and buttercups. Dorothy still wore the pretty silk dress she had put onin the palace, but now, to her surprise, she found it was no longer green,but pure white. The ribbon around Toto's neck had also lost its greencolor and was as white as Dorothy's dress.The Emerald City was soon left far behind. As they advancedthe ground became rougher and hillier, for there were no farms norhouses in this country of the West, and the ground was untilled.In the afternoon the sun shone hot in their faces, for therewere no trees to offer them shade; so that before night Dorothyand Toto and the Lion were tired, and lay down upon the grass andfell asleep, with the Woodman and the Scarecrow keeping watch.Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that was aspowerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere. So, as she sat inthe door of her castle, she happened to look around and saw Dorothylying asleep, with her friends all about her. They were a longdistance off, but the Wicked Witch was angry to find them in hercountry; so she blew upon a silver whistle that hung around her neck.At once there came running to her from all directions a packof great wolves. They had long legs and fierce eyes and sharp teeth."Go to those people," said the Witch, "and tear them to pieces.""Are you not going to make them your slaves?" asked the leaderof the wolves.
"No," she answered, "one is of tin, and one of straw; one isa girl and another a Lion. None of them is fit to work, so youmay tear them into small pieces."
"Very well," said the wolf, and he dashed away at full speed,followed by the others.
It was lucky the Scarecrow and the Woodman were wide awake andheard the wolves coming.
"This is my fight," said the Woodman, "so get behind me and Iwill meet them as they come."
He seized his axe, which he had made very sharp, and as theleader of the wolves came on the Tin Woodman swung his arm andchopped the wolf's head from its body, so that it immediately died.As soon as he could raise his axe another wolf came up, and he alsofell under the sharp edge of the Tin Woodman's weapon. There wereforty wolves, and forty times a wolf was killed, so that at lastthey all lay dead in a heap before the Woodman.Then he put down his axe and sat beside the Scarecrow, who said,"It was a good fight, friend."They waited until Dorothy awoke the next morning. The littlegirl was quite frightened when she saw the great pile of shaggywolves, but the Tin Woodman told her all. She thanked him forsaving them and sat down to breakfast, after which they startedagain upon their journey.
Now this same morning the Wicked Witch came to the door of hercastle and looked out with her one eye that could see far off.She saw all her wolves lying dead, and the strangers stilltraveling through her country. This made her angrier than before,and she blew her silver whistle twice.
