Chapter-9
The next morning, the Scarecrow went to see Oz and get his brains. He went to the Throne Room and knocked at the door.
“Come in,” said Oz.
The Scarecrow went in and found the little man sitting by the window.
“I have come for my brains,” said the Scarecrow.
“I have not forgotten,” said Oz, “But I must take your head off in order to put your brains in their proper place.”
“That’s all right,” said the Scarecrow, “You are quite welcome to take my head off, as long as it will be a better one when you put it on again.”
So the Wizard unfastened the Scarecrow’s head and emptied out the straw. Then he went to the back room and mixed a cup of cereal with many pins and needles. He shook the mixture again and again. Then he filled the top of the Scarecrow’s head with the mixture and stuffed the rest of the space with straw to hold it all in place.
When he fastened the Scarecrow’s head back on his body again, Oz said, “From now on, you will be a great man, for you have brains.”
The Scarecrow was pleased and proud, and he thanked the Wizard again and again.
When Dorothy saw the Scarecrow with all the needles and pins sticking out of his head, she was very surprised.
“How do you feel?” she asked him.
“I feel very wise,” answered the Scarecrow, “When I get used to my brains I will know everything.”
“Well, I must go to Oz and get my heart,” said the Tinman. So, he walked to the Throne Room and knocked at the door.
Oz welcomed the Tinman and said he was ready to give him a wonderful heart. He cut a small hole in the left side of the Tinman’s chest. Then he went into the back room and brought out a pretty heart made entirely of silk and stuffed with sawdust.
“Isn’t it a beauty?” Oz asked.
“It is indeed!” answered the Tinman, “But is it a kind heart?”
“Oh very!” answered Oz. He put the heart in the Tinman’s chest and then replaced the square of tin he had removed.
“There,” he said, “Now you have a heart that any man would be proud of.”
The Tinman thanked Oz and went back to his friends. Everyone wished him joy and good luck with his new heart.
Next, it was the lion’s turn to get his courage. He walked to the Throne Room and knocked at the door.
“Come in,” said Oz.
“I have come for my courage,” announced the lion as he entered the room.
“Very well,” said Oz, “I will get it for you.” He went to a cupboard and took down a square green bottle. He poured the contents into a green dish. He placed this in front of the lion, who sniffed at it as if he didn’t like it.
Then the Wizard said, “Drink.”
“What is it?” asked the lion.
“Well,” answered Oz, “if it were inside of you it would be courage. You know that courage is always inside. So this cannot really be called courage until you have swallowed it. I think you should drink it as soon as possible.”
The lion did not hesitate and drank until the dish was empty.
“How do you feel now?” asked Oz.
“Full of courage,” answered the lion. Then he went back to tell his friends of his good fortune.
Oz smiled to think of his success in giving the Scarecrow and the Tinman and the lion exactly what they thought they needed. It was easy to make them happy, because they imagined that he could do anything. But Oz knew that it would be much more difficult to take Dorothy back to Kansas, and he was very worried because he was not at all sure how it could be done.
