Chapter VI
The Cowardly Lion
All this time Dorothy and her companions had been walking through the
thick woods. The road was still paved with yellow brick, but these were
much covered by dried branches and dead leaves from the trees, and the
walking was not at all good.
There were few birds in this part of the forest, for birds love the open
country where there is plenty of sunshine. But now and then there came a
deep growl from some wild animal hidden among the trees. These sounds
made the little girl’s heart beat fast, for she did not know what made them;
but Toto knew, and he walked close to Dorothy’s side, and did not even bark
in return.
“How long will it be,” the child asked of the Tin Woodman, “before we
are out of the forest?”
“I cannot tell,” was the answer, “for I have never been to the Emerald City.
But my father went there once, when I was a boy, and he said it was a long
journey through a dangerous country, although nearer to the city where Oz
dwells the country is beautiful. But I am not afraid so long as I have my oil-
can, and nothing can hurt the Scarecrow, while you bear upon your forehead
the mark of the Good Witch’s kiss, and that will protect you from harm.”
“But Toto!” said the girl anxiously. “What will protect him?”
“We must protect him ourselves if he is in danger,” replied the Tin
Woodman.
Just as he spoke there came from the forest a terrible roar, and the next
moment a great Lion bounded into the road. With one blow of his paw he sent
the Scarecrow spinning over and over to the edge of the road, and then he
struck at the Tin Woodman with his sharp claws. But, to the Lion’s surprise,
he could make no impression on the tin, although the Woodman fell over in
the road and lay still.
Little Toto, now that he had an enemy to face, ran barking toward the Lion,
and the great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog, when Dorothy,
fearing Toto would be killed, and heedless of danger, rushed forward and
slapped the Lion upon his nose as hard as she could, while she cried out:
“Don’t you dare to bite Toto! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, a big
beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!”
“I didn’t bite him,” said the Lion, as he rubbed his nose with his paw
where Dorothy had hit it.
“No, but you tried to,” she retorted. “You are nothing but a big coward.”
“I know it,” said the Lion, hanging his head in shame. “I’ve always known
it. But how can I help it?”
“I don’t know, I’m sure. To think of your striking a stuffed man, like the
poor Scarecrow!”
“Is he stuffed?” asked the Lion in surprise, as he watched her pick up the
Scarecrow and set him upon his feet, while she patted him into shape again.
“Of course he’s stuffed,” replied Dorothy, who was still angry.
“That’s why he went over so easily,” remarked the Lion. “It astonished me
to see him whirl around so. Is the other one stuffed also?”
“No,” said Dorothy, “he’s made of tin.” And she helped the Woodman up
again.
“That’s why he nearly blunted my claws,” said the Lion. “When they
scratched against the tin it made a cold shiver run down my back. What is
that little animal you are so tender of?”
“He is my dog, Toto,” answered Dorothy.
“Is he made of tin, or stuffed?” asked the Lion.
“Neither. He’s a—a—a meat dog,” said the girl.
“Oh! He’s a curious animal and seems remarkably small, now that I look at
him. No one would think of biting such a little thing, except a coward like
me,” continued the Lion sadly.
“What makes you a coward?” asked Dorothy, looking at the great beast in
wonder, for he was as big as a small horse.
“It’s a mystery,” replied the Lion. “I suppose I was born that way. All the
other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the Lion is
everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts. I learned that if I roared very
loudly every living thing was frightened and got out of my way. Whenever
I’ve met a man I’ve been awfully scared; but I just roared at him, and he has
always run away as fast as he could go. If the elephants and the tigers and the
bears had ever tried to fight me, I should have run myself—I’m such a
coward; but just as soon as they hear me roar they all try to get away from
me, and of course I let them go.”
“But that isn’t right. The King of Beasts shouldn’t be a coward,” said the
Scarecrow.
“I know it,” returned the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of
his tail. “It is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. But
whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast.”
“Perhaps you have heart disease,” said the Tin Woodman.
“It may be,” said the Lion.
“If you have,” continued the Tin Woodman, “you ought to be glad, for it
proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I cannot have heart
disease.”
“Perhaps,” said the Lion thoughtfully, “if I had no heart I should not be a
coward.”
“Have you brains?” asked the Scarecrow.
“I suppose so. I’ve never looked to see,” replied the Lion.
“I am going to the Great Oz to ask him to give me some,” remarked the
Scarecrow, “for my head is stuffed with straw.”
“And I am going to ask him to give me a heart,” said the Woodman.
“And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas,” added
Dorothy.
“Do you think Oz could give me courage?” asked the Cowardly Lion.
“Just as easily as he could give me brains,” said the Scarecrow.
“Or give me a heart,” said the Tin Woodman.
“Or send me back to Kansas,” said Dorothy.
“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go with you,” said the Lion, “for my life is
simply unbearable without a bit of courage.”
“You will be very welcome,” answered Dorothy, “for you will help to
keep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me they must be more cowardly
than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily.”
“They really are,” said the Lion, “but that doesn’t make me any braver, and
as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy.”
So once more the little company set off upon the journey, the Lion walking
with stately strides at Dorothy’s side. Toto did not approve of this new
comrade at first, for he could not forget how nearly he had been crushed
between the Lion’s great jaws. But after a time he became more at ease, and
presently Toto and the Cowardly Lion had grown to be good friends.
During the rest of that day there was no other adventure to mar the peace of
their journey. Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was
crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin
Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living
creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret.
These tears ran slowly down his face and over the hinges of his jaw, and
there they rusted. When Dorothy presently asked him a question the Tin
Woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together.
He became greatly frightened at this and made many motions to Dorothy to
relieve him, but she could not understand. The Lion was also puzzled to
know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow seized the oil-can from Dorothy’s
basket and oiled the Woodman’s jaws, so that after a few moments he could
talk as well as before.
“This will serve me a lesson,” said he, “to look where I step. For if I
should kill another bug or beetle I should surely cry again, and crying rusts
my jaws so that I cannot speak.”
Thereafter he walked very carefully, with his eyes on the road, and when
he saw a tiny ant toiling by he would step over it, so as not to harm it. The
Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great
care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.
“You people with hearts,” he said, “have something to guide you, and need
never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful. When Oz
gives me a heart of course I needn’t mind so much.”
