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Baum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank), 1856-1919

"The Scarecrow of Oz"


To-day, as he wandered here and there, over hill and
down dale, he missed Trot and Cap'n Bill, of whom he was
fond, but nevertheless he was not unhappy. The birds sang
merrily and the wildflowers were beautiful and the breeze
had a fragrance of new-mown hay
"The only bad thing about this country is its King," he
reflected; "but the country isn't to blame for that."
A prairie-dog stuck its round head out of a mound of
earth and looked at the boy with bright eyes.
"Walk around my house, please," it said, "and then you
won't harm it or disturb the babies."
"All right," answered Button-Bright, and took care not
to step on the mound. He went on, whistling merrily,
until a petulant voice cried:
"Oh, stop it! Please stop that noise. It gets on my
nerves."
Button-Bright saw an old gray owl sitting in the crotch
of a tree, and he replied with a laugh: "All right, old
Fussy," and stopped whistling until he had passed out of
the owl's hearing. At noon he came to a farmhouse where
an aged couple lived. They gave him a good dinner and
treated him kindly, but the man was deaf and the woman
was dumb, so they could answer no questions to guide him
on the way to Pon's house.


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