The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion were walking through the Emerald City, laughing and chatting amiably. Suddenly, the Tin Man, in front, stopped short, using his axe to shield the others.
"Wha—what is it?" The Scarecrow and the Lion looked at each other, confused.
Suddenly, a great wind came out of nowhere, and they heard a great thump in some bushes nearby. The Tin Man put a finger to his mouth and motioned for them to follow him.
Slowly, they approached the bushes where they'd heard the sound as the Tin Man raised his axe as if to attack. He pushed back the bushes just enough to see what had made the sound, then stopped again.
"Who—who is it?" came the question once more.
The Tin Man looked at them, and it was apparent he was on the verge of tears and in need of some quick oil. He opened his mouth to speak:
"It—it's Dorothy."
Dorothy?
The Scarecrow and the Lion rushed over. Tenderly, the Tin Man turned her over so she was face up. She appeared to have numerous bruises and scratches from where she had fallen. "She—she needs our help," he whispered. "Come on—we have to get her to the palace."
"You guys go on," the Scarecrow offered, knowing they had kingdoms of their own to see to. "I—I'll see to it she gets proper care."
But the Tin Man and the Lion wouldn't hear of it. "Where would we be," the Lion said, "if it hadn't been for Dorothy?" He turned to the Scarecrow. "What were you doing when you met her?"
The Scarecrow hung his head. "Hanging on a pole in a corn field," he whispered, "ashamed, because I didn't know how to scare away crows."
"If it hadn't been for her," the Tin Man added, "I probably would've been rusted in that forest for the rest of my days!"
"And I know I would've just pretended to have courage," the Lion finished, "when in reality, I was a scaredy-cat!" The Scarecrow and the Tin Man, tempted to chuckle at the pun, instead nodded understandingly.
"So it's settled," the Tin Man said, already stooping to pick her up, "we owe so much to her, and we all need to see to it she's taken care of. Don't worry," he added, turning to the Scarecrow, "we each have proper help to take care of things in our absence." The Lion nodded in agreement.
The guards made a pathway for the little group as they approached the palace, knowing the gravity of the situation. They headed for a little room that, if she could see it, they felt Dorothy would just love—light green sheets, with blankets and comforters of a darker shade. They all gathered around, the Scarecrow taking her hand in his own and the Tin Man and Lion looking on with tenderness.
Half an hour later, they heard her stir. "She's awake!"
Dorothy moaned and stirred in an effort to get up. "Wha—where am I?"
"Shhh…" the Tin Man said, pushing her back to the pillow, "you had a nasty fall there."
Blinking, Dorothy opened her eyes. "Tin—Tin Man?" She looked all around. "S—Scarecrow? Lion?" She tried to move her arms as if to embrace them all, but winced in pain. "Owww…"
"I'll get help," the Scarecrow offered, heading for the door. "You guys just keep her company."
As he left, the Tin Man and the Lion turned back to her. "What happened, Dorothy?" the Tin Man asked, taking her hand in his own.
"The last thing I remember," Dorothy whispered, "is another tornado headed our way. Auntie Em and Uncle Henry were already heading to the storm cellar. I was trying to join them, but I guess the cellar door hit me before I could go in. The next thing I knew, I'd fallen in some bushes," she concluded.
The Tin Man and the Lion just looked at each other. So that's what the commotion they'd heard had been!
"Well, you're here now," the Lion said, laying a paw to her cheek, "and we'll take good care of you."
"Th—thank you," Dorothy wheezed, for her fall had made it hard to breathe without wincing in pain. "You've always been so good to me."
Suddenly, the door opened, and the Scarecrow returned, followed by servants armed with all manner of bandages, medical ointments, etc., to heal Dorothy. The little group stepped back to let them do their work.
When the servants finally left, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion once again gathered around. "How does that feel, Dorothy?" the Tin Man asked, taking her hand in his own.
Dorothy winced again—some of the medicine they'd used really smarted! But she had to admit it was helping some. "Better," she admitted.
"You just stay here as long as you need to, Dorothy," the Lion whispered. "There's no rush to go back to Kansas in your condition."
As much as she knew Auntie Em and Uncle Henry could take care of her there as well as the people in Oz could, she knew the Lion was right—they didn't need the extra worry over her serious fall!
Over the next few days, Dorothy slept more than she was awake, and her friends watched over her, seeing to it she was in good spirits. When she got up in an effort to stretch her legs, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man each offered an arm to support her, and the Lion followed close behind, ready to catch her if she fell, which, for the first few days, was more often than not.
By the end of the week, Dorothy was steady on her feet, and falling, bandages, and pain quickly became things of the past. But the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion felt it was probably in her best interest to stay a little longer, not just to make sure she was all right, but if truth be known, they had really missed her while she was gone!
Then one night—indeed, it was the night before she intended to go back to Kansas, she woke with a start. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man, having no need for sleep, had been watching over her, but when they heard, turned. "What's the matter, Dorothy?" the Scarecrow asked, holding her in his arms. "Bad dream?"
The Lion had slowly awakened as well, and they were all looking on in concern. "N-no," Dorothy admitted, "but—but I just realized—" She looked all around, into their eyes, "I want to stay."
The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion looked at each other. She wanted to stay? Their joy was evident, as she hugged them all.
"Wait—wait a minute," the Scarecrow said, looking into her eyes, "that isn't just your injuries talking, is it?"
Dorothy laughed—a sound they'd all longed to hear! "No, Scarecrow," she said, "it isn't just my injuries talking. You've all been so good to me," she added, "risking your lives to save me from the Wicked Witch, and now, watching over me after my fall, well, if—" Tears welled in her eyes and started rolling down her face, "—if I went back, I'd really miss your love and companionship."
Her friends just looked at each other. It was true what she said—and they knew they'd miss her too, as they had before she returned. "If onlys" whirled in their minds. If only they had arrived a little sooner, to catch her before she'd sustained all those scratches and bruises—they wouldn't have needed their long vigil. But what else could they do to thank her for her part in allowing them to receive the brains, heart, and courage for which they'd longed?
The Tin Man smiled. "We—we'd really miss you, too, Dorothy," he whispered, taking her in his arms as gently as his tin would allow. "We'd been thinking of—and loving—you every day before you came back."
Dorothy improved greatly after that. When she was able, she picked the prettiest green dress to wear and ventured out with her companions. There were still occasional spells of weakness, but Scarecrow and the Tin Man just smiled, picked her up, and placed her on the Lion for a ride.
They'd gone on for a while when Dorothy suddenly turned and gasped. "There it is!"
"What is it, Dorothy?" The others turned as she hopped off the Lion and half-walked, half-limped to what she had seen. Following her, they gasped as well. There was a small pool of blood on a cracked portion of the yellow brick road! They couldn't believe their eyes—they were back at the very spot where she had fallen!
"Is—is this where you fell, Dorothy?" The Tin Man wrapped an arm around her.
"Must be," she whispered. Turning back to them, she smiled gratefully. "Thanks."
Approaching, the Lion wrapped his paws around her. "It was no problem, Dorothy," he said, smiling, "and thank you," he added, "for staying with us."
As they headed back to the palace, Dorothy smiled. She owed them so much for helping her, and she knew that if the roles had been reversed, she'd do the same for these, her dear friends, who loved her enough to ensure her survival!