The Oz Series
Chapter 7
Part of the Dorothy's Journey to the Wizard and Back to Kansas arc.
What happens
The travelers camp under a large tree since no houses are near; the Tin Woodman chops wood, Dorothy builds a fire, and she and Toto eat the last of their bread, leaving nothing for breakfast. The Lion offers to kill a deer for Dorothy to roast, but the Tin Woodman begs him not to, since he would weep and rust his jaws; the Lion goes off and finds his own supper without mentioning what it was. The Scarecrow finds a tree full of nuts and clumsily fills Dorothy's basket, keeping his distance from the fire lest a spark burn his straw, then covers Dorothy with dry leaves so she sleeps warm until morning.
At daylight Dorothy bathes in a brook and they start toward the Emerald City. Within an hour they reach a great, wide, deep ditch crossing the road, with jagged rocks at the bottom and sides too steep to climb, seeming to end their journey. The Cowardly Lion, after measuring the distance, believes he can jump across carrying each traveler on his back one at a time. The Scarecrow volunteers to go first, reasoning that if the Lion fails, only the Scarecrow's harmless fall would result rather than Dorothy's death or the Tin Woodman's denting. The Lion, afraid of falling, carries the Scarecrow across in one great spring and returns.
The Lion carries Dorothy holding Toto across, then returns for the Tin Woodman, after which he rests, panting, because his great leaps left him short of breath. The forest on this side is thick, dark, and gloomy. As they walk, they hear strange noises, and the Lion whispers that the Kalidahs live in this part of the country. He describes the Kalidahs as monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers, with claws long and sharp enough to tear him in two, and admits he is terribly afraid of them.
They reach a second gulf too broad and deep for the Lion to leap. The Scarecrow proposes the Tin Woodman chop down a nearby tall tree so it falls across the ditch as a bridge; the Lion praises the idea as one that suggests brains rather than straw. The Woodman chops the tree nearly through, and the Lion pushes it with his front legs so it falls across the ditch. As they begin to cross, two Kalidahs come running toward them. The Lion turns and roars so loudly that Dorothy screams, the Scarecrow falls over backward, and even the Kalidahs stop short in surprise, but seeing they outnumber the single Lion, they resume the attack and begin crossing the tree bridge.
As the beasts cross, the Scarecrow directs the Tin Woodman to chop away the end of the tree resting on their side; the tree falls into the gulf, carrying both Kalidahs to be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. The relieved Lion is glad to live longer, his heart still beating from fright, and the Tin Woodman sadly wishes he had a heart to beat. Made more anxious to escape the forest, the travelers hurry until Dorothy tires and rides on the Lion's back. The trees thin, and in the afternoon they reach a broad, swift river, beyond which lies a beautiful country with the yellow brick road running through green meadows and fruit-laden trees. The Scarecrow proposes the Tin Woodman build a raft to float across. The Woodman chops small trees while the Scarecrow finds fruit that Dorothy eats heartily, but the raft is unfinished by night, so they sleep under the trees while Dorothy dreams of the Emerald City and the good Wizard Oz.
Who is in play
- Dorothy
- Cowardly Lion
- Tin Woodman
- Scarecrow
- Dorothy's Traveling Party
- City of Emeralds
- Kalidahs
- Oz
- Toto
- road of yellow brick