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and my lovely pink brainsyou can see 'em work。〃
〃Shoo…shoo…shoo！〃 cried Scraps； dancing
around and laughing。 〃And your horrid green eyes；
Miss Bungle！ You can't see your eyes； but we can；
and I notice you're very proud of what little
color you have。 Shoo； Miss Bungle； shoo…shoo…shoo！
If you were all colors and many colors； as I am；
you'd be too stuck up for anything。〃 She leaped
over the cat and back again； and the startled
Bungle crept close to a tree to escape her。 This
made Scraps laugh more heartily than ever； and she
said：
〃Whoop…tedoodle…doo！
The cat has lost her shoe。
Her tootsie's bare； but she don't care；
So what's the odds to you？〃
〃Dear me； Ojo；〃 said the cat； 〃don't you think
the creature is a little bit crazy？〃
〃It may be；〃 he answered； with a puzzled look。
〃If she continues her insults I'll scratch off
her suspender…button eyes；〃 declared the cat。
〃Don't quarrel； please；〃 pleaded the boy； rising
to resume the journey。 〃Let us be good comrades
and as happy and cheerful as possible； for we are
likely to meet with plenty of trouble on our way。〃
It was nearly sundown when they came to the edge
of the forest and saw spread out before them a
delightful landscape。 There were broad blue fields
stretching for miles over the valley； which was
dotted everywhere with pretty； blue domed houses；
none of which； however； was very near to the place
where they stood。 Just at the point where the path
left the forest stood a tiny house covered with
leaves from the trees； and before this stood a
Munchkin man with an axe in his hand。 He seemed
very much surprised when Ojo and Scraps and the
Glass Cat came out of the woods； but as the
Patchwork Girl approached nearer he sat down upon
a bench and laughed so hard that he could not
speak for a long time。
This man was a woodchopper and lived all alone
in the little house。 He had bushy blue whiskers
and merry blue eyes and his blue clothes were quite
old and worn。
〃Mercy me！〃 exclaimed the woodchopper； when at
last he could stop laughing。 〃Who would think such
a funny harlequin lived in the Land of Oz？ Where
did you come from； Crazy…quilt？〃
〃Do you mean me？〃 asked the Patchwork Girl。
〃Of course；〃 he replied。
〃You misjudge my ancestry。 I'm not a crazy…
quilt； I'm patchwork；〃 she said。
〃There's no difference；〃 he replied； beginning
to laugh again。 〃When my old grandmother sews such
things together she calls it a crazy…quilt； but I
never thought such a jumble could come to life。〃
〃It was the Magic Powder that did it；〃 explained
Ojo。
〃Oh； then you have come from the Crooked
Magician on the mountain。 I might have known it；
forWell； I declare！ here's a glass cat。 But the
Magician will get in trouble for this； it's
against the law for anyone to work magic except
Glinda the Good and the royal Wizard of Oz。 If you
peopleor thingsor glass spectaclesor crazy…
quiltsor whatever you are； go near the Emerald
City； you'll be arrested。〃
〃We're going there； anyhow；〃 declared
Scraps； sitting upon the bench and swinging her
stuffed legs。
〃If any of us takes a rest；
We'll be arrested sure；
And get no restitution
'Cause the rest we must endure。〃
〃I see；〃 said the woodchopper； nodding； 〃you're
as crazy as the crazy…quilt you're made of。〃
〃She really is crazy；〃 remarked the Glass Cat。
〃But that isn't to he wondered at when you
remember how many different things she's made of。
For my part； I'm made of pure glassexcept my
jewel heart and my pretty pink brains。 Did you
notice my brains； stranger？ You can see em work。〃
〃So I can；〃 replied the woodchopper； 〃but I
can't see that they accomplish much。 A glass cat
is a useless sort of thing； but a Patchwork Girl
is really useful。 She makes me laugh； and laughter
is the best thing in life。 There was once a
woodchopper； a friend of mine； who was made all of
tin； and I used to laugh every time I saw him。〃
〃A tin woodchopper？〃 said Ojo。 〃That is
strange。〃
〃My friend wasn't always tin；〃 said the man；
〃but he was careless with his axe； and used to
chop himself very badly。 Whenever he lost an arm
or a leg he had it replaced with tin； so after a
while he was all tin。〃
〃And could he chop wood then？〃 asked the boy。
〃He could if he didn't rust his tin joints。 But
one day he met Dorothy in the forest and went with
her to the Emerald City； where he made his
fortune。 He is now one of the favorites of
Princess Ozma； and she has made him the Emperor of
the Winkiesthe Country where all is yellow。〃
〃Who is Dorothy？〃 inquired the Patchwork Girl。
〃A little maid who used to live in Kansas； but
is now a Princess of Oz。 She's Ozma's best
friend； they say； and lives with her in the royal
palace。〃
〃Is Dorothy made of tin？〃 inquired Ojo。
〃Is she patchwork； like me？〃 inquired Scraps。
〃No；〃 said the man； 〃Dorothy is flesh； just as I
am。 I know of only one tin person； and that is
Nick Chopper； the Tin Woodman； and there will
never be but one Patchwork Girl； for any magician
that sees you will refuse to make another one like
you。〃
〃I suppose we shall see the Tin Woodman； for we
are going to the Country of the Winkies；〃 said the
boy。
〃What for？〃 asked the woodchopper。
〃To get the left wing of a yellow butterfly。〃
〃It is a long journey；〃 declared the man； 〃and
you will go through lonely parts of Oz and cross
rivers and traverse dark forests before you get
there。〃
〃Suits me all right；〃 said Scraps。 〃I'll get a
chance to see the country。〃
〃You're crazy； girl。 Better crawl into a rag…bag
and hide there； or give yourself to some little
girl to play with。 Those who travel are likely to
meet trouble； that's why I stay at home。〃
The woodchopper then invited them all to
stay the night at his little hut； but they were
anxious to get on and so left him and continued
along the path； which was broader； now； and
more distinct。
They expected to reach some other house before
it grew dark； but the twilight was brief and Ojo
soon began to fear they had made a mistake in
leaving the woodchopper。
〃I can scarcely see