The Ozians made it to an emerald palace where the wizard lives but the guard was standing in front of the big emerald doors and was stopping everyone.

"Here! Here, here! Everything is all right. Stop that now, just. It's all right! Everything is all right! The great and powerful Oz has got matters well in hand. I hope. So you can all go home and there's nothing to worry about! Get out of here. Now go on. Go on home. Go home." said the guard.

The Ozians did as they heard the guard and left but Dorothy, Madison and their friends walked past them and stood in front of the guard. "If you please sir, we want to see the Wizard right away. All five of us." said Dorothy.

"Orders are, nobody can see the great Oz! Not nobody, not no how!" said the guard. "Oh, but please! It's very important." "Yes, we really need to see him." said Madison. "And I got a permanent just for the occasion." said Lion. "Not nobody, not no how!" the guard shout stubbornly. "But she's Dorothy!" said Scarecrow. "And she's Madison!" said the Tin Man.

The guard looked surprised at the girls. "The Witch's Dorothy and Madison?" he asked. Madison nods her head as a reply but stood silent as held Abby close to her. The guard looked at her and then looked at Dorothy. "Well, that makes a difference. Just uh wait here and I'll announce you at once." he said and went inside the gates leaving the group to wait.

"Did you hear that? He'll announce us at once. I've as good as got my brain." said the Scarecrow as he smiled. "I can fairly hear my heart beating." said the Tin Man. "I'll be home in time for supper." said Dorothy. "I'll be home, taking a nice rest on my bed." said Madison. "In another hour. I'll be king of the forest. Long live the king!" said the Lion as he now stands at the top of the small stairs.

Lion: (singing) If I were King of the forest,

Not Queen, not Duke, not Prince

My regal robes of the forest

Would be satin, and not cotton, and not chintz.

I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl.

With a woof and a woof, and a royal growl.

As I'd click my heel

All the trees would kneel

And the mountains bow

And the bulls kowtow

And the sparrow would take wing

If I, If I were king

Each rabbit would show respect to me

The chipmunks genuflect to me.

Though my tail would lash

I would show compash

For every underling.

If I, If I were king

Just King!

The Lion stood tall and proud as a king would. The group bowed with respect to the future king. The Scarecrow and Tin Man then took green cloth and rolled it out as if making a carpet for Lion to walk on.

They walked over as they noticed a green floral cape, Scarecrow and Tin Man wrapped the cape around Lion as Madison and Dorothy held the end while the dogs followed. The five walked back the to steps as Lion took his place. Tin Man grabbed a flowerpot and broke it carefully with his axe. He gently place the broken pot on the Lion's head as it looked like a crown.

Lion: Monarch of all I survey

(laughs)

Of all I survey!

The girls curtsy to him, and Dorothy spoke, "Your Majesty, if you were king, you wouldn't be afraid of anything?" "Not even a flinch?" Madison asked. "Not nobody, not no how!" Lion answered. "Not even a rhinoceros?" Tin Man asked. ""Imposserous!" "How about a hippopotamus?" Dorothy asked. "Why, I'd thrash him from top to bottomamus!" "Supposin' you met an elephant?" Madison asked. "I'd wrap him up in cellophant!" "What if it were a brontosaurus?" Scarecrow asked. "I'd show him who was King of the Forest!" "How?!" "How?" Lion asked. He turned around as he removed the cape and looked at his friends. He answered:

"Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the spinkx the Seventh Wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes Hottentot so hot? What puts the ape in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?"

"Courage!" said all four. "You can say that again! Huh?" Lion looked at his friends in confused until the guard came back. He growled angrily that startled Lion as the broken pot fell off of his head. "The wizard says go away!" he yelled and went back in leaving everyone in shocked.

"Go away?" they spoke. "Looks like we came a long way for nothing." Scarecrow said sadly. Suddenly, Dorothy started to cry and sat down as everyone sat beside around her. Madison sat beside her and had her arms wrapped around her friend. "And I was so happy. I thought I was on my way home." Dorothy sobbed. "Don't cry Dorothy, we're gonna get you to the Wizard." said Tin Man as he comforts her. "We certainly are." said Scarecrow.

As the four were comforting her, the guard opened a small window from the gate and looked at them. Dorothy grabbed her handkerchief and tried wiping the tears off her face. "Auntie Em was so good to me. And I never appreciated it. Running away and hurting her feelings. Professor Marvel said she was sick. She may be dying and It's all my fault." she said. The guard watched the young girl cry as he was beginning to form tears in his eyes.

"I'll never forgive myself. Never, never, never." said Dorothy. Madison wiped some of her tears off her hand and hugged her. "And I think I'll... never see my family again." she said. She carried Abby in her arms as she was near her and held her close while the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man comfort them.

Suddenly, they heard someone crying. They turned around to see the guard with tears as he heard everything. "Please don't cry anymore! I'll get you into the Wizard somehow! Come on, I had an Aunt Em myself once and a family too!" he sobbed as he closed the door window. The group got on their feet and saw the doors opened wide. "Well... this is it." said Madison and the others nod.

They walked slowly down the halls feeling nervous. Madison's heart was pounding as she held Abby close, but the Lion felt uneased. "Wait a minute, fellas. I was just thinking, I really don't want to see the Wizard this much. I better wait for you outside." he said. "What's the matter?" Scarecrow asked in concern. "Oh, he's just scared again." said Tin Man.

"Come on, Lion. Can you at least be brave for us?" Madison asked. "Don't you know the Wizard is gonna give you some courage?" Dorothy asked. "I'd be too scared to ask him for it." said Lion. "Well, then, we'll ask for him for you." "I'd sooner wait outside." "Why? Why?" the girls asked. "Because I'm still scared!" he answered. "Look! It's gonna be okay. I'm scared too but we're all here." said Madison and the group nod their heads.

All continued to walk, Lion held onto his tail but what he did was he pulled on it and made him yelp. The others jumped and looked at him. "What happened?" Scarecrow asked. "Somebody pulled my tail!" "You did it to yourself!" "I... Oh." Lion said and released his tail. "Come on." said Scarecrow. "Stay close to me." said Madison as she stood closer to him.

All grabbed onto each other as they continued down to the doors, they soon heard a booming voice and saw the end of the doors open. "COME FORWARD!" the voice boomed. "Oh, boy!" said Madison as she shook. "Tell me when it's over!" said Lion as he covered his eyes from his paws. All walked through the doors, they entered another room or a chamber. And there they seen a floating head as it was surrounded by smoke and fire. "Look at that! Look at that!" said Lion as he was about to turn and run but they held him back, "I want to go home!"

'The head is more frightening up close.' Madison thought as she still held her dog. Abby started to growl but her mistress calmed her down.

"I am Oz the great and powerful! Who are you?" the wizard's voice asked but no one reply. "Who are you?!" he asked again. Madison and Dorothy looked at each other and then walked slowly towards the head until they stopped. "If you please, I am Dorothy the small and meek." "And I am Madison." "We've come to ask you-"

"Silence!" the wizard's voice boomed as it scared the girls. "Jesus!" "Oh! Jiminy crickets!" "That was scary." the girls said as they ran back to the group. "The great and powerful Oz knows why you have come. Step forward Tin Man!" said the wizard.

The Tin Man step forward as he was shaking. "You dare to come to me for a heart, do you? You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of collginous junk!" said the Wizard as he looked at him as the Tin Man trembling. "Uh, yes-yes sir. Yes, Your Honor. You see a while back; we were walking down the yellow brick road and..." "Quiet!" the wizard's voice boomed again and the tin woodsman quietly ran back to the others after he heard the Wizard's yell.

"And you, Scarecrow have the effrontery to ask for a brain you billowing bale of bovine fodder!" he said. The Scarecrow stood in front of him as he was on the floor as he was shaking. "Yes, Your Honor, I mean, Your Excellency. I mean, Your Wizardry!" he said nervously and bowed. "Enough!" he boomed, and the Scarecrow quickly crawled back to his friends.

"And you, Lion!" the Wizard commanded. The Lion was shaking and groaning in fear as he slowly stepped forward and tried to speak. "Well?!" the wizard's voice boom and suddenly, Lion fainted to the ground. "Lion!" Madison exclaimed and the rest came around him trying to wake him. "How could you?!" Madison yelled at the head. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Frightening him like that when he came to you for help!" said Dorothy.

"Silence, whippersnappers! The beneficent Oz has every intention of granting your requests." he said.

Lion got up as he heard the words which surprised him. "What's that? What'd he say? Huh? What'd he say?" he asked while the others helped him up. "But first you must prove yourselves worthy by performing a very small task. Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West." the wizard commanded. "But if we do that, we'll have to kill her to get it!" said Tin Man. "Bring me her broomstick and I'll grant your requests. Now go!" "But...but what if she kills us first?" Lion asked but the Wizard yelled, "I SAID GO!"

With that loud voice, Lion accidently knocked Madison and Scarecrow to the ground and quickly dashed out of the room as fast as he could. He ran down the hall and then jumped out of the window.

To Be Continued...