to steady it, and they had long poles in their hands to push the raft through the water.
  They got along quite well at first, but when they reached the middle of the river the 
swift current swept the raft downstream, farther and farther away from the road of yellow 
brick. And the water grew so deep that the long poles would not touch the bottom.
  "This is bad," said the Tin Woodman, "for if we cannot get to the land we shall be 
carried into the country of the Wicked Witch of the West, and she will enchant us and 
make us her slaves."
  "And then I should get no brains," said the Scarecrow.
  "And I should get no courage," said the Cowardly Lion.
  "And I should get no heart," said the Tin Woodman.
  "And I should never get back to Kansas," said Dorothy.
  "We must certainly get to the Emerald City if we can," the Scarecrow continued, and he 
pushed so hard on his long pole that it stuck fast in the mud at the bottom of the river. 
Then, before he could pull it out again-or let go-the raft was swept away, and the poor 
Scarecrow left clinging to the pole in the middle of the river.
  "Good-bye!" he called after them, and they were very sorry to leave him.
  Indeed, the Tin Woodman began to cry, but fortunately remembered that he might rust, 
and so dried his tears on Dorothy's apron.
  Of course this was a bad thing for the Scarecrow.
  "I am now worse off than when I first met Dorothy," he thought. "Then, I was stuck on a 
pole in a cornfield, where I could make-believe scare the crows, at any rate. But surely 
there is no use for a Scarecrow stuck on a pole in the middle of a river. I am afraid I 
shall never have any brains, after all!" Down the stream the raft floated, and the poor 
Scarecrow was left far behind. Then the Lion said: "Something must be done to save us. I 
think I can swim to the shore and pull the raft after me, if you will only hold fast to 
the tip of my tail." So he sprang into the water, and the Tin Woodman caught fast hold of 
his tail. Then the Lion began to swim with all his might toward the shore. It was hard 
work, although he was so big; but by and by they were drawn out of the current, and then 
Dorothy took the Tin Woodman's long pole and helped push the raft to the land.
  They were all tired out when they reached the shore at last and stepped off upon the 
pretty green grass, and they also knew that the stream had carried them a long way past 
the road of yellow brick that led to the Emerald City.
  "What shall we do now?" asked the Tin Woodman, as the Lion lay down on the grass to let 
the sun dry him.
  "We must get back to the road, in some way," said Dorothy.
  "The best plan will be to walk along the riverbank until we come to the road again," 
remarked the Lion.
  So, when they were rested, Dorothy picked up her basket and they started along the 
grassy bank, to the road from which the river had carried them. It was a lovely country, 
with plenty of flowers and fruit trees and sunshine to cheer them, and had they not felt 
so sorry for the poor Scarecrow, they could have been very happy.
  They walked along as fast as they could, Dorothy only stopping once to pick a beautiful 
flower; and after a time the Tin Woodman cried out: "Look!" Then they all looked at the 
river and saw the Scarecrow perched upon his pole in the middle of the water, looking 
very lonely and sad.
  "What can we do to save him?" asked Dorothy.
  The Lion and the Woodman both shook their heads, for they did not know. So they sat 
down upon the bank and gazed wistfully at the Scarecrow until a Stork flew by, who, upon 
seeing them, stopped to rest at the water's edge.
  "Who are you and where are you going?" asked the Stork.
  "I am Dorothy," answered the girl, "and these are my friends, the Tin Woodman and the 
Cowardly Lion;and we are going to the Emerald City."
  "This isn't the road," said the Stork, as she twisted her long neck and looked sharply 
at the queer party.
  "I know it," returned Dorothy, "but we have lost the Scarecrow, and are wondering how 
we shall get him again."
  "Where is he?" asked the Stork.
  "Over there in the river," answered the little girl.
  "If he wasn't so big and heavy I would get him for you," remarked the Stork.
  "He isn't heavy a bit," said Dorothy eagerly, "for he is stuffed with straw; and if you 
will bring him back to us, we shall thank you ever and ever so much."
  "Well, I'll try," said the Stork, "but if I find he is too heavy to carry I shall have 
to drop him in the river again." So the big bird flew into the air and over the water 
till she came to where the Scarecrow was perched upon his pole. Then the Stork with her 
great claws grabbed the Scarecrow by the arm and carried him up into the air and back to 
the bank, where Dorothy and the Lion and the Tin Woodman and Toto were sitting.
  When the Scarecrow found himself among his friends again, he was so happy that he 
hugged them all, even the Lion and Toto; and as they walked along he sang 
"Tol-de-ri-de-oh!" at every step, he felt so gay.
  "I was afraid I should have to stay in the river forever," he said, "but the kind Stork 
saved me, and if I ever get any brains I shall find the Stork again and do her some 
kindness in return."
  "That's all right," said the Stork, who was flying along beside them. "I always like to 
help anyone in trouble. But I must go now, for my babies are waiting in the nest for me. 
I hope you will find the Emerald City and that Oz will help you."
  "Thank you," replied Dorothy, and then the kind Stork flew into the air and was soon 
out of sight.
  They walked along listening to the singing of the brightly colored birds and looking at 
the lovely flowers which now became so thick that the ground was carpeted with them. 
There were big yellow and white and blue and purple blossoms, besides great clusters of 
scarlet poppies, which were so brilliant in color they almost dazzled Dorothy's eyes.
  "Aren't they beautiful?" the girl asked, as she breathed in the spicy scent of the 
bright flowers.
  "I suppose so," answered the Scarecrow. "When I have brains, I shall probably like them 
better."
  "If I only had a heart, I should love them," added the Tin Woodman.
  "I always did like flowers," said the Lion. "They of seem so helpless and frail. But 
there are none in the forest so bright as these." They now came upon more and more of the 
big scarlet poppies, and fewer and fewer of the other flowers; and soon they found 
themselves in the midst of a great meadow of poppies. Now it is well known that when 
there are many of these flowers together their odor is so powerful that anyone who 
breathes it falls asleep, and if the sleeper is not carried away from the scent of the 
flowers, he sleeps on and on forever. But Dorothy did not know this, nor could she get 
away from the bright red flowers that were everywhere about; so presently her eyes grew 
heavy and she felt she must sit down to rest and to sleep.
  But the Tin Woodman would not let her do this.
  "We must hurry and get back to the road of yellow brick before dark," he said; and the 
Scarecrow agreed with him. So they kept walking until Dorothy could stand no longer. Her 
eyes closed in spite of herself and she forgot where she was and fell among the poppies, 
fast asleep.