Publisher's Synopsis
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
At the beginning of the story, Dorothy is in the small house she shares with her Aunt Em and her Uncle Henry in Kansas. She is a bright and courageous little girl who loves to play with her dog Toto. One day a storm arrives and Aunt Em rushes towards the tiny cellar when the cyclone picks up the house with Dorothy and Toto still in it. The house has been in the air for a long time, and Dorothy ends up taking a nap. She is on her bed when he falls to land. When she opens the door, she is amazed by the views that greet her. She soon discovers that her house fell from the sky on the Wicked Witch of the East and her death freed the race of tiny people who lived as her slaves. The witch's body soon dries up, and the good witch of the north tells Dorothy that she has the right to take the witch's silver shoes, which she does.
Dorothy says she wants to return to Kansas and it is said that the Great Wizard of Oz will be the only person who could help her on her way. She heads for Oz's house in the Emerald City. Along the way, she meets the scarecrow which hangs helplessly from a pole in a field. He wonders if the wizard could give him brains and decides to follow Dorothy. They spend their first night on the road in a small abandoned house and find the Tin Woodman the next morning. He explains that he was caught outside in the rain, which rusted his joints, and has been standing in the same spot for a year. Dorothy lubricates her joints and he decides to go with them, hoping the wizard will give him a heart. They soon meet a Lion who tries to bite Toto but when Dorothy hits the beast in the face, he admits he's a big coward. He joins the group, hoping the wizard can give him courage.
They finally reach the Emerald City and the Wizard tells them that he will only grant their wishes if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West. They feel they have no choice and head west. Dorothy and the Lion are captured by the witch who notices Dorothy's silver shoes and begins to search for a way to steal them. One day, she manages to catch one and, angry, Dorothy throws water on her. It instantly melts, freeing the race from the people it held as slaves and allowing Dorothy and the Lion to track down the Scarecrow and the Woodman.
Back in Oz, Dorothy and the others discover that the wizard is nothing more than an ordinary man who came to the land by accident, just like Dorothy did. He grants the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Lion their wishes and comes up with a plan to get home with Dorothy by means of a hot air balloon. Toto is running away right now before Dorothy gets on board and he leaves without her. They learn that Glinda the Good, the Witch of the South, can probably help Dorothy find her way home and get there. After many adventures, they arrive and Dorothy discovers that she only has to tap the heels of Silver Shoes together and wishes to be home. She does so and returns to Kansas to find Uncle Henry has built a new house. She rushes over to Aunt Em shouting that it's good to be home.
