Chapter-5
Dorothy and her friends were led to the gates of the Emerald City. The Guardian of the Gate removed their green glasses and put them back in the green box. He wished them good luck and reminded Dorothy that the wicked witch was very mean and would try to make them her slaves.
After they had said goodbye to the Guardian of the Gate, they began to walk towards the West. Soon the hot sun made Dorothy and the lion very tired. They lay down on the cool grass and fell asleep, while the Tinman and the Scarecrow kept watch.
While Dorothy and the lion were sleeping, the wicked witch of the West was watching them. She had only one eye, but it was as powerful as a telescope, and she could see everything. As she sat by the door of her castle, she happened to look around, and she saw Dorothy lying asleep with her friends beside her.
The wicked witch was angry to find them in her country. She blew on a silver whistle that hung around her neck.
In a few seconds, a pack of wolves came running to her. They had long legs and fierce eyes and sharp teeth.
“Go to those people,” said the witch, “and tear them to pieces.”
“Aren’t you going to make them your slaves?” asked the leader of the wolves.
“No,” answered the wicked witch, “One is made of tin, one is made of straw, one is a little girl, and one is a lion. None of them is fit to work, so you may tear them to pieces.”
“Very well,” said the wolf. And he dashed away at full speed with the rest of the pack.
But the Scarecrow and the Tinman were wide awake, and they heard the wolves coming.
The Tinman grabbed his axe, and as the leader of the wolves ran towards him, he swung his arm and chopped off the wolf’s head. As soon as each wolf came close, he killed it with his sharp axe. Soon forty wolves lay dead in a great heap.
When the wicked witch saw what the Tinman had done, she became even angrier than before. So she blew her silver whistle twice.
In a few minutes, a great flock of wild crows came flying towards her.
The wicked witch said to the King Crow, “Fly at once to the strangers and peck out their eyes and tear them to pieces.”
The wild crows flew towards Dorothy and her friends. When she saw them coming, Dorothy was afraid. But the Scarecrow said, “This is my battle. Lie down beside me and you will be safe.”
So everyone but the Scarecrow lay down on the ground. The Scarecrow stood up and stretched out his arms. When the crows saw him, they were frightened and did not dare to come any closer.
But the King Crow said, “It is only a stuffed man. I will peck his eyes out.”
The King Crow flew at the Scarecrow, who caught it by the head and twisted its neck until it was dead. As each crow flew at the Scarecrow, he twisted its neck. Soon there were forty crows lying dead beside him.
When the wicked witch saw all her crows lying in a heap, she went into a terrible rage and blew her silver whistle three times.
This time a great swarm of bees came flying to her. The wicked witch told the bees to sting Dorothy and her friends to death.
But the Scarecrow saw the bees coming. He scattered his straw over Dorothy, Toto and the lion. This way, the bees flew at the Tinman, and their stingers broke off against the tin. The Tinman was not hurt, but all the bees died. Their bodies lay scattered in the field.
The wicked witch was so angry when she saw her bees lying in little heaps that she stamped her foot and tore her hair and gnashed her teeth. Then she called a dozen of her slaves, who were the Winkies, and gave them sharp spears. She told to find the strangers and destroy them.
The Winkies were not brave people, but they had to obey the wicked witch, so they marched away.
