L.Frank Baum. The marvelous land of Oz -
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Pumpkinhead clinging to Tip, and the Scarecrow with both arms around the
wooden form of Jack.
"Go slowly, for now there is no danger of pursuit," said Tip to his
steed.
"All right!" responded the creature, in a voice rather gruff.
"Aren't you a little hoarse?" asked the Pumpkinhead politely.
The Saw-Horse gave an angry prance and rolled one knotty eye backward
toward Tip.
"See here," he growled, "can't you protect me from insult?"
"To be sure!" answered Tip, soothingly. "I am sure Jack meant no
harm. And it will not do for us to quarrel, you know; we must all remain
good friends."
"I'll have nothing more to do with that Pumpkinhead," declared the
SawHorse, viciously. "he loses his head too easily to suit me."
There seemed no fitting reply to this speech, so for a time they rode
along in silence.
After a while the Scarecrow remarked:
"This reminds me of old times. It was upon this grassy knoll that I
once saved Dorothy from the Stinging Bees of the Wicked Witch of the West.
"
"Do Stinging Bees injure pumpkins?" asked Jack, glancing around
fearfully.
"They are all dead, so it doesn't matter," replied the Scarecrow."
And here is where Nick Chopper destroyed the Wicked Witch's Grey Wolves."
"Who was Nick Chopper?" asked Tip.
"That is the name of my friend the Tin Woodman, answered his Majesty.
And here is where the Winged Monkeys captured and bound us, and flew away
with little Dorothy," he continued, after they had traveled a little way
farther.
"Do Winged Monkeys ever eat pumpkins?" asked Jack, with a shiver of
fear.
"I do not know; but you have little cause to, worry, for the Winged
Monkeys are now the slaves of Glinda the Good, who owns the Golden Cap
that commands their services," said the Scarecrow, reflectively.