Tip reflected.

"It's a hard thing, to be a marble statue," he thought, rebelliously, "andI'm not going to stand it. For years I've been a bother to her, she says; soshe's going to get rid of me. Well, there's an easier way than to become astatue. No boy could have any fun forever standing in the middle of a flowergarden! I'll run away, that's what I'll do -- and I may as well go beforeshe makes me drink that nasty stuff in the kettle." He waited until thesnores of the old witch announced she was fast asleep, and then he arosesoftly and went to the cupboard to find something to eat.

"No use starting on a journey without food," he decided, searching upon thenarrow shelves.

He found some crusts of bread; but he had to look into Mombi's basket tofind the cheese she had brought from the village. While turning over thecontents of the basket he came upon the pepper-box which contained the"Powder of Life."

"I may as well take this with me," he thought, "or Mombi'll be using it tomake more mischief with." So he put the box in his pocket, together with thebread and cheese.

Then he cautiously left the house and latched the door behind him. Outsideboth moon and stars shone brightly, and the night seemed peaceful andinviting after the close and ill-smelling kitchen.

"I'll be glad to get away," said Tip, softly; "for I never did like that oldwoman. I wonder how I ever came to live with her."

He was walking slowly toward the road when a thought made him pause.

"I don't like to leave Jack Pumpkinhead to the tender mercies of old Mombi,"he muttered. "And Jack belongs to me, for I made him even if the old witchdid bring him to life."

He retraced his steps to the cow-stable and opened the door of the stallwhere the pumpkin headed man had been left.

Jack was standing in the middle of the stall, and by the moonlight Tip couldsee he was smiling just as jovially as ever.

"Come on!" said the boy, beckoning."

"Where to?" asked Jack.

"You'll know as soon as I do," answered Tip, smiling sympathetically intothe pumpkin face.

"All we've got to do now is to tramp."

"Very well," returned Jack, and walked awkwardly out of the stable and intothe moonlight.

Tip turned toward the road and the man followed him. Jack walked with a sortof limp, and occasionally one of the joints of his legs would turn backward,instead of frontwise, almost causing him to tumble. But the Pumpkinhead wasquick to notice this, and began to take more pains to step carefully; sothat he met with few accidents.

Tip led him along the path without stopping an instant. They could not govery fast, but they walked steadily; and by the time the moon sank away andthe sun peeped over the hills they had travelled so great a distance thatthe boy had no reason to fear pursuit from the old witch. Moreover, he hadturned first into one path, and then into another, so that should anyonefollow them itwould prove very difficult to guess which way they had gone, or where toseek them.

Fairly satisfied that he had escaped -- for a time, at least -- being turnedinto a marble statue, the boy stopped his companion and seated himself upona rock by the roadside.

"Let's have some breakfast," he said.

Jack Pumpkinhead watched Tip curiously, but refused to join in the repast."I don't seem to be made the same way you are," he said.

"I know you are not," returned Tip; "for I made you."

"Oh! Did you?" asked Jack.

"Certainly. And put you together. And carved your eyes and nose and ears andmouth," said Tip proudly. "And dressed you."

Jack looked at his body and limbs critically.

"It strikes me you made a very good job of it," he remarked.

"Just so-so," replied Tip, modestly; for he began to see certain defects inthe construction of his man. "If I'd known we were going to travel togetherI might have been a little more particular."

"Why, then," said the Pumpkinhead, in a tone that expressed surprise, "youmust be my creator my parent my father!"

"Or your inventor," replied the boy with a laugh. "Yes, my son; I reallybelieve I am!"

"Then I owe you obedience," continued the man, "and you owe me -- support."

"That's it, exactly", declared Tip, jumping up. "So let us be off."

"Where are we going?" asked Jack, when they had resumed their journey.

"I'm not exactly sure," said the boy; "but I believe we are headed South,and that will bring us, sooner or later, to the Emerald City."

"What city is that?" enquired the Pumpkinhead.

"Why, it's the center of the Land of Oz, and the biggest town in all thecountry. I've never been there, myself, but I've heard all about itshistory. It was built by a mighty and wonderful Wizard named Oz, andeverything there is of a green color -- just as everything in this Countryof the Gillikins is of a purple color."

"Is everything here purple?" asked Jack.

"Of course it is. Can't you see?" returned the boy.

"I believe I must be color-blind," said the Pumpkinhead, after staring abouthim.

"Well, the grass is purple, and the trees are purple, and the houses andfences are purple," explained Tip. "Even the mud in the roads is purple. Butin the Emerald City everything is green that is purple here. And in theCountry of the Munchkins, over at the East, everything is blue; and in theSouth country of the Quadlings everything is red; and in the West country ofthe Winkies, where the Tin Woodman rules, everything is yellow."

"Oh!" said Jack. Then, after a pause, he asked: "Did you say a Tin Woodmanrules the Winkies?"

"Yes; he was one of those who helped Dorothy to destroy the Wicked Witch ofthe West, and the Winkies were so grateful that they invited him to becometheir ruler, -- just as the people of the Emerald City invited the Scarecrowto rule them."

"Dear me!" said Jack. "I'm getting confused with all this history. Who isthe Scarecrow?"

"Another friend of Dorothy's," replied Tip.

"And who is Dorothy?"

"She was a girl that came here from Kansas, a place in the big, outsideWorld. She got blown to the Land of Oz by a cyclone, and while she was herethe Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman accompanied her on her travels."

"And where is she now?" inquired the Pumpkinhead.

"Glinda the Good, who rules the Quadlings, sent her home again," said theboy.

"Oh. And what became of the Scarecrow?"

"I told you. He rules the Emerald City," answered Tip.

"I thought you said it was ruled by a wonderful Wizard," objected Jack,seeming more and more confused.

"Well, so I did. Now, pay attention, and I'll explain it," said Tip,speaking slowly and looking the smiling Pumpkinhead squarely in the eye."Dorothy went to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard to send her back toKansas; and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman went with her. But the Wizardcouldn't send her back, because he wasn't so much of a Wizard as he mighthave been. And then they got angry at the Wizard, and threatened to expose him; so the Wizard made a big balloon and escaped in it, andno one has ever seen him since."

"Now, that is very interesting history," said Jack, well pleased; "and Iunderstand it perfectly all but the explanation."

"I'm glad you do," responded Tip. "After the Wizard was gone, the people ofthe Emerald City made His Majesty, the Scarecrow, their King; "and I haveheard that he became a very popular ruler."

"Are we going to see this queer King?" asked Jack, with interest.

"I think we may as well," replied the boy; "unless you have something betterto do."

"Oh, no, dear father," said the Pumpkinhead. "I am quite willing to gowherever you please."