www.freeclassicebooks.com

Chapter Eleven - Jinjur's Ranch

As they followed a path down the blue-grass hillside, the first house that

met the view of the travelers was joyously recognized by the Scarecrow Bear

as the one inhabited by his friend Jinjur, so they increased their speed and

hurried toward it.

On reaching the place, how ever, they found the house deserted. The front

door stood open, but no one was inside. In the garden surrounding the

house were neat rows of bushes bearing cream-puffs and macaroons, some

of which were still green, but others ripe and ready to eat. Farther back were

fields of caramels, and all the land seemed well cultivated and carefully

tended. They looked through the fields for the girl farmer, but she was

nowhere to be seen.

Well," finally remarked the little Brown Bear, "let us go into the house and

make ourselves at home. That will be sure to please my friend Jinjur, who

happens to be away from home just now. When she returns, she will be

greatly surprised."

Would she care if I ate some of those ripe cream-puffs?" asked the Green

Monkey.

"No, indeed; Jinjur is very generous. Help yourself to all you want," said the

Scarecrow Bear.

So Woot gathered a lot of the cream-puffs that were golden yellow and filled

with a sweet, creamy substance, and ate until his hunger was satisfied.

Then he entered the house with his friends and sat in a rocking-chair--just

as he was accustomed to do when a boy. The Canary perched herself upon

the mantel and daintily plumed her feathers; the Tin Owl sat on the back of

another chair; the Scarecrow squatted on his hairy haunches in the middle

of the room.

"I believe I remember the girl Jinjur," remarked the Canary, in her sweet

voice. "She cannot help us very much, except to direct us on our way to

Glinda's castle, for she does not understand magic. But she's a good girl,

honest and sensible, and I'll be glad to see her."

"All our troubles," said the Owl with a deep sigh, "arose from my foolish

resolve to seek Nimmie Amee and make her Empress of the Winkies, and

while I wish to reproach no one, I must say that it was Woot the Wanderer

who put the notion into my head."

The Tin Woodman of Oz