Chapter XV. The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible · page 21 2101“I was born in Omaha—”102“Why, that isn’t very far from Kansas!” cried Dorothy.103“No, but it’s farther from here,” he said, shaking his head at her sadly.checked by a teacher104“When I grew up I became a ventriloquist, and at that I was very well trained by a great master.105I can imitate any kind of a bird or beast.”106Here he mewed so like a kitten that Toto pricked up his ears and looked everywhere to see where she was.107“After a time,” continued Oz, “I tired of that, and became a balloonist.”108“What is that?” asked Dorothy.109“A man who goes up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd of people together and get them to pay to see the circus,” he explained.110“Oh,” she said, “I know.”111“Well, one day I went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, so that I couldn’t come down again.112It went way up above the clouds, so far that a current of air struck it and carried it many, many miles away.113For a day and a night I traveled through the air, and on the morning of the second day I awoke and found the balloon floating over a strange and beautiful country.114“It came down gradually, and I was not hurt a bit.115But I found myself in the midst of a strange people, who, seeing me come from the clouds, thought I was a great Wizard.116Of course I let them think so, because they were afraid of me, and promised to do anything I wished them to.117“Just to amuse myself, and keep the good people busy, I ordered them to build this City, and my Palace; and they did it all willingly and well.118Then I thought, as the country was so green and beautiful, I would call it the Emerald City; and to make the name fit better I put green spectacles on all the people, so that everything they saw was green.”119“But isn’t everything here green?” asked Dorothy.120“No more than in any other city,” replied Oz; “but when you wear green spectacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you.121The Emerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young man when the balloon brought me here, and I am a very old man now.122But my people have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an Emerald City, and it certainly is a beautiful place, abounding in jewels and precious metals, and every good thing that is needed to make one happy.123I have been good to the people, and they like me; but ever since this Palace was built, I have shut myself up and would not see any of them.124“One of my greatest fears was the Witches, for while I had no magical powers at all I soon found out that the Witches were really able to do wonderful things.125There were four of them in this country, and they ruled the people who live in the North and South and East and West.126Fortunately, the Witches of the North and South were good, and I knew they would do me no harm; but the Witches of the East and West were terribly wicked, and had they not thought I was more powerful than they themselves, they would surely have destroyed me.127As it was, I lived in deadly fear of them for many years; so you can imagine how pleased I was when I heard your house had fallen on the Wicked Witch of the East.128When you came to me, I was willing to promise anything if you would only do away with the other Witch; but, now that you have melted her, I am ashamed to say that I cannot keep my promises.”129“I think you are a very bad man,” said Dorothy.130“Oh, no, my dear; I’m really a very good man, but I’m a very bad Wizard, I must admit.”131“Can’t you give me brains?” asked the Scarecrow.132“You don’t need them.133You are learning something every day.134A baby has brains, but it doesn’t know much.135Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get.”136“That may all be true,” said the Scarecrow, “but I shall be very unhappy unless you give me brains.”137The false Wizard looked at him carefully.138“Well,” he said with a sigh, “I’m not much of a magician, as I said; but if you will come to me tomorrow morning, I will stuff your head with brains.139I cannot tell you how to use them, however; you must find that out for yourself.”140“Oh, thank you—thank you!” cried the Scarecrow.141“I’ll find a way to use them, never fear!”142“But how about my courage?” asked the Lion anxiously.143“You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself.144There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger.145The True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”146“Perhaps I have, but I’m scared just the same,” said the Lion.147“I shall really be very unhappy unless you give me the sort of courage that makes one forget he is afraid.”148“Very well, I will give you that sort of courage tomorrow,” replied Oz.149“How about my heart?” asked the Tin Woodman.150“Why, as for that,” answered Oz, “I think you are wrong to want a heart.151It makes most people unhappy.152If you only knew it, you are in luck not to have a heart.”153“That must be a matter of opinion,” said the Tin Woodman.154“For my part, I will bear all the unhappiness without a murmur, if you will give me the heart.”155“Very well,” answered Oz meekly.156“Come to me tomorrow and you shall have a heart.157I have played Wizard for so many years that I may as well continue the part a little longer.”158“And now,” said Dorothy, “how am I to get back to Kansas?”159“We shall have to think about that,” replied the little man.160“Give me two or three days to consider the matter and I’ll try to find a way to carry you over the desert.161In the meantime you shall all be treated as my guests, and while you live in the Palace my people will wait upon you and obey your slightest wish.162There is only one thing I ask in return for my help—such as it is.163You must keep my secret and tell no one I am a humbug.”164They agreed to say nothing of what they had learned, and went back to their rooms in high spirits.165Even Dorothy had hope that “The Great and Terrible Humbug,” as she called him, would find a way to send her back to Kansas, and if he did she was willing to forgive him everything.1 2← previousChapter XIV. The Winged Monkeysnext →Chapter XVI. The Magic Art of the Great Humbug↑ back to The Wonderful Wizard of OzThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg55/17/page/2/