TheWizardofOz:PlotOverview
DorothyliveswithherhardworkingbutdourUncleHenryandAuntEmonthebleakKansas
prairie.Sheisanenergeticandjoyfullittlegirlwhodelightsinhersmalldog,Toto.Oneday,a
dangerouscyclonesweepsacrosstheprairie.Totohidesunderthebedinthefarmhouse,so
Dorothydoesnotmakeitintothestormcellar.ThecyclonepicksupthehousewithDorothy
andTotostillinside.Asthehourspass,Dorothytriestoremaincalmandeventuallyfallsasleep.
Whensheawakes,sheandTotoareinafantasticalandstrangeland.Comingoutofthehouse,
sheandTotoaremetbyafewsmallmenthatcallthemselvesMunchkinsandtheelderlybut
beautifulWitchoftheNorth.TheWitchinformsDorothythatherhouselandedontheWicked
WitchoftheEastandkilledher,thussettingtheMunchkinsfreefromtheirlongslaveryunder
hercommand.Dorothyishorrifiedtohearthatshekilledsomeone,butsheisgivenapresent
oftheWitch'ssilverslippers.Sheaskshowshecangethome,andtheWitchtellshershewilldo
herbesttoaskthepowerfulWizardofOzwholivesintheEmeraldCity.
Dorothy'sjourneyontheyellowbrickroadthatleadstotheEmeraldCitybeginsinthepretty
andwell-tilledlandoftheMunchkins.Passingafield,sheencountersTheScarecrow,whomshe
releasesfromhispositionheldaloftinthefield.Hetellsherhewantsbrainsandasksifhecan
gowithhertovisittheWizard.Shehappilyagrees,andthetwocompanions(andToto)
continuealongtheyellowbrickroadtoOz.
DorothyandTheScarecrowhelpsaveTheTinWoodman,whohadrustedintheforestwhile
cuttingdownatree.Hejoinsthem,hopingtoasktheWizardforhisdearestwish–aheart.
TheyalsomeetTheCowardlyLion,who,afterroaringatthemloudly,sheepishlyadmitshehas
nocourageandwantstoaskOztogranthimsomesohecanbearealKingofBeasts.
Thetravelerscontinuealongtheirpathandfaceseveralobstacles.Theyfindalargeditchin
theirpathandhavetheLionjumpoveritwithhisfriendsonhisback.Theyarriveatafieldfull
ofbeautifulbutdeadlypoppies;DorothyandToto,andeventheLion,fallintoadeepsleep.
TheScarecrowandTinWoodmancarryoutDorothyandTotobutreceivehelpfromthousands
offieldmicetocarryouttheLion.
WhentheyfinallyarriveatOz,theGuardianattheGateofthesparklinggreencityissurprised
tohearthattheywanttoseeOz,asnoonehasrequestedavisitformanyyears.Theyaretold
theycanseeOzonebyoneinhisthroneroomonseparatedays.Dorothy,theScarecrow,the
TinWoodman,andtheLioneachencounteradifferentOz–amassivehead,abeautifulwoman,
afrighteningcreature,andaballoffire–andarealltoldthattheWickedWitchoftheWest
mustbekilledbeforetheirwisheswillbegranted.Despondentbutrealizingthereisnoother
way,thecompanionssetoutoncemore.
TheirjourneyisbesetbydangerbecausethepowerfulWitchknowstheyarecoming.Shetries
todestroythemwithvariousminions-fortywolves,crowsandblackbees-buteachswarmis
defeated.Finally,theWitchsendstheWingedMonkeysafterthetravelers.TheMonkeysare
boundtotheGoldenCap,whichsaysitsownercancommandthemtodowhateverheorshe
wantsthreetimes.TheWitchcommandedthemtodestroytheTinWoodmanandScarecrow
andbringherDorothyandtheLion.Dorothy,whoshecannotnotharmsincetheGoodWitch
oftheNorthhasgivenheramarkofprotection,ismadetoworkintheWitch'skitchen.The
Lionischainedupwhenherefusestotoilforher.
OnedaytheWitchnoticesDorothy'ssilverslippers,andrealizingtheirsecretpower,triesto
tripDorothysotheywillfalloffofherfeet.ThisangersDorothy,andshethrowsapailofwater
ontheWitch.Tohershock,thewatermeltstheWitch,andDorothyisfree.Thisisheartening
tothoseintheWitch'slandwhomshehasenslaved–theWinkies.Dorothy,Toto,andtheLion
leavetheWitch'scastle,and,takingcontroloftheGoldenCap,commandtheMonkeystotake
themtoEmeraldCity.
Totheirdismay,whentheyarriveintheEmeraldCity,theWizardclaimshecannotnothelp
them.TheLionroarsloudlyinanger,scaringTotoandsendinghimtumblingintoacurtain.This
revealsasmallandelderlyoldman.HeisamereventriloquistandballoonistfromOmahawho
accidentallyendedupinOzwhenthewindtookhisballoonfarawayfromhome.The
MunchkinsthoughthewasapowerfulWizard,andwhilenotacruelman,hewentalongwith
thedelusion.TheybuilttheEmeraldCityandlivedhappilyundertheWizard'srule.Hetold
themtogetridoftheWitchsinceshehadrealpowerandfrightenedhim.
Aftertellinghisstoryandapologizingforhistrickery,thewizardsayshewilltrytohelpthem
anyway.Withabitofgoodheartedmanipulation,hegivestheScarecrow,TinWoodman,and
Lionwhattheywanted,notingthateachhasdisplayedwhattheythoughttheylackedonthe
journey.HisplanforDorothyistoflyawayoverthedesertbordersofOzinhisballoon.He
plansongoingaswell,butjustastheyareabouttodepart,TotodistractsDorothy,andshe
missestheballoon.Itsailsawayinthesky,andshecriesoutinsadness.
ShetriestoasktheWingedMonkeysinhersecondcommandtotakehertoKansas,butthey
saytheycannottravelbeyondthebordersofOz.AsoldierintheEmeraldCitysuggestsshe
traveltothehomeoftheGoodWitchoftheSouth,Glinda.Thisseemsavalidplan,andDorothy
setsoutoncemore,accompaniedbyherfriends.Together,theyfacemorecuriousand
dangerouscreatures-peoplemadeofchina,thedeviousHammer-Heads,andthebeastsofthe
forest,wholatercrowntheLionastheirking.
Theirjourneyisnoteasy,buttheyfinallymakeittothelovelyGlinda'scastle.Shesaysshedoes
notneedtohelpDorothybecausethegirl'ssilvershoespossessthatpower:shemerelyhasto
clickherheelstogetherthreetimesandsaywhereshewantstogo,andshewillbethere.In
exchangeforherhelp,DorothygiveshertheGoldenCap,andsheusesthethreecommandsto
sendtheScarecrowbacktoruleovertheEmeraldCity,theTinWoodmantoruleoverthe
Winkies,andtheLiontoruleoverthebeastsintheforest.ShethengivestheCaptothe
Monkeysandsetsthemfreefromtheirbondage.
Dorothykissesherfriendsgoodbyeandwishesthemwell,andthenclicksherheelstogether
andsays,"TakemehometoAuntEm!"SheendsupintheKansasprairie,thesilvershoes
havingfallenoffinthedesert.SherunstowardsherAuntEm,whoisastonishedtoseeherand
asksherwhereshehasbeen.DorothyrepliesshehasbeeninOzandisgladtobehome.
Adaptedfrom:
Osborne,Kristen.McKeever,Christineed."TheWonderfulWizardofOzSummary".GradeSaver,
24January2013Web.7February2016.