Chief among the pastimes of that community was the surreptitious acquisition of a father’s hot air balloon, whether by a secret night outing or a cleverly placed diversion of viking look-alikes in a neighbor’s ferret pen.
The balloons allowed a level of freedom hitherto unknown to these country children, who might otherwise have never ventured beyond the borders of their respective family estates. As it was, however, the surrounding settlements became quite accustomed to the periodic discovery of distraught livestock perched atop trees, barns, and commonly Mrs. Henett’s outhouse.
Is that how the Wizard made it to OZ?
Exactly.
And ever afterward he kicked himself for dressing up as a goat that day.
So does that mean Dr. Dillamond is really the Wizard in disguise?
Again, yes. As you undoubtedly know, he liked to pretend to be different things to different people when granting audiences. Since he had the goat costume from the beginning, that was one of his first alter-egos. (Though he liked to tell everyone that the giant ball of flame came first.)
I don’t claim to comprehend what all this means, but I do know something of balloon rides and dogs in trees. Part of growing up in the 505 . . . I can elaborate at our next Halo tournament, but of course that means you’d have to invite me back knowing I terrorize your fiendish bird. :-)
I like balloons.