The Rescue of the Tin Woodman

The travelers find a cottage in the forest and spend the night. In the morning, while searching for water, they hear groans and discover a man made entirely of tin, standing motionless with an axe raised. The Tin Woodman explains that he has rusted solid for over a year. Dorothy oils his joints with a can from his cottage, and the Scarecrow helps move his limbs until he can move freely. The Tin Woodman tells his tragic story: he was once a flesh-and-blood woodchopper who loved a Munchkin girl, but the Wicked Witch of the East enchanted his axe, causing it to cut off his limbs one by one, which he replaced with tin. Finally, the axe split his body, and he lost his heart. He now wishes to ask Oz for a heart. He joins the party, and his axe proves useful for clearing the path. This event deepens the theme of emotional lack and adds a second companion.