The Rescue

           Youwillremembertherewasnoroad—notevenapathway—betweenthecastleoftheWickedWitchandtheEmeraldCity. WhenthefourtravelerswentinsearchoftheWitchshehadseenthemcoming,andsosenttheWingedMonkeystobringthemtoher. Itwasmuchhardertofindtheirwaybackthroughthebigfieldsofbuttercupsandyellowdaisiesthanitwasbeingcarried. Theyknew,ofcourse,theymustgostraighteast,towardtherisingsun;andtheystartedoffintherightway. Butatnoon,whenthesunwasovertheirheads,theydidnotknowwhichwaseastandwhichwaswest,andthatwasthereasontheywerelostinthegreatfields. Theykeptonwalking,however,andatnightthemooncameoutandshonebrightly. Sotheylaydownamongthesweetsmellingyellowflowersandsleptsoundlyuntilmorning—allbuttheScarecrowandtheTinWoodman. 

           Thenextmorningthesunwasbehindacloud,buttheystartedon,asiftheywerequitesurewhichwaytheyweregoing. 

           "Ifwewalkfarenough,"saidDorothy,"Iamsureweshallsometimecometosomeplace." 

           Butdaybydaypassedaway,andtheystillsawnothingbeforethembutthescarletfields. TheScarecrowbegantogrumbleabit. 

           "Wehavesurelylostourway,"hesaid, "andunlesswefinditagainintimetoreachtheEmeraldCity,Ishallnevergetmybrains." 

           "NorImyheart,"declaredtheTinWoodman. "ItseemstomeIcanscarcelywaittillIgettoOz,andyoumustadmitthisisaverylongjourney." 

           "Yousee,"saidtheCowardlyLion,withawhimper,"Ihaven’tthecouragetokeeptrampingforever,withoutgettinganywhereatall."