them off except at night and when she took her bath. The Witch wastoo much afraid of the dark to dare go in Dorothy's room at nightto take the shoes, and her dread of water was greater than herfear of the dark, so she never came near when Dorothy was bathing.Indeed, the old Witch never touched water, nor ever let watertouch her in any way.
But the wicked creature was very cunning, and she finally thought ofa trick that would give her what she wanted. She placed a bar of ironin the middle of the kitchen floor, and then by her magic arts made theiron invisible to human eyes. So that when Dorothy walked across the floorshe stumbled over the bar, not being able to see it, and fell at full length.She was not much hurt, but in her fall one of the Silver Shoes came off; andbefore she could reach it, the Witch had snatched it away and put it on herown skinny foot.
The wicked woman was greatly pleased with the success of her trick,for as long as she had one of the shoes she owned half the power oftheir charm, and Dorothy could not use it against her, even had sheknown how to do so.
The little girl, seeing she had lost one of her pretty shoes,grew angry, and said to the Witch, "Give me back my shoe!""I will not," retorted the Witch, "for it is now my shoe, andnot yours."
"You are a wicked creature!" cried Dorothy. "You have no rightto take my shoe from me."
"I shall keep it, just the same," said the Witch, laughing at her,"and someday I shall get the other one from you, too."This made Dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucketof water that stood near and dashed it over the Witch, wetting herfrom head to foot.
Instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear, and then, asDorothy looked at her in wonder, the Witch began to shrink and fall away."See what you have done!" she screamed. "In a minute I shall melt away.""I'm very sorry, indeed," said Dorothy, who was truly frightened tosee the Witch actually melting away like brown sugar before her very eyes."Didn't you know water would be the end of me?" asked theWitch, in a wailing, despairing voice.
"Of course not," answered Dorothy. "How should I?""Well, in a few minutes I shall be all melted, and you willhave the castle to yourself. I have been wicked in my day, but Inever thought a little girl like you would ever be able to melt meand end my wicked deeds. Look out--here I go!"With these words the Witch fell down in a brown, melted,shapeless mass and began to spread over the clean boards of thekitchen floor. Seeing that she had really melted away to nothing,Dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess.She then swept it all out the door. After picking out the silvershoe, which was all that was left of the old woman, she cleanedand dried it with a cloth, and put it on her foot again. Then,being at last free to do as she chose, she ran out to thecourtyard to tell the Lion that the Wicked Witch of the West had
