"Give it up!" said the Rattlesnake after shaking himself several times.
"Because his tongue is a tape measure, and he has to measure his words!" cried the Scarecrow, snapping his
clumsy fingers. "And that's a good one, if I did make it myself. I must remember to tell it to Dorothy!"
Then he sobered quite suddenly, for the thought of Dorothy brought back the purpose of his journey.
Interrupting the Rattlesnake in the midst of a new riddle, he explained how anxious he was to return to the
little farm where he had been discovered and try to find some traces of his family.
"And the real riddle," he sighed with a wave of his hand, "is how to cross this river."
"That's easy and no riddle at all," rumbled the A−B−Sea Serpent, who had been listening attentively to the
Scarecrow's remarks. "I'll stretch across, and you can walk over." Suiting the action to the word, he began
backing very cautiously toward the river so as not to shake the Scarecrow off his feet.
"Mind your P's and Q's!" called the Rattlesnake warn−ingly. It was well that he spoke, for the A−B−Sea
Serpent had doubled the P and Q blocks under, and they were ready to snap off. Finally, however, he
managed to make a bridge of himself, and the Scarecrow stepped easily over the blocks, the huge serpent
holding himself rigid. Just as he reached Y, the unfortunate creature sneezed, and all the blocks rattled
together. Up flew the Scarecrow and escaped falling into the stream only by the narrowest margin.
"Blockhead!" shrilled the Rattlesnake, who had taken a great fancy to the Scarecrow.
"I'm all right," cried the Scarecrow rather breathlessly. "Thank you very much!" He sprang nimbly up the
bank. "Hope you have a pleasant vacation!"
"Can't, with a rattlepate like that." The A−B−Sea Serpent nodded glumly in the Rattlesnake's direction.
"Now don't quarrel," begged the Scarecrow. "You are both charming and unusual, and if you follow that
Yellow Road, you will come to the Emerald City, and Ozma will be delighted to welcome you."
"The Emerald City! We must see that, my dear Rattles." Forgetting his momentary displeasure, the A−B−Sea
Serpent pulled himself out of the river, and waving his X Y Z blocks in farewell to the Scarecrow, went
clattering down the road, the little Rattlesnake rattling along behind him.
As for the Scarecrow, he continued his journey, and the day was so delightful and the country so pleasant that
he almost forgot he had no family. He was treated everywhere with the greatest courtesy and had
innumerable invitations from the hospitable Munchkins. He was anxious to reach his destination, however, so
he refused them all, and traveling night and day came without further mishap or adventure late on the second
evening to the little Munchkin farm where Dorothy had first discovered him. He was curious to know
whether the pole on which he had been hoisted to scare away the crows still stood in the cornfield and
whether the farmer who had made him could tell him anything further about his history.
"It is a shame to waken him," thought the kind Scarecrow. "I'll just take a look in the cornfield." The moon
shone so brightly that he had no trouble finding his way about. With a little cry of pleasure, he pushed his
way through the dry cornstalks. There in the center of the field stood a tall pole −− the very identical bean
pole from which he had descended.
"All the family or family tree I've got!" cried the Scarecrow, running toward it with emotion.
The Royal Book of Oz
CHAPTER 2. THE SCARECROW'S FAMILY TREE 8