The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (short books for teens .TXT) ๐
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the classic American childrenโs novel about the adventures of Dorothy, a young girl who along with her dog Toto is swept away by a cyclone to the magical Land of Oz. It was written by L. Frank Baum and published in May 1900.
Dorothy lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and Toto on a farm in the Kansas prairie. One day, Dorothy and Toto are caught up in a cyclone that deposits her farmhouse into Munchkin Country in the magical Land of Oz. The falling house has killed the Wicked Witch of the East, the evil ruler of the Munchkins. The Good Witch of the North arrives with three grateful Munchkins and gives Dorothy the magical Silver Shoes that once belonged to the Wicked Witch. The Good Witch tells Dorothy that the only way she can return home is to go to the Emerald City and ask the great and powerful Wizard of Oz to help her.
The Library of Congress has declared it โAmericaโs greatest and best-loved homegrown fairy-tale.โ Its groundbreaking success and the success of the Broadway musical adaptation led Baum to write thirteen additional Oz books which serve as sequels to the first story. The 1939 film musical adaptation starring Judy Garland is considered by many to be one of the greatest films in cinema history.
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- Author: L. Frank Baum
Read book online ยซThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (short books for teens .TXT) ๐ยป. Author - L. Frank Baum
โThey really are,โ said the Lion, โbut that doesnโt make me any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy.โ
So once more the little company set off upon the journey, the Lion walking with stately strides at Dorothyโs side. Toto did not approve of this new comrade at first, for he could not forget how nearly he had been crushed between the Lionโs great jaws. But after a time he became more at ease, and presently Toto and the Cowardly Lion had grown to be good friends.
During the rest of that day there was no other adventure to mar the peace of their journey. Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret. These tears ran slowly down his face and over the hinges of his jaw, and there they rusted. When Dorothy presently asked him a question the Tin Woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together. He became greatly frightened at this and made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him, but she could not understand. The Lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow seized the oilcan from Dorothyโs basket and oiled the Woodmanโs jaws, so that after a few moments he could talk as well as before.
โThis will serve me a lesson,โ said he, โto look where I step. For if I should kill another bug or beetle I should surely cry again, and crying rusts my jaws so that I cannot speak.โ
Thereafter he walked very carefully, with his eyes on the road, and when he saw a tiny ant toiling by he would step over it, so as not to harm it. The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.
โYou people with hearts,โ he said, โhave something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful. When Oz gives me a heart of course I neednโt mind so much.โ
VII The Journey to the Great OzThey were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest, for there were no houses near. The tree made a good, thick covering to protect them from the dew, and the Tin Woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe and Dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely. She and Toto ate the last of their bread, and now she did not know what they would do for breakfast.
โIf you wish,โ said the Lion, โI will go into the forest and kill a deer for you. You can roast it by the fire, since your tastes are so peculiar that you prefer cooked food, and then you will have a very good breakfast.โ
โDonโt! Please donโt,โ begged the Tin Woodman. โI should certainly weep if you killed a poor deer, and then my jaws would rust again.โ
But the Lion went away into the forest and found his own supper, and no one ever knew what it was, for he didnโt mention it. And the Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothyโs basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. His padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket. But the Scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled him to keep away from the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him up. So he kept a good distance away from the flames, and only came near to cover Dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep. These kept her very snug and warm, and she slept soundly until morning.
When it was daylight, the girl bathed her face in a little rippling brook, and soon after they all started toward the Emerald City.
This was to be an eventful day for the travelers. They had hardly been walking an hour when they saw before them a great ditch that crossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see on either side. It was a very wide ditch, and when they crept up to the edge and looked into it they could see it was also very deep, and there were many big, jagged rocks at the bottom. The sides were so steep that none of them could climb down, and for a moment it seemed that their journey must end.
โWhat shall we do?โ asked Dorothy despairingly.
โI havenโt the faintest idea,โ said the Tin Woodman, and the Lion shook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful.
But the Scarecrow said, โWe cannot fly, that is certain. Neither can we climb down into this great ditch. Therefore, if we cannot jump over it, we must stop where we are.โ
โI think I could jump over it,โ said the Cowardly Lion, after measuring the distance carefully in his mind.
โThen we are all right,โ answered the Scarecrow, โfor you can carry us all over on your back, one at a time.โ
โWell, Iโll try it,โ said the Lion. โWho will go first?โ
โI will,โ declared the Scarecrow, โfor, if you found that you could not jump over the gulf, Dorothy would be killed, or the
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