Ɖus ć v ɖ litl parti wz saṭsfaid xpt Doṛʈi, hu loñd mor ɖn evr t gt bac t Canẓs.

On ɖ forʈ de, t hr gret jô, Óz snt fr hr, n ẃn ś entrd ɖ Ʈronrūm h grītd hr plezntli:

“Sit dǎn, mî dir; I ʈnc I hv faund ɖ we t gt y ǎt v ɖs cuntri.”

“N bac t Canẓs?” ś asct īgrli.

“Wel, I’m nt śr abt Canẓs,” sd Óz, “fr I hv’nt ɖ fentist nośn ẃć we it lîz. Bt ɖ frst ʈñ t d z t cros ɖ deẓt, n ɖen it śd b īzi t fînd yr we hom.”

“Hǎ cn I cros ɖ deẓt?” ś inqîrd.

“Wel, I’l tel y ẃt I ʈnc,” sd ɖ litl man. “Y si, ẃn I cem t ɖs cuntri it wz in a b’lūn. Y olso cem ʈru ɖ er, biyñ carid bî a sîclon. So I b’liv ɖ bst we t gt acrs ɖ deẓt wl b ʈru ɖ er. Nǎ, it z qt bynd mî pǎrz t mc a sîclon; bt I’v bn ʈncñ ɖ matr ovr, n I b’liv I cn mc a b’lūn.”

“Hǎ?” asct Doṛʈi.

“A b’lūn,” sd Óz, “z md v silc, ẃć z cotd wɖ glu t cīp ɖ gas in it. I hv plenti v silc in ɖ Palis, so it wl b no trubl t mc ɖ b’lūn. Bt in ol ɖs cuntri ɖr z no gas t fil ɖ b’lūn wɖ, t mc it flot.”

“F it w’nt flot,” rmarct Doṛʈi, “it wl b v no ys t s.”

“Tru,” ansrd Óz. “Bt ɖr z anɖr we t mc it flot, ẃć z t fil it wɖ hot er. Hot er z’nt az gd az gas, fr f ɖ er śd gt cold ɖ b’lūn wd cm dǎn in ɖ deẓt, n w śd b lost.”

“W!” xclemd ɖ grl. “R y gwñ wɖ m?”

“Yes, v cors,” rplaid Óz. “I am tîrd v biyñ sć a humbug. F I śd g ǎt v ɖs Palis mî ppl wd sn dscuvr I am nt a Wiẓd, n ɖen ɖe wd b vxt wɖ m fr hvñ dsivd ɖm. So I hv t ste śut p in ɖz rūmz ol de, n it gts tîrsm. I’d mć rɖr g bac t Canẓs wɖ y n b in a src̣s agn.”

“I śl b glad t hv yr cumṗni,” sd Doṛʈi.

“Ʈanc y,” h ansrd. “Nǎ, f y wl hlp m sou ɖ silc tgɖr, w wl bgin t wrc on ǎr b’lūn.”

So Doṛʈi tc a nīdl n ʈred, n az fast az Óz cut ɖ strips v silc intu propr śep ɖ grl soud ɖm nītli tgɖr. Frst ɖr wz a strip v lît grīn silc, ɖen a strip v darc grīn n ɖen a strip v emṛld grīn; fr Óz hd a fansi t mc ɖ b’lūn in difṛnt śêdz v ɖ culr abt ɖm. It tc ʈri dez t sou ol ɖ strips tgɖr, bt ẃn it wz finiśt ɖe hd a big bag v grīn silc mor ɖn twenti fīt loñ.

Ɖen Óz pentd it on ɖ insd wɖ a cot v ʈin glu, t mc it ertît, aftr ẃć h anǎnst ɖt ɖ b’lūn wz redi.

“Bt w mst hv a bascit t rîd in,” h sd. So h snt ɖ soljr wɖ ɖ grīn ẃiscrz fr a big cloɖzbascit, ẃć h fasnd wɖ mni rops t ɖ botm v ɖ b’lūn.

Ẃn it wz ol redi, Óz snt wrd t hiz ppl ɖt h wz gwñ t mc a vizit t a gret bruɖr Wiẓd hu livd in ɖ clǎdz. Ɖ nyz spred rapidli ʈrt ɖ siti n evrwn cem t si ɖ wundrfl sît.

Óz ordrd ɖ b’lūn carid ǎt in frunt v ɖ Palis, n ɖ ppl gezd upn it wɖ mć krioṣti. Ɖ Tin Wŭdmn hd ćopt a big pîl v wŭd, n nǎ h md a fîr v it, n Óz hld ɖ botm v ɖ b’lūn ovr ɖ fîr so ɖt ɖ hot er ɖt arouz fṛm it wd b còt in ɖ silcn bag. Graɉli ɖ b’lūn sweld ǎt n rouz intu ɖ er, untl fîṇli ɖ bascit jst tućt ɖ grǎnd.

Ɖen Óz got intu ɖ bascit n sd t ol ɖ ppl in a lǎd vôs:

“I am nǎ gwñ awe t mc a vizit. Ẃl I am gn ɖ Scercro wl rūl ovr y. I cmand y t obe him az y wd m.”

Ɖ b’lūn wz bî ɖs tîm tugñ hard at ɖ rop ɖt hld it t ɖ grǎnd, fr ɖ er wɖn it wz hot, n ɖs md it so mć lîtr in weit ɖn ɖ er wɖt ɖt it pld hard t rîz intu ɖ scî.

“Cm, Doṛʈi!” craid ɖ Wiẓd. “Huri p, or ɖ b’lūn wl flî awe.”

“I c’nt fînd Toto enẃr,” rplaid Doṛʈi, hu dd nt wś t līv hr litl dog bhnd. Toto hd run intu ɖ crǎd t barc at a citn, n Doṛʈi at last faund him. Ś pict him p n ran twdz ɖ b’lūn.

Ś wz wɖn a fy steps v it, n Óz wz holdñ ǎt hiz handz t hlp hr intu ɖ bascit, ẃn, crac! wnt ɖ rops, n ɖ b’lūn rouz intu ɖ er wɖt hr.

“Cm bac!” ś scrīmd. “I wont t g, tù!”

“I c’nt cm bac, mî dir,” cōld Óz fṛm ɖ bascit. “Gdbî!”

“Gdbî!” śǎtd evrwn, n ol îz wr trnd upwd t ẃr ɖ Wiẓd wz rîdñ in ɖ bascit, rîzñ evri momnt farɖr n farɖr intu ɖ scî.

N ɖt wz ɖ last eni v ɖm evr sw v Óz, ɖ Wundrfl Wiẓd, ɖo h me hv rīćt Ǒṃhā sefli, n b ɖr nǎ, fr ol w nǒ. Bt ɖ ppl rmembrd him luvñli, n sd t wn anɖr:

“Óz wz olwz ǎr frend. Ẃn h wz hir h bilt fr s ɖs bytifl Emṛld Siti, n nǎ h z gn h hz left ɖ Wîz Scercro t rūl ovr s.”

Stl, fr mni dez ɖe grīvd ovr ɖ los v ɖ Wundrfl Wiẓd, n wd nt b cumḟtd.