The Cyclone

Dorothy is a little girl. She lives on a farm in Kansas with Uncle Henry, Aunt Em and her little black dog, Toto. Kansas is very flat and very gray. The grass is gray, the house is gray, and even Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are gray and serious. Only Toto is not gray. He makes Dorothy laugh every day.

One day the sky is very dark. Uncle Henry looks at the sky and says, “A cyclone is coming, Em!” Aunt Em runs to a small room under the floor. “Quick, Dorothy! Come down here!” she calls. But Toto is afraid. He runs under the bed, and Dorothy goes after him.

Then the wind comes. The house shakes and turns around two or three times. Then it goes up, up, up into the sky! The cyclone carries the little house far away. Dorothy holds Toto in her arms. At first she is scared. But the house moves slowly, like a big boat in the air. After many hours, Dorothy goes to bed and falls asleep.

Suddenly there is a big bump. Dorothy wakes up. The house is on the ground again. She opens the door and looks out. She sees green grass, tall trees with sweet fruit, beautiful flowers and a little river. Birds with bright feathers sing in the trees. It is a beautiful country, and it is not Kansas at all!