L. Frank Baum: The Tin Woodman of Oz

Chapter 3. Roundabout (continued)

"It is true," responded the Scarecrow. "We miss suffering from hunger, when food cannot be had, and we miss a stomachache, now and then."

As he said this, the Scarecrow glanced at the Tin Woodman, who nodded his assent.

All that second day they traveled steadily, entertaining one another the while with stories of adventures they had formerly met and listening to the Scarecrow recite poetry. He had learned a great many poems from Professor Wogglebug and loved to repeat them whenever anybody would listen to him. Of course Woot and the Tin Woodman now listened, because they could not do otherwise -- unless they rudely ran away from their stuffed comrade. One of the Scarecrow's recitations was like this:

  "What sound is so sweet
  As the straw from the wheat
When it crunkles so tender and low?
  It is yellow and bright,
  So it gives me delight
To crunkle wherever I go.

  "Sweet, fresh, golden Straw!
  There is surely no flaw
In a stuffing so clean and compact.
  It creaks when I walk,
  And it thrills when I talk,
And its fragrance is fine, for a fact.
  "To cut me don't hurt,

  For I've no blood to squirt,
And I therefore can suffer no pain;
  The straw that I use
  Doesn't lump up or bruise,
Though it's pounded again and again!

  "I know it is said
  That my beautiful head
Has brains of mixed wheat-straw and bran,
  But my thoughts are so good
  I'd not change, if I could,
For the brains of a common meat man.

  "Content with my lot,
  I'm glad that I'm not
Like others I meet day by day;
  If my insides get musty,
  Or mussed-up, or dusty,
I get newly stuffed right away."