They had not gone very far before Bungle, who hadrun on ahead, came bounding back to say that theroad of yellow bricks was just before them. Atonce they hurried forward to see what this famousroad looked like.

It was a broad road, but not straight, for itwandered over hill and dale and picked out theeasiest places to go. All its length and breadthwas paved with smooth bricks of a bright yellowcolor, so it was smooth and level except in a fewplaces where the bricks had crumbled or beenremoved, leaving holes that might cause the unwaryto stumble.

"I wonder," said Ojo, looking up and down theroad, "which way to go."

"Where are you bound for?" asked the Woozy.

"The Emerald City," he replied.

"Then go west," said the Woozy. "I know thisroad pretty well, for I've chased many a honey-beeover it."

"Have you ever been to the Emerald City?"asked Scraps.

"No. I am very shy by nature, as you may havenoticed, so I haven't mingled much in society."

"Are you afraid of men?" inquired the PatchworkGirl.

"Me? With my heart-rending growl-my horrible,shudderful growl? I should say not. I am notafraid of anything," declared the Woozy.

"I wish I could say the same," sighed Ojo. "Idon't think we need be afraid when we get to theEmerald City, for Unc Nunkie has told me thatOzma, our girl Ruler, is very lovely and kind, andtries to help everyone who is in trouble. But theysay there are many dangers lurking on the road tothe great Fairy City, and so we must be verycareful."

"I hope nothing will break me," said theGlass Cat, in a nervous voice. "I'm a little brittle,you know, and can't stand many hard knocks."

"If anything should fade the colors of my lovelypatches it would break my heart," said thePatchwork Girl.

"I'm not sure you have a heart," Ojo remindedher.

"Then it would break my cotton," persistedScraps. "Do you think they are all fast colors,Ojo?" she asked anxiously.

"They seem fast enough when you run," hereplied; and then, looking ahead of them, heexclaimed: "Oh, what lovely trees!"

They were certainly pretty to look upon andthe travelers hurried forward to observe themmore closely.

"Why, they are not trees at all," said Scraps;"they are just monstrous plants."

That is what they really were: masses of greatbroad leaves which rose from the ground far intothe air, until they towered twice as high as thetop of the Patchwork Girl's head, who was a littletaller than Ojo. The plants formed rows on bothsides of the road and from each plant rose a dozenor more of the big broad leaves, which swayedcontinually from side to side, although no windwas blowing. But the most curious thing about theswaying leaves was their color. They seemed tohave a general groundwork of blue, but here andthere other colors glinted at times through theblue--gorgeous yellows, turning to pink, purple,orange and scarlet, mingled with more sober brownsand grays--each appearing as a blotch or stripeanywhere on a leaf and then disappearing, to bereplaced by some other color of a different shape.The changeful coloring of the great leaves wasvery beautiful, but it was bewildering, as well,and the novelty of the scene drew our travelersclose to the line of plants, where they stoodwatching them with rapt interest.

Suddenly a leaf bent lower than usual andtouched the Patchwork Girl. Swiftly it envelopedher in its embrace, covering her completely inits thick folds, and then it swayed back upon itsstem.

"Why, she's gone!" gasped Ojo, in amazement, andlistening carefully he thought he could hear themuffled screams of Scraps coming from the centerof the folded leaf. But, before he could thinkwhat he ought to do to save her, another leaf bentdown and captured the Glass Cat, rolling aroundthe little creature until she was completelyhidden, and then straightening up again upon itsstem.

"Look out," cried the Woozy. "Run! Runfast, or you are lost."

Ojo turned and saw the Woozy runningswiftly up the road. But the last leaf of the rowof plants seized the beast even as he ran andinstantly he disappeared from sight.

The boy had no chance to escape. Half a dozen ofthe great leaves were bending toward him fromdifferent directions and as he stood hesitatingone of them clutched him in its embrace. In aflash he was in the dark. Then he felt himselfgently lifted until he was swaying in the air,with the folds of the leaf hugging him on allsides.

At first he struggled hard to escape, cryingout in anger: "Let me go! Let me go!" Butneither struggles nor protests had any effectwhatever. The leaf held him firmly and he wasa prisoner."

Then Ojo quieted himself and tried to think.Despair fell upon him when he remembered that allhis little party had been captured, even as hewas, and there was none to save them.

"I might have expected it," he sobbed,miserably. "I'm Ojo the Unlucky, and somethingdreadful was sure to happen to me."

He pushed against the leaf that held him andfound it to be soft, but thick and firm. It waslike a great bandage all around him and hefound it difficult to move his body or limbs inorder to change their position.

The minutes passed and became hours. Ojowondered how long one could live in such acondition and if the leaf would gradually saphis strength and even his life, in order to feeditself. The little Munchkin boy had never heardof any person dying in the Land of Oz, but heknew one could suffer a great deal of pain. Hisgreatest fear at this time was that he wouldalways remain imprisoned in the beautiful leafand never see the light of day again.

No sound came to him through the leaf; allaround was intense silence. Ojo wondered if Scrapshad stopped screaming, or if the folds of the leafprevented his hearing her. By and by he thought heheard a whistle, as of some one whistling a tune.Yes; it really must be some one whistling, hedecided, for he could follow the strains of apretty Munchkin melody that Unc Nunkie used tosing to him. The sounds were low and sweet and,although they reached Ojo's ears very faintly,they were clear and harmonious.

Could the leaf whistle, Ojo wondered? Nearer andnearer came the sounds and then they seemed to bejust the other side of the leaf that was hugginghim.

Suddenly the whole leaf toppled and fell,carrying the boy with it, and while he sprawled atfull length the folds slowly relaxed and set himfree. He scrambled quickly to his feet and foundthat a strange man was standing before him--a manso curious in appearance that the boy stared withround eyes.

He was a big man, with shaggy whiskers, shaggyeyebrows, shaggy hair--but kindly blue eyes thatwere gentle as those of a cow. On his head was agreen velvet hat with a jeweled band, which wasall shaggy around the brim. Rich but shaggy laceswere at his throat; a coat with shaggy edges wasdecorated with diamond buttons; the velvetbreeches had jeweled buckles at the knees andshags all around the bottoms. On his breast hung amedallion bearing a picture of Princess Dorothy ofOz, and in his hand, as he stood looking at Ojo,was a sharp knife shaped like a dagger.

"Oh!" exclaimed Ojo, greatly astonished at thesight of this stranger; and then he added: "Whohas saved me, sir?"

"Can't you see?" replied the other, with asmile; "I'm the Shaggy Man."

"Yes; I can see that," said the boy, nodding."Was it you who rescued me from the leaf?"

"None other, you may be sure. But take care,or I shall have to rescue you again."

Ojo gave a jump, for he saw several broadleaves leaning toward him; but the Shaggy Manbegan to whistle again, and at the sound theleaves all straightened up on their stems andkept still.

The man now took Ojo's arm and led himup the road, past the last of the great plants,and not till he was safely beyond their reach didhe cease his whistling.

"You see, the music charms 'em," said he."Singing or whistling--it doesn't matter which--makes 'em behave, and nothing else will. I alwayswhistle as I go by 'em and so they always let mealone. Today as I went by, whistling, I saw a leafcurled and knew there must be something inside it.I cut down the leaf with my knife and--out youpopped. Lucky I passed by, wasn't it?"

"You were very kind," said Ojo, "and I thankyou. Will you please rescue my companions, also?"

"What companions?" asked the Shaggy Man.

"The leaves grabbed them all," said the boy."There's a Patchwork Girl and--"

"A what?"

"A girl made of patchwork, you know. She'salive and her name is Scraps. And there's aGlass Cat--"

"Glass?" asked the Shaggy Man.

"All glass."

"And alive?"

"Yes," said Ojo; "she has pink brains. Andthere's a Woozy--"

"What's a Woozy?" inquired the Shaggy Man.

"Why, I--I--can't describe it," answered theboy, greatly perplexed. "But it's a queer animalwith three hairs on the tip of its tail that won'tcome out and--"

"What won't come out?" asked the Shaggy Man;"the tail?"

"The hairs won't come out. But you'll see theWoozy, if you'll please rescue it, and then you'llknow just what it is."

"Of course," said the Shaggy Man, nodding hisshaggy head. And then he walked back among theplants, still whistling, and found the threeleaves which were curled around Ojo's travelingcompanions. The first leaf he cut down releasedScraps, and on seeing her the Shaggy Man threwback his shaggy head, opened wide his mouth andlaughed so shaggily and yet so merrily that Scrapsliked him at once. Then he took off his hat andmade her a low bow, saying:

"My dear, you're a wonder. I must introduceyou to my friend the Scarecrow."

When he cut down the second leaf he rescued theGlass Cat, and Bungle was so frightened that shescampered away like a streak and soon had joinedOjo, when she sat beside him panting andtrembling. The last plant of all the row hadcaptured the Woozy, and a big bunch in the centerof the curled leaf showed plainly where he was.With his sharp knife the Shaggy Man sliced off thestem of the leaf and as it fell and unfolded outtrotted the Woozy and escaped beyond the reach ofany more of the dangerous plants.