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the Shaggy Man。
〃I can't imagine；〃 said Ojo。
〃Then we must ask the Scarecrow。〃
〃The Scarecrow！ But surely； sir； a scarecrow
can't know anything。〃
〃Most scarecrows don't； I admit；〃 answered
the Shaggy Man。 〃But this Scarecrow of whom
I speak is very intelligent。 He claims to possess
the best brains in all Oz。〃
〃Better than mine？〃 asked Scraps。
〃Better than mine？〃 echoed the Glass Cat。
〃Mine are pink； and you can see 'em work。〃
〃Well； you can't see the Scarecrow's brains
work； but they do a lot of clever thinking；〃
asserted the Shaggy Man。 〃If anyone knows where a
dark well is； it's my friend the Scarecrow。〃
〃Where does he live？〃 inquired Ojo。
〃He has a splendid castle in the Winkle
Country； near to the palace of his friend the
Tin Woodman； and he is often to be found in
the Emerald City； where he visits Dorothy at
the royal palace。〃
〃Then we will ask him about the dark well；〃
said Ojo。
〃But what else does this Crooked Magician
want？〃 asked the Shaggy Man。
〃A drop of oil from a live man's body。〃
〃Oh； but there isn't such a thing。〃
〃That is what I thought；〃 replied Ojo； 〃but
the Crooked Magician said it wouldn't be called
for by the recipe if it couldn't be found； and
therefore I must search until I find it。〃
〃I wish you good luck；〃 said the Shaggy Man；
shaking his head doubtfully； 〃but I imagine
you'll have a hard job getting a drop of oil from
a live man's body。 There's blood in a body； but
no oil。〃
〃There's cotton in mine；〃 said Scraps； dancing
a little jig。
〃I don't doubt it；〃 returned the Shaggy Man
admiringly。 〃You're a regular comforter and as
sweet as patchwork can be。 All you lack is
dignity。〃
〃I hate dignity；〃 cried Scraps； kicking a pebble
high in the air and then trying to catch it as it
fell。 〃Half the fools and all the wise folks are
dignified； and I'm neither the one nor the other。〃
〃She's just crazy；〃 explained the Glass Cat。
The Shaggy Man laughed。
〃She's delightful； in her way；〃 he said。 〃I'm
sure Dorothy will be pleased with her； and the
Scarecrow will dote on her。 Did you say you
were traveling toward the Emerald City？〃
〃Yes；〃 replied Ojo。 〃I thought that the best
place to go； at first； because the six…leaved clover
may be found there。〃
〃I'll go with you；〃 said the Shaggy Man； 〃and
show you the way。〃
〃Thank you；〃 exclaimed Ojo。 〃I hope it won't
put you out any。〃
〃No；〃 said the other； 〃I wasn't going anywhere
in particular。 I've been a rover all my life； and
although Ozma has given me a suite of beautiful
rooms in her palace I still get the wandering
fever once in a while and start out to roam the
country over。 I've been away from the Emerald City
several weeks； this time； and now that I've met
you and your friends I'm sure it will interest me
to accompany you to the great city of Oz and
introduce you to my friends。〃
〃That will be very nice；〃 said the boy；
gratefully。
〃I hope your friends are not dignified；〃
observed Scraps。
〃Some are； and some are not；〃 he answered；
〃but I never criticise my friends。 If they are
really true friends； they may be anything they
like； for all of me。〃
〃There's some sense in that；〃 said Scraps；
nodding her queer head in approval。 〃Come on； and
let's get to the Emerald City as soon as
possible。〃 With this she ran up the path； skipping
and dancing； and then turned to await them。
〃It is quite a distance from here to the Emerald
City；〃 remarked the Shaggy Man； 〃so we shall not
get there to…day； nor to…morrow。 Therefore let us
take the jaunt in an easy manner。 I'm an old
traveler and have found that I never gain anything
by being in a hurry。 'Take it easy' is my motto。
If you can't take it easy； take it as easy as you
can。〃
After walking some distance over the road of
yellow bricks Ojo said he was hungry and would
stop to eat some bread and cheese。 He offered a
portion of the food to the Shaggy Man； who thanked
him but refused it。
〃When I start out on my travels；〃 said he；
〃I carry along enough square meals to last me
several weeks。 Think I'll indulge in one now；
as long as we're stopping anyway。〃
Saying this； he took a bottle from his pocket
and shook from it a tablet about the size of one
of Ojo's finger…nails。
〃That；〃 announced the Shaggy Man； 〃is a square
meal； in condensed form。 Invention of the great
Professor Woggle…Bug； of the Royal College of
Athletics。 It contains soup； fish； roast meat；
salad； apple…dumplings； ice cream and chocolate…
drops； all boiled down to this small size； so it
can be conveniently carried and swallowed when you
are hungry and need a square meal。〃
〃I'm square；〃 said the Woozy。 〃Give me one；
please。〃
So the Shaggy Man gave the Woozy a tablet from
his bottle and the beast ate it in a twinkling。
〃You have now had a six course dinner；〃
declared the Shaggy Man。
〃Pshaw！〃 said the Woozy； ungratefully； 〃I
want to taste something。 There's no fun in that
sort of eating。〃
〃One should only eat to sustain life；〃 replied
the Shaggy Man； 〃and that tablet is equal to a
peck of other food。〃
〃I don't care for it。 I want something I can
chew and taste；〃 grumbled the Woozy。
〃You are quite wrong； my poor beast；〃 said
the Shaggy Man in a tone of pity。 〃Think how
tired your jaws would get chewing a square
meal like this； if it were not condensed to the
size of a small tabletwhich you can swallow
in a jiffy。〃
〃Chewing isn't tiresome； it's fun； maintained
the Woozy。 〃I always chew the honey…bees when I
catch them。 Give me some bread and cheese； Ojo。〃
〃No； no！ You've already eaten a big dinner！〃
protested the Shaggy Man。
〃May be；〃 answered the Woozy； 〃but I guess
I'll fool myself by munching some bread and
cheese。 I may not be hungry； having eaten all
those things you gave me； but I consider this
eating business a matter of taste； and I like to
realize what's going into me。〃
Ojo gave the beast what he wanted； but the
Shaggy Man shook his shaggy head reproachfully and
said there was no animal so obstinate or hard to
convince as a Woozy。
At this moment a patter of footsteps was heard；
and looking up they saw the live phonograph
standing before them。 It seemed to have passed
through many adventures since Ojo and his comrades
last saw the machine； for the varnish of its
wooden case was all marred and dented and
scratched in a way that gave it an aged and
disreputable appearance。
〃Dear me！〃 exclaimed Ojo； staring hard。
〃What has happened to you？〃
〃Nothing much；〃 replied the phonograph in
a sad and depressed voice。 〃I've had enough
things thrown at me； since I left you； to stock
a department store and furnish half a dozen
bargain…counters。〃
〃Are you so broken up that you can't play？〃
asked Scraps。
〃No； I still am able to grind out delicious
music。 Just now I've a record on tap that is
really superb；〃 said the phonograph； growing more
cheerful。
〃That is too bad；〃 remarked Ojo。 〃We've no
objection to you as a machine； you know； but
as a music…maker we hate you。〃
〃Then why was I ever invented？〃 demanded
the machine； in a tone of indignant protest。
They looked at one another inquiringly； but
no one could answer such a puzzling question。
Finally the Shaggy Man said：
〃I'd like to hear the phonograph play。〃
Ojo sighed。 〃We've been very happy since we
met you； sir；〃 he said。
〃I know。 But a little misery； at times； makes
one appreciate happiness more。 Tell me； Phony；
what is this record like； which you say you have
on tap？〃
〃It's a popular song； sir。 In all civilized lands
the common people have gone wild over it。〃
〃Makes civilized folks wild folks； eh？ Then
it's dangerous。〃
〃Wild with joy； I mean；〃 explained the
phonograph。 〃Listen。 This song will prove