Part 33 (2/2)

”I can't,” said the Scarecrow.

”Why not? You've a mouth, haven't you?” asked the boy.

”Yes; but my mouth is painted on, and there's no swallow connected with it,'

answered the Scarecrow. ”In fact,” he continued, looking from one to another critically, ”I believe the boy and the Woggle-Bug are the only ones in our party that are able to swallow.”

Observing the truth of this remark, Tip said:

”Then I will undertake to make the first wish. Give me one of the Silver Pills.”

This the Scarecrow tried to do; but his padded gloves were too clumsy to clutch so small an object, and he held the box toward the boy while Tip selected one of the pills and swallowed it.

”Count!” cried the Scarecrow.

”One-half, one, three, five, seven, nine, eleven,!” counted Tip. thirteen, fifteen, seventeen.

”Now wis.h.!.+” said the Tin Woodman anxiously:

But Just then the boy began to suffer such fearful pains that he became alarmed.

227

”The pill has poisoned me!” he gasped; ”O--h! O-o-o-o-o! Ouch! Murder!

Fire! O-o-h!” and here he rolled upon the bottom of the nest in such contortions that he frightened them all.

”What can we do for you. Speak, I beg!” entreated the Tin Woodman, tears of sympathy running down his nickel cheeks.

”I--I don't know!” answered Tip. ”O--h! I wish I'd never swallowed that pill!”

Then at once the pain stopped, and the boy rose to his feet again and found the Scarecrow looking with amazement at the end of the pepper-box.

”What's happened?” asked the boy, a little ashamed of his recent exhibition.

”Why, the three pills are in the box again!” said the Scarecrow.

”Of course they are,” the Woggle-Bug declared. ”Didn't Tip wish that he'd never swallowed one of them? Well, the wish came true, and he didn't swallow one of them. So of course they are all three in the box.”

”That may be; but the pill gave me a dreadful pain, just the same,” said the boy.

”Impossible!” declared the Woggle-

Line-Art Drawing

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