Chapter II.
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The cil with the MunsSHE WAS AWAKENED by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. As it was, the jar made her catch her breath and wonder what had happened; and Toto put his cold little o her fad whined dismally. Dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving; nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came in at the window, flooding the little room. She sprang from her bed and with Toto at her heels ran and opehe door.
The little girl gave a azement and looked about her, her eyes growing bigger and bigger at the wonderful sights she saw.
The cye had set the house down very gently?afor a cy- e?ain the midst of a try of marvelous beauty. There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rid luscious fruits. Banks of geous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered irees and bushes. A little way off was a small brook, rushing and spa.rkling aloween green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies.
While she stood looking eagerly at the strange ai- ful sights, she noticed ing toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always beeo; but her were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many y<big>..</big>ears older.
Three were men and one a woman, and all were oddly dressed. They wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tin- kled sweetly as they moved. The hats of the men were blue; the little womans hat was white, and she wore a white gown that hung is from her shoulders. Over it were sprinkled little stars that glistened in the sun like diamonds. The men were dressed in blue, of the same shade as their hats, and wore well-polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. The men, Dorothy thought, were about as old as Uncle Henry, for two of them had beards. But the lit- tle woman was doubtless much older. Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly.
When these people drew he house where Dorothy was standing in the doorway, they paused and whispered among themselves, as if afraid to e farther. But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice:
"You are wele, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Muns. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.”
Dorothy listeo this speech with wonder. What could the little ossibly mean by calling her a sorceress, and saying she had killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy was an i, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a any miles from home; and she had never killed anything in all her life.
But the little woman evidently expected her to answer; so Dorothy said, with hesitation, "You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything.”
"Your house did, anyway," replied the little old woman, with a laugh, "and that is the same thing. See!" she tinued, pointing to the er of the house. "There are her two feet, still stig out from under a block of wood.”
Dorothy looked, and gave a little cry ht. There, in- deed, just uhe er of the great beam the house rested on, two feet were stig out, shod in silver shoes with poioes.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" cried Dorothy, clasping her hands to- gether in dismay. "The house must have fallen on her. What- ever shall we do?”
"There is nothing to be done," said the little woman calmly.
"But who was she?"<s>藏书网</s> asked Dorothy.
"She was the Wicked Witch of the East, as I said," an- swered the little woman. "She has held all the Muns in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favor.”
"Who are the Muns?" inquired Dorothy.
"They are the people who live in this land of the East where the Wicked Witch ruled.”
"Are you a Mun?" asked Dorothy.
"No, but I am their friend, although I live in the land of the North. When they saw the Witch of the East was dead the Muns sent a swift messeo me, and I came at once.
I am the Witch of the North.”
"Oh, gracious!" cried Dorothy. "Are you a real witch?”
"Yes, indeed,&<dfn>藏书网</dfn>quot; answered the little woman. "But I am a good witch, and the people love me. I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself.”
"But I thought all witches were wicked," said the girl, who was half frighte fag a real witch. "Oh, no, that is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am one of them myself, and ot be mistaken. Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one Wicked Wit all the Land of Oz?athe one who lives in the West.”
"But," said Dorothy, after a moments thought, "Aunt Em has told me that the witches were all dead?ayears and years ago.”
"Who is Aunt Em?" inquired the little old woman.
"She is my aunt who lives in Kansas, where I came from.”
The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, "I do not know where Kansas is, for I have never heard that try mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civi- lized try?”
"Oh, yes," replied Dorothy.
"Then that ats for it. In the civilized tries I be- lieve there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nis. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world.
Therefore we still have witches and wizards amongst us.”
"Who are the wizards?" asked Dorothy.
"Oz himself is the Great Wizard," answered the Witch, sinking her voice to a whisper. "He is more powerful than all the rest of us together. He lives iy of Emeralds.”
Dorothy was going to ask another question, but just then the Muns, who had been standing silently by, gave a loud shout and poio the er of the house where the Wicked Witch had been lying.
"What is it?" asked the little old woman, and looked, and began to laugh. The feet of the dead Witch had disappeared entirely, and nothing was left but the silver shoes.
"She was so old," explaihe Witch of the North, that she dried up quickly in the sun. That is the end of her. But the silver shoes are yours, and you shall have them to wear." She reached doicked up the shoes, and after shaking the dust out of them hahem to Dorothy.
"The Witch of the East roud of those silver shoes,”
said one of the Muns, "and there is some charm - ed with them; but what it is we never knew.”
Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and placed them oable. Then she came out again to the Muns and said:
"I am anxious to get bay aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me. you help me find my way?”
The Muns and the Witch first looked at one another, and then at Dorothy, and then shook their heads.
"At the East, not far from here," said one, "there is a great desert, and none could live to cross it.”
"It is the same at the South," said another, "for I have been there and seen it. The South is the try of the Quadlings.”
"I am told," said the third man, "that it is the same at the West. And that try, where the Winkies live, is ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West, who would make you her slave if you passed her way.”
"The North is my home," said the old lady, "and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. Im afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us.”
Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind- hearted Muns, for they immediately took out their hand- kerchiefs and began to weep also. As for the little old woman, she took off her cap and balahe point on the end of her nose, while she ted "Owo, three" in a solemn voice.
At ohe cap ged to a slate, on which was written in big, white chalk marks:
"LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS”
The little old woman took the slate from her nose, and hav- ihe words on it, asked, "Is your name Dorothy, my dear?”
"Yes," answered the child, looking up and dryiears.
"Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you.”
"Where is this city?" asked Dorothy.
"It is exactly in the ter of the try, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of.”
"Is he a good man?" inquired the girl anxiously.
"He is a good Wizard. Whether he is a man or not I ot tell, for I have never seen him.”
"How I get there?" asked Dorothy.
"You must walk. It is a long jourhrough a try that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. How- ever, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”
"Wont you go with me?" pleaded the girl, who had begun to look upotle old woman as her only friend.
"No, I ot do that," she replied, "but I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.”
She came close to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched the girl they left a round, shining mark, as Dorothy found out soon after.
"The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick," said the Witch, "so you iss it. When you get to Oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my dear.”
The three Muns bowed low to her and wished her a pleasant journey, after which they walked away through the trees. The Witch gave Dorothy a friendly little nod, whirled around on her left heel three times, and straightway disap- peared, much to the surprise of little Toto, who barked after her loudly enough when she had gone, because he had been afraid even to growl while she stood by.
But Dorothy, knowio be a witch, had expected her to disappear in just that way, and was not surprised in the least.
L. Frank Baum
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