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11. Johnny Dooit Does It

It's getting awful rough walking," said Dorothy, as they trudged along.

Button-Bright gave a deep sigh and said he was hungry. Indeed, all were

hungry, and thirsty, too; for they had eaten nothing but the apples since

breakfast; so their steps lagged and they grew silent and weary. At last they

slowly passed over the crest of a barren hill and saw before them a line of

green trees with a strip of grass at their feet. An agreeable fragrance was

wafted toward them.

Our travelers, hot and tired, ran forward on beholding this refreshing sight

and were not long in coming to the trees. Here they found a spring of pure

bubbling water, around which the grass was full of wild strawberry plants,

their pretty red berries ripe and ready to eat. Some of the trees bore yellow

oranges and some russet pears, so the hungry adventurers suddenly found

themselves provided with plenty to eat and to drink. They lost no time in

picking the biggest strawberries and ripest oranges and soon had feasted to

their hearts' content. Walking beyond the line of trees they saw before them a

fearful, dismal desert, everywhere gray sand. At the edge of this awful waste

was a large, white sign with black letters neatly painted upon it and the letters

made these words:

ALL PERSONS ARE WARNED NOT TO VENTURE UPON THIS DESERT

For the Deadly Sands will Turn Any Living Flesh to Dust in an instant.

Beyond This Barrier is the

LAND OF OZ

But no one can Reach that Beautiful Country because of these Destroying

Sands

Oh," said Dorothy, when the shaggy man had read the sign aloud; "I've seen

this desert before, and it's true no one can live who tries to walk upon the

sands."

Then we musn't try it," answered the shaggy man thoughtfully. "But as we

can't go ahead and there's no use going back, what shall we do next?"

Don't know," said Button-Bright.

I'm sure I don't know, either," added Dorothy, despondently.

The Road to Oz