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much the Munchkin girl may have loved a Tin Woodman, I cannot

reasonably expect her to marry a Tin Owl."

"There is some truth in that, my friend," remarked the Brown Bear. "And to

think that I, who was considered the handsomest Scarecrow in the world,

am now condemned to be a scrubby, no-account beast, whose only

redeeming feature is that he is stuffed with straw!"

"Consider my case, please," said Woot. "The cruel Giantess has made a

Monkey of a Boy, and that is the most dreadful deed of all!"

"Your color is rather pretty," said the Brown Bear, eyeing Woot critically. "I

have never seen a pea-green monkey before, and it strikes me you are quite

gorgeous."

It isn't so bad to be a bird," asserted the Canary, fluttering from one to

another with a free and graceful motion, "but I long to enjoy my own shape a

gam."

"As Polychrome, you were the loveliest maiden I have ever seen--except, of

course, Ozma," said the Tin Owl; "so the Giantess did well to transform you

into the loveliest of all birds, if you were to be transformed at all. But tell

me, since you are a fairy, and have a fairy wisdom: do you think we shall be

able to break these enchantments?"

Queer things happen in the Land of Oz," replied the Canary, again perching

on the Green Monkey's shoulder and turning one bright eye thoughtfully

toward her questioner. "Mrs. Yoop has declared that none of her

transformations can ever be changed, even by herself, but I believe that if we

could get to Glinda the Good Sorceress, she might find a way to restore us to

our natural shapes. Glinda, as you know, is the most powerful Sorceress in

the world, and there are few things she cannot do if she tries."

"In that case," said the Little Brown Bear, "let us return southward and try

to get to Glinda's castle. It lies in the Quadling Country, you know, so it is a

good way from here."

"First, however, let us visit the forest and search for something to eat,"

pleaded Woot. So they continued on to the edge of the forest, which

consisted of many tall and beautiful trees. They discovered no fruit trees, at

first, so the Green Monkey pushed on into the forest depths and the others

followed close behind him.

The Tin Woodman of Oz