The Wonderful Wizard of Oz · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Read with companions Book page

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

Chapter 1
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, is carried by a cyclone to the magical Land of Oz. Her house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing the Munchkins. She is thanked by the good Witch of the North and given the Witch's silver shoes. To return home, she is advised to travel to the Emerald City to seek help from the great Wizard of Oz. Along the way, she befriends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion, who each seek brains, a heart, and courage respectively. They face dangers such as a dark forest, a wide ditch, and a river, but work together to overcome them. Upon reaching the Emerald City, the Wizard demands they kill the Wicked Witch of the West before he will grant their wishes. They journey to the Witch's land, where she uses her power to enslave them. Dorothy is captured, but in a confrontation, she accidentally melts the Witch with a bucket of water. They return to the Emerald City to discover the Wizard is a humbug, but he still fulfills his promises symbolically. Dorothy and her friends then travel to Glinda the Good Witch, who reveals the silver shoes can take Dorothy home. Dorothy clicks her heels and returns to Kansas, reunited with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.
Chapter 2
The Cyclone
Dorothy lives on the gray Kansas prairie with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. When a cyclone approaches, she is unable to reach the cellar in time and is carried away in the house, along with her dog Toto. After an initial fright, she calms herself and falls asleep as the house is swept through the sky.
Chapter 3
The Council with the Munchkins
Dorothy awakens in the Land of Oz after her house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East. She meets the Munchkins and the Witch of the North, who explains the nature of witches in Oz and gives Dorothy the silver shoes. Dorothy expresses her desire to return to Kansas, and the Witch of the North advises her to seek help from the Great Wizard Oz in the Emerald City. The Witch gives Dorothy a protective kiss and directs her to follow the yellow brick road.
Chapter 4
III: How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow
Dorothy prepares for her journey to the Emerald City, puts on the silver shoes of the Wicked Witch of the East, and sets off along the yellow brick road. She is welcomed by the Munchkins and stays with Boq. The next day, she meets a living Scarecrow who asks to accompany her to Oz in hopes of getting brains.
Chapter 5
The Road Through the Forest
Dorothy and the Scarecrow continue their journey along the yellow brick road, which becomes increasingly rough and difficult. They rest by a brook where the Scarecrow shares his origin story—how he was created by a farmer and placed in a cornfield to scare crows, only to be deemed a failure by an old crow who advised him to seek brains. The Scarecrow expresses his desire to obtain brains from the Great Oz. As evening falls, they enter a dark forest and find a small cottage where Dorothy sleeps while the Scarecrow stands guard.

Free preview

20 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.

20 more companions → free preview

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Cyclone

The Council with the Munchkins

III: How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow

The Road Through the Forest