I’ve never read the Wizard of Oz and I’ve always assumed that I knew the story.  It turns out, and this shouldn’t surprise me, that there’s a lot more to the story than what made it into the movie.  There are back-stories for the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. 

In church today our pastor told us about the Tin Man’s story.  Apparently the Tin Man was the son of a Woodsman who himself became a Woodsman when he grew into a man.  He met and fell in love with a young lady and asked her to wed him.  The girl said yes and the Tin Man set to work earning the money, preparing to take care of his bride.

The woman’s mother opposed the wedding and went to the Wicked Witch.  The Witch put a spell on the young woodsman’s ax.  Every time he swung the ax at a tree the ax would swing wildly.  Before long the ax took off one of his legs.  Refused to admit defeat, the woodsman went to the tinsmith who fashioned a leg for him.

The woodsman continued to work with his enchanted ax and took off his second leg and then an arm.  Each time, for each limb, he would visit the tinsmith and have a new limb fashioned.  It was only a matter of time until the ax cut into the woodsman’s chest. 

Now made entirely of tin, the woodsman took on a new moniker, The Tin Man, and continued to work, cutting down trees in the forests of Oz.  He no longer had a reason to work though.  His bride was gone.  With nothing else to do, the Tin Man worked even harder.  He didn’t even stop to oil his joints. 

And this is how Dorothy found him.  He was completely seized up with rust and within reach of the oil but unable to grab it.  He was unable to help himself. 

After Dorothy helped him the Tin Man said the following (and I’m paraphrasing):

The greatest loss I have experience was the loss of my heart.  For one cannot love who has not a heart.