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Chapter Two- The Heart of the Tin Woodman

The Emperor of the Winkies paused in his story to reach for an oil-can, with

which he carefully oiled the joints in his tin throat, for his voice had begun

to squeak a little. Woot the Wanderer, having satisfied his hunger, watched

this oiling process with much curiosity, but begged the Tin Man to go on

with his tale.

"The Witch with the Silver Shoes hated me for having defied her," resumed

the Emperor, his voice now sounding clear as a bell, "and she insisted that

Nimmie Amee should never marry me. Therefore she made the enchanted

axe cut off my other arm, and the tinsmith also replaced that member with

tin, including these finely-jointed hands that you see me using. But, alas!

after that, the axe, still enchanted by the cruel Witch, cut my body in two,

so that I fell to the ground. Then the Witch, who was watching from a near-

by bush, rushed up and seized the axe and chopped my body into several

small pieces, after which, thinking that at last she had destroyed me, she

ran away laughing in wicked glee.

"But Nimmie Amee found me. She picked up my arms and legs and head,

and made a bundle of them and carried them to the tinsmith, who set to

work and made me a fine body of pure tin. When he had joined the arms

and legs to the body, and set my head in the tin collar, I was a much better

man than ever, for my body could not ache or pain me, and I was so

beautiful and bright that I had no need of clothing. Clothing is always a

nuisance, because it soils and tears and has to be replaced; but my tin body

only needs to be oiled and polished.

Nimmie Amee still declared she would marry me, as she still loved me in

spite of the Witch's evil deeds. The girl declared I would make the brightest

husband in all the world, which was quite true. However, the Wicked Witch

was not yet defeated. When I returned to my work the axe slipped and cut

off my head, which was the only meat part of me then remaining. Moreover,

the old woman grabbed up my severed head and carried it away with her

and hid it. But Nimmie Amee came into the forest and found me wandering

around helplessly, because I could not see where to go, and she led me to

my friend the tinsmith. The faithful fellow at once set to work to make me a

tin head, and he had just completed it when Nimmie Amee came running up

with my old head, which she had stolen from the Witch. But, on reflection, I

considered the tin head far superior to the meat one--I am wearing it yet, so

you can see its beauty and grace of outline--and the girl agreed with me that

The Tin Woodman of Oz