A vagabond child called Woot the Wanderer comes to the tin castle of the Emperor of the Winkies, the Tin Woodman. The boy is welcomed by the Tin Man and his guest the Scarecrow. In the course of conversation, Woot asks how the Tin Man became tin. The Emperor tells his story.

Originally a normal man of flesh and blood, Nick Chopper had fallen in love with a Munchkin girl named Nimmie Amee. She was the oppressed servant of the Wicked Witch of the East. Nick wanted to marry Nimmie, but the Witch found out about them; she enchanted Nick’s axe so that it “accidentally” cut off his leg. Nick had his missing leg replaced with a tin substitute. Nick persisted in his suit, as did the Witch in her malice.