Chapter 23

Up, Up, and Away

*

By this time, the little group had walked all the way back to the river. They had passed very few people on the way. They had not even seen any Octapong when they walked through Octapongland. Once in a while they caught a glimpse of someone, but it seemed to Dorothy as if people were deliberately avoiding them.

"It's me," said the Witch suddenly.

"What?" said Dorothy.

"It's me," repeated the Witch. "I'm the reason."

"You're the reason for what?" asked Dorothy.

"I'm the reason people are avoiding us. They don't know I've changed."

"Oh," said Dorothy, "of course! I should have realized. Oh, well, we'll soon be in the Emerald City. Then we'll get rid of these distinguishing clothes."

"How are we going to get back, Dorothy?" asked the Scarecrow.

"That's a good question," replied Dorothy. "It's just too far to walk."

"I have an idea," offered the Witch. "If the Tin Woodman could cut me some long straight sticks and some rushes, I will make broomsticks for all of us."

"Will they fly?" asked the Lion, nervously, looking at his new companion.

"Of course they will fly," replied the Witch. "Just because I am a reformed witch doesn't mean I have forgotten my craft. The only difference is I'll be using my magic for good instead of evil."

"Wonderful," said the Tin Woodman. "I'll get right to work."

"Oh, this is exciting," said Dorothy. "Imagine! Flying on a broomstick. Now, what would Aunt Em think if she could see me? She'd probably faint."

The Tin Woodman returned with an armful of sticks. The Scarecrow and Lions followed behind him, carrying rushes.

The Witch quickly got to work. She bound the rushes to the sticks with vines that the had been gathered from the trees.

"There!" she said proudly. "Now we're ready to fly."

Everyone stooped to pick up a broom. "Looks like just an ordinary broom to me," said the Scarecrow. "Will it really fly?"

"Not yet," said the Witch. "I have to say the magic words."

She held her arms over the brooms and began to chant:

"GENA-MENA-WENA-BENA-CHICKAMA-LONKA-STU RINKY-DINKY-ZINKY-WINKY-KIKALA-PLONKA-KLU LITTLE BROOMSTICKS, THERE YOU LIE ... MAKE READY TO FLY INTO THE SKY."

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, followed by a huge puff of smoke and a very loud peal of thunder. "It is done," said the Witch.

Everyone rushed over to the broomsticks.

"They don't look any different," said the Lion.

"Pick one up," said the Witch, "and sit on it, like this." The Witch picked one of the broomsticks up herself and sat astride it with the broomstick pointed upwards. "All of you do the same," she said. "Now, we'd better have a little flying lesson before we begin. Everyone ready? Handles pointed up. And away we go...."

What an amazing sight it was! The Tin Woodman narrowly missed crashing into the Scarecrow. The Lion barely missed the Witch's head with his dangling feet, but slightly brushed his lady friend who didn't mind a bit. However, the Scarecrow's broomhandle somehow got pointed downwards, and he headed very fast for the ground.

"Up! Up!" shouted the Witch. He managed to turn upwards just in time.

Soon everyone was doing beautifully, swooping down on each other and veering away just in time to avoid a collision.

"Wheee!" squealed the Lioness. "This is fun!"

Everyone was having such a good time that they forgot about continuing their journey.

"All right, everyone," said the Witch. "I can see you are all accomplished flyers now. I believe we should be on our way."

"Absolutely," said Dorothy, who was enjoying herself as much as anyone.

"All right. Here we go." Up, up, and away they went, high into the sky.

"Look down," shouted the Witch to Dorothy.

"Oh, how breathtaking!" gasped Dorothy.

The Land of Oz stretched out beneath them in a panorama of colors and shapes. The red country of the Quadlings was in the south. The blue territory of the Munchkins lay to the east. The western country of the Winkies was its proper yellow, while the purple Gillikin land was at the north. The sparkling green Emerald City, of course, was in the center. As they flew back downward, they could make out more details.

"Look!" said Dorothy. "There's Octapongland directly below us!"

They could make out groups of Octapong scattered about, looking at them.

"Let's take a closer look!" shouted Dorothy.

Down they zoomed, over the heads of the Octapong. The Octapong stampeded like cattle, their eight legs running like the wind, with that one shoe going clippity-clop.

Dorothy shouted for the Octapong to stop, but to no avail. Pretty soon the Octapong had outpaced them, for they could run extremely fast. Up again they flew, as they were all anxious to reach the Emerald City.

*