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that the path down the mountainside led into the
open Munchkin Country； where large numbers of
people dwelt。 Scraps was quite new and not
supposed to know anything of the Land of Oz； while
the Glass Cat admitted she had never wandered very
far away from the Magician's house。 There was only
one path before them； at the beginning； so they
could not miss their way； and for a time they
walked through the thick forest in silent thought；
each one impressed with the importance of the
adventure they had undertaken。
Suddenly the Patchwork Girl laughed。 It was
funny to see her laugh； because her cheeks
wrinkled up； her nose tipped； her silver button
eyes twinkled and her mouth curled at the
corners in a comical way。
〃Has something pleased you？〃 asked Ojo； who was
feeling solemn and joyless through thinking upon
his uncle's sad fate。
〃Yes；〃 she answered。 〃Your world pleases me； for
it's a queer world； and life in it is queerer
still。 Here am I； made from an old bedquilt and
intended to be a slave to Margolotte； rendered
free as air by an accident that none of you could
foresee。 I am enjoying life and seeing the world；
while the woman who made me is standing helpless
as a block of wood。 If that isn't funny enough to
laugh at； I don't know what is。〃
〃You're not seeing much of the world yet；
my poor； innocent Scraps；〃 remarked the Cat。
〃The world doesn't consist wholly of the trees
that are on all sides of us。〃
〃But they're part of it； and aren't they pretty
trees？〃 returned Scraps； bobbing her head until
her brown yarn curls fluttered in the breeze。
〃Growing between them I can see lovely ferns
and wild…flowers； and soft green mosses。 If the
rest of your world is half as beautiful I shall be
glad I'm alive。〃
〃I don't know what the rest of the world is
like； I'm sure；〃 said the cat； 〃but I mean to
find out。〃
〃I have never been out of the forest；〃 Ojo
added； 〃but to me the trees are gloomy and sad
and the wild…flowers seem lonesome。 It must be
nicer where there are no trees and there is room
for lots of people to live together。〃
〃I wonder if any of the people we shall meet
will be as splendid as I am；〃 said the Patchwork
Girl。 〃All I have seen； so far； have pale；
colorless skins and clothes as blue as the country
they live in； while I am of many gorgeous colors
face and body and clothes。 That is why I am bright
and contented； Ojo； while you are blue and sad。〃
〃I think I made a mistake in giving you so many
sorts of brains；〃 observed the boy。 〃Perhaps； as
the Magician said； you have an over…dose； and they
may not agree with you。〃
〃What had you to do with my brains？〃 asked
Scraps。
〃A lot；〃 replied Ojo。 〃Old Margolotte meant
to give you only a fewjust enough to keep
you goingbut when she wasn't looking I added
a good many more； of the best kinds I could
find in the Magician's cupboard。〃
〃Thanks；〃 said the girl； dancing along the
path ahead of Ojo and then dancing back to his
side。 〃If a few brains are good； many brains
must be better。〃
〃But they ought to be evenly balanced；〃 said the
boy； 〃and I had no time to be careful。 From the
way you're acting； I guess the dose was badly
mixed。〃
〃Scraps hasn't enough brains to hurt her； so
don't worry；〃 remarked the cat； which was trotting
along in a very dainty and graceful manner。 〃The
only brains worth considering are mine； which are
pink。 You can see 'em work。〃
After walking a long time they came to a little
brook that trickled across the path； and here Ojo
sat down to rest and eat something from his
basket。 He found that the Magician had given him
part of a loaf of bread and a slice of cheese。 He
broke off some of the bread and was surprised to
find the loaf just as large as it was before。 It
was the same way with the cheese： however much he
broke off from the slice； it remained exactly the
same size。
〃Ah；〃 said he； nodding wisely； 〃that's magic。
Dr。 Pipt has enchanted the bread and the cheese；
so it will last me all through my journey； however
much I eat。〃
〃Why do you put those things into your mouth？〃
asked Scraps； gazing at him in astonishment。 〃Do
you need more stuffing？ Then why don't you use
cotton； such as I am stuffed with？〃
〃I don't need that kind；〃 said Ojo。
〃But a mouth is to talk with； isn't it？〃
〃It is also to eat with；〃 replied the boy。 〃If I
didn't put food into my mouth； and eat it； I would
get hungry and starve。
〃Ah； I didn't know that；〃 she said。 〃Give me
some。〃
Ojo handed her a bit of the bread and she put it
in her mouth。
〃What next？〃 she asked； scarcely able to speak。
〃Chew it and swallow it；〃 said the boy。
Scraps tried that。 Her pearl teeth were unable
to chew the bread and beyond her mouth there was
no opening。 Being unable to swallow she threw away
the bread and laughed。
〃I must get hungry and starve； for I can't eat；〃
she said。
〃Neither can I；〃 announced the cat； 〃but I'm
not fool enough to try。 Can't you understand
that you and I are superior people and not made
like these poor humans？〃
〃Why should I understand that； or anything
else？〃 asked the girl。 〃Don't bother my head by
asking conundrums； I beg of you。 Just let me
discover myself in my own way。〃
With this she began amusing herself by leaping
across the brook and hack again。
〃Be careful； or you'll fall in the water；〃
warned Ojo。
〃Never mind。〃
〃You'd better。 If you get wet you'll be soggy
and can't walk。 Your colors might run； too；〃
he said。
〃Don't my colors run whenever I run？〃 she asked。
〃Not in the way I mean。 If they get wet； the
reds and greens and yellows and purples of your
patches might run into each other and become
just a blurno color at all； you know。〃
〃Then；〃 said the Patchwork Girl； 〃I'll be
careful； for if I spoiled my splendid colors I
would cease to be beautiful。〃
〃Pah！〃 sneered the Glass Cat； 〃such colors are
not beautiful； they're ugly； and in bad taste。
Please notice that my body has no color at all。
I'm transparent； except for my exquisite red heart
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 w