"I smell straw!" cried a hoarse, harsh voice, with
more growls and snarls. "I smell straw, and I'm a
Hip-po-gy-raf who loves straw and eats all he can find.
I want to eat this straw! Where is it? Where is it?"
The Scarecrow, hearing this, trembled but kept
silent. All the others were silent, too, hoping that
the invisible beast would be unable to find them. But
the creature sniffed the odor of the straw and drew
nearer and nearer to them until he reached the Tin
Woodman, on one end of the line. It was a big beast and
it smelled of the Tin Woodman and grated two rows of
enormous teeth against the Emperor's tin body.
"Bah! that's not straw," said the harsh voice, and
the beast advanced along the line to Woot.
"Meat! Pooh, you're no good! I can't eat meat,"
grumbled the beast, and passed on to Polychrome.
"Sweetmeats and perfume -- cobwebs and dew! Nothing
to eat in a fairy like you," said the creature.
Now, the Scarecrow was next to Polychrome in the
line, and he realized if the beast devoured his straw
he would be helpless for a long time, because the last
farmhouse was far behind them and only grass covered
the vast expanse of plain. So in his fright he let go
of Polychrome's hand and put the hand of the Tin
Soldier in that of the Rainbow's Daughter. Then he
slipped back of the line and went to the other end,
where he silently seized the Tin Woodman's hand.
Meantime, the beast had smelled the Tin Soldier and
found he was the last of the line.
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