L.Frank Baum. The marvelous land of Oz -
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Am I a Gump, or am I a juggernaut?" The creature, as it spoke, wiggled its
chin whiskers in a very comical manner.
"You're just a Thing," answered Tip, "with a Gump's head on it. And
we have made you and brought you to life so that you may carry us through
the air wherever we wish to go."
"Very good!" said the Thing. "As I am not a Gump, I cannot have a
Gump's pride or independent spirit. So I may as well become your servant
as anything else. My only satisfaction is that I do not seem to have a
very strong constitution, and am not likely to live long in a state of
slavery."
"Don't say that, I beg of you!" cried the Tin Woodman, whose
excellent heart was strongly affected by this sad speech." Are you not
feeling well today?"
"Oh, as for that," returned the Gump, "it is my first day of
existence; so I cannot Judge whether I am feeling well or ill." And it
waved its broom tail to and fro in a pensive manner.
"Come, come!" said the Scarecrow, kindly. "do try, to be more
cheerful and take life as you find it. We shall be kind masters, and will
strive to render your existence as pleasant as possible. Are you willing
to carry us through the air wherever we wish to go?"
"Certainly," answered the Gump. "I greatly prefer to navigate the
air. For should I travel on the earth and meet with one of my own species,
my embarrassment would be something awful!"
"I can appreciate that," said the Tin Woodman, sympathetically.
"And yet," continued the Thing, "when I carefully look you over, my
masters, none of you seems to be constructed much more artistically than I
am."
"Appearances are deceitful," said the Woggle-Bug, earnestly. "I am
both Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated."