Lyman Frank Baum

The Road to Oz Lyman Frank Baum

"Please, miss," said the shaggy man, "can you tell me the road to Butterfield?"Dorothy looked him over. Yes, he was shaggy, all right, but there was a twinkle in his eye that seemed pleasant."Oh yes," she replied; "I can tell you. But it isn't this road at all.""No?""You cross the ten-acre lot, follow the lane to the highway, go north to the five branches, and take-let me see-""To be sure, miss; see as far as Butterfield, if you like," said the shaggy man."You take the branch next the willow stump, I b'lieve; or else the branch by the gopher holes; or else-""Won't any of 'em do, miss?""'Course not, Shaggy Man. You must take the right road to get to Butterfield.""And is that the one by the gopher stump, or-""Dear me!" cried Dorothy. "I shall have to show you the way, you're so stupid. Wait a minute till I run in the house and get my sunbonnet."The shaggy man waited. He had an oat-straw in his mouth, which he chewed slowly as if it tasted good; but it didn't. There was an apple-tree beside the house, and some apples had fallen to the ground. The shaggy man thought they would taste better than the oat-straw, so he walked over to get some. A little black dog with bright brown eyes dashed out of the farm-house and ran madly toward the shaggy man, who had already picked up three apples and put them in one of the big wide pockets of his shaggy coat.