meat owl.” “Oh, I don’t intend to be eaten, I assure “Neither beast nor bird shall you have,” you,” said the Canary, “but as I am a fairy I said Polychrome in a positive voice. know something of magic, and though I am “Give me a fish, then; there’s a river a now transformed into a bird’s shape, I am little way off,” proposed the Jaguar. sure I can conjure up a breakfast that will sat- “No living thing shall be sacrificed to isfy you.” feed you,” returned the Canary. “If you can work magic, why don’t you “Then what in the world do you ex- break the enchantment you are under and re- pect me to eat?” said the Jaguar in a scornful turn to your proper form?” inquired the beast tone. doubtingly. “How would mush-and-milk do?” asked “I haven’t the power to do that,” an- the Canary. swered the Canary, “for Mrs. Yoop, the Gi- The Jaguar snarled in derision and lashed antess who transformed me, used a peculiar his tail against the ground angrily. form of Yookoohoo magic that is unknown “Give him some scrambled eggs on toast, to me. However, she could not deprive me of Poly,” suggested the Bear . “He my own fairy knowledge, so I will try to get ought to like that.” you a breakfast.” “I will,” responded the Canary, and flut- “Do you think a magic breakfast would tering her wings she made a flight of three taste good, or relieve the pangs of hunger I circles around the stump. Then she flew up now suffer?” asked the Jaguar. to a tree and the Bear and the Owl and the “I am sure it would. What would you Jaguar saw that upon the stump had ap- like to eat?” peared a great green leaf upon which was “Give me a couple of fat rabbits,” said a large portion of scrambled eggs on toast, the beast. smoking hot. “Rabbits! No, indeed. I’d not allow you “There!” said the Bear; “eat your break- to eat the dear little things,” declared Poly- fast, friend Jaguar, and be content.” chrome the Canary. The Jaguar crept closer to the stump “Well, three or four squirrels, then,” and sniffed the fragrance of the scrambled pleaded the Jaguar. eggs. They smelled so good that he tasted

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu The Tin Woodman of Oz: Chapter 8 By L. Frank Baum them, and they tasted so good that he ate the strange meal in a hurry, proving he had been really hungry. “I prefer rabbits,” he muttered, licking his chops, “but I must admit the magic break- fast has filled my stomach full, and brought me comfort. So I’m much obliged for the kindness, little Fairy, and I’ll now leave you in peace.” Saying this, he plunged into the thick underbrush and soon disappeared, although they could hear his great body crashing through the bushes until he was far distant. “That was a good way to get rid of the savage beast, Poly,” said the Tin Woodman to the Canary; “but I’m surprised that you didn’t give our friend Woot a magic break- fast, when you knew he was hungry.” “The reason for that,” answered Poly- chrome, “was that my mind was so intent on other things that I quite forgot my power to produce food by magic. But where is the monkey boy?” “Gone!” said the Scarecrow Bear, sol- emnly. “The earth has swallowed him up.”

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