The lump in my throat gagged me, making my words stiff. “Take it back.” Mr. Hickory snorted and lay on the ground, covering his face with his hat. “Ain’t nothing to take back.” I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the stab of discomfort. I hobbled to where he lay and stood over him, breathing heavily. He didn’t stir. Balancing painfully on my twisted foot, I kicked him in the ribs. He shot up, his hat tumbling to the ground. “Ouch! Whatcha do that for?” “Take. It. Back.” He held up his hands as I lifted my foot again. “Okay, okay! Fine! Your pa didn’t cause no drought.” He snatched up his hat and
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This scene was originally extended to include a reference to the Flying Monkeys (not bad guys in Baum's book). Kathryn, overwhelmed with sorrow, recites the chant Dorothy uses to call the monkeys to fly her away. Although ultimately cut for word count and pacing, it remains one of my favorite scenes and was the hardest edit of the entire novel.
