The Wizard of Arts

If I Only Had a Brain

It was a very long walk, and Lucera was still a long way from the city when she came across a patch of colorful flowers. The petals were a certain color on the Color Wheel, and the flower's center was that color's complement—in other words, the two colors on each flower were straight across from each other on the Color Wheel. If the petals were blue, the center was orange. Lucera loved these pretty colors, but she wished she were at Ciudad de Ámbar right now. "I wonder how much longer to Ciudad de Ámbar," she told herself.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, "Probably not that far."

Lucera jumped at that sound. "¿Quién dijo eso?" she gulped.

"Oh, era yo," that voice rang out again.

Lucera turned to see that it was a scarecrow talking, and he was looking rather dull—his colors weren't very bright compared to the flowers in the patch. It sure made him stick out like a sore thumb.

"Hola," Lucera smiled.

"Hola, yo soy Espantapájaros," the scarecrow said. "¿Quién eres tú?"

"Lucera Vasquez," Lucera replied. "Do you know if Ciudad de Ámbar is near or far?"

Espantapájaros wanted to answer Lucera's question, but the truth was he didn't have a straight answer—and he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. "Sabes, mija, you really shouldn't ask me," he replied. "I don't have a brain, only straw."

Lucera wondered if that was why Espantapájaros's colors were so dull. "No brain?" she asked. "Well, what would you do with a brain if you had one?"

"If I had a brain, I could...," Espantapájaros started to say. Then he began to sing.

ESPANTAPÁJAROS: I could while away the hours

Conferrin' with the flowers

Consultin' with the rain

And my head, I'd be scratching

While my thoughts were busy hatching

If I only had a brain

I'd unravel every riddle

Or any individual

In trouble or in pain

LUCERA: With the thoughts you'd be thinking

You could be another Lincoln

If you only had a brain

ESPANTAPÁJAROS: Oh, I could tell you why

The ocean's near the shore

I could think the things I never thunk before

And then I'd sit and think some more

I would not be just a nothing

My head all full of stuffing

My heart all full of pain

I would dance and be merry

Life would be a ding-a-derry

If I only had a brain

Gosh it would be awful pleasing

To reason out the reason

For things I can't explain

And perhaps I'll deserve you

And even be worthy of you

If I only had a brain

Lucera was impressed with Espantapájaros's singing and dancing, and she had a great idea. "Why don't you come with me to see the Wizard of Arts?" she offered. "I'm going to ask him to send me home to Havana. I'm sure he can help you get a brain."

"¡Hurrah!" Espantapájaros whooped. "¡Vamos a ver un mago!"

"¿Vamos?" Lucera asked, taking Espantapájaro's arm.

"Vamos," Espantapájaros confirmed. He and Lucera skipped down the road and they sang.

We're off to see the Wizard

The wonderful Wizard of Arts

We hear that he is a whiz of a whiz in all this land's parts

If ever oh ever a whiz there was

The Wizard of Arts is one because, because, because, because, because, because, because of the wonderful things he does

We're off to see the Wizard

The wonderful Wizard of Arts!