The Scarecrow
It is a sunny day in the Land of the Munchkins. Dorothy and Toto walk along the yellow brick road all day.
When Dorothy is tired, she sits down by the road near a Scarecrow.
Suddenly, the Scarecrow smiles at her. She is very surprised.
"Can a Scarecrow smile?" she thinks. Then the Scarecrow says, "Hello!"
"Oh!" says Dorothy, "You can speak!"
"Of course I can speak," says the Scarecrow, "But I can't move. Can you help me?"
Dorothy helps the Scarecrow to move from his post.
"Thank you very much," he says, moving his arms and legs. There's straw everywhere.
"Who are you?" he asks, "And where are you going?"
"My name is Dorothy. I'm going to the Emerald City. I must find the Wizard of Oz. He can help me go back home to Kansas."
"Where is the Emerald City?" he asks, "And who is the Wizard of Oz?"
"Don't you know?" asks Dorothy.
"No, I don't know anything," he says, "I don't have a brain in my head: I only have straw."
"I'm very sorry,'' says Dorothy.
"I want a brain," says the Scarecrow, "Can the Wizard of Oz give me a brain?"
"I don't know," says Dorothy, "But you can come with me and ask him."
"Thank you!" says the Scarecrow.
Toto looks at the Scarecrow and starts barking.
"Don't be afraid of Toto. He's a good dog," says Dorothy.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of anything! Well, I am afraid of fire," says the Scarecrow,
"Let me carry your basket. I never get tired."
Dorothy, Toto and the Scarecrow walk along the yellow brick road. Soon Dorothy is hungry, so she and Toto eat some bread from the basket.
"Do you want some bread, Scarecrow?" asks Dorothy.
"No, thank you," he says, "I'm never hungry. Please tell me about your home."
"Kansas is a dry, gray place. There are no trees and no flowers. There are cyclones every year. I live in a little house with my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry."
"Why do you want to go back to gray Kansas?" asks the Scarecrow, "This country is very beautiful. There are a lot of trees and flowers. I don't understand."
"You don't understand because you don't have a brain,'' says Dorothy, "Kansas is my home and I love my home. My aunt and uncle live there.''
The Scarecrow looks at her and smiles. Dorothy and Toto finish their bread.
"Well, let's go!'' says Dorothy, "The Emerald City is far away."
In the evening Dorothy is tired. They see a little house behind some trees. No one is in the house so they go in. Dorothy and Toto sleep, but the Scarecrow doesn't.
He laughs and says, "Scarecrows don't sleep."
By L. Frank Baum