DM Margo In Oz Chapter 3
Margo set off on her journey with Lucky trotting alongside her. The sun shone brightly and the birds sang sweetly and she soon began to feel quite cheerful. When she had gotten several miles, she stopped to have a rest. She climbed to the top of the fence sat down and looked across at a great cornfield. Not far away was a scarecrow.
His head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with painted eyes, a nose and a mouth. He was dressed in faded blue Munchkin clothes and was raised above the corn by a pole stuck up its back. Margo gazed into the scarecrow's queer, painted face, and she was astonished to see one of his eyes slowly wink at her.
At first, she thought she must have been mistaken. But then the figure nodded his head to her in a friendly way so she walked up to it. ''Good day'' said the scarecrow. ''Oh did you speak?'' asked Margo in surprise. ''I certainly did'' replied the scarecrow, ''How do you do?''. ''Oh I'm…, I'm pretty well thank you'' said Margo, ''How do you do?''.
''I am not feeling well at all'' replied the scarecrow, ''Oh it is very tedious being perched up here day and night to scare away crows. If you would take me off the pole, I would be greatly obliged to you''. Margo reached up and lifted the figure off the pole. He was not very heavy.
''Ooh, thank you very much'' said the scarecrow, ''I feel like a new man. Now tell me, who are you? And where are you going?''. ''I'm Margo and I'm going to the Emerald City to see the Great Wizard of Oz to send me back to where I came from'' Margo told him. ''Where is the Emerald City?'' asked the scarecrow, ''And who is the Great Wizard of Oz?''. ''Well don't you know?'' Margo asked. ''No, indeed I don't know anything'' replied the scarecrow, ''I am stuffed with straw you see, so I have no brains at all. Do you think if I go to the Emerald City with you, that Oz would give me some brains?''.
''I can't tell, but you can come with me if you like'' Margo offered. ''Oh, oh thank you'' said the scarecrow happily, ''I am most grateful''. Straight away, Margo and her strange new friend set off along the road of yellow brick to find the wonderful Wizard of Oz.
After a few hours, the road began to get very rough. Sometimes, indeed, the yellow bricks were broken or missing altogether, leaving holes that Lucky jumped across. As for the scarecrow, he just stepped right into the holes and feel full length on the hard bricks. Each time, he laughed merrily while Margo lifted him onto his feet again.
''Those hard rocks can't hurt my straw'' said the scarecrow after his first fall, ''The only thing that can hurt me is a lighted match''. With Lucky leading the way, they walked on through the countryside which became increasingly bleak. Towards evening, they entered a great forest, where the trees were so big and close together that their branches meet over the road and shut out the light.
They stumbled along in the darkness until Margo could hardly walk another step. At last, they came to a little wooden cottage. It was completely deserted, but it had a bed of dried leaves on which Margo and Lucky soon fell into a sound sleep. The scarecrow who was never tired, stood and waited patiently for the morning. When Margo woke the sun was shining into the cottage. She felt very thirsty, so she had her friends left the cottage and wandered through the tress until they came to a ripping brook.
Here Margo washed, and she and Lucky had their breakfast of bread and water. The scarecrow did not eat anything because, as he explained, he was never hungry. They were about to return the road of yellow brick when Margo was startled by a loud groan.
''What was that?'' she panicked. ''I cannot imagine'' said the scarecrow, ''But we can go and see''. They walked a few steps and then Margo gave a gasp of surprise. One of the big trees had been partly chopped through, and standing beside it, with an uplifted axe in his hands, was a man made entirely of tin.
He stood perfectly still, as if he could not move at all. ''Did you groan?'' asked Margo. ''Yes I did'' answered the tin man, ''I've been groaning for more than a year, and no one has ever heard me before or come to help me''. '
'What can we do for you?'' asked Margo. ''Oil my joints. Oh they are so rusted that I cannot move at all'' said the tin man, ''If I am well oiled, I shall soon be all right again. You will find an oil can on the shelf in my cottage''.
Margo ran to fetch the oil can. Then with the help of the scarecrow, she oiled the tin man's neck, arms and legs. He sighed with satisfaction as he slowly lowered his axe. ''Oh thank you. I am extremely grateful. I have been holding that axe in the air ever since I rusted. And I might have stood there forever if you had not come along, so you have certainly saved my life. How did you happen to be here?''.
''We are on our way to the Emerald City, to see the Great Wizard of Oz'' said Margo, ''I want him to send me back to where I came from and the scarecrow wants him to put some brains in his head''. The tin man thought deeply for a moment. ''Hmm… do you suppose the Wizard of Oz could give me a heart?''.
''If he can give the scarecrow brains, I don't see why he can't give you a heart'' Margo said thoughtfully. ''Yes'' said the scarecrow, ''Come with us to the Emerald City. We will be pleased to have your company''.
So the tin man asked Margo to take the oil can along with them in case he should get caught in the rain and rust. Then he shouldered his axe and led the party through the trees to the road of yellow brick.
Margo now noticed that there was hardly a bird singing in the forest. But there was an occasional deep growl from some wild animal hidden among the trees and her heart began to beat fast.