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"The trees seem to have made up their minds to fight us,

and stop our journey," remarked the Lion.

"I believe I will try it myself," said the Woodman, and

shouldering his axe, he marched up to the first tree that had

handled the Scarecrow so roughly. When a big branch bent down to

seize him the Woodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it in two.

At once the tree began shaking all its branches as if in pain, and the

Tin Woodman passed safely under it.

"Come on!" he shouted to the others. "Be quick!" They all

ran forward and passed under the tree without injury, except Toto,

who was caught by a small branch and shaken until he howled.

But the Woodman promptly chopped off the branch and set the

little dog free.

The other trees of the forest did nothing to keep them back,

so they made up their minds that only the first row of trees could

bend down their branches, and that probably these were the

policemen of the forest, and given this wonderful power in order

to keep strangers out of it.

The four travelers walked with ease through the trees until they

came to the farther edge of the wood. Then, to their surprise, they

found before them a high wall which seemed to be made of white china.

It was smooth, like the surface of a dish, and higher than their heads.

"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy.

"I will make a ladder," said the Tin Woodman, "for we certainly

must climb over the wall."

20. The Dainty China Country

While the Woodman was making a ladder from wood which he found

in the forest Dorothy lay down and slept, for she was tired by the

long walk. The Lion also curled himself up to sleep and Toto lay

beside him.

The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while he worked, and said to him:

"I cannot think why this wall is here, nor what it is made of."

"Rest your brains and do not worry about the wall," replied the Woodman.

"When we have climbed over it, we shall know what is on the other side."

After a time the ladder was finished. It looked clumsy, but

the Tin Woodman was sure it was strong and would answer their purpose.

The Scarecrow waked Dorothy and the Lion and Toto, and told them that

the ladder was ready. The Scarecrow climbed up the ladder first, but

he was so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind and keep him

from falling off. When he got his head over the top of the wall the

Scarecrow said, "Oh, my!"

"Go on," exclaimed Dorothy.

So the Scarecrow climbed farther up and sat down on the top of

the wall, and Dorothy put her head over and cried, "Oh, my!" just

as the Scarecrow had done.

Then Toto came up, and immediately began to bark, but Dorothy

made him be still.

The Lion climbed the ladder next, and the Tin Woodman came

last; but both of them cried, "Oh, my!" as soon as they looked

over the wall. When they were all sitting in a row on the top

of the wall, they looked down and saw a strange sight.

Before them was a great stretch of country having a floor as

smooth and shining and white as the bottom of a big platter.

Scattered around were many houses made entirely of china and

painted in the brightest colors. These houses were quite small,

the biggest of them reaching only as high as Dorothy's waist.

There were also pretty little barns, with china fences around them;

and many cows and sheep and horses and pigs and chickens, all made

of china, were standing about in groups.

But the strangest of all were the people who lived in this

queer country. There were milkmaids and shepherdesses, with

brightly colored bodices and golden spots all over their gowns;

and princesses with most gorgeous frocks of silver and gold and

purple; and shepherds dressed in knee breeches with pink and

yellow and blue stripes down them, and golden buckles on their

shoes; and princes with jeweled crowns upon their heads, wearing

ermine robes and satin doublets; and funny clowns in ruffled gowns,

with round red spots upon their cheeks and tall, pointed caps.

And, strangest of all, these people were all made of china, even to

their clothes, and were so small that the tallest of them was no

higher than Dorothy's knee.

No one did so much as look at the travelers at first, except

one little purple china dog with an extra-large head, which came

to the wall and barked at them in a tiny voice, afterwards running

away again.

"How shall we get down?"