Calico Illustrated Classics: Wonderful Wizard of Oz
As Dorothy looked at the beautiful sights a group of the strangest people she’d ever seen came toward her They were about as tall as her but many years older Three men and one woman came all oddly dressed Their round hats were pointed and had little bells that rang sweetly The woman wore a white hat and gown full of little stars that glistened in the sun Dorothy decided the men were about as old as Uncle Henry The woman had to be much older Her face was covered with wrinkles and her hair was almost white The woman walked up to Dorothy and bowed You are welcome great Sorceress to the land of the Munchkins We thank you for killing the Wicked Witch of the East and freeing us from her slavery Dorothy did not understand what she was talking about She wasn’t a sorceress and had never killed anything Dorothy said There must be a mistake 9
The little old woman laughed Your house killed her See Dorothy looked where she pointed and screamed Under the corner of the house two feet stuck out wearing silver shoes with pointed toes Oh dear she cried The house fell on her Who was she She was the Wicked Witch of the East the little woman said She makes the Munchkins slave for her day and night Now they are set free because of you Who are the Munchkins Dorothy asked They are the people in this land of the East the woman said I am their friend from the North I am the Witch of the North Dorothy shouted Are you a real witch Yes I am a good witch and the people love me She explained that there were four witches in the Land of Oz The two from the North and South were good but the ones in the East and West were wicked 10
Now there is only one evil witch in all of Oz she said My Aunt Em in Kansas where I am from said witches are all dead The Witch of the North thought for a moment I don’t know where Kansas is but is it a civilized country Yes replied Dorothy Oh the woman said The Land of Oz is not civilized It’s cut off from the rest of the world We still have witches and wizards Who are the wizards Dorothy asked Oz is the Great Wizard the good witch said He is more powerful than all of us and lives in the City of Emeralds Suddenly the Munchkins shouted and pointed to the house The little old woman laughed The dead witch’s feet had disappeared and only left the silver shoes That is the end of her The shoes are yours and you shall wear them The good witch dusted them off and gave them to Dorothy 11
