Did you know?

That the tinman was once a real man?

I had never read "The Wizard of Oz". I've only seen the movie. I happen to have a copy of the book, and I started reading it to AJ the other night. We do one chapter a night. So far he likes it.
Last night we got to chapter 5 where Dorothy and Scarecrow meet the tin man. It has been a while since I've seen the movie, but I don't recall them relaying the story of exactly how the tin man became the tin man, and lost his heart. The movie is quite different from the book (as usually happens), but I really think I would remember this! As I was reading it I just kept thinking, "what am I reading to my son?!? He's gonna have nightmares!"

In Chapter 5 the tin man tells Dorothy and Scarecrow his story(my paraphrasing):

The tin man was born the son of a woodsman. He also became a woodsman, and when his father died, he lived with his mother and took care of her until she died. At that time he decided that he should marry and have a family. He found this pretty little (goes without saying I suppose) munchkin chick that he liked, and they fell in love. She said she would marry him when he was able to provide a home for them( ::::cough:::::gold digger!!!:::::cough::::). Unfortunately, she lived with a grumpy old lady who didn't want the pretty munchkin chick to marry the woodsman. So, the old lady went to the wicked witch of the East and asked her help in stopping the marriage.

One day the tin man was out chopping wood. When his axe came down, it cut off his leg! Surely, that was the end of his plans to marry, as he couldn't be a woodsman with only one leg. He loved the munchkin chick so much that he went to the tinsmith and had a leg made.
This pissed off the wicked witch of the East. So, when the tin man went out to chop down more trees.....yup...he cut his other leg off. Back to the tinsmith for another leg. More cutting trees, and he cuts him arm off. So of course he gets a tin arm. Do you think he gets the hint? NO! He goes back and his other arm gets cut off, so a second tin arm is in his future. Now the witch is really pissed off. Next time ole tin limbs goes out to cut trees.......he cuts his friggin head off! Yep....he gets a tin head.

Still he is bent on being able to make a home for him and the munchkin chick that he loves so much. So, he goes about his woodcutting business. This time when the ax falls it cuts his torso right in half. That is how he lost his heart. He had a tin body made, but because he lost his heart, he no longer cared about marrying the pretty munchkin girl. He wants a heart from Oz so he can once again care about finding the girl he loved and marry her.

It's a toss up. Is the tinman's story one about the power of love...or about the excellent health care coverage the woodsman union must have?

So...did you know the tinman's gory story?