See! This is the very tree I was
chopping at the time I rusted."
"You cannot be far from your old home, in that case,"
said Woot.
"No; my little cabin stands not a great way off, but
there is no occasion for us to visit it. Our errand is
with Nimmie Amee, and her house is somewhat farther
away, to the left of us."
"Didn't you say she lives with a Wicked Witch, who
makes her a slave?" asked the boy.
"She did, but she doesn't," was the reply. "I am told
the Witch was destroyed when Dorothy's house fell on
her, so now Nimmie Amee must live all alone. I haven't
seen her, of course, since the Witch was crushed, for
at that time I was standing rusted in the forest and
had been there a long time, but the poor girl must have
felt very happy to be free from her cruel mistress."
"Well," said the Scarecrow, "let's travel on and find
Nimmie Amee. Lead on, your Majesty, since you know the
way, and we will follow."
So the Tin Woodman took a path that led through the
thickest part of the forest, and they followed it for
some time. The light was dim here, because vines and
bushes and leafy foliage were all about them, and often
the Tin Man had to push aside the branches that
obstructed their way, or cut them off with his axe.
After they had proceeded some distance, the Emperor
suddenly stopped short and exclaimed: "Good gracious!"
The Scarecrow, who was next, first bumped into his
friend and then peered around his tin body, and said in
a tone of wonder:
"Well, I declare!"
Woot the Wanderer pushed forward to see what was the
matter, and cried out in astonishment: "For goodness'
sake!"
Then the three stood motionless, staring hard, until
Polychrome's merry laughter rang out behind them and
aroused them from their stupor.
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