Dorothy lived in the midst
of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer,
and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife.
Their House was small: no garret at all, and no cellar-except a
small hole, dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the
family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose.
Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked anxiously at the sky.
Dorothy stood in the door with Toto in her arms. Aunt Em was
washing the dishes.
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.
"There's a cyclone coming." he called.
Aunt Em dropped her work.
"Quick, Dorothy," she screamed, "run for the cellar!"
Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid ubder the bed. Aunt Em
threw open the trapdoor and climbed down into the cellar. Dorothy
caught Toto and started to follow her aunt, but the house shook
so hard, she lost her footing.
The house whirled around and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy
sat quite still on the air. Dorothy sat quite still on the floor
and waited to see what would happen.
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