The Tin Man reeled back on his heels. “Uh, you know, I don’t really feel comfortable with that. You’re not following the rules.”
“Well, don’t let us keep you,” Sabrina called over her shoulder. She didn’t bother to hide her relief.
A moment later, Sabrina noticed Daphne’s arms were crossed in a huff again.
“He would slow us down,” Sabrina said, though in truth she was relieved she wasn’t going to have to hang out with a talking garbage can.
Daphne scowled and continued marching quietly.
As they walked, the forest swallowed the road more and more, and soon the girls found themselves beneath a canopy of limbs and leaves blocking out the sun, and a surreal sort of déjà vu took over. Sabrina knew what was about to happen from seeing the movie—one of the few fairy-tale movies her father had allowed her to see. If she remembered correctly, they were about to meet the Cowardly Lion. He would spring from the brush at any moment.
“The lion is coming,” Sabrina said as she peered around.
Daphne nodded. “If he jumps out and scares me, I might wet myself. I wish we could get some kind of warning.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than the monstrous beast hurled himself into the center of the road. The lion was much bigger than Sabrina had expected. His body was all muscle, and his paws were as big as tennis rackets. His enormous golden mane looked as if it could swallow a man whole, and his claws gleamed like beautiful daggers. He looked as if he were about to swat someone, but when he couldn’t find his target he crouched down on his haunches. His ferocious face turned to befuddlement.
“Did you have an accident?” Sabrina asked her sister.
The little girl shook her head. “No, but it was close.”
The lion furrowed his brow and let out a roar that blew the girls’ hair back.
“That’s not helping,” Daphne continued.
Of all the parts of the wacky tale of Oz, the meeting of the Cowardly Lion was one Sabrina remembered well. “I think you have to hit him in the face. That’s what happens.”
Daphne shook her head. “I can’t hit a lion in the face.”
The lion roared loudly, then leaned over and whispered, “You have to. It’s in the story.”
Daphne looked perplexed. “I can’t do it. It’s mean.”
“Fine. I have to do everything,” Sabrina said as she strolled over to the lion. She pulled back and punched him square in the nose. Perhaps it was the angle of the punch, but the lion went down like a sack of potatoes and lay unconscious on the ground.
“Did you have to hit him so hard?” Daphne said, leaning over the pummeled creature.
“I barely tapped him!” Sabrina complained as she stepped over him.
“Well, we can’t just leave him here in the middle of the road,” Daphne said.
“You want to carry him?” Sabrina said. “He probably weighs a couple hundred pounds at least.”
Daphne looked down at the hulking beast and sighed. A moment later, she stepped over the lion as well and the girls continued down the Yellow Brick Road.
“Everyone seems pretty dead set on us sticking to the story,” Daphne said. “They look like they might have a breakdown when we don’t.”
Sabrina shrugged. “People hate change. Remember how panicked Uncle Jake was when the Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker changed the jelly in their doughnuts from raspberry to blueberry?” Sabrina picked up the pace. “C’mon. We’ll be old ladies by the time we get to the Wizard’s castle.”
They hadn’t traveled more than a few steps when they came to a deep sinkhole in the road, nearly twenty feet across. Worse, it seemed to go on for miles in both directions. There was no way around it, and a quick glance over the edge showed it was nearly impossible to climb down.
“This is one big pothole,” Daphne muttered.
“You would think that a city made out of valuable emeralds would mean you could find a little money to fix the roads,” Sabrina said. “You’ve read this story. What did Dorothy do to get across?”
“She used us,” a voice said from behind them. The girls spun around and found the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion approaching. They all looked very angry.
“Hey, you heard what I said!” Sabrina said. “You knew I wasn’t barking.”
“Of course we can hear you,” the Tin Man said. “But we all have a part to play, and your part is the dog. You two are causing mayhem. You can’t abandon major characters by the side of the road.”
“Or in the middle of it,” the Cowardly Lion growled.
“Believe it or not, we’re integral parts of this tale,” the Scarecrow said, as if his pride had been bruised as deeply as the lion’s nose.
“You can’t get through the story without our help,” the Tin Man said. “And if you keep making changes, you’re going to make the Editor angry.”
“OK, let’s hit the Rewind button here,” Sabrina said. “Who is the Editor?”
“Hush!” the trio cried in a panic.