The Wizard of Oz: Chapter 2: The Council with the Munchkins Summary & Analysis

Dorothy awakens as the house lurches suddenly and violently. After seeing the sunlight outside and noticing that the house is no longer moving, she and Toto rush to the front door to see where they’ve landed. They find themselves in a beautiful country, full of colorful flowers, fruits, trees, and singing birds. As she admires the interesting landscape, Dorothy spies a group of strange people approaching. The people are roughly Dorothy’s size, but they appear to be adults wearing blue clothing and pointed hats. One of the figures, however, is an older woman wearing all white. She bows and calls Dorothy a sorceress, thanking her for killing the Wicked Witch of the East.

A confused Dorothy explains to the woman that she, Dorothy, hasn’t killed anyone. But the woman shows Dorothy that the farmhouse landed on someone whose legs are clearly sticking out from underneath the building. While Dorothy is distressed at this sight, the old woman explains that the victim of this accident was the Wicked Witch of the East, who’s been keeping the Munchkins (the people of this area) enslaved for years. The woman goes on to explain that she’s also a witch herself, but that she’s a good witch and a friend of the Munchkins: the Witch of the North. She tells Dorothy that there were only four witches in the Land of Oz, and now that the Witch of the East is dead, the only wicked witch left is the Witch of the West.

Dorothy mentions that Aunt Em told her that there haven’t been witches in the world for many years. The Witch of the North explains that this is only true in “civilized countries,” and mentions that she’s never heard of Kansas. The Munchkins suddenly interrupt their conversation, pointing to where the feet of the Witch of the East have disappeared, leaving only a pair of silver shoes behind. The Witch of the North explains that the Witch of the East was so old that exposure to sunlight turned her to dust, and that the silver slippers belong to Dorothy now.

Dorothy figures that Aunt Em and Uncle Henry must be worried about her, so she asks how she might get home to Kansas. The Witch of the North and the Munchkins tell her that the entire Land of Oz is surrounded by a vast, uncrossable desert, and that Dorothy must therefore live here with them. Dorothy begins to cry at the thought of never returning home, at which point the Witch of the North conjures a slate that seems to tell her what to do. She tells Dorothy to travel to the Emerald City, as the powerful Wizard of Oz who lives there could help her return to Kansas. The Witch cannot accompany Dorothy on this journey, but she kisses Dorothy’s forehead and leaves a shining mark there. She explains that no one would dare to harm someone who has the blessing of the Witch of the North.