a rainy day.
Nevertheless I started out to get Nimmie Amee, because the Witch had
been absent for some time, and we meant to elope before she got back. As
I traveled the forest paths the rain wetted my joints, but I paid no
attention to this because my thoughts were all on my wedding with
beautiful Nimmie Amee and I could think of nothing else until suddenly
my legs stopped moving. Then my arms rusted at the joints and I became
frightened and cried for help, for now I was unable to oil myself. No
one heard my calls and before long my jaws rusted, and I was unable to
utter another sound. So I stood helpless in this spot, hoping some
wanderer would come my way and save me. But this forest path is seldom
used, and I have been standing here so long that I have lost all track
of time. In my mind I composed poetry and sang songs, but not a sound
have I been able to utter. But this desperate condition has now been
relieved by your coming my way and I must thank you for my rescue."

"This is wonderful!" said the Scarecrow, heaving a stuffy, long sigh. "I
think Ku-Klip was wrong to make two tin men, just alike, and the
strangest thing of all is that both you tin men fell in love with the
same girl."

"As for that," returned the Soldier, seriously, "I must admit I lost my
ability to love when I lost my meat heart. Ku-Klip gave me a tin heart,
to be sure, but it doesn't love anything, as far as I can discover, and
merely rattles against my tin ribs, which makes me wish I had no heart
at all."

"Yet, in spite of this condition, you were going to marry Nimmie Amee?"

"Well, you see I had promised to marry her, and I am an honest man and
always try to keep my promises. I didn't like to disappoint the poor
girl, who had been disappointed by one tin man already."

"That was not my fault," declared the Emperor of the Winkies, and then
he related how he, also, had rusted in the forest and after a long time
had been rescued by Dorothy and the Scarecrow and had traveled with them
to the Emerald City in search of a heart that could love.

"If you have found such a heart, sir," said the Soldier, "I will gladly
allow you to marry Nimmie Amee in my place."

"If she loves you best, sir," answered the Woodman, "I shall not
interfere with your wedding her. For, to be quite frank with you, I
cannot yet love Nimmie Amee as I did before I became tin."

"Still, one of you ought to marry the poor girl," remarked Woot; "and,
if she likes tin m