Chapter 8. The Deadly Poppy Field

Our little group of travelers woke up the next day feeling refreshed. They were hopeful about their journey. Dorothy enjoyed a breakfast of peaches and plums from nearby trees. They had passed through a dark forest and left it behind them. Despite facing many challenges, they were safe. Ahead of them was a sunny and inviting country leading to the Emerald City.

However, a wide river now separated them from this beautiful land. Their raft was almost complete. The Tin Woodman needed to cut and connect a few more logs with wooden pins.

Finally, they were ready to start. Dorothy sat in the middle of the raft with Toto in her arms. The raft tilted when the Cowardly Lion, who was large and heavy, stepped on it. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood at the opposite end to balance it. They held long poles to navigate the raft through the water.

At first, their journey went quite well. But when they reached the middle of the river, the fast current began to sweep the raft downstream. They were getting farther from the yellow brick road. The water became so deep that their long poles couldn't touch the bottom.

"This is bad," warned the Tin Woodman. "If we can't reach the shore, we'll be taken to the country of the Wicked Witch of the West. She will cast a spell on us and make us her slaves."

"And then I won't get any brains," said the Scarecrow.

"And I won't gain any courage," admitted the Cowardly Lion.

"And I won't find a heart," said the Tin Woodman.

"And I won't ever return to Kansas," Dorothy added.

"We must definitely reach the Emerald City if we can," the Scarecrow continued. He pushed his long pole so hard that it got stuck in the mud at the bottom of the river. The raft was swept away before he could let go or pull out the pole. The poor Scarecrow was left clinging to the pole in the middle of the river.

"Goodbye!" he yelled after them. They were sad to leave him behind. The Tin Woodman started to cry but stopped, remembering he could rust. He used Dorothy's apron to dry his tears.

Of course, this was a bad thing for the Scarecrow.

"I am now worse off than when I first met Dorothy," he thought. "Back then, I was on a pole in a cornfield, pretending to scare crows. But there's no use for a Scarecrow stuck on a pole in a river. I am afraid I may never get any brains, after all!"

The raft kept drifting downstream, leaving the Scarecrow far behind. Then, the Lion spoke up, "We need a plan to save us. I think I can swim to shore and pull the raft after me if you hold on to my tail."

The Lion jumped into the water, and the Tin Woodman firmly held his tail. Then, the Lion started to swim hard towards the shore. It was tough, even for someone his size. Eventually, they got out of the current. Dorothy then took the Tin Woodman's long pole and helped push the raft to land.

They were all exhausted when they reached the shore. Finally, Dorothy and her friends stepped onto the lovely green grass. They realized the stream had carried them far past the yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City.

"What should we do now?" the Tin Woodman asked. The Lion lay down on the grass, letting the sun dry him.

"We must find a way back to the road," Dorothy suggested.

"The best idea might be to walk along the riverbank until we find the road," the Lion proposed.

So, once rested, Dorothy picked up her basket. They began walking along the grassy riverbank towards the road. The country was beautiful, filled with flowers, fruit trees, and sunshine to cheer them. But their worry for the Scarecrow prevented them from fully enjoying it.

They walked as quickly as they could. Dorothy only stopped once to pick a beautiful flower. After a while, the Tin Woodman exclaimed, "Look!"

The group all turned towards the river. They saw the Scarecrow on his pole in the middle of the river. He looked lonely and sad.

"How can we save him?" Dorothy asked.

The Lion and the Tin Woodman shook their heads. They didn't know what to do. They sat on the bank, gazing sadly at the Scarecrow. A Stork flew by, and when it saw them, it stopped to rest at the water's edge.

"Who are you, and where are you going?" the Stork asked.

"I'm Dorothy," she replied, "and these are my friends, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion. We're going to the Emerald City."

"This isn't the right road," the Stork commented as it twisted its long neck, eyeing the odd group.

"I know," Dorothy replied. "We've lost the Scarecrow and are trying to figure out how to get him back."

"Where is he?" asked the Stork.

"Over there in the river," the little girl answered.

"If he wasn't so big and heavy, I would get him for you," remarked the
Stork.

"He's not heavy at all," Dorothy replied quickly. "He's stuffed with straw. If you bring him back, we'd be very grateful."

"Well, I'll try," said the Stork, "but if he's too heavy to carry, I'll have to drop him in the river again."

The Stork flew to the Scarecrow, grabbed him with her large claws, and flew him back to the bank.

The Scarecrow was so happy to be reunited with his friends that he hugged them all. He sang a joyous tune as they continued their journey.

The Stork flew over the water to the Scarecrow, still stuck on his pole. The bird grabbed the Scarecrow with her large claws. It carried him back to the bank where Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Woodman, and Toto were waiting.

The Scarecrow was so thrilled to be back with his friends that he hugged all of them, even the Lion and Toto. As they continued their journey, he sang joyfully with each step.

"I was afraid I'd be stuck in the river forever," he confessed. "But the kind Stork saved me. If I ever get any brains, I'll repay its kindness."

"That's all right," the Stork reassured, flying next to them. "I enjoy helping those in trouble. But I need to leave now. My babies are waiting for me in the nest. I hope you find the Emerald City and Oz can help you."

"Thank you," Dorothy replied. The helpful Stork then took off into the sky, soon disappearing from view.

As they continued their walk, they listened to the melodies of vibrantly colored birds. They admired the flowers, now so numerous that they carpeted the ground. The flowers were large and varied in color: yellow, white, blue, and purple. There were also clusters of brilliant scarlet poppies. These poppies were so vibrant they nearly dazzled Dorothy's eyes.

"Aren't they beautiful?" the girl asked, taking in the aromatic scent of the bright flowers.

"I suppose so," the Scarecrow replied. "Once I have brains, I might appreciate them more."

"If I had a heart, I would love them," the Tin Woodman added.

"I've always liked flowers," the Lion confessed. "They seem so delicate and fragile. But no flowers in the forest  are as bright as these."

They started encountering more of the large scarlet poppies and fewer other flowers. The friends soon found themselves in a vast meadow of poppies. It is well known that the scent of many poppies can cause anyone inhaling it to fall asleep forever. Unaware of this, Dorothy couldn't avoid the red flowers around her. Soon, her eyes grew heavy, and she needed to sit down to rest and sleep.

But the Tin Woodman would not let her do this.

"We must hurry and get back to the yellow brick road before dark," he urged. The Scarecrow agreed with him. So they kept walking until Dorothy could no longer stand. Despite her best efforts, her eyes closed, and she fell among the poppies, fast asleep.

"What shall we do?" the Tin Woodman asked.

"If we leave her here, she will die," the Lion warned. "The scent of the flowers is killing us all. I can barely keep my eyes open, and the dog is already asleep."

It was true. Toto had collapsed next to his little mistress. However, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, not being made of flesh, weren't affected by the poppy's scent.

"Run fast," said the Scarecrow to the Lion, "and get out of this deadly flower bed as quickly as possible. We will carry the little girl with us, but if you happen to fall asleep, you're too large to carry."

So the Lion shook off his sleepiness and rushed forward as fast as possible. Within moments, he was out of sight.

"Let's make a seat with our hands and carry her," suggested the Scarecrow. They scooped up Toto and placed the dog in Dorothy's lap. Then, forming a chair with their hands and arms, they carried the sleeping girl through the flowers.

They walked and walked. It felt like the vast sea of deadly flowers would never finish. They followed the curve of the river. Eventually, they found their friend, the Lion, sound asleep among the poppies. The flowers' strength had overwhelmed the huge beast. He had finally surrendered and fallen just a short way from the end of the poppy bed, where lovely green fields of sweet grass stretched out in front of them.

"We can't do anything for him," said the Tin Woodman with sorrow. "He's far too heavy to lift. We must leave him here, sleeping forever. Maybe he will dream of finding courage at last."

"I'm sorry," the Scarecrow said. "The Lion was a great friend for someone so cowardly. But we must continue."

They carried the sleeping girl to a pleasant area by the river. It was far enough from the poppy field to keep her from inhaling more of the flowers' poison. Here, they gently placed her on the soft grass and waited for the fresh wind to wake her.