"Why-why, th-th-that o-old b-b-biddy," stuttered the Tin Woodman. "Who-who does she th-think she is?" "She called me a pussy-cat!" said the Lion angrily. "I'll show her!" he said, putting up his paw-fists in a mock-fighting stance. He pranced around, shadow-boxing, making Dorothy laugh. Her laughter eased the tension somewhat, although they were all rather apprehensive about continuing their journey toward Thoughtformland. "If you'd rather not go on, Dorothy," the Tin Woodman said, hesitantly. "Oh, no!" said Dorothy. "Love is stronger than hate. We will overcome. If we return now, the witch will have won. Evil will have overcome, and fear will be a part of your daily lives again. We must talk to the Wicked Witch. We must reason with her." "T-t-talk to her?" stammered the Scarecrow. "Reason with her!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman. "Do you know what you're saying, Dorothy?" said the Lion. "I knew one of the Winkies who used to work for her sister, and he told me that when this one used to come and visit her, she would rant and rave and scream and yell the whole time she was visiting. Nobody could just talk to her. Of course, her sister was just as bad. They were quite a pair together. I don't see how you could talk to her." "Not only that," interceded the Scarecrow. "This one holds Dorothy responsible for the death of her sisters." "But it was an accident!" said Dorothy. "I had no control over where the cyclone chose to plop my house down, and when I threw the bucket of water over the other sister I was as surprised as anyone that the water melted her away. Everyone knows I'm completely innocent" "Everyone but her," said the Tin Woodman. "She believes that you killed her sisters on purpose. She wants revenge, there's no question about that." "Oh, dear," said Dorothy, sitting down on a rock and cupping her head in her hands. "What are we going to do?" "There, there. Don't be discouraged," said the Lion, putting his paw on Dorothy's shoulder. "We must have courage, and trust that somewhere within the murky depths of her being there is a spark of goodness not yet dead that can be kindled into a glowing ember." "You're right," said Dorothy, standing up briskly. "If we give up now, we would never forgive ourselves; we must give it all we've got and forget our fears, like Daniel in the lions' den." * Chapter Sixteen: Thoughtformland * "I'm trying to imagine what Thoughtformland is like," said the Tin Woodman as they continued their journey. "The Wicked Witch said that all of her thoughts were here," said the Scarecrow. "If thoughts have forms, what kind of shape must her thoughts be in?" said the Lion half to himself. "What did you say?" said Dorothy. "I said," repeated the Lion, "If the thoughts have forms, what kind of shape must her thoughts be in?" "Which might apply to us all," said Dorothy. "What?" asked the Lion. "What did you say?" "I said," replied Dorothy, beginning to sing: