Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz

by Robert J. Evans

  *

  Chapter Fourteen:

  Tickleland

  *

  As they approached the borders of Tickleland, Dorothy becameapprehensive. "I'm so ticklish. I'll just die if the Ticklemonsterscatch me," she said.

  "We'll do our best to protect you, Dorothy," said the Tin Woodman as theScarecrow nodded his head.

  "What about me?" said the Lion. "I'm ticklish, too, you know."

  "Well, we'll do our best," said the Tin Woodman. "But there's only twoof us to protect you, and there's an awful lot of Ticklemonsters."

  "All you have to do is tell them 'don't stop'," said the Scarecrow.

  "Tell them 'don't stop'?" questioned Dorothy in surprise.

  "Yes. Don't you remember what I told you?" said the Tin Woodman. "TheTicklemonsters don't like being told what to do, so if you tell them tostop, they'll just keep going, and if you tell them to tickle you, theywon't."

  "What if they're really hungry?" said Dorothy.

  "Hungry?" echoed the Tin Woodman.

  "Yes, " replied Dorothy. "You said that Ticklemonsters don't eat regularfood, but that the sound of laughter energizes molecules in the airaround them, and that they absorb the energized molecules through theirskin."

  "Oh yes, of course," said the Tin Woodman. "I almost forgot. Well, toanswer your question, the Ticklemonsters are so stubborn that they'drather go hungry than do as they're told."

  "Once, I was sent to bed without any dinner for not doing as I wastold," said the girl.

  "Well the Ticklemonsters are gluttons for punishment," said theScarecrow. "They simply won't do as they're told -- no matter what. Sothey go hungry a lot."

  "Why do they hate having to do as they're told so much?" asked Dorothy.

  "I don't know," replied the Tin Woodman. "They just don't like it. Theywant to do what they want to do, and not what someone else wants them todo."

  "Well, I guess we are all sort of like that." said Dorothy. "We're toldwhat to do by our parents and by our teachers, and then when we leaveschool to go to work we have a boss telling us what to do. It does get alittle tiring."

  "Yes, but imagine what it would be like if no one ever told you what todo," said the Tin Woodman. "Would you help around the house withoutbeing asked? Or get up in the morning in time for school, and go to bedat a reasonable hour? Would you behave in school, and concentrate onlearning all you could? And do your homework without putting up a fuss?"

  "I might do all those things if given a chance, said Dorothy. "Butgrown-ups automatically assume that you have to be pushed and proddedall the time. They don't leave you alone. It's /'do this,/' and /'dothat/,' and /'why aren't you doing so and so/?' It's just too much attimes. Sometimes you feel like verbally lashing back at them, or justgoing off and not doing anything at all."

  With that, they arrived at the gates of Tickleland. A sign above thegates read:

  WARNING!

  TRAVELERS THROUGH TICKLELAND

  ARE WELCOME

  "That's a strange sign," said Dorothy. "Warning you that you're welcome?"

  "Well, when you think about it," said the Scarecrow, "travelers are foodif caught and tickled. So naturally they welcome you. And they arewarning you in advance, which is very nice of them. After all, if youare caught, you may be tickled to death."

  "Oh, my," gasped Dorothy. "I hadn't thought of that."

  "Well, we have to go on, Dorothy," said the Scarecrow.

  "We'll do our best to protect you all," said the tin man.

  The Lion gingerly opened the gates and peered in. "Not a soul in sight,"he said. "Maybe they're all at a convention or something," he addedhopefully.

  As they walked, everyone felt better. Tickleland was quite pretty,really. Rolling hills of green grass and clumps of trees here and there.As they approached some trees, they noticed a well. "Would you like adrink of water, Dorothy?" asked the Tin Woodman.

  "Oh yes, please," replied Dorothy. "I'm quite thirsty."

  As the tin man lowered the bucket, he began to relax.

  "Well," remarked the Scarecrow, "it looks as though we may walk rightthrough Tickleland without seeing one Ticklemonster. Tickleland's notvery big, you know. Look, there -- the border's right there." Everyoneturned in the direction he was pointing in and, sure enough, the borderwas about the same distance as they'd traveled so far.

  "What a relief," said Dorothy as the Tin Woodman handed her a ladle ofwater from the well. "Mmmm, this is good," said Dorothy. "So refreshing."

  "Surprise!" said a loud voice.

  Everyone jumped. They turned to see about twenty Ticklemonsters whoquickly surrounded them.

  "Are we glad to see you," said one who appeared to be their leader. Hewas a little taller than the others and was the one who had greeted themso abruptly. "We welcome you to Tickleland," he continued, bending overin a mock bow. "I might add that we are all very hungry, so we doublywelcome you. Grab those two!" he said, pointing to the Tin Woodman andScarecrow. Six of the Ticklemonsters quickly jumped on them and heldtheir arms and legs.

  "Now," said the leader, "let's have us a feast!"

  "Oh, no," said the Lion, beginning to laugh uncontrollably. "I won't beable to stand it."

  The Ticklemonsters moved quickly with their eight arms as they grabbedthe Lion and Dorothy and tickled and tickled.

  "Oh, no! Stop, please stop!" shouted Dorothy between peals of laughter.The Lion could not even plead with them to stop. He was laughing so muchthat tears were rolling down his cheeks. Their pleas to stop couldhardly be heard above their laughter. The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow shouted,

  "Tell them to tickle you." "Then they'll stop." "Remember they do theopposite of what they're told."

  Dorothy managed to gasp out, "Don't stop tickling me -- tickle me somemore." The two Ticklemonsters who were tickling her immediately stopped.

  "We won't," they said in a huff, and folded their arms and held theirhands up with a stubborn look on their faces. The Lion managed to saythe same thing, and his Ticklemonsters stopped, too. With that, theTicklemonsters abruptly turned and left, muttering to themselves,"Trying to tell us what to do. What nerve!"

  After the Ticklemonsters had gone, everyone picked himself up and headedquickly for the border. When they reached it, they all heaved a sigh ofrelief. "Thank goodness that's over," said the Lion. "It's a good thingwe knew about them not liking to be told what to do."