"I am terribly afraid of falling, myself," said the Cowardly Lion, "but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it. So get on my back and we will make the attempt."

The Scarecrow sat upon the Lion's back, and the big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down.

"Why don't you run and jump?" asked the Scarecrow.

"Because that isn't the way we Lions do these things," he replied. Then giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safely on the other side. They were all greatly pleased to see how easily he did it, and after the Scarecrow had got down from his back the Lion sprang across the ditch again.

Dorothy thought she would go next; so she took Toto in her arms and climbed on the Lion's back, holding tightly to his mane with one hand. The next moment it seemed as if she were flying through the air; and then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the other side. The Lion went back a third time and got the Tin Woodman, and then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chance to rest, for his great leaps had made his breath short, and he panted like a big dog that has been running too long. (Chapter 7)

Dorothy and her friends (the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman) and her dog, Toto, have to figure out away to get across a big ditch. In the end, the Cowardly Lion saves the day and gets them all across—maybe he isn't so cowardly after all.

To us grown-ups, jumping over a ditch may not seem like a big deal. But to Dorothy, it's reason for a total freak out sesh. After all, things do seem a lot bigger and scarier when we're children: a ditch that we can just step over when we're adults seems like a gaping abyss to a little kid.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, like the best children's literature, is full of the fantastic. A cowardly lion talking to a scarecrow? You don't see that every day. Putting words into the mouth of non-humans (we like to call this personification) is a pretty standard stylistic choice in children's literature.