March of Microanalysis Day 20
Microfiction Entry Day 20:
A miscommunication resulted in Dorothy getting rubber slippers. So while she could never go home, she could bounce all over Oz.
The past few days of my microfiction have all relied heavily on callbacks. Here, obviously, the Wizard of Oz is essential background for any reader hoping to find value in this story. Which, I hope, is everyone. It's an alternate version, of course, because in this one, Doro isn't just dreaming, and she will be stuck in the fantasy world of Oz until further notice (or until a competent balloonist shows up).
Mostly, I find the idea of a bureaucratic snafu in Oz to be amusing, and like all jokes, the explanation punctures the humor. Sorry.
Although I wouldn't ever need to translate this into another language, writing this did get me thinking about the difficulty of maintaining a writer's style and tone after the language is altered. Puns have got to be the worst for translators (even for languages that share roots). If this one-liner would make problems for a translator, just consider the agony a novel must offer. So when you do read works in translation (and you should), be kind.
Learn more about works in translation here.
Through March, I'm posting a breakdown/analysis of the microfiction I posted on the corresponding day in February. This is probably only interesting to you if you care about the mechanics of writing, or if you know me personally.