than those who have useless or wicked
thoughts and do not try to curb them. Your oil can, friend Woodman, is
filled with oil, but you only apply the oil to your joints, drop by
drop, as you need it, and do not keep spilling it where it will do no
good. Thoughts should be restrained in the same way as your oil, and
only applied when necessary, and for a good purpose. If used carefully,
thoughts are good things to have."
Polychrome laughed at him, for the Rainbow's Daughter knew more about
thoughts than the Scarecrow did. But the others were solemn, feeling
they had been rebuked, and tramped on in silence.
Suddenly Woot, who was in the lead, looked around and found that all
his comrades had mysteriously disappeared. But where could they have
gone to? The broad plain was all about him and there were neither trees
nor bushes that could hide even a rabbit, nor any hole for one to fall
into. Yet there he stood, alone.
Surprise had caused him to halt, and with a thoughtful and puzzled
expression on his face he looked down at his feet. It startled him anew
to discover that he had no feet. He reached out his hands, but he could
not see them. He could feel his hands and arms and body; he stamped his
feet on the grass and knew they were there, but in some strange way
they had become invisible.
While Woot stood, wondering, a crash of metal sounded in his ears and
he heard two heavy bodies tumble to the earth just beside him.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed the voice of the Tin Woodman.
"Mercy me!" cried the voice of the Tin Soldier.
"Why didn't you look where you were going?" asked the Tin Woodman
reproachfully.
"I did, but I couldn't see you," said the Tin Soldier. "Something has
happened to my tin eyes. I can't see you, even now, nor can I see
anyone else!"
"It's the same way with me," admitted the Tin Woodman.
Woot couldn't see either of them, although he heard them plainly, and
just then something smashed against him unexpectedly and knocked him
over; but it was only the straw-stuffed body of the Scarecrow that fell
upon him and while he could not see the Scarecrow he managed to push
him off and rose to his feet just as Polychrome whirled against him and
made him tumble again.
Sitting upon the ground, the boy asked:
"Can you see us, Poly?"
"No, indeed," answered the Rainbow's Daughter; "we've all become
invisible."
"How did it happen, do you suppose?" inquired the Scarecrow, lying
where he had falle
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