Unfortunately, the feeling of relief they all felt was to be short-lived. Dorothy had barely finished speaking when the Lion said, "You are all growing taller." Everyone laughed in surprise, for it was he who was getting smaller -- or so it seemed. In actual fact, he was sinking slowly into the soft ground. They all ran at once to pull him up, but, the more they pulled, the more he sank. It was as if a strong force was sucking him in. "Ahhh!" yelled the Tin Woodman. "It's got me, too!" He was already in the ground up to his knees when Dorothy reached him. "It's no good," he said. "I'm sinking too fast." While Dorothy was trying to pull the Tin Woodman out, the Scarecrow yelled, "Now it's got me!" He was flailing his arms about and grabbing at the tufts of grass in a desperate attempt to escape the dreadful suction. But it was no use. By the time Dorothy reached him, he was actually up to his waist. Dorothy was afraid to pull on him too hard, for fear he would tear and all the straw would come out. She looked around her in desperation. By now, the Lion was up to his neck; she ran to him and grabbed his big ears. "Ouch!" the Lion yelled. "You're going to pull my ears off!" Dorothy let go and started to sob. "I'm losing you," she cried. "I'm losing all of you!" Just then, the Lion yelled out, "Hey! I'm not sinking any more!" "Oh thank goodness!" shouted Dorothy, greatly relieved. The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow -- who were by now also up to their necks - shouted out in unison, "I've stopped, too!" "Well, thank Heaven!" said Dorothy, now crying with happiness. "I'll go and try to get help." She had barely said the word 'help' when a piercing cackle filled the air. It was a sound they all knew so well and dreaded so much. Swoosh! The Wicked Witch's broomstick flew past the Scarecrow's left ear. Then swoosh again. This time past the Lion's right ear. She headed for the Tin Woodman, screaming as she flew: "Got you now, my beauties! Ha ha haha!" Dorothy stood spellbound as she watched the witch perform her acrobatics. Suddenly, the witch zoomed upwards, high into the air, as if leaving. But she turned quickly and pointed the broomstick directly at Dorothy and zoomed towards her like a rocket. The broomstick was about three feet from Dorothy's face when she turned it up slightly, barely missing Dorothy's head. As she swooshed by, she cackled loudly, her screaming laughter filling the air. She did this several times, scaring Dorothy half to death. Dorothy had to move from side to side each time the witch attacked her, or she would have been hit. * Chapter Twenty-one: A Surprising Reversal *