Chapter 16 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum

View our full collection of podcasts at our website: https://www.solgood.org/ or YouTube channel: www.solgood.org/subscribe

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Chapter sixteen, The Magic Art ofthe Great Humbug. Next morning, the
scarecrow said to his friends, congratulateme. I am going to Oz to
get my brains at last. WhenI return, I shall be as other
men are. I have always likedyou as you were, said Dorothy.
Simply. It is kind of youto like a scarecrow. He replied,

(00:24):
but surely you will think more ofme when you hear the splendid thoughts my
new brain is going to turn out. Then he said goodbye to them all
in a cheerful voice, and wentto the throne room, where he rapped
upon the door. Come in,said Oz. The Scarecrow went in and
found the little man sitting down bythe window, engaged in deep thought.

(00:45):
I have come for my brains,remarked the scarecrow, a little uneasily.
Oh yes, sit down in thatchair, please, replied Oz. You
must excuse me for taking your headoff, but I shall have to do
it in order to put your brainsin their proper place. That's all right,
said the scarecrow. You are quitewelcome to take my head off,
as long as it will be abetter one when you put it on again.

(01:08):
So the wizard unfastened his head andemptied out the straw. Then he
entered the back room and took upa measure of bran, which he mixed
with a great many pins and needles, Having shaken them together thoroughly, he
filled the top of the scarecrow's headwith the mixture, and stuffed the rest
of the space with straw to holdit in place. When he fastened the

(01:30):
scarecrow's head on his body again,he said to him hereafter you will be
a great man, for I havegiven you a lot of bran new brains.
The scarecrow was both pleased and proudat the fulfillment of his greatest wish,
and having thanked Oz warmly, hewent back to his friends. Dorothy
looked at him curiously. His headwas quite bulged out at the top with

(01:53):
brains. How do you feel,she asked, I feel wise, indeed,
he answered earnestly. When I getused to my brains, I shall
know everything. Why are those needlesand pins sticking out of your head,
asked the tin woodman. That isproof that he is sharp, remarked the
lion. Well, I must goto Oz and get my heart, said

(02:14):
the woodman. So he walked tothe throne room and knocked at the door.
Come in, called Oz, andthe woodman entered and said, I
have come from my heart. Verywell, answered the little man. But
I shall have to cut a holein your breast so I can put your
heart in the right place. Ihope it won't hurt you. Oh no,
answered the woodman, I shall notfeel it at all. So Oz

(02:38):
brought a pair of tin smith's shearsand cut a small square hole in the
left side of the tin woodman's breast. Then, going to a chest of
drawers, he took out a prettyheart, made entirely of silk and stuffed
with sawdust. Isn't it a beauty? He asked? It is, indeed,
replied the woodman, who was greatlypleased. But is it a kind

(03:00):
heart? Oh? Very answered Oz. He put the heart in the woodman's
breast, and then replaced the squareof tin, soldering it neatly together where
it had been cut there. Hesaid, now you have a heart that
any man might be proud of.I am sorry that I had to put
a patch on your breast, butit really couldn't be helped. Never mind

(03:21):
the patch, exclaimed the happy woodman. I am very grateful to you and
shall never forget your kindness. Don'tspeak of it, replied Oz. Then
the tin woodman went back to hisfriends, who wished him every joy on
account of his good fortune. Thelion now walked to the throne room and
knocked at the door. Come in, said Oz, I have come for

(03:43):
my courage, announced the lion,entering the room. Very well, answered
the little man, I will getit for you. He went to a
cupboard, and, reaching up toa high shelf, took down a square
green bottle, the contents of whichhe poured into a green gold dish,
beautifully carved, placing this before thecowardly lion, who sniffed at it as
if he did not like it.The wizard said, drink. What is

(04:06):
it? Asked the lion, well, answered Oz. If it were inside
of you, it would be courage. You know, of course, that
courage is always inside one, sothat this really cannot be called courage until
you have swallowed it. Therefore,I advise you to drink it as soon
as possible. The lion hesitated nolonger, but drank till the dish was

(04:30):
empty. How do you feel now, asked Oz, Full of courage,
replied the lion, who went joyfullyback to his friends to tell them of
his good fortune. Oz left tohimself, smiled to think of his success
in giving the scarecrow and the tinWoodman and the lion exactly what they thought
they wanted. How can I helpbeing a humbug, he said, when

(04:53):
all these people make me do thingsthat everybody knows can't be done. It
was easy to make the scarecrow andthe lion and the woodman happy because they
imagined I could do anything. Butit will take more than just imagination to
carry Dorothy back to Kansas, andI'm sure I don't know how it can
be done. End of Chapter sixteen