L.Frank Baum. The marvelous land of Oz -
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roof by the terrible breeze raised by the wings. 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, 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.
"This," said the Gump, in a squeaky voice not at all proportioned to
the size of its great body, "is the most novel experience I ever heard of.
The last thing I remember distinctly is walking through the forest and
hearing a loud noise. Something probably killed me then, and it certainly
ought to have been the end of me. Yet here I am, alive again, with four
monstrous wings and a body which I venture to say would make any
respectable animal or fowl weep with shame to own. What does it all mean?