The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Dorothy lived in Kansas with her Aunt Em

and Uncle Henry. Their house was small and gray.

The land around them was gray too.

Dorothy's only friend was her little dog, Toto.

He was small and black with long, silky hair.

One day, Uncle Henry looked at the sky.

It was darker than usual.

"There's a cyclone coming, Em!" he called.

Aunt Em dropped her work.

"Quick, Dorothy!" she screamed.

"Run for the cellar!"

But Toto was scared. He ran under the bed.

Dorothy ran after him.

Just as she caught him, the house shook.

Then something strange happened.

The house lifted up into the air!

The house spun round and round.

Dorothy felt like she was in a balloon.

She wasn't scared.

She crawled into her bed and fell asleep.

Dorothy woke up when the house landed

with a bump. She ran to the door and opened it.

Outside was the most beautiful place

she had ever seen.

There were lovely flowers and green grass.

Birds sang in the trees.

A little stream ran through the land.

Three men and one woman came toward her.

They were very small, not much taller

than Dorothy. They wore round hats

with little bells that tinkled when they moved.

"Welcome to the land of the Munchkins,"

said the woman. "I am the Good Witch

of the North. You have killed

the Wicked Witch of the East!"

"Oh no!" said Dorothy.

"I didn't mean to kill anyone!"

"Look!" said the Good Witch.

She pointed to the corner of the house.

Two feet in silver shoes stuck out from under it.

"Your house fell on the witch," she explained.

"You have set the Munchkins free.

The Wicked Witch made them work for her."

The Good Witch gave Dorothy the silver shoes.

"These are magic shoes," she said.

"They might help you."

"Can you help me get home to Kansas?"

asked Dorothy.

"You must go to the Emerald City,"

said the Good Witch. "Ask the Great Wizard of Oz.

He might help you. Follow the yellow brick road."

The Good Witch kissed Dorothy's forehead.

The kiss left a shining mark.

"This will protect you," she said.

Dorothy put on the silver shoes.

She took a basket and put bread in it.

Then she started walking on

the yellow brick road. Toto ran beside her.

The road went through pretty farmland.

Dorothy saw a scarecrow in a field.

He was on a pole, and he winked at her!

"Good day," said the Scarecrow.

Dorothy was surprised. "Did you speak?"

"Yes," said the Scarecrow.

"Can you help me down?

This pole is uncomfortable."

Dorothy helped him down.

The Scarecrow stretched and smiled.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To the Emerald City, to see the Great Oz,"

said Dorothy. "I want to go home to Kansas."

"Do you think he would give me a brain?"

asked the Scarecrow. "I'm stuffed with straw.

I have no brain at all."

"Maybe," said Dorothy.

"Come with me, and we'll ask him."

So the Scarecrow joined Dorothy and Toto

on the yellow brick road.

The next day, they walked through a forest.

Dorothy heard a groan.

"What was that?" she asked.

They looked around. Near the road stood

a man made of tin. He held an axe high

in the air. He couldn't move at all.

"Help me," said the Tin Woodman.

"I've been like this for a year.

My oil can is in my cottage."

Dorothy found the oil can.

She oiled all his joints.

Soon the Tin Woodman could move again.

"Thank you!" he said.

"Why are you in this forest?"

Dorothy told him about the Wizard of Oz.

"Do you think Oz could give me a heart?"

asked the Tin Woodman. "I have no heart.

I cannot love anyone."

"Come with us and ask him," said Dorothy.

So the Tin Woodman joined them.

He carried his axe to cut branches

that blocked their way.

The forest got darker and thicker.

Suddenly, a great Lion jumped into the road.

He roared loudly.

The Lion knocked over the Scarecrow

and hit the Tin Woodman. When he tried

to bite Toto, Dorothy slapped him on the nose.

"Don't you dare bite Toto!" she said.

"You should be ashamed!

You're just a big coward!"

The Lion hung his head. "I know," he said.

"I am a coward. Everyone thinks lions are brave,

but I'm scared of everything."

Dorothy felt sorry for him.

She told him about their journey.

"Do you think Oz could give me courage?"

asked the Lion.

"Come and see," said Dorothy.

So now there were five of them

on the yellow brick road: Dorothy, Toto,

the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman,

and the Cowardly Lion.

After many adventures, they finally saw

the Emerald City. It was beautiful and green.

The walls were green, the houses were green,

and even the sky looked green.

At the gate, a man in a green uniform met them.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"We want to see the Great Oz," said Dorothy.

The man gave them green glasses.

"You must wear these," he said.

"The brightness of the city

will blind you without them."

He led them through streets of green marble.

Everyone wore green clothes.

They came to a big palace.

"Oz will see you," said a green soldier,

"but only one at a time."

Dorothy went first. She entered a big room

with a green throne. On the throne was

an enormous Head with no body.

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible,"

said the Head. "What do you want?"

Dorothy was scared, but she said,

"I want to go home to Kansas."

"I will help you," said Oz.

"But first, you must do something for me.

Kill the Wicked Witch of the West."

"But I can't kill anyone!" said Dorothy.

"Then I cannot help you," said Oz.

Dorothy left the room crying.

Each of her friends saw Oz too.

To the Scarecrow, Oz looked like a lovely lady.

To the Tin Woodman, he was a terrible beast.

To the Lion, he was a ball of fire.

But Oz told them all the same thing:

Kill the Wicked Witch of the West.

The friends were very sad.

They didn't want to kill anyone.

But they had no choice if they wanted

Oz to help them.

The friends started walking west.

The Wicked Witch saw them coming.

She had only one eye, but it was

as powerful as a telescope.

First, she sent forty wolves to tear them apart.

The Tin Woodman chopped them all with his axe.

Next, she sent forty crows to peck their eyes out.

The Scarecrow scared them all away.

Then she sent bees to sting them.

The bees broke their stingers

on the Tin Woodman and died.

Finally, she sent flying monkeys.

The monkeys pulled apart the Scarecrow

and dropped the Tin Woodman on rocks.

They carried Dorothy and the Lion

to the witch's castle.

The witch wanted Dorothy's silver shoes,

but she couldn't touch them.

They were too powerful.

So she made Dorothy work in the kitchen.

One day, the witch played a trick.

She put an iron bar on the floor.

Dorothy tripped and lost one shoe.

The witch grabbed it.

Dorothy was so angry!

She threw a bucket of water at the witch.

"No!" screamed the witch.

"Water is the end of me!"

She melted into a puddle and was gone.

Dorothy picked up her silver shoe

and put it back on.

She was free!

Dorothy freed the Lion.

Together they fixed the Tin Woodman

and stuffed the Scarecrow.

The Wicked Witch's people were happy to be free.

They gave Dorothy the Golden Cap,

which could call the flying monkeys three times.

Dorothy used the cap to ask the monkeys

to take them back to Oz.

When they arrived, Oz kept them waiting

for days. Finally, they pushed into

his throne room. Toto knocked over

a screen in the corner.

Behind it was a little old man.

"Who are you?" asked Dorothy.

"I am Oz," said the little man.

He looked ashamed.

"But you're just a man!" said Dorothy.

Oz told them his story.

He was from Omaha. He flew in a balloon

to Oz by accident. The people thought

he was a wizard, so he pretended to be one.

"Can you still help us?" asked Dorothy.

Oz thought hard. He filled the Scarecrow's head

with bran and pins.

"Now you have a brain," he said.

He put a silk heart in the Tin Woodman's chest.

"Now you have a heart," he said.

He gave the Lion a green drink.

"This is courage," he said.

The three friends were happy.

They believed they had what they wanted.

"But how will I get home?" asked Dorothy.

"We'll go in my balloon," said Oz.

He was tired of pretending to be a wizard.

Oz built a balloon and filled it with hot air.

But just as they were ready to go,

Toto saw a cat. He ran after it.

Dorothy ran after Toto.

The ropes broke!

The balloon flew away with only Oz in it.

"Come back!" cried Dorothy.

But it was too late.

Dorothy used the Golden Cap again.

She asked the monkeys to take her home.

But they couldn't fly over the desert around Oz.

Someone told Dorothy about Glinda,

the Good Witch of the South.

Dorothy and her friends traveled to see her.

Glinda was beautiful and kind.

"Your silver shoes will take you home," she said.

"Just click your heels three times

and say where you want to go."

Dorothy was happy but sad.

She hugged her friends goodbye.

"I'll miss you all," she said.

Then she clicked her heels three times.

"Take me home to Aunt Em!" she said.

The world spun around.

When it stopped, Dorothy was sitting

in the Kansas prairie.

Aunt Em ran from the house.

"My darling child!" she cried.

"Where did you come from?"

"From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy.

"And oh, Aunt Em, I'm so glad to be home!"