Read this story on Yak Yacker with clickable word help, full story audio, and lesson notes below the text.
This version is written for English-speaking learners who want a friendly reading experience in English.
Dorothy lived in with her aunt and uncle. One day, a lifted her house up into the sky. It high and far away.
The house landed in a beautiful land called Oz. The Munchkins were happy because the house killed the Wicked Witch of the East. The Good Witch of the North gave Dorothy the witch's silver shoes. She said, "Go to the Emerald City. The Wizard of Oz can help you go home. Follow the yellow brick road."
On the road, Dorothy met a . "I have no ," he said sadly. "Can I come with you to the Wizard for a brain?" Dorothy said, "Yes, come with us!" So they .
Soon they found a . He was all made of tin and could not . "I have no ," he said. "I want to ." They helped him with , and he joined them on the yellow brick road.
Then they met a . He was big but very . "I'm a ," he cried. "I want ." "Come with us," said Dorothy. "The Wizard can help you."
They finally the Emerald City. The Wizard looked big and . He said, " the Wicked Witch of the West. Then I will help you." So they west to find the witch.
The Wicked Witch wolves and bees, but the friends were . At last, Dorothy threw water on the witch, and the witch . The Winkies were free! They gave Dorothy the witch's and broomstick.
They to the Wizard, but they saw he was not a great wizard, just a man from Omaha. Still, he gave the Scarecrow a for brains, the Tin Woodman a heart, and the Lion a medal for .
Then he said, "I can take you home in my ." But the balloon without Dorothy. Dorothy was sad until Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, told her, "Click your heels together three times and say, 'There's no place like home.'" Dorothy did it, and , she was back in Kansas with her family.
Dorothy lived in Kansas with her aunt and uncle. A cyclone lifted her house into the sky and carried it far away.
The house landed in Oz, and the Munchkins were glad because it killed the Wicked Witch of the East. The Good Witch gave Dorothy silver shoes and told her to go to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard to help her get home, following the yellow brick road.
On the way, Dorothy met a Scarecrow who was sad because he had no brain. He asked to join to ask the Wizard for a brain, and Dorothy agreed. They walked together.
They met a Tin Woodman who couldn't move and wanted a heart to love and feel. They oiled him, and he joined them.
They met a Cowardly Lion who wanted courage. Dorothy invited him to see the Wizard.
In the Emerald City, the Wizard appeared big and scary and told them to kill the Wicked Witch of the West first. So they went west.
The Witch sent wolves and bees, but the friends defeated them. Dorothy threw water on the witch, melting her. The Winkies were freed and gave Dorothy the golden cap and broomstick.
They returned to the Wizard and discovered he was just a man from Omaha. Still, he gave the Scarecrow a diploma for brains, the Tin Woodman a ticking heart, and the Lion a medal for courage.
The Wizard planned to take Dorothy home in a balloon, but it left without her. Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, told her to click her heels three times and say, "There's no place like home." Dorothy did, and she magically returned to Kansas to her family.
Dorothy's journey introduced many useful English words. Let's review them so you can use these words in your own stories.
- Cyclone - a strong wind storm
- Scarecrow - a figure to scare birds away from crops
- Coward - a person who is not brave
- Melt - to change from solid to liquid (like the witch!)
- Broomstick - a witch's flying tool
- Diploma - an official paper showing achievement
The story of Oz happened in the past, so it uses many past tense verbs. In English, we often add -ed to make the past (walk → walked), but many common verbs are irregular and change completely.
Using the past tense helps you talk about things that already happened. Try making sentences about Dorothy's adventure!
- Regular: lift → lifted, land → landed, help → helped
- Irregular: fly → flew, give → gave, meet → met, say → said, throw → threw
The Scarecrow wanted brains, the Tin Woodman wanted a heart, and the Lion wanted courage. These are traits-words we use to describe what someone is like.
You can also describe feelings: the Lion felt scared, but by facing his fears he was truly brave. Try complimenting a friend: "You are so kind, just like the Tin Woodman!"
- Clever - having intelligence (brains)
- Kind - having a good heart
- Brave - showing courage
- Scared - feeling afraid (but not a permanent trait!)
Dorothy learned that home is special, and you've learned some special English. Use the words and grammar from this story when you speak or write. Tell a friend about the Wizard of Oz in your own words. Or imagine your own character with a wish-what do they want? Brains, heart, courage?
Remember, every step on the yellow brick road of language learning brings you closer to your goals. Click your heels and say, "I can speak English!"-it works like magic if you practice.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz comes from an older public-domain story tradition and is best known as a public_domain_children_story_retelling. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on public-domain source material, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. This version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the A2 English Vocabulary List. After that, try English Adjectives and Adverbs for another useful next step.
