"But how came
you to lose your body?"
"Well, I can't recollect the details; you'll have to
ask Ku-Klip about it," returned the Head. "For, curious
as it may seem to you, my memory is not good since my
separation from the rest of me. I still possess my
brains and my intellect is as good as ever, but my
memory of some of the events I formerly experienced is
quite hazy."
"How long have you been in this cupboard?" asked the
Emperor.
"I don't know."
"Haven't you a name?"
"Oh, yes," said the Head; "I used to be called Nick
Chopper, when I was a woodman and cut down trees for a
living."
"Good gracious!" cried the Tin Woodman in
astonishment. "If you are Nick Chopper's Head, then you
are Me -- or I'm You -- or -- or -- What relation are
we, anyhow?"
"Don't ask me," replied the Head. "For my part, I'm
not anxious to claim relationship with any common,
manufactured article, like you. You may be all right in
your class, but your class isn't my class. You're tin."
The poor Emperor felt so bewildered that for a time he could
only stare at his old Head in silence. Then he said:
"I must admit that I wasn't at all bad looking before
I became tin. You're almost handsome -- for meat. If
your hair was combed, you'd be quite attractive."
"How do you expect me to comb my hair without help?"
demanded the Head, indignantly. "I used to keep it
smooth and neat, when I had arms, but after I was
removed from the rest of me, my hair got mussed,
and old Ku-Klip never has combed it for me.
Pages:
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136