Even with eyes protected by
the green spectacles, Dorothy
and her friends were at first
dazzled by the brilliancy of
the wonderful City. The streets
were lined with beautiful houses
all built of green marble and
studded everywhere with sparkling
emeralds. They walked over a
pavement of the same green marble,
and where the blocks were joined
together were rows of emeralds,
set closely, and glittering in
the brightness of the sun. The
window panes were of green glass;
even the sky above the City had
a green tint, and the rays of
the sun were green.
There were many people--men,
women, and children--walking
about, and these were all dressed
in green clothes and had greenish
skins. They looked at Dorothy
and her strangely assorted company
with wondering eyes, and the
children all ran away and hid
behind their mothers when they
saw the Lion; but no one spoke
to them. Many shops stood in
the street, and Dorothy saw that
everything in them was green.
Green candy and green pop corn
were offered for sale, as well
as green shoes, green hats, and
green clothes of all sorts. At
one place a man was selling green
lemonade, and when the children
bought it Dorothy could see that
they paid for it with green pennies.
There seemed to be no horses
nor animals of any kind; the
men carried things around in
little green carts, which they
pushed before them. Everyone
seemed happy and contented and
prosperous.
The Guardian of the Gates led
them through the streets until
they came to a big building,
exactly in the middle of the
City, which was the Palace of
Oz, the Great Wizard. There was
a soldier before the door, dressed
in a green uniform and wearing
a long green beard.
"Here are strangers," said
the Guardian of the Gates to
him, "and they demand to see
the Great Oz."
"Step inside," answered the
soldier, "and I will carry your
message to him."
So they passed through the
Palace Gates and were led into
a big room with a green carpet
and lovely green furniture set
with emeralds. The soldier made
them all wipe their feet upon
a green mat before entering this
room, and when they were seated
he said politely:
"Please make
yourselves comfortable while
I go to the door of the
Throne Room and tell Oz you are
here."
They had to wait a long time
before the soldier returned.
When, at last, he came back,
Dorothy asked:
"Have you seen
Oz?"
"Oh, no," returned the soldier; "I
have never seen him. But I spoke
to him as he sat behind his screen
and gave him your message. He
said he will grant you an audience,
if you so desire; but each one
of you must enter his presence
alone, and he will admit but
one each day. Therefore, as you
must remain in the Palace for
several days, I will have you
shown to rooms where you may
rest in comfort after your journey."
"Thank you," replied the girl; "that
is very kind of Oz."
The soldier
now blew upon a green whistle,
and at once a
young girl, dressed in a pretty
green silk gown, entered the
room. She had lovely green hair
and green eyes, and she bowed
low before Dorothy as she said, "Follow
me and I will show you your room."
So Dorothy said good-bye to
all her friends except Toto,
and taking the dog in her arms
followed the green girl through
seven passages and up three flights
of stairs until they came to
a room at the front of the Palace.
It was the sweetest little room
in the world, with a soft comfortable
bed that had sheets of green
silk and a green velvet counterpane.
There was a tiny fountain in
the middle of the room, that
shot a spray of green perfume
into the air, to fall back into
a beautifully carved green marble
basin. Beautiful green flowers
stood in the windows, and there
was a shelf with a row of little
green books. When Dorothy had
time to open these books she
found them full of queer green
pictures that made her laugh,
they were so funny.
In a wardrobe were many green
dresses, made of silk and satin
and velvet; and all of them fitted
Dorothy exactly.
"Make yourself perfectly at
home," said the green girl, "and
if you wish for anything ring
the bell. Oz will send for you
tomorrow morning."
She left Dorothy alone and
went back to the others. These
she also led to rooms, and each
one of them found himself lodged
in a very pleasant part of the
Palace. Of course this politeness
was wasted on the Scarecrow;
for when he found himself alone
in his room he stood stupidly
in one spot, just within the
doorway, to wait till morning.
It would not rest him to lie
down, and he could not close
his eyes; so he remained all
night staring at a little spider
which was weaving its web in
a corner of the room, just as
if it were not one of the most
wonderful rooms in the world.
The Tin Woodman lay down on his
bed from force of habit, for
he remembered when he was made
of flesh; but not being able
to sleep, he passed the night
moving his joints up and down
to make sure they kept in good
working order. The Lion would
have preferred a bed of dried
leaves in the forest, and did
not like being shut up in a room;
but he had too much sense to
let this worry him, so he sprang
upon the bed and rolled himself
up like a cat and purred himself
asleep in a minute.
The next morning, after breakfast,
the green maiden came to fetch
Dorothy, and she dressed her
in one of the prettiest gowns,
made of green brocaded satin.
Dorothy put on a green silk apron
and tied a green ribbon around
Toto's neck, and they started
for the Throne Room of the Great
Oz.
First they came to a great
hall in which were many ladies
and gentlemen of the court, all
dressed in rich costumes. These
people had nothing to do but
talk to each other, but they
always came to wait outside the
Throne Room every morning, although
they were never permitted to
see Oz. As Dorothy entered they
looked at her curiously, and
one of them whispered:
"Are you really
going to look upon the face
of Oz the Terrible?"
"Of course," answered the girl, "if
he will see me."
"Oh, he will see you," said
the soldier who had taken her
message to the Wizard, "although
he does not like to have people
ask to see him. Indeed, at first
he was angry and said I should
send you back where you came
from. Then he asked me what you
looked like, and when I mentioned
your silver shoes he was very
much interested. At last I told
him about the mark upon your
forehead, and he decided he would
admit you to his presence."
Just then a
bell rang, and the green girl
said to Dorothy, "That
is the signal. You must go into
the Throne Room alone."
She opened a little door and
Dorothy walked boldly through
and found herself in a wonderful
place. It was a big, round room
with a high arched roof, and
the walls and ceiling and floor
were covered with large emeralds
set closely together. In the
center of the roof was a great
light, as bright as the sun,
which made the emeralds sparkle
in a wonderful manner.
But what interested Dorothy
most was the big throne of green
marble that stood in the middle
of the room. It was shaped like
a chair and sparkled with gems,
as did everything else. In the
center of the chair was an enormous
Head, without a body to support
it or any arms or legs whatever.
There was no hair upon this head,
but it had eyes and a nose and
mouth, and was much bigger than
the head of the biggest giant.
As Dorothy gazed upon this
in wonder and fear, the eyes
turned slowly and looked at her
sharply and steadily. Then the
mouth moved, and Dorothy heard
a voice say:
"I am Oz, the
Great and Terrible. Who are
you, and why do you seek
me?"
It was not such an awful voice
as she had expected to come from
the big Head; so she took courage
and answered:
"I am Dorothy,
the Small and Meek. I have
come to you for
help."
The eyes looked at her thoughtfully
for a full minute. Then said
the voice:
"Where did
you get the silver shoes?"
"I got them from the Wicked
Witch of the East, when my house
fell on her and killed her," she
replied.
"Where did you get the mark
upon your forehead?" continued
the voice.
"That is where the Good Witch
of the North kissed me when she
bade me good-bye and sent me
to you," said the girl.
Again the eyes
looked at her sharply, and
they saw she was
telling the truth. Then Oz asked, "What
do you wish me to do?"
"Send me back to Kansas, where
my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are," she
answered earnestly. "I don't
like your country, although it
is so beautiful. And I am sure
Aunt Em will be dreadfully worried
over my being away so long."
The eyes winked three times,
and then they turned up to the
ceiling and down to the floor
and rolled around so queerly
that they seemed to see every
part of the room. And at last
they looked at Dorothy again.
"Why should I do this for you?" asked
Oz.
"Because you
are strong and I am weak; because
you are a
Great Wizard and I am only a
little girl."
"But you were strong enough
to kill the Wicked Witch of the
East," said Oz.
"That just happened," returned
Dorothy simply; "I could not
help it."
"Well," said the Head, "I
will give you my answer. You
have
no right to expect me to send
you back to Kansas unless you
do something for me in return.
In this country everyone must
pay for everything he gets. If
you wish me to use my magic power
to send you home again you must
do something for me first. Help
me and I will help you."
"What must I do?" asked
the girl.
"Kill the Wicked Witch of the
West," answered Oz.
"But I cannot!" exclaimed
Dorothy, greatly surprised.
"You killed
the Witch of the East and you
wear the silver
shoes, which bear a powerful
charm. There is now but one Wicked
Witch left in all this land,
and when you can tell me she
is dead I will send you back
to Kansas--but not before."
The little girl began to weep,
she was so much disappointed;
and the eyes winked again and
looked upon her anxiously, as
if the Great Oz felt that she
could help him if she would.
"I never killed anything, willingly," she
sobbed. "Even if I wanted to,
how could I kill the Wicked Witch?
If you, who are Great and Terrible,
cannot kill her yourself, how
do you expect me to do it?"
"I do not know," said the Head; "but
that is my answer, and until
the Wicked Witch dies you will
not see your uncle and aunt again.
Remember that the Witch is Wicked--tremendously
Wicked -and ought to be killed.
Now go, and do not ask to see
me again until you have done
your task."
Sorrowfully
Dorothy left the Throne Room
and went back where
the Lion and the Scarecrow and
the Tin Woodman were waiting
to hear what Oz had said to her. "There
is no hope for me," she said
sadly, "for Oz will not send
me home until I have killed the
Wicked Witch of the West; and
that I can never do."
Her friends were sorry, but
could do nothing to help her;
so Dorothy went to her own room
and lay down on the bed and cried
herself to sleep.
The next morning the soldier
with the green whiskers came
to the Scarecrow and said:
"Come with
me, for Oz has sent for you."
So the Scarecrow followed him
and was admitted into the great
Throne Room, where he saw, sitting
in the emerald throne, a most
lovely Lady. She was dressed
in green silk gauze and wore
upon her flowing green locks
a crown of jewels. Growing from
her shoulders were wings, gorgeous
in color and so light that they
fluttered if the slightest breath
of air reached them.
When the Scarecrow had bowed,
as prettily as his straw stuffing
would let him, before this beautiful
creature, she looked upon him
sweetly, and said:
"I am Oz, the
Great and Terrible. Who are
you, and why do you seek
me?"
Now the Scarecrow, who had
expected to see the great Head
Dorothy had told him of, was
much astonished; but he answered
her bravely.
"I am only
a Scarecrow, stuffed with straw.
Therefore I have
no brains, and I come to you
praying that you will put brains
in my head instead of straw,
so that I may become as much
a man as any other in your dominions."
"Why should I do this for you?" asked
the Lady.
"Because you are wise and powerful,
and no one else can help me," answered
the Scarecrow.
"I never grant favors without
some return," said Oz; "but this
much I will promise. If you will
kill for me the Wicked Witch
of the West, I will bestow upon
you a great many brains, and
such good brains that you will
be the wisest man in all the
Land of Oz."
"I thought you asked Dorothy
to kill the Witch," said the
Scarecrow, in surprise.
"So I did.
I don't care who kills her.
But until she is dead
I will not grant your wish. Now
go, and do not seek me again
until you have earned the brains
you so greatly desire."
The Scarecrow went sorrowfully
back to his friends and told
them what Oz had said; and Dorothy
was surprised to find that the
Great Wizard was not a Head,
as she had seen him, but a lovely
Lady.
"All the same," said the Scarecrow, "she
needs a heart as much as the
Tin Woodman."
On the next morning the soldier
with the green whiskers came
to the Tin Woodman and said:
"Oz has sent
for you. Follow me."
So the Tin
Woodman followed him and came
to the great Throne
Room. He did not know whether
he would find Oz a lovely Lady
or a Head, but he hoped it would
be the lovely Lady. "For," he
said to himself, "if it is the
head, I am sure I shall not be
given a heart, since a head has
no heart of its own and therefore
cannot feel for me. But if it
is the lovely Lady I shall beg
hard for a heart, for all ladies
are themselves said to be kindly
hearted.
But when the Woodman entered
the great Throne Room he saw
neither the Head nor the Lady,
for Oz had taken the shape of
a most terrible Beast. It was
nearly as big as an elephant,
and the green throne seemed hardly
strong enough to hold its weight.
The Beast had a head like that
of a rhinoceros, only there were
five eyes in its face. There
were five long arms growing out
of its body, and it also had
five long, slim legs. Thick,
woolly hair covered every part
of it, and a more dreadful-looking
monster could not be imagined.
It was fortunate the Tin Woodman
had no heart at that moment,
for it would have beat loud and
fast from terror. But being only
tin, the Woodman was not at all
afraid, although he was much
disappointed.
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible," spoke
the Beast, in a voice that was
one great roar. "Who are you,
and why do you seek me?"
"I am a Woodman,
and made of tin. Therefore
I have no heart,
and cannot love. I pray you to
give me a heart that I may be
as other men are."
"Why should I do this?" demanded
the Beast.
"Because I ask it, and you
alone can grant my request," answered
the Woodman.
Oz gave a low
growl at this, but said, gruffly: "If
you indeed desire a heart,
you must earn
it."
"How?" asked
the Woodman.
"Help Dorothy to kill the Wicked
Witch of the West," replied the
Beast. "When the Witch is dead,
come to me, and I will then give
you the biggest and kindest and
most loving heart in all the
Land of Oz."
So the Tin Woodman was forced
to return sorrowfully to his
friends and tell them of the
terrible Beast he had seen. They
all wondered greatly at the many
forms the Great Wizard could
take upon himself, and the Lion
said:
"If he is a
Beast when I go to see him,
I shall roar my loudest,
and so frighten him that he will
grant all I ask. And if he is
the lovely Lady, I shall pretend
to spring upon her, and so compel
her to do my bidding. And if
he is the great Head, he will
be at my mercy; for I will roll
this head all about the room
until he promises to give us
what we desire. So be of good
cheer, my friends, for all will
yet be well."
The next morning the soldier
with the green whiskers led the
Lion to the great Throne Room
and bade him enter the presence
of Oz.
The Lion at once passed through
the door, and glancing around
saw, to his surprise, that before
the throne was a Ball of Fire,
so fierce and glowing he could
scarcely bear to gaze upon it.
His first thought was that Oz
had by accident caught on fire
and was burning up; but when
he tried to go nearer, the heat
was so intense that it singed
his whiskers, and he crept back
tremblingly to a spot nearer
the door.
Then a low, quiet voice came
from the Ball of Fire, and these
were the words it spoke:
"I am Oz, the
Great and Terrible. Who are
you, and why do you seek
me?"
And the Lion
answered, "I am
a Cowardly Lion, afraid of everything.
I came to you to beg that you
give me courage, so that in reality
I may become the King of Beasts,
as men call me."
"Why should I give you courage?" demanded
Oz.
"Because of all Wizards you
are the greatest, and alone have
power to grant my request," answered
the Lion.
The Ball of
Fire burned fiercely for a
time, and the voice said, "Bring
me proof that the Wicked Witch
is dead, and that moment I will
give you courage. But as long
as the Witch lives, you must
remain a coward."
The Lion was angry at this
speech, but could say nothing
in reply, and while he stood
silently gazing at the Ball of
Fire it became so furiously hot
that he turned tail and rushed
from the room. He was glad to
find his friends waiting for
him, and told them of his terrible
interview with the Wizard.
"What shall we do now?" asked
Dorothy sadly.
"There is only one thing we
can do," returned the Lion, "and
that is to go to the land of
the Winkies, seek out the Wicked
Witch, and destroy her."
"But suppose we cannot?" said
the girl.
"Then I shall never have courage," declared
the Lion.
"And I shall never have brains," added
the Scarecrow.
"And I shall never have a heart," spoke
the Tin of Woodman.
"And I shall never see Aunt
Em and Uncle Henry," said Dorothy,
beginning to cry.
"Be careful!" cried the green
girl. "The tears will fall on
your green silk gown and spot
it."
So Dorothy
dried her eyes and said, "I
suppose we must try it; but
I am sure I do not want
to kill anybody, even to see
Aunt Em again."
"I will go with you; but I'm
too much of a coward to kill
the Witch," said the Lion.
"I will go too," declared the
Scarecrow; "but I shall not be
of much help to you, I am such
a fool."
"I haven't the heart to harm
even a Witch," remarked the Tin
Woodman; "but if you go I certainly
shall go with you."
Therefore it was decided to
start upon their journey the
next morning, and the Woodman
sharpened his axe on a green
grindstone and had all his joints
properly oiled. The Scarecrow
stuffed himself with fresh straw
and Dorothy put new paint on
his eyes that he might see better.
The green girl, who was very
kind to them, filled Dorothy's
basket with good things to eat,
and fastened a little bell around
Toto's neck with a green ribbon.
They went to bed quite early
and slept soundly until daylight,
when they were awakened by the
crowing of a green cock that
lived in the back yard of the
Palace, and the cackling of a
hen that had laid a green egg.
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