We've Arrived in the
Wonderful Land of Oz!
...We will follow the yellow brick road a ways, until we meet
some friends. Here's where we land! Watch your feet, the cyclone makes
every first timer a little dizzy.
Well, that was a lovely trip!
Here we are, on the yellow brick road and off to see the Emerald
City.
Look! Here comes the noble Tin Woodsman. He is now a ruler in the
land of the Munchkins, because he helped Dorothy save the land from the
Wicked Witch of the West. It all started because he was in love
with a beautiful girl. He wasn't always a Tin Woodsman. You see, he
used
to be a person of flesh and blood, like you and me. Oh, why am I
telling you this? He
can tell you himself!
Good afternoon, Tin Woodsman!
Tin Woodsman: "Hello, Good Witch, I see you've brought another group
with you to tour our magnificent land. At least, magnificent ever
since we got rid of the Wicked Witch of the West and since the
Scarecrow became king of the Emerald City. Things have been so
peaceful since! This heart, given to me by the former Wizard of Oz, has
been going strong ever since. Would you like to hear my story?"
Oh, yes, do tell! I've already told them that you have not always been
made of tin.
TW: "Yes, it is true. I was a woods-MAN once, and was madly in
love with a beautiful munchkin. We courted for some time and I
wanted so badly to marry her and she wanted to marry me too! The only
problem was her mother did not approve. See, she used to force
her daughter to do everything for her so she wouldn't have to lift a
finger. One day, my beloved's mother went to the Wicked Witch of the
East and pleaded
for her to find a way for us not to be together. She traded her
two sheep and a cow for the Witch's help. Then the Witch
enchanted my ax so that it would slip and cut me to pieces!
"My beloved said that we could be married if I built her a house so I
spent most of my days dedicated to the task. One day, while
working on our house, the ax slipped and chopped off my leg! I went to
the tinsmith and he fashioned me a tin leg. Day after day my ax
continued to slip and I'd go to the tinsmith and he would fashion what
ever body part I needed that time. Eventually, my whole body was
nothing but a hunk of metal! One sad day, I realized that I did not
feel the same
for my beloved, because I had no heart.
"One day, I forgot to carry my oil can with me and left it in the shed,
across from the place I was chopping wood. Being made of
tin, I often get stuck in mid-movement and the only way to fix it is by
lubrication. Well, since I had forgotten my can, I began to get
stuck all over, until my whole body was frozen stiff. I just knew
I'd be this way forever! Until that kind little Dorothy and my friend,
the Scarecrow, saved me! They found my oil can and lubed my joints so
nicely! I learned of their mission to go to the Wizard of Oz in order
to get Dorothy and Toto home and to get the Scarecrow a brain. I
just knew that if he could do those wonderful things for them, he would
be able
to help me too! So I set out on their quest..."
Thank you, Tin Woodsman, for that moving story but it is time to be
going on. We have much to see and if we are late getting to the
bunny hole, we will be late meeting the Queen of Wonderland and it will
be "Off with our Heads!" Farewell, dear friend!
Fascinating fellow, that Tin Woodsman! We'll make a speedy tour of the
rest of the yellow brick road, then to the Emerald City! Look up! You
can see the Emerald City from here!
Image Information:
Dorothy and Scarecrow meet the Tin Woodsman. W.W Denslow.
1900 Web Source:
Graphic Tales Website
Approaching the Emerald City from the Yellow Brick Road by Mikey
Kirksey. Web Source: Point
Lookout
Bibliography:
Book: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Year: 1900
Web Source: The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz
