Chapter 10: The Wizard
Step by step, slowly our heroes walked down the long arched hallway. "All of sudden, I feel my nerves tingling." the Scarecrow said. "Yeah. You know," Lion began. "I don't think I want to see this Wizard so much. I think I'll wait outside." Sandy grabbed his arm. "C'mon, don't chicken out now." She said. "Just think, you'll have more courage than you know what to do with soon." "And we didn't come all this way for nothing." said the Tin Man. "Ok." Lion said, though he was still nervous. "Come on." said the Scarecrow. The five continued on. "Come forward!!" a loud booming voice said. The Lion squeaked and hid behind the Scarecrow.
Everyone kept walking. The Scarecrow gulped in fear. The Tin Man was silent. The group entered a large green room. The floor was made of dark green jade, which contrasted with the lighter green of the stone walls and pillars of the circular room. In the middle was a great green throne made of stone.
The throne was decorated with strange, rectangular images. These turned out to be dollar bills, something Sandy was surprised at. "Wow." said Sandy. Soon green smoke had came to the throne. Lion shivered in fear. When the smoked had cleared, They were astonished at what they saw. A giant dollar bill, folded in half to look like a mouth, with two quarters for eyes.
The lion cowered and hid. The Tin Man rolled his eyes. "I am the great and powerful Wizard!" the apparition shouted. Lion whimpered. "Um, howdy Mr. Wizard " Sandy said. "Who are you?" the Wizard asked in a booming voice. "My name's Sandy Cheeks." she said. "You see we came here because-" "Silence!" shouted the Wizard. "I know exactly why you've come." "Y-you do?" The Scarecrow asked. "Tin Man, step forward." said the Wizard. The Tin Man took a deep breath and stepped forward. "So you come all this way to bother me for a heart huh?" the Wizard asked.
"Well, yes, that's the gist of it." The Tin Man said. "Scarecrow, come forward!" The Wizard shouted. The Scarecrow gulped and stepped forward. "And you have got a lot of nerve to ask for a brain right?" the Wizard asked. "Y-y-yes s-sir." The Scarecrow said. "You, Lion, step forward!" The wizard shouted. Lion just whimpered and hid behind Sandy. "I said step forward, you coward!" The wizard roared.
Lion whimpered and stepped forward. "Well!?" The Wizard bellowed. Feeling fear taking over his entire body, Lion fell backwards in a faint. The wizard growled. A beam of light shot from one of his eyes and hit Lion's feet, shocking them. Lion got up instantly. "Hey, what gives!?" Sandy shouted. "What did you do that for!?" The Scarecrow said. "I will not tolerate cowardice!" The wizard shouted.
"Y'all should be ashamed of yourself!" Sandy shouted. "Scaring him like that when he came to you for help!" "Yeah!" said both the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. "Silence!" The wizard roared. "If you fellows will just stop whining, I have every intention of granting your wishes." he said. "Y-you will?" Lion asked. "You'll give me courage?" "And my heart?" asked the Tin Man. "And my brain?" Scarecrow asked. "Yes! And I will send you back to your home." the Wizard said to Sandy. Sandy grinned. "But," the Wizard added. "There is one thing you must do for me." "Name it." Sandy said. "Oh it's nothing really." the Wizard said sounding modest and innocent.
"All you have to do is give me the Warlock of the West's crystal ring!" he shouted. The others gasped. "You mean..." "Yes, you must go to the warlock's palace." The wizard said. "That's crazy!" the Tin Man exclaimed. "We could get killed!" "What's so special about this ring anyhow?" Sandy asked.
"Do not question me!" The wizard shouted. "You have your task, now go and complete it." "But what if he does kill us?" Lion asked. "I said go now!" the Wizard this roar, the Lion screamed and ran over to a glass window, jumping through it like circus animal.