important person. By and by an old crow flew
near me, and after looking at me carefully he perched upon my shoulder
and said:

"`I wonder if that farmer thought to fool me in this clumsy manner.
Any crow of sense could see that you are only stuffed with straw.'
Then he hopped down at my feet and ate all the corn he wanted. The
other birds, seeing he was not harmed by me, came to eat the corn too,
so in a short time there was a great flock of them about me.

"I felt sad at this, for it showed I was not such a good Scarecrow
after all; but the old crow comforted me, saying, `If you only had
brains in your head you would be as good a man as any of them, and a
better man than some of them. Brains are the only things worth having
in this world, no matter whether one is a crow or a man.'

"After the crows had gone I thought this over, and decided I would try
hard to get some brains. By good luck you came along and pulled me off
the stake, and from what you say I am sure the Great Oz will give me
brains as soon as we get to the Emerald City."

"I hope so," said Dorothy earnestly, "since you seem anxious to have
them."

"Oh, yes; I am anxious," returned the Scarecrow. "It is such an
uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool."

"Well," said the girl, "let us go." And she handed the basket to the
Scarecrow.

There were no fences at all by the roadside now, and the land was rough
and untilled. Toward evening they came to a great forest, where the
trees grew so big and close together that their branches met over the
road of yellow brick. It was almost dark under the trees, for the
branches shut out the daylight; but the travelers did not stop, and
went on into the forest.

"If this road goes in, it must come out," said the Scarecrow, "and as
the Emerald City is at the other end of the road, we must go wherever
it leads us."

"Anyone would know that," said Dorothy.

"Certainly; that is why I know it," returned the Scarecrow. "If it
required brains to figure it out, I never should have said it."

After an hour or so the light faded away, and they found themselves
stumbling along in the darkness. Dorothy could not see at all, but
Toto could, for some dogs see very well in the dark; and the Scarecrow
declared he could see as well as by day. So she took hold of his arm
and managed to get along fairly well.

"If you see any house, or any place where we can pass the night," she
said, "you must tell me; for it