Ol ɖs tîm Doṛʈi n hr cmpańnz hd bn wōcñ ʈru ɖ ʈic wŭdz. Ɖ rod wz stl pevd wɖ yelo bric, bt ɖz wr mć cuvrd bî draid branćz n ded līvz fṛm ɖ triz, n ɖ wōcñ wz nt at ol gd.
Ɖr wr fy brdz in ɖs part v ɖ forist, fr brdz luv ɖ opn cuntri ẃr ɖr z plenti v súnśîn. Bt nǎ n ɖen ɖr cem a dīp grǎl fṛm sm wîld animl hidn amñ ɖ triz. Ɖz sǎndz md ɖ litl grl’z hart bìt fast, fr ś dd nt nǒ ẃt md ɖm; bt Toto ń, n h wōct clos t Doṛʈi’z sîd, n dd nt īvn barc in rtrn.
“Hǎ loñ wl it b,” ɖ ćîld asct v ɖ Tin Wŭdmn, “bfr w r ǎt v ɖ forist?”
“I canot tel,” wz ɖ ansr, “fr I hv nvr bn t ɖ Emṛld Siti. Bt mî faɖr wnt ɖr wns, ẃn I wz a bô, n h sd it wz a loñ jrni ʈru a denjṛs cuntri, olɖo nirr t ɖ siti ẃr Óz dwelz ɖ cuntri z bytifl. Bt I am nt afreid so loñ az I hv mî ôlcan, n nʈñ cn hrt ɖ Scercro, ẃl y ber upn yr fōrhed ɖ marc v ɖ Gd Wić’z cis, n ɖt wl pṛtct y fṛm harm.”
“Bt Toto!” sd ɖ grl añśsli. “Ẃt wl pṛtct him?”
“W mst pṛtct him ǎrslvz f h z in denjr,” rplaid ɖ Tin Wŭdmn.
Jst az h spouc ɖr cem fṛm ɖ forist a teṛbl ror, n ɖ nxt momnt a gret Layn bǎndd intu ɖ rod. Wɖ wn blo v hiz pw h snt ɖ Scercro spinñ ovr n ovr t ɖ éj v ɖ rod, n ɖen h struc at ɖ Tin Wŭdmn wɖ hiz śarp clwz. Bt, t ɖ Layn’z s’prîz, h cd mc no impreśn on ɖ tin, olɖo ɖ Wŭdmn fél ovr in ɖ rod n le stl.
Litl Toto, nǎ ɖt h hd an eṇmi t fes, ran barcñ twd ɖ Layn, n ɖ gret bīst hd opnd hiz mǎʈ t bît ɖ dog, ẃn Doṛʈi, firñ Toto wd b cild, n hīdlis v denjr, ruśt fwd n slapt ɖ Layn upn hiz nǒz az hard az ś cd, ẃl ś craid ǎt:
“D’nt y der t bît Toto! Y òt t b aśemd v yrslf, a big bīst lîc y, t bît a pur litl dog!”
“I dd’nt bît him,” sd ɖ Layn, az h rubd hiz nǒz wɖ hiz pw ẃr Doṛʈi hd hit it.
“I nǒ it,” sd ɖ Layn, haññ hiz hed in śem. “I’v olwz noun it. Bt hǎ cn I hlp it?”
“I d’nt nǒ, I’m śr. T ʈnc v yr strîcñ a stuft man, lîc ɖ pur Scercro!”
“Z h stuft?” asct ɖ Layn in s’prîz, az h woćt hr pic p ɖ Scercro n set him upn hiz fīt, ẃl ś patd him intu śep agn.
“V cors h’z stuft,” rplaid Doṛʈi, hu wz stl angri.
“Ɖt’s ẃ h wnt ovr so īẓli,” rmarct ɖ Layn. “It astoniśt m t si him ẃrl arnd so. Z ɖ uɖr wn stuft olso?”
“No,” sd Doṛʈi, “h’z md v tin.” N ś hlpt ɖ Wŭdmn p agn.
“Ɖt’s ẃ h nirli bluntd mî clwz,” sd ɖ Layn. “Ẃn ɖe scraćt agnst ɖ tin it md a cold śivr run dǎn mî bac. Ẃt z ɖt litl animl y r so tndr v?”
“H z mî dog, Toto,” ansrd Doṛʈi.
“Z h md v tin, or stuft?” asct ɖ Layn.
“Nɖr. H’z a—a—a mìtdog,” sd ɖ grl.
“Ǒ! H’z a krịs animl n sīmz rmarcbli smōl, nǎ ɖt I lc at him. Nwn wd ʈnc v bîtñ sć a litl ʈñ, xpt a cawd lîc m,” cntinyd ɖ Layn sadli.
“Ẃt mcs y a cawd?” asct Doṛʈi, lcñ at ɖ gret bīst in wundr, fr h wz az big az a smōl hors.
“It’s a misṭri,” rplaid ɖ Layn. “I s’poz I wz born ɖt we. Ol ɖ uɖr animlz in ɖ forist naćṛli xpct m t b brev, fr ɖ Layn z evrẃr ʈt t b ɖ Cñ v Bīsts. I lrnt ɖt f I rord vri lǎdli evri livñ ʈñ wz frîtnd n got ǎt v mî we. Ẃnvr I’v met a man I’v bn ōḟli scerd; bt I jst rord at him, n h hz olwz run awe az fast az h cd g. F ɖ elifnts n ɖ tîgrz n ɖ berz hd evr traid t fît m, I śd hv run mslf—I’m sć a cawd; bt jst az sn az ɖe hír m ror ɖe ol trî t gt awe fṛm m, n v cors I let ɖm g.”
“Bt ɖt z’nt rît. Ɖ Cñ v Bīsts śd’nt b a cawd,” sd ɖ Scercro.
“I nǒ it,” rtrnd ɖ Layn, wîpñ a tir fṛm hiz î wɖ ɖ tip v hiz teil. “It z mî gret soro, n mcs mî lîf vri unhapi. Bt ẃnvr ɖr z denjr, mî hart bginz t bìt fast.”
“Phps y hv hart dziz,” sd ɖ Tin Wŭdmn.
“It me b,” sd ɖ Layn.
“F y hv,” cntinyd ɖ Tin Wŭdmn, “y òt t b glad, fr it pruvz y hv a hart. Fr mî part, I hv no hart; so I canot hv hart dziz.”
“Phps,” sd ɖ Layn ʈōtḟli, “f I hd no hart I śd nt b a cawd.”
“Hv y brenz?” asct ɖ Scercro.
“I s’poz so. I’v nvr lct t si,” rplaid ɖ Layn.
“I am gwñ t ɖ Gret Óz t asc him t gv m sm,” rmarct ɖ Scercro, “fr mî hed z stuft wɖ strw.”
“N I am gwñ t asc him t gv m a hart,” sd ɖ Wŭdmn.
“N I am gwñ t asc him t snd Toto n m bac t Canẓs,” add Doṛʈi.
“D y ʈnc Óz cd gv m curij?” asct ɖ Cawdli Layn.
“Jst az īẓli az h cd gv m brenz,” sd ɖ Scercro.
“Or gv m a hart,” sd ɖ Tin Wŭdmn.
“Or snd m bac t Canẓs,” sd Doṛʈi.
“Ɖen, f y d’nt mînd, I’l g wɖ y,” sd ɖ Layn, “fr mî lîf z simpli unbeṛbl wɖt a bit v curij.”
“Y wl b vri welcm,” ansrd Doṛʈi, “fr y wl hlp t cīp awe ɖ uɖr wîld bīsts. It sīmz t m ɖe mst b mor cawdli ɖn y r f ɖe alǎ y t scer ɖm so īẓli.”
“Ɖe riyli r,” sd ɖ Layn, “bt ɖt dz’nt mc m eni brevr, n az loñ az I nǒ mslf t b a cawd I śl b unhapi.”
So wns mor ɖ litl cumṗni set of upn ɖ jrni, ɖ Layn wōcñ wɖ stetli strîdz at Doṛʈi’z sîd. Toto dd nt apruv v ɖs ny comred at frst, fr h cd nt fget hǎ nirli h hd bn cruśt btwn ɖ Layn’z gret jwz. Bt aftr a tîm h bcem mor at īz, n prezntli Toto n ɖ Cawdli Layn hd groun t b gd frendz.
Jrñ ɖ rest v ɖt de ɖr wz no uɖr advnćr t mar ɖ pīs v ɖer jrni. Wns, indd, ɖ Tin Wŭdmn stept upn a bītl ɖt wz crōlñ alñ ɖ rod, n cild ɖ pur litl ʈñ. Ɖs md ɖ Tin Wŭdmn vri unhapi, fr h wz olwz cerfl nt t hrt eni livñ crīćr; n az h wōct alñ h wept sevṛl tirz v soro n rgret. Ɖz tirz ran slǒli dǎn hiz fes n ovr ɖ hinjz v hiz jw, n ɖr ɖe rustd. Ẃn Doṛʈi prezntli asct him a qsćn ɖ Tin Wŭdmn cd nt opn hiz mǎʈ, fr hiz jwz wr tîtli rustd tgɖr. H bcem gretli frîtnd at ɖs n md mni mośnz t Doṛʈi t rliv him, bt ś cd nt unḍstand. Ɖ Layn wz olso puzld t nǒ ẃt wz roñ. Bt ɖ Scercro sizd ɖ ôlcan fṛm Doṛʈi’z bascit n ôld ɖ Wŭdmn’z jwz, so ɖt aftr a fy momnts h cd tōc az wel az bfr.
“Ɖs wl srv m a lésn,” sd h, “t lc ẃr I step. Fr f I śd cil anɖr bug or bītl I śd śrli crî agn, n crayñ rusts mî jwz so ɖt I canot spīc.”
Ɖr-aftr h wōct vri cerḟli, wɖ hiz îz on ɖ rod, n ẃn h sw a tîni ant tôlñ bî h wd step ovr it, so az nt t harm it. Ɖ Tin Wŭdmn ń vri wel h hd no hart, n ɖrfr h tc gret cer nvr t b cruwl or uncînd t enʈñ.
“Y ppl wɖ harts,” h sd, “hv smʈñ t gîd y, n nīd nvr d roñ; bt I hv no hart, n so I mst b vri cerfl. Ẃn Óz gvz m a hart v cors I nīd’nt mînd so mć.”
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