L.Frank Baum. The marvelous land of Oz -
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appearance caused.
"Stop! stop!" cried Tip, seizing the Woodman's arm; "they're alive!
they're girls!"
At that moment the flowers began whirling again, and the faces faded
away and were lost in the rapid revolutions.
The Tin Woodman dropped his axe and sat down upon the ground.
"It would be heartless to chop down those pretty creatures," said he,
despondently. "and yet I do not know how else we can proceed upon our way"
"They looked to me strangely like the faces of the Army of Revolt,"
mused the Scarecrow. "But I cannot conceive how the girls could have
followed us here so quickly."
"I believe it's magic," said Tip, positively, "and that someone is
playing a trick upon us. I've known old Mombi do things like that before.
Probably it's nothing more than an illusion, and there are no sunflowers
here at all."
"Then let us shut our eyes and walk forward," suggested the Woodman.
"Excuse me," replied the Scarecrow. "My eyes are not painted to shut.
Because you happen to have tin eyelids, you must not imagine we are all
built in the same way."
"And the eyes of the Saw-Horse are knot eyes," said Jack, leaning
forward to examine them.
"Nevertheless, you must ride quickly forward," commanded Tip, "and we
will follow after you and so try to escape. My eyes are already so dazzled
that I can scarcely see."
So the Pumpkinhead rode boldly forward, and Tip grasped the stub tail
of the Saw-Horse and followed with closed eyes. The Scarecrow and the Tin
Woodman brought up the rear, and before they had gone many yards a Joyful
shout from Jack announced that the way was clear before them.
Then all paused to look backward, but not a trace of the field of
sunflowers remained.
More cheerfully, now they proceeded upon their Journey; but old Mombi