Before they saw Glinda, the friends cleaned up. Dorothy washed her face. The Lion shook the dust from his hair. The Scarecrow patted his straw into a good shape. And the Tin Woodman polished his body.
Then a soldier girl took them to a big room. Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, sat on a beautiful throne made of red rubies (a type of red jewel). She was beautiful and young. She had rich, red hair and kind blue eyes.
"What can I do for you, my child?" she asked Dorothy.
Dorothy told Glinda her whole story. She told her about the cyclone, her friends, and all their adventures. "Now, my biggest wish is to go back to Kansas," she finished.
Glinda smiled and kissed Dorothy's face. "I can tell you how to get back to Kansas," she said. "But first, you must give me the Golden Cap."
"Of course!" Dorothy said. The cap was no use to her now. She happily gave it to Glinda.
Then Glinda asked the Scarecrow, "What will you do when Dorothy leaves?"
"I will go back to the Emerald City," he said. "Oz made me the ruler. But I don't know how to get past the hill of the Hammer-Heads."
"I will use my first command of the Golden Cap," Glinda said. "I will tell the Winged Monkeys to carry you to the Emerald City."
Next, she looked at the Tin Woodman. "What will you do?" she asked.
"The Winkies were very kind to me," he said. "They wanted me to be their ruler. I would like to go back to the West and rule the Winkies."
"I will use my second command," said Glinda. "I will tell the Winged Monkeys to carry you to the land of the Winkies. You will be a very good ruler."
Then she looked at the Lion. "And what will you do?" she asked.
"There is a big forest near the Hammer-Heads' hill," the Lion said. "All the animals there made me their King. I want to go back to my forest."
"I will use my third and last command," Glinda said. "I will tell the Winged Monkeys to carry you to your forest. After that, I will give the Golden Cap to the Monkey King. Then he and his monkeys will be free forever."
The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion all thanked Glinda for her great kindness.
"But you did not tell me how to get back to Kansas," Dorothy said.
"Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert," Glinda said. "If you knew their power, you could go home on your first day here."
"But then I would not have my brains!" cried the Scarecrow.
"And I would not have my heart!" said the Tin Woodman.
"And I would be a coward forever!" said the Lion.
"That is true," said Dorothy. "I am happy I could help my good friends. But now I want to go home."
"The Silver Shoes are very powerful," Glinda explained. "You just need to clap your heels together three times. Then tell the shoes where you want to go. They will take you anywhere in the world in just three steps."
"Then I will go to Kansas now!" Dorothy said joyfully.
She said a sad goodbye to her dear friends. She hugged the Lion's neck. She kissed the crying Tin Woodman. She gave the Scarecrow a big hug. Glinda also gave her a goodbye kiss.
Dorothy picked up Toto in her arms. She said one last goodbye. Then she clapped the heels of her shoes together three times and said, "Take me home to Aunt Em!"
Instantly, she was flying through the air very fast. The wind whistled in her ears. After three quick steps, she stopped. She rolled on the soft grass.
She sat up and looked around. "Oh my!" she cried.
She was back on the big Kansas prairie. In front of her was the new farmhouse. Uncle Henry was milking the cows. Toto jumped from her arms and ran barking toward the barn.
Dorothy looked down at her feet. She was not wearing her shoes. The Silver Shoes fell off when she was flying. They were lost forever in the desert.