I'm running through the meadows, overwhelmed by the joy that I can finally play outside again after the long winter. In spring the grass grows tall and bright green. The colorful flowers are so beautiful. Butterflies and furry bumblebees fly around between them. I dance around in circles with my little doll, which I made myself from a broken cooking spoon and a piece of cloth. Using a piece of charcoal I painted a bright happy face on the wood. My little doll is always cheerful and loves to play with me.
"Leni, come back into the house!" Mommy calls.
She is waiting for me at the door as I run around the corner. Inside, there is a wonderful smell of fresh sweet pastries. Wide-eyed, I look at the cake on the table.
"Happy birthday, my sweet girl." Lovingly she kisses me onto my hair, which is disheveled from playing outside.
I just can't wait, while she cuts off two large pieces and places them on plates. One of them she hands to me. My mouth is watering. The nut cake is still warm and it tastes so wonderful. I'm only taking small bites of it, because I don't want it to be gone too soon. Mommy allows me to eat another slice. We save the rest for Daddy when he gets home from work.
"Will you tell me about Emerald City?" I ask Mommy while helping her to clean up the table. I just can't get enough of her stories.
"The yellow brick road will take you there," she begins, smiling softly. "If you follow it till the end, a wondrous place will rise in the distance. All the houses and streets will shine like pure gems, the lights will dazzle your eyes. The inhabitants of this city live in harmony with each other. It doesn't matter if you are a little Munchkin or come from the Winkus. Everyone meets in the parks, the ballrooms, or in the library, where you will find more books than you can ever read."
I listen to her with amazement. Her words build images of all this magic in my mind. "I really want to go there!"
She mildly nods. "Some day, when you are old enough, you'll go there. On the way, you'll have to be careful not to get lost in the red poppy field. The scent of those flowers causes you to fall into a deep sleep immediately."
Most of all, I wish to see the Emerald City right now. I don't want to wait anymore; after all I'm already big. I am five.