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"After I had delivered the magic medicine to the old woman, I returned and

tried to find the witch, or fairy, or whatever she was, who had given me the

unlucky wish, so she could take it away again. I've been searching for her

ever since, but never can I find her," continued poor Tommy Kwikstep,

sadly.

"I suppose," said the Tin Owl, blinking at him, "you can travel very fast, with

those twenty legs."

"At first I was able to," was the reply; "but I traveled so much, searching for

the fairy, or witch, or whatever she was, that I soon got corns on my toes.

Now, a corn on one toe is not so bad, but when you have a hundred toes--as

I have--and get corns on most of them, it is far from pleasant. Instead of

running, I now painfully crawl, and although I try not to be discouraged I do

hope I shall find that witch or fairy, or whatever she was, before long."

"I hope so, too," said the Scarecrow. "But, after all, you have the pleasure of

knowing you are unusual, and therefore remarkable among the people of

Oz. To be just like other persons is small credit to one, while to be unlike

others is a mark of distinction."

That sounds very pretty," returned Tommy Kwikstep, "but if you had to put

on ten pair of trousers every morning, and tie up twenty shoes, you would

prefer not to be so distinguished."

Was the witch, or fairy, or whatever she was, an old person, with wrinkled

skin and half her teeth gone?" inquired the Tin Owl.

No," said Tommy Kwikstep.

Then she wasn't Old Mombi," remarked the transformed Emperor.

I'm not interested in who it wasn't, so much as I am in who it was," said the

twenty-legged young man. "And, whatever or whomsoever she was, she has

managed to keep out of my way."

If you found her, do you suppose she'd change you back into a two-legged

boy?" asked Woot.

Perhaps so, if I could run another errand for her and so earn another wish."

Would you really like to be as you were before?" asked Polychrome the

Canary, perching upon the Green Monkey's shoulder to observe Tommy

Kwikstep more attentively.

I would, indeed," was the earnest reply.

The Tin Woodman of Oz