When the hot-air balloon was ready, Oz sent word to the people of the Emerald City.
Everyone gathered to see Oz and Dorothy depart.
Oz climbed into the basket and shouted to the crowd, "I am off to see a brother wizard!
While I am gone, the Scarecrow will be your ruler.
Obey him as you would obey me."
Soon the balloon was tugging at the ropes.
"Come, Dorothy," shouted the Wizard. "Before the balloon flies away."
"Wait. I can't find Toto," answered Dorothy.
She spotted Toto and picked him up. "You're a very naughty dog," she said.
Oz reached out his hands to help Dorothy into the balloon when suddenly a gust of wind snapped the ropes.
The balloon quickly rose into the air without her.
"Come back!" she screamed.
"I can't, my dear," called Oz from the basket. "Good-bye."
The balloon rose higher and higher in the sky until it vanished behind the clouds.
That was the last anyone saw of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy dropped to the ground and cried.
"I'll never go home. Never," she moaned.
The next day Dorothy and her friends gathered in the throne room.
The Scarecrow was sitting on the throne, and the others stood respectfully in front of him.
"We are not unlucky," said the Scarecrow.
"For this palace and the Emerald City belong to us.
Now if only we could convince Dorothy to live here with us."
"But I don't want to live here," cried Dorothy.
"I want to go home. I want to see Aunt Em and Uncle Henry."
"What can we do?" asked the Tin Man.
The Scarecrow gave it careful thought and said, "Call the Winged Monkeys and ask them to carry you over the desert."
"I never thought of that," shouted Dorothy joyfully, and she ran to get the golden hat.
When Dorothy returned, wearing the hat, she spread her arms.
And she said the magic words, "By my command."
Soon the Monkey King arrived and said, "What do you command?"
"I want you to fly me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.
"We cannot," said the King. "Our ability to fly is limited to Oz.
Another command we will gladly obey, but we cannot fly across the Great Desert."
The King bowed and flew away. Dorothy was ready to cry again.
"Don't cry," said the kindhearted Tin Man.
"No, don't cry," said the Scarecrow. "Let us ask the soldier for advice."
They asked the soldier and he said, "Glinda's castle is on the edge of the desert. She might know a way across."
"Who is Glinda?" asked the Scarecrow.
"She is the Good Witch of the South," replied the soldier.
"How can we get to her castle?" asked Dorothy hopefully.
"It is both easy and hard," answered the soldier.
"The road is straight south, but there are many dangers."
Dorothy and her friends thanked the soldier for his advice.
"The answer is simple," said the Scarecrow.
"Yes, it is," said the Lion.
"We'll leave tomorrow," said the Tin Man.
"I think that's best," said the Scarecrow.
"Are you all coming with me?" asked Dorothy, surprised.
"Of course," said the Lion. "None of us would have met Oz if it weren't for you."
Early the next morning, the friends gathered at the city gate.
The gatekeeper removed their glasses and said to the Scarecrow, "You must return to us as soon as you can because you are our ruler now."
"I will," said the Scarecrow. "But first I must help Dorothy get home."
Dorothy was glad to be on her way home.
The others were happy too, and they talked about how great the wizard of Oz had been.
Dorothy knew that Oz wasn't a great wizard.
He hadn't returned her to Kansas, but he had tried so she forgave him.