the Field Mice
quot;E CANNOt BE FAR from t; re- marked tood beside t;for we he river carried us away.”
tin oodman to reply come bounding over to yello, and t it must be cs ears o its s mouteets red eyes glo came nearer tin oodman sa running before t tle gray field mouse, and al- t to try to kill sucty, ure.
So t ran by a quick blo cut ts s body, and it rolled over at in two pieces.
t it s enemy, stopped s; and coming sloo t said, in a squeaky little voice:
quot;Ohank you ever so much for saving my life.”
quot;Dont speak of it, I beg of you,quot; replied t;I , you knoo o be only a mouse.”
quot;Only a mouse!quot; cried ttle animal, indignantly. quot;he Field Mice!”
quot;O; said the oodman, making a bow.
quot;t deed, as ; added the Queen.
At t moment several mice as ttle legs could carry they exclaimed:
quot;Oy, you ildcat?quot; and to ttle Queen t t stood upon their heads.
quot;tin man,quot; s;killed t and saved my life. So er you must all serve est wish.”
quot;e ; cried all tions, for toto and jumped rigo the group.
toto o c.
But tin oodman caugigo t;Come back! Come back! toto s you.”
At tuck from un- derneatimid voice, quot;Are you sure bite us?”
quot;I let ; said t;so do not be afraid.”
One by one toto did not bark again, altried to get out of tten kno mice spoke.
quot;Is t; it asked, quot;to repay you for saving the life of our Queen?”
quot;Not I kno; ans trying to t could not be- cause uffed ra;Ohe poppy bed.”
quot;A Lion!quot; cried ttle Queen. quot; us all up.”
quot;O; declared t;this Lion is a coward.”
quot;Really?quot; asked the Mouse.
quot;; ans;and anyone you all h kind- ness.”
quot;Very ; said t;rust you. But w shall we do?”
quot;Are to obey you?”
quot;O; she replied.
quot;to come eacring.”
turned to t attended old to go at once and get all ion as fast as possible.
quot;No; said to tin oodman, quot;you must go to trees by truck t he Lion.”
So t at once to trees and began to of trees, from toget of s pieces of a big tree trunk. So fast and so ime to arrive truck hem.
tions, and ttle mice and middle-sized mice; and eac a piece of string in time t Dorotly astoniso find anding around and looking at imidly. But told ev- eryturning to ttle Mouse, he said:
quot;Permit me to introduce to you y, the Queen.”
Dorotsy, after tle girl.
to fasten to truck, using trings t. One end of a string ied around to truck. Of course truck imes bigger to dra; but quite easily. Even tin oodman could sit on it, and ly by ttle o the Lion lay asleep.
After a great deal of o get ruck. to start, for sayed among too long they also would fall asleep.
At first ttle creatures, many tir truck; but t along bet- ter. Soon t of to t, fresead of t of the flowers.
Doroto meet ttle mice warmly for saving he big Lion she was glad he had been rescued.
truck and scam- pered ao t to leave.
quot;If ever you need us again,quot; s;come out into to your assis- tance. Good-bye!”
quot;Good-bye!quot; toto tig er en her.
After t doil Dorot from a tree near by, we for her dinner.
L. Frank Baum