Tin Woodman of Oz , livre ebook

Pub One Info - Lyman-Frank Baum

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

90 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. Undertaken by the Tin Woodman, assisted

Informations

Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	27 septembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819929819
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0100€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ
by
L. Frank Baum
A Faithful Story of the AstonishingAdventure
Undertaken by the Tin Woodman, assisted
by Woot the Wanderer, the Scarecrow
of Oz, and Polychrome, the
Rainbow's Daughter
by
L. FRANK BAUM
“Royal historian of Oz”
This Book
is dedicated
to the son of
my son
Frank Alden Baum
TO MY READERS
I know that some of you have been waiting for thisstory of the Tin Woodman, because many of my correspondents haveasked me, time and again what ever became of the “pretty Munchkingirl” whom Nick Chopper was engaged to marry before the WickedWitch enchanted his axe and he traded his flesh for tin. I, too,have wondered what became of her, but until Woot the Wandererinterested himself in the matter the Tin Woodman knew no more thanwe did. However, he found her, after many thrilling adventures, asyou will discover when you have read this story.
I am delighted at the continued interest of bothyoung and old in the Oz stories. A learned college professorrecently wrote me to ask: “For readers of what age are your booksintended? ” It puzzled me to answer that properly, until I hadlooked over some of the letters I have received. One says: “I'm alittle boy 5 years old, and I Just love your Oz stories. My sister,who is writing this for me, reads me the Oz books, but I wish Icould read them myself. ” Another letter says: “I'm a great girl 13years old, so you'll be surprised when I tell you I am not too oldyet for the Oz stories. ” Here's another letter: “Since I was ayoung girl I've never missed getting a Baum book for Christmas. I'mmarried, now, but am as eager to get and read the Oz stories asever. ” And still another writes: “My good wife and I, both morethan 70 years of age, believe that we find more real enjoyment inyour Oz books than in any other books we read. ” Considering thesestatements, I wrote the college professor that my books areintended for all those whose hearts are young, no matter what theirages may be.
I think I am justified in promising that there willbe some astonishing revelations about The Magic of Oz in my bookfor 1919. Always your loving and grateful friend,
L. FRANK BAUM.
Royal Historian of Oz.
“OZCOT”
at HOLLYWOOD
in CALIFORNIA
1918.
Chapter One
Woot the Wanderer
The Tin Woodman sat on his glittering tin throne inthe handsome tin hall of his splendid tin castle in the WinkieCountry of the Land of Oz. Beside him, in a chair of woven straw,sat his best friend, the Scarecrow of Oz. At times they spoke toone another of curious things they had seen and strange adventuresthey had known since first they two had met and become comrades.But at times they were silent, for these things had been talkedover many times between them, and they found themselves contentedin merely being together, speaking now and then a brief sentence toprove they were wide awake and attentive. But then, these twoquaint persons never slept. Why should they sleep, when they nevertired?
And now, as the brilliant sun sank low over theWinkie Country of Oz, tinting the glistening tin towers and tinminarets of the tin castle with glorious sunset hues, thereapproached along a winding pathway Woot the Wanderer, who met atthe castle entrance a Winkie servant.
The servants of the Tin Woodman all wore tin helmetsand tin breastplates and uniforms covered with tiny tin discs sewedclosely together on silver cloth, so that their bodies sparkled asbeautifully as did the tin castle— and almost as beautifully as didthe Tin Woodman himself.
Woot the Wanderer looked at the man servant— allbright and glittering— and at the magnificent castle— all brightand glittering— and as he looked his eyes grew big with wonder. ForWoot was not very big and not very old and, wanderer though he was,this proved the most gorgeous sight that had ever met his boyishgaze.
“Who lives here? ” he asked.
“The Emperor of the Winkies, who is the famous TinWoodman of Oz, ” replied the servant, who had been trained to treatall strangers with courtesy.
“A Tin Woodman? How queer! ” exclaimed the littlewanderer.
“Well, perhaps our Emperor is queer, ” admitted theservant; “but he is a kind master and as honest and true as goodtin can make him; so we, who gladly serve him, are apt to forgetthat he is not like other people. ”
“May I see him? ” asked Woot the Wanderer, after amoment's thought.
“If it please you to wait a moment, I will go andask him, ” said the servant, and then he went into the hall wherethe Tin Woodman sat with his friend the Scarecrow. Both were gladto learn that a stranger had arrived at the castle, for this wouldgive them something new to talk about, so the servant was asked toadmit the boy at once.
By the time Woot the Wanderer had passed through thegrand corridors— all lined with ornamental tin— and under statelytin archways and through the many tin rooms all set with beautifultin furniture, his eyes had grown bigger than ever and his wholelittle body thrilled with amazement. But, astonished though he was,he was able to make a polite bow before the throne and to say in arespectful voice: “I salute your Illustrious Majesty and offer youmy humble services. ”
“Very good! ” answered the Tin Woodman in hisaccustomed cheerful manner. “Tell me who you are, and whence youcome. ”
“I am known as Woot the Wanderer, ” answered theboy, “and I have come, through many travels and by roundabout ways,from my former home in a far corner of the Gillikin Country of Oz.”
“To wander from one's home, ” remarked theScarecrow, “is to encounter dangers and hardships, especially ifone is made of meat and bone. Had you no friends in that corner ofthe Gillikin Country? Was it not homelike and comfortable? ”
To hear a man stuffed with straw speak, and speak sowell, quite startled Woot, and perhaps he stared a bit rudely atthe Scarecrow. But after a moment he replied:
“I had home and friends, your Honorable Strawness,but they were so quiet and happy and comfortable that I found themdismally stupid. Nothing in that corner of Oz interested me, but Ibelieved that in other parts of the country I would find strangepeople and see new sights, and so I set out upon my wanderingjourney. I have been a wanderer for nearly a full year, and now mywanderings have brought me to this splendid castle. ”
“I suppose, ” said the Tin Woodman, “that in thisyear you have seen so much that you have become very wise. ”
“No, ” replied Woot, thoughtfully, “I am not at allwise, I beg to assure your Majesty. The more I wander the less Ifind that I know, for in the Land of Oz much wisdom and many thingsmay be learned. ”
“To learn is simple. Don't you ask questions? ”inquired the Scarecrow.
“Yes; I ask as many questions as I dare; but somepeople refuse to answer questions. ”
“That is not kind of them, ” declared the TinWoodman. “If one does not ask for information he seldom receivesit; so I, for my part, make it a rule to answer any civil questionthat is asked me. ”
“So do I, ” added the Scarecrow, nodding.
“I am glad to hear this, ” said the Wanderer, “forit makes me bold to ask for something to eat. ”
“Bless the boy! ” cried the Emperor of the Winkies;“how careless of me not to remember that wanderers are usuallyhungry. I will have food brought you at once. ”
Saying this he blew upon a tin whistle that wassuspended from his tin neck, and at the summons a servant appearedand bowed low. The Tin Woodman ordered food for the stranger, andin a few minutes the servant brought in a tin tray heaped with achoice array of good things to eat, all neatly displayed on tindishes that were polished till they shone like mirrors. The traywas set upon a tin table drawn before the throne, and the servantplaced a tin chair before the table for the boy to seathimself.
“Eat, friend Wanderer, ” said the Emperor cordially,“and I trust the feast will be to your liking. I, myself, do noteat, being made in such manner that I require no food to keep mealive. Neither does my friend the Scarecrow. But all my Winkiepeople eat, being formed of flesh, as you are, and so my tincupboard is never bare, and strangers are always welcome towhatever it contains. ”
The boy ate in silence for a time, being reallyhungry, but after his appetite was somewhat satisfied, he said:
“How happened your Majesty to be made of tin, andstill be alive? ”
“That, ” replied the tin man, “is a long story.”
“The longer the better, ” said the boy. “Won't youplease tell me the story? ”
“If you desire it, ” promised the Tin Woodman,leaning back in his tin throne and crossing his tin legs. “Ihaven't related my history in a long while, because everyone hereknows it nearly as well as I do. But you, being a stranger, are nodoubt curious to learn how I became so beautiful and prosperous, soI will recite for your benefit my strange adventures. ”
“Thank you, ” said Woot the Wanderer, stilleating.
“I was not always made of tin, ” began the Emperor,“for in the beginning I was a man of flesh and bone and blood andlived in the Munchkin Country of Oz. There I was, by trade, awoodchopper, and contributed my share to the comfort of the Ozpeople by chopping up the trees of the forest to make firewood,with which the women would cook their meals while the childrenwarmed themselves about the fires. For my home I had a little hutby the edge of the forest, and my life was one of much contentuntil I fell in love with a beautiful Munchkin girl who lived notfar away. ”
“What was the Munchkin girl's name? ” askedWoot.
"Nimmie Amee. This girl, so fair that the sunsetsblushed when their rays fell upon her, lived with a powerful witchwho wore silver shoes and who had made the poor child her slave.Nimmie Amee was obliged to work from morning till night for the oldWitch of the East, scrubbing and sweeping her hut and cooking hermeals and washing her dishes. She had to cut firewood, too, until Ifound her one day in the forest and fell in love with her. Afterthat, I always brought plent