Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country is the eastern quadrant of the Land of Oz, a region of rich farmland, blue-painted round houses, and a people who for many years lived under the cruel bondage of the Wicked Witch of the East. It is the first land Dorothy encounters after her cyclone-borne house lands in Oz, and its liberation from the Witch's rule sets the entire story in motion.
Geography and Appearance
The country is a land of "marvelous beauty," with "lovely patches of greensward," stately fruit trees, "gorgeous flowers," and birds with "rare and brilliant plumage." A small brook rushes and sparkles between green banks. The farms are well cared for, with neat fences painted a "dainty blue color" and fields of grain and vegetables in abundance. The houses are odd-looking dwellings, each round with a big dome for a roof, all painted blue, for blue is the favorite color in the East. The road to the Emerald City, paved with yellow brick, begins here and runs through the country.
The People and Their Bondage
The Munchkins are described as "the queerest people" Dorothy has ever seen, about as tall as she is but many years older in appearance. They wear round hats that rise to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tinkle sweetly. The men dress in blue with well-polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. The Witch of the North explains that the Wicked Witch of the East "has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day." The Munchkins are good farmers, able to raise large crops, and they are kind-hearted—when Dorothy begins to sob, they immediately take out their handkerchiefs and weep also.
Liberation and Celebration
When Dorothy's house falls on the Wicked Witch of the East, the Munchkins are set free. They send a swift messenger to the Witch of the North, who comes at once. The Munchkins bow low to Dorothy, calling her a "most noble Sorceress" and thanking her for killing the Witch and setting them free. That evening, at the home of the richest Munchkin, Boq, many men and women dance to the music of five little fiddlers, laughing and singing, with a big table loaded with delicious fruits, nuts, pies, and cakes, celebrating their freedom. Boq tells Dorothy that blue is the color of the Munchkins, and white is the witch color, so her blue-and-white checked dress marks her as a friendly witch.
Dorothy's Journey Through the Country
Dorothy begins her journey to the Emerald City from Munchkin Country, walking along the yellow brick road. The people come out to look at her and bow low as she passes, for everyone knows she destroyed the Wicked Witch. She stays overnight with Boq, who warns her that the road ahead passes through "rough and dangerous places." The Scarecrow, whom Dorothy rescues from a cornfield in Munchkin Country, is made by a Munchkin farmer and wears an old pointed blue hat and a blue suit of clothes that had belonged to some Munchkin. The Tin Woodman, who also joins the party, was once a Munchkin woodchopper who loved a Munchkin girl.
Narrative Role and Significance
Munchkin Country serves as the initial setting of Dorothy's adventures in Oz, establishing the pattern of color-coded regions (blue for the East) and the theme of liberation from wicked rulers. Its prosperous, pleasant appearance contrasts with the gray Kansas prairie Dorothy has left behind, yet its people's former enslavement introduces the political reality of Oz. The country's liberation by an accidental act—a house falling from a cyclone—foreshadows the accidental means by which the Wicked Witch of the West will later be destroyed. The Munchkins' gratitude and celebration create Dorothy's first experience of being treated as a hero, a role she does not understand but accepts as she moves toward her goal of returning home.
