按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
loud roar and bounded at her so fiercely that the Witch was afraid；
and ran out and shut the gate again。
〃If I cannot harness you；〃 said the Witch to the Lion；
speaking through the bars of the gate； 〃I can starve you。
You shall have nothing to eat until you do as I wish。〃
So after that she took no food to the imprisoned Lion；
but every day she came to the gate at noon and asked； 〃Are you
ready to be harnessed like a horse？〃
And the Lion would answer； 〃No。 If you come in this yard； I
will bite you。〃
The reason the Lion did not have to do as the Witch wished was
that every night； while the woman was asleep； Dorothy carried him
food from the cupboard。 After he had eaten he would lie down on
his bed of straw； and Dorothy would lie beside him and put her
head on his soft； shaggy mane； while they talked of their troubles
and tried to plan some way to escape。 But they could find no way
to get out of the castle； for it was constantly guarded by the
yellow Winkies； who were the slaves of the Wicked Witch and
too afraid of her not to do as she told them。
The girl had to work hard during the day； and often the Witch
threatened to beat her with the same old umbrella she always
carried in her hand。 But； in truth； she did not dare to strike
Dorothy； because of the mark upon her forehead。 The child did not
know this； and was full of fear for herself and Toto。 Once the
Witch struck Toto a blow with her umbrella and the brave little
dog flew at her and bit her leg in return。 The Witch did not
bleed where she was bitten； for she was so wicked that the blood
in her had dried up many years before。
Dorothy's life became very sad as she grew to understand that
it would be harder than ever to get back to Kansas and Aunt Em again。
Sometimes she would cry bitterly for hours； with Toto sitting at her
feet and looking into her face； whining dismally to show how sorry
he was for his little mistress。 Toto did not really care whether
he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him；
but he knew the little girl was unhappy； and that made him unhappy too。
Now the Wicked Witch had a great longing to have for her own
the Silver Shoes which the girl always wore。 Her bees and her
crows and her wolves were lying in heaps and drying up； and she
had used up all the power of the Golden Cap； but if she could
only get hold of the Silver Shoes； they would give her more power
than all the other things she had lost。 She watched Dorothy carefully；
to see if she ever took off her shoes； thinking she might steal them。
But the child was so proud of her pretty shoes that she never took
them off except at night and when she took her bath。 The Witch was
too much afraid of the dark to dare go in Dorothy's room at night
to take the shoes； and her dread of water was greater than her
fear of the dark； so she never came near when Dorothy was bathing。
Indeed； the old Witch never touched water； nor ever let water
touch her in any way。
But the wicked creature was very cunning； and she finally thought of
a trick that would give her what she wanted。 She placed a bar of iron
in the middle of the kitchen floor； and then by her magic arts made the
iron invisible to human eyes。 So that when Dorothy walked across the floor
she stumbled over the bar； not being able to see it； and fell at full length。
She was not much hurt； but in her fall one of the Silver Shoes came off； and
before she could reach it； the Witch had snatched it away and put it on her
own skinny foot。
The wicked woman was greatly pleased with the success of her trick；
for as long as she had one of the shoes she owned half the power of
their charm； and Dorothy could not use it against her； even had she
known how to do so。
The little girl； seeing she had lost one of her pretty shoes；
grew angry； and said to the Witch； 〃Give me back my shoe！〃
〃I will not；〃 retorted the Witch； 〃for it is now my shoe； and
not yours。〃
〃You are a wicked creature！〃 cried Dorothy。 〃You have no right
to take my shoe from me。〃
〃I shall keep it； just the same；〃 said the Witch； laughing at her；
〃and someday I shall get the other one from you； too。〃
This made Dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucket
of water that stood near and dashed it over the Witch； wetting her
from head to foot。
Instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear； and then； as
Dorothy looked at her in wonder； the Witch began to shrink and fall away。
〃See what you have done！〃 she screamed。 〃In a minute I shall melt away。〃
〃I'm very sorry； indeed；〃 said Dorothy； who was truly frightened to
see the Witch actually melting away like brown sugar before her very eyes。
〃Didn't you know water would be the end of me？〃 asked the
Witch； in a wailing； despairing voice。
〃Of course not；〃 answered Dorothy。 〃How should I？〃
〃Well； in a few minutes I shall be all melted； and you will
have the castle to yourself。 I have been wicked in my day； but I
never thought a little girl like you would ever be able to melt me
and end my wicked deeds。 Look outhere I go！〃
With these words the Witch fell down in a brown； melted；
shapeless mass and began to spread over the clean boards of the
kitchen floor。 Seeing that she had really melted away to nothing；
Dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess。
She then swept it all out the door。 After picking out the silver
shoe； which was all that was left of the old woman； she cleaned
and dried it with a cloth； and put it on her foot again。 Then；
being at last free to do as she chose； she ran out to the
courtyard to tell the Lion that the Wicked Witch of the West had
come to an end； and that they were no longer prisoners in a
strange land。
13。 The Rescue
The Cowardly Lion was much pleased to hear that the Wicked
Witch had been melted by a bucket of water； and Dorothy at once
unlocked the gate of his prison and set him free。 They went in
together to the castle； where Dorothy's first act was to call all
the Winkies together and tell them that they were no longer slaves。
There was great rejoicing among the yellow Winkies； for they
had been made to work hard during many years for the Wicked Witch；
who had always treated them with great cruelty。 They kept this
day as a holiday； then and ever after； and spent the time in
feasting and dancing。
〃If our friends； the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman； were only
with us；〃 said the Lion； 〃I should be quite happy。〃
〃Don't you suppose we could rescue them？〃 asked the girl anxiously。
〃We can try；〃 answered the Lion。
So they called the yellow Winkies and asked them if they would
help to rescue their friends； and the Winkies said that they would
be delighted to do all in their power for Dorothy； who had set them
free from bondage。 So she chose a number of the Winkies who looked
as if they knew the most； and they all started away。 They traveled
that day and part of the next until they came to the rocky plain
where the Tin Woodman lay； all battered and bent。 His axe was near him；
but the blade was rusted and the handle broken off short。
The Winkies lifted him tenderly in their arms； and carried him
back to the Yellow Castle again； Dorothy shedding a few tears by
the way at the sad plight of her old friend； and the Lion looking
sober and sorry。 When they reached the castle Dorothy said to the
Winkies：
〃Are any of your people tinsmiths？〃
〃Oh； yes。 Some of us are very good tinsmiths；〃 they told her。
〃Then bring them to me；〃 she said。 And when the tinsmiths came；
bringing with them all their tools in baskets； she inquired；
〃Can you straighten out those dents in the Tin Woodman； and bend him
back into shape again； and solder him together where he is broken？〃
The tinsmiths looked the Woodman over carefully and then
answered that they thought they could mend him so he would be as
good as ever。 So they set to work in one of the big yellow rooms
of the castle and worked for three days and four nights； hammering
and twisting and bending and soldering and polishing and pounding
at the legs and body and head of the Tin Woodman； until at last he
was straightened out into his old form； and his joints worked as
well as ever。 To be sure； there were several patches on him； but
the tinsmiths did a good job； and as the Woodman was not a vain
man he did not mind the patches at all。
When； at last； he walked into Dorothy's room and thanked her
for rescuing him； he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy；
and Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with
her apron； so his joints would not be rusted。 At the same time
her own tears fell thick and fast at the joy of meeting her old
friend again； and these tears did not need to be wiped away。 As
for the Lion； he wiped his eyes so often with the tip of his tail
that it became quite wet； and he was obliged to go out into the
courtyard and hold it in the sun till it dried。
〃If we only had the Scarecrow with us again；〃 said the
Tin Woodman； when Dorothy had finished telling him everything
that had happened； 〃I should be quite happy。〃