Chapter Five

DOROTHY MEETS THE WOODMAN AND THE LION

They started for the Emerald City. On their way there they met a strange man. His body, his arms and legs were made of tin. His head was made of tin too. In his right hand he had an axe. He was a woodman.

"Where are you going?" the funny man asked them.

"We are going to the Emerald City," answered Dorothy.

"Why are you going there?" asked the Woodman.

"We are going to the Emerald City because we want to see the Great Wizard of Oz," answered the little girl.

"Why do you want to see the Great Wizard?" asked the Tin Woodman.

"I want to ask him to send me back to Kansas prairie," answered Dorothy. "The Scarecrow will ask him to put some brains into his head. You see, only the Great Wizard can do these things."

"May I go with you?" asked the Tin Woodman. "I want to ask the Great Wizard to put a heart into my body. There is no heart in my body. And I can't be happy if I have no heart." "You may come with us if you like," said the little girl. Soon Dorothy and her two comrades came to a thick forest. Suddenly they heard a terrible roar. Then they saw a great lion who jumped on the road. With one blow of his paw he sent the Scarecrow to the ground. 1 Then he turned to the Tin Woodman and gave him a blow with his paw. The Tin Woodman fell to the ground and lay there. Toto began to bark and the Lion gave him a blow too.

Dorothy was a very brave girl. She ran up to the Lion and gave him a blow on the nose.

"Don't bite my Toto! How can you? You are so big, and he is so small. You are a big coward! Only cowards can be bad to those who are small." 2

"Yes, I am a coward," said the Lion. "I know it very well. I am not brave. But what can I do?"

 

"And why are you a coward?" asked Dorothy. "I don't know why," answered the Lion. "All the other beasts in the forest think I am very brave. People call the Lion the King of the Beasts. I know that people are afraid of me when I roar. That's why 3 I always roar when I meet people or animals. They all run away from me. They don't know that I am afraid of them. And I don't want them to know."

"Do you want to come with us to the Emerald City and see the Great Wizard of Oz?" Dorothy asked him. "I think the Great Wizard can give you courage and make you brave."

"Oh, yes," answered the Lion. "I shall be very glad to go with you to the Emerald City."

So the four comrades started for the Emerald City along the road of yellow brick.

 

 

1 With one blow of his paw he sent the Scarecrow to the ground. — Одним ударом лапы он опрокинул Пугало на землю.

2 can be bad to those who are small — могут обижать тех, кто меньше их

3 That's why — Вот почему