Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz

Xlibris Publishing.
You may order this book from the special order desk at
your book store. ISBN No. 0-7388-2254-X(Hardcover).
or ISBN No. 0-7388-2255-8 (Softcover)
You can also order directly from the publisher.

Dorothy"s Mystical

Adventures in Oz

By

Robert J. Evans

This book is dedicated

L. Frank baum, who was the

first mortal to discover

The marvelous land of Oz —

and to my son, Robert Jr.,

whose love of Oz inspired

this story.

Contents

1. Market Day

2. Dorothy Reminisces on Oz

3. Dorothy Returns to Oz

4. The Pinheads

5. A Visit From The Wicked Witch of The Deep South

6. The Dainty Land of China

7. The Girrephalumps

8. Lion Country

9. The Mission Begins

10. A Philosophical Discussion

11. Octapongland

12. The Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs

13. Princess Saari"s Colorland

14. Tickleland

15. Elfland

16. Thoughtformland

17. Americanindianland

18. UFOland

19. Americanpresidentland

20. Captured

21. A Surprising Reversal

22. A Political Discussion

23. At last, The Emerald City

Chapter One:

Market Day

It was a warm summer morning. Dorothy was sitting out on the front porch, gently rocking back and forth in Aunt Em's rocking chair. Toto, her little dog, lay sleepily at her feet. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were hustling and bustling inside the house, getting ready to go to market.
"Oh, Dorothy ..." called Aunt Em.
No answer.
"Dorothy, do you hear me?"
Still no answer.
Aunt Em marched out on the porch. Toto, sensing trouble, scampered off, while Dorothy — hearing Aunt Em's heavy footsteps, turned to see what the commotion was.
Needless to say, Aunt Em did not look too pleased. She stood in front of Dorothy with her hands firmly planted on her hips.
"What is the matter with you, child? Didn't you hear me calling?"

"I'm sorry, Auntie Em."

"Were you sleeping?"

"Oh no, I wasn't asleep, Auntie. But ... well I was kind of thinking about things, and ... well ..."

Just then, Uncle Henry appeared. He was struggling with his collar.

"Would you help me with this, Em?" he asked.

"Just a minute, Henry," his wife answered.

She spoke sharply to the girl. "I"m afraid I don't understand you these days."

Dorothy looked up at her aunt with her big brown eyes. A hint of a tear appeared.

"I've tried to explain to you, Auntie."

Aunt Em just shook her head. "Now, I don't want to hear any more of your tall tales, Dorothy. Not right now."

"We're running late, Em," interrupted Uncle Henry.

"All right," answered his wife. She turned back her niece. "You'd better hurry and get yourself ready, young lady. We'll talk about this later."

Dorothy started to leave, then hesitated for a moment. "Auntie Em, could I stay home today?"

Aunt Em looked surprised, for Dorothy usually looked forward to market day.

"Are you feeling poorly?" she asked, putting her hand on the girl's forehead.

"I'm just a little tired," Dorothy replied weakly. "I don't think I'm quite up to walking around all day."

Aunt Em looked again at Uncle Henry who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well ... all right," said Aunt Em. "But I want you to rest. Now, don't leave the house. We'll be home around eight, I expect."

After Dorothy went inside, Aunt Em began to help Uncle Henry with his collar. He could see by the expression on Aunt Em's face that she was very much concerned.

"Aw, don't worry, Em," he said. "The girl's been through quite an ordeal, with that twister an' all. She'll be fine bye an' bye. She just needs plenty of rest."

"But she looks so pale," replied Aunt Em. "And what about the strange stories?"

"You mean about Oz?" asked Uncle Henry.

"Yes, Oz." Aunt Em replied. "How did she ever think up such a name?"

"It does seem strange," agreed Uncle Henry.

"And what about all the funny characters she says live there?" continued Aunt Em. "A talking scarecrow and lion, and a tin woodman of all things — not to mention a wicked witch! That must be where her mind is; it's certainly not here in Kansas."

"Now, Em," said Uncle Henry, "don't fret so. Dr. Gabriel told us not to worry, that she's temporarily confusing her dreams with reality — something to do with that bump on the head, he said. She'll come out of it; she'll be her old self in no time — you'll see."

Meanwhile, Dorothy decided she'd best do as her aunt had said, so she went into her room and lay down on the bed to rest. She was just drifting off when she heard the sound of horse hooves outside. She quickly got up and waved from her window as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry drove by in the wagon.

"Now don't wait up for us, Dorothy," called Aunt Em. "And be sure to get plenty of rest!"

"I will, Auntie," called Dorothy. "Have a good time!"

Just then, Toto jumped through the window into the girl"s arms. She fussed over him as she carried him back to her bed. The little dog curled up at her feet and went to sleep.

Chapter Two:

Dorothy Reminisces on Oz

As Dorothy rested, she thought about Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and how upset they were with her for daydreaming so much. But with the reality of her Oz adventures so fresh in her mind she could not help but dwell on them.

A smile came over her face as she recalled the first time she met the Scarecrow, and how surprised she was when he first spoke to her. When he said he did not have any brains she agreed to take him with her to the Emerald City to ask the Great Oz to give him some. Of course, as it turned out, the Scarecrow did have a brain after all. But, because he did not believe that he did, the Great Oz had to go through the motions of presenting him with one.

Then there was the Tin Woodman: Dorothy and the Scarecrow were greatly surprised when they first came across him in the forest. He was standing perfectly motionless with an uplifted ax in his hands. Apparently, he'd been caught in a rainstorm and had rusted solid. After Dorothy had found an oil-can and oiled his joints, he was just fine. She recalled how anxious he was to accompany them when he found out their destination, for he insisted that he did not have a heart, and was certain that the Great Oz could provide him with one.

Just then, a slight breeze blew at the curtains, awakening the girl out of her dream-like state. She sat up and looked at Toto. He was still sound asleep. She lay back again as her mind drifted back to when the brave little dog tried to defend her and her friends from the Cowardly Lion. It had scared them all half to death when they heard the terrible roar as the Lion bounded into the road in front of them. Of course, they did not know he was cowardly at the time. That is, until Dorothy punched him in the nose for attacking her little dog. Then he cried like a baby. When he found out about their mission, he asked if he, too, could accompany them in the hopes that he would be able to obtain courage from the great magician. Needless to say, he was a welcome addition to the little group.

The Lion actually proved himself to be quite brave during their journey; but like the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, he thought he needed the magical powers of Oz to give him what he felt he lacked.

Reliving her recent adventures in Oz caused Dorothy to feel quite restless. She missed her friends terribly.

She got up again and walked over to the window. The room grew dark as rainclouds gathered. A summer thunderstorm seemed imminent. She closed the window and shivered as she recalled the Wicked Witch of the West. She couldn't imagine her to be cowardly in the least. Perhaps people like her were mean because no one loved them. If that were true, their bitter attitude only made matters worse. Well, thank goodness the witch was dead. It seemed wrong to wish someone dead, but the Land of Oz was well rid of her for she had brought fear and misery to everyone who came into contact with her. The little Munchkins were no longer afraid now that she was gone, and could enjoy a peaceful life once more.

"Even outside of Oz," thought Dorothy, "there are certain leaders who keep their people in fear." She wondered how they had behaved when they were children.

She began to think of her friends again. She could not help but wonder how they were and what they were doing right now.

She thought of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. How could they disbelieve her story? It made her sad to think that no one believed her. It couldn't have all been a dream — of that she was sure. Everything was so real and vivid in Oz. All the events that occurred there couldn't have been her imagination. Why, even the colors of the flowers were ten times more intense than in Kansas. The flowers in her garden — pretty as they were — couldn't compare. They seemed faded in comparison. In fact, Kansas seemed faded in comparison.

A strange thought suddenly occurred to her: What if Oz was the real world, and Kansas but a shadowy dream world? Oz her real home and Kansas just a place she was somehow visiting in her dreams...? No, that couldn't be. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and the others were all a very real part of her life. But then, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Lion were all a part of her life, too. And so were the Munchkins, the Good Witch of the North, and Glinda — even the Wicked Witch of the West. They were all as real as anyone

in Kansas.

A feeling of utter confusion came over her. "Oh no, what if I can't distinguish between the real and the unreal?"

Chapter Three:

Dorothy Returns to Oz

Dorothy's head began to throb. She wondered if the injury that she suffered during the tornado had caused some permanent damage. A feeling of extreme dizziness came over her. She walked over to her bed and lay down again.

As she lay back, the room began to spin. Had she been standing she was sure she would have fallen. She imagined she could hear a voice inside her head telling her she must return to Oz. Suddenly it appeared that the floor gave way as she felt herself falling ... falling ... twisting and turning over and over as she fell. She began spinning around very fast. Her body felt like it was being torn apart. "Oh, no!" she cried. "What is happening to me? Please! Someone! Help me!"

The thought raced through her mind that she was being sucked into a huge vortex by a great evil force. A tremendous fear filled her heart. She visualized the leering faces of a hundred wicked witches swirling around her. The faces were cackling with loud screams of hideous laughter. A hundred pairs of ugly hands with long bony fingers clutched at her as she fell.

"Now we've got you!" screamed the witches in unison. "You'll never get. away from us this time, little Goody-Two-Shoes!"

"Help me, someone. Please help!" Dorothy cried.

As she called out for help, the witches' images began to fade; the screaming to diminish. In their place a shining metallic substance appeared. It spun around her so fast it seemed like a solid sheet of metal. Whatever it was, it appeared to slow her fall.

Gradually, the spinning object slowed. As it did, her image was reflected each time it passed in front of her. Suddenly she saw two dangling arms and legs attached to the spinning form, and a shiny face grinning at her.

"Nick Chopper!" she cried, recognizing the Tin Woodman and lunging toward him with her arms outstretched.

CLUNK! There was a dull thud as the soft material of her body made contact with the woodman's metal body. They both fell the last few feet to the ground, laughing uproariously.

"You know," Dorothy said, when their laughter subsided, "before I realized who you were, I kept seeing my face reflected as you spun by me. It is reflected now on your chest, right where your heart is."

"Oh, Dorothy!" said the Tin Woodman, starting to cry. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Now don't you cry," said Dorothy, wiping his eyes with her handkerchief, "you'll rust up again."

"It's wonderful to have a heart," the Tin Woodman said, "and to have all the feelings that a human has; but a heart can grow very heavy when someone you love has to go away. Of course, it enables you to be filled with joy when they return. That is why I am crying, because I am so happy."

"I know how you feel," replied Dorothy, her own eyes beginning to mist. She held him tightly for a long time.

"Well," said the Tin Woodman at length, "how would you like a nice cup of tea?"

"That would be lovely," answered the girl.

"Then let us adjourn to my castle," he replied.

As they walked, each brought the other up to date on the latest developments in their lives.

"After you returned to Kansas, Dorothy, everyone settled down to their usual routine. It was wonderful with the Wicked Witches of the East and West gone. And with fear no longer a part of everyone's lives. Oz was the happiest place in all creation."

"Was the happiest?" questioned the girl. "Isn't Oz a happy place now?"

The Tin Woodman was about to answer when they arrived at the castle. "Let me put the kettle on and I'll continue with my story," he said.

While the tin man was in the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. "Would you get that?" he called to Dorothy. "It's probably the Scarecrow."

Dorothy ran to the door excitedly. Sure enough, it was her old friend. When he saw Dorothy, he threw his arms around her. "Oh, Dorothy," he said. "How wonderful to see you!"

At that, the Tin Woodman entered the room with Dorothy's tea. The Scarecrow stared at him with a questioning look. "Is Dorothy going to help us again?" he asked. "Help you?" said Dorothy. "Why, what do you mean? What has happened?"

"Let us sit down while you have your tea," motioned the Tin Woodman. "I'll explain everything."

As Dorothy sipped her tea she wondered what terrible things could possibly have occurred since she left.

The Tin Woodman looked at Dorothy rather seriously. "Do you remember when you first arrived in Oz and your house fell on the Wicked Witch of the East and killed her dead? And how angry the Wicked Witch of the West was?"

Dorothy nodded. She remembered only too well ... especially when the magical Silver Shoes were given to her by the Good Witch of the North. The Wicked Witch of the West couldn't contain herself; she was absolutely furious. First her sister killed, then the Silver Shoes stolen from right under her nose!

"Well," continued the Tin Woodman, "there was a third sister; the Wicked Witch of the Deep South. She heard about all this just before you left Oz. Then, after you returned to Kansas, the news reached her that you'd thrown water over her favorite sister — the Wicked Witch of the West, and liquidated her. Oh, was she angry! She was livid! And when she found out you'd escaped from Oz she screamed so loudly that her false teeth fell out and all the Munchkins fell down laughing. That really made her mad. She screamed at the Munchkins and told them if you ever come back to Oz you can kiss yourself goodbye, because you'll never see yourself again."

"What a horrible thing to say!" exclaimed Dorothy. "What a terrible person she must be."

"Oh, she is," said the Scarecrow. "She's worse than the Wicked Witches of the East and West put together. It's a good thing you left Oz when you did. Even the Silver Shoes would not have been strong enough to stop her."

Dorothy was about to speak when a familiar figure walked through the open door . It was Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. The girl ran to her friend and hugged her.

"How wonderful to see you again," said Glinda, holding Dorothy tightly to her. "We all missed you terribly when you returned to Kansas."

"I missed all of you, too," replied Dorothy. "More than I can say."

"But why have you returned so soon?" asked Glinda. "I know you longed to be with your family again."

"I don't really know why I've returned," replied the girl. "It's true I miss my friends, but it's more than that. Some strange pull has brought me back. I even heard a voice asking me to return. Does that sound bizarre?"

"I think I understand," said Glinda. "You see, there is a Supreme Intelligence in Oz. It is a highly creative force which is spiritual in nature. This force knows all things, and wants only good to prevail. This was the voice you heard."

Dorothy nodded as Glinda continued: "This force cannot of itself make changes. It can only prod, and try to make contact with those that are given to evil ways. When this contact is not possible, it becomes necessary for mortal intervention. That is why you have been called. To try to bring the Wicked Witch of the Deep South to a higher understanding. I myself have tried and failed."

"But what can I do?" asked the girl. "If you, a very powerful witch, cannot make her give up her evil ways, what hope have I?"

"You have a very special power," said Glinda. "Also, this Intelligence — otherwise known as the Great Wizard — is about to bestow the essence of His wisdom on you. Actually, he is merely unlocking your own inner wisdom. You will gradually become aware of this. The words you speak during this particular excursion to Oz will reflect this wisdom. It is hoped this will bring enlightenment to the witch, as well as others. Do you feel guilty about killing her sisters?"

"No," replied Dorothy. "I do not. In both cases it was an accident. It wasn't my fault that the cyclone picked up my house and dropped it on the Wicked Witch of the East. And as far as the Wicked Witch of the West was concerned, I was furious that she stole my shoe. That's why that I threw a bucket of water over her. But how was I to know the water would melt her down to a puddle? I was sorry I destroyed her at first, but later quite relieved. I believe she would have killed us all."

After a moment's contemplation, the girl continued, "Of course, being the cause of someone's death is nothing to be proud of. But since it happened anyway, Oz is a lot happier place for it."

"Yes, and because of that," said Glinda, "the Munchkins think of you as their Queen. Their wish is for you to stay in Oz forever and rule all of Munchkin Country."

"Oh, I couldn't stay in Oz forever!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I mean, I'm most honored that they want me to be their Queen; but much as I love this beautiful Land of Oz and all my friends here, I love Kansas and Aunt Em and everyone else too."

"Well, as it happens," said Glinda, "your life is in mortal danger. The Wicked Witch of the Deep South is not playing games. Even as we speak she is scheming up the most horrible things. She is in no mood to give up her evil ways, I'm afraid."

"Well, I won't be pushed around by her," said Dorothy emphatically. "Tomorrow we will find the Lion and make our plans."

Glinda nodded her head and put her hand on Dorothy's shoulder. "You're a brave girl," she said. "I'm very proud of you. I'll be standing by to help in any way I can."

Glinda departed.

"You go on to bed, Dorothy," said the Scarecrow. "We'll get things ready for our journey." Dorothy yawned as she bid her friends goodnight. "I am awfully tired," she said. "And we do have a long journey ahead of us." The Scarecrow had previously made a most comfortable bed up for her. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.

Chapter 4:

The Pinheads

The following morning, bright and early, Dorothy and her friends started out for the forest where the Cowardly Lion lived. The Lion had stayed there to help all the animals who lived in the forest to fight a fierce monster, and was now King of the Beasts.

"Perhaps we should order a Pinhead river and raft to take us as far as the Dainty China Country," said the Scarecrow.

"But I can't swim," replied the Tin Woodman. "What if I fall overboard?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," said the Scarecrow. "Pinhead rivers are only a couple of feet deep. The worst that can happen to you if you fall in the water is a rusty joint or two."

"Well, I'd better pack my oil-can then," replied the Tin Woodman seriously.

"The Pinheads," explained the Scarecrow, turning to Dorothy, "are almost an extinct breed. You'll find them very interesting. The few that are left live in a small village nearby."

Dorothy looked completely perplexed. "But order a river? You mean you can order a river on demand? Just like that?"

"Just wait and see," replied the Scarecrow, with a knowing grin.

As they approached the Pinheads' village, a few Pinhead children ran out to meet them. Dorothy could see why were called Pinheads. Their heads really were the size of a pin, and when they spoke, their voices were high and squeaky.

"Have you come for R and R?" squeaked one of the Pinhead children.

"R and R?" questioned Dorothy, "You mean rest and recreation?"

With that all the pinhead children burst into a fit of high squeaky laughter.

"That's river and raft," explained the Scarecrow, trying to ease Dorothy's obvious embarrassment. "The Pinheads make their living from supplying rivers and building rafts." Then, turning to the Pinhead child, he asked, "How much will it cost?" Just then some adult Pinheads approached.

"That depends," said a Pinhead male who appeared to be their leader.

"Depends on what?" asked the Scarecrow.

"On whether or not you have a pin cushion," the leader replied. "If you do, the R and R will be free."

"Well, I don't have one," said the Scarecrow.

"And neither do I," said the Tin Woodman.

"I have one!" exclaimed Dorothy, digging into her purse. "But what on earth do you want a pin cushion for?"

"Well, as you can see," replied the Pinhead," our feet are pointed; and since we sleep standing up, pin cushions make wonderful beds. We just hold our feet tightly together and jump onto the pin cushion and sink down to our heads. It is so cozy and warm, you wouldn't believe it."

"I don't understand how that can be," said Dorothy. "I know you are not very big, but this pin cushion seems far too small for you to stand on, let alone sink down to your head."

"Oh, that's not a problem for us," replied the Pinhead. "You see, we have the ability to make little things big. How do you think we could make a big raft for you giants? We just make the raft out of match-sticks and thread, and when it"s enlarged it looks like it's made out of big logs and rope."

"But how do you do that?" exclaimed the girl.

"Oh, that's easy," replied the Pinhead. "You see, after the object is made, we look at it under our big magnifying glass. This magnifying glass is no ordinary magnifying glass, but has the ability to magnify things permanently. It was given to our ancestors by a male witch who had no further use for it."

"Why don't you look at each other's heads with it?" asked the Scarecrow seriously. "Then you'd all have bigger heads."

"Oh, it won't work on living things," replied the Pinhead. "Besides, we like the way we look. How would it be if everyone in Oz looked the same? All skinny or all fat, all tall or all short, all white or all yellow, all blue or all green, all —"

"All right, all right! You've made your point," said the Scarecrow. "My brain is fairly new and it's just not used to thinking that much yet."

"I agree with you, Mr. Pinhead," said Dorothy. The world would be a very dull place if everyone looked the same. Imagine what it would be like if everyone looked exactly alike, thought exactly alike, and talked exactly alike! There would be no point to existence."

"My sentiments entirely!" said the Pinhead.

"Getting back to the business at hand," said Dorothy. "I'm still mystified as to how you create a river to order?"

"Well," answered the Pinhead. "It's quite simple, really. We have this huge reservoir that was created by building a dam to capture the tears of a giant that was a bit of a cry-baby, to say the least. The slightest little hurt would set him off on a crying spell. We turned his excessive crying into a cottage industry by utilizing the stored up tears for our new company, Rivers on Demand, Inc., and since the tears have magical qualities we can direct the river to and fro', uphill or downhill, exactly as we wish to suit the customer's order. The river even knows to avoid dwelling places and other inhabited areas, and to return immediately to the reservoir when its passengers have disembarked."

"Remarkable!" replied Dorothy. "Just remarkable."

With that, they all went down to the newly created river to board the raft that had just been completed for them. After stepping aboard they barely had time to wave goodbye to their new friends as the river quickly whisked them on their way.

Chapter Five:

A Visit from the Wicked Witch of the Deep South

"My, the river's flowing fast. I'm glad it's not that deep," said the Tin Woodman, after they were underway. “If it were, and I fell overboard, I could rust up solid for all eternity. Do you think the raft will stay big? Oh dear, what if it gets little again? We'll all be spilled into the water!"

"Don't worry so much," said Dorothy, smiling. "You'll worry yourself to death."

"Can people really do that?" asked the Tin Woodman. "Worry themselves to death?"

"Of course not," laughed the girl. "But I suppose a person could become quite sick if he constantly worried over things."

"Never worry worry, 'til worry worries you," said the Scarecrow in a matter-of- fact tone.

"What is that supposed to mean?" inquired the Tin Woodman.

"I think it means," answered the Scarecrow, "don't worry about something until it actually happens."

"Oh! I see," said the Tin Woodman. "In other words, most of our worries never materialize, so why fret constantly over something that in all probability will never occur?"

"I think you've got it," said Dorothy.

"I think you've got it," echoed the Scarecrow.

Everyone laughed uproariously. Then the Tin Woodman broke into song....

"Oh ... never worry worry

'til worry worries you,

'cause if you worry worry

your worry'll worry you."

Dorothy and the Scarecrow joined in:

"Oh ... never worry worry

'til worry worries you,

'cause if you worry worry

your worry'll worry you."

Suddenly a dark shadow covered their raft, and a piercing scream filled the air. They all looked up to see the Wicked Witch of the Deep South on a huge broomstick sweeping down on them. She had the ugliest, meanest face Dorothy had ever seen. As her eyes met Dorothy's, she pointed a long bony green finger at her and screamed, "I'll get you, Deary! You killed my sisters. You'll never leave Oz alive!" Then she screeched with terrible laughter as she roared away.

Everyone except Dorothy was shaking with fright. Dorothy was shaking too, inside, but she didn't show it.

"N-n-n-never w-w-worry w-worry 't-t-till worry w-worries y-you," stuttered the Tin Woodman.

"Now pull yourself together," ordered Dorothy. "She's gone.... I think I see the Dainty Land of China. We should be there in a few minutes."

Chapter 6:

The Dainty Land of China

The Tin Woodman did very well steering the raft to the bank of the river. As the Dainty China Country came into view he became quite excited, but then a little confused. "I wonder what happened to the wall," he said, half to himself. "But looks like there's a welcoming party awaiting us."

Dorothy and the Scarecrow stood up at once, almost toppling the Tin Woodman into the water. Sure enough, quite a large entourage was waiting by the dockside. Several china soldiers ran down to the raft as the Tin Woodman steered it into the dock.

As everyone disembarked from the raft they heard a big whoosh as the river reversed course to return to its source. They were immediately informed by the soldiers that the King and Queen wished to speak to them. The soldiers took Dorothy and her friends by the arms and escorted them to where the King and Queen were standing.

"You are most unwelcome!" snapped the King.

"Most Unwelcome!" echoed the Queen. "The last time strangers were here they broke several of our people."

"And we had to pay the menders overtime," said the King.

"Not to mention the expense of the glue," said the Queen.

"And glue's not cheap, you know," said the King.

"Not cheap, you know," said the Queen.

"We're terribly sorry," said Dorothy. "We'll be extremely careful, won't we everyone?" she said as she looked around at her friends.

"Oh, yes," they all chorused. "Extremely careful."

"I hope so," said the King.

"I hope so," said the Queen.

"It would take us several days to get to the Lion's forest if we had to go around your country," said the Tin Woodman.

"Very well," said the King. "The sooner you get started the better. It makes me very nervous to have you here. We had a high protective wall around us until a wicked witch zapped it off to some other realm out of spite. Now we are getting all kinds of riffraff wandering through our lands stepping on people willy-nilly. My army will escort you to the border to make sure you do not break anything, or anyone. If you do, my soldiers will attack you, for that is what they are trained to do."

"You can rest assured," said Dorothy, "that we will take every precaution."

As Dorothy spoke, she stepped back slightly to curtsy, but the heel of her shoe caught the Captain of the Guard's horse, causing it to rear up. The Captain dropped his sword with a clatter on the ground, breaking it into several pieces.

"My sword! My sword!" he cried, looking at it in dismay.

"Call the menders," ordered the King in a very loud voice.

"Call the menders," echoed the Queen in an equally loud voice.

The Captain of the Guard's face was red with anger and embarrassment.

"Attack!" he shouted to his men. "Attack! Before they break us all up!"

The soldiers rushed at the little group, poking at their feet and ankles with their swords and lances. Of course, this didn't bother the Tin Woodman. In fact, several more swords were broken as the soldiers jabbed at him. However, they did hurt Dorothy. It felt like someone was sticking needles in her feet and ankles.

The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman attempted to defend Dorothy by waving their hands in the faces of the soldiers.

"Run for it!" shouted the Tin Woodman.

The three ran as fast as their legs would allow and soon outdistanced the soldiers. Fortunately, they had run across a flat area devoid of houses and people. Otherwise they could have caused great damage.

As they ran, they noticed the ground getting steeper and more slippery. Large china boulders were scattered everywhere. To make matters worse, a mist suddenly descended, making it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of them.

The terrain rose sharply as they felt their way around some large rocks. The Tin Woodman slipped and fell several times, but, of course, didn't hurt himself. However, the going was getting rough, and Dorothy was getting tired.

The voices of the soldiers could now be heard in the distance, but through the mist Dorothy caught a glimpse of a little path winding its way up the mountain.

"Quick! Over this way," she said to her companions. The three managed to make their way over to the path.

The mountain path was a bit slippery, but not too steep. It was certainly a lot easier going.

When they finally reached the top of the mountain, the mist had cleared. Apparently, the soldiers had decided against following them, for they could be clearly seen setting up camp at the base, thereby ensuring that Dorothy and her friends did not attempt to return the way they had come.

The view from the top of the mountain was quite beautiful. The china homes and farms was spread out in a colorful panorama below. The only barren part was the segment of land they had traversed to make their escape.

"It's a shame everything is so easily breakable here," said the Tin Woodman. "I can't blame the china people for not wanting visitors."

"I don't know why the Captain of the Guard was so angry," said the Scarecrow. "Dorothy didn't try to make him drop his sword."

"I think he was so embarrassed," said Dorothy, "that he was just trying to save face in front of his men."

Dorothy was about to sit down to rest, but the light began to fade rather quickly. "Perhaps we should be on our way," said the girl.

"No question about it," said the Tin Woodman.

"Absolutely!" said the Scarecrow.

As they started down the other side of the mountain, the path became extremely slippery and steep. Suddenly the Tin Woodman started to slide very fast. He called out to Dorothy: "Help! Dorothy! I can't stop!"

At that moment, the Scarecrow slipped and sat down with a thump. Then Dorothy did the same. She and the Scarecrow sped down the mountain path so fast they caught up with the Tin Woodman. The impact caused him to fall backwards into Scarecrow's lap.

“Wheee...” They all yelled as they whizzed around the hairpin bends.

“What fun!” cried Dorothy.

As they neared the bottom, their descent slowed. They came to a stop in front of a big sign:

YOU ARE NOW LEAVING

DAINTY CHINA COUNTRY.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING

(But thank you more for leaving)

!!!PLEASE DON'T HURRY BACK!!!

"What a funny sign," said Dorothy. "But it's plain to see that they get very nervous when non-china people are in their midst. I suppose they'd be quite happy to be left entirely alone."

"I can't say I blame them," said the Tin Woodman. "If I were a small delicate person made of china, I wouldn't want big clumsy people around.

"Thank goodness you're a big clunk!" said the Scarecrow. Dorothy laughed as the Tin Woodman chased the Scarecrow around the sign. As he did so, Dorothy's eye caught what appeared to be another sign a little further on. She walked up to it and read the following:

YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE DOMAIN

OF THE GIRREPHALUMPS.

PLEASE KNOCK TWICE TO INDICATE

YOUR REQUEST FOR OUR SERVICES.

Chapter Seven:

The Girrephalumps

By this time, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow had joined Dorothy at the Girrephalump sign.

"What do you make of it?" asked Dorothy.

"Well, there's only one way to find out what it means," said the Tin Woodman. "And that's to knock twice and see what happens."

"Go ahead," said Dorothy. "With your metal fist, you should be able to knock loud enough for the Girrephalumps, whoever they are, to hear."

BANG! BANG!

The Tin Woodman knocked so hard that he almost knocked the sign down. Immediately there was a roar like thunder as a herd of animals descended on the sign from seemingly nowhere.

And what strange looking animals they were: Each had a giraffe's head and neck, but an elephant's body. Also, they were pink in color, with large white and blue dots all over.

The leader of the Girrephalumps walked right up to Dorothy and said, "You knocked, madam?"

Dorothy put her hand to her mouth to hide a smile. "Why, yes we did," she answered, glancing sideways at the Tin Woodman.

"Well," continued the Girrephalump, "where do you wish to go? We are the official transportation of Oz.... Of course, we also clean upstairs windows and replace the light bulbs in street lights. But I am sure that at the moment it's transportation you want. Am I not correct?"

"Why ... yes, you are perfectly correct," replied the girl, not a little bewildered.

"Well, where do you wish to be taken?" asked the Girrephalump. "And what is the purpose of your journey?"

"We wish to travel to Lion Country," replied Dorothy. "To visit our friend the Cowardly Lion, except that he's not cowardly any more."

"And your purpose, my dear?"

"We wish to join forces with the Lion because we have a very important mission to perform."

"Hmmm," said the Girrephalump. "And what may that mission be, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

"Well," answered Dorothy, "we're not totally certain. But we wish to confront the Wicked Witch of the Deep South and speak with her."

"OH, NO!" called out the Girrephalumps in unison, as they drew back.

"We must have a conference," said the leader.

The Girrephalumps all huddled together for several minutes.

"We are afraid to take you to Lion Country," said the leader to Dorothy as he returned. "We could very well be attacked by the Wicked Witch. You will never get to Lion Country alone, for there are dangerous swamps, and only we know the way. Besides, you would be very foolish to continue with this mission. You are not only endangering your own life, but also the lives of your companions. You must return at once!"

"But I cannot!" exclaimed Dorothy, almost in tears. "We have come so far, and we must go on. This is very important to us — to all of Oz."

"Hmmm," said the leader again. "We must have another conference."

Once again, the Girrephalumps went into a huddle. This time they took much longer.

At length he returned, but looked very solemn. "Well," he said after looking at Dorothy for a long time. "The majority vote has predominated. But this is very unwise of you to insist on going on. If we are attacked we will desert you and you will die in the swamps. Do you understand?"

Dorothy looked at the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow, and swallowed. "Yes," she said. "We do."

"Very well; so be it!" the leader replied. "The results will be on your head."

The Scarecrow whispered to the Tin Woodman. "What did he say would be on Dorothy's head?"

"The results of her decision," answered the Woodman.

"Oh," said the Scarecrow, as he thought the whole thing over.

"Well, let's be on our way then," the leader said, kneeling down for Dorothy to mount him. Two others did the same for the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow.

Although the journey took almost two days, there were, fortunately, few incidents. However, there was one particular situation that had left everyone more than a little shaky: The first indication that trouble was brewing was when a loud thumping sound could be heard in the distance. It sounded at first as if a bunch of people were beating on drums. But as the thumping got louder it became apparent that some sort of stampede was in progress. The Girrephalumps seemed ready to make a run for it when the deafening roar came to a sudden halt. Everyone looked at each other in complete bewilderment. One moment they had been ready to run for their lives; now there was only a deathly silence. The Girrephalumps stood perfectly still for the longest time. Then their leader motioned his head slowly towards a wooded area where he had detected some movement.

"G-G-Good gracious," stammered Dorothy, as about fifty grizzly bears emerged. The strange thing is that they didn't exactly lumber towards the little group as one might expect. They were bobbing up and down in place as if they were all on trampolines. It then became apparent to all, that these were not ordinary bears, but were kangaroos with bear bodies, or, if you prefer, bears with kangaroo legs and tails. It was the most incredible sight imaginable!

One bear, larger than all the others, approached (perhaps that is not the word to use, hopped would be more like it). He hopped over to the leader of the Girrephalumps and growled very loudly in Dorothy's face. Unfortunately, he had very bad breath which caused Dorothy to quickly turn away.

"Look at me when I speak to you," growled the bear. "You are in Krizzlie Bear country now. You will show the utmost respect."

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Krizzlie ... Mr. Bear ... ER, Mr. Krizzlie Bear. I didn't mean to be disrespectful, sir. But I, I thought I was about to sneeze and didn't want to sneeze in your face."

"Hmmm, is that so?" mumbled the bear, looking a bit suspicious. "Well, what are you people doing here in the first place? We don't like visitors. Didn't anyone tell you that?"

"We didn't even know you existed," replied the Girrephalump leader. We have traversed these lands many times, and know every swamp and bog. And we have never come across another living creature. In fact, we thought this whole area was devoid of life. It is so barren and inhospitable, we didn't think anyone would want to live here."

The bear was becoming angrier by the minute. "Are you saying you think our neighborhood is run down, and you don't think any decent person would want to live here? Is that what you're saying? Is it? Is it? 'Cause if it is, we can take care of that right now. We'll just eat you all up and that will end the argument immediately, if not sooner. Don't you agree?"

"But I am not arguing with you, Sir Bear. Really," insisted the Girrephalump.

"You are arguing right now. You are disagreeing with me. I'd call that arguing, wouldn't you?" snorted the bear. "Wait! Did you say Sir Bear? Is that what I heard you say? Sir Bear?"

"Indeed you did," replied the Girrephalump. "Sir Krizz, I believe the queen will dub you when she hears how kind you were to us, and how you let us pass safely through your vast estate. I have recommended several knighthood"s to her in the past and she has accepted every one without question."

"Really!" said the bear. "Well, upon further reflection, perhaps I have been a little harsh with you people. You say you will mention how kind I've been?"

"Indeed," replied the Girrephalump. "I will tell her how exceedingly kind you were. And I will recommend a knighthood in the strongest of terms. Your title is guaranteed. You have my word as an officer and a gentleman!"

"Very well. You are all free to go," said the bear. "As you know, I have been joking all along. It was pretty funny, huh? If you just follow this little path, it will take you safely into Lion Country. And goodbye and good luck to all of you."

Chapter Eight:

Lion Country

As they approached the Lion's camp, they could see the warm glow of a big fire. The Lion was laying by the fire, propped up on some cushions, roasting marshmallows. When he saw them approaching, he jumped up and bounded over to meet them.

"How wonderful to see you all!" he said as he embraced each in turn. When he got to Dorothy, he gave her an extra big hug. "This is really a pleasant surprise, Dorothy. I wasn't expecting to see you again. At least, not for a long time."

"Being back in Oz is just as much of a surprise to me," replied Dorothy. "It's true I had been thinking of you all an awful lot; and I did miss you all terribly. Perhaps my longing to see you all again had something to do with it; I'm sure it did. But it seems I have a definite mission, and that is the real purpose for my being here."

"Well now," said the Lion. "How interesting. Let us sit by the fire and I'll make you some hot chocolate and marshmallows and you can tell me all about it."

After everyone had settled around the fire (everyone, that is, except the Scarecrow, for fire made him very nervous), Dorothy told the story of her return to Oz. The Lion listened intently without interruption. When Dorothy was finished, he thought for a moment: "You know," he said at length, "it's interesting to note that you have helped each of us here; you have helped the Munchkins and in fact all of Oz by getting rid of two very evil witches. And now you are ready to do battle again on behalf of our wonderful land. We have much to be grateful for. It seems you are playing a very important role in the history of Oz. You are almost a savior."

"Please!" said Dorothy. "I am just an ordinary person trying to help people. I don't want you to think of me as someone unusual. I am doing no more than any good friend would. Besides, I have grown to love Oz and all of you more than words can convey."

At that, Dorothy became quite pensive.

"Is anything the matter, Dorothy?" asked the Lion.

"Well, I am somewhat concerned," replied the girl. "The Wicked Witch of the Deep South is a mean one. There's no telling what she might do to everyone because of me."

"Now don't fret so, Dorothy," the Lion replied. "She's not going to frighten us into deserting you. We'll stick by you through thick and thin."

"Thick and thin what?" said the Scarecrow, genuinely curious.

"It's just an expression," said the Tin Woodman, giving him a nudge.

"Oh!" responded the Scarecrow. "Oh, yes."

"We won't let that old witch get us down, Dorothy," said the Tin Woodman, patting her on the back.

"No indeed!" echoed the Scarecrow. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Dorothy."

"Well, I know you're tired," said the Lion. "Let's turn in. Everything will look a lot brighter in the morning. We'll discuss our plans right after breakfast."

The Lion brought out some more cushions and blankets. He ordered six leopards and six tigers to stand guard around the camp. The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow stood by Dorothy's bed (they always stood guard at night because they don't need any sleep themselves).

Chapter Nine:

The Mission Begins

The next morning, as Dorothy awoke to feel the warm sun on her face, she was surprised to find that the Lion and the others had prepared a breakfast of exotic fruits for her. As she bit into one of the luscious soft fruits the juice burst forth with a flavor that can only be described as divine. Nothing, absolutely nothing she had ever tasted before could compare.

"We let you sleep a little longer, Dorothy," said the Lion, as she ate. "You needed a good rest. Isn't it a beautiful day?"

"Indeed it is!" answered the girl. "Between this wonderful fruit and the beautiful surroundings, I feel I'm in paradise.

The dew was glistening on the grass and there were pretty little wildflowers everywhere. Hundreds of birds of every variety were chirping away happily as they searched for their breakfast. The sweet early morning smell of the forest permeated the air, and running through the camp was a bubbling brook of crystal clear water with little fish happily darting about the little pools.

"You certainly have a lovely home here, Lion," said Dorothy.

"Thank you," the Lion replied. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

"You must be very happy here," went on the girl.

"Oh, indeed I am. Yes, indeed," the Lion replied. "Only ... only ..."

"Only what?" interceded Dorothy.

"Well, it does get a little lonely at times."

"You mean there is no lady lion to keep you company?" said Dorothy with a sly wink.

"That is true," answered the Lion. "I am the only one here."

"Well, I'm sure we're bound to run into another lion on our journey," said Dorothy encouragingly.

"Oh, very doubtful," replied the Lion. "I've never heard of another one."

"There are parts of Oz," said the Tin Woodman, who had been listening intently, "that are unexplored. No one knows what's there."

"You see!" Dorothy exclaimed.

The Lion shrugged. "It would be nice," he said, "if we came across a lady lion. Very nice indeed."

"Well, we'd better start some plans," said Dorothy. "Did anyone bring a map with them?"

"Oh, yes, I did," said the Tin Woodman, opening a little door in his side. "I kept it here to make sure it wouldn't get wet."

They unfolded the map and placed it on the ground.

"Now, let's see," said Dorothy. "We're here," pointing her finger at a circle which said "Lion's Forest."

"We can't go due south," said the Scarecrow, "or we'll run into swamplands. We'll have to head west through Octapongland, then southwest through Colorland."

"Octapongland?" said Dorothy. "How strange! And Colorland?"

"These are newly discovered lands," said the Lion.

"Haven't you heard the song?" said the leader of the Girrephalumps.

"What song?" said Dorothy.

"The Octapong song, of course," said the Girrephalump, and in a deep baritone voice he sang,

"In the country where I'm from,

there are lots of Octapong.

Octapong are people who,

have eight feet but only one shoe.

That one shoe goes clippity-clop,

while the other feet go hippity-hop.

With a hippity-hop and a bing-bang-boo,

those Octapong are after you.

If you see one, run, don't stop —

'cause if you do, your shoes he'll cop."

"Oh my," said Dorothy. "How terrible. Must we go through Octapongland?"

"I'm afraid we must," said the Lion. "There's no other way."

"And what about Colorland?" asked Dorothy. "What's that like?"

"No one lives in Colorland," said the Scarecrow. "It's just a place to visit for therapy."

"Therapy?" said Dorothy, looking perplexed. "Yes," said the Tin Woodman. "For example, if you're feeling sad, you spend a half-hour in the Yellow Belt."

"Yellow Belt?" Dorothy said, looking puzzled again.

"Yes. You see," said the Lion, "Colorland is divided into seven Color Belts; each is a half mile wide. There's the Red Belt, the Orange Belt, the Yellow Belt, the Green Belt, the Blue Belt, the Indigo Belt, and the Purple Belt."

The Lion could see that Dorothy was still very puzzled. "Let me explain," he said. "You see, each of the seven colors affects you in a different way. For example, the first color we will pass through will be the Red Belt. Now you should never go into the Red Belt feeling angry."

"Why not?" asked Dorothy.

"Well," said the Lion, "you've heard the expression 'so and so makes me see red'?"

Dorothy nodded. "Well, red is associated with anger," said the Lion. "So if you walk through the Red Belt feeling angry or resentful, it will just make you more angry or resentful."

"How does it make you feel if you're not angry or resentful?" said Dorothy.

"Then it will have a positive effect on you," said the Lion. "It will give you lots of energy, and if you're cold, it will make you feel nice and warm."

"How strange," said Dorothy. "It will certainly be very interesting. We'd better look at the map again to see what comes after Colorland."

As Dorothy studied the map, the Scarecrow started to get the giggles. "Oh dear!" he said, giggling uncontrollably. "Not again!"

"My goodness," said Dorothy. "What's going on?"

"Don't you see the name of the land next to Colorland?" said the Scarecrow. Dorothy peered at the map.

"Tickleland?" she said as she started to laugh. "I can't wait for you to explain this one."

"Let me explain," said the Tin Woodman. "The Scarecrow and myself are probably the only ones here who are not ticklish, so we're not concerned about traveling through Tickleland. But for you it will be an ordeal, believe me."

"An ordeal?" said Dorothy.

"I'm afraid so," replied the Tin Woodman. "You see, Tickleland is filled with Ticklemonsters. They are cousins of the Octapong; and whereas the Octapong have eight feet, the Ticklemonsters have eight arms, and that makes forty fingers to tickle you with if they catch you."

"Oh my goodness!" said Dorothy.

"You can imagine what it's like to be tickled all over at the same time," said the Scarecrow.

"Why on earth do they do that?" asked Dorothy. "And how can you get them to stop?"

"Well," said the Tin Woodman. "The reason they do it is quite simple: they do it for food, and the reason —"

"For food?" interrupted Dorothy. "Now you've lost me. What on earth has food got to do with it?"

"Well, they don't eat solid food like you do," said the Tin Woodman. "They absorb their nourishment through the skin, and the sound of laughter is to them what food is to you. You see, the laughter energizes their skin molecules to give them energy and sustenance."

"Well, I never," said Dorothy.

"You never what?" said the Scarecrow.

"That's just another expression, silly," said the Tin Woodman.

"It's like saying, 'Well, I never would have believed that,'" said Dorothy.

"Well, anyway," said the Tin Woodman, "that's why they are called Ticklemonsters and why the land they live in is called Tickleland."

"Will they stop tickling you if you ask them to?" said Dorothy.

"On the contrary," said the Tin Woodman. "If you ask them to stop, they'll just tickle you all the more."

"What happens if you ask them to tickle you more?" she asked.

"Then they'll stop," said the Tin Woodman. "They don't like being told what to do, so they'll just go and find someone else to tickle."

"That's really something," said Dorothy, shaking her head. "I suppose we must go through Tickleland?" she asked.

"I'm afraid we must," said everyone.

"If they just look at me threateningly, I'll laugh," said Dorothy. "I'm so ticklish you wouldn't believe it"

"I'm not ticklish, but I laugh a lot when people say funny things," said the Scarecrow.

Dorothy smiled. "How long do you think our journey will take?"

"Oh, weeks and weeks," said the Scarecrow.

"My, that is longer than I expected," replied Dorothy. "Do you really think it'll take that long?"

"Yes, but we'll survive, I'm sure," answered the Scarecrow.

"It'll take some time to cross Elfland," said the Lion.

"Elfland?" questioned Dorothy. "That sounds fascinating. How long ago was their land discovered?"

"Oh, quite recently," replied the Lion. "Of course, Elves have always existed. This particular type of elf visits the mortal lands all the time. They do a lot of work there."

"Well, I'm really looking forward to visiting their country," said Dorothy.

"Let's look at this map again to see what comes after Elfland." She spread the map out on the ground, and they all peered at it intently.

Chapter Ten:

Philosophical Discussion

"I don't think that map will do us much good after we cross Elfland," Dorothy said, as she looked at the words LARGELY UNEXPLORED which marked the area between Elfland and the Deep South Territory.

"We'll just have to take our chances," she continued. "You know, when I was here before I didn't realize that there were so many other cultures within Oz. I met a lot of Munchkins and some Quadlings, and all those other interesting people and animals and creatures. I wonder how many varieties there are?"

"There are an infinite number of lands and cultures within Oz," said the Tin Woodman. "That's what makes Oz such an interesting place. It would be a monotonous land indeed without variety. But I don't think Oz will ever be fully explored. The Great Wizard who created Oz must be quite pleased with his creation."

Dorothy looked puzzled. "You mean the Great Wizard that Glinda spoke of?"

"Oh, yes indeed." Answered the Tin Woodman. "There's only one Great Wizard. All worlds are created by him, and he loves every soul who resides in his creation: even the Wicked Witch of the Deep South."

"How could He love someone so evil?" questioned Dorothy.

"I was wondering that myself," said the Scarecrow.

"Well," said the Tin Woodman. "He must realize that she's her own worst enemy, and he's just waiting for her to catch on to that fact. I don't know why some people are so filled with hatred. As I told you, Dorothy, ever since I've had a heart I've been having a lot of feelings, and I've been trying to understand why some people have a lot of love inside them, and enjoy helping others; while some only care about themselves. Perhaps the people who can't feel love and compassion have no heart at all."

"Or perhaps something happens to them that causes their heart to harden," said the Lion.

"Not to change the subject," said the Scarecrow. "But I've been reading about the creation of mortals. There are lots of books on the subject, and sometimes the books contradict one another. Some talk about the slow evolution of tiny simple organisms into large complex organisms. While others talk of the instantaneous creation of complex organisms, for example, Adam and Eve — who were, supposedly, the very first mortals. It's all very complicated.

"Well," said the Tin Woodman. "You don't have to accept everything you read; you have to form your own opinion. That's why you've got a brain. Books are just people's ideas, No one can really prove anything. Even scientists differ in their analysis of the same evidence.

"That's correct," said the Scarecrow. "Ever since I got my brain, I've been thinking a lot. And some of the things I've read, I agree with, and some I don't agree with. I know some people who have read only one book in which the creation of mortals is explained, and they say that version is true because the people who wrote it were inspired by the Great Wizard."

"I haven't thought a lot about it," said Dorothy. "But I think people should read all the books written on a given subject before drawing a conclusion. Even if they didn't accept everything they read, they would at least be stimulated by the many ideas put forth. I've heard that people who have a long established belief about something will often refuse to study all the available literature on the subject, but will close their minds off completely. They have made their minds up as to the truth of the matter, and don't want to hear another word on the subject."

"Truth is where you find it," said the Tin Woodman.

"What does that mean?" said the Scarecrow.

"Isn't that the point of the whole thing?" said Dorothy. "Since no one really knows for sure what is totally true or not true, we owe it to ourselves not to be satisfied with what is told to us, but to question and to search for ourselves. In other words, continue the search for truth all of our lives with an open mind."

"But, as Scarecrow said, it is confusing to read all those different ideas about things?" said the Lion.

"It can be," said the Tin Woodman. "But whatever we read, we must learn to discern deep within ourselves what is true and what is not true, and then to ask the Great Wizard's guidance for the ultimate answers. After all; if he knows all Truth, he is going to guide us to it if we ask him. But he won't force it on us."

"How do we know if he can hear us, or even that he exists if no one has seen him?" the Lion said.

"Well," interceded the Tin Woodman, "from all that I've read, people throughout history have heard him speak. But to be able to hear him, we have to go into a very quiet state within ourselves every day, and learn to communicate with him."

"How do we do that?" asked the Lion, still recalling the traditional tale of Lurliné.

"Well, I've been doing it for some time," said the Tin Woodman, "and although I haven't actually heard a voice yet, I often receive answers to my questions in symbolic form, which I am told is the language of the soul."

"Can you describe it to us?" said the Lion.

"Of course," said the Tin Woodman. "But you know, we have talked here for a long time. We really must get underway if we are to accomplish our mission. I'll tell you what happened when we get to Colorland. We'll stay overnight in the Yellow Belt and I'll explain everything."

"Why the Yellow Belt?" asked Dorothy.

"Well, the color vibration of yellow is very conductive to learning. The Winkies always subconsciously knew this. In fact, when you take a test at school, be sure to wear yellow and you'll do very well on your test."

"Really?" said Dorothy. "I must remember that."

"Now then, everybody up," said the Lion. "Let's be on our way. We can take the Girrephalumps as far as Octapongland. After that we'll have to walk."

With that, the Girrephalumps sat down so everyone could climb aboard. The leading Girrephalump, who belonged to Dorothy, turned his head to her as she climbed aboard and said, "Forgive me if I don't talk, but I have a sore throat. Mind you, none of us care to talk much," he continued. "We have such long and delicate throats that we have to take the utmost care that we don't overdo things."

"That's quite all right," replied Dorothy. "I do hope you feel better soon."

"Oh, I shall. Don't worry," said the Girrephalump. "When I return from this trip, I will take a short vacation. I can't take too long or I'll get too far behind with my other work."

"What other work do you do?" asked Dorothy.

"Well," said the Girrephalump, "as I told you before, besides being part of the main transportation system in Oz, we are required to change the streetlight bulbs when they burn out, and to keep all the upstairs windows clean. If we get too far behind, people can't see out of their upstairs windows in the daytime; and when they're out at night they can't see what they're doing, so it's important work that we do."

"It is indeed," said Dorothy. "How long will it be before we get to Octapongland?" she asked.

"Well, I can see it in the distance already," said the Girrephalump. "But it's still quite a way off. We'll probably be there by nightfall."

"Have you seen the Octapong before?" said Dorothy.

"Oh, I've seen them all right, answered the Girrephalump, 'course they don't bother me, since I don't wear shoes."

"You see, the trouble is," he continued "their one shoe gets a lot of wear and tear, clippity-clopping along all day, and production simply can't keep up with demand."

"So they have to steal other people's shoes?" interceded Dorothy.

"That's just about it," said the Girrephalump.

"Well I think it's disgusting," the girl said angrily. "Why do people have to go around stealing other people's things? How would they like it if someone stole from them?"

"They probably wouldn't like it at all," said the Girrephalump.

"They should learn the Golden Rule," said Dorothy.

"What's the Golden Rule?" asked the Girrephalump.

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," she quoted.

"That's a good rule," said the Girrephalump.

"If everyone lived by it, no one would steal anything from anyone," said Dorothy. And no one would hurt anyone either."

"That's amazing!" said the Girrephalump.

"What is?" said Dorothy.

"Why, if that one rule were practiced by everyone it would make the mortal lands a beautiful place to live as well as to visit."

"It would indeed," said Dorothy. "If every single individual followed that one simple rule, we could unlock all of our locks and throw all the keys away."

"And you could melt down all of your guns," said the Girrephalump. "Don't mortals understand that?"

"Oh, they understand all right," said Dorothy. "But many just don't want to live by that rule."

"Perhaps if they were taught these things as children...."

"Some children don't want to live by that rule either," she replied.

"I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to," replied the Girrephalump. "Think how happy they would all be — with each mortal having nothing to fear from another, just treating each other with kindness and respect. Why, it would be heavenly. Don't your people want to be happy?"

"I'm sure everyone wants to be truly happy," said Dorothy. "But it's the nature of some to find a twisted kind of happiness in hurting others. Some even steal from others to get money to buy chemicals for their mind, for example."

"Now I'm really confused," said the Girrephalump. "Chemicals for their mind?"

"Yes," said Dorothy, realizing that she had more awareness of these issues than would be considered strictly proper for a child of her age and background. "You see," she continued, "if a person is unable to find happiness within himself, or in his home, school, work or social environment, he may try to buy some synthetic happiness in the form of certain chemicals called drugs."

"Good gracious!" was all the Girrephalump could say.

"Yes, it's very sad," said Dorothy. "But the happiness they feel is not true, so when the effects of the chemical wear off they feel even worse than before. Then, in a desperate effort to feel better again, they take even more chemicals. Of course, they are doomed to repeat the cycle over and over. This causes great anguish — not only for themselves — but for their family and friends."

"How frightening!" gasped the Girrephalump.

"Yes, it's an awful, awful thing," said Dorothy. "Now the chemical is the master. It now directs the person"s life. He or she has lost control, and is now a slave to this new master. Not only that, some of these chemicals can affect the brain in such a way as to cause the person to do awful things to other people, or to themselves. At the very least their personality becomes distorted: they can have terrible mood swings, and their natural drive and creative ability severely diminished. Sometimes seizures, or even death can occur."

"Can't anyone stop all this?" said the Girrephalump. "Why do people make these chemicals and sell them?"

"For money," said Dorothy. "They love money so much, they don't care who gets hurt."

"Thank goodness I don't have to live in your mortal lands," said the Girrephalump.

"Well, it's not all bad," said Dorothy. "There are many kind and wonderful people there — like Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. It's just the few that spoil things for the many."

"It still seems to me that the place to start is with the little children," said the Girrephalump. "If mortals were taught kindness and love and gentleness and understanding, and all of these things as children, the world would be a very happy place when they grew up, and they could teach their children the same things. Then, by the time they grew up, all the bad adults would have died off."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," said Dorothy. "Some parents are full of hate and resentment, or show contempt for other races or creeds by the way they talk. This all influences the children."

"Why can't the schools teach the children differently?"

"I'm sure they do their best," said Dorothy, "but they are busy teaching reading, writing and arithmetic."

"Well, I don't see much hope," said the Girrephalump.

"Yes, mortals are sort of locked into their ways of thinking," said Dorothy.

"Perhaps when you get back to Kansas, you could write a book about your experiences in Oz," said the Girrephalump. "Then children who read it will know that there's a place where no one really hurts anyone. And perhaps they will treat each other a lot better. And when they grow up they will be loving and kind to one another too, so that your country will be as happy a place as Oz."

"That's an excellent idea," said Dorothy, though she knew that she was far too young to write a whole book by herself and would have to confide in an adult for help.

"Well, here we are at Octapongland," said the Girrephalump. "My, I've talked a lot," he said. "And do you know, my throat isn't sore."

"That's wonderful," replied Dorothy.

"I really enjoyed meeting you, Dorothy," he said. "I've learned a lot. I hope I'll see you again soon."

Dorothy put her arms around his neck and kissed him. He sat down slowly while Dorothy slid down his back to the ground.

"Now everyone stick close together," called out the lion, and walk quickly. The Octapong are very sneaky, so be alert."

Chapter Eleven:

Octapongland

The entrance to Octapongland was a huge archway. An inscription over the top read, "Beware all ye who enter the land of the Octapong." As they passed under the archway, they became aware of a group of Octapong children playing in the distance. As they approached, the Octapong stopped their activity and turned to stare. Dorothy tried not to look at them, although at the same time she was very curious. They were certainly strange creatures, with their eight legs and only one shoe. As they returned to their play, one could hear that shoe going clippity-clop, clippity-clop.

Suddenly, Dorothy became aware of several adult Octapong gathering on each side of them as they walked. The Tin Woodman said, "Perhaps we should walk a little faster." As they did, the Octapong walked faster, too. And each foot with the shoe came down in unison to make a deafening crash on the ground. As Dorothy's group walked faster and faster, so did the Octapong, until everyone was running like the wind.

Suddenly they all came to a screeching halt as a huge brick wall loomed up in front of them. The brick wall stretched for miles right across Octapongland. There was no way anyone could escape.

"SO!" roared one of the Octapong. He appeared to be their leader. "Thought you could get away, eh? No one escapes the Octapong. You see, my dears, with the help of our trapping wall here, and our little system of running you into it, we are guaranteed a fresh supply of shoes every time anyone crosses our land. Now, off with your shoes," he shouted.

"You're just a bunch of thieves!" said Dorothy angrily.

"We're not thieves," said the leader of the Octapong.” Are we, Boys?"

"NO!" they all called out together.

"There," said their leader. "You see?"

"Well what do you call it?" said Dorothy. "Taking people's property without their consent?"

"Let's call it a toll for the use of our land."

"You don't have any signs posted," said Dorothy. "So that makes it stealing."

"I"m beginning to lose my patience with you, little girl," said the leader. "Now give me your shoes. You, too," he said to the Scarecrow.

"Now look here," said the Lion. "Stop pushing my friends around. Who do you think you are?"

"Who are you?" asked the Octapong leader.

"I'm King of the Beasts," said the Lion defiantly.

"Well I'm King of the Octapong," said the leader.

"Is that so?" said the Lion, gearing up for a fight.

"Yes, that's so," said the Octapong.

"Well," said the Lion.

"Well what?" said the Octapong.

"Nothing," snarled the Lion. "Just well."

"What's the use of a well without a bucket?" said the Octapong.

"What?" said the Lion.

"I said, what's the use of a well without a bucket?" he shouted.

"A well without a — ho-ha bucket ... a ho-ho bucket," roared the Lion with laughter. "That's very funny!"

"Do you think so?" said the Octapong.

"Yes, I do," said the Lion.

"Well thank you," said the Octapong appreciatively. "You know, we've been a little hasty; you seem like nice people, and we have a very good stock of shoes on hand right now. We'll let you go this time."

"Why thank you," said the Lion. "You're very kind."

"Don't mention it," said the Octapong. And with that, he walked over to the wall and said "You may go through." Everyone looked at each other with a puzzled expression.

"But there's no door," said Dorothy.

"Not necessary," responded the Octapong.

"Well, how do we go through?" said the Lion.

"You just walk through," said the Octapong.

They all stood there looking more puzzled than ever.

"Like this," said the Octapong as he walked into the wall and disappeared.

"Did you see that?" said the Tin Woodman.

Just then, the Octapong returned to view, having walked back through the wall again.

"How did you do that?" asked the Lion.

"Why, it's easy," replied the Octapong. "This wall is made with special bricks. You see, all matter is made of atoms, which are tiny particles of electricity. There are very large spaces between these atoms even though the material appears solid. We have magnetized the atoms in these bricks in such a way that they push away the atoms of any other material that comes in contact with them. So when the atoms of your body come close to the atoms in the bricks, they just step aside so to speak and slide through the empty spaces. It's quite simple, really. And it works very well. So well, in fact, that not one person has ever tried to walk through that wall. They all believe the wall to be solid — so for them, it is."

"Why that's incredible," said Dorothy.

"Now be off with you," said the Octapong. "Before we change our minds."

Dorothy gingerly touched her shoe against the wall and, sure enough, the toe of her shoe disappeared into the wall. With that, they all walked into the wall and disappeared. As they reappeared on the other side of the wall, Dorothy remarked on the strange sensation. "Aunt Em will never believe this!" She would be repeating these words many times during her journey through Oz.

The border of Octapongland was just a short distance away, and they all breathed a sigh of relief when they reached it. After they crossed the border, they all sat down to discuss the situation.

"That was quite an experience," declared the Tin Woodman.

"Indeed it was," answered the Scarecrow. "The Lion was the one who saved us."

"He certainly did," replied Dorothy. "And we're all very proud of you," she said, turning to the Lion.

"Well, quite truthfully," said the Lion, "I didn't feel all that brave inside."

"But you had the courage to defend us," said the Tin Woodman. "And that's the important thing. Besides, you got us out of the situation, didn't you?"

"I hope we don't have to return this way," replied the Lion. "I don't think I could pull it off again."

"Let's look at the map," said Dorothy. The Tin Woodman opened the little door in his side, pulled out the map, and spread it out on the ground.

"Let's see," said the girl. "We're here," she added, pointing her finger to the border between Octapongland and Colorland. "Why don't we stay here overnight," she said, "and get an early start in the morning?"

"That's fine with me," yawned the Lion.

Dorothy walked down to a little stream close by and sat down on its grassy bank. Little wildflowers were everywhere, and the crystal-clear water bubbled with life as it cascaded into a miniature waterfall. She cupped her hands together, dipped them into the water, and took a long, cool drink. Mmmm, the water tasted so good. As she sat, she studied the little flowers, their delicate, tiny petals were in perfect symmetry; each tinted with the colors of the rainbow. The colors were just breathtaking! So rich, so vibrant, so alive. She noticed a rose in bud, and gently touched it and wished that it would bloom. As she did, little blue sparks appeared at her fingertips and, ever so slowly, the bud unfolded to reveal the most beautiful rose she had ever seen. She lay back on the ground, closed her eyes, and listened to the water bubbling and splashing. She concentrated on the delicate fragrances of the flowers, and the sweet smell of the grass. She could hear birds chirping away happily in the distance. A beautiful feeling came over her: a peace she had never known before. She became one with nature. She knew that all mankind, all nature, was one as she fell asleep.

Chapter Twelve:

The Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs

Dorothy was awakened by a cold wet nose nuzzling her arm. She heard a voice say, "Move over please, move over." The nose and the voice belonged to a round, bright yellow furry ball with huge round dark brown liquid eyes.

"Who are you?" inquired Dorothy.

"The name of my species," replied the animal tartly, "is Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. Would you move over please? You're blocking the entrance to my home."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Dorothy, sitting up.

"That's quite all right," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "No harm done." The Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug promptly disappeared into a hole under a large clump of grass. He reappeared a moment later and looked quizzically at Dorothy. "Would you care to have tea with me? It's not too often that I have a guest for tea."

"Why thank you. I'd love to," replied Dorothy. "But I'm afraid I'm too big."

"Oh, dear," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "I hadn't thought of that. Well," he said brightly, "we'll soon take care of that problem. Just stay right where you are." He disappeared again, and this time returned with a bright yellow tablecloth and a bright yellow picnic basket. He then laid out the tablecloth on the grass, opened up the picnic basket, and handed Dorothy a bright yellow cup and saucer. He then returned to his hole and reappeared promptly with a bright yellow teapot on a bright yellow tray. "Would you care for milk and sugar?" he asked as he poured her tea.

"Just a little of each, thank you," replied Dorothy, helping herself from a bright yellow milk jug and a bright yellow sugar bowl. "My, you certainly like yellow," said Dorothy as she sipped her tea.

"Of course," replied the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug without explaining further.

"I'm surprised that you don't make your home in Colorland in the Yellow Belt," said Dorothy. "I would think you'd be right at home there."

"Oh, no," answered the little creature emphatically. "That would be too much for us Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, but we do visit there twice each week. You see," he explained, "we Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs must absorb a great deal of yellow if we are to keep our pretty yellow fur. Otherwise it would fade very quickly to a dirty brown color like the other animals. We are very proud of our color; we surround ourselves with yellow so that we constantly absorb it."

"I see," said Dorothy thoughtfully. "Well, I must admit it is a very bright happy cheerful color."

"Yes indeed," replied the little creature. "That is why we Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs have such bright, happy cheerful dispositions — which is just as well, I might add. You see, some of the other animals don't like us; they are quite jealous of our bright yellow color, and can be quite hurtful at times."

"I'm so sorry," said Dorothy. "But you are so nice, why would anyone want to be hurtful?"

"Well, unfortunately, they only see our color; they don't see the person. We are personalities just like them, but they don't choose to see beyond our color, so they won't have much to do with us. Why, just the other day, my little girl was playing at school with a little brown girl bear she had become friends with, when the other bigger brown bears took the little girl brown bear aside and said, 'Why are you playing with that Yellow Wogglebug?' My little girl's friend said, 'Because she's very nice to me, and we're friends.' 'Well, don't mix with those Yellow Wogglebugs,' they told her. 'Play with your own kind.' So now the little brown girl bear and my little girl are quite sad and, needless to say, lonely, because they liked each other more than anyone else at school."

"You know," said Dorothy, "the bigger brown bears that told the little girl brown bear not to play with your little girl are the ones I feel sorry for."

"Sorry for them?" exclaimed the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug in surprise. "Why would you be sorry for them?"

"Well, they are the real losers," said Dorothy, "for they must go through life with all that hatred and resentment inside them. Not very conducive to becoming a happy well-adjusted person."

"You show great insight for one so young," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "What you say is so true. Yet many people fail to see it."

"It seems to me they don't want to," said Dorothy.

"But why not?" asked the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "Do they prefer to be miserable?"

"It appears that way, doesn't it? I was just discussing this with my friends. People are often their own worst enemy. They are at the mercy of their thoughts, so to speak. They do not make a concentrated effort to control their thoughts, so their thoughts control them."

"You talk as if thoughts have a mind of their own," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug.

"In a way they do," replied Dorothy. "Of course, people's thoughts revolve around themselves a great deal, since our main concerns are to do with our own physical comfort. After all, everyone wants to be warm and dry, and to be well fed and secure. So our thoughts, quite naturally, center on our own feelings. But as a consequence, we can become self-centered, even selfish. Some people can take selfishness to the point of depriving others of their basic needs so they can acquire more for themselves. A good example of this is a Dictator of a country amassing for himself a fortune, while the majority of his people are starving to death. Or a business which is not satisfied with a reasonable rate of return, but extracts an exorbitantly high profit at the expense of people who are struggling to make ends meet. Now, there is nothing wrong with using one's own talents to make a pleasant life for one's self; to acquire a nice home, and to have an abundant life, for we are meant to enjoy life. But this abundant and joyous life cannot come by taking from others what is not rightfully ours to take; but can only come by maintaining a fair exchange of each other's goods and services, and by leaving the element of greed out of all transactions. Thoughts that are greedy thoughts are our mortal enemy."

"Do you know," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, "that thoughts have shapes?"

"They do?" said Dorothy in surprise. "That I didn't know."

"Oh yes, as a matter of fact, the area around the Wicked Witch's castle is called 'Negativethoughtland.' Negative thoughts are, as you know, the worst kind of thoughts there are; so you can imagine what monstrous thoughts must dwell around that castle, just laying in wait for unsuspecting travelers."

"You mean you can see them?" asked Dorothy, her eyes getting big.

"Oh, yes," answered the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "You see, every thought you think is a new creation, so it has to go somewhere and do something. Now, if it is a good thought, like, say...."

"Like I'm thinking right now," said Dorothy. "That I love my Aunt Em, and that I wish I was with her."

"Yes," said the Wogglebug. "That thought is a thought of love and will go right to your Aunt Em and help to make her feel good."

"What does that thought look like?" asked Dorothy.

"It looks like a soft crimson projectile like a comet. When it hits your Aunt Em, it will burst and shower her with little explosions of pure love."

"That sounds beautiful," said Dorothy. "Can you tell me the shapes of some other thoughts and what their effects are?"

"When you go to Negativethoughtland, you will see some awful shapes; they are visible to everyone there."

"Can they hurt me?" asked Dorothy anxiously.

"They cannot come near light," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "In fact, light dissolves them. But if you have a lot of negative thoughts yourself, you will attract them to you and they will make you more negative; so you must think positive thoughts. Be happy, optimistic and cheerful; loving and kind. And as long as you do that, these negative thoughts will never come near you — for they cannot stand the light that positive thoughts are made of. So when you go through Negativethoughtland, visualize light all around you — this will protect you. Learn to do that every day as you walk to school. Put light around your house in Kansas every night. Be enthusiastic. Face each day with determination and know that you can master any problem that the day may bring. As you go through life you will face many difficulties ... but everything's not going to happen to you all at once. So just take one day at a time and do the best you can with that day — that's all that is expected of you. Each day that you live, you can be earning your way to a better place — a better life. But you must do the earning yourself; you must do the work. No one else can do it for you."

"What you are saying makes a lot of sense," said Dorothy. "When I get back to Kansas, they're going to see a new me."

"Well," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, "that's very commendable; but don't set too high a standard for yourself. Don't say, 'I'm going to be perfect,' or 'I'll never lose my temper again,' or 'I'll never do this or that again.' Just say 'I'm going to do my best; but if I make a mistake, I'll try to do better next time.' At least you will be trying to control your thoughts and emotions, and that's half the battle right there."

"You know, Mr. Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug," smiled Dorothy, "you may not have much of an education, but you have a great deal of wisdom and understanding. Some educated people don't have that."

"Why thank you, Dorothy," replied the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "I suppose I do try to compensate for my lack of education by thinking about things. It's good to think, don't you agree?"

"Oh, yes," answered Dorothy. "One should always take the time to quietly think about things. By the way, may I ask you a question?"

"You may indeed," replied the Wogglebug.

"Well, this is sort of a personal question," said Dorothy.

"That's quite all right," replied the Wogglebug. "What is it?"

"Well, it's about your name," answered Dorothy.

"What about my name? Don't you like it?" asked the Wogglebug kindly.

"Oh, yes I do," replied Dorothy. "I love your name. But I just wondered what Woggle meant. And you are not a bug, exactly."

"Oh, that's easy to explain," said the Wogglebug. "You see, in ancient times, the Oz word for work was woggle; and in those days, we were the workhorses of Oz, so to speak. We worked mainly in the fields. We harvested the wheat and the corn, the rye, et cetera. Our daily pay was six pennies and a pocket full of rye or wheat — whatever we were harvesting at the time (of course, money is no longer necessary in Oz, as you know) and you're right, we're not bugs at all. We're animals; anyway, we came to be known as Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs and that name is now our official title. Also, we are on good terms with the commonly-known Wogglebug insects, and consider it an honor to share the name with those industrious creatures. Would you like to hear the famous Wogglebug song? We used to sing it in the fields while we worked, and it's still very popular today."

"Oh, I'd love to hear it," replied Dorothy enthusiastically.

The Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug cleared his throat and said, "It goes like this." He began to sing in a beautiful, rich baritone voice:

"I'm a Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, I woggle all day long,

I woggle in the morning, at night I sing my song.

I sing a song of sixpence, with a pocket full of rye,

I'm a Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, I'll woggle 'til I die.

I'm a Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, I'll woggle 'til I die —

hey!"

As he finished the last line, about fifty Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs came out of their little mounds and started to sing and dance:

"We're Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, we woggle all day long,

We woggle in the morning, at night we sing our song.

We sing a song of sixpence with a pocket full of rye,

We're Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, we'll woggle 'til we die.

We're Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, we'll woggle 'til we die —

Hey!"

When the other yellow Wogglebugs finished singing, they all turned to Dorothy, and said shyly, "Nice to have met you, Dorothy." Then they all disappeared back into their little mounds. Dorothy turned to her little Wogglebug friend, but he had disappeared, too. She bent down and tapped at his little door. The door opened, and the yellow wogglebug's face appeared.

"I didn't mean to be rude, Dorothy. But I must get recharged. My yellow is beginning to fade, and I wouldn't want you to see me without my yellow. I'd just be plain old ordinary brown."

"Oh, that's all right," said Dorothy. "I'd love you just as much — no matter what your color. It's you I love, you know."

"I know," said the Wogglebug. "But I wouldn't feel myself without my yellow color."

"I understand," sighed Dorothy. "Well, it's been a great pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again very soon."

"Thank you, Dorothy," said the little creature. "I hope so, too. Very much." He reached up and kissed Dorothy on the nose; then disappeared inside his house.

Chapter Thirteen:

Princess Saari's Colorland and the Conciencez

"Dorothy! Dorothy! Where are you?" It was the Lion. "We must be on our way!" he said.

"I'm ready," replied Dorothy. "I've just had the most delightful experience with a Wogglebug."

"Oh, yes," said the Lion. "Aren't they just the most adorable creatures?"

"Yes indeed," said Dorothy. "I wish I could take one home with me to Kansas."

"I wonder what your Aunt Em would think," said the Lion. "To see a fuzzy yellow animal that talks."

Dorothy laughed. "That would be quite a sight. I'd love to see Aunt Em's face if that happened."

"What if you brought us all home?" said the Lion. "She would really be surprised then!"

Dorothy smiled at the thought of it. She could just see the expression on Uncle Henry's face as she introduced her friends to him. And if she took them all to school, how exciting that would be. Her school friends would really be surprised to see a scarecrow, a tin man and a lion walking around and talking. As it was, she knew no one would believe her when she did return. She knew that she really would not be able to tell anyone about her adventures. They just would say she had been dreaming like the last time.

"Well, let's be on our way," repeated the Lion. "Do you see that red haze, Dorothy?"

"Yes," said Dorothy. "I do. I see some of the other colors, too. It looks like a big rainbow on the ground." As they walked toward Colorland, Dorothy began to think about her adventures so far. She was having a really exhilarating time. She felt somehow she was undergoing a learning experience, and felt good about it. She realized, thinking back on her life, that it was all a learning experience. That she was learning and growing and expanding in awareness and understanding. She sensed that somehow there was a guiding force behind her life, gently nudging her into different directions and into different experiences. She felt that it was important to somehow try to get in tune with this force and not to get upset when things did not go exactly her way, but to accept gracefully the bad with the good and to try to learn from each experience. She sensed that if she did this, and especially if she asked for guidance each day, that perhaps some of the bad experiences that she was yet to go through in her life might not be as harsh as they otherwise would have been. She realized that her own attitude during each experience was the key to the whole thing. If she allowed herself to become agitated and upset over every little thing that happened, or over the way other people behaved or talked, her life would be one of constant turmoil. But if she maintained a positive, optimistic attitude and did not allow the negativity of others to affect her, and if she tried to understand the motivation behind others' actions and words and tried to help them where she could, her own life would be happier and more meaningful. She knew that a great deal of what others said or did was through lack of understanding. She vaguely remembered a saying somewhere: "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

"Well, here we are." The Lion's voice awoke her from her thoughts. As they approached the Red Belt, Dorothy could sense a strange vibration. It was not at all unpleasant; in fact, as they got closer, she felt a warm glow all over. As they were about to enter, a young lady appeared in front of them. She was tall and beautiful, with long black hair, and wore a robe of pure white. As she spoke, her dark eyes flashed with merriment.

"Welcome," she said. "My name is Princess Saari. It is a pleasure to see you all. I am to be your guide through Colorland. Please feel free to ask questions; I know you will find this to be a most pleasant and enjoyable experience." Princess Saari turned. "Come," she said, beckoning them to follow.

As they all walked into the Red Belt, the feeling of heat became stronger. It was not a hot heat, but more of an intense glow. The sound of the musical note "Do" could be heard faintly in the background.

"How do you feel, Dorothy?" asked Saari.

"Oh, glorious," replied Dorothy. "I feel full of energy."

"When you return home to Kansas," went on Saari, "should you feel low on energy, take a few moments to imagine yourself bathed in a deep rose red, just as you are right now. Breathe the red deeply, relax and see every cell of your body and mind bathed in the red. As you breathe the red out again slowly, let your consciousness become one with the red, and visualize every cell of your body renewed and vibrant and full of energy. Do this two or three times, and I'm sure you will feel much better. If you wish to help a friend or relative who is tired or rundown, visualize them bathed in the red and see them as vibrant, energetic and happy; be sure to feel a lot of love toward them as you do this, and I'm sure they will be helped. Now, we mustn't stay too long in any one color; you can get too much of a good thing; we must keep a balance. Before we go into the Orange Belt let me explain the negative aspects of the red. Since it is an energy color, a person who is angry or very upset creates a great deal of it around himself for as long as he allows himself to be in that discordant state of mind. This would not be a good time to visualize the red around that person. By the same token, an excitable person who is easily upset should not wear clothing that is red in color. Now, you may quiet emotionally disturbed people by surrounding them with the color blue. If someone becomes angry with you, don't be angry back, but see that person bathed in a cool blue light. Now, if you are all ready, we will enter the Orange Belt."

As they all walked into the golden orange color, Dorothy felt the changing vibration and hear the continuous tone of the musical note "Re." Princess Saari said, "Breathe in the orange deeply; it's like oxygen to your lungs. Do you feel the power as you breathe in? See this golden orange color in your lungs sending its vital energy into your bloodstream and carrying that energy to every cell of your body. Feel yourself filled with vitality and enthusiasm. How do you feel?” asked Saari, turning to Dorothy.

"Just wonderful," she replied. "I can't wait to see what the yellow feels like."

The little group walked on in silence until the Yellow Belt began. As they walked into the yellow, they could feel a cheerful mood coming on. Dorothy could feel her skin tingling. She could hear in the background the musical note, "Mi."

Princess Saari said, "This ray promotes optimism and cheerfulness. It also has a cleansing effect on the skin. It has a quieting effect on the nerves and stimulates the mental faculties."

Dorothy said, "I always thought that color was just plain color, plain and simple. I didn't know that each color had a different effect on you."

"There is a great deal that is not known," said Princess Saari. "At least, not known to the general public; you see, throughout history, there are those who have been knowledgeable on certain subjects: subjects which are generally not taught. Not too long ago these people were burned at the stake by those who feared them. One always fears what one doesn't understand. Even today these people do not say too much, as they know that much of what they might say would not be accepted. However, for one such as yourself who has an open and curious mind, books are available on these subjects and can be found."

The Scarecrow interceded, "We discussed this recently, didn't we, Dorothy?"

"Yes, we did," said Dorothy. "We all had quite a discussion on the subject of knowledge and truth and books?"

"What was the general consensus?" asked the princess.

"Well, that we should not accept blindly that which adults teach us, but that we should sift and question and think for ourselves. And if we're not happy with the answer to something, we should find out more about it."

"And if we should become confused by conflicting ideas," said the Tin Woodman, "we should meditate on the subject and ask the Great Wizard to give us the truth or to guide us in the right direction."

"Do you know who the Great Wizard is?" asked Princess Saari.

"I was telling Dorothy something about Him," said the Tin Woodman, "but couldn't quite explain how it is that He loves everyone — even the Wicked Witch...."

"Well, I'll be happy to explain a little more about Him," said Princess

Saari.

"Couldn't you also cover meditation?" said the Tin Woodman. "I was going to explain this to Dorothy, but I would prefer that you teach us."

"I'll be glad to," said the princess. "We'll discuss the Great Wizard as we go into our meditation. Any further questions can be answered before you leave Colorland. All right, let's begin," said the princess. As she spoke, a chair appeared behind each of them. "Please be seated," she said. "Sit upright with your back straight and your legs together. Place your hands upon your knees and turn the palms of your hands upwards. Now, close your eyes and think of the sun; feel its light and warmth on your face; now think of the Great Wizard standing in the middle of the sun. You can't see Him, but you know He's there. Feel his warmth and love pouring down on you. Breathe in that light. As you breathe in the light, visualize a little bright light inside you, like a tiny sun. See that little light inside you grow brighter and brighter until you are filled with this great light. Within this light are all the colors of the rainbow. You may send this great light within you to anyone you know who is sad, or not feeling well, or perhaps you have a pet cat or dog, or even a horse you want to help — this light can be used for any purpose, to help anyone, even to make your plants and flowers grow beautifully. Remember, as you send this light, feel that beautiful love in your heart. Become one with the light.

"Now let us go into deeper meditation. There are many ways to do this, but I think you will especially like this one. Imagine a little door in the middle of the light inside you. As you look at the door, you see some words on it. As you get closer, you see that the words say 'secret place' and above these words is your name. For example, 'Dorothy's secret place.' Around your neck is a beautiful gold chain with a tiny gold key attached. You take the chain off over your head and place the key in the lock, turn it, and open the door. You walk inside and close the door behind you; then you place the key back in the lock and lock the door from the inside. You then put the chain back around your neck. As you turn to observe your secret place, you hear the most beautiful music and feel an outpouring of love showering down upon you. You are filled with a joy and peace that you have never known before. This is your secret place; no one can enter without your permission.

"As you look around you, you see your favorite scene. Perhaps a beautiful sandy seashore. The surf gently tumbles over the rocks and sends a fine spray of salty mist into your face — you can even taste the salt in the spray. Everything smells so fresh and clean. The soft sand under your feet is pure white, and as you walk into the wet sand, the surf gently laps over your feet.

"You may prefer that your secret place be a garden filled with flowers, by a lake, or in the mountains. Wherever your favorite place is, take the time to enjoy your surroundings — the colors of the flowers, the shapes and textures of different objects and materials. And be still — listen to sounds, such as the surf, a waterfall or a fountain splashing. Smell the aroma of a thousand flowers, of freshly cut grass. Just drink everything in and enjoy it.

"Your favorite place may be a book-lined study, with a thick, luxurious carpet and a large, comfortable easy chair. You may keep the same secret place or change as you wish. But wherever you are, visualize yourself as laying down or sitting down and closing your eyes and relaxing. Don't try to control or stop your random thoughts - let them gradually settle down and become very still. Think of the feeling of love inside you, of the beauty of a flower. Think of the Great Wizard as a loving father, who wants you to be happy. Imagine as you think of Him, a soft blue light appearing in front of you, and ever so slowly the blue light takes the form of a majestic being in a beautiful white robe. As the face forms, you observe the kindest eyes you have ever seen. You feel waves of pure love radiating toward you. These waves of love are so strong that tears fill your eyes and roll down your cheeks.

"The being speaks to you in a most serene and gentle voice. 'My child, I am so happy that we could meet at long last. I have known you from the beginning, but you would not take the time to become ever so still in order to seek me; for you had forgotten me. Now that we are together again, we must maintain contact. This is your sanctuary. You can be alone here. It is good for you to come here each day, and when you wish to speak with me, know that I always hear you. In time, as you become ever so still, you may see images, which as you learn to interpret them, will bring answers to your questions. These images and symbols are my way of communicating with you. Of course, you might at times also hear my voice.'"

After a moment of silence, Princess Saari continued, "The Great Wizard is a doer of good, but the work He wishes to do can only be done through you. He needs you very much. But He says if your mind is full of worry or fear, He cannot work through you. You must bring your worries and fears to Him. When you have problems, great or small, wrap them in a package and bring the package to Him. He will open the package and study each item one by one. He will keep them and help you to work them out. You may hear His voice in answer to your questions, or you may see a picture, just as when you dream, or, you may not receive anything at that time. But, be assured, everything is known.

"Now, this work that He has for you to do is to bring light to others. A kind word here, a smile there; people will be drawn to you. He has other work for you to do as your life unfolds. There is much darkness and ignorance in your mortal world. He wants you to learn that you may inspire and uplift and be an example for others to follow. The ignorant will be cruel to you. They sneer at goodness. But forgive them, for they know not where their true happiness lies. Send them love and light to help them. Picture them in your mind as perfect expressions of kindness and love. Do this often, and I think you will begin to see a change in their manner. If you were to just hate them back, you would feel as bad as they do.

"Ah, if you could but catch a glimpse of what is in store for each and every one, you would be amazed. You see, it is the "I" within you that goes before you to prepare a place for you, and it is the good that you do, and think, and feel, that is building that place. So be strong, have courage, feel love in your heart, and nothing shall overcome you.

"Remember, there is someone who is with you always. Together, you can do anything; be anything; nothing shall be impossible for you. And never, never think of yourself as inferior. With the power that is within you, you can rise above any situation. For you are as strong as a lion."

"Why, thank you," said the Lion. "I take that as a compliment."

Everyone laughed.

As they arose, Dorothy turned to thank Saari. "That was a wonderful talk," she said. "Thank you very much."

"You mustn't thank me," replied Princess Saari. "You are being taught these things because of your desire to learn and to grow, and to expand in consciousness. As you now know, the Great Wizard wishes to bring light into your realm as so many there live in darkness. And when you return from Oz, you will take this light with you and be an inspiration to those around you. Then, as each person in your personal sphere of influence allows the light of love to shine brightly, so shall your country be transformed to a world of light. You will truly have Oz in America.

"We do have some minor problems in Oz, as you know. But we have a great love for one another. Many emotions and problems that you have in Kansas are unknown in Oz. We have no hate or greed. We have no need for money. We are rarely sad, and never bad. Well, hardly ever," the Princess said with a twinkle in her eye. "If we're bad, it's in a good way, if you know what I mean."

Everyone smiled.

"I just love Oz," said Dorothy. "When I get back to Kansas, I'm going to do everything I can to make it just like Oz."

"It may take a little time," said Princess Saari. "People don't change quickly. One day Oz and the mortal realms will be as one. When people finally come to the realization that most of their unhappiness is brought about by their own attitudes and negativity, then change will begin to take place. For example, when love is substituted for animosity, and generosity for greediness; and patience for temper, and as jealousy, envy and hatefulness are eliminated, then you shall see a true peace on earth. In your dealings with others, you must remember to be kind and courteous. Do not speak or think negatively or allow yourself to be placed in a negative state by them. Never speak ill of others or speak harshly against them. If you do listen to people who may influence you in the wrong direction, stop and think of the consequences before you are won over into their darkness. You will grow in the light and walk in that beautiful illumination. You will know that you have created that light through your own desire, and you will keep it aglow by working in harmony with others and by your daily meditation. You are not expected to be an angel among mortals; only to do your best.

"Now, we really must go into the Green Belt. We have stayed a little too long in the Yellow."

Everyone arose and followed Princess Saari into the Green Belt. At once it felt cool and serene. The musical note "Fa" could be heard clearly. Princess Saari turned and motioned them all to sit. They did so, and quickly absorbed the green light. The feeling of serenity and peace almost made Dorothy fall asleep. Princess Saari explained, "The green is identified with growing things: grass, trees, flowers and so on. It is a strong healing color. Doctors and nurses often have green around them, along with other healing tones. Green also has a calming effect on the mind and nerves. So, relax everyone, and soak up the green. Breathe it deeply and hold it for a few seconds. See it flow to every cell of your body. Now breathe it out slowly, hold; breathe it in again. Doesn't that feel good? It is good to feel the quiet and calm. The outer noise and turmoil is far removed from us. The more light we allow into our lives, the less the outer restlessness, discord and confusion affects us. We can remain calm and peaceful in all circumstances. It makes us feel good about life; about ourselves, and nothing can come to us of an inferior nature."

Just then, Dorothy noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to Princess Saari anxiously. "Excuse me, but did you see something?" she said, rather worriedly.

Saari placed her arms around Dorothy, saying, "You know there's nothing to worry about here."

"Of course," said Dorothy. "I'm sorry. But I saw something move."

"Oh, I think we have guests," said the Princess. "I was wondering if they would appear. They're a little shy, you know."

"Who?" inquired Dorothy.

"The Conciencez," repeated Saari. "That's pronounced Con-ci-en-chez. The reason you can hardly see them is that they are green."

Everyone peered hard into the green. Sure enough they began to make out the forms of several creatures. When the creatures saw that they were recognized, they tilted their heads to one side; they cupped their heads in their hands and made a sound in unison: "Aummmm."

"What are they doing?" said Dorothy.

"They are tuning in with nature," said Saari. "They like you. You must like plants."

"Why yes," replied Dorothy. "I'm very fond of growing things. I have my own little garden back in Kansas."

"Well, the Conciencez know that," said Saari. "That's why they came to see you. They would never have come if you didn't like plants."

"Do they like plants, too?" asked Dorothy.

"Yes indeed," replied the Princess. "The plant world is their world — they are the protectors and keepers of the plants. Without them plants would not be so beautiful and would hardly grow at all."

"My goodness," said Dorothy. "I thought that if plants had light and water and food in the soil, they just grew."

"That's what most people think," said the Princess. "But if they could see the Conciencez at work, they would be very surprised.

"Plants to the Conciencez are as important as people are to us. They protect them and care for them. Each Conciencez has many plants under his charge. They start work at dawn with a great joy and happiness. They draw their feelings of joy from the flowers and other plants which are themselves filled with happiness at the coming of each new dawn.

"The Conciencez hover near the plants they are in charge of and try to find out if anything is wrong — sort of like a doctor making the rounds of his patients. They often stay with a flower if it's not doing too well; petting it and loving it like a baby until it feels better. They will work also with people who love plants and will help them, although they don't like to be seen unless they know that you will understand and not be frightened. As you can see, they have a resemblance to humans, but their facial features can barely be made out. Their eyes are almost nonexistent, with no eyelids or lashes. They have a slight suggestion of a nose and of ears and just barely a slit for a mouth, although if you look closely, you will see a funny yet merry appearance in their faces. They have no hair at all, as you can see. They cannot hear or see as we do, but they feel the radiation of light and sound with their entire body. They don't eat food; but they gain their nourishment from the perfume of the flowers by bathing in the various fragrances daily. They don't have inner organs as we do, but where the ear would be is a glowing pulsating golden light. They tune the pulsation"s to the pulsing vibrations of the plant, and become one with the plant. Remarkable, isn't it?"

"It's just amazing," said Dorothy. "People don't know the half of what's going on right under their noses — it's as if they were half asleep."

"Well," said the Princess, "it's like a surface fish in the ocean. He's totally unaware of the world above the surface or deep below. What he perceives with his senses in his own world is to him all there is." Princess Saari stood and beckoned everyone to follow as she walked into the Blue Belt and the sound of the musical note "So." As they walked, Saari explained, "The blue is a very interesting color. If you have a temperature, the blue will have a soothing effect on you; it is a serene color and quiets the nervous system. It's good to visualize the blue around you as you go into a quiet state or begin a creative activity. Incidentally, you might like to experiment with all of these colors; take a glass of water and allow the sun to shine on the water through a color filter for a few minutes or, if you don't have a color filter, just hold the glass of water in your left hand and hold the fingers of your right hand over the glass pointed downwards toward the water. Now, visualize the color you wish as flowing from your hand into the water. Do this for about five minutes. You may then drink the water several times during the day using a small glass. Experiment with different colors to see what effect each color has on you. Perhaps, for example, if you have trouble sleeping, you may wish to drink the blue and violet treated water, as these colors have a soothing effect on the nerves. At night, when you go to bed, visualize these colors swirling around you, since they are relaxing colors. When you drink the color-treated water, do so very slowly, while at the same time mentally absorb the color and see yourself in a deep peaceful sleep and tell yourself that upon awakening the next morning you will be fully rested, vibrant, full of enthusiasm, and ready to be up and at 'em.

"All right, everyone," said Princess Saari, clapping her hands, "it's time to be moving along. We will now enter the Indigo Belt. As you enter, you will become aware of the musical note 'La.' Indigo is the dark blue. In ancient times, this color was associated with intuition, with the seeking of wisdom and truth. It is the color of highly developed sensitivity. You will feel, as you enter the dark blue, a strange awareness. The stirring of memories deep within, remembrance of other places, other times. You will know that you are, always have been, and always will be. And that you are being molded according to your inner desire. As you think in your heart, so shall you be. No one else makes you as you are, only you. If you are loving and kind, patient and understanding, you are allowing that inner and higher self to have an expression. You are the master of yourself and you will allow no thoughts of an inferior nature into your kingdom, for you are the supreme ruler. You have power, you have peace, you are all there is. And so many wonderful things will come unto you that there shall not be room to contain them. If all the children in the world were to grow up with this understanding, the world would be heaven on earth, fear would be unknown; guns and locks would be museum curiosities. Those mind-bending chemicals and the alcohol would no longer be used to bring people into false states of happiness. For each would have so much happiness within, it would be bubbling over and shining from their eyes.

"This force within you is a mighty limitless energy that will flow freely, unless you cut off that flow with words like 'I can't; I'm not; I won't; I hate; and such as — 'I can't do that; I'm not able; I haven't the ability; I won't do it; I hate to do that.' Every time you say 'I' you are arousing that great fire and power within you — that power can bring you untold misery or unhappiness to others as well as yourself. And generally, if you unleash misery to others, you are automatically unleashing it to yourself. Just as when you make another happy, you feel good inside. It is impossible to be angry or upset with someone and to feel good at the same time. Repeat this to yourself as you start your day:

"I am the power to be peaceful or warlike,

I am the power to be harmonious or irritated,

I am the power to be happy or unhappy,

I am the power to be generous or stingy —

in thought, feeling, words or actions.

I am the power to be constructive or destructive."

"You see, you are largely a do-it-yourself project. You may also repeat

these words of power:

"I am the mighty, electronic cosmic energy. Flowing through,

filling and renewing every cell of my mind and body right now. As I go

out into the world, expressing ever-widening circles of creative and

constructive activity, nothing shall be impossible to me; nothing has

power over me. I am the master of myself."

Dorothy commented to Princess Saari that she was learning a great deal. Princess Saari replied, "Colorland is a university of the highest order. Many come here to learn as they absorb the energy of the colors. You are fortunate to have earned this privilege. Not everyone has reached a point in their evolution where this teaching can be given to them, for they are not ready. To give this teaching to some would be like sowing seeds on stony ground; the thoughts given here could not take root in their consciousness, but would wither and die for lack of nourishment.

"Now, lastly, but certainly not least, we enter the seventh color — purple. The Purple corresponds to the seventh level of consciousness that you will one day reach."

As they entered, Dorothy felt the most beautiful sensation pulsating through her being. She felt as light as a feather — almost as if she were floating. In fact, as she looked down, she saw that she was hovering about twelve inches above the ground. The musical sound of the note "Ti" was vibrating softly throughout. She turned to see that all the others were floating, too, including Princess Saari. Everyone looked at each other in great surprise, with the exception of the Princess, whose eyes twinkled. She explained, "It is impossible for the density of matter to exist in the purple, due to its high frequency. As you enter the purple, you leave the atoms of the physical behind you — only the higher vibrating counterpart of the atom — the 'anim,' can enter. Hence, your lack of weight. As you can see, you appear solid to each other, as indeed you are; but, were you back in your homes, you could walk through the walls of your houses. Incidentally, there's no need to hover above the ground, unless you want to. Your thoughts now control everything. You can choose to walk to a given destination, or just think yourself somewhere, and there you are — in the twinkling of an eye — even thousands of miles away. Distance makes no difference. For example: think of yourself at your home...." No sooner did Dorothy think of herself in her house than she was there. No one was home and, for a moment, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming. However, as she looked around, she saw Princess Saari appear through the wall.

She smiled, as she took Dorothy's hand. Together they walked through the outer wall to Dorothy's little garden. "I see the little flowers you planted are doing just fine," said Saari.

"Everything looks exactly as I left it," said Dorothy.

"Of course," replied Saari. "Now, let's discuss the purple further. The purple is the highest vibration of the spectrum. It is the seventh color ray, and seven is a very mysterious number. The Purple is a blending of the red and the blue. It is the color of royalty. As you bathe in it, drink it in, you will feel that you are master of all things — that you are all there is.

"Well, this is where your journey ends and where we must part," said Saari. "I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Colorland, and that it has inspired you to learn more about the nature of color. I will miss you all very much."

"We will miss you, too, Princess Saari," said Dorothy. "Thank you for a wonderful experience." Dorothy reached up and gave Saari a big hug and kiss. Saari embraced each of them in turn. As they left, her eyes filled with tears. She had grown to love them all very much. Dorothy turned to wave as Saari disappeared from view.

Chapter Fourteen:

Tickleland

As they approached the borders of Tickleland, Dorothy became apprehensive. "I'm so ticklish. I'll just die if the Ticklemonsters catch me," she said.

"We'll do our best to protect you, Dorothy," said the Tin Woodman as the Scarecrow nodded his head.

"What about me?" said the Lion. "I'm ticklish, too, you know."

"Well, we'll do our best," said the Tin Woodman. "But there's only two of us to protect you, and there's an awful lot of Ticklemonsters."

"All you have to do is tell them 'don't stop'," said the Scarecrow.

"Tell them 'don't stop'?" questioned Dorothy in surprise.

"Yes. Don't you remember what I told you?" said the Tin Woodman. "The Ticklemonsters don't like being told what to do, so if you tell them to stop, they'll just keep going, and if you tell them to tickle you, they won't."

"What if they're really hungry?" said Dorothy.

"Hungry?" echoed the Tin Woodman.

"Yes, " replied Dorothy. "You said that Ticklemonsters don't eat regular food, but that the sound of laughter energizes molecules in the air around them, and that they absorb the energized molecules through their skin."

"Oh yes, of course," said the Tin Woodman. "I almost forgot. Well, to answer your question, the Ticklemonsters are so stubborn that they'd rather go hungry than do as they're told."

"Once, I was sent to bed without any dinner for not doing as I was told," said the girl.

"Well the Ticklemonsters are gluttons for punishment," said the Scarecrow. "They simply won't do as they're told — no matter what. So they go hungry a lot."

"Why do they hate having to do as they're told so much?" asked Dorothy.

"I don't know," replied the Tin Woodman. "They just don't like it. They want to do what they want to do, and not what someone else wants them to do."

"Well, I guess we are all sort of like that." said Dorothy. "We're told what to do by our parents and by our teachers, and then when we leave school to go to work we have a boss telling us what to do. It does get a little tiring."

"Yes, but imagine what it would be like if no one ever told you what to do," said the Tin Woodman. "Would you help around the house without being asked? Or get up in the morning in time for school, and go to bed at a reasonable hour? Would you behave in school, and concentrate on learning all you could? And do your homework without putting up a fuss?"

"I might do all those things if given a chance, said Dorothy. "But grown-ups automatically assume that you have to be pushed and prodded all the time. They don't leave you alone. It's 'do this,' and 'do that," and 'why aren't you doing so and so?' It's just too much at times. Sometimes you feel like verbally lashing back at them, or just going off and not doing anything at all."

With that, they arrived at the gates of Tickleland. A sign above the gates read:

WARNING!

TRAVELERS THROUGH TICKLELAND

ARE WELCOME

"That's a strange sign," said Dorothy. "Warning you that you're welcome?"

"Well, when you think about it," said the Scarecrow, "travelers are food if caught and tickled. So naturally they welcome you. And they are warning you in advance, which is very nice of them. After all, if you are caught, you may be tickled to death."

"Oh, my," gasped Dorothy. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Well, we have to go on, Dorothy," said the Scarecrow.

"We'll do our best to protect you all," said the tin man.

The Lion gingerly opened the gates and peered in. "Not a soul in sight," he said. "Maybe they're all at a convention or something," he added hopefully.

As they walked, everyone felt better. Tickleland was quite pretty, really. Rolling hills of green grass and clumps of trees here and there. As they approached some trees, they noticed a well. "Would you like a drink of water, Dorothy?" asked the Tin Woodman.

"Oh yes, please," replied Dorothy. "I'm quite thirsty."

As the tin man lowered the bucket, he began to relax.

"Well," remarked the Scarecrow, "it looks as though we may walk right through Tickleland without seeing one Ticklemonster. Tickleland's not very big, you know. Look, there — the border's right there." Everyone turned in the direction he was pointing in and, sure enough, the border was about the same distance as they'd traveled so far.

"What a relief," said Dorothy as the Tin Woodman handed her a ladle of water from the well. "Mmmm, this is good," said Dorothy. "So refreshing."

"Surprise!" said a loud voice.

Everyone jumped. They turned to see about twenty Ticklemonsters who quickly surrounded them.

"Are we glad to see you," said one who appeared to be their leader. He was a little taller than the others and was the one who had greeted them so abruptly. "We welcome you to Tickleland," he continued, bending over in a mock bow. "I might add that we are all very hungry, so we doubly welcome you. Grab those two!" he said, pointing to the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow. Six of the Ticklemonsters quickly jumped on them and held their arms and legs.

"Now," said the leader, "let's have us a feast!"

"Oh, no," said the Lion, beginning to laugh uncontrollably. "I won't be able to stand it."

The Ticklemonsters moved quickly with their eight arms as they grabbed the Lion and Dorothy and tickled and tickled.

"Oh, no! Stop, please stop!" shouted Dorothy between peals of laughter. The Lion could not even plead with them to stop. He was laughing so much that tears were rolling down his cheeks. Their pleas to stop could hardly be heard above their laughter. The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow shouted,

"Tell them to tickle you." "Then they'll stop." "Remember they do the opposite of what they're told."

Dorothy managed to gasp out, "Don't stop tickling me — tickle me some more." The two Ticklemonsters who were tickling her immediately stopped.

"We won't," they said in a huff, and folded their arms and held their hands up with a stubborn look on their faces. The Lion managed to say the same thing, and his Ticklemonsters stopped, too. With that, the Ticklemonsters abruptly turned and left, muttering to themselves, "Trying to tell us what to do. What nerve!"

After the Ticklemonsters had gone, everyone picked himself up and headed quickly for the border. When they reached it, they all heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness that's over," said the Lion. "It's a good thing we knew about them not liking to be told what to do."

Chapter Fifteen:

Elfland

"Well, what next?" asked Dorothy.

"Let's look at the map," said the Tin Woodman. "Ah, of course, Elfland. That is the last country shown on the map. The rest says, largely unexplored Maybe the Elves can tell us something of the land beyond their border."

As they entered Elfland, Dorothy remembered the Conciencez and wondered if the Elves were similar.

As if in answer to her question, she felt a tug on her shoelace and heard a little voice squeaking, "Excuse me, but you're standing on my foot."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," exclaimed Dorothy. "I didn't see you," she said, as she bent down to pick the little fellow up. He was about four-and-a-half inches tall and was clothed in a tightly fitted one-piece garment of a brownish color; he had large hands and feet, too large for the size of his body. His legs were thin and spindly, and his large ears were pointed, as was his nose. When Dorothy picked him up, he said, "I was sitting on my friend the rock. We were so deep in conversation that I didn't hear you coming."

"Excuse me," said Dorothy, "but did I hear you correctly? You were sitting on your friend the rock, having a conversation with him?"

The Elf replied, rather tartly, "You mortals are really something. You're practically deaf, dumb, and blind. In fact, a real deaf or blind mortal probably hears and sees more than a so-called normal one. Most mortals are so caught up with the gaudy sights and loud sounds around them that they do not see or hear the more subtle sights and sounds of nature. A whole words exists of which they are totally unaware."

"Are you saying that rocks are alive?" interceded Dorothy.

The little Elf shook his head in disbelief. "All of creation is alive. There is no such thing as being not alive. If something was dead, it couldn't exist."

"What about a dead animal?" said Dorothy. "Or fish? I had a goldfish that I loved very much and, when he died, I was very sad."

"You shouldn't have been so sad," said the Elf. "All of creation is pulsating vibrant life energy of which the outer forms are constantly undergoing change, but not one tiny atom of that living energy can be destroyed. Ask any of your scientists if this is not true."

"But my goldfish did die," insisted Dorothy. "Any scientist would testify to that."

"Of course," replied the Elf. "However, a scientist's understanding of life energy ends with the physical death of the entity under study. The outer appearance of your goldfish would indicate to him that the goldfish had died. But appearances can be deceiving. The scientist knows that the atoms of the goldfish's dead body are still in motion, and will gradually formulate individual chemicals, gases, and minerals as the body decays and returns to the earth. These atoms, you see, will eventually become part of some other living thing, perhaps or a flower or a tree."

"Is that what you mean when you say my goldfish is not really dead?" asked Dorothy. "That the atoms of its body are still in motion and will become a part of some other living thing?"

"No," replied the Elf. "That's not what I mean, although what you say is true; the atoms of one's body will always be alive somewhere. But these atoms are not any more you than they are a flower or any other thing. They are just the building blocks....

"Your feelings and your emotions — your capacity to love, to hate: this is all you. And this personality that is you can never die. It is not dependent on atoms for its existence. It just borrows them to make a garment so that it can function in the physical world, and while in that garment it will interact with other personalities and have the opportunity to learn and to grow through mutual experiences. The degree to which it learns and grows will, of course, depend on the inner desire. That inner desire for advancement is very strong in some — yet totally nonexistent in others. It is the responsibility of those more advanced to assist those that are lagging behind, for it is most important that each person's short excursion into the physical-mortal realm not be wasted, for these are precious opportunities indeed."

"That is most interesting," replied Dorothy, "although I'm not sure that I have understood all that you have said."

"You will in time," replied the Elf, kindly. "Now, regarding your goldfish: as I said before, he did not die. You only assumed that he did because his body was motionless. He is, in fact, quite alive."

"If he is alive, then where is he?" inquired Dorothy, looking rather puzzled.

"Ah, now, that is a good question," said the Elf. "But, before I can answer it, let me explain about the rock, and about the other living things. All of the atoms which make up the physical world have a counterpart which cannot be seen. This counterpart takes up the same position in space as the atom, but extends slightly beyond it. The name of this duplicate atom is 'ANIM.' I believe Princess Saari told you about this."

Dorothy nodded.

"Your scientists are as yet unable to observe the ANIM, for their instruments are not sensitive enough. However, they have observed the effects of the ANIM through their study of anti-matter. Anti-matter is exactly as the name implies — the opposite of matter, and is the substance of which infinite worlds are made, worlds which are normally unseen by people because of the fineness of their vibratory rate. The ultra-high frequencies of the ANIM world are simply unobservable by your scientists, although some of your people who have very sensitive natures have caught glimpses of these hidden worlds from time to time. All people on earth are merely visiting the atom world. Their normal residence is the ANIM world, but they have to enter into the dense atom world for experiences that can only be obtained in such an environment.

"Now, when the atoms of your body began to form into molecules and cells prior to your birth, the counterpart atoms called the ANIMs took their place first to form the various nuclei. These were the blueprints, so to speak. The entire process is extremely delicate and, surprisingly, usually comes out perfect. However, sometimes outside electrical influences are brought into the process, one such example is the ingestion of certain toxic chemicals by the host organism — the mother. This can result in electrical interference. Remember, the whole process is electrical to begin with, so it doesn't take too much to upset the apple-cart. You may ask what directs the atoms to the various parts of the body to form the molecules that make up the different cells that will form the heart, the liver, kidneys, ears, eyes, teeth, bones, hair, arms, legs, and so on; and what puts them all in their right places? And how did each cell of the body, as it reproduced, know that it was to be a liver cell, heart cell, et cetera? Scientists refer to this built-in intelligence as genetic and, indeed, this is true. The genes determine the physical makeup, the color of the eyes and hair, skin color, general build, et cetera. But what force controls the overall process - the way in which this genetic information is put together in the first place and then passed on from generation to generation? What is the nature of this living energy that appears to have an intelligence all its own? All forms of life are dependent on this life energy. Were it suddenly to withdraw, all life on earth would withdraw and traverse to the ANIM world. The nature of this energy is pure light — and it is what sustains life on earth. Indeed, it sustains and directs life throughout the entire universe. Another name for this universal energy is 'Love.' Yet another name is 'God.' For us, here in Oz, it is the Great Wizard."

"My goodness," said Dorothy. "I have never heard God explained in that way before."

"I'm afraid that the general understanding of the Universal Intelligence is very limited," sighed the Elf. "The American Indians were one people who had a great understanding of this Great Spirit, for they were very close to Him through their deep awareness of the laws of nature. They were also highly evolved spiritually, that is before the white man tried to convert them to a religion which they themselves did not practice.

"However, to continue.... The atoms of your goldfish's body returned to the earth, as you know. But, before that, the counterpart atoms were, in effect, the counterpart body of your goldfish. When it was determined by the soul of your goldfish that the physical body would no longer sustain life, it severed the silver cord. The silver cord is the connecting link between the two, and its primary function (other than to direct the vital life energy to the physical body) is to allow the ANIM body to travel away from the physical during sleep. But, once this cord is broken, the physical body is cut off from its source of life energy and dies immediately. No power in heaven or earth can reconnect this silver cord once it is severed.

"Well, all you knew, of course, was that your goldfish died and you felt a great sadness. Had you known that he was alive and well in another dimension, you would not have been quite so sad. Especially if, during sleep, you could have visited him. Remember, your ANIM body functions on the same level as his does, so, just before going to sleep at night, you could ask your soul to take you to visit him. It takes a little practice at first, especially to entrench the memory of these meetings into the memory region of the physical brain, but it can be done. You can meet with anyone you like this way. It just takes determination and practice and a conscious effort to remember the excursion upon awakening. Once you learn to do this, you will find yourself visiting with people you have never met before. Many beautiful experiences await those who become aware of this other existence during sleep. Sleep is not just all dreams and rest for the body — although both are very necessary for physical and mental health."

"Are you saying we live two lives simultaneously — one on earth during the day, and one on the ANIM level at night?"

"That is true," replied the Elf. "There is no limit to what you might be doing at night — visiting people you love; attending schools, universities, lectures, and concerts; helping people such as the sick or those on lower levels of development. Swimming, horseback riding, or playing any number of sports; as I say, anything you can think of, you can do. There is no awareness of these activities, because they occur during the very deep levels of sleep and, as one approaches the shallower levels of sleep, the activities blend into dreams. So, if anything is remembered, it is only little bits and pieces intermingled with fragments of half-remembered dreams."

"How fascinating," said Dorothy.

"Yes, but also sad," said the Elf. "Mortals are basically mesmerized by the material world. So much so that they have become about ninety-nine percent unconscious of reality. The material world is not true reality, but is a shadow world created by the collective minds of the inhabitants so they could experience a denseness and a harshness not found on the higher levels. Now earth's inhabitants are trapped into an endless cycle of physical rebirth. And, until they can generate a genuine desire for a higher spiritual existence, they are doomed to eternal pain and anguish. It is so sad."

The Elf shook his head. "Why mortals continue to endure a physical existence is beyond my comprehension. I suppose, because they have lived in the physical realm for so long, they have forgotten about the higher life completely. Even though people from higher levels have endured re-birth to remind them. People like Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed, just to mention a few. Oh, a few people listened to their words with their hearts and changed their lives, but, for the most part, what was said fell on deaf ears; and then, through the centuries, the message brought by these masters became distorted. And now, very few people really understand what was said. They have twisted the true meaning to fit whatever philosophies please them. Especially philosophies that do not require them to work hard in order to grow spiritually, or to sacrifice their mortal pleasure and greed, or to dedicate their lives to the service of their fellows. Yes, it is sad indeed. Some even believe that all they have to do is to believe certain things and they will be saved from their mortal sins. But then they continue in the same old way, their hearts still filled with envy, resentment, greed, and jealousy. They use the spoken word in an unkind fashion to their fellow mortals on a daily basis. They are inconsiderate. They harbor dark thoughts. Yet, because they confess their sins and believe in one person as representing God, they think they are saved. My! How they have blinded themselves to reality. Meanwhile, various members of other religions (or no religion, even) who have made a concentrated effort to improve their mortal ways have earned the right to no longer have to return to the mortal realm.

"You see, 'By your works you shall be known' is a true statement. This means far more than is realized. Well, I'm afraid that I am getting far too serious for you, my sweet young lady," said the Elf with a smile.

"Oh, no, that's all right," replied Dorothy. "I like to listen to you."

"Then perhaps one final thought on the subject," continued the Elf. "If your fellow mortals would listen to the wisdom as given by people like the man Jesus, and if they were to follow the directives to do good; to express love and forgiveness; to be kind and gentle and understanding of one another; To serve their fellows with compassion, and to love their God (and/or Good) more than themselves, what a different place your world would be!"

The Elf fell silent for a moment as though contemplating all he had said... Suddenly, his face lit up as he focused his attention on Dorothy again. "Would you like to see your little goldfish?"

"Oh, would I!" said Dorothy excitedly.

"Well, follow me, then," the Elf said as he jumped up off the rock. He motioned everyone to be quiet as he parted some branches of a bush. He then indicated them to walk through. They found themselves in a clearing. It was a very busy scene, with lots of little Elves hurrying and scurrying to and fro" between their cute little houses nestled between an assortment of pretty trees and flowers. A beautiful fish pond occupied the center of the clearing, and a waterfall cascaded down over the rocks. Around the many beautiful lilies floating in the pond swam fish of every description, including, of course, several goldfish. The Elf motioned Dorothy to put one finger into the water. As she did so, a little goldfish swam up to her finger and nibbled gently on it.

"It's my fish! It's my fish!" exclaimed Dorothy.

"Ssh, not so loud," hushed the Elf. "You won't scare the fish, for they are not afraid here, but I don't want to attract the other Elves' attention just yet, or everything will come to a standstill around here."

So far, the other Elves had not noticed them. Everyone was so intent in his occupation.

"We don't want them to get behind with their work, you know," said the Elf. "Your little goldfish did recognized you, didn't he?"

"Oh, yes, he did," said Dorothy. "He certainly did. I will never be sad anymore over him."

"That's good," said the Elf. "You should try not to be so sad if someone you love dies, because they will feel your sadness. Of course, they feel the pain of separation too. But they know that one day you will be together again, and they don't want you to mourn, but to be happy that they've gone on to a better life."

"You see," the elf continued, "all forms of life are in a state of evolution; not only physically, but spiritually, too. Unfortunately, not all evolve as fast spiritually as they do physically. Many of your people have advanced greatly in science and knowledge, but that advancement is not balanced by spiritual knowledge. And so a great deal of unnecessary suffering exists. But, to get back to your little friend the goldfish: he is evolving, too, and no form of life can advance very much in one short lifetime, so, after that quite short, often difficult life spent on the mortal realm, everyone comes to a place like this for a long rest. Well, it's usually long, but can be short, too, depending on the need. Then they must return for another round of experiences. Finally, one day, if their lessons are learned, they earn the right to live in a place like our world forever, and no longer have to return to that harsh land of yours."

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" cried Dorothy. "May I come to Elfland when I die?"

"Of course," replied the Elf. "But you must try to live as long as you can first, and try to overcome all of the difficulties presented to you, and that overcoming will make you strong and will earn you a place in this beautiful land of ours.

"Some people, unfortunately, cannot bear the difficulties that the mortal life presents, and may, by their own hand, cut their lives short to try to escape. But there is no real escape, for eventually, except in rare instances, they will have to face that which they have sought to avoid. So why prolong the agony? Learn your lessons well — and accept gracefully all that happens. Be positive through the bad as well as the good. No more than this is expected of you. Now, not to change the subject, exactly. But would you like to look around?"

"Yes, we'd love to," replied Dorothy.

"All right," said the Elf. "But no talking to anyone until his work is done."

"When will that be?" inquired Dorothy.

"Well ... actually ... never, but they'll be having a little break soon," replied the Elf, with a grin. "As you can see, we work very hard here."

"Everyone seems so happy as they work," said Dorothy.

"It wasn't always this way," replied the Elf. "We used to be ruled by a wicked king who used us as slave labor, but we broke away from that wicked king and came here and started a new land. Now that we are free to live as we wish, we pool our labor for the benefit of all."

"Are you the leader?" asked Dorothy.

"We don't have one," answered the Elf. "We do not allow any person or any group of people absolute power over the rest of us."

"How are things decided, then?" asked the Tin Woodman, who had been listening very intently.

"Well, we are not a big country," replied the Elf, "so we don't need a full-time government."

"You do have a government, then?" said the Scarecrow.

"Oh, yes," replied the Elf. "We do, but they don't have the power over the people like other governments. Let me explain: any group of people called a government is only as good as the sum total of all the individuals who make up that group. So, if the majority of these individuals are dedicated to the good of all, then the people will have a good government. If, however, the majority of these individuals are dedicated only to the good of themselves and their own special interests, then the people are short-changed and the country is weakened. When a major decision has to be made which affects all of us, everyone's name is thrown into a hat, then twelve of those names are drawn. These twelve are then given the task of formulating the plan. All of the rest of us vote on this plan. If it passes by at least eighty percent of the vote, we assume that, since eighty or more out of a hundred Elves want it, it will probably be good for all of us. If it doesn't pass, we urge all who voted 'no' to carefully restudy the proposal; then only these people vote again. Usually it passes this time. If it doesn't, we ask those who voted 'no' again to write down their objections; then we rewrite the proposal and everyone votes again. The proposal very rarely fails this time. If any proposal fails by a very large margin, we just throw it out until a better plan is formulated. Usually everyone joins in with suggestions."

"It sounds quite simple," said Dorothy.

"It is," replied the Elf. "Our government is only in operation for one thing at a time, so they don't try to think up new ways to control the people, and they don't act like an all-knowing parent and treat the rest of us like little children and say 'You can't do this' or 'You can't do that' or 'You must do this' or 'You must do that.' Since most of us have voted 'yes' on everything, we ourselves have chosen to do this or that, so we are happy to abide by the law, for we know it is for the good of all us. We don't have that situation

where the few gain special concessions at the expense of the many."

"Well, it all sounds like a very fine arrangement," said Dorothy. "But I'm afraid our society is far too complex for the same kind of arrangement."

"Only because you make it so," replied the Elf. "Too much mortal thought and not enough spiritual thought is the main problem with your system. By the way," he said, "we do not use money here. But we once did. And, when we did, we all paid ten percent of our earnings in taxes. In other words, we all paid an equal portion of our income, and no one was allowed any deductions. Of course, now we don't use money anymore, so we are required to give ten percent of our goods or services. However, nobody abides by it because we all give more voluntarily. We have no greed here, so we don't hoard vast amounts of goods and property. We just take what we need for today, for that's all anybody needs. If someone should feel he needs more — our community warehouses are full. But, since there is plenty for everyone, nobody bothers to acquire a whole lot, or, if anyone does, he soon tires of it."

"What if someone is not content with one of these little houses you have," asked Dorothy, "but wants to build a great big house on top of the hill?"

"No problem," replied the Elf. "He just makes his wishes known on the bulletin board in the town square, and everybody stops what he's doing and runs to help build the house. But most Elves like to live close together (we're very friendly). We enjoy each other's company, and are very considerate of one another. We don't like to isolate ourselves from our neighbors."

"Well, as I said, everyone seems so very happy," said Dorothy.

"Oh, yes," replied the Elf. "We work harder for each other than we do for ourselves. There is great joy in helping someone else. People who only live to take from others have very heavy hearts and sad lives. Well, I must get back to work," said the Elf briskly. "It's been very nice meeting you all, and I do hope you will return again to see us."

"Thank you," said Dorothy.

"You've been very kind, and we enjoyed hearing your philosophy," said the Scarecrow.

"Well, thank you," said the Elf. "We try to keep life simple; if it gets too complicated, too many problems start appearing."

"Oh, before you go," said Dorothy, "can you tell us about Thoughtformland and Americanindianland?"

"Well, we're not a traveling people," said the Elf. "But I've heard much concerning these places. They are actually more closely related to my world than to yours. There's a lot of strange things in Thoughtformland. They are created by the thoughts of mortals. You see, as a mortal idly allows a certain thought or emotion to dominate his consciousness, a change takes place in his overall vibration. After that thought or feeling is gone, his body returns to its normal vibration again; however, his normal vibration is now slightly changed to reflect that last thought, and it becomes easier to entertain that thought again. That is why, when someone begins to think of evil-doing or committing a certain crime, it's usually not too long before he actually commits the crime. His vibration is a somewhat changed vibration than before the thought. That thought, in effect, has taken form in his consciousness. Since the thinker has exercised little control over his thoughts — or, let's say, the emotion that accompanies a particular thought — it becomes easier for him to yield to that same thought again and again, and, each time he does, his changed vibration becomes more permanent, making it easier and easier for that thought to return and take hold. Before long, the thought is as much a part of him as anything else — it is now part of his personality. Carrying out the physical activity that the thought portrayed is quite a normal thing for him to do. The thought form which he has created by these constant thoughts attracts to itself similar thoughtforms created by others. These forms all influence the thinker so much that he cannot at this point resist. He is now more or less under the control of a force that he himself, with others, has created. He is no longer master of himself, but is a slave of his overall thoughts. So watch your thoughts. Keep them pure and loving; never allow them to dwell on wrong-doing. And, if one of those W.T.s does come into your head, sweep him out the door and tell him don't come back."

"What's a W.T.?" asked the Scarecrow.

"Wrong Thought, my boy, Wrong Thought," said the Elf. "And, if someone else tries to put one in your head, pay not the slightest attention, just smile to yourself knowingly and walk away.

"Well, I really must go now," said the Elf. "But, before I do, here's a little poem on the subject of being careful of your thoughts:"

BE CAREFUL

Be careful of your thoughts

For your thoughts become your words,

Be careful of your words

For your words become your actions.

Be careful of your actions

For your actions become your habits.

Be careful of your habits

For your habits become your character.

Be careful of your character

For your character becomes your destiny.

"That really sums it all up beautifully," said Dorothy. "Who wrote that?

"I'm afraid the author is unknown," replied the Elf.

"Well, he must have been very wise, whoever he was," answered Dorothy. "And thank you so much for everything. You have helped us a great deal. Oh!" she exclaimed.

"What's the matter?" asked the Elf.

"You were going to tell us about Americanindianland?" the girl reminded him.

"Oh, yes, of course," replied the Elf. "But before I do, I should tell you a little story about pets. I think you'll like this, it encompasses some of what I have told you. The story is called The Rainbow Bridge."

There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth.

It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just

this side of the Rainbow Bridge is a land of meadows, hills and valleys

— all of it covered with lush green grass.

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this lovely land. There is

always food and water and warm spring weather. There, the old and

frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole

once again. They play all day with each other, content and comfortable.

There is only one thing missing. They are not with the special

person who loved them on earth. So each day they run and play until the

day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! The nose

twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are staring! You have been seen, and

that one suddenly runs from the group!

You take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed

again and again and again. And you look once more into the eyes

of your trusting pet. Then, together, you cross the Rainbow Bridge,

never again to be separated.

As the story came to a close, everyone was crying. "Oh, how beautiful!" cried Dorothy. "If only all the children of the world who have lost a pet could hear this. Although their sadness would still be great because of their loss, they would know that their pet is not really dead, and that their separation is only for a little while."

"I knew you would enjoy hearing this special tale," replied the Elf. "Now let's see.... What else were we going to discuss? Oh yes, Americanindianland." He closed his eyes and smiled happily while shaking his head slowly. "I haven't been there, but I know all about it."

"Is it dangerous?" asked Dorothy, anxiously.

"Dangerous?" echoed the Elf. "My goodness, no! Just the opposite! You will be very warmly received in that land. Only good Indians live there, and most Indians were good, in spite of what the white man believed. Americanindianland is the happy hunting ground mentioned often by the Indians. The Indians, as you know, lived very close to nature. The white man believed them to be savages, but the Indian, in many ways, was far more advanced than the white man who came to show him the way. And because of the Indian's closeness to the earth and attunement with nature, he is well suited to working with and helping mortals. Many of you have unseen Indian guides who protect you and help you in many different ways. They enjoy this work, and it helps them with their own advancement. Haven't you ever lost something, then found it in a place you've already looked?"

Dorothy nodded. "Yes, that has happened to me. I just assumed that I only thought I'd looked there before, or just hadn't noticed it there."

"Well, if you're not sure if you have an Indian guide, ask when you are in a quiet state to be assigned to one, then see if you can pick up his name and tribe."

"Who assigns the Indian guides?" asked Dorothy.

"Sitting Bull is in charge of that," answered the Elf. "He works with the High teachers. This work keeps him very busy, as you can imagine. Of course, he lives in Americanindianland with all the guides. The guides are made up from every tribe there is. They are wonderful beings and have a great sense of humor. I hope you get to meet Sitting Bull. He is a beautiful illumined soul.

"Well, I really must be going this time," said the Elf. "Good luck to you all," he said as he waved goodbye.

Dorothy said to the others, "I'm looking forward to seeing Americanindianland, but I'm not so sure about Thoughtformland." They all nodded in agreement. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, came a loud scream. As they looked up, a chill ran through them all. It was the Wicked Witch of the Deep South, swooshing down on them on her broomstick.

"So, my pretty," she screamed at Dorothy. "Are you coming to kill me, too? Who's going to do it? Your scraggly stuffed friend?" She pointed her finger at the Scarecrow, and bolts of lightning shot from her fingers to explode around him. "Or maybe your brave little pussy-cat!" she said mockingly, as she did the same thing to the Lion and made him jump. "Or what about your tin-can friend?" she whined, shooting a bolt of lightning above the Tin Woodman's head and creating a miniature cloudburst over him, making him jump clear to escape the water. "I'll be waiting for you, my little pretty," she screamed at Dorothy. "That's if you ever get through Thoughtformland. All my thoughts live there, you know. And they just can't wait for your arrival." She burst into squeals of horrible laughter as she made a final swoop over their heads and disappeared over the treetops. Everyone was shivering with fright.

"Why-why, th-th-that o-old b-b-biddy," stuttered the Tin Woodman. "Who-who does she th-think she is?"

"She called me a pussy-cat!" said the Lion angrily. "I'll show her!" he said, putting up his paw-fists in a mock-fighting stance. He pranced around, shadow-boxing, making Dorothy laugh. Her laughter eased the tension somewhat, although they were all rather apprehensive about continuing their journey toward Thoughtformland.

"If you'd rather not go on, Dorothy," the Tin Woodman said, hesitantly.

"Oh, no!" said Dorothy. "Love is stronger than hate. We will overcome. If we return now, the witch will have won. Evil will have overcome, and fear will be a part of your daily lives again. We must talk to the Wicked Witch. We must reason with her."

"T-t-talk to her?" stammered the Scarecrow.

"Reason with her!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman.

"Do you know what you're saying, Dorothy?" said the Lion. "I knew one of the Winkies who used to work for her sister, and he told me that when this one used to come and visit her, she would rant and rave and scream and yell the whole time she was visiting. Nobody could just talk to her. Of course, her sister was just as bad. They were quite a pair together. I don't see how you could talk to her."

"Not only that," interceded the Scarecrow. "This one holds Dorothy responsible for the death of her sisters."

"But it was an accident!" said Dorothy. "I had no control over where the cyclone chose to plop my house down, and when I threw the bucket of water over the other sister I was as surprised as anyone that the water melted her away. Everyone knows I'm completely innocent"

"Everyone but her," said the Tin Woodman. "She believes that you killed her sisters on purpose. She wants revenge, there's no question about that."

"Oh, dear," said Dorothy, sitting down on a rock and cupping her head in her hands. "What are we going to do?"

"There, there. Don't be discouraged," said the Lion, putting his paw on Dorothy's shoulder. "We must have courage, and trust that somewhere within the murky depths of her being there is a spark of goodness not yet dead that can be kindled into a glowing ember."

"You're right," said Dorothy, standing up briskly. "If we give up now, we would never forgive ourselves; we must give it all we've got and forget our fears, like Daniel in the lions' den."

Chapter Sixteen:

Thoughtformland

"I'm trying to imagine what Thoughtformland is like," said the Tin Woodman as they continued their journey.

"The Wicked Witch said that all of her thoughts were here," said the Scarecrow.

"If thoughts have forms, what kind of shape must her thoughts be in?" said the Lion half to himself.

"What did you say?" said Dorothy.

"I said," repeated the Lion, "If the thoughts have forms, what kind of shape must her thoughts be in?"

"Which might apply to us all," said Dorothy.

"What?" asked the Lion. "What did you say?"

"I said," replied Dorothy, beginning to sing:

"If thoughts are things that go bump in the night,

what kind of thoughts do you think are right?

What kind of thoughts do you think to yourself?

What kind of thoughts will you think tonight?"

Everyone joined in to repeat the last line:

"What kind of thoughts will you think tonight?"

Dorothy began again:

"If thoughts are things that can give you a fright,

What kind of thoughts will you bring to sight?

What kind of thoughts do you think to yourself?

What kind of thoughts will you think tonight?"

Again everyone joined in:

Ohhh... What kind of thoughts will you think tonight?

The Lion said, "Let me make one up:

If thoughts have wings and can fly away,

what kind of thoughts are you thinking today?"

"Very good!" said Dorothy, as they all chimed in:

"What kind of thoughts are you thinking today?"

"Let me try," said the Scarecrow:

"If thoughts are things that can zip and zoom,

what kind of thoughts do you think in your room?"

They all sang at the top of their voices:

"What kind of thoughts do you think in your room?"

By now, everyone was in rare humor. "I've got a good one," said the

Tin Woodman:

"If the thoughts of witches are jagged and sharp,

what kind of thoughts do they think after dark?"

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Dorothy. "Now everyone," she shouted,

waving her arms:

"Ohhh... What kind of thoughts do they think after dark?"

"How about this for the last verse?" said the Scarecrow:

"If you think a thought that you do not like,

the shape of that thought must be a horrible sight!

What kind of thoughts do you think to yourself?

What kind of thoughts will you think tonight?"

Everyone sang the last line really loud:

"What kind of thoughts will you think tooo- night?"

"Well, we certainly cheered ourselves up, said Dorothy.

Just then, they came upon a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a large sign, and beyond the sign, huge iron gates loomed. They were set within a massive stone wall. As they approached the sign, they could make out large gothic letters which read:

BEWARE ALL YE WHO ENTER THE LAND OF THOUGHTS

FOR EACH AND EVERY THOUGHT THOU THINKETH,

A THOUSAND LIKE SHALT DESCEND UPON THINE HEAD.

"Oh, my!" Dorothy said. "We'd better think the nicest thoughts we can think of."

As they approached the gate, the Lion began to chant:

"Better think nice — sugar and spice."

The others quickly joined in:

"Better think nice — sugar and spice."

Dorothy gingerly touched the big iron gate. It swung open easily. "Well, here we go," she said.

The little group chanted faster and faster:

"Better think nice — sugar and spice.

Better think nice — sugar and spice."

They looked about them as they chanted. There were flowers and trees everywhere — and, of all things, a yellow brick road. A sign said:

STAY ON THE PATH AND THINK OF

GOLDEN YELLOW DAFFODILS.

"Well, that sounds like sage advice," said Dorothy as she walked towards the path. To the right of the path were little signs which said things like:

SHARING AND CARING

ARE WAYS TO BE

DARING

KINDNESS AND LOVE

ARE THINGS FROM ABOVE

LOVE IS ETERNAL

AND NEVER INFERNAL

On the left side of the path were negative signs which read such things as:

JOY AND COMPASSION

ARE OUT OF FASHION

TAKING AND HATING

GET A HIGH RATING

Circling all around the negative signs on the left were ugly blobs of dirty reds and grays, and dull brownish greens flecked with scarlet. Some of the blobs were dirty brownish yellow with streaks of orange and black. All of the blobs had hooks around them. Some of the larger blobs descended and sat on the edges of the boards. Dorothy could almost see eyes in them glaring at her hatefully. She turned her head quickly to the positive signs on her right. Beautiful little forms were dancing and twinkling around them. The forms were made up of the prettiest, most delicate colors. Dorothy could feel a tremendous radiation of love emanating from them.

"Keep your eyes on the right," she told everyone. "And keep your thoughts pure. I have a feeling that these ugly things are just waiting for us to think a bad thought so they can attack us."

Someone started to chant again: "Better think nice — sugar and spice.... Better think nice — sugar and spice...."

"I hope that awful witch doesn't come here," said Dorothy. "I just hate her."

The minute Dorothy had the hateful thought, hundreds of evil blobs flew at her screaming the most terrible piercing scream she had ever heard. Their hooks extended out, trying to grab hold of her and attach themselves to her. Some hooked onto her sweater and to her hair. Dorothy squealed hysterically. Her arms were flying about, trying to get them off of her.

"Dorothy! Dorothy!" said the Tin Woodman. "Don't show fear." But it was too late. From the sky came hordes of grayish darts, like fragments from exploding rocks. Everyone raised their arms to try to shield themselves. Following the darts came the dreaded cackles of the Wicked Witch on her broomstick. The sky was filled with her piercing screams of horrible laughter.

"Well, my pretty, what say you now, eh?" She screamed again as she flew about them. Large jagged crimson red spikes flew from her hands towards them, also ugly blobs of brownish gray with red spikes sticking out. From her eyes shot slithering snake- like pointed shapes with colored stripes of dirty green and yellow and muddy orange. They writhed about, trying to stick their sharp points into Dorothy's feet.

"Quick now," said the Tin Woodman. "Close your eyes and think nice thoughts."

Dorothy closed her eyes and thought of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and Toto and the little one-room farmhouse. A great love arose from within her and poured out to them. The minute this happened, a beautiful white light appeared around the little group huddled together. All of the horrible blobs flew back to their signs, while the barbs that had come from the Wicked Witch turned around and sped like bullets back towards her. Now it was her turn to scream with fright. She motioned her legs as if she were riding a bicycle and pedaled as fast as she could to try to get away. But the blobs caught up with her, hooking onto her clothes. One hooked her large nose. The snake-like shapes attached themselves to her behind with their pointed heads. She pedaled furiously off into the distance, grabbing at them, trying to pull them off. Everyone roared with laughter.

"Don't forget," the Lion said, when the laughter had subsided, "what that first sign said: Think golden yellow daffodils."

So they all closed their eyes and imagined that they were surrounded by golden yellow daffodils. When they opened their eyes again, they were amazed to see miles of golden daffodils all around them.

"I have a feeling we are out of Thoughtformland," said the Tin Woodman.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," said Dorothy. "That was too much."

Chapter Seventeen:

Americanindianland

As they walked through the daffodils, everyone felt immensely cheerful. They were chatting away about this and that, when the Scarecrow spotted smoke signals in the distance. "Look," he said, pointing.

"It must be Americanindianland," said the Tin Woodman excitedly.

"Oh, I'm so looking forward to this," said Dorothy, as the beat of the tom-toms and the chant of the Indians' singing reached her ears. When they reached the camp, they were not surprised to see the traditional Indian scene of teepees with skins drying and dogs barking and such. The squaws and papooses and braves and chiefs were gathered around in a big circle in which a group of dancers was singing and chanting.

When Dorothy's party arrived, a beautiful majestic chief motioned them to come and sit by him while the proceedings continued. And what a sight to behold — chiefs in full head dress from every tribe: Cherokee, Shawnee, Apache, Hopi, Navaho — every single one. Dancers representing each tribe were performing their ceremonial dances.

"Dis celebration." said the chief in a deep booming voice, and in what must have been the broken English of his time. "Dis celebration," he repeated, as he waved his hand slowly over the dancers, "in your honor. We," he said, placing his fist upon his chest, "know de work dat you do. Indian not like evil. Indian help good people."

As the celebration drew to a close, the chief motioned everyone to follow. "We have pow-wow," he said. The Indians formed a circle and passed the Peace Pipe. The low rhythm beat of a drum could be heard in the distance. "Not all Indian here in happy hunting ground," said the chief. "Not all Indian good. Same as not all white man bad to Indian.

"Many t'ousand years, Indian lived free in his land. When white man come, Indian give hand in friendship. White man look down on Indian, call him savage, take his land. Torture, murder Indian. Indian suffer great loss of self-respect — lose spiritual ways.

"Before white man come, Indian spend many hour each day with Great Spirit. Indian very close to nature, could cure much disease. White man call it work of Devil, force Indian into white man's religion. Many Indians become savages to protect land, women, children. Copy white man's ways, do bad t'ings."

Dorothy said, "I really feel bad for all this. My people; my race; they did these terrible things."

"Do not feel bad, Dorot'y," the chief said. "All t'ings in order. We do not feel revenge. Dis not way of Great Spirit. De Great One do not punish evil ones, only bring dem to greater understanding. Dey dat do evil to other, do same t'ing to self. Not know it at time, must suffer, before can learn better way. When sick of suffering, will turn face to Great One. De great sun shine on all de same. When face turn to great sun, feel warmth from great light. When man listen to heartbeat of Great Spirit, life energy from Great Spirit make heart strong. Man become strong in all t'ings, and de Great Spirit make path for moccasins to follow. But, if man turn face away from Great Spirit and not listen to heartbeat of Great One, own heart become weak — moccasins walk in circle. De Great Spirit not want man be lost or to suffer. When man fret and worry, have fears; feel hatred of peoples, his environment; dis cause much sickness of body and mind. Must learn harmony and inner peace through communication with Great One. World is great big schoolroom; all peoples equal but have different lessons to learn. Do not rebel or run away from lesson — will not learn, only make harder. Must be like de corn and bend wit' de wind. Be brave; look for lesson in all experiences. Learn lesson well; one day you graduate. Much happiness and rejoicing. You become master and teacher. No more suffering, ever.

"Now I take you to Sitting Bull. He find big chief to be your guide. My name is White Spirit."