Chapter 15. The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible

The four friends rang the bell at the big gate of Emerald City. After ringing a lot, the same Gate Guardian they had met before opened it.

"What! You're back?" he asked, shocked.

"Can't you see us?" replied the Scarecrow.

"But I thought you went to see the Wicked Witch of the West."

"We did see her," said the Scarecrow.

"And she let you leave?" the man asked, amazed.

"She couldn't do anything about it because she's melted," the Scarecrow explained.

"Melted! That's excellent news," said the man. "Who melted her?"

"Dorothy did," said the Lion seriously.

"Oh my!" the man exclaimed, bowed deeply.

Then he took them to his small room and put spectacles from the big box on their eyes, just like before. After that, they went through the gate into the Emerald City. People gathered around the friends when they heard from the Gate Guardian that Dorothy had melted the Wicked Witch. They followed them in a big crowd to Oz's Palace.

The soldier with green whiskers guarded the door but immediately let them inside. Once again, they encountered the lovely green girl. She quickly led them to their former rooms. This allowed them to rest until the Great Oz was prepared to meet them.

A soldier informed Oz that Dorothy and her friends were back after defeating the Wicked Witch. But Oz didn't respond. They thought the awesome Wizard would send for them immediately, but he didn't. They didn't hear anything from him the next day, the day after, or the day after.

The prolonged waiting frustrated them. They were annoyed at Oz's disregard after they had suffered hardships on his behalf. Eventually, the Scarecrow sent another message to Oz via the green girl. The message said that if Oz didn't let them in to see him right away, they would call on the Winged Monkeys. They wanted to check if Oz was a promise keeper.

The Wizard was scared by this message. He invited them to the Throne Room the next morning, precisely four minutes after nine. He had previously encountered the Winged Monkeys in the West Land and preferred not to meet them again.

The four travelers spent a sleepless night, each thinking of the reward promised by Oz. Dorothy fell asleep only briefly and dreamed of Kansas, with Aunt Em expressing joy at her return.

At precisely nine in the morning, the green-whiskered soldier approached them. Four minutes later, they entered Oz's Throne Room.

They all anticipated seeing the Wizard in a familiar form. They were shocked when they found the room empty. Staying close to the door and to each other, they found the quiet emptiness more terrifying than any of Oz's previous manifestations.

Suddenly, they heard a solemn Voice coming from the top of the big dome, "I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Why do you seek me?"

They scanned the room again, and finding no one, Dorothy asked, "Where are you?"

"I am everywhere," the Voice replied, "invisible to common mortals. I will now sit on my throne for our conversation." The Voice seemed to originate from the throne. They approached it, lined up, and Dorothy declared,

"We have come to claim our promise, O Oz."

"What promise?" Oz inquired.

"You promised to send me back to Kansas when the Wicked Witch was destroyed," Dorothy said.

"And you promised me brains," the Scarecrow added.

"And you promised me a heart," the Tin Woodman said.

"And you promised me courage," the Cowardly Lion stated.

"Is the Wicked Witch really destroyed?" asked the Voice, and Dorothy noticed it shake slightly.

"Yes," she confirmed, "I melted her with a bucket of water."

"Dear me," the Voice responded, "how sudden! Come back tomorrow. I need time to think."

"You've had enough time," the Tin Woodman retorted angrily.

"We won't wait another day," the Scarecrow insisted.

"You must fulfill your promises to us!" Dorothy exclaimed.

The Lion decided to try frightening the Wizard, so he let out a massive, terrifying roar. It was so fierce and terrifying that Toto got scared and accidentally knocked over a screen in the corner. As it crashed, they looked over, filled with surprise. There was now a small, old man where the screen had stood. He had a bald head and a wrinkled face and seemed as shocked as they were. Raising his axe, the Tin Woodman rushed at the man, demanding, "Who are you?"

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible," said the little man, his voice trembling. "But don't hit me. I'll do anything you want."

They stared at him, both surprised and dismayed.

"I thought Oz was a huge Head," Dorothy said.

"And I thought Oz was a beautiful Lady," the Scarecrow added.

"And I thought Oz was a terrifying Beast," the Tin Woodman said.

"And I thought Oz was a Ball of Fire," the Lion exclaimed.

"No, you're all wrong," the little man admitted humbly. "I was just pretending."

"Pretending!" Dorothy exclaimed. "Aren't you a great wizard?"

"Shh, my dear," he said. "Don't talk so loudly, or you might be overheard, and it would ruin me. I'm supposed to be a Great Wizard."

"But aren't you?" she asked.

"Not at all, my dear. I'm just an ordinary man."

"You're more than that," said the Scarecrow sadly. "You're a fraud."

"Exactly!" declared the little man, rubbing his hands together as if pleased. "I am a fraud."

"But this is terrible," said the Tin Woodman. "How will I ever get my heart?"

"Or I my courage?" asked the Lion.

"Or I my brains?" sobbed the Scarecrow, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"My dear friends," said Oz, "I beg you not to talk about these small matters. Think of me and the terrible trouble I'm in now that I've been exposed."

"Doesn't anyone else know you're a fraud?" asked Dorothy.

Oz said, "Only you four and I know this secret. I have fooled everyone for so long. It was a mistake to let you in the Throne Room. I usually don't see my subjects, so they think I'm terrible."

Dorothy, confused, asked, "But how did you appear to me as a giant Head?"

"That was one of my tricks," answered Oz. "Come this way, and I'll explain it."

He led them to a small chamber at the back of the Throne Room. They all followed. He pointed to a corner where the large Head lay. It was made of layered paper and had a carefully painted face.

"I hung the Head from the ceiling with a wire," explained Oz. "Behind the screen, I pulled a thread to move the eyes and open the mouth."

Dorothy asked, "What about the voice?"

"I'm a ventriloquist," replied the little man. "I can throw the sound of my voice wherever I want, so you thought it came from the Head. Here are the things I used to deceive you." Oz showed the Scarecrow the dress and mask he wore as the Lady. The Tin Woodman realized his fearsome Beast was just many skins stitched together, with sticks to keep them apart. The Ball of Fire was hung from the ceiling, too. It was a cotton ball, but it burned brightly when oil was poured on it.

"Seriously," remarked the Scarecrow, "you should feel ashamed of yourself for being such a fraud."

"I am—I truly am," replied the little man sadly. "But it was my only choice. Please have a seat; there are enough chairs. I'll share my story with you."

They all sat down and listened as he told the following tale.

"I was born in Omaha," Oz began.

Dorothy interrupted, exclaiming, "Oh, that's not far from Kansas!"

"Yes, but it's, but it's further away from here," he replied, shaking his head sadly. "When I got older, I became a ventriloquist, expertly trained by a renowned master. I can imitate any bird or animal." He meowed like a kitten, and Toto perked his ears, searching for the source. "Eventually, I grew tired of that and became a balloonist."

Dorothy asked, "What's a balloonist?"

"It's someone who goes up in a balloon during a circus day to attract a crowd and make them pay to see the circus," he explained.

"Ah," Dorothy nodded, "I understand."

"One day, I went up in a balloon, and the ropes got twisted, preventing me from descending. The balloon ascended above the clouds and was carried away by a strong air current for many miles. After a day and a night, when I woke up, I saw it floating above a strange, beautiful country.

"The balloon gradually descended, and I landed safely. However, I was surrounded by strange people who believed I was a powerful Wizard since I came from the sky. I allowed them to think so, making them fear and obey me willingly.

"To entertain myself and keep the kind folks occupied, I commanded them to construct this City and my Palace. They did so eagerly and skillfully. Since the land was lush and beautiful, I named it the Emerald City. To enhance the name, I provided green spectacles for everyone so that everything they saw appeared green."

"Isn't everything here green?" Dorothy asked.

Oz replied, "Not more than in any other city. But when you wear green spectacles, everything appears green to you. The Emerald City was built many years ago. I was young when the balloon brought me here. Now, I am very old.

My people have worn green glasses for so long that they really believe it's an Emerald City. They think it's truly a beautiful place, filled with jewels, precious metals, and everything needed for happiness.

I have been good to the people, and they like me. However, since this Palace was constructed, I have secluded myself and refused to see anyone."

"I was terrified of the Witches as I had no magical powers, unlike them. There were four Witches here, ruling the North, South, East, and West. Luckily, the Witches of the North and South were good and wouldn't harm me. However, the Witches of the East and West were evil. They thought I was more powerful, so they didn't destroy me. I lived in constant fear of them for years.

I was thrilled when I heard your house had crushed the Wicked Witch of the East. I was willing to promise anything if you'd eliminate the other Witch. But now that you melted her, I'm ashamed to admit I can't keep my promises."

Dorothy remarked, "I think you're a very bad man."

"Oh no, my dear. I'm really a very good man, but I confess I'm a lousy Wizard."

"Can't you give me brains?" the Scarecrow asked.

"You don't need them," Oz replied. "You learn daily. A baby has brains, but it's not wise. Knowledge comes from experience, and the longer you live, the more experience you'll have."

"That might be true," the Scarecrow responded, "but I'll be very unhappy if you don't give me brains."

The fake Wizard examined him closely.

"Well," he sighed, "I'm not a great magician, as I mentioned. But if you come tomorrow morning, I'll stuff your head with brains. I can't teach you how to use them; you must figure that out."

"Thank you--thank you!" the Scarecrow exclaimed. "I'll find a way to use them, don't worry!"

"What about my courage?" the Lion asked anxiously.

"I'm sure you have enough," Oz replied. "You just need self-confidence. Every living thing feels fear when facing danger. True courage is facing danger despite fear, and you have plenty of that."

"Maybe I do, but I'm still scared," said the Lion. "I'll be very unhappy unless you give me courage that makes fear go away."

"Alright, I'll give you that courage tomorrow," Oz responded.

"What about my heart?" the Tin Woodman asked.

"About that," Oz answered, "I think you're mistaken to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. You're lucky not to have one."

"That's a matter of opinion," the Tin Woodman countered. "I'll accept all unhappiness if you give me a heart."

"Very well," Oz agreed. "Come tomorrow, and you'll get a heart. I've played Wizard long enough; I might as well continue a bit more."

"And now," Dorothy asked, "how can I return to Kansas?"

"We'll need to think about that," the small man replied. "Give me a few days to figure out how to get you across the desert. In the meantime, you'll all be my guests. My people will serve you in the Palace and follow your every wish. In exchange for my help, keep my secret and tell no one I'm a fraud."

They agreed to keep quiet about what they'd learned and returned to their rooms in high spirits. Dorothy even felt hopeful that "The Great and Terrible Fraud," as she referred to him, would find a way to get her back to Kansas. If he did, she was ready to forgive him for everything.