The Tin Woodman was one of the most importantpersonages in all Oz. Though Emperor of theWinkies, he owed allegiance to Ozma, who ruled allthe land, and the girl and the tin man were warmpersonal friends. He was something of a dandy andkept his tin body brilliantly polished and his tinjoints well oiled. Also he was very courteous inmanner and so kind and gentle that everyone lovedhim. The Emperor greeted Ojo and Scraps withcordial hospitality and ushered the entire partyinto his handsome tin parlor, where all thefurniture and pictures were made of tin. The wallswere paneled with tin and from the tin ceilinghung tin chandeliers.

The Tin Woodman wanted to know, first ofall, where Dorothy had found the PatchworkGirl, so between them the visitors told the storyof how Scraps was made, as well as the accidentto Margolotte and Unc Nunkie and how Ojohad set out upon a journey to procure the thingsneeded for the Crooked Magician's magiccharm. Then Dorothy told of their adventuresin the Quadling Country and how at last theysucceeded in getting the water from a dark well.

While the little girl was relating theseadventures the Tin Woodman sat in an easy chairlistening with intense interest, while the otherssat grouped around him. Ojo, however, had kept hiseyes fixed upon the body of the tin Emperor, andnow he noticed that under the joint of his leftknee a tiny drop of oil was forming. He watchedthis drop of oil with a fast-beating heart, andfeeling in his pocket brought out a tiny vial ofcrystal, which he held secreted in his hand.

Presently the Tin Woodman changed hisposition, and at once Ojo, to the astonishmentof all, dropped to the floor and held his crystalvial under the Emperor's knee joint. Just thenthe drop of oil fell, and they boy caught it inhis bottle and immediately corked it tight. Then,with a red face and embarrassed manner, he roseto confront the others.

"What in the world were you doing?" askedthe Tin Woodman.

"I caught a drop of oil that fell from yourknee-joint," confessed Ojo.

"A drop of oil!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman."Dear me, how careless my valet must havebeen in oiling me this morning. I'm afraid Ishall have to scold the fellow, for I can't bedropping oil wherever I go."

"Never mind," said Dorothy. Ojo seems gladto have the oil, for some reason."

"Yes," declared the Munchkin boy, "I amglad. For one of the things the Crooked Magiciansent me to get was a drop of oil from a live man'sbody. I had no idea, at first, that there was sucha thing; but it's now safe in the little crystalvial."

"You are very welcome to it, indeed," saidthe Tin Woodman. "Have you now secured allthe things you were in search of?"

"Not quite all," answered Ojo. "There were fivethings I had to get, and I have found four ofthem. I have the three hairs in the tip of aWoozy's tail, a six-leaved clover, a gill of waterfrom a dark well and a drop of oil from a liveman's body. The last thing is the easiest of allto get, and I'm sure that my dear Unc Nunkie--andgood Margolotte, as well--will soon be restored tolife."

The Munchkin boy said this with much pride andpleasure.

"Good!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman; "Icongratulate you. But what is the fifth and lastthing you need, in order to complete the magiccharm?"

"The left wing of a yellow butterfly," saidOjo. "In this yellow country, and with yourkind assistance, that ought to be very easy tofind."

The Tin Woodman stared at him in amazement.

"Surely you are joking!" he said.

"No," replied Ojo, much surprised; "I am inearnest."

"But do you think for a moment that I wouldpermit you, or anyone else, to pull the left wingfrom a yellow butterfly?" demanded the Tin Woodmansternly.

"Why not, sir?"

"Why not? You ask me why not? It would becruel--one of the most cruel and heartless deedsI ever heard of," asserted the Tin Woodman."The butterflies are among the prettiest of allcreated things, and they are very sensitive topain. To tear a wing from one would cause itexquisite torture and it would soon die in greatagony. I would not permit such a wicked deedunder any circumstances!"

Ojo was astounded at hearing this. Dorothy, too,looked grave and disconcerted, but she knew in herheart that the Tin Woodman was right. TheScarecrow nodded his head in approval of hisfriend's speech, so it was evident that he agreedwith the Emperor's decision. Scraps looked fromone to another in perplexity.

"Who cares for a butterfly?" she asked.

"Don't you?" inquired the Tin Woodman.

"Not the snap of a finger, for I have no heart,"said the Patchwork Girl. "But I want to helpOjo, who is my friend, to rescue the uncle whomhe loves, and I'd kill a dozen useless butterfliesto enable him to do that."

The Tin Woodman sighed regretfully.

"You have kind instincts," he said, "and with aheart you would indeed be a fine creature. Icannot blame you for your heartless remark, as youcannot understand the feelings of those whopossess hearts. I, for instance, have a very neatand responsive heart which the wonderful Wizardof Oz once gave me, and so I shall never--never--never permit a poor yellow butterfly to betortured by anyone."

"The yellow country of the Winkies," said Ojosadly, "is the only place in Oz where a yellowbutterfly can be found."

"I'm glad of that," said the Tin Woodman."As I rule the Winkie Country, I can protectmy butterflies."

Unless I get the wing--just one left wing--"said Ojo miserably, "I can't save Unc Nunkie."

"Then he must remain a marble statue forever,"declared the Tin Emperor, firmly.

Ojo wiped his eyes, for he could not hold backthe tears.

"I'll tell you what to do," said Scraps. "We'lltake a whole yellow butterfly, alive and well, tothe Crooked Magician, and let him pull the leftwing off."

"No, you won't," said the Tin Woodman."You can't have one of my dear little butterfliesto treat in that way.

"Then what in the world shall we do?" askedDorothy.

They all became silent and thoughtful. Noone spoke for a long time. Then the Tin Woodmansuddenly roused himself and said:

"We must all go back to the Emerald Cityand ask Ozma's advice. She's a wise little girl,our Ruler, and she may find a way to help Ojosave his Unc Nunkie."

So the following morning the party startedon the journey to the Emerald City, which theyreached in due time without any importantadventure. It was a sad journey for Ojo, forwithout the wing of the yellow butterfly he sawno way to save Unc Nunkie--unless he waitedsix years for the Crooked Magician to make anew lot of the Powder of Life. The boy wasutterly discouraged, and as he walked along hegroaned aloud.

"Is anything hurting you?" inquired the TinWoodman in a kindly tone, for the Emperorwas with the party.

"I'm Ojo the Unlucky," replied the boy. "Imight have known I would fail in anythingI tried to do."

"Why are you Ojo the Unlucky?" asked the tinman.

"Because I was born on a Friday."

"Friday is not unlucky," declared the Emperor."It's just one of seven days. Do you suppose allthe world becomes unlucky one-seventh of thetime?"

"It was the thirteenth day of the month," saidOjo.

"Thirteen! Ah, that is indeed a lucky number,"replied the Tin Woodman. "All my good luck seemsto happen on the thirteenth. I suppose mostpeople never notice the good luck that comes tothem with the number 13, and yet if the least bitof bad luck falls on that day, they blame it tothe number, and not to the proper cause."

"Thirteen's my lucky number, too," remarked theScarecrow

"And mine," said Scraps. "I've just thirteenpatches on my head."

"But," continued Ojo, "I'm left-handed."

"Many of our greatest men are that way,"asserted the Emperor. "To be left-handed isusually to be two-handed; the right-handed peopleare usually one-handed."

"And I've a wart under my right arm," said Ojo.

"How lucky!" cried the Tin Woodman. "Ifit were on the end of your nose it might beunlucky, but under your arm it is luckily outof the way."

"For all those reasons," said the Munchkinboy, "I have been called Ojo the Unlucky."

"Then we must turn over a new leaf and call youhenceforth Ojo the Lucky," declared the tin man."Every reason you have given is absurd. But I havenoticed that those who continually dread ill luckand fear it will overtake them, have no time totake advantage of any good fortune that comestheir way. Make up your mind to be Ojo theLucky."

"How can I?" asked the boy, "when all myattempts to save my dear uncle have failed?"

"Never give up, Ojo," advised Dorothy. "Noone ever knows what's going to happen next."

Ojo did not reply, but he was so dejected thateven their arrival at the Emerald City failed tointerest him.

The people joyfully cheered the appearance ofthe Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and Dorothy, whowere all three general favorites, and on enteringthe royal palace word came to them from Ozma thatshe would at once grant them an audience.

Dorothy told the girl Ruler how successfulthey had been in their quest until they came tothe item of the yellow butterfly, which the TinWoodman positively refused to sacrifice to themagic potion.

"He is quite right," said Ozma, who did not seema bit surprised. "Had Ojo told me that one of thethings he sought was the wing of a yellowbutterfly I would have informed him, before hestarted out, that he could never secure it. Thenyou would have been saved the troubles andannoyances of your long journey."

"I didn't mind the journey at all," saidDorothy; "it was fun."

"As it has turned out," remarked Ojo, "I cannever get the things the Crooked Magician sentme for; and so, unless I wait the six years forhim to make the Powder of Life, Unc Nunkiecannot be saved."

Ozma smiled.

"Dr. Pipt will make no more Powder of Life,I promise you," said she. "I have sent for himand had him brought to this palace, where henow is, and his four kettles have been destroyedand his book of recipes burned up. I have alsohad brought here the marble statues of youruncle and of Margolotte, which are standing inthe next room.

They were all greatly astonished at thisannouncement.

"Oh, let me see Unc Nunkie! Let me see himat once, please!" cried Ojo eagerly.

"Wait a moment," replied Ozma, "for I havesomething more to say. Nothing that happensin the Land of Oz escapes the notice of our wiseSorceress, Glinda the Good. She knew all aboutthe magic-making of Dr. Pipt, and how he hadbrought the Glass Cat and the Patchwork Girlto life, and the accident to Unc Nunkie andMargolotte, and of Ojo's quest and his journeywith Dorothy. Glinda also knew that Ojo wouldfail to find all the things he sought, so she sentfor our Wizard and instructed him what to do.Something is going to happen in this palace,presently, and that 'something' will, I am sure,please you all. And now," continued the girlRuler, rising from her chair, "you may followme into the next room."