"Are you really a soldier?" asked Woot, when they had all watched this
strange tin person parade up and down the path and proudly flourish his
sword.

"I _was_ a soldier," was the reply, "but I've been a prisoner to Mr.
Rust so long that I don't know exactly _what_ I am."

"But--dear me!" cried the Tin Woodman, sadly perplexed; "how came you to
be made of tin?"

"That," answered the Soldier, "is a sad, sad story. I was in love with a
beautiful Munchkin girl, who lived with a Wicked Witch. The Witch did
not wish me to marry the girl, so she enchanted my sword, which began
hacking me to pieces. When I lost my legs I went to the tinsmith,
Ku-Klip, and he made me some tin legs. When I lost my arms, Ku-Klip made
me tin arms, and when I lost my head he made me this fine one out of
tin. It was the same way with my body, and finally I was all tin. But I
was not unhappy, for Ku-Klip made a good job of me, having had
experience in making another tin man before me."

"Yes," observed the Tin Woodman, "it was Ku-Klip who made me. But, tell
me, what was the name of the Munchkin girl you were in love with?"

"She is called Nimmie Amee," said the Tin Soldier.

Hearing this, they were all so astonished that they were silent for a
time, regarding the stranger with wondering looks. Finally the Tin
Woodman ventured to ask:

"And did Nimmie Amee return your love?"

"Not at first," admitted the Soldier. "When first I marched into the
forest and met her, she was weeping over the loss of her former
sweetheart, a woodman whose name was Nick Chopper."

"That is me," said the Tin Woodman.

"She told me he was nicer than a soldier, because he was all made of tin
and shone beautifully in the sun. She said a tin man appealed to her
artistic instincts more than an ordinary meat man, as I was then. But I
did not despair, because her tin sweetheart had disappeared, and could
not be found. And finally Nimmie Amee permitted me to call upon her and
we became friends. It was then that the Wicked Witch discovered me and
became furiously angry when I said I wanted to marry the girl. She
enchanted my sword, as I said, and then my troubles began. When I got my
tin legs, Nimmie Amee began to take an interest in me; when I got my tin
arms, she began to like me better than ever, and when I was all made of
tin, she said I looked like her dear Nick Chopper and she would be
willing to marry me.

"The day of our wedding was set, and it turned out to be