In the heart of Kansas, where the wheat danced with the wind and the sky was endless and blue, lived young Dorothy Gale. Her world was filled with the love of her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, but her heart wanted to see colors that have never been seen before, and adventures that have never been told before. She often found herself gazing (staren) towards the horizon, thinking about what might lay beyond the familiar fields.
One day, a tornado, like a mighty beast from ancient stories, swept through the plains. It threw Dorothy and her loyal dog, Toto, into a storm of wind and fear. Their house sailed through the storm until it crashed with a thunderous sound in a land beyond imagination – the Land of Oz.
This world was a kaleidoscope of colors, so vivid and surreal, it made Dorothy’s heart skip in wonder. Yet, amidst this greatness, she felt a pang of homesickness, she wanted to go back to the simple, sun-kissed fields of Kansas.
Her arrival in Oz was an unintended (onbedoeld) act of heroism. The house had landed upon the Wicked Witch of the East, and set the Munchkins free from her cruel reign. The Munchkins, small in size but large in spirit, crowned Dorothy as their savior. They shared stories of their life under the witch’s rule, their voices a mix of gratitude (dankbaarheid) and relief (opluchting). Dorothy was touched by their resilience (weerstand) and found herself smiling despite the strangeness of her situation. They gave her the silver shoes of the banished witch, a gift that felt both wondrous and important.
Yet, even during the celebration, Dorothy’s eyes were set on Kansas. She wished for the familiar embrace of her aunt and uncle. Guided by the Munchkins, she set forth on the yellow brick road, which is supposed to lead to the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City, who might have the power to help her return home. As she walked, Dorothy’s thoughts wandered. ‘What sort of man is this Wizard? Will he truly help me?’ she thought. The fields stretched out endlessly beside her, and suddenly, she saw a curious sight in a cornfield. A Scarecrow, with a painted face and a stitched-on smile, was stood atop a pole.
“Excuse me,” he said, in a voice as soft as rustling leaves, “Could you help me down?”
Dorothy, intrigued and empathetic, helped him. As they walked together, the Scarecrow shared his longing for a brain, and intelligence. Dorothy found his company comforting, his presence was a reminder of the familiar scarecrows back home but with a life all their own. Further along the road, a glint of sunlight reflecting off metal caught Dorothy’s attention. A Tin Woodman stood frozen, an axe in his hand. Dorothy, feeling his misery, oiled his joints (gewrichten).
He spoke of his desire for a heart, a wish that struck a chord in Dorothy’s own heart. Deeper into the forest, a loud roar startled them. A Cowardly Lion, majestic but fearful, showed his true nature. Dorothy’s reassurance (geruststellen) inspired him to join their quest, hoping the Wizard might give him courage.
Together, they travelled through Oz, a land of beauty and peril. The shadow of the Wicked Witch of the West loomed over them, she was angry about her sister’s death. The group faced challenges that tested and revealed their true strengths: the Scarecrow’s wisdom, the Tin Woodman’s empathy, and the Lion’s bravery. Dorothy, who saw her friends’ growth, found her resolve strengthening, her thoughts often drifting to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.
In the Emerald City, they met the Wizard, a man shrouded (gehuld) in illusions. He was unmasked by Toto, revealing nothing more than a mere man behind a curtain. The Wizard confessed that he was just a normal person, he arrived in Oz on accident, just like Dorothy. He said he had a plan to live among the normal people, not as a ruler, but as a learner to repair the trust he had broken.
Dorothy, although discouraged, felt a sense of clarity (duidelijkheid). She had found strength in her journey. Seeking a way home, she turned to Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
Glinda, wise and gentle, revealed that the power to return was in the silver shoes Dorothy wore. “You needed to find the strength within yourself,” Glinda said, her words echoing in Dorothy’s heart. Saying a tearful farewell to her companions, Dorothy clicked the silver shoes together.
“There’s no place like home,” she said. Whisked away, she awoke in Kansas, with all the love she had longed for.
Embracing Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Dorothy realized that adventure and love, wisdom and bravery, were not just in Oz but inside her all along. As she looked out over the Kansas fields, Dorothy knew she carried Oz within her – a land of dreams and lessons, a chapter of her life’s story that would forever remind her that there truly was no place like home.