L.Frank Baum. The marvelous land of Oz -
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way."
"Very well, dear father." just as you say, replied the smiling Jack,
who had been in no wise confused by his tumble.
Tip sat down again. Presently the Pumpkinhead asked:
"What is that thing you are sitting on?"
"Oh, this is a horse," replied the boy, carelessly.
"What is a horse?" demanded Jack.
"A horse? Why, there are two kinds of horses," returned Tip, slightly
puzzled how to explain. "One kind of horse is alive, and has four legs and
a head and a tail. And people ride upon its back."
"I understand," said Jack, cheerfully "That's the kind of horse you
are now sitting on."
"No, it isn't," answered Tip, promptly.
"Why not? That one has four legs, and a head, and a tail." Tip looked
at the saw-horse more carefully, and found that the Pumpkinhead was right.
The body had been formed from a tree-trunk, and a branch had been left
sticking up at one end that looked very much like a tail. In the other end
were two big knots that resembled eyes, and a place had been chopped away
that might easily be mistaken for the horse's mouth. As for the legs, they
were four straight limbs cut from trees and stuck fast into the body,
being spread wide apart so that the saw-horse would stand firmly when a
log was laid across it to be sawed.
"This thing resembles a real horse more than I imagined," said Tip,
trying to explain. "But a real horse is alive, and trots and prances and
eats oats, while this is nothing more than a dead horse, made of wood, and
used to saw logs upon."
"If it were alive, wouldn't it trot, and prance, and eat oats?"
inquired the Pumpkinhead.
"It would trot and prance, perhaps; but it wouldn't eat oats,"
replied the boy, laughing at the idea." And of course it can't ever be