"
"You may say what you please," answered the Tin Woodman, briefly.
146
So the Woggle-Bug sat down upon the grass, facing the little group of
wanderers, and told them the following story:
Line-Art Drawing
147 A Highly Magnified History
"It is but honest that I should acknowledge at the beginning of my recital
that I was born an ordinary Woggle-Bug," began the creature, in a frank and
friendly tone. "Knowing no better, I used my arms as well as my legs for
walking, and crawled under the edges of stones or hid among the roots of
grasses with no thought beyond finding a few insects smaller than myself to
feed upon.
"The chill nights rendered me stiff and motionless, for I wore no clothing,
but each morning the warm rays of the sun gave me new life and restored me
to activity. A horrible existence is this, but you must remember it is the
regular ordained existence of Woggle-Bugs, as well as of many other tiny
creatures that inhabit the earth.
"But Destiny had singled me out, humble though I was, for a grander fate!
One day I crawled near
148
to a country school house, and my curiosity being excited by the monotonous
hum of the students within, I made bold to enter and creep along a crack
between two boards until I reached the far end, where, in front of a hearth
of glowing embers, sat the master at his desk.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107