American library books ยป Other ยป The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (short books for teens .TXT) ๐Ÿ“•

Read book online ยซThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (short books for teens .TXT) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   L. Frank Baum



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brims that tinkled sweetly as they moved. The hats of the men were blue; the little womanโ€™s hat was white, and she wore a white gown that hung in pleats from her shoulders. Over it were sprinkled little stars that glistened in the sun like diamonds. The men were dressed in blue, of the same shade as their hats, and wore well-polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. The men, Dorothy thought, were about as old as Uncle Henry, for two of them had beards. But the little woman was doubtless much older. Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly.

When these people drew near the house where Dorothy was standing in the doorway, they paused and whispered among themselves, as if afraid to come farther. But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice:

โ€œYou are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.โ€

Dorothy listened to this speech with wonder. What could the little woman possibly mean by calling her a sorceress, and saying she had killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a cyclone many miles from home; and she had never killed anything in all her life.

But the little woman evidently expected her to answer; so Dorothy said, with hesitation, โ€œYou are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything.โ€

โ€œYour house did, anyway,โ€ replied the little old woman, with a laugh, โ€œand that is the same thing. See!โ€ she continued, pointing to the corner of the house. โ€œThere are her two feet, still sticking out from under a block of wood.โ€

Dorothy looked, and gave a little cry of fright. There, indeed, just under the corner of the great beam the house rested on, two feet were sticking out, shod in silver shoes with pointed toes.

โ€œOh, dear! Oh, dear!โ€ cried Dorothy, clasping her hands together in dismay. โ€œThe house must have fallen on her. Whatever shall we do?โ€

โ€œThere is nothing to be done,โ€ said the little woman calmly.

โ€œBut who was she?โ€ asked Dorothy.

โ€œShe was the Wicked Witch of the East, as I said,โ€ answered the little woman. โ€œShe has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favor.โ€

โ€œWho are the Munchkins?โ€ inquired Dorothy.

โ€œThey are the people who live in this land of the East where the Wicked Witch ruled.โ€

โ€œAre you a Munchkin?โ€ asked Dorothy.

โ€œNo, but I am their friend, although I live in the land of the North. When they saw the Witch of the East was dead the Munchkins sent a swift messenger to me, and I came at once. I am the Witch of the North.โ€

โ€œOh, gracious!โ€ cried Dorothy. โ€œAre you a real witch?โ€

โ€œYes, indeed,โ€ answered the little woman. โ€œBut I am a good witch, and the people love me. I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself.โ€

โ€œBut I thought all witches were wicked,โ€ said the girl, who was half frightened at facing a real witch. โ€œOh, no, that is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am one of them myself, and cannot be mistaken. Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one Wicked Witch in all the Land of Ozโ โ€”the one who lives in the West.โ€

โ€œBut,โ€ said Dorothy, after a momentโ€™s thought, โ€œAunt Em has told me that the witches were all deadโ โ€”years and years ago.โ€

โ€œWho is Aunt Em?โ€ inquired the little old woman.

โ€œShe is my aunt who lives in Kansas, where I came from.โ€

The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, โ€œI do not know where Kansas is, for I have never heard that country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?โ€

โ€œOh, yes,โ€ replied Dorothy.

โ€œThen that accounts for it. In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. Therefore we still have witches and wizards amongst us.โ€

โ€œWho are the wizards?โ€ asked Dorothy.

โ€œOz himself is the Great Wizard,โ€ answered the Witch, sinking her voice to a whisper. โ€œHe is more powerful than all the rest of us together. He lives in the City of Emeralds.โ€

Dorothy was going to ask another question, but just then the Munchkins, who had been standing silently by, gave a loud shout and pointed to the corner of the house where the Wicked Witch had been lying.

โ€œWhat is it?โ€ asked the little old woman, and looked, and began to laugh. The feet of the dead Witch had disappeared entirely, and nothing was left but the silver shoes.

โ€œShe was so old,โ€ explained the Witch of the North, โ€œthat she dried up quickly in the sun. That is the end of her. But the silver shoes are yours, and you shall have them to wear.โ€ She reached down and picked up the shoes, and after shaking the dust out of them handed them to Dorothy.

โ€œThe Witch of the East was proud of those silver shoes,โ€ said one of the Munchkins, โ€œand there is some charm connected with them; but what it is we never knew.โ€

Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and

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