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02 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum · Classic Adventure Books Collection

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  Chapter two, The Council with the Munchkins. She was awakened by a shock
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  so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed,
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  she might have been hurt. As it was, the jar made her
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  catch her breath and wonder what had happened, And Toto put his cold little
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  nose into her face and whined dismally. Dorothy sat up and noticed that the
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  house was not moving, nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came
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  in at the window, flooding the little room. She sprang from her bed,
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  and, with Toto at her heels, ran and opened the door.
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  The little girl gave a cry of amazement and looked about her, her eyes
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  growing bigger and bigger at the wonderful sights she saw. The cyclone had set
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  the house down very gently, for a cyclone in the midst of a country
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  of marvelous beauty. There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately
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  trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand,
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  and birds with red and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and
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  bushes. A little way off was a small brook, rushing and sparkling along
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  between green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl
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  who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies. While she stood
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  looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a
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  group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big
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  as the grown folks she had always been used to, but neither were they
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  very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who
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  was a well grown child for her age, although they were so far as
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  looks go, many years older. Three were men and one a woman,
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  and all were oddly dressed. They wore round hats that rose to a small
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  point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tinkled
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  sweetly as they moved. The hats of them men were blue. The little
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  woman's hat was white, and she wore a white gown that hung in pleats
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  from her shoulders. Over it were sprinkled little stars that glistened in the sun
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  like diamonds. The men were dressed in blue of the same shade as their
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  hats, and wore well polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the
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  tops. The men Dorothy thought were about as old as Uncle Henry, for
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  two of them had beards, But the little woman was doubtless much older.
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  Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she
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  walked rather stiffly. When these people drew near the house where Dorothy was standing
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  in the doorway, they paused and whispered among themselves, as if afraid to
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  come farther. But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a
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  low bow, and said, in a sweet voice, you are welcome,
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  most noble sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful
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  to you for having killed the wicked Witch of the East and for setting our
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  people free from bondage. Dorothy listened to this speech with wonder What could the
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  little woman possibly mean by calling her a sorceress and saying she had killed the
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  wicked witch of the east. Dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl who
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  had been carried by a cyclone many miles from home, and she had never
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  killed anything in all her life. But the little woman evidently expected her to
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  answer, So Dorothy said, with hesitation, you are very kind, but
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  there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything your house did anyway,
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  replied the little old woman with a laugh. And that is the same
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  thing. See, she continued, pointing to the corner of the house.
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  There are her two feet still sticking out from under a block of wood.
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  Dorothy looked and gave a little cry of fright. There, indeed, just
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  under the corner of the great beam the house rested on, two feet were
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  sticking out, shod in silver shoes with pointed toes. Oh dear, Oh
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  dear, cried Dory. Dorothy, clasping her hands together in dismay. The
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  house must have fallen on her. Whatever shall we do, There is nothing
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  to be done, said the little woman calmly. But who was she asked
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  Dorothy. She was the wicked Witch of the East. As I said,
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  answered the little woman, she has held all the munchkins in bondage for many
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  years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all
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  set free and are grateful to you for the favor. Who are the munchkins,
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  inquired Dorothy. They are the people who live in this land of the
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  East, where the wicked Witch ruled. Are you a munchkin, asked Dorothy.
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  No, but I am their friend, although I live in the land
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  of the North. When they saw the Witch of the East was dead,
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  the munchkins sent a swift messenger to me, and I came at once.
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  I am the witch of the North. Oh gracious, cried Dorothy. Are
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  you a real witch, Yes, indeed, answered the little woman. But
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  I am a good and the people love me. I am not as powerful
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  as the wicked witch was who ruled here, or I should have set to
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  people free myself. But I thought all witches were wicked, said the girl,
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  who was half frightened at facing a real witch. Oh no, that
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  is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the land of
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  Oz, and two of them, those who live in the north in the
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  south, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am
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  one of them myself, and cannot be mistaken. Those who dwell in the
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  east and the West were indeed wicked witches. But now that you have killed
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  one of them, there is but one wicked witch in all the land of
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  Oz, the one who lives in the west. But Dorothy said, after
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  a moment's thought, Aunt em has told me that the witches were all dead
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  years and years ago. Who is aunt, m inquired the little old woman.
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  She is my aunt, who lives in Kansas, where I come from.
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  The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her
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  head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said,
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  I do not know where Kansas is, for I have never heard that
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  country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country? Oh?
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  Yes, replied Dorothy. Then that accounts for it. In the civilized
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  countries, I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses
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  nor magicians. But you see, the land of Oz has never been civilized,
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  for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. Therefore
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  we still have witches and wizards amongst us. Who are the wizards, asked
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  Dorothy. Oz himself is the great wizard, answered the witch, sinking her
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  voice to a whisper. He is more powerful than all the rest of us
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  together. He lives in the city of Emeralds. Dorothy was going to ask
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  another question, but just then the munchkins, who had been standing silently by,
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  gave a loud shout and pointed to the corner of the house where the
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  wicked witch had been lying. What is it, asked the little old woman,
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  and looked and began to laugh. The feet of the dead witch had
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  disappeared entirely, and nothing was left but the silver shoes. She was so
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  old, explained the witch of the North, that she dried up quickly in
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  the sun. That is the end of her. But the silver shoes are
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  yours, and you shall have them to wear. She reached down and picked
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  up the shoes, and, after shaking the dust out of them, handed
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  them to Dorothy. The Witch of the East was proud of those silver shoes,
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  said one of the munchkins. And there is some charm connected with them,
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  but what it is we never knew. Dorothy carried the shoes into the
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  house and placed them on the table. Then she came out again to the
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  munchkins and said, I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle,
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  for I am sure they will worry about me. Can you help me
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  find my way? The munchkins and the witch first looked at one another,
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  and then at Dorothy, and then shook their heads. At the east,
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  not far from here, said one, there is a great desert, and
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  none could live to cross it. It is the same at the south,
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  said another. For I have been there and seen it. The south is
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  the country of the quadlings, I am told, said the third man,
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  that it is the same at the west, And that country where the winkies
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  live is ruled by the wicked witch of the west, who would make you
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  her slave if you passed her way. The north is my home, said
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  the old lady, and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds
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  this land of Oz. I'm afraid, my dear, you will have to
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  live with us. Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely
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  among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind hearted munchkins,
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  for they immediately took out their handkerchiefs and began to weep. Also as
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  for the little old woman. She took off her cap and balanced the point
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  on the end of her nose while she counted one, two, three in
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  a solemn voice. At once the cap changed to a slate on which was
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  written in big white chalk marks. Let Dorothy go to the city of Emeralds.
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  The little old woman took the slate from her nose, and, having
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  read the words on it, asked, is your name, Dorothy, my
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  dear yes, answered the child, looking up and drying her tears. Then
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  you must go to the city of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you.
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  Where is this city, asked Dorothy. It is exactly in the center of
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  the country and is ruled by Oz, the great wizard I told you of.
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  Is he a good man? Inquired the girl anxiously. He is a
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  good wizard. Whether he is a man or not, I cannot tell,
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  for I have never seen him. How can I get there, asked Dorothy.
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  You must walk. It is a long journey through a country that is
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  sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the
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  magic arts I know of to keep you from harm. Won't you go with
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  me? Pleaded the girl, who had begun to look upon the little old
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  woman as her only friend. No, I cannot do that, she replied,
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  But I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure
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  a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North. She came
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  close to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched
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  the girl, they left a round, shiny mark. As Dorothy found out
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  soon after, the road to the city of Emeralds is paved with yellow bricks,
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  said the witch, so you cannot miss it. When you get to
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  Oz. Do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask
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  him to help you. Good Bye, my dear. The three munchkins bowed
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  low to her and wished her a pleasant journey, after which they walked away
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  through the trees. The witch gave Dorothy a friendly little nod, whirled around
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  on her left heel three times, and straightway disappeared, much to the surprise
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  of Little Toto, who barked after her loudly enough when she had gone because
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  he had been afraid even to growl while she stood by. But Dorothy,
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  knowing her to be a witch, had expected her to disappear in just that
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  way, and was not surprised. In the least end of chapter two,