Chapter-13
The four travellers passed through the forest safely. When they came to the edge of the forest, they saw a steep hill covered from top to bottom with large pieces of rock.
“This will be a difficult climb,” said the Scarecrow, “but we must get over this hill.”
So he led the way and the others followed. They had just reached the first rock when they heard a voice cry out, “Keep back!”
Then from behind the rock stepped out the strangest man any of them had ever seen.
He was short and stout and had a big head which was flat at the top and supported by a thick, wrinkled neck. He had no arms at all. The Scarecrow saw this and did not think that such a helpless creature could prevent them from climbing the hill. So he said, “I am sorry not to do as you ask, but we must pass over this hill whether you like it or not.”
As fast as lightning, the man’s head shot forward, and his neck stretched out until the flat part of his head hit the Scarecrow in the stomach and sent him falling over down the hill. Then the creature’s head returned to the body, and he laughed and said, “It is not so easy as you think.”
A chorus of laughter came from the other rocks, and Dorothy saw hundreds of the armless Hammer-Heads on the hillside.
They realized that it was hopeless to attempt to fight these strange creatures. “Let’s call the Winged Monkeys,” said the Tinman.
So Dorothy put on the Golden Cap and said the magic words. In a few minutes the Monkeys stood before her. Dorothy ordered the King of the Monkeys to carry them over the hill and into the country of the Quadlings.
At once, the Monkeys picked them up and flew away with them. As they passed over the hill the Hammer-Heads yelled with anger and shot their heads high in the air, but they could not even come close to the Winged Monkeys.
After they had been set down in the country of the Quadlings, the King of the Monkeys said goodbye to Dorothy and quickly flew away.
The country of the Quadlings was rich and happy. The fields were full of wheat, and there were pretty rippling brooks and well-paved roads. The houses were all painted bright red. The Quadlings were short and fat and looked chubby and happy. They dressed all in red, which contrasted with the green grass and yellow grain.
The Monkeys set them down near a farm house, and the four travellers walked up to it and knocked at the door. It was opened by a farmer. When Dorothy asked for something to eat, the woman gave them all a good dinner, with three kinds of cake and four kinds of biscuits, and a bowl of milk for Toto.
“How far is it to the Castle of Glinda?” asked Dorothy.
“It is not far,” answered the farmer, “Take the road to the South and you will find it.”
They thanked the woman and walked until they saw a very beautiful Castle. Three young girls stood in front of the gates. One of them said to Dorothy, “Why have you come to the South Country?”
“To see the good witch,” she answered.
The girl asked them to wait a moment and went inside the Castle to tell Glinda they had come.
After a few moments, the girl came back to say that Dorothy and the others were to be admitted to the Castle at once.
Before they went to see Glinda, they were taken to a room where they washed and fixed themselves up.
When they were all quite presentable, they followed the girl into a big room where witch Glinda sat upon a throne of rubies.
She was a beautiful witch. Her hair was rich red and fell in curls and waves over her shoulders. Her dress was pure white, but her eyes were blue, and they looked kindly upon Dorothy.
“What can I do for you, my child?” she asked.
Dorothy told the witch her long story. She left out nothing. She talked for a long time.
“My greatest wish now,” she added, “is to get back to Kansas, for Aunt Em must be very worried.”
Glinda leaned forward and kissed Dorothy’s face.
“Bless your dear heart,” she said, “I am sure I can tell you how to return to Kansas. But if I do, you must give me the Golden Cap.”
“Of course!” said Dorothy, “It is of no use to me now, and when you have it, you may command the Winged Monkeys three times.”
Glinda smiled knowingly, and Dorothy handed her the Golden Cap. She turned to the Scarecrow and asked, “What will you do when Dorothy has gone back to Kansas?”
“I will return to the Emerald City and be the ruler there,” he answered.
Then Glinda asked the Tinman and the lion where they would go after Dorothy had returned to her home. The Tinman thought for a moment and answered that he wished to return to the land of the Winkies, and the lion wanted to go back to his forest and be the King of the Beasts.
Glinda knew that the journey back to these places would be long and difficult. So she explained that she would use the power of the Golden Cap to grant the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the lion their wishes. The Winged Monkeys would carry them safely to their destinations.
The Scarecrow, the Tinman and the lion thanked the good witch for her kindness. Then Dorothy said, “You are certainly as good as you are beautiful. But you have not yet told me how to get back to Kansas.”
“Your silver slippers will carry you over the desert,” answered Glinda, “If you had only known their power, you would have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country.”
“But then I would not have got my wonderful brains!” cried the Scarecrow.
“And I would not have received my kind heart,” said the Tinman, “I might have stood and rusted in the forest for ever!”
“And I would have always been a coward,” said the lion, “and no beast in all the forest would have a good word to say about me.”
“This is all true,” said Dorothy, “and I am glad I could help my friends. But now that they have got their wishes and are happy, I think I would like to return to my home in Kansas.”
“The silver slippers have wonderful powers. They will take you any place in the world in just three steps. All you have to do is knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go,” explained Glinda.
“If that is so,” said Dorothy, “I will ask them to carry me back to Kansas.”
She kissed the lion, the Tinman and the Scarecrow goodbye. They all cried and hugged her tightly.
Glinda stepped down from her throne and kissed Dorothy goodbye. Dorothy thanked her for her kindness.
Then Dorothy took Toto in her arms, said one last goodbye to her friends, and clapped the heels of her shoes together three times and said, “Take me home to Kansas!”
In a few seconds, she was whirling through the air so fast that all she could see or feel was the wind whistling past her ears.
Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when he looked up and saw Dorothy running towards her.
“My darling child!” she cried, as she held Dorothy in her arms and covered her face with kisses. “Where in the world did you come from?”
“From the Land of Oz,” said Dorothy, “And here is Toto too. And Aunt Em, I am so happy to be home again!”
