The Bride in Oz

Back to Nebraska She Goes

The Wizard found the hot-air balloon, and he and Sophia were ready to return home to Nebraska. Everyone in Tanzanite City was waiting to say goodbye to the Wizard.

"I hereby decree that until any time, if any, I return, the Scarecrow—by virtue of his highly superior brain—shall rule over Oz," the Wizard announced. "He shall be assisted by the Tin Man by virtue of his heart and the Lion by virtue of his courage."

Suddenly, Sophia saw a woman waving a lavender shoe in the air. She looked down and saw that her right lavender slipper had come off.

"Oh, dear," Sophia gasped. "I'll be right back—I lost one of my slippers."

Sophia jumped out of the basket and hurried to get her shoe back on. The woman helped Sophia put on her slipper.

"Thank you," Sophia sighed. But then she saw that the balloon had already taken off.

"I'm sorry, Sophia, I don't know how to control this balloon," the Wizard called.

The residents of the Tanzanite City waved to the Wizard. Sophia was dismayed.

"Oh, now I'll never get home," Sophia sighed. "Who knows what Hugo will say if I don't show up at the wedding?"

Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Courageous Lion felt horrible for Sophia. Suddenly, Scarecrow looked up and said, "Look—here's someone who can help you."

There was a big pink bubble in the sky, and Sophia knew what that meant. She hoped Maria would send her home. Maria approached Sophia who sadly asked, "Oh, can you send me home please?"

"You don't need to be helped any longer," Maria smiled. "You've always had the power to go back to Nebraska—it's in your lavender slippers."

"I have?" Sophia asked.

"I would've told you before, but you wouldn't have believed me—you had to find out for yourself," Maria smiled.

"And if I had known that before, I would've gone home the minute I put these slippers on," Sophia realized.

"But then you wouldn't have met us," Scarecrow pointed out. "I wouldn't have gotten my brain."

"And I would've had that windup key forever," Tin Man added.

"And I would've stayed a scaredy-cat," Courageous Lion added.

"And I think it wasn't enough to see Hugo," Sophia realized. "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than our new home. If it isn't there, I wouldn't have lost it to begin with."

"That's right, dear," Maria grinned.

"But that's so easy," Scarecrow stated. "I should've thought of it for you."

"And I should've found it in my heart," Tin Man added.

"No, she had to find that for herself," Maria declared. "Now those lavender slippers will take you home before you know it. Are you ready, dear?"

"Almost," Sophia sighed. She turned to her friends and said, "I'm really going to miss you."

"We're going to miss you too," Scarecrow sighed.

"Now I know I have a heart because it's breaking," Tin Man sighed.

"Hopefully, we'll see you along down the road," Courageous Lion declared. "You'll never know."

"I hope so," Sophia smiled. She got into a group hug with her friends.

"We love you, Sophia," Tin Man smiled. "Good luck at your wedding."

"I love you too, and thank you," Sophia sighed. Now she was ready to go.

"Okay, I'm ready," Sophia told Maria.

"Okay, then close your eyes," Maria told her.

Sophia closed her eyes.

"Tap your heels together three times," Maria continued.

Sophia tapped her heels together three times.

"Now think to yourself that there's no place like home," Maria told her.

"There's no place like home," Sophia chanted. "There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

Sophia kept on chanting this phrase to herself and tapped her heels together three times more. But she was in for a big surprise.