“哦，不是这样的，我亲爱的小女孩。我必须要说：我真的是一个百分百的好人，只是我不是一个出色的魔术家。”
“那你能给我一个大脑吗？”稻草人问。
“你用不到一个大脑的。其实你每天都在学习一些新东西。一个新生的婴儿出生就有脑子，可是他什么事情都不知道。经验才能给你带来知识，你在这世上生活得愈长久，你就能够获得愈丰富的经验。”
“也许你说得很有道理，”稻草人忧愁地说，“可是我特别不快乐，除非你给我一个大脑。”
这个冒牌的魔术家十分认真地注视着他。
“好吧，”他叹了一口气说，“我虽然不像我对外界吹嘘的那样法力无边，但是明天早晨请你再到我这儿来，我将把一个大脑塞到你的脑袋里。但是我也不知道该怎样地去运用它，你得自己去摸索。”
“啊，谢谢了，谢谢你！”稻草人兴奋地喊道，“不用担心，我会自己找到方法，来运用我的大脑的！”
“那我的胆量该怎么解决呢？”狮子烦躁地大声问他。“我认为你本身就有很大的胆量，”奥芝诚恳地回答说，“你最需要的就是相信自己。每当遇到危险时，这世上没有任何一种生物可以做到不害怕。真正的胆量，是当你十分害怕的时候，仍然选择直面危险毫不退却，那种胆量，其实你并不缺乏。”
“也许我有你说的那种胆量，可是我还是一样的胆小，”狮子忧郁地说，“除非你能让我忘了自己是一只胆小的狮子，如若不然，我依旧不会快乐。”
奥芝又叹了口气回答说：“这样也好，那么明天我将给你你要的那种胆量。”“那么我的一颗心呢？”铁皮人也跟着问。
“啊，至于心，”奥芝回答道，“我认为你想要一颗心是不对的。那东西搞得很多人都不快乐。只要你知道了这一点，那么，你一定会觉得没有心才是多么幸运。”
“我想这个问题，我们的看法并不一致。”铁皮人说，“在我看来，假如你能给我一颗心，我将能忍受所有的不快乐，毫无怨言。”
“那么很好，”奥芝又谦逊又温和地回答他，“请你明天也到我这里来吧，我将会给你一颗你梦寐以求的心。我曾经像这样玩过很多年的魔术，那么这次我可以再玩一回。”
“现在轮到我了，”多萝茜说，“你要怎样送我回到堪萨斯州去？”“看来我们需要好好地讨论一下这个问题，”老人回答说，“请你再给我两三天的时间，让我来认真地思考这件事，我想我一定能想出办法来，帮你穿过这片大沙漠。但在这期间，你们会像贵宾一样被好好款待，我的百姓们都会尽心尽力地侍候你们，听从你们的任何差使。但是只有一件事，我请求你们体谅我，作为对我帮助你们的报答，那就是：请你们务必严守我的秘密，不能把我是一个骗子的事情告诉任何人。”
他们都答应了奥芝的请求，不把他是一个大骗子的事告诉任何人，于是他们高高兴兴地回到了他们自己的房间。即使多萝茜也希望那蹩脚的魔术师能够想出什么法子来，把她送回到她的家乡堪萨斯州去，如果他能做到这一点，那么她愿意宽恕他所做的所有事情。
15.The Discovery of Oz， the Terrible
The four travelers walked up to the great gate of Emerald City and rang the bell. After ringing several times， it was opened by the same Guardian of the Gates they had met before.
"What！ are you back again？" he asked， in surprise.
"Do you not see us？" answered the Scarecrow.
"But I thought you had gone to visit the Wicked Witch of the West." "We did visit her，" said the Scarecrow.
"And she let you go again？" asked the man， in wonder.
"She could not help it， for she is melted，" explained the Scarecrow.
"Melted！ Well， that is good news， indeed，" said the man. "Who melted her？" "It was Dorothy，" said the Lion gravely.
"Good gracious！" exclaimed the man， and he bowed very low indeed before her.
Then he led them into his little room and locked the spectacles from the great box on all their eyes， just as he had done before. Afterward they passed on through the gate into the Emerald City. When the people heard from the Guardian of the Gates that Dorothy had melted the Wicked Witch of the West， they all gathered around the travelers and followed them in a great crowd to the Palace of Oz.
The soldier with the green whiskers was still on guard before the door， but he let them in at once， and they were again met by the beautiful green girl， who showed each of them to their old rooms at once， so they might rest until the Great Oz was ready to receive them.
The soldier had the news carried straight to Oz that Dorothy and the other travelers had come back again， after destroying the Wicked Witch； but Oz made no reply. They thought the Great Wizard would send for them at once， but he did not. They had no word from him the next day， nor the next， nor the next. The waiting was tiresome and wearing， and at last they grew vexed that Oz should treat them in so poor a fashion， after sending them to undergo hardships and slavery. So the Scarecrow at last asked the green girl to take another message to Oz， saying if he did not let them in to see him at once they would call the Winged Monkeys to help them， and find out whether he kept his promises or not. When the Wizard was given this message he was so frightened that he sent word for them to come to the Throne Room at four minutes after nine o"clock the next morning. He had once met the Winged Monkeys in theLand of the West， and he did not wish to meet them again.
The four travelers passed a sleepless night， each thinking of the gift Oz had promised to bestow on him. Dorothy fell asleep only once， and then she dreamed she was in Kansas， where Aunt Em was telling her how glad she was to have her little girl at home again.
Promptly at nine o"clock the next morning the green-whiskered soldier came to them， and four minutes later they all went into the Throne Room of the Great Oz.
Of course each one of them expected to see the Wizard in the shape he had taken before， and all were greatly surprised when they looked about and saw no one at all in the room. They kept close to the door and closer to one another， for the stillness of the empty room was more dreadful than any of the forms they had seen Oz take.
Presently they heard a solemn Voice， that seemed to come from somewhere near the top of the great dome， and it said：
"I am Oz， the Great and Terrible. Why do you seek me？"They looked again in every part of the room， and then， seeing no one， Dorothy asked， "Where are you？""I am everywhere，" answered the Voice， "but to the eyes of common mortals I am invisible. I will now seat myself upon my throne， that you may converse with me." Indeed， the Voice seemed just then to come straight from the throne itself； so they walked toward it and stood in a row while Dorothy said：
"We have come to claim our promise， O Oz." "What promise？" asked Oz.
"You promised to send me back to Kansas when the Wicked Witch was destroyed，" said the girl.
"And you promised to give me brains，" said the Scarecrow. "And you promised to give me a heart，" said the Tin Woodman.
"And you promised to give me courage，" said the Cowardly Lion.
"Is the Wicked Witch really destroyed？" asked the Voice， and Dorothy thought it trembled a little.
"Yes，" she answered， "I melted her with a bucket of water.""Dear me，" said the Voice， "how sudden！ Well， come to me tomorrow， for I must have time to think it over.""You"ve had plenty of time already，" said the Tin Woodman angrily. "We shan"t wait a day longer，" said the Scarecrow.
"You must keep your promises to us！" exclaimed Dorothy.
