The Wonderful Wizard of Oz recap

A cyclone carries Dorothy and her dog Toto from Kansas to the land of Oz, where her house kills the Wicked Witch of the East and frees the Munchkins. Advised to seek the Wizard in the Emerald City, she follows the yellow brick road and gains three companions: a Scarecrow who wants brains, a Tin Woodman who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage. The Wizard agrees to help only if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West. The Witch enslaves and torments them until Dorothy melts her with a bucket of water. Returning in triumph, they discover the Wizard is an ordinary humbug from Omaha, though he gives the three friends tokens of what they already had. His balloon leaves without Dorothy, so she journeys south to Glinda the Good, who reveals that the silver shoes can carry her anywhere. Dorothy wishes herself home to Aunt Em.

Dorothy, a girl from the drab Kansas prairie, is carried off by a cyclone along with her dog Toto and the whole farmhouse. The house comes down in the bright land of Oz, landing on the Wicked Witch of the East and killing her, which frees the enslaved Munchkins. The Good Witch of the North greets Dorothy, gives her the dead witch's silver shoes and a protective kiss, and tells her to follow the road of yellow brick to the Emerald City, where the great Wizard of Oz may be able to send her home. On the way Dorothy is joined by three companions who each hope the Wizard can grant a wish: a Scarecrow who wants brains, a Tin Woodman who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage.

The travelers face dangers on the road, including a deadly field of poppies whose scent puts Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion to sleep; the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman carry the sleepers clear, and a grateful queen of the field mice later helps drag the heavy Lion to safety. Reaching the shining Emerald City, they are made to wear green spectacles and are granted separate audiences with the Wizard, who appears to each in a different frightening shape. He refuses to grant any of their wishes unless they first do something for him: travel into the west and destroy the Wicked Witch of the West, the last wicked ruler in the land.

The group sets out into the western country. The Wicked Witch of the West spots them from far off with her single eye and sends wave after wave of wolves, wild crows, and stinging bees, all of which the companions defeat. At last she uses a magic golden cap to summon her enslaved Winged Monkeys, who scatter the party: they smash the Tin Woodman on the rocks, pull the straw out of the Scarecrow, and carry Dorothy and the Lion back to the Witch as captives. The Witch makes Dorothy a servant and schemes to steal her silver shoes, whose power she covets, while keeping the Lion caged and hungry.

When the Witch tricks Dorothy out of one silver shoe, the angry girl throws a bucket of water over her, and the Witch melts away to nothing. Freed, the Winkies gladly help repair the Tin Woodman and restuff the Scarecrow, and Dorothy takes the golden cap and uses the Winged Monkeys to carry the reunited friends back to the Emerald City. There they discover the truth: the Wizard is no magician at all but an ordinary man, a former balloonist from Omaha who drifted to Oz long ago and has been bluffing ever since. Kindly, he gives the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion tokens that convince them they now have the brains, heart, and courage they always possessed, and he builds a balloon to carry Dorothy home, but it rises and floats away before she can climb aboard.

With the Wizard gone, Dorothy decides to seek Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, hoping she can send her home. The Scarecrow is left to rule the Emerald City, and Dorothy sets off with the Tin Woodman, the Lion, and Toto. Along the way they pass through more strange country, cutting through hostile fighting trees, crossing a fragile land of living china figures, and reaching a great forest. There the animals beg the Lion for help against a monstrous giant spider that has been eating them; the Lion kills it and is made king of the forest beasts.

The travelers reach Glinda, the beautiful Good Witch of the South, who greets Dorothy kindly. Glinda reveals that the silver shoes Dorothy has worn since her first day in Oz can carry their wearer anywhere in the world in three strides, so Dorothy could have gone home all along. Before parting, Glinda arranges her friends' futures with the golden cap: the Scarecrow will rule the Emerald City, the Tin Woodman will rule the Winkies, and the Lion will rule the forest. After tearful goodbyes, Dorothy picks up Toto, knocks the heels of the shoes together three times, and wishes to be home. She is carried through the air and lands on the Kansas prairie, the shoes lost during the flight, where Aunt Em joyfully embraces her.

Dorothy and her friends survive a final set of trials on the way south, and the Cowardly Lion becomes king of the forest beasts after killing a giant spider. They reach Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, who reveals that the silver shoes Dorothy has worn all along can carry her anywhere in three steps. Before Dorothy leaves, Glinda settles her companions' futures: the Scarecrow will return to rule the Emerald City in the Wizard's place, the Tin Woodman will rule the Winkies in the west, and the Lion will reign over the forest. Dorothy says a tearful goodbye, takes Toto in her arms, knocks the heels of the silver shoes together three times, and wishes to go home. She is whirled through the air and lands back on the Kansas prairie, the silver shoes lost along the way, and runs into the arms of Aunt Em.