The Field Mice Rescuing the Lion

The Field Mice Rescuing the Lion is a crucial turning point in the travelers' journey, demonstrating that the smallest and most unlikely creatures can accomplish what the larger, more powerful companions cannot. After the Cowardly Lion succumbs to the deadly fragrance of the poppy field and falls into a deep, potentially eternal sleep, it is the Tin Woodman's act of kindness toward a tiny field mouse that sets in motion a rescue that saves the Lion's life and reunites the party.

Background and the Rescue of the Queen

The crisis begins when the travelers, having lost the Scarecrow and then been reunited with him through the Stork's help, find themselves in a vast meadow of scarlet poppies. The powerful odor of the flowers causes Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion to fall into a deep sleep. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, not being made of flesh, are unaffected. They carry Dorothy to safety, but the Lion is too heavy to lift and must be left behind, seemingly doomed to sleep forever. While the Scarecrow and the Woodman wait for Dorothy to awaken, a great yellow Wildcat chases a little gray field mouse. The Tin Woodman, despite having no heart, knows it is wrong for the Wildcat to kill such a harmless creature. He raises his axe and cuts the beast's head clean off, saving the mouse's life. The mouse, it turns out, is the Queen of all the Field Mice, and she is deeply grateful.

The Plan and the Construction of the Truck

The Queen declares that all her subjects must now serve the Tin Woodman and obey his slightest wish. When the Scarecrow, who has been trying to think of a way to save the Lion, realizes the mice could help, he asks the Queen if there are many mice willing to obey her. She replies that there are thousands. The Scarecrow then devises a plan: each mouse must bring a long piece of string, and the Tin Woodman must build a truck to carry the Lion. The Woodman immediately goes to the riverside trees and works quickly, chopping down limbs to make a truck. He fastens it together with wooden pegs and makes four wheels out of short pieces of a big tree trunk. By the time the mice begin to arrive from all directions, the truck is ready. Thousands of mice—big, little, and middle-sized—come, each carrying a piece of string in its mouth.

The Rescue and Its Aftermath

The Scarecrow and the Woodman fasten the mice to the truck, tying one end of a string around each mouse's neck and the other end to the truck. Though the truck is a thousand times bigger than any of the mice, when all are harnessed, they are able to pull it quite easily. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman even sit on the truck and are drawn swiftly to where the Lion lies asleep. After great effort, they manage to get the heavy Lion onto the truck. The Queen hurriedly gives the order to start, fearing the mice will also fall asleep if they stay among the poppies too long. At first, the little creatures can hardly stir the loaded truck, but the Woodman and the Scarecrow push from behind, and soon they roll the Lion out of the poppy bed and onto the green fields, where he can breathe fresh air again. Dorothy, who has awakened, meets them and thanks the mice warmly for saving her companion. The mice are then unharnessed and scamper away, with the Queen promising to come to their aid again if ever called. The rescue not only saves the Lion's life but also reinforces the theme that genuine kindness and cooperation, regardless of size or power, can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.