www.freeclassicebooks.com

Both the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman tried to think of some way to

escape from the castle before morning, but she seemed to read their

thoughts and shook her head.

Don't worry your poor brains," said she. "You can't escape me, however

hard you try. But why should you wish to escape? I shall give you new forms

that are much better than the ones you now have. Be contented with your

fate, for discontent leads to unhappiness, and unhappiness, in any form, is

the greatest evil that can befall you."

What forms do you intend to give us?" asked Woot earnestly.

"I haven't decided, as yet. I'll dream over it tonight, so in the morning I shall

have made up my mind how to transform you. Perhaps you'd prefer to

choose your own transformations?"

"No," said Woot, "I prefer to remain as I am."

"That's funny," she retorted. "You are little, and you're weak; as you are,

you're not much account, anyhow. The best thing about you is that you're

alive, for I shall be able to make of you some sort of live creature which will

be a great improvement on your present form."

She took another biscuit from a plate and dipped it in a pot of honey and

calmly began eating it.

The Scarecrow watched her thoughtfully.

"There are no fields of grain in your Valley," said he; "where, then, did you

get the flour to make your biscuits?"

Mercy me! do you think I'd bother to make biscuits out of flour?" she

replied. "That is altogether too tedious a process for a Yookoohoo. I set some

traps this afternoon and caught a lot of field-mice, but as I do not like to eat

mice, I transformed them into hot biscuits for my supper. The honey in this

pot was once a wasp's nest, but since being transformed it has become

sweet and delicious. All I need do, when I wish to eat, is to take something I

don't care to keep, and transform it into any sort of food I like, and eat it.

Are you hungry?"

I don't eat, thank you," said the Scarecrow.

Nor do I," said the Tin Woodman.

I have still a little natural food in my knapsack," said Woot the Wanderer,

and I'd rather eat that than any wasp's nest."

The Tin Woodman of Oz