The Sawhorse
Encyclopedia
The Saw-Horse, sometimes spelled Sawhorse, is a character from L Frank Baum's Oz books series. He first appears in The Marvelous Land of Oz
.
brought to life with the powder of life by Tip to carry Jack Pumpkinhead, whose wooden joints were wearing out from walking. He is a log with a notch cut in one end for a mouth, two knots for eyes and a branch for a tail. When he was first made he had no ears and could not follow directions, so Tip whittled him two. He also had a post installed on his back so Jack could hold on while riding. His friends deride him as the least intelligent member of their party, though he usually has intelligent things to say when he speaks.
The Saw-Horse is one of the fastest creatures in Oz because he never gets tired. He carries Glinda
in her pursuit of Mombi
into the desert while the latter is in the form of a gryphon
. Princess Ozma
has his legs shod with plates of gold to keep his legs from wearing out.
In The Marvelous Land of Oz, Baum emphasizes the awkwardness with which the Saw-Horse walks, tottering one way and then the other because his legs do not bend, and front and hind move together. In Ozma of Oz
, he is described as walking as well as a real horse; however, he approaches the Giant with the Hammer too quickly, and sends his rider, Omby Amby, up to the giant's arm. This knocks off his ears and leaves him deaf until they can be replaced. He is integral in defeating the Nome King
, kicking him with his hind legs in order to protect Dorothy Gale
.
In later Oz books, he is frequently shown drawing Ozma's Red Wagon.
In March Laumer
's The Careless Kangaroo of Oz, he is given the proper name
"Lignum."
The Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published on July 5, 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This and the next...
.
History
The Saw-Horse is literally a sawhorseSawhorse
A sawhorse is a beam with four legs used to support a board or plank for sawing. A pair of sawhorses can support a plank, forming a scaffold. In certain circles, it is also known as a mule.The sawhorse may be designed to fold for storage...
brought to life with the powder of life by Tip to carry Jack Pumpkinhead, whose wooden joints were wearing out from walking. He is a log with a notch cut in one end for a mouth, two knots for eyes and a branch for a tail. When he was first made he had no ears and could not follow directions, so Tip whittled him two. He also had a post installed on his back so Jack could hold on while riding. His friends deride him as the least intelligent member of their party, though he usually has intelligent things to say when he speaks.
The Saw-Horse is one of the fastest creatures in Oz because he never gets tired. He carries Glinda
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
in her pursuit of Mombi
Mombi
Mombi is a wicked old witch from L. Frank Baum Oz Books. She appears in the book The Marvelous Land of Oz and is alluded to in other works. Of all the wicked witches in L...
into the desert while the latter is in the form of a gryphon
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
. Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the series except the first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and L...
has his legs shod with plates of gold to keep his legs from wearing out.
In The Marvelous Land of Oz, Baum emphasizes the awkwardness with which the Saw-Horse walks, tottering one way and then the other because his legs do not bend, and front and hind move together. In Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tiktok, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein published on July 30, 1907, was the third book of L....
, he is described as walking as well as a real horse; however, he approaches the Giant with the Hammer too quickly, and sends his rider, Omby Amby, up to the giant's arm. This knocks off his ears and leaves him deaf until they can be replaced. He is integral in defeating the Nome King
Nome King
The Nome King is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Although the Wicked Witch of the West is the most famous of Oz's villains , the Nome King is the closest the book series has to a main antagonist.-In the novels:The character called the Nome King is originally named Roquat the Red...
, kicking him with his hind legs in order to protect Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
.
In later Oz books, he is frequently shown drawing Ozma's Red Wagon.
In March Laumer
March Laumer
March Laumer was an American author, primarily of books on the Land of Oz.March Laumer was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the son of an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was the older brother of science fiction writer Keith Laumer; their youngest brother Frank was also a writer, on historical...
's The Careless Kangaroo of Oz, he is given the proper name
Proper name
"A proper name [is] a word that answers the purpose of showing what thing it is that we are talking about" writes John Stuart Mill in A System of Logic , "but not of telling anything about it"...
"Lignum."