"When will we be out of this forest?" Dorothy asked the Tin Man.
"Oh, I don't know," he replied. "But we are safe. I have my ax and my oilcan. Nothing but fire can hurt the Scarecrow. And you have the kiss of the Good Witch on your forehead."
"Who will protect Toto?" asked Dorothy nervously.
Suddenly a lion jumped onto the road and made a terrible roar. With one blow of his paw, the lion sent the Scarecrow spinning, and with another blow, he struck the Tin Man down.
Toto barked and rushed toward the lion. The lion opened his mouth, and Dorothy was frightened for Toto. She slapped the lion on his nose as hard as she could.
"Don't you dare bite Toto!" screamed Dorothy. "You should be ashamed! A big lion like you biting a little dog!"
"I didn't bite him," said the Lion.
"No, but you tried to," said Dorothy. "You're nothing but a big coward."
"Yes," said the Lion, hanging his head in shame. "I can't help it. I've always been a coward."
"Why are you a coward?" asked Dorothy, looking at the great beast in surprise. He was as big as a small horse.
"I don't know," he replied. "I guess I was born this way. I've never had to fight. I've only had to roar."
"That's not right," said the Scarecrow. "A lion should be brave."
"Yes," said the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with his tail. "But whenever there is danger, I get scared."
"You just need some courage," said the Tin Man.
"Yes," said the Lion tearfully. "I need courage."
"You should come with us," said Dorothy.
"We're going to see the Wizard," added the Tin Man.
"The Wizard?" asked the Lion.
"Yes, the Wizard of Oz," explained Dorothy. "I want to go home; the Scarecrow wants a brain; the Tin Man wants a heart; and you need courage."
"Yes, courage," said the Lion. "I want to ask for courage."
They camped under a large tree near a small stream. Dorothy and Toto ate the last of their bread.
"Take these," said the Scarecrow, giving Dorothy a handful of nuts. "If squirrels can eat them, then so can you."
"Oh, thank you," said Dorothy.
After breakfast they set off. While walking, they heard strange noises. They immediately began to run.
"Did you hear that?" asked Dorothy.
"They are the Khalidahs," said the Lion.
"What are the Khalidahs?" asked Dorothy.
"They are monsters with bodies like bears and heads like tigers," replied the Lion. "I'm very afraid of them."
Dorothy and the others reached a cliff with a river far below.
"Oh no!" screamed Dorothy. "We're trapped! What will we do now?"
"Here is a tall tree," said the Scarecrow thoughtfully. "With Tin Man's help, we could make a bridge."
"Excellent idea," said the Lion.
Tin Man cut down the tree so it formed a bridge across the river. As the group began to cross, they heard a sharp growl. They all turned to look and saw two Khalidahs running toward them.
"Quick!" cried the Lion. He roared at the Khalidahs while his friends made it across the bridge. The Khalidahs stopped but then rushed forward again.
"My roar didn't work!" cried the Lion. "They're still coming!"
"Tin Man, start chopping the bridge!" said the Scarecrow.
"Yes," said Dorothy, "and hurry!"
Right away the Tin Man swung his ax at the bridge. The bridge soon collapsed, carrying the ugly beasts with it into the river below.
"You were so brave," Dorothy said to the Lion.
"No, I was so scared," said the Lion.
"Anyway, we made it," said Dorothy, relieved.
"Yes, and look," said the Tin Man. "We're almost out of the forest."
"To the Emerald City!" said Dorothy.