"
"Exactly so!" declared the little man, rubbing his hands
together as if it pleased him. "I am a humbug."
"But this is terrible," said the Tin Woodman. "How shall I
ever get my heart?"
"Or I my courage?" asked the Lion.
"Or I my brains?" wailed the Scarecrow, wiping the tears from
his eyes with his coat sleeve.
"My dear friends," said Oz, "I pray you not to speak of these
little things. Think of me, and the terrible trouble I'm in at
being found out."
"Doesn't anyone else know you're a humbug?" asked Dorothy.
"No one knows it but you four--and myself," replied Oz. "I
have fooled everyone so long that I thought I should never be
found out. It was a great mistake my ever letting you into the
Throne Room. Usually I will not see even my subjects, and so they
believe I am something terrible."
"But, I don't understand," said Dorothy, in bewilderment.
"How was it that you appeared to me as a great Head?"
"That was one of my tricks," answered Oz.
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