The afternoon sun was beating down oppressively upon the Texas landscape outside. A heat wave had settled in the area, and it would last into the next day, so the 16 year old orphan girl stayed inside to keep as cool as she could. Wendy Wylie cast a bored glance over the wheat fields from within the farmhouse in which she lived, from out the window of her room on the second floor.
But she was still bored. Not much to do, for all her farm chores were dutifully done. At times, she could just stare out the window and get lost in her own thoughts.
Although like most girls, she enjoyed most common forms of recreation, Wendy was one of those sorts who did not complain much when she was given something to do. As long as it was something she could capably handle. It was a good way to pass the time in an otherwise dull household, and she had very few friends on account of her farmhouse being so remote.
She was feeling a little sad this day, as well. She had just learned that one of her cousins…Betsy Bobbin by name…was among those lost during a doomed sea voyage. Her body was never found.
Her foster parents, whom she generally liked but did not give her much in the way of loving attention, were away this afternoon, having driven off to the market. They would not be back until the early evening, usually, and this was another one of her many quiet moments in the household. At least, until they came back and she was called upon to help bring in and store the market goods and groceries.
The window view offered a pretty good vantage point over the farm and its crops. For the past couple of days, some of the fresh carrots in the carrot patch had gone missing…which was odd, for there weren't very many rabbits in the farming area in which she lived.
So who, or what, could have been robbing from it?
As she observed the sun-cooked golden fields, she glanced to the leftmost area where the carrot crops were usually placed…
…and, surprisingly, she saw a flash of white fur among the carrot growths.
"Gotcha." Wendy exclaimed, and she got up from the seat of her room's small desk and hurried downstairs.
She stepped outside quietly, in her red-plaid shirt with the rolled-up sleeves, and her worn blue jeans, to take quiet, slow steps toward the carrot crops, picking the best possible place to catch this white-furred, unwelcome guest in the act.
She waited a good five minutes for any sign of this intruder. Perhaps the critter had heard her approaching and made good on an escape plan. Wendy was a persistent and patient sort, however. She wasn't one to so easily give up.
So she waited a little more.
Sure enough, her patience was rewarded when the head of a bunny inched forward towards the untouched green plume of a carrothead. Wendy went dead quiet, not making a single sound, and breathing very slowly.
As the bunny moved into full view, however, there was something odd about it. Never before had Wendy seen a small bunny of any kind wearing some manner of…vest?
It then began digging around the carrot placement to get it out. Wendy crept up as quietly as she could…but her foot struck a can lying on its side, and the bunny…which she had gotten to about an arm's length of…began to hop away.
Wendy gave chase. This rabbit had made her quite curious, and her long, curly red hair streamed behind her as she raced after the fleeing bunny with the queer vest.
Just as she got dangerously close to the critter, however, she watched it suddenly snap out of existence. Right in front of her.
Wendy came to a dead halt, bewildered at what she had just seen. She stood there for a long moment, trying to comprehend it.
Sighing, she gave up and turned back around to face the farmhouse, beginning to walk back, feeling tired and hungry. She hadn't even eaten lunch yet, and it was about that time.
In her exhaustion, she never noticed the ground suddenly open up under her legs. She cried out in surprise as the unexpected sinkhole swallowed her whole.
Giddy Fleetfoot found himself standing before Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, the most powerful sorceress in the entire fairyland of Oz and the beautifully red-robed ruler of the Quadling lands of which his native Bunnybury was a part. He confirmed that he still had the carrot he took from the farm's carrot patch with him, but Glinda was looking down upon him with a somewhat disparaging look on her face.
"Ummmm…" Giddy began, looking quite nervous. He then attempted a cordial bow as he spoke, in his usual rapid-fire and highly-excited manner. "…hiiii-dee-ho, your super-Sorceress-ness!"
A slight smile played on the crimson lips of the red-haired sorceress. "Giddy…I don't know how it was that you found yourself in the lands outside of Oz, but you must realize how dangerous the outside world can be!"
"Awww, c'mooooon." Giddy protested, his long ears lowering. "It was only one carrot!" He then mumbled the next remark to himself. "Would have gotten more if it hadn't been for…"
"Precisely the reason why I needed to get you out of there." Glinda interjected, always keeping her tone calm and even. "Now you'll have to promise me that you will never convince any more magic-wielders to send you to the outside world any further, Giddy. If it is carrots you desire, don't go anywhere other than Oz to get them."
Giddy sighed. He knew that even if he did find a traveling wizard, sorceress, or witch anywhere in the five territories that made up the land of Oz, Glinda would know of his exploits, and their next conversation would involve more than just a gentle scolding.
"Oooookaaaaay." Giddy remarked. "I promise, I promise." He then looked down at his delicious prize. "I guess you want me to hand this over?"
Glinda smiled. "Promise me again that you will not return to the outside world for any reason, and I shall let you keep the carrot."
"Oh, heck yes! I promise! I promise! Ten skilly-billion and qua-dilly-zillion times! I promise promise promise!" Giddy excitedly replied. "And I'll promise some more if ya need me to!"
Glinda giggled sweetly. "Very well, dear. You may go."
"Gotcha-gotcha, your Glinda-the-Good-ness! And a-waaaaay we go!" And away Giddy hopped, clutching tightly to his prize.
The ever-youthful and radiant Glinda the Good shook her head, smiling in her amusement, as she moved towards the chamber wherein the Great Book of Records…a very large text which magically records not only any event inside and outside of Oz, but anywhere in the world…was kept under magically enchanted lock and key.
Opening the text with slender fingers and flipping to that portion which involved her relocation of Giddy Fleetfoot back to Oz, reading a bit further to find out what had happened to the Texas girl who had discovered Giddy's theft.
Glinda's eyebrow quirked, wondering what wild adventures this young Texas farmgirl…this outsider…would experience in her lands.