The Bees Attack

The Bees Attack is the third of four escalating assaults the Wicked Witch of the West unleashes against Dorothy and her companions after they enter her domain. Having already lost her pack of forty wolves to the Tin Woodman's axe and her flock of forty crows to the Scarecrow's hands, the Witch, in a terrible rage, blows three times upon her silver whistle. Forthwith a great buzzing fills the air, and a swarm of black bees comes flying toward her, ready to obey her command to sting the strangers to death.

The Witch's Command and the Bees' Approach

The Wicked Witch, seeing her previous forces lying dead in heaps, grows furious and summons the black bees as her next weapon. The bees turn and fly rapidly toward Dorothy and her friends as they walk through the untilled western country. The Witch's one eye, as powerful as a telescope, watches from her castle door, expecting the bees to succeed where wolves and crows had failed.

The Scarecrow's Strategy and the Tin Woodman's Role

The Scarecrow, having already proven his tactical thinking against the crows, quickly decides what to do. He instructs the Tin Woodman to take out his straw and scatter it over the little girl, the dog, and the Lion. The Woodman does so, and as Dorothy lies close beside the Lion and holds Toto in her arms, the straw covers them entirely, protecting them from the bees' stings.

The Bees' Destruction

The bees arrive and find no one to sting except the Tin Woodman. They fly at him and break off all their stings against his tin body, without hurting him at all. Since bees cannot live when their stings are broken, that is the end of the black bees. They lie scattered thick about the Woodman, like little heaps of fine coal. After the attack, Dorothy and the Lion get up, and the girl helps the Tin Woodman put the straw back into the Scarecrow, restoring him to his former state. The party then continues their journey once more.

Consequences and Significance

The failure of the bees deepens the Wicked Witch's fury. She stamps her foot, tears her hair, and gnashes her teeth upon seeing her black bees reduced to heaps like fine coal. This defeat forces her to resort to her next line of attack: she sends a dozen of her Winkie slaves armed with sharp spears, but the Cowardly Lion's roar frightens them away. The Witch's inability to harm the travelers through conventional means ultimately drives her to use the Golden Cap and summon the Winged Monkeys, leading to the capture of Dorothy's companions and Dorothy's own captivity. The bees' attack thus marks a turning point where the Witch exhausts her natural forces and must rely on magical intervention.