Chapters 1–6
Chapter 1: The Cyclone
In the heart of Kansas are an unending prairie and a one-room house, where Dorothy lives with her Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and little dog, Toto. A trap door in the center of the room leads to a small, dark cyclone cellar, which provides a safer location in the unfortunate but common event a cyclone passes by or over the house. The prairie provides a drab backdrop for Dorothy’s life, washing everything from the grass to the house in dull shades of gray. Toto, a small black dog with merry eyes, provides entertainment; the two play together all day long, and Dorothy loves him.
One day as Aunt Em is washing dishes, the sky turns dark, and the wind picks up in intensity. Uncle Henry calls out that a cyclone is coming and runs to take care of the animals. Looking out the door, Aunt Em urgently calls for Dorothy to run for the cellar and climbs down through the trap door herself. After grabbing Toto, Dorothy tries to reach the cellar as well but is stopped when the house begins shaking. She falls down as the house rises into the air, and Toto barks loudly as he runs around the room.
Hours pass, and Dorothy feels increasingly lonely. As the wind howls around her, Dorothy crawls into her bed with Toto and falls asleep.
Chapter 2: The Council with the Munchkins
Dorothy wakes up and runs to open the door of her house; she is amazed by the “marvelous beauty” of natural wonder which immediately surrounds her. As she takes in the wondrous new sights, Dorothy notices a group of odd-looking people approaching her. Although they are Dorothy’s size, they are many years older and dressed oddly. An older woman welcomes Dorothy to the land of the Munchkins and thanks her for killing the Wicked Witch of the East; in doing so, she unintentionally freed the Munchkins from enslavement. Dorothy notices that two silver shoes stick out from underneath her house.
The woman with the Munchkins is the Good Witch of the North; when Dorothy questions whether all witches are “wicked,” the Good Witch of the North replies that this belief is a “great mistake.” Four witches ruled the Land of Oz: the two in the north and south are good, and those in the east and west are (or, in the case of the east, were) evil. Oz is the Great Wizard of their land and resides in the Emerald City. He is more powerful than all the witches together.
Dorothy is astonished to find that the Wicked Witch of the East has disappeared, evaporated by the sun, leaving only her silver shoes behind. The Good Witch of the North gives Dorothy the silver shoes and comments that there is some “charm connected with them.” Dorothy replies that she wants to get back home to her aunt and uncle and asks if the witch can help her find the way. Neither the witch nor the Munchkins have any idea how she might accomplish this but encourage her to go to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz. The road to the Emerald City is paved with yellow bricks, which will guide Dorothy’s journey.
Chapter 3: How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow
Dorothy collects some water and bread for her journey and notices that her shoes are terribly worn. She decides to wear the silver shoes left behind by the Wicked Witch of the East. After putting them on, she and Toto locate the path of yellow bricks that will lead them to the...
(This entire section contains 1369 words.)
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Emerald City and depart.
The next morning, Dorothy continues her journey and encounters a Scarecrow, placed high on a pole to keep birds away from his cornfield. She is startled when the Scarecrow speaks to her and explains that he doesn’t feel well because he is “perched up [t]here night and day.” Dorothy helps him down, and he decides to join her on her journey. He hopes the Great Oz can give him some brains so that people will stop calling him a fool; without brains, he doesn’t know how he is supposed to “ever…know anything.” As they walk, the Scarecrow tells Dorothy that he cannot feel pain and is only afraid of one thing in the world: a lighted match.
Chapter 4: The Road Through the Forest
When they stop for lunch, Dorothy asks the Scarecrow to tell her a story while they rest. The Scarecrow admits that his experience is quite limited; he has only recently been created. Right after he was constructed, a crow stopped and told him that “any crow of sense” could quickly determine that he was only filled with straw and posed no danger. As the crow began eating corn, others soon followed, and the Scarecrow felt that he was not a good Scarecrow at all. Trying to comfort him, the old crow mentioned that if the Scarecrow had brains, he would be as good a man as any “and a better man than some of them.”
As the light fades, the little group spots a cottage where they can spend the night. Dorothy lies down on some dried leaves and quickly falls asleep.
Chapter 5: The Rescue of the Tin Woodman
Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and Toto leave the cottage the next morning and are surprised to find a man made entirely of tin and holding an ax in his hands. The man explains that he has rusted stuck in this position and asks Dorothy to locate an oil can and oil his stiff joints. Dorothy races back to the cottage and returns with the oil. As she oils each part of the Tin Woodman’s body, his motion is restored. He has been holding the ax aloft for more than a year and is greatly relieved to be able to move freely once more.
The Tin Woodman asks Dorothy where she is headed, and she once again explains why she needs to visit the Great Oz. He wonders whether Oz might be able to give him a heart, so Dorothy invites him to join their traveling group. The Tin Woodman places the can of oil in Dorothy’s basket in case it rains, and he begins to rust again.
As they walk, the Tin Woodman explains that he used to be an ordinary man who loved a Munchkin girl. However, the old woman with whom the girl lived was lazy and enjoyed having the girl cook and clean for her; therefore, she visited the Wicked Witch of the East, who promised to prevent the marriage in exchange for two sheep and a cow. The witch enchanted the woodman’s ax; every time he tried to use it, he accidentally cut off a body part. Each time, he visited a tinsmith, who constructed a new body part for the man until he was entirely made of tin. The Tin Woodman reflects that of all the body parts he has lost, he misses his heart the most because he was once the happiest man on earth, “but no one can love who has not a heart.” If Oz can give him a heart, he plans to ask the Munchkin maiden to marry him.
Chapter 6: The Cowardly Lion
As the group walks toward the Emerald City, they hear a “terrible roar” coming from the forest. A Lion bounds into the road and sends the Scarecrow spinning. After striking the Tin Woodman, the Lion opens his mouth to bite Toto. Furious, Dorothy accosts the Lion, telling him that he should be ashamed for victimizing a tiny creature like Toto. She calls the Lion a coward, and he agrees with her. When he faces danger, the Lion explains, he becomes fearful, and his heart begins to beat quickly. However, he has learned that if he roars loudly, other creatures will simply run away.
Each member of the group explains what they hope the Great Oz can offer to improve their circumstances, and the Lion asks whether Oz might be able to give him courage. He joins them on their journey, and Dorothy is thankful for the protection he might provide from other “wild beasts.”
