As the tiny people danced around them, the members of SG1 looked at each other, a mixture of hilarity, confusion and alarm on their faces.
"Carter, care to explain?" Jack whispered, hoping not to distress the dancing midgets.
Sam shook her head and looked over at Daniel for some answers. When he shrugged back at her she huffed and turned back to her CO. "Sir, I have no idea what's going on here," she answered.
"I believe I may be of assistance," Teal'c's voice boomed, even at low volume. "This planet appears to be a replica of an old legend of the Tau'ri. We have in fact, watched this legend on the television several times, O'Neill."
Jack nodded. "Yeah, I gathered, T," he said, casting his mind back on their latest team night, where he had demanded they watch the Wizard of Oz.
Teal'c bowed his head. "Then it would seem we have travelled to the planet Oz," Teal'c deduced, gesturing to the little people, who waved and giggled at the company.
Jack shrugged and grimaced back at them. So, the merry old land of Oz was real, huh? He laughed again. The number of times he had made Oz jokes and only received concerned stares – hah! Now who was right all along?
"It's impossible," Daniel interjected, as though following Jack's very thoughts.
"Obviously not," Jack said, looking around at the scenery. Every part of this place screamed Judy Garland.
"No Jack, this is historically inaccurate," Daniel said, taking a breath. Jack rolled his eyes. Whenever Daniel took large breaths or licked his lips subconsciously before he spoke, it was certain that his next words would be in lecture form and undoubtedly on a subject that Jack cared very little about. And sure enough…
"Humans started migrating from earth thousands of years ago. This story's only 100 years old, Jack. It's not possible for it to have reached here."
Jack shrugged.
"So what is this place?" Sam asked, still inspecting the ruby red slipper in her left hand.
"I have no idea," Daniel replied as three small munchkin children grabbed him by the arms and began to whirl him around in circles.
"Crazy little tykes, aren't they?" Jack said whimsically, before he too was poked by sticky little fingers and urged to join in the dancing. After a few solid minutes of being swung, spun and prodded by unhealthily tiny children, Jack looked over his shoulder to check on his team mates. Sam had taken to twirling two little girls, who were laughing and playing with their dresses, Daniel was attempting to make normal conversation with some of the older residents, who much less than talking back to him, were only bowing and prostrating, and Teal'c still stood where the rest of the group had left him, while child midgets jumped on him, tugged on his pants and tried in vain to touch his staff weapon. Jack laughed again at Teal'c's stiffness and went over to rescue him from the sea of munchkins.
Sam and Daniel took this opportunity to break away also, and headed towards Teal'c with the General. As soon as the quartet had reassembled together, the munchkins raced away, bowing and chatting excitedly about some form of ceremony which was undoubtedly going to take place in their honour.
Jack and Daniel sat down on the grass, glad for the reprieve, while Sam stood, watching the munchkins leave, her eyes twinkling in childlike wonder. Once all the munchkins were out of sight, she too sat down and huddled against her knees.
Noticing her excitement, Jack leaned over to her. "Childhood wish come true, Carter?"
"Something like that, sir," she answered, prompting the same question to him with her eyes.
"Yeah ok, me too," he confessed, smiling. In all his years, this was something he never thought he'd see.
The four companions sat in silence for a minute or so, each pondering what the discovery of this world could mean for them.
"Red," Daniel said, after staring at the slipper that Sam had picked up again.
"Hmm?" Sam asked, holding the shoe closer for Daniel to look at.
"The shoes are red," he repeated thoughtfully.
"Yeah?" Jack asked, giving Daniel an odd look.
"But that's not right," pressed Daniel, looking back from Jack to Sam. "They're supposed to be.."
"Silver," Sam cut in.
"Exactly."
Jack gave Teal'c a hearty shrug which was returned in eyebrow-raising form.
"Whatdya mean they're silver? You have seen Wizard of Oz, right?" he asked, knowing full well that both Sam and Daniel had seen it several times.
"That's just the point, Jack. They're only red in the movie," Daniel said, pointing to the shoe in Sam's hand. Sam nodded. She and Daniel looked at Jack whose expression went blank, as it did quite often.
"There's a book, Jack," Daniel prompted.
"What?" Jack asked, incredulously.
"It was written before the movie," Daniel explained. "And the shoes…"
"Were silver," Sam said, throwing the slipper a few inches in the air.
Jack remained silent, putting together his thoughts. Sam watched him in amusement. She could have sworn she could actually see the wheels turning around in his head.
"You've read it?" he asked her in a quiet, yet somewhat accusatory tone.
"Yes sir."
"And you didn't tell me?" he asked, mock hurt on his face. She grinned, placing the shoe back on the grass.
"Could this story not have been a forgotten legend previous to the novel?" Teal'c asked, breaking his silence. Sam and Jack both turned to Daniel, hopeful curiosity in the eyes of one and playful indifference in the other.
"I doubt it," Said Daniel. "It's considered an American fairy tale. For it to have been around before humans began to migrate away from Earth, it would have had to be present in other cultures. But, I can't think of any stories similar to this one. In fact, this world is a little too similar to the story, or should I say the movie, in the first place. You would think the legend would have been distorted over time, not preserved to every last detail…" he tapered off, realising Jack was no longer listening.
"No, Jack," he said loudly. "Not possible."
"Right," the General said, looking back toward the village. He sighed and gestured to the others to look. Hundreds of munchkins were pouring out of the village with banners and instruments. "Here we go again."
The ceremony raged on for hours, the little munchkins dancing and singing in honour of the four heroes who had killed the Wicked Witch. Jack was very amused to see real representatives of the Lollipop Guild and Lullaby League, but was slightly disappointed that the Lollipop Guild's voices were not quite as surly as those in the movie. Any disappointment he felt however, drained right out of him when the Lullabye League urged them over to the stage. A velvet clad munchkin approached them and Jack nudged Daniel in the side, his childlike excitement getting the better of him.
The munchkin looked around at his people and raised one tiny arm. The crowd fell silent. He opened his mouth to speak, but Jack cut him off.
"Let me guess," he said. "You're the mayor of the munchkin city."
The mayor nodded and waved his other arm to the populace who immediately applauded.
"From the county in the land of Oz?" Jack continued rhythmically, donning the squeaky voice of the mayor in the movie. The mayor looked at him warily and smoothed out his moustache.
"Yes," he said, concerned.
"And...wait for it," Jack teased. "You welcome us most reeeeeeegally." Sam stood on her CO's foot, casting him a reproachful glance. Jack merely grinned back, causing both Sam and Daniel to roll their eyes.
"However O'Neill," Teal'c interrupted, much to the surprise of SG-1. "They shall have to verify it legally." He said, as rhythmically as Jack had. Sam and Daniel snapped their heads towards the Jaffa, who stood stoically, no trace of humour on his face. Jack laughed out loud.
The Mayor, who had realised his whole speech had been said already, smoothed his moustache down once more and twiddled his thumbs. "Well, yes…indeed," he mumbled, calling out for the coroner.
The coroner was the tallest of the munchkins, probably close to 5'7. Sam took a step back as he came through the crowd. He was almost as tall, if not taller than she was. He wore a large black hat and a long black cape. He clicked his fingers and instantly, six munchkin lads hobbled over, carrying the severed body in their arms. Sam looked away and Teal'c raised and eyebrow in distaste. Waiting for the musical interlude which should have taken place at this moment, Jack was very disappointed to learn that the coroner was not going to sing.
"She is dead," was all he said, before bowing to Sam and returning to the crowd.
The mayor stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat again.
"Friends," he began. Jack bounced a little in his spot and recited with him. "This is a day of independence for all munchkins and their descendants. Let the joyous news be spread – the Wicked Old Witch at last is dead!"
An explosion of sound erupted from the audience. Munchkins screamed, laughed, sung and began to play their instruments. SG1 found themselves, once again in the middle of a dancing spree. Teal'c, who had never been one for the culture of dancing, set his jaw and stood still in his place before Jack and Daniel pulled him to the middle of the circle to join in the dancing.