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.Butchers have reason tobe afraid of me, but you are safe.We cannot invite youin, for you are too big for our house, but the boy whoeats is welcome to all the carrots and turnips hewants.Make yourselves at home in the garden and stayall night, if you like; but in the morning you must goaway, for we are quiet people and do not care for company.""May I have some of your straw?" asked the Scarecrow."Help yourself," replied Professor Swyne."For pigs, they're quite respectable," remarked Woot,as they all went toward the straw-stack."I'm glad they didn't invite us in," said CaptainFyter."I hope I'm not too particular about myassociates, but I draw the line at pigs."The Scarecrow was glad to be rid of his hay, forduring the long walk it had sagged down and made himfat and squatty and more bumpy than at first."I'm not specially proud," he said, "but I love amanly figure, such as only straw stuffing can create.Page 187ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlI've not felt like myself since that hungry Hip-po atemy last straw."Polychrome and Woot set to work removing the hay andthen they selected the finest straw, crisp and golden,and with it stuffed the Scarecrow anew.He certainlylooked better after the operation, and he was sopleased at being reformed that he tried to dance alittle jig, and almost succeeded."I shall sleep under the straw-stack tonight," Wootdecided, after he had eaten some of the vegetables fromthe garden, and in fact he slept very well, with thetwo tin men and the Scarecrow sitting silently besidehim and Polychrome away somewhere in the moonlightdancing her fairy dances.At daybreak the Tin Woodman and the Tin Soldier tookoccasion to polish their bodies and oil their joints,for both were exceedingly careful of their personalappearance.They had forgotten the quarrel due to theiraccidental bumping of one another in the invisiblecountry, and being now good friends the Tin Woodmanpolished the Tin Soldier's back for him and then theTin Soldier polished the Tin Woodman's back.For breakfast the Wanderer ate crisp lettuce andradishes, and the Rainbow's Daughter, who had nowreturned to her friends, sipped the dewdrops that hadformed on the petals of the wild-flowers.Page 188ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAs they passed the little house to renew theirjourney, Woot called out:"Good-bye, Mr.and Mrs.Swyne!"The window opened and the two pigs looked out."A pleasant journey," said the Professor."Have you any children?" asked the Scarecrow, who wasa great friend of children."We have nine," answered the Professor; "but they donot live with us, for when they were tiny piglets theWizard of Oz came here and offered to care for them andto educate them.So we let him have our nine tinypiglets, for he's a good Wizard and can be relied uponto keep his promises.""I know the Nine Tiny Piglets," said the Tin Woodman."So do I," said the Scarecrow."They still live inthe Emerald City, and the Wizard takes good care ofthem and teaches them to do all sorts of tricks.""Did they ever grow up?" inquired Mrs.SquealinaSwyne, in an anxious voice."No," answered the Scarecrow; "like all otherPage 189ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlchildren in the Land of Oz, they will always remainchildren, and in the case of the tiny piglets that is agood thing, because they would not be nearly so cuteand cunning if they were bigger.""But are they happy?" asked Mrs.Swyne."Everyone in the Emerald City is happy," said the TinWoodman."They can't help it."Then the travelers said good-bye, and climbed theside of the basin that was toward Mount Munch.Chapter Twenty-OnePolychrome's MagicOn this morning, which ought to be the last of thisimportant journey, our friends started away as brightand cheery as could be, and Woot whistled a merry tuneso that Polychrome could dance to the music.On reaching the top of the hill, the plain spread outbefore them in all its beauty of blue grasses andwildflowers, and Mount Munch seemed much nearer than ithad the previous evening.They trudged on at a briskPage 190ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlpace, and by noon the mountain was so close that theycould admire its appearance.Its slopes were partlyclothed with pretty evergreens, and its foot-hills weretufted with a slender waving bluegrass that had atassel on the end of every blade.And, for the firsttime, they perceived, near the foot of the mountain, acharming house, not of great size but neatly paintedand with many flowers surrounding it and vines climbingover the doors and windows.It was toward this solitary house that our travelersnow directed their steps, thinking to inquire of thepeople who lived there where Nimmie Amee might befound.There were no paths, but the way was quite open andclear, and they were drawing near to the dwelling whenWoot the Wanderer, who was then in the lead of thelittle party, halted with such an abrupt jerk that hestumbled over backward and lay flat on his back in themeadow.The Scarecrow stopped to look at the boy."Why did you do that?" he asked in surprise.Woot sat up and gazed around him in amazement."I -- I don't know!" he replied.The two tin men, arm in arm, started to pass themwhen both halted and tumbled, with a great clatter,Page 191ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlinto a heap beside Woot.Polychrome, laughing at theabsurd sight, came dancing up and she, also, came to asudden stop, but managed to save herself from falling.Everyone of them was much astonished, and theScarecrow said with a puzzled look:"I don't see anything.""Nor I," said Woot; "but something hit me, just thesame
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