Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and placed them on the table.
Then she came out again to the Munchkins and said:
I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will
worry about me. Can you help me find my way?
The Munchkins and the Witch first looked at one another, and then at
Dorothy, and then shook their heads.
At the East, not far from here, said one, there is a great desert,
and none could live to cross it.
It is the same at the South, said another, for I have been there and
seen it. The South is the country of the Quadlings.
I am told, said the third man, that it is the same at the West. And
that country, where the Winkies live, is ruled by the Wicked Witch of
the West, who would make you her slave if you passed her way.
The North is my home, said the old lady, and at its edge is the same
great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. I m afraid, my dear, you
will have to live with us.
Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely among all these
strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind-hearted Munchkins,
for they immediately took out their handkerchiefs and began to weep
also. As for the little old woman, she took off her cap and balanced
the point on the end of her nose, while she counted One, two, three
in a solemn voice. At once the cap changed to a slate, on which was
written in big, white chalk marks:
LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS
The little old woman took the slate from her nose, and having read the
words on it, asked, Is your name Dorothy, my dear?
Yes, answered the child, looking up and drying her tears.
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