Chapter 2. Meeting the Munchkins

A sudden, severe shock woke up Dorothy. She wasn't hurt because she was lying on a soft bed. Dorothy was so shocked she couldn't breathe for a moment. She didn't know what happened. Toto nudged his cold little nose into her face. He whined because he was upset. Sitting up, Dorothy realized that the house stopped moving. It wasn't dark anymore. A bright sunshine came in through the window. It lit up the small room. She jumped from her bed and ran to open the door. Toto followed her.

The little girl cried out in surprise and looked around her. The scenery was so amazing that her eyes widened.

The tornado gently placed the house in a wonderful place. Beautiful green grass covered the land. Big trees were full of delicious, juicy fruits. There were stunning flower beds everywhere. Birds with bright colors flew and sang in the trees and bushes. There was a small stream nearby. It was flowing and glittering between green banks. The sound of the water comforted the little girl.

Dorothy was standing, looking at beautiful sights. She noticed a group of very strange people coming toward her. These people were smaller than the typical adults. But they were not tiny either. They were about the same height as Dorothy. She was a tall child for her age. But they looked much older than her.

There were three men and one woman in the group. They were wearing strange clothes. Their hats were round and pointed at the top. Each hat had small bells around its edge. These bells made a sweet sound when they moved. The men's hats were blue.

The woman's hat was white. She also wore a white dress with pleats hanging from her shoulders. The dress had little stars on it. These stars shined like diamonds in the sun.

The men wore blue clothes, the same color as their hats. They had shiny boots with a strip of blue at the top. Dorothy thought the men were about the same age as her Uncle Henry. Two of them had beards.

The woman looked a lot older. She had a lot of wrinkles on her face. Her hair was almost white. She had difficulty walking.

When the group approached Dorothy's house, they stopped. The men whispered to each other. They seemed scared to come closer. The older woman walked up to Dorothy. She bowed low. Then she spoke in a gentle voice:

"Welcome, great Sorceress, to the Munchkin land," the little woman said. "We thank you for killing the Wicked Witch of the East. You have freed our people."

Dorothy was surprised by what she said. Why did the woman call her a sorceress? Why did she say Dorothy had killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy was a kind and innocent little girl. A tornado had carried her many miles from home. She had never killed anything.

The little woman waited for Dorothy to answer. Dorothy hesitated before speaking. "You are kind, but there is a mistake. I haven't killed anything," she said.

"Your house did," the little woman said, laughing. "That's the same thing. Look!" She pointed at the corner of the house. "The Wicked Witch's feet are still sticking out from under a log."

Dorothy looked and screamed. Two feet in silver shoes with pointed toes were sticking out from under a corner of the house.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Dorothy said, wringing her hands. "It seems like the house has fallen on her. What should we do now?"

"We can't do anything," said the little woman calmly.

"But who was she?" Dorothy asked.

"She was the Wicked Witch of the East," said the little woman. "For many years, she made the Munchkins work day and night. Now, they are finally free. They thank you for this."

"Who are the Munchkins?" Dorothy asked.

"They are the people who live in this Land of the East. The Wicked Witch ruled here," the woman answered.

"Are you a Munchkin?" Dorothy asked.

"No, but I am their friend. I live in the land of the North," the woman said. "The Munchkins sent me a message when they found out that the Witch of the East was dead. I came right away. I am the Witch of the North."

"Oh my!" exclaimed Dorothy. "Are you a real witch?"

"Yes, I am," said the little woman. "But I am a good witch. People love me. I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch who used to rule this place. Otherwise, I would have freed the people myself."

"I thought all witches were evil," said Dorothy. She was somewhat scared to meet a real witch.

"No, that's wrong," the woman said. "In all the Land of Oz, there were only four witches. Two of them, who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I am one of them, so I know it's true. The ones who lived in the East and West were, in fact, evil witches. But since you've killed one witch, only a single evil witch remains in the entire Land of Oz. She lives in the West."

Dorothy paused for a moment before speaking. "But Aunt Em told me that all the witches died long ago," she said.

"Who is Aunt Em?" the little woman asked.

"She is my aunt. She lives in Kansas, where I am from," Dorothy answered.

The Witch of the North thought for a while. She looked at the ground with her head down. Then she looked up and said, "I don't know where Kansas is. I have never heard of it. But tell me, is it a modern country?"

"Oh, yes," Dorothy replied.

"That explains it," the woman said. Modern countries have no witches, wizards, sorceresses, or magicians. But the Land of Oz is not a modern country. It is isolated from the rest of the world. So we still have witches and wizards here."

"Who are the wizards?" Dorothy asked.

"Oz himself is the Great Wizard," the Witch whispered. "He's stronger than all of us combined. He lives in the Emerald City."

Dorothy wanted to ask another question. But then the Munchkins, who were standing quietly nearby, started shouting. They pointed at the corner of the house where the Wicked Witch had been lying.

"What is it?" the little old woman asked. She looked and started laughing. The feet of the dead Witch had vanished completely. Only the silver shoes were left.

The Witch of the North said, "She was so old that she dried up quickly in the sun. That's the end of her. The silver shoes are yours now. You can wear them." She picked up the shoes, dusted them off, and gave them to Dorothy.

One of the Munchkins said, "The Witch of the East was proud of her silver shoes. They have some magic, but we don't know what it is."

Dorothy took the shoes into the house and put them on the table. Then she went back to the Munchkins and said:

"I want to go back to my aunt and uncle. They will be worried about me. Can you help me find my way?"

The Munchkins and the Witch looked at each other, then at Dorothy. They shook their heads.

One said, "There is a big desert in the East, not far from here. Nobody can cross it and survive."

Another said, "The South is the same. I have been there. It is the country of the Quadlings."

A third man said, "I heard the West is the same. The Winkies live there. The Wicked Witch of the West rules it. If you go there, she will make you her slave."

The old lady said, "The North is my home. The Land of Oz is surrounded by the same vast desert that borders it. I'm sorry, my dear, but it looks like you'll have to stay with us."

Dorothy started to cry. She felt lonely among these strange people. The Munchkins were sad to see her tears. They took out their handkerchiefs and started crying, too.

The little old woman removed her hat. She balanced it on her nose. "She then solemnly counted, 'One, two, three'." Suddenly, the hat turned into a slate. It had big white chalk words on it:

"LET DOROTHY GO TO THE EMERALD CITY"

The little old woman took the slate off her nose. She read the words and asked, "Is your name Dorothy, my dear?"

"Yes," the girl answered. She looked up and wiped her tears.

"Then you must go to the Emerald City. Maybe Oz can help you."

"Where is this city?" Dorothy asked.

"It's right in the middle of the country," the old woman said. "Oz, the Great Wizard I told you about, rules it."

"Is he a good man?" the girl asked nervously.

"He's a good Wizard. I don't know if he's a man or not because I've never seen him," the woman answered.

"How can I get there?" Dorothy asked.

"You have to walk," the woman replied. "It's a long trip. The road can be nice at times, but it can also be scary and dangerous. But I will use all my magic to keep you safe."

"Will you come with me?" Dorothy asked. She was starting to see the little old woman as her only friend.

"No, I can't do that," the woman said. "But I will give you my kiss. "No one would dare to harm someone whom the Witch of the North has kissed."

The woman moved closer to Dorothy. She gently kissed her forehead. A shiny, round mark appeared where her lips had touched.

"The road to the Emerald City is paved with yellow bricks," the woman told her. "You can't miss it. When you meet Oz, don't be afraid. Tell him your story and ask for help. Goodbye, my dear."

The three Munchkins bowed to her. They wished her a good trip. Then they walked away into the trees.

The friendly witch nodded at Dorothy. She turned quickly on her left heel three times and vanished instantly. Toto, Dorothy's dog, barked loudly after she was gone. He had been too scared even to growl while she was there.

But Dorothy wasn't surprised. She knew the woman was a witch and expected her to disappear just like that.