L.Frank Baum. The marvelous land of Oz -
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defeating the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, who had made Tip one of their
friends.
Mombi had no sooner arrived at the royal palace than she discovered,
by means of her secret magic, that the adventurers were starting upon
their Journey to the Emerald City; so she retired to a small room high up
in a tower and locked herself in while she practised such arts as she
could command to prevent the return of the Scarecrow and his companions.
That was why the Tin Woodman presently stopped and said:
"Something very curious has happened. I ought to know by heart and
every step of this Journey, yet I fear we have already lost our way."
"That is quite impossible!" protested the Scarecrow. "Why do you
think, my dear friend, that we have gone astray?"
"Why, here before us is a great field of sunflowers - and I never saw
this field before in all my life."
At these words they all looked around, only to find that they were
indeed surrounded by a field of tall stalks, every stalk bearing at its
top a gigantic sunflower. And not only were these flowers almost blinding
in their vivid hues of red and gold, but each one whirled around upon its
stalk like a miniature wind-mill, completely dazzling the vision of the
beholders and so mystifying them that they knew not which way to turn.
"It's witchcraft!" exclaimed Tip.
While they paused, hesitating and wondering, the Tin Woodman uttered
a cry of impatience and advanced with swinging axe to cut down the stalks
before him. But now the sunflowers suddenly stopped their rapid whirling,
and the travelers plainly saw a girl's face appear in the center of each
flower. These lovely faces looked upon the astonished band with mocking
smiles, and then burst into a chorus of merry laughter at the dismay their