Wonderful Wizard of Oz -
L. Frank Baum
This is a wonderful story, of a little girl named Dorothy with her dog named Toto and three friends i.e. Scarecrow, Woodman (Tin-man) and coward Lion
The Great Wizard of Oz is humbug (fraud )- following is only the gist of story and the whole story surrounded by the Dorothy and her four wonderful companions.
THE CYCLONE
Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies with her former uncle and aunt.
Their house was small, with four walls, a floor and a roof. The one room house contained s rusty looking cooking stove, cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs and the big bed for uncle-aunt and small bed for dorothy at a corner. Dorothy, was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child's laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart. They were childless so the it was wonderful experience for this couple to hear the sweet and honey voice of this little and beautiful girl named Dorothy. Her uncle was a different type of a hard worker and serious type, he never laughed, even he did not know what joy was. He rarely spoke. Toto was Dorothy's Dog. One day Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked anxiously at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. Dorothy stood in the door with toto in her arms and looked at the sky too. Aunt Em was washing the dishes. From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind and uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south and they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming-from that direction also. uncle Henry suddenly stood up. He said "There is cyclone , Em, I will look after the stock" He ran towards the sheds where the cows and horses were kept. Aunt Em dropped her work and came the door. she told to dorothy, "quick dorothy, run for cellar " she screamed.
Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under the bed and the girl started to get him. Aunt badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was half way across the room there came a great shriek from thewind , and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. A strang thing then happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
The North and South winds met where the house stood and made it the exact centre of the cyclone. In the middle of a cyclone the air is generally still, but the pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was very top of the cyclone; and there it remained and was carried miles and miles away as easily as you could carry a feather. It was dark and the wind howled horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was riding quite easily. After the fist few whirls around, and one other time when the house tipped badly she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle. Toto was running in the room and barking loudly, but Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen.Toto got too near the open trap door and fell in;and at first the little girl thought she has lost him, but soon she saw one of his ears sticking up through the whole, for the stronger pressure of the air was keeping him up so that he could not fall. She crept to the hole , caught toto by the ear and dragged him into the room, then she closed the trap door so that no more accidents could happen. Though Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt lonely. The wind was shrieked so laudly all about her that she nearly became deaf. She was waiting the worst she might be dashed to pieces when the house fell again, but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring. At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed and lay down upon it and toto followed and lay down beside her. Inspite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
The Council with Munchkins
Dorothy was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that she had not been lying on the soft bed she might have hurt. There was light everywhere, bright sun shine came in at the window, flooding the little room. She sprang from her bed and with toto at her heels ran and opened the door. The cyclone had set the house down , very gently - for a cyclone in the midst of the unknown country. She gave a cry of amazement and looked about her, her eyes growing bigger and bigger at the wonderful sight she saw.
There were lovely patches of green sward all about,long trees bearing rich luscious fruits. Bank of gorgeous flowers were on every hand and bird with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes. She was looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming towards her a group of queerest people she had ever seen. They were neither with standard height nor so small. They were tall as Dorothy, who was a well grown child for her age, although they were many years old. All were men and one woman oddly dressed. Men wear with blue hat and white hat of woman. Men dressed in blue with polished boots. Little woman was doubtless much older' her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was neatly white and she walked rather stiffly. Along all men the little woman came near to Dorothy, she made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice. "You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed the wicked Witch of the East and for setting our people free from bondage." Dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a cyclone many miles from her home and she had never killed anything in all her life. But the little woman evidently expected her to answer; so Dorothy said with hesitation, "you are very kind but I have not killed anything ". "Your house did any way, and that is the same thing , see, there are her two toes, still sticking out from under a block of wood " replied the lady with a laugh. There were a pair of silver shoes. Dorothy asked, Who was she ?" "She was wicked witch of East. She has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave , now the all are free and are grateful to you for the favor" said the little woman.
The little woman was the witch of North (good witch). She came here on the invitation this people of the land called Munchkins. She told Dorothy "that there were four witches of all land of Oz, North, South, East and West. North and South witches are nice where as East and West witches are wicked, East wicked witch has been killed by your house and now one wicked witch is still ruling west Oz where she made all their subject slave. She is naughty powerful. The East wicked witch was powerful because of her Silver shoes and West wicked witch has golden Cap. " Dorothy said "my aunt Em told me that there are no witches now and all have died years ago". The little woman said your country might be civilized and in civilized societies I believe there are no witches left' nor Wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut of from all the rest of the world and we still have witches and wizards amongst us." She further said " Oz himself is the Great Wizard. He is more powerful than all the rest of us together. He lives in the City of Emeralds".
It was a surprise to all the people present there that the the feet of wicked witch who was lying dead had disappeared entirely and nothing was left but the Silver shoes. The little lady gave the Silver shoes to Dorothy to wear. Now Dorothy said to the Munchkins "I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me. Can any one of you help me to find my way." But non of them knows kansas, there was a great desert surrounded the country and beyond that desert no one dare to cross. The South country is belong to Quadlings. The West country ruled by the wicked witch where winkies live. "The North is my country and that too surrounded by desert" said the old lady.
Dorothy began sob, at this, she felt lonely among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind hearted Munchkins, for they immediately took out their kandkerchiefs and began to weep also. As for the little old woman , she too off her cap and balanced the point on the end ofher nose, while she counted " one, two, three" in a solemn voice. At onece the cap changed to a slate, on which was written in big white chalk marks,
'LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS"
THE LITTLE WOMAN ASKED dOROTY, "iS YOUR NAME IS dOROTHY, MY DEAR."
"Yes " Answer the child, looking up and drying her tears. The little lady asked to Dorothy to go to City of Emeralds. The Wizard is a good man and will help you. Dorothy asked "How can I can get there,"
Little lady, " you must walk, It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm. I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the witch of the North " and she came close to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched the girl they left a round , shinning mark, as Dorothy found out soon after. They also guide her "The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick, don't miss it. When you get to Oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help. " Dorothy started her long journey, three Munchkins and little old lady gave her good farewell.
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