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Cowardly Lion, feeling a little solemn themselves, started toward the

Emerald City.

My, but it's growing dark," said Dorothy after they had gone several miles.

I believe it's going to storm."

Scarcely had she finished speaking before there was a terrific crash of

thunder. The Cowardly Lion promptly sat down. Off of his back bounced the

sandwich box and into the sandwich box rolled Dorothy, head first.

How terribly upsetting," coughed the Cowardly Lion.

I should say it was!" Dorothy crawled indignantly out of the hat box and

began wiping the butter from her nose. "You've simply ruined the supper!"

"It was my heart," explained the Cowardly Lion sorrowfully. "It jumped so

hard that it upset me, but climb on my back again, and I'll run very fast to

some place of shelter."

"But where are you?" Dorothy asked in real alarm, for it had grown

absolutely dark.

"Here," quavered the Cowardly Lion, and guided by his voice, Dorothy

stumbled over to him and climbed again on his back. One crash of thunder

followed another, and at each crash the Cowardly Lion leapt forward a bit

faster until they fairly flew through the dark.

"It won't take us long to reach the Emerald City at this rate!" called Dorothy,

but the wind tossed the words far behind her, and seeing that conversation

was impossible, she clung fast to the lion's mane and began thinking about

the Scarecrow. The thunder continued at frequent intervals, but there was

no rain, and after they had been running for what seemed to Dorothy hours

and hours, a sudden terrific bump sent her flying over the lion's head into a

bush. Too breathless to speak, she felt herself carefully all over. Then,

finding that she was still in one piece, she called to the Cowardly Lion. She

could hear him moaning and muttering about his heart.

"Any bones broken?" she asked anxiously.

"Only my head," groaned the lion dismally. Just then the darkness lifted as

suddenly as it had fallen, and Dorothy saw him leaning against a tree with

his eyes closed. There was a big bump on his head. With a little cry of

sympathy, Dorothy hurried toward him, when all at once something strange

about their surroundings struck her.

The Royal Book of Oz