"Good-bye!" he called after them, and they were very sorry to leave him.
Indeed, the Tin Woodman began to cry, but fortunalely remembered that he might rust,
and so dried his tears on Dorothy's apron.
Of course this was a bad thing for the Scarecrow.
"I am now worse off than when I first met Dorothy," he thoughy."
Then, I was stuck on a pole in a cornfield, where I could make-believe sacre the crows, at any rate.
But surely there is no use of a Scarecrow stuck on a pole in the middle of a river.
I am afraid I shall never have any brains, after all!"
Down the stream the raft floated, and the poor Scarecrow was left far behind.
Then the Lion said: "Something must be done to save us.
I think I can swim to the shore and pull the raft after me, if you will only hold fast to the tip of my tail."
So hhe sprang into the water, and the Tin Woodman caugh fast hold of his tail.
Then the Lion began to swim with all his might toward the shore.
It was hard work, although he was so big;
but by and by they were drawn out of the current, and then Dorothy took the Tin Woodman's long pole and helped push the raft to the land.
They were all tired out when they reached the shore at last and stepped off upon the pretty green grass,
and they also knew that the stream had carried them a long way past the road of yellow brick that led to the Emerald City.
"What shall we do now?" asked the Tin Woodman, as the Lion lay down on the grass to let the sun dry him.
"We must get back to the road, in some way," said Dorothy.
"The best plan will be to walk along the riverbank until we come to the road again,"
So, when they were rested, Dorothy picked up her basket and they started along the grass bank, to the road from which the river had carried them.
It was a lovely country, with plenty of flowers and fruit trees and sunshine to cheer them,
and had they not felt so sorry for the poor Scarecrow, they could have been very happy.
They walked along as fast as they could, Dorothy only stopping once to pick a beautiful flower;
and after a time the Tin Woodman CRled out: "Look!"
Then they all looked at the river and saw the Scarecrow perched upon his pole in the middle of the water, looking very lonely and sad.
"What can we do to save him?" asked Dorothy.
The Lion and the Woodman both shook their heads, for they did not know.
So they sat down upon the bank and gazed wistfully at the Scarecrow until a Stork flew by, who, upon seeing them. stopped to rest at the water's edge.