The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Chapters 1-8

Reading Check

1. Dorothy is retrieving Toto, who has fearfully crawled under her bed. (Chapter 1)

2. The Witch of the North and three male Munchkins come to greet Dorothy. (Chapter 2)

3. The Witch of the North gives Dorothy the Wicked Witch of the East’s enchanted silver shoes. (Chapter 2)

4. The Lion jumps across the first ditch, bearing his friends on his back. The Woodman cuts a tree to create a bridge across the second ditch. (Chapter 7)

Short Answer

1. Kansas is depicted as barren and gray; the inhabitants of the farm struggle to produce enough food and are threatened by dangerous cyclones. In contrast, the Land of Oz is characterized as lush and green, filled with fruit, flowers, streams, and colorful birds. (Chapters 1-2)

2. The Scarecrow has thoughtful conversations with Dorothy about the importance of home and about the differences between being made from straw or from flesh. These conversations illustrate that he is capable of reasoning and thinking. The Scarecrow also comes up with the solution for crossing the second ditch; he suggests that the Woodman cut down a tree to make a bridge. (Chapters 4-5, 7)

3. The Woodman, although he does not have a literal heart, is tender and kind. He weeps when he accidentally crushes a beetle, believing that he should not be cruel or unkind to any living thing. (Chapter 6)

4. The Lion is fearful in many situations, such as when he must leap across the ditch lined with sharp rocks and when the group is chased by the Khalids. However, he overcomes his fear and shows courage by leaping across the ditch with his friends and by roaring ferociously at the Khalids. (Chapter 7)

Chapters 9-16

Reading Check

1. The Lion is wheeled out of the poppy field on a cart built by the Woodman and pulled by the mice.

2. The Wizard of Oz requires them to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.

3. Dorothy kills the Wicked Witch of the West by throwing water on her, causing her to melt.

4. Oz gives the Scarecrow a brain of bran, pins, and needles. He gives the Woodman a satin heart, and he gives the Lion a green elixir for courage.

Short Answer

1. Dorothy’s friends act selflessly to save each other. The Woodman instructs his friends to hide behind him as he chops the heads off the 40 wolves. Next, the Scarecrow tells his friends to hide their eyes as the crows come to peck their eyes out; he breaks their necks. The Woodman withstands the stings of the bees while everyone else hides beneath the Scarecrow’s straw, and the Lion roars threateningly at the approaching Winkies, scaring them away. (Chapter 12)

2. The Witch sends wolves, bees, crows, and armed soldiers to destroy Dorothy and her friends. She then orders the Woodman and the Scarecrow to be destroyed by the Winged Monkeys, imprisons Dorothy in servitude, and tries to starve the Lion into humiliating submission. (Chapter 12)

3. The Scarecrow has in fact been intelligent all along; he just lacked confidence and self-belief. (Chapter 16)

4. The Wizard of Oz, although he has no magical powers, kindly thinks of gifts for the Scarecrow, the Woodman, and the Lion that will instill them with confidence and self-belief in their already existing abilities. He also devises a way to help Dorothy return to Kansas, although she misses the balloon. (Chapters 16-17)

Chapters 17-24

Reading Check

1. Dorothy misses the balloon because she is retrieving Toto. (Chapter 17)

2. Dorothy goes to ask Glinda, the Witch of the South, to help her return to Kansas. Her friends decide to accompany her. (Chapter 18)

3. The Lion kills a terrifying monster—a giant spider—to become the King of the Forest. (Chapter 21)

4. Dorothy returns to Kansas using the magical silver shoes; she taps the heels three times and asks to be returned to Kansas. (Chapter 23)

Short Answer

1. The Lion, who always wanted to be celebrated for his courage and bravery, is elected King of the Forest after he kills a giant spider. (Chapter 21)

2. The Scarecrow, who always dreamed of having brains, is elected to rule the Emerald City, where he is celebrated as wise and capable. (Chapter 23)

3. The Woodman, who prioritizes acting with kindness, rules the Winkies in the land of the West. He replaces the cruel Wicked Witch of the West and is celebrated for his loving and gentle nature. (Chapter 23)

4. Unlike the Wicked Witch of the West, who used the Winged Monkeys to gain power and control, Glinda uses the Golden Cap to return the Scarecrow, the Woodman, and the Lion to their respective homes. Instead of trying to steal Dorothy’s magical shoes for herself (as the Wicked Witch of the West attempted), she kindly and selflessly explains how Dorothy can use them to return to her family. (Chapter 23)