blew upon a silver whistle that hung around her neck.
At once there came running to her from all directions a pack of great
wolves. They had long legs and fierce eyes and sharp teeth.
Go to those people, said the Witch, and tear them to pieces.
Are you not going to make them your slaves? asked the leader of the
wolves.
No, she answered, one is of tin, and one of straw; one is a girl and
another a Lion. None of them is fit to work, so you may tear them into
small pieces.
Very well, said the wolf, and he dashed away at full speed, followed
by the others.
It was lucky the Scarecrow and the Woodman were wide awake and heard
the wolves coming.
This is my fight, said the Woodman, so get behind me and I will meet
them as they come.
He seized his axe, which he had made very sharp, and as the leader of
the wolves came on the Tin Woodman swung his arm and chopped the wolf s
head from its body, so that it immediately died. As soon as he could
raise his axe another wolf came up, and he also fell under the sharp
edge of the Tin Woodman s weapon. There were forty wolves, and forty
times a wolf was killed, so that at last they all lay dead in a heap
before the Woodman.
Then he put down his axe and sat beside the Scarecrow, who said, It
was a good fight, friend.
They waited until Dorothy awoke the next morning. The little girl was
quite frightened when she saw the great pile of shaggy wolves, but the
Tin Woodman told her all. She thanked him for saving them and sat down
to breakfast, after which they started again upon their journey.
Now this same morning the Wicked Witch came to the door of her castle
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