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This they decided to do. The next day they called the Winkies

together and bade them good-bye. The Winkies were sorry to have

them go, and they had grown so fond of the Tin Woodman that they

begged him to stay and rule over them and the Yellow Land of the West.

Finding they were determined to go, the Winkies gave Toto and the Lion

each a golden collar; and to Dorothy they presented a beautiful bracelet

studded with diamonds; and to the Scarecrow they gave a gold-headed

walking stick, to keep him from stumbling; and to the Tin Woodman they

offered a silver oil-can, inlaid with gold and set with precious jewels.

Every one of the travelers made the Winkies a pretty speech in

return, and all shook hands with them until their arms ached.

Dorothy went to the Witch's cupboard to fill her basket with

food for the journey, and there she saw the Golden Cap. She tried

it on her own head and found that it fitted her exactly. She did

not know anything about the charm of the Golden Cap, but she saw

that it was pretty, so she made up her mind to wear it and carry

her sunbonnet in the basket.

Then, being prepared for the journey, they all started for the

Emerald City; and the Winkies gave them three cheers and many good

wishes to carry with them.

14. The Winged Monkeys

You will remember there was no road--not even a pathway--

between the castle of the Wicked Witch and the Emerald City.

When the four travelers went in search of the Witch she had seen

them coming, and so sent the Winged Monkeys to bring them to her.

It was much harder to find their way back through the big fields

of buttercups and yellow daisies than it was being carried.

They knew, of course, they must go straight east, toward the rising

sun; and they started off in the right way. But at noon, when the

sun was over their heads, they did not know which was east and

which was west, and that was the reason they were lost in the

great fields. They kept on walking, however, and at night the

moon came out and shone brightly. So they lay down among the

sweet smelling yellow flowers and slept soundly until morning--

all but the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman.

The next morning the sun was behind a cloud, but they started

on, as if they were quite sure which way they were going.

"If we walk far enough," said Dorothy, "I am sure we shall

sometime come to some place."

But day by day passed away, and they still saw nothing before

them but the scarlet fields. The Scarecrow began to grumble a bit.

"We have surely lost our way," he said, "and unless we find it

again in time to reach the Emerald City, I shall never get my brains."

"Nor I my heart," declared the Tin Woodman. "It seems to me I

can scarcely wait till I get to Oz, and you must admit this is a

very long journey."

"You see," said the Cowardly Lion, with a whimper, "I haven't the

courage to keep tramping forever, without getting anywhere at all."

Then Dorothy lost heart. She sat down on the grass and looked

at her companions, and they sat down and looked at her, and Toto

found that for the first time in his life he was too tired to

chase a butterfly that flew past his head. So he put out his

tongue and panted and looked at Dorothy as if to ask what they

should do next.

"Suppose we call the field mice," she suggested. "They could

probably tell us the way to the Emerald City."

"To be sure they could," cried the Scarecrow. "Why didn't we

think of that before?"