How the Balloon was Launched
by L. Frank Baum
Comprehension
A. Choose the correct option.
1. Dorothy was sad because
a. her friends were happy. [ ]
b. she hadn't heard from Oz. [ ]
c. she couldn't get back to Kansas. [✓]
2. When Dorothy heard that Oz was also going with her, she felt
a. surprised. [ ]
b. excited. [ ]
c. both a. and b. [✓]
3. Oz was
a. a real wizard. [ ]
b. not a wizard. [✓]
c. used to making balloons. [ ]
4. Dorothy couldn't get into the balloon basket in time because
a. she had gone looking for her little dog, Toto. [✓]
b. she had suddenly decided she wouldn't go to Kansas. [ ]
c. she was scared of flying. [ ]
B. Answer these questions.
1. What did Oz tell Dorothy when she entered the throne room?
= When Dorothy entered the throne room, Oz greeted her and told her that he had found a way to get her out of the country.
2. Why did Oz paint the inside of the balloon with a coat of thin glue?
= Oz paint the inside of the balloon with a coat of thin glue to make it airtight.
3. Where did Oz tell his people he was going?
= Oz told his people that he was going away to make a visit to his brother Wizard who lived in the clouds.
4. Who would rule over the people of Oz while the wizard was gone?
= Scarecrow will rule over the people of Oz while the wizard was gone.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. "And back to Kansas?"...
a. Who asked this question and to whom?
= Dorothy asked this question to Oz.
b. What had the person told her earlier?
= Oz had told her that he had found a way to get her out of the country and to help her to reach her home.
c. What did the person say in reply to this question?
= In reply to this question, Oz said that he was not sure where Kansas was. But once she crossed the desert she could easily find her way home.
2. "If it won't float,"..."it will be of no use to us."
a. Who said this and to whom?
= Dorothy said this to Oz.
b. What was it and why wouldn't it float?
= It was a balloon. It wouldn't float because there was no gas to fill the balloon with the Oz to make it float.
c. How could it be made to float?
= It could be made to float if it is filled with hot air.
3. "Come, Dorothy!"..."Hurry up, or the balloon will fly away."
a. Who said this to Dorothy?
= The Wizard said this to Dorothy.
b. Why would the balloon fly away?
= The balloon would fly away as the rope that held it to the ground, got disconnected for the air inside it was hot, and this made it so much lighter in weight than the air outside.
c. Why was Dorothy late?
= Dorothy was late because she was looking for her pet dog Toto which had run into the crowd to bark at a kitten.
D. Think and answer.
1. Why did Oz want to leave the country?
= Oz wanted to leave the country because he was not a Wizard. He was tired of being dishonest. If he goes out of his palace, his people would soon find out that he was not a wizard.
2. How did the balloon get filled with hot air?
= The Tin Woodman had chopped a big pile of wood, and then he made a fire of it, and Oz held the bottom of the balloon over the fire so that the hot air that arose from it would be caught in the silken bag. Slowly the balloon swelled out and rose into the air, until finally the basket just touched the ground.
3. Dorothy was so eager to go to Kansas on that balloon. But she missed the chance. She wouldn't leave without her dog Toto and went looking for him. What does this tell you about Dorothy?
= Dorothy was so eager to go to Kansas on that balloon. But she missed the chance. She wouldn't leave without her dog Toto and went looking for him. This tells us that Dorothy loves her pet dog very much. She is very much responsible and caring towards the dog.
About the Author:
L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author mainly known for his children's books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He was in love with theatre and wanted to act in plays. In 1880, his father, a wealthy businessman, built him a theatre in Richburg, New York, and Baum started to write plays and gathered a company to act in them.
With the adventures taking place in the land of Oz - and other fairy tales, Baum wanted to retell tales similar to the works of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson.