The Road to Oz


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"
I suppose," said he, "that there are no cleverer tinsmiths in all the world than  
the Winkies. It would be hard to match this castle in Kansas; wouldn't it,  
little Dorothy?"  
"
"
"
Very hard," replied the child, gravely.  
It must have cost a lot of money," remarked the shaggy man.  
Money! Money in Oz!" cried the Tin Woodman. "What a queer idea! Did you  
suppose we are so vulgar as to use money here?"  
"
"
Why not?" asked the shaggy man.  
If we used money to buy things with, instead of love and kindness and the  
desire to please one another, then we should be no better than the rest of the  
world," declared the Tin Woodman. "Fortunately money is not known in the  
Land of Oz at all. We have no rich, and no poor; for what one wishes the  
others all try to give him, in order to make him happy, and no one in all Oz  
cares to have more than he can use."  
"
Good!" cried the shaggy man, greatly pleased to hear this. "I also despise  
money--a man in Butterfield owes me fifteen cents, and I will not take it from  
him. The Land of Oz is surely the most favored land in all the world, and its  
people the happiest. I should like to live here always."  
The Tin Woodman listened with respectful attention. Already he loved the  
shaggy man, although he did not yet know of the Love Magnet. So he said:  
"
If you can prove to the Princess Ozma that you are honest and true and  
worthy of our friendship, you may indeed live here all your days, and be as  
happy as we are."  
"
"
I'll try to prove that," said the shaggy man, earnestly.  
And now," continued the Emperor, "you must all go to your rooms and  
prepare for dinner, which will presently be served in the grand tin dining-hall.  
I am sorry, Shaggy Man, that I can not offer you a change of clothing; but I  
dress only in tin, myself, and I suppose that would not suit you."  
"
"
I care little about dress," said the shaggy man, indifferently.  
So I should imagine," replied the Emperor, with true politeness.  
They were shown to their rooms and permitted to make such toilets as they  
could, and soon they assembled again in the grand tin dining-hall, even Toto  
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