Chapter-1
Dorothy lived with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a small farm in Kansas.
Their tiny house stood alone on a large, flat prairie. Dorothy had only one friend, her dog Toto. He was a small black dog who loved to jump and play.
One day while Dorothy and Toto were playing, they heard the awful sound of a storm. The wind roared and the dust blew smoky circles in the air. Dorothy was frightened.
Uncle Henry stopped working and shouted, “There’s a cyclone coming; run for the cellar.
A cyclone is a terrible storm. Even little Toto wanted to run away. He jumped from Dorothy’s arms, ran into the house, and hid under the bed. Dorothy followed him into the house then a strange thing happened. The house turned around and around. Then it rose through the air. Toto ran out from under the bed and barked loudly.
It was very dark and the house swayed back and forth. Dorothy held Toto in her arms and listened to the wind. She was frightened. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were safe in the cellar. She was all alone. Hours passed. The house tossed and turned in the storm. Finally, Dorothy closed her eyes and fell asleep.
After a long time, Dorothy woke up. Everything was very quiet. Bright sunshine came through the windows. Toto pressed his cold nose against Dorothy’s face. “Where am I?” asked Dorothy, “What happened to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em?”
She ran to the door and looked out at a magical land. All around her were beautiful green trees and colourful flowers. Tiny purple birds sang as they flew from tree to tree. Dorothy had never seen such a lovely place.
Suddenly she heard a small voice say, “Welcome to the land of the Munchkins.”
Dorothy turned around and there were three men and one woman standing in a circle. They were all the same size as Dorothy, but they looked like grown-ups. They wore hats that rose to a small point about a foot above their heads. Tiny bells tinkled when they moved. The men wore strange blue suits and had long white beards. The woman wore a long gown covered with stars. She made a bow, and in a sweet voice said, “How can we thank you for killing the wicked witch of the East? You have set us free.”
Dorothy was shocked.
“There must be some mistake,” she said, “I have not killed anyone.”
The tiny woman pointed to the house.
“Look, your house landed on the witch. Those are her feet sticking out from under a block of wood.”
“Oh dear!” cried Dorothy, “I’m so sorry.”
“There is nothing you can do,” said the woman, “She was a very wicked witch, and she made the Munchkins slaves for many years. Now thanks to you, we are free.”
“Are you a Munchkin?” asked Dorothy.
“No,” answered the woman, “I am the good witch of the North.”
Dorothy had never heard of a good witch. But the kind woman explained that Dorothy was now in the land of Oz. In the land of Oz there were four witches. The witches who lived in the North and the South were good witches, and the people loved them. But the witches who lived in the East and the West were wicked.
“Now you have killed the wicked witch of the East,” explained the gentle woman, “There is only one wicked witch still alive.”
Now Dorothy understood. She was happy to have helped the Munchkins, but she wanted to return to Kansas and see her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. The good witch and the Munchkins had never even heard of Kansas. Dorothy was a long, long way from home. She began to cry. She felt very lonely in this strange land.
When the good witch saw that Dorothy was crying, she took off her cap and balanced the point of the end of her nose. She counted to three. The cap changed into a slate. On the slate were the words, “Let Dorothy go to the Emerald City.”
Dorothy dried her tears.
“You must go to the Emerald City. Maybe the Wizard of Oz can help you,” said the good witch.
“Who is the Wizard of Oz?” asked Dorothy, “He is a great Wizard,” answered the good witch.
“He is more powerful than all of us put together. He lives in the Emerald City. Only he can help you return to Kansas.”
“How can I get to the Emerald City?” asked Dorothy.
“You must walk,” answered the good witch, “You will see a Yellow Brick Road. Follow that road and you will find the Wizard of Oz.”
Then the good witch kissed Dorothy on the forehead. It was a magical kiss, and it left a round, shining mark. It would protect Dorothy on her long trip. The Munchkins gave Dorothy the silver slippers that the wicked witch of the East had worn. They had a special magic, but no one knew what it was.
Dorothy put on the silver slippers, waved good bye to her new friends, and she and Toto began their journey to the Emerald City.