"Oh my goodness!" said Dorothy.
"You can imagine what it's like to be tickled all over at the same time," said the Scarecrow.
"Why on earth do they do that?" asked Dorothy. "And how can you get them to stop?"
"Well," said the Tin Woodman. "The reason they do it is quite simple: they do it for food, and the reason —"
"For food?" interrupted Dorothy. "Now you've lost me. What on earth has food got to do with it?"
"Well, they don't eat solid food like you do," said the Tin Woodman. "They absorb their nourishment through the skin, and the sound of laughter is to them what food is to you. You see, the laughter energizes their skin molecules to give them energy and sustenance."
"Well, I never," said Dorothy.
"You never what?" said the Scarecrow.
"That's just another expression, silly," said the Tin Woodman.
"It's like saying, 'Well, I never would have believed that,'" said Dorothy.