Ś wz awecnd bî a śoc, so sudn n svir ɖt f Doṛʈi hd nt bn layñ on ɖ soft bed ś mt hv bn hrt. Az it wz, ɖ jar md hr cać hr breʈ n wundr ẃt hd hapnd; n Toto pt hiz cold litl nǒz intu hr fes n ẃînd dizṃli. Doṛʈi sat p n notist ɖt ɖ hǎs wz nt muvñ; nr wz it darc, fr ɖ brît súnśîn cem in at ɖ windo, fludñ ɖ litl rūm. Ś sprañ fṛm hr bed n wɖ Toto at hr hìlz ran n opnd ɖ dor.
Ɖ litl grl gev a crî v amezmnt n lct abt hr, hr îz growñ bigr n bigr at ɖ wundrfl sîts ś sw.
Ɖ sîclon hd set ɖ hǎs dǎn vri jntli—fr a sîclon—in ɖ mdst v a cuntri v marvḷs byti. Ɖr wr luvli paćz v grīnswōd ol abt, wɖ stetli triz bẹrñ rić n luśs frūts. Bancs v gorjs flǎrz wr on evri hand, n brdz wɖ rer n briłnt plūmij sañ n flutrd in ɖ triz n bśz. A litl we of wz a smōl brŭc, ruśñ n sparc̣lñ alñ btwn grīn bancs, n mrṃrñ in a vôs vri gretfl t a litl grl hu hd livd so loñ on ɖ drî, gre prẹriz.
Ẃl ś std lcñ īgrli at ɖ strenj n bytifl sîts, ś notist cmñ twd hr a grūp v ɖ qirist ppl ś hd evr sìn. Ɖe wr nt az big az ɖ groun foc ś hd olwz bn yst t; bt nɖr wr ɖe vri smōl. In fact, ɖe sīmd abt az tōl az Doṛʈi, hu wz a wel-groun ćîld fr hr ej, olɖo ɖe wr, so far az lcs g, mni yirz oldr.
Ʈri wr men n wn a wmn, n ol wr odli drest. Ɖe wòr rnd hats ɖt rouz t a smōl pônt a ft abv ɖer hedz, wɖ litl belz arnd ɖ brimz ɖt tncld swītli az ɖe muvd. Ɖ hats v ɖ men wr blu; ɖ litl wmn’z hat wz ẃît, n ś wòr a ẃît gǎn ɖt huñ in plīts fṛm hr śoldrz. Ovr it wr sprincld litl starz ɖt glisnd in ɖ sún lîc dîmndz. Ɖ men wr drest in blu, v ɖ sem śêd az ɖer hats, n wòr wel-poliśt būts wɖ a dīp rol v blu at ɖ tops. Ɖ men, Doṛʈi ʈt, wr abt az old az Uncl Hnri, fr tū v ɖm hd birdz. Bt ɖ litl wmn wz dǎtlis mć oldr. Hr fes wz cuvrd wɖ rinclz, hr her wz nirli ẃît, n ś wōct rɖr stifli.
Ẃn ɖz ppl drù nir ɖ hǎs ẃr Doṛʈi wz standñ in ɖ dorwe, ɖe pōzd n ẃisprd amñ ɖmslvz, az f afreid t cm farɖr. Bt ɖ litl old wmn wōct p t Doṛʈi, md a lo bǎ n sd, in a swīt vôs:
“Y r welcm, most nobl Sorṣres, t ɖ land v ɖ Munćcinz. W r so gretfl t y fr hvñ cild ɖ Wicid Wić v ɖ Īst, n fr setñ ǎr ppl fri fṛm bondij.”
Doṛʈi lisnd t ɖs spīć wɖ wundr. Ẃt cd ɖ litl wmn poṣbli mīn bî cōlñ hr a sorṣres, n seyñ ś hd cild ɖ Wicid Wić v ɖ Īst? Doṛʈi wz an iṇsnt, harmlis litl grl, hu hd bn carid bî a sîclon mni mîlz fṛm hom; n ś hd nvr cild enʈñ in ol hr lîf.
Bt ɖ litl wmn evidntli xpctd hr t ansr; so Doṛʈi sd, wɖ hezteśn, “Y r vri cnd, bt ɖr mst b sm mstec. I hv nt cild enʈñ.”
“Yr hǎs dd, enwe,” rplaid ɖ litl old wmn, wɖ a laf, “n ɖt z ɖ sem ʈñ. Si!” ś cntinyd, pôntñ t ɖ cornr v ɖ hǎs. “Ɖr r hr tū fīt, stl sticñ ǎt fṛm undr a bloc v wŭd.”
Doṛʈi lct, n gev a litl crî v frît. Ɖr, indd, jst undr ɖ cornr v ɖ gret bīm ɖ hǎs restd on, tū fīt wr sticñ ǎt, śod in silvr śuz wɖ pôntd toz.
“Ǒ, dir! Ǒ, dir!” craid Doṛʈi, claspñ hr handz tgɖr in dsme. “Ɖ hǎs mst hv fōḷn on hr. Ẃtvr śl w d?”
“Ɖr z nʈñ t b dn,” sd ɖ litl wmn cāmli.
“Bt hu wz ś?” asct Doṛʈi.
“Ś wz ɖ Wicid Wić v ɖ Īst, az I sd,” ansrd ɖ litl wmn. “Ś hz hld ol ɖ Munćcinz in bondij fr mni yirz, mcñ ɖm slev fr hr nît n de. Nǎ ɖe r ol set fri, n r gretfl t y fr ɖ fevr.”
“Hu r ɖ Munćcinz?” inqîrd Doṛʈi.
“Ɖe r ɖ ppl hu liv in ɖs land v ɖ Īst ẃr ɖ Wicid Wić rūld.”
“R y a Munchkin?” asct Doṛʈi.
“No, bt I am ɖer frend, olɖo I liv in ɖ land v ɖ Norʈ. Ẃn ɖe sw ɖ Wić v ɖ Īst wz ded ɖ Munćcinz snt a swift mesinjr t m, n I cem at wns. I am ɖ Wić v ɖ Norʈ.”
“Ǒ, greśs!” craid Doṛʈi. “R y a riyl wić?”
“Ǒ, no, ɖt z a gret mstec. Ɖr wr onli for wićz in ol ɖ Land v Óz, n tū v ɖm, ɖoz hu liv in ɖ Norʈ n ɖ Sǎʈ, r gd wićz. I nǒ ɖs z tru, fr I am wn v ɖm mslf, n canot b mstecn. Ɖoz hu dwelt in ɖ Īst n ɖ Wst wr, indd, wicid wićz; bt nǎ ɖt y hv cild wn v ɖm, ɖr z bt wn Wicid Wić in ol ɖ Land v Óz—ɖ wn hu livz in ɖ Wst.”
“Bt,” sd Doṛʈi, aftr a momnt’s ʈōt, “Ānt Ém hz tld m ɖt ɖ wićz wr ol ded—yirz n yirz ago.”
“Hu z Ānt Ém?” inqîrd ɖ litl old wmn.
“Ś z mî ānt hu livz in Canẓs, ẃr I cem fṛm.”
Ɖ Wić v ɖ Norʈ sīmd t ʈnc fr a tîm, wɖ hr hed baud n hr îz upn ɖ grǎnd. Ɖen ś lct p n sd, “I d nt nǒ ẃr Canẓs z, fr I hv nvr hŕd ɖt cuntri mnśnd bfr. Bt tel m, z it a siṿlîzd cuntri?”
“Ǒ, yes,” rplaid Doṛʈi.
“Ɖen ɖt acǎnts fr it. In ɖ siṿlîzd cuntriz I b’liv ɖr r no wićz left, nr wiẓdz, nr sorṣresz, nr mjiśnz. Bt, y si, ɖ Land v Óz hz nvr bn siṿlîzd, fr w r cut of fṛm ol ɖ rest v ɖ wrld. Ɖrfr w stl hv wićz n wiẓdz amñst s.”
“Hu r ɖ wiẓdz?” asct Doṛʈi.
“Óz himslf z ɖ Gret Wiẓd,” ansrd ɖ Wić, sncñ hr vôs t a ẃispr. “H z mor pǎrfl ɖn ol ɖ rest v s tgɖr. H livz in ɖ Siti v Emṛldz.”
Doṛʈi wz gwñ t asc anɖr qsćn, bt jst ɖen ɖ Munćcinz, hu hd bn standñ sîḷntli bî, gev a lǎd śǎt n pôntd t ɖ cornr v ɖ hǎs ẃr ɖ Wicid Wić hd bn layñ.
“Ẃt z it?” asct ɖ litl old wmn, n lct, n bgan t laf. Ɖ fīt v ɖ ded Wić hd dis’pird intîrli, n nʈñ wz left bt ɖ silvr śuz.
“Ś wz so old,” xplend ɖ Wić v ɖ Norʈ, “ɖt ś draid p qcli in ɖ sún. Ɖt z ɖ end v hr. Bt ɖ silvr śuz r yrz, n y śl hv ɖm t wer.” Ś rīćt dǎn n pict p ɖ śuz, n aftr śecñ ɖ dust ǎt v ɖm handd ɖm t Doṛʈi.
“Ɖ Wić v ɖ Īst wz prǎd v ɖoz silvr śuz,” sd wn v ɖ Munćcinz, “n ɖr z sm ćarm cnctd wɖ ɖm; bt ẃt it z w nvr ń.”
Doṛʈi carid ɖ śuz intu ɖ hǎs n plest ɖm on ɖ tebl. Ɖen ś cem ǎt agn t ɖ Munćcinz n sd:
“I am añśs t gt bac t mî ānt n uncl, fr I am śr ɖe wl wuri abt m. Cn y hlp m fînd mî we?”
Ɖ Munćcinz n ɖ Wić frst lct at wn anɖr, n ɖen at Doṛʈi, n ɖen śc ɖer hedz.
“At ɖ Īst, nt far fṛm hir,” sd wn, “ɖr z a gret deẓt, n nn cd liv t cros it.”
“It z ɖ sem at ɖ Sǎʈ,” sd anɖr, “fr I hv bn ɖr n sìn it. Ɖ Sǎʈ z ɖ cuntri v ɖ Qodlñz.”
“I am tld,” sd ɖ ʈrd man, “ɖt it z ɖ sem at ɖ Wst. N ɖt cuntri, ẃr ɖ Wnciz liv, z rūld bî ɖ Wicid Wić v ɖ Wst, hu wd mc y hr slev f y pást hr we.”
“Ɖ Norʈ z mî hom,” sd ɖ old ledi, “n at its éj z ɖ sem gret deẓt ɖt srǎndz ɖs Land v Óz. I’m afreid, mî dir, y wl hv t liv wɖ s.”
Doṛʈi bgan t sob at ɖs, fr ś flt lonli amñ ol ɖz strenj ppl. Hr tirz sīmd t grīv ɖ cînd-hartd Munćcinz, fr ɖe imīɉtli tc ǎt ɖer hanc̣ćīfs n bgan t wīp olso. Az fr ɖ litl old wmn, ś tc of hr cap n baḷnst ɖ pônt on ɖ end v hr nǒz, ẃl ś cǎntd “Wn, tū, ʈri” in a soḷm vôs. At wns ɖ cap ćenjd t a slet, on ẃć wz ritn in big, ẃît ćōc marcs:
“LET DOṚƮI G T Ɖ SITI V EMṚLDZ”
Ɖ litl old wmn tc ɖ slet fṛm hr nǒz, n hvñ réd ɖ wrdz on it, asct, “Z yr nem Doṛʈi, mî dir?”
“Yes,” ansrd ɖ ćîld, lcñ p n drayñ hr tirz.
“Ɖen y mst g t ɖ Siti v Emṛldz. Phps Óz wl hlp y.”
“Ẃr z ɖs siti?” asct Doṛʈi.
“It z xacli in ɖ sntr v ɖ cuntri, n z rūld bî Óz, ɖ Gret Wiẓd I tld y v.”
“Z h a gd man?” inqîrd ɖ grl añśsli.
“H z a gd Wiẓd. Ẃɖr h z a man or nt I canot tel, fr I hv nvr sìn him.”
“Hǎ cn I gt ɖr?” asct Doṛʈi.
“Y mst wōc. It z a loñ jrni, ʈru a cuntri ɖt z smtmz pleznt n smtmz darc n teṛbl. Hvr, I wl yz ol ɖ majic arts I nǒ v t cīp y fṛm harm.”
“W’nt y g wɖ m?” plīdd ɖ grl, hu hd bgun t lc upn ɖ litl old wmn az hr onli frend.
“No, I canot d ɖt,” ś rplaid, “bt I wl gv y mî cis, n nwn wl der injr a prsn hu hz bn cist bî ɖ Wić v ɖ Norʈ.”
Ś cem clos t Doṛʈi n cist hr jntli on ɖ fōrhed. Ẃr hr lips tućt ɖ grl ɖe left a rǎnd, śînñ marc, az Doṛʈi faund ǎt sn aftr.
“Ɖ rod t ɖ Siti v Emṛldz z pevd wɖ yelo bric,” sd ɖ Wić, “so y canot mis it. Ẃn y gt t Óz d nt b afreid v him, bt tel yr stori n asc him t hlp y. Gdbî, mî dir.”
Ɖ ʈri Munćcinz baud lo t hr n wśt hr a pleznt jrni, aftr ẃć ɖe wōct awe ʈru ɖ triz. Ɖ Wić gev Doṛʈi a frendli litl nod, ẃrld arnd on hr left hìl ʈri tîmz, n stretwe dis’pird, mć t ɖ s’prîz v litl Toto, hu barct aftr hr lǎdli inuf ẃn ś hd gn, bcz h hd bn afreid īvn t grǎl ẃl ś std bî.
Bt Doṛʈi, nwñ hr t b a wić, hd xpctd hr t dis’pir in jst ɖt we, n wz nt s’prîzd in ɖ līst.
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