fewer houses and fewer fruit trees, and the farther they went the more dismal and 
lonesome the country became.
  At noon they sat down by the roadside, near a little brook, and Dorothy opened her 
basket and got out some bread. She offered a piece to the Scarecrow, but he refused.
  "I am never hungry," he said, "and it is a lucky thing I am not, for my mouth is only 
painted, and if I should cut a hole in it so I could eat, the straw I am stuffed with 
would come out, and that would spoil the shape of my head." Dorothy saw at once that this 
was true, so she only nodded and went on eating her bread.
  "Tell me something about yourself and the country you came from," said the Scarecrow, 
when she had finished her dinner. So she told him all about Kansas, and how gray 
everything was there, and how the cyclone had carried her to this queer Land of Oz.
  The Scarecrow listened carefully, and said, "I cannot understand why you should wish to 
leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry, gray place you call Kansas."
  "That is because you have no brains" answered the girl.
  "No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather 
live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like 
home." The Scarecrow sighed.
  "Of course I cannot understand it," he said. "If your heads were stuffed with straw, 
like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would 
have no people at all.
  It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains."
  "Won't you tell me a story, while we are resting?" asked the child.
  The Scarecrow looked at her reproachfully, and answered: "My life has been so short 
that I really know nothing whatever.
  I was only made day before yesterday. What happened in the world before that time is 
all unknown to me. Luckily, when the farmer made my head, one of the first things he did 
was to paint my ears, so that I heard what was going on. There was another Munchkin with 
him, and the first thing I heard was the farmer saying, `How do you like those ears?' 
"`They aren't straight,'" answered the other.
  "`Never mind,'" said the farmer. "`They are ears just the same,'" which was true enough.
  "`Now I'll make the eyes,'" said the farmer. So he painted my right eye, and as soon as 
it was finished I found myself looking at him and at everything around me with a great 
deal of curiosity, for this was my first glimpse of the world.
  "That's a rather pretty eye," remarked the Munchkin who was watching the farmer. "`Blue 
paint is just the color for eyes. ' "`I think I'll make the other a little bigger,'" said 
the farmer. And when the second eye was done I could see much better than before. Then he 
made my nose and my mouth. But I did not speak, because at that time I didn't know what a 
mouth was for.
  I had the fun of watching them make my body and my arms and legs; and when they 
fastened on my head, at last, I felt very proud, forI thought I was just as good a man as 
anyone.
  "`This fellow will scare the crows fast enough,' said the farmer. `He looks just like a 
man. ' "`Why, he is a man,' said the other, and I quite agreed with him.
  The farmer carried me under his arm to the cornfield, and set me up on a tall stick, 
where you found me. He and his friend soon after walked away and left me alone.
  "I did not like to be deserted this way. So I tried to walk after them. But my feet 
would not touch the ground, and I was forced to stay on that pole. It was a lonely life 
to lead, for I had nothing to think of, having been made such a little while before.
  Many crows and other birds flew into the cornfield, but as soon as they saw me they 
flew away again, thinking I was a Munchkin; and this pleased me and made me feel that I 
was quite an important person.
  By and by an old crow flew near me, and after looking at me carefully he perched upon 
my shoulder and said: "`I wonder if that farmer thought to fool me in this clumsy manner. 
Any crow of sense could see that you are only stuffed with straw. 'Then he hopped down at 
my feet and ate all the corn he wanted. The other birds, seeing he was not harmed by me, 
came to eat the corn too, so in a short time there was a great flock of them about me.
  "I felt sad at this, for it showed I was not such a good Scarecrow after all; but the 
old crow comforted me, saying, `If you only had brains in your head you would be as good 
a man as any of them, and a better man than some of them. Brains are the only things 
worth having in this world, no matter whether one is a crow or a man. ' "After the crows 
had gone I thought this over, and decided I would try hard to get some brains. By good 
luck you came along and pulled me off the stake, and from what you say I am sure the 
Great Oz will give me brains as soon as we get to the Emerald City."
  "I hope so," said Dorothy earnestly, "since you seem anxious to have them."
  "Oh, yes; I am anxious," returned the Scarecrow. "It is such an uncomfortable feeling 
to know one is a fool."
  "Well," said the girl, "let us go. "And she handed the basket to the Scarecrow.
  There were no fences at all by the roadside now, and the land was rough and untilled. 
Toward evening they came to a great forest, where the trees grew so big and close 
together that their branches met over the road of yellow brick. It was almost dark under 
the trees, for the branches shut out the daylight; but the travelers did not stop, and 
went on into the forest.
  "If this road goes in, it must come out," said the Scarecrow, "and as the Emerald City 
is at the other end of the road, we must go wherever it leads us."
  "Anyone would know that," said Dorothy.
  "Certainly; that is why I know it," returned the Scarecrow.
  "If it required brains to figure it out, I never should have said it." After an hour or 
so the light faded away, and they found themselves stumbling along in the darkness. 
Dorothy could not see at all, but Toto could, for some dogs see very well in the dark; 
and the Scarecrow declared he could see as well as by day. So she took hold of his arm 
and managed to get along fairly well.
  "If you see any house, or any place where we can pass the night," she said, "you must 
tell me; for it is very uncomfortable walking in the dark." Soon after the Scarecrow 
stopped.
  "I see a little cottage at the right of us," he said, "built of logs and branches. 
Shall we go there?"
  "Yes, indeed," answered the child. "I am all tired out." So the Scarecrow led her 
through the trees until they reached the cottage, and Dorothy entered and found a bed of 
dried leaves in one corner. She lay down at once, and with Toto beside her soon fell into 
a sound sleep. The Scarecrow, who was never tired, stood up in another corner and waited 
patiently until morning came.
  
  
  
  5. The Rescue of the Tin Woodman
  When Dorothy awoke the sun was shining through the trees and Toto had long been out 
chasing birds around him and squirrels.
  She sat up and looked around her. Scarecrow, still standing patiently in his corner, 
waiting for her.
  "We must go and search for water," she said to him.