Chapter 19. Attacked by the Fighting Trees

The following morning, Dorothy gave the lovely green girl a goodbye kiss. They all exchanged handshakes with the soldier with green whiskers who had accompanied them to the gate. The Gate Guardian was surprised they were leaving the beautiful City to face potential new challenges. Nonetheless, he quickly unlocked their glasses, put them back in the green box, and wished them the best for their journey.

"You are our ruler now," he told the Scarecrow, "so come back to us as soon as you can."
"I certainly will if I can," the Scarecrow answered, "but first, I need to help Dorothy get home."

As Dorothy said her final goodbye to the friendly Guardian, she said:

"Everyone in your beautiful city has been so kind to me. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

"No need to, dear," he responded. "We'd love you to stay, but if you want to return to Kansas, I hope you find a way." He opened the outer wall gate, and they began their journey.

As they traveled towards the South, the sun was shining brightly. Everyone was in a great mood, laughing and chatting with each other. Dorothy was hopeful again about going home, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were pleased to help her. The Lion sniffed the fresh air with delight. He joyfully swished his tail, excited to be in the countryside. Meanwhile, Toto playfully chased moths and butterflies, barking happily all the time.

"City life really isn't for me," the Lion remarked, walking briskly. "I've lost weight there, and now I want to show other beasts my bravery."

They paused to glance back at the Emerald City, seeing only the city's towers and steeples behind the green walls and the spires and dome of Oz's Palace above it all.

"Oz wasn't such a bad Wizard," the Tin Woodman commented, feeling his heart rattle in his chest.

"He did manage to give me brains and quite good ones," added the Scarecrow.

"If Oz had some of the courage he gave me, he'd be brave," the Lion added.

Dorothy remained silent. Oz hadn't kept his promise to her, but he had tried, so she forgave him. He was a good man despite being a bad Wizard.

Their first day of travel took them through the lush fields and vibrant flowers surrounding the Emerald City. They slept under the stars on the grass that night, resting well.

The next morning, they traveled until they reached a dense forest. There was no way around it, and they couldn't risk getting lost, so they looked for the easiest entry point.

The Scarecrow, leading the way, found a large tree with wide branches they could pass under. But as he approached, the branches suddenly wrapped around him and threw him towards his friends.

Although uninjured, the Scarecrow was surprised and looked dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.

"Here's another gap between the trees," the Lion pointed out.

"Let me try first," the Scarecrow offered, "it doesn't hurt me to be tossed around." He approached another tree, which quickly grabbed and threw him back.

"This is strange," Dorothy exclaimed. "What should we do?"

"The trees seem determined to stop us," the Lion noted.

"I think I'll try it myself," the Woodman said, taking his axe and approaching the tree that had roughed up the Scarecrow. When a large branch reached for him, he chopped it fiercely, cutting it in two. Immediately, the tree shook all its branches as if in pain. Then, the Tin Woodman passed safely under it.

"Come on! Be quick!" he yelled. Everyone ran, passing under the tree unharmed, except for Toto. A branch caught Toto, making him howl, but the Woodman quickly chopped it off, freeing him.

The rest of the forest didn't stop them. They figured only the first row of trees could move branches. They assumed these trees were the forest's guards meant to keep strangers out.

They walked easily through the forest till they reached its edge. Surprisingly, they found a high wall made of white porcelain. It was smooth and taller than them.

"What do we do now?" Dorothy asked.

"I'll make a ladder," the Tin Woodman said, "because we definitely need to climb over this wall."
