The Scarecrow of Oz

Old Man o

s fastened to the sides to keep off the wind. The front was quite open and faced the sea, and as our friends came nearer they

alled in a fretful voice. "Can't y

" said Cap'n B

seen plenty of mornings better than this. Do you call it

had greeted quite properly, and Cap'n Bill grew red at the litt

one as lives on

his is my own exclusive island, and I'll th

and Cap'n Bill turned away and walked down to

hem, although both were now too pr

his eyes with his hand; "so we'll have to stay here for

be. I find the sand very grainy and the water dreadfully wet. Every breeze makes a draught and the sun shines in the daytime, when ther

him, and her sweet face

ho you are,

he, with an air of pride.

observe?" asked

sim drew back with a startled exclamation and looked at some foot

tter now?" ask

ed the earth in!

gh to hurt anything," said T

the man. "If the earth were pushed in a mile

" admitted th

little more than a millionth part of a mile. Therefore it is one-millionth

ill, soothingly. "It's beginning to rain

y raining?" asked Pes

egan to descend, "and I don't see any way to

fear," said the man. "Are

get to the shed," re

essim, walking briskly along behind th

hat it is," s

re and hold it over the poor fishes till it stops

e man was poking fun at him and so he scowled

e roof of the shed protected them and while they stood watching the rainstorm something buzzed in and

lebee! The queerest

looked at it and the litt

t's a wee l

, sure enough," ex

bumblebee, and when it came toward Trot

small voice in her ear; "but I'm i

rk, then?" demanded

'm the only Ork you know,"

head close to Trot's shoulder in order to hear the reply

and picked off one in my bill and ate it. At once I began to grow small. I could feel myself shrinking, shrinking away, and it frightened me terribly, so that I lighted on the ground to think over what was happening. In a few seconds I had shrunk to the size you now see me; but there I remain

seemed to think it a good joke. He began laughing when he heard the story and laughed until he choked, after which h

itting up and wiping his eyes. "This is to

funny about it," rem

upon his feet and gradually resuming his solemn and dissatisf

you happen to come to thi

inding and blamed me because I told them all the things that went wrong, or never were right, and because I told them how things ought to be.

'n Bill, "those neighbo

l that I was scarcely two inches high. It was a very unpleasant condition and like the Ork I became frightened. I could not walk very well nor very far, for every lump of earth in my way seemed a mountain, every blade of grass a tree and every grain of sand a rocky boulder. For several days I stumb

wait underneath it until a sharp breeze arose and shook the limbs so that a berry fell. Instantly I seized it and taking a last view of the world-as I then thought-I ate the berry in a twinkling. Then, to my surprise, I be

ly to this amazing tale, and when

e deep purple berry is the a

f it," answ

begged the Ork, "for this tiny for

mined the

re," said he. "Were you any l

he Ork has been our good frien

inutes brought them near to the edge of the grove which faced the shore of the ocean. Here stood a small tree bearing berries of a

round. It was so difficult for Cap'n Bill to kneel down, with his wooden leg, t

uth," said the little creature

t; and that is what the Ork did. He pecked at the soft, ripe fru

n to grow. In a few minutes he had regained his natural size and

you think of me now

y and remarkably ug

can see that I'm much handsomer than those dreadful t

ertheless, a plucked bird or a skinned Ork would be of no value to himself, so we needn't brag of our usefulness after

d Cap'n Bill. "He isn'

" declared the little man, scowling upon them. "If you don't like me-and I'm sur

ed Trot, in answer. "We don't want to stay her

k into the hole

Trot shuddered at the tho

e intend to run this island to suit ourselves, for we are t

s fiercest scowl. Cap'n Bill gathered a lot of leaves and, assisted by Trot, prepared two nice

fire, for the weather was warm and there was nothing to cook; the shed had no furniture other than the rud

hey did, and all their surroundings. He could see nothing good or admirable in all the world and Trot soon came to understand why the little man's former neighbors had brought him to this island and left him t

scussing this or that method, without finding a plan that was practical. Cap'n Bill had said he could make a raft of the trees, big enou

said Trot, "where would we drift to, an

m the island any time it wished to, but the queer creature was loyal to h

o, on this fourth morning, that

"if you two will agree

you might drop us,"

dged the Ork, "but you might eat of those lavender berri

ed gravely at the speaker while she considered it

we were some two or three inches high. No, Mr. Ork, I'd rather

ith you, to eat after we had reached our destination?" inquire

her hands w

xclaimed. "Let's d

irst, but he thought it over carefully an

to carry us, if we wer

paper bag, and tie t

t a paper bag,

looked

, "which is hollow in the middle and has tw

fter they had eaten the lavender berries and been reduced in size. She tied the strings around the Ork's nec

'll do it tha

jection except that the plan seemed to him quit

getting into danger sometimes, and danger doesn't mean getting hurt, Cap'n

ind the berries

at the ocean, but started at once to seek the trees that bore the magic fruits. The Ork rem

n his pocket. Then they went around to the east side of the

the sailor-man, "so in case one doesn'

ll to be on the safe side, and I'm sure thes

to the shed to big good-bye to Pessim. Perhaps they would not have granted the surly little

ked greatly pleased, but he suddenly recollected that nothing ou

'n Bill. "It didn't suit you to have us here

been suited since I can remember; so it doesn't

d they would fall out of the sunbonnet on their way and be either drowned in the ocean or crushed upo

she placed her sunbonnet on the ground, i

er and placed her in the middle of the sunbonnet. Then he placed beside her the six purple berries-each one being about as big as the

which caused the unhappy Pessim to laugh with glee. Then the King of the Island picked up the sunbonnet-so rudely

those strings on tight,"

plied, "so I think the stitches will hold. But

lready," he said

y?" asked

bonnet and called out to them: "You'll be smashed or drowned

o fast that the rush of air tumbled Pessim over backward and he rolled several times upon the ground before h