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Prologue:
The Wicked Witch of the East had been terrorising the
Munchkins for some time and had not long re-appeared
in their land, when Dorothy Gale - Niece of Em - was
took up in her Uncle's house which landed true and smote
the Wicked Witch a fatal blow.
Knowing not what had just transpired, the young girl
crept cautiously from the house.
Under one corner lay the withered stockings that were
the only remains of the Wicked Witch of the East - and
two sparkling red slippers. They had found a new owner...
Dorothy took the Ruby Slippers and put them on.
****
The Present Moment
A mighty celebration was held, with much dinging and
donging and singing of the deadness of witches.
But sadness was in Dorothy's mind. Would she ever see
her home again?
Not knowing where to go, she was given this advice by
a woman of great wisdom, who decended to earth within
the glowing ember of some celestial firework - "Glinda
the Good" was her name.
Upon seeing the Slippers on Dorothy's feet, she counselled:
"Follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald city, and
there we shall meet again. But first I have some business
I must attend to..."
And so Dorothy Gale left the land of the little people,
with only her faithful companion Toto for company.
As she skipped down the path that was to be a long journey
ahead, the Munchkins sang a farewell.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road - it
Goes ever on and on.
Follow follow follow follow
Back to where it began...
****
Wicked Witch of the West: "The hour is late, and Glinda
the Good rides to my castle to seek my counsel, for
that is why you have come is it not, - dear Sister?"
****
On her journey, Dorothy met three companions:
- A Lion who was too afraid to acknowledge his kingship
- A noble Woodsman who dreamed of an impossible love,
wishing only for a heart, and also
- A Scarecrow whose brainless nature was apt to get
them into trouble, but who was loyal and courageous
all the same.
Dorothy felt a longing within her - to return home.
It grew, as they continued toward the distant gleaming
towers of the Emerald city.
At one time, a black shadow flew high overhead, instilling
nameless dread.
The shadow tried to compell [/b]Dorothy[/b] to
Surrender the slippers, with its passing.
Only the strength of the Friendship kept her going.
She no longer felt like singing and skipping down the
road as they had once done before, for the slippers
had begun to weigh heavily upon her feet.
****
Unbeknownst to them, deep within her fortress, the Wicked
Witch of the West was building a mighty army of Flying
Monkeys - ten thousand strong - from apes that had been
crossed with birds. They could fly for hours on end,
with great strength and stamina, a dreadful host indeed.
She gave them the order:
"Fly, My Pretties! Fly, and bring me back the Girl -
alive!"
With fearsome cries, they departed on their mission.
She watched them go, with malice in her heart.
****
The Friendship reached the Emerald city, but there was
no sign of Glinda.
But the presence of the slippers had not gone un-noticed.
Duly they were summoned to the Wizard of that strange
place.
High aloft in his gleaming tower, the Friendship found
themselves face to face with a Great and Terrible Head.
He was terrifying to look upon, and all were fearful
under his fiery gaze, and compelling voice.
He said he would only help them all, in lieu of a task
that they must perform for him - to destroy the Wicked
Witch of the West.
And so they travelled by another path from the city,
heavy of heart.
Their way was perilous, through a forest of fearsome
trees, and they would have fallen asleep forever in
an enormous old field of poppies, but for the timely
intervention of Glinda, who they had not expected to
see again.
Her appearance cheered their spirits greatly.
Before she left, she said "Look to the Wicked Witch
of the West - on the dawn of the fifth day, I will return."
****
And so it came to pass that beyond the Poppy fields,
there was a great battle.
Winged Monkeys in their thousands surrounded them.
Dorothy was captured, and taken to the tower of the
Wicked Witch, only her faithful dog Toto was near her
now - hidden safetly under a blanket in the basket on
her arm.
Four days and five nights passed. Her companions sought
her to no avail - weeping at the remains of the Scarecrow
who had been plucked of life, in a last valiant effort
to defend her.
But her saving came about by unexpected means.
The water burst free from the wooden bucket, and flooded
over and around the Wicked Witch of the West.
"Foolish child!, she cried "I'm melting..." and her
remains pooled out on the floor. There would be no more
treachery from this place.
****
In triumph, they were escorted back to the Emerald City,
on Glinda's return.
They went straight to the Tower of the Great and Terrible
Head.
But a further shock awaited them - the Great and Terrible
Head was unmasked by faithful Toto, who had simply followed
his own nose to a secret corner where the Wizard had
hidden himself.
The Wizard of Oz turned out to be only a man - a man
of great skills, but only a man.
At first they were all greatly disappointed, but then
it was announced that there would be a farewell ceremony
afterall - a ceremony which involved the giving of "special
gifts".
To the Lion, a fine certificate of Courage was presented,
with a medal wrought of finely detailed metal.
The Scarecrow (who had been restuffed, and appeared
as good as new) was gifted a small box of bran and pins,
with instuctions that the mixture was to be sewn into
his head when the time was ready - for bran and pins
combined to make the most excellent of brains.
And the Brave Tin Woodsman received his heart's desire,
indeed, the heart that he had long desired.
(His story is bittersweet - for eventually after
many years of happiness his body came to its final rusting
place and moved nevermore, although his heart would
live on for many lifetimes alone.)
To Dorothy, the Wizard said: "Soon we will leave these
lands. Our time has come to sail away in this hot air
balloon, back to our homeland, from where we will never
return to Middle Oz again."
And this might have been the end, but as Dorothy made
her heartfelt farewells (and there was much sadness
at the parting of the Friendship), Toto inexplicably
bit through the ropes before she could join the Wizard.
The Wizard was unable to stop himself floating away.
But the Ruby Slippers still remained upon her fee.
It was only now, that Glinda chose to reveal what she
had learned in ancient and faded writings of their One
True Power.
"You will return home - although things will never seem
quite the same to you again.
Click them three times, with the following incantation...
One click - No place like home
One click - (Thrice mind you)
One more click to rule the way, and
To your homeland, find you."
And so with precious Toto clutched tightly in her arms,
Dorothy bid one last tearful farewell to her friends,
and with three brisk clicks of her heels, she vanished.
****
It was said of the Slippers, that they fell off her
feet somewhere along the way.
The Ruby Slippers became legend, legend became myth,
and some things that should not have been forgotten
were.
But their time will come... again.