"But where were you going, when you met us?" Tip asked the Woggle-Bug.
    "Nowhere in particular," was the reply, "although it is my intention soon to visit 
the Emerald City and arrange to give a course of lectures to select audiences on the 
'Advantages of Magnification.'"
    "We are bound for the Emerald City now," said the Tin Woodman; "so, if it pleases you 
to do so, you are welcome to travel in our company." The Woggle-Bug bowed with profound 
grace.
    "It will give me great pleasure," said he "to accept your kind invitation; for 
nowhere in the Land of Oz could I hope to meet with so congenial a company."
    "That is true," acknowledged the Pumpkinhead. "We are quite as congenial as flies and 
honey."
    "But - pardon me if I seem inquisitive - are you not all rather - ahem! rather 
unusual?" asked the Woggle-Bug, looking from one to another with unconcealed interest.
    "Not more so than yourself," answered the Scarecrow. "Everything in life is unusual 
until you get accustomed to it."
    "What rare philosophy!" exclaimed the Woggle-Bug, admiringly.
    "Yes; my brains are working well today," admitted the Scarecrow, an accent of pride 
in his voice.
    "Then, if you are sufficiently rested and refreshed, let us bend our steps toward the 
Emerald City," suggested the magnified one.
    "We can't," said Tip. "The Saw-Horse has broken a leg, so he can't bend his steps. 
And there is no wood around to make him a new limb from. And we can't leave the horse 
behind because the Pumpkinhead is so stiff in his Joints that he has to ride."
    "How very unfortunate!" cried the Woggle-Bug. Then he looked the party over carefully 
and said: "If the Pumpkinhead is to ride, why not use one of his legs to make a leg for 
the horse that carries him? I judge that both are made of wood."
    "Now, that is what I call real cleverness," said the Scarecrow, approvingly. "I 
wonder my brains did not think of that long ago! Get to work, my dear Nick, and fit the 
Pumpkinhead's leg to the Saw-Horse." Jack was not especially pleased with this idea; but 
he submitted to having his left leg amputated by the Tin Woodman and whittled down to fit 
the left leg of the Saw-Horse. Nor was the Saw-Horse especially pleased with the 
operation, either; for he growled a good deal about being "butchered," as he called it, 
and afterward declared that the new leg was a disgrace to a respectable Saw-Horse.
    "I beg you to be more careful in your speech," said the Pumpkinhead, sharply. 
"Remember, if you please, that it is my leg you are abusing."
    "I cannot forget it," retorted the Saw-Horse, "for it is quite as flimsy as the rest 
of your person."
    "Flimsy! me flimsy!" cried Jack, in a rage. "How dare you call me flimsy?"
    "Because you are built as absurdly as a jumpingjack," sneered the horse, rolling his 
knotty eyes in a vicious manner. "Even your head won't stay straight, and you never can 
tell whether you are looking backwards or forwards!"
    "Friends, I entreat you not to quarrel!" pleaded the Tin Woodman, anxiously." As a 
matter of fact, we are none of us above criticism; so let us bear with each others' 
faults."
    "An excellent suggestion," said the Woggle-Bug, approvingly. "You must have an 
excellent heart, my metallic friend."
    "I have," returned Nick, well pleased. "My heart is quite the best part of me. But 
now let us start upon our Journey.
    They perched the one-legged Pumpkinhead upon the Saw-Horse, and tied him to his seat 
with cords, so that he could not possibly fall off.
    And then, following the lead of the Scarecrow, they all advanced in the direction of 
the Emerald City.
    
    
    Old Mombi indulges in Witchcraft
    
    They soon discovered that the Saw-Horse limped, for his new leg was a trifle too 
long. So they were obliged to halt while the Tin Woodman chopped it down with his axe, 
after which the wooden steed paced along more comfortably. But the Saw-Horse was not 
entirely satisfied, even yet.
    "It was a shame that I broke my other leg!" it growled.
    "On the contrary," airily remarked the Woggle-Bug, who was walking alongside, "you 
should consider the accident most fortunate. For a horse is never of much use until he 
has been broken."
    "I beg your pardon," said Tip, rather provoked, for he felt a warm interest in both 
the Saw-Horse and his man Jack; "but permit me to say that your joke is a poor one, and 
as old as it is poor."
    "Still, it is a Joke," declared the Woggle-Bug; firmly, "and a Joke derived from a 
play upon words is considered among educated people to be eminently proper."
    "What does that mean?" enquired the Pumpkinhead, stupidly.
    "It means, my dear friend," explained the Woggle-Bug, "that our language contains 
many words having a double meaning; and that to pronounce a joke that allows both 
meanings of a certain word, proves the joker a person of culture and refinement, who has, 
moreover, a thorough command of the language."
    "I don't believe that," said Tip, plainly; "anybody can make a pun."
    "Not so," rejoined the Woggle-Bug, stiffly. "It requires education of a high order. 
Are you educated, young sir?"
    "Not especially," admitted Tip.
    "Then you cannot judge the matter. I myself am Thoroughly Educated, and I say that 
puns display genius. For instance, were I to ride upon this Saw- Horse, he would not only 
be an animal he would become an equipage.
    For he would then be a horse-and-buggy." At this the Scarecrow gave a gasp and the 
Tin Woodman stopped short and looked reproachfully at the Woggle-Bug. At the same time 
the Saw-Horse loudly snorted his derision; and even the Pumpkinhead put up his hand to 
hide the smile which, because it was carved upon his face, he could not change to a frown.
    But the Woggle-Bug strutted along as if he had made some brilliant remark, and the 
Scarecrow was obliged to say: "I have heard, my dear friend, that a person can become 
over-educated; and although I have a high respect for brains, no matter how they may be 
arranged or classified, I begin to suspect that yours are slightly tangled. In any event, 
I must beg you to restrain your superior education while in our society."
    "We are not very particular," added the Tin Woodman; "and we are exceedingly kind 
hearted. But if your superior culture gets leaky again - " He did not complete the 
sentence, but he twirled his gleaming axe so carelessly that the Woggle-Bug looked 
frightened, and shrank away to a safe distance.
    The others marched on in silence, and the Highly Magnified one, after a period of 
deep thought, said in an humble voice: "I will endeavor to restrain myself."
    "That is all we can expect," returned the Scarecrow pleasantly; and good nature being 
thus happily restored to the party, they proceeded upon their way.
    When they again stopped to allow Tip to rest - the boy being the only one that seemed 
to tire - the Tin Woodman noticed many small, round holes in the grassy meadow.