You say, "I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me. Can you help me find my way?"

The Munchkins and the Witch shake their heads.

"At the East," says one, "there is a great desert. None could live to cross it."

"It is the same at the South," says another. "The South is the country of the Quadlings."

"I am told," says the third man, "that it is the same at the West. That country, where the Winkies live, is ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West, who would make you her servant if you passed her way."

"The North is my home," says the old lady, "and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. I'm afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us."

You begin to sob, for you feel lonely among all these strange people.

The old woman takes off her cap and balances the point on the end of her nose, while she counts, "One, two, three." 

At once the cap changes to a slate, on which is written in big, white chalk marks: Let Dorothy go to the City of Emeralds.

The old woman asks, "Is your name Dorothy, dear?"

"Yes," you answer, drying your tears.

"Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. It is in the center of the country and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of. Perhaps Oz will help you."

"How can I get there?" you ask.

"You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm."

"Won't you go with me?" you plead.

"No, I cannot do that," she replies, "but I will give you my kiss. No one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North."

She kisses you gently on the forehead. Where her lips touch you, they leave a round, shining mark.

"The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick," says the Witch, "so you cannot miss it. When you get to Oz, do not be afraid of him. Tell your story and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my dear."

The Munchkins bow low and wish you a pleasant journey, after which they walk away. The Witch whirls around on her left heel three times and disappears.

You begin to feel hungry, so you go to the cupboard and cut yourself some bread. You give some to Toto, and then you carry a pail down to a little brook and fill it with clear, sparkling water.

You go back to the house and make ready for the journey to the City of Emeralds. You take a little basket and fill it with bread. Then you look down at your feet and notice how old and worn your shoes are.

"They surely will never do for a long journey, Toto." 

Toto looks up with his little black eyes and wags his tail to show that he knows what you mean.

At that moment, you see the silver shoes that had belonged to the Witch of the East.

"I wonder if they will fit me," you say to Toto. "They would be just the thing to take a long walk in."

You take off your old leather shoes and try on the silver ones, which fit as well as if they had been made for you.

"Come along, Toto," you say. "We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back home to Kansas."

There are several roads nearby. Some are made of dirt and others of gravel. However, you search for more than an hour and come upon only one road made of brick--but it isn't yellow. The brick starts as red, yet far off in the distance it fades to orange. You know your rainbow colors. Since yellow comes after orange, could this be your yellow brick road? It certainly makes sense, especially if the Witch's advice was a riddle. Or is there another road that you haven't found yet? Will you take this brick road, or should you keep looking for another route? What will you choose to do?

---

Excerpted from Can You Survive the Wonderful Wizard of Oz?: A Choose Your Path Book by Ryan Jacobson
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.