The Rescue of the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow

The Rescue of the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow is the pivotal restoration sequence that follows the melting of the Wicked Witch of the West, in which Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, aided by the newly liberated Winkies, recover and repair their two companions—the Tin Woodman, left battered and dented on a rocky plain, and the Scarecrow, reduced to a bundle of clothes in a tall tree. This event reverses the destruction wrought by the Winged Monkeys, reunites the four travelers, and transforms the Winkies from enslaved subjects into willing, skilled craftsmen, thereby consolidating the moral victory over the Witch and preparing the group to claim Oz's promises.

The Discovery of the Tin Woodman's Ruin

Dorothy's first act after freeing the Lion was to call all the Winkies together and tell them they were no longer slaves. There was great rejoicing among the yellow Winkies, who had been made to work hard for many years under the Wicked Witch's cruelty; they kept that day as a holiday, then and ever after, spending the time in feasting and dancing. Yet the Lion voiced what both felt: "If our friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, were only with us, I should be quite happy." Dorothy anxiously asked if they could rescue them, and the Lion agreed to try. They called the Winkies and asked if they would help; the Winkies said they would be delighted to do all in their power for Dorothy, who had set them free from bondage. Dorothy chose a number of Winkies who looked as if they knew the most, and they all started away. They traveled that day and part of the next until they came to the rocky plain where the Tin Woodman lay, all battered and bent. His axe was near him, but the blade was rusted and the handle broken off short. The Winkies lifted him tenderly in their arms and carried him back to the Yellow Castle, while Dorothy shed a few tears at the sad plight of her old friend and the Lion looked sober and sorry.

The Mending of the Tin Woodman

When they reached the castle, Dorothy asked the Winkies if any of them were tinsmiths. Some answered that they were very good tinsmiths, so she had them brought, along with all their tools in baskets. She inquired whether they could straighten out the dents in the Tin Woodman, bend him back into shape, and solder him together where he was broken. The tinsmiths looked the Woodman over carefully and answered that they thought they could mend him so he would be as good as ever. They set to work in one of the big yellow rooms of the castle and worked for three days and four nights, hammering, twisting, bending, soldering, polishing, and pounding at the legs, body, and head of the Tin Woodman, until at last he was straightened out into his old form and his joints worked as well as ever. There were several patches on him, but the tinsmiths did a good job, and as the Woodman was not a vain man he did not mind the patches at all. When he walked into Dorothy's room and thanked her for rescuing him, he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy, and Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron so his joints would not rust. At the same time her own tears fell thick and fast at the joy of meeting her old friend again, and these tears did not need to be wiped away. As for the Lion, he wiped his eyes so often with the tip of his tail that it became quite wet, and he was obliged to go out into the courtyard and hold it in the sun till it dried.

The Recovery of the Scarecrow

Once the Tin Woodman was restored, he declared that if they only had the Scarecrow with them again he would be quite happy. Dorothy agreed they must try to find him. She called the Winkies to help her, and they walked all that day and part of the next until they came to the tall tree in the branches of which the Winged Monkeys had tossed the Scarecrow's clothes. It was a very tall tree, and the trunk was so smooth that no one could climb it, but the Woodman said at once he would chop it down so they could get the Scarecrow's clothes. While the tinsmiths had been at work mending the Woodman himself, another of the Winkies, who was a goldsmith, had made an axe-handle of solid gold and fitted it to the Woodman's axe, instead of the old broken handle. Others had polished the blade until all the rust was removed and it glistened like burnished silver. As soon as he had spoken, the Tin Woodman began to chop, and in a short time the tree fell over with a crash, whereupon the Scarecrow's clothes fell out of the branches and rolled off on the ground. Dorothy picked them up and had the Winkies carry them back to the castle, where they were stuffed with nice, clean straw; and behold, here was the Scarecrow, as good as ever, thanking them over and over again for saving him.

Reunion and the Decision to Return to Oz

Now that they were reunited, Dorothy and her friends spent a few happy days at the Yellow Castle, where they found everything they needed to make them comfortable. But one day the girl thought of Aunt Em and said they must go back to Oz and claim his promise. The Woodman said that at last he should get his heart; the Scarecrow joyfully added that he should get his brains; the Lion thoughtfully said he should get his courage; and Dorothy cried, clapping her hands, that she should get back to Kansas. They decided to start for the Emerald City the next day. The Winkies were sorry to have them go, having grown so fond of the Tin Woodman that they begged him to stay and rule over them and the Yellow Land of the West. Finding they were determined to go, the Winkies gave Toto and the Lion each a golden collar; to Dorothy they presented a beautiful bracelet studded with diamonds; to the Scarecrow they gave a gold-headed walking stick to keep him from stumbling; and to the Tin Woodman they offered a silver oil-can, inlaid with gold and set with precious jewels. Every one of the travelers made the Winkies a pretty speech in return, and all shook hands with them until their arms ached. Dorothy went to the Witch's cupboard to fill her basket with food for the journey, and there she saw the Golden Cap. She tried it on her own head and found that it fitted her exactly. She did not know anything about the charm of the Golden Cap, but she saw that it was pretty, so she made up her mind to wear it and carry her sunbonnet in the basket. Then, being prepared for the journey, they all started for the Emerald City, and the Winkies gave them three cheers and many good wishes to carry with them.