"Oh yes, I remember it well," smiled President Jefferson.
"Do you remember when you first drafted the Constitution of the United States?" said President Washington.
"Yes. That was an exciting time for me," replied President Jefferson. "Which brings us to the next point. It's quite interesting to hear the discussions revolving around various interpretations of the Constitution."
"People seem to read into it what they wish to believe. It would be nice to be able to go back and explain some of the fine points. I don't think the wording of the Constitution leaves any room for doubt," said President Washington. "If people would only read it objectively, without bringing their own emotions and self interest into their interpretation."
"So true," sighed President Jefferson, shaking his head slowly. "But isn't it human nature to see things as we want to see them?"
"Indeed," said President Jackson. "Legislators have much to learn in this regard. It is ironic that once elected to power, the voters who brought about the election are often forgotten. The will of the legislature is quickly substituted for the will of the people. Any law of the land which is unpopular with the majority of the people should be seriously reviewed, and repeal strongly considered. The government is, after all, the servant of the people. Unfortunately, many government members see themselves as rulers of the people, and feel that they must think for the people. The intelligence of the masses is often underestimated. Government tends to think of itself as a superior body."
"Yes," replied President Jefferson. "I cannot disagree with you. But remember, also, that the bills which are passed are not the same bills as were originally drafted. They have been revised to satisfy various special interest groups, and have special interest clauses tacked on the end just before being voted on. The people often get the short end of the stick; and the bottom line is that the taxpayer pays the bill. The taxpayer should have more control on how his money is spent."
"But that is the reason for the elected officials," said President Adams. "It would be too cumbersome for the taxpayer to study every issue and vote intelligently on them. That is why he elects representatives to study these things in depth; and to think and speak for him, and to vote on his behalf."
"What it all boils down to," said President Washington, "is how devoted and dedicated your elected representative is, and how much time and energy he puts into doing the job you elected him to do as opposed to how much time is put into politicking or serving those special interest groups."
"Exactly!" exclaimed President Jackson. "Which brings us right back to where we started. As was told to Dorothy in Elfland, any government — no matter what name is given to it — is only as good as the sum total of the individuals who make it up. If all of these individuals are honest and devoted, dedicated servants of the people, the people will have a fine government.
"I think we all agree on that. And although not all individuals who make up the present United States government are of the highest integrity, our basic system is still the best in the world. It remains only for us to continue to help and guide these dedicated individuals, and to work with those who are not quite as dedicated or as honest as they should be, in order that we might uplift their level of consciousness."
Everyone applauded vigorously.
President Washington next addressed President Lincoln with a comment that he hadn't been saying much, and he thought there should be some discussion on the merits of elected as opposed to appointed officials.
President Lincoln stood. He smiled kindly at President Washington. "Sometimes silence is stronger than the spoken word. I concurred in what was being said, and I didn't feel I could add to it. Why clutter up the proceedings with a lot of unnecessary rhetoric? As for the elected/appointed question, I think we should save that for our next meeting. I've a feeling it will be a very long discussion."
"Well said," acknowledged President Washington. "Too many of us politicians talk too much. But of course that fact is not entirely unknown to the general public."
Everyone laughed.
At this point President Madison interceded: "Forgive me for interrupting, Mr. President, but I think we need to address the problem of elected officials as a whole. How can we be sure of electing only those who have the best interests of our beloved country at heart?"
"I think herein lies the problem," said President Adams. "Everyone has his own opinion as to whether or not a given policy is within our country's best interests. Who is to be the supreme authority on the matter?"
"If there were only two people left on earth, there would be a difference of opinion," said President Lincoln. "Therein lies the uniqueness of mankind."
"How can we be sure," said President Adams, "that this difference of opinion will never become so great that it would again divide our beloved country into warring factions?"
"We can never be sure of that," said President Lincoln. "There are those that would try to divide us in order to conquer us — that they may force their system of government upon us. A system of government where, unfortunately, freedom of the people is not the highest priority."
"Gentlemen!" said President Madison. "Doesn't it all boil down to what we said earlier? That it all begins with the children. If they were taught from a very young age the importance of high moral principles, they would grow up with these high ideals inside of them, and those elected to office would be there to serve all the people in a fair and equitable manner that would not, for example, bend to pressure, or the offer of monetary gain from the special interest groups." Everyone nodded in agreement. President Madison went on: "As you know, I served for two terms of office. Prior to that I served Tom here as his Secretary of State. They were troubled times then, and I could foresee that our country would face many problems in the future. Many social problems. I felt then, as I do now, that America's hope — the hope of the world — lies along the path of honesty, integrity, and justice. It is the only way. And those who would follow another path are traitors, not only to their countrymen, but to all mankind." Everyone applauded loudly as several voices interjected with, "Hear, hear," "Well said,” “So true," et cetera.
"You know," said President Monroe, "if all people of the United States could see us now, to see that we are all still alive, and how very concerned we are about our beloved country and the rest of the world, I wonder if many of them would change their thinking. Especially if they knew that they, too, would not really die."
"I think they will change," said President Adams. "When they see that the short life given to them on earth is not given to see how much property and money they can amass, but is given to allow them the opportunity for spiritual growth, and in order that they might leave that earthly world a better place for those that come after them. Of course, if a fortune happens to be made while making the earth a better place and making life better for their fellow men, all well and good."
"But so many put the making of a fortune their first and foremost objective. It is such an obsession for many that they don't care who is hurt or that the world will be worse off for them having lived there. These people often are miserable and lonely, Their vast fortunes of little comfort to them. They come into this realm with no money physically, of course — and paupers spiritually. They are a sorry sight to behold, indeed. As you know, after we arrive here, we reflect upon our life in great detail. So, when these people contemplate all they have done with their lives and compare that with all that they could have done, they practically cry out for the chance to do it over, for the chance to make amends. But it is too late. They must live with their memories. As we all know, they will eventually be given the chance to make amends. However, all of what they did could have been avoided if they could have known in advance what the results would be."
"Oh, they knew all right," said President Lincoln. "We all knew prior to our birth on earth, but our desire for mortal expression is so strong that our higher self is delegated to a place deep in our unconscious so that it won't interfere with what we wish to do mortally. We cannot blame our actions on a lack of knowledge. No, any action we take on earth is of our own volition. We must accept total responsibility. And, as we all know, Universal or Karmic Law will eventually balance the scale.... How soon we choose to learn our lessons, or how long we wish to prolong the agony is entirely up to us."
"When Dorothy returns to Kansas and tells her story; and when her book is published, many people will be reminded," said President Anderson.
"But they have been reminded before," said President Adams. "How many great teachers have come and gone? Yet the world goes on with its foolishness and its wickedness."
"Can you imagine how much worse conditions would be in the world had these masters not lived?" replied President Anderson. "Many people did listen to the wisdom of the masters, and changed their lives accordingly. Even today, their great works are studied, and the way of life advocated by them is practiced by thousands of good people all over the world."
"That is indeed true," replied President Adams. "But while the religious writings of today contain many pearls of wisdom and are most helpful in keeping one on the spiritual path; the governing body of the clergy of the various ages held back from the people the inner knowledge in order to maintain the power of the church: thus assuring their own, and the church's financial integrity and security.
"Much of what the great spiritual masters actually said has become distorted over the years and key parts of their doctrine deliberately withheld. The ministers of today have no written record of those lost teachings and so do not believe that they ever existed.
"If people were to realize their true relationship to the Source of all knowledge and all power and that they themselves were an integral part of that source, they would be amazed. They have no idea that they are divine beings in their own right, with no need for an intermediary.
"It is not in the best interests of the established church to teach this, even if the ministers and priests believed it themselves. For the church would lose its hold over the masses and therefore lose much of its power. Far better to keep the people in ignorance, and make the path to salvation a very narrow one.
"Reincarnation, as we all know, hasn't been taught by the church for centuries. Wasn't it in Constantinople in the sixth century that the church fathers decided that it would not be wise to retain the doctrine of reincarnation in the Holy Scriptures for fear that the people would not see the need to go to church if they knew they had many opportunities many lives in which to make amends? But the church thought it far better to teach that man only had one life. Only one chance to repent.
"The church had nothing to fear if they had only realized it. But they were afraid that if the people were to know that they did not only have one chance to repent their wicked ways they would say, 'Why should I change? I will live forever regardless.'
"But it would have been better for the church to teach men the truth. And to teach that as long as the children of God refuse to change they will simply be prolonging their agony through many lifetimes, and keeping what could be a delightful planet in a permanent state of agitation and misery.
"It takes many lifetimes for a soul to work its way out of the mortal environment once entrapped there. For one's own mortal mind is the biggest obstacle to overcome."
"I cannot disagree with anything you've said," President Lincoln intercepted. "I had trouble accepting the orthodox teaching myself. I had to modify my thoughts on the matter because of my position at the time.
"But I must point out one thing. The traditional orthodox teachings cannot suddenly be changed. People need the stability of the traditional church service. besides, these services are not all fire and brimstone, many are deeply spiritual in nature. To suddenly take that away would be confusing to many, and perhaps some would be lost completely. Instead, the church fathers should develop open minds and study not only the esoteric teachings, but review in depth church history and especially the content of the texts of meetings in which official policy was established regarding what would be taught or not taught to the people. Then, once they have developed a thorough understanding of the human motivation behind the teachings of certain doctrines, they should be in a position to gradually introduce to their congregations a more universal understanding of the nature of creation and man's true place as a co-creator with his God. Before any of this can take place, the church fathers must lose their self-image as all-knowing teachers and see themselves as fellow students learning along with everyone else. Men can become very pompous and pious over their positions in religious orders and can be most reluctant to release their illusions of self-importance and their hold over the ignorant. However, the writing is on the wall. Even now, subtle changes are taking place within organized religion. People are at last awakening, asking questions; no longer satisfied by the smug answers of the past. I foresee the dissolution of the many doctrines and creeds and the formulation of a new universal understanding. I see Temples of Wisdom upon the earth where people are taught the ancient philosophy, and where one can meditate and really communicate on a one-to-one basis with that supreme intelligence which in reality is their own higher self. This coming era will be that long-promised Golden Age on earth when the wicked and all those of a lower order of vibration will no longer be able to dwell upon the earth, but will through that transition called death be delegated to a distant planet to begin the whole cycle of evolution all over again. I would emphasize again however, that to many people the established church is a of critical importance — they really need that structure in their lives, they find great spiritual solace in the traditional services. To suddenly take that away from them would be highly irresponsible."
President Jackson stood up. "Gentlemen," he said, "let us take a recess." He turned to Dorothy and company. "Would you care to walk in the garden?" The back door of the hall was opened, and everyone streamed outside. The scents of various flowers and blossoms filled the air.
"You know, my dear," President Jackson said to Dorothy as they walked. "You are more than welcome to stay as long as you like. But as you can see, in spite of our pledge to reduce our rhetoric, we politicians are notoriously long-winded. I expect that this meeting will last for weeks, as all the other presidents have yet to speak."
"Well," said Dorothy. "I do enjoy listening to all that is said, but we have a great deal yet to accomplish. Perhaps we should be continuing our journey. I shall be sorry to miss hearing all the presidents speak."
"You are welcome to visit us any time," said President Jackson. "After you return to Kansas, just focus your thoughts on us upon retiring for the night, and visualize yourself with us. When you fall asleep, you will be there."
"Thank you, everyone," said Dorothy. "This has been a delightful experience and a wonderful privilege."
"The privilege is all ours," said President Jackson. "Goodbye my dears,
and God-speed."
Many of the presidents came over to shake hands again. All of them waved goodbye.
Chapter Twenty:
Captured
Dorothy's little band walked back the same way they came. As they walked past the presidents' homes, the Scarecrow remarked that it was a most interesting experience. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"I'm just afraid," said Dorothy, "that Aunt Em and Uncle Henry just won't believe a bit of this. The more I tell them about Oz, the less they believe!"
"Perhaps you shouldn't tell them all at once," said the Tin Woodman.
"Perhaps you shouldn't tell them at all," said the Lion.
"Perhaps you're right," sighed Dorothy. "It is too incredible for anyone to believe."
"Not anyone," said the Tin Woodman. "Remember what President Washington told you? That you are to tell that writer of your experiences and that he will write them down and that many children and even some adults will read it and although not everyone will believe it — a great many will be helped. So your experiences will not have been in vain."
"Yes, I suppose you're right," said Dorothy. "But I do wish Aunt Em and Uncle Henry would believe me."
"Hey!" said the Tin Woodman excitedly. "I have a wonderful idea. Why don't we transport your Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to Oz? Then they'd have to believe."
"That is a wonderful idea," said Dorothy. "Can we do it now?"
"Well, it's going to take a great deal of arranging, I'm sure," said the Scarecrow. "We'll have to talk to Glinda about it. Or maybe the Good Witch of the North. I'm sure we'll be able to do it somehow."
"I'll bet if they came here they wouldn't want to go back to Kansas," said Dorothy, excitedly. "In fact, if Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were here, I wouldn't want to go back!"
"Dorothy," said the Tin Woodman very solemnly. "I'm sure it's very necessary that you return to Kansas. In fact, as you know full well, you have a very important part to play — a very important part. But one day, when your work is done there, you will come to live in Oz with us for ever."
"Oh, it will be so marvelous, won't it?" said Dorothy.
"Indeed it will," replied the Tin Woodman.
Everyone nodded vigorously.
"Also," added the Lion, "perhaps many of the boys and girls who read your stories will come and visit us."
"That would really be nice," said Dorothy. "Of course, they would probably want to go and see the wicked witch, even though it would be kind of scary for them.
"Speaking of which, have you been noticing our surroundings? Things are beginning to look very spooky."
Sure enough, as they had been walking, everyone was too busy with the conversation to notice the changing landscape. They seemed to be in a thick dark forest, with strange grotesque shapes peering at them through the shadows. Shrill sounds of forest animals and birds could be heard in the distance. And the darkness was falling quickly. The Lion walked a little closer to Dorothy and held her hand. "As you know," he said, "I now have courage and I'm not afraid. But I think I should hold your hand so that you won't be
afraid." Dorothy smiled to herself and said, "Thank you, Lion; it is a little scary."
Just then, a piercing scream rang out. Everyone jumped with fright. All the shadows in the trees seemed to come alive and slowly weave towards them. The branches and vines from the trees caught at Dorothy's hair and dress.
As the little group's pace quickened, a vine from a grotesque-looking tree caught around the Lion's throat and appeared to be trying to choke him. The Tin Woodman jumped into action and hacked it off with his ax. A loud squeal seemed to come from the tree as the ax cut the vine.
"Quickly, everyone! Run!" shouted the Tin Woodman.
They all ran like the wind, weaving in and out of the trees, with the vines swirling and clutching at their arms and legs. Now and then, someone would become entangled, and the Tin Woodman would stop and run back to hack off the vines. Each time he did so, a loud, human-sounding scream would ring out from the tree. The sounds of those screams chilled Dorothy to her bones. As she ran, she could feel herself getting weaker. She was becoming exhausted.
The vines seemed to be everywhere, clutching and clawing at her. Suddenly, the dense foliage came to an end as they all found themselves in an open clearing. Dorothy dropped to her knees, completely exhausted. "Thank Heaven!" she panted. "Thank Heaven we're out of that awful place." She got up and embraced the Tin Woodman. "What would we have done without you?" she panted breathlessly.
The Tin Woodman looked a bit sheepish. "I am a woodman, you know, and I know my work. Though I must admit my work has never attacked me before."
Everyone laughed. "Well, thank goodness we're out of that mess," said Dorothy. "It was horrifying."
Unfortunately, the feeling of relief they all felt was to be short-lived. Dorothy had barely finished speaking when the Lion said, "You are all growing taller." Everyone laughed in surprise, for it was he who was getting smaller — or so it seemed. In actual fact, he was sinking slowly into the soft ground. They all ran at once to pull him up, but, the more they pulled, the more he sank. It was as if a strong force was sucking him in.
"Ahhh!" yelled the Tin Woodman. "It's got me, too!" He was already in the ground up to his knees when Dorothy reached him. "It's no good," he said. "I'm sinking too fast."
While Dorothy was trying to pull the Tin Woodman out, the Scarecrow yelled, "Now it's got me!" He was flailing his arms about and grabbing at the tufts of grass in a desperate attempt to escape the dreadful suction. But it was no use. By the time Dorothy reached him, he was actually up to his waist. Dorothy was afraid to pull on him too hard, for fear he would tear and all the straw would come out. She looked around her in desperation. By now, the Lion was up to his neck; she ran to him and grabbed his big ears. "Ouch!" the Lion yelled. "You're going to pull my ears off!"
Dorothy let go and started to sob. "I'm losing you," she cried. "I'm losing all of you!"
Just then, the Lion yelled out, "Hey! I'm not sinking any more!"
"Oh thank goodness!" shouted Dorothy, greatly relieved.
The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow — who were by now also up to their necks - shouted out in unison, "I've stopped, too!"
"Well, thank Heaven!" said Dorothy, now crying with happiness. "I'll go and try to get help."
She had barely said the word 'help' when a piercing cackle filled the air. It was a sound they all knew so well and dreaded so much.
Swoosh! The Wicked Witch's broomstick flew past the Scarecrow's left ear. Then swoosh again. This time past the Lion's right ear. She headed for the Tin Woodman, screaming as she flew: "Got you now, my beauties! Ha ha haha!"
Dorothy stood spellbound as she watched the witch perform her acrobatics. Suddenly, the witch zoomed upwards, high into the air, as if leaving. But she turned quickly and pointed the broomstick directly at Dorothy and zoomed towards her like a rocket. The broomstick was about three feet from Dorothy's face when she turned it up slightly, barely missing Dorothy's head. As she swooshed by, she cackled loudly, her screaming laughter filling the air. She did this several times, scaring Dorothy half to death. Dorothy had to move from side to side each time the witch attacked her, or she would have been hit.
Chapter Twenty-one:
A Surprising Reversal
At last the witch seemed to tire of her terrorizing. She made one final swoop at Dorothy — screaming in her ear, "Well, my little pretty, what say you now? I'll be back presently with my soldiers to take you all to my castle. No use looking for help. There's no one here in Witch Forest except my friends, the trees, and they're certainly not going to help you."
She made one final sweep towards the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Woodman, screaming with her maniacal laughter. "Well, how's the bag of straw and the tin can?" she cackled. "Not to forget the King of the jungle! A-a-a-a HA HA HA HEE HEE HEEEEEEEEEEE."
While she was screaming, the Tin Woodman managed to pull one arm free. As she flew over his head, he grabbed the tail end of her broomstick. It stopped — but she didn't. She flew head over heels through the air. Over and over she went, landing upside down, her head stuck in the mud. Dorothy ran over to her. By the time she got there, she was already up to her waist, her legs sticking out and flailing around frantically. She obviously could not breathe.
Dorothy grabbed her legs and heaved, but she couldn't budge her.
"She'll die for sure. Run!" said the Scarecrow to Dorothy.
Dorothy hesitated. As much as she had been abused by the witch, she could not bear to leave her to die.
"Look!" said the Tin Woodman. One of the witch's legs was waving back and forth, with her long, pointed shoe vigorously jabbing towards a tree stump.
"Looks like she's trying to tell us something," shouted the Scarecrow.
Dorothy ran over to the tree stump. "I can't see anything unusual about it," she said. Meanwhile, the witch's kicking got weaker and weaker until she was not moving at all.
"She's dead," said the Lion. "The wicked witch is dead. She must have suffocated to death."
"Well, that's that," said the Scarecrow. "She'll never scare or harm anyone again."
"Why aren't we all shouting and dancing for joy?" said the Tin Woodman.
"We couldn't very well dance anyhow," said the Lion. "And I don't think anyone feels like singing."
"I was hoping that we could change her," said Dorothy. "There'd be so much more satisfaction in that, than seeing her dead. Now, wherever she is, she's the same old wicked person."
"What do you mean, wherever she is?" said the Lion. "She's right there! Look at her legs sticking out of the ground."
"No. I mean wherever her spirit is. You know that no one can really die."
"Oh, I see," said the Lion. "You mean, whichever level of spiritland she's now in, it's probably not a happy one."
"Yes," said Dorothy. "She's had a chance to learn here. But she has refused to learn. Now she'll be on a very low level with others of her kind. There's very little likelihood of her advancing much unless someone of a higher level is able to break through the barriers of her negativity."
Dorothy sat dejectedly on the tree stump. "Now we've got to find a way to get you all out of here," she said, cupping her face in hands.
Suddenly, the stump began to sink. "Oh, my!" cried Dorothy, jumping up. As she did so, there were several loud popping sounds. The mechanism that had sucked her friends into the ground had now reversed itself. One by one, they all popped out like corks from a bottle.
The last one to pop out was the witch. However, unlike the others, her body lay lifeless upon the ground.
"You must have released the suction by sitting on the tree stump," said the Scarecrow.
"Yes," Dorothy replied. "Now we know what the witch was trying to tell us."
"Too late for her," said the Tin Woodman, looking at her lifeless form. "She's deader than a door-nail."
They all walked over to where the witch lay. "It would be a beautiful world if all the bad people in it were dead," said the Lion.
"I wonder why God lets bad people live," said the Scarecrow. "Sometimes a good person dies young, while a bad person may live a long life."
"Why does God even allow bad people to be born in the first place?" asked the Tin Woodman. "He must know they're going to grow up bad. Doesn't He know the state of their soul before they're born?"
"God knows what is in everyone's heart," said Dorothy. "And He knows the chances are great that certain souls will give way to evil. But, since He loves all souls equally, He must allow each the opportunity to evolve to a higher understanding."
"But," said the Scarecrow, "what about the really bad ones? Who, no matter what they go through, continue to be as evil as ever? It's not fair to the good people to have these people on earth with them, hurting them and doing all the terrible things they do. God must know that no matter what, these people are going to lead their entire lives in an evil way."
"That's true, I'm sure," said Dorothy. "But, you see, all people on earth are on that particular planet for a reason. Each soul has certain experiences to go through. Very little is really accidental. Some souls make a great deal of progress through these many experiences, others very little. But the experiences are necessary. Everyone must be allowed the opportunity for growth."
Dorothy was quite aware that the words of explanation coming out of her mouth were originating from a much deeper level of consciousness, just as she'd been told.
"Any experience that is gone through with others is quite possibly the result of past experiences with the people involved. Something that has happened, perhaps eons of times past, has brought these souls together again. Sometimes again and again, for they fail to learn each time. It could also be that other people whose lives are touched by this experience — perhaps family members, have something to learn. However, all adverse experiences could be avoided or at least reduced in severity if the same lesson could be learned in any other way.
"For example: if the bad person were to say to himself, prior to performing an act of violence,What am I doing? This violent life I am leading is getting me nowhere. I am not only hurting this person, but I am hurting myself — my family — my victim's family. What kind of a life is this? I will stop this life here and now. I will replace this black ball of hatred inside me with a brilliant ball of light — of love. Of love for my fellow humans and for myself."
"If this was said and acted upon, the angels in Heaven would rejoice. For it would mean that another lost soul had returned to the Father.
"It is not always necessary to go through a harsh experience to learn a lesson. Prayerful contemplation can bring about the desired change of heart much easier. But it seems mankind is determined to take the painful way to spiritual growth.
"Some people think that bad experiences are punishment by God. Of course, this is not true. If it is punishment, it is ourselves punishing ourselves. The experiences are the result of our own wrong thoughts and actions, the result of our listening more to our own mortal mind, rather than our higher self. The resulting pain from our having to live in our self-created environment prods us on to improve.
"Of course, self-improvement can be quite slow, and it may take quite a bit of this self-inflicted pain before the truth finally dawns on us. We are where we are because of the actions of the past. If we want to improve our lot in life, we'd better start improving ourselves.
"Criminals, for example, think that they can take a short-cut to happiness by robbing and stealing. They think that, if they have a lot of money they'll be happy. But by taking that money dishonestly, the farther from true happiness they'll be.
"True happiness is of a spiritual quality, and must come from within. If these people had instead chosen the spiritual path, the substance they were seeking would come to them naturally.
"Our Scriptures talk about the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God, and that the rest would be added to us. These ancient writers knew what they were talking about. But how many people of today pay any attention to this kind of advice? They think they know better.
"People on the mortal realms can be so foolish. Riches galore are all around them, but they cannot see these spiritual riches because of the need they feel for material things.
"They misinterpret a deep longing inside them, trying desperately to fulfill themselves. But their task is a hopeless one, for no material possession, of itself, can fill the void. "Most interesting," said the Scarecrow.
"Certainly makes you think," the Tin Woodman said.
"I didn't know I knew these things," said the girl. "Although I have the feeling that all I have said, I have known all along."
"I suspect that everyone, deep inside, knows these things," said the Lion. "It just takes a desire for spiritual advancement to release that inner knowledge into the conscious mind."
"Well, I really wasn't all that conscious of what I was saying," said Dorothy. "I suppose that's because the conscious mind has to do with the world around us, whereas the inner knowing is something we all have but rarely listen to. We are all just too busy with the outer goings-on."
"Besides," interceded the Lion, "those that are on the spiritual path are being taught these things during sleep. Remember that was told to us? And, although that teaching is not consciously remembered, it is slowly transforming our character and will gradually affect world consciousness. Especially as each of us begins to listen more to our inner self and less to the outer self."
"Look!" said the Scarecrow. "The witch! She moved!"
Everyone ran over to her. But she was as still as ever. "I'm sure I saw her leg move," said the Scarecrow.
"Maybe she's not quite dead," the Lion said.
"Quick! Take my hat!" shouted the Tin Woodman to the Scarecrow. "Get some water."
"But it's got a hole in it," said the Scarecrow.
"Well, put your finger over it," said the Lion.
"I don't think my finger will hold water," replied the Scarecrow. "It's filled with straw."
"I'd better go," said Dorothy. "In the meantime, slap her face."
"I'll be glad to!" said the Scarecrow. Dorothy ran over to a little stream and filled the Tin Woodman's funnel-hat with water. She walked back as quickly as she could and threw the water in the witch's face.
The witch moved ever so slightly, but did not awaken.
"Well, she's still alive, all right," said Dorothy.
"That's amazing," said the Lion. "But what is even more amazing is that the water didn't melt her away like it did her sister. We must have all temporarily forgotten about that in our excitement."
"She must be made of a different material," said the Tin Woodman.
"I wonder why we're trying to save her," the Lion said. "If she recovers, she'll just attack us again."
Dorothy, ignoring the Lion's remarks but bracing herself, began mouth to mouth resuscitation. Sure enough, the witch began to stir.
"She's coming to," said the Lion, stepping back slightly.
The witch's eyes opened and looked evilly from side to side. She looked around her, but could see only a few blurry shadows.
Gradually, her eyes focused on Dorothy's pretty features. Hatred began to well up inside her. She stood up shakily, then collapsed in a faint. "Quickly!" said Dorothy. "More water."
The Lion ran to the stream and filled the Tin Woodman's hat to the brim. He carried the funnel in his mouth as he ran back to Dorothy, spilling most of it on the way.
Dorothy sat the witch up and pressed the rim of the funnel to her lips. "Drink," she said as she tilted it. The witch took a sip, then collapsed again.
"I don't think she's going to make it," said the Tin Woodman.
"We must try to save her," said Dorothy, as she sprinkled the few remaining drops of water on the witch's face.
The witch opened her eyes again, then sat up by herself. She looked incredulously at Dorothy, and, shaking her head in disbelief, said, "You are trying to save me?" Her voice was little more than a whisper.
"You must get some rest now," said Dorothy. "We'll talk later."
The witch closed her eyes and seemed to go into a peaceful sleep.
"Well, what shall we do now?" said the Lion.
"At least she didn't get mad at us," said the Scarecrow.
"We'll let her rest," Dorothy said. "Then we'll see what she has to say."
The girl lay back and closed her eyes. Presently, she drifted into sleep. She began to dream of her adventures in Oz: of meeting her friends for the first time, and of meeting the Wicked Witch of the West in her terrible anger after Dorothy's house fell on the Wicked Witch of the East.
She dreamed of returning to Oz for the second time and meeting the Wicked Witch of the Deep South. Then she dreamed that all three witches were attacking her at once. The Wicked Witch of the West screamed at her: "So, you thought you'd get away from me, eh? Well, I've got you now, my little pretty!" She screamed again with that horrible cackle that all witches seem to have. As her scream tapered off, the Wicked Witch of the West's ugly, one-eyed face loomed up right next to Dorothy's face.
She glared at Dorothy and screamed, "You thought you'd liquidated me, didn't you, my pretty? Well, I'm right here! And two of my sisters are here, too. And we have a nice little surprise for you." At that, the Wicked Witch of the Deep South cackled loudly behind Dorothy. As Dorothy spun around, the witch threw a rope around her and tied her arms tightly to her side. They all grabbed the little girl and pushed her roughly into a chair. Then they tied her wrists to the arms of the chair.
Directly above the chair was a big black pot, bubbling and steaming. It was suspended by two chains on pulleys. A rope was tied to an iron ring at the base of the pot and looped through another iron ring on a big wooden beam. The end of the rope lay coiled on the floor.
The Wicked Witch of the West picked up the rope and began to tug on it gently. The black pot tilted slightly. Seeing the alarm on Dorothy's face, the witches cackled in sadistic delight.
"Now, we'll see how you like this, Deary," screamed the Wicked Witch of the West with heinous laughter. "We'll teach you to interfere with us." With that, she gave a big tug on the rope.
Dorothy screamed as the thick black steaming liquid hit her face. But, instead of being scalding hot, it was icy cold. She awoke with a start to find that the Scarecrow was splashing cold water in her face. "What happened, Dorothy?" said the Tin Woodman. "Are you all right? You were crying out in your sleep."
"Oh," said Dorothy in relief as she recognized everyone. "Thank goodness it was only a bad dream. The witches were about to scald me to death."
"We couldn't wake you," said the Lion. "That's why we sprinkled the water on her face."
"Oh, what a terrible nightmare it was," said Dorothy. "Thank you for waking me when you did."
Just then, the Wicked Witch of the Deep South opened her eyes and sat up. She looked around, slowly. Dorothy stiffened, expecting to hear the usual barrage of abuse. Instead, the Witch spoke quite softly. "So, my little one," she sneered, "you decided to help me, eh? Well, it won't do you any good."
"You would have died, if it hadn't been for Dorothy," said the Scarecrow.
"Really now?" said the Witch. "Is that true, Dorothy dear?"
"Yes, it is," replied Dorothy quietly.
"Why would you want to save me?" said the Witch in the same mocking tone.
"Because all life is precious," said Dorothy. "Even yours."
"Precious to whom, might I ask?"
"Well, isn't it precious to you?" replied Dorothy.
The Witch didn't answer. Instead, she stared straight ahead, as if mesmerized. "Well, isn't it?" asked Dorothy again.
"No," said the Witch, her voice shaking as if she were about to cry.
Dorothy was quite surprised by the turn in events. She had never seen the Witch so docile, so dejected. Her voice softened. "Is there any way we can help you?" she asked kindly.
The Witch stared at Dorothy. Suddenly, tears began to roll down her cheeks. "No one has ever been kind to me before," she said. "Why are you?"
"Because we love you," answered the little girl. "We couldn't show our love to you before because you expressed so much hatred towards us that it made us fearful of you."
"But how can you love someone who hates you?"
"Do you still hate us?" asked Dorothy.
"I don't know," replied the Witch, uncertainly. "I've never known anything but Hate."
"Well," said Dorothy, "we've never known anything but Love. You see, when people are unkind towards us, we try to respond with understanding and sympathy. And although their attitude can be quite disturbing to us, we know that to return hatred back towards them would only intensify the situation. To return Hate with Hate wouldn't help the hateful person in the least. And it most certainly would not help us."
The Witch thought for a moment...."You know, I have never talked quietly like this before. Not even to my sisters. It gives me a good feeling inside. Now I am beginning to experience a strange feeling I've never felt before. I think it's a feeling of compassion, almost of love.
"This is very difficult for me to say, Dorothy. But I am very sorry for all the anguish I have caused you and your friends."
Dorothy put her arms around the witch and hugged her. "It was worth going through it all to see you making this transition," said the girl warmly.
Tears now rolled freely from the Witch's eyes. Dorothy began to cry, too. "My heart is very happy for you," she said. "You have entered the door which leads to Heaven. For many, that door is never opened. Yet all have the key."
"I think I know what you mean," replied the Witch. "That key is Love, isn't it?"
Dorothy nodded silently and hugged the Witch tightly. "We are all going to be very good friends," she said.
Suddenly the Witch looked very sad.
"What's the matter?" asked Dorothy.
"I'm so ugly," said the Witch. "I think that's one of the reasons I became so hateful in the first place."
"Hatefulness will make anyone look ugly," said Dorothy. "True beauty is within. An overwhelming feeling of love and kindness could never be ugly."
The Witch brightened up. "Do you think I can become attractive?" she inquired hopefully.
"Of course," replied Dorothy. "You are already becoming so."
Sure enough, the Witch's features were changing. The harshness and the cruel lines around her mouth were dissolving. The greenish tinge to her face was changing to a soft pink glow.
The transformation was amazing. Except for the black cloak and pointed hat, one would never know she was the dreadful Wicked Witch. Her face was actually beautiful now. Her long jagged nose had shortened considerably, giving her quite a sophisticated look.
The Witch was wondering why everyone was staring at her so intently. "What's the matter?" she asked, rather alarmed.
"Look at your reflection in the water," said Dorothy.
The Witch ran over to the pond. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her reflection. "This is unbelievable!" she said excitedly.
Dorothy walked over to her. "When we get back to Oz, where our friend the Scarecrow is Emperor, we must find you some new clothes. You will accompany us on our journey, won't you?"
"Oh, yes," replied the Witch. "Thank you. I can't stay in this place now. I will never return here. Oh, this is so exciting! I'm so looking forward to visiting the Emerald City! It will be a pleasure to accompany you. I feel as if a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I have lived in a lonely, cold, isolated world all my life. Now I am looking forward to meeting people and enjoying life. Who knows, perhaps I may meet a handsome prince."
Dorothy put her arm around the Witch. "This is indeed a wonderful moment for all of us."
Well," the Witch said, looking around at all her friends, "are we all ready?"
Everyone nodded vigorously.
"Then off we go!"
They all joined together, arm-in-arm, and began to sing as they danced along.
"We're the best of friends together, so happy, so jolly.
We're the best of friends together, as happy as can be.
We're the best of friends together, and nobody—ever,
can part our compa-nee....
Not n-o-o-o-body—ever—can part our compa-nee,
—part our compa-nee—part our compa- nee
When the song came to an end, the Witch said, "I'm so happy, Dorothy, to have such kind and loving friends. Oh, what a fool I've been all these years. I took great pleasure in hurting people and making them fear me. But it was a pleasure that didn't come from deep within me. Not the kind of pleasure that makes you tingle with joy, the way I feel now. No, it was a selfish, sadistic pleasure derived from the feeling of power over others. What a difference between the two. There is no comparison. But, you see, I had to experience the kind of feeling I have now to know the difference. And it was your being kind to me in spite of this cruelty to you which brought me into this wonderful new understanding. I feel as if I have been rescued from a deep, dark, cold dungeon in which I have spent all my life; as if I've been brought out of perpetual darkness into bright sunshine. It is truly wonderful."
"It has made us all very happy, too, to see you so happy," said Dorothy. "It is difficult to love someone who obviously hates you, but we know that hatefulness and resentment are not natural expressions of humanity, but are caused by a lack of understanding and knowledge of universal laws. Once people become locked up into this self-created prison, it is almost impossible to break them out of it. But, if we don't try, there can never be any hope for any of us."
"Well, I'm certainly glad you tried with me," said the Witch, "or I'd still be there, and totally unaware that in reality I was locked up in my own prison and had thrown away the key."
"Well, you are free now," said Dorothy. "And, with that experience behind you, you will have the understanding to be able to help others in similar situations. That is why we must always show compassion for those who express hatred and resentment, for they are extremely unhappy people, crying out for help. We must mentally surround them with love. For to do otherwise means we are caught up in the same trap they are."
"Well, look how far we've walked." Dorothy gestured towards the houses they had passed when they first entered Americanpresidentland. The houses were quiet, with no signs of life anywhere. "The meeting must be over," said the Lion. Just as he spoke, a shape jumped out of the bushes at him. The Lion jumped with surprise. The shape growled, but, upon seeing the Lion, the growls subsided and changed into a sort of purring sound. The shape was none other than another lion. And what a pretty lion. She had long curling eyelashes and beautiful big brown eyes. The Cowardly Lion was absolutely spellbound. His heart pounded furiously. He tried to speak but couldn't. Eventually, he managed a weak whisper. "Hello."
"Hello," replied the other lion, rather coyly. "Where do you live?"
"Quite a long way from here," said he, somewhat embarrassed by everyone looking at them.
Dorothy said, "Why don't we leave these two alone for a while to get acquainted? We'll walk slowly, Lion," she said, "so you can catch up. Miss Lion is welcome to join us if she wishes."
"Thank you, Dorothy," said the Lion. The female lion looked quite pleased by the invitation. "Well, I'm very happy for you both," replied Dorothy. "Now you each have someone to share your life with."
"She is a very lovely soul," said the Lion, looking into his companion's eyes. "It seems as if we were just made for each other."
"I'm sure you were," replied Dorothy. "I'm sure you were."
Chapter Twenty-two:
A Political Discussion
The journey back to Oz was quite uneventful. Everyone just enjoyed each other's company as they talked of many things.
"You know," said the Tin Woodman at one point, "one of the most pleasant aspects of life is having good friends: someone you can talk to who understands you, and with whom you can share your hopes and dreams and innermost thoughts."
"Yes, friendship is a wonderful thing," said Dorothy. "I was quite a lonely little girl on the farm until I met all of you. Now I have the most wonderful friends in the world."
"Thank you, Dorothy," said the Scarecrow. "We all feel very fortunate to have you as a friend, too. You have taught us many things."
"Well, thank you," said Dorothy. "I know I have learned an awful lot from all of you. And we have all learned tremendously from the friends we have met on our journey."
"I know I have learned a great deal lately," said the Witch. "Thanks to all of you."
"Thank you," said Dorothy. "I think all people everywhere learn from each other. That is part of the joy of life. If there could be no friendly exchange of thoughts and ideas with others, life would not be too meaningful."
"It would be terrible to live one of those countries where people can only read news that the government allows them to read," said the Tin Woodman. "Or where they cannot voice criticism of government programs and policies."
"The government in those countries must be terribly insecure and fearful," said the Scarecrow.
"I would say that would have to be true," answered Dorothy.
"Hmm," said the Witch. "Much like my own kingdom was. A rule of fear instead of a rule of love."
"When people are afraid to say anything against their system of government or their leader, then that is a rule of fear, yes," said Dorothy.
"Why could I not see that at the time?" said the Witch.
"Because," replied Dorothy, "your love for yourself, or at least your love of power, was stronger than your love for others."
"I had no love for others," said the Witch. "Only contempt."
"Exactly," said Dorothy.
"Thank Heaven you saved me from myself," answered the Witch. "Now I am loved for myself. The power I care for no longer."
"Don't you see," replied Dorothy, "once you have given up the power, you receive it. You have more power now than you ever have had."
The Witch raised her eyebrows questioningly. "I do?" she said.
"Of course," replied Dorothy. "You now have power over yourself. That is harder to accomplish than obtaining power over ten million people. And because you have power over yourself, you have obtained the respect of all who come into contact with you. So now you have power over everyone. But this is the power of love, the strongest power in the universe. These little dictators and government officials who think they have so much power are pitiful sights to behold. They have no power at all compared to you, now."
"Well, isn't that something?" replied the Witch incredulously, shaking her head. "Isn't that just something?"
Chapter Twenty-three:
Up, Up, and Away
By this time, the little group had walked all the way back to the river. They had passed very few people on the way. They had not even seen any Octapong when they walked through Octapongland. Once in a while they caught a glimpse of someone, but it seemed to Dorothy as if people were deliberately avoiding them.
"It's me," said the Witch suddenly.
"What?" said Dorothy.
"It's me," repeated the Witch. "I'm the reason."
"You're the reason for what?" asked Dorothy.
"I'm the reason people are avoiding us. They don't know I've changed."
"Oh," said Dorothy, "of course! I should have realized. Oh, well, we'll soon be in the Emerald City. Then we'll get rid of these distinguishing clothes."
"How are we going to get back, Dorothy?" asked the Scarecrow.
"That's a good question," replied Dorothy. "It's just too far to walk."
"I have an idea," offered the Witch. "If the Tin Woodman could cut me some long straight sticks and some rushes, I will make broomsticks for all of us."
"Will they fly?" asked the Lion, nervously, looking at his new companion.
"Of course they will fly," replied the Witch. "Just because I am a reformed witch doesn't mean I have forgotten my craft. The only difference is I'll be using my magic for good instead of evil."
"Wonderful," said the Tin Woodman. "I'll get right to work."
"Oh, this is exciting," said Dorothy. "Imagine! Flying on a broomstick. Now, what would Aunt Em think if she could see me? She'd probably faint."
The Tin Woodman returned with an armful of sticks. The Scarecrow and Lions followed behind him, carrying rushes.
The Witch quickly got to work. She bound the rushes to the sticks with vines that the had been gathered from the trees.
"There!" she said proudly. "Now we're ready to fly."
Everyone stooped to pick up a broom. "Looks like just an ordinary broom to me," said the Scarecrow. "Will it really fly?"
"Not yet," said the Witch. "I have to say the magic words."
She held her arms over the brooms and began to chant:
"GENA-MENA-WENA-BENA-CHICKAMA- LONKA-STU
RINKY-DINKY-ZINKY-WINKY-KIKALA- PLONKA-KLU
LITTLE BROOMSTICKS, THERE YOU LIE ...
MAKE READY TO FLY INTO THE SKY."
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, followed by a huge puff of smoke and a very loud peal of thunder. "It is done," said the Witch.
Everyone rushed over to the broomsticks.
"They don't look any different," said the Lion.
"Pick one up," said the Witch, "and sit on it, like this." The Witch picked one of the broomsticks up herself and sat astride it with the broomstick pointed upwards. "All of you do the same," she said. "Now, we'd better have a little flying lesson before we begin. Everyone ready? Handles pointed up. And away we go...."
What an amazing sight it was! The Tin Woodman narrowly missed crashing into the Scarecrow. The Lion barely missed the Witch's head with his dangling feet, but slightly brushed his lady friend who didn"t mind a bit. However, the Scarecrow's broomhandle somehow got pointed downwards, and he headed very fast for the ground.
"Up! Up!" shouted the Witch. He managed to turn upwards just in time.
Soon everyone was doing beautifully, swooping down on each other and veering away just in time to avoid a collision.
"Wheee!" squealed the Lioness. "This is fun!"
Everyone was having such a good time that they forgot about continuing their journey.
"All right, everyone," said the Witch. "I can see you are all accomplished flyers now. I believe we should be on our way."
"Absolutely," said Dorothy, who was enjoying herself as much as anyone.
"All right. Here we go." Up, up, and away they went, high into the sky.
"Look down," shouted the Witch to Dorothy.
"Oh, how breathtaking!" gasped Dorothy.
The Land of Oz stretched out beneath them in a panorama of colors and shapes. The red country of the Quadlings was in the south. The blue territory of the Munchkins lay to the east. The western country of the Winkies was its proper yellow, while the purple Gillikin land was at the north. The sparkling green Emerald City, of course, was in the center. As they flew back downward, they could make out more details.
"Look!" said Dorothy. "There's Octapongland directly below us!"
They could make out groups of Octapong scattered about, looking at them.
"Let's take a closer look!" shouted Dorothy.
Down they zoomed, over the heads of the Octapong. The Octapong stampeded like cattle, their eight legs running like the wind, with that one shoe going clippity- clop.
Dorothy shouted for the Octapong to stop, but to no avail. Pretty soon the Octapong had outpaced them, for they could run extremely fast. Up again they flew, as they were all anxious to reach the Emerald City.
Chapter Twenty-four:
At Last, The Emerald City
"Approaching Emerald City!" shouted the Lion.
"Point your broomsticks down," said the Witch. "We're coming in to land."
As they zoomed down, people strolling about the streets looked up.
"Run!" they heard someone shout. "Run for your life! It's the Wicked Witch!"
"Oh, dear," said the Witch. "It's these clothes again. They never fail to put a scare into people. My pointed hat especially scares them."
"Then take it off," shouted Dorothy above the wind. "It won't be long before you'll be rid of the witch-clothes, too. I don't think, though, that the people are as frightened of those as they are of the broomsticks. I should have thought of that before."
Everyone landed without mishap. Of course, the streets were now deserted. They walked across the street to the Scarecrow's palace. Oddly, the entrance was barred.
"I'm locked out of my own castle?" said the Scarecrow, as he rang the bell.
A little door in the big door opened, and the Guardian of the Gates peered out at them. "Who are you?" he said, rather sharply.
"I am your king, as appointed by the Wonderful Wizard of Oz himself. This is Dorothy, and we are her friends."
"What about her?" said the guard, staring at the Witch suspiciously.
"She's our friend, too," said the Tin Woodman.
"I don't believe you," said the guardian, and he slammed the little door shut.
The Tin Woodman banged on the door with his fist.
"Go away!" shouted the guardian.
The Tin Woodman banged on the door again, this time using his ax handle.
"I said, GO AWAY!" The guardian was obviously getting quite perturbed.
"What shall we do now?" asked the Tin Woodman.
"Let me try a different tactic," said Dorothy. She knocked on the door lightly and said, "Please open the door. We can explain."
The little door opened slowly. "I'll say you need to explain," said the guardian. "Nobody has a Wicked Witch for a friend — except another Wicked Witch."
"Well, I'm not a Wicked Witch," said Dorothy. "I'm a friend of the Scarecrow's."
"She's not," said the guardian. "And she's not a friend of the Scarecrow's. And if she's your friend, your scarecrow must be an impostor!" With that, the door slammed shut again.
"Now what?" said the Scarecrow. "He doesn't even believe I'm really me!"
"I have an idea," said Dorothy. "Knock on the door again."
The Tin Woodman knocked loudly.
"What is it this time?" said the guardian impatiently, while opening the little door slightly.
"You don't understand," said Dorothy. "She's our prisoner."
"I thought you said she's yourfriend," retorted the guardian, mockingly.
"Well...." Dorothy hesitated.
"Well, what? I'm waiting," replied the man.
"Well, she's sort of our friend, too. You see, since we captured her, she has turned out to be quite nice."
"It's probably a trick," said the guardian, suspiciously.
"You can't really blame him for being suspicious," said the Witch. "I've been hated for many, many years. It's going to take a while for people to get used to my new image."
"I suppose so," said Dorothy.
A few moments later, the little door opened again. But this time it was not the guardian. Instead, it was Princess Gayelette, the reclusive but highly respected sorceress from the north. She and her husband, Quelala, had come to ask for an audience with his Majesty the Scarecrow. Upon finding him away, they had remained to look after the palace until his return. Quelala, although not a magician, was widely known for his wisdom and understanding. Gayelette was known for her powerful magic, which she used only for the good of the people. She was never known to harm anyone, and her concern for people and other sentient beings made her a favorite all over the country. As she stood in the doorway, her gaze fell upon the Scarecrow and his friends.
"It is you," she exclaimed. "I was rather doubtful, from what the little guardian told me. He said something about a Witch. But, of course, our Scarecrow would not be associating with a Wicked Witch. Even with my own magical charms, I try to avoid such individuals."
"Oh, my!" she said as her eyes met those of the Witch. "Then, is it true?" The princess was visibly shaken. The Witch smiled nervously at Princess Gayelette and curtsied. "I am very pleased to meet you, Your Highness," she said. "And I feel most honored and privileged to be in your company."
Princess Gayelette smiled rather weakly and shook the Witch's hand. "Let us retire to the meeting hall," she said. "I have a feeling you have a long story to tell."
When they reached the meeting hall, the Scarecrow excused himself for a moment to arrange for some refreshments. "Make yourselves comfortable," he said. "I'll be back in a moment."
Later, when the straw man returned, everyone was very relaxed, sitting in large, comfortable reclining chairs that the palace staff had made available.
"I"m being very inconsiderate, Dorothy," said Gayelette. "I'm sure you must be tired and weary from your long journey and all your adventures. Please enjoy your refreshments. We can meet and hear the whole story a little later. One of the maids will show you to the gardens after you've rested. We can meet there. In the meantime, I wish to have a talk with our ruler. We have some serious thinking to do, and only his hand- manufactured brains will suffice."
After everyone had eaten (except the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow who were manufactured beings and had no need of food and drink), a youthful maid led the others upstairs. The apartments were very spacious and beautifully furnished. The Witch immediately indulged herself in a long, relaxing perfumed bath. She had never felt so wonderful in her life. After her bath, she put on a silk robe that had been laid out for her. She sighed with contentment as she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. Soon she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
When the Witch awoke she felt wonderfully refreshed. She got up and walked over to the open window and looked out. The view of the royal garden was very beautiful: trees and flowers of every variety; thick, lush green grass with little benches here and there to sit on; a little stream cascading over beautiful ornamental rocks, creating miniature waterfalls. There was also a large lake on which white swans swam lazily through the water. What a contented scene it was.
The Witch walked back into the room. The perfumed aroma of the garden permeated the apartment. "How delightful the Scarecrow's palace is," said the Witch out loud. "So peaceful. Oh, how I'd love to live here. “Well, I'd better get dressed. I'm sure everyone will be meeting soon."
When she opened the closet door, she caught her breath. The closet was a large one and completely filled with the most beautiful of clothes. She chose a gorgeous Eastern-looking gown. The material was most exotic. It seemed to be pure silk, yet it had a sheen so reflective that it appeared to be woven with a thread of pure emerald. Attached to the gown were shimmering emerald earrings and a necklace. There was also a bracelet made of emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was a young girl about Dorothy's age.
"My name is Jellia," the girl said. "Jellia Jamb. The Scarecrow asked me to assist you. I am quite good at styling hair. May I?" she said, steering the Witch into a chair.
The Witch's hair was long and straggling. Jellia Jamb set about coifing it. And what beautiful job she did. She then cut the Witch's long, pointed, curling nails and delicately manicured them.