【英】《绿野仙踪》 第10集： The Search for the Wicked Witch

The green girl took them back to the Guardian of the Gates, who unlocked their glasses and put them in his box.

“Which road leads to the Wicked Witch of the West?” Dorothy asked.

“There is no road because no one wants to go there,” the Guardian said. “But when she knows you are in the country of the Winkies, she will find you and make you her slaves.”

The Scarecrow said, “We plan to destroy her.”The Guardian said, “Be careful. She is wicked and fierce. Walk to the west, where the sun sets, and you will find her.”

They turned west and walked over fields of soft grass and daisies. Dorothy still wore the silk dress from the palace. But now, it wasn’t green—it was white. The ribbon around Toto’s neck was white, too.

As they walked, the ground became rougher and hillier. There were no farms or houses. The sun shone hot on their faces because there were no trees. Before night, Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion were tired and fell asleep on the grass. The Woodman and the Scarecrow watched over them.

The Wicked Witch had only one eye. It was as powerful as a telescope, so she saw everywhere. She looked around and saw Dorothy and her friends asleep. They were still far away, but the Wicked Witch was angry that they were in her country. She blew a silver whistle. From all directions a pack of wolves came running. They had long legs and sharp teeth.

“Tear these people apart,” the Witch said.The wolves ran away at full speed.When the Scarecrow and Woodman heard the wolves coming, the Woodman said, “Get behind me. This is my fight.”

There were forty wolves and forty times the Tin Woodman raised his ax and killed one. Finally, he put down his ax and sat beside the Scarecrow.

They waited until Dorothy woke the next morning. She was afraid when she saw the pile of wolves, but the Woodman told her everything. She thanked him and they started on their journey again.

When the Wicked Witch saw the wolves lying dead and the strangers still traveling through her land, she became even angrier. She blew her silver whistle twice.

A flock of wild crows came to her.The Wicked Witch told the King Crow, “Fly to the strangers and peck them to pieces.”

The crows flew in one large flock to Dorothy and her friends. When she saw them coming, she was afraid.

But the Scarecrow said, “This is my battle. Lie down beside me.”

They all lay on the ground except the Scarecrow. He stretched his arms. When the crows saw him, they were frightened and didn’t come any closer at first.But the King Crow said, “It is only a stuffed man. I will peck out his eyes.”

The King Crow flew at the Scarecrow. He caught it and killed it. There were forty crows and forty times the Scarecrow killed a crow until they were all dead beside him. The friends went back to their journey.

The Wicked Witch saw all the crows lying in a heap. This time she blew three times into her silver whistle.

A large swarm of bees flew toward her. “Go to the strangers and sting them to death!” the Witch shouted.

The bees flew until they came to Dorothy and her friends. The Woodman saw them coming and the Scarecrow decided what to do.

“Take out my straw and scatter it over Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion.”

The bees came and found no one but the Woodman. They flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin. That was the end of the bees. 

They lay around the Woodman in little heaps.Dorothy and the Woodman put the straw back into the Scarecrow. They started on their journey once again.

The Witch was so angry she stamped her foot and tore her hair. She called a dozen of her slaves, who were Winkies. She gave them sharp spears and told them to destroy the strangers.

They were not very brave, but they marched away until they got near Dorothy. The Lion gave a mighty roar and jumped at them. The Winkies were so afraid, they ran as fast as they could.

The Witch could not understand how all her plans had failed. In her cupboard was a Golden Cap with a circle of diamonds and rubies. She could use it to call three times on the Winged Monkeys. The Witch had already called them twice.

She put the cap on her head, stood on her left foot and said slowly, “Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!”

Then she stood on her right foot. “Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!”
Then she stood on both feet and cried, “Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!”

The sky grew dark and a low, rumbling sound was heard along with a rush of many wings. Then she heard chattering and laughter. The sun came out and the Witch was surrounded by monkeys, each with a pair of large, powerful wings.

The largest said to the Witch, “This is your last time to call us. What do you command?”

“Go to the strangers and destroy them, all except the Lion,” said the Witch. “Bring him to me. I will make him work like a horse.”

The Winged Monkeys flew away to where Dorothy and her friends were walking. Some seized the Tin Woodman and carried him through the air. They dropped him over sharp rocks. He was so dented he could not move.

Other Monkeys caught the Scarecrow and pulled all the straw out of his clothes and head. They threw his clothes into the top branches of a tall tree.

The rest of the Monkeys threw rope around the Lion until he could not bite or scratch or move. They lifted him up and flew him to the Witch’s castle. He was put in a small yard with a high fence so he could not escape.

They did not harm Dorothy at all. She stood with Toto in her arms. When the leader of the Winged Monkeys saw the mark of the Good Witch’s kiss on her forehead, he told the others not to harm her.

They gently lifted her in their arms and carried her to the castle. The leader said to the Witch, “The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow are destroyed and the Lion tied in your yard. The girl and her dog we could not hurt. You will not see us again.”

Then the Winged Monkeys flew into the air and were gone.

The Wicked Witch was surprised and worried when she saw the mark on Dorothy. She knew she could not hurt the girl. She saw the silver shoes on Dorothy’s feet and began to tremble. She almost ran away, but she looked into the child’s eyes and saw the girl did not know the power of the shoes.

She said, “Come with me and do everything I tell you or I will kill you, too.”

When they came to the kitchen, the Witch told her to clean the pots and sweep the floor. Dorothy worked hard as the Witch went to the yard to harness the Cowardly Lion like a horse. But when she opened the gate the Lion roared and jumped at her. The Witch ran out and shut the gate.

She decided to starve him. But every night while she slept, Dorothy brought him food. They would talk about their troubles and plan a way to escape. But the castle was constantly guarded by the Winkies, who were afraid of the Witch.

Dorothy was very sad. She knew it would be harder to get back to Kansas.

The Wicked Witch had a great interest in having the silver shoes. She had used up many of her powers trying to kill the strangers. If she got the shoes, she would have more power than all the things she lost. But Dorothy never took off the shoes.

Being very sneaky, the Witch put an iron bar in the middle of the kitchen floor and made it invisible. Dorothy tripped over it and fell. One of her silver shoes fell off and the Witch grabbed it. She put it on her foot.

“Give me back my shoe!” Dorothy said. “No,” the Witch said. “It is my shoe now. Someday I will get the other one.”

This made Dorothy so angry. She picked up the bucket of water nearby and threw it over the Witch.

The Wicked Witch cried out. Dorothy watched in surprise as the Witch began to shrink.

“Look what you have done!” she screamed. “I am melting away!”

“I’m very sorry,” Dorothy said.

“Water is the end of me,” the Witch cried out. “In a few minutes I’ll be all melted. I have been wicked, but I never thought a little girl would be able to melt me and end my wicked work. Here I go!”

Then the Witch fell down in a brown, melted mess all over the floor. Dorothy filled another bucket of water and threw it over the mess. She swept it out the door.

After picking up the silver shoe and cleaning it, she put it on her foot. She ran to the yard to tell the Lion that the Wicked Witch of the West was dead and they were no longer prisoners.