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CHAPTER 23 - SAFE AT LAST IN THE LAND OF OZ
"Must we keep bumping until we bump through?" panted Dorothy
anxiously.
"
No, by my hilts!" roared Sir Hokus, and setting his foot in a notch of the
beanstalk, he cut with his sword the rope that bound him to the parasol.
Put the parasol down half way, and I'll climb ahead and cut an opening."
"
With great difficulty Dorothy partially lowered the parasol, and instantly
their speed diminished. Indeed, they barely moved at all, and the Knight had
soon passed them on his climb to the top.
"Are you there?" rumbled the Cowardly Lion anxiously. A great clod of earth
landed on his head, filling his eyes and mouth with mud.
"Ugh!" roared the lion.
"It's getting light! It's getting light!" screamed Dorothy, and in her excitement
snapped the parasol up.
Sir Hokus, having cut with his sword a large circular hole in the thin crust
of earth covering the tube, was about to step out when the parasol, hurling
up from below, caught him neatly on its top, and out burst the whole party
and sailed up almost to the clouds!
"
Welcome to Oz!" cried Dorothy, looking down happily on the dear familiar
Munchkin landscape.
"
"
Home at last!" exulted the Scarecrow, wafting a kiss downward.
Let's get down to earth before we knock the sun into a cocked hat," gasped
the Cowardly Lion, for Dorothy, in her excitement, had forgotten to lower the
parasol.
Now the little girl lowered the parasol carefully at first, then faster and faster
and finally shut it altogether.
Sir Hokus took a high dive from the top. Down tumbled the others, over and
over. But fortunately for all, there was a great haystack below, and upon
this they landed in a jumbled heap close to the magic bean pole. As it
happened, there was no one in sight. Up they jumped in a trice, and while
the Comfortable Camel and Doubtful Dromedary munched contentedly at
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