穿过森林的路
几个小时后，路开始变得崎岖，行走也越发艰难，稻草人常常被这里凹凸不平的黄砖绊倒。有时那些砖块干脆破碎或完全缺失，留下一个个土坑，托托一跃而过，多萝西绕道而行。至于稻草人，因为他没有脑子，总是直着往前走，于是踩进坑里，结结实实摔在硬砖上。不过他从不觉得疼，多萝西便把他扶起，让他重新站好，而他则和她一起对自己的狼狈相快活地大笑。
这里的农庄远没有后方那些打理得周到。房屋更少，果树也更稀，他们越往前走，乡野便越显阴郁孤寂。
正午，他们在小溪边的路旁坐下，多萝西打开篮子取出些面包。她递了一块给稻草人，他却拒绝了。
“我从不会饿，”他说，“幸好我不饿，因为我嘴只是画上去的，要是割个洞好吃东西，里面塞的稻草就会漏出来，那可就毁了我脑袋的形状。”
多萝西立刻明白他说的是实情，便只点点头，继续吃她的面包。
“跟我说说你自己，还有你来的那个国度吧。”稻草人等她吃完午饭说道。于是她把堪萨斯的一切都告诉了他：那里怎样灰蒙蒙的，旋风又怎样把她吹到这奇怪的奥兹国。
稻草人仔细听着，说道：“我不懂你为何要离开这美丽的国家，回到那个干燥灰暗、你称为堪萨斯的地方。”
“那是因为你没脑子，”女孩答道，“不管我们的家多么沉闷灰暗，我们这些有血有肉的人，也情愿住在那儿，而不去任何别的国家，哪怕它再美丽。没有什么比得上家。”
稻草人叹了口气。
“我当然没法明白，”他说，“要是你们的脑袋也像我一样塞满稻草，你们大概都会住在美丽的地方，那堪萨斯就一个人也没有了。堪萨斯有你们这些有脑子的人，真是幸运。”
“我们歇着的时候，你讲个故事好不好？”孩子问。
稻草人略带责备地望着她，答道：
“我生命太短，实在什么也不知道。我前天才被造出来。那之前世上发生的事，我全无所知。幸好农夫做我脑袋时，头几件事里就画上了耳朵，所以我听见了外面的动静。当时他身旁还有个芒奇金人，我听到的第一句话，是农夫说：‘你觉得这耳朵怎么样？’
“‘不太直，’另一个答道。
“‘没关系，’农夫说，‘反正也是耳朵。’这话倒不假。
“‘现在我来画眼睛，’农夫说。他便画了我的右眼，一画好，我就发现自己正好奇地望着他 and 周围的一切，因为我那是头一回瞧见这世界。
“‘这眼睛挺漂亮，’一旁看着的芒奇金人评论，‘蓝颜料正配眼睛。’
“‘我想把另一只画大一点，’农夫说。等第二只眼画完，我看得比先前清楚多了。接着他做了我的鼻子和嘴。我没出声，因为那时还不知道嘴是干什么用的。我兴致勃勃地看着他们做好我的身子、胳膊和腿；等最后他们把我的头安上去，我骄傲极了，觉得自己不比任何人差。
“‘这家伙准能吓跑乌鸦，’农夫说，‘看着就跟真人一样。’
“‘嗨，他本来就是个人嘛，’另一个说，我也十分赞同。农夫夹着我胳膊到了玉米地，把我架在一根高杆上，也就是你发现我的地方。他和朋友不久便走开，留我独自一人。
“我不喜欢这样被丢下。便想跟上去。可我的脚够不着地，只好待在杆子上。那日子真孤单，因为我才被造出来不久，没什么可想的。许多乌鸦和其他鸟飞进玉米地，可一见我就又飞走了，以为我是芒奇金人；这倒让我高兴，觉得自己是个挺要紧的人物。后来一只老乌鸦飞近我，仔细打量后停在我肩上说：
“‘我倒要看看那农夫是不是拿这笨法子糊弄我。稍有头脑的乌鸦都看得出你只是塞满了稻草。’说完他跳到我脚边，想吃多少玉米吃多少。别的鸟见我没伤着他，也来吃玉米，不多时我四周便聚了一大群。
“我为此难过，因为这说明我终究不是个好稻草人；可老乌鸦安慰我：‘你脑袋里只要有了脑子，便不比他们任何人差，还强过其中几个。这世上唯有脑子值得拥有，不管你是乌鸦还是人。’
“乌鸦走后我琢磨这话，决心努力弄些脑子。幸好你走来把我从杆上拔下，听你所说，我确信到了翡翠城，伟大的奥兹定会给我脑子。”
“但愿如此，”多萝西恳切地说，“既然你这么想要。”
“哦，是的，我急得很，”稻草人回道，“知道自己是个傻瓜，真叫人难受。”
“好吧，”女孩说，“我们走吧。”她把篮子递给稻草人。
此刻路旁已全然没有栅栏，土地粗糙荒芜。临近傍晚，他们来到一片大森林，树木高大茂密，枝丫在黄砖路上方交错。树下几乎漆黑，因为枝叶挡住了日光；但行路者并未停下，继续走进了森林。
“这路既然进来，总得出去，”稻草人说，“翡翠城在路的那一头，我们只好随它领到哪儿去。”
“这谁都懂，”多萝西说。
“当然，所以我才懂，”稻草人答道，“若要靠脑子想出来，我绝说不出这话。”
大约一小时后，光线褪尽，他们只能在黑暗中磕绊前行。多萝西什么都看不见，托托却可以，因为有些狗在暗处看得很清；稻草人宣称自己和白天看得一样好。于是她挽住他的胳膊，勉强走得还算稳当。
“你要是瞧见什么屋子，或能过夜的地方，”她说，“一定告诉我；黑地里走真难受。”
不久稻草人停下。
“我看见右边有座小木屋，”他说，“用原木和树枝搭的。我们去吗？”
“去，当然去，”孩子答道，“我累坏了。”
稻草人领她穿过树林到了木屋前，多萝西进去，发现一角铺着干叶的床。她立刻躺下，托托卧在身旁，不久便沉沉睡着。稻草人从不疲倦，站在另一角耐心等候天明。
The Road Through the Forest
After a few hours the road began to be rough, and the walking grew so
difficult that the Scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow bricks,
which were here very uneven. Sometimes, indeed, they were broken or
missing altogether, leaving holes that Toto jumped across and Dorothy
walked around. As for the Scarecrow, having no brains, he walked
straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full length
on the hard bricks. It never hurt him, however, and Dorothy would pick
him up and set him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughing
merrily at his own mishap.
The farms were not nearly so well cared for here as they were farther
back. There were fewer houses and fewer fruit trees, and the farther
they went the more dismal and lonesome the country became.
At noon they sat down by the roadside, near a little brook, and Dorothy
opened her basket and got out some bread. She offered a piece to the
Scarecrow, but he refused.
“I am never hungry,” he said, “and it is a lucky thing I am not, for my
mouth is only painted, and if I should cut a hole in it so I could eat,
the straw I am stuffed with would come out, and that would spoil the
shape of my head.”
Dorothy saw at once that this was true, so she only nodded and went on
eating her bread.
“Tell me something about yourself and the country you came from,” said
the Scarecrow, when she had finished her dinner. So she told him all
about Kansas, and how gray everything was there, and how the cyclone
had carried her to this queer Land of Oz.
The Scarecrow listened carefully, and said, “I cannot understand why
you should wish to leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry,
gray place you call Kansas.”
“That is because you have no brains” answered the girl. “No matter how
dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would
rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful.
There is no place like home.”
The Scarecrow sighed.
“Of course I cannot understand it,” he said. “If your heads were
stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the
beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is
fortunate for Kansas that you have brains.”
“Won’t you tell me a story, while we are resting?” asked the child.
The Scarecrow looked at her reproachfully, and answered:
“My life has been so short that I really know nothing whatever. I was
only made day before yesterday. What happened in the world before that
time is all unknown to me. Luckily, when the farmer made my head, one
of the first things he did was to paint my ears, so that I heard what
was going on. There was another Munchkin with him, and the first thing
I heard was the farmer saying, ‘How do you like those ears?’
“‘They aren’t straight,’” answered the other.
“‘Never mind,’” said the farmer. “‘They are ears just the same,’” which
was true enough.
