The Search for the Wicked Witch
THE SOLDIER WITH THE green whiskers led them through the streets of the Emerald City until they reached the room where the Guardian of the Gates lived. This officer unlocked their spectacles to put them ba his great box, and then he po- litely opehe gate for our friends.
"Which road leads to the Wicked Witch of the West?」
asked Dorothy.
"There is no road," answered the Guardian of the Gates.
"No one ever wishes to go that way.」
"How, then, are we to find her?" enquired the girl.
"That will be easy," replied the man, "for when she knows you are in the try of the Winkies she will find you, and make you all her slaves.」
"Perhaps not," said the Scarecrow, "for we mean to destroy her.」
"Oh, that is different," said the Guardian of the Gates. "No one has ever destroyed her before, so I naturally thought she would make slaves of you, as she has of the rest. But take care; for she is wicked and fierce, and may not allow you to destroy her. Keep to the West, where the sus, and you ot fail to find her.」
They thanked him and bade him good-bye, and turo- ward the West, walking over fields of soft grass dotted here and there with daisies and buttercups. Dorothy still wore the pretty silk dress she had put on in the palace, but now, to her surprise, she found it was no lreen, but pure white.
The ribbon around Totos neck had also lost its green color and was as white as Dorothys dress.
The Emerald City was soo far behind. As they ad- vahe ground became rougher and hillier, for there were no farms nor houses in this try of the West, and the ground was untilled.
Iernoon the sun sho in their faces, for there were no trees to offer them shade; so that before night Dorothy and Toto and the Lioired, and lay down upon the grass and fell asleep, with the Woodman and the Scare- crow keeping watch.
Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that owerful as a telescope, and could see every- where. So, as she sat in the door of her castle, she happeo look around and saw Dorothy lying asleep, with her friends all about her. They were a long distance off, but the Wicked Witch was angry to find them in her try; so she blew upon a silver whistle that hung around her neck.
At ohere came running to her from all dires a pack of great wolves. They had long legs and fierce eyes and sharp teeth.
"Go to those people," said the Witch, "ahem to pieces.」
"Are you not going to make them your slaves?" asked the leader of the wolves.
"No," she answered, "one is of tin, and one of straw; one is a girl and another a Lion. None of them is fit to work, so you may 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 and heard the wolves ing.
"This is my fight," said the Woodman, "so get behind me and I will meet them as they e.」
He seized his axe, which he had made very sharp, and as the leader of the wolves came oin Woodman swung his arm and chopped the wolfs head from its body, so that it im- mediately died. As soon as he could raise his axe another wolf came up, and he also fell uhe sharp edge of the Tin Woodmans on. There were forty wolves, and forty times a wolf was killed, so that at last they all lay dead in a heap be- fore the Woodman.
The down his axe and sat beside the Sc