Chapter 4. The Road Through the Forest

After a few hours, the road became rough. Walking on it was a challenge. The Scarecrow, with his clumsy body, often stumbled. The yellow bricks on the path were uneven in some places. At times, some bricks were broken or missing. This left holes that Toto hopped over. Dorothy carefully walked around these holes. The Scarecrow, with no brains to guide him, walked straight ahead. He stumbled into the holes and fell onto the bricks. This didn't hurt him. Dorothy would help him, and they would laugh at his stumbles.

The farms here were less impressive than those they had passed earlier. There were fewer houses and fruit trees. As they went farther, the surroundings became more desolate and lonely.

At noon, they stopped by a small brook. Dorothy opened her basket and pulled out some bread. She offered a piece to the Scarecrow. He declined, saying, "I'm never hungry." He added that his mouth was only painted on. If he were to cut a hole to eat, his straw stuffing would fall out. This would ruin the shape of his head. Dorothy realized this was true and continued to eat her bread.

"Tell me about yourself and your country," the Scarecrow said after she had finished her dinner. Then Dorothy told him about Kansas. She described it as a very gray place. The girl explained how a tornado brought her to this strange Land of Oz.

The Scarecrow listened to her words. "I cannot understand why you should wish to leave this beautiful country and return to the dry, gray place you call Kansas," he said.

"That is because you have no brains," she replied. "No matter how dull and gray our homes are, we humans would rather live there than in any other country, no matter how beautiful. There is no place like home," she said.

Then, the Scarecrow sighed.

"Of course, I can't understand it," he said. "If you had straw-filled heads like me, you'd probably all live in nice places. Then, no one would live in Kansas. Kansas is lucky you have brains."

"Can you tell me a story as we rest?" asked the child.

The Scarecrow gave her a disapproving look.

"My life has been short. I know absolutely nothing at all," he answered. "I was made two days ago. I don't know what happened before that. Fortunately, the farmer painted my ears when he made me. I heard what was happening. Another Munchkin was with him. The first thing I heard was the farmer asking, 'Do you like these ears?'

"'They aren't straight,'" the other replied.

"'No problem,'" said the farmer. "'They are still ears,'" which was true.

"'Now for the eyes,'" said the farmer. He painted my right eye. Instantly, I started looking at him and everything around me with intense curiosity. This was my first look at the world.

"'What a pretty eye,'" said the watching Munchkin. "'Blue is good for eyes.'

"'I think I'll make the other eye a little bigger,'" said the farmer. When he finished the second eye, I could see even better. Then he painted my nose and my mouth. But I didn't speak. I didn't know what a mouth was for. I enjoyed watching them create my body, arms, and legs. When they attached my head, I felt proud. I thought I was as good as any man.

"'This guy will scare away the crows in no time,'" said the farmer. "'He looks just like a man.'

"'He is a man,'" said the other. I agreed with him. The farmer carried me to the cornfield. He put me on a tall stick. That's where you found me. He and his friend walked away and left me alone after that.

"I didn't like being left alone this way. So I tried to follow them. But my feet couldn't touch the ground. I was stuck on that pole.

My life was lonely. I had been made only a little while ago. I had nothing to think about. Many crows and other birds flew into the cornfield. When they saw me, they flew away. They thought I was a Munchkin. That made me happy. I felt important.

After a while, an old crow flew near me. He looked at me and then sat on my shoulder.

"'Did the farmer think he could fool me like this? Any smart crow could see you're stuffed with straw.'" Then he jumped down and ate all the corn he wanted. The other birds saw that I didn't hurt the old crow. They came to eat the corn, too. Soon, there was a big flock of them around me.

I was sad because I wasn't a good scarecrow. But the old crow comforted me. "If you had brains, you'd be as good as any man. Maybe even better than some. Brains are the only things worth having in this world. It doesn't matter if you're a crow or a man."

After the crows left, I thought about this. I decided to try to get brains. Luckily, you came and took me off the stake. You told me that the Great Oz will give me brains as soon as we reach the Emerald City.

"I hope so," said Dorothy, "you really seem to want them."

"Yes, I do," said the Scarecrow. "It feels bad to be a fool."

"Well," said the girl, "let's go." She gave the basket to the Scarecrow.

There were no fences by the roadside now. The land was rough and not farmed. In the evening, they reached a big forest. The trees in the woods were huge and grew close together. Their branches covered the yellow brick road. It was almost dark under the trees because the branches blocked the sunlight. But the travelers didn't stop. They went into the forest.

"If this road goes in, it must come out," said the Scarecrow. "The Emerald City is at the end of the road. We must follow the road."

"Everyone knows that," said Dorothy.

"Of course. That's why I know it," replied the Scarecrow. "If it needed brains to figure it out, I wouldn't have said it."

After about an hour, it became dark. They were stumbling in the darkness. Dorothy couldn't see at all, but Toto could. Some dogs can see really well in the dark. And the Scarecrow claimed he could see just as well as during the day. So Dorothy grabbed his arm, and they walked together quite nicely.

"Tell me if you see any house where we can spend the night," she said. "It's uncomfortable walking in the dark."

Soon, the Scarecrow stopped.

"I see a small cottage to our right," he said. "It's made of logs and branches. Should we go there?"

"Yes, definitely," answered Dorothy. "I'm exhausted."

So, the Scarecrow led her through the trees to the cottage. Dorothy entered the cottage and found a bed made from dry leaves in one corner. She lay down immediately and fell into a deep sleep with Toto beside her. The Scarecrow, who never got tired, stood in another corner. There, he waited patiently until the morning.