The Scarecrow, being light in
weight, was caught up bodily and borne through the air until Tip luckily
seized him by one leg and held him fast. The Woggle-Bug lay flat upon the
roof and so escaped harm,
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199
and the Tin Woodman, whose weight of tin anchored him firmly, threw both
arms around Jack Pumpkinhead and managed to save him. The Saw-Horse toppled
over upon his back and lay with his legs waving helplessly above him.
And now, while all were struggling to recover themselves, the Thing rose
slowly from the roof and mounted into the air.
"Here! Come back!" cried Tip, in a frightened voice, as he clung to the
chimney with one hand and the Scarecrow with the other. "Come back at once,
I command you!"
It was now that the wisdom of the Scarecrow, in bringing the head of the
Thing to life instead of the legs, was proved beyond a doubt. For the Gump,
already high in the air, turned its head at Tip's command and gradually
circled around until it could view the roof of the palace.
"Come back!" shouted the boy, again.
And the Gump obeyed, slowly and gracefully waving its four wings in the air
until the Thing had settled once more upon the roof and become still.
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