Dorothys Mystical Adventures in Oz | Page 6

that can be," said Dorothy. "I know you are not very big, but this pin cushion seems far too small for you to stand on, let alone sink down to your head."
"Oh, that's not a problem for us," replied the Pinhead. "You see, we have the ability to make little things big. How do you think we could make a big raft for you giants? We just make the raft out of match-sticks and thread, and when it's enlarged it looks like it's made out of big logs and rope."
"But how do you do that?" exclaimed the girl.
"Oh, that's easy," replied the Pinhead. "You see, after the object is made, we look at it under our big magnifying glass. This magnifying glass is no ordinary magnifying glass, but has the ability to magnify things permanently. It was given to our ancestors by a male witch who had no further use for it."
"Why don't you look at each other's heads with it?" asked the Scarecrow seriously. "Then you'd all have bigger heads."
"Oh, it won't work on living things," replied the Pinhead. "Besides, we like the way we look. How would it be if everyone in Oz looked the same? All skinny or all fat, all tall or all short, all white or all yellow, all blue or all green, all --"
"All right, all right! You've made your point," said the Scarecrow. "My brain is fairly new and it's just not used to thinking that much yet."
"I agree with you, Mr. Pinhead," said Dorothy. The world would be a very dull place if everyone looked the same. Imagine what it would be like if everyone looked exactly alike, thought exactly alike, and talked exactly alike! There would be no point to existence."
"My sentiments entirely!" said the Pinhead.
"Getting back to the business at hand," said Dorothy. "I'm still mystified as to how you create a river to order?"
"Well," answered the Pinhead. "It's quite simple, really. We have this huge reservoir that was created by building a dam to capture the tears of a giant that was a bit of a cry-baby, to say the least. The slightest little hurt would set him off on a crying spell. We turned his excessive crying into a cottage industry by utilizing the stored up tears for our new company, /Rivers on Demand, Inc.,/ and since the tears have magical qualities we can direct the river to and fro', uphill or downhill, exactly as we wish to suit the customer's order. The river even knows to avoid dwelling places and other inhabited areas, and to return immediately to the reservoir when its passengers have disembarked."
"Remarkable!" replied Dorothy. "Just remarkable."
With that, they all went down to the newly created river to board the raft that had just been completed for them. After stepping aboard they barely had time to wave goodbye to their new friends as the river quickly whisked them on their way.
*

Chapter Five
:
A Visit from the Wicked Witch of the Deep South
*
"My, the river's flowing fast. I'm glad it's not that deep," said the Tin Woodman, after they were underway. "If it were, and I fell overboard, I could rust up solid for all eternity. Do you think the raft will stay big? Oh dear, what if it gets little again? We'll all be spilled into the water!"
"Don't worry so much," said Dorothy, smiling. "You'll worry yourself to death."
"Can people really do that?" asked the Tin Woodman. "Worry themselves to death?"
"Of course not," laughed the girl. "But I suppose a person could become quite sick if he constantly worried over things."
"Never worry worry, 'til worry worries you," said the Scarecrow in a matter-of-fact tone.
"What is that supposed to mean?" inquired the Tin Woodman.
"I think it means," answered the Scarecrow, "don't worry about something until it actually happens."
"Oh! I see," said the Tin Woodman. "In other words, most of our worries never materialize, so why fret constantly over something that in all probability will never occur?"
"I think you've got it," said Dorothy.
"I think you've got it," echoed the Scarecrow.
Everyone laughed uproariously. Then the Tin Woodman broke into song....
"Oh ... never worry worry 'til worry worries you, 'cause if you worry worry your worry'll worry you."
Dorothy and the Scarecrow joined in:
"Oh ... never worry worry 'til worry worries you, 'cause if you worry worry your worry'll worry you."
Suddenly a dark shadow covered their raft, and a piercing scream filled the air. They all looked up to see the Wicked Witch of the Deep South on a huge broomstick sweeping down on them. She had the ugliest, meanest face Dorothy had ever seen. As her eyes met Dorothy's, she pointed a long bony green finger at her and screamed, "I'll get you, Deary! You killed my sisters. You'll never leave Oz alive!" Then she screeched with terrible laughter as