"Look at the tin men!" she said, with another burst of merry laughter.
Woot and the Scarecrow looked, and the tin men looked at themselves.
"It was the collision," said the Tin Woodman regretfully. "I knew
something was wrong with me, and now I can see that my side is dented
in so that I lean over toward the left. It was the Soldier's fault; he
shouldn't have been so careless."
"It is your fault that my right leg is bent, making it shorter than the
other, so that I limp badly," retorted the Soldier. "You shouldn't have
stood where I was walking."
"You shouldn't have walked where I was standing," replied the Tin
Woodman.
It was almost a quarrel, so Polychrome said soothingly:
"Never mind, friends; as soon as we have time I am sure we can
straighten the Soldier's leg and get the dent out of the Woodman's
body. The Scarecrow needs patting into shape, too, for he had a bad
tumble, but our first task is to get over this ditch."
"Yes, the ditch is the most important thing, just now," added Woot.
They were standing in a row, looking hard at the unexpected barrier,
when a fierce growl from behind them made them all turn quickly. Out of
the invisible country marched a huge beast with a thick, leathery skin
and a surprisingly long neck. The head on the top of this neck was
broad and flat and the eyes and mouth were very big and the nose and
ears very small. When the head was drawn down toward the beast's
shoulders, the neck was all wrinkles, but the head could shoot up very
high indeed, if the creature wished it to.
"Dear me!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, "this must be the Hip-po-gy-raf."
"Quite right," said the beast; "and you're the straw which I'm to eat
for my dinner. Oh, how I love straw! I hope you don't resent my
affectionate appetite?"
With its four great legs it advanced straight toward the Scarecrow, but
the Tin Woodman and the Tin Soldier both sprang in front of their
friend and flourished their weapons.
"Keep off!" said the Tin Woodman, warningly, "or I'll chop you with my
axe."
"Keep off!" said the Tin Soldier, "or I'll cut you with my sword."
"Would you really do that?" asked the Hip-po-gy-raf, in a disappointed
voice.
"We would," they both replied, and the Tin Woodman added: "The
Scarecrow is our friend, and he would be useless without his straw
stuffing. So, as we are comrades, faithful and true, we will defend our
friend's stuffing against all enemies."
The Hip-po-gy-raf sat down and looked at them sorrowfully.
"When one has made up his mind to have a meal of delicious straw, and
then finds he can't have it, it is certainly hard luck," he said. "And
what good is the straw man to you, or to himself, when the ditch keeps
you from going any further?"
"Well, we can go back again," suggested Woot.
"True," said the Hip-po; "and if you do, you'll be as disappointed as I
am. That's some comfort, anyhow."
The travelers looked at the beast, and then they looked across the
ditch at the level plain beyond. On the other side the grass had grown
tall, and the sun had dried it, so there was a fine crop of hay that
only needed to be cut and stacked.
"Why don't you cross over and eat hay?" the boy asked the beast.
"I'm not fond of hay," replied the Hip-po-gy-raf; "straw is much more
delicious, to my notion, and it's more scarce in this neighborhood,
too. Also I must confess that I can't get across the ditch, for my body
is too heavy and clumsy for me to jump the distance. I can stretch my
neck across, though, and you will notice that I've nibbled the hay on
the farther edge--not because I liked it, but because one must eat, and
if one can't get the sort of food he desires, he must take what is
offered or go hungry."
"Ah, I see you are a philosopher," remarked the Scarecrow.
"No, I'm just a Hip-po-gy-raf," was the reply.
Polychrome was not afraid of the big beast. She danced close to him and
said:
"If you can stretch your neck across the ditch, why not help us over?
We can sit on your big head, one at a time, and then you can lift us
across."
"Yes; I can, it is true," answered the Hip-po; "but I refuse to do it.
Unless--" he added, and stopped short.
"Unless what?" asked Polychrome.
"Unless you first allow me to eat the straw with which the Scarecrow is
stuffed."
"No," said the Rainbow's Daughter, "that is too high a price to pay.
Our friend's straw is nice and fresh, for he was restuffed only a
little while ago."
"I know," agreed the Hip-po-gy-raf. "That's why I want it. If it was
old, musty straw, I wouldn't care for it."
"Please lift us across," pleaded Polychrome.
"No," replied the beast; "since you refuse my generous offer, I can be
as stubborn as you are."
After that they were all silent for a time, but then the Scarecrow said
bravely:
"Friends, let us agree to the beast's terms. Give him my straw, and
carry the rest of me with you across the ditch. Once on the other side,
the Tin Soldier can cut some of the hay with his sharp sword, and you
can stuff me with that material until we reach a place where there is
straw. It is true I have been stuffed with straw all my life and it
will be somewhat humiliating to be filled with common hay, but I am
willing to sacrifice my pride in a good cause. Moreover, to abandon our
errand and so deprive the great Emperor of the Winkies--or this noble
Soldier--of his bride, would be equally humiliating, if not more so."
"You're a very honest and clever man!" exclaimed the Hip-po-gy-raf,
admiringly. "When I have eaten your head, perhaps I also will become
clever."
"You're not to eat my head, you know," returned the Scarecrow hastily.
"My head isn't stuffed with straw and I cannot part with it. When one
loses his head he loses his brains."
"Very well, then; you may keep your head," said the beast.
The Scarecrow's companions thanked him warmly for his loyal sacrifice
to their mutual good, and then he laid down and permitted them to pull
the straw from his body. As fast as they did this, the Hip-po-gy-raf
ate up the straw, and when all was consumed Polychrome made a neat
bundle of the clothes and boots and gloves and hat and said she would
carry them, while Woot tucked the Scarecrow's head under his arm and
promised to guard its safety.
"Now, then," said the Tin Woodman, "keep your promise, Beast, and lift
us over the ditch."
"M-m-m-mum, but that was a fine dinner!" said the Hip-po, smacking his
thick lips in satisfaction, "and I'm as good as my word. Sit on my
head, one at a time, and I'll land you safely on the other side."
He approached close to the edge of the ditch and squatted down.
Polychrome climbed over his big body and sat herself lightly upon the
flat head, holding the bundle of the Scarecrow's raiment in her hand.
Slowly the elastic neck stretched out until it reached the far side of
the ditch, when the beast lowered his head and permitted the beautiful
fairy to leap to the ground.
Woot made the queer journey next, and then the Tin Soldier and the Tin
Woodman went over, and all were well pleased to have overcome this
serious barrier to their progress.
"Now, Soldier, cut the hay," said the Scarecrow's head, which was still
held by Woot the Wanderer.
"I'd like to, but I can't stoop over, with my bent leg, without
falling," replied Captain Fyter.
"What can we do about that leg, anyhow?" asked Woot, appealing to
Polychrome.
She danced around in a circle several times without replying, and the
boy feared she had not heard him; but the Rainbow's Daughter was merely
thinking upon the problem, and presently she paused beside the Tin
Soldier and said:
"I've been taught a little fairy magic, but I've never before been
asked to mend tin legs with it, so I'm not sure I can help you. It all
depends on the good will of my unseen fairy guardians, so I'll try, and
if I fail, you will be no worse off than you are now."
She danced around the circle again, and then laid both hands upon the
twisted tin leg and sang in her sweet voice:
"Fairy Powers, come to my aid!
This bent leg of tin is made;
Make it straight and strong and true,
And I'll render thanks to you."
"Ah!" murmured Captain Fyter in a glad voice, as she withdrew her hands
and danced away, and they saw he was standing straight as ever, because
his leg was as shapely and strong as it had been before his accident.
The Tin Woodman had watched Polychrome with much interest, and he now
said:
"Please take the dent out of my side, Poly, for I am more crippled than
was the Soldier."
So the Rainbow's Daughter touched his side lightly and sang:
"Here's a dent by accident;
Such a thing was never meant.
Fairy Powers, so wondrous great,
Make our dear Tin Woodman straight!"
"Good!" cried the Emperor, again standing erect and strutting around to
show his fine figure. "Your fairy magic may not be able to accomplish
all things, sweet Polychrome, but it works splendidly on tin. Thank you
very much."
"The hay--the hay!" pleaded the Scarecrow's head.
"Oh, yes; the hay," said Woot. "What are you waiting for, Captain
Fyter?"
At once the Tin Soldier set to work cutting hay with his sword and in a
few minutes there was quite enough with which to stuff the Scarecrow's
body. Woot and Polychrome did this and it was no easy task because the
hay packed together more than straw and as they had little experience
in such work their job, when completed, left the Scarecrow's arms and
legs rather bunchy. Also there was a hump on his back which made Woot
laugh and say it reminded him of a camel, but it was the best they
could do and when the head was fastened on to the body they asked the
Scarecrow how he felt.
"A little heavy, and not quite natural," he cheerfully replied; "but
I'll get along somehow until we reach a straw-stack. Don't laugh at me,
please, because I'm a little ashamed of myself and I don't want to
regret a good action."
They started at once in the direction of Mount Munch, and as the
Scarecrow proved very clumsy in his movements, Woot took one of his
arms and the Tin Woodman the other and so helped their friend to walk
in a straight line.
And the Rainbow's Daughter, as before, danced ahead of them and behind
them and all around them, and they never minded her odd ways, because
to them she was like a ray of sunshine.