Straightway a great flock of wild crows came flying toward her,enough to darken the sky.
And the Wicked Witch said to the King Crow, "Fly at once tothe strangers; peck out their eyes and tear them to pieces."The wild crows flew in one great flock toward Dorothy and hercompanions. When the little girl saw them coming she was afraid.But the Scarecrow said, "This is my battle, so lie down besideme and you will not be harmed."
So they all lay upon the ground except the Scarecrow, and hestood up and stretched out his arms. And when the crows saw himthey were frightened, as these birds always are by scarecrows, anddid not dare to come any nearer. But the King Crow said:"It is only a stuffed man. I will peck his eyes out."The King Crow flew at the Scarecrow, who caught it by the headand twisted its neck until it died. And then another crow flew athim, and the Scarecrow twisted its neck also. There were fortycrows, and forty times the Scarecrow twisted a neck, until at lastall were lying dead beside him. Then he called to his companionsto rise, and again they went upon their journey.When the Wicked Witch looked out again and saw all her crowslying in a heap, she got into a terrible rage, and blew threetimes upon her silver whistle.
Forthwith there was heard a great buzzing in the air, and aswarm of black bees came flying toward her."Go to the strangers and sting them to death!" commandedthe Witch, and the bees turned and flew rapidly until they cameto where Dorothy and her friends were walking. But the Woodmanhad seen them coming, and the Scarecrow had decided what to do."Take out my straw and scatter it over the little girl and thedog and the Lion," he said to the Woodman, "and the bees cannotsting them." This the Woodman did, and as Dorothy lay close besidethe Lion and held Toto in her arms, the straw covered them entirely.The bees came and found no one but the Woodman to sting, sothey flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin,without hurting the Woodman at all. And as bees cannot live whentheir stings are broken that was the end of the black bees, andthey lay scattered thick about the Woodman, like little heaps offine coal.
Then Dorothy and the Lion got up, and the girl helped the TinWoodman put the straw back into the Scarecrow again, until he wasas good as ever. So they started upon their journey once more.The Wicked Witch was so angry when she saw her black bees inlittle heaps like fine coal that she stamped her foot and tore herhair and gnashed her teeth. And then she called a dozen of herslaves, who were the Winkies, and gave them sharp spears, tellingthem to go to the strangers and destroy them.The Winkies were not a brave people, but they had to do asthey were told. So they marched away until they came near toDorothy. Then the Lion gave a great roar and sprang towards them,and the poor Winkies were so frightened that they ran back as fast
