"Which road leads to the Wicked Witch of the West?" asked Dorothy politely as they left the Emerald City.
"There is no road," answered the gatekeeper.
"But if you want to find the Witch, it is easy.
Go west, to the land of the Winkies.
There the Witch will find you and make you her slaves."
"We won't become her slaves," said the Scarecrow. "We plan to destroy her."
"Oh, that's different," said the gatekeeper.
"But no one has ever destroyed her before, so I thought she would make you her slaves."
They walked all day. The land became scarier as they went west.
That night Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion rested on the grass while the Scarecrow and the Tin Man stood guard.
From her tower the Wicked Witch of the West used her magic to spy on Dorothy and her friends.
The Witch was angry to see them so near.
She took a silver whistle from around her neck and blew it once.
Soon a pack of evil-looking wolves gathered around her tower.
"Go!" the Witch screamed. "Tear them to pieces!"
"Do you hear that?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Yes, it sounds like wolves," said the Tin Man.
"Get behind me. This is my fight."
The wolves leaped out of the mist, and the Tin Man struck each one down with his ax.
The next morning Dorothy was quite scared to see the pile of dead wolves.
"Don't worry," said the Scarecrow. "We will protect each other."
From her tower the Witch was also looking at the dead wolves, and the scene made her angry.
This time she blew the whistle twice.
Soon a giant flock of crows darkened the sky.
"Go!" screamed the Witch. "Peck out their eyes and tear them to pieces."
The crows immediately flew toward Dorothy and her friends.
The Scarecrow saw the crows coming and ordered, "Lie facedown on the ground! This is my fight."
The crows were scared when they saw the Scarecrow, but the King Crow said, "He is only made of straw."
The King Crow flew at the Scarecrow.
But, one by one, the Scarecrow caught and killed each crow.
When he was done, he said to his friends, "Get up. I have won."
From her tower the Witch watched, and she was furious.
Again she took out her whistle, and this time she blew on it three times.
A swarm of bees appeared.
"Go!" screamed the Witch. "Sting them to death."
The bees flew east.
"Look," said the Tin Man. "Bees!"
"Quick! Cover Dorothy and Lion with my straw," said the Scarecrow.
"The bees won't be able to sting them."
The bees came and found no one but the Tin Man, and of course they could not sting him since he was made of metal.
The Witch was now a little worried.
She had already used many of her most powerful weapons.
She had only one weapon left.
She opened her closet and took out a golden hat.
"This is the last time I can use you," said the Witch.
Then, in a strange voice changed by the magic of the hat, she shouted, "By my command!"
Soon a flock of Winged Monkeys circled her tower.
The largest Monkey flew to her and said, "What do you command?"
"Go and destroy them all!" said the Witch.
"Except the Lion. I want to make him my pet."
The Winged Monkeys did as she commanded.
One group grabbed the Tin Man, carried him high into the sky, and dropped him onto some rocks.
Another group pulled the straw out of the Scarecrow, scattered it, and then placed his clothes in the tallest tree.
A third group tackled the Lion, tied him with ropes, and brought him to the Witch.
But they did not harm Dorothy.
"We cannot harm the girl," said the largest Monkey.
"Bring her to the Witch–she will deal with her."
The Monkeys took Dorothy to the Witch's tower and then disappeared.