Well, the rest of the story is quickly told, for thereturn Journey of our adventurers was without anyimportant incident. The Scarecrow was so afraid ofmeeting the Hip-po-gy-raf, and having his straw eatenagain, that he urged his comrades to select anotherroute to the Emerald City, and they willinglyconsented, so that the Invisible Country was whollyavoided.

Of course, when they reached the Emerald City theirfirst duty was to visit Ozma's palace, where they wereroyally entertained. The Tin Soldier and Woot theWanderer were welcomed as warmly as any strangers mightbe who had been the traveling companions of Ozma's dearold friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman.

At the banquet table that evening they related themanner in which they had discovered Nimmie Amee, andtold how they had found her happily married to Chopfyt,whose relationship to Nick Chopper and Captain Fyterwas so bewildering that they asked Ozma's advice whatto do about it.

"You need not consider Chopfyt at all," replied thebeautiful girl Ruler of Oz. "If Nimmie Amee is contentwith that misfit man for a husband, we have not evenjust cause to blame Ku-Klip for gluing him together."

"I think it was a very good idea," added littleDorothy, "for if Ku-Klip hadn't used up your castoffparts, they would have been wasted. It's wicked to bewasteful, isn't it?"

"Well, anyhow," said Woot the Wanderer, "Chopfyt,being kept a prisoner by his wife, is too far away fromanyone to bother either of you tin men in any way. Ifyou hadn't gone where he is and discovered him, youwould never have worried about him."

"What do you care, anyhow," Betsy Bobbin asked theTin Woodman, "so long as Nimmie Amee is satisfied?"

"And just to think," remarked Tiny Trot, "that anygirl would rather live with a mixture like Chopfyt, onfar-away Mount Munch, than to be the Empress of theWinkies!"

"It is her own choice," said the Tin Woodmancontentedly; "and, after all, I'm not sure the Winkieswould care to have an Empress."

It puzzled Ozma, for a time, to decide what to dowith the Tin Soldier. If he went with the Tin Woodmanto the Emperor's castle, she felt that the two tin menmight not be able to live together in harmony, andmoreover the Emperor would not be so distinguished ifhe had a double constantly beside him. So she askedCaptain Fyter if he was willing to serve her as asoldier, and he promptly declared that nothing wouldplease him more. After he had been in her service forsome time, Ozma sent him into the Gillikin Country,with instructions to keep order among the wild peoplewho inhabit some parts of that unknown country of Oz.

As for Woot, being a Wanderer by profession, he wasallowed to wander wherever he desired, and Ozmapromised to keep watch over his future journeys and toprotect the boy as well as she was able, in case heever got into more trouble.

All this having been happily arranged, the TinWoodman returned to his tin castle, and his chosencomrade, the Scarecrow, accompanied him on the way. Thetwo friends were sure to pass many pleasant hourstogether in talking over their recent adventures, foras they neither ate nor slept they found their greatestamusement in conversation.

THE FAMOUS OZ BOOKSBy L. Frank Baum:

The Wizard of OzThe Land of OzOzma of OzDorothy and the Wizard in OzThe Road to OzThe Emerald City of OzThe Patchwork Girl of OzTik-Tok of OzThe Scarecrow of OzRinkitink in OzThe Lost Princess of OzThe Tin Woodman of OzThe Magic Of OzGlinda of Oz

End of Project Gutenberg's Etext of The Tin Woodman of Oz, by Baum