"
"Don't say that, I beg of you!" cried the Tin Woodman, whose excellent heart
was strongly affected by this sad speech." Are you not feeling well today?"
"Oh, as for that," returned the Gump, "it is my first day of existence; so I
cannot Judge whether I am feeling well or ill." And it waved its broom tail
to and fro in a pensive manner.
"Come, come!" said the Scarecrow, kindly. "do try, to be more cheerful and
take life as you find it. We shall be kind masters, and will strive to
render your existence as pleasant as possible. Are you willing to carry us
through the air wherever we wish to go?"
"Certainly," answered the Gump. "I greatly prefer to navigate the air. For
should I travel on the earth and meet with one of my own species, my
embarrassment would be something awful!"
"I can appreciate that," said the Tin Woodman, sympathetically.
"And yet," continued the Thing, "when I carefully
203
look you over, my masters, none of you seems to be constructed much more
artistically than I am."
"Appearances are deceitful," said the Woggle-Bug, earnestly. "I am both
Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated."
"Indeed!" murmured the Gump, indifferently.
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