The Council with the Munchkins

The Council with the Munchkins is the foundational event of Dorothy's journey in Oz, transforming her from a cyclone-tossed Kansas orphan into a figure of destiny marked by the death of a tyrant and the gift of magical protection. It is here that the rules of Oz are first explained, the quest to see Oz is set, and the silver shoes—whose power Dorothy will not understand until the very end—pass into her hands.

Arrival and First Sight of Oz

Dorothy awakens from her cyclone-borne sleep to find the house no longer moving, the room flooded with bright sunshine. She springs from her bed and opens the door to a country of "marvelous beauty": patches of greensward, stately trees bearing rich fruit, banks of gorgeous flowers, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage. A small brook rushes and sparkles between green banks. This landscape stands in absolute contrast to the dry, gray Kansas prairies she has left behind. As she stands looking, she sees approaching a group of the queerest people she has ever seen—not as big as grown folk, but about as tall as Dorothy herself, though many years older in appearance. Three are men and one a woman, all oddly dressed in round hats that rise to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tinkle sweetly. The men's hats are blue; the little woman's hat is white, and she wears a white gown sprinkled with little stars that glisten like diamonds. The men are dressed in blue with well-polished boots. The little woman is doubtless much older, her face covered with wrinkles, her hair nearly white.

The Revelation of the Wicked Witch's Death

When the people draw near, they pause and whisper among themselves as if afraid. But the little old woman walks up to Dorothy, makes a low bow, and addresses her as "most noble Sorceress," thanking her for killing the Wicked Witch of the East and setting the Munchkins free from bondage. Dorothy listens with wonder, knowing she is an innocent, harmless little girl who has never killed anything. The little woman explains that Dorothy's house did the killing, and points to the corner of the house where two feet are sticking out, shod in silver shoes with pointed toes. Dorothy cries out in dismay, but the woman calmly says there is nothing to be done. She identifies the dead witch as the Wicked Witch of the East, who had held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free.

The Witch of the North and the Nature of Oz

Dorothy learns that the little old woman is the Witch of the North, a good witch, and that there are only four witches in all the Land of Oz: two good (North and South) and two wicked (East and West). The Witch explains that in civilized countries like Kansas, there are no witches left, but Oz has never been civilized and is cut off from the rest of the world. She tells Dorothy about Oz himself, the Great Wizard who lives in the City of Emeralds and is more powerful than all the witches together. Just then, the Munchkins shout and point: the feet of the dead Witch have disappeared entirely, leaving only the silver shoes. The Witch explains that the Witch of the East was so old she dried up quickly in the sun. She gives the silver shoes to Dorothy, and a Munchkin mentions there is some charm connected with them, though what it is they never knew.

The Quest to the Emerald City

Dorothy expresses her anxiety to return to her aunt and uncle, but the Munchkins and the Witch explain that the Land of Oz is surrounded on all sides by a great desert, making escape impossible. Dorothy begins to sob, and her tears grieve the kind-hearted Munchkins, who weep also. The Witch of the North takes off her cap, balances it on the end of her nose, and counts "One, two, three" in a solemn voice. The cap changes to a slate on which is written: "LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS." The Witch interprets this as a command: Dorothy must go to the City of Emeralds, for perhaps Oz will help her. She tells Dorothy that the road is paved with yellow brick, and that she will use all her magic arts to keep Dorothy from harm. When Dorothy pleads for the Witch to accompany her, the Witch refuses but gives her a kiss on the forehead, which leaves a round, shining mark. She explains that no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North. The Witch then whirls around on her left heel three times and disappears, much to the surprise of Toto, though Dorothy, knowing her to be a witch, is not surprised.

The Gift of the Silver Shoes and the Beginning of the Journey

After the Witch and the Munchkins depart, Dorothy prepares for her journey. She puts on her clean gingham dress and pink sunbonnet, fills a basket with bread, and notices her old worn shoes. Seeing the silver shoes on the table, she tries them on and finds they fit as if made for her. She locks the house door, puts the key in her pocket, and with Toto trotting behind her, starts along the yellow brick road. The sun shines bright, the birds sing sweetly, and her silver shoes tinkle merrily on the hard road-bed. She is surprised by the beauty of the country: neat blue fences, fields of grain and vegetables, and round houses with big domes for roofs, all painted blue. The people come out to bow low as she passes, knowing she destroyed the Wicked Witch. That evening, she is invited to supper and to stay the night by a rich Munchkin named Boq, who tells her she must be a great sorceress because she wears silver shoes and has white in her frock. Dorothy sleeps soundly in a blue-sheeted bed, and the next morning, after a hearty breakfast, she continues her journey, eventually meeting the Scarecrow.

Significance and Consequences

The Council with the Munchkins establishes the central quest of the novel: Dorothy must reach the Emerald City and ask Oz to send her home. It introduces the moral geography of Oz—the division between good and wicked witches, the enslavement of the Munchkins, and the benevolent but mysterious rule of Oz. It also provides Dorothy with two crucial magical objects: the silver shoes, whose power she does not yet understand, and the protective kiss of the Good Witch, which will later save her from the Winged Monkeys. The event sets in motion the entire narrative, as Dorothy's journey will gather the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion, each seeking their own desires from Oz. The Witch of the North's disappearance and the Munchkins' gratitude establish that Dorothy is now a figure of hope and liberation in this strange land, even as she remains a lost little girl who only wants to go home.