Teresa found the book on dreaming up impossible creations and willing them into reality in the Royal Library and studied every page of it until she was ready to begin. Then over the next three days she spent all her time alone in the room she stayed in at the Emerald Palace dreaming up a brand new Air Castle for the Wogglebug in a similar way he had done to create his original one. Only she intended for it to be even better that that one would have been for him. She held the vision she had seen of him in her mind's eye when she had looked into his eyes in her heart and used it as her inspiration for everything she created for it.
When it was finally completed she went to his college and asked a student where he was and was told he was alone in his laboratory working on something.
"I have to see him now," she said.
"He doesn't like to be disturbed during such things," she was told by the student.
"It's very important," she pressed on. "It's a present for him."
"Okay," said the student. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
He gave her the directions to the Professor's laboratory. She entered it and found him sitting in a chair in front of a long table laid out with countless sorts of lab equipment. He was holding in his hand a long beaker which he turned upside down and emptied from it a very large pill into his other hand.
She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Excuse me, Professor."
He looked up at her and scowled. "How dare you disturb me at this time!"
"I'm sorry to have done so," she said. "But I have something very important for you."
"What is it?" he demanded.
"It's a surprise," she said.
"He scowled even harder. "I don't like surprises!"
"You'll like this one," she said. "I promise."
He sighed with exasperation. "Will this take long?"
"Not at all," she assured him. "Come with me please."
So he got up and put the pill in his pocket and followed her out.
She led him to just outside the Emerald City and there he saw it. The Air Castle looked just like the one that had been lost to him, only this one was looked so much grander in scale and far more beautiful. It was fastened to the ground with a flight of stairs leading up to it which easily prevented it from floating away.
He gasped loudly at the sight and then rubbed his wide disbelieving eyes. The he turned to Teresa and asked, "What is this?"
"It's your new Air Castle," she replied smiling. "I heard all about how you had dreamed up one for a vacation you had planned only to have stolen away from you. So I learned how to make one and now this is all yours."
He stared at her unblinking and said, "This itself feels like a dream."
"It's all real, I assure you," she said. "Now come on let's go up to it to enjoy your vacation."
She led him up the flight of stairs and they stepped onto the ground of the castle courtyard and into a beautiful garden.
He approached one of the trees and saw that it bore a very unique fruit that was shaped like a peach but was three different colors in shades of yellow, green, and purple. It looked delicious to him.
"What is this strange fruit here?" he asked Teresa.
"It's another thing I dreamed up just for you," she replied. "Go on and try it."
So he reached up and picked one of the ripest looking fruits from the tree and bit into it. At once his eyes lit up with extreme pleasure and a huge smile came to his face.
"It has such a splendid taste to it!" he exclaimed. "I've never tasted anything like it!"
She smiled. "Of course you haven't," she said. "Because it's the fruit that is grown from the happiness that comes from pure love."
He stared at her in astonishment. "I had no idea that there was such a thing," he said.
"That is because I dreamed it up just for you," she explained.
"Oh my!" he said. "I'd never imagined anyone could do such a thing as this for me. Just as I realize I never could have dreamed up such a thing as this on my own. Especially because... I had long since forgotten what it was like to taste delicious food. Something like this is so much better than anything that could be made into the form of a pill any day."
Suddenly, dark clouds started rolling in and the wind picked up. Large raindrops began falling from the sky.
"Oh no, it's starting to rain!" exclaimed Teresa. "We'd better get inside the castle."
Professor Wogglebug nodded in agreement and they hurried into the grand entrance of the castle just as a clap of thunder sounded.
Once inside, Teresa led the professor through the ornate corridors. "Let me give you a tour of your new vacation home," she said with a smile.
They walked into a large library filled with bookshelves that stretched up to a domed ceiling painted with clouds and cherubs. In the center was a marble statue of a woman with angel wings reading an open book.
"This is the library," Teresa explained. "I filled it with every book I could imagine would bring you joy."
Professor Wogglebug's eyes lit up as he scanned the shelves, overflowing with leather-bound volumes. He reverently ran his hand over the embossed titles: Fairy Tales of Faraway Lands, Fantastic Creatures and Where to Find Them, The Encyclopedia of Everything.
"Magnificent!" he murmured.
He selected a book of poetry and sat down in a plush velvet chair near a stained glass window. As he began to read, a soft melody filled the library. Teresa smiled, knowing the music was one of the library's special enchantments.
As the rain poured down outside, she left the Professor to enjoy the library and continued the tour down more corridors filled with paintings, sculptures, and mosaic tile floors. At last, they came to pair of glass doors that opened onto a sunroom with a glass ceiling looking up at the stormy sky.
Teresa watched the raindrops sliding down the glass. "I hope it stops raining soon," she said wistfully.
Suddenly, she had an idea. She curtsied to the Professor. "May I have this dance?" she asked with a playful grin.
Though initially taken aback, the Professor smiled and took her hand. As they danced around the sunroom, the pitter-patter of the rain provided the rhythm. Teresa hummed a sweet melody and the Professor joined in with his raspy voice.
Round and round they danced, until finally the sun broke through the clouds. The rain stopped and a rainbow appeared, its colorful bands arching across the sky.
Laughing, Teresa led the professor back outside. "Look, a rainbow!" she exclaimed joyfully. "It's a reminder that if you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain."
Professor Wogglebug nodded thoughtfully as he gazed at the rainbow. "Yes, I see what you mean. Difficult times always pass, and then the light shines through again."
He turned to Teresa with misty eyes. "My dear, thank you for this marvelous gift. I had forgotten what it was like to really live. To taste sweet fruit, read cherished books, dance in the rain. Everything here is bursting with color and joy...and it has made me realize how much I had been missing it all."
Teresa smiled warmly. "I'm so glad this place can bring you happiness, Professor. Everyone deserves that."
Professor Wogglebug looked out at the rainbow once more. "Yes," he said softly. "I believe I shall start appreciating all the colorful gifts life has to offer."
Arm in arm, the unlikely friends walked through the lush gardens surrounding the castle. Professor Wogglebug eagerly pointed out all the vibrant flowers and birds he saw. For the first time in ages, his heart was overflowing with gratitude.
After admiring the rainbow, Teresa continued giving the Professor a tour of the castle grounds. As they strolled through the lush meadows surrounding the castle, the Professor delighted in all the unique plants and creatures he saw.
"Oh look, horse flies!" he exclaimed, pointing to a nearby tree where several large flies were resting. They resembled horses, with manes, tails, and saddles on their backs.
"I made them just for you," said Teresa with a smile. "I thought you'd enjoy the pun."
The Professor chuckled. "Quite right, my dear! I do love a good play on words."
They approached the horse flies, which nuzzled them affectionately. The Professor and Teresa climbed onto their backs and took them on a ride through the clouds.
After soaring through the bright blue sky, they landed in a field filled with enormous cocoons attached to the trees. As they watched, the cocoons began to crack open and out fluttered giant butterflies with wingspans of several feet.
"Remarkable!" cried the Professor as the butterflies took flight around them. "I've never seen such titanic lepidopterans!"
"I made them big just for fun," said Teresa. "I'm glad you like them."
Next they came to a tree covered in ripe red apples. When Teresa plucked one and sliced it open, dozens of tiny ladybugs streamed out, their spots spelling the word "Hello!"
The Professor clapped his hands in delight. "What an ingenious natural greeting card! You've outdone yourself, my dear."
Teresa smiled, happy to see the Professor appreciating all the whimsical creations she had dreamed up for him.
As the sun began to set, they sat together on a grassy hill overlooking the castle. The last rays of light made the clouds glow pink and orange.
They listened to the crickets chirp, and watched as the fireflies came out and blinked on and off.
The Professor let out a deep sigh of contentment. "This has been one of the finest days I've ever experienced," he said. "And it's all thanks to you, Teresa."
He removed his glasses and dabbed his large eyes with a handkerchief.
"I must confess, when we first met back in the Emerald City, I assumed you were just another annoying outsider come to vex me. But you saw through my grumpy facade and uncovered the truth about me."
Teresa nodded. "I could tell you were unhappy about something. I wanted to find out why."
"Not only that," the Professor continued, "but then you went above and beyond to do something for me that no one else ever has - not even Ozma herself. You gave me this magnificent castle and vacation out of pure kindness and generosity, asking nothing for yourself in return."
He took Teresa's hand. "I don't deserve such selfless benevolence after how wretchedly I've behaved all these years. But your act of grace has taught me the error of my ways. From now on, I vow to be more humble, grateful and kind."
Teresa smiled. "I'm so happy to hear that. Everyone has room for growth, Professor. Even in a place as magical as Oz."
The Professor let out a deep sigh. "Teresa, I'm afraid I haven't been fully honest with you about my feelings," he said gravely.
"What do you mean?" asked Teresa.
The Professor removed his glasses and dabbed his large eyes. "While I'm overwhelmingly grateful for your kindness, I regret to say that no one else in Oz would have ever done such a thoughtful thing for me. In truth, I've always felt out of place in this land."
He looked down sorrowfully. "I now see that Oz and its inhabitants are responsible for placing a curse on me over a century ago - the curse that turned me from my true self into the miserable wretch I am today."
Teresa gazed at him sympathetically.
"Ever since I gained my magnified size and intellect, I've been resented and disrespected here. And after years of cruelty, I transformed into the bitter, sullen creature you met back in the Emerald City. I became the opposite of who I really am."
He took Teresa's hand. "But thanks to your compassion, you have broken the curse! I now remember the cheerful soul I used to be."
His face fell again. "Yet I fear Oz will never accept my true self. I wish I could leave this wretched land forever and start anew in some place where I'd truly belong."
Teresa pondered this for a moment. Then her face lit up.
"I know just the place!" she exclaimed. "When I was back home, I started writing a fantasy story about a new magical land called Genoma. It's a realm filled with serenity, acceptance, and intellectual discovery. You would fit right in there!"
She grasped the Professor's hands eagerly. "I could use the magic I've learned here to turn Genoma into a real place. You could live there, as if you had never been in Oz at all. You could finally be your true self, without your cursed past."
The Professor's eyes widened with joy. "My dear, do you really think you could do such a wondrous thing for me?"
Teresa nodded. "If you long to leave Oz for good, I can make you a new start in Genoma. Just say the word."
"Oh yes, yes!" cried the Professor happily. "I'd love nothing more than to leave Oz forever and live in your land of Genoma instead. It's the perfect solution!"
In his elation, he embraced Teresa, tears of gratitude streaming down his face. "You have given me more than I ever dreamed possible," he said. "A chance to rediscover who I really am, away from those who never understood me. Thank you, from the bottom of my magically expanded heart!"
Teresa hugged the Professor tight. "And thank you for being my friend," she replied. "I promise you'll finally feel at home in Genoma."
As the last sliver of sun disappeared, the two continued embracing, both eager to start the next chapter of their lives - one rediscovering his true self, and the other happy she could help her friend find joy once more.