Chapter 3. How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow.

When Dorothy was alone, she started feeling hungry. She went to the cupboard, cut some bread, and spread butter on it. She gave some to Toto, then took a pail from the shelf and filled it with clear water from the creek.

Toto ran to the trees and barked at the birds sitting there. Dorothy went to get him and saw delicious fruit hanging from the branches. She picked some and found it was perfect to complete her breakfast.

Dorothy returned to the house, had some cool, clear water, and let Toto have some too. Then she started getting ready for the journey to the City of Emeralds.

Dorothy had only one other dress, but it was clean and hanging neatly by her bed. It was a checkered dress with white and blue squares. Though the blue had faded from many washes, it was still pretty.

She washed her face carefully, dressed in the clean checkered dress, and tied her pink sun hat on her head.

Dorothy took a small basket, filled it with bread from the cupboard, and covered it with a white cloth. Then she looked down and noticed how old and worn her shoes were.

"They definitely aren't right for a long journey, Toto," she said.Toto looked up at her with his little black eyes and wagged his tail, showing he understood.

At that moment Dorothy noticed the silver shoes from the Witch of the East resting on the table.

"I wonder if they will fit me," she said to Toto. "They would be perfect for a long walk because they never wear out."

She took off her old leather shoes and tried on the silver ones. They fit perfectly, as if made just for her.

Finally, she picked up her basket.

"Come along, Toto," she said. "We're going to the Emerald City to ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas."

She closed the door, locked it, and carefully placed the key in her dress pocket. With Toto trotting seriously behind her, she started on her journey.

There were several roads nearby, but she quickly found the one paved with yellow bricks.

Soon, she was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her silver shoes tinkling cheerfully on the hard, yellow road. The sun shone brightly, and birds sang sweetly. Dorothy didn't feel as bad as you might expect for a little girl suddenly swept away to a strange land.

As she walked, Dorothy was surprised by how beautiful the land around her was. Neat, bright blue fences lined the road. 

Beyond the fences, the fields were full of grain and vegetables. The Munchkins were clearly skilled farmers, capable of growing large crops.

From time to time, she passed a house, and the people came outside to watch her. They bowed deeply as she walked by because they knew she had defeated the Evil Witch and freed them.

The Munchkins' houses looked unusual. Each was round with a large domed roof, and all were painted blue since that was the favorite color in this land of the East.

As evening approached, Dorothy became tired from walking and started to wonder where she would spend the night.

She soon came to a house larger than the others. On the green lawn in front, many men and women were dancing.

Five little fiddlers played as loudly as they could. The people laughed and sang songs, while a big table nearby was filled with delicious fruits, nuts, pies, cakes, and many other tasty foods.

The people greeted Dorothy warmly and invited her to supper and to stay the night. This was the home of one of the richest Munchkins, and his friends had gathered to enjoy their newfound freedom from the Evil Witch.

Dorothy had a good meal, served by the rich Munchkin himself, whose name was Boq. Then she sat on a bench and watched the people dance.

When Boq saw her silver shoes, he said, "You must be a powerful sorceress."

"Why?" asked Dorothy.

"Because you wear silver shoes and defeated the Evil Witch. Also, your dress has white, and only witches or sorceresses wear white."

"My dress is blue and white checked," said Dorothy, smoothing out its wrinkles.

"That is kind of you to wear," said Boq. "Blue is the Munchkins' color, and white is for witches. So we know you are a good witch."

Dorothy didn't know what to say since everyone seemed to think she was a witch. But she knew she was just an ordinary girl who had accidentally ended up in this strange land because of a tornado.

When she got tired of watching the dancing, Boq took her inside and showed her to a room with a lovely bed.

The sheets were made of blue cloth, and Dorothy slept well until morning, with Toto curled up on the blue rug beside her.

She had a good breakfast and watched a tiny Munchkin baby play with Toto, pulling his tail and laughing. Dorothy found it very amusing. Toto was a great curiosity to everyone since they had never seen a dog before.

"How far is it to the Emerald City?" Dorothy asked.

"I don't know," Boq answered seriously, "because I have never been there. People should stay away from Oz unless they have important business with him. But the Emerald City is far, and your journey will take many days. This land is rich and beautiful, but you must cross rough and dangerous places before you reach your destination."

Dorothy was a little worried, but she knew only the Great Oz could help her return to Kansas. So she bravely decided to keep going.

She said goodbye to her friends and started again along the yellow brick road. After walking several miles, she decided to rest. She climbed to the top of a fence beside the road and sat down. Beyond the fence was a large cornfield, and not far away, she saw a Scarecrow standing high on a pole to keep birds away from the ripe corn.

Dorothy rested her chin on her hand and stared thoughtfully at the Scarecrow.

Its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, a nose, and a mouth painted on to make a face. An old, pointed blue hat, once worn by a Munchkin, sat on its head.

The rest of its body was dressed in a worn, faded blue suit, also stuffed with straw.

On its feet were old boots with blue tops, like those every man wore in this land. A pole stuck up its back held it high above the corn stalks.

As Dorothy stared closely at the Scarecrow's strange, painted face, she was surprised to see one eye slowly wink at her.

At first, she thought she must be imagining it—scarecrows in Kansas never wink! But then, the figure nodded at her in a friendly way.

She climbed down from the fence and walked toward it, while Toto ran around the pole, barking.

"Good day," said the Scarecrow in a rather husky voice.

"Did you speak?" Dorothy asked in surprise.

"Certainly," the Scarecrow replied. "How do you do?"

"I'm pretty well, thank you," Dorothy said politely. "How do you do?"

"I'm not feeling well," the Scarecrow said with a smile. "It's terribly boring standing up here all day and night just to scare crows."

"Can't you get down?" asked Dorothy.

"No, because this pole is stuck up my back. If you take it away, I would be very grateful."

Dorothy reached up with both arms and lifted the figure off the pole. Since it was stuffed with straw, it was quite light.

"Thank you very much," said the Scarecrow once he was on the ground. "I feel like a new man."

Dorothy found this puzzling. It was strange to hear a stuffed figure speak and to see him bow and walk beside her.

"Who are you?" asked the Scarecrow as he stretched and yawned. "And where are you going?"

"My name is Dorothy," she said, "and I'm going to the Emerald City to ask the Great Oz to send me back to Kansas."

"Where is the Emerald City?" he asked. "And who is Oz?"

"Don't you know?" she replied in surprise.

"No, not at all. I don't know anything. You see, I'm stuffed, so I have no brains," he said sadly.

"Oh," said Dorothy, "I'm really sorry for you."

"Do you think," he asked, "if I go to the Emerald City with you, that Oz would give me brains?"

"I don't know," she replied, "but you can come with me if you want. If Oz doesn't give you brains, you won't be any worse off than you are now."

"That is true," said the Scarecrow.

"You see," he continued, lowering his voice, "I don't mind having my arms, legs, and body stuffed because I can't get hurt. If someone steps on my toes or sticks a pin in me, it doesn't matter since I can't feel it.

But I don't want people to call me a fool. If my head stays stuffed with straw instead of brains like yours, how will I ever know anything?"

"I understand how you feel," said Dorothy, really sorry for him. "If you come with me, I'll ask Oz to help you as much as he can."

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

They walked back to the road. Dorothy helped the Scarecrow over the fence, and they set off along the yellow brick path toward the Emerald City.

At first, Toto didn't like their new companion. He sniffed around the stuffed man, as if expecting to find a nest of rats in the straw, and often growled at him.

"Don't mind Toto," Dorothy told her new friend. "He never bites."

"Oh, I'm not afraid," replied the Scarecrow. "He can't hurt straw. Let me carry that basket for you. I don't mind at all since I can't get tired."

"I'll tell you a secret," he added as they walked. "There's only one thing in the world that scares me."

"What is that?" asked Dorothy. "The Munchkin farmer who made you?"

"No," said the Scarecrow. "It's a lit match."
