Summaries & Continuity Notes of Oz

History: Three different versions of this story exist, the original "How the Wizard Came to Oz and What He Did There," from Oziana 1976, is the first. This story was expanded in 1991 under the Emerald City Press banner, and simply called How the Wizard Came to Oz. Finally, in 2016, forty years after the original was written, the author released a serialized webstrip online, now re-titled, How the Wizard Came to Oz: The True Origin of the Wizard of Oz. Each version features considerable differences, but it is this third version that is the most expansive and harmonious, continuity-wise, of the three. The Royal Timeline of Oz deems it the canonical one, and this is what is detailed here. For a look at the others, click on their respective links above.

Synopsis: Strips 1-9: Oscar Diggs uses his ventriloquist act with his dummy Walnut to flirt with an audience member. When she goes to his tent, he tells her that his father had been a con-artist who went too far when he tried to rip off the city of New York. Before he could be sent to an orphanage, he escaped and joined the circus at the age of 10. After she leaves, his friend, circus-owner Maxwell asks what's troubling Oscar, and he admits that he's bored being a ventriloquist, even if he is the best since Sound-Off Simpson, his mentor, passed. The next day, Maxwell shows him his new balloon. Oscar takes to the idea and, though still performing his ventriloquist act, becomes a balloonist.

Strips 10-17: A storm comes from the north, knocking Oscar's gondola about until he hits his head on a metal support and passes out. He dreams of his debut and the advice Sound-Off gave him of envisioning himself a far greater magician than he really was, willing the audience to believe along with him. He warns him only to not promise more than he can actually deliver. Oscar awakens as the balloon passes over the Deadly Desert. Hours later, the balloon descends into a city made of yellow crystal. The citizens see the letters OZ on the balloon and begin to wonder if the prophecy of Gorg the Soothsayer is coming true of a chosen one who will come from the sky to save them from the tyrant. Old Azor said it would be a girl, but the people believe it has to be a mighty wizard. They greet him and inform him that he's in the Winkie Country of Oz.

Strips 18-32: In a tower above the city, Lady Glinda visits Lady Morella to discuss peace terms between their countries to end the long war that's plagued their countries since Morella's been on the throne. She's interrupted by a maid and departs to see the disturbance. Oscar wonders aloud who the silly woman is, and she announces herself as the Witch of the West and ruler of the Winkies. She sends her elite guards after him, but he uses the balloon's hot air to knock them down. As they recover, he warns them that he'll unleash an invisible army of lions, tigers and bears, and uses his ventriloquist skills to fool them into believing it. After they flee, the Winkies cheer him. Looking on from above, Glinda's impressed. Lady Morella blows on her Silver Whistle and summons magical black wolves to attack him. Glinda determines to help, and when the Wizard uses his ventriloquism to summon the roar of a dragon, Glinda makes an illusory dragon appear. The Shadow Wolves and Lady Morella depart, and the Winkies proclaim the Wizard their new ruler. Atop a nearby mountain, the Wicked Witch promises to have her revenge

Strips 33-40: Lady Morella visits her sister Lady Malvonia, ruler and Witch of the East, in her Blue Tower, requesting her aid and that of the Silver Shoes to defeat him. Lady Malvonia explains that although the Shoes can transport her anywhere, and even construct a palace (as it did her Blue Tower), she's unable to get them to harm living creatures. She then tells her that up in the Gillikin Country, in the midst of a jungle stands the castle of Gayelette and Quelala. Earlier the winged monkeys had dropped him in a lake, angering Gayelette so much that she made them slaves to a magical Golden Cap. Although Quelala has hidden the cap, Lady Morella departs to find it in the hopes that with control of the winged monkeys she'll depose the Wizard. The Wizard, meanwhile, presides over the case of a farmer who was scheduled to be executed for protesting Lady Morella's intent to use his farm to build her new summer palace. The Wizard frees him and restores his farm to him. Glinda shows up to remark on how well he handled that case, and he in turn tells her that he's closed the torture chamber and freed everyone from the dungeon. He's also happy to sign a peace treaty with the Quadlings. Glinda says she will always have a friend in her.

Strips 41-53: A lion tells his cub that he senses something evil approaching. When Lady Morella arrives, demanding he move, as she's spent six months searching for her prize, the lion announces that he's the Sentinel of Quelala and guards the pass. When he orders her to depart, she turns him into stone. The lion's upset cub runs away in fear as the witch laughs. Reaching into the hollow of a long-dead tree, Lady Morella finds the Golden Cap, puts in on, and recites the magic words. Soon the winged monkeys arrive and their king asks what she requires. Elsewhere, in the Quadling Country, Glinda gets a message from her Great Aunt Locasta, the Good Witch of the North. She informs her that her wicked cousin Morella has been skulking around her country and has retrieved the Golden Cap. Locasta then teaches her a spell for dealing with them. The winged monkeys attack Winkie City, throwing citizens into nets. The Wizard tries to flee, but is caught. Using a trick he learned from Chinese acrobats, he escapes into his balloon. Using her evil eye, she locates him and sends the winged monkeys in pursuit. Glinda uses the spell Locasta taught her to summon up a tornado and send the winged monkeys back to their land. Lady Morella angrily sits on her throne and destroys the peace treaty she finds there.

Strips 54-59: The next day, the Wizard's balloon alights upon a land where the homes are made of giant emeralds. He's informed by a young man with short green whiskers that he's in the center of Oz, a neutral state where people from all four quadrants can come and safely trade. No witch has ever lived there. The people hail him as the Wizard of Oz. When a kalidah attacks, Oscar borrows a cane to attack it, but its the emerald bullet from the lad with the green whiskers that brings the creature down. He introduces himself as Omby Amby. The Wizard invites him to work for him.

Strips 60-79: When the guards of Lady Malvonia bring her signs from Munchkin rebels decrying her as a tyrant, she sends them into the woods after them, noting that there were no rebels until the Wizard arrived. She summons an entity called Scarecrow and asks that he deliver a message to the Wizard. He departs, and when a sable tiger attacks him in the woods, the tiger loses. Meanwhile, the Wizard is inspecting the fifty-foot high walls that will keep out kalidahs, and Omby Amby tells him the people have never worked so hard or happily before. He shows him the magnificent Emerald City from the outside. A week later, Lady Malvonia casts a spell on Glinda preventing her from protecting the Wizard. The Scarecrow approaches the Wizard in his throne room, and reveals itself to be nightshade crows, of which one scratch causes death. But having been prepared for treachery, the Wizard had set up funhouse mirrors, trapping the birds inside a cage that drops from above. When Malvonia discovers her failure, her sister Morella arrives by broom, offering that they join forces using mother's old witches' brew recipe, which she attained before their mother melted to death in a sudden rainstorm.

Strips 80-97: Aunt Locasta visits Glinda and removes the blocking spell that Malvonia had placed on her, informing her that the east and west sisters have joined forces against the Wizard. Together they plot to stop them. In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Jellia Jamb asks Omby Amby about the Wizard, whose not emerged from the throne room in three days. In the dark forest at midnight, the two wicked witches brew up ingredients in a cauldron and utter an incantation, conjuring up a giant Deaths-head Spider, a skull-faced, horned, fanged creature that can shoot fiery webs. With a magical dart, they send a letter to the Wizard. When Omby Amby brings it into the throne room, he's shocked to find a giant head addressing him with the voice of the Wizard! When he leaves, the Wizard is pleased at his construction of the head, made in the likeness of his former dummy Walnut. The letter warns him that the witches are coming. Just then he receives a card from Madam Magda offering magic in a tent outside the gates of the Emerald City. As Lady Morella instructs the Winkie and Munchkin soldiers, Lady Malvonia uses the Silver Slippers to create a road of yellow brick leading to the Emerald City.

Strips 97-140: Three days later, as the army of the witches marches towards the city, Glinda places a deadly poppy field on their path, putting the entire army to sleep. While the witches burn a path through it, the Wizard approaches Madam Magda, who's actually Glinda in disguise. She gives him three pearls. Outside, the witches and their army arrive. Malvonia creates a magical blue griffin. When the creature attacks, Oscar pushes a button on his cane, turning it into a sword and using his fencing lessons to fight. But when he makes the first cut, the wound is instantly healed and Oscar's blade knocked away. Omby Amby's shot stuns it momentarily, and when Oscar hears Glinda's voice, he hurls the pulsing green pearl at the griffin, reducing it to ash. Morella then transforms her umbrella into a monstrous serpent, which uses its tail to send Omby Amby flying, and shoots lasers out of its eyes. The blast knocks the pearls out of Oscar's grasp, while its tail picks him. Omby Amby recovers. Refusing to shoot humans, he fends off the witches' guards with his rifle's stock. As the serpent prepares to devour him, Oscar presses another button on the cane, shooting black smoke in its face. Grabbing the next pulsing pearl, he throws it into the creatures maw, causing it to explode and turn back into Morella's umbrella. Finally, the witches summon the Deaths-Head spider. The creature asks if the Wizard is his target, and when she agrees, he shoots flaming webs at him. He flees, but wonders why his remaining pearl isn't glowing. The creature prepares to make its kill, but he hears Glinda's voice as the pearl cracks open, bathing him in green gas, and turning him into a giant that towers over the spider. The fight proceeds, until Oscar uses his cane as a bat and knocks him into the air, where the creature explodes. He turns his attention to the army, who scatter in fear. The witches combine their power to engulf Oscar in witches fire, but it only tickles him. Sensing their defeat, Malvonia uses her Silver Shoes to whisk them away. Oscar returns to his normal size as the Ozites rush over to congratulate him. Later on, Madam Magda approaches Oscar in the throne room and reveals her true self, explaining that for them to see him as a true wizard she couldn't be seen helping him. Although the Wicked Witch of the West remains a threat, Glinda relates a prophecy of one who will fall from the sky who will take her life. He jokes that if he ever meets her, he'll send her straight to her door. Glinda recommends that he remain out of sight for his own safety.

Continuity Notes

Cowardly Lion: This story, along with The Way of the Lion, shows the Cowardly Lion as a cub, and the way in which he lost his father, who'd been appointed the Sentinel of Quelala to guard the Golden Cap that Quelala's wife, Gayelette had created to control the Winged Monkeys. Lady Morella, the Wicked Witch of the West, turns the Cowardly Lion's father into stone.

Dating of the Wizard's Arrival in Oz: The Wizard's first came to Oz in 1871. The Wizard states in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz that he ruled in Oz "for many years" [p. 195], which indicates that he had been in Oz for some time prior to Dorothy's arrival. Hot-air ballooning did not take off in circuses and traveling fairs until 1871, months after Leon Gambetta's highly publicized balloon escape from the Prussian armies in Paris to Southern France, after which ballooning sprang up overnight across circuses and fairs (for more information, see this article). After only a few short years, however, solo balloon shows were no longer trendy or novel, and circuses had added acrobats to spice things up. A point has been made that the Wizard’s city of origin, Omaha, was not established until 1854, thereby limiting Oscar Diggs' age, however, he may have been born in the region of Omaha prior to it being officially named such, particularly since Omaha is the name of the Native American tribe that lived in that region, and it may have been called Omaha from as early as 1813 when Manuel Lisa established a large trading post there.

Dating of the Narrative: Although the strips' current dates are somewhat off, they'll be corrected by the time of publication. The following should be seen as the correct years: Strips 1-59: 1871 [The Wizard arrives by balloon in the Winkie Country, where he's makes enemies of the Wicked Witch of the West]. Strips 60-140: 1892 [This is preceded by the witches destroying the former capital in Ozmara and Oscar moving into his newly built palace, events that are told in Oz and the Three Witches].

Glinda: Unbeknownst to readers until now, Glinda played a significant, if concealed, role in Oscar Diggs becoming the Wizard of Oz and fending off the attacks of the Wicked Witch rulers of the East and West. Glinda refers to Locasta as "Aunt," but by the same token she calls the East and West witches "cousin." While the latter is likely best understood in terms of magical relations, Locasta does appear to be Glinda's aunt.

Golden Cap: As per Oziana 1998's "The Gauds of Oz," the Golden Cap had been made by Master Jeweler Joyero for Queen Gayelette, who then ruled the Gillikins. She traded him half the kingdom for his masterpiece, but both came to regret the decision, and after Gayelette enchanted the cap she traded it back from him. The Wicked Witch of the West traded the former Winkie King Winkeslas' firestone for it. In this story, it is shown to have been hidden in a tree. It can be understood that this tree was on the property of Joyero, who had been instructed to keep the Golden Cap hidden. The witch's offer was too good for him to refuse and he revealed its location. The Wicked Witch of the West goes on to use the Golden Cap to command the Winged Monkeys twice in How the Wizard Came to Oz, once in Hugh Pendexter III's Oz and the Three Witches, and once in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. To resolve this discrepancy, the Royal Timeline of Oz suggests that at the end of this story, the witch gave the Cap to her sister, who used it three times for her own purposes (perhaps to fend off rivals or enemies), after which she gave it back to her sister. Most likely they had a magical means of cheating the system, and had Dorothy not killed both witches, they could have given it back and forth to one another indefinitely, keeping the Winged Monkeys permanently enslaved.

Oscar's Origins: For the first time, we learn about Oscar Diggs' family. He was raised by a con-artist who used his son as part of his tricks to steal and cheat. But when he tried to pull a scam to rip off New York City, he went too far and was arrested. Oscar managed to escape, and by the ripe age of 10 had joined the circus, where he trained under master ventriloquist "Sound-Off" Simpson. There is no mention of his father, so either she died or left her husband some time after giving birth to Oscar.

Sequel: The adventures of the Wizard in Oz continue in How the Wizard Saved Oz and How the Wizard Came to Oz II: Dorothy.

Winkie City: This is the first story to name the city where the Wizard landed and for a short time (six months) ruled. Lady Morella, Wicked Witch of the West, lived for a time in a castle in the city with a tower above all the other buildings. When the Wizard defeated her upon his arrival, she went to her sister Lady Malvonia in the Munchkin Country before traveling north to the Gillikin Country to gain the Golden Cap. Six months after her defeat, she returned with the winged monkeys to take back her castle in the city, driving out the Wizard. Twenty-one years later, she was driven out of her castle and city again when she was defeated by the Wizard a second time. This time she had a new castle constructed (or taken over) northeast of her former home. It is unknown if her former castle was the ancestral home of her family. When the Tin Woodman came to rule the Winkie Country, he briefly moved into her castle before having his own constructed (The Tin Castle of Oz), though whether it was the one in Winkie City or the one closer to the border (see the Oz map) is unknown. It is possible Lady Morella had Winkie City destroyed in punishment of their acceptance of the Wizard, which may explain why it never appears again in story.

Witch Names: This is the first story to give proper names to the Wicked Witches of the East and West, naming the East Witch Lady Malvonia, and the West Witch Lady Morella. The Living House of Oz, however, gives the West Witch from a parallel Oz that Ozma created in Paradox in Oz, the name Mordra, and it can be assumed that it's the same name she'd have had in the primary Oz because Glinda has the same name in both dimensions. This is understood in the context of royal names (or court names) verses family names. Multiple names is common for royals throughout history. In other words, when the two witches were born, the one who would eventually rule the west was named Mordra. But when she came of age (or took the throne of the Winkies), she was heralded as Lady Morella. The baby who would one day rule the east was given the name Malva at birth, but when she came of age (or took the throne), she was heralded as Lady Malvonia. Other titles included Wise Woman of West and Wise Woman of the East, though the citizens might have used old slang terms for them in secret, such as Gingemma (or Gingema), which means witch, for Malvonia, and Bastinda, which means to hit with a stick or staff. See the Appendices: Names and Relations of the Wicked Witches of Oz.

Synopsis: When the Queen of the Field Mice asks the Wizard for his help in finding her subjects, the Wizard declines, fearful that he'll be revealed as a phony. The Queen suggests that he doesn't want to help because he's a fake, so to keep her silent, he agrees to assist her. She explains that they'd attended the birthday party of the King of the Winged Monkeys. She left for a time, and when she returned, the mice were all gone. All she found was a tattered cloth, which the Wizard examines. It was made in the City of Lavendoria by Ohbo the tailor.

Looking to keep his travels a secret, the Wizard pushes an emerald on the throne, which moves it, revealing a flight of spiral steps leading underground. There, they enter a large cavern and travel past a narrow ridge above an abyss, beneath which runs a river that purportedly goes to the center of the earth. Coming to a tunnel, it leads to a large emerald-encrusted cavern where the Queen of the Field Mice inquires about a large mahogany throne that sits there. The Wizard explains that it's the Throne of Pastoria, who he'd heard was transformed into a bird when he drank what he thought was water from a woman (who was a witch) that he met one day while strolling in the woods. After the people built the Emerald City, they presented the Wizard with the throne. Yet, the former king's half-brother was a powerful military leader named General Riskitt, who coveted power, knowing that whomever sat upon it would be seen as the Rightful Ruler. He attempted to get the people to overthrow the Wizard, but widespread dislike for the general caused his plan of revolt to fail. He next attempted to steal the throne itself, but was caught. The Wizard banished him from the Emerald City, and hid the throne in the tunnels underneath the Royal Palace.

The Wizard soon leads them up a spiraling tunnel that goes to the surface. At the top, he taps his walking stick, and a section of marble opens up leading them outside the Emerald City and closing behind them. After many hours of walking, the Wizard, using his compass, leads them to the Gillikin Country. A Gillikin farmer tells them that Lavendoria is situated on the other side of the Mauve Mountains, which are inhabited by dangerous creatures. After some time and food, they head to the mountains, where they climb up to a canyon that leads through the mountains. At the canyon top, they encountered an unusual creature called the Whoozis, which has a scaly body, long neck, hippopotamus head, and peacock tail. The creature approaches to eat them, but the Wizard threatens him with an invisible dragon who will protect them. As the creature doesn't believe, him, he uses his ventriloquist skills to produce fearsome roars and cries, causing the Whoozis to run away.

Coming across a ditch, the Wizard produces a rope, which he turns into a lasso. After some throws, he secures it to the other side, but when the Queen reveals that she's afraid of heights, the Wizard puts her inside his coat pocket, and using his tightrope walking skills he learned in the circus, he crosses the distance. Once on the other side, however, he's accosted by the Whatzis, which has the body of a tiger, the head of an elephant, and the wings of an eagle. The Wizard again attempts his invisible dragon trick, but the creature isn't fooled, as he can smell nothing nearby, and besides which, he isn't afraid of dragons, having slain some in the past. But when the Queen of the Field Mice pops out her head, the creature flees in terror.

Nighttime by the time they exit the Mauve Mountains, they decide to sleep. Leaving the Queen in an orchard, the Wizard crosses to the light of what he hopes will be a welcoming farmhouse, but it turns out to be a strange wooden cottage shaped in the form of a jack-o'-lantern. He hears odd singing, and the door opens to reveal an unpleasant-looking woman who identifies herself as Mombi. She offers him a drink, but fearful of the woman and place, he declines and departs back to the orchard.

The next morning, after a breakfast of fruit, they come to Lavendoria. [Here, the Wogglebug section should be skipped.] But they discover that Ohbo the tailor is on vacation in the Munchkin Country. Worse, the Wizard discovers that General Riskitt is there, and sees that a torn piece from his purple cape is the very same cloth the Queen of the Field Mice had discovered. Deciding to follow General Riskitt, whose riding atop a unicorn, the general leads them back to the pumpkin-shaped cottage of Mombi. The Queen of the Field Mice goes to spy, and discovers that Mombi had given Riskitt a sleeping potion, which he used to abduct her people. With a machine Mombi created, the general intends to use the now chained mice to power the machine, which will drain the magic of Oz into General Riskitt, making him all-powerful She also learns that it was General Riskitt who put Mombi up to enchanting the former King Pastoria. Now, with the power he'll gain, he intends to depose the Wizard. When the machine fails to work, however, Mombi consults her Answer Book, which tells her that it's missing one mouse, who is right there in the cottage.

Whem Mombi discovers her, the Queen flees to the Wizard to inform him of everything she learned, but Mombi emerges from her cottage in the form of a griffin, and snatches up the field mouse Queen, while General Riskitt confronts the Wizard. Although the Wizard tells him he does not wish to hurt him, the General lunges with his sword. Using his walking stick and the lessons he learned from Sharpy at the circus, the Wizard sidesteps and sends the general headlong into a tree, knocking him out. But when he goes to the front door of Mombi's cottage, a trapdoor opens up under his feet and he falls into her cellar.

With the final field mouse in place, Mombi begins her machine. General Riskitt bursts into the hut, making demands, so Mombi explains to him that whomever wears the ring will receive the magic being sucked out of Oz. Then she puts the ring on herself! She suddenly transforms into a young woman, explaining that she deceived him in order to get him to purchase the equipment she needed to build the machine, and will now become Queen of Oz. Meanwhile, using a trick he learned at the circus from an escaped artist, the Great Spandini, the Wizard uses his stickpin to pick the cellar door lock, and enters Mombi's storeroom, where he finds and pockets a growth powder. He sneaks into the room where the field mice are being kept prisoner of the machine, and sprinkles the growth powder on them. When Riskitt and Mombi spot him, she flings him across the room with the wave of her hand, but he utters the spell that turns the mice giant for an hour. This disrupts the machine, which begins to sputter and spark. The Wizard and mice escape just before the machine explodes and blows the roof off the cottage. Mombi barely escapes herself, and, returning to the form of a griffin, only now with singed wings and black fur, she flies off.

The Wizard's trip back home is uneventful, as the creatures of the Mauve Mountains had heard of his defeat of Mombi and let him be. [Here, the Wizard's visit to Mombi's hut should be skipped and considered non-canon.] Passing again through his secret underground tunnel, the Wizard is suddenly accosted by General Riskitt who throws an escape-proof net over him! Suddenly, the Queen of the Field Mice orders her people to attack. She frees the Wizard, explaining that they'd spotted Riskitt atop his unicorn on the way to the Emerald City. The Wizard attempts to arrest the fallen general, but he escapes into the dark second cavern, and although the Wizard warns him, he trips and falls into the underground river, which takes him far away. The Queen of the Field Mice and her subjects are welcome to stay in the Palace and do so for a week before returning home. The Wizard then returns to seclusion.

Continuity Notes

Contradictions: In order to keep How the Wizard Saved Oz in continuity, some pages have to be excised. These include the too-early appearance of the Wogglebug, in Chapter 6, and the mention and appearance of Tip in Chapters 11 and 12. The idea that the author puts forward, that these are the three visits the Wizard makes to Mombi, has to be in error, as is his conception that Mombi abducted Princess Ozma from Pastoria when she transformed him into a bird. For example, Baum notes in The Marvelous Land in Oz that it was the Wizard who gave baby Ozma into Mombi's keeping, and Thompson notes in The Lost King of Oz that Mombi transformed Pastoria into a befuddled prisoner of Blankenburg. These few pages are thus excised on the Royal Timeline, and should be considered non-canon, allowing the rest of the story to occur as told. This change, then, would point to the first time the Wizard met Mombi, but it was an unintentional meeting, and should be noted as being before the three visits he makes to her hut, leading to his giving baby Ozma in her charge, all of which is detailed in Oz and the Three Witches.

Dating: Although the book is ambiguously dated to the time before Dorothy arrives in 1898, the excision of contradictory material (see above) allows it to be better dated to the time before the Wizard brings baby Ozma to Mombi, but after he's begun living in the Emerald City, namely 1892.

Field Mice: According to Mombi's Answer Book, there are 301 field mice living in Oz at this time, all of whom are subject to the Queen of the Field Mice, and all of whom were abducted by General Riskitt. If this seems like a small number, it likely does not include all the many other types of mice, rat, or rodent in Oz. By the time of Oz and the Three Witches, the Wizard appears to know of at least some mice living in or near the Palace, as he uses some for a magic trick, and by the time of Ruggedo in Oz, there are thousands of mice living in their own city in the Palace (with another city elsewhere in Oz). The Wizard seems unaware of this, which likely means that some of the Queen's subjects decided to stay behind in the Palace at this time and start a new colony.

General Riskitt: Noted to be the half-brother of King Pastoria II, Riskitt is the younger offspring of King Pastoria I with another woman, which would mean that he's a bastard. Nevertheless, he grew to be like his angry and wicked father (in the former king's enchanted form) and somehow rose to the rank of general. What his relationship was like to his father and half-brother is unknown, but it's noted that he's not popular with the people, who likely are aware of his violent nature, and who were likely disposed towards the friendly Pastoria II. This did not stop his ambitions following the disappearance of his father and brother to become king, though it did thwart his plans of having the people revolt against the Wizard. While the book notes that he didn't have support in this, it seems more likely that he had *some* support, otherwise, he'd have had no reason to institute such a plan. It's also revealed that it was General Riskitt himself who petitioned Mombi to get rid of his half-brother Pastoria II. In doing this, Mombi earned his trust and later tricked him into financing the magic-draining machine that would give her the power she wanted to defeat the East and West Witches and become Queen of Oz. General Riskitt's disappearance down the underground river likely means that he returns again in an as-yet untold story.

Magic-Draining Machine: Mombi likely stole the plans for the magic-draining machine from Dr. Pipt. Although the text says only that she took it from the "Crooked Magician who lives on Lonely Mountain" [76], two points make it appear that this is more likely to be Dr. Pipt than Dr. Nikidik. For one, she says that he intended to destroy the plans for the machine, fearing it would prove too dangerous in the wrong hands. This concern for the greater good is much more in keeping with Dr. Pipt at this time. Dr. Nikidik would likely have used the machine himself had he the plans for it. Also, the Lonely Mountain is noted in The Blue Witch of Oz as being in the Munchkin Country, where Dr. Pipt lives (Dr. Nikidik resided in the Gillikin Country.)

Mombi: Although unknown to the author at this time, several aspects of Mombi's behavior in this story can be reinterpreted in light of her true nature as a Yookoohoo ("The Gillikin Witches of Oz" and Oziana 2015's "The Malevolent Mannequin in Oz ,") including her transformation into a griffin (which she does in The Marvelous Land in Oz) and a young woman, which is her actual form as Yookoohoos stopped aging after Lurline's 1743 enchantment. What the machine may have given her is the ability to transform without having to rely on her Yookoohoo talisman. What it would have given her is dominion over the Wicked Witches of the East and West, who were the real threats to Oz at this time. When the machine is destroyed, Mombi not only loses her Answer Book and some of her potions, but winds up injured in the blast, and her griffin form shows her to have singed wings and blackened fur. It is likely that in this weakened state that she was defeated by Orin, the Good Witch of the North, later in this same year.

Under the Royal Palace: With the push of a hidden emerald on the throne, a passageway underneath the Palace is discovered, along with several caverns. The Wizard says he "designed this passageway myself," [11] though it's not known to what extent. There is diamond-studded tunnel and a large cavern in which gigantic emeralds hang in clusters, and these may be his design. Ruggedo comes to live under the palace for a time (Kabumpo in Oz), though he never discovers the passages leading to the throne, though whether that was because of the maze-like nature of the underground, or because Ozma had it removed is unknown (though why she would do the latter is unknown.)

The Royal Timeline of Oz considers The Complete Short Stories of L. Frank Baum the eleventh Borderlands of Oz Book (Book #71 of the Supreme Seventy-Five)

History: Baum's short fantasy stories have appeared in numerous journals and books over the years. Some of the more well-known collections include American Fairy Tales, Animal Fairy Tales, The Purple Dragon and Other Fantasies, The Runaway Shadows and Other Stories, and finally, The Collected Short Stories of L. Frank Baum, which reprints nearly every short fantasy story that Baum wrote, except "The Strange Tale of the Nursery Folk," whose authorship is in question, but which can be found in The Runaway Shadow and Other Stories ("Chrome Yellow" is also missing from that collection, but that is not a fantasy story).

While some of these take place in the outside world, all of the fantasy stories of Baum can be said to take place in the same universe, not of few of which are connected to Oz or the countries surrounding Oz. Thus, American Fairy Tales, Animal Fairy Tales and The Collected Short Stories of L. Frank Baum can be seen as an important Borderlands of Oz tales.

AMERICAN FAIRY TALES

The Box of Robbers

The Glass Dog

The Queen of Quok

The Girl Who Owned a Bear

The Enchanted Types

The Laughing Hippopotamus

The Magic Bon Bons

The Capture of Father Time

The Wonderful Pump

The Dummy That Lived

The King of the Polar Bears

The Mandarin and the Butterfly

The Witchcraft of Mary-Marie

The Ryl of the Lillies

The Strange Adventure of an Easter Egg

Synopsis and Continuity Notes: Forthcoming

ANIMAL FAIRY TALES

The Story of Jaglon

History: This Baum short story was expanded by Jack Snow and Madeline Kilpatrick as Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies, and re-illustrated by Dale Ulrey in 1953. It was intended that they would expand all of Baum's Animal Fairy Tales, but as the first book failed to sell well, the idea was abandoned. The Royal Timeline of Oz considers this expanded version to be canonical, and lists below where the interpolations occur.

Synopsis:

Original version

The Wilderness is divided into three Circles, the Outer, where the small animals dwell, the Middle, where the larger peaceful animals live, and the Inner, and most beautiful, where the dominant and ferocious animals fight for the privilege to live.

In the Outer Circle, the orphan tiger cub Jaglon was discovered by Nao, the Tiger Fairy, after his parents failed to return from a hunt. Nao and the other invisible Tiger Fairies looked after him until he grew strong. One day, a Bat-Witch attempts to eat his kill. When he swipes her away, she begins seeking a way to revenge herself upon him. Knowing the Tiger Fairies protect him, she watches in the hopes he'll break the Laws of the Wilderness or act cowardly.

Interpolation: Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies expansion

Returning from a hunt one day, Jaglon comes upon a small lizard caught in the roots of a vine. After freeing him, the lizard named Flitter vows to remain near him and repay the favor. Jaglon says this is unnecessary, but accepts his friendship. The lizard proves true to his word and follows him wherever he goes, and sleeping nearby at night.

Original version

Learning from a mischievous Lynx that the Lions had driven all the Tigers out of the Inner Circle, Jaglon determines to enter and face the King of the Beasts. In the vast Middle Circle, he grows hungry, but coming upon a Jaguar and his prey, he refuses to seize it; coming upon a trapped Fox, he sets him free; coming upon a Bear in his lair, he concedes it. Angry that he's committed no transgression, the Bat-Witch taunts him, calling him "coward," but he ignores her. Pleased with Jaglon, the Tiger Fairies transport him into a nice cave with plenty of food and water. They tell him they've found favor with him. He's heard tales of them and knows that each race has its own Fairyland. They then inform him to be brave and forgiving, as he will prove to the champion of a discredited race.

The next day, the magic cave vanishes, and Jaglon proceeds into the Inner Circle from which his race had been banned years before. He's warned by a Bison and Grizzly, and an Elephant tells him his ancestors had been cruel and tyrannical, for which reason the Lions conquered them. Where the former Lion King might have tolerated his presence, the new King Avok is proud. Jaglon, however, is determined to have his place amongst the great beasts. Elephant spreads the word.

Interpolation: Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies expansion

That night, the fairies come to Flitter, explaining that they must depart for another Wilderness to help a Tiger King who needs their wisdom to rule his people. Nao requests that Flitter look after Jaglon that night so that no harm comes to him and he has the strength to deal with the Lion King on the morrow. Ragna, the leader of a band of five Leopards, soon hears of the Outcast Tiger and determines to kill the upstart while he sleeps, and curry favor with the king. Flitter hears the approach of the Leopards and awakens Jaglon. He rises up to face them, and they're awed by his size and power. Unable to kill him while he slept, they withdraw to warn the Lion King. Jaglon thanks Flitter for repaying his debt and declares a bond between them for all time.

Original version

Bears, Bison, Moose, Zebra, Hippos, Unicorns, Elephants, Rhinos, Apes and Serpents gather before the king, whose summoned the other Lions to propose changing the Law so that his son, and not his brother's, will be made king after him. The Lions object that the Law of the Wilderness cannot be changed even by the King. So, King Avok determines to drown the three cubs and dares anyone to stop him.

At this, Jaglon steps forth, and seeing his great strength, Avok claims he cannot fight an Outcast, as his people were cruel. Jaglon counters that his intent to kill innocent cubs is cruel. Avok says his ancestors were overbearing. Jaglon counters that he will a just king. Avok says his people were treacherous. Jaglon responds that he is being treacherous to his late brother.

The Lions and other animals admire the Outcast and urge their king to battle. The Lion King leaps towards Jaglon who meets him in the air with a terrible clash. In the battle, King Avok finds himself blind and leaps into a nearby lake from which he is never seen or heard from again. Jaglon proves true to his word and rules in kindness, patience and gentleness.

Interpolation: Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies expansion

Jaglon and Flitter live happily together till the end of their days.

Continuity Notes

Animal Fairies: That each beast has its own group of fairies to govern over their kind, and not knooks, as indicated in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Nathan M. Dehoff notes this in his Vovatia blog:

Robert Pattrick makes a point in Unexplored Territory in Oz about immortals in L. Frank Baum’s fantasy world who appear to have overlapping functions. In The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, we’re told that the crooked Knooks have the duty of “watch[ing] over the beasts of the world.” In John Dough and the Cherub, however, Pittypat the Rabbit says, “All the animals have their fairies, just as you human folks do,” and Baum echoes this sentiment in Animal Fairy Tales. Then, when the Knooks reappear in The Road to Oz, they’re described as caring for trees. Were they replaced in their guardianship by fairies in the shapes of animals, and had to take on a new function?

It is the contention of The Royal Timeline of Oz that this is exactly what happened.

Dating: It is difficult to ascertain at what point in time this story takes place. As Baum's mythology incorporates the version of history provided in the Old Testament book of Genesis, this would indicate that the story is not pre-mankind, since animals were yet living in peace with one another and the Law of the Wilderness (providing rules governing how carnivores can and cannot behave) would not have come into being until after the Flood. This would indicate that the Wilderness is in a land yet far away from humans, or even a place where humans do not travel (such as Burzee in the early days). The presence of unicorns would place this at an early time period.

Wilderness: The Law of the Wilderness is similar in many respects to the Law of the Forest, in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Rules govern who carnivorous animals can and cannot kill, deference to another carnivore over his/her own kill, deference to another animal over his/her den. Courage also seems to be a rule. It is not known exactly who upholds the Law and punishes wrongdoers, save that it may be the Fairies of that particular kind of animal. When Jaglon's ancestors broke the Law by being cruel, treacherous and overbearing, the Lions were given power to depose the king and exile the Tigers, who appear to have gone to the Outer Circle (where the cub Jaglon was found). Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies indicates that there are other Wildernesses. It is unknown where upon the Earth the Wilderness was situated, save that Man is yet unknown there at this time. It is not in Fairyland, as Jaglon notes that all beasts have their own Fairyland, which points to a Heaven for each kind of animal. It is possible that Jaglon does not have the full picture, and that Fairyland incorporates all kinds of animals in peace with one another.

The Stuffed Alligator

Synopsis:

Continuity Notes

The Discontented Gopher

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The Forest Oracle

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The Enchanted Buffalo

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Continuity Notes

The Pea-Green Poodle

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The Jolly Giraffe of Jomb

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The Troubles of Pop Wombat

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The Transformation of Bayal the Porcupine

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Continuity Notes

The Tiger's Eye

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MISCELLANEOUS SHORT STORIES

(Originally Collected in the following Miscellaneous Collections:

The Purple Dragon and Other Fantasies & The Runaway Shadows)

Nelebel's Fairyland

Synopsis: The fairy Nelebel is banished from Burzee and exiled to the outside world with a retainer of forty knooks, ryls and gigans to accompany her. There, in Coronado, San Francisco, she determines it a new fairyland, and after a hundred years has passed, is sad to leave it.

Continuity Notes

Burzee: The titular fairy's creation of San Francisco establishes that Burzee, from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, (hence Nonestica) was once west of the Pacific. Since the Magic Lands are now extra-dimensional, this likely indicates that one of the gateways to the Nonestic lies west of the Pacific.

Lulea: Lulea is Queen of Burzee at this time, however that does not preclude Zurline from remaining Queen of the Wood Nymphs. Zurline is the same fairy as Zulena (the fairy queen of Emerson Hough's The King of Gee Whiz) as revealed in The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz.

Nelebel: This fairy, banished to the outside world, was earlier part of Queen Lurline's band. She enchanted the evil Blorgens to sleep for a thousand years. (Oziana 1982: "The Cowardly Lion and the Courage Pills")

Little Bun Rabbit

One of the Baum's Mother Goose in Prose stories, this short features the tale of a young girl named Dorothy, and there is no reason to say that this isn't the Dorothy of Kansas years before she travels to Oz.

The Littlest Giant

History: This unpublished manuscript was discovered several years after the author’s death and may have been an unrelated fairy tale that Baum later added "An Oz story" subtitle to, perhaps with thoughts of expanding it. First published in the Spring 1975 issue of The Baum Bugle.

Synopsis: After years of being scorned by his fellow giants, Nibble the Littlest Giant convinces Kwa, the son of King Goola the Gutton to steal his father's magic dart in order to obtain mince pies. This dart, which precisely meets its target, has allowed the king to kill numerous elephants, horses, and humans, which the giants eat. Kwa replaces the dart with a fake one that Nibble has made, so that when the king arises to go after horses, he is overtaken and killed by a band of humans.

With the magic dart in his possession, Nibble overcomes any giant who dares his ascension to the throne, reducing the giant population, and turning the community into a more insular one.

Continuity Notes

Dating: There is no indication in this short story as to when it takes place. It appears to be before Ozma comes to the throne, as the giant destruction of man and beast would likely not have gone unchallenged by Ozma. The existence of automobiles likely places it after late-1800s.

Sequel: A retold version was included in its novel-length 2004 sequel The Giant King of Oz, which works to place the story in the context of Oz history.

The Runaway Shadows (aka. A Trick of Jack Frost)

Synopsis: The Frost King informs his son Jack Frost that it's his birthday, and the coldest day of the year, and to go forth and play pranks on the earth people, nipping noses, ears, toes and fingers. Meanwhile, the demanding Prince of Thumbumbia insists that despite the cold he and his cousin Lady Lindeva will go out to play, and requests their furs. Wrapped head to toe, they venture out, and there Jack Frost awaits them. Yet, he's puzzled that he's unable to get to their noses and ears, so he decides to freeze their shadows instead.

Once a solid mass, the shadows come to life, and Jack puts into their heads the notion to run away. Leaping the great wall, they head in the direction of Burzee. Entering the forest, Kahtah the great tiger of Burzee spots their shadows and lies in wait for the prince and his cousin, but when he pounces the shadows only laugh at him and run. A ryl inquires why they've left their masters, and they reply that it's fun and they don't wish to tag along. But he reminds them that when the weather changes, they will thaw and become as nothing, leaving their masters with no shadows. Heeding his advice, they return to the castle of their masters to join with them once again.

In the interim, however, the prince's uncle has died, leaving him to rule the kingdom. But when he stands in the sun preparing to board the carriage that will take him to the city to be crowned, one of the courtiers notices that he has no shadow. Thus, they decide that since no one can respect a king who has no shadow, they will make Lady Lindeva queen instead. But when they discover that she has no shadow either, they bring the matter before Earl Highlough. Determining to go see for himself, he heads to the Castle of Thumbumbia, but by then the shadows have returned and thawed out in the castle, and the prince is made king.

Years later, after they are married, the wise King and Queen always look to see that their shadows are still attached, but for their part, the shadows had learned their lesson.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Apart from the time of year being winter, there's no indication as to year itself.

Jack Frost: Jack appears again some years later in the story "The Blizzard of Oz" (Oziana 1987).

Thumbumbia and Burzee: Burzee comes from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. The proximity of these realms is here shown, and is represented on the official map of Oz by the International Wizard of Oz Club.

The Queen of Quok:

Synopsis and Continuity Notes forthcoming

History: Advertising pamphlets written by Ruth Plumly Thompson in 1923 for the Royal Baking Company contain some allusions to Oz. "Billy in Bunbury" takes place in the Oz community of Bunbury, so it can be reasoned that all of four of these rare illustrated narrative poems (interspersed with various recipes) take place in or around Nonestica.

The uncredited illustrator of "Billy in Bunbury," "The Comical Cruises of Captain Cooky" and "Prince of the Gelatin Isles" is believed to be Gertrude Alice Kay. The uncredited illustrator of "The Little Gingerbread Man" is Chas. J. Coll. For more information, go here. These stories were all directly brought into continuity in the short story "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz."

Billy in Bunbury

Synopsis: Flap Jack, the King's messenger, informs King Hun Bun that their neighbor Billy won't eat breakfast and has lost his taste for baseball. Taking his dog Ginger Snaps and a train to Billy's house he inquires of the boy what the matter is, and Billy tells him there's nothing good to eat. Noting how thin the boy is, he looks around and finds there's no dessert anywhere. The King then tells his mother the boy is being deprived, but she remarks that cakes are too expensive. Hun Bun then gives her Dr. Price's Baking Powder cook book. Taking Billy with them on the train back to Bunbury, Billy discovers a greeting party of cakes and tarts. Shrinking him down, they take him to the circus and then the police, where he breaks off a piece of the fence to eat and part of the gate. After several other points of interest, Billy grows hungry and the King realizes he has to go before he starts feasting on them. The King's chocolate Rolls Royce is brought to them and they drive Billy back home, where Hun Bun gives his mother a can of Dr. Price's Baking Powder. Billy's mother becomes a great cook and Billy begins to enjoy food and life again.

Continuity Notes

Bunbury: Bunbury first appeared in The Emerald City of Oz, though by the time of this story, there are some changes in the city. The dating is 1921 when Dr. Price's Baking Powder cook book was released; it also fits in with the history of Oz (which didn't know baseball until 1915 (when Peter taught them about it in The Gnome King of Oz). As Nathan M. DeHoff notes, "Baum’s Bunbury doesn’t appear to have a ruler, while King Hun Bun rules in Thompson’s. Then again, who knows what political changes occurred within the intervening years?" Given the situation that happened with Dorothy during her visit there, it seems appropriate that steps were taken to provide governorship for the residents of Bunbury, as well as to protect them (hence the police force under Captain Jelly Roll, which the King makes a point of showing Billy). As to the Syrup Sea that Bunbury resides next to (Baum only notes that it's in a clearing in the forest), this may be a feature of Bunbury that Dorothy didn't get to see, and may be more of a lake or pond that they call a sea.

The Little Gingerbread Man

Synopsis: When the King of Jalapomp bans cakes due to indigestion from the cook's bad baking, the citizens of Jalapomp grow despondent, particularly since the birthday of Princess Posy is almost at hand. A Flour Fairy overhears this, and brings the news to the Queen of the Flour Folk who rules in Cookry Land. The Gingerbread Man is brought to life and volunteers to help. Other sapient baked goods hear the story and join him. The queen gives him a book to give to his cook.

Magically, they fly in a chocolate plane to Jalapomp. The king smells them and discovers his appetite growing, and says that if his baker could make bake cakes as good as them, he'd end the prohibition. To avoid getting eaten themselves, they toss the royal cook book along with Royal Baking Powder from the air, and he begins to bake cakes and cookies that are delicious. With success in Jalapomp, Johnny Gingerbread flies to different place dropping cook books and Royal Baking Powder.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The implication may be that this takes place during the advent of the Royal Baking Powder Company, after 1873 but before 1929, when the company merged with Fleischman to become Standard Brands. Their cookbook, which is mentioned in the poem several times, was published in 1917, which offers the earliest date in which this story can take place. The dating is clarified in the short story "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz."

Gingerbread People: This Gingerbread Man, also named John, is no relation to John Dough of John Dough and the Cherub. He resides in Cookery Town (or Cookry Land), ruled over by the Queen of the Flour Folk.

The Gooch: Mentioned by the King of Jalapomp (who says "May a Gooch fly off with you"), this flying creature may clarify the expression that Kabumpo often says, and likely hails from Zamagoochie in the Gillikin Country (see the notes in The Gnome King of Oz).

Princess Posy: This is not Pozy Pink of Pumperdink (Kabumpo in Oz), but may have been named after her.

Queen of the Flour Folk: This queen is noted for bringing to life all of the sapient baked people. In the story "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz," she is noted as being the former kitchen maid Fran from the Oziana 1985 story "Magic in the Kitchen."

The Comical Cruises of Captain Cooky

Synopsis: The King of all the royal cakes ensures that his baked goods reach everyone via his messenger bird the Royal Dough-Dough. One day, the bird reports that in the midst of a green sea no one has ever sailed is the Isle of Bombaree, whose residents have never tasted cake, and who make wars instead of having fun. So the King calls forth Captain Cooky who commands the Royal Flap Jack Tars (who deliver cookies to various ports). The King and bird tell their tale, and Captain Cooky sets sail at once aboard the PotsanPansy with Royal Baking Powder to bring peace and baked goods to Bombaree.

With his Bis-Kitty Quick Crisp and the Flap Jack Tars, they sail seven days and nights till they find the island, as well as a mermaid, who they share some Royal Baking Powder with. On the island they meet the Chief Wallypoo who warns them to leave if they don't wish to fight, but Captain Cooky and his crew build an oven and begin baking. Wallypoo and the other islanders love the biscuits, tarts and pies, and the captain and his crew stay a week teaching them how to bake the Royal way. He departs, leaving them a large supply of Royal Baking Powder, and in time the islanders become more peaceful.

Continuity Notes

Baked Goods: As with "The Little Gingerbread Man," the thrust of the story is on providing a community with tasty baked goods. In the story, "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz," this land works with Cookry Land and Bunbury for the purpose of ensuring food is distributed throughout Nonestica.

Dating: As the story deals with Royal Baking Powder products, it also likely takes place around the same time as "The Little Gingerbread Man," though in this story there is no mention of the cook book until the end, and the captain spends a week on Bombaree teaching the residents there how to cook, it seems likely the islanders don't know how to read.

Royal Kingdom of Cakes: Or the Dough-Dough Lands. There is no explicit name given for the kingdom, nor even of the king himself who is merely called the Royal Coffee Cake. As with the Gelatin Isles, this realm borders the sea. Jelly Bean Island (from "A Visit to Jelly Bean Island" in the book Sissajig and Other Surprises) is likely part of this kingdom and also a creation of Jinnicky the Red Jinn.

The Prince of the Gelatin Isles

Synopsis: As the Gela-tinies of the Royal Gelatin Isle enjoy themselves and their Gela-town, which borders the macaroon mountains that only banana birds and elves know how to find, Prince Jolliby Jell leads a squadron of ships in his flagship Tiny across the sea. Watching for pirates, they magically deliver their royal treat to hundreds of children before returning to their Gelatin Isle. Concerned that he can't reach everyone, he petitions the old Royal Jinn who lives on macaroon mountain to spread their goodies everywhere. The Jinn, who is a wizard, and who made the Gelatin Isle with the help of a ginger bird and orange elf, magically creates a formula that mothers everywhere can easily make.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The main hint as to the date is that the "jolly" Jinn was so enthralled with his creation that he decided to make the gelatin treats available to mothers and children everywhere. Although the distribution of commercial gelatin desserts took place at the turn of the century (which maybe around the time the Jinn created the isle), the Royal Gelatin brand began in 1925.

Jinnicky and the Gelatin Isles: While the story is thin, mostly descriptions of the various personages and the island itself, the Gelatin Isles is noted as being created by a jinn who's a wizard. While it would at first seem unlikely that this is Jinnicky the Red Jinn of Ev, since the text refers to him as "old" and "thin," by comparison to the Gela-tinies, who are depicted as very fat and very young, the Jinn would be considered by them old and thin. He is said to have needed the assistance of a ginger bird and an orange elf to create the Gelatin Isles, and presumably the Kingdom of Royal Cakes from The Comical Cruises of Captain Cooky, as that land also borders an ocean. The Red Jinn, of course, lives in Ev and not the macaroon mountains, but he may have a residence there.

Pirates: The pirates who the Gela-tinies watch over may be the same ones that plague Volcano Island, which is also made of dough, in Lucky Bucky in Oz. If so, then the Royal Gelatin Isle might be between Ev and the Nonentic Ocean.

The fourteenth Borderlands of Oz Book (Book #74 of the Supreme Seventy-Five)

This second collection of short Ruth Plumly Thompson stories and poems contains along with early fantasy work she had written for various publications, several references to places and personages that were incorporated in Oz, such as Patch, Sun-Top Mountain and, mostly famously, Pumperdink. There are as well several Oz shorts Thompson had written over the years.

Note: the following listings do not include poetry unless directly (or even indirectly) related to Oz, or non-fantasies, e.g., "The Lad Who Found His Fortune."

The Wizard of Way-Up

Synopsis: At the top of the tallest of the Silver Mountains is Star Top wherein lies the castle of King Ripitik of Way Up. The Yup citizens of Way Up who reside there are happy, live in castles of their own and have silver hair. The king's oldest friend is the Wise Man Woff the Wizard, a Scissor Wizard from a long line of Scissor Wizards, wielding the silver shears handed down to him. Worrying about the future of the Princess Patickla, whose mother vanished when she was an infant, Woff suggests to the king that they invite princes and kings from below to court her. The king refuses, not wanting to lose the company of his little girl, even preferring she marry the gardener's boy Blenny.

Taking matters into his own hand, Woff shoots a magical silver arrow in three directions with a picture of the princess and her name and title. Four days later, Merk of Mireshire, Rler of Many Marshes, rides atop his boars to Star Top demanding the hand of the Princess. Everyone is shocked by his squat and hairy appearance and rudeness, but he is angry that the rode all the way on the invitation of the picture that was sent to his castle, and demands that he will take her by force when he returns. Woff goes about preparing an invisible wall, but that will take two days to erect, and in the meantime, Merk has hidden himself in the bushes. Finding the right castle proves difficult as everyone has a castle in Way-Up, and he climbs by mistake up Woff's castle stairs. Disappointed that no princess is at the top, he catches sight of himself in a mirror and is shocked to see just how ugly he is and begins to use the Wizard's shears to trim his hair, commenting that he should look as handsome as he is rich. All of a sudden he's spun around and when he sees himself again he's changed into a handsome young monarch. Suspecting this was the result of the shears, he tales them and wishes himself back in the forest. With that, he turns his pack of boards into haroses and sleeps the night, plotting his next move.

The next morning he emerges as King Krem of Erim, bearing presents for the Princess. Krem shows considerably more manners than he did as Merk, even accompanying the king on a fishing trip. Unlike Ripitik, Woof takes a disliking to him and rues the fact that he shot the arrows. The Princess loves her many presents and a grand ball is held that night for the king, so that by morning everyone is won over by Krem, except Woof who at last completes his invisible wall. But then he discovers his magic shears are missing. Announcing their theft to the king, Krem check his pocket for them and discovers that he's lost them as well! He rushes to check the place in the forest where he'd spelt, but the invisible wall blocks him from reaching it.

Just before the invisible wall came up, King Richard of Rockwood, a wealthy king whose chosen to work and play with the working class, discovers the picture of Princess Patickla while hunting deer, and is taken by how natural and unaffected she appears. Determining to win her hand, he heads up the mountain where he discovers the magical shears that Merk/Krem left behind. With them, he inadvertently changes his clothes change to more rustic ones. When he spies the princess fortuitously running in his direction, he trips and catches her. She explains that they're searching for the Wizard's magic shears. Realizing he may have them, he doesn't reveal them and agrees to help them search. They come across Krem, angry about the wall, who insists that the shears are on the other side. When he goes to tell Woof to lower the wall, Rich calls him a swineherd, causing Patickla to piece together that Krem of Erim is Merk of the Mire. As she goes to inform them, the guards come down to arrest Rich, as Krem has accused him. The silver shears come out of Rich's pocked, but Patickla grabs them first, wishing that whoever's been transformed by the shears become himself. At that, Krem shrinks down to Merk and Rich's garments become the rich hunting outfit he formerly wore. Merk's horses return to wild boards and come charging down. Woof grabs the shears and wishes them all away. Rich explains what happened, and ten days later, he and Patickla are married and the invisible wall comes down.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The story occurs over the course of six days, with the epilogue occurring ten days after that. The year, however, is uncertain, save that it must take place prior to 1939 when the story was first written. The first batch of stories ("The Wizard of Way-Up") takes place in November. The second series is four months later in March.

Way-Up Where: A Silver Mountain appeared in Handy Mandy in Oz, however, the Way-Up stories take place on the tallest of the Silver Mountains, called Star Mountain. Its people are called Yups, and are similar in name and type of geography to Baum's Yips (from The Lost Princess of Oz). There, all similarities end. That King Richard is openly hunting may indicate that animals don't speak in this country, and in fact no animals in the story utter speech. The Silver Mountains, Way-Up and Star Mountain appear on a continent west of Nonestica in The Goat Girls of Oz.

The Wizard of Way-Up and King Ripitik the Tenth

Synopsis: Four months after Princess Patlicka married King Richard, her father King Ripitik and the Wizard of Way-Up decide to go down the mountain to visit her in the kingdom of Rockwood. Having never done so before, and not wanting to use magic, they go on foot, preparing for danger. They meet a goat, expecting to follow it to a castle (or have it for lunch), but when the goat vanishes down a hole, they meet Herman the Hermit of Lower-down and a slate that welcomes them in. Intrigued, Ripitik wishes to visit, but the Wizard argues against it.

The king has his way and they soon discover that the labyrinth of the Lowerdown is populated by mischievous dwarves. The Hermit is actually King Reddy the Brave of the Underwood, and he warns them that his people's only recreation is to pull beards, throw rocks and chase those who fall into the Underwood. As the king cannot allow them to do that to him or each other, he needs visitors for their entertainment. He provides them with food first, brought out by Sauceroo, as the dwarves line up for their sport. Apart from the two hundred and sixty dwarves, the Dwarf King calls out the underdogs who have eight legs, with four on their backs to allow them to climb the walls and ceilings. When asked about the goat, Reddy explains that it was an illusion. The dwarves soon begin the chase, and despite their brave attempts, Ripitik and Woof are overwhelmed by their numbers until at last Woof throws off a pile of dwarves and grabs the Dwarf King's staff and turns the dwarves into wooden statues. Departing, Woff promises to restore them to themselves once they're out of the Underwood, but intends to keep the staff for himself, as well as one of the now-wooden dogs.

Unable to get through the Fire Fall and unwilling to search the many passages for another exit, Ripitik goes to sleep. The Wizard, however, wishes again upon the Dwarf King's staff that they pass through into the castle of a friendly ruler on the other side. They end up in a small dark room, with even smaller beds, but they manage to sleep. Woof notes that he left the staff back in the Underwood. At dawn, King Ripitik is amused to discover that they're in Midgetville, where they soon meet Mayanna the Mighty, Princess of Little and explain that they're friends of Reddy. At breakfast, she explains that the Dwarf King has asked to marry her. She'd have done so years earlier, but she wishes to live in Little while Reddy wishes to live in the Underwood. The Wizard suggests they divide their time, and so splendid an idea does she find it, she sends Threebit her Royal Messenger to tell the king. Only problem is that he remains wooden. Woof convinces Ripitik to let him use his magic shears, and wishes away the king's bad and mischievous traits, and restores them back to their original forms. At that the little eight-legged dog comes back to life and runs off to chase a cow.

The Princess of Little provides them with directions and chariots, and they head to Much and Much, which is just north of Rockwood. The chariot driver warns them that the Orps are big (not quite giants) and to avoid shaking hands with them; he also warns them to eat everything that's placed before them. They soon arrive and are greeted by the gatekeeper Too-Tall and the king, His Muchesty, Much-Too-Much. The King brings them through his lion-jawed passageway to the monstrous dining hall, where the twelve-foot tall Muchers pile on giant stacks of food on their plates. The Muchers are course and vulgar in their manner and speech, and the King explains that not eating everything is a cause for battle in his kingdom. Fortunately, for the Ripitik and Woof, the eight-legged underdog has followed them into the castle, and they covertly pass most of their food to the dog who devours it. But when the Much King announces that next come the games, hard games of wrestling, boxing, throwing and catching, Woof the Wizard has had enough, and throws the underdog at the king. The dog runs up his chest and starts biting, and terrified, all the Muchers flee. But Ripitik and Woof soon find themselves in a room with no exit save for a button above their heads they can't reach. With Ripitik standing on Woof's shoulders, however, he pushes the button which leads to an elevator, which whisks them to the top of the castle and pushing them out into the air, where they fall into the deep lake below. When they come to, they find themselves in King Rockwood's private lake, where they happily surprise Richard and Patickla who are amazed by their adventures.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The recognition by Ripitik and Woof of elevators (and the English term for it, "lift") and the concern that Ripitik displays "D'ye think it will ever stop?" seems to hint that mechanically-operated elevators were a relatively new phenomenon, which points to the mid-nineteenth century (Derby, England saw the first cargo lift in 1830).

Return to Way-Up: The story The Goat Girls of Oz features a return to this Thompsonian kingdom.

Rockinghorse Hill

The Land of Nod

Synopsis: In a mansion on Rockinghorse Hill, toys and dolls that have been worn out and broken by children are mended and spend time with one another.

Continuity Notes This short poem, written long before the Toy Story series, or even before Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's Island of Misfit Toys, is set "beyond the great Kingdom of Play." There is a city called Play in Grampa in Oz, which is a close enough connection to argue that Rockinghorse Hill is in Oz. "The Land of Nod" is a companion piece and was printed with "Rockinghorse Hill" in the original pamphlet.

The Enchanted Hat

Synopsis: In the town of Oldenberg in Shadow Mountain, Tottsy Tiggins urges her grandson Franz Franz to go outside to play. The boy meets a strange who offers him a magic flying hat. Raising the brim causes the wearer to go up, and lowering it makes him go down. After making the man prove it can do what he says, the boy agrees, trading his hat with the strangers. But when the boy goes to show his grandmother, she discovers to their dismay a note on the band that says the hat is the Wizard Weejum's, and whoever wears it cannot remove it unless they find someone willing to trade for it. The pair try to cope with the situation, but the boy finds sleep near impossible as the brim keeps raising.

The next morning, his grandmother tries to get him to trade it with her, but as he doesn't want her getting hurt, he runs off towards Sunnydale where, while playing a polka on his harmonica, he meets a peddler with whom he shows the power of the hat. But when he expresses interest in it, the boy suddenly realizes he was thinking of deceiving the man, and runs off again. To make penance, he secretly helps a local farmer by carrying wood to his shed. Before returning home, he decides to fly up Shadow Mountain to see the huts of the shepherds who live on the slope. There he meets a man named Emil searching for his hat. The man isn't alarmed that the boy can fly, and Franz tells him his story. Emil, who is a sheep-herder who sleeps out of doors, explains that he would benefit from the hat, and so the boy trades him for a turban he hastily makes. He flies Franz back to his home and departs, coming to visit him every spring.

Continuity Notes Story takes place in November. Apart from the existence of the magic hat, there is no clear indication of whether Shadow Mountain is in the fairylands or when this story takes place. Polka is a popular form of music in the area, as Tottsy has won awards for her accordion playing, and Franz plays polka on his harmonica. Polka began in the mid-19th century in Bohemia and Central Europe. Oldenberg means 'old settlement' and spelled Oldenburg refers to a Slavic and German town. Neither of the real towns are located on a mountain, nor is there a Shadow Mountain in the outside world.

An Ozzy Adventure

Synopsis: Going out from the Emerald City for a stroll, the Cowardly Lion begins to get sleepy after walking about 20 miles and finds a woodland to sleep in. His snores are so loud, however, that a mischievous dwarf shaves off his mane with his shears. Wakening before dawn, he notices that it's colder as he sets off to find a stream, and there discovers that he'd been shaved. Feeling weak, he makes his way to the farm of an old friend and stays in hiding there until his mane grows back. Returning to the Emerald City, he tells everyone that he made a trip the north and of the adventures he had there.

Continuity Notes There is no way to date this short poem, save to place it some time before 1960 (when it was composed) when the Cowardly Lion was away for some time. Since a "lion’s mane grows at the same rate as human hair," according to Craig Packer, a 2012 National Geographic Waitt grantee and an ecologist at the University of Minnesota. As human hair grows between an inch and two inches a month, and in Oz, we can assume that because the ideal conditions are in place, the latter is reasonable. Since the Cowardly Lion's mane would have grow to its full length (up to a foot long), he would have been away from the Emerald City for about six months.

The Bright Lad and the Giant

Synopsis: A young fiddle-player whose slain dragons falls in love, but has nothing to give to the princess he's fallen in love with. So hiring himself out to a giant to rid him of a dragon that's promises to come for his daughter, the giant promises to give him anything he might want in his kingdom, imagining that he'll want to wed his daughter. The man lulls the dragon to sleep with his music and then chops off his head. Rather than request the giant's daughter, he asks for a hillock behind the castle, and there he brings his princess after their wedding.

Continuity: The story is said to take place during the time Prince Charming wakened Sleeping Beauty. That story is from the Brothers Grimm Little Briar Rose, which derived from Perrault's 1687 work La Belle au bois dormant, better known as The Sleeping Beauty, but it itself was a sanitized version of the 1634 Italian story Sun, Moon and Talia, by Giambattista Basile, who, in his collection of fairy tales, Pentamerone, adapted it from Book III, Chapter III: “Histoire de Troïlus et de Zellandine,” of a fourteenth-century French romance called Perceforest (which was not printed until 1528). Yet even Basile's version derives from an earlier French story, Pandragus et Libanor, by Baudouin Butor, and “Frayre de Joy e Sor de Plaser,” from the mid-1200s, and based on an Arthurian England of the 5th and 6th Centuries. Butor's version is the oldest known version of Sleeping Beauty.

The Magic Tree

Synopsis: When young Eric spies pirates burying a treasure under a tree in his father's garden, the pirates tell him they're planting a magic tree for him, but he can only tell his son and grandson. The pirates are later killed, but the boy obeys, and years later shares it with his son, who years later shares it with his. When the business turns sour and he is at a loss as to what to do, a storm knocks the tree over. In its roots lies the pirate treasure, bringing him great fortune.

Continuity Notes Takes place in the real world, in Trondheimsfjord, an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, and an important waterway in the Viking Age.

The Seeress of Saucerville

Synopsis: When Samantha, the Princess of Saucerville, turns down the latest suitor, Captain Questor, her father the King goes to see the Witch of Whatalow Valley, Sally, who tells him that his daughter is not impressed with singing or games, but would be interested more if he could ride well. So, the king prepares his wildest horse Trumpeter for him to join them on a canter. The horse, however, dashes him around, leaving him injured at the foot of the Whatahi Mountain, where Sally finds him and brings him to her cottage for mending. Acknowledging that Samantha is heartless, he asks Sally to tell his fortune, and she reveals that he will work for his fortune and marry a girl with red hair. As Questor sees she has red hair, he asks for directions to Widdicoomb, where he will learn the trade, open a mill next to her cottage and marry her, for she knew when he first came that he was meant for her.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Due to the inclusion of Sally, Questor, Whatalow Valley and other elements of this story in The Goat Girls of Oz, the dating of this story can be more easily confirmed as occurring as close to the year of publication, 1940, as not much has changed between that time and the time Handy Mandy meets her. That Sally and Questor haven't aged is an indication that the continent they're on is also enchanted like most of the Nonestican continent.

Location: As per The Goat Girls of Oz, Whatalow Valley, Saucerville and Widdicoomb are located on a continent west of Oz, and not far from the Silver Mountains and Way-Up (from The Wizard of Way-Up).

Sally the Seeress of Saucerville: Sally is revealed in The Goat Girls of Oz to be the sister of Handy Mandy, of Handy Mandy in Oz.

Tales of King Kojo

History: The three concluding Kojo tales in this book do not appear in the book King Kojo and are reprinted here for the first time since their debut in King Comics.

Synopsis: The Wiseman of Og: Returning from a visit with the Grand Whacker of Awakawoo on the other side of the Black Forest, Ketch the Court Jester and Pogo the Page complain to King Kojo that their court is too shabby. Kojo, who doesn't want his court to be posh, agrees only that they should have a Wiseman, and allows the boys to advertise for one. Soon a so-called prophet arrives claiming the Greatest Wiseman will arrive at the stroke of ten, but who comes through at that time is a two-tailed Great Dane. The prophet is aghast, but King Kojo elects the dog their new Wiseman. When the so-called Wiseman arrives, Kojo asks the dog if either of them are who they say they are, and the dog growls and attacks them, revealing a set of burglar tools from under their robes. Delighted with his new pet, he gets him a golden collar that reads "Wiseman of Og."

The Wizard of Whatintot: A sailor comes up to the shores of Oh-go-wan, and noting that the position of Wiseman has been filled, decides to be instead a wizard from the enchanted Island of Whatintot. Announcing himself at court, King Kojo protests that there's nothing for a wizard to do in his kingdom, but the old seaman retorts that he's fine doing nothing. To test him, Kojo asks him to tell him where he keeps his treasure. Closing his eye, he points randomly to the north, amazing the assembly as that is where the safe is concealed. He's then asked to pick out their newly appointed Wiseman. At that he fails, pointing to the Royal Poet Potogopin. He admits then that he's the son of a sea-cook. Kojo asks Wiseman if he is a wizard, and the dog covers his eyes with his paws. When he asks if he is a good man, despite being a bad wizard, the dog licks him on the nose. The seaman says that he was working as a carpenter when he dropped his hammer on the skipper's head. Kojo thus appoints him Castle Carpenter, and learns his name is Snockerwozzle, which the Cook shortens to Wozzle.

A Wiseman Brings His Present to the King: Kojo, Pogo and Ketch discuss how smart their dog Wiseman is and wonder what presents to get him for Christmas. Christmas is new to Wiseman and wasn't celebrated where he came from. Thoughtful and anxious about it, he heads out and encounters Dorcas who tells him that she's making coral chains for the girls in the village. This gives Wiseman an idea and he bounds off, returning late the next night. After exchanging gifts on Christmas morning, Wiseman brings in a giant wishbone for the king. The king wishes for everyone to have whatever they want most if they don't already have it, and the wish comes true. Presents pop magically into the room, knocking everyone over. The dinosaur wishbone melts away, leaving everyone happy and content.

Continuity Notes These three short stories introduce the two-tailed Great Dane Wiseman to the court, along with Snockerwozzle the seaman. As with its predecessor, King Kojo, these stories can be dated to between 1905 and 1915 due to Dorcas' statement that she's lived in Oh-Go-Wan for 80/90 years. Oh-Go-Wan is one of the few fairylands of Thompson's that is immortal, as nearly all of its characters, including Wiseman, appear eight and a half decades later, un-aged, in The Royal Explorers of Oz series.

The Sailmender of Dover

Synopsis: One day when the sailmender comes in from mending sails and telling stories to children of the mer-people, he hears a squeaking in the basement and there finds a huge gray rat in his wife's steel trap. As with other small rats he'd save from drowning, he saves the gray rat. One day, as he goes missing, the gray rat sets out to find him, finally locating him in prison because he couldn't pay the rent on his house. His wife left him and went to live with her sister. The gray rat leaves and returns with an army of rats who gnaw and scratch their way through the prison, freeing the sailmender. So, together with the big gray rat the old man goes down to the sea, "and the people of the sea took the old man home."

Continuity Notes Thompson dates the story to before the time of airplanes "when people traveled over the land by stage and over the sea by sail," the former which means by stagecoach, and thus prior to the South-Eastern Railway in 1844. The story also describes a debtors' prison, which was abolished in 1869. Another point of interest is the story's final line that the "people of the sea took the old man home," which not only links the story to the tales of mer-folk (which feature in Baum's mythology), but implies that the sailmender might have had merman blood, a concept explored far more darkly by H.P. Lovecraft in "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," in which narrator/protagonist Robert Holmstead discovers to his horror his familial connection to the Deep Ones.

The Flask With the Golden Stopper

Synopsis: When ten year old Stephen Dower of Trenton, New Jersey fishes up an old bottle in Delaware, pulls out its golden stopper and follows the instructions in the message inside, he is whisked away to the kingdom of Konodore, where King Kanadoo allows no noise whatsoever. Thinking that stuffy, he whistles and runs, causing the Chief Husher to arrest him on both charges. But when he meets the king, he is surprised to discover that it is a young man who has a terrible headache and for whom no medicines help. Stevie is taken to the cellar library to help dust books for two days, one for each broken law. The librarian Recordis sees the bottle Stevie has and tells him that it's been in the royal family for three centuries and that it was he who sent the bottle, tossing it into the River Dee where it ended up magically in Delaware, summoning him.

Stephen learns that everything was fine with the king until his father died; a week after the coronation, Recordis the former Prime Minister was put in the library, the schools and factories were closed, clocks were stopped and music forbidden. Prior to then, the boy was lively and a fine flutist. While dusting the shelves, Stevie is called away by the Chief Husher to play a game of checkers with the king. He asks Kanadoo why he doesn't remove his crown, but the boy says it's the law that he wear it at all times. After the game, Stephen walks about and finds the king's old flute, which he puts on a table near the throne. Recordis then tells him that the crown keeps him awake, as he must wear it even to bed. Stevie figures out that because it's his father's crown and that Kandoo is larger than he, it is causing his headaches. So, the two of them sneak into the throne room where the boy is sleeping and lift off his crown. They hide it in the library. Soon, they hear the sound of a flute and know that all is well. The boy says goodbye and with the flask is whisked back to Deleware, where as per Recordis' instructions, he tosses it back into the river.

Continuity Notes Due to the recent death of King Kanadoo's father, and the very modern presence of Stephen, Konodore cannot be in Oz proper, but is likely a kingdom somewhere else in Nonestica. The dating is uncertain, but has been placed not much earlier than its publication date.

The Enchanted Tree of Oz

History: In 1927, Thompson wrote this unfinished story for a radio contest that was broadcast throughout several cities with the winner to supply the conclusion to the story. Over 200 endings were received, all of which are lost, including the winner entry. Also lost is the page in which Dorothy decides to climb up into the tree. In 1965, the Baum Bugle reprinted Thompson's portion of the story and ran its own contest. The winner, Bill Eubank, had his conclusion published in the following issue. The Thompson half has also been reprinted in the IWOOC’s The Wizard of Way up and Other Wonders. Mention of this Unfinished Story Contest was also made in the 1927 issue of The Ozmapolitan.

Synopsis: Original: En route from the Emerald City to the Tin Woodman's castle in the Winkie Country for the 10th anniversary of Tin Castle's construction, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man recall their first adventure together. Dorothy gets hungry along the Queen's Road, but there is only an odd-looking fruit upon a tree, which the Lion agrees to test out in case it's poison. But when the Scarecrow climbs the tree, branches begin to grow, hiding him from view. Dorothy decides to follow him up to see what became of him and disappears as well. Distraught, the Tin Woodman chops the tree down, but they're nowhere to be found. A dwarf pops out from amongst the branches, and spouts a poem saying that they've robbed the tree of Whutter Wee, and that if they don't chop it into kindling before night, they'll never see their friends again. So, the Tin Man begins chopping while the Cowardly Lion rushes off to the Emerald City. But then a storm begins.

Conclusion: Terrified by the storm, the Cowardly Lion circles back only to find that the Tin Woodman is gone as well, and another poem of the dwarf warning that he'll never beat the tree. In the Palace, Ozma looks at her Magic Picture to see her friends' progress, only to see them disappear in the tree. The Lion, meanwhile, begins to notice that his friends have become strange fruit on the tree. But the dwarf again warns that if the tree is not kindling by nightfall, they'll be lost for good. But just then, a bolt of green lightning splits the tree, and the Lion pounces upon the dwarf, forcing him to gather the fruit that are his friends. In a moment, they're in the Emerald City, but the dwarf swears to not disenchant them. Ozma recalls that the Wicked Witch of the West had enchanted several trees to catch slaves for her. She would pick the fruit when they were ripe, and bring it to her castle so that anytime she needed a new slave, she would disenchant it. All of a sudden, Scraps barges in, assuming there's a party going on, and crashes into the table upon which sit the fruit, knocking them to the floor where they burst. With that, Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Man return to their true forms. Ozma punishes the dwarf by ordering that he search out all of the enchanted trees, so that the Wizard, with his green lightning machine, can destroy them and save the enchanted prisoners.

Continuity Notes Dating: Story is set on the 10th anniversary of the building of the Tin Woodman's castle. For the first time, it's noted that the Tin Woodman had stood rusted for a year before Dorothy rescued him. This dating is confirmed in The Hidden Prince of Oz. The text also explains yet another way the Wicked Witch of the West obtained slaves. Why the Wizard would have built a green-lightning machine, however, is not explained.

The Apple-Pie Princess

Synopsis: When the Prince of Pumperdink loses his appetite, it takes a princess to restore it and become his wife.

Continuity Notes This placement is based on the idea (first espoused by Nathan Mulac DeHoff on his blog) that the prince is King Pompus (from Kabumpo in Oz) as a young man, with the Apple Pie Princess being Pozy Pink.

The fifteenth and final Borderlands of Oz Book (Book #75 of the Supreme Seventy-Five)

This third collection of short Ruth Plumly Thompson stories and poems contains along with early fantasy work she had written for various publications, several references to places and personages that were incorporated in Oz, such as Patch, Sun-Top Mountain and, mostly famously, Pumperdink. There are as well several Oz shorts Thompson had written over the years.

Note: the following does not include non-fantasy stories, or poetry unless related to Oz.

Sissajig Stories

Adventures in Sissajig

Synopsis: Working at the Philadelphia bus terminal as a bag boy, Tommy King is given a bag by a grandmotherly woman named Susan Figg, who hands him a con and disappears. The bag is addressed to Sissajig, but Tommy doesn't know where that it is. The bag, Toggins, comes to life and carries Tommy up in the air to Sissajig where they meet the watchman of the castle, Bustabo, an archer who pretends to shoot arrows at them, but always missing, scaring off any who are not invited. Bustabo tells him that Susan is one of the best magish-owitches and gives Tommy a magic watch that warns him of danger.

Dropping Toggins off at Susan's house, a woman, Matiah, answers the door and brings Toggins in, but closes the door on Tommy. She opens it again, asking Tommy if he let the cat out of the bag. As he hadn't, she tosses him Toggins, and he opens the bag, letting an annoyed cat named Catherine out of the bag. Taking back the bag, she slams the door again, warning him to "mind the carriage!"

The watch soon serves to warn him of danger, as the former carriage of the king runs loose throughout the town. Tommy meets Susan's neighbor, the kindly Doctor Pillbilly, but as the riderless carriage draws near, he stops it. In so doing, he is proclaimed King Tommy due to an old custom that makes whoever stops the chariot king. Susan Figg soon joins him in the throne room, and he appoints her prime minister. He appoints the former Prime Minister Hickaboo Assistant King. Lunch is soon prepared by a talking nanny-goat named Milly.

Sissajig is a square magical country, which on the day of Tommy's coronation, is accosted by King Priddybad of Giddybad, who threatens to war against them. Tommy addresses Priddybad, asking why he's attacking, to which he responds that his kingdom is lonely and he's bored. Tommy then invites him to come and stay with them as a guest, an offer Priddybad gladly accepts.

After a time, Tommy realizes that he must return home and feed his rabbits and passes the coin to Doctor Pillybilly to become the next king, and Toggins returns him to the Philadelphia bus terminal.

Tommy and the Flying Slippers

Synopsis: Putting on his slippers one morning, Tommy goes flying out the window to a far-off rainbow that brings him down to beach where he discovers that the slippers he wears are not his own, but magic flying slippers made from a piece of the Magic Carpet of Bagdad. A silver arrow on them allows him to direct the slippers where they'll go. He soon meets Akwa Jack of Underseapia, a seafarer and discoverer from the ocean's depths collecting specimens and wearing a suit and helmet that allows him to breathe water while on land. Traveling together, they come upon a square shell, moat and castle, which leads Tommy to believe he's in Sissajg.

But the place he'd formerly visited was One City; this is Two City, ruled by the Duchess Guess Sue and the Duke Me Too, and the Duchess there is unfriendly, having her jester pinch Tommy when he claims to have been the king. When Jack stops this, he spills the water from his helmet on the Duchess' dresses, and she demands they be beheaded. Tommy and Jack decide it's time to leave, and discover a map and note inside one of the slippers.

Stopping off at clearing, they examine the map of Sissajig. The country is square, with the capitol is in the left corner, Two City in the right, and Three and Four Cities on the other corners, with a forest in-between and mountain in the middle.

The note is from Susan, explaining that she and Doc Pillbilly on Cube Island, which is on a lake on top of the mountain. Flying there, they meet Myohme, a female slave of the Witch of Cube Island. They free her and she warns them to find the lock box where she keeps her magic treasures. Tommy soon finds Susan and Doc, but they're enchanted in a kind of sleep.

When Tommy discovers a loose rock, the Witch Ruthless Rue accosts him. Jack leaps upon her, knocking off her red wig, without which she is powerless, as Jack finds out when he places it on his helmet. He disenchants Susan and Doc and discovers that in the lock box are two other wigs, a blonde one for flying, and a black one for casting spells. The red one grants wishes. Allowing the witch to flee, they return with Myohme by magic to One City and have a big party. After returning the girl to her family, Susan locks up the wigs in her safe. Tommy again says goodbye to everyone as Toggins returns him to his home.

Continuity Notes

Bustabo: The wicked chief archer and former usurper of Red Top Mountain in Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz appears again, this time as the kindly watchman of Sissajig. He had been transformed by Ozma at the end of that book into a red squirrel. How he ended up in Sissajig is unknown. He somehow crossed the Deadly Desert, either with the help of a bird, magic, or by Ozma's design herself, where he ended up on the island of Sissajig. At some point, he was disenchanted, either Ozma earlier, or by the magish-owitch Susan Figg. While he maintains his skills at archery, as well as his heavy brogue, his disposition is kindly and generous, as opposed to his former personality as King of the Kudgers.

Sissajig: This square country is an island, likely in the Nonestic. Fruits, vegetables and architecture are also squarish. In each corner of the kingdom is a city, of which Tommy visits One and Two in the two Sissajig stories. While One City is brightly colored, Two is noted as being predominantly blue, which is not unlike the Munchkin Country. Thompson notes that Tommy "found so much blue monotonous" [45]. In between the cities are forests, and in the center of the island is a mountain. Atop it lies a lake, in the middle of which is Cube Island, which up until the latter story was ruled by the Witch of Cube Island, Ruthless Rue, whose power comes from her three magical wigs. Sissajig's nearest neighbor is Giddybad, which is described by its King Priddybad as a lonely place (so is probably another island). Animals talk in Sissajig and hold positions of prominence, as noted by Milly the nanny-goat who is the royal chef, and Catherine, Susan Figg's cat. But there are also wilder animals in the forest, such as a large bear and a giant sea turtle named Trudy who the witch had used to ride and to guard her prisoners.

Tommy King: With only two Sissajig stories published, it's unknown if Tommy King of Philadelphia ever returned to Sissajig to explore the other two cities.

The Magic Spectacles

Synopsis: The king determines that his daughter should be married, so commands all the princes from the surrounding realms to come, and the one with the best gift will marry his daughter. Numerous suitors arrive, but the one that catches the Princess attention brings a smoke-colored pair of magic spectacles with which she can see the "evil which exists in every creature's heart." Upon putting it on, she sees one of her ladies-in-waiting scolding and boxing the ears of children, another stealing a diamond necklace, and even her father counting money like a miser in a hidden cellar. She concludes that the world is a wicked place. The king puts them on and is disgusted with all that he sees, and becomes angry. But another prince named John arises and offers another pair of spectacles, these colored pink, which enable the wearer to "know your friends," but the first prince knocks him aside, and putting on the first pair again, she sees what a cruel and vicious man he is. She looks at the second prince with those glasses and nothing changes. So, putting on his pink glasses, she sees that lady-in-waiting takes patient care of her blind sister and other good points in everyone else. She marries the second prince.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Thompson hints that the story deals with "ancient kings," however one of the princes gives music boxes as a gift. Music boxes weren't invented until 1811. As to setting, because no one questions the possibility of magic spectacles, or is alarmed to find they work, this story likes takes place in a fairy country. Unusual for Thompson, there is no mention of the names of the kingdoms or even of the princess and her father. Only Prince John is mentioned.

The Little Prince and the Faithful Bluebird

Synopsis: When the king of the bluebirds and his subjects get lost in a storm, they find their way to castle prison. Dismayed, he determines to sing to cheer up the inhabitants. But one exhausted bluebird fails to leave with the king and his flock, one of the prisoners nurses him back to health. The prisoner is the prince of Bema, whose stepmother, the false Queen of Bema, spirited away so that her son might rule in his stead. The bird tells him to set her free and she'll get help, but the boy fears that she'll forget and not come back. But soon enough, he frees her, and the bird travels around looking for the Kingdom of Bema. At last she finds a deer who tells her that it is on the other side of the forest, and that the good prince had died, and in his place the new prince is vicious and cruel. The bluebird tells the deer that the true prince is yet alive and together they spread the news. The bluebird goes to the bedroom of the Queen and sings songs to prick her conscience, but she orders the bird killed. The bird then finds a maiden named Teckla who had once been friends with the king and who agrees to do what she can to save him. At summer's end, as preparations were underway for the coronation of the son of the wicked Queen, the people mourn their lost prince. The bluebird, with a ball of cord that the maiden had weaved, returns to the prison to affect the prince's escape. Meanwhile, Teckla heads to the neighboring kingdom to inform the king there of what has transpired. On the day of the coronation, the true prince arrives with the support of the king of the next realm, and the wicked Queen and her son are exiled. The true prince marries Teckla and the bird comes to visit them every year.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This is obscure, but appears to be the 1700s. The neighboring king's use of the archaic "Ods Ostriches" phrase is a play on "Ods bodikins," which appears in an 18th century English translation of Cervantes' Don Quixote.

Location: The only clues as far as where this story takes place come in the two names provided. The first is Bema, which is an ancient Hebrew and Greek word for "Seat of Judgment" (or elevated dais). In Eastern Christianity, the word bema is still used to represent the platform of the sanctuary. Teckla is the other name, and it is an ancient Greek word for "Divine Glory" that is used as a name in Nordic, Scandinvaian and Eastern European countries (usually as Tekla or Thekla). The setting begins in the summer with the bluebirds flying north from the Amazon in South America "for the long journey to our own land." It takes them three days to reach the Atlantic. Then the storm comes up, which makes the king decide to turn back to the coast. They lose their way in the dark, but the storm is described as being "short and violent" and not long enough to have brought them all the way up the Atlantic to the Norwegian Sea, where Eastern Europe begins. It appears this is a magical storm that brought them to an island in the Nonestican (or Rolantic or Nonentic) Ocean, a place in which it is not uncommon for humans to speak with animals.

Observation: One of Thompson's more Baumian stories, this somber animal fairy tale is free of the puns that usually characterize her work, though it does deal with her common theme of restoring rightful rulership.

Emperor Ching Wow

Synopsis: When the kind-hearted Emperor Ching Wow is besieged by his rebellious subjects and army, his camel Hoo Choo tells him to send his son to the Golden Dragon in the Woo Tang Mountains. Upon a giant kite, the Emperor's son Prince Chow flies before the dragon, explaining that Hoo Choo sent him. A great friend of the camel's, the Dragon calls upon Okra the mermaid witch to bring him the magic water, which he puts in Chow's wooden shoe. The boy flies back to the garden in which his father is under attack, and tells him the dragon's message to drink from the right side of the shoe. He does and grows into a giant, terrifying the people. Some water falls, which Hoo Choo drinks, growing giant as well. Some spills on a flower which grows giant and brings down a giant ladybug which terrifies everyone. When the Emperor asks the leader of the rebellion why he rebelled, he admits that he wanted to be Emperor, which Ching Wow makes him. Okra arrives to bring Ching Wow, Prince Chow and Hoo Choo to the Woo Tang Mountains where they live in peace. When the rebellious emperor dies, Prince Chow is returned to the throne to rule as Emperor.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Although this story is unconnected to Oz and Nonestica, set in China a few millennia ago, its Golden Dragon, mermaid-witch and magic water set it firmly in the fantasy vein. The Woo Tang Mountains is the Wudang Mountains of Hubei, China, which houses the Five Dragon Temple, and is associated with the god Xuan Wu, known as the Truly Martial Grand Emperor, who is capable of great magic and was said to once been a prince who felt the sorrow and pain of his people so much he retired to the mountains. Thompson may have rendered Xuan Wu as Ching Wow. If so, he ruled during the Shang Dynasty between 1600 and 1046 BC.

Land O'Patch

Synopsis: The offspring of a father who is a Fairy and a mother who is a wicked Witch, King Cross Patch vacillates between good and evil behavior, causing his people to become discontented. Then one day in a fit of anger he condemns his three sons to beheading. The ancient law of Patch determines that a command once given must be fulfilled or the kingdom will be forever destroyed. In order to save the kingdom from destruction, the young princes willingly agree to go to their deaths, but the king searches for another solution and takes his golden chariot to Fairyland to solicit the help of the fairies who'd often visited him in the past urging him to take a magic draught to dispel the evil part of him. As they cannot help, he goes to the Witches, but they rejoice that he's become as wicked as they and invite him to stay with them before he's destroyed with his kingdom. Returning despondent, his sons urge him to kill them, but at last the oldest wise man in the kingdom asks to hear the exact words the king had uttered and determines that the edict cannot be carried because it's impossible without a wizard to make a man's head into a bee's head, as no one can be "bee-head" except a bee.

Continuity Notes Patch first appeared in this story in January 1921 and was brought into Oz by Thompson six years later in The Gnome King of Oz, along with a Queen Cross Patch the Sixth. The Fairyland mentioned in this story may refer to Burzee, and as this story deals with the ruling presence of Witches (capitalized and plural), it likely takes place during the time in which the four wicked compass Witches were ruling Oz.

The Fairy's Silver Trumpet

Synopsis: When the Princess of Suntop Mountain, a fairy, refuses to marry any of the neighboring kings, war nearly breaks out. To prevent this, she agrees that whoever weds her must first prove worthy by blowing the silver trumpet. One after another kings from the west and south try and fail, until one young humble king asks to first hold her hand for help, and is able to blow music from the trumpet.

Continuity Notes Sun Top Mountain was later incorporated by Thompson in Kabumpo in Oz, where it appears in the Winkie country, and is the home of Princess Peg Amy. This story appears to tell the story of how Peg's mother met her father.

Background: Originally published in The Philadelphia Public Ledger, November 21, 1920. Available in Sissajig and Other Surprises, published by the International Wizard of Oz Club. It is also available on The Hungry Tiger Press website. Click on the title above to read this story there.

The Magic Pipe

Synopsis: When a rabbit finds the pipe of the Man in the Moon, he gets a surprise trip to the palace of the Man in the Moon.

Continuity Notes The story concludes with the rabbit selling a pair of shoes (obtained from the Man in the Moon as a reward) "to an old gnome for a sum that will keep them in carrots as long as they live." Several factors make this fit well in the overall Oz milieu. There is a talking rabbit, the Man in the Moon, and a gnome walking on land (where most keep underground) with a lot of money to spend on shoes. With the assumption that this is Ruggedo, the question then becomes which wandering period does this represent, the earlier one after "Alliance of the Elementals" when he is finally kicked out of the Nome Kingdom to wander Ev, or the one after The Magic of Oz that sees him wandering Oz. Since money is the thing that the rabbit needs to prosper, this must be Ev, as the rabbit community in Oz, Bunnybury, are not dependent on money to thrive.

The Princess of Plumpieland

Synopsis: After Vera Big the princess of Plumpieland turns down a marriage proposal from Tumbo of Timertonia, a suspected wizard from a mountain kingdom, a warning arrives dropped from a gigantic bird that unless the Princess of Plumpieland marries before dark, the country will be destroyed. The wise man Foozle suggests they do as it says, but the princess refuses to wed Tumbo. So, the frantic king sends out his guards who've heard of someone nice in the south. The guards, Terry Blee Blue and Notso Blue, apprehend Jonathan, a bachelor king from the poor kingdom of Rockbottom, and bring him to their kingdom. But King Johnny points out that a better way would be to ensure that no darkness comes to Plumpieland, and they light all the lamps in the kingdom. He also ascertains that the princess has feelings for the Duke of Wopping, who if the current king abdicates temporarily to allow him to become king, the warning will be averted. The crisis averted, Jonathan suspects that Tumbo disguised a plane to drop the missile carrying the prophecy, and the king goes off with to have sport with Johnny.

Continuity Notes Due to the knowledge of planes and bombers, this story can take place anytime from 1918, the end of the first World War, to 1940, when the story was written. There is no clue as to where Plumpieland, Timbertonia or Rockbottom are located.

King, King! Double King!

Synopsis: In the kingdom of Rundlebury, the two twenty-year old identical twin princes, Jerrywon and Terrytwo, born three minutes apart, decide that they'd prefer to rule together, rather than have each be treated different. So the eldest, Jerryone, goes to the swordmaker Vanka to remove the chain and crown seal locked around his neck. Without it, no one can tell the young men apart. King Randy of Rundlebury is furious, however, but all the scientists and soothsayers can't help distinguish who is who. Finally, he brings in a shepherd Ramjan who leads the boys' steeds to them, and, indeed the horses are able to tell who their masters are. Ramjan is offered a reward by the wing, anything he wishes, and he wishes that both boys rule the kingdom together, and when the father dies, the "Twinks," as they come to be known rule wisely and well.

Continuity: As with several of Thompson's fairytales, there is no indication as to where Rundlebury is, or when this story takes place, and in this case, very little clues to go on.

The Enchanted Cat

Synopsis: When a thirty-year old scholar and judge who fancies himself wise in the ways of men throws a book at a cat that appears at his window, the cat—who is actually an ancient sorcerer with the power to shape-change—curses him to become a cat himself, and using a Switcheroo Spell, turns himself into the scholar and the scholar into a cat, until such a time as a man bids him to his hearth, a child looks on him without fear, and a woman brushes his coat. Shortly after, his former manservant kicks and chases him out of the house; he goes then to his brother's mansion and approaches his niece, Dorothy. But she screams upon seeing him and he's once more chased out into the cold alleyway. Thinking then of his fiancée, he leaps to her windowsill where he witnesses her scolding her grandmother and kicking her dog before she cruelly flings him out the window. Dismayed at the world, he passes into the poor section of town, expecting that they will treat him far worse. But a man picks him and brings him to his tenement apartment where a stove warms him, his granddaughter Nancy puts him in her lap, and her older sister combs him and bandages his leg. Even the dog makes room for him. With that, the spell is broken and he ends up back in his home, surprising the sorcerer who tells him that "cats know more about people than scholars." Humbled, he resolves to break off his engagement and visit again the home of the only people who showed him kindness.

Continuity Notes

As with "The Little Prince and the Faithful Bluebird," this is one of Thompson's most Baumian tales, echoing the primary theme of the Queer Visitors in the Marvelous Land of Oz strip, "Tim Nichols and the Cat." Free of puns and cozy kingdoms, the story effectively focuses on the more somber theme of cruelty to animals, wisdom and hubris, and works well alongside Baum's American or Animal Fairy Tales. One of the clues allowing readers to date the story is the scholar's long pompadour hairstyle, which was a product of the 18th century, particularly from 1745 to the end of the century when it fell out of favor for men.

The Switcheroo Spell: This is a spell Mombi employs frequently.

A Visit to Jelly Bean Island

Synopsis: After a day of selling peanuts and popcorn, Fred Baker suddenly appears before a plump king who wonders why he's there. A winged cat then appears announcing that she brought him there and will solve their problem. The Wishing Cat departs, and the housekeeper, Minerva Gaydash, introduces herself and King Jo-John of Jelly Bean Island. A large elephant, Jumbalena the Third, then appears, explaining that they're having trouble selling their crop of jelly beans. Putting Fred on her back, Jumbalena assures Fred he can go home on one of the ships that sail to Otherlands, and shows him the jelly bean vines whereupon grow their crop in all colors and sizes, the finest beans in Otherlands. Fred says they should get more customers and asks if they've advertised. The elephant likes the idea, but as to customers, the only island around there is Bigguns, which they never visit because it's an island of giants. Fred suggests that maybe they're friendly, and concludes that they're the biggest and best customers they'd ever find. The king is skeptical, but will fill a ship with jelly beans for Fred to peddle to them. Jumbalena agrees to go with him. Taking the Good Ship Jenny Jump, they sail to the island. They anchor within hailing distance and hold up a sign announcing they brought a gift. A giant farmer swims out and tastes the jelly beans. Liking them, he calls out until every one of the fifty giants who live there come forward. The giants eat all of the jelly beans, and the king giant writes "more jelly beans." Fred writes back that there are more for sale, and the giants agree, emptying their pockets of gold pieces which they put in a giant barrel that they give to them. They have a gold mine and mint coins for fun, so are glad to part with it. The giants then begin trade with Jelly Bean Island. As the king congratulates him, Fred sees the Wishing Cat again, and before he knows it he's back home, wondering if he'd dreamt the events. At home, the next morning, he finds a bag of jelly beans under his pillow and a sign the next day advertising jelly beans.

Continuity Notes

Jelly Bean Island: A fairyland with talking animals (Jumbalena the royal elephant also bears similarities to Kabumpo), magical flying cats and candy that grows on vines, the story "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz" brought Jelly Bean Island (and the friendly giant island of Bigguns) into the Nonestic, as a creation of the Red Jinn of Ev, and part of the larger Royal Kingdom of Cake (or Land of Dough Dough) from The Royal Baking Powder booklets.

Dating: If the ship Jenny Jump was named after the half-fairy, then the dating can be ascertained as taking place after her appearance in The Wonder City of Oz in 1937 and before the story's 1957 publication date.

Jenny Jump: The ship the Jenny Jump is clearly a nod to Thompson's late friend and former illustrator John R. Neill's character from The Wonder City of Oz.

The Bear Who Stayed Up Late

Synopsis: On year old Hugabee bear decides he's not going to hibernate for the winter and sneaks out of his cave, he determines to find someone to play with. He comes across Reginald Rufus, who tries to explain to him that the snows of winter are dangerous, as are human beings, but the bear doesn't believe it and wants to go live with them. The grandfather rabbit, realizing he'll get in trouble, tries to lure him back up the mountain to his cave, but the bear runs off again, excited about the newly falling snow. As the small bears sinks down against a tree, he some grows drowsy and falls asleep with the snow covering him. Before long, Dusty the dwarf comes along, and spotting the baby bear summons his fellow dwarves, Cholly, Wally, Gusty, Grim, Sandy, Andy, Billy and Slim to help him carry the bear back to their cave.

Continuity Notes The third animal fairy tale in the collection also bears a similarity to some of Baum's works, with its warning hint of death. There is no indication as to where this takes place, though the presence of dwarves, and the fact that the bear and rabbit can speak to one another (and no each other by name) is indication of its setting in a semi-fairyland where winter snows and humans can and still kill.

A Day in Oz

Synopsis: (Alterable Scene: First Version) Dorothy prepares a party for Ozma, whose been with Glinda in her castle for some time. Scraps and the Scarecrow sing. When Ozma returns she learns that the Wizard has invented a loseless umbrella. Ozma notes that she met a Vegetable Man, whose ear popped when he sat too close to the fire one night, but who was able to pick another one from the cornfield, and is coming to the Emerald City tomorrow. Ozma also announces that a new Oz book is out.

(Alterable Scene: Second Version) Pastoria arrives to tell Ozma that Jack Pumpkinhead lost his head. The Wizard thinks it was stolen to make pumpkin pie. Ozma says she'll carve him a new one, but her father says his body's gone too. He'd been making a new suit for Dorothy's party when he vanished. Scraps recites doggerel about the former Lost King, and Pastoria rejoins stating that he'd rather make people look right than act right, which is much harder. The Scarecrow puts on his magic expectacles, which allow him to see events before they happen and people before they arrive. With them, he sees Jack who is on his way to them. Jack tells everyone that his new book came out (Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz). Pastoria brings Jack along to try on his new suit, while everyone else goes to the party.

Continuity Notes The first "alterable scene" presents the first chronological appearance of Carter Green, the Vegetable Man, who Ozma first met while at Glinda's days before he arrived in the Emerald City in The Hungry Tiger of Oz. The book Ozma mentions as having just been released can only be The Emerald City of Oz due to the year in which this latter story must take place (1911). Yet, she tells Scraps that she's in the book, which she clearly isn't (The Patchwork Girl of Oz wasn't released until two years later in 1913). But it's possible that Ozma hadn't yet read the book, and the title alone wouldn't reveal who would be in it.

The second "alterable scene" must take place at a different time, as it deals with Jack Pumpkinhead discussing his new book (Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz) and the events that happened in it. Also, the Scarecrow has Kaliko's old expectacles (which Carter Green had taken when in the Nome Kingdom in the book The Hungry Tiger of Oz).

Synopsis: In Christmas Country, Santa Claus tells Jim, a once-homeless chimney-sweep that he adopted years ago, that this year they're going on a sea-voyage to discover new toys and games for the kids, and maybe even find the Lost Islands where there are living toys. Santa reveals that he's built a ship, the Chimneypot, and will bring along Jim, Huggerumbo the polar bear and Penny the penguin. With the help of the Brownies and Barrel Birds (which have hollow barrels that can be used to transport goods), Santa loads up his ship with goods to trade.

With Santa and Huggerumbo on the wheel, Penny as lookout and cook, and Jim sweeping the decks and helping Penny, they sail south. Soon enough they encounter a green chimney poking up from the sea and anchor the ship to investigate. At its bottom is an old man with a crown sitting by a fountain periodically wetting himself from it. The room itself is a glass enclosure. Santa gives some of the gum drops he brought with him, which he eats, and then the mouth organ, which he plays for a long time. Huggerumbo recognizes that it's Neptune. Neptune explains that this is his listening chamber from which he gets the news of the sea, and which he can move around, but not stay too long in because of the dryness. He'd heard of Santa but didn't think he was real. Santa explains their mission and the search for the Lost Islands which a gull had told him of. Neptune says it's on the other side of the sunset, south by west through the opening the sun leaves in the sky when it sets. Then as Neptune must depart, he hands Santa a chest and sends them up a waterspout where they climb upon Huggerumbo's back and swing to their ship. Penny's relieved to see them, but reports that someone at their anchor (which was made of hard candy). Neptune surfaces with an iron anchor to replace the one his mermaids ate. Waving goodbye, Santa examines the chest to find coral necklaces, toy pirate ships and aquarium decor.

Ten days into their journey south, now in the tropics, they come across the desert island of Bombazooky. They collect coconuts and palm tree leaves, but are soon accosted by natives that Jim fears might be cannibals. Each in turn tries to speak their language but in vain, until Santa spots a child. Knowing he can speak baby-talk, and that baby-talk is the same everywhere, he discerns that their language is called Zook, and Bomba is their chief. He also learns that they plan to make soup of them for dinner. Not wanting to visit violence upon them, Santa hands out the toffee he brought with them. The natives enjoy until their mouths stick, at which point the chief thinks it is a trap. Remembering their jump ropes, Santa has everyone begin skipping rope furiously, which knocks aside the spears that the natives throw at them. Startled by this phenomenon, the cannibals flee, leaving them finish gathering coconuts. Exploring, Jim brings back a parrot, while Penny brings back three baby alligators.

Three rainy days later, they come to the edge of the sky and hit its descending wall. Afterwards, a gate in the wall opens which the Chimneypot sails through. On the other side of the sunset gate they find themselves in a beautiful realm. One sign marks the distance to Rockaway Island, which Santa knows is one of the Toy Islands. There they set anchor and explore. True to its name, the island rocks back and forth. Soon a herd of wild wooden animals come out, all rocking animals. Jim mounts the rocking elephant and leads all 400 of the rest to the hold of the ship. Noticing that Penny's missing, Huggerumbo returns to the island and finds her in a crystal candy chamber of all colors and shapes. Filling up their magic sack, they depart for the second Toy Island.

On Doll Island, they're amazed by the community of doll people and their city. At the king's castle, Santa lifts up the roof to peer in, shocking a guard who hits a red button that pops out a Jack-in-the-Box, which is the king. Santa converses with him in the doll language of Squeak about his mission to bring some of them to the good boys and girls for Christmas. Though they'd never heard of Christmas, the dolls are excited to go and many volunteer. The King agrees to let him take half of the dolls and their houses and shops. He's receiving a shipment of imported dolls and needs the room anyway. He reminds Santa to bring glue to repair them with, and warns him that night is coming in four hours. It only comes once every eight months, but lasts a hundred years.

With the dolls in tow they sail back out through the sunset gate, but once on the other side, the dolls and wooden animals cease to live. Santa is concerned that no one will believe they were once alive, but his crew seems unconcerned, and he concludes that "they're mighty fine even as they are," and that perhaps with enough love they'll come to life again. A cranberry jelly fish marks the fact that they're back on top of the world again and soon sail into Christmas Cove, hoping to go on another voyage again in the future.

Continuity Notes

Characterization of Santa: While some have found the characterization of Santa difficult to reconcile with the character L. Frank Baum depicted in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, e.g., Claus is more impetuous and less philosophical in this story, this can be chalked up to authorial style, most of which stem from Thompson's peculiar apathy in certain areas that Baum was more thoughtful about. It has also been centuries since the events in Baum's tales. Baum's Santa, an orphan, is nicely paralleled here, where he adopts the orphan Jim, who is one of the few Thompson characters besides Bob-up (in The Cowardly Lion of Oz) to come from an impoverished socioeconomic background. On the other hand, Santa's reaction to the inadvertent killing of the live wooden animals from Rockaway Island and the four hundred sapient dolls who volunteered to go with him from Doll Island, is highly inconsistent with the Santa Baum wrote about. Thompson's Santa reacts with upset that no one will believe they were ever alive, rather than dismay at their deaths or the fact that his direct actions caused hundreds of living creatures to die. Baum's Santa would have immediately returned them to their original homes in the hope of restoring their lives; Thompson's Santa merely contents himself with the fantastic notion that maybe they'll come back to life if they're loved enough. Of course, Baum's Santa would not have been abducting living creatures, parrots, alligators, and sapient toys from their homes to give as toys in the first place! The stark difference between the air-headed, almost callous Santa of Thompson's, and the thoughtful, other-centered character of Baum's is nearly enough to render this story as unconnected to Baum's universe, at least not without a reasonable retcon that reconciles the two versions.

Dating: Story takes place over the course of what appears at first to be 13 days, but what is more likely 26 days, as it took them thirteen days to reach the sunset gate and presumably the same amount of time to return to Christmas Country. Their distractions with Neptune and Bombazooky don't appear to take longer than a few hours. The later events following this story are listed as a news item in the third issue of the 1926 Ozmapolitan. As per that issue, the story is set in late November, early December 1925.

Barrel Birds: These unusual-looking birds reappear in an illustration for The Gnome King of Oz, and in text in Lucky Bucky in Oz.

Jim: The chimney-sweep that Santa adopted is a story that was told by Thompson several years earlier in a 1919 Philadelphia Public Ledger poem called "An Old Old Story."

North Pole: Although Thompson chose to go with the more popular story of Santa living in the North Pole, specifically in "The Christmas Country," as opposed to the Laughing Valley of Burzee where Baum places him in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus and A Kidnapped Santa Claus, this is not necessarily a contradiction as it is several centuries later, and things might have changed. Several modern stories, such as Mrs. Pickering Goes to Oz, retconned this, indicating that Santa either moved to the North Pole later on, or has a toy-making facility in both locations. What runs contrary to this is that in Baum's tale, the reindeer are not Santa's to move about, but the King of the Rooks, who allow Santa to utilize them under strict regulations. One interesting fact about The Christmas Country is that no one "grows up or grows old." It's a land of talking animals. How it became a magical, immortal land like Oz is unknown, but it stands to reason that Christmas Valley is not really in the North Pole, but can be accessed from it.

Parallels: The chimney that sticks out of the sea is similar to the hole in the sea that brought Captain Salt to Seewegia in Captain Salt in Oz.

Click on any of the titles to read them at Hungry Tiger Press's Tiger Tales

As with the stories in Thompson's published collections, only those which meet certain criteria are included. This leaves out Thompson's non-fantasy stories, mundane beast fables, brownie stories, or any story that is geared for little children (e.g., flower fairy stories). Those Thompson's poems and shorts don't have a narrative are not included here either. This remains a growing list. It is hoped that Hungry Tiger Press or the International Wizard of Oz Club may one day collect them.

The Story of Ogre Too Thake

Synopsis: A traveler discovers a hideous palace filled with teeth of all kinds. It is ruled by a nasty ogre who takes them from children and dentists to build a palace for his daughter.

Continuity Notes

Dating and observation: An uncharacteristic horror story from Thompson, it serves mainly as a warning to children to brush their teeth, but also presents an interesting narrative and villain set in an unnamed land where children are starting to more frequently employ dental hygiene, which dates this story to the mid-to-late-nineteenth century.

The Faithless Knight

Synopsis: After bringing his realm and person into ruin, Sir Garen, a profligate knight attempts to commit suicide by jumping into the nearby lake, only to discover an underwater kingdom guarded by two sea serpents, but where a beautiful and kind princess and her royal parents welcome him into their homes and lives. As a test, however, the princess gives him the key to their treasury. Succumbing to the temptation, the knight takes jewels and riches and returns to his castle where he restores his fortune and wins the hand of a local duchess. Six months later, at the wedding, the River People arise to exact vengeance, destroying the kingdom and leaving behind the words: "He who breaks faith with the river people will repent!"

Continuity Notes

Dating and observation: As with "The Story of Ogre Too Thake," this is a darker story that Thompson unfortunately wrote too rarely, but which suits her well. The knight dates this story to be between the 8th and 12th Centuries.

The Trees That Were Bewitched

Synopsis: When lovers Cleon and Mertha happen upon the crooked witch Grumblegrimkins, who is angry at not having found the copper-leafed clover she needs, she transforms them into trees, placing a curse upon them they will remain in that form for a hundred years until someone thanks them for the shade they provide. As winter comes and they shiver in the cold, Mertha thinks to herself that were she herself she would be grateful for every living, growing thing in the world. Summer passes, and then in October a thief comes to hide in Mertha's tree, hoping to escape the detection of the soldiers pursuing him. When they pass by, he thanks the tree and Martha disenchants back into herself and thanks him. She tell him her story and then thanks Cleon's, disenchanting him as well. Amazed by the tale, the thief becomes an honest man.

Continuity Notes

Dating and observation: Another fascinating and uncharacteristic dark fable about the importance of gratitude that sees two commoners as protagonists and the hero a thief (albeit one who reforms). With no indication as to when this story might take place, The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in the 18th century. The untold story of the crooked witch Grumblegrimkins begs to be explored.

The Story of a Stone Lion

Synopsis: When a stone lion overhears birds pitying him, saying they'd rather live for five minutes happy than five centuries as stone, the lion begins to think on this and feel himself lonely. One day he weeps a tear, evoking the presence of the garden fairy who transforms him into a robin.

Continuity Notes

Dating and observation: Similar to the Biblical proverb "a live dog is better off than a dead lion," (Ecc 9:4), this short echoes the fate of Mustafa's 10,000 lions at the end of The Cowardly Lion of Oz, and is thus placed a few years after that event.

The Witch's Well

Synopsis: When a kindhearted prince who'd been robbed of his inheritance by his two brothers travels through a strange land, he comes across a hideous witch tied to a well, feeding water to monsters. When the goblins come to taunt her, however, he plays his silver flute, drawing them away from her. Having never been shown kindness, she offers him a wish, but the prince wishes that she was not a witch. Suddnely, she is transformed to a beautiful princess! She explains that because she turned down a marriage proposal from the wicked magician Crumblesticken, he transformed her into the witch. The prince and princess marry.

Continuity Notes

Dating and observation: One of Thompson's earliest disenchantment stories, though a good one that reverses and rests on the fairytale trope of the princess showing kindness to and kissing a frog. In this case, the point is made even stronger of showing kindness to others despite their appearance. As there is no indication as to time or place, the Royal Timeline of Oz places it in the 19th century.

The Orphan Dragon

Synopsis: When a poor lonely dragon loses his parents in an earthquake, he sets out in search of someone to befriend. Not the violent kind, he attempts to approach lions and elephants, but they flee in terror every time they see him. Walking forty days and nights, he comes to an Eskimo village in the North Pole and there saves a young boy from freezing. The boy greets him and brings him home to his parents who open their hearts and home to him.

Continuity Notes

Dating and observation: A rare friendly dragon story from Thompson, the text mentions a Kansas cyclone and a lion who's cowardly, references to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It also features a land where dragons can communicate with lions and elephants, and a possible setting in the 18th or 19th centuries.

North Pole: The dragon's access to the North Pole is similar to the way in which the inhabitants of Mo can travel to the North Pole, and indicates a portal to fairyland in that region. Other fantasies and fairytales of the era seem to indicate this, as well, and further exploration is required.

The Story of the Four Little Orphan Rabbits

Synopsis: After being orphaned, four brother rabbits determine to make their way in the world by splitting up and returning to their original home two years later. When they do, they each tell their tale. Terry found a cave in which lived a sickly lion who he restored to health. The Lion made him prime minister; Peter came upon a boy who believed he could make his mother, the queen, who hasn't laughed in seven years, laugh. When he does he becomes a court favorite. Jonathan befriended a fish, offering to be his watchmen. So successful was he at warning fish of the danger of fishermen, the fish brought him treasures from beneath the sea that he built his own castle. Little Bill came upon a grove wherein was a lost fairy boy. Taking him in his arms and comforting him, he finds himself transported to a circle of fairies, who reward him by allowing him a special place in "fairyland" where there are no other animals. Promising to meet each other again every year, they return to their respective homes.

Continuity Notes This tale of resourcefulness and adventure takes place in a land where animals (including fish) all talk, humans and animals converse, and fairies exist, which makes a likely candidate for taking place in Oz after Lurline's enchantment, but before deathlessness has fully spread to the land. The "fairyland" that Bill finds himself in may be Burzee, though it can be any one of several fairylands where a safe place for him is carved out. It would be curious to know, and given the wealth and finery that each rabbit later appears in, if they ever learn of Bunnybury. Another curiosity is the "fairy boy" and his mother. Fairies don't by nature have children unless, of course, they break the law, or adopt a child (as they did with Neclaus who became Santa Claus: see The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus).

The Good Little Mermaid

Synopsis: When a fisherman catches a young mermaid amongst his fish, she begs that he throws the dying fish back overboard, promising that she'll come with him if he does. The fisherman obeys and then rows her to his poor hut, but she secretly despairs of being taken out of the water. Aware of her plight, the kindly fisherman throws her back into the water, asking her to visit him and his wife some time. Although the couple goes hungry that night, the fisherman's wife agrees it was the right thing to do. The next day he goes fishing, he brings up a heavy net filled with all manner of treasure from sunken ships, a reward from the maiden.

Continuity Notes This tale of a self-sacrificing mermaid and kindhearted fisherman (and wife) can very well take place in Nonestica or the outside world.

An Old Old Story

Synopsis: Poem that details how a chimney sweep came to be rescued by Santa.

Continuity Notes This is the back-story of Jim the Chimney sweep in The Curious Cruise of Captain Santa. While this could take place in the 18th century, Neill's illustration in the latter book portrays a boy dressed in the typical 19th century style.

The Singing Monarch

Synopsis: When a princess arrives upon a white mare at the gate of the Clef Kingdom, adjacent to the Scale Domain, she is asked to match her voice to the note played by the tuning fork of a shepherd, a test that all who wish to enter the musical kingdom must adhere to if they're to gain admittance to the realm of singing, dancing and merrymaking. Those who cannot are not permitted, and those who reside there, but are guilty of hoarseness, scolding, loud talk, or sadness are punished by having to remain silent for a month. Whoever persists in sadness is exiled for a year. The princess, however, declines to sing or even speak. The King is beside himself, as he finds her the most beautiful and fair maiden ever, and begs his Prime Minister to allow an exception to their rule. Yet, the Prime Minister argues that all outsiders would have to be excused their rule, and before long their kingdom would be overrun by loud and obnoxious sounding individuals. Yet, so enamored is the King of her that he summons his wise men, but they are unable to come to agreement. Finally, the shepherd strikes the princess across the hand! The king comes close to killing the shepherd, who explains that in so doing this, he discovered that the princess is mute, which is why she does not comply with the law. Upon learning this, the king flings open the gates and allows her in, at which point she begins to sing exquisitely. The king then endeavors to marries the princess, who had sought to test him to see that he loved her first for who she was.

Continuity Notes

Dating: No date is given, but it appears to an older story.

Scale Dominion and Clef Kingdom: The Royal Timeline of Oz postulates that various musical communities in Oz were established by the same royal house from the Scale Dominion. Thus, the Clef Kingdom, which is noted as being adjacent to the Scale Dominion, was recently founded by the unnamed and unmarried King of this story (who regretted creating the law of the land when he meets the princess). The Winkie community of Tune Town, from The Gnome King of Oz, was also likely established by royalty from the Scale Dominion, and may even lie within or near the Clef Kingdom (though that is uncertain), and was likely established by Queen Jazzma, who is some kind of relation to the King, though whether a daughter, younger sister or cousin, is not yet known. The Munchkin community of Musicton, in the Munchkin Country, from The Invisible Inzi of Oz, was likewise similarly established by a royal relation or noble.

History: The very first book that launched the Oz series, and still its most well-known to date, due in part to the 1939 MGM musical adaptation The Wizard of Oz. The number of publishers that have brought this book into print are countless. For the sake of brevity and continuity, I've only indicated the Dover, Del Rey and Books of Wonder editions for modern publishers because these have published nearly the entire Baum canon and are widely available. For a more complete list of old and modern publications, please see http://www.rareozbooks.com.

Synopsis: In this book we meet Dorothy, Toto, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em from Kansas (near Topeka according to the 1904 Ozmapolitan and The Emerald City of Oz). In Oz, Dorothy meets Boq, the Mayor the Munchkins and three Munchkins, the Good Witch of the North, who gives her an enchanted kiss on the forehead that protects her. Dorothy frees the Scarecrow from his pole, the Tin Woodman from rust, and the Cowardly Lion from his boorish behavior, all while following the Yellow Brick Road. The Queen of the Field Mice later rescues Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion from the Deadly Poppy Field. Once in the Emerald City, readers are introduced to the Guardian of the Gates, Jellia Jamb (though she won't be named until the next book), the Soldier with the Green Whiskers (who won't be named Ombi Amby until Ozma of Oz) and Oscar Diggs, the Wizard, who is at this time, a clever humbug.

Dorothy's house crushes the Wicked Witch of the East, ending her tyranny of the Munchkins in the east, and Dorothy herself accidentally causes the melting of the Wicked Witch of the West, ending her dominion of the Winkies in the west.

Following the Wizard's departure, and a surprise to those who've only seen the film, Dorothy and her friends travel south, where they pass through the Forest of Fighting Trees and hill of the Hammer-heads (although their exact location is later amended by Baum to be further south—see The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz for a retcon), the Dainty China Country (a resident of whom is depicted on film in Oz the Great and Powerful), and meet the Hungry Tiger (though not yet named) before reaching Glinda the Good in her palace in the southern end of the Quadling Country, who at last sends her home.

Continuity Notes

Bees: The bees that the Wicked Witches throws against Dorothy and her companions are the black bees of the wizard Krizzle Kroo, which became subject to the Silver Whistle ("The Woozy's Tale" in Oziana 1992). The Wicked Witch also had access at one time to the Stinging Bees of the wizard Wisp, a bitter man from the Mountains of Moran in Ivalane (The Ork in Oz), who trained them, and traded them to the Wicked Witch of the West in exchange for magic.

Boq: Boq appears again in Father Goose in Oz, and with his wife Johanna in The Hollyhock Dolls in Oz and Bucketheads in Oz. He creates Mortimor Mix to help keep the Road of Yellow Bricks in repair, in The Tin Castle of Oz.

Dating: This story takes place over the course of 52 days (see the Day-to-Day Chronology). See also the Appendices: Dating the Early Oz Books. The first story in Denslow's Scarecrow and Tin-Man newspaper strip, "Dorothy's Christmas Tree" gives us an approximate start-and-end date for this story as beginning on November 12 and concluding on January 2nd when she returns to Kansas.

Deadly Poppy Field: Created by Glinda in 1892 to slow down the armies of the Wicked Witches of the East and West when they were advancing on the Emerald City (How the Wizard Came to Oz). In the early years of Ozma's reign, the Deadly Poppy Field is uprooted. Bunches of poppies are given to Quadling families, while different flowers are planted in the field, leaving only scattered patches of poppies, and a single narrow stripe (too narrow to be dangerous) on the southern border of the Emerald City. See The Hollyhock Dolls in Oz.

Dogs in Oz: As with most generalizations, the indication that Toto is the first dog in Oz is contradicted by Baum. In The Marvelous Land of Oz, Jack Pumpkinhead encounters a green dog in the Emerald City, and the rabbits of Bunnybury (in The Emerald City of Oz) say they are frightened of dogs. Recognizing this mistake, later authors felt no compunction against revealing various dog communities in Oz.

Gayelette: A beautiful princess and sorceress who lives in a Ruby Castle (made of tourmaline) in the North. Gayelette is responsible for the creation of the Golden Cap, which gives whoever wears it power over the Winged Monkeys (a thing she did to punish the winged monkeys who dropped her fiancée in a lake on their wedding day), and the Silver Whistle, which put the magical black wolves, crows and bees of Krizzle Kroo under the power of the whistle (Oziana 1992's "The Woozy's Tale"). The Wicked Witches obtained both of these magical implement and used them to evil ends, which may be why Gayelette never petitioned for a license to practice magic. That she lives in a red-colored castle in the purple country of the Gillikins is explained in The Winged Monkeys of Oz, where Gayelette and Quelala reappear. Gayelette was beloved by the people she helped, but never appears again in any early stories. Angry that every man she found was either stupid or ugly, she "found a boy who was handsome and many and wise beyond his years." Determining to make him her husband, she used her magic powers to "make his as strong and good and lovely as any woman could wish." When he grew older, she married him. His name was Quelala. As revealed in "The Woozy's Tale," Oziana 1992, Quelala was her cousin. Marrying cousins was quite common for royals in history. In The Winged Monkeys of Oz, it's also revealed that she's Glinda's mother, but by another man who went to the outside world. As Glinda also spent time in the outside world when she was young ("The Solitary Sorceress of Oz," Oziana 2011), and returned with no memory, this man might have been John "Doctor" Dee. See "The History of Glinda" in the Appendices for more information.

Giant Spider: The giant spider who the Cowardly Lion beheaded was created by a standard-sized spider by the Wicked Witch of the West to destroy Glinda (How the Wizard Came to Oz). Glinda sent the creature far off into the Great Forest. After the Lion beheaded her, she later found her head and shrunk back to standard spider size (The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz), indicative of the magical enchantment that she underwent. She had a son named Fiddle, who was born giant-sized (Oziana 2010: "Fiddle's Revenge,") likely due to the fact that he was birthed during the time she was also giant-sized.

Hammerheads: The origin of the Hammerheads, and their purpose, is detailed in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz. Glinda has since had a road built circumventing their territory.

Interpolation: Several stories interpolate this one, including Oziana 2011's "Cryptic Conversations in a Cornfield," which details the origins of the Scarecrow, Oziana 2002's "Cat and Mouse in Oz," and, "Dreaming in a Scarlet Slumber," which occurs while Dorothy is asleep in the Poppy Field. Also, as mentioned above, W.W. Denslow's first newspaper strip, "Dorothy's Christmas Tree" occurs while Dorothy is in the Emerald City before the Wizard departs.

Kalidahs: The three kalidahs who attack Dorothy and her companions appear again in The Master Crafters of Oz. This is in keeping with the idea that few die in Oz, even at this time, and that their fall, while damaging (they've been reassembled), did not destroy them. Other kalidahs appear again Father Goose in Oz, The Magic of Oz, Bucketheads in Oz, Maybe the Miffin, "Gugu and the Kalidahs," Toto of Oz, and others. Baum notes that "nearly all" the kalidahs are tame by the time of The Emerald City of Oz. This must exclude the kalidah woods bordering the Forest of Gugu in the Gillikin Country, as well as individual groups or tribes.

Munchkin River: In the early years of her reign Ozma has a bridge rebuilt over the Munchkin River, rejoining the Road of Yellow Brick, which had been bifurcated by the loss of the bridge. The town of Herville also arises on the east side of it in this time, run by Brigadier Tanjrine, formerly of the General Jinjur's army. See The Hollyhock Dolls in Oz.

Quelala: The husband of Gayelette is given the Hebrew name qelalah, which means malediction or curse, though no story as of yet has explored this. In The Winged Monkeys of Oz, Quelala is described as a shy but loyal husband to Gayelette.

Queen of the Field Mice: Named Rodaina in The Winged Monkeys of Oz, the Queen of the Field Mice makes several reappearances in later Oz books, including How the Wizard Saved Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Eureka in Oz, The Road to Oz (illustration), The Hollyhock Dolls in Oz, Ruggedo in Oz, and The Emerald City Mirror arc, "The Talking Spell."

Silver Whistle: One blow of the magical Silver Whistle summons 40 wolves. Two blows summons 40 crows. Three summons a swarm of black bees. As revealed in Oziana 1992's "The Woozy's Tale," the Silver Whistle belonged to Gayelette. To punish the wizard Krizzle Kroo who terrorized the Gillikin people, she made his wolves, crows and bees subject to the Silver Whistle. She failed, however, to capture the queen bee, and when Krizzle Kroo grew a new army of black bees, he joined forces with the Wicked Witch of the West to overthrow her. Craftily, for she'd promised Krizzle Kroo the Silver Whistle in exchange for her help, she claimed the Silver Whistle could not be found, and kept it for herself. As revealed in The Ork in Oz, the Wicked Witch also enchanted the whistle to summon the wizard Wisp, who also commanded an army of stinging bees. She doesn't summon him in this story because she recognized that bees were ineffectual against Dorothy and her companions.

The Stork: The stork reappears in three stories, The Lavender Bear of Oz, A Promise Kept in Oz, where her name Herrona first appears, and A Small Adventure in Oz.

The Tin Woodman of Oz: The reason Nick Chopper wasn't killed in the process of losing his limbs is due to time-magic employed by the Wicked Witch of the East. See Paradox in Oz. It's confirmed in "The Enchanted Tree of Oz" and The Emerald City Mirror #58, that he stood rusted for one year before Dorothy and the others found and oiled him.

The Wicked Witches: As revealed in How the Wizard Came to Oz, the name of the Wicked Witch of the West is Morella. The name of her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, is Lady Malvonia, the latter whose proper title was the Wise Witch of the East, as revealed in her early history in The Magic Umbrella of Oz.

The Wizard's arrival in Oz: The Wizard states in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz that he ruled in Oz "for many years" [p. 195], which indicates that he had been in Oz for some time prior to Dorothy's arrival. Hot-air ballooning did not take off in circuses and traveling fairs until 1871, months after Leon Gambetta's highly publicized balloon escape from the Prussian armies in Paris to Southern France, after which ballooning sprang up overnight across circuses and fairs (for more information, see this article). After only a few years, however, solo balloon shows were no longer trendy or novel, and circuses had to add acrobats to spice things up.

A point has been made that the Wizard’s city of origin, Omaha, was not established until 1854, thereby limiting Oscar Diggs' age, however, he may have been born in the region of Omaha prior to it being named such, as Omaha is the name of the Native American tribe that lived in that region, and it appears to have been called Omaha from as early as 1813 when Manuel Lisa established a large trading post there.

Synopsis: When an Asian magician is framed for kidnapping a young girl during his act, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson and Oscar Diggs work to uncover the truth and save the man from prison and lynching.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Author Barbara Hambly provides an exact date of June 7, 1901, a date that corresponds to the time Oscar Diggs was living and working in California after having left Oz in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The text [p. 128, 138 and 144] incorrectly notes that he vanished in a ballooning accident in 1861 and lived in Fairyland for 40 years. This is off by ten years, as he first arrived in Oz in 1871 (see the notes for How the Wizard Came to Oz) and remained there for close to 30 years. It's a minor discrepancy that can be chalked up to historian error (either Watson's or Hambly's). The text also says he vanished again the following years, in 1902. This is correct and in accordance with the dating of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.

Oscar's Age and Aging in Oz: There are some questions concerning the age of Oscar Diggs, the Wizard of Oz. In this story, Watson states that he discovered that he was 63 when he first left Omaha for Oz, and that he is that same age in 1901. This is noteworthy, as it implies that the Wizard either didn't age in Oz, or aged much slower. Watson (or Hambly) are incorrect about the 1861 date in which Oscar came to Oz, off by ten years (since ballooning did not start until 1871: see the continuity notes for How the Wizard Came to Oz), and it can be argued that his age is also off by the same amount and that the text should read 53 instead of 63. But there may be something else going on. An additional monkey-wrench is thrown in by "Buffalo Dreams," which says he's 40 in 1899. In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Oscar states [p. 195-6] that "Over this Land I ruled in peace for many years, until I grew old and longed to see my native city once again." That indicates that he aged in Oz. In Paradox in Oz, he says "When I first came to Oz, I was a young man. People in those days aged, just like they did in Kansas." He's right as to the latter point, but as to the former, he doesn't account for those, such as the rulers in Oz, who did not age (or age at the same rate as others). More on this below.

Although the text in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz calls him a "little old man" [45, 217], and Ozma invites him to stay, saying he's "too old to wander abroad and work in a circus." [197], in "Buffalo Dreams," Oscar notes that at 40 he's already "too old" to compete with the younger carnies who can be paid half as much, so Ozma's assertion can be understood in that context. He is too old to wander the outside world and for the circus life. Baum's suggestion that he's a little old man should also be understood in the context of his readers and Dorothy, both of whom are quite young and for whom anyone out of their teens would be considered "old." Also consider that in that era the term "old man" was used as a male term of address for men in general.
On page 196, it's notable that Oscar discovers when returning home that "all of my old friends were dead or had moved away." They had died because 30 years had passed. He does join the circus again, which is not something an old man could readily do as he noted in "Buffalo Dreams," and yet he does. This indicates, as well, that he didn't return to the age he would have been in the outside world. Also, he didn't suddenly turn 80 years old. More on this below.

The question is how could he have stayed young in a time before Ozma came to the throne and death was eradicated. In the Tin Woodman of Oz, Baum indicates that from the moment Lurline enchanted Oz, no one ever aged or died. This is problematic in that several are reported as having died since. Putting that aside for the time, there's one thing that is clear. The kings and queens of Oz did not die. Ozma's step-father Pastoria II, her step-mother Cordia, her grandfather Pastoria I, her great-grandfather Ozroar (Ozandahan the Roarer) all lived for centuries on end. This must be because the Enilrul and Lurline's enchantment of deathlessness (The Witch Queen of Oz) affected only certain areas throughout Oz, such as the center and the western quadrant, as evidenced by the long-lived lives of the Corabians, Corumbians and Samandrans, as well as the fact that Nick Chopper and Captain Fyter didn't die when they lost crucial limbs (such as their heads). Some time after Oscar Diggs first came to Oz, he took over Morrow (aka. Ozmara), where Pastoria and Cordia had ruled. He then built the Emerald City even nearer to the center of Oz, thus, at an enchanted location, where he stopped aging altogether.

To reconcile all these events, and with some creative retconning, it appears that Oscar came to Oz at the age of 40, giving him a birth year of 1831. He grew older, as he stated, but at a much slower rate than everyone else in other parts of Oz, about half the rate of normal aging, 10.5 years for the 21 years he lived in the old palace in Ozmara until 1892 when he moved into the Royal Palace in the newly built Emerald City. This makes his age 51 or 52. While applying for his new circus job, he listed his age to account for his appearance, not the age he would have been if he'd never gone to Oz.

Accounting for authorial error (since Oscar came to Oz in 1871, not 1861, and thus a 10 year error), Watson discovers a document that claims Oscar's birth year is 1818, and that he be 83 in 1901. Thus, Watson concludes that the man he and Holmes met must be an impersonator of the real Oscar Diggs, since the man who claims to be him is clearly not that old! Whatever document Watson discovered is clearly in error since Oscar was born in 1831, not 1818. Recall that Oscar himself said he was a "young man" when he first came to Oz, and 53 is well outside of that definition (technically, 40 would be too, but keep in mind that Oscar knows he's actually in his 70s, which makes age 40 seem quite young). This is a 13 year age discrepancy, as well as a 13 year date discrepancy. Coincidence? Not likely. What may have happened was that when he came back to Omaha in 1899, he hired someone to falsify his birth year by 13 years. This would be necessary to keep anyone from suspecting his actual age. Apparently, whoever he paid to do this who didn't know math very well, as he should have pushed the year forward from 1831 to 1844, so that Oscar appears to be around the age he looks. Instead, the con-artist went 13 years in the wrong direction, backwards, and changed the birth year to 1818. Thus, the record that Watson found makes Oscar appear to be an impersonator.

But how did Oscar not return to the age he would've been back in America, since this is what happens to any mortal who leaves Oz without an enchantment upon them, as shown in The Lost King of Oz and Beach Blanket BabylOz? The simple answer is Glinda enchanted him before he left Oz. In the new version of How the Wizard Came to Oz, it's shown that Glinda actually helped him against the Wicked Witches. She also plays a crucial role alongside the Wizard just prior to Dorothy's arrival (this is also shown in the forthcoming "The Puppet Mistress of Oz.") In fact, the latter incident likely included a gift to the Wizard, an enchantment to keep him young in the outside world.

Sherlock Holmes and Watson: This is not the first story to be written to crossover Sherlock Holmes and the Oz series, but it is the first to occur chronologically, and it explains how the Wizard and Holmes know each other. This indicates that later when they discovered Oz was real, Watson came to realize that the Oscar he first met was in fact the very same man as the one who vanished in a balloon in 1871, and that he wasn't delusional. The later stories include "Sherlock Holmes in Oz," in Oziana 1971, "The Mystery of the Missing Ozma," in Oziana 1984, and "The Adventure of the Cat That Did Not Meow," in Oziana 1976.

Wicked Witch of the East: Oscar notes a previously untold battle he fought with the Wicked Witch of the East (or an untold incident during a known battle). On page 136, he says: "Why, when I went into battle against the Wicked Witch of the East and her evil minions, she called darkness a thousand times more dreadful than this, just by pouring ink onto her mirror--" This must have occurred in between the battles he fought with the witches in How the Wizard Came to Oz and Oz and the Three Witches.

The 2nd book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: When the witch Mombi decides her charge, a young boy named Tip must be changed into a statue, Tip runs away from home with Jack Pumpkinhead, who he's just brought to life with a magical potion called the Powder of Life, and the Sawhorse, who he also brings to life. On their journey, they meet with the Wogglebug, a former normal-sized bug who was magnified on a screen by Professor Nowitall, at which time he becomes human sized, and goes off. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman also meet up with Tip and his friends, but they have problems of their own.

A disgruntled female citizen of Oz, General Jinjur has decided to rule Oz, and has brought her army of girls, called the Army of Revolt, to take over the Emerald City. The Queen of the Field Mice intervenes on behalf of her old friends, but Jinjur still holds the palace.

Together, the friends create the Gump out of the head of a moose, two sofas, the tail from a broom, and palm fronds for wings. With the Powder of Life, he's brought to life, and flies them away from the Emerald City. They crash in a jackdaws' nest, where the Scarecrow loses all his hay to the jackdaws, but stuffs himself with all the cash they find in the nest. There, they also find magic wishing pills, which they use to help them get to Glinda the Good in the south. Glinda informs them that the legitimate ruler of Oz is a girl named Ozma, who was hidden away by the Wizard.

Mombi, meanwhile, has teamed up with General Jinjur, as the most expedient way of getting Tip back. Yet, when Glinda's forces arrive, they depose her, and Mombi transforms herself into a rose, which the Tin Woodman puts on his lapel. Glinda discovers Mombi's trick, but Mombi transforms herself into a black ant, and then into a large Griffin, which runs across the Deadly Desert (apparently the Griffin can withstand the desert's destructive qualities). Glinda catches her aboard the Sawhorse (who the Deadly Desert also apparently has no affect on).

Mombi is forced to reveal the truth about Ozma. The Wizard gave her to him as a baby. She transformed him into the boy Tip. With Ozma revealed and reluctantly disenchanted from the form of Tip, Oz once again has its rightful ruler. The Wogglebug is made public educator, the Gump is taken apart, with the head placed back on the wall, and Mombi is stripped of magic (though Tip promised to provide for her in her old age). General Jinjur is arrested, but allowed to leave the Emerald City with her army.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The events take place over the course of 13 days (see The Chronology of Oz) in mid-to-late October 1901. The month is determined by the fact that Tip has just completed harvesting the corn, and is selecting ripe pumpkins, one of which he uses to make Jack Pumpkinhead. Although recognized as the rightful ruler of Oz, and serving as Princess-Elect (or more accurately as Princess Designate), due to the standard interregnum period, Ozma is not anointed ruler until six months later in July 1902 (the month is designated by Dick Martin in the 1965 Ozmapolitan, the month and year in the 1904 Ozmapolitan). Ozma's disenchantment at the end of this book is established as being the first period in the 1904 Ozmapolitan, although the first official year of Ozma's reign begins after her coronation in July of the following year. For a more detailed chronology of this book alongside the other early Oz books, see the Appendices: Dating the Early Oz Books which details the establishment of 1902 as the correct date.

Déja Vu: Baum reuses the jackdaw's nest scenario in the seventh Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz strip, which is so close to the original as to be potentially apocryphal without a further explanation.

Four-horned Cow: The history of this cow is told in Oziana 1985 story "Mombi's Pink Polkadot Vest."

Golden Cap: The magic cap that controls the Winged Monkeys is noted by the Scarecrow to have been given to Glinda for safekeeping. After she used it, however, she gave it to the King of the Winged Monkeys, as noted in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He later gave it back to her for safe keeping (Adolf Hitler in Oz).

Gump: The Gump returns again for the Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz strips, then again in The Blue Emperor of Oz, and in his own book, The Astonishing Tale of the Gump of Oz, where he searches out what became of the sofas, broom and palm fronds brought to life by the Powder of Life.

Jinjur: Jinjur marries and retires to write her notes in "Jinjur's Journal." She doesn't stay married long, as noted in "Four Views of General Jinjur," yet she appears to reconcile with her husband later on.

Mombi: Mombi appears across the spectrum of Oz stories, as her actions as the Wicked Witch of the North, as well as her own purposes apart from the designs of the Compass Witches, were manifold. She is responsible for abducting and transforming the entire Royal Family. Mombi is powerful, yet complex, and not entirely evil. She performs her famous Switcheroo Spell here on Jellia Jamb, who she switches with herself (this is a novel employment of this spell, as she's never switched herself before), the same spell she used on Ozma and Tip (The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1) and so many others. Mombi is shown to be executed in The Lost King of Oz, however, this later proves to have been a ruse in "Executive Decisions" and "Thy Fearful Symmetry" from Oziana #38. Mombi's own journal is due to be published in the future, though a segment of it is available in Oziana 2015's "The Malevolent Mannequin in Oz." Mombi's childhood and back-story, along with her true nature as a Yookoohoo, will be published in the upcoming story, The Gillikin Witches of Oz.

Ozma/Tip: The full story of Ozma/Tip's enchantment is revealed piecemeal, first in a distorted version of Dr. Nikidik's, provided in The Master Crafters of Oz. The actual event that occurred is revealed in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Books 1 and 2. Jack Snow's A Murder in Oz would seem to contradict this, but Jeff Rester's upcoming Death Comes to Oz reconciles the accounts.

Roads: As Glinda's army passes from her castle in the Quadling Country to the Emerald City seemingly without problem, there appears to be a new roadway in place past the Hammerheads. This is acknowledged as having taken place in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz. J.L. Bell, on the BCF Pumperdink forum (for Lucky Bucky in Oz), points out that: "Once Glinda had formed an alliance with the Scarecrow, she may have felt safe enough to clear the way for a better road between her castle and the Emerald City. When the city's ruler was a wizard she didn't trust, and other wicked rulers lived north of her castle as well, she may not have wanted there to be an easy route to her home."

Wogglebug's Physiognomy: There is a discrepancy of the Wogglebug having two arms (as drawn by Neill here) as opposed to four (as drawn by Walt McDougall and Ike Morgan, and described by Baum in Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz and The Wogglebug Book). "The Woggle-bug's New Clothes," Oziana 1987, indicates that the Wogglebug started out with four arms. "The Eldritch Horror of Oz," Oziana 1981, indicates that he'd cut them off so as to appear less insectoid.

Dr. Nikidik and Dr. Pipt: For detailed information on the initial discrepancy and retcon of the two crooked magicians, see the Appendices.

History: Putting into context some of the dangling plot threads and mysteries from the canonical Oz series, alongside a new narrative focusing on the adventures of Tippetarius and the Flying Sorcerer Zim Greenleaf, this book and its two successors that make up The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy are considered deuterocanonical by The Royal Timeline of Oz.

Synopsis: Young Princess Amalea of Lostland finds herself transformed into a boy. He gets a sudden beating from Maroc, the head gardener, who thinks he's a thief and takes him to the dungeon. Seeing his pointed Elfin ears, the lockups Marjon and Miggs ask him if he's a fairy, but he doesn't know. Disturbed and worried, he asks to see his family's loyal servant Faraq, who he knows will help him. But concerned that the fairy boy will bring the wrath of the fairies upon them, particularly if King Whippetarius has him executed (the penalty for stealing from the garden), one of the lockups gives him a knapsack and lamp and leads him to the deepest part of the dungeon where there is a trapdoor and an old sign that reads: "To the Land of Oz."

Although Lostland is in the Munchkin Country, it is cut off from the surrounding realms by a bottomless gulf and steep mountains. There is a single pass through the mountains, which few known even exist. It is, according to legend how the first Lostlanders entered the region from the northeast Munchkin country, fleeing from the rapacious Rimmers. Having heard good things of the magical realm, the former princess decides he will look upon this as an adventure and find a way to get disenchanted. He follows the tunnel, which branches right and left. The right one ends at a hole just above the bottomless gulf. Retreating, he takes the left, which after some miles leads to a door with a bell. There, he meets an innkeeper named Igvan and her husband Blik who insists that all who escape from Lostland have to work to eat. He introduces himself as Amadin, and finds that he's handier with an axe than he thought he would be (having never before worked). Igvin tells Amadin that he's in the Seven Blue Mountains of Oz and that there are several good wizards and witches in the region, such as Ganalan, Brown Bleegum, Maggie, Vega and the Green Knight. Looking at his new face in the mirror, he's struck by his resemblance to his mother.

Determined to find one of the good magic-workers, he leaves the inn the next day and walks towards the Seven Blue Mountains until he finds a farmhouse where he offers work for food. He meets the farmhands Om, Strom and Grom, who nickname him Dinny. He works with them for two months until heading off to find the good witch Maggie who he discovers lives in a cottage nearby. After explaining his situation to her, Maggie checks in her magic mirror to confirm his story, and reveals to him that this is indeed his true form. Dinny is distraught, but Maggie concedes to change his pointed ears into standard human ones.

Later at a village fair, he sees the good wizard Vega perform, but he vanishes before he can meet him and Dinny decides it's time to move on. Traveling around the base of Mount Lapis Lazuli, he finds a tunnel leading to a blue cave filled with bats trying to sleep. One of the bats tells him that some of the passages lead to a city and Dinny proceeds through. But he soon gets lost as the tunnels fork and split, and then his lamp goes out. After many miles of stumbling and groping and starving, Dinny at last finds a passageway leading up and up, narrowing until it ends at a stone that Dinny pushes away to reveal the light.

He emerges at the slope of the blue mountain in a carefully tended orchard in which each bush and tree has a plaque with the name of the tree in Latin. Hungrily, he eats some berries, but they cause him to shrink. Shocked by this sudden turn of events, and concerned that birds might eat him, he carries a dead leaf over his head as he searches for food and a place to sleep.

The next day, Dinny meets some butterflies who tell him about the man who tends the garden. Fashioning swords out of thorns, Dinny searches and finds an ordinary garden where he helps himself to a strawberry. Before nightfall he locates a magic orchard and greenhouse. The next day he meets a young toad and tells him that he didn't hatch, but was born 28 years ago. The toad's mother tells him he's in the garden of a sorcerer. Dinny befriends her children.

The next day he finally gets a glimpse of the sorcerer, a slender and tall man with upswept green hair. As Dinny decides how to approach him, a preying mantis takes an interest in him. Dinny runs to Zim's house, and leaves a message for him in twigs: HELP. He waits atop a rock, but an approaching snake convinces him to climb a nearby plant instead. Zim sees the messages, but walks inside just as the snake finds Dinny. Zim returns in time to save Dinny and scold the snake. He confirms Amadin's story in his magic mirror, and informs Dinny that he can undo the effects of the berry micromorphosa pessim, named after the man who discovered them on Pessim's Island (The Scarecrow of Oz), and who also discovered macromorphosa pessim, which Zim uses to make Dinny large again.

Confirming in his mirror that the boy is faithful and true, and that Dinny truly has no place to go, Zim offers him a position working in his arboretum and going to market for him. He places two conditions on him: that he never reveal Zim or the location of his garden-home, and that if he wishes to leave his service he must consent to letting him blot out his memory. Dinny gladly agrees and comes learns much about this strange, but kindhearted sorcerer, who he discovers the next day maintains several tricks for keeping the Seven Blue Mountains safe from evil. For his part, Dinny proves to be a good assistant and helper, and Zim reveals to him his many forms, including that of Brown Bleegum, a bearded dwarf-wizard; Ganalan, a free-spirited young wizard; Rooster, a strong-man fruits and vegetable dealer; Vega, a melancholy minstrel; the red-headed Green Knight, and Winkle a crusty seaman. In each of these forms, Dinny is also given an alter-ego and new shape to wear so as to protect Zim from being discovered. They travel through a magic portal to the various locations where each of these wizards do business.

In their adventures, they help disenchant princess Gladia from an elephant back to her normal self; they help the Withy Girls who've declared independence from men, and rescue Prince Jamine Saxon from the witch Eereesa who turned him into a strawberry that his sister accidentally ate. Along the way, Dinny discovers that Zim has one major phobia, a terrifying fear of giants.

One day, Zim (as Brown Bleegum) brings Dinny to his home country of Lostland, where he reveals to his mother, Queen Jolanna, that he is her son/daughter Amalea. Jolanna explains that after Tippetarius was born, she and her loyal servant Faraq sought out a witch to transform the baby boy into a girl. The Queen feared that her husband, King Whippetarius, who had nine sons already, would make good on his threat to murder her and the baby if she produced another son. While Bleegum is there, it becomes known that Faraq had recently fallen into a glassworks and reemerged as a glass man. To punish him for some perceived slight, King Whip forced him to travel each day up a narrow flight of stairs, until at last he slipped and shattered. Faraq's mother gathered up the pieces, hoping against hope that some magic worker could one day repair him. She now gives those shards to Brown Bleegum, who takes them with him.

Over six months of piecing Faraq together, at last Zim is able to return him to life. Not only that, but he restores him to his human self. Faraq and his mother are overjoyed when they return. And to ensure that the king behaves, Bleegum enchants him so that if he delivers any unjust punishment, it will instead fall upon him instead of his victim. In order to spend time with his mother again, Dinny is transformed into the form of a different boy who Faraq claims as an apprentice. Yet, doing so puts him under the heels of his brothers, who take pleasure in tormenting him. After he gets some small revenge on them, the king has him put in the dungeon, where he once again goes through the tunnel into Oz and back to the home of Brown Bleegum, where Dinny again resumes his form and apprenticeship to Zim.

30th year of Ozma's reign: Dinny and Zim travel to the Green Mountain to the dwarf kingdom of Carrock. Disguised as Brown Bleegum, Zim asks the king's brother, the Regent Keern, where King Velas is. Keern tells him that he's been missing for three centuries along with the Wishing Necklaces that King Velas's best friend the Wizard Wam (Wammerian Hadrakis) made for him to give to his bride-to-be, the Wood Nymph Lorna (The Wishing Horse of Oz). Neither King Velas, Lorna or the Wishing Necklaces were ever seen again.

Bleegum agrees to help find the king. He confides to Dinny that the good witch Maggie told him that King Velas was enchanted. They discuss theories, including one that implicates Lorna. But no one but Velas knows where her grove is and the homes of Wood Nymph are difficult to find. Bleegum's compass, however, is able to lead them to King Velas. But their guard and escort Glundquist insists on accompanying them as they follow the compass to the king's room, where they are forbidden to enter. Glundquist leaves and returns with Lindquan who tells them that he saw Regent Keern addressing someone in that room named Velas. So, with a spell of invisibility, the four enter the king's room. The compass then points to a pond. Dinny enters and finds King Velas in the form of a bullfrog. The frog explains that indeed Lorna transformed him into that form when she first got the Wishing Necklaces 300 years ago, and his brother took advantage of it to rule in his stead. Bleegum transforms him back into his true form. Garbing himself in kingly raiment, King Velas returns to his throne room and summons his brother, banishing him from the realm for 300 years.

The next day after the celebration, King Velas leads Bleegum and Dinny to the woodland dwelling of Lorna the Wood Nymph. When she appears, Bleegum tosses a powder into her face that transforms her into a frog. Lorna explains that the Wishing Necklaces are long gone, but Bleegum reproves her for what she did to Velas and says she will remain in this new form until she changes her treacherous nature.

32nd year of Ozma's reign: Bleegum drops Dinny off at Maggie's while he goes to see what harm the evil witch Wunchie has been causing. But Wunchie spots Dinny first and strikes her Magic Hammer, summing Himself the Elf to take Dinny to the worst place under the earth. Maggie hears Dinny's cries and tries to stop the Elf, but only manages to snatch some of his beard. Before he disappears under the earth, Dinny manages to tell Maggie what Wunchie said. Maggie pursues her, but she flees back to her home in the Munchkin Mountain. When she sees Bleegum, Maggie informs him what happened. He in turn informs her that Wunchie's been busy. She turned the Trirulers into stone, imprisoned the Eggazons in a bubble, sent black bees to Luckskee, and put a spell of sneezing upon the Askerins. Wunchie has furthered threatened that if Bleegum and Maggie don't stop interfering in her business, she'll do much more!

Bleegum knows the Hammer Elf is Wunchie's main source of power, but he can't stop him without a personal item of his. Maggie then remembers the beard she cut off him. So, the pair recite the spell that prevents Himself the Elf from entering the Seven Blue Mountains. Wunchie, meanwhile, sends Himself off to kill King Hargree of Lonlee, but grows furious when she finds out the elf is unable to enter the region no matter what he tries. Zim proceeds to undo all of Wunchie's spells, and then goes in search of Dinny. The boy turns up in the Vegetable Kingdom of the Mangaboos, but when Zim next checks his records, he's gone.

Dinny, meanwhile, has tried to escape from the beautiful but emotionless Mangaboos, but to little avail. They capture him and cover him with the Cloak of Darkness to try and destroy him. The cloak had been the Wizard of Oz's from the time he ventured into this region (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). When it fails to kill Dinny, the boy escapes again. Thinking how he might stop their pursuit of him, he recites the spell that Zim had used to repair Faraq, and succeeds in repairing parts of their Glass City. This causes them to take pause, and the Prince deems him a wizard and decides to spare his life for the time. Dinny explains that he's merely a wizard's apprentice, but the prince says he may live long enough to repair their city, after which he can choose his choice of death: the black pit or the twining vines.

Two guards, who Dinny names Cherub and Flax, step up to ensure he harms no one and that no harm comes to him, particularly from the sorcerer Dwig. Dinny goes about making repairs and learning about their culture, and gives each of his guards a gift. The Mangaboos are shocked to know how long meat people live. The next day, at the Weeding Out, it's Dinny's turn to be shocked, as he sees how the Mangaboos revere beauty and condemn ugliness to the destruction of the Twining Vines. Only the beautiful are allowed to be planted for descendents, with the sole exception for those with a talent, like their sorcerers. Dinny also gets to see how young, growing Mangaboos are taught while they grow on their stalks at the Folk Gardens. Dinny asks to see the Black Pit, and later, when he comes before the Prince, the Prince offers him a third option: to drink of the potion prepared by their sorcerer and become one of them. Dinny refuses that option and asks instead to be taken to the Black Pit.

Once he is placed inside, with the entrance blocked up by stones, he uses magic to create a light for himself. He's surprised to find the body of a young Mangaboo who had been thrown in the Black Pit some time earlier. Suddenly, the Mangaboo boy speaks. Dinny's light revived him from near-death. He'd been considered mad and given the name Gilo. The Mangaboos threw him in the Pit when he refused to toss a friend into the Twining Vines, and unlike others of his kind, Gilo feels emotional pain and loss. Dinny explains what a heart is and says it seems like he has something like it. Gilo wants it removed, and Dinny agrees to take him to see Zim.

On their journey, Dinny comes to see how valuable the Mangaboos' suns are to them and how the Cloak and Black Pit mean death to them because they shield them from the sun. The tunnel leads them to the Valley of Voe, where an invisible girl offers them the dama fruit which renders them invisible, a necessary preventative to keep them safe from the invisible bears that stalk the region. Yet, as Gilo can't eat, the girl brings him to her home where her father Ianu puts him on the roof where he can get light and be kept safe from the bears. Ianu recalls the time the Wizard and his companions had come through there (in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). He directs Dinny to a tunnel on Pyramid Mountain, where once lived the Wooden Gargoyles, which he believes are all extinct due to a fire or were later killed by the people of Voe when they entered their country. The family packs food for Dinny and sprays dama-fruit juice on Gilo so that he becomes invisible. Departing, Dinny and Gilo come to a stream, where they follow Ianu's instructions and rub a large-leafed plant on their feet, enabling them to walk on water and better avoid the bears.

Once at Pyramid Mountain they follow the tunnel which spirals up inside it. Dinny collects a windowpane with a seemingly magic glass for Zim. In a wide cavern they come across the charred remains of the former Gargoyle country. Dinny realizes that the Wizard must have lit the fire to escape and that the Wooden Gargoyles fanned its flames trying to put it out, spreading it and causing a greater conflagration. Departing from there they come into another large chamber filled with treasure of all kinds. They pocket a few diamonds, but as they exit through the dark curving tunnel they hear a roar and retreat back to the treasure room to hide. A few baby dragons come through followed by their mother. Waiting till they pass into their den, they depart for the cavern nearest the surface, but a large boulder blocks their path to the surface. Then they hear the dragon approaching. Just in time, Zim shows up and pushes the boulder aside. Zim addresses the dragon Hadasse, who insists on eating him, so Zim shrinks her down to a foot-long size and opts to keep her as a pet to light his pipe. Her dragonette children are reduced to manageable mouse-sized dragons, which despite her pleading and claims to have come from the Green Dragon of Atlantis, he puts inside a cage. Zim then speaks with Gilo and brings them back to the treasure room where the Mangaboo finds the Stone of Soames, which answers any one question per person once a century. Dinny asks about who enchanted and disenchanted him, and learns that it was Mombi. Zim asks it how to cure his gigantophobia, but it gives a cryptic answer about having to "meet its reverse."

Zim confirms to Gilo that he is not mad, but compassionate, and deserves to be planted with the one he loves. Dinny suggests taking him to Oz, but Zim reminds him that plants die in Oz, even sapient ones. Nor can he restore his humanity as he did with Faraq because he was never human. Dinny suggests planting him in his garden, but Zim is unsure what he'd do with his offspring if they don't wish to stay, and he's aware that the Mangaboos will only execute them if they prove to be like their father. Dinny recommends experimenting on the whole race to give them compassion and love, but Zim realizes that because they're so short-lived, they'll only spend their time in mourning. So Dinny suggests he give them longer life. Zim ponders this, but says he won't do anything to them without their consent. Dinny feels they may allow it for the opportunity to live longer.

The next day, Zim examines the windowpane Dinny got for him, and tells him that it's a tangible hole (though he doesn't know it, it was made by the Braided Man). Zim flies them to Boboland, where Dinny offers Prince Bobo the shrunken dragons, which he takes for pets, save for their mother. Bobo is glad to know the Dragon of the Peaks has at last been vanquished. Dinny also informs him of the treasure horde, which Bobo promises to restore to their rightful owners.

Zim and Dinny then fly to the Rose Kingdom (Tik-Tok of Oz). While they normally refuse strangers in their land, Zim knows that they will welcome anyone who comes in the name of Omiarr, the fairy man who is the ancestor of the sapient Rosebushes in that kingdom. He had been enchanted into a rosebush by an evil wizard who'd been angry with him for not helping him conquer Mo. As the wizard was later killed by a knight, Omiarr remained in that form for a century, giving forth seeds which became a vegetable man and woman. Omiarr was later found again by Lulea and returned to the Forest of Burzee, though his offspring continue to grow and live in the Rose Kingdom. Zim soon greets the Rose King Filamore, who is fresh off the bush and happy to see them, but his subjects threaten to kill them if they enter. The Gardener confirms that they cannot enter, but Zim proclaims that they come in the name of Omiarr. None have done so in a century and they then welcome them. They are fascinate by Gilo who is so like and yet unlike them, and are eager to learn more about him. While the Roses will not let Gilo be planted there, the king will allow Zim to take their pollen to plant with Gilo in his arboretum on the condition that if he's successful in giving the Mangaboos longer life he must in turn give it to them. Gilo consents to being planted and pollinated with the Roses, but wishes it could have been Oris he was planted with.

The next day Zim brings them to his conservatory and Gilo is amazed at the variety of plant life there and is soon planted before he spoils any further. Zim returns to Voe and the Vegetable Kingdom and brings with him a piece of Oris, which he plants alongside Gilo.

A year later, both plants grow side by side, Rosa from the Mangarose bush and Floris from the Oris bush. These vegetable women prove helpful and curious, and after another year a bush blooms from the Mangarose who Zim names Gilrose. He also proves gentle and kind.

10 years later: A decade after Dinny and Zim first visited the Vegetable and Rose Kingdoms, Floris blooms. Zim reveals to Dinny that he's changed things so that the sapient beings that grow are no longer the mere fruit of the bushes, which are byproduct of the bushes, but the object of the bushes themselves, and will live and meet their own descendents. Zim returns again to the Rose Kingdom and learns that King Filamore is about to be replaced by the new king. He is depressed because he is to be planted and doesn't want to die. Zim suggests he leave the Rose Kingdom and become mortal, which he agrees to, but his subjects won't let him leave, as they want his descendents. Zim makes a flower grow out of Filamore and uses it to pollinate the growing bushes so that Filamore will have plenty of descendents. With that, his subjects allow him to depart. Filamore goes on to become a sailor and gardener, marry and have a family. Zim, meanwhile, returns home to pollinate his growing Mangarose bushes with Filamore's pollen.

A year later, Floris has her descendent and Rosa starts to bloom. Zim decides its time again to visit the Mangaboos, and the three plant-people are excited to meet their relatives. They come before the princess, but she prefers to speak in the company of her sorcerers, Davig and the twin female sorceresses (a new phenomenon for the Mangaboos) Twig and Branch. They each in turn try to defeat Zim with their magic, but he comes out ahead and finally brings forth a cloud of darkness which so frightens the princess that she promises that no harm will befall them. Zim withdraws the cloud and tells the princess his offer to bring them long life. She's interested, but asks what the cost is. He says that if they are to have an extended life they should enjoy it. They must feel. The princess concedes.

75th year of Ozma's reign: Zim sees good on his plan to collect marine specimens for the tanks he built below his arboretum. Taking the form of Winkle, the crusty seaman, and for Dinny his assistant Oni, they traverse to Noland's seas with a magical sphere that shrinks specimens for transport. With a potion of the Sea Fairies, Winkle turns them into merman. Exploring an old wreck, Winkle tells Oni of the time Wammerian was put inside a chest by pirates and thrown overboard. After a long time, the Sea Fairies rescued him, and he spent time amongst them, helping them, and even rescuing one from a sea devil and healing her wounds. In gratitude they gave him the potion they just used to become mermen. Winkle won't say, however, how he attained it, and when they spot sea fairies, they're forced to hide until they pass.

The next month, off the coast of Rinkitink, Winkle finds the cave Zim discovered in his Perpetually Updating Atlas, and creates a portal there. But as they're exploring, a giant electric sea slug enters, and distracted, Oni doesn't realize until too late that he's been swallowed by a shark! Oni pokes him with his knife and the shark spits him out, explaining that he was saving him from the sea slug. Introducing himself as Big Mouth, named for having the biggest mouth of all the big-mouth sharks, they circle round to rescue Winkle. Winkle hopes Aquareine can do something about the electric sea slug, but the shark explains that no one, not even King Anko, can escape getting shocked by the creature, who mysteriously appeared in the sea one day. Even while sleeping, he sends out electric currents. Yet, he and the queen are reluctant to use violence until they know for a certainty that the creature's evil. After much deliberation, Winkle decides to try a storm spell on the sea slug, though he's uncertain what will occur. It produces wild colors that the sea slug thinks are pretty. When Winkle confronts him, the creature tells him he thinks the Sea Fairies are dancing when he vibrates near them, and he doesn't realize it's hurting them. Big Mouth and Aquareine arrive and overhear this. The creature explains that he grew up on magic marine skosh, which made him giant sized and electrical. Aquareine then changes him so that instead of electric current, he produces electric light, and she welcomes him to light up her city every night. The sea slug loves how pretty he now looks, and Aquareine invites everyone to her palace.

The sea fairy Clia inquires how Winkle learned his storm magic, and he tells her it was from an inter-dimensional traveler. At dinner, Aquareine asks him directly how he obtained Wammerian's potion when he promised never to divulge it. Winkle explains that when the Wizard Wam disappeared, he left his books to him, and from them he learned the spell. Aquareine admits she knows they're not who they seem, but also knows they're not evil. Winkle tells her he won't divulge that information as he doesn't want to be famous. The Sea Fairy Queen accepts this, and allows him to return to her domain and harvest the sea orchids and other unique flora. Later, Oni asks how he got the potion from Wammerian, and Winkle admits that the Wizard Wam was his father. Thinking on that, Dinny later tells Zim that the Wishing Necklaces belong to him by right, and Zim notes that they cost his father and him half their magical powers. If he could merely touch them, it would help him regain his full powers.

77th year of Ozma's reign: Zim's marine plant collection grows as Winkle and Oni make a dozen trips to Aquareine's underwater garden. Amongst their collection is the prized sea orchids and sea tales from a sea book tree. One day while dining, they start turning into merman, and just make it to the lotus pool in time. Zim realizes the spell has given them a 13th free use in a baker's dozen.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This saga spans over the course of 80 years beginning in October 1901 during the conclusion of The Marvelous Land of Oz, beginning when Ozma is first disenchanted at the end of that book, then moving to the first year of Ozma's reign (up to chapter 9), the third year (chapter 10), the fifth year (chapter 13), eleventh year (chapter 14-19), 30th year (chapter 20), 32nd year (chapter 21-25, page 260), 33d-34th year (chapters 25-26, page 264), 41st-42nd years (chapter 26), and then jumps up her 75th year (chapter 27-end).

Dragons: The dragonettes are first encountered in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. Their mother, the she-dragon here named Hadasse, is called by Prince Bobo of Boboland the Dragon of the Peaks. Zim shrinks her to a foot length and opts to keep her as a pet to light his pipe. Her baby dragons are reduced to mouse-size and gifted to Prince Bobo. In 1983 (The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3: Zim Greenleaf of Oz), Zim is convinced by the Love Fairy, Amouretto of Amouré, that it was wrong to enslave Hadasse and give away her children as pets. So, Zim returns them to where he believes it is safe. Whether he determines that their original home was safe, or they returned their on their own is unknown, but 58 years hence, in Ruggedo in Oz, the dragonettes are back to their former size and living in their original home again. One of them, Vdoxo, remembers Eureka from the first time she visited.

Insects: Zim confirms that "Some insects in Oz can talk, but few can write." (page 60)

Mangaboos: The Mangaboo culture, first detailed in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, is further explored. Mangaboos do not eat, and only feed on soil while they are growing on their stalks. Eating is considered disgusting, and they grow their fruits and vegetables purely for aesthetic purposes. Amongst some known ones are towors and yiktas. Their buildings also grow, and broken parts are planted to become new buildings. There are jobs to be done in the Vegetable Kingdom, and some are more prestigious than others (window washing is prestigious because it brings them to the higher levels). They do not have personal names. The higher their dwelling the more sun they gain, but most do not get past the 10th level. Their lifespan from the time they're picked is five years. Though they cannot move or speak while growing, they can hear and learn, and teachers read them the laws of the kingdom. Ugliness is a capital offense, with those born imperfect allowed to live, but given to the Twining Vines to destroy at the end, and not planted again. This is called the Weeding Out, and is done to preserve the beauty of their race. A worse punishment called Peeling is also done. Their six suns are named Midron, Firenth, Wichtar, Augreth, Imton and Kizrioth. That the rulers of the Vegetable Kingdom later show up at King Evardo's 60th birthday party (in The Tired Tailor of Oz) shows that Zim's experiments with making them less violent proved successful. Another trip to the Vegetable Kingdom is made by the Wizard, Dorothy and Eureka in Ruggedo in Oz, where they meet Queen Ssyr and discover a far less hostile community than the one they first encountered in 1902.

Rimmers: One of the ancient inhabitants of Oz who used to raid the lands to the south. See The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2: Tippetarius in Oz.

Seven Blue Mountains: Also known as the King's Crown, it is located south of the Headlands (in the Gillikin country) but northeast of Keretaria in the Munchkin country. It is southwest of Lostland, which connects to the region via a single pass in the Forbidden Mountains. The seven mountains are each named. The largest one in the middle is Mount Sapphire, the northernmost one is Mount Turquoise, then going around from the right are Mount Aquamarine, Mount Azurite, Mount Sodalite, Mount Lapis Lazuli and Mount Iolite.

Switcheroo Spell: Although it's generally believed that Mombi didn't perform the switcheroo spell until 1892 when she obtained a year-old Ozma, the fact that she was petitioned by the Queen of Lostland to transform her baby boy into a girl while he was still an infant means that Mombi performed the Switcheroo Spell between Ozma and Tip (which she could do from a distance) while the baby Ozma was still under the Wizard's care. This happened in either 1887 or earlier in 1873, depending on when exactly Tippetarius was born (see below). The Wizard was likely not informed (by Ozma's nurse) of the baby's mysterious sex change since he never mentions it, and probably wouldn't have even noticed.

Tippetarius: As a baby, Prince Tippetarius of Lostand was transformed into a girl by Mombi at the behest of his mother, whose husband King Whippetarius threatened to kill the child if it wasn't born a girl. The mother named her now-daughter Princess Amalea. The form she took was that of Ozma's, as Mombi performed a Switcheroo Spell between the two children. Ozma then took on the form of Tippetarius, and with it the name Tip. Nine years later, when Tip was disenchanted back into her original female form as Ozma, Princess Amalea was also disenchanted back into his original body of Tip. Confused, he escaped Lostland, and took on the name Amadin, and eventually was nicknamed Dinny. There appears to be a discrepancy with Tip's age. He notes his age in chapter 4 (page 44) as 28, which means that he was born in 1873. However, in chapter 26 (page 273), which takes place in 1943*, he identifies his age as 56 years old, which places his birth-date in 1887. This is a 14 year difference that has to be chalked up to historian error, as Dinny would have no reason to lie about his age to either person. This is an important date, as well, because it reveals when Mombi performed the Switcheroo Spell on baby Ozma. Currently, the Royal Timeline of Oz goes with the age provided in chapter 26, which gives us the 1887 date, five years before the Wizard actually gave the baby into Mombi's keeping.

Wooden Gargoyles: Although Dinny believes the gargoyles to be extinct due to the fire the Wizard caused during his visit (in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz), which destroyed much of their realm, and Ianu says the survivors who fled into Voe were killed by its inhabitants, in fact, several Wooden Gargoyles did escape, as evidenced by The Braided Man of Oz and Ruggedo in Oz. By the time, the Wizard returns to the city in the latter story (in 1991, fifty-eight years after this story), it is rebuilt and repopulated.

Wizard Wam: The narrative gives his proper name as Wammerian Hadrakis, and hints that he's an inter-dimensional travel. He's also the father of Zim the Flying Sorcerer. Wam made the Wishing Necklaces, missing at the time of this story, but later discovered in The Wishing Horse of Oz, which drained him of half his power, as well as half of his son's.

Wunchie and the Magic Hammer: This story provides a date for Handy Mandy in Oz at 1935, and gives a role to the witch Wunchie who was named, but never appears in the latter work. So too, it expands on the character of Himself the Elf, who is shown to not want to do the evil things that Wunchie commands him through the Hammer. The history of the Hammer itself is given in The Silver Sorceress of Oz.

Zim: The son of the Wizard Wam, and technically over 3000 years old (in 1944, p. 273), the eight foot two inch Zim Greenleaf is the Flying Sorcerer of Oz, who secretly lives upon Mount Azurite in the Seven Blue Mountains of the Munchkin Country. An ardent botanist, as well as a sorcerer, he maintains a giant conservatory in which he grows numerous plants and trees from all over Oz. In order to help people and yet maintain his anonymity, Zim takes on the form of several different wizards, including the dwarf Brown Bleegum, the free-spirited young wizard Ganalan, the melancholy minstrel Vega, the strong-man Rooster, the red-haired Green Knight, and the crusty seaman Winkle. See The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2: Tippetarius in Oz for more information.

* Chapter 21 is explicitly dated at the 32nd year of Ozma's reign, which is 1933. Over the course of the next few chapters, ten years elapse: It is 9 years from the time King Filamore is picked from the Rosebush to the time he is replaced by the new king and saved by Zim (page 265), and 10 years from the time Dinny first visits the Mangaboos to the time he and Zim return to extend their lives (page 273).

The Royal Timeline of Oz considers The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz a deuterocanonical work

Synopsis: Bored with her new duties as princess of Oz, Ozma decides to disguise herself as Tip and sneak off for some fun. Along the way, she discovers the truth about the Hammerheads and the Forest of Fighting Trees, rescues Quox the Dragon, who accidentally fell through the Hollow Tube into Oz, and meets the Fairy Queen Lurline.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This story takes place in the Spring, and can be surmised that it is the very beginning of the season (assuming Oz, like the U.S. utilizes the vernal equinox of the Northern Hemisphere), early March 1902. At this point, the royal family of Ev has been sold to the Nome King. This story leads directly into Ozma of Oz.

Jellia Jamb: Jellia is noted to be the daughter of Jimb Jamb, a neighbor of Mombi and Tip in the Gillikin Country.

The Deadly Desert: The Deadly Desert is confirmed to have been turned that way from the Great Sandy Waste by a fairy. Lurline is shown to have done this in The Witch Queen of Oz.

Dragons: The Original Dragon is named Skanderbeg, though this seems unlikely as this is the name of a 15th century Albanian Lord whose name is an Arabic derivation of Alexander the Great, which means "man's defender and chieftain." More likely it's used as a title, though how the Original Dragon came to be known as "man's defender" is a story that has not yet been told, but it appears to have a connection to the origin story of fairies as man's guardians. The forthcoming work The Ancient Dawn of Oz will address these issues. The narrative notes that the Original Dragon and his three companions had thought that nothing of importance had occurred in the last 50,000 years. While this can be taken literally as the coming of the Original Dragon to An, it seems more likely that it's not intended to be an actual date, but rather a humorous figure of speech to define a long period of time. It's more likely that his arrival precedes Hiergargo's creation of the Hollow Tube, which allowed them instantaneous travel (see Tik-Tok of Oz).

The Empire of the Fairy Fellowship: The Land of An (first identified as such in The Law of Oz and Other Stories), where the Original Dragon and Tititi-Hoochoo live, is called at this time "The Empire of the Fairy Fellowship." Baum had never identified it by name.

Forest King: When the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger leave the forest to live in the Emerald City, the Cowardly Lion appoints a Kalidah (whose one of his chief councilors) as regent. He'll only seldom return there, such as in an emergency affecting animals in The Emerald City Mirror #21.

The Forest of Fighting Trees: No longer a forest of fighting trees due to Ozma's aid in this story, this is the forest from which the Sawhorse's wood derives. The forest is again revisited and given more of a back-story in A Wonderful Journey in Oz. The name of the dryad who rules here is given as Lark Ellen, though the latter calls her Oakaria. Both are fine. The latter reveals that the forest of talking trees was first created by a fairy under the control of an evil sorcerer, who appears to have brought in evil tree spirits called Yamadryads. It was Oakaria who brought in the hamadryads from Burzee to help restore the forest and drive out the Yamadryads, but it wasn't until Ozma came and taught Lark Ellen/Oakaria a lesson in forgiveness that the darkness of the forest began to lift.

Giant Spider: The giant spider who the Cowardly Lion beheaded was created by a standard-sized spider by the Wicked Witch of the West to destroy Glinda (How the Wizard Came to Oz). Glinda sent the creature far off into the Great Forest of the Quadling Country. As told in this story, she later awoke, found her head and shrunk back to standard spider size, indicative of the magical enchantment that she underwent. She had a son named Fiddle, who was born giant-sized (Oziana 2010: "Fiddle's Revenge,") likely due to the fact that he was birthed during the time she was also giant-sized.

Hammer-heads and Opaloz: The Hammer-heads were actually put in place to guard the Opaloz, which was put in place by Lurline to continually heal the land and ensure that it remains a fairyland. This item likely works in tandem with the Enchanted Apples from The Enchanted Apples of Oz and the Speckled Rose from The Speckled Rose of Oz. Two others are said to know of the Opaloz besides Glinda. These might be Ozma's fairy-cousins Ozana and Ozga.

Language in Oz: The absence of a language barrier in Oz is explained on page 154.

Location, location, location: The location of the Hammer-heads and Forest of Fighting Trees is addressed, as Ozma and the Sawhorse agree that the Scarecrow was wrong in his depiction of them being in proximity to the Emerald City, explaining that perhaps his new brains weren't quite in order. The story's placement of them is in accordance with later books, Baum's map and the Martin & Haff map.

Lurline: This is Ozma's first time meeting with her subjects outside of the Emerald City, and the first time she re-connects with Lurline after having been a fairy in her band. Lurline also encourages her policy of non-violence and compassion. They will meet again in The Magic Carpet of Oz, Leprechauns in Oz, and The Magical Mimics in Oz, and The Law of Oz and Other Stories. Lurline's absence of many years is explained in The Magic Umbrella of Oz. Ozma goes to meet with her again in The Emerald City Mirror 5th story arc: "Transference of Spirits."

The Magic Picture: The Magic Picture is a gift to Ozma from the powerful fairy Tititi-Hoochoo (who first appeared Tik-Tok of Oz) in thanks for her returning the dragon Quox unharmed. It can be surmised that the very similar Magic Picture utilized by the King of the Fairy Beavers in John Dough and the Cherub was also a gift of Tititi-Hoochoo's. In The Shaggy Man of Oz, however, it's noted on page 250 that Ozma says "the Magic Picture is my own fairy creation, and I understand its magic better than anyone else." This is reconciled by the fact that Ozma is a fairy and had a life before being reborn in Oz in 1742. She was part of Lurline's band, and very well have originally made the Magic Picture. Tititi-Hoochoo's gift was, thus, a subtle way to reconnect her to her pre-Ozian past.

Middle-Earth: The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz makes a connection to Tolkien's Middle Earth. On page 139, Ozma challenges Quox to a riddle-game, and uses one of the very same riddles, "a box without hinges, key or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid." This was Tolkien's own composition (see The Annotated Hobbit: Revised and Expanded, page 123; HarperCollins), and doesn't derive from an earlier fairy-tale/fantasy, which solidifies the connection. The stories of Middle-Earth would, of course, have taken place many years earlier. Page 195 also mentions the existence of orcs, goblins and trolls. This tie has been strengthened in other stories, such as "The Orange Ogres in Oz."

Mr. Tinker: Mr. Tinker's ladder is said to have been telescoping, and a prototype of it allowed Wainwright to cross the Deadly Desert.

New Roads: Glinda acknowledges having built a road to bypass the Hill of the Hammer-heads.

The Quadrants of Oz: The original names of the four quadrants of Oz is here for the first time listed: The Golden West for the Winkies, Rosewood Meandows for Quadling country, The Land of Purple Mountains for the Gillikins and the Land of Sky Blue Waters for the Munchkins.

Quox's age: Quox's age can only be guesstimated from the information provided on pages 35, 114, 121 and 155. Tik-Tok of Oz provides a more precise age of nearly 3,056 years old, which makes him 3,053 years old at this time. He is made to forget his journey to Oz by Tititi-Hoochoo.

The Red Wagon: Ozma receives the Red Wagon from a certain Dcim Wainwright, who was the apprentice of Mr. Smith (of Smith & Tinker).

Rulers of Faerie: In addition to the Original Dragon, who is lord of all creatures, the story introduced the other three of the "Big Four," the Unicorn Monokeros (which means "the single opportune time and moment,") who is lord of all beasts, the Phoenix who is lord of all birds, and the Tortoise, who is lord of all reptiles.

Visits to Mombi: On pages 77-78, Glinda incorrectly attributes the nature of the Wizard's three visits to Mombi, the details of which were not revealed to her until she interviewed him in Oz and the Three Witches.

Retcons:

Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger: The meeting of the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger proves a conflict with Edward Einhorn's "Ozma Sees Herself," in which Ozma has already spent time with the Cowardly Lion, however, the removal of pages 185-187, which are extraneous to the overall story, eliminates this problem. It is clear from prior stories that the Cowardly Lion had spent time in the Emerald City with the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, and must have returned there after the events of The Marvelous Land of Oz, to meet Ozma. Then, following the events of "Ozma Sees Herself," he returns to his forest and has not been back in some time. When Ozma appears in this story, she's disguised as a boy, so that the lion does not recognize her.

Roquat: This history of Roquat the Nome King is presented: Roquat is known to have been born in 917 as per Pirates in Oz. Although there is no mention of his brothers, he is shown to be the offspring of two formerly warring underground fairy races, who united in marriage by the benevolent Thill princess Yenoh and the malevolent Ghorn prince Yetsan, the latter who taught Roquat to be wicked and dissimulate. Kaliko is said to be a Thill, as well. Nathan M. DeHoff has suggested that both are subsets of gnomes, the Thills being politically altruistic while the Ghorns are militaristic. When Roquat comes to power, he eliminates another two warring tribes, the goblins and trolls, by transforming them into nomes. This could explain how Roquat is both a gnome and a Nome King. Apparently, this is not worldwide, but only those in the vicinity of his realm. The hobgoblins—noted to be reformed goblins—are still around, though in few numbers, attempting to achieve good in Ev. The story predicts the Nome King's eventual turn to good in Dr. Angelina Bean in Oz and Ruggedo in Oz. Clearly, this is not the Nome King met by Santa centuries or millennia earlier (who may be Goldemar from Zauberlinda the Wise Witch), but there's much yet to be revealed of the history of Roquat. For more information, see The History of the Nome King in the Appendices.

Stork Maidens: One of the primary subjects of criticism of this story is the stork maidens, which are said to be Glinda's girls rather than actual storks (page 130). Two points: In all but Glinda of Oz, her chariot is said to be flown by swans. "The Silver Jug" clarifies that Glinda has two chariots, a golden one drawn by twenty-six swans and a silver one drawn by thirty-two storks. A Promise Kept in Oz indicates that Glinda switches off between her storks and swans. It's clear this is to allow a proper work-life balance for her birds. Yet, even with a regular rotation there will come times when neither is available, and this would be when Glinda uses her magic to transform a reserve of handmaidens into storks, a tradition that perhaps started on a day when there were no swans or storks on duty. Time Traveling in Oz again features the girl-storks.

Baum's third Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: Tossed overboard on route to Australia with her Uncle Henry, Dorothy and a chicken end up washed ashore in the Land of Ev. The chicken Billina can now speak, and with Dorothy discover a metal man named Tik-Tok, who has to be wound to function. As they head to the castle of Princess Langwidere, he explains that the King of Ev sold his family to the Nome King before drowning himself. Langwidere has a collection of heads, and seeks to attain Dorothy's as well. When Dorothy refuses, she locks her up. Meanwhile, having heard of the plight of the Royal Family of Ev, Ozma has brought an army across the Deadly Desert. There, she and Dorothy meet for the first time. She secures her from Langwidere and together they head to the caverns of the Nome King. Unwilling to part with his new treasures (the Nome King has transformed the royal family into ornaments), Roquat the Red allows the Ozian embassy to guess which ornaments are Evian royalty, but after a number of tries, will become an ornament themselves. This trick is uncovered by Billina, who helps Dorothy guess correctly, and who uses her eggs to defeat the Nome King, as eggs are discovered to be poisonous to Nomes.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Based on several factors, it can be determined that this story takes place in mid-March, with Dorothy's trip to Australia beginning in early January (See Appendices: Dating the Early Books for more information on the chronological placement of this book). While the adventure itself takes seven days (see The Chronology of Oz), Dorothy stays in Oz for "several weeks" before asking to be sent to Australia. During this time, The Enchanted Apples of Oz occurs, as does the first two chapters of The Nome King's Shadow in Oz. The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz immediately precede it.

Characters: This is Baum's introduction to Tik-Tok (generally regarded as the first fictional robot), Billina the Yellow Hen, the Hungry Tiger, Roquat the Nome King, who will appear as a regular villain throughout the Oz series (see The History of the Nome King in the Appendices), the Land of Ev, and royal family of Ev, including the infamous Princess Langwidere. Prince Evrob appears again in "Evrob and the Nomes" (Oziana 2004).

Discrepancy: A minor matter is Tik-Tok's knowledge of King Evoldo's suicide, which seems unlikely since Evoldo locked him up first. A simple solution may be that Evoldo told Tik-Tok of his plans to throw himself and the key into the ocean.

Ev: Not much is known of Ev, as most of the time is spent in the first of Baum's underworld dominions, but what little is depicted is a land that has few if any talking animals; death is the norm for all but the underground Nomes (who are a kind of rock fairy) and Jinnicky the Red Jinn, who lives in the north and won't be introduced until Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. It's a mystery that Billina can speak when other chickens in Ev cannot. Additionally, Jim the Cab horse, Eureka, and the Nine Tiny Piglets (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz) all can speak prior to entering Oz. Hank the Mule couldn't until he was in Oz. Ev is more deeply explored in Paul Dana's forthcoming book, The Immortal Longings of Oz.

The location of Ev proves even more problematic, as they return to Oz from across the Deadly Desert, and appear in the Munchkin Country. Later Baum books, however, place Ev across from the Winkie Country. The Haff & Martin maps follow Baum's later statements and place Ev west of Oz, but there are admittedly no easy answers to this issue. I'm inclined to agree with this later designation and say that at some point during their journey across the desert, Dorothy tried to use the Magic Belt to transport them, and ended up in the Munchkin Country (Dorothy uses the Belt as a transportation device in The Enchanted Apples of Oz, which takes place a short time later). Incidentally, The Road to Oz locates it north of Oz.

King of the Munchkins: The identity of the King of Munchkins was once a mystery. As King Cheeriobed was trapped in the Ozure Isles by the monster Quiberon, why did the current king of the Munchkins not tell Ozma this? And if he did, or if he was King Cheeriobed (who perhaps was not in the Ozure Isles when Quiberon arrived), and he does tell Ozma, then why does she have no knowledge of their situation? The solution turned out to be that this "King of the Munchkins" did not tell Ozma of the plight of the former king because he did not want to lose power. This is revealed in "Four Views of General Jinjur," which reveals that he was a fraud, connected neither to Cheeriobed's line nor to the Seebanian Kings (which is Unc Nunkie and Ojo's line). His name is Froom, and he appears in "Vaneeda of Oz."

The Magic Belt: This is another source of interest. It is likely what protects Roquat from the poison of the eggs that the Scarecrow throws at his face (although Tik-Tok of Oz mentions there being a little known magic word that a Nome can say immediately to protect him). Dorothy takes the Nome King's Magic Belt (which she gives to Ozma at the end of the story). Under Roquat's use, it failed to work on wood, though later on, in other stories, it does. This was explained in "Ruggedo and the School of Magic," when Glinda discovered that the Belt has a glass jewel instead of a diamond one. Upon replacing it, the Belt can work on wood again.

Magic Carpet: In The Emerald City Mirror #48, it's explained that the Magic Carpet not only protects its users from the deadly sands, but from the noxious gases that arise from the sands.

Omby Amby is for the first time named (he was formerly the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, and is identified as such in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz).

Princess Langwidere: Langwidere is a bit of a mystery, as she possesses the ability to live without a head and to put on other heads that have been chopped off of other women. The latter only retain vestigial traits, which Langwidere takes on when she wears the head, but not their complete personalities or memories. Langwidere's disposition changes with each head, but she remains Princess Langwidere and does not become the persons who formerly had their heads. This is reminiscent of the monarch and royal family of Mo (as seen in The Magical Monarch of Mo), who are able to switch heads and lose limbs without pain or loss of life. That Princess Langwidere thinks this is normal indicates that she may be from Mo herself, or be a child of Mo royalty, married into the Evian royal family. For an early history of Langwidere, see "The Princess of Ev." The upcoming story "The Trade: A Langwidere Story" will look at the events following this story, while the forthcoming anthology, The Thirty Heads of Princess Langwidere of Ev will deal with the back-stories of her many heads.

Queen of Ev and the Royal Family: Baum names the entire royal family, except the Queen of Ev. She is given a name in The Tired Tailor of Oz: Queen Evraline. Her original name, as Princess Bevina, was given in "The Princess of Ev." She hails from Boboland. The rest of the Royal family are thus named: Princess Evanna, Prince Evardo, Princess Evedna, Princess Evella, Prince Evington, Princess Evirene, Prince Evring, Prince Evrob, Prince Evroland, and Princess Evrose.

Return to Oz: The 1985 Disney film has several sequences and lines of dialogue taken directly from this book, although Princess Langwidere is combined with Mombi, and Dorothy and Ozma's histories are different.

Smith & Tinker: Rejano Edison Smith and Ezra Pascal Tinker's inventions can be found all over Oz and Ev, and appear in various stories. The men themselves reappear alive and well, the former in Oziana 1987's "Button-Bright and the Knit-Wits of Oz" and the latter in "Mr. Tinker in Oz" and the forthcoming book The Lost Queen of Oz. They are now living in Oz. Years later, Smith's grandson reopens Smith & Tinker in Ev and manages it under his more practical, if less imaginative leadership (Wooglet in Oz).

The Royal Timeline of Oz considers this novella deuterocanonical

Synopsis and Continuity Notes

This story, which tells the tale of the Wizard’s History in Oz prior to Dorothy’s arrival, takes place the day following Dorothy’s return to the Great Outside World in Dorothy And The Wizard in Oz, which is in early September. With the truth pearl measuring his honesty, the Wizard explains to Glinda and Ozma how and why he behaved as he did, detailing each of the three visits he pays to Mombi, including the reason he handed baby Ozma to her.

Arrival: The Wizard lands in his O.Z. balloon and is welcomed by the people as the new king sent by the fairies. The old king is gone. The Wizard sets up his court in the old palace of Morrow, located in the Winkie Country, near the Winkie border. This is not the same Morrow as the hunting lodge of Pastoria II, as noted in The Lost King of Oz (located on the Martin & Haff map in the Quadling country), but the original one (called Ozmara in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2) set towards the center of Oz, close to the Winkie border, which Pajuka says was a castle that once stood where the Emerald City now is. This era, only briefly sketched here, is shown in the comic-book adaptation of Donald Abbot's How the Wizard Came to Oz.

Oscar befriends the Regent of the Realm, a man named Klestro, whom he appoints Prime Minister, and Galden who he appoints his major domo. Klestro teaches him Oz History. After learning this, the Wizard gets the people to begin building a walled city in the exact center of the land. During this time, he pays the first of three visits to the witch Mombi.

The First Visit to Mombi: The Wizard goes to her hut to intimidate Mombi into believing he's a genuine wizard so that she'll leave him alone. After he does a trick with water and fire, and another (a variation of the nine-tiny piglets, only with mice), they exchange magic items and because she's feeling vulnerable after her recent defeat by the Good Witch of the North, agrees to leave one another alone. This dates this to 1892, which is when Mombi was defeated by the Good Witch of the North (see the notes of The Giant Horse of Oz) and is confirmed by his Third and Final Visit to Mombi. The wizard learns of the prophecy of the baby that will spell the end of the rule of the East and West witches. Mombi tells him the East and West witches will stop at nothing to get the baby.

The Wicked Witch of the West Attacks: While the city is being built, and the Wizard inspects it, the Wicked Witch of the West sends her wolves, and he hides up a tree. She then sends her crows, but he drives them away with a smoke pot, which drew his soldiers to him, and caused the wolves to flee. A few days later, she sent her bees to attack, but again the smoke pot drove them away. These creatures originally belonged to Krizzle Kroo ("The Woozy's Tale" in Oziana 1992), who lost them when Gayelette made them subject to her Silver Whistle, which the Wicked Witch of the West later took from her.

The Wizard studies them in his library and discover that the Silver Shoes can not only transport the East witch, but shoot a magic lightning bolt. Although this appears to be contradicted in the serialized version of How the Wizard Came to Oz, in which the Wicked Witch of the East claims her shoes cannot harm a living creature, the Shoes might be able to destroy property, which is exactly what they do as regards the former capital of Oz.

Construction of the Emerald City: The Wizard notes that there were several emerald mines in the area, which is why the city was made of emeralds. The spectacles were not only to make the white marbled walls appear green, but to help offset the effects of yellow and blue magic, and to aid in detecting a witch who'd snuck in. Ozma notes that she later expanded the palace with a wing off the throne room (which corresponds with what the 1904 edition of the Ozmapolitan said) containing her suite and three guest suites.

Disguise: With the silk from his balloon, and an elixir given him by Mombi on his first visit, the Wizard constructed a costume and disguised himself as a tall woman, which gets the people believing he can transform into other forms. The Wicked Witch of the West journeys west of Morrow to a Winkie Mountain. Using her telescopic eye, she transforms Galden, now the Wizard's personal servant and friend, into a green rabbit, but he transforms back, and the Wizard takes credit for it. The Wizard then has his servants prepare for him a mirrored shield to protect him from the lightning power of the Silver Shoes (perhaps unaware they can't directly harm him).

The Wicked Witch of the East Attacks: The East Witch arrives the next day, and blew open a hole in the nursery tower. Baby Ozma was hid by her nurse in the dungeons, but after the witch began destroying the palace, the Wizard instructed the baby to be taken in secret to the porter's lodge (which is like Pastoria's hunting lodge, also named Morrow, from The Lost King of Oz). The Wizard's mirror does the trick, and he causes the witch to flee for a time. Then he reveals the truth about himself to Galden, who vows to keep his secret.

The Second Visit to Mombi: Mombi tells the Wizard that as the prophecy of the child has no bearing on her, she can hide and protect the child from the East and West witches. She claims that if it is destroyed, all of Oz will be destroyed by the wrath of the fairies. This explains why Mombi is invested in keeping baby Ozma alive and away from the Wicked Witches. Whether the Wizard confirmed this or not is unstated, but the Wizard promises to bring her the child.

At the lodge where he'd secreted the baby, the Wizard discovers that someone was prowling around and had enchanted the nurse into a wolf (who scared off the prowler). Convinced it was the best way to protect the baby, the Wizard makes...

The Third and Final Visit to Mombi: The Wizard hands baby Ozma off to Mombi, who enchants her into a boy. According to the account in The Master Crafters of Oz, Nikidik claims to have been there, and had provided Mombi with the spell she used. This spell, however, was a backup plan. The main spell was the Switcheroo Spell noted in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1: The Disenchanted Princess of Oz, which according to that story had been cast five years earlier in 1887 (while baby Ozma was still in her nurse's keeping). Afterwards, Mombi leaves her cottage for the one further north. It's a two-day journey to the Gillikin cottage where Tip/Ozma will grow up. The 1892 date is again confirmed by Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, which states on page 27 that Tip spent "nearly nine years" with Mombi.

Attack of the Wicked Witches: The following day, both witches attacked Morrow, destroying it further, although the Wizard was prepared, having earlier rooted out their spies, and had them attacking each other, while he remained safe, disguised as a bear. Galden, however, was caught in the crossfire and transformed into a ring, which the Wizard wore even when back in the U.S. The Winged Monkeys are sent, but they bring back a dummy the Wizard had rigged instead. This is the third time the Wicked Witch of the West uses the Golden Cap. The first two times are noted in How the Wizard Came to Oz. Since the Witch also uses the Golden Cap in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the likely explanation is that after using it the third time (in this story), she gave the Golden Cap to her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, who uses it for her own purposes (perhaps to fend off other enemies and rivals), and when she's used it three times, gives it back to her sister. Thus, the Golden Cap is reset by someone else's use, probably a magical loophole they created, allowing the Wicked Witch of the West another three uses.

The Wizard moves into the newly constructed Emerald City.

Glinda looks at the ring, and disenchants it back to Galden, who Ozma gives a room to. The Wizard is allowed to stay, but will be trained by Glinda in real magic, and is appointed the official Wizard of Oz.

Baum's fifth Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: On her Kansas farm, Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man, and in attempting to help him get to the road to Butterfield (which is not a known town in Kansas today, though it does exist in several surrounding states), ends up getting lost with him and Toto when the path becomes magical and takes them to the Nonestican continent.

The travelers end up on the south shore of the continent, west of Burzee (east of Boboland). The Shaggy Man isn't concerned about being lost, as he has a magical Love Magnet, which makes all who meet him love him (the love magnet, like the Magic Umbrella and the Water of Life, is one of the few magical devices that works in the Outside World). They next meet a young Button-Bright (who Baum indicates is about six, though he speaks as if he's far younger), the Foxes of Foxville, and their King Dox, who is so enamored of Button-Bright he transforms his head into a fox's. They next meet Polychrome, the daughter of the Rainbow, who is lost after falling off the bow of her father's rainbow.

Together, they travel to Dunkiton, a realm of sapient donkeys who are so enamored of the Shaggy Man that they give him a donkey's head. Traveling northwards, they end up being corralled by the evil Scoodlers who can throw their heads as weapons, and who want to turn them into soup. After the Shaggy Man bats all of their heads down a deep crevice, they make their way to the edge of the Deadly Desert. The Shaggy Man summons Johnny Dooit, who instantly appears and makes them a sandboat which will cross the desert.

At last in Oz, they wish to make their way to the Truth Pond to rid themselves of their animal heads. Following this, they attend a grand party in the Emerald City to celebrate Ozma's birthday. The Wizard uses his magic to send everybody home.

Continuity Notes

Characters

The Blue Bear Rug: The Blue Bear Rug appears later in the story, in the procession for Ozma's birthday, leading before Ozma herself He died choking on a bone likely before Oz became a deathless land. As to how he's unable to speak (the story says he lacks for breath, but so do all of the creatures brought to life by the Powder of Life), this is a puzzle. But he appears again in The Magic Bowls of Oz, in which Button-Bright makes for him a skeleton and inserts a bellows so he can move about and talk. In later stories, such as The Astonishing Tale of the Gump of Oz, he can speak.

Button-Bright: The explanation of how Button-Bright got to where they found him is explained in The Magic Umbrella of Oz and Outsiders from Oz. Although that story indicates that he was four at the time of these events, Baum's chronology necessitates that he was actually six (a correction that will be made in a future edition).

Johnny Dooit: There is some curiosity about who or what Johnny Dooit is, but he doesn't make another appearance in the original series. He returns in The Witch Queen of Oz and Do It For Oz.

Dr. Pipt: The Tin Woodman tells the tale of Dyna, a relative of the Crooked Sorcerer who made the Powder of Life. This is later revealed to be Dr. Pipt, not Dr. Nikidik, although the former used the name of the latter (and vice versa). It's also revealed that Dyna lied about her Pipt falling down a precipice. For more on the two Crooked Sorcerers, see the Appendix.

Polychrome: The History of Polychrome and her family is detailed in the Oziana #37 story, "As the Rainbow Follows the Rain."

The Shaggy Man: The History of the Shaggy Man is detailed in the short story "From Gold Hill to Butterfield" and Queen Ann in Oz, where it's revealed that his name actually is Shaggy Man, Shagrick Mann.

The Scoodlers: This race never again appears in the original series, though there is some question as to whether they're related to Mifkits (and Mifkets). They appear again in The Magic Carpet of Oz and Dagmar in Oz.

Dating: This story takes place from August 15th to August 21st, 1903, the day of Ozma's birthday. See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more details. The travelers visit the Pumpkin home of Jack Pumpkinhead, and Dorothy notes his graveyard of heads: each of the three buried heads of Jack Pumpkinhead are dated by month, and reveal chronological information that reveals Baum's indication as to when his stories take place. The first head was acquired in late October 1901, when Tip first brought Jack to life in The Marvelous Land of Oz. A short time after the end of that story, Jack expressed his concern to Ozma about his head spoiling, and since he notes that it is not pumpkin season, no ripe pumpkins are available. Jack and Ozma find a place to plant a pumpkin patch (see "A Pumpkin Patch in Oz"). Jack doesn't have to worry, as his head doesn't spoil until long after the pumpkins are ripe (which takes, on average, four months). In fact, due to the Powder of Life, his heads last longer than a normal pumpkin would. The first head lasts six months, noted by the time Ozma carves a new one, and Jack buries the old one on April 9, 1902. The next head also lasts six months to October 2, 1902. His third head (Jack says the seeds were not so good in this head) only lasts near to four months and is buried on January 24th, 1903. Since this is now August 1903, it would date his current head to six months old. It also establishes a year and ten months between The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Road to Oz.

Bubbles: Ozma brings all of her guests from their respective homes to Oz by means of the Magic Belt, and sends them home by means of the Wizard's magic bubbles (which are steered by Santa to their correct destinations). In The Gardener's Boy of Oz, it's explained that "by pressing three fingers lightly to one side or other of the bubble, the wayfarer could temporarily change direction and take small sidetrips. In order to descend at last, the traveler had only to insert a special pin into the bubble and the air would come out gradually, bringing bubble and rider safely to the ground. The bubbles were toughened so that nothing except the special pin could puncture them, but they were also somewhat porous so that their occupants always had fresh air to breathe."

Crossovers: This is Baum's big crossover book, with several personalities from other fantasy works of his entering Oz to celebrate Ozma's birthday. Among these are several characters rarely, or not at all, seen outside their respective books:

King John Dough, Chick the Cherub and Para Bruin the Rubber Bear from John Dough and the Cherub.
Santa Claus, along with numerous ryls and knooks, from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus . There is a change in the conception of the knooks, who in ancient times, according to The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, used to care for the animals, and now care for the trees of the forest. This change was also seen in several of Baum's short fantasy stories, particularly as the care for animals went to the animal fairies.
The Queen of Merryland and the Candy Man of Merryland, from Dot and Tot of Merryland.
The Braided Man from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.
The Royal Family of Ev from Ozma of Oz.
Queen Zixi of Ix, King Bud and Princess Fluff of Noland, from Queen Zixi of Ix.
The Good Witch of the North from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Queen of the Field Mice (shown in illustration) from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The vassal kings of Oz are also at the celebration, including the unnamed kings of the Munchkins, Quadlings and Gillikins. (See the notes for Ozma of Oz for the issue with the King of the Munchkins).

Also, King Dox from Fox Town and King Kickabray from Dunkiton are present.

Socio-Economic Culture of Oz

The Road to Oz defines Oz as 1) egalitarian and 2) treating animals with the same consideration as humans, 3) deathless, but 4) with the possibility of capital punishment. The Emerald City of Oz further underscores and deepens these values, except for the last aspect of capitol punishment, which becomes one of rehabilitation and strictly non-violent solutions to crime and punishment.

1. The Tin Woodman calls the use of money "vulgar" and explains that there is no poverty or wealth in Oz. That Oz does not use money is also established in the Queer Visitors strips, but was probably not abolished until 1903. People do for each other out of the goodness of their hearts. “If we used money to buy things with, instead of love and kindness and the desire to please one another, then we should be no better than the rest of the world,” declared the Tin Woodman. “Fortunately money is not known in the Land of Oz at all. We have no rich, and no poor; for what one wishes the others all try to give him, in order to make him happy, and no one in all Oz cares to have more than he can use.”

2. Dorothy explains on page 166 that, "in Oz all animals were treated with as much consideration as the people -- 'if they behave themselves.'" Note that there's no distinction between a talking and non-talking variety (and we don't ever see the latter), but if there is, being treated with "as much consideration as people" still applies to "all animals."

3. It's repeated several times (and in The Emerald City of Oz) that there is no death in Oz, but that one can be destroyed, and yet there appear to be exceptions to that rule.

4. The Tin Woodman states on page 163 that "although if one is bad, he may be condemned and killed by the good citizens." This is the same implied threat that goes for animals. Everyone, human and animal, has to behave. This is later eliminated by Ozma, who not only employs the kind-hearted Tollydiggle as jailor, but demands non-violent solutions to criminal behavior.

Truth Pond: This is the first mention of the Truth Pond in the Winkie Country, though Baum will use it again more extensively in The Lost Princess of Oz. The Truth Pond was created by the Fairy Queen Lurline centuries ago (see The Law of Oz and Other Stories, where it plays a significant role), "The Final Fate of the Frogman," and The Gardener's Boy of Oz. Anyone who drinks of it will tell the truth, but its effects wear off. Anyone who swims in the Pond is compelled to speak the truth, else their ears turn green (The Forbidden Fountain of Oz). Forthcoming stories dealing with the Truth Pond include, "The Orange Ogres in Oz," "The Felicitous Frogman and the Fabulous Freaks of Oz" and "Peer Counseling."

Wizard: Oscar Diggs here displays his first use of real magic, as taught to him by Glinda, in one of the canonical books.

A Short Short Oz Story:

This poetic tribute to L. Frank’s first grandson was inscribed in presentation copies of The Road to Oz. It was first reprinted in the Baum Bugle Vol.8, #3; 12/64 IWOOC.

The Buckethead edition pictured here has illustrations by Marcus Mebes.

The Crocheted Cat: On Christmas Eve, the poor Tucker family complete work on the presents they made for their two children, Cal and Sarah. One is a crocheted cat with a very long tail, the other a picture storybook. After the parents go to sleep, the kids sneak down to see their presents, but they get a real surprise when the crocheted cat grows larger and comes to life. Introducing himself as Theobald (pronounced Tibbald), he explains that if they wake their parents he'll turn back into a toy, and that the reason he was brought to life was to help them understand Christmas and the meaning of love. The children have been overly concerned about their father losing their job and the fact that they have little money to buy presents or even a proper tree. To help them see there's a better way, he offers to take them to see the Wiseman in the Forest of Throomb, which is a place represented in the book their father drew for them. He warns them there's a witch, but that if they don't let themselves get afraid or mixed up by her, she'll have no power over them.

Having them concentrate on the illustration in the book, Cal and Sarah visualize themselves in the Forest of Throomb, but before they can make it to the Wiseman's cottage, the witch emerges from her castle on her golden broom, decked out in gold, and with a band of warriors. They surround the children, as she offers them riches if they'll bring her with them to the world outside, but the crocheted cat warns them not to give into her temptations. Angry, she uses her wand to make the cat disappear, and resumes her seduction, claiming their father won't need to work with all the wealth she'll bestow on them. Upset about what happened to Theobald and anxious that they can't return to their world on their own, they call out for help from the Wiseman. He emerges from his cottage, a short old man with a wizard's peaked hat and robe, and disperses her warriors with the light of his torch. He does the same to the witch who tries to defy him, but the light terrifies her as she departs to hide behind a tree.

The Wiseman explains that the price for her offer is to become someone who loves things more than people. Theobald, he explains, is alive because of the love their family has for each other. He restores the cat with his torch and explains that the gifts they made their parents are also magic, as they impart love and joy as well, and that their father will have a job in the future because he's a good man and good worker. As the original Christmas present is still with them, all they need is faithful trust. Still, Sarah is concerned that their Christmas is so shabby, so he suggests they make some things, and together they hold hands to return through to their living room by visualizing it, something the witch can't do as she's never been there. But she sneaks into the circle, so the Wiseman turns the light of his torch on her and she flies terrified into the sky.

Back on the other side, the Wiseman and Theobald help them do arts and crafts together, and decorate the living room, bringing new life and joy to it, and in the morning when their parents wake up, they find their children asleep, and are astounded to see all the work they did overnight. The Wiseman and live Theobald return to the cottage in the forest, leaving behind the crocheted version and a happy family.

The Case of the Kidnapped Kangaroo: In February, Cal and Sarah wonder if they'd dreamt the whole thing on Christmas Eve, as their parents suggested, so they decide to open up the book again, and there they see Theobald in the Forest of Throomb. He comes through and explains he was waiting for a week for them to open it, as the Golden Witch is up to mischief in the Wilderness of Wambu, which is a land represented by another picture in the book, which the witch broke into when using her magic to escape the Wiseman's light. So opening the book to that page, Theobald goes into it. The Crocheted Cat soon returns with a crocheted kangaroo named Mathilda, and they close the book before the pursuing witch can follow them. Cal and Sarah's mother had also made her, but has kept her in a drawer until a birthday or Easter. Mathilda is grief-stricken, however, because her baby Jo had been abducted by the witch and hidden in her magic castle. While Theobald goes back to the Forest of Throomb to consult the Wiseman, Mathilda explains how after crowning herself Queen and raising her castle, the witch swooped down on them while they were drinking and seized her baby from her.

Theobald returns with a giant purple crocheted elephant named Asterick and a tall giraffe named Rafferty, which the Wiseman had pulled from their mother's imagination to see the kinds of animals she'd be making in the future. Though he's unable to leave the Forest of Throomb due to the trouble a former servant of the witch, the magician Mugre, is causing, he imparts each of the children a magical torch that lights a beam based on their thoughts and focus.

Turning to the page in which lies the picture of the Wilderness of Wambu, they visualize themselves there and arrive before the wall of the witch's castle. But the Golden Witch meets them first and tells them that she'll give baby Jo back to Mathilda in exchange for the picture book, otherwise she'll destroy him and take the book anyway. When she flies off, Asterick the elephant rams against the wall to try and knock it down, but he only bounces back. Sarah, however, finds that the light from their torches pass through the wall. So, Rafferty gets the idea that if they focus a large enough beam on the wall, it will allow them to pass through, and it works.

They next come across an invisible wall, but the torch trick doesn't work on it. Asterick realizes, though, that it's like the picture in the book, and if they visualize themselves closer to the castle, they'll get there. His plan works and they arrive in front of the door. But the witch appears again, and this time attempts to make the animals turn back into lifeless toys with her wand, and she traps Asterick within its power. Cal then remembers the power of their torches, and he and Sarah aim it at Asterick, which dispels her power. When they turn it on the witch, she fleets momentarily, but then returns and uses her wand to conjure up a horde of living horrors, skeletons, ghosts, goblins and other unspeakable terrors!

In order to break the grip of fear over the children, Theobald begins dancing with a skeleton. Asterick and Rafferty comprehend what he's doing and begin dancing with other creatures as well. This does the job, and soon Cal, Sarah and the army of horrors are dancing away. Infuriated at this turn of events, the witch departs her castle, urging her minions to attack. Mathilda takes advantage to sneak into the castle and take back her baby. When she reemerges, however, the witch begins chanting a spell of confusion to take back control, but the kangaroo urges everyone to shout aloud the truth and keep doing so. It works, even for the horde, and Cal and Sarah, remembering their torches, shine their lights full on the witch, driving her inside her castle until the lights prove so strong that the castle itself vanishes and the witch is forced to flee into the air. A skeleton approaches, telling them they've freed them from the power of the witch, and will go on to do no harm. At that, they begin to fade into a kind of fourth dimension. Then, saying goodbye to their new and old friends, Cal and Sarah return to their world.

The Enchanted Grotto: When their mother makes them a new crocheted dolphin, Cal and Sarah wait for it to come alive, but when it doesn't they grow puzzled, and soon open their father's book and consult Theobald, living in the Forest of Throomb, to see what the matter is. He tells them the live dolphin is expected in the ocean on the shore of Farhold Island, but that the spell is yet incomplete. He explains that all the crocheted animals who came to life were love gifts, but this one is only half so; it's one-sided because Cal and Sarah have become neglectful of their parents and started taking things for granted. The kids ask if they start doing good deeds, will the magic return and bring the dolphin to life, but Theobald explains that it doesn't work that way. If it's not genuine love, and they're doing it for a reward, then it's not love. Cal and Sarah finally get the point and go off to mend their ways.

Later, Theobald meets with them again, and tells them there might be some danger in bringing the dolphin to life. They must throw the dolphin into the bottomless pool in the Enchanted Grotto, but they must first get through the labyrinth without getting lost or losing their temper, because if they do, they'll turn into statues!

On their way through the Enchanted Grotto, they use a ball of twine to ensure they don't get lost, but when Cal temporarily loses it, Sarah gets mad and stamps her foot, causing it to turn to crystal. Cal goes back to retrieve the string, and bumping his head, he loses his temper too, and his fingers turn to crystal. Yet the children determine to press forward and be more careful, particularly when they note the statues of those turned entirely to stone.

As they proceed forward, a teddy bear tries to knock them down and make them angry so they turn to stone, but Theobald explains that they're not there to steal the valuable golden sands (which glow in the dark and is the reason the others came) but to bring the dolphin to life. Teddy Bear is surprised by this, as children had mistreated and abandoned him. The Enchanter brought him to life, dipping him in the bottomless pool, and making him the guardian of the grotto while he's away. He doesn't know when the Enchanter is coming back, but says they can go about bringing the dolphin to life.

The children soon find out that putting their enchanted limbs in the pool restores them, and dropping the crocheted dolphin in it brings him to life. He tells them his name is Adolphe, and that as he is a water creature he must stay in the open sea near Farhold Island, but his crocheted version will go back with them to their home. They promise to come visit him some time, and he welcomes it.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The months of each story are explicit in the text, though no year is indicated. However, in The Crocheted Cat in Oz, which takes place a year later, the date indicated is during the earliest years of Ozma's reign.

Time: Theobald is able to stop time in the real world while the kids have adventures in the fantasy one. This is different from trips to Oz, where time runs coterminously, and reflects the possibility that the realms represented within the book—the Forest of Throomb, the Wilderness of Wambu, the Enchanted Grotto and Farhold Island—are unconnected to Nonestica and operate along different principles. Yet, in The Crocheted Cat in Oz, the Wiseman of Throomb knows of Oz and the Wizard, and is able to travel there. Also, time is held back by Mr. Tinker's watch in Mr. Tinker in Oz, which demonstrates the possibility that this kind of time magic, though rare, is possible, and that these fairylands may be in the same universe.

History: This story, not published until 1994, is a direct sequel to Tales of the Crocheted Cat, and a direct predecessor to The Crocheted Cat in Oz.

Synopsis: In November, almost a year after the Crocheted Cat was brought to life, Sarah and Cal decide to visit Farhold Island to see how the crocheted dolphin Adolph has fared. They open their father's book to the image of Farhold Island, visualize themselves there, and arrive on the beach. Calling out to Adolph, he soon arrives and invites them for a ride on his back. Like a dolphin he never gets soggy, but he also never has to eat. He swims towards three inlets, where Cal climbs a coconut tree. But when pirates arrive and capture the children, Adolph tows away the boat with their treasure chest on it, causing the pirates to leave the kids to go after it. Determining his sister should get help from Theobald and the Wiseman, Cal sends her off, and she visualizes herself back at the house, where she summons Theobald.

Adolph hides the boat in a cave and goes back for Cal, but too late as the pirates have him aboard their larger ship, the Vixen. Adolph goes off to summon Conrad the Seahorse, a creature crocheted the prior week, to watch out for Sarah's return while he follows the pirate ship. Cal is, meanwhile, thrown into a small compartment and later brought before Captain Grimbalt, who ties a cannonball around his neck and puts him on a gangplank. But seeing Adolph, he jumps off and takes the rope off his neck. Cal is introduced to Conrad who tells Adolph they need to trick the pirates off the island so that Sarah and Theobald can arrive. This he does, leading the pirates away as he doubles back and brings everyone to the cave with the treasure. They discover that the cave has a hidden opening in the back that leads to the Enchanted Wood, guarded by the Golden Falcon.

In the morning, they bury the treasure chest under the water. Conrad and Adolph warn the children not to eat any of the Enchanter's fruit, as they're dangerous, but when Theobald leads the siblings into the middle of the wood, Cal becomes tempted by a luscious fruit tree where grow the dream quinces. When one falls before him, he gives in and eats it, causing him to turn purple and fall into an enchanted sleep. One fruit falls before Sarah, as well, but Theobald knocks it away. He moves her away from the tree, and as neither can move Cal, they're forced to go in search of the Golden Falcon.

The next morning, they explore the miles-wide Enchanted Wood, and decide to build a fire, hoping it will draw the Falcon. That evening he arrives, and Theobald explains that the pirates are preventing them from leaving. The bird, however, warns them of the Enchanter, and explains that although he drove the pirates away years ago, he has no power over the sea, just the earth, and it is only him who can restore Cal, and the Falcon cannot help until he knows his master's wishes.

The next day, they make the long journey back to the beach, and at nightfall, sneak back to the lagoon where they visualize Sarah's playroom. Adolph makes the journey with them and Sarah gets him crutches so he can walk about. Opening the book to the Forest of Throomb, they go to the Wiseman's cottage and meet the Wiseman's new apprentice Lone Badger, a Sioux descendent of Black Elk, who had long ago taught the Wiseman. They also meet the friendly black poodle Hannibal. Unfortunately, the Wiseman cannot intrude on the Enchanter's territory, and Cal is enslaved both to him and to the tree. Badger's magic might be able to help, and he can also cast a storm spell to rid them of the pirates. But they'll have to seek out the Enchanter to restore Cal, for which they may have to offer him something from the treasure chest. Even still, Cal might have to resist the tree's temptations or be doubly enchanted.

In the morning, the Wiseman gives Sarah a torch, magic nose plugs (to breathe underwater) and magic monocles to help on the way, and tells her they'll most likely find in the treasure chest a ring called the Truth Crystal. It clouds over when someone tells a lie and shows the true shape of anything that's been transformed or disguised. She must not offer this to the Enchanter unless he's refused all other bargains. Returning to Farhold Island, the young Native American boy performs the storm spell, which causes the pirates to set sail. With the Wiseman's torch, they walk into the Enchanted Wood once more, though Theobald forbids Lone Badger from approaching the tree with the dream quinces. Badger is able to help waken Cal, though the boy remains purple. Returning to the shore, Theobald and Adolph go to the bottomless pool and descend into it, emerging in the cave of the Enchanter. Teddy Bear, the guardian, is happy to see them, but warns them that although he's not wicked, the Enchanter does not give up power.

Theobald and Adolph enter his chamber and bring him greetings from the Wiseman of Throomb. Although he knows of the Wiseman, he is not pleased to see them and coldly tells them they're trespassers and intruders. He also threatens that he could easily take away their lives. Theobald counters that they're castaways, forced there by the pirates. The Enchanter looks at his magic quartz crystal and sees that Cal has been awakened and placed beyond his power on the beach. So, he determines that he'll trade them the antidote for Cal in exchange for the ink of the giant squid. They are also never to return to his enchanted pool, and must help his guardians drive the pirates away.

Teddy Bear is not happy with the exchange, and Theobald invites him to join them, but the Bear is loyal and doesn't trust children. Returning to the beach, the crocheted animals and their companions retrieve the hidden treasure chest and find the Truth Crystal, a ring which shrinks to fit on Sarah's finger. The Cat warns her to keep it hidden from the Enchanter. The group descend into the water and approach the squid's lair, where Badger magically sends cold water at him, while Sarah shines her torch. This causes the squid to get scared and shoot out a cloud of ink, which Cal funnels into a flask. But the ink disrupts the magic of the crocheted animals, and Cal and Sarah are forced to help Theobald and Adolph, who can no longer swim. Conrad, who avoided the ink, swims off to ask the help of flesh dolphins, who return to help guide the travelers through the corals back to the island. As Adolph worries he'll never be able to swim again, the flesh dolphins depart to find an ancient magician dolphin who lives nearby. The Golden Falcon appears to take the ink, but they tell him they'll only hand it to the Enchanter, so the bird flies off to retrieve him.

In the morning, the flesh dolphins return with an antidote for Adolph and Theobald. Sarah's ring confirms that it works. After sundown, the Falcon returns with a message from the Enchanter. Theobald leads the children to his cave where they exchange the squid ink for the formula to disenchant Cal. The Enchanter tells them the Falcon and Teddy Bear will appear in other forms on the morrow to help them dispel the pirates.

The next day, Sarah uses the ring to discover that the Enchanter's potion only restored Cal's color, but not the enchantment itself, without which Cal cannot return home. So, Cal is forced to face the tree again. The temptation proves almost too much, but he resists, and when he returns everyone rejoices that he's free at last.

A giant grizzly bear arrives, and with the magic monocle Sarah sees that it's Teddy. A Golden Dragon also arrives, but it's revealed to be the Golden Falcon. Now, because of the squid ink, the Enchanter has power over water, and the two creatures terrify the pirates who finally flee Farhold Island. Teddy confesses his master's treachery, as he wants the magic ring, but they inform him that Cal broke the spell on his own. Teddy congratulates him and says he's now a man. Saying goodbye to Teddy, Adolph, Conrad and the flesh dolphins, Badger promises to return as the Wiseman will now have to keep an eye on the Enchanter to ensure he doesn't turn evil, something Adolph will also watch out for. Sarah gives the magic ring and implements to Badger, knowing she cannot bring it into her own world, lest they be destroyed. As they prepare to depart, the Golden Dragon descends down to snatch up Cal (as he was instructed), but they disappear and Teddy laughs all the way to the Enchanted Grotto.

Continuity Notes

Crocheted Animals: This story brings the total number of crocheted animals to a close. There is Theobald the Crocheted Cat (first of the bunch), who lives with the Wiseman in the Forest of Throomb, Mathilda and her baby Joey, who are crocheted kangaroos that live in the Wildnerness of Wambu with Asterick the crocheted elephant and Rafferty the crocheted giraffe; Adolph (originally spelled Adolphe) the crocheted dolphin and Conrad the crocheted seahorse live in the seas of Farhold Island. Additionally, the Enchanter has brought a stuffed bear to life called simply Teddy Bear.

Dating: story takes place of the course of a week in November, though little time passes in the outside world. As this story takes place in the year prior to The Crocheted Cat in Oz, see that entry for the year.

Enchanter: It is unknown what later becomes of the Enchanter, as the Wiseman was concerned that his lust for power might turn him to evil. He and Adolph are keeping an eye on him.

Fairylands: As with its predecessor, Tales of the Crocheted Cat, Farhold Island is part of the same fairyland as the Wilderness of Wambu and the Forest of Throomb, all of which are represented in the book illustrated by Cal and Sarah's father. As is revealed in The Crocheted Cat in Oz, the Wiseman knows of Oz and its Wizard, which indicates that they are neighboring fairylands, though whether on the same Nonestican hemisphere or another fairyland entirely is not known. In Throomb, at this time, animals can't speak.

History: This is the final story of Hugh Pendexter III's "Tales of the Crocheted Cat" series, which feature characters who originally appeared in two original non-Oz fantasy adventures, Tales of the Crocheted Cat (1976) and its sequel, Farhold Island (1994), both illustrated by Patricia Ambrose, which places those stories in the larger Ozian mythos.

Synopsis: After the Wiseman of Throomb instructs his apprentice Lone Badger to perform a fog bank spell in the morning, his companion Theobald the Crocheted Cat spots the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy welcoming guests to Ozma's birthday party in the crystal ball. The Wiseman hadn't seen the Wizard since the time he became a genuine wizard. The crystal globe had been set to keep an eye on the Golden Witch, and they soon spot her hiding in the gardens, and realize she somehow escaped the Wilderness of Wambu into Oz. As a magic worker, the Wiseman cannot intrude into Oz without permission, but he permits Theobald and Badger to go warn Ozma and capture her. That night, Theobald watches her sneak into the palace and transform into a grasshopper.

In the morning, Badger decides to surprise the Wiseman by performing the fog bank spell indoors, but he instead winds up summoning the Daemon of Fog! The Wiseman placates the Daemon, telling him he's the wisest of the Lords of Enchantment, and that they summoned him for his advice on their troubles with the Golden Witch. The Daemon suggests they go to Oz, and places a patch on Theobad's chest, which he can use to summon him. After he departs, the Wiseman scolds Badger for tinkering with a spell, as he could have summoned up a demon instead of a daemon, and warns him he'll take away his magic completely if he does anything as foolish as that again.

With supplies, magical and mundane, and a voice box to keep in touch, Badger and Theobald use the crystal globe to visualize the inside of Ozma's palace, but just as they're transporting, the poodle Hannibal places his paws on them, and the three of them appear in the palace, where the dog is surprised to find he can speak. Badger spots the grasshopper (that is the witch), but when he tries to catch her she transforms into a golden crow, and turns Badger into a badger (with purple stripes). She flies off to another room, where all of Ozma's presents are being stored for her impending birthday celebration. After searching through them, she settles on one and takes it. With the Wiseman's spyglass they see the Witch traveling north. Theobald, meanwhile, stumbles upon Frieda, Ozma's pet piglet, who tells them that Ozma is at Glinda's. The party ask her if she'd help them navigate Oz, as they mean to track the witch. She agrees and they put her in Theobald's backpack. With Badger atop Hannibal, they race off into the Gillikin Country.

Stopping for a rest in the Great Gillikin Forest. Frieda advises they enlist the help of King Magnus the Elephant, who she met when she came to the palace on a state visit. The party worry about wild cats, but Frieda tells them that no one kills anyone in Oz, and that the forest trees grow special fruits to satisfy the different animals providing all the nourishment carnivores need. In the Emerald City, the Keeper of the Royal Menagerie feeds the animals a special grain meal made up by the Wizard that tastes like whatever food each animal wants. Soon, the monkey sentries cry out, summoning Oran, an orangutan of the King's High Council who leads them to a clearing where they meet Nippur the jaguar, Topper the giraffe and King Magnus. He remembers Frieda from when he met her at court and when Ozma visited the Gillikin forest a year prior.

Magnus sends out word to his subjects, including Gorble the wild turkey, to locate the witch. After Magnus feeds his guests, Mika, a capuchin monkey returns with wrapping paper from the gift the Witch stole. It tells them that the gift came from Silico the Glassblower. Mika says the gift was a glass dome. They reason that Silico must live in Ev; as they are concerned about why the Witch stole the glass dome, they determine to go there. King Magnus commands Yeksh, a disgruntled vulture, to keep an eye on the Witch, and Theobald gives him the Wiseman's voicebox to communicate with them. To warn her of the threat, Magnus heads to the Emerald City, knowing Ozma will soon return with Glinda to celebrate her birthday. With the magic Spyglass of the Wiseman, Theobald sees the witch peering into the glass dome, which is like a paperweight, but inside appears to house an entire living world! They reason that the Witch must be seeking a way to enter it so she can rule. The Witch discovers her spies and flies off north with Yeksh in pursuit.

In the early morning, Badger, Hannibal and Theobald set off, but the cat and dog fall into a pit and cannot escape. Badger goes in search of help. Two men happen by, Quibble and Pettifog of Legomania, but they carp, equivocate and dispute over trivialities (such as debating if they're real, or what might go wrong if they help), and won't assist them, determining only that they'll report to the Town Council. Badger ends up in Legotown and tries to get help from them, but they are just as bad, claiming they must first ascertain who owns the pit, whether those in it really want to come out, and that it must be put in writing and notarized to absolve them of responsibility if anything goes wrong. Irritated, Badger quotes a fundamental law of Oz, stating that "everbody is expected to help everybody else wherever possible." When they equivocate further, he calls them hot air balloons without brains or hearts. They send him to Scholius, who was exiled for declaring that the law had a spirit as well as a letter.

The old scholar lives in a nearby cottage and welcomes Badger and agrees to help him with his friends. After they're freed, Scholius invites them to eat and spend the night. There they discuss who really lives in the glass dome and whether they're being protected or kept prisoner. Yeksh contacts them through the voicebox telling them the witch was unable to cross the Deadly Desert.

In the morning they bid goodbye to Scholius and head to the Deadly Desert. They spot the Witch and shine their torch on her, but it turns out to be Yetch enchanted by her shape-swap spell. She had taken his form, enlarged it, and flew over the Desert, telling Yeksh that if she makes it, she'll switch back. Soon enough, this transpires, though she fails to return the vulture back to his normal size, and Yeksh must contend with being seven feet tall. Badger and Hannibal grow cross with him for his constant complaining and blaming everyone else for his troubles, so Theobald acts as a mediator between them. The Crocheted Cat then remembers the Daemon of Fog, and summons him through his patch. The Daemon appears and after listening to their dilemma turns them into mist so that the vulture can fly them over the Desert with him flying below, creating rain as he passes over. Once in Ev, he restores them, and Badger is happy to find himself in his own body, though Yeksh is upset that neither the Fog Daemon or Badger can return him to his normal size.

After the Daemon departs, they head northeast to a tower spewing smoke that appears to be the Glassblower's factory. Yet when they attempt to cross the drawbridge, arrows fly out at them, knocking off Theobald and piercing Yeksh's neck and wing. Badger breaks off the arrows and removes them, and with salve and a charm spell, heals Yeksh of his painful wounds. Soldiers question what they were doing and if they're spies of the Witch who passed over their territory. While Hannibal is put in a kennel, Badger and Yeksh are brought before the Baron. In the castle, they find Theobald and Frieda safe, and Hannibal soon joins them after having had to fight the other kennel dogs. He cheers up at dinner, though, and the Baron explains that Ev, Rinkitink, Hiland/Loland and the Red Jinn all buy their glassware from the Glassblower. He invites them to join him for a witch hunt at dawn.

The next day, Theobald spies the Witch heading to the Glassblower's factory. The Chief Magician casts a magic resistance spell over the Baron's army and the Baron gives Badger a bow. Theobald's group depart and soon arrive at the glassworks, where they're met by a robot made entirely of glass, whose leg was broken by the Witch. He asks them to help the Glassblower, who's hiding under a glass dome as the Witch assaults him with a cloud of darkness. Badger uses his torch, while the glass robot opens a furnace so that more light shines in. The Witch turns him into a glass cockroach, but the Glassblower sees her weakness and illuminates his bowl. Everyone dashes into the dark cloud. Theobald and Hannibal use a pouch of sneezing potion to prevent her casting spells while Badger's torch penetrates the darkness. Seeing she's losing the battle, she mounts her broom and flies out the roof. When Yeksh pursues her, she stops him in his tracks by turning him only eight inches tall. Yet in her haste, she's forced to depart without her bag.

Silico introduces himself to his rescuers and departs briefly to host the Baron's army that have just arrived. At the reception that follows, Frieda happily greets her mistress Ozma, who has arrived with the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger, Glinda, Dorothy, and the Wizard, who admires the Wiseman's magical implements. The travelers explain all that's occurred since they arrived, and inside the Witch's bag, they retrieve the glass dome, which Silico delivers to Ozma in person, explaining its secret:

The Titan Saturn was released from his prison under Mt. Helicon by the Olympian Immortals in exchange for his "help in setting aside a time world," in which the Olympians wish to live after finding modern life more than they could cope with. Creating a loop of a hundred years which Saturn pulled from the ancient past, he created a self-contained miniature world in which he placed the Olympians and their subjects. Having heard of Silico, Vulcan the Immortal of Metalworking and Fire sent Saturn to the Glassblower to request a glass container to protect the world. With Vulcan's help, the outer dome was made of a special steel-glass alloy. A second interior dome keeps the heavens in place. Not trusting the world to the ocean bottom or potential attack by the Nome King, Silico sent it with the Queen of Ev to bring to Ozma for protection. Ozma consults with Glinda, the Wizard and Dorothy, who agree she should accept it. Silico gives her instructions for entering the Dome World through a Time Road should she need to visit it. Ozma then invites all of them, including the Wiseman, to her party on the morrow, and with the Magic Belt restores Yeksh to his proper size, but with the caveat that every time he complains he'll shrink two inches. If at the end of the year, he hasn't shrunk much, she'll take off the spell; otherwise, it'll stay on another year until he learns. Glinda then restores the glass robot and the Wizard repairs his broken leg. The travelers from Throomb then visualize the Wiseman's study and materialize there. The Wiseman informs them that the Witch is resting in the northern mountains near the Nome Kingdom.

The next morning is Ozma's birthday and they visualize themselves in the palace, where they begin a week-long celebration. In that time, they locate the Witch. With the Magic Belt, Ozma sends her back to the Wilderness of Wambu. The Dome World is affixed to an emerald table and placed in the corner of a private reception room. Toto befriends Hannibal and shows him the sights. Hannibal even catches Eureka stalking piglets and drops her in an Ozade fountain. At last everyone returns home, content with the memories of the places they visited and new friends they made.

Continuity Notes

Animals of the Great Gillikin Forest: The community of animals in the Great Gillikin Forest are here introduced, including Oran the orangutan, Nippur the jaguar, Topper the giraffe, Gorble the wild turkey, Mika the capuchin monkey, Yeksh the vulture, and the king of the forest, King Magnus the elephant. There are also monkey sentries who keep watch. King Magnus, Nippur, Oran, Topper and Gorble appear again in Wooglet in Oz.

Daemon of Fog: A generally benevolent entity, a kind of fog elemental, called by the Wiseman one of the "Lords of Enchantment." He dines on the same kind of food (mist, vapor and dew) that Polychrome and her sisters dine on.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place from August 16-27. Page 44 erroneously states that Dorothy, the Shaggy Man and Johnny Dooit crossed the Deadly Desert last week, when in fact it should state "last year," as per the author's letter to me, which states that this story "begins at a birthday party after the one in The Road to Oz and before The Emerald City." This dates means there is an overlap between this story and the journey of the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Wogglebug, Gump, Sawhorse and Jack Pumpkinhead in the Interplanetary Dispatches. This actually works as the Red Jinn hadn't met Jack until the book Jack Pumpkinhead in Oz, nor is there mention in this story of the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Wogglebug, Gump or Sawhorse being at Ozma's party.

Dorothy: The appearance of Dorothy in this story indicates that she was brought back by Ozma (or Glinda) to celebrate Ozma's birthday party.

Legomania: Nothing to do with legos, this is a Gillikin town of people who think and behave legalistically, quibble and carp over trivialities, and is similar in concept to towns like Flutterbudget Center and Rigmarole Town in the Quadling Country (The Emerald City of Oz) in that it keeps certain together groups who share a similar psychological imbalance (and who don't wish to be helped). Quibble and Pettifog are from Legomania. Individuals can depart these towns if they grow out of the sickness, as was the case with Scholious who was exiled for declaring the law had a spirit as well a letter, and came to see their legalistic attitude as ridiculous and wrong.

Olympian gods: This is the first story (in terms of when it was written) to depict the existence of the ancient Greek gods as actual personages. They're not called gods here, not even by Saturn the Titan, but Immortals, and appear less powerful than the myths depicted them. Because they have trouble coping with the modern world (the late 19th century), they rescue Saturn from his imprisonment under Mt. Helicon where they'd long ago placed him in exchange for his help in leaving the world behind. (It is noted in Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz that the gods require the worship of mortals to thrive, and this may explain their psychological difficulty with the modern world.) With the help of Vulcan (the immortal of fire and metalworking) and Silico the Glassblower, Saturn creates an alternate reality by borrowing a century from the ancient past and putting it into a loop. Silico then enwraps Olympus and this time loop in a glass dome underneath another dome of the heavens, allowing the Olympian immortals to live forever in this enchanted Dome World. Ozma keeps it safe in her palace in the Emerald City, and even has a portal in which she can enter this world. It is unknown if Poseidon/Neptune is amongst them, as he appeared last in The Pearl and the Pumpkin, The Golden Goblin, and is mentioned by King Anko in Pendexter's Wooglet in Oz.

Ozma's First Year: The text indicates that Ozma and Glinda worked a lot of protective magic around the country in her first year.

Piglet Names: As the Oziana 1995 story "Pigmentation" names Ozma's pet piglet Peggy, and Pendexter names her Frieda, it can be assumed that either the piglet has a nickname, or two names, e.g., Peggy Frieda.

Red Jinn of Ev: This story confirms that the Red Jinn and Ozma and her court were first introduced as early as 1904, which works because he hadn't met Jack Pumpkinhead until the book of his name, which is explained by the fact that Jack was away in the Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz adventures.

Shape-Swap Spell: Other than the name, this spell used by the Golden Witch to transform herself into the vulture Yetch, and Yetch into her, is identical to the Switcheroo Spell that Mombi used to transform Ozma and Tippetarius in The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy.

Silico the Glassblower: This near-human glass artist lives in Ev. What relationship he has with Silica, the Royal Glassworks of Oz (from The Hidden Prince of Oz), is unknown, but there appears to be one.

History: Book 45 of the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five! The third Oz story Baum wrote takes place, not in Oz, but in the U.S. when the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Jack Pumpkinhead, Wogglebug, Sawhorse and Gump take their "first vacation" from the Emerald City to the United States to visit with Dorothy and numerous others. Hijinks ensue. See below for details.

Continuity Notes The characters departed in mid-August, and according to The Royal Proclamation—an official decree by Ozma (a full-page prior in the very first strip)—dated 1904, this was announced as being the second year of her reign, which is established by her inauguration in July 1902 (even though her ascension to the throne took place in the year prior, as seen in The Marvelous Land of Oz). Ozma approved of their visit in March 1904.

Their adventures were recorded by Baum and McDougall (courtesy of magic caps which rendered them invisible) who followed them, recording their tales and drawing their images for the Philadelphia Syndicate. The first issue of the Ozmapolitan records a letter from Dorothy in which she says she's aware of their coming visit, had even petitioned for them to come, knows that Baum wrote her story down in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (and its sequel which she read an advance copy of), has met him and McDougall, and is looking forward to seeing the stage play. That she also knows who Ozma is places the events of this story after Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.

Stellar Itinerary:

Through 14 in-universe publicity articles (called "Interplanetary Dispatches") leading up to this strip, the Ozites make very brief trips by several different heavenly bodies, which appears to indicate that Oz is on another planet. However, there's considerable evidence that these planetary bodies exist within the fairy realm (as depicted in The Silver Princess in Oz and Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz), which appear to suggest a hollow earth conception. These include:

1. Unknown planet in the Argo system (possibly called Argo): August 17-18, 1904

2. The North Star: August 19

3. One of the planets of the Little Bear Constellation: August 20

4. One of the seven stars of the Dipper: August 21

5. Uranus: August 22

6. Neptune: August 23

7. Saturn: August 24

8. Jupiter: August 25

9. One of the Astrepoids: August 26

10. Mars: August 27

Almost all of these know of terrestrial animals (birds, horses, camels) and speak the English language (even those that seem more primitive). Mars itself knows of Oz and earth. Additionally, the real North Pole (the star Polaris) and the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) are stars, not planets. Also, the Gump wouldn't be able to fly to each in a matter of a day (no matter how fast he is, and he's not as fast as Santa's sleigh, as these strips demonstrate). All of this is further evidence that these spheres are either fairy ones (like Anuther Planet from The Silver Princess in Oz), or that Baum was advancing a different conception of what planets and starts are than what modern science currently postulates.

U.S. Itinerary (original version):

Baum and McDougall followed the visitors and recorded their actions, but the stories were arranged into a format dictated by the newspaper (and its editors). This resulted in a disjointed telling of events, which focused on episodic incidents rather than a logical sequence of events. The format also required a story a week, irrespective of when it occurred. This resulted in the Visitors seemingly jumping from one location to another without rhyme or reason. There's also a lack of geographic information in several stories. All that can be gleaned from the date of publication is that the episode in question must occur prior to it. Reilly & Lee's The Visitors of Oz contextualizes several of these events in a chronological order that makes more sense, and this is how the Royal Timeline of Oz places them. Here, however, is a listing of the episodes as presented in the original strips.

1. The Visitors start off at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, sometime between August 28 and September 3d, 1904. They start off at the athletic field and end up in the man-made Cascades before departing.

("How the Adventurers Lost and Found Themselves"; "How the Tin Woodman Escaped the Magic Flood").

2. Prior to 9/18: Their next stop is at an unknown seashore, where the Sawhorse gets frightened by a German submarine.

("How the Strangers Found Themselves Between the Auto and the Deep Sea")

3. Prior to 9/25: They head to Dorothy's farm in Kansas, where they frighten a field hand and babysitter (Aunt Em and Uncle Henry appear to be away, either purchasing supplies or dealing with bank issues in nearby Topeka). The Sawhorse also saves Dorothy from her uncle's bull.

("How Uncle Eil Laughed Too Soon"; "How the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman Met Some Old Friends"; "How the Saw-horse Saved Dorothy's Life")

4. Prior to 10/16: In an unnamed town, the Visitors visit a cosmetologist.

("How the Ozites Met a Beauty Doctor")

5. Prior to 10/23: The Visitors are in Arizona, where they encounter a baboon and his trainer.

("How the Adventurers Encountered an Unknown Beast")

6. Prior to 10/30: They apparently pick up Dorothy on their way to Iowa for the Jones County Fair. There, the Scarecrow again enters the Sawhorse in a race (he did this at the end of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, when he had the Sawhorse race Jim the Cabhorse) that becomes a fiasco when Jack Pumpkinhead (whose riding jockey on the Sawhorse) loses his head, while they're in the lead, knocking into each of the jockeys in their wake.

("Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse Win a Race and Incite a Riot; The Wogglebug Restores Harmony")

7. Prior to 11/6: The Visitors head to an unnamed mountain, where the Gump once again gets trapped upon a jackdaws' nest. The events that follow are very similar to what happened to them in The Marvelous Land of Oz, though no one brings the similarity up. Once again, the Scarecrow ends up stuffed with money. This time, the Scarecrow is robbed of his cash by pretty girls at church fair in a pretty town. He ends up with English and Canadian money in the excess of three thousand dollars. There is no explanation as where this money goes (the Visitors seem without it again in the later strips). This episode seems apocryphal, but there may yet be an explanation.

("The Scarecrow Becomes a Man of Means in Spite of the Girls at a Church Fair")

8. Prior to 11/13: The Visitors end up in another unnamed village where Jack again loses his head in a well. The Wogglebug returns with seidlitz powder, which causes the water in the well to rise up, saving Jack's head. Perhaps this is where the Scarecrow's money went.

("How the Wogglebug Proved His Knowledge of Chemistry")

9. Prior to 11/20: Now in a big city, the Wogglebug hears a poor girl's request for a turkey on Thanksgiving. The Tin Woodman says he's spotted some flying nearby, so the Wogglebug and the Gump round up three wild turkeys and a hornbill, which they present to her. The original illustration shows him presenting the girl with three killed turkeys and one killed hornbill. Shanower's illustration presents them alive, as if to suggest that the Tin Woodman misunderstands. In the former case, it's very out of character for the Ozian company to have done this, especially the kindhearted Tin Woodman who cries when stepping on a flower. Unless, the Shanower version is correct in suggesting her desire for a turkey was misunderstood (and they thought she was looking for a pet), this episode seems quite apocryphal.

("How the Wogglebug Got a Thanksgiving Dinner")

10. Prior to 11/27: Possibly in the same city, a boy tells the Scarecrow about telegraph cables, while the Scarecrow tells him of being brought to life by the farmer who constructed him.

("The Scarecrow Tells a Fairy Tale to Children and Hears an Equally Marvelous True Story")

11. Prior to 12/4: Likely in the same city, Jack trades in the Sawhorse to get money to buy him a saddle, only to discover that he's lost the Sawhorse. After he gets a refund for the saddle, the money-lender wants to charge interest for the Sawhorse, but he breaks the glass and gets out.

("Jack Pumpkinhead Pawns the Sawhorse")

12. Prior to 12/11: Dorothy comes to stay with them in their rooms provided by the mayor. This seems to indicate that the city they're in is Topeka, however, it may be that they once again picked her up. Dorothy had planned to see the Wizard of Oz musical with them, and this may be when this occurs. If so, this is while the stage-play was yet only on Broadway. This would make the city they're in New York. While here, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Wogglebug perform magic tricks her for amusement.

("Dorothy Spends an Evening With Her Old Friends and is Entertained With Wonderful Exhibitions")

13. Prior to 12/18: The Visitors head to the Laughing Valley to bring miniature toy-versions of themselves that they'd made with magic.

("How the Wogglebug and his Friends Visited Santa Claus")

14.Prior to 12/25: Another unnamed city. This time a mother implores the Visitors to find her missing child. Several of the visitors go off without enough information, but the Wogglebug uses his intelligence and magic to discover her.

("How the Wogglebug Found a Lost Child and Gave a Lesson in Heraldry")

15. Prior to 1/1/05: Another unnamed city. Another poor girl is grieving, this time because she can't afford an automobile. The Scarecrow magicks one for her, which causes all kinds of trouble and crashes, teaching both a lesson.

("The Scarecrow Presents a Magic Automobile to a Little Girl")

16. Prior to 1/8/05: While standing around facing the walls (so as not to disturb sleeping neighbors), the Tin Woodman hears a fire-truck and rushes off to save a poodle from a burning building.

("How the Tin Woodman Became a Fire Hero")

17. Prior to 1/15/05: In an unnamed village, the Tin Woodman grants two brothers a wish each. One wishes to be good, which by the end of the next day, has proved disastrous. So his brother uses his wish to make him as he was. The Tin Woodman learns a lesson and flies off in the Gump.

("The Two Wishes")

18. Prior to 1/22/05: An unnamed town, the Visitors discover a nasty kid who torments a cat, so they perform a Switcheroo Spell, where the boy ends up in the body of the cat (and the cat in the body of the boy). The boy learns a valuable lesson in cruelty, and is switched back.

("Tim Nichols and the Cat") This concept and basic theme are echoed in Ruth Plumly Thompson's King Comics short story "The Enchanted Cat."

19. Prior to 1/29/05: An unnamed town. Jack Pumpkinhead thinks he's doing a disabled veteran a favor when he magically grants him his leg back, but that proves disastrous for the veteran, and Jack is asked to take it away, learning a lesson about interfering in the process.

("Mr. Wimbles Wooden Leg")

20. Prior to 2/5/05: An unnamed location, the Tin Woodman is struck by lightning and becomes magnetized, so that every metallic thing around him is drawn to him.

("A Magnetic Personality")

21. Prior to 2/12/05: In an unnamed town, the Wogglebug helps poor Nan by giving her a magic button that enables to become the best cook in the country.

("Nan's Magic Button")

22. Prior to 2/19/05: An unnamed town. Mr. Jubb is ashamed of his small size, so the Wogglebug grants him lozenges to help him achieve the size he wants. His daughter Eliza, however, comes across them, and grows to the size of a giant.

("Eliza and the Lozenges")

23. Prior to 2/26/05: An unnamed town or city: The Wogglebug encounters a beggar, who assists in getting alms for, only to discover that he's a con-artist. A local policeman tells him that beggars are good for society because they encourage people to be charitable.

("The Wogglebug Encourages Charity")

The Wogglebug gets separated from his companions and goes off on his own adventures:

1. Main Street: Unnamed City: The Wogglebug discovers in a shop-window a dummy whose wearing a "Wagnerian Plaid" dress. His fetishizes over it to the point of obsession, and gets a job to earn money to buy it. But when he returns with enough money to purchase it, it's already been sold to a wealthy woman. After he pursues her, and nearly gets pummeled by her husband, she gives the dress to her maid Bridget. By coincidence the Wogglebug gets an invitation to a ball which Bridget is attending. The Wogglebug ends up starting a brawl, losing Bridget and his dress. She sells the dress to a second-hand dealer, and it's purchased by a Swedish widow, who, of course, the Wogglebug bumps into. She takes advantage of him and has him pay for dinner and dessert for her and her children. Then, to keep him away from her house, she sprays insecticide. The widow trades the dress to a wash lady, who, when the Wogglebug spots her, thinks is the devil and runs away. She sells it to a Chinese man, who makes a robe out of it. The Wogglebug sees and offends him, but manages to tear off a large piece of it and runs off. Pursued by the Chinese man, intent on killing him, the Wogglebug gets aboard a balloon and floats off.

2. The Wogglebug reveals himself to have wings (although not strong enough for flying) and jumps off the balloon. He encounters an Arabian family. After convincing the sheik that it's bad luck to kill a wogglebug, the Arab lets him live, but takes his much coveted Wagnerian plaid, which he makes a vest from, returning to the Wogglebug a small piece made into a tie.

3. Content, the Wogglebug walks across an unnamed desert and finds a jungle filled with talking animals that are ruled by a weasel. After a silly encounter with them, the Wogglebug walks across the forest and plains, and ends up back in the city he started from. This is problematic since, besides this instance, Baum doesn't demonstrate that there are talking animals anywhere except in fairy realms, and not in the Outside World. It seems that the Wogglebug passed through a dimensional gate both in the balloon, and later on foot when he departed.

The Visitors from Oz: (Not to be confused with the original story written by Martin Gardner entitled The Visitors from Oz or the 2005 Hungry Press volume below.)

In 1960, Reilly & Lee had Jean Kellogg repurposed these stories into a more arc-driven chronological framework, adding new stories and editing older ones, all re-illustrated by Dick Martin. There's even a postscript ending. The text adds a scenario where the Ozian visitors meets Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, but this has to be seen as artistic license and excised. This book does not include the story from The Woggle-bug Book, The Unique Adventures of the Woggle-bug. In this iteration, one of the main purposes of their trip is to visit with Dorothy. This seems incidental in the Queer Visitors strips (in fact, it appears they accidentally stumble upon her farm), although the Ozmapolitan of 1904 indicates that Dorothy was expecting them, and had plans to see The Wizard of Oz musical with them. The Visitors from Oz adds to this by indicating that they're going to visit on Dorothy's birthday.

U.S. itinerary (expanded version):

The corrected version shows that the Visitors started out in Brooklyn New York, and traveled west to Virginia, Missouri and then Texas, stopping over briefly in Oklahoma and ending up in the Rocky Mountains. Realizing their mistake (that they went too far west), they leave Colorado and head east, where they finally find Kansas. There adventures after leaving Dorothy are not detailed here (leaving room for the remaining Queer Visitors strips), save their departing trip when they head to the Laughing Valley to meet up with Santa in late December.

1. "How the Visitors Arrived from Oz": This opening is an entirely new adventure original to this book, and deals with the Visitors discovery of Playland amusement park and the son of the owner, Jimmy, who the Scarecrow rescues after the boy attempts to save Jack Pumpkinhead's head. This story presents a slight problem as Playland Amusement Part wasn't built until 1927. More likely, the New York park they visited was one of the three amusement parks at Coney Island, Luna Park, Dreamland, or the Steeplechase Park, which had a roller coaster, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, and the architecture pictured at this time in History. August 29.

2. "How the Travelers Told Their Tales": This continues the Visitor's time with Jimmy, as they tell him their stories of how they came to be. In some respects, it's an adaptation of "The Scarecrow Tells a Fairy Tale to Children and Hears an Equally Marvelous True Story," but it differs in that two additional Visitors tell their tales, and there's no other audience besides Jimmy. As such, there reason why the Scarecrow can't have regaled other children with his History later on. August 29.

a. After this is likely where the following Queer Visitors episode takes place: "How the Strangers Found Themselves Between the Auto and the Deep Sea," which may have occurred off the East Coast of New York. August 29.

3. "How Patty Ate the Pills": Now in Virginia, Jack Pumpkinhead offers Patricia Partridge pills that will make her grow. The Tin Woodman comes to her rescue and she shrinks back down. This is essentially a reworking of what the Wogglebug does in "Eliza and the Lozenges," but with different Visitors in the story, allowing the latter tale to still occur later on in their visit. It's ironic that when Patty asks Jack if he's from Mars, he doesn't know what Mars is, even though he'd been there a few days ago. August 30

a. After this is likely where the following Queer Visitors episode take place: "How the Adventurers Lost and Found Themselves" and "How the Tin Woodman Escaped the Magic Flood," which is at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Missouri. August 31 and September 1.

4. "How the Pumpkinhead Swapped the Sawhorse": This is a direct adaptation of "Jack Pumpkinhead Pawns the Sawhorse," with some differences: This version leaves out the pawnshop and Jack's need for money. Also, Jack figures out his mistake on his own. In the earlier version, the Wogglebug points it out to him. The discrepancies are not enough that the two should be viewed as different events, and the contradictions should be ignored in favor of seeing the two as presenting additional details of the one event. This version also makes it clear that they're in Texas, and the only reason they're here is because they thought it might be Kansas. September 2.

5. "How the Tin Woodman Granted Timothy's Wish": An adaptation of "The Scarecrow Presents a Magic Automobile to a Little Girl," with two differences, the principle characters. In the original, it's the Scarecrow granting a little girl a car. In this, it's the Scarecrow granting it to a boy. Also in this version, the Wogglebug is the rescuer. The differences are significant enough that both incidents can be said to have happened at different times. This probably takes place on their way north from Texas to the Rocky Mountains, and because it's green, it might still be Texas or even Oklahoma. September 3.

6. "How Our Friends Barely Escaped the Bears: As with the first chapter, this is an entirely new episode that has no equivalent with any Baum story. The Visitors went too far west into the Colorado Rocky Mountains. September 4.

a. After this is likely where the following Queer Visitors episode take place: "The Scarecrow Becomes a Man of Means in Spite of the Girls at a Church Fair," which occurs while they're in the mountains. As their experiences in the jackdaws' nest is nearly the same as the one they had in The Marvelous Land of Oz, this is likely an apocryphal tale. There's also no explanation as to where the three thousand dollars go, or why the Visitors later have no money. Knowing how poor Dorothy and her family were, one would think that they'd give it to her.

7. "How the Tin Woodman Developed a Magnetic Personality": The visitors finally find Kansas. Two of Baum's strips are covered here, "Uncle Eli Laughed Too Soon" and "A Magnetic Personality," both of which begin in Pogosh County, Kansas. There is no "Pogosh County" today, but it can arguably have been a small town at the turn of the century that no longer exists. Uncle Eli gets an expanded role when he attempts to shoot the Tin Woodman (who is saved by his magnetism). Following this, there's room for the events of the original strip to occur later on as the Tin Woodman walks into the main part of town. September 5.

8. "How the Oz Visitors Discovered Dorothy at Last": A straightforward adaptation of "How the Saw-horse Saved Dorothy's Life." Wisely, the Wogglebug uses a wishing pill to get the Visitors directly to Dorothy's farm, and just in time to save her from the rampaging bull. This essentially wipes out the introductory scene from the Queer Visitors strip, with Toto attacking the Wogglebug in "How the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman Met Some Old Friends." This is fine omission as the original version included some scenes that are difficult to reconcile, namely that Toto and Dorothy already know who the Wogglebug, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Gump and Sawhorse are. Additionally, the original had them running into Dorothy purely by accident, since the only reason they landed was to see what a farm was like. The new version has them, more appropriately, looking for Dorothy. September 6.

9. "How the Wogglebug Worked His Wonders": Dorothy's birthday party takes place in this version, establishing a possible date on September 7. The discussion of beauty is a reference to their visit to the cosmetologist in "How the Ozites Met a Beauty Doctor" (which can occur here), while the magic performance section adapts "Dorothy Spends an Evening With Her Old Friends and is Entertained With Wonderful Exhibitions." In this version, Dorothy has her friends with her, and appears to be in her house. In the original, she's come to stay with the Visitors in the rooms put up for them by the mayor. The latter seems implausible (unless the Gump has gone to pick her up). But a problem that's introduced in this version is the presence of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who shouldn't know that Oz is real until they go there in The Emerald City of Oz (though they likely suspected Dorothy was telling the truth at least from the time of Eureka in Oz). To salvage this scenario, The Royal Timeline of Oz excises page 82. September 7. It seems that Aunt Em and Uncle Henry must be away, likely in Topeka, perhaps dealing with house issues (mortgage, obtaining supplies, etc.)

a. There is a four-month gap before the Visitors depart back to Oz. This is is likely where the following take place: "Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse Win a Race and Incite a Riot; the Wogglebug Restores Harmony," which features Dorothy and would take place the next day on September 8th; "How the Adventurers Encountered an Unknown Beast," which is in Arizona. After that, it's impossible to tell where they head. "How the Wogglebug Proved his Knowledge of Chemistry," "The Scarecrow Tells a Fairy Tale to Children and Hears an Equally Marvelous True Story," "How the Wogglebug Found a Lost Child and Gave a Lesson in Heraldry," "The Scarecrow Presents a Magic Automobile to a Little Girl," "How the Tin Woodman Became a Fire Hero," "The Two Wishes," "Tim Nichols and the Cat," "Mr. Wimble's Wooden Leg," "Nan's Magic Button," "Eliza and the Lozenges," and "The Woggle-Bug Encourages Charity" might take place literally anywhere in the U.S.

b. If one accepts The Untold Adventures of the Visitors from Oz, the story "How the Visitors Saved the School" goes here. It takes about three weeks to a month, and takes place in New York City.

c. The Wogglebug gets lost at this juncture, leading to the events of The Unique Adventures of the Woggle-bug. It takes place over the course of six days. After this, he's back with his friends.

10. "How the Gump Raced Santa's Reindeer": A direct adaptation of "How the Wogglebug and his Friends Visited Santa Claus," which marks Baum's first crossover (the Oz series and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus), something he'll continue and expand on in The Road to Oz. This takes place in December, over four months after the prior story ("How the Wogglebug Worked His Wonders") to allow for the remainder of the Queer Visitors strips to occur (which are listed above). It notes that they'd made several interesting trips in the interval, but that it was time to get back to Oz for a "magnificent celebration in Ozma's palace." The dating of their trip to the Laughing Valley is in error, as the Tin Woodman claims it's Christmas Eve. Yet, the equivalent Queen Visitors strip in is dated December 18, and the Visitors say "it's nearly Christmastime." The error is understandable given that Santa is literally in his sleigh flying off to deliver presents to children. Why then would he be two weeks early? One Ryl says that because there are so many more children, Santa has to get an early start. The story also notes that the Laughing Valley has snow from the North Pole, so perhaps there's a second toy-factory there, and that's where he's headed.

In-Universe Explanation

The plausibility of these stories may seem strained since some from the Outside World don't seem terribly shocked or upset by the appearance of a walking, talking scarecrow, metal-man, pumpkinhead, gump, sawhorse and human-sized insect dressed as a dandy. However, two factors can play into the reality of this scenario if one wishes to see how these stories can reasonably have occurred:

1. Baum's musical extravaganza The Wizard of Oz was then a huge hit in the States, and was even known abroad. In the Ozmapolitan, Dorothy even says she wishes to go see it with her Ozian friends when they arrive.

2. The newspapers "announced" the arrival of these characters from several weeks prior to their landing in the U.S.

With these two factors in the media, ordinary citizens of the U.S. likely thought that these personages were part of an elaborate publicity stunt designed to advertise the running musical and upcoming Baum book (unaware that the latter was based on actual events). Those who came across the Ozian visitors who don't know about these events were clearly frightened. Children and some adults clearly believed they were fairies (which may not have been uncommon given their publicity by Arthur Conan Doyle and others). One woman thinks the Wogglebug is the Devil. Most, however, likely marveled at how amazing and lifelike the costumes were, or, conversely, were indifferent (or even hostile) to what they deemed the marketing ploys of early twentieth century city-folk.

Ozma appears to be sending them merely for vacation, without any attempt to secure diplomatic ties with the Outside World, although the Visitors do end having a room given them by the mayor of some city, so perhaps that was a factor that didn't go anywhere. More likely, she was curious about the place where Dorothy and the Wizard came from. Ozma and Glinda do something unusual. Not only do they give them magic so that they're able to stay alive in the Outside World, but they allow them to have magical powers to use while they're there to benefit who they come across. Several of these attempts fail, but there is still very little that's revealed during this four month long excursion. One thing that's notable (in "How the Adventurers Returned Home") is their disdain of money. At this point, Ozma has stopped the use of money in the Emerald City and surrounding areas, but their testimony convinces her to ban money altogether. Of course, old habits die hard, even in Oz, but for the most part she succeeds.

For further chronological details, see the Appendices.

Publication History

Over the years, The Baum Bugle reprinted much of Walt McDougall's work, but in a far smaller size that rendered the text difficult to read. For the first time since they debuted in The Philadelphia Syndicate (from August 28th, 1904 to February 26th 1905), Baum's Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz newspaper strip was reprinted in its original size, format, and with McDougall's original artwork in the 2009 oversized volume from Sunday Press. Along with Baum's strips, this also includes Denslow's competing Scarecrow and Tinman strips from 1904.

The Third Book of Oz: In 1986 and 1989, the Queer Visitors strips were revisited by Eric Shanower, Hugh Pendexter III and Martin Williams. Published as The Third Book of Oz by Armstrong Press (and three years later by Buckethead Enterprises of Oz), this publication featured illustrations by Eric Shanower, replacing both Dick Martin's illustrations and Walt McDougall's, which proved impractical to reproduce in a smaller size. The Third Book of Oz, so named for its chronological place in canon, changed Baum's text to remove the racial slurs extant in the original publication. This edition was also the first to incorporate the follow-up story from The Woggle-Bug Book entitled The Unique Adventures of the Woggle-bug, albeit heavily edited to remove the racial slurs as well as to incorporate answers to the ubiquitous contest question, "What did the Woggle-bug say?"

The Visitors from Oz: This 2005 volume from Hungry Tiger Press included for the first time in a 100 years the twenty-six complete and unedited American newspaper strip stories written by L. Frank Baum. This edition restored the original text, but had to eliminate McDougall's artwork for practical purposes, and instead included Shanower's illustrations (from both editions of The Third Book of Oz), as well Baum's follow-up story from The Woggle-Bug Book called, The Unique Adventures of the Woggle-bug.

Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz: The original strips were reproduced with their original text and their original artwork by Walt McDougall in their original size by Sunday Press in 2009. This is the definitive edition of these strips, and include W.W. Denslow's competing strip Scarecrow and Tinman in its original format, as well as several ancillary strips from McDougall and Denslow, an unpublished Oz strip from 1925 called "Adventures in Oz," a "Nip & Tuck" adventure from John R. Neill and "Billy Bounce" from W.W. Denslow.

The sixth book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: Angry at the loss of his Magic Belt and humiliation he suffered, the Nome King approaches General Blug and Colonel Crinkle to obtain their advice in attacking Oz. When they refuse, he has them (apparently) killed, and enlists a new general, Guph, to help with revenging himself on Oz. Guph makes a dangerous journey to three lands run by evil spirits, the Whimsies, Growleywogs and Phanfasms, recruiting each in turn to help them in their invasion, which will proceed through an underground tunnel beneath the Deadly Desert, and emerging in the Emerald City.

Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are, meanwhile, unable to pay their mortgage, and near to losing the house when Dorothy asks Ozma to take them in. Happy to do so, Ozma brings them to the Emerald City to live. Feeling astounded and out of place, Ozma sends them a tour of Oz with Dorothy, Toto, Billina, the Sawhorse, Shaggy, Ombi Amby and the Wizard. Together, they visit the Wogglebug's Athletic College, Miss Cuttenclip, who has a village of living paper dolls, and Fuddlecumjig, where the residents scatter into jigsaw puzzle pieces that have to be put back together. There they meet and put together Larry the Lord High Chigglewitz and Grandmother Knit.

Dorothy, Billina and Toto get separated from the group and discover three additional communities: Utensia, where the inhabitants are living kitchen utensils and plates, Bunbury, where the inhabitants are living baked goods (and where Toto and Billina ends up eating a resident), and Bunnybury, a village of sapient rabbits whose king longs for the old days of freedom, but later comes to appreciate what he has.

Dorothy and her companions rejoin the larger group and proceed to Rigmarole, where the residents speak much but say little, and Flutterbudget, where the residents live in constant fear of things that will likely never come to pass. These two communities are said to be Defense settlements, and those who suffer from their conditions are exiled there. After this, they travel to the Tin Woodman's Tin Castle, where they discover the Nome King's plot to destroy Oz.

Meanwhile, as the plot to invade Oz begins at midnight and will be a journey of six hours to arrive at the Emerald City by daybreak, each of the three evil races plots to betray and destroy the other. Ozma sees what is going on in the Magic Picture, but refuses to be concerned. Everyone else is quite concerned, however, and Ozma—refusing to flee her city—seeks a nonviolent solution, which the Scarecrow comes up with.

Filling the tunnel with dust, the invaders burst upon the Emerald City and rush off to drink water from the Forbidden Fountain. As the Fountain contains the Waters of Oblivion, which cause those who drink it to forget their past, the enemies are rendered harmless and are sent home by means of the Magic Belt.

Continuity Notes

Animal-Rights: Baum indicates for the second time since The Road to Oz that animals in Oz are on equal footing with humans. Dorothy informs her aunt that no one eats chickens in Oz (p. 149), and the Tin Woodman confirms that "every created thing is safe from harm in my domain, and I would as soon thinking of killing my little friend Dorothy as killing one of my tin fishes." The Tin Woodman even discusses showing consideration to flies, a conversation (p. 250) that demonstrates that there are some sapient insects in Oz, such as flies and large mosquitoes that sing but never bite or annoy people (some of these appear in The Tin Castle of Oz).

Book Structure: This is Baum's first Oz book with a multiple ongoing storyline (Queen Zixi of Ix employed this as well), that of Dorothy and company touring Oz, and that of the Nome King and General Guph gathering enemies for war against Oz. The former is a travelogue with pastoral, humorous and satiric elements, whereas the latter is a travelogue that comes the closest Baum ever got to the horror genre. Aside from the latter element (which Jack Snow will expand on), the structure is a model that Thompson will utilize for several of her books.

Bunbury: Both Toto and Dorothy demonstrate their immaturity here (as Dorothy did in a different way in The Road to Oz), the former when he eats a few sapient citizens of Bunbury, and the latter when she defends and justifies his actions. The latter can be seen as defensiveness on her part when accused, but it makes her a hypocrite, as she'd earlier reprimanded Toto for wanting to eat Billina. Bunbury may be the creation of a fairy or witch known as the Queen of the Flour Folk, who rules in Cookry Land. See "The Little Gingerbread Man."

Bunnybury: Bunnybury was created by Glinda, potentially to protect albino rabbits from being predated on, as their color gives them a disadvantage in the wild, though when this occurred is not stated. It may have been before Lurline's 1743 enchantment. The Rabbit of the Moon comes to settle here (From Oz to the Moon). Other rabbits live in Oz, such as Rabbit-Town-by-the-Brook (The Emerald City Mirror #25). Bunnybury is visited again by Dorothy, who brings Ozma, the Scarecrow, Scraps and Tin Woodman, in The Emerald City Mirror #58. A New Bunnybury is also started at some point, as mentioned in the "Santa Claus and the Nome Hijacking" from The Emerald City Mirror #40.

Dating: The events of this story take place over the course of 15 days (see the Day-to-Day Chronology for details), likely in early September.

Evil Spirits: The Whimsies, Growleywogs, and Phanfasms are each characterized as evil spirits, the latter as Erbs, the "most powerful and merciless of all the evil spirits." Of the latter, "No one had been near their mountain home for several thousand years." The Phanfasms return again in several stories, including Fiona Freckles, the First and Foremost, The Law of Oz and Other Stories, The Living House of Oz, "The Malevolent Mannequin in Oz," "The Great and Terrible Oz Mystery," and The Royal Explorers of Oz. Their origins feature prominently in the forthcoming book The Ancient Dawn of Oz.

Fuddlecumjig: A town of people who literally go to pieces any time they're slightly startled. This doesn't bother them so much because the other citizens of Oz, who apparently are the reason they fall apart, enjoy putting them back together. The Fuddles don't seem to mind this. "Button-Bright and the Knit-Wits of Oz" (Oziana 1987) introduces us to Grandpa Gnit, the husband of Grandmother Knit, who was once an ordinary citizen until she fell apart, and moved to Fuddlecumjig. This reveals that the Fuddles were once ordinary (or semi-ordinary) Oz citizens. Fuddlecumjig must be a place of psychological healing for those who fall apart too readily, just as Flutterbudget is a place for those who worry overmuch. Fuddlecumjig doesn't appear again in story until The Emerald City Mirror #57, where Dorothy takes Ozma and others to visit the Fuddles and meet the Lord High Chigglewitz and Grandmother Knit.

Invisible Barrier: On page 290, there is a discussion about potential future "wicked enemies" coming to Oz, and a concern that airships from the Outside World will discover Oz, and potentially invade it. While this might seem like a Flutterbudget fear, it leads Glinda to render Oz invisible to anyone outside Oz, effectively (if temporarily) cutting Oz off from the rest of the world and the Nonestican continent. It purportedly cut off Baum from serving as Royal Historian, but this was a problem that was later solved by use of the wireless. In time, just prior to Rinkitink in Oz, the invisible barrier is dropped. As noted in The Gardener's Boy of Oz, "since many of the immigrants from the outside world... had proven themselves good and valuable residents, while several of Ozma's most dangerous enemies... had been native Ozites, the little ruler had decided it was more trouble than it was worth to keep up the shield of invisibility, and had graciously permitted the history of her country to be shared with readers in the outside world." By the time of The Shaggy Man of Oz (see the notes for this entry for further details), however, the barrier is restored, likely in the wake of the events of The Magical Mimics in Oz.

The Magic Picture: As is true in Tik-Tok of Oz (written around the same time), the Magic Picture is revealed to have the capability of both picture and sound, as Ozma and her companions are able to listen to the Nome King make plans with the leader of the Phanfasms, Whimsies and Growleywogs. Merry Go Round in Oz, however, indicates that the Wizard's magic radio is needed to hear sound. It seems like that this is kept as an external device so that Ozma is not either perceived as, or guilty of spying on her friends and citizens.

Miss Cuttenclip: As revealed in The Magic Bowls of Oz, Miss Cuttenclip is not the only one to have gotten magic paper from Glinda. Her cousin, Aura Gammi, who once lived nearby (but now lives in the Red Jinn's palace in Ev) also gets magic paper from her. Aurra made Areo, the paper airplane, who Jinnicky enlarged.

The Nome Kingdom: The Nome King has 50,000 soldiers under him. Guph becomes his new general, but his indication that Glinda lives north of the Emerald City has to be seen as a mistake on his part. Guph appears again in The Hungry Tiger of Oz.

Pacifism: Oz has at this point become decidedly non-violent. Upon facing imminent destruction and/or enslavement by the Nomes, Growleywogs, Whimsies and Phanfasms, Ozma declares her new stance: "No one has the right to destroy any living creatures, however evil they may be, or to hurt them or make them unhappy. I will not fight−even to save my kingdom," and then, demonstrating that this stance is not cowardice (as she refuses to take Dorothy's offer of going to Kansas), she says "I would like to discover a plan to save ourselves without fighting." This development is new and demonstrates an evolution of Ozma's conception as to how Oz should be governed. It also informs her character for most of the rest of the series. Her stance on nonviolence is enlarged upon in the book Adolf Hitler in Oz.

Oz as Eutopia: Following on The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz solidifies Baum's conception of his famous fairyland as an egalitarian realm under Ozma's policy of nonviolence. Economically and socially, there is no poor, and no money. "Each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use... Each man and woman, no matter what he or she produced for the good of the community, was supplied by the neighbors with food and clothing and a house and furniture and ornaments and games. If by chance the supply ever ran short, more was taken from the great storehouses of the Ruler... Each one worked half the time and played half the time, and the people enjoyed the work as much as they did the play... There were no cruel overseers set to watch them, and no one to rebuke them or to find fault with them." There are farmers, tailors, dressmakers, shoemakers, jewelers and others who provide their goods to anyone who asks for them. "Each was proud to do all he could for his friends and neighbors." Socially, the people were variegated: "There were all sorts of queer characters among them, but not a single one who was evil, or who possessed a selfish or violent nature. They were peaceful, kind-hearted, loving and merry," and all loved Ozma. Even the animals are "for the most part harmless and even sociable." The Kalidahs who "had once been fierce and bloodthirsty," were "now nearly all tamed."

Oz Population: On page 29/30, Baum indicates that there are over half a million residents of Oz, 9,654 buildings and 57,318 residents in the Emerald City. Billina indicates that she has 86 sons and daughters (Daniels and Dorothys) and 300 grandchildren, and their numbers increase every day. While they are "never eaten or harmed in any way," Billina donates all the unfertilized eggs to the Emerald City. In The Royal Explorers of Oz, it is explained that to prevent population control Billina had all of her eggs (and offsprings' eggs) magically sterilized. Given that she has 7,000 offspring by the time of The Patchwork Girl of Oz, this likely means that a lot of chickens went off into various kingdoms and maybe even neighboring fairylands.

The Sawhorse was fitted with new sawdust brains by the Wizard, and is noted to have his feet shod with gold.

School: It is noteworthy that the students at Professor Wogglebug's college are made to learn Greek, Latin and "The Charge of the Light Brigade," an 1854 poem by Lord Tennyson about an English brigade during the Crimean War. These were common subjects in secondary school and college at the time, as English has their roots in them. Due to the fact that the Wogglebug has his students take the Wizard's Learning Pills to digest such subjects, Baum may have been engaging in satire, as he does with most of the places Dorothy and company visit. As regards those very pills, J.L. Bell notes, the "EMERALD CITY actually credits [the Wizard] with inventing Prof Wogglebug's pills (GLINDA credits the bug)." This would seem to indicate that both were involved in their invention. Perhaps the concept was the Wogglebug's and the execution the Wizard's.

Underground tunnel: Ozma closes up the tunnel, but as is discovered in later stories, such as The Shaggy Man of Oz, it is only the end of the tunnel under the Emerald City grounds that has been closed up as several characters are later able to go underground through the tunnel. This is explained in The Red Jinn in Oz when the Lion says to Dorothy that he believed Ozma had closed up the entire tunnel (as she said she was going to do), but Dorothy clarifies and tells him that Ozma only plugged up the end of the tunnel. This is likely because of what the Glow Worm Glim said: "Many of these [creatures] made their homes in the tunnel; and when I came, it was already crowded. Since then the tunnel has been greatly enlarged, and the side passages made for the benefit of those who wish to spend some of their time on the Earth's surface." Not wanting to disturb these creatures or the new homes they built in and around the tunnel, Ozma likely decided to leave it be, but close up the side on her end. As regards security risks, the tunnel is surrounded by a maze of passageways underground, making it hard to stay on the original tunnel.

The Wizard of Oz: Although Oscar practices real magic in this story, and has been doing so since The Road to Oz, he says to Dorothy, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, on page 153: "When the Good Glinda found I was to live in the Emerald City always, she promised to help me, because she said the Wizard of Oz ought really to be a clever Wizard, and not a humbug. So we have been much together and I am learning so fast that I expect to be able to accomplish some really wonderful things in time." The Wizard was first approved to learn magic at Glinda's hands at the end of Oz and Three Witches, was sent to school in Ev, in "Ruggedo and the School of Magic," and completed his education from Glinda in "The Mysterious Palace of Voe." It took him about three years, from 1902 to 1905.

History: Adventures in Oz (where this story was collected) is considered Book 54 in the Sovereign Sixty (and Supreme Seventy-Five)!

Synopsis: When the Scarecrow and Dorothy find the Royal Gardener crying by a pond in the Royal Gardens, he explains that every kind of fish in Oz is represented in the pond, but one, the Crimson-Tailed Quipperug, a shy fish found in a pool in the Quadling Forest by the Mysterious Mountain. As none of his assistants can tend the gardens as well as he, he's unable to, so Dorothy and the Scarecrow volunteer to go for him.

Informing Ozma of their intentions, the Cowardly Lion warns them that terrible sounds emit from the top of the mountain, and no beast or bird will go near it. Dorothy invites him along, and he figures it will give him a chance to check in on his kingdom. Billina says she would accompany them, but one of her chicks has the flu. The Wizard gives Dorothy his new Traveling Emergency Magical Kit, which she can test for him. It includes various powders and a magic wayfinder.

The next morning, they come to the mountain and pool, where the Lion puts his head underwater to summon the fish. The fish don't know exactly where to find the reclusive quipperug, but will help guide them. Eureka shows up, bored at the Emerald City and trying to catch a fish, but Dorothy scolds her, and agrees to let her come if she behaves. A giant fish surfaces, opening its mouth for the travelers to enter. When it submerges, it blows a large air bubble, allowing them breathe underwater. The pool is much larger than it looks, going under the mountain. They direct the fish by means of the magic wayfinder, but a giant whirlpool causes the fish to lose its grip on the bubble, which is drawn into the whirlpool, popping it.

Dorothy and Eureka wind up on an island inside the bottom of the whirlpool, which is inside the Mysterious Mountain. With the wayfinder, they follow a path that should lead them to their friends, but they instead come upon a princess scolding a wooden puppet for bringing her out to play. After she storms off, Dorothy introduces herself and explains that she needs to find a way out. Knotboy says he'll help her find her friends, after which the king might be able to help them get out. The wooden boy explains that he was made by the Royal Inventor to be a playmate for Princess Trinkarinkarina, who had no other children to play with. They loved each other at first, but as she grew older she began to grow apart from him, not wanting to play anymore.

The princess spies Knotboy with the strangers and follows them to a circular brick building, which has a locked door. Eureka suggests they use the Wizard's powder of intangibility to enter. It works, and they find a hill inside the circular room, which Eureka reports is hollow on top, leading to an underground tunnel. Princess Trin enters behind them, scolding Knotboy for breaking the law, but Dorothy just takes him with her into the tunnel. It ends up at a pond. The princess bursts in, but Dorothy has had enough of her, and during the ensuing argument, Knotboy is accidentally knocked into the pool. Yet, he reveals that it's really not water, but a passage to another cavern and tunnel.

The Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion had, meanwhile, ended up on the bank in a different location on the island. All they have left is some of the Wizard's powders, including one for a seven-course breakfast (which the Lion takes) and a shrinking powder. Coming upon a hill topped by a giant frog, they're approached by a giant snake. The Frog invites them to a contest, but the Lion doesn't like it. On the promise that if the Lion wins, he'll show them the way out, the Scarecrow agrees. The first part is a race, which the snake cheats at and wins. The second is a rock crushing contest, which the snake might have won had the Scarecrow not put exploding powder on the Lion's rock. The third is a wrestling match, but Knotboy then bursts through the bottom of the hill, pushing the giant frog off. Dorothy and the others emerge too, glad to find her friends, but the giant snake sees the magic powder in the Scarecrow's hands and strikes at him, tearing him up. The Lion attacks the snake while Dorothy puts shrinking powder on him. When the princess emerges, the frog grabs her with his tongue and hops off. Knotboy follows. The Lion finishes off the now-shrunken snake, and races off with Dorothy and Eureka. Knotboy emerges in a giant mushroom forest. When the frog spots him, he shoots out his tongue, but the wooden boy wraps it around a strong mushroom. He and the princess run off, meeting up with Dorothy's party, who rush back to the hill and restuff the Scarecrow. But some of the shrinking powder had gotten on the hill, and it's shrunken. Knotboy remembers the intangibility powder, and with it they escape into the tunnel just as the frog leaps in, but too late, as only his head makes it through before the effect of it runs out.

Dorothy introduces everyone, and Trin apologizes to Knotboy for her behavior. When they all emerge up the tunnel, the king and his guards are waiting there, but she explains what's been going on, and how Knotboy saved her. The king doesn't know how the travelers can leave, but the Scarecrow has an idea. The king concedes and invites them to a feast.

The next day, Trin and Knotboy come to say goodbye and to thank them for reuniting them. In a boat provided by the king, Dorothy and the others ride it up the waterfall until it reaches the top, where they all have to make a perilous leap to the edge before the boat crashes. Successful, they now realize the frightening sound of the mountain was the waterfall. At the mountains' bottom, they again go to the pool, and there the Crimson-tailed Quipperug is waiting for them. Dorothy invites him to live in the most luxurious city in the world, but the rare fish explains that he's a wild fish that doesn't want to live in captivity or be gawked at by strangers. Eureka's pleased that they didn't catch a fish either.

Continuity Notes

Dating: No explicit date is given, but there are clues in the narrative as to when it might take place. The most telling is that Billina's chick has the flu. Prior to The Emerald City of Oz, her chick had caught a cold and died of the pip. Yet, in chapter 3 of that same book it's noted, "No disease of any sort was ever known among the Ozites, and so no one ever died unless he met with an accident that prevented him from living." That one of Billina's chicks gets a cold likely indicates this take place a short time after The Emerald City of Oz. This is bolstered by Jellia Jamb's exclamation about how many inventions the Wizard has been working on since he became a real Wizard under Glinda's tutelage. Such a line wouldn't make sense decades after the fact. Additionally, the Cowardly Lion talks about his kingdom as if it were still his. But by the time of The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, he had left it in the hands of a Kalidah as regent. Even Eureka's behavior seems closer to her personality in the early years of having come to live in Oz. In a similar vein, there is no Trot, Betsy or any of the characters that later come to stay in Oz. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1906, a year after Dorothy comes to live in Oz in The Emerald City of Oz, but in which she doesn't have many recorded adventures (as she notes early in the story that she hasn't had one in awhile).

Knotboy: Invented by the Royal Inventor roughly ten or so years ago when the Princess was a young girl. It's not known how Knotboy was brought to life, or if the Royal Inventor had some Powder of Life or other magic at his disposal. There appear to be no other living constructs on the island, and unless he knows a way in and out of the island, this remains a mystery.

Secret Island: No information is provided as to how long the islanders have lived there, or how or when they first arrived, and the king appears to have no knowledge as to how to get off the island, though the Scarecrow might have shown him a way. Dorothy says she'll see them again, but there is no recorded story of this. Their ancestors might have enchanted the island to hide it and themselves, or they might have stumbled upon it a different way. There is no explanation as to why the king seals off the building that leads to other parts of the island. While it may have been fear of the giant frog and snake that live in one section, it may also be that it leads out of the island. As with Knotboy, much remains untold.

Synopsis: Spying a family making Hollyhock dolls, the Brownies take the dolls and bring them to life, making them their wives. But while the Brownies are away, the dolls venture out too early in the year, and find themselves buried in snow. Upon their return, the Brownies are grieved to discover their wives dead. So, traveling to the Last Secret Mound to see the Shamaness before the Great Pool of Life, they petition for the life of their dead wives. As the key to restoring the dead Hollyhock dolls is to have their original maker sprinkle a magic powder on them, the Shamaness sends the Brownies to Oz, where Aunt Em, their original maker, is currently living.

Em is, meanwhile, feeling useless, and decides to talk to the Good Witch of the North, who has recently retired. Dorothy, Toto and the Cowardly Lion join her. En route, they encounter the Melon Collie, a sad dog whose pups have been abducted by the Manitas of Funglade, who arrest anyone who's not happy. Toto's antics cause the pups and everyone else to smile, allowing their release.

A more serious threat comes with the Grave Robbers, a group of bandits who work for the Goblin Hood, a faceless entity who steals the worst character traits of his victims, and devours them. Thanks to the Sawhorse and quick-thinking of the group, they escape and make their way to the town of Ogoshen, where they find the Good Witch of the North.

In the meantime, Uncle Henry, the Hungry Tiger, and the Brownies (who Glinda sent to the Emerald City) head North, and wind up in the town of Egglet, where they expect to find edible eggs, but instead meet Queen Eglantine and a community of sapient eggs laid by the Great Hen. A white supremacist, who disagrees with her equal treatment of brown eggs, breaks the queen's shell, prompting Henry to ask the Brownies to use their magic to repair her. The eggs destroy the villain, which grieves the queen, but she allows the Hungry Tiger to eat them, along with ham from the local ham tree.

Meanwhile Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard look into the threat posed by the Goblin and his robbers. Goblin Hood discerns that the worst traits of these are insecurity, pride and guilt, and devours them. Freed of these traits, the three don't hesitate to destroy Goblin Hood. With his death, all the traits he'd swallowed over the years are released, including his destroyers who feel guilty about their actions. The Grave Robbers, former victims of his, petition to stay in Oz.

Both of these groups converge in Ogoshen, where Aunt Em assists the Brownies in bringing her old dolls back to life. The Good Witch of the North also assists Dorothy in bringing two new Ozlyhock Dolls to life after Ozma exempts her from the law prohibiting the practice of magic.

At the big party at the Emerald City, Ozma invites the Brownies to life in Oz, which they accept. As they aren't sure where to live, they agree with their resurrected wives and the Ozlyhock Dolls to accompany Dorothy, Toto, Em, Henry, Melon Collie and her pups, the Lion, Tiger and Sawhorse on a journey to Henry and Em's original Kansas house, now situated in the Munchkin country where the cyclone had brought it. (Meanwhile, the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow invite Scraps to the Tin Castle for the first time.)

After the Wizard provides her with a skeleton key they head off and encounter the former Deadly Poppy Field, which Ozma had some of General Jinjur's Army of Revolt remove in the first few years of her reign, leaving only small patches of poppies, and giving the rest to the Quadling farmers. Brown Moth and Little Nell wander off after a ladybug and are nearly eaten by a fawn when the Queen of the Field Mice rescues them and invites them into her domain. Finally, Dorothy calls them and she escorts them out to the surface. They come to a bridge that Ozma also built to replace the old one, and they cross it to meet the residents of Herville, which are made up of members of the Army of Revolt, led by Brigadier Tanjrine.

The party next head to the home of the Munchkin mayor Boq and his wife Johanna, who tell Em that their former house is now a shrine, and a haunted one. The door is still locked, as neither Dorothy, Em or Henry have visited it until now. Em finds her old books (Uncle Tom's Cabin, Robin Hood, The Old Curiosity Shop and The Wonders of the Natural World), while the Ozlyhock dolls venture into the surrounding grass and discover that several weeds and vegetables have been brought to life by the creatures haunting the house. They soon discover that these are the living remnants of the crushed body of the Wicked Witch of the East. With the help of the Brownies, they ensnare the Wicked Witch Weeds, who Ozma decides to settle in a small kingdom of their own, guarded by the former Grave Robbers, who will live outside it. Em and Henry decide to build a farmhouse in the country, outside of which the Brownies, their wives, Ozlyhock Dolls and Melon Collie agree to live as well.

Continuity Notes

Boq: Boq first appeared in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He and his wife Johanna appear again in Bucketheads in Oz.

Dating: The story begins in February, but continues into spring, likely in the year 1863, as it's noted to be Indiana and "big guns" are booming in the south. The only time this could have happened was Morgan's raid in July 1963. This is also when Aunt Em is a young girl. The narrative then jumps ahead several decades to 1905, specifically the time between The Patchwork Girl of Oz and Tik-Tok of Oz.

Deadly Poppy Field: As of a few years into Ozma's reign, the Deadly Poppy Field is no more. Only scattered poppies were allowed to remain, as other wildflowers were brought in to take their place.

Emily: This is the only tale of Aunt Em's childhood in Indiana, and she's noted as having married Henry when she was 16.

Crossovers: Story brings Brownies and Native-American Fairies (as distinct from European fairies) into the Ozian mythology. Brownies (at least this group) are residents of the mortal world.

Dorothy's House: Uncle Henry and Aunt Em's old farmhouse, which had blow to Oz with Dorothy in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is now a shrine in the Munchkin country, complete with statues of the participants in the field outside. Neither Em or Henry had been to visit it until the time of this story, and the house had remained locked since Dorothy's first visit to the house in the Oziana 1989 story "There's No Place Like Oz." The weedy remnants of the Wicked Witch of the East's crushed body haunted the house until this time.

General Jinur: The remnants of her former Army of Revolt which didn't go back to their previous lives established the community of Herville under Brigadier Tanjrine, who explains that Jinjur sacrificed herself by marrying a man who agreed with their ideals, but who was somewhat of a nuisance (which explains Jinjur's later separation from him in "Four Views of General Jinjur").

Goblin Hood: Glinda says that Goblin Hood began as a sad or bad thought which grew into an obsession, and escaped (or outlived) its original host.

Good Witch of the North: Tattypoo goes into retirement following the announcement that Ozma has passed the law forbidding magic. This changes when Ozma comes to visit her, urging her out of retirement, and giving her a rare exemption to the law.

Great Pool of Life: Found deep under the Last Secret Mound, it is magically connected to the Great Book of Records, and allows the unnamed Shamaness to directly contact Glinda.

Great Shamaness: Unnamed in this story, but a good candidate would be Zauberlinda the Wise Witch from the book of the same name.

Law against Magic: Ozma agrees to re-think the law prohibiting magic, and makes an exemption in the case of the Good Witch of the North. Ozma doesn't revise the law until several decades later, and then once more, two decades after that. See The Ban on Magic in the Appendices for more details.

Magic Belt: Is present but not used, as Ozma says she prefers to do things naturally wherever possible.

Melon Collie: This animal is first mentioned in a poem spoken by Percy Vere the Forgetful Poet in chapter 14 of Grampa in Oz.

Red Wagon: Ozma's Red Wagon has a counterpart built by the Wizard called the Green Sulky. While this is rarely seen used, it makes sense that they would have more than one means of locomotion.

The 8th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

History: The narrative was inspired by the play The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, which Baum and composer Manuel Klein began working on in 1909, and which was itself based on (and called) Ozma of Oz. Certain characters and details were subsequently changed for the book, such as Betsy to replace Dorothy, and Ozga to replace Ozma. There is no Quox in the original. Also, much of the dialogue (which was often sung) is reduced in the book version. Nevertheless, the substance of the story remains the same and must be dated to that year or prior.

Synopsis: Bored of life in her uneventful kingdom, Queen Ann of Oogaboo decides to gather an army of 17 generals, majors and lieutenants, and one private, Jo Files, to take over Oz. Reading of this in her Great Book of Records, Glinda simply spirits them to the continent outside the Deadly Desert. Once there, Queen Ann and her men encounter a Rak, a dragon-like creature, but Jo Files manages to temporarily hinder the creature.

Meanwhile, Betsy Bobbin from Oklahoma and Hank the Mule are shipwrecked, and end up on the shores of the Rose Kingdom, where Betsy discovers a greenhouse of sapient roses with the faces of girls. The Royal Gardener tells them that the penalty for intrusion in Roseland is death, but the Shaggy Man crashes into the greenhouse, and shows him the magic Love Magnet that he carries.

Shaggy explains that he's looking for his brother, who he finds out had disappeared in a Colorado mine 10 years earlier (1895). When the Gardener gives them a tour of the Rose Garden, where all the royals are growing, but yet green, Betsy spots a beautiful princess who is ripe. The royal rose bushes, however, will not allow a female to rule over them, but Betsy and the Shaggy Man pick her anyway, and she comes to life. It is discovered that she is Ozga, a fairy cousin of Ozma. Shaggy lends her the love magnet, but it fails to work on her subjects because they have no hearts (not unlike the Mangaboos from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz).

As they agree to help the Shaggy Man find his brother, they travel on and discover Polychrome whose fallen off her rainbow again. Poly agrees to help them find the entrance to the Nome King's dominion, and reveals that once Ozga was exiled from her Rose Kingdom, she ceased being a fairy and has become a mere mortal. On their journey, they find Tik-Tok down a well, which is where Ruggedo threw him. Tik-Tok informs them that Ozma sent him to tell them that indeed the Shaggy Man's brother is a prisoner of Ruggedo.

The travelers next run into Queen Ann's army, but when Ann orders Private Files to bind them, he resigns his position and befriends them. The Shaggy Man's Love Magnet causes Queen Ann and her army to cease hostilities, and together they head for the Nome King's dominions to conquer, the direction of which Ozga discovered from the flowers. Across the Rubber Country and dry-water channel they head, but they're soon spotted by Kaliko, and heard by the Long-Eared Hearer, who tells Ruggedo that Queen Ann plans to plunder his kingdom. In a rage, Ruggedo orders the entrance to the Hollow Tube made invisible, and as a result the adventurers fall through the earth into the realm of Tititi-Hoochoo on the other side of the world.

Over there, they meet Tubekins and other invisible inhabitants of Tititi-Hoochoo's country, who soon reveal themselves to be the beautiful kings and queens of the realm. They are equal, but bow to their ruler, the Private Citizen. When he is revealed as Tititi-Hoochoo, the Great Jin Jin, the party become afraid (except Betsy), but he agrees that the Nome King is to blame and will be punished.

Erma, the Queen of Light takes Betsy and Poly to her crystal palace to be entertained, while the King of Animals takes Hank. Betsy and Poly meet the Messengers of Light: Sunlight, Moonlight, Starlight, Daylight, Firelight and Electra. Erma explains to Betsy that this land is "one of the chief residences of fairies who minister to the needs of mankind." So as to avoid rivalry, and because Tititi-Hoochoo was "the only important personage... who had no duties to mankind," he was elected as their ruler. Yet, he has no heart, but a high degrees of reason and justice.

Erma then tells Betsy that "the dragon was the first living creature ever made," and the oldest and wisest of all living things. The Original Dragon was the first resident in that land, and still resides there, supplying them with wisdom.

The next day, the Great Jinjin agrees to send the travelers back through the Hollow Tube with Quox as the Nome King's Instrument of Vengeance. Quox is also being punished for having been disrespectful to the Original Dragon. Once they're on the other side, Queen Ann determines that she and her army will conquer the Nome King, but Ruggedo has them thrown into a dungeon. Next Betsy and Hank are captured, but Kaliko feels bad for them and hides them in his room. Tik-Tok attempts to defeat the Nome King, but Ruggedo has a large diamond placed on top of him. The Shaggy Man then enters to show Ruggedo the Love Magnet, but having overheard his plans, he is bound along with Jo Files and Ozga.

Polychrome, however, is too quick to catch, and though the Nome King implores her to stay with him as either his daughter, wife, aunt or mother, she rebukes him. In anger, Ruggedo uses his magic to turn Shaggy into a dove and Ozga into a fiddle. Then he requests his prisoners brought before him to torture. Poly runs out to find Quox, who is asleep. She awakens him, and he enters the Nome King's domain with the power of the ribbon the Great Jinjin gave him for this very purpose, and it robs Ruggedo of his magic. Quox then opens a case and releases eggs which magically chase Ruggedo from his throne and out of the Nome Kingdom, where he is banished. Quox disenchants Shaggy and Ozga, who say goodbye to him as departs through the Tube back to his realm.

Polychrome spies Ruggedo entering the secret way to the Metal Forest, a vast underground realm created by the Nomes where the trees are made of gold, the bushes of silver, the pathways of diamonds, and the floor of various jewels and gems. Unable to find Queen Ann or her army, Kaliko, Polychrome, Shaggy, Files and Ozga follow Ruggedo into the forest and discover Queen Ann and her army. They'd found a hidden passage from the dungeon to the Metal Forest. Ruggedo fills his pockets with jewels and departs, after which Kaliko leads the travelers to the natural part of the forest where the Shaggy Man's brother (who they call the Ugly One) has been living for three years.

Shaggy's brother, however, doesn't want to come out of his hut because the Nome King had magically turned him ugly to punish him before banishing him to the Metal Forest. There, he had found trees that provided three-course meals and breakfasts. With a handkerchief from his brother covering his face, the "Ugly One" reluctantly joined the travelers.

Kaliko allowed Queen Ann and her army to gather jewels on their way out of the Metal Forest, but upon departure, they discover Ruggedo, who had stuffed so many gems his pockets burst. Dejected and humbled, Betsy shames him into helping restore Shaggy's original appearance. Repentant of his past actions, he tries, but can only remember that a kiss from a mortal maid, former fairy, or fairy will help. Betsy tries, then Ozga, but both to no avail. Finally, Polychrome's kiss restores him.

Feeling sorry for the former Nome King, Betsy asks Ruggedo if he's sorry, which he says he is. Kaliko then allows him to stay underground with the caveat that he behave himself. After Polychrome departs for the rainbow, which appears in the sky, Queen Ann and her people fervently wish to go home. Ozma hears this on the Magic Picture, as she had been following their progress, and has the Wizard spirit Private Files and Ozga, along with Queen Ann and her army to Oogaboo.

She then uses a "wireless telephone" to contact the Shaggy Man (who also has one). He has vowed not to abandon his brother or Betsy, and so will wander the world with them. Ozma consults with the Wizard, Dorothy and Tik-Tok (who the Wizard transports to the Palace), who agree to have them invited to Oz. Ozma counters that "the Land of Oz is not a refuge for all mortals in distress," and that the Shaggy Man's brother, as nice as he is, has done nothing to entitle himself to live in Oz. But as no one cares to lose Shaggy, and Dorothy wishes a playmate who is not as busy as Ozma generally is, and as there is yet plenty of room in Oz, Ozma has the Wizard transport them to the palace.

Hank finds himself in the Royal Stable and suddenly able to speak. Greeting the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger and Sawhorse, they soon get into a disagreement over which girl is the sweetest, Betsy, Dorothy or Ozma, at which point the girls appear and scold the animals for fighting over them. Ozma proclaims that "Our Land of Oz is a Land of Love, and here friendship outranks ever other quality." The animals accept this and become friends. When Betsy asks Dorothy if all the animals can talk, Dorothy says all but Toto because he's from Kansas, to which Ozma responds that Toto can talk, just as Billina, Eureka and Hank (who are all from the Outside World) can, but has chosen not to. At this Dorothy calls over Toto, and tells him to prove to her that he can talk, which, reluctantly, he does before running off.

Continuity Notes

Betsy Bobbin: Betsy Bobbin's home state is revealed as Oklahoma. Time Traveling in Oz indicates that her home town was Lone Grove (in Carter County). He parents are later discovered to be alive and well in the novella "Betsy Bobbin of Oz," from the book Two Terrific Tales of Oz. She appears as a minor character throughout the Oz series, but has a starring role in The Hungry Tiger of Oz.

Dating: Tik-Tok of Oz occurs over the course of 13 days (see the Day-to-Day Chronology for details), possibly in the Fall. Because it is based on the 1909 The Tik-Tok Man of Oz play, it must take place prior to 1909. There had been an issue of it needing to also take place prior to Rinkitink in Oz since Kaliko is the Nome King in the latter story—a book that was originally written in 1905—however, with the publication of King Rinkitink, which restores Baum's original vision of Roquat as the Nome King at this time, there is no longer any need to place it before or in 1905. (This is not unprecedented, and seems to be closer to what Baum may have had in mind anyway, as Baum hints in the pumpkin graveyard in The Road to Oz, which dates the time from The Marvelous Land of Oz to The Road to Oz as a year and ten months.) Tik-Tok of Oz can, thus, place a year or two later, but no later than 1909.

Discrepancies and Mistakes:

1. Baum again errs (as he did in The Emerald City of Oz), in saying that Glinda and her castle are north of Oz, when they're established in the Quadling lands in the south (which is even shown on his map in this very book).

2. Once again, it's stated that the Sawhorse is the only horse in Oz (first stated in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz), though this time it is the Sawhorse who proclaims it, which may be his perspective. Both the Cowardly Lion and Tip are familiar with horses, and later Oz books show plenty of them.

3. A common contradiction cited is that of Polychrome and the Shaggy Man who act as if they hadn't met before (which they did in The Road to Oz). Their interchange, however, reveals more of the absence of greeting than an outright contradiction. They don't reintroduce themselves, and Polychrome knows the Shaggy Man's name. One further indication that Baum hadn't forgotten that they'd met before is a few paragraphs earlier where Poly says "This is the second time my carelessness has left me on Earth." So, what seems to be the case is that Baum missed adding an additional sentence/paragraph where Poly and Shaggy say hello, and Shaggy asks her what she's doing back on the ground. Similarly, Baum leaves out Betsy's conversation with the Shaggy Man, as it's he who informs the readers that she's from Oklahoma.

4. Despite his time in Ev, Hank the Mule seems unable to speak until he gets to Oz, which seems to indicate that animals don't speak in Oz. This was different for Billina who (in Ozma of Oz) was able to speak immediately upon reaching Ev, as well as for Jim the Cabhorse, Eureka, and the Nine Tiny Piglets, all who were able to speak prior to arriving in Oz. This discrepancy can be explained in the same way that Toto's is explained, namely that Hank doesn't think to try until he's in Oz.

Electra: What relationship Electra has to the Demon of Electricity has not been explored, but it does appear that the six Messengers of Light are actual avatars for the different light sources on earth, but not meant to be the actual sources themselves (as Erma mentions "the moon being hidden behind the earth's rim" and that the skies lend Starlight her power).

Hiergargo and the Hollow Tube: The Hollow Tube was "burrowed and built" in the year 19625401 by a magician named Hiergargo, a name that refers to a kind of evil high-priest and likely indicates a dragon given that An is the realm of the oldest dragons. The etymology of "gargo" is cunning, crafty, malicious and in the Proto-Celtic, a horror. It is closely associated with the Greek gorgo, origin of the serpent-headed Gorgons, and the Sanskrit garg (garga), which is a roar or growl, and is the root of the French gargouille (gargoyle). "Hier," of course means powerful, supernatural, sacred. That Hiergargo says he "burrowed" the hole also lends an animalistic aspect to the picture. Tititi-Hoochoo calls the Tube's creation a foolish decision, particularly since it led to the explosion of a star when the magician first went through it (there is no word as to whether Hiergargo survived it). The year, which on face value amounts to nearly two billion years ago, seems improbable in Baum's mythology, though it is an ancient description and might be interpreted in light of ancient cultures, such as the Sumerians, who used a number system that was sexagesimal (based on 60) and a lunar calendar system. If so, this would bring Hiergargo's construction of the Tube to 27,257 BCE, approximately 7,000 years earlier than the Green Dragon of Atlantis (who the dragonettes claim ruled in 20,000 BC), as noted in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. A better option is that it indicates a year, month, day and time, which brings us to 19,625 BC, even closer to the age of the dragons. The Hollow Tube itself is a called a black hole in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, and indeed, its connection from one side of the globe to the other appears to indicate something far more than a mundane "burrowing." It seems probably that Hiergargo discovered or utilized a magic portal and built around it. As hinted in this book, and revealed in The Law of Oz and Other Stories, the tunnel is capable of moving to different locations.

Hotel Trees: The food-bearing trees in the Metal Forest are established in The Blue Emperor of Oz to have been created by the Wizard Wam, and stolen by Ruggedo and brought into his underground realm.

Land of An: Baum did not originally name the realm of Tititi-Hoochoo. As revealed in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz and The Law of Oz and Other Stories, the originally unnamed land of the Original Dragon, Tititi-Hoochoo and the fairy kings and queens is called at this time The Empire of the Fairy Fellowship, but it is only part of the Land of An, which had been bifurcated in 1764 and is restored two hundred years later in 1964. As revealed in The Gardener's Boy of Oz, there are three entrances to this realm: 1. the tunnel of Hiergargo, 2. the fence from the land of the Sour Notes, and 3. a great bottomless fissure. This land is deemed by Flora, the Queen of Gardens, as more important to humanity than Oz because "most of the fairies who govern natural phenomena, from electric storms and tides to koala bears and snapdragons, lived here at least part of their time."

Magic: The text doesn't specify how Glinda diverts Ann and her army across the Deadly Desert, and there is no indication that she spirited them there (which they would have noticed). One suggestion made by Ruth Berman is that Glinda opened up the Nome King's tunnel, and routed them through it, though it's clear from The Red Jinn in Oz that Ozma only ever closed up the tunnel entrance on her side. So, it may be that Glinda either magically routed them through the tunnel or found some other undisclosed means to get them across the Deadly Desert.

The Magic Picture: As was first revealed in The Emerald City of Oz, the Magic Picture is capable of reproducing sound, which is how Ozma is able to hear Queen Ann's wish to go home. There may be a separate device, however, that enables this as there are times when sound does not seem to function.

The Nome King: The Nome King is no longer named Roquat, but Ruggedo, which as noted in a footnote is the new name he chose after losing his memory. The story of how this occurs, as well as how the Nome King remembered his missing Magic Belt is told in the Oziana 2004 story "Evrob and the Nomes." Ruggedo also has magic powers, which he did not have in Ozma of Oz. Kaliko says Ruggedo "learned a good many enchantments that we Nomes know nothing about." The story of this is told in "Ruggedo and the School of Magic." His magic is taken away by Tititi-Hoochoo.

Oogaboo: Queen Ann notes (in chapter 1) that there are 90 people living in Oogaboo: "eighteen men, twenty-seven women and forty-four children." The further adventures of Queen Ann and Oogaboo are revealed in Queen Ann in Oz and its sequel Jodie in Oz. Queen Ann and Oogaboo also feature in the deluxe edition of Adolf Hitler in Oz and The Glass Cat of Oz.

Oz Books: Betsy knows of Oz, Ozma and Dorothy, but has not heard of the Nome King. This is an indication that she's read some of the Oz books, and, appropriately, NOT Ozma of Oz, which wasn't published until 1907, two years after this story takes place. This is in keeping with Baum's ideas that his books are records of historical events that have taken place in Oz, something which those in the Outside World generally believe to be a fiction, but which some believe is true.

Ozga: The question as to why a fairy-princess and cousin of Ozma is growing in the Rose Kingdom is not answered by Baum. The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1 explains that "Ozma had a fairy cousin who was turned into a rosebush, which then spawned both the Rose Rulers & the talking rosebushes before he was found and disenchanted by Lurline." See the Rose Kingdom entry below for more details. This explains how Ozga is able to "converse" with the plants and flowers who point her in the direction of the Nome's underground kingdom. Another mystery that's more difficult to explain is why Ozga ceased to be a fairy simply because of being exiled from the Rose Kingdom. Yet, as the last Rose Ruler withered and died, necessitating that he be replanted, so too does Ozga, an event that's noted in the 2014 revised edition of Adolf Hitler in Oz. Ozga goes on to marry Private Files. Her additional power restoring plants is revealed in Thorns and Private Files in Oz.

Polychrome: Polychrome notes that she is thousands of years old, and that the Rain King is her uncle. This has led to the conclusion that her father, the Rainbow, is the brother of the Rain King.

Predictions: Baum predicts the cell-phone by over seventy years.

Quox: This is the dragon Quox's first appearance, though chronologically he first appears in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz. He appears in Oz again in The Law of Oz and Other Stories.

Rak: An evil creature, similar to a dragon, and possibly related to them, but larger and fiercer. They are feared by all. In Bucketheads in Oz, author Phyllis Ann Karr addresses a thorny continuity issue regarding death and destruction: "When Private Files assured the rest of the Army of Oogaboo that if the Rak ate them 'each small piece will still be alive,' he was either misinformed or stretching the point to keep up morale. Each small piece would have remained alive only until digested. To be technical, much of it would then have been alive as part of the Rak's body; but if Files understood that bit himself, he did not explain it to his officers."

Rose Kingdom: Roseland's origins are explained in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1. It was begun by Omiarr, a fairy man, who had been enchanted into a rosebush by an evil wizard who'd been angry with him for not helping him conquer Mo. As the wizard was later killed by a knight, Omiarr remained in that form for a century, giving forth seeds which became a vegetable man and woman. Omiarr was later found again by Lulea and returned to the Forest of Burzee, though his offspring continue to grow and live in the Rose Kingdom.

The Shaggy Man's Brother: The name of Shaggy Man's brother in this book is not revealed, however, it's made explicit in four other sources. Baum's musical production The Tik-Tok Man of Oz called him Wiggy, which can be a nickname for William, yet Baum never brings either name into book-canon, and it's not in every draft of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz screenplay either. Perhaps Baum felt Shaggy and Wiggy were too silly. In any case, Karyl Carlson and Eric Gjovaag, in Queen Ann in Oz revealed that the Shaggy Man's actual name was actually Shagrick Mann. This provides a surname for both men. Mark E. Haas, in The Emerald Mountain of Oz, revealed his brother's first name to be Daniel. The Magic Bowls of Oz, however, calls him Ichabod. The former story takes place in 1999, while the latter is in 1952. It appears that the Shaggy Man's brother might in fact have been named Ichabod Mann. His brother may have called him "Wiggy" as a nickname, but Ichabod never cared for his given name, and opted to change it to Daniel at some point.

Unlike his brother, Ichabod/Daniel had become wealthy. Early in Tik-Tok, the text says he was taken while working in the mines, which has led many to assume he was a miner. However, the text contradicts this. He's said to be wearing fine clothes (and silk stockings), which would be more than unusual for someone working the mines. Closer examination of the text reveals that he owned the mine, and had made his fortune back when he "was a miner" and "dug gold out of a mine." Years later, he returned to what was literally "his mine," likely to inspect it for more gold. It was at this time that the Nomes abducted him. Shaggy said it was ten years ago, which would date this abduction to 1895 (as this story takes place in 1905), however, Ruggedo was enchanted into a lizard by Glinda during this period (Cory in Oz), so 1893 is the latest year in which he could have abducted Ichabod. Ichabod/Daniel Mann appears in several later stories, including The Magic Bowls of Oz, The Enchanted Gnome of Oz, The Emerald Mountain of Oz, and "Peer Counseling," where he's identified as bisexual.

Toto: The reason Toto hasn't spoken until this point is revealed in Oz-Story Magazine #6 short story, "Toto and the Truth."

The 10th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

History: Rinkitink in Oz was first written in 1905 as King Rinkitink without the Oz connection, but went unpublished until 1916 when it was reconfigured as an Oz book. Although the original version of the story is lost, a new version is now available based on the winning entry of a story-contest hosted by the International Wizard of Oz Club to recreate a King Rinkitink as Baum might have envisioned it. The other entries were published in Oziana 2016.

Synopsis: On the peaceful and prosperous Nonestic island of Pingaree, which has its wealth from the pearls they trade with the kingdom of Rinkitink to the south, King Kitticut shares with his son Prince Inga a great secret of how his father had many years ago defeated the warring armies of the northern twin islands of Regos and Coregos. They had been able to drive off the warriors due to three Magic Talismans that his father possessed, three pearls gifted to his ancestor by the Mermaid Queen in thanks for having rescued her from her enemies. The invaders were then drowned in a raging storm, which King Kitticut suspects was due to the fairy mermaids. He shows his son the pearls and explains that the blue one gives strength, the pink one protects its wearer from all harm, and the white one offers sound advice. Inga has trouble believing a pearl can speak, but his father brings out the white pearl, which cautions the boy to not disbelieve something just because he doesn't understand it. Chastened, Prince Inga asks why his father fears another invasion if the pearls still possess their powers. The King explains that he does not wear the pearls for fear of losing them, but keeps them safely hidden away. In the event that he should die, he's passing this knowledge along to him now, as the pearls belong to the line of kings of Pingaree.

When a ship arrives a few days later, one of the Royal Watchmen informs the King, who along with many islanders, goes out to see it. Out comes a round and rosy-faced, expensively attired man, who laughingly announces that he's King Rinkitink, recently escaped from his people in Gilgad, the capital of Rinkitink, to visit Pingaree. With him comes an irascible talking goat named Bilbil, who the King rides. King Kitticut welcomes him, but his people are shocked, as they don't have goats, let along talking animals, on their island. Rinkitink brings numerous rich gifts for the royal family and court. At dinner, Rinkitink merrily explains how he escaped his kingdom. One of his subjects had written a document entitled "How to Be Good," which the king promised to study after scolding the Lord High Chancellor for not combing his eyebrows. Vowing to not leave his room until he learned how to be good, and issuing a royal decree that no one should disturb him, he escaped while no one was looking with the scroll on his person, taking with him twenty loyal rowers and Bilbil. Prince Inga expresses interest in the document, so in between bouts of hilarity, Rinkitink reads him some of its wise sayings.

Several weeks later, King Rinkitink is still on Pingaree, reading his scroll and spending time with King Kitticut. Prince Inga tries to speak with Bilbil, but the goat proves so discontented and rude, that he gives up trying, retiring instead to his favorite tree where he goes to read his father's books. One foggy morning, while asleep in his tree, the fog lifts and his father's worst fears come to pass when hundreds of ships of armed pirate-raiders from Regos and Coregos invade the land. The king goes to retrieve his pearls, but is caught by the warriors and tied up, as is Queen Garee and all those of the Royal Palace, who are taken aboard the invading ships. The leader of the Northmen then tells his warriors to pillage everything of value and destroy the palace. The Prince awakens to watch all of this from his tree. Once the palace is leveled, they search the island, destroying every home they find and taking its inhabitants as slaves.

The next morning, the conquering army departs with every ship on the island filled with treasure and slaves to work in the mines of the King of Regos and the grain fields of the Queen of Coregos. The Prince climbs down sadly and finds food. Locating a well for water, he discovers that Rinkitink is down the well, having fallen in escaping the warriors. Inga tries to get him out, but isn't strong enough to wind up the bucket with Rinkitink attached to it. When Inga goes off to get food for him, he encounters Bilbil who escaped by keeping quiet and avoiding the marauders. Together, they find a rope and manage to pull Rinkitink out. Finding food in the palace ruins and exploring the island, they are dismayed to discover neither soul remaining nor house standing. Curling up under a tree they go to sleep.

The next day, Inga remembers the Magic Pearls that his father told him about, and returning to the palace ruins, they find a room under a tower still habitable and clear out the rubble. The next day, Inga finds the banquet hall where the pearls were hidden, but it's covered by heavy fallen blocks of marble. Rinkitink, meanwhile, insists that Bilbil tell him a story, which he does concerning a hollow-headed, brainless king, but Rinkitink's jokes irritate the goat, who wanders off to find Prince Inga to complain. The boy reminds the goat that the king is kindhearted and gentle, which is better than having brains, and merry despite misfortunes. Inga enlists the help of his comrades to dislodge the fallen marble, explaining that doing so will help them escape the island. He doesn't mention the pearls as per his father's warning to keep them secret. They first try tying ropes to Bilbil, but he's unable to move the large blocks. Then, tying them to Rinkitink as well as Inga, they move the blocks over the hiding place. Inga then goes fishing and with Bilbil's help cooks them dinner.

That night, he sneaks into the banquet hall and retrieves the pears. Climbing up into his tree, he waits for dawn to retrieve them. He places the Blue Pearl in his right shoe in front of his toe; he places the Pink Pearl in his left foot. Of the White Pearl, he asks advice, and it tells him that after the storm tonight strands a ship upon the shore, he will take the ship and go to Regos and Coregos to liberate his parents. It tells him also to be wise and brave. He accepts this advice and places the pearl back in its silk bag, securing it around his neck and under his shirt. When Rinkitink asks him about the secret, the boy tells him that he cannot divulge what is a family secret, but assures him they'll be leaving by boat in the morning. Thinking the boy's gone mad from grief, the King entertains him with stories and jokes.

The storm comes as predicted, and the next morning they find a boat stranded along the shore. Black on the outside and silver on the inside, the boat is also stored with food and water. When Rinkitink comes along, he's pleased to discover the boy's words have come true and determines at once to set sail for Gilgad. Inga contradicts him and says he is sailing for Regos and Coregos to rescue his parents. The King reminds him that he is fat and the boy small, and that such a task is impossible unless they want to end up slaves, but Inga sagaciously suggests a bargain. If Rinkitink can row them to Gilgad, he will go along. If he cannot, instead Inga will row them to rescue his parents. Rinkitink agrees, and after struggling to get Bilbil onboard, he sings a song as he prepares to disembark. Yet, he soon finds he has only the strength to row the boat a few feet, and soon enough laughs that he is as a goat, to which Bilbil responds that he is no member of his superior race. Prince Inga, with the power of the Blue Pearl, then easily and untiringly rows north to Regos and Coregos, while Rinkitink sings silly verses and Bilbil reproaches him. By the fourth day, they arrive.

Captain Buzzub approaches, surprised by the boat, as no one ever comes to these lawless islands whose cruel king and queen are at war with the world, and who mercilessly treat the slaves they stole from surrounding islands. But Inga disembarks followed by Rinkitink on Bilbil's back, and challenges the captain to free his people or risk being crushed by their magical powers. The captain and his men laugh, but when they advance to seize them they find they can't touch them. The Captain then orders the intruders killed by arrows and spears, but as if protected by an invisible shield none are able to hit them. Angry, Bilbil butts into several warriors, causing them the rest to retreat in terror. When King Gos hears of this, he orders an attack from the castle gates upon the intruders. But again, the Pink Pearl protects them, and when Inga then tears down a gate as if made of paper, the terrified King flees with his men across the planked bridge of boats to Coregos, leaving only the slaves to celebrate.

After destroying the boat-bridge, they select the largest suite of rooms in the palace, and are treated to a grand meal by the chefs. Rinkitink again asks how the boy commanded so powerful a magic, but again Inga tells him the secret is not his to share, and the King contents himself telling funny stories. The next morning, Inga awakens, preparing to find and free his parents, but discovers that his left shoe with the Pink Pearl in it is missing. Searching high and low, Inga awakens Rinkitink, who recalls that he threw something at a cat mewing loudly outside his window, too sleepy to know what it is, and suggests it was probably his shoe, but that the boy can now have any footwear he wants. At that, Inga confesses that the secret to his power rested in the shoe, and Rinkitink reproaches him for not trusting him, or at least hiding the shoe under his pillow. Together, they go and search the grounds outside the window, but as no shoe is found, they conclude that someone must have picked it up in the early hours. At last, Inga tells Rinkitink the secret of the pearls, but when they go back inside to retrieve the other shoe, they discover the housekeeper had thrown it in the dust-bin. Yet, when they search that, they find no shoe there either! Utterly forlorn by the loss of the two pearls, they conclude someone must have picked that up as well, and withdraw to a private room to inquire of the White Pearl what to do. It responds "Keep your secret, be patient, and fear not!" With a new pair of shoes, Inga and Rinkitink depart the palace, only to discover everyone bowing before them as magician-conquerors. Unable now to free his father from the overseers in the mines or to rescue his mother, Inga goes about ruling the city with kindness and consideration.

The person who took Inga's shoes was a poor charcoal-burner named Nikobob, who saw them as a good gift for his daughter Zella, who lives with his wife several miles from the city in the forest, where few go--save messengers from the king to his overseers in the mines. The dark forests are haunted by dangerous creatures, but because Nikobob never hunted them, they generally left him and his family alone. The most feared creature on the island is the ancient Great Beast, Choggenmugger, who had eaten all the many crocodiles, great serpents and dragons who once lived on Regos. Nikobob had never encountered him until now, when the Great Beast tears through the trees to attack him. Anticipating his death, he strikes his axe in protest, but with the power of the pearls, Nikobob chops off the creature's tongue. Surprised, he then proceeds to chop the evil creature into pieces, ending his long and wicked reign. Returning home, Nikobob exclaims of the defeat of King Gos and his destruction of Choggenmugger. He then gifts his daughter with the shoes, which she happily puts on.

The next day, Zella discovers while scooping out honey from a tree that the swarm of bees that attack her are unable to harm her. Her mother marvels at this, and with all the honey she's collected, decides Zella should go early to sell it to Queen Cor, as they need the money and think the new prince might soon conquer her too. The Queen of Coregos, meanwhile, is angry at having the quarrelsome men of Regos living on her island, eating up her provisions and causing trouble. She berates her husband for running from the boy, but Gos argues that they're protected by fairies (or are fairies themselves) and that it would not be courage, but folly to face them. She suggests he use cunning instead to sneak over to the island and kill the boy while he sleeps, but he explains they are all protected. She thus determines to defeat them herself and several days later takes a boat with four men to Regos. A servant soon announces her to Prince Inga, and she arrives feigning homage to him. Inga explains that his only purpose here is to liberate his people and goods, and asks if she will aid him in this. She invites him to dine with her in Coregos, but he refuses, though she entices him with food, women, games and fireworks. Suddenly, she grabs him and calls in her guards. Rinkitink tries to help, but gets kicked back, and he and Inga get tied up and led to her boat.

King Gos and his warriors mock them, but the Queen ensures they're kept alive for her personal slave, as she finds him pretty and gentle. Gos restores the bridge of boats and return to Regos for a wild carnival. The White Pearl, meanwhile, tells Inga to be brave as a change will come. The Queen makes him her page and warns him not to upset her. As for Rinkitink, she intends to use him as a pincushion and to tickle him mercilessly. He offers instead to sing, and she allows it for the time.

With the return of the warriors to the island, Nikobob warns Zella to keep off the main road, and if necessary to choose between the wild beasts and the warriors to choose the beasts. But cutting through the forest gets her lost, and she's surprised to find herself pushing aside branches and logs easily, and tossing aside a wild boar as if it were a doll. From that point all the beasts leave her alone, even the great puma. At last she makes it to the bridge and crosses to the Queen's palace. Bilbil, meanwhile, had been so cross to everyone that Rinkitink locked him in a room, where even the servants grew so offended at him that they stopped coming. Looking out the window, the goat sees their enemy return and bursts out the door, dashing forward to the big king ascending the stairs, he butts him and the line of warriors behind him, who go tumbling to the bottom of the stairs. Bilbil then races down to the bridge and crosses over into Coregos and the courtyard of the Queen.

When a number of slaves come to announce that some slaves have rebelled Queen Cor grows angry and determines to whip them. Fanning her, Inga accidentally brushes her ear, for which she strikes him hard. Upset, Rinkitink, now her bugler, spills hot coffee on her lap and gown! He's spared a beating only by the arrival of the slaves, who are all weak and sick women barely able to walk. Ordering her whip, Inga runs into Zella and tells her to beware the wrathful Queen, but knowing she loves her honey, she goes in, just as Inga recognizes the shoes upon her feet are his! Inga stops her and asks how she acquired her shoes. She tells him and he explains who he is and that he requires her shoes, in exchange for which he will make her family wealthy. Handing her the shoes he's currently wearing, she agrees just as the queen rushes out impatient. Going to beat Inga, whose now wearing the shoes, she's unable to harm him. She takes out a dagger to kill Inga, but it cannot harm him, and she leaves for her throne. Followed by Zella, Inga goes to demand the overseer hand him the key to unlock the prisoners. Removing their shackles, he sends them to their homes and demands all the children be returned to their mothers. The Queen rushes out to escape, but at that moment Bilbil crashes into her. The Queen escapes nonetheless while Inga has the overseer take him to the royal dairy, but only her scarf is there. Searching all of Coregos, they are unable to find her.

With the bridge of boats once again removed, they figure out that the Queen Cor took his mother with her. Ordering a feast for all the rescued slaves, Inga then comforts Zella with gold pieces from the Queen's purse. Determining to get their boat back, the White Pearl tells them to go south and clap hands three times. Zella instructs them where to sail to avoid King Gos's warriors. The next morning, they summon the boat as instructed, and they sail to Regos, but it takes them the whole of the day to locate the entrance to the mines, and as night falls they dine in the boat sharing stories and songs and determined to find the entrance the next day.

Finding the entrance the next day, Inga announces himself as the liberator of his people, but learns that King Gos had been there yesterday and departed. Searching the mines, he discovers that King Kitticut is not amongst the numerous slaves in each of the three caverns, but was taken away the night before. Inga breaks the bonds on all the slaves in each of the caves, and they gratefully agree to support him in whatever he does, but he stops them slaying the overseers in revenge, and instead organizes them and sends them out of mines. Spotting Buzzub, Inga inquires what occurred, and he confesses the King and Queen have left on a boat with forty rowers and his parents. Inga is unaware that Queen Cor had convinced her husband to hide away the boy's parents in the Nome Kingdom, after which they can threaten that if he will not leave their islands, his parents will be put to death; otherwise, they will remain in hiding, but safe. With several bags of gold and jewels to bribe the Nome King, they departed upon the Nonestic.

Returning Zella to her parents in Regos, Inga invited them to the palace where he appoints Nikobob ruler of the Twin Islands, much to that man's surprise, as he does not wish to rule the cruel warriors who would as soon murder him. He explains that he's remained safe because he was poor and had nothing anyone wanted. If he were rich, he would become prey for thieves and marauders. Rinkitink admits he's wise, and Bilbil agrees that it's true so long as the poor man doesn't have a cruel master. Acceding to his wishes, they put Captain Buzzub in charge of the warriors, with the promise that he keep them quiet and orderly. The non-Pingaree slaves are then permitted to choose a boat and return to their countries. To his own people, Inga tells them to rebuild and prepare for the return of their king and prince. At that, Nikobob agrees to help direct the men in this endeavor, and asks if he might move there with his family, and Inga happily appoints him general manager of the buildings and fisheries. Inga directs as well that the people bring from King Gos's storehouse all the goods and chattel. For the palace, Inga plunders the king and queen's castles. After this is accomplished, a large fleet of boats sets sail for Pingaree.

Upon the black boat, Inga learns from the White Pearl the direction to follow King Gos, and for eight days follows their barge. King Gos lands on an uninhabited coast of the Wheelers in Ev. Leaving the rowers in the boat, the king and queen march the chained prisoners (and the precious treasure they're forced to carry) to the entrance of the underground caverns of the Nome King, which they reach on the second day of their journey. They are met by two nomes, the Long-Eared Hearer and the Lookout, who lead them to the great domed chamber upon which sits the Nome King, Kaliko. They gift him with the gems and treasures in exchange for keeping King Kitticut and Queen Garee prisoners. Gos claims they are evil and invaded their islands to conquer and slay their people for their riches. Their wizard son is attempting to set them free, for which reason they've brought them here. Kitticut decries this lie, but Kaliko agrees it's a clever lie, and besides Gos is a mighty king and warrior and it is the duty of powerful kings to stand together and trample the weak under their feet. Ensuring from Gos that the rulers of Pingaree are not under the protection of Ozma, and that the talking goat that the boy wizard travels with is not from Oz, Kaliko accepts the offer and has the captives sent away under Klik's escort. Removing their chains and feeding them, Klik locks them in a small cavern. Kaliko then spreads a feast for King Gos and Queen Cor, and the next morning they depart for their boat.

Landing at the same location as their boat, they come upon the forty rowers, but they do not know where their rulers have gone, so the White Pearl leads Inga and his companions. On the way, they encounter Gos and Cor returning, and they hide behind a rock until they pass. Rinkitink notes that his people would never let him travel to the Nome Kingdom for fear of his safety, and although nervous, he has heard the new Nome King is not as wicked as the old. For protection, and in the event they get separated, Rinkitink requests the Pink Pearl, which Inga concedes to. Placing it safely in his vest pocket, Rinkitink resumes the journey, as the White Pearl instructs them to summon Klik and go before the Nome King. Due to his revelry the night before, Kaliko has a headache and is cross, ordering them to go away. Inga declares his intention of liberating his parents, while Rinkitink introduces himself and Bilbil refuses to speak. When Kaliko asks to ride Bilbil, the goat refuses to budge, but when the nome kicks him, he flies across the cavern and stops suddenly, hurling Kaliko over his head against the wall. Angrily, the Nome King leads them out a door to a balcony overlooking an enormous cavern. Summoning the nomes by a gold whistle, Kaliko shows them his army, explaining that they are numerous as the sands of the sea, and that although he's a wizard, the nomes are not mortals and have their own magic, and are too powerful to be opposed by them. Thus, he asks them to go in peace. Inga says he cannot leave until he's freed his parents, so the king said that whatever evil befalls them is on his own head. Klik is summoned to bring them to their separate rooms and fed, and he explains that they are neither prisoners nor guests.

The White Pearl again counsels them to be patient and brave, and Rinkitink suggests exploring to see if they could find out where his parents are being kept. They come across great furnaces, work rooms where gold is fashioned into ornaments, giant wheels for polishing gems, treasure rooms, barracks and great kitchens, yet they can't find Inga's parents, or their way back. Klik then arrives and leads them back. That night, Inga is awakened by a grating sound, but feeling his way to the door leading to Rinkitink's room, he finds it sealed shut, as is the door leading to Bilbil's room. Sensing that the room is whirling, he gets into bed, and after a time falls asleep again. Hours later, he finds hot food on the table, and the doors still closed. Trying Rinkitink's door, he finds it opens, but it leads to an unknown rocky chamber. The opposite door opens to a wall. Going through the open corridor, the door behind him shuts, and he continues into a large empty cavern, a second twisting corridor, then another cavern, a third, and a fourth, darker one. Once inside it, a door slams shut behind him. Proceeding in the dark, handcuffs appear upon his wrists and lock, and he finds himself chained to an iron post in the floor. With the strength offered by the Blue Pearl, he breaks his chains and twists the steel door from his hinges back to the third cave. Before him sits an enormous, unclothed, red-haired giant whose mouth is large enough to devour twelve men. The giant invites him to wrestle. Returning to the fourth chamber to grab the iron post, Inga returns and dashed it against the forehead of the giant, causing the fiery glow in his eyes to go out. Passing to the second cave, even darker than the other, Inga sense the floor sinking and he leaps, grasping the rock wall and returning to the third chamber. Before him is now an abyss. With a running jump he crosses the gulf to the first cavern. Bright light greets him and he conceals himself behind a projecting rock. The cave floor is a furnace of flaming coals. Thinking hard, the prince begins grabbing pieces of rock from the wall and tossing them on the cavern floor until he's created a bridge of stepping stones, with which he crosses in safety. Into the corridor he goes, where a rock opens before him, revealing Kaliko, Klik, King Rinkitink and Bilbil.

Rinkitink had had his own adventure in the meantime. He'd awoken to breakfast, and was then invited by Klik to Kaliko's presence. As he entered the passage, however, a ton-heavy rock dropped above him. Protected by the Pink Pearl, however, it crashed besides him. Two more rocks fall downward attempting to crush him, but to no avail. At Kaliko's chamber, Rinkitink jokingly complains about his rocks coming loose. Kaliko shows him a skein of gold thread, which unwinds and coils around the King of Gilgad's body, weaving into a net. But Rinkitink steps through it. Kaliko explains that he bears them no ill will and would like to have him as a friend, but is forced to destroy them because they won't leave. Pressing a button on his throne chair, the floor beneath Rinkitink opens to a Bottomless Gulf. Yet, the King remains suspended in air until he walks unto the floor. Rinkitink summons his goat, which Kaliko also wishes to destroy, and as soon as he arrives, he gets on his back to protect him. The Nome King excuses himself, hoping he'll return to find them "pieceful," and in his absence numerous knives appears in the air around them, but although they whir and stab, they cannot come near them. When Kaliko returns, he finds Rinkitink on his throne reading "How to Be Good" and Bilbil chewing his royal cloak. Kaliko then says that Prince Inga has been undergoing even more dangerous trials in his Three Trick Caverns. Going to see what became of him, Rinkitink and Bilbil are happy to see him yet alive.

Original Version

In Oz, meanwhile, on a visit to Glinda, Dorothy peers through the Great Book of Records and notes the events that have occurred in Pingaree, and with Inga, Rinkitink and Bilbil. Returning to the Emerald City the next day, she forgets the events, but some time later remembered Inga's adventures and commanded the Magic Picture to show her what he was doing. Seeing them in danger in the Nome King's caverns, she goes to Ozma to inform her that Kaliko is mistreating them and she wants to go there to help them. Ozma concedes, but requests she take the Wizard with her. Taking the Magic Carpet aboard the Red Wagon, driven by the Sawhorse, they head to the Deadly Desert, then use the carpet to cross the desert in a manner of minutes what would have taken days. Armed with his black bags and Billina's eggs, the pair descend into the dominions of the Nome King knowing that an egg that touches a nome will cause them to lose their immortality.

As Kaliko and Rinkitink play quoits, Klik comes to announce that Dorothy and the Wizard are approaching. This upset Kaliko, as he tells them who she is and how she gets angry if he does the slightest wicked thing, while the Wizard learned magic from Glinda whose the most powerful sorceress in the world. When they arrive, Dorothy greets Inga warmly, telling him how she's come to assist them, and scolding Kaliko and demanding he retrieve Inga's parents at once. Kaliko reiterates that he gave a promise to King Gos, but Dorothy informs him that he and his wife were drowned at sea when a storm overtook them. Kaliko still refuses, so Dorothy brings out her eggs, at which he commands Klik to bring the boy's parents. While they all rejoice, the Wizard notes that Bilbil can speak and inquires, but the goat says it's his business. Looking more closely, the Wizard announces that he's under an enchantment, explaining that a cruel magician had enchanted the Prince of Boboland into a goat. He believes Bilbil is this prince. With the magician dead, the secret to disenchant him is lost, but he believes Glinda can restore him. Bidding goodbye to Kaliko, they go via Magic Carpet back to Oz and the Emerald City.

Ozma prepares a grand banquet, new clothes for her guests and rooms. Glinda soon arrives and joins with the Wizard to figure out how to disenchant Bilbil, and although the surly goat doesn't want them to bother, Glinda convinces him that his subjects will love him even more due to his misfortune. Glinda and the Wizard first turn him into a lamb, then an ostrich, then a tottenhot, a mifkit and finally Prince Bobo. When he appears at the banquet, Rinkitink feels bittersweet about it. Bobo apologizes to him for being so disagreeable, but he assures him he enjoyed his grumpiness. Everyone has a good time, including the Shaggy Man, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Tin Woodman, Cap'n Bill, Trot, Betsy, the Hungry Tiger, Cowardly Lion, Bungle, and Hank, to whom Rinkitink composes a song.

The guests remain several weeks at the Emerald City, but at last return home to Pingaree, crossing again by means of the Red Wagon, Magic Carpet, and then across Wheeler Country back to the black boat and home. The travelers are surprised to find how beautiful the restoration of the island is. Rinkitink stays on happily for some time until one day a fleet of ships arrives carrying the flag of Rinkitink. The terrified king knows he's caught at last. The people aboard cheer as they spot their king as Pinkerbloo goes down to greet him. Rinkitink proposes a 3 day celebration, which King Kitticut agrees to. It's the greatest celebration the island has ever seen, but at last it ends. Rinkitink sings a farewell song to his companions, save for Prince Bobo who accompanies him home.

King Rinkitink Version

Forthcoming

Continuity Notes

Boboland: This country appears again in the short story "Return to Boboland," and is visited at length in The Magic Carpet of Oz. The Scalawagons of Oz refers to some lost fairy tribes, such as the Nota-bells, who are originally from Sugar Mountain in Boboland. As per "Return to Boboland" and the forthcoming Fionna Freckles, the First and Foremost, the Royal Family includes King Bobo, Queen Bobeth, Prince Bobo, Princess Bojo, Princess Boellen and young Prince Bobob have all been enchanted by the evil magician Botai. As per The Magic Carpet of Oz, there is Princess Bebe, but she's been established to be the youngest of the princesses, and Prince Bobo's uncle, Duke Sandor, who serves as regent of Boboland in the absence of the Royal Family.

Choggenmugger: The exact nature of this creature is not specified. He is noted to have eaten dragons, which would make him considerably large and powerful. He may be an older dragon who is a cannibal, or something else entirely like a Rak (see Tik-Tok of Oz).

Crossover: The Isle of Phreex from John Dough and the Cherub is mentioned as being southwest from the island of Pingaree.

Dating: Rinkitink of Oz takes place over the course of 50 days, yet a total of three months elapse by the time the story ends. See the Chronology of Oz for more details. (King Rinkitink, however, has a different chronology). As the narrative of Rinkitink of Oz features Kaliko as the reigning Nome King, and includes the Glass Cat (from The Patchwork Girl of Oz), Betsy, Hank (from Tik-Tok of Oz) and Trot (from The Scarecrow of Oz), it requires placing those stories (including The Sea Fairies and Sky Island, which take place before The Scarecrow of Oz) prior to 1905, since those characters don't come to the Emerald City until after the events of those books. This proves to be a problem as it means that Button-Bright has aged only two years since his first appearance in The Road to Oz, yet it's clear in Sky Island that he's considerably older (which is also borne out by the events of his life depicted in "The Lost Boy of Oz," from The Law of Oz and Other Stories). One way around this is to create an artificial two year gap between chapters 4 and 5, which can work, but is not ideal. The new version of this story, King Rinkitink, adheres closer to Baum's original, and eliminates these problems, taking place earlier in time when the Nome King is still Roquat. The Royal Timeline of Oz adheres to this version of events, and thus places this story after Ozma of Oz, but before The Emerald City of Oz.

Kaliko: There is considerable debate over the characterization of Kaliko, who in the original version would have been Roquat, and who behaves like him and is even drawn to look like him. Rinkitink in Oz doesn't allow a variant reading of this version to substitute Ruggedo, even though he was left in the Nome Kingdom at the end of Tik-Tok of Oz, and could've taken back control. This forces a change upon Kaliko from a morally noble-minded character into a crueler one who views political rule as that of might makes right. King Rinkitink, published in 2018, however, restores Baum's original intent, and removes the deus-ex-machina of Dorothy resolving everything. With Roquat on the throne at this time, Kaliko maintains his nobler, kinder personality.

Language: Baum doesn't delve into what the "symbols of the Pingarese language" are, but it must be from a pre-enchantment era. It's clear that the Pingarese can communicate with Rinkitink, Regos and Coregos, and the Nome Kingdom.

Maps: Baum included Pingaree, Rinkitink and Boboland in his earlier Tik-Tok of Oz endpaper maps.

Mystery: Once again, as with The Scarecrow of Oz, there is no mention of the Magic Belt, which would have been more helpful in getting Dorothy and the Wizard to the Nome King's dominion, and the rescued adventurers there back to Oz. In King Rinkitink, however, this is rectified, and the Magic Belt works as it should.

Nome Etymology: Baum identifies the origin of the word "nome" as "one who knows," specifically, in this case, knowledge of all the gold, silver and precious stones hidden in the earth.

Prince Bobo: Prince Bobo reappears in "Return to Boboland" and has a large role in The Royal Explorers of Oz trilogy.

Prince Inga and Zella: These characters marry 87 years later, as recorded in The Emerald City Mirror, issues #41-48. Prince Inga has a large role, as well, in Trouble Under Oz.

Queen Garee was originally named Queen Uaie until the publisher asked Baum to change it due to their inability to pronounce it.

Racism or Parody: The Books of Wonder edition of Rinkitink in Oz eliminates the unfortunate bit of racism present in one small illustration found in the original edition of this book. It has been argued, however, that this presentation of a chain of racially superior life-forms is actually a parody of Darwin's theory of evolution, but it's unknown what Baum's thoughts on this were. The new King Rinkitink dispenses with this altogether.

Sequel: As King Rinkitink leaves Bilbil a goat, the story "King Rinkitink and the Trials of Prince Bobo" explores what happened to Prince Bobo, restoring this character to canon, as well as what happened to the evil pirates of Regos and Coregos.

Undocumented Trips: The Scarecrow is noted to be absent when the adventurers first arrive due to "making one of his trips through the country." Also, Dorothy and the Wizard comment that "they both had been [to the Nome Kingdom]" several times before. This statement is now supported by the Oziana stories "Mission Impozible: Revenge of the Emerald Grasshopper," "Ruggedo and the School of Magic" and "Evrob and the Nomes."

The seventh book the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: Ojo the Unlucky and his Unc Nunkie set off from their secluded blue Forest in the Munchkin country, first stopping to visit Dr. Pipt and his wife Dame Margolette. The former is stirring a new batch of the Powder of Life, which his wife wants to use to bring to life a servant that she's constructed. They meet the Glass Cat, who they'd made with their first batch years ago, though neither Pipt nor his wife care for her.

While Margolette is not looking, Ojo feels bad for the lifeless dummy, and mixes in extra brain potions. When Pipt brings the Patchwork Girl to life, she accidentally knocks over a bottle of petrifaction, turning Margolette and Unc Nunkie to marble statues. Horrified, Ojo agrees to find the magical ingredients to restore them. These include:

A six-leaf clover

The left wing of a butterfly

A gill of water from a dark well

3 hairs from the top of a Woozy's tail

A drop of oil from a man's body

The Powder of Life has also brought to life Dr. Pipt's phonograph player. The Patchwork Girl, who the Glass Cat names Scraps, and the Glass Cat, who Dr. Pipt named Bungle, have never had any adventures, and head off with Ojo to assist him. They first meet an old friend of Nick Chopper (back when he was a meat person). Then Ojo sleeps and eats in a strange house which has no occupant but an invisible Voice. At night, Scraps sees a wolf come to the door three times. In the morning, Ojo still feels hungry and tired. After departing, the phonograph player, Victor Columbia Edison, or Vic, catches up with the group, but they despise his music, whether classical or rag-time, and rudely disparage him so that he goes off by himself, aggrieved.

Next, they head to the home of the Wise Donkey from Mo (from The Magical Monarch of Mo) and the Foolish Owl, and get directions. They hop over a fence and discover the Woozy, who had been shut up by farmers years ago because he ate their honeybees. The farmers had attempted to destroy him first, but failed. After Ojo feeds him from his sack, the grateful Woozy agrees to give Ojo the three hairs on his tail, but no one can pull them out. So together they depart with the Woozy, who burns a hole in the fence with fire that he produces from his eyes when he gets angry. To get him angry, the Woozy instructs them to use the word "Krizzle Kroo," which angers him because he doesn't understand it.

The travelers fall prey to the Man-Eating-Plants on the Yellow Brick Road, but the Shaggy Man happens along, whistling (which keeps the plants from eating him), and chopping off the buds that hold them prisoner. He explains that he's been away from the Emerald City for several weeks, and will escort them to the Emerald City. He offers square-meal tablets, which the Wogglebug invented.

The travelers run into Vic the Phonograph Player again, but again he's disparaged, this time by the Shaggy Man who threatens to destroy him. They next encounter a porcupine in the road named Chiss, who shoots his quills at anyone who passes by, and who is considered an evil spirit by the locals. Chiss shoots at the travelers, and hits Shaggy's leg, but they collect and keep his quills from him. They next come to a locked gate, but Shaggy says it's an optical illusion, and they walk backwards through it with their eyes closed.

The Scarecrow and Sawhorse show up, and while the Scarecrow is entranced by Scraps (and vice versa), the Sawhorse is rude towards the Woozy. They meet the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, who arrests Ojo because the boy had unlawfully picked a six-leafed clover when he thought no one was looking. He is brought to Tollydiggle the jailor, who has a beautiful cottage and treats him with kindness and good food, explaining that the goal in Oz is to make prisoners who are weak and cowardly for having broken the law, strong and brave. Ojo is Tollydiggle's first prisoner, and her home is the only (official) prison in Oz.

Ojo goes before Ozma and her court to plead his case, and Ozma forgives him, explaining why she banned the picking of six-leafed clovers (it's a common recipe in magical formulae). The travelers, Dorothy and Toto head to Jack Pumpkinhead's home before passing to the Quadling Country. After some time, they must pass by the dangerous giant Mr. Yoop, who tries to eat them. Then they encounter the cave of the Hoppers, who have one large leg which they use to hop about, and the Horners, who have a horn jutting from their foreheads. The two peoples share the cave, divided by a fence, and are at war because of an insult made by the Horners. After Scraps goes over the fence to mediate the conflict, she discovers from the Chief Horner, Jak, that it was only a joke made by Diksey Horner. He explains this to the Hoppers, and there is peace again. The travelers discover a dark well in the Horner territory, and Ojo gets the next ingredient.

On the way, the travelers encounter a rapidly moving river, and entice a rude and lazy Quadling farmer with an emerald ring and some square-meal tablets) to build them a raft. This angers his wife, but Dorothy tells her Ozma will compensate her. On the river, however, they discover it changes currents, but they soon find a way to overcome the Trick River.

At the Tin Woodman's castle in the Winkie Country, Ojo presents his request for the last ingredient, but the Tin Woodman steadfastly refuses to allow Ojo to harm a butterfly, even to save his uncle. He advises that he instead ask the help of Ozma. Back at the Emerald City, Ozma agrees with the Tin Woodman's objection, and has the Wizard use his magic to undo the enchantment on Margolette and Unc Nunkie. The Wizard also takes away Dr. Pipt's magic and ability to make the Powder of Life. He also straightens his crooked limbs. Because of her vanity, the Wizard also lobotomizes the Glass Cat and gives her clear brains instead. Finally, Ozma gives Ojo and Unc Nunkie a house just outside the Emerald City.

Continuity-Notes:

Billina: Billina now has 7,000 chicks. See the notes for The Emerald City of Oz for details about Billina's brood. She shortly after has Ozma place a spell, sterilizing her eggs (The Royal Explorers of Oz).

Colors in Oz: Baum clarifies the issue with colors of each quadrant: p. 304: "Not that the trees and grasses were red, but the fences and houses were painted that color and all the wild-flowers that bloomed by the wayside had red blossoms."

Crossovers: The Wise Donkey first appeared in The Magical Monarch of Mo, when he lived in Mo. No indication of whether the Foolish Owl is a companion from there, or someone he met in Oz.

Dating: The Patchwork Girl of Oz takes place over the course of 12 days (see the Day-to-Day Chronology for details), likely in early September.

Glass Cat: Bungle's lobotomy didn't stick, as she's described in later books as having her pink brains back. This story was revealed over the course of time. "Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought, Alone" (Oziana 2011) depicts the mental state of Bungle following her lobotomy. She then has her original brains replaced in "Toto and the Truth" (Oz-story Magazine #6), yet because her pompous nature returns along with them, the Wizard again turns them clear, but this time magically. In "A Bungled Kidnapping in Oz" (Oziana 2004), Bungle saves the day and requests that her brains be turned back to their original color. This won't be the last time the Wizard performs a lobotomy on a citizen of Oz without their permission. He does the same thing to Jenny Jump at the end of The Wonder City of Oz, reasoning that her temper, envy, and ambition are things she could do without, though afterwards he regrets his decision and restores them to her ("The Runaway in Oz")

Another interesting fact about Bungle is that, of all the magically constructed creatures, she sleeps, as Ojo discovers one night. She's said to sleep again in The Magic of Oz and The Witch Queen of Oz. Two other magically constructed beings sleep, the Wooden Gargoyles of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, and Davy Jones of Lucky Bucky in Oz.

Lazy Quadling: By the time of The Emerald City Mirror #62, the Lazy Quadling, named Tonden in that story, has left his nagging wife and gone to stay with a friend in the Emerald City.

Mr. Yoop: The giant wife of Mrs. Yoop (The Tin Woodman of Oz), his origins are revealed in The Law of Oz and Other Stories.

Mysterious House: Besides a blue light that possibly leads them to the house, and the disembodied dictatorial Voice which tersely feeds and provides Ojo and Bungle shelter, Scraps notes that a large grey wolf came to the door of the house three times in the night. Also, Ojo finds the he's both still hungry and tired. The wolf at the door is an old expression which indicates the coming of poverty and privation.

Ojo: Ruth Plumly Thompson indicates that Ojo is ten years old in Ojo in Oz (set in 1930). His birth is noted by Unc Nunkie as being shortly after Ree Ala Bad is exiled, which is some time after Ozma comes to the throne. This chronology at first seems problematic because this story, which takes place around 1906, means that Ojo was born prior to Ozma's ascension to the throne. From an out-of-universe explanation, Thompson appears to have assumed that The Patchwork Girl of Oz occurred closer to its publication date in 1913. Yet, the dating in her own books precludes that (see "Thompson and the New Chronology" in Appendix C). From an in-universe perspective, it lends itself to some interesting speculation. Why would Unc Nunkie not tell the truth? One theory holds that it's for the sake of Isomere, a possibility that has several interesting implications that have not yet been explored in story. For Ree Ala Bad to not known of his son implies that he was away for an extended period of time and may not actually be Ojo's father. See the entry for "Mooj" in Ojo in Oz.

Pipt and the Powder of Life: Dr. Ozwald Pipt—his first name is revealed in Father Goose in Oz—notes that this last batch took "nearly six years" to make. He traded part of this first batch with Mombi who gave him a fake Powder of Perpetual Youth. Likely, he started on the new batch shortly after completing the first batch, with which he brought to life the Glass Cat (which gives him a "birth date" of 1899). Pipt doesn't use any of the magic words that Mombi and Tip used to bring to life Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse, which has led many to suspect that Pipt improved upon his initial recipe. Ozma confirms that it was indeed Dr. Pipt who was the Crooked Magician that Mombi traded with for the Powder of Life.

Predictions: Baum predicts the course of pop music on page 137.

Precious metals: Gold is noted as being a common metal in Oz.

Prison: Dorothy can't recall a time when there was a prisoner in the capital, and Tollydiggle the jailor says that Ojo is her first prisoner. Her home is the only official prison in Oz, and it exists for the sole purpose of loving rehabilitation through teaching inner strength and bravery: "We consider a prisoner unfortunate. He is unfortunate in two ways — because he has done something wrong and because he is deprived of his liberty. Therefore, we should treat him kindly, because of his misfortune, for otherwise he would become hard and bitter and would not be sorry he had done wrong..." To conceal their identity from the public while heading to and from Tollydiggle's home, prisoners wear a white robe that covers their head.

Royalty: The nobles of the court are first mentioned, including courtiers and officials of the Emerald City.

Rudeness: Several characters display an uncharacteristic (for Oz) rudeness to their fellow beings: Ojo, Scraps, the Glass Cat and even the Shaggy Man are openly hostile to Vic, the Phonograph Player (even if one of his songs is a "coon song.") The Sawhorse is also mean and nearly violent to the Woozy for no reason. Dr. Pipt and Margolette are consistently rude to the Glass Cat, which they brought to life. The Wizard rudely takes out the Glass Cat's brain for no other reason that others don't like her vain personality.

Sequel: Ojo and Unc Nunkie's royal history—only hinted at in this book—are revealed in Ojo in Oz. The two also have a starring role in "Unc Nunkie and the White King of Oz" (in Two Terrific Tales of Oz). Ojo also plays a large role in The Law of Oz and Other Stories and its sequels, while his parents appear again in The Royal Explorers of Oz: Book 4.

Swimming: At this point, Dorothy does not know how to swim. This is true in The Royal Book of Oz, as well, but changes by the time of Ojo in Oz.

Victor Columbia Edison, the Phonograph Player: Although Vic later marries, his bitterness at the harsh treatment he received when he first came to life sticks with him, manifesting in a form of rebellion, revealed in The Astonishing Tale of the Gump of Oz. His redemption is told in The Lonely Phonograph of Oz and the short story, "Quiet Victory."

Woozy: The Woozy has no knowledge of his past. He'll learn his history over the course of time, beginning with "A Trip Down Memory Lane or How the Woozy Came to Oz," (The Emerald City Mirror #7), Oziana 1992's "The Woozy's Tale," and A Refugee in Oz. For a detailed history of the Woozy and how it all fits together, see "The Woozy's Origins" in the Appendices.

History: Along with Beany in Oz, this is one of two stories sent by the author to Fred Meyer, President of the International Wizard of Oz Club, in 1976. Nothing more is known of the author Vincent Ward.

Synopsis: When Terry and Dominick of New Jersey find a half-dollar, Dom convinces his sister to spend it at the store near the churchyard, which their father doesn't like, and which is purportedly run by a witch. The store-owner, Mrs. Pickering, is often taken for a witch due to her appearance, but isn't. When the siblings ask for something magical, however, she brings out two star-shaped medals, which she says can grant one wish a piece.

Dom and Terry's father is angry that they disobeyed him and shopped at the store, and sends them to bed after dinner. Thinking it unfair that Mrs. Pickering should be so maligned, Terry wishes her parents were children again. Waking up Saturday morning, she finds they are! Terry admits what she did, but her mom reasons that Dom's wish can undo the spell. Dom, however, has already wished for a giant chocolate shake! Their father insists they go back to the shop and demand she break the spell. The children obey, but discover that Mrs. Pickering has also turned into a child. Terry realizes it's because she was also thinking of her when she made the wish. Mrs. Pickering reveals that she obtained the medals from a gypsy friend and takes them to see her.

At the house of Mama Rosa, the gypsy explains that according to her book, the wish from the medals can only be undone by reciting the incantation on the back of the Golden Cross, which is hidden in a cave in a far-off by valley by sorcerers who fear its power can counteract their evil spells. Mama Rosa insist they can do it if they have a firm will and set their mind to it.

Sunday morning, the next day, the three go to church and pray before setting off. Mrs. Pickering finds in her pocket three tickets to Butterfield that weren't there before. Terry takes it as a sign. When the train pulls in to Butterfield, however, they find themselves in a maze of stone walls. In the distance they can see a countryside and castle. They discover that the train tracks come to a dead end on both sides. Deciding to climb the walls, they walk atop the maze until nightfall when they finally reach the countryside.

The next day, Dom wakes up before the others and goes exploring. He finds a glass road leading to a glass bridge leading to a pine forest in which there is a glass castle. Figuring the glass guards to be ornamental, Don gets a surprise when they question him. The Grand Legate comes to see him and takes him through the glass city of glass people with glass pets and glass trees. He explains that the maze was put in place to keep people at bay. The mayor meets Dom who explains that he didn't mean to intrude, but is looking for the Golden Cross. The mayor points towards the mountain, which contains the only cave in their domain, as well as a secret passage to the other side. Don returns to Terry and Mrs. Pickering, explaining what happened, and leading them towards the mountain. They follow a fork in the tunnel, but then stones start to rain down on them, forcing them to run into a cavern. But there they encounter living boulders which push them over the edge!

The fall slowly and land in a city made of rubber with a blue sun and rubber people who run from them. A crowd of rubber men chase and capture them using their extending arms. In a room in the town center, they interrogate them, convinced they're spies of Queen Gruzelda, who wants to wage war on them. To ascertain the truth of this, the Leader sends the Skinny Man to find out why she sent spies. When he doesn't return right away, the Leader takes them to the crucible, where they melt rubber, to have them executed. In the nick of time, the Skinny Man returns with a human deacon named Lazarus, who explains that they're not spies but runaway servants. They play along and he leads them through a tunnel to a blue-domed, black & white marble city whose citizens wear various colored robes to designate their status. He leaves them with a girl named Catherine to get them back to work, but she knows they're not the runaway slaves. They tell her their story, and she proves to be sympathetic, explaining that the queen and nobles all keep children as slaves. They're brought before Queen Gruzelda, who although beautiful, is cold. They tell her only that they went exploring. After dismissing them, she charges Lazarus to keep an eye on them, as she finds them strange.

In the Emerald City, the Cowardly Lion stops Button-Bright from taking the Magic Carpet. Instead, the Wizard makes for him a duplicate Magic Umbrella to replace the original one he lost. In this way, he can get him out of the way while they plan his surprise birthday party. With the umbrella strapped to the Cowardly Lion's back, Button-Bright tells it where he wants to go. The Scarecrow's castle is their first destination, and Button-Bright paints the straw man a new face. Then they go over the Deadly Desert and into the U.S., where they fly by Kansas and New Jersey. There, they meet the story's narrator, Vincent. Button-Bright invites him on their journey, and the boys fly with the Lion to the Statue of Liberty, where they explore, and on their way back have to sneak by the guards to get back to the Lion, who they're afraid of. They fly north, past Canada, to the North Pole, where they visit Santa at his workshop (where he lives when he's not in the Laughing Valley). After Santa gives them a tour, he inquires about Dom and Terry. Vincent is their neighbor, and as their father had told him the story, he tells them everything that happened up until they left on their quest.

In the morning, they discover that the mischievous Blizzard Imps have taken the Magic Umbrella. En route to their domain, the imps ambush them with snowballs. After several games, one of the Blizzard Imps confesses that they gave the umbrella to the Snow Fairies, who were going to punish them for being bad. Off to the Snow Fairies, they see the shy foot-tall beings emerge from the snow trees. The Queen greets Santa and the others, entertaining everyone with music and ballet.

The next morning, Santa presents Button-Bright, the Lion and Vincent with the Magic Umbrella, now tied to a small sleigh with presents on it. Taking the sleigh on their journey back, Button-Bright opens one of the presents and discovers a clown doll. But a storm gets their attention, and when it breaks off the Magic Umbrella guiding the sleigh, they plummet into the raging waters below!

Don, Terry and Mrs. Pickering, meanwhile, learn the queen's secret. With the death of the former ruler, Queen Penelope, her sister Gruzelda faked the death of her daughter, the royal princess, so that she could become queen instead. Concocting a phony story about the grief of her niece, she convinced the kingdom to send them their children to serve as servants. Amongst these, she hid the princess, who really is their friend Catherine, a fact confirmed by the woman who raised Catherine and was sworn to secrecy.

Lazarus learns the truth the next day, and brings Catherine to confront Gruzelda, unaware that she has magical powers. She raises her scepter and transforms them into doves. She then transforms herself into Catherine and goes go see Dom, Terry and Mrs. Pickering. Though surprised to hear they're not runaway slaves, she lies and says they can continue their search for the Golden Cross, as she knows a way out of the country. She brings them to a hollow tube that runs vertically up to the surface, where the land of the Toddlekins, who are rumored to eat people. Revealing who she really is, she shoves them in. They fly up the tube and emerge in a land of chocolate roads and lollipop trees. The toddlekins soon arrive to arrest them. They are toddlers with the intelligence of adults, and they bring them before King Cherub and Queen Cheruba. They prove friendly, and when the travelers explain their quest for the Golden Cross, the king and queen recall the story of the Valley of the Sorcerers, which lies east across the river. They warn them that the sorcerers are back in power, and they should hide their medals, which have secret powers. With a white stone given them by a fairy princess to enable them to travel anywhere, they create a bridge for their new friends to cross the river.

Button-Bright, the Cowardly Lion and Vincent, meanwhile, find to their relief that the sleigh can ride upon the water, and they eventually come to a green country. Once there, they discover the clown is alive. Button-Bright names him Jingles. There they meet Dom, Terry and Mrs. Pickering, who've also just arrived. Vincent introduces everyone. Traveling through the country, everything starts to grow larger. Going through a tunnel, they emerge in the garden of a large house, where a giant girl introduces herself as Betty Jane. When her governess calls her, she grabs Jingles and goes to her lesson. The governess is harsh, but when Betty Jane returns to her room, she grabs Button-Bright and Don and tells them she's keeping them, threatening that if they try to escape, her cat will kill them.

The Lion, Mrs. Pickering and Vincent find their way into the house, but are chased by the cat, forcing them into a mouse hole. The mouse proves friendly, however, and agrees to help them rescue their friends, especially since Betty Jane always tries to catch them and cut off their tails. Button-Bright discovers just how sick Betty Jane is when she ties him to her electric train tracks and throws Dom out the window. Fortunately, he lands in a bird's nest where they find him When seven adult redbirds arrive at the nest, they tell their tale to them, and the birds volunteer to take them to the valley, though they won't enter it, as they fear the wicked sorcerers. Over the mountains, plains and country, they arrive at the Valley of the Sorcerers.

Through magic means, Queen Gruzelda has spied on them, worried that if news got to Ozma, she would depose her. She transports, along with the caged doves, to the valley, where she calls on the favor of the three sorcerers that she helped bring into power, Hurok, Burok and Cobble. Hurok claps his hands three times and summons forth an army of five hundred soldiers that he orders to destroy the travelers. But when the Lion's roar terrifies them, Burok claps his hands three times and summons forth five hundred hyenas to kill the travelers, but when the clown's antics have them rolling in laughter, Cobble claps his hands three times and summons forth one hundred killer moths. Mrs. Pickering lays out the woolen blanket she'd been knitting, and the moths descend upon it to feast. Frustrated with the sorcerers, Gruzelda sets a trap. When the travelers enter the palace, the sorcerers each hold one to knifepoint. Jingles slips away, and Mrs. Pickering is immune to the queen's magic, but Gruzelda manages to turn the Cowardly Lion into a tan kitten and seal off the castle, making them all prisoners, which they remain for days.

Jingles reappears and leads his friends through an illusory wall. The passage leads to the Golden Cross. When the incantation upon it fails to work, however, Jingles grabs the cross and brings it out another tunnel to the main square, where he places it on a marble pedestal. Suddenly, Jingles transforms into his true form, the King of the Valley. Gruzelda had turned him into a clown and placed him in Santa's workshop. With his return, the sorcerers flee like comets from the valley, and Gruzelda returns to her domain.

After many days of feasting and celebration, Glinda arrives on the Sawhorse. She explains to the siblings and Mrs. Pickering that Mama Rosa made a mistake. The Golden Cross only breaks spells made by six-pointed medals, not five-pointed ones like theirs, which is much easier to break. Terry and Dom put the medals on backwards, as instructed, and command their wishes in reverse. With that, Mrs. Pickering is an older woman again. Glinda restores the Cowardly Lion and two doves back into Catherine and Lazarus. Gruzelda has been banished and the child slaves all freed.

They head to the Emerald City, where the travelers are greeted by Dorothy, Trot, Betsy, Wood, the Woozy, the Hungry Tiger, Billina, even Zeb and Jim the Cabhorse, who've come for Button-Bright's birthday. The Wizard then shows Dom and Vinnie to their rooms. Later they meet King Rinkitink, Prince Inga, King Kitticut, Queen Garee, a goat named Bilbil, Unc Nunkie, Ojo, Santa and his wife, the King of the Valley, Queen Catherine, Lazarus, Queen Zixi, King Bud, Princess Fluff, Polychrome and others. Button-Bright finally arrives to the party with his Magic Umbrella. After the celebration, Ozma sends Terry, Dom, Mrs. Pickering and Vincent home.

Continuity Notes

Butterfield: Magic is afoot early on in the story when three tickets to Butterfield appear mysteriously in Mrs. Pickering's pocket. The location they end up in is not the Butterfield from The Road to Oz, but a location somewhere on the Nonestic continent. Apart from the presence of a magical gate between dimensions, there doesn't appear to be any connection to it.

Dating: No year is indicated in the text, though internal evidence seems to suggest it takes place early on. Button-Bright's characterization is that of a young callow boy, and the Cowardly Lion does not seem unduly afraid despite flying through the air above land, water, the Deadly Desert and the Outside World, placing this either before The Magic Carpet of Oz, or after "The Cowardly Lion and the Courage Pills." Because Prince Bobo is still a goat named Bilbil, the author likely intended to place this story after The Scarecrow of Oz and before Rinkitink in Oz, which is the release order of the books, and which would have made this Button-Bright's first birthday party in the Emerald City. The author was unaware of the fact that the events from the latter book had to have occurred earlier than the former (see Rinkitink in Oz for more details), which makes this dating improbable. The Scalawagons of Oz, however, shows that King Rinkitink got another goat, which he may have renamed Bilbil in honor of the one he lost. This allows the story to occur after Rinkitink in Oz. In keeping with the author's notion that this is Button-Bright's first birthday, it has been placed in the year following The Scarecrow of Oz, 1908.

Locations: The location of the various places where the travelers visit is left vague, as the author fails to give place names to many of them. That the Valley of the Sorcerers (which must have been named something else before they came into power) borders the Nonestic seems to indicate that it's the mainland of Nonestica, but that could mean any one of several larger kingdoms, including Ev, Boboland, Rinkitink, Ix, Noland, or even an island such as Hiland/Loland, not to mention numerous smaller countries and islands (some of which are unnamed on the map). That the Land of Toddlekins is ruled and populated by intelligent toddlers seems to indicate that they arrived from the Valley of Babies in Merryland. Beneath them are the unnamed underground countries, one that features rubber people (and places), the other formerly ruled by Queen Gruzelda (her sister Queen Penelope before that) and now Queen Catherine. Even the glass city is unnamed.

Magic Umbrella: The Wizard's duplication of the Magic Umbrella (last seen in The Scarecrow of Oz) requires explanation, as the Wizard will later note in The Magic Umbrella of Oz that it's a unique item in that it can traverse to and from the outside world. Even the Silver Shoes were unable to do that. It makes much more sense that the Wizard summoned the original Magic Umbrella (perhaps with the Magic Belt) rather than create a new one at the spur of the moment just to get Button-Bright out of the way so they can plan his birthday party. It may be that the Wizard didn't tell Button-Bright because he intended to return it to its owner (Button-Bright's uncle Bob), recognizing that such a young child with a proclivity towards getting lost should not so easily have easy access to magical traveling devices. As Button-Bright had shown at the outset of this story, he'd have just as soon taken off on his own (as he almost did with the Magic Carpet). No doubt when he awakens the next day after his birthday party, he'll discover his "new" Magic Umbrella has gotten lost yet again.

Narrative: One of the rare novel-length stories to be written in the first person, identified as Vinnie, short for the author's own name Vincent. Thus, this is also one of the first stories written in which the author also serves as one of the protagonists.

Santa: The narrative retcons Santa's home in Burzee and the North Pole by explaining that he has a location in each.

The 11th Oz book (and one of the last stories Baum wrote) of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: Alarm bells are raised when Ozma is found missing from the palace, along with the Magic Picture, the Great Book of Records, and the Wizard's black bag of magic. Several search parties set out to find and save her, including Dorothy, Betsy Bobbin, Trot, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, the Sawhorse, Hank the Mule, the Woozy, the Wizard, Scraps and Button-Bright who head west.

First they must pass the Merry-Go-Round Mountains which spin around rapidly. After that, they encounter the Thist city of Thi, where the walls are only an illusion. The High Coco-Lorum serves as their secret ruler, informing them of the countries further west. After entertaining them with his display of mechanical "auto-dragons," which fly them around, they depart.

Button-Bright gets lost and eats a peach, which two animals inform him had been enchanted by Ugu the Shoemaker. Button-Bright pockets the pit and promptly forgets about it after Dorothy finds him. In the next city they encounter, Herku, skeletally-thin people rule over giants. This is explained by their ruler Vig the Czarover, who offers the Wizard some samples of Zosozo, a pure energy compound which makes them stronger than the giants, but keeps them thin. Vig tells the search party about Ugu the Shoemaker, who was once a resident of Herku, but left when he discovered his ancestor's magical books. He set up a Wicker Castle and lives in isolation. The party suspects that he might be responsible for Ozma's disappearance, and they set off. Toto, meanwhile, has lost his growl, and thinks that maybe Ugu has stolen it as well.

Meanwhile, in the secluded Yip country of the Winkie quadrant, Cayke the Cookiee Cook discovers her Magic Dishpan has been stolen, and sets off to find it with the help of the Frogman (a man-sized pompous frog). Outside of Yip, the Frogman is surprised to learn that others don't find him as wise and wonderful as he and everyone in Yip thinks he is. By accident, he bathes in the Truth Pond, and is forced to come to terms with the reality that he is not wise. This grieves him, but others respond better to the humbler version of him, such as a Winkie woman who advises them to head east over the Winkie river.

Once there they meet a boatman who cannot speak or understand animals. He explains to Cayke that the Tin Woodman punished him for cutting the tail off a fox, eating eggs and catching a fish that he left to die. He rows them across the river, where they meet the Lavender Bear, the leader of a small community of toy bears called Bear Center. He and the Little Pink Bear, a creature that when wound up can answer any question accurately, accompany Cayke and the Frogman on their journey to the Wicker Castle of Ugu the Shoemaker, who the Pink Bear has revealed stole the Magic Dishpan. On route, they discover Dorothy's party, and after introductions and explanations, join forces to defeat the sorcerer and rescue Ozma and the Dishpan.

An argument ensues when they ask the Pink Bear where Ozma is, and he leads them to a pit where Button-Bright—whose gotten lost again—is asleep. The Pink Bear repeats that Ozma is where Button-Bright is, causing some in the group to think he doesn't work, offending the Lavender Bear. So, they head to Ugu's castle. The Wicker Castle is protected by a wall of flames, but the Wizard defeats it. Then it throws up a wall of spikes, but the Frogman helps defeat that. Finally, it produces an army of fierce female warriors, but the Patchwork Girls discovers that this is only an illusion. Once inside the castle, they find Ugu and the magical appliances, but he tricks them by turning the room upside down.

Dorothy, meanwhile, has been testing the Magic Belt, and determines that it does transformations and allows one wish a day. She uses the wish to turn the room back the right way. Ugu threatens Dorothy who uses the Magic Belt to turn him into a dove. He uses his magic to make it a large dove of war, and the Frogman attacks him to prevent him harming anyone. Dorothy then turns the dove small, but he escapes in the Magic Dishpan (which transports its user anywhere he wishes to go in Oz). The Pink Bear then reveals where Ozma is, and it's discovered that she'd been the peach pit in Button-Bright's pocket the whole time.

While the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow head back, they converse about the simple life of a bird in Oz, unaware that Ojo the Dove is listening above them. They also find the Magic Dishpan and bring it to the palace, where Cayke is overjoyed at its return (she can now again bake the best cookies in the Yip country). Some weeks later, Ugu the Dove comes to Dorothy and apologizes for its actions. He has no wish to return to being a man, but is content merely to express his regret for his actions.

Continuity Notes

Advance notice: Baum promised this story as far back as his introduction to The Scarecrow of Oz and again in Rinkitink in Oz. This appears to be his last written manuscript, as both The Magic of Oz and Glinda of Oz were written beforehand.

Ages: Dorothy is listed as one year younger than Betsy, and one year older than Trot. As Dorothy is guesstimated to be born in 1892 (based on Jack Snow's reckoning in "A Murder in Oz"), this gives us birth-years for the other girls.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in May. It takes place over the course of 20 days, and additional weeks elapse prior to the conclusion. See the Chronology of Oz for more details. Ugu moved into his Wicker Castle and practiced magic a year prior to that. While there is no explicit year listed, the surrounding stories provide evidence that it took place on (or near to) 1908.

Discrepancies: Given that the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are unable to ingest anything, it seems unlikely that they would be "taking a course of [Professor Wogglebug's] Patent Education Pills" (p 77), however, the Scarecrow could crush them and have them added to his brains in his head, and the Tin Woodman might likewise find a way of putting them inside himself.

Giants of Herku: These are grouped into uniforms of yellow and blue, which likely indicates their origins in the Winkie and Munchkin countries. The origin (and attempt at freedom) of the latter are dealt with in issues #56-64 of The Emerald City Mirror. The origins of the former are explained in The Law of Oz and Other Stories.

Search parties: Glinda's arrangement of search parties doesn't appear to make sense. In the BCF discussion of this book, David Hulan offers the possibility that she was merely keeping them busy and out of her hair, while she found out a way to solve the mystery through whatever magic Ugu hadn't stolen from her castle. J.L. Bell, in that same discussion, offers some dialogue that may have prompted Glinda to quickly get the search parties off and on their way. This dialogue appears as the introduction to The Other Searches for the Lost Princess, which details the adventures of three other search parties, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, the Shaggy Man, his brother, Tik-Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead, and Ojo, Unc Nunkie and Dr. Pipt.

Magic Belt: Dorothy appears to contradict herself, claiming she'd never learned how the Magic Belt worked till now (which she did when she first got the Belt in Ozma of Oz), but at least reveals that the Belt is capable of not only transformations, but one wish a day. There is no explanation of where the Belt was during The Scarecrow of Oz, which could've gotten the Scarecrow out of his predicaments or sent Trot and Cap'n Bill home if they'd wanted to.

Magic Dishpan: The origin of the Magic Dishpan is unknown, but it appears to date back to antiquity. "It belonged to my mother and to all my grandmothers [don't most of us have only two?], since the beginning of time. It is, I believe, the very oldest thing in all the Yip Country." Ugu discovers that it can "transport him in an instant to any place he wished to go within the borders of the Land of Oz."

Sequels: The Magic Dishpan of Oz, The Lavender Bear of Oz, and "The Final Fate of the Frogman" each continue the tales of their titular subjects, while The Law of Oz and Other Stories looks at the later adventures of Ugu the Shoemaker, as well the past adventures of Ugu while he lived in Herku. The Magic Carpet of Oz sees Ozma learning magic based on her abduction in this story.

Truth Pond: First mentioned in The Road to Oz, it is later revealed to have been created by the Fairy Queen Lurline centuries ago (The Law of Oz and Other Stories). In the future, several others bathe in the Truth Pond, with interesting results. See the aforementioned story, as well as "The Final Fate of the Frogman," The Gardener's Boy of Oz, The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, and the forthcoming "The Felicitous Frogman and the Fabulous Freaks of Oz" and "Peer Counseling."

Ugu and the Two Doves: Vig claims that Ugu is descended from a line of magicians, who trace their ancestry to "the greatest wizard and sorcerer who has ever lived" whether inside our outside Oz. Who this might be hasn't yet been discovered, though it may be anyone from Merlin to Wam. Ugu made a prior attempt to abduct Ozma in "The Braided Man of Oz." According to author Paul Dana (The Law of Oz and Other Stories), "there’s a lot of confusion at the end of Lost Princess, when Dorothy uses the Magic Belt to perform at least two transformations in short order. The text also says that she’s only just learned how to use the Belt. She tries turning Ugu into a Dove of Peace, but he is able to alter the transformation and become a giant Dove of War. Then she tries making him a small Dove of Peace... with her magic and his colliding violently through all this, he splits into two doves – one dove that fulfills Dorothy’s Dove of Peace spell and another that fulfills Ugu’s own Dove of War spell... The dove that escapes in the Dishpan is the Dove of Peace, panicking. This is the dove that Button-Bright and Ojo meet in Time Travelers of Oz. Meanwhile, the defeated Dove of War conceals itself in the castle and waits till the invaders are gone."

The reformed Ugu, the Dove of Peace, returns again in 1923 in The Gardener's Boy of Oz and The Law of Oz and Other Stories, at which point he goes becomes human again for a time. He again becomes a dove by choice, as revealed in The Royal Explorers of Oz: Book 3: Terra Obscura. The Dove of War has been retconned as first appearing in "The Mystery of the Missing Ozma" (Oziana 1984), as well as in the eighth story-arc of The Emerald City Mirror (issues #49-55).

The Royal Timeline of Oz considers The Witch Queen of Oz one of the deuterocanonical works

Synopsis: In Cave Home, in the Land of Mites and Tites deep beneath the Nonestic Ocean, friends Lagy and Stal discover a strange black stalagmite in an unknown part of their vast cavern. Going to investigate, Stal pries it loose and it congeals into the shape of a tall dark woman.

In Oz, Ozma and Dorothy watch over Glinda and the Wizard who have gone to Kansas to retrieve some vital herbs for magic. When Ozma sees a horse, she makes a foolish wish to ride one, ending her in the outside world as well. There she meets and befriends a young boy named Ezra. When he invites her home, she discovers that his father is an exile from Oz who couldn't find his way back to Oz after Glinda made the country invisible. So, he married and had Ezra, but he yet longs to return home. Ozma explains that the Magic Belt, which she wears, doesn't work in the outside world.

In Kansas, Glinda and Oscar realize something is wrong, and so spend the night in Henry and Em's old farmhouse. The next morning, Oscar sees a sign about a circus in Dodge, and the two hop a train, where the Wizard defeats a thief through cunning. Later, they bump into Clakku the Clown, who Oscar knew from his circus days.

In Cave Home, the dark woman is plagued by the emerging heads of the Wicked Witches of the East and West (and another unidentified witch). She recalls it was once Sludge City, and forces Lagy to accompany her through the caverns until they come upon the realm of the Rock Nomes. They try to melt her with water, and fail, recognizing that she is the Witch Queen Enilrul, who initially made them. Enilrul notes that even the Nome King had no use for them, and they depart.

In Oz, as Dorothy realizes the Belt won't work, she gathers her friends to figure out a solution. Splitting up into teams, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tik-Tok and the Sawhorse head south to Glinda's to read her Magic Book and find out what became of the Silver Shoes so that she can use them to rescue Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard. Shaggy, Trot, Betsy, Scraps, the Cowardly Lion and Bungle head north to see if Tattypoo might have a solution.

The party heading north pass through the Munchkin country, as the children present them with flowers, which the girls weave into their hair. But when they detour through Flowerland, the Flower People who reside there are horrified to see the dead flowers in their hair and consider them murderers. Though Shaggy and Trot attempt to explain that they were non-sentient flowers, the Flower Queen Iris explains that she feels their pain. Their ethical discussion is cut short by Betsy Bobbin who bluntly states that they have the right to do with the flowers as they please, which causes the Flower People to consider them a threat, and plants them in the ground. The Glass Cat, who can't be hurt by their thorns, comes to their rescue and free them.

The party heading south are tripped up in a tall section of grass as they near Glinda's Palace, discovering that their adversary is an invention of Smith & Tinker called a Stumbling Block, invented to stop witches. At Glinda's Palace, Dorothy goes to the first page of the Great Book of Records and learns a little of the history of Oz, Lurline and her sister, the Witch Queen Enilrul.

In the ancient past, Enilrul curses Oz, twisting the shapes and spirits of the citizens who reside there into monsters (the Rock Nomes are likely shaped at this time). She also removes death from the land so that they will suffer without relief. She doesn't count on her sister's arrival or power, however, and Lurline changes the spell for most of Oz, rendering it a kind of paradise, and dispersing the blue, red, yellow, purple and green colors throughout the land, and placing a flower in the center of the land. Lurline diminishes the power of Enilrul, but she is affected as well, and she departs, wishing to come back and give further aid to the Magic Lands. Lurline creates the Deadly Desert to protect Oz from the still-evil creatures that inhabit the lands outside it.

Enilrul wanders Oz for some time, but eventually grows despondent and enchants the waters of a pool near the center of Oz. There she enters it, and slowly dissolves, leaving only her Silver Shoes behind. Some time later, three sisters stop by and drink from the Fountain, absorbing the essence of the Witch Queen. Two of them appear to murder their younger sister, who vanishes, and one takes the shoes, to the chagrin of the other. They part company, one going east, one west. Glinda later comes up from the south, and discovering the Fountain, drinks from it and becomes powerful, but not evil. Others drink from it too with various results. Enilrul's essence washes away, and it becomes the Fountain of Oblivion.

In the present day, at Cave Home, the Witch Queen, Lagy and Stal emerge deep under the Nonestic Ocean, and are given the ability to breathe. Enilrul uses a giant turtle for transportation, while an eel and fish who spy her actions, race off to inform Queen Aquareine and King Anko. The mermaid Queen gathers an army and a magical sword made of diamond. Anko attacks Enilrul first, but she transforms him to stone. Aquareine pierces her fairy-aunt with her sword, but it is not enough, and Enilrul turns her to diamond. So too with the other mermaids.

In Kansas, Clakku doesn't at first believe Oscar's story, even when he confesses the truth, but Glinda convinces him, and Clakku helps them to build a new balloon. But when a tornado comes, he backs out of joining them.

In Oz, the party heading north find themselves near the home of Mombi, which is now empty. They enter the house and find a hole in the floor with some bottles and papers, which Shaggy takes. The next day, after drinking from a mountain spring in the Gillikin Mountains, they discover a door in the cliff with a sign that reads Dr. Nikidik, DM (doctor of magic). Bungle recalls that he used to sneak around Dr. Pipt's lab, stealing things. They enter and find the place empty. Shaggy takes some "flash and dash" powder, and another bottle which speaks to him. But when Nikidik arrives, they withdraw to another room where they discover a hidden door in a closet with a button. When pushed it turns the closet into a mode of transportation which speeds them away through the mountains. They finally land in a river, where a man fishing for boots directs them to the home of the Good Witch of the North. Tattypoo tells them that she had the Silver Shoes, which had been fished out of the river after having been evaporated by the sands of the Deadly Desert, and reconstituted in Oz. She sent them to the Bowman, a huge giant, who shot them in an arrow to Sky Island. She directs the party to him, and he does the same for them.

Once in Sky Island, Trot is met by Rosalie, who tells her that the Silver Shoes ended up in the Fog Bank, and are now in the possession of the Frog King, who hasn't forgiven them for their offense the last time they were there (when Button-Bright's Magic Umbrella became an elephant which plowed through their lands). Trot refrains from assembling an army, and decides instead to try and sneak the Shoes away from the Frog King. But once in the Fog Bank, the Frog King discovers their presence, and has them captured.

Dorothy and the Scarecrow, meanwhile, take Glinda's stork chariot to Sky Island, having learned from the Great Book that the Silver Shoes are there. They alight on the Blue side, where the former Boolooroo and his six snubnosed daughters are laboring in the field. Escorted to the presence of Ghip Ghisizzle, Dorothy and the Scarecrow have a pleasant conversation and learn that the Silver Shoes are not in the Blue country. Determining to cross the Fog Bank, Dorothy and the Scarecrow are escorted by the Captain of the Guard Tiggle into the Frog King's domain, where they too are captured, and meet up with Trot and her party.

As Dorothy and the Frog King argue over the right to the Silver Shoes, the Frog King picks them up, but they burn his fingers. After dropping them, Dorothy puts them on and wishes her friends and her back to the Emerald City. There, they discover the Wizard and Glinda, who explain that their balloon took them close enough for Glinda to create a cyclone that brought them through the barrier and unto Sky Island, where they witnessed the Frog King grabbing the Shoes, at which point Glinda turned them hot.

In the Nonestic: After the defeat of the mermaid armies, Lagy urges Stal to escape with the giant tortoise to Oz. Enilrul takes Lagy through the palace of Aquareine and finally ascends to Ev. There she finds Kaliko and Ruggedo playing chess. The former Nome King directs her to Oz, and led by Nomes, they pass through the walls and to the Deadly Desert. There, Enilrul mixes a compound of deadly sand and rock, which when attached to their shoes, allows her and Lagy to cross unharmed. Stal and the giant tortoise he named Pete reach the Desert, which Pete is able to fly over.

Enilrul and Lagy tramp through the Winkie country. At night, Lagy sees that the witches, especially the West Witch, have almost become independent entities. Enilrul awakens and forces them back inside. They pass by the guardhouse of the Tin Woodman's castle, where the Wicked Witch of the West frightens the guards. They come to a paved roadway, which the Witch Queen commands to take her and Lagy to the Emerald City. Stal and Pete have only just arrived there, and are finishing up their story. With no time to rescue Ozma, Tik-Tok throws the Stumbling Block at Enilrul, but she defeats it. The Shaggy Man throws a potion at the witch, causing her to sneeze and vanish (apparently Nikidik's flash and dash powder), but she overcomes it. The other potion is a melting potion, which at first seems to work, but Enilrul overcomes even that.

The Wicked Witches of the East and West taunt Dorothy from Enilrul's body. Glinda then attempts to restrain her, but Enilrul reminds her that she is in fact the source of her magic. Any magic Glinda used would only be reflected back on her. Spotting the Silver Shoes on Dorothy, Enilrul commands them and they respond. Before she can snatch them, however, Dorothy uses their power to retrieve Ozma from the outside world, but the shoes slip away from her and go to the feet of their true mistress. Ozma, however, has been summoned. Upon seeing Enilrul, she greets her aunt, and acknowledges that she is only a princess. Enilrul is the true Queen of Oz.

Although Ozma cannot rid her of the curse she brought upon herself, and Enilrul knows she cannot be destroyed, she begs to at least be whole again. This request Ozma grants by sending her into the outside world, to live at Ezra's former farm. Ozma brings Ezra, Gil and his wife to the Emerald City, as well as the Wizard's old friend Clakku. With Enilrul gone, Aquareine and her mermaids are restored to life (presumably Anko as well), and invited to celebrate at the palace with all those who helped Oz.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The story takes place over the course of three weeks and two days. Dorothy notes that "no witch or magician has tried to cause trouble since Ugu," which places these events after The Lost Princess of Oz but before The Magic Carpet of Oz. Enough time must pass from when Glinda renders Oz invisible (at the end of The Emerald City of Oz in 1905) for Gil to have married and had a son of about eight years, as he claims to have settled down and married after being unable to return to Oz. If taken at face value, that would place this story in 1913. Yet, because The Magic Carpet of Oz features a magician who causes trouble, and which takes place only months after The Lost Princess of Oz, it necessitates either moving the latter story up five years in time (which is possible, though it leaves a rather long span without stories) or determining that Gil was hiding the fact that he had Ezra earlier than he indicated (likely to protect his wife's honor and reputation). It is known that he'd been traveling in the outside world for some time, so this scenario is plausible.

Death: The text helps rectify Baum's statement in The Tin Woodman of Oz regarding Oz being a deathless land since the time of Lurline's enchantment. Considering that Baum's other Oz books appear to contradict this, as death is still present in Oz to some degree, it appears that Enilrul's undying spell affects the capital (at Morrow, near the center of Oz) and Samandra. It also seems to make miscellaneous appearances—such as when the Tin Woodman and Tin Soldier lost their heads—comprehensible. Enirul's deathless curse was modified by Lurline. The curse won't fully become a blessing until Lurline enchants Oz in 1742, likely using the gas of the velp vines from Burzee (The Giant Garden of Oz), but doesn't fully come into affect until Ozma comes to the throne.

Discrepancy: On page 13, Ozma forgets that she knows actual horses, having met Jim the Cab-Horse (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz), as well as knowing about horses even as Tip (Ozma of Oz). As per the author of this book, this can be viewed as an authorial mistake or a magically-influenced forgetfulness that led to Ozma's course of action.

Dorothy: Dorothy recalls a time when she was four years old, and her Uncle Henry welcomed a black man on his farm. This indicates that Dorothy was with the Gales since at least the age of four. It is strongly hinted in the text that Glinda is responsible for Dorothy being brought to Oz by way of magic cyclone. The truth of this will be revealed in the forthcoming short story, "The Puppet Mistress of Oz."

Enulril's Creations: Many of Oz's grotesques are a result of her curse. Apart from the Rock Nomes, Enilrul may be responsible for the Growlywogs, Whimsies, Mifkets (Mifkits and Scoodlers), Rimmers and other more dangerous races. She is known to have created the Scares of Scare City (Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz), as noted by King Harum Scarum in "What Scare We."

Ev: According to Enilrul, she originally named the Land of Ev Never. She notes that Lurline's alternation of her spell affected this land as well.

Flower: After Lurline changes Enilrul's curse into a blessing, she places a flower in the center of Oz. It can be correctly ascertained that this is the Speckled Rose of the book, The Speckled Rose of Oz.

The Great Book of Records: There appears to be a discrepancy with what this book records. In this story, Dorothy turns to the first page and learns of the history of Oz and Enilrul, yet according to The Blue Witch of Oz, the Great Book of Records tells the "complete history of the world from the beginning to the present." What may explain away this discrepancy is the Book's sentience. If Dorothy mentioned what she was looking for, the book's "first page" might have revealed the beginnings of Oz for her, whereas if someone asked for the beginning of the world's history, the first page might have revealed that.

The Magic Dishpan: Dorothy believes that Ozma de-magicked the Magic Dishpan so that they don't cause any more trouble, but as the magic from the Dishpan was the only reason Cayke left her country to pursue it, this doesn't seem likely, particularly as it doesn't violate Ozma's law prohibiting the practice of magic (Cayke only uses it to make cookies.) As is revealed in later stories, such as The Magic Dishpan of Oz, the Magic Dishpan is still magical.

Mysterious Towns: The Shaggy Man recalls journeying through the Ozian locales of Bookworm City, populated by worms who let you read stories on their bodies, and the land of Ringers, populated by bell-like beings.

Nome King: The text indicates that Kaliko visits with Ruggedo in a specially made apartment, where he pretends that Ruggedo is still king and he still Chief Stewart. The text also indicates that the guarding eggs are still in place.

Origins of Oz: The reveal of Enilrul's curse and Lurline's counter-spell provide the first enchantment of Oz (now known to be in 1227). Although at this point, it is gray and unmagical, it is nevertheless part of the Magic Lands. Lurline's motivation for cursing Oz is not revealed in this story, but is indicated in the sequel The Master Crafters of Oz. Lurline indicates that one day she will return, which she does 500 years later in 1743.

The Silver Shoes: The third appearance of the Silver Shoes after The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and R.K. Lionel's The Braided Man of Oz. The origins of the Silver Shoes are revealed here to be a creation of the Witch Queen Enilrul, Lurline's sister. After the dark fairy reclaims them they are lost again as she passes from Oz to the Outside World. An explanation is put forth that the ones Dorothy used in Roger Baum's Dorothy of Oz were an illusion of Glinda's to ease her passage back to Oz, but as that book is not considered canonical, it can be seen as referring to a version of that story or an altogether different and untold account. The Silver Shoes next appear in The Silver Shoes of Oz.

Wicked Witches: Though the text says that the East and West Witches (and their younger sister) come upon the Fountain of Oblivion immediately after Enilrul dissolves herself, it seems highly unlikely that the witches became the quadrant rulers of Oz for seven hundred years. Baum indicates in The Tin Woodman of Oz that they were already dried up when Lurline enchanted Oz, which is not the case here, and must mean Lurline's second enchantment (in 1742: see The Law of Oz and Other Stories.) They likely do not come into power in their respective realms until the mid-to-late 1600s, which suggests that either they do not discover the Fountain immediately—indicating that the text is in error, and that the Fountain was hidden away in a copse—or that something prevented them from coming to power for four hundred years. As the latter seems unlikely, the former is what the Royal Timeline of Oz considers accurate.

Wicked Witch Heads: The narrative refers to four or five heads that keep emerging on Enilrul's body, the Wicked Witches of the East and West, as well as Mombi and Blinkie (which would constitute North and South), as well as others. However Mombi and Blinkie are alive and well at this point, and there's no evidence they drank from the Waters of Oblivion (though it's possible they did). In either case, they should not be showing up here, and this has to be considered historian error. The heads more likely belong to that of other witches.

The 12th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five (and one of the last stories Baum wrote).

Synopsis: Woot the Wanderer arrives at the castle of the Tin Woodman, and is regaled by the tale of Nick Chopper's history. When Woot points out that Nick was unkind to leave the loyal Nimmie Amee without marrying her, Woot and the Scarecrow join the Tin Woodman who has determined to find and wed her. Consulting a map, they decide which way to proceed north to the Gillikin country, so as to avoid the Emerald City (and potential embarrassment) to reach the Munchkin Country where she lives.

Their first adventure comes when the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman choose to avoid a warning sign about the Loons, who they'd never known of. The Loons are large balloon-like people who don't care for strangers. When they capture Woot and his companions, Woot uses a thorn to temporarily deflate them, enabling them to escape. Their next adventure proves far less easy to escape, as they explore Yoop Castle, not realizing there is a Mrs. Yoop at home. A Yookoohoo and giantess, she holds them in her power, determining to change them into new forms to amuse her. She also keep a bird in a cage that had once been someone else. Despite their protestations, the Scarecrow is transformed into a stuffed bear; the Tin Woodman into a Tin Owl, and Woot into a green monkey. At night, Woot slips into her bedroom and steals the source of her power: an enchanted apron. He then frees the bird, who is discovered to be Polychrome, and together the four escape as Mrs. Yoop awakens.

Once in the forest, however, they are threatened by a hungry jaguar, and Woot escapes with the help of the magic apron into a hole in the ground. Polychrome uses her fairy-magic to feed the jaguar, but Woot is trapped in a cave with dragons who only surface every hundred years to eat. One young dragon is hungry, and Woot is nearly burned alive when he remembers to use the apron to get back out. The four adventurers then meet Tommy Kwikstep, a boy who'd been enchanted to have twenty legs. Polychrome disenchants him, and they make their way to Jinjur's ranch. Jinjur doesn't at first recognize them in their enchanted forms, but she's soon convinced when Ozma and Dorothy show up. The two had followed the plight of the adventurers and come to aid them. With Ozma's new magic abilities, she disenchants everyone but Woot, since the Green Monkey form can only be exchanged and not done away with. Woot agrees to keep the form, not wishing to inflict it on anyone else, but Polychrome devises instead to give it to Mrs. Yoop. Ozma agrees, and the exchange is successful.

The four travelers continue on their journey, and discover a Tin Soldier in the same spot where the Tin Woodman had been frozen. After oiling him, he explains that he is Captain Fyter and was Nimmie Amee's second suitor. The Wicked Witch of the East enchanted him with his sword, and with Ku Klip's aid became the Tin Soldier. The two tin men agree to let Nimee Amee choose which of them to marry, but they discover that her house has long been abandoned. They head instead to Ku-Klip's shop, and there the Tin Woodman finds his old head in a cupboard. The head is rude, and doesn't wish to converse. Ku-Klip informs them that Nimmie Amee moved to Mt. Munch after the Witch was crushed by Dorothy's house. When asked what he did with the rest of their cast-off body parts, he explains that with the Witch's glue, he glued for himself a man called Chopfyt! Because Chopfyt was a mixture of both men's body parts, his mind was mixed up, as well, so Ku Klip let Chopfyt go.

On the way to Mt. Munch, they pass through an invisible region where they become invisible. The two tin men become dented and argue, but Polychrome is able to repair them. Beyond is a ditch they cannot cross, and there is a Hip-po-gy-raf, who eats straw. He is a large creature with a long neck, and Polychrome asks him to help them cross. He will, but only if the Scarecrow gives him his straw to eat. The Scarecrow sacrifices his straw, and they cross over and find a hay pile, from which they re-stuff him.

The party next arrives at the small home of Mr. and Mrs. Swyne, whose children are the Nine Tiny Piglets, who they sent off with the Wizard many years earlier. The Tin Woodman assures their parents that they're happy and have remained piglets since no one in Oz grows old or dies. The Scarecrow is re-stuffed with proper straw, and they head to Nimmie Amee's new home at the base of Mt. Munch. An invisible wall protects it, however, and they seek the assistance of a rabbit. Polychrome shrinks her friends to rabbit size, and they go through the rabbit's burrow into the other side of the fence, and knock on Amee's door. She is glad to see them, but explains that after both tin men stood her up, she married Chopfyt. He bears the original head of Captain Fyter, but is surly and rude. The tin men ask her if they should dismember him so that she can marry one of them instead, but she explains that she's content and has Chopfyt trained. Nor does she wish to become Empress of the Winkies.

Contented, they all depart for the Emerald City. Polychrome's father finds her and she departs. At the palace, Ozma welcomes Captain Fyter and asks if he'd like to be a peacekeeper for her in the Gillikin country, to which he consents. Woot is given leave to come and go, and Ozma promises to watch over him occasionally.

Continuity Notes

Chopfyt and Nimmie Aimee: Although these characters don't appear often in Oz stories, the stories they do appear in are significant: Chop and Forever in Oz. They also make a brief appearance in The Master Crafters of Oz.

Dating: This book takes place over the course of seven days. See the Chronology of Oz for more details. There is no other indication as to the year or time of year.

Death: Baum indicates that from the moment Lurline enchanted Oz, no one ever aged or died (though they could have accidents). This would appear to be contradicted by other accounts, such as that of the Wizard who "grew to be an old man" in Oz, however, that can be explained as a figure of speech (see the continuity notes for "The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman" for the evidence that Oscar could not have aged or aged much while living in Ozmara or the Emerald City), and it explains how the Tin Woodman and Tin Soldier did not immediately die after losing their heads to the witch's enchanted blades. The death of Billina's chick from illness is more problematic, however. The text also indicates that infants remain infants, as the piglets did, however, this is amended by Ruth Plumly Thompson, who indicates that one can choose to grow a year older on his birthday, if she wishes, every year. The idea that pregnant woman would have remained pregnant is addressed in The Law of Oz and Other Stories.

Dragons: This clan of underground dragons are allowed to come to the surface to eat once every 100 years. Who made that arrangement, what they're allowed to eat, and what that means for those aboveground, are unknown. These are clearly not the branch of dragons from An (Tititi-Hoochoo's domain) or the ones who descend from the Green Dragon of Atlantis (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz), though they're related to both groups. No further story of them has yet been told.

Languages: Baum again indicates that animals have their own languages: "The Owl and the Canary found they could converse together in the bird language..." This also indicates that those transformed into bird forms (Polychrome and the Tin Man) are automatically able to speak in that language.

Loons: The names of the three characters who are introduced are puns. The first one is Panta. The King is Bal. Only his wife, the Queen Til is not a pun, but Baum's original name for her was Sal (likely removed by the editor to eschew any references to saloons), which might be considered her actual name.

Mrs. Yoop: Mrs. Yoop's husband was first revealed as a giant prisoner in The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Mrs. Yoop herself returns in several stories, including Paul Dana's The Law of Oz and Other Stories, where her first name is revealed to be Moyna. Her wedding to Mr. Yoop is also shown and she's shown to be the sister of Reera the Red, and daughter of Grandma Natch. She has a starring role as well in The Magic Umbrella of Oz, where she attempts to escape to the outside world with an evil entity known as The Piper. There, it's shown her Yookoohoo talisman was the apron she wears in this story. Dennis Anfuso's A Promise Kept in Oz has Ozma turn her color to brown, but with the caveat that she cannot practice magic (enforced by an emerald ring that she must wear). That she is green again in The Magic Umbrella of Oz likely indicates that she took the ring off. Fred Otto's "The Fate of the Yoops, or The Yookoohoos of Oz" (Oziana 1983) is the last chronological story, thus far, to feature Mrs. Yoop and her latest attempt to escape the green monkey form she's trapped in, which succeeds in switching it to her husband, leaving her a turtle, a form that presumably she can escape from. A parallel universe story, "Mrs. Yoop of Oz" has her leave Oz altogether (with Woot) to live out her life in the outside world.

Ozma's magic: Ozma's sudden ability to use magic (including complex spells) is explained by her trip to Burzee in The Magic Carpet of Oz.

Retcons: When the Tin Woodman first told his story in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the then unnamed Nimmie Amee worked for an old woman who went to the Wicked Witch of the East. In Baum's updated version of the story, she works directly for the Wicked Witch of the East. The discrepancy might be explained by Nick Chopper not having full knowledge of who Nimmie Amee's employer actually was, not realizing that the old woman was in fact the witch herself.

Sequels: There have been several sequels to this story, not least of which is Melody Grandy's Forever in Oz, J. L. Bell's "The Axeman's Arm" (Oziana 2006), and Eric Shanower's "Chop," forthcoming in the anthology, The Lost Tales of Oz.

Tin Soldier: Captain Fyter is never given a first name. In "The Tin Woodman and the Tin Soldier of Oz," it's revealed that he's forgotten it, so the Tin Woodman names him Abel Fyter.

Tin Woodman: Nick Chopper is unaware how long he was rusted until Dorothy and the Scarecrow found him, "days, weeks, months." In "The Enchanted Tree of Oz," however, Thompson indicates that it was a year.

Woot: Woot formerly lived in the northern part of the Gillikin country, near Oogaboo. He's been traveling for a little under a year, and left due to boredom and because he found his neighbors stupid. Yet, he is also very cautious. He'd never heard of Dorothy or the Tin Woodman. Not many stories have been written about him in modern times, though "Woot Meets Yoop" (Oziana 2002) and "Woot's Way" (the Emerald City Mirror #35). He appears briefly in the forthcoming expanded edition of Marcus Mebes' The Haunted Castle of Oz, "Peer Counseling ,"

Synopsis: When Seymour the Duck drops down in a clearing in Bear Center, he meets the colorful stuffed bears who live there within the laburnum trees, where they have their tree houses. Thinking that Seymour might be a spy for the squirrels, who tried to take over last Autumn, Blue Bear Corporal Moody takes him to see their king, the Lavender Bear.

In Merryland, the King of the Babies leads a revolt against the sheep who tend them on their pink cloud. After they dispense with them, sending each sheep floating down in a large blossom, the King of the Babies cuts the tethers holding the cloud in place and they float off.

Seymour tells the king that he knows of no squirrels and only landed there to rest. The Lavender Bear consults the Little Pink Bear who proclaims his innocence, so the king invites him to stay and visit. Seymour becomes curious about BEBO, the Bear in a Box, which like a jack-in-the-box nearly knocks him out when he touches it. Ozma had given it to the bears in thanks for helping rescue her when Ugu kidnapped her. They're not sure what it does, but Ozma said it would come in handy one day.

The next morning, the pink cloud of babies outdistances the pursuing storks, though without anyone to care for them the babies become cranky. They cross over the desert and a blue land before the King of the Babies decides to settle over a yellow land and throws the tethers over the side where it tangles on some trees, bringing it to a stop.

Content that Bear Center has never successfully been attacked, Yellow Bear, Corporal Honey, goes to investigate a noise in the bushes and then disappears. When Brown Bear, Corporal Waddle, comes in the morning to relieve him, eh finds only Yellow Bear's trumpet and rushes off to the tell the king. He and Corporate Moody have taken Seymour on a tour of Bear Center upon wheeled bears that they roll along. They show the duck their button bushes, fields of plush and patchwork field of colors, where grow all the bear colors (except royal purple which was uprooted once the Lavender Bear was made). The Threadbears, who don't often come out, patch up any bear who gets torn. Upon their return, Brown Bear tells them that Yellow Bear is missing. The king sends out search parties while he goes to consult the Pink Bear. Corporal Waddle, however, is soon hoisted up into the sky by a baby pram. Others follow.

The king explains to Seymour that the Squirrel King has always been envious of their land, especially of their hollow trees, which he wants for nut storage. Yet, the Little Pink Bear insists that the missing bears are with the babies. Lavender Bear worries because children are the worst kind of punishment for bears. With his scepter, he summons up an image of Captain Honey in the arms of a baby, yet he can't locate where they are. Grabbing his pogo stick, he determines to get help form the Tin Woodman.

In the kingdom of the squirrels, the King of the Squirrels discovers that they've run out of storage trees, and once again he looks enviously upon Bear Center. Pulling out his Magic Orb, he shakes it and learns that something's happened to Bear Center and that the King of the Bears has left. He prepares for attack.

The captured bears in the pink cloud, meanwhile, have discovered that the adoration of the babies is the most enjoyable experience they've ever had and that the babies aren't the monsters they were led to believe they were. In Bear Center, Blue Bear explains to Seymour that they've never needed to call upon the Tin Emperor before, and he's convinced that Ozma will be able to do something. But when the squirrels arrive, they hole up in the throne room. The Lavender Bear, meanwhile, reaches the Emperor's Tin Castle, and explains to the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow (whose visiting) all that transpired, so they all take a corncob boat up the river to Bear Center, where they discover the walnut boats and their squirrel owners taking over. When Nick Chopper tells them to stop, they throw nuts at him. The noise at it rattles of his hollow chest scares them away, much to the delight of the king and Threadbears, who were forced to make new outfits for the squirrels.

The Squirrel King stalks the Throne Room, making dire threats and trying to get the Pink Bear to work. With Seymour gagged and tied, and Colonol Moody tied and refusing to speak, the King of the Squirrels determines himself ruler of the realm. But Ozma reads of these events in the Great Book of Records, recalling she'd had trouble with the Squirrel King before. Glinda tells her that Nick, the Scarecrow and Lavender Bear have arrived to restore order, though Ozma wants to keep an eye out just in case. The Tin Woodman and his friends soon burst into the throne room, demanding an explanation. Nick recalls that a year ago the Squirrel King had harassed a village of rabbits because he wanted their burrows to store his nuts. He reminds the Squirrel King that trees in Oz produce nuts all year round and so there's no need to store nuts, but the neurotic squirrel refuses to listen. Growing belligerent, he races around the room, declaring it his domain, and triggering the BEBO, which springs open and knocks him out the window. Chagrined, he returns home and doesn't leave for a long time.

After untying his companions, the Lavender Bear takes the Scarecrow's advice and asks the Pink Bear where the Babies are. He discovers they're in a pink cloud. Seymour flies up and reveals that it's right above them, tethered to the tree of the Blue Bear. Although reluctant to go along with Nick Chopper's idea to chop it down, when the king offers to have him live in his tree house, Colonel Moody agrees, and Nick brings the tree down into the clearing. Entering the pink cloud, they're horrified to discover the bears all want to stay with their babies, despite the fact that their ears are chewed up and some limbs are torn. The Tin Woodman concludes that the babies don't want to harm the bears; they're just enthusiastic.

An answer arrives with a large flock of storks, one of whom recognizes the Scarecrow from years ago. The Scarecrow remembers her helping him across the river, and introduces her to his companions. The Lavender Bear exclaims that his people were bear-napped and brainwashed by the troublesome babies. The stork apologizes, but the king is sad to have lost all his subjects. The Scarecrow comes up with an idea. The Threadbares can make new subjects for Bear Center. When the bears living with the babies become damaged, they can return to Bear Center to be repaired, and in exchange the new bears can go, and in this way everyone will be happy. The Lavender Bear agrees to this idea and promotes Blue Bear to Prime Minister, in charge of training the new bears.

Once the current bears are all repaired, the storks free the tethers from the fallen tree, and the pink cloud rises up, led now by the storks who fly it back to Merryland. The Threadbears then begin releasing the new bears. Ozma and Glinda then arrive and present ruby pendants to the king, Blue Bear and Seymour for their bravery and generosity in dealing with the babies. While Moody and the Lavender Bear go off to meet and train the new bears, and the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman ride up the river to make sure the Squirrel King is staying out of trouble, Ozma and Glinda invite Seymour to come with them back to the Emerald City, where the duck has a wonderful time.

Continuity Notes

Bear Center: The narrative indicates that the living sapient bears of Bear Center are made by the Threadbears, and at the end of the story, new living bears are again made by them. The Lavender Bear is also a product of their work. This begs the question, which goes unanswered, of "how?" Who brought the Threadbares to life? Do they use Powder of Life to bring the bears to life? Bear Center grows bushes and trees designed specifically for producing stuffed bears. Is this a result of some wizard or witches doing? Glinda? Lurline? Some unknown figure from the past?

Dating: There is no explicit date in the story, but several pieces of evidence indicate this takes place not long after the adventures of the bears in The Lost Princess of Oz. The bears have never discovered the purpose of Ozma's gift, BEBO, until this story. They've also never called upon the help of the Tin Woodman, or have been successfully attacked until this story. The belligerent attitude of the Squirrel King is also congruous with his behavior in "Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse of Oz."

Merryland: It's indicated in the story that the babies of Merryland are prepared for those in the outside world. Although this is impossible, it may account for the existence of certain humans in the fairylands. See, for example, the notes for "Magically Constructed" in The Giant Horse of Oz, which is how King Cheeriobed and his court refer to themselves. Might these babies be the origin of certain "humans" in Oz and other fairylands?

Squirrel King: Ozma notes that she's had trouble with the King of the Squirrels before, a reference back to the tale in Little Wizard Stories of Oz: "Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse of Oz."

The Stork: The Scarecrow recalls the stork who helped him from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She's named Herrona in A Promise Kept in Oz, where she's a main character, as well as in A Small Adventure in Oz.

The 13th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five!

Synopsis: In the Hyup village of Mt. Munch, Bini Aru ceases practicing magic, but saves the name and pronunciation of a special magic word, "Pyrzqxgl," that can effect transformations. Later, while he and his wife are at an annual feast, his son Kiki Aru, bored with his life on Mt. Munch, discovers his father's secret word and transforms himself into a hawk.

Flying off, he crosses the Deadly Desert and visits Hiland, Merryland, Noland and Ev. Hungry, he transforms into a magpie and steals a gold coin from a man, but a sparrow sees him do it and tells him he's wicked. Ruggedo, the former Nome King, has overheard the conversation and seeks to have the boy tell him the secret of his magic. Kiki won't do that, and doesn't trust him, but Ruggedo convinces him that with his help, he can become ruler of Oz. Intrigued, Ruggedo says they must first overcome Glinda's Book of Records and Ozma's Magic Picture by turning themselves into beasts, which those magical devices don't record.

Meanwhile in Oz, Dorothy and Trot wonder what they're going to give Ozma for her birthday the following month. She asks Glinda and the Wizard, who tells her that together they can procure monkeys from the Forest of Gugu, who he can train to do tricks. Then he'll shrink them down and put them in Ozma's birthday cake. Dorothy agrees and they head off. Trot and Cap'n Bill are having the same dilemma, but Bill remembers that Bungle the Glass Cat told him about a magic flower on a magic isle that changes into different flowers every few seconds. Bungle reluctantly agrees to show them where it is in the Gillikin country.

Disguised in invented forms comprised of the head of a lion, body of a monkey and wings of an eagle—what Ruggedo coins Li-Mon-Eags—he and Kiki Aru enter the Forest of Gugu, where they meet the forests rulers, the leopard Gugu, who is king of the forest, Bru the Bear, Loo the Unicorn and Rango the Gray Ape. Ruggedo claims to have come from Sky Island after overhearing that the Oz people were going to enslave the animals. He recommends capturing the Oz people instead, and transforming them into beast slaves, whilst transforming the beasts into humans to use their homes and fine things. Gugu and Rango don't trust them, but after Kiki proves they're magicians by transforming Loo, Gugu agrees to allow the animals to decide.

Bungle, Trot and Cap'n Bill reach the Isle of the Magic Flower, but a Kalidah attacks them. Using a sharpened stake, he plunges it into the beast and hammers him into the ground where he cannot arise. While the creature taunts them, Cap'n Bill makes a raft in order to sail over to the Magic Isle. Once there, however, they find that the Magic Flower is every bit as strange and wonderful as the cat described, but they soon discover that they are stuck. Cap'n Bill's meat leg, and both of Trot's legs get rooted into the ground. Meanwhile, the Kalidah escapes the stake and determines to see the Kalidah King, who has magic, to heal the holes Cap'n Bill put in his body. Bungle is sent off to get help.

All the animals of the Forest of Gugu gather to hear the Li-Mon-Eags' proposition. The Li-Mon-Eags repeat their lies and even claim to have seen the Oz people making long ropes in which to ensnare them. The animals are mixed in their opinions, but then the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger, Dorothy and Wizard come into their company. Panicking at their arrival, especially the Wizard's, Kiki transforms the Wizard into a fox, Dorothy into a lamb, the Lion into a Munchkin boy, the Hungry Tiger into a rabbit and Gugu into a fat Gillikin woman. He even transformed Ruggedo into a goose. Seeing the transformations, the beasts all flee back into their forest. Kiki then steals the Wizard's black bag of magic, but not knowing what to do with the contents, hangs it on the branch of a tree.

Ruggedo steals away, sorry that the boy ruined his plans of conquest. The others, meanwhile, search for the Wizard's black bag, but in vain. The Glass Cat, learning in the Emerald City where the Wizard went, goes in search of them. A wolf tells Bungle what transpired, and he soon finds his transformed friends and figures out that the Wizard's bag was stolen by the magicians. Meanwhile, Ruggedo has found Kiki Aru, and convinces him to transform him back into a Li-Mon-Eag. He comes up with new plan to transform the monkeys of the forest into giants. The Wizard, still in the form of a fox, overhears these plans. Hiding in a tree, he also overhears Kiki pronounce the word Pyrzqxgl to transform the monkeys into giant soldiers six times. So, using the word, he transforms Kiki into a hickory-nut. He attempts to transform Ruggedo into a walnut, but fails to pronounce the word correctly that time. The Nome then tries to turn the Wizard into a goose, but also fails to pronounce it correctly. The Wizard and Nome continue to try, but the Wizard gets it right, and Ruggedo becomes a walnut. The Wizard then goes about restoring himself and his companions.

At the Magic Isle, Trot and Cap'n Bill figure out they can use the Magic Flower to become a fruit-dispensing plant, and they soon gather all manner of fruits they can eat. Cap'n Bill ruminates how people don't appreciate the simple things, such as being able to walk, and fail to thank God for being healthy, something they don't appreciate until they lose it. The pair then encounter an ornery, but colorful duck called the Lonesome Duck, who warns them that those who get stuck on the Magic Isle shrink until they're nothing. The Duck explains that he finds most people, birds and beasts disagreeable, and is content to live in his diamond palace that he made and to supply himself magically with food. He long ago forgot how he came to be, but he believes he's the only duck in Oz. Trot asks him if he could use his magic to help them, but the Duck only agrees to provide them with toadstools to sit on.

In the Forest of Gugu, the six former monkeys Kiki transformed into giant soldiers are stuck, hemmed in by trees. On learning of their plight, Rango asks the Wizard to transform them back to their natural forms, but the Wizard says he won't unless he agrees to allow twelve monkeys to come with him to the Emerald City for use in his birthday gift for Ozma. Finding the Wizard's black bag, the Glass Cat hides it, and gets the Wizard to agree that if she finds the Black Bag, he'll agree that her pink brains are better than common human ones. She then retrieves his bag. Rango denies the Wizard the monkeys to be enchanted and used to do tricks. So the Wizard refuses to help them until he relents, promising that if he does he'll treat them well. The Wizard disenchants the transformed monkeys and asks for volunteers for Ozma's birthday. Twelve monkeys willingly volunteer, so he shrinks them down to three inches and puts them in a cage. Bidding Gugu goodbye, they leave for the Magic Isle.

En route, they become hemmed in by trees, so the Wizard uses a magic axe to cut a clearing for them. They meet the Lonesome Duck (who describes himself as the great Forest Magician), who shows them his diamond palace, but when Dorothy proves critical, he enters it without so much as a goodbye. The travelers manage to find Trot and Cap'n Bill, but the Wizard's magic proves unable to restore them because their feet have grown roots, meanwhile the pair have shrunk to half their size. Dorothy then thinks to have the Wizard use the Magic Word, and he transforms them into bumble-bees, who fly over to where the rest of their friends are. The Lion and Tiger, however, have eaten a few bees, and Dorothy is horrified that Trot and Cap'n Bill have been devoured. Thankfully, they turned out to be other bees, and together they manage to get the Magic Flower unto the Cowardly Lion's back.

On the way home to the Emerald City, the Glass Cat pulls the monkeys' tails until one night they escape from their cage and cover the Glass Cat in mud. She is not the only one to be shown up, as the Professor Wogglebug learns when he insists his students eat only his patented Square-Meal Tablets, and they throw him into a river, where he lays helpless for three days until he's fished out. While Ozma listens to the Wogglebug's charges against the students, the travelers arrive and hide their presents into their rooms.

Ozma's birthday consists of her usual favorites, Dorothy, the Scarecrow and Tin Man, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Tik-Tok, Betsy Bobbin, the Shaggy Man and his brother, Trot, Cap'n Bill, Button-Bright, Ojo, Dr. Pipt and Margolette, the Frogman (who came from the Yip country for the feast), Glinda, the Wizard, Jinjur, the Tin Soldier, the Wogglebug, Patchwork Girl, Jack Pumpkinhead, and at the animal table, the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger, Toto, Hank, Eureka, the Sawhorse, Billina and Bungle. Ozma cuts her cake and out pop the monkeys doing all the tricks the Wizard taught them. Also the Magic Flower is presented and other gifts.

The next day, Dorothy and the Wizard describe their adventures and present the two nuts who the Wizard transformed. To deal with them, the big cats are summoned to stand guard while Dorothy fills up a cup of water from the Fountain of Oblivion. The Wizard disenchant the hickory nut and a thirsty Kiki-Aru emerges who drinks the water. Because of this, they're unable to find out where he's from, save that he's a resident of the Munchkin country. They determine to keep him there and teach him their ways. When they disenchant the walnut, Ruggedo appears. He rails at the Oz people, but drinks as well and loses his memory again. This time they determine to find him a place in Oz where he might remain innocent.

Continuity Notes

Bungle the Glass Cat: Once again, the Glass Cat is found sleeping. This has been consistent from her first appearance in The Patchwork Girl in Oz, and she remains the only non-meat character who is shown capable of, and indeed interested in sleeping (in fact, she's cross when first woken up). Why that should be is a mystery. Also, from page 189 onwards, the text refers to Bungle no longer as "it," but as "her" and "she."

Dating: The story begins on July 21st, a month prior to Ozma's birthday, and concludes on August 22nd, the day after. See the Chronology of Oz for more details. Because Kabumpo in Oz takes place two years after the events of this story (dueto Ruggedo's chronology) and cannot take place any later than 1910 (due to the chronology established in The Giant Horse of Oz), this story has been moved prior to its publication order. This is not a problem as Baum wrote it at an unspecified time later in his life, and there are no interior aspects that prevent it from being placed earlier than The Lost Princess of Oz or The Tin Woodman of Oz.

Ev: Baum confirms again in this book that Ev is west of the Winkie country (contradicting his first indication that it was east of the Munchkin country in Ozma of Oz, and showing that he'd changed his mind about where it is.)

Gugu: The leopard king Gugu, along with Rango and Loo, appear again in "Gugu and the Kalidahs."

Kalidahs: The text establishes that the Kalidah King has magic, and that the race itself is magical. According to The Emerald City of Oz, the Kalidahs are "nearly all tamed," but there are clearly still some groups which are not. As we learn in Bucketheads in Oz and "Gugu and the Kalidahs ," the Kalidah woods that border Gugu Forest is one of those places.

Kiki Aru: The later fate of Kiki Aru and his parents are revealed in the Oziana 1986 story "Much Ado About Kiki Aru."

Lonesome Duck: The origin of this character may stem from "The Misanthropic Duck," a short story in Out and All About, Fables for Young and Old, a collection of animal stories, by H.A. Page, published in 1874. The Lonesome Duck is a mysterious creature that has enough magic to both construct a diamond house for herself and provide herself with food magically. For this reason, she's called the great Forest Magician. It's of interest too that he's forgotten his past entirely, lives near Kalidahs, and that is ornery. He also appears briefly in A Promise Kept in Oz, where it's revealed he receives one visit a year from some in the Emerald City, and in The Emerald City Mirror: 8th story arc (issues #49-55), which establishes that the Lonesome Duck is a male.

Magic Flower: The Magic Flower was placed as trap for those who enter it by an evil witch named Aunt Gentian. Glinda describes her in The Emerald City Mirror #71 as an "ingenious" and "very nasty" Gillikin witch. The Good Witch of the North defeated her long before the Wizard came to Oz.

Mt. Munch: This location was first visited in The Tin Woodman of Oz, as Nimmee Amee lives at the base of it with her husband Chopfyt. That the community cannot descend the mountain, nor anyone climb up, is a likely indication that the means of ascension/descension was taken away (or lost) at some point in time. Whether Ozma fixes this problem is not yet known.

Pyrzqxgl: According to the Oziana 1986 story "Much Ado About Kiki Aru," Pyrzqxgl was the name of a fairy who was entrapped by the Wicked Witch of the East into a magic-transformation spell. With her release, the word should not still be usable. However, Pyrzqxgl appears effective again in The Glass Cat of Oz, "The Believing Child," and Toto in Oz. See the Oziana entry above for a retcon.

Ruggedo: The reason Ruggedo is wandering as an exile from the Nome Kingdom is told in Tik-Tok of Oz and "Alliance of the Elementals." According to "Much Ado About Kiki Aru," Ruggedo does not lose his memory for long. In a week's time he's beginning to remember. He's also met the rabbit Wag, who will appear with him in Kabumpo in Oz. Ruggedo also makes the curious statement that Dorothy and Ozma and the Oz folk drove him out of the dominions of the Nomes, when it was actually the Great Jinjin who did that, although Kaliko allowed him to stay. This was resolved in the short story "Alliance of the Elementals"

Spirituality: This is the second book in which Baum has one of the protagonists mention God, in this case, Cap'n Bill, who says people aren't grateful enough to God for their health and the basic good things they have, which they don't appreciate until they're gone. Some believe this is Baum speaking through the character, as he was then sick, as he noted in the book's foreword, and nearing the end of his life.

The 14th book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five, and final Oz book by L. Frank Baum.

Synopsis: While visiting Glinda at her palace, Dorothy reads in the Great Book of Records that the unknown communities of Skeezers and Flatheads are going to war. Glinda discovers that about a hundred people live in each domain far north in the Gillikin country. Although she'd rather let it alone, Ozma determines that she must go to prevent war and negotiate peace. Dorothy agrees to go along, and Glinda gives her a ring to summon her in the event of emergency. As to protection, Ozma's fairy powers are manifest in her Silver Wand, which is both a weapon of offense and defense. Ozma regrets not better knowing the residents of her land, but admits to often being busy "making laws and planning for the comforts of the people" (p. 36)

Soon enough the girls are forced to leave behind the Sawhorse and Red Wagon, as they can't pass through the heavy bushes. Journeying on foot, they are soon entrapped by giant webs. The Spider King and his purple spiders emerge looking for their new slaves. Ozma and Dorothy refuse and the Spider King attacks. The Magic Belt and Silver Wand prevent them from being harmed, so the creature withdraws. Dorothy calls on the help of a green crab to cut the spider webs, which he'll do on the promise of being turned white, for green is a common color and the Purple Spiders are afraid of white crabs. Ozma does so, and he frees the princesses. Coming upon a hill, the girls encounter a mist valley that Dorothy is afraid to cross. Recognizing it, Ozma calls out to the Mist Maidens who reside there. They answer and carry the girls across the valley to the other side.

Soon, they reach the Flathead Mountain and discover that they must find their way around an invisible barricade, and up a zig-zagging flight of stairs cut in the mountain. The Flatheads meet them and bring them before the Su-dic, the Supreme Dictator. He complains that the Skeezers unjustly turned his wife Rora into a golden pig for attempting to poison the fishes in their lake when they refused to share their fish with them. The Flatheads all have flat heads, and utilize their brains from cans which Lurline gave them long before to overcome their stupidity. When his wife once scolded him, the Su-dic took her can of brains, so she took three from her citizens. He became a sorcerer and she a witch. Ozma agrees to restore her, but not to give them the fish, and insists that they return the extra cans of brains they stole. In a rage, he orders them imprisoned, but Ozma's wand renders her and Dorothy invisible, and they escape to the lake of the Skeezers.

The Magic Isle resides upon a small lake, and a giant glass dome sits upon it. Waving a handkerchief, a bridge extends from the dome to Ozma and Dorothy, who cross. Inside the palace are beautiful marble homes, though the people seem unhappy. Their queen Coo-ee-oh haughtily refuses to acknowledge that they live in the Land of Oz, or that Ozma is her sovereign. She claims to be a Krumbic Witch, the only of her kind, and is as anxious for war as the Su-dic was. Ozma says that she was a member of Lurline's band when she made Oz a fairyland, but it falls on deaf ears, and Coo-ee-oh puts them under house arrest, to be supervised by Lady Aurex until after the war. Lady Aurex brings the girls to her home, and Ozma uses her wand to protect it from Coo-ee-oh's listening ears.

Feeling safe from her queen who can hear anything in her domain, Lady Aurex explains that the people are peaceful, but cowed by Coo-ee-oh who inflicts dreadful punishments on any who disobey her. Long ago, there was peace between the nations of the Skeezers and Flatheads, who visited one another. They were both ruled by the Three Adepts who made their homes and used their magic for good, teaching the Flatheads how to use their canned brains. They also built the Great Dome. At the time, Coo-ee-oh dissimulated and pretended to be a gracious subject, but secretly she was interested in their magic. While they feasted at a banquet she invited them to, she stole their magical instruments and turned the Three Adepts into three fish, a gold, silver and bronze one. But the fish warned her that should they die or be destroyed, she would shrivel up and lose her magic. Coo-ee-oh threw them into the lake, but her deception was widely known, and the Flatheads became her enemies. Then, the Su-dic and his wife took advantage, stealing the brains of others, as well as the magic the Adepts left behind in their domain. Once powerful, they made themselves the rulers of the Flatheads. To gain power over the Skeezers, they demanded the fish in the lake, but knowing their intent, Coo-ee-oh refused. Desperate, lest the Adepts be disenchanted and take away their power, they determined to destroy them, and sought about poisoning the lake.

The war begins and Queen Coo-ee-oh magically submerges the Great Dome so that the Skeezers can't destroy the glass or gain entrance. To prevent their poisoning the lake, Coo-ee-oh arrives in a submarine shot out from the dome, and dashes the poison to the ground. Coo-ee-oh attempts to lasso the Su-dic with a magic silver rope, but he knocks her off her craft and turns her into a Diamond Swan. In that form, she can't perform magic, and she swims away as he tries to shoot her. Her personality also changes, and she forgets how to do magic. She also loses interest in anything but her own beauty. Witnessing the event, Lady Aurex is dismayed as Coo-ee-oh was the only one capable to lifting the Glass Dome back to the surface, a feat she performed with her witchcraft. Ozma is unable to solve the puzzle, and Dorothy conceives of locating the fishes who are the Three Adepts, but she is unsuccessful. Instead, she uses the ring that Glinda gave her.

As the alarm goes off in Glinda's palace, she checks the Great Book of Records and discovers that Dorothy and Ozma and the Skeezers are trapped underwater. The Book also informs her that Ozma can't secure their release and that Coo-ee-oh has been transformed. Glinda heads to the Emerald City and summons Ozma's counselors, who agree to travel on foot to the Magic Aisle. Joining Glinda are the Wizard, the Shaggy Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Glass Cat, Trot, Betsy, Cap'n Bill, Ojo, Button-Bright, the Frogman, Wogglebug, Scraps, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Uncle Henry.

Upon entering the wilderness of the Great Gillikin Forest, Button-Bright gets lost. Glinda checks a magic mirror, and discovers Button-Bright asleep under a large tree with a leopard and a wolf ready to pounce on him. She utters a magic spell, and the two beasts find themselves unable to move. Button-Bright kicks the leopard and thrashes the wolf with a stick, while the Glass Cat is sent to retrieve him. Upon his return, he complains that Bungle insulted him, but Glinda scolds him and forbids him from getting lost again. Still, he takes no responsibility.

Meanwhile, the Skeezers who accompanied Coo-ee-oh in the submarine are at a loss for what to do. One of them, Ervic, urges them to sleep while he keeps guard. During this time, the Three Adepts, in the form of fishes, come up to him and ask for help. He gladly offers it and follows their instruction, tying Coo-ee-oh's silver rope to the ship, so that the fish pull it to shore. Once there, they instruct Ervic to clean out the kettle which had contained the poison, fill it with fresh water, and lower it into the water so they can swim in. Successful, they instruct him to carry the kettle to a small cottage. While the Wizard and company run into the members of Ervic's crew, who tell them the story and explain that they don't know what became of Ervic, the Three Adept fish tell Ervic to enter the hut of Red Reera, a Yookoohoo, and to ignore whatever he sees there, paying attention only to how she uses her magic. To their knowledge she's never harmed anyone.

Ervic obeys and enters her cottage, encountering a crocodile with gleaming eyes, giant spiders, a lizard, rats, toads, and a grey ape sitting in a chair knitting. The ape orders him to leave, but he refuses, so she sends her pets to attack him. None of their attacks have any affect on him, and she asks him why he is in her cottage. He explains that he's merely curious, but wants nothing from her. She transforms herself into a woman, and the crocodile into a wolf, and the rats and toads into kittens and chipmunks, explaining that she often changes their forms throughout the day. She offers to transform his fish, but he refuses, and she finds him cross and disagreeable, which she likes.

At dinner, he again refuses her offer, explaining that he might like the fish better if they were girls who could practice magic, but that they wouldn't obey him anyway, so he prefers they stay as they are. Later when she goes out, he goes to take whatever it is that she used to perform her transformations, but her pets warn him that they will tell their mistress, and the fish warn him against that action. Later, he agrees that if the fish consent, he will abide by their decision, so Reera asks them, and they request to be transformed into girls who are adepts at magic. Reera agrees, and they are at once disenchanted back to their original forms of three beautiful women with golden hair and fair skin, dark hair and bronze skin, and silver hair. Reera invites them to eat, and changes herself into her natural form of a beautiful young red-headed woman. The Adepts explain their story and admit that they had Ervic trick her. Reera doesn't mind, as she's pleased with the adepts, but charges them not to tell anyone else, as she prefers to live in peace and doesn't want crowds gathering around her cottage.

As Glinda and the Wizard take control of the submarine and attempt to figure out a way to enter their dome, the Three Adepts arrive and bow before Glinda, introducing themselves as Audah (who was the former goldfish), Aurah (the bronze fish) and Aujah (the silver fish). They had been unaware of the law preventing the practice of magic, but are glad to assist in the rescue of Ozma and the Skeezers, aware that the basis for Coo-ee-oh's magic was what she stole from their nature magic and instruments. Trot and Betsy enthusiastically bring in Scraps, who has come up with the idea to drain the lake, but the Wizard says that the fish would die. Scraps suggests transforming the fish, but the Wizard says it would be wicked to do transformations against the wishes of others. Yet, Scraps's idea makes them realize they could drain only enough of the lake to enter the Glass Dome through the top glass. The Wizard and Glinda venture inside, cheering Ozma, Dorothy and the Skeezers. The Three Adepts follow.

They search the basement and discover the technology that sends the bridge across, releases the submarines and raises and lowers the island. But without the exclusive magic passwords, which Coo-ee-oh used to accomplish these feats, it's impossible to effect a rescue. Dorothy conceives that perhaps Coo-ee-oh used her own name as the magic words, and Ozma agrees it's worth a try. Dorothy's inspiration proves correct, and they're able to raise the island back above the waters of the lake. Lady Aurex is made ruler of the Skeezers, with Ervic her second-in-command. The Skeezers throw a grand celebration before the Ozites head over to the mountain of the Flatheads, where the Adepts imprison the Su-dic. Glinda and the Wizard conceive of a magical way in which to place the brains of each Flathead inside his head just as ordinary people have. The Flatheads concede, and Rora is disenchanted from her form as the Golden Pig. She and her husband are given a single brain each, and they their knowledge of magic and authority. The Adepts stay behind as their rulers, and re-name the Flatheads the Mountaineers.

Continuity Notes

Characters: Nearly every major protagonist from Baum's past books are here, with the exception of the Hungry Tiger, Hank the Mule, Billina the Chicken, and Eureka the Pink Kitten. Aunt Em is also absent. There is also no indication as to who's running things in the Emerald City while everyone else is away trying to help Ozma, Dorothy and the Skeezers.

Dating: The story takes place roughly over the course of 12 days. See the "Day-to-day chronology" for more details.

Dorothy: On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Ruth Berman points out that "The reference to 'Dorothy's own uncle' and to 'his wife Aunt Em' links up with Zeb's reference to 'my uncle' and 'your uncle' to suggest strongly that Henry is Dorothy's relation by birth-kinship, and Em her aunt by marriage." (For more info, go here.)

Firearms: The Skeezer soldiers are described as having some kind of firearms, which is the second depiction of this weapon in an Oz book. Given Coo-ee-oh's technological Glass Dome and use of magic, it's not out of place. No one uses them in the story, however. (p. 97) Earlier, in Tik-Tok of Oz, Oogaboo had a musket tree.

Flatheads: This clan existed without the use of brains prior to Lurline's arrival. She gave them each a can of brains, and the Three Adepts taught them how to use them. It seems likely that the Flatheads became that way due to the curse of Enilrul as noted in The Witch Queen of Oz. The Flatheads are by the end of the book restored to normal human-beings and called Mountaineers.

Great Book of Records: For the first time, it's revealed that Glinda can ask the Great Book a question, for which it provides a simple answer (though whether by voice or written word is not clear). This would explain how amongst the impossibly enormous volume of information she is able to find anything. The book records purportedly everything that happens in the world, save the activities of beasts—presumably from the outside world. Glinda may be able to focus it on important matters in and around Oz.

Magic: The various forms of magic are well-delineated here. The Adepts use a kind of nature magic with the help of instruments. Witchcraft also uses instruments, but appears to work against nature. The Wizard and Sorceress use nature magic with instruments, but to a much higher degree. Fairy magic is altogether different, and more organic and inherent, not using instruments at all. Krumbic magic, if in fact, represented by Coo-ee-oh, appears to be magic employed with technology and mechanical apparati. Since Coo-ee-oh stole her knowledge of magic from the Adepts, who do not describe themselves as Krumbic witches, she may be lying, either having invented that term, or stolen it from some source she'd heard of in the past.

Mist Maidens: These ethereal fairies reappear in Jodie in Oz.

Purple Spiders, Giant Spiders, and the White Crab: The great purple spiders return in The Emerald City Mirror arc "The Disturbing Disappearances in Oz." The later adventures of the giant spiders and white crab is told in Yookoohoos in Oz. The identity of the giant Spider King is unknown, but he may possibly be Fiddle (from Oziana 2010: "Fiddle's Revenge,") the son of the giant spider from the Great Forest, who was sent out of his realm, got lost, and might have found his way to the Gillikin Country to become the Spider King.

Stork chariot: Unlike the Swan Chariot that Glinda is normally said to employ, here her chariot is twice described as being driven by storks (p. 153). "The Silver Jug" clarifies that Glinda has two chariots, a golden one driven by swans, and a silver one by storks. A Promise Kept in Oz indicates that Glinda switches off between her storks and swans. The continuity notes for The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz indicates that Glinda on occasion even utilizes magically transformed handmaidens.

Talking Animals: It's confirmed again that all the animals in Oz can speak, including "all fishes" (p. 146 and 224).

Three Adepts: Aurah, Audah and Aujah return again in The Living House of Oz.

Synopsis: After many years of traveling and trying to regain her lost magic, Blinkie ends up in Ev. She stumbles across the Giant with the Hammer (from Ozma of Oz), and entering into his compartment, begins to learn how to control him. She swings her hammer into the mountainside, crashing into a storage room filled with Nomes. Kaliko arrives to see who has intruded. Realizing that she's unaware that they're Nomes, he fools her into believing they're a small community with little magic, and offers her a magic ring to depart. The ring is enough to satisfy her, as it freezes its victims, so that with it and her control of the Giant with the Hammer, she intends to revenge herself against her former enemies.

Blinkie then happens upon an Ork, who she tricks into revealing the location of Orkville. After freezing his wings, she heads off with him on the Giant's shoulder to Orkland to attack them first. She freezes all of the Orks' wings, including Orville's, who had years earlier saved the Scarecrow from her in Jinxland. Orville manages to escape, though he cannot fly, and must swim across the sea and run across the land.

Meanwhile, east across the Deadly Desert, but west of Hi-land and Lo-land, lies the Ivalane Valley, and in the southern part of it lies Ivalor. There the people were once prosperous, having sold goatmilk from their royal goats. But for a year now, they go about covered head-to-toe in canvas sacks to avoid the stings of the Wasps of Wisp. A bitter man from the Mountains of Moran to the east, Wisp had once trained the Stinging Bees who he had traded to the Wicked Witch of the West in exchange for magic. Now his trained wasps allow him to terrorize the land of Ivalor to the west.

When Irving, the son of the chief goatherd of Ivalor, meets Orville the Ork, who has traveled by foot to their dominion only to be attacked by the wasps, Irving rescues Orville from them. Irving's parents welcome Orville into their home, and he tells them of his plan to go to the Emerald City to get help. After he departs, Irving decides to follow him to also ask Ozma for help, a fortunate choice as he is there to save Orville who falls into quicksand.

Meanwhile, Mombi decides that it is time to relearn magic, and travels to the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West. She discovers the location of her hidden cellar, but most of what's down there has been emptied or destroyed by Glinda. In a rage, she smashes shelves, getting a brown sticky residue on her hands, but also discovering some odd items that remain, including the Silver Whistle the Witch had used to summon the black bees, and the brass bell that summoned the Wolves. She attempts the latter to no effect, but the whistle summons from afar Wisp, who arrives by means of his wasp-driven chariot. He is suspicious of Mombi at first, but greed overcomes his doubts. Mombi spells out her plan to steal the Magic Picture and give Wisp control of the Winkie country of Oz. Mombi also discovers by accident that the brown substance has given her the power to shoot flames of fire.

Disguised in the elaborate costume of a minstrel, Mombi gains access to the Royal Palace in the Emerald City, and is ushered in by Dorothy herself. Blowing on the silver whistle, she summons the wasps of Wisp. While the Ozites scramble to escape the wasps, Mombi steals away with the Magic Picture. Ozma and the Scarecrow take the Red Wagon, Sawhorse, Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger to Glinda's, but en route, Ozma and the two large cats are frozen in place, leaving the Scarecrow and Sawhorse to take Ozma and travel in haste.

At the West Witch's former castle, Mombi looks for wicked magicians to assist her. She looks up Wartwick the Wizard in the Magic Picture, but discovers that he's now a rock. She asks to see Wanda, but discovers that she's reformed. Several other searches prove fruitless as well. When she asks to see Blinkie, she discovers her in the mouth of the Giant with the Hammer. At once, Mombi and Wisp fly off on the wasp-driven chariot to find her at Orkland. Blinkie is surprised to meet Mombi and the Wisp, but Mombi explains to her the plan. With the power of Blinkie's ring, she's able to freeze persons simply by looking upon them in the Magic Picture. Glinda becomes the first victim, as is everyone in her castle. The Wizard and Dorothy are next, followed by Ozma and the Lion and Tiger. The Scarecrow and Sawhorse, however, cannot be frozen. So it's off to Glinda's palace that the wicked party heads.

Discovering that Glinda and her handmaidens are all frozen statues, the Scarecrow reads the Great Book of Records and discovers what's transpired. Despite having to break the law against practicing magic, the Scarecrow and Sawhorse search Glinda's magic equipment and discover a bottle of Rainflower tears which can undo freezing Nome spells, but it cannot work without the magic words, which they don't know. The Scarecrow tries another bottle of blue ooze, but only manages to flood the room with it. Then another bottle, and with this one he erases his face. The Sawhorse discovers it's magic erasing liquid, and sets about repainting his face, but the results are closer to Picasso than the Scarecrow. Yet, he's able to speak and hear again. Concerned about Mombi finding Glinda's room, they disguise it as a broom closet, and then go about using the magic erasing liquid to erase the words from the Magic Book. After several attempts, they then go about hiding Ozma in a ubiquitous tool shed so that she'll not so easily be found.

Irv and Orv, meanwhile, reach the Deadly Desert just in time to hide from the wasp-chariot, which has landed to rest. When it takes off, Orville and Irving clasp onto the bottom of it, and ride it to Glinda's palace where they drop off safely. But when Orville goes about exploring the palace, he is caught by the evil trio. Irving goes to hide in a laundry shoot, sending him to the bowels of the palace. The wicked trio burst upon the Scarecrow and Sawhorse, who defy them, but are unaware of Mombi's new power of fire. She sets the Scarecrow on fire, forcing the Sawhorse to grab him and jump out the window and into a nearby pond, after which they escape to the Emerald City. Paying them no further heed, Mombi begins searching for Glinda's magic room. Failing to find it, they determine to find Ozma, but the Ork—still a prisoner of Mombi—uses the magic erasing liquid on the Magic Picture and then eats the page of the Magic Book. Unable to use the Magic Picture, Blinkie and Wisp go off in search of the place where Ozma is being held while Mombi attempts to learn how to unfreeze the freeze spell so that she can take the Magic Belt when Ozma is found.

Irv, meanwhile, deep in the bowels of the castle, meets Pervus the Packrat, who trades him his jacknife for an old spyglass of Glinda's. Pervus explains that his ancestor Patronius was the reason Glinda was able to defeat the Wicked Witch of the South, who once ruled there, by stealing the keys to the dungeon where the Quadling people were kept, allowing them to dig tunnels underneath the palace and spy on the witch for Glinda. That gives Irv the idea to use the tunnels to spy on Mombi. So with Pervus as a guide, Irv discovers Mombi practicing magic on Orville. The spell finally works and Orville's tail is unfrozen. The packrat dashes out to steal the potion of Rainflower tears, but during the chase it falls and breaks. With Mombi distracted, Orville and Irv fly off to the Emerald City. There, the non-meat people, the Scarecrow, the Sawhorse, Tin Woodman, Tik-Tok, and Scraps, have gathered to plan an assault on the evildoers. Pervus, meanwhile, hides Ozma outside of the shed inside an unknown object just before Mombi can find her. Irv and Orv realize that to awaken Ozma they need the Rainflower tears, but the only place it comes from is Orgland in the Munchkin country.

In Org, they seek the advice of an old woman who turns out to be a cannibal ogre named Org, who captures them and brings them into his underground lair where he intends to eat them. Orville outwits him. however, and they escape with the potion they need. En route to Glinda's castle, they encounter a Rak along the way. It is Mombi attacking her enemies (including Blinkie in the Giant with the Hammer) and allies. Due to Irv's quick thinking, Ozma is unfrozen, and uses the Belt to turn Mombi into a crow. Ozma transforms the wasps into grains of sand, and returns Wisp to his mountain home. Blinkie is restored to her size on the caveat that if she attempts to practice magic again, she will shrink back to 18 inches. Ozma restores Mombi, removing her memory of magic and sending her back to her Gillikin home. Warning signs are placed around Org's home, and Irv goes with Orv back to Ivalor.

Continuity Notes

Blinkie: Given that Blinkie ends up back to her shortened size (in The Gardener's Boy in Oz), she must have attempted to practice magic again, though this story is untold.

Dating: The story takes place roughly over the course of a month, with most of the action happening in the first two weeks. It is most likely before The Lost King of Oz since Mombi is active and has not yet left her Gillikin home to work as a cook in Kimbaloo. The lack of any Thompsonian characters in and around the Emerald City is also a clue as to its earlier date.

Ivalane Valley: On the Haff & Martin map, the Ivalane Valley would be located on the mountainous purple strip just outside the eastern Shifting Sands, and west of Loland/Hiland. North of Ivalor in that valley is Bildad, Kallikan, Dantan and Moran. The Ive Mountains lie to the west, the Moran Mountains to the east.

Org: Though not explicit in the text, the final picture shows Org removing the warning signs around his home (which might have indicated the possibility of another story.)

Ork: The story names the Ork from The Scarecrow in Oz Orville. He notes, however, that his father's nickname for him was Flipper, which he doesn't like (explaining why he's not referred to by that name in The Scarecrow in Oz, except once).

Mombi: The story takes place prior to the time Mombi vacated her Gillikin home, but is far enough after the events of The Marvelous Land of Oz that she feels free to explore the Wicked Witch's castle without undue concern that Ozma is watching her in the Magic Picture. The text notes that Blinkie hadn't met Mombi before, and that she considered Mombi a childhood heroin. This indicates that Blinkie's time as Wicked Witch of the South was brief before Glinda forced her into exile back in Jinxland. Mombi is particularly dark in this story, and it has to be assumed—given that she's later revealed to be a Yookoohoo—that her ability to transform into a Rak didn't come from Glinda's spells as indicated in the text. At the end of the story, Ozma removes her knowledge of magic and know-how of transformations (her Yookoohoo amulet?) and sends her back to her Gillikin home.

Pervus the Packrat: This rodent with the fastidious habit of exchanging one item for another bears similar methods to the magical Rakpat in Phyllis Ann Karr's The Gardener's Boy in Oz. They may be close or distant relations. Pervus's ancestor Patronius helped Glinda defeat one of the Wicked Witches of the South, though whether Angra, Singra, Blinkie, or another is not mentioned, save that she once ruled from the castle that is now Glinda's. Since Glinda arrived in Oz to find the castle empty, this would indicate that one of the witches took over her castle for a time before Glinda vanquished her.

Stinging Bees and Silver Whistle: Also called Wisp's wasps, these are not the black bees the Wicked Witch of the West used (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), which Krizzle Kroo commanded on her behalf, and which she later took control of. Those bees died attempting to sting the Tin Woodman. These are alive and well. Krizzle Kroo's entry in "The Woozy's Tale" (Oziana 1992) gives more information on the bees the witch commanded in that story. That leaves the question as to why the Silver Whistle summons Wisp when he had nothing to do with Krizzle Kroo and his bees. The answer likely lies in the fact that the Wicked Witch of the West embedded the whistle with the power to summon Wisp in the event she needed more bees. That she didn't do so, as evidenced by the fact that he doesn't appear in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, may simply indicate that she didn't believe more bees would do the trick (since the last swarm had failed), and summoned her Winkie guards and Winged Monkeys instead to deal with Dorothy and her companions.

Witches: Mombi notes the existence of two other former witches that she'd worked with in the past, Wartwick (possibly Warwick, who she refers to mockingly as Wartwick) the Wizard and Wanda. The former has been transformed into a rock, though by whom there is no mention. Wanda is said to have reformed.

History: The 15th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five! It is the first to be penned by someone other than L. Frank Baum. This is first of twenty-one Oz books to be written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, chosen by the publisher with permission of Baum's widow. Although early editions credited Baum as the author, the idea (put forth by the publisher) that Thompson wrote it based on Baum's notes is a fiction. The story is entirely her own.

Synopsis: When the Wogglebug announces that he's going to write a book chronicling the important lineages of the various people in Oz, he offends the Scarecrow by claiming that he has no family tree. The Scarecrow decides to set off in search of his family tree, specifically, the bean-pole upon which he came to life. En route, he gets stuck at the Munchkin River until he meets the A-B-Sea serpent and the Rattle-snake, who are on vacation from their service to the children of the Mer People. They cheer the Scarecrow up with riddles, and help him get across the river, after which they go off to visit the Emerald City.

The Scarecrow makes his way to his old beanpole, temporarily waking up the farmer who built him. Scarecrow assures him that they'll speak in the morning, as he wishes to spend the night thinking. As he begins to clear away the dead foliage around the pole, however, he slips through a hole in the ground and begins to descend into the earth down the beanpole.

Noting the Scarecrow's absence at breakfast, Dorothy heads off with the Cowardly Lion to cheer him up at his Corncob mansion, unaware that he's not there. Blink the housekeeper says the Scarecrow hasn't been back home, but that they should check the Magic Picture. On the way back, however, a storm comes, terrifying the Lion who runs the wrong way along the road, bringing them to an unknown place called Pokes.

The Scarecrow is pulled from his descent into the realm of terrifying mud-and-root people called Middlings, who demand a toll. The Scarecrow gives the king an emerald, but only when the king determines that he's no good for work does he drop him back down the beanpole. Descending much further, the Scarecrow finally ends up in the Silver Islands, hailed as the Emperor returned and the Ancestor.

In Pokes, no one is allowed to sing, whistle or run, and, in fact, all of the Pokes move slowly and sleepily. Even Dorothy and the Lion start to get sleepy. The Pokes arrest them and bring them before Sir Hokus, a knight whose been alive for centuries in Pokes, and who doesn't remember anything from the time he left his father's home. He doesn't even know they're in the Land of Oz. After he left his father's home, another knight challenged him to a duel, but when Sir Hokus unseated him, the knight cursed him to live for centuries in the stupidest country out of the world, and there he ended up without ever having had any adventures or proving himself. Upon hearing Dorothy's story, Hokus deems her a damsel in distress and pledges himself to serve her. To escape, he recommends that they all sing, which will keep sleep and the Pokes at bay. The task proves harder than it seems, and it's up to the Cowardly Lion in the end to rescue them.

In the Silver Island, meanwhile, the Grand Chew Chew declares the prophecy of the magic bean stalk fulfilled, proclaiming the Scarecrow the return of the spirit of Chang Wang Woe, and Emperor of the Silver Island. When he asks if he's in China, it's explained that the Silvermen are a much older race than their Chinese cousins (p.99), "People of the Stars," as opposed to "People of the Sun." The Grand Chew Chew explains that 50 years ago after defeating the King of the Golden Islands in battle, a wicked magician in his employ crept into his quarters at night and turned him into a crocus. Chang Wang Woe's wife Tsing Tsing kept the crocus alive with her tears for three days before it sprouted into the clouds. A prophecy was then left on parchment that whoever first touches the beanpole on the other side of the world, the spirit of the emperor will enter. Chang Wang Woe is now 85 years old and has sons and grandsons (though his wife is dead).

Scarecrow finds ruling the Silver Islanders difficult because they're quarrelsome, even his ministers Chew Chew, Chief Chow Chow and General Mugwump. Deciding to no longer follow protocol, the Scarecrow decides to befriend the slave Happy Toko. After spending the day kiting, Scarecrow returns to a commotion. The son of the King of the Golden Island has invaded. The Scarecrow takes Happy Toko and his courtiers to face the invading army. As they set foot on the island, the Scarecrow takes out his royal fan, which blows them all into the air. Realizing it's a magic fan, he drops them into the water where they soon climb back in this ships, and are blown away from the Silver Island.

After the celebratory feast that followed the victory, the Scarecrow is horrified to see the fare of broiled mice, shark fin, bird nest and cat, and wishes he could return to Oz. At the fireworks celebration, the Scarecrow is burned by a stray firework, but Happy Toko puts him out.

In Oz, meanwhile, Ozma and Betsy had fun with the A-B-Sea Serpent and Rattlesnake, but their reverie is interrupted by a messenger from Glinda who informs them that the Hoppers and Horners are at war again. So Ozma, the Wizard, Betsy Bobbin, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse head out to make peace.

Dorothy, Lion and Hokus, meanwhile, get lost leaving Pokes and are soon set upon by a giant named Bangladore, but it's soon discovered that he's made of candy, and to ensure his secret is kept safe, he agrees to get them out of the area. They find themselves in Fix City, where the people remained fixed in place, but everything else is alive and runs around for the people. The king provides them with walking beds, and they sleep off their exhaustion. The beds shake them off by morning unto a rolling road which drops them off in the Winkie River. A Winkie named Memo won't budge a finger to help them, looking up the information instead, while his brother Randum dives in to help, but misses entirely. Eventually, Memo and Randum shuffle off, forcing the Cowardly Lion to rescue Hokus once again.

The Scarecrow, meanwhile, is introduced to his three sons and fifteen grandsons, but they are all disagreeable and unpleasant. Happy Toko overhears the sons plotting to do away with their grandfather, compelling the Scarecrow to come up with a plan. But that night, they're shanghaied and chained to a pole.

Dorothy and her party meet the Comfortable Camel and Doubtful Dromedary who lost their caravan in a fog some time ago. The former chooses to become the steed of Hokus. They encounter an area called Wish Way, which grants wishes, and Dorothy wishes them all with the Scarecrow, bringing them instantly to the Silver Island. There the friends reunite and share stories of their prior adventures. Happy Toko is given a language pill to understand them. The party eventually decide to wait for morning to escape, but the Scarecrow is anxious because his sons are plotting to kill him and the Grand Gheewizard is planning to restore him to his former meat form of Chang Wang Woe so he can marry him to an old woman named Princess Orange Blossom.

A grand celebration commences the next morning. Upon seeing the old dragon that the Grand Gheewizard keeps as a companion, Hokus rushes off and kills him, to the dismay of the wizard and disappointment of Dorothy, but Hokus is content because he's finally slain a dragon. The Scarecrow attempts to resign, but the people won't allow it. As the Gheewizard prepares to transform them, Dorothy opens the parasol the Scarecrow gave her the night before and flies up into the air and then back down on top of the vase which holds the magic formula the Gheewizard has prepared for the transformation. The vase instead smashes unto the princes, transforming them into two pigs and a weasel. Their plan foiled, the Scarecrow abdicates and leaves rule of the Silver Island to Happy Toko, who he promises to check in on with the Magic Picture every month.

With that, the Ozites hang onto Dorothy as she alights upon the magic bean pole and floats "up" it, until finally reaching Oz again. But Hokus eats a bean from the beanpole and begins sprouting branches, growing up into the air. Dorothy accidentally loosens the magic fan, blowing the animals away, while she again uses the parasol to guide Sir Hokus to the Emerald City, where the Wizard is able to disenchant him. Ozma, having returned from her mission achieving peace between the Hoppers and Horners, throws a celebration and hears everyone's stories, welcoming Sir Hokus and the two camels to Oz.

Continuity Notes

A-B-Sea Serpent: This sea serpent has a literary precedent in Walter Crane's Pothooks and Perseverance, or The A.B.C. Serpent. This book also features a protagonist named Percy Vere. He is clearly of a different kind than the Sea Serpents, Anko, Unko and Inko (mentioned in The Sea Fairies).

Attribution: Early editions attributed portions of this book to Baum to help readers bridge the gap to the new author, however, this work is strictly that of the famous children's author–soon to be Royal Historian–Ruth Plumy Thompson, whom Reilly & Lee (with the widow Baum's approval) hired to continue the series after Baum's death.

Beanpole: The prophecy that came about at Chang Wang Woe's death indicates that whomever first touched the beanpole would receive the spirit of Chang Wang Woe. Also, that he would return in 50 years. This would seem to indicate that the pole emerged in the farmer's cornfield in 1860 (based on the 1910 date that the Royal Timeline gives Royal Book). "Cryptic Conversations in a Cornfield," however, indicates that the beanpole emerged at the time the Scarecrow was ready to be hung in 1898, startling the farmers by its appearance. Since the Scarecrow did not hang for 30 or so years before Dorothy released him, it must be assumed that after its initial burst, the beanpole took 38 years to "grow" and climb up from the Silver Island on one side of the world to Oz on the other side.

Camels: The mystery of where the Comfortable Camel and Doubtful Dromedary comes from is addressed in The Yellow Knight of Oz. Whereas the Comfortable Camel appears in several future stories, not as much is told of the Doubtful Dromedary until The Magic Cryptogram of Oz, in which he gets a new master.

Continent of Imagination: This is the first mention of the Oz fairyland as being part of the continent of imagination. In Pirates in Oz, Roger the Read Bird also refers to Oz as Imagi-Nation.

Contradiction: Sir Hokus' sword snaps off at the hilt on p. 155, and there is no mention of his getting another. Yet, he kills the dragon with a sword on p. 257.

Cowardly Lion: The Lion's sudden fear of thunderstorms is accounted for in The Magic Carpet of Oz. He also claims to have "scorched his tongue on a dragon once," but what this event refers to is unknown.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of eight days. See the Chronology of Oz for details. The date of this story is set ten years prior to The Yellow Knight of Oz.

Dorothy: Dorothy was unable to swim in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, and apparently has taken lessons since then since she is able to swim in a river.

Dragon: Sir Hokus's murder of the Gheewizard's aged and rheumatic dragon, a creature not shown to be evil, but rather a victim of Hokus's immature assumption that all dragons are evil and should be slain by knights, is addressed in the forthcoming novella, The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz.

Ferries: The text says there is no ferry in the country, though there are ferries and ferrymen in Oz, as evidenced by The Marvelous Land of Oz, The Lost Princess of Oz, Wishing Horse of Oz, Merry-Go-Round in Oz and others. Thompson may have been referring to the Munchkin country at that particular time.

Hokus of Pokes: The mystery of where Hokus comes from is addressed in The Yellow Knight of Oz.

Language: While the Scarecrow, Dorothy and the others who descend unto the Silver Island are magically able to understand and speak the language of the Silver Islanders, the native Silver Islanders cannot at first understand Ozish (which Thompson indicates is English). Once Happy Toko is given one of Professor Wogglebug's language pills, however, he can then converse with them.

Lewis Carroll: Dorothy has read Alice in the Wonderland (and possibly Through the Looking Glass). Page 239.

Scarecrow: The Scarecrow's complete background history is told in "Cryptic Conversations in a Cornfield ," which reconciles the disparate history of Chang Wang Woe with what is said in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that he first became self-aware when the farmer painted an ear on the sack that was to become his head, which is some time before he was placed on the pole. His motivations for seeking out his ancestry are best understood in light of the 50 year prophecy coming to term.

The Silver Island: As with the Realm of An (home of Tititi-Hoochoo and the Original Dragon), the Silver Island is said to be on the other side of the world, and steeped in Asian motifs. That it's not an underground realm is demonstrated by its having clouds, by the fact that the Scarecrow flies through its skies, and by their being daylight and nighttime. The Scarecrow falls down the beanpole, and by virtue of perspective, must climb "up" it to get back to Oz.

Sequel: The Grand Gheewizard and ruler and wizards of the Golden Island return again in the forthcoming The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz.

Storms: On the BCF Pumperdink page, David Hulan notes that it is "odd, noteworthy, and unusual that an ordinary storm could and would cause a total blackout over an area of about 400 square miles (minimum) for three hours or more." Perhaps there is an unexplained magical reason this occurred. That the lion didn't fall into a ditch or smash against a tree suggests that he can see in the dark (as cats can) and that he was mainly following the Yellow Brick Road, albeit in the wrong direction. Another theory to account for the blackout storm without rain is a volcanic eruption from somewhere beyond the Deadly Desert. Within Oz, possibilities include Blaze's Fire Island in Grampa in Oz, the Fire-fall in The Hungry Tiger of Oz, Lavaland in Captain Salt in Oz, and the volcano Mt. Smoky in Flame City, located in the Gillikin country, in Adolf Hitler in Oz.

Note: 16th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: When Prince Pompadore's birthday cake explodes, the royalty of Pumperdink discover a dire prophecy stating they will all disappear unless the prince marries a proper princess. This is followed by the appearance of a mysterious doorknob. Pompa's father, the King of Pumperdink, determines that his son will marry the old and ugly fairy Faleero, who resides in their domain. Not even Pompa's mother Queen Pozy objects, but Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant, won't hear of it. Taking the mysterious doorknob, he sneaks Pompa off in the night. Although no one from Pumperdink has ever been in the capital, he hopes to get the boy to marry Ozma instead.

Ruggedo, meanwhile, is living underneath the Emerald City, in an old cavern he discovered after he began digging under the home Ozma gave him at the end of The Magic of Oz. Along with his friend, Wag, a rabbit, Ruggedo has been carving his history in rock so that he won't forget it again. When he discovers Glegg's box of mixed magic, a golden box that contains magic implements inside it, he uses some of the magic to bring Trot's former wooden doll Peg Amy to life, grow Wag to human-size, turn his own head spiky. But it gets out of control and the Nome grows to giant-size, while carrying the Royal Palace on his head like a crown. Frightened by this turn of events, Ruggedo runs back home to Ev. Wag and Peg Amy determine to go after him, and take with them the magic box that Ruggedo left behind.

Kabumpo and Pompa head to the Emerald City, unaware of recent events, and encounter the Curious Cottabus, who feels he must ask incessant questions. Growing tired of that, they move ahead and arrive at a city of Rith-Metic, where reside the Figure Heads, hostile numbers, from who they escape thanks to the help of the cottabus, who they'd earlier disdained. Departing from there, they discover a soup sea, from which Pompa hungrily eats, but they fall into an underground city of sapient Candlemen called Illumi-Nation, where they are nearly set on fire by the unwitting citizens who don't understand where the travelers' wicks and flames are. These creatures are taken out of their domain when the need arises for candles, upon which they shrink to a small size.

Kabumpo and Pompa soon discover that the Emerald City and all its residents have been abducted when they come across Glinda, who explains what happened. They agree to help rescue Ozma and the rest. En route, they encounter Peg Amy and Wag, and after an awkward introduction, become friends and decide to travel together to find Ruggedo and save everyone.

In Ev, Ozma sends a note down to Ruggedo, informing him that if he keeps shaking up the palace on his head, she'll send eggs down. Ruggedo tries to comply, but then the Sandman happens by and puts everyone, except the Scarecrow, Scraps, the Tin Woodman and Tik-Tok, to sleep.

Kabumpo and his party encounter a grove of violent trees called Twigs, ruled by the Woodjesty. With Kabumpo's help, they break through their line, and soon wonder how they'll cross the Deadly Desert. Just then, they're abducted by a Runaway Country, a sapient peninsula with ten legs who wants to become a civilized island in Oz. Peg convinces him to let them off at the nearest country so they can find food, but when the Runaway Country sees the giant Ruggedo in Ev, he flees in a panic, leaving all his inhabitants behind. Wag pokes Ruggedo's toes with a stick, and the Scarecrow comes tumbling down and makes everyone's acquaintance.

With Glegg's box of mixed magic opens due to the fall from the Runaway Country, they discover the Question Box, and ask it how to make Ruggedo return the Emerald City and shrink back to normal size. Glinda brings Ozma down, while a disenchantment spell sends Ruggedo back across the desert. Pompadore proposes to Ozma, but she refuses, explaining that she has no intention of marrying anyone. Kabumpo is incensed, but Pompa tells her the whole story. Ozma tells him to ask Glegg's Question Box who the proper princess is, which he does. The mirror says she is from Sun Top Mountain.

The Runaway Country returns, but Ozma binds it, releasing it only on the condition that it first escort them over the Desert to Oz. So, it takes the party to Sun Top Mountain in the north Winkie Country, after which Ozma permits it to live as an island in the Nonestic, with Ruggedo as his king. When Peg Amy reaches Sun Top Mountain, she feels as if she'd been before.

Then a Magic Mirror from Glegg's box reveals that Peg Amy is the Princess of Sun Top Mountain, and she appears again as the human princess she once was. Her uncle Tozzyfog emerges, explaining that three years ago Glegg had come to marry her, but when she refused him, he cast a spell, turning her into a tree and warning that if they went to Ozma for help, it would disappear. That tree was near the Emerald City, and was the very next day cut down by Cap'n Bill to be turned into a wooden doll for Trot, where it remained until Ruggedo stole it and brought it with him into his underground cavern. After the explanation, Glegg appears magically, threatening to take Peg Amy for his own now that the Prince has found and restored her. But following their adventures in the Magic Picture, Ozma transports him to the Emerald City by means of the Magic Belt, and sends Trot there in his place. After a grand celebration, Peg and Pompadore agree to marry. After visiting Pumperdink and the Emerald City, they settle on Sun Top Mountain.

Ruggedo settles on Runaway Island, which becomes Ruggedo's Island. Glegg explains how he followed the advice of the question box, and buried his magic box under the Emerald City after digging a tunnel there. This took a year, and having been told the exact date Peg Amy would arrive two years later, he waited for the very moment to seize her. Ozma inquires from the Question Box what to do about Glegg, and the box advises he be given a taste of his own medicine and drink the tea in the magic box. Upon doing so, he explodes!

Continuity Notes

Continuity errors: The Wizard, Tin Woodman and Jack Pumpkinhead each appear for a paragraph, and are never seen or heard from again in the story. The former is particularly odd, as the Wizard appears to have some kind of plan or idea as to what's going on. Many think this is either an editorial interpolation, or a subplot that Thompson meant to enlarge, or forgot to eliminate. Ruth Berman on the BCF forum writes: "As to why RPT would mention the Wizard in a way that sounds as if there'll be a follow-up and then leave out the follow-up: Perhaps RPT (or whoever formed the sentence--the wording could have been a specific suggestion by the R&L editor to match up with the artwork) didn't notice that saying that the Wizard was serene and smiling would sound to readers as if he had a special reason (like a plan of action) for his serenity. The passage could have been meant to suggest that the Wizard was trying to look serene in the panic to try to reassure the others."

Dating: The story takes place over the course of a week. See the Chronology of Oz. It's made clear that a little over two years have passed since the events of The Magic of Oz, as Ruggedo's history is laid out after his drinking water from the Fountain of Oblivion. Once he began to remember who he was (about a week according to the Oziana 1986 story "Much Ado About Kiki Aru"), he began digging underneath his cellar, and discovered a cavern underneath the Emerald City (a process that may have taken anywhere from a few weeks to a few months). He then spent the better part of two years living there and carving out his history on the six rocks.

Faleero: The first mention of Faleero notes that she is a 1,000 year old fairy, but a hideously unattractive one that lives in the forest. The text does not go into any details as to why this might be the case, a story that is saved for The Purple Prince of Oz. Taken at face value, that would mean she was created around 900 A.D. Faleero's story is also told in Nathan DeHoff's "The Banishment of Faleero," which has been placed at 1668.

Food: Thompson doesn't seem to quite follow Baum's vegetarian conception of Oz, and has Peg Amy wonder why there are no chickens for food, though she may be thinking of eggs (given how gentle Peg is, and the fact that it's unlawful to eat chickens in Oz, this might be what she had in mind). Then again, Thompson mentions eating fish, even while noting that all animals in Oz talk—and Baum includes fish in this equation—this must be chalked up to either historian error or non-sentient fish.

Glegg's Box of Mixed Magic: The history of J. Glegg and his Box of Mixed Magic is told in the forthcoming: Mixed Magic Makes Misery. Ozma uses the Question Box again in the Oziana 1980 story, "A Study in Orange."

Ozma's age: On page 256, it is stated that Ozma has lived "almost a thousand years." This is around the same age that Thompson says that Faleero came into being (900 A.D.) Thompson seems to be saying that fairies, in general, came into being around that time. On the other hand, she may just be using that number as a signifier of a long period time, an epoch.

Prince Pompadore: Pompa is celebrating his 10th 18th birthday, making him actually 28 years old. Prince Pompa first appears in "Christmas with the Prince " (aka. "Christmas in Pumperdink"). After his marriage to Peg Amy, they settle in Sun Top Mountain, but later (in The Purple Prince of Oz) appear in Pumperdink.

Pumperdink: This country was first created by Thompson for the Philadelphia Public Ledger long before she was writing Oz books, where she came to place it in the Gillikin country. Like Baum, who set the precedent of bringing other fantasy kingdoms into Oz, Thompson's Pumperdink would be the first of many of her small kingdoms retconned to exist in Oz. Sun Top Mountain, also in this story, comes originally from the Philadelphia Public Ledger. There are five earlier Pumperdink stories, which are collected in issues 1, 2, 4 and 6 of Oz-story Magazine (with new illustrations) and two Thompson collections published by The International Wizard of Oz Club, The Wizard of Way-up and Other Wonders and Sissajig and Other Surprises, which The Royal Timeline of Oz considers Borderlands books; these include "The Apple Pie Princess," "A story About Dragons" (aka. "The Dragon of Pumperdink"), "Christmas with the Prince" (aka. "Christmas in Pumperdink"), "The Wizard and His Purple Beard" (aka. "The Wizard of Pumperdink") and "The Laughing King: A Page Out of Pumperdink History" (aka. "The King of Pumperdink.")

Ruggedo's history: The six rocks that Ruggedo carves conveys his history (albeit from his perspective) up to this point, and, thus establishes a framework that precludes other major events (such as from other books) from occurring during this time-frame, as Ruggedo would have recorded them.

Runaway Country: There is no indication as to how an entire peninsula came to life. Even Ozma doesn't seem to know. The Runaway Country becomes the island he wishes and is called Ruggedo's Island, after Ruggedo is banished there.

Sandman: The first appearance in an Oz book of the Sandman further links Oz to older legends and stories. He appears again in Queen Ann in Oz in Sand City, as well as in The Magic Carpet of Oz, putting to sleep visitors to the Kingdom of Dreams so that the Phantagens enter their dreams. The complete story and purpose of the Sandman has yet to be told.

Sun Top Mountain: Like Pumperdink, this country was first created by Thompson for the Philadelphia Public Ledger long before she was writing Oz books. Here she places it in the Winkie country. The earlier story is called "The Fairy's Silver Trumpet," and can be found in Sissajig and Other Surprises, and online at the Hungry Tiger Press website (click on the title). The story appears to detail how Peg Amy's mother married her father.

Wag: A six-foot tall rabbit Wag, grown large by the mixed magic Ruggedo used on him. As there's no mention of him in Pumperdink by story's end, it seems likely he stayed behind to live on Sun Top Mountain. Wag doesn't make many future appearances. He's referenced in The Sawhorse of Oz, and appears briefly in "Much Ado About Kiki Aru," in Oziana 1986, but he doesn't play a major role in story until The Emerald City Mirror #50. That he's visiting Kabumpo in Pumperdink in that story underscores the fact that he's not living there.

Oz Book 17 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five!

Synopsis: Mustafa of Mudge demands his 10,000th lion, but his chamberlain Tazzywaller says there are no more lions in Mudge, which is a southerly desert land in the Munchkin country, isolated from the rest of Oz. Their book of Oz, which Glinda sent them when she forbid them leaving their domain (when they used to raid neighboring lands during Mustafa's grandfather's time), indicates that there's a Cowardly Lion of Oz. Mustafa will stop at nothing to get him, but his people are afraid to leave Mudge due to Glinda's warning of the consequences.

During a circus performance in Stumptown, the clown Notta Bit More notices the bored faces of the patrons. Picking up a young orphan named Bobbie Downs, he throws him in the air, uttering a rhyming phrase that suddenly pops into his head. At once the boy disappears. Uttering a similar rhyme, the clown disappears as well. Unbeknownst to him, this was a secret magical incantation which brings whoever utters it to Mudge. Mustafa is surprised by their sudden appearance and doesn't know what to make of them, particularly as the clown tries out his several rules of dealing with strangers: 1. Use a disguise, 2. Speak politely. 3. Make a joke. 4. Run. As his disguise is a lion, it nearly gets him thrown in with the nine thousand others. Politeness fails, as do his jokes and attempts to flee. Instead, Mustafa charges them with bringing to him the Cowardly Lion of Oz, on threat that if they fail he'll use his magic ring on them!

Away from Mudge, Notta Bit gets to known Bobbie better, and renames him Bob-Up. During the night, while sleeping in the forest, a fairy-man sees to it that no one disturbs them. The next day, a talking sign points the way to Doorways, and tells them to take the right door. Doorways is accessed by seven doors. The first says "Keep Out," the second "Don't Waken the Baby," the third leads to Dorms, but no admission till February, the fourth says "King Theodore the Third," the fifth is "The Queen: Adora the First," the sixth says "Push," which pushes back, and the seventh says "This Door Answers Itself" and is a talking door, who warns them about the queen.

Notta Bit, disguised now as a bear, tries the second door, only to find a sleeping baby dragon. Frustrated, he takes the queen's door. The king and queen arrive, but they think the travelers stole their door jam, or that they're dormant animals, and don't find Notta Bit amusing at all. Fearing they'll call the Slammer to slam them, Notta and Bob run through a door marked "Out" and escape. Outside, they meet the front half of a lion who had been chopped in half by Tazzywaller when he attempted to capture him. He petitions that they ask the Wizard to help him, which they promise to do. After another talking sign mentions the country of U, they head off again.

The Cowardly Lion, meanwhile, is upset by his constant cowardice. Overhearing the Patchwork Girl joke about curing himself by eating a brave man, the Lion goes off determined to do just that. But when he encounters a woodcutter, the man, proud to meet the famous Cowardly Lion, introduces him to his friends and family, and the lion—abashed—goes off. He stalks upon a sleeping huntsmen, who screams, and turns out to be Notta Bit More in disguise. They agree to join together and go to the Emerald City, where Ozma can send them home. On the way, however, they're caught up in a net weaved by a witchy tree that captures them and throws them up high up in the air.

The travelers fly up into the Isle of Un, a skyle (sky isle) inhabited by large birds called Uns, and ruled by I-Wish-I-Was, who seeks to either turn them into Uns, or push them over the edge of the skyle. The Uns fish the sky for pre-cooked birds, and only one Un—whose in hiding—is not unpleasant. Going fishing themselves, they catch a dog (a Skye terrier), who lives on another star, and two silver packages of dreams. While sleeping, the Uns attack. A fierce battle ensues until Notta Bit wakens and uses his magic phrase to send them to Mudge.

The next day, they meet the Snorer, a bird named Nickadoodle, whose beak curves around and detaches like an old phone. He suggests they take the royal transport of Un, the Flyaboutabus, while the Uns are out wishing, which they do each morning. They capture the Flyaboutabus, which is shaped like a hollowed-out goose, and with it escape to the Munchkin country.

There, they find the Travelers' Tree, planted by Wam the Wizard in the year 1120 O.Z., which provides them with tea, cocoa and a heart breakfast. But after they attempt to move towards the Emerald City, Bob and Notta turn blue and freeze, a result of the ring on Mustafa's finger, which doesn't allow them to deviate from their purpose. Notta Bit and the Cowardly Lion each confess their original evil purposes, and Nickadoodle advises that Notta Bit tie up the lion, which allows them to move again. A storm overtakes them on the Flyaboutabus, forcing them to land. Emptying the bus of water, they drive it like a bus, but they can only go towards Mudge.

On the way, they come to the glass town of Preservatory, where the citizens are all preserved in glass jars. When the bus accidentally breaks a jarred person, the Prime Preserve and Queen Preserva come out indignant. They call the Imperial Squawmos, who is a towering Cookywitch, and the real ruler of Preserve. She is the one responsible for putting everyone in jars, which she does to keep them from working, eating or drinking. She smashes the bus's controls in an attempt to preserve the captors, but the Lion discovers that the Up button still works, and they escape. Yet, as the Flyaboutabus is broken, it begins to fall again.

They are saved by the Stone Man, Crunch, who lives atop Stone Mountain, and was first carved out of stone in ancient times by "a primitive Oz man." The Wizard Wam later brought him to life with a magic powder, but then ran away. Crunch has stayed atop the mountain wondering what to do with his life. Notta Bit More suggests he could travel, help people not as strong as himself, serve Ozma and build a city. Crunch likes the idea, and has also fallen in love with the Cowardly Lion, so he agrees to join them. When he learns about Mudge, he decides he'll go alone with the Lion there and pound Mustafa to powder. The others, meanwhile head to the Emerald City to seek Ozma's help.

On the way, Bob-up, Notta Bit and Nick go to sleep in Fiddlestick Forest, and there the friendly trees play them a melody with their fiddles. In the morning, the trees provide them a fiddlebow boat to carry them from the forest through the Munchkin River to the Emerald City. Notta, unfortunately chooses another inappropriate disguise, this time that of a witch. In fear, Dorothy fills a pail of water and tries to put him out twice, then she blows on a whistle, summoning Tik-Tok, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, Scraps and others, who escort the three to the throne room. Ozma calls the Wizard to determine if it's a witch, and says that if she is she must be destroyed. The Wizard discovers he isn't, and after Notta removes his disguise, introductions are made. Glinda arrives, and they explain their adventure with the Cowardly Lion. Glinda says they must go to Mudge immediately, as the Lion is in grave danger. Using his formula, Notta Bit sends them all to Mudge.

Crunch, meanwhile, listens to the Lion's story about being cowardly, and says that he had gleaned a little magic from Wam and could remove his fear. The Lion insists on waiting before agreeing to that, but begins to distrust the Stone Man, who looks at him strangely. Crunch then informs him that he's not going to help people after all, only the Lion. Impatient while he sleeps, Crunch discovers the whereabouts of Mudge and picks up the sleeping lion, carrying him all the way to Mudge. The Lion stops him from crushing Mustafa, but once out of his sight, Mustafa has the Cowardly Lion chained up and put in with the other thousands of lions, who are waiting to fight him. Just as they're about to pounce, Sir Hokus, the Tin Woodman, Tik-Tok, Glinda, the Wizard, Nick, Bob, Notta, Ozma, Dorothy and the Scarecrow arrive. The lions pounce, but Crunch, turns all the lions into stone, including the Cowardly Lion, who he intends to keep, and begins flinging the other stone lions off him. Glinda and the Wizard stop him by depriving him of life, but they can't yet restore the Cowardly Lion. Mustafa has his ring taken away, and the Stone Man and lions are left there. Mustafa later grows rich selling the stone lions.

At the Emerald City, Glinda and the Wizard fail to undo Crunch's spell on the Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy weeps over the stone statue of her former friend. Her tears, however, prove to be the antidote, and everyone comes to weep over the Lion, who comes back to life. Ozma and Dorothy hear the rest of the adventures, and look in the Magic Picture at Un. Bob Up tells her the name of the good Un is Unselfish, and Ozma places him on the throne. Notta then explains that he's going to have to save up money for Bob Up and his old age, and grows sad at the thought of leaving, but Ozma invites them to live with them in Oz, to which they accept with great rejoicing. On their request, Ozma gives them a tent to live in, and restores the lion who'd been cut in half. Bob Up becomes friends with Button-Bright, as Notta enrolls him in the Wogglebug's College.

Continuity Notes

Bob-Up: The orphan from Philadelphia nicknamed Bob-Up by Notta Bit More is actually named Bobbie Downs, and the text seems to indicate that he's seven years old. He now lives on the outskirts of the Emerald City in a tent with the clown Notta Bit More and Nickadoodle, and goes to school at the Wogglebug college. He and Notta appear to be the first outsiders (from the U.S.) to come to Oz (and to live in Oz) since Trot, Cap'n Bill and Button-Bright arrived in The Scarecrow of Oz.

Cookywitch: Although not named in the story, Squalma is the giant cookywitch, a title that is "next in wizardry to a sorceress." She appeared earlier in "The Other Searches for the Lost Princess." It's not known whether or not Ozma ever dealt with the situation in this community. Her daughter appears in the former story and again in "Vaneeda of Oz," both from the anthology The Lost Tales of Oz.

Cowardly Lion: The Cowardly Lion is particularly troubled by his cowardice, and acts more fearful than he has in past stories, to the point where he seriously considers eating another person. While this may seem out of character, the precedent for this was set in Baum's "The Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger of Oz, from "Little Wizard Stories of Oz. Additionally, the Lion's added fears (such as of thunderstorms) are addressed in David Hulan's The Magic Carpet of Oz. It's also noted that the Wizard can't make more of the potion he gave the Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This fear finally gets resolved in the Oziana 1982 story, "The Cowardly Lion and the Courage Pills."

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in May over the course of five days. See the Chronology of Oz for more details. No year is indicated, although Hokus lives in the Emerald City, ensuring it takes place before The Yellow Knight of Oz. At the time that Glinda warned the Mudgers to stay within their domain, or face Ozma's consequences, Mustafa's grandfather was ruling Mudge. The earliest this could have occurred was in 1902.

The 1912 dating for the events of The Cowardly Lion of Oz is based on the sequence of events depicted in The Lunechien Forest of Oz. While the dates listed in that book are off by three years each, the passage of time appears to be sound. Based on this sequence of time, The Cowardly Lion of Oz would take place later than the three books that succeeded it (Grampa in Oz, The Lost King of Oz, and The Hungry Tiger of Oz). As The Cowardly Lion of Oz works as a standalone story, doing so is possible and doesn't harm continuity, particularly as Notta Bit and Bob-Up aren't referenced in a story again until The Wishing Horse of Oz, and allows more time for the prior events of Mudge to occur. See Monarchs of Mudge below.

Dorothy: Page 207 seems to indicate that Dorothy is the one who tells Thompson this story. Like Ozma, Dorothy initially seems out of character, attempting to melt a witch (whose really Notta Bit More) upon first seeing her. The Dorothy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz states that she doesn't want to kill anyone, even to get home to Kansas. In defense, Ruth Berman (on the Pumperdink BCF digest) notes that: "Notta, in his witch impersonation, is running full-speed at Dorothy and gesturing wildly, and those are factors that should be considered, too, in Dorothy's reaction. It really would look as if she's dealing with a wicked witch who is about to do something wicked to her. (And she has maybe 30 seconds to decide.) After all, as various people have pointed out, if she's wrong in thinking that the apparent witch is a witch, she won't have done any more harm than dousing someone." In the Oziana 2006 story, "The Wailing Witch of Oz," Dorothy is said to regret her rush to judgment and says she didn't know what she was doing, which supports Berman's postulation.

Lions in Oz: African lions can have up to 40 individuals living in a pride. Ozian lions would appear to have many more, as they're tame and get along much more easily than their carnivorous cousins in the outside world, however, Mudge lions seem fiercer (they gang up on the Cowardly Lion when he's brought in their enclosure). If Ozian lions live in the same size prides as those in Africa, there would have been around 250 prides in and around Mudge. Although it sounds like a lot, ten thousand lions is not inconceivable. In 1950, over 400,000 lions lived in Africa (see here). Why so many lions came to live in and around Mudge is not certain is addressed in The Talking Animals of Oz, from the forthcoming anthology The Lost Tales of Oz.

Magic Transportation Rhyme: How and why Mudge came to have a magic transportation rhyme is unknown. J.L. Bell, on the Pumperdink BCF digest, speculates that "it was created as a way to exile troublesome Munchkins to a desolate corner of the land. When enough bluebeards arrived, they formed a society, named it "Mudge" after the last thing they all heard, and started living off their neighbors. That would explain why these Ozians are so 'short-tempered' and created a 'barbarous country' [19]--they were angry barbarians to begin with. It would also imply that whoever came up with the "Udge, Budge" rhyme lived far away." As revealed in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2, the old enemy of the Mudgers were the "Nordic" Rimmers from the north in Rimmersden, who they would fight terrible battles with. This would explain why the Mudgers are so quarrelsome and unlike their peaceable neighbors in the rest of the Munchkin Country.

Monarchs of Mudge: There is no mention of who Mustafa's father and grandfather are, or what became of them. Given that they lived after Oz became deathless, several speculations arose, including Glinda carrying out her threat that anyone leaving the borders of Mudge would lose his head (which seems unlikely), and speculation that the Deadly Desert was involved (since Mustafa knows what a tombstone is). However, The Lunechien Forest of Oz clarifies the issue of who these men were and what became of them. Mustafa's grandfather was the monarch King Mustnotta. It was he who engendered his grandson's love of lions, having first captured for young Mustafa the blind lion Avok in 1902, the same year that Glinda's warning arrived. In 1907, Mustnotta abdicated the throne to his son Prince Stabilofax. A cold man who disliked his son's pet, he kicked the lion out of Mudge a year later in 1908. Four years later, in 1912, he appears to have abdicated the throne to his son, Prince Mustafa.

Mudge: An Arabic community in the southwestern corner of the Munchkin Country, originally called Hyderabad, located near Hah Hoh Humbad (from The Enchanted Island of Oz). An arid desert, it became known for its dates, figs and cocoanuts, but when the people fell into raiding neighboring kingdoms, Glinda sent a warning from Ozma by means of a book, which said that anyone leaving Mudge would lose his head (amongst other warnings). Glinda/Ozma's warning came in 1902. At first the Mudgers were content to trade with those who came to visit them, but the king at that time (Mustafa's grandfather Mustnotta), in anger at the fact that his neighbors refused to trade anything of greater worth than the figs, dates and cocoanuts they grew in Mudge, cut off Mudge from the rest of Oz. When Mustafa came into power, he kept his people content by organizing lion hunts, and even kept a few in his tents. When his people fell to quarrelling, he grew to love his lions more than his people, and began collecting as many as he could, numbering 9,999 in total.

Notta Bit More: The clown named Notta Bit More (by his father) was going to be named Augustus Elmer More by mother. His father was also a clown. Notta Bit was the last of 12 children. He now lives on the outskirts of the Emerald City with Bob Up and Nickadoodle in a tent, and occasionally performs. He and Bob Up are the first outsiders from the U.S. to come to live in Oz since Trot, Cap'n Bill and Button-Bright arrived in The Scarecrow of Oz. Notta Bit is the third clown to make an appearance in Oz. Mr. Joker from the China Country (in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) is the first. Clakku the Clown (from The Witch Queen in Oz) is also living in Oz at this time, though he may no longer be living as a clown. Bumble the Clown (from "Billy Bumble of Oz") is also living in Oz at this time. As to how Notta hit upon the specific magic phrase to bring him to Oz, it may be the case that the fairies have some influence upon certain ones in the outside world. This was certainly true for Trot in The Sea Fairies, and Aunt Em believed Dorothy was marked by the fairies, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so a precedent is in place for this possibility.

Ozma: Like Dorothy, Ozma behaves out-of-character in this book, claiming that the witch (who is really Notta Bit) must be destroyed. How the Ozma from The Emerald City of Oz, who would not use violence even to save her kingdom, became the Ozma whose first thoughts on dealing with the witch is destruction is depicted in the short story "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz."

Stumptown: The town where Bob-Up and the clown Notta Bit More were before they arrived in Oz. There are several places in the U.S. where that nickname was applied, including Guerneville, California; Whitefish, Montana; Matthews, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; and Stumptown, West Virginia. Bobbie-Downs is said to be from Philadelphia, though whether he was born there, or his orphanage is there, is not explicit. However, as there is no Stumptown in Philadelphia, the former may be the case, and he later came to live in Stumptown, West Virginia, which borders Philadelphia.

Un: Un is part of Oz, albeit in the sky. Why the tree ensnares people to throw there is unknown, but must be enchanted by the Uns. Their diets or habits appear to be alien to Oz, though it may have to do with their wishes, and they may be wishing for magically-produced cooked birds to eat (as opposed to live ones that they kill and cook).

Wizard Wam: This is the first mention of the blue wizard known as the Wizard Wam. He is known to have planted a Travelers' Tree in the year 1120 O.Z., a project he began with Lurline's enchantment of Oz in 1742. Wam also brought the Stone Man to life by a magic powder (an earlier Powder of Life created by Wam, perhaps the Great Elixir, which may be the formula Dr. Pipt improved upon). He ran away from him because of his gigantophobia (revealed in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2: Tippetarius in Oz). Wam is later mentioned in The Wishing Horse of Oz and appears in Henry Blossom's The Blue Emperor of Oz (where he accuses the Nome King of stealing his idea for the Hotel Trees in the Metal Forest), as well as Melody Grandy's The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy. The year 1120, due to having an O.Z. designation after it, represents a different calendar system than our Gregorian one, and represents 1742 A.D. The Blue Emperor of Oz helps define the start year of the Ozian calendar in 622 A.D.

Book 18 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five!

Synopsis: When Prince Tatters' father King Fumbo loses his head in a storm, Tatters and Grampa, a retired military officer, leave their impoverished Quadling kingdom of Ragbad in search of his head. On the advice of their Wise Man Pudge, they also search for a princess for Tatters and a fortune, knowing that the boy will end up impoverished otherwise. Tatters takes his father's umbrella, and the next morning they depart.

Approaching a blue forest in the Munchkin Country, Grampa shoots a bird out of the sky, but it turns out to be an iron weathercock from Chicago, brought to life by the same storm and blown into Oz. The weathercock—named Bill by Grampa, and invited to join the party—determines to help find the princess and fortune. As they rest in the forest, they're overpowered by bandits under the leadership of Vaga. Grampa feigns wanting to join the bandits, who are glad to have a fighter, and tells them stories of his nine hundred and eighty battles, putting them all to sleep. Once they're asleep, he steals a pouch of tobacco and a bottle of magic medicine from Vaga, who'd stolen it from a wizard. Bill finds and takes a key from them, as well. When the dawn comes, however, Bill caws, inadvertently awakening the bandits who pursue them. Tatters, Grampa and Bill hide inside a hollow tree and end up falling down a magical hollow into an underground realm.

After Grampa uses the medicine to restore himself after the fall, they're astonished to find themselves in a park surrounded by a giant hedge. A gate in the hedge leads to Gorba's Garden, a name they recognize from the medicine Grampa took from the bandits. Stepping upon Gorba's Stepping Stones, they lift up and carry the travelers north to where all the bushes are shaped like animals. Within the garden, they find a sleeping young woman made out of flowers. Unlocking a nearby golden watering can with the key Bill found, they water her, bringing her to life. Her name is Urtha, and while Grampa believes she's a fairy, she doesn't remember anything and is content to simply dance and skip about. The party invite her to join them. Grampa eats one of the plants and grows a chimney on his head. The medicine cures him, and they notice a flower bed spelling out a message that Gorba will arrive at midnight, and whomever stays the night will become a lantern tree. They find Gorba's Winding Stairway, and get on, but Grampa accidentally pushes the lever the wrong way, and they wind further downwards, and, unbeknownst to them, out of Oz altogether.

Meanwhile, in Perhaps City, located on the Maybe Mountains in the Winkie country, the ruler Peer Haps, and his favored companion, the Forgetful Poet, Percy Vere, are disturbed when their High Sky prophet Abrog announces that in four days a monster will marry the princess. To prevent the prophecy from happening, Abrog volunteers to marry her himself, but the king refuses, preferring instead that she marry Perix. When they go to retrieve the princess, they discover that she's missing along with Abrog. Despite the offer of gold to whomever rescues her (the Yellow Hen of Peer Haps lays golden bricks), Perix and the other Happsies are too afraid to go down the mountain, so Percy Vere volunteers.

On her way back from the Tin Woodman's, Dorothy gets turned around when Toto starts chasing a baconfly, and ends up heading north instead. She soon meets Percy Vere, and is delighted by his forgetful poetry, which leaves the last word blank for her to fill in. Percy tells her their dilemma, and Dorothy volunteers to accompany him to the Emerald City, but a Runaway Road picks them up, intent on bringing them to work on a pepper mine. Dorothy and Percy grab hold of an overhanging branch, and escape the Runaway Road.

Grampa, Tatters, Urtha and Bill, meanwhile, are dropped by the Winding Stair, into an underground lake. Grampa gives him and Tatters some of the medicine enabling them to float, but when the water carries them to an island of fire, they take more medicine to cope with the growing heat. Upon Fire Island, they meet Prince Forge John the First, amongst other Fire Islanders who are made up of red and blue flames. Prince Forge John shows them the island, but they remain concerned that the medicine will run out and they'll burn. Prince Forge John tells them they can go to Blazes, the keeper of the volcano across the waters. A boat brings them across, and Cinders and Soot escort them inside the volcano, where Blazes, who is twice as tall as the other Fire Islanders, agrees to send them up the volcano with the boiling lava. The medicine keeps them safe as the lava soon forms a rock-like island which lands them northwest in the Nonestic Ocean. The island carries them north to the Island of Isa Poso, where a sign warns them of the dragon, Enorma, and offers a reward of half the island and the hand of the princess to whomever slays her. The island is frozen and covered in ice and snow, but Urtha's footsteps leave flowers growing behind her.

They soon encounter Enorma, whose very presences warms them up. She's curious about the travelers, but while conversing, Grampa sees that she has false teeth, and throws his snuff box into her mouth causing her sneeze and lose her teeth. Enorma cries, and seeing that Grampa intends to finish her off, runs off into the water, where she puts herself out, and dies. Grampa and the others plunder her cave, and finding a bear she had earlier hunted, cook it up for breakfast.

Thinking about the grand reward they'll get for killing the dragon, Grampa leads the party out of the cave, and runs into the King Chin Chilly and his people, who are made of snow and ice. The king is angry about the flowers Urtha made, but relents when he discovers they've killed the dragon. He brings forth his daughter who grabs Tatters hand. As Chin Chilly splits the island in two, he chops off his daughter's hand at the wrist, leaving Tatters only her hand. As Grampa and Tatters begin to get very cold, Grampa's reminded of Gorba's medicine, which restores them.

Freed from Isa Poso, their portion of the island begins to float to the east, and Urtha convinces everyone to dance and play games. Grampa strikes up the tobacco he'd taken from Vaga the bandit, and before he knows it, the smoke has turned himself and everyone else into crows. Together, they fly back to the mainland.

Dorothy and Percy, meanwhile, enter a woodcutter's home, and help themselves to his food, leaving behind a poem and Dorothy's ring. Heading south, the path begins to wind upwards, and the pair find themselves on Monday Mountain, where they're captured and roughhoused by the Wild Wash Women. After Percy refuses to marry the princess Pearl Borax, the Tubbies clean their bodies and clothes, and take them to work at the wash tubs.

The crows, meanwhile, fly over Ev and the Deadly Desert, but once in Oz, they begin to regain their original forms, and they land in the Winkie country. Bill senses an oncoming storm, and Tatters opens up his father's umbrella, which swoops up into the air, as Grampa and Urtha hold on. They're soon brought above the storm to a pink skyland. There they meet a sky shepherdess named Maribella, who shepherds baby stars to keep them from falling out of the Milky Way. The party tells them of their quest, and she informs them that there's a whole company of heads in the clouds. King Fumbo's head is amongst a hundred others, and as he's enjoying conversing with them, he's reluctant to return. Grampa insists that he must, and Tatters introduces him to Bill and Urtha. Fumbo is excited to hear their adventures and agrees to come with them. Fortunately, the Rainbow and Polychrome are nearby, and she guides them down the rainbow to the Winkie country.

Dorothy and Percy work for two days for the Washerwoman, trapped by a fence that literally runs around the perimeter, and which has one gate that stops only at the secret word of the queen. Percy finally figures out that the word is "Stop," and the pair rush down as the gate appears, and escape from their captors. The washerwomen turn over their tubs, and the soapy water runs down the mountain, taking Dorothy and Percy with it. Once free, Bill discovers them, and announces to nearby Grampa, Tatters and Urtha that he's found the princess. Grampa balks at this due to Dorothy's appearance, just as Percy balks at Tatters'. Dorothy and Percy are alarmed by King Fumbo's head, but he assures her that he's not like Princess Langwidere, and introduces her to Grampa. Apologies all around, they share each others' stories, and Dorothy and Percy agree to help find the kidnapped princess.

They come to Play City, where the men and women, Pierrettes and Pierrots, who do nothing but play, induce the travelers into various rides, amusements and rowdy games. Urtha escapes from the rough play out of the city, and up Maybe Mountain to Perhaps City, where Peer Haps, spotting her, recognizes that this is his daughter enchanted. When Tatters makes his way into Perhaps City, Peer Haps—worried that the monster is coming—marries Tatters to Urtha, who he's covered up to hide her enchantment. Grampa, Dorothy and Percy Vere arrive, as does Abrog, who tells Peers that he married his daughter to a monster, placing King Fumbo's head on Tatter's shoulders, and removing the veil from Urtha. Urtha is the princess Pretty Good. Abrog is forced to tell his story, and reveal that he is actually Gorba, who took the princess and transformed her in an attempt to make her ugly so that the monster wouldn't marry her. She instead turned into a flower fairy, so he resolved to keep her past the four days and marry her himself. The monster of the prophecy was a description of a youth with two heads, which proved to be Tatters. Grampa uses the wizard's magic potion to turn him into a mouse, and the rest of it to disenchant Urtha back into Pretty Good. The Yellow Hen lays a gold brick for Pince Tatters, and the whole party is magically sent to Ragbad by Ozma who'd been watching in the Magic Picture. Restoring King Fumbo's head, the gold bricks are later sold, and Ragbad becomes a prosperous country once again.

Continuity Notes

Contradictions and discrepancies: Putting aside the obvious historian errors, Thompson appears to have gotten this story from Ozma, or based on Ozma and Dorothy's conversations. Considering that several events in this story seem apocryphal, she either got a garbled transmission or filled in the blanks wrong.

Dorothy discovered Oz: Tatters utters this nonsensical line (from an Oz-as-history POV) in chapter 17. Oz was long ago extant before Dorothy came to "discover" it for us. This jingoistic statement was likely never spoken by Tatters, which makes Thompson's reporting somewhat suspect.

East/West: This issue rears its ugly head again when Thompson mistakes the Winkie country for the east and the Munchkin for the west. Chalk it up to Baum's map (in Tik-Tok of Oz), historian error, and the failure of the editor to catch the mistake, as the geography throughout the book is somewhat muddled. Thompson had the Munchkin and Winkie countries correct in her earlier book Kabumpo in Oz.

Jinxland: Thompson noted (in the first chapter) that the army of Ragbad abandoned their country and marched into Jinxland, forgetting that there's a bottomless gulf separating Oz from Jinxland. This is confirmed in The Gardener's Boy of Oz, which notes that the Jinxlanders haven't seen anyone cross the mountains since the Scarecrow came and went. The solution to this apparent contradiction is that the army perhaps intended to find a way into Jinxland, but actually ended up in another nearby land.

Money: Thompson again describes kingdoms in Oz utilizing a money-based system. Ragbad's fortunes rise and fall depending on their sale of goods. The story ends with their receiving the thousand gold brick reward from Peer Haps (a financial system that should technically crash since their currency is regularly augmented by a chicken), which they sell to buy supplies to restore their linen crop. From an in-story perspective, it has to be assumed that the outlying kingdoms have been allowed to continue using money for a time, perhaps so that Ozma can gradually bring them into a non-monetary based system. Nathan DeHoff, in the BCF Pumperdink forums, offers a possible retcon: "I think it is likely that, while one inhabitant of the Emerald City might well perform a service for his neighbors without being paid, a merchant coming in from Jinxland or another outlying kingdom, located nowhere near the Royal Storehouses mentioned in The Emerald City of Oz, would prefer an immediate material reward."

Snow: Thompson says that it never snows in Oz. Like most generalizations, this is contradicted in several accounts. It likely never snows in the southern Quadling countries like Ragbad, but there is certainly snow atop the various northern mountains in Oz. Thompson herself mentions a "Snow Mountain" in Ojo in Oz. As Ruth Berman notes in the Pumperdink BCF forum, "'No' claims should perhaps always be translated as 'None, so far as I know/remember, and certainly not many.'

Tin Woodman appointed by Ozma: In chapter 9, Thompson says Ozma appointed the Tin Woodman emperor of the Winkies. Yet, he was already emperor of the Winkies—who themselves chose him long before Ozma came to the throne—in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Perhaps she meant that Ozma confirmed this appointment when she came to power.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of eight days. See the Chronology of Oz for more details. There's no indication as to when this story takes place, save that it's some time after Hokus had come to live in the Emerald City. One of the Percy's poems hints that it might be early summer, so June is a possibility.

Enorma the Dragon: Despite Grampa's murder of this dragon, Thompson later acknowledges that no one in Oz can die. For example, in Ojo in Oz, she specifically speaks of the Snoctorotomus coming back to life despite being beheaded.

Gorba's Garden: This underground garden is later appropriated by the Wizard Zim in Melody Grandy's Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy.

Grampa: Thompson's more violent take on Oz can be seen in the Grampa character, who shoots a bird, claims to have fought 980 battles, and tricks and kills a dragon. Grampa's battles appear to have taken place in Ragbad, possibly against the Mudgers (of The Cowardly Lion of Oz), who are noted to have raided nearby kingdoms, though other conflicts are certain possible given the amount he cites. David Hulan (on the Pumperdink BCF forum) believes these were minor in scope: "I suspect that the majority of Grampa's 980 'battles' fell more into the category of barroom brawls than what we'd think of as 'battles' in the present day. Not literally in a barroom, of course, but fights between half a dozen or so on a side, probably to a great extent without the use of deadly weapons. The only blood drawn in most cases was probably from noses and lips." On the other hand, or maybe in conjunction with this, Grampa himself states, "In my youth, young lads served in the armies of strange kings, slew monsters, and were rewarded with half the kingdom and the Princess' hand" Another incongruity with Grampa is that he's diligent in noting Ozma's law against magic, but clearly fails to regard her laws against killing living creatures, as he attempts to shoot a bird for dinner. Although it turns out to be Bill the Weathercock, the transgression still occurs, and passes without note. Thompson isn't ignorant of what Baum established, and in her following book, The Lost King of Oz, writes "All beasts and birds in the Land of Oz converse." This makes Grampa guilty of attempted murder, something Ozma does not take lightly (as per the trial of Eureka in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). It seems likely that Ozma had a word with him in private afterwards.

Magic Picture: In order for Ozma to hear what she's seeing in the Magic Picture, the Wizard has created a powerful radio. No mention of this radio is made in The Emerald City of Oz, which shows that the Picture is capable of producing sound, and in Tik-Tok of Oz, there is mention made of the Shaggy Man having a radio hookup. Perhaps the Wizard's radio was created to enhance sound for the Magic Picture.

Maybe Mountain: The Maybe Mountains were first noted in Thompson's Supposyville narrative poem, "The Supposyville Flag" (1918), where it is stated that "Although the exact location of Supposyville has never been discovered, it may be said upon good authority that this delightful and amazing Kingdom lies between the Maybe Mountains and the Valley of Somewhere on the Nearlyso River." While the latter locations does not appear anywhere else, Somewhere appears in the Gillikin Country (see The Enchanted Island of Oz), making it seem that Supposyville, like the Maybe Mountains, can be found in the Winkie Country. Maybe Mountain and the Tubbies appear again in the Oziana 1981 story "Adventure on Monday Mountain."

Percy Vere, the Forgetful Poet: Though only known as the Forgetful Poet, this character comes right out of Thompson's pre-Oz Public Ledger writings. The name Percy Vere has a literary precedent in Walter Crane's Pothooks and Perseverance, or The A.B.C. Serpent, although this earlier version isn't a poet (This book also features a precedent for The Royal Book of Oz's A-B-Sea Serpent.)

Play City: A Kingdom of Play was mentioned four years earlier by Thompson in her poem "Rockinghorse Hill," as a land of broken toys. They may have been repaired by now.

Ragbad: At the start of the book, Ragbad is the epitome of the literary depiction of the southern estate in 1800s novels, a formerly prosperous cotton plantation fallen into ruin and desolation. Ragbad is the fabric capital of the Quadling Country, according to The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2.

Synopsis: In the Gillikin country, young Remy finds himself trapped inside the Mad Box of his violin teacher Philius and looks back on the events that led to that. Remy had first acquired a violin when Philius—who makes them—tossed one out his window. Later, when Philius heard Remy playing, he dragged the boy to his house and made him play with him. Successful, he gave Remy a proper violin and made him his student. But when Remy went to touch his green violin, Philius grew angry and took out the strange Mad Box, threatening harm to the boy if he ever touched it again.

As Remy grew in proficiency, he began to tour with Philius. He even got to meet Dorothy one day when she went apple picking. But the day came when Remy entered his teacher's home and found the case of the green violin open. Mysteriously drawn to it, he picked it up and played it just as Philius came in. Philius drew forth the Mad Box, which emitted a light. Remy vanished, leaving only the glowing box and an upset Philius who was abashed at what he'd done. He thinks back and recalls it was given him by Dr. Nikidik after Nikidik had been banned from the Society of Crafters. The box adjusted to Philius' moods and even imprisoned insects that annoyed him. Although they would later somehow escape, Remy had not done so. So, Philius left to get help from Dr. Nikidik. Remy, meanwhile, began playing the green violin in his prison, and slowly put the Mad Box to sleep. In time, an aperture appeared and diving through it, the boy frees himself and runs away from Philius' house.

In the Emerald City, Ozma, Betsy, Trot, Dorothy, the Sawhorse and Tik-Tok go for a picnic on a high hill just south of the Emerald City. As Ozma and Dorothy explore the hill, Ozma confesses that she used to avoid the location because it was the very spot where Enilrul once cursed Oz (and where he sister Lurline counter-cursed it) long ago. Trot and Betsy, meanwhile, come across a sign for the Knock-On Woods that says: "Knock on woods or accept the consequences!" Just then, a boy emerges from the underbrush; it is Remy just escaped from Philius' house. He is reluctant to reveal what had transpired, but knows who the girls are.

Dorothy and Ozma return, but discover that Tik-Tok, despite being wound, isn't working. At that, a Dryad appears, annoyed that no one has paid attention to her sign. Ozma suggests she start at the beginning, so the Dryad introduces herself as Wooda Shoulda, the guardian of the Green Woods. One of the anomalous repercussions that affect the Green Wood from Enilrul and Lurline's ancient spells is that if someone says something won't or shouldn't happen, it does, unless they knock on the woods. As Trot had earlier said 'Tik-Tok will never break,' and didn't knock on the woods, he did. For this reason, the Dryads have long guarded the woods. Trot tries to say something to reverse the spell, but Wooda explains that the magic doesn't flow against the current. Ozma is at a loss, and Remy suggests a mechanical fix. Ozma uses her wand to shrink Tik-Tok down to a tiny size so they can carry him off the hill.

After a few days in the Emerald City, Ozma and her courtiers discuss how to get Tik-Tok repaired since magic will not help. Ozma concedes that she's been unable to locate Smith & Tinker. Remy suggests finding a mechanical means of fixing him, but the Wizard acknowledges it is beyond him, so the Tin Woodman suggests Ku-Klip. Putting together an expedition, Ozma sends the Wizard, Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, Scarecrow and Remy. The party make their way through the Munchkin country, across the bridge where Dorothy and friends long ago escaped the kalidahs. A golden suspension bridge now stands where the Tin Woodman's hastily constructed one once did. A plaque on it credits its construction to Johnny Dooit and the Master Crafters.

As the party start to cross, however, a kalidah rears his head. As they flee into the forest, Dorothy notices that the kalidah's body bears marks of having been reassembled, and she realizes that this may have been one of the very beasts which had attacked them and fallen into the chasm back then. More kalidahs appear, and they take the Wizard's bag and Tin Man's axe. Dorothy notes that the 2nd one is also scarred like the first, and her fears are confirmed when the two, Grimbull and Gnasher, argue about the debt she must pay for making them spend years at the bottom of the chasm in pieces. The third, Krusha, doesn't care either way, but wants to get on with it. To buy time, the Scarecrow offers them dinner music, to which they grudgingly concede. Remy begins to play the green violin, which has a soothing effect on the kalidahs, allowing the Wizard to retrieve his bag and prepare a magical repast for the kalidahs who forget their prisoners and plans, and sit to dine as the travelers escape.

Later that night, the Wizard creates tree beds for the party and then uses a purple powder upon the tree, a new invention he calls Bed Bug to wake up the tree. But the tree fears the Tin Woodman's axe. Nick assures him that he won't hurt her, but the tree recognizes him as the metal tree killer who used to terrorize the trees in the area until the witch made him rust. Nick agrees that he never considered the feelings of trees until the Wizard gave him a heart. At hearing of the Wizard, the tree grows excited, so the Tin Woodman introduces him and Dorothy. The tree introduces herself as June. In exchange for permission to sleep in her boughs, the Wizard promises to enchant her so that in the morning she can join them on their adventures.

In the morning, he shrinks to the size of a plant and sticks her atop the head of the Tin Woodman. Remy reveals during lunch what transpired with him and the violin, and mentions a green light and the words that appeared in the violin's center. The Wizard can't figure it out, but knows that no spell was cast upon it. He expresses concern about the Magic Box and if Philius is involved in illegal magic. Remy doesn't think so, but recounts some secret trips to visit a person Dorothy recognizes as Dr. Nikidik (from a description provided her by Trot and Betsy when they went to visit the Good Witch of the North.)

The Tin Woodman points out local landmarks, having originally lived in the area, including the former home of Nimmie Amee. After a few hours, they arrive at Ku-Klip's. There a duplicate of Tik-Tok greets them at the door. Ku-Klip is happy to see them, especially the Tin Woodman. He explains that the mechanical man is not as bright as Tik-Tok because although he was built from the same specs, donated to him by an anonymous acquaintance, the part of the instructions describing the brain was purposely left out lest it fall into the wrong hands. Not that the brains mattered to his client, Nimmie Amee, whose husband Chopfyt was proving difficult to train, and whose constant broken bones (apparently at her hands) took long to mend. Dorothy asks to see the schematics, and notes it was written by Smith & Tinker. Ku-Klip is forced to admit they come from the library of one who belongs to the secret Society of Master Crafters. The party explain that they've come hoping he could repair Tik-Tok. He can't, but he'll mention it to the owner of the plans at the next meeting. Or, they could track down Johnny Dooit in the east Quadling country, lending them a Finder to lead them to his home, or him to them. He asks that they deliver the mechanical man to Amee, giving them directions to her new cottage.

Chopfyt is sitting in front washing clothes, and treats them rudely. Dorothy knocks and is surprised to find Amee wearing the outfit of the Wicked Witch of the East, who she once worked for. Amee laughs, explaining that she'd inherited the wardrobe from her former employer, and that Chopfyt was behind on the laundry. The Tin Woodman again pledges to marry her and take her away from Chopfyt, but she explains that she's fine and learning to deal with Chopfyt's laziness, which is why she needs the mechanical man, who she named Nick, whose made of strong metal. She admits she'd learned well the ways of the Wicked Witch and that Chopfyt's suffered as a result. When Dorothy explains their purpose, she directs them to Dr. Nikidik.

To shorten their journey, the Wizard suggests a spell in which they can travel literally through the same dream to their destination. The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow, who cannot sleep, continue on foot to Jinjur's home. Remy begins playing his violin, which brings them all into a dream. While in the Dreamlands, heading on the path to Nikidik's house, a small child approaches Remy telling him that his music woke him up. The "Beautiful Dreamer" warns him to escape before he gets trapped in his dream, for he'd been sent there a prisoner by a witch using Dr. Nikidik's spell. Remy departs to find his friends, but they're unable to escape the dream and find themselves with the Beautiful Dreamer. The Wizard casts a spell, hypnotizing the Dreamer, so that they can escape. They promise to come back and rescue him later.

As they depart the dream, they find themselves at the home of Dr. Nikidik, who sees their arrival and sneaks up on them. He tells the Wizard that although it's the first time they've met, he saw him years earlier in Mombi's hut when he—thinking it was the Good Witch of the North—brought the baby Ozma to her. Nikidik describes how the spell he gave Mombi caused Ozma's male and female sides to split, sending the one to the Dreamland, which they now realize was the Beautiful Dreamer, and as the Wizard notes that time is different in dream, they don't have to save her since she was already saved long ago. Dr. Nikidik then reveals that he's play-acted the part of two-bit magician, and starts to grow. He then reveals himself as the Mage of the Court of Enilrul, Queen of Oz, and takes out a Magic Box. Despite Remy's warnings, the three are sucked into the box, which Nikidik then throws into the fire and watches as it turns to ash, sealing them forever! A few nearby rabbits, having witnessed the scene, head to the Emerald City.

Philius, meanwhile, approaches the Mistress of the Society to confess what he did to Remy. She tells him to see Ozma, who can save Remy, and he departs for the Emerald City. En route, he encounters the giant tortoise Pete (from The Witch Queen of Oz), who lets him ride his back. As they reach the gates of the city, Philius tells Pete his story, and Pete in turn reveals several rabbis who've been riding with them underneath his shell. The rabbits reveal that they saw Dr. Nikidik make Dorothy, the Wizard and a boy disappear with a Magic Box. Once inside, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers escorts Pete and the rabbits to Ozma's presence, and gives Philius a room to freshen up for a performance he's going to give for those who'd heard of his coming to the Emerald City. Ozma has magicked his instruments to his room, and later in the gardens, tells him that she's taken measures to help their friends. Ozma casts a spell with her wand quadrupling Philius so that he can play as a string quartet, and they have a magnificent concert.

Dorothy, the Wizard and Remy, meanwhile, appear trapped in a nebulous version of the dreamlands from which even Remy's violin is unable to effect escape. The Wizard produces a light enabling them to look around, and they spot a green line in the cloudy wall. The Wizard uses a knife to pry it open and they see a city beyond. As they try to pass through the opening, the walls tighten, trapping them. Dorothy retrieves the Finder and sets it for Johnny to find them. Remy begins to play as well, and Johnny soon appears, freeing them. Dorothy hasn't seen him since the events of The Road to Oz, and the Wizard has never before met him. Johnny admits the Mistress of the Society of Master Crafters sent him to find them, and when pressed, adds that the Society was created by this mistress to provide a contingency plan in the event that Oz ever loses its magic. Because all of the farms in Oz utilize the land's natural magic, there is a concern that there would be no food for the citizens if Oz ever became like the mortal worlds. The Society has to be kept secret to avoid attracting unscrupulous persons like Dr. Nikidik. Johnny notes that the Mistress asked them to explore the city before departing.

The City of Sorrow is grey and lonely, mazelike, with few seeming residents. There is no food, and although the citizens can't starve, they are weak, fearful and depressed. At the behest of a family with a baby, Dorothy sheds a tear, with which the Wizard creates a Singsong Tree that will provide whatever food a person asks for with a song. The Wizard notes that there are five such trees in Oz, one in each quadrant. Soon the family has food, as well as all the residents of the city who approach the tree and sing food for themselves. The young mother, Rhiannon, helps organize the citizens to benefit from the tree, while Dorothy goes around, asking everyone's story. She concludes that many arrived from the outside world through a dream, and never woke up, whereas others had crossed paths with Dr. Nikidik, who used his Magic Box to send them here. Some are from the time before Enilrul cursed Oz.

The Wizard realizes that they can't all be brought to Oz because they'll be out of their time and unable to reunite with their families. They must go through the wall closest to the outside world. Rhiannon recognizes the description and leads all of the city's residents to it, explaining to them that they might get to go home. The Wizard and Johnny Dooit set up amplification and ask Remy to play a fast, loud song called "Cyclone," which with magic conjures up a cyclone that breaks through the wall to reveal a kaleidoscope of colorful localities. Rhiannon guides those who came from the outside world through, and finally goes herself. The wall soon closes as Ozma with the Magic Belt brings everyone else to the Emerald City. Two days later, Ozma enchants the Magic Picture to search through time and locates Rhiannon living in Wales with a young child. Renowned for her role in their escape, she goes down in history as a witch.

Ozma explains to her listeners that Nikidik was the consort of Enilrul during the time she ruled Oz as a beautiful fairy, before she became grief-stricken and mad, and cursed Oz with an undying spell so that all could taste her misery and be unable to escape having been turned into "dreadful shapes." Nikidik had been the Vizier of the court and master of human magic. Contrary to the advice of her court, she made him her consort and soon grew isolated from all but him. Though she was always a dark fairy, when Nikidik proved false and made a bid for power, she went over the edge into madness. He changed his form, kept his magic to a minimum and hid himself in the Gillikin wilderness for centuries. The Wizard and Ozma feel Nikidik should be brought to justice, so contacting Enilrul in her farmhouse through the Magic Picture, Ozma says the word Nikidik.

Dorothy and Remy, along with the Sawhorse and Jack Pumpkinhead travel to Jinjur's house to meet with the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. When Dorothy sees Jinjur teaching needlework to her girls, she soon figures out that she's part of the same Master Crafters society that Johnny spoke of. Jinjur confirms, explaining that they might need to know how to make clothes in the event Oz's magic ever fails. As the tree June enjoys the company of the knitting circle and is anxious to return to her original form, the party agrees to plant her across the road from Jinjur's home. There, Remy plays a song and she grows back to her former height.

Nikidik, meanwhile, watches as Ozma stands before his home holding an ancient Magic Box. With a golden magnet he pulls the box to him, preparing to ensnare Ozma in it. But then a bony hand emerges from the box to grab Nikidik and pull him inside. He begs Ozma for mercy and she promises that he will not die or suffer pain, and will have time to reconsider his ways.

Back in the Emerald City, Ozma and the Wizard question Philius about the green violin. As he is about the discuss with them the secret society he belongs to, the blacksmith Jomo comes in to assist his fellow associate, explaining that the two of them, along with Johnny Dooit and Ku-Klip belong to the Society of Master Crafters. They had earlier expelled Nikidik for mixing magic with science. Dorothy then concludes that since he's a smith who loves to tinker, he's Smith & Tinker. Jomo agrees that he's Tik-Tok's creator. Back on his blacksmith shop, he shows them how to repair Tik-Tok. He explains that he had been a copper-worker living in Ev when Kaliko had him build a clockwork man that the Nome King could order about and abuse. But once complete, Roquat learned that Tik-Tok was indestructible and would do whatever he was told, and determined he wanted an army of them built to defeat Oz. So, Kaliko departed with Tik-Tok to the Wheeler country and a secret laboratory he had there. Leaving Tik-Tok locked up, he escaped to Oz with the aid of Johnny Dooit. With repairs to Tik-Tok concluded, Dorothy winds him up, but nothing happens.

Ozma travels to the outside world to see if Enilrul will provide a magical fix for Tik-Tok who'd been magically damaged upon the old hill that Enilrul had once cursed Oz. But she will not. Days later, back at the palace, Remy continues to avoid Philius, afraid of his displeasure at having taken the violin. At a memorial for Tik-Tok, who will be placed in the gardens, Jomo and the Wizard press Philius on the nature of the green violin. He explains that he'd been meeting in secret with Nikidik after he'd been excommunicated from the Society in a glade on a nearby hill, the very hill where Enilrul once cast her spell and where Tik-Tok had ceased to function. He'd built a fire of the green wood, but Nikidik stamped it out inexplicably, telling him only that he needed a burglar alarm after others broke into his home (in The Witch Queen of Oz). Reflecting on his behavior, Philius gathered some of the green wood and fashioned a violin out of it, which turned out to be magical as he suspected. After Ozma and Dorothy euologize Tik-Tok, the Wizard asks Remy to play a piece. This is the first time Philius has seen Remy since the incident. The music carries far and revives Tik-Tok from the enchantment of the Knock-on Woods by the very magic of those woods.

Ozma allows Philius to keep the green violin, but he gifts to Remy, determining that his work with the Society is more important. Jomo makes the same decision. After Ozma puts the Magic Box containing Nikidik in a safe place, Dorothy departs for Glinda's with the Sawhorse to look in the Great Book of Records for further answers, and reads about a great event in the distant past in which Lurline, Enilrul and Nikidik, the Mage of the Fairy Court and consort of Enilrul, walked the lands bestowing blessings to all who they came upon.

Finally, the Mistress considers the importance of secrecy for the Society she created, not only to keep membership to scientific minds without hurting the feelings of some, but to ensure that no magic be brought into the group, which would defeat its purpose. As she jots her notes down, Jellia Jamb takes comfort in knowing that she and her fellow members are doing a great service for Oz.

Continuity Notes

The Contradictions of Jomo, Smith & Tinker: In order to keep this story within the context of the greater historicity of Oz, some elements within this book need to be re-interpreted. One such is Smith & Tinker. Oz history has revealed that the genius inventors Smith & Tinker are two individuals (see, for example, Mr. Tinker in Oz, "Button-Bright and the Knit-Wits of Oz," and the forthcoming book The Lost Queen of Oz). The blacksmith/coppersmith Jomo claims that the name Smith & Tinker refers to him, a smith named Tinker. A retcon provided by two Oz scholars indicates that Jomo is an artificial construct of Smith & Tinker, their greatest invention at that time, who they programmed to believe is a smith named Tinker in order to keep their enemies at bay when Tinker went to the moon to live and Smith faked a suicide. Those who are around Jomo believe him because he has an enchantment placed on him that causes anyone who gets in close proximity of him to accept what he says at face value. When they withdraw from him, the new memories linger for awhile, but fade in time, and the real story is remembered, but not Jomo. Then when they get around Jomo again, it happens all over again. Jomo's presence may explain why Ozma fails to think to simply use a wish from the Magic Belt, or why the Wizard doesn't think to bring him back to Kaliko for repairs as he had in "Tik-Tok and the Nome King of Oz." It's not stated what happens to Jomo, but as he's not around in later Oz stories, it seems likely that they figured out he wasn't who he claimed.

Dating: The narrative takes place roughly in the course of ten days. Scarecrow notes that he visited the field that had been his home "not so long ago," an indication that this story takes place some time after The Royal Book of Oz. Due to the absence of information as to the whereabouts of Smith & Tinker, the story must also take place prior to Smith's return in "Button-Bright and the Knit-Wits of Oz" and Tinker's return in The Lost Queen of Oz (not yet published). Additionally, the Wizard's mode of transportation reveals that he doesn't yet have the wishing pills, which were originally Nikidik's, the secret of which he likely obtained from his home, indicating that this story also takes place prior to The Lost King of Oz.

Enilrul: Further details as to Enilrul's curse indicates that she turned many of the populace of Oz and the lands beyond into "dreadful shapes," explaining where so many of the grotesques in Nonestica might have originated. This story also indicates that while Enilrul was always a dark fairy, Nikidik's betrayal pushed her over the edge into madness. In the outside world, where she now resides, Ozma notes that she hasn't aged.

Nikidik: Dr. Nikidik is revealed to have been a far more powerful, but human, wizard from ancient times, a vizier of the fairy court and later consort of Enilrul, who when he tried to usurp her power, was forced to go into hiding for centuries, disguising his appearance and abilities so that he is seen merely as a half-rate magician. To this he further added obfuscation by utilizing Dr. Pipt's name and sobriquet as the Crooked Magician. See the Appendices for more information. Given Dr. Nikidik's later appearance and disposition in Wooglet in Oz, it's clear he was rescued by Ozma from the Magic Box and given water from the Fountain of Oblivion to drink, after which he was sent back to Taker's Island until the events of the latter story.

Ozma and the Beautiful Child: To be revealed in Jeff Rester forthcoming book Death Comes to Oz: rather than a contradiction of the Switcheroo Spell Mombi used to switch Ozma with Tippetarius (revealed in The Seven Blue Mountains: Book 1: The Disenchanted Princess), the dreamchild is Mombi's back-up plan. Mombi used Nikidik for the "key" spell to place a part of Ozma (the so-called Beautiful Child) in the Dreamland. In the event that the Switcheroo Spell was undone, this contingency plan would keep her in control. Mombi was unable to "cash in" on the key due to the fact that she was caught and made to drink from the Forbidden Fountain, forgetting about the Beautiful Dreamer and the "key."

Rhiannon: For this to be the Rhiannon of legend and myth, as the story indicates, it must mean that she lived sometime before or during the 1100s when the earliest stories of the Mabinogian are thought to have been written. This is consistent with the time in which Nikidik was active as the Vizier of the Court of Enilrul.

Wizard's history: Lewin's description of the Wizard's act in giving baby Ozma to Mombi is divergent from Hugh Pendexter III's Oz and the Three Witches and Melody Grandy's Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy. Nikidik claims the Wizard believed he had arrived at the house of the Good Witch of the North to hand over the baby, though Baum makes it clear in The Marvelous Land of Oz that the Wizard visited Mombi three times, handing the baby over to her in the third visit, and making it is highly unlikely that Oscar thought she was the Good Witch of the North. Because it is Nikidik speaking, it's possible that this is his interpretation, or something Oscar had said. Because we know Mombi didn't trust Nikidik (in Oziana 2015's "The Malevolent Mannequin in Oz"), it's also possible she gave him false information or magically confused him so as to not recall the events correctly.

Note: 19th book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: In the button kingdom of Kimbaloo in the Gillikin country, the boy Snip peers in at the kitchen window, only to discover that their cook Mombi is preparing to kill the goose Pajuka, who seems to know her. Snip learns that Mombi is the witch who enchanted the former King of Oz, Pastoria, and his Prime Minister Pajuka. Mombi, however, cannot undo the spell, as she's lost all knowledge of witchcraft. When she discovers Snip spying, however, she captures him, and Pajuka insists she not harm him, but to instead restore the lost king of Oz, who had once allowed the witches free rein in Oz. Liking the idea that he might even reward her, she agrees to depart Kimbaloo with Pajuka and Snip, whose ordered to carry her bag, but she struggles to remember what she did with him.

Pajuka knows that he'll remember the king, even enchanted, when he sees him, and recalls to Mombi that they had been in the greenwood near where the Emerald City now stands when Mombi enchanted them. Mombi realizes then it was green magic that she'd used, and determines to head to the Emerald City to steal the Magic Belt to restore the former king. While Mombi continues trying to get her powers back, Pajuka bonds with Snip, explaining that part of the spell Mombi had cast prevents him from talking to Glinda or anyone in power about who he is, or he'll disappear entirely.

In a dark forest the next day, the travelers are attacked by a Weenix, a bear-like creature with the head of a walrus. Mombi throws pepper from her bag at it, and the creature flees, sneezing and in tears. Entering a park clearing, they're knocked down by six Hoopers, thin, ten-foot tall people who can roll themselves into hoops. Snip uses a stick to push them away, but King Rollo appears, demanding they leave. When they learn Mombi's a witch, however, they slink off. The travelers next pass by the Laughing Willows who mock them.

Coming to an inland sea, Mombi notes that water kills witches, so grabbing a can of the strongest gelatin in Oz that her took six years to collect, she throws it into the water, turning it into a harmless gelatin. Crossing the sea, Mombi knocks on the gate of Catty Corners. A cat guard brings them in, except Snip, as no boys are allowed, but Mombi protests that he's her prisoner. Upon discovering she's a witch, the guard goes off to tell the Queen. Hundreds of cats as large as Snip run to greet Mombi, but they're all soon escorted to the Queen, a Maltese, who is happy enough about Mombi, but determines to make dinner out of Pajuka and sport out of Snip. Imprisoning them, the Queen tells Mombi that she has no plans of letting her go either. Cleverly, Mombi says she's a famous cook and will prepare the goose for her dinner, along with an appetizer of rice cream pudding. Into that dish, Mombi puts a baking powder she'd been collecting for 20 years. Once the cats all eat it up, they're rise up into the air to float amongst the clouds until it rains, allowing Mombi and her prisoners to escape.

Meanwhile, at the palace, while Ozma, the Scarecrow, Sir Hokus, Betsy, Trot, Scraps and Hank wonder what's taking Dorothy so long to get back from Perhaps City, a golden goose quill appears out of the blue, and begins writing a message: "Go to Morrow today." The Wizard and Tik-Tok arrive. Recognizing the location, the Wizard pops a wishing pill in his mouth and wishes the group to Morrow. The ancient, decaying castle of Morrow frightens Scraps, but the Wizard and Sir Hokus go off to explore, while Ozma struggles to remember where she knows the place from. Hearing a noise, Scraps jumps on the dining room table, triggering a spring that rises the table up, revealing a silver casket. Sir Hokus and the Wizard open it, revealing a green robe of the King of Oz, causing Ozma to remember that this castle was the hunting lodge of her father that he once brought her to to hide from Mombi. The tag on the robe says that it was preserved by Lurline so that whomever puts it on the enchanted king and uses the spell from the Green Book of Magic will disenchant him. Otherwise, without the robe, disaster will befall them. Ozma explains to Trot that she is descended from Lurline, who is her fairy godmother and Queen of the fairy band. They determine to walk home, but unsure of where they are, go to an empty red house before departing the Quadling country.

Dorothy, meanwhile, leaves her friends in Perhaps City, and begins the trek home from Maybe Mountain, recalling rhymes from the Forgetful Poet. Scooping up silver dust from the road, she thinks back to the U.S. and wishes to see what it's like. At that, she's instantly transported to Hollywood, California. There, she witnesses a group of men on horseback throw someone off a cliff. She investigates and discovers that it's a dummy. She wishes it to life, and he begins to tell her what's going on, and it dawns on her that he's a motion-picture dummy. She examines his tag for names, but only sees letters and numbers, and decides to call him Humpy. But then, she begins to burst from her clothes, as she grows to the age she would be if she had stayed in the outside world (which is 21). She then wishes she was back in Oz, and is. She wishes she knew how it all happened, and receives a card explaining that Wish Way was at the foot of the Maybe Mountain, and that she'd put some of the wishing sand in her pocket.

Dorothy and Humpy come across the Back Woods, where an angry horde of woodsmen scream at them backwards and hold backwards banners, telling them to go away. Dorothy writes a backwards note, explaining who she is and how she wants to pass through. They agree, but then laugh at her when she can't enter the back woods. Dorothy realizes it's a trick, and goes backward forward, and successfully enters. Coming to a river, they encounter the Scooters, who ride the river on sails. The Scooters help Dorothy and Humpy across. As Dorothy tells Humpy about life in the Emerald City, Humpy spots a snake and hits it. It turns out to be Kabumpo's snout, and he indignantly flings Humpy into the air. Dorothy runs up to the Elegant Elephant and explains everything. Kabumpo is traveling to the Emerald City to stir up some fun because life in Pumperdink has become dull since Pompadore and Peg Amy married, and since Dorothy and Humpy are going that way too, he agrees to carry them.

Mombi, meanwhile, tricks Snip, and as he gathers water from a well, she throws him down it. Snip falls into a bucket, which moves sideways on cables through an underground tunnel, then up another well. Waking in the morning, he finds himself surrounded by invisible people asking him why he's showing his face. Snip runs to the first house he sees. A tailor emerges, grateful to see a face, but hides him from the Blanks. Suddenly, his ears fly in the room like butterflies, and he explains that his name is Tora, and he's been a prisoner of Blankenburg for many years, and cannot leave due to some kind of invisible barrier. He agrees to help Snip escape through another well (the Fare-well), but Snip determines that he should escape with him, and as they come to the barrier, Tora is able to go through. The Tired Tailor of Oz becomes the Retired Tailor. Escaping through the well, the pair exchange stories, and Tora explains how Blankenburg became invisible when the vain Queen Vanette (or Vanetta) discovered a hidden pool that turned her face invisible, and feeling jealous of the younger beautiful girls, made a law forcing everyone to bathe in it and becomes invisible as well. The water wouldn't work on Tora, however, and as he was old already, they let him be.

As Snip goes to get breakfast from a nearby breakfast bush, Kabumpo, Dorothy and Humpy come across Tora. After no little confusion and awkwardness, in part due to Kabumpo's rudeness, the travelers introduce themselves and tell their adventures, after which they agree to travel together to the Emerald City to warn Ozma of Mombi's plan. Stopping at a steep mountain unsure of what to do, they discover Mombi and Pajuka walking right through it! Pajuka is overjoyed to see Snip again, but then spotting Humpy, he determines that this is his old master, the lost king of Oz! Mombi snatches him away, but Kabumpo catches her and threatens to step on her. Tora intervenes and says that Mombi is needed still to disenchant the king. Discovering that the mountain is but a shadow mountain, they go through it as well, heading south towards the Emerald City. The Palace, they later discover, is empty. Mombi reads the spell on the back of Humpy's cloak, but is unaware that it requires the cloak found in Morrow to work correctly, and produces the counter spell that plunges the palace deep underground.

On their way to the Emerald City, Ozma and her company receive another message from the golden quill, telling them that the king is in the palace. Excited, they rush forward, only to find that there is no palace, only green grass! As they examine the grounds, the palace rushes up again, catching them all on the roof. The Scarecrow jumps down to get a ladder and helps everyone in. Turns out Snip had used Mombi's baking powder to cause the palace to rise again. Ozma and the company make introductions, and the Wizard obtains the Green Book of Magic to try and disenchant Humpy. Placing the cloak over Humpy's shoulders, he recites the incantation Mombi had used, and which is noted in the book, but it does nothing. The group gather to discuss their adventures. Tora suggests that perhaps Humpy is not the king. They determine to try whomever fits the royal robe, and start with Sir Hokus. Again nothing happens. Then the Soldier with the Green Whiskers. Again nothing. Snip then gets the idea to try it on Tora, and doing the spell himself, Tora transforms back into Pastoria, the lost king, and Pajuka into his human form. Ozma and her father embrace, and Pastoria explains that even Lurline couldn't undo the spell Mombi had cast.

At the feast that follows, Pastoria abdicates to his daughter, and resolves to open a tailor ship in the Emerald City, with Humpy and Pajuka as helpers. Pastoria also invites Snip to join him, to which he joyfully agrees. After the royal procession, Ozma wonders what to do with Mombi, who is in the cellar, and Dorothy suggests putting her out with water. Ozma asks her father, who defers to her, and Ozma agrees, sending the Scarecrow and Sir Hokus to do the deed. They return with Mombi's shoes.

Continuity Notes

Blankenburg: As Tora comes to Blankenburg before Queen Vanetta discovers the water of invisibility, it would seem the town had an ironic name. More likely, however, they changed the original name of the town after they accepted their invisibility.

Catty Corners: There is no reason given as to why these particular cats should hate boys, unless they all come from past abuse situations. Oddly enough, they're all described as being the size of Snip. It also seems odd that Snip would find them "hateful" for eating goldfish when he appears to have had no problem with his people preparing to eat a talking goose. The in-universe retcon has to be that Snip was, indeed, shocked to discover a talking goose in Mombi's kitchen (as opposed to one from a goose-bush). Also, either the goldfish in Catty Corners, like the fish the Scooters eat, are plant-based "fish," or they're all breaking the law. There is also no word if Ozma had a talk with the Queen of Catty Corners later over her intended murder of Pajuka and Snip. Catty Corners is mentioned again in "Ali Cat in Oz."

Eureka: Dorothy mentions having a white kitten, except that Eureka has been pink for some years now. Perhaps, the elements that turned her pink (the piglets and tixies) wore off, though if so, it seems she later becomes pink again (perhaps by choice this next time).

Money and stores: Again, Thompson introduces a kingdom that has a monetary-based economy, and yet claims that there are no stores in Oz! Kinda Jolly made a fortune in buttons, his wife in bouquets, and these are collected in coins. As note in The Cowardly Lion of Oz, it must to be assumed that the outlying kingdoms are allowed to continue using money for a time until Ozma gradually brings them into a non-monetary based system. That Thompson says there are no stores in Oz is odd for a country that uses money. Thompson wasn't the only one to make false generalizations; Baum did it as well with the "no horses in Oz," statement, or when he said that Toto was the first dog in Oz and Billina the first chicken (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz describes a dog, hen and rooster in the Emerald City).

Ozma's memory: Ozma claims she remembers the Morrow hunting lodge as "where we used to hide from Mombi when I was a little girl!" She shouldn't remember anything, since she was no more than a year old when the Wizard gave her into Mombi's hands. However, given that she's a fairy who remained an infant for 149 years in Oz, we can accept that she might have developed some memories in that time.

Courtiers: Though never mentioned before, it's stated that Ozma has 49 courtiers, 39 footmen, 37 handmen, twenty-six serving maids, ten cooks, and a "flock" of pages. Two of those courtiers are introduced in The Rundelstone of Oz.

Dating: This story takes place over the course of four days. See the Chronology of Oz for more details. The text of The Giant Horse of Oz places that story two years after this one.

Enchantment: As to when Mombi enchanted King Pastoria and Pajuka, recall that the Wicked Witches are still in power during this time, and that Mombi was essentially sent by them to get the king out of the way. She does this successfully. So then why do the Compass Witches not then come and take over Morrow (then the capital of Oz) and rule all of Oz. The answer must be because that's the time when the Wizard arrived in Oz. Oz was essentially saved by the arrival of Oscar Diggs. Now, an argument can be made that Mombi enchanted the king a few years earlier and that the only reason the witches didn't take over was because there was another threat to their power. This response falls to the "untold story" scenario, and while legitimate, it doesn't address the main issue. Unless the unknown threat to their power remained a threat for decades, there was nothing stopping the witches from taking over Oz. One could argue that the witches were fighting amongst themselves, but that seems like a stalling tactic that fails again to address the issue that when the Wizard arrives in Oz, Mombi is in the north, and the two East and West witches in their respective domains.

Execution and mischaracterizations: As Gehan (of the BCF Pumperdink forums) explains, "Dorothy states in 'Wizard of Oz' that she does NOT want to kill anyone, even for the sake of returning to Kansas. In fact, she gets shocked and terrified when the Good Witch of the North says that her HOUSE dropped on a Wicked Witch who held the Munchkins in bondage for years, and she actually apologizes. Yet in 'Cowardly Lion', she immediately throws a pail of water on Notta Bit More, thinking he's a witch thanks to his costume, and even in Lost King, she's the one who suggested that Mombi should be put out with a pail of water. Then Ozma states in The Emerald City of Oz that no one has a right to kill anyone no matter how evil they are, and yet in Cowardly Lion, she states that a wicked witch MUST be destroyed, and she doesn't stop ONCE to think about melting Mombi away. Both acts are very Un-Dorothyish and very Un-Ozma-ish." This very out-of-character, even cold-blooded execution of Mombi, as suggested by Dorothy, ordered by Ozma, and executed by Sir Hokus and the Scarecrow has since been retconned and explained in a Baum-consistent way in David Tai's sequel, "Executive Decisions" in Oziana #38. (As to who the Mombi is that was met in Bucketheads of Oz, see that entry.) Tai's explanation of events is, in fact, in keeping with Thompson herself, who states in The Hungry Tiger of Oz, that Ozma had "never hurt anyone in her whole gentle life..."

Hollywood and Trot: Dorothy is said to know of Hollywood from Trot, although Trot came to Oz two years too early (in 1908) to have known of it, though she may have discovered it in the Magic Picture (since she'd have been keeping an eye on her mother). Baum himself didn't move to Hollywood until 1910. Thompson incorrectly identifies Trot's home as San Francisco. San Diego is much closer to Baum's description. The Glass Cat of Oz postulates that it's Laguna Beach. Dorothy might have learned further about Hollywood from Baum himself, who she'd earlier befriended, met, and told her story to (in the Ozmapolitan 1904)

Kimbaloo: Despite her portrayal of the royalty of Kimbaloo as jolly and cozy, the fact that King Kinda Jolly and his wife have purchased a talking goose to eat demonstrates a villainy that Thompson overlooks. It also demonstrates that she picks and chooses from Baum what she wants to follow, and Oz as a vegetarian realm isn't one of them despite the fact that she notes in the story that "All beasts and birds in the Land of Oz converse." From an in-universe perspective, one would have to argue that the Kimbaloo royalty thought they were purchasing a "goose" from a Goose Tree, and not an actual goose. Or that Ozma later paid them an official visit to discuss these serious matters.

Lurline: After Pastoria was enchanted by Mombi, Lurline gave him enchanted ears, and likely put a spell on him so that the water of invisibility in Blankenburg didn't affect him. She appears to have chosen not to tell Ozma the whereabouts of her father when she met her in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz and The Magic Carpet of Oz, possibly so that she'd grow into the leader she was meant to be without always deferring to her father. The time also allows Pastoria to find and fall in love with a trade that he prefers to ruling.

Mombi: The text in this book and The Marvelous Land of Oz appear to indicate that Mombi was a woman who learned magic. J.L. Bell, on the BCF Pumperdink forum, stated: "Toward the end of LAND, Glinda tells Mombi, 'I shall merely ask you to drink a powerful draught which will cause you to forget all the magic you have ever learned.' This implies that one becomes a witch by learning certain magic, and forgetting that magic makes one cease being a witch. As Mombi replies, 'Then I would become a helpless old woman!' Thompson reflects that in LOST KING when she states, 'Mombi had forgotten every witch word she had ever known' [20]. Yet, in this story, Mombi drinks coffee, which certainly contains water, and does not melt—even though she fears when she's near the Inland Sea that she will melt. This seems to indicate that the gossip around Oz that water melts all witches may have informed Mombi's concern about water. Dorothy certainly thinks as much (see The Cowardly Lion of Oz), but witches like Coo-ee-oh demonstrate that that's not the case. As "Executive Decisions" shows, however, Mombi cannot have been melted with water and the upcoming short story, "The Gillikin Witches of Oz" further demonstrates why.

Morrow: Morrow is listed on the Haff & Martin map, though this location is only an old lodge used by the Royal Family. Morrow the capital is not located on the map, as it had been destroyed the East and West Witches in 1892 (see How the Wizard Came to Oz). It was towards the center of Oz on the Winkie border (Oz and the Three Witches).

The Scooters: This odd group claim their sails grow when they eat fish, and yet, as with Thompson's other contradictions in this area (where she insists upon changing Baum's conception of Oz), fish are noted, along with all animals, to be sapient beings in Glinda of Oz (page 146 and 224). So, perhaps there are underwater "fish" corals.

Wishing Pill: The Wizard identifies the Wishing Pill as Dr. Nikidik's, clarifying for many that the pills are the invention of Nikidik, and the Powder of Life is Dr Pipt's, confirming that the two are separate individuals. See the Appendices for more details.

Wish Way: This is the second Wish Way that appears in Oz, and Dorothy discovered both. The one in this story is at the foot of the Maybe Mountains, and Dorothy recalls the time she was on the first one, which is west of Sun Top Mountain, by the Deadly Desert (from The Royal Book of Oz).

Note: Oz book 20 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: In the kingdom of Rash in Ev, the tyrant and usurper Irasha (later called Irashi), the Pasha (king) of Rash, grows concerned that his prisons are filled up. His chief scribe, Ippty—whose hand has fingers made up of a pen, pencil, eraser, sealing wax and candle—recommends executing them as the "ancient countries" did, throwing them to wild beasts. As there are no animals in Rash, and Irashi is concerned about the beast turning on him, Ippty suggests bringing one of the civilized wild animals from Oz, specifically the Hungry Tiger. Fizzenpop, the Grand Vizier, objects to this plan, but they ignore him, and Ippty takes his magical hurry-cane to Oz.

The Hungry Tiger is at Betsy Bobbin's birthday party when Ippty shows up, and, in secret, seduces him with talk of being able to legally eat wicked criminals. Before he knows it, the Hungry Tiger is whisked off to Rash and deposited in the prison courtyard, where he regrets his rash actions, and now fears actually going hungry. By days' end, they throw in a prisoner, a singer who had annoyed the Pasha, but after hearing his sad song, the Hungry Tiger refuses to eat him, and instead finds a hidden cave underneath a tile where he hides him.

In Oz, Betsy hears someone hawking fruits and vegetables, and runs out to get strawberries for Ozma. She's shocked to discover that the peddler is a creature made from various vegetables, who calls himself Carter Green. He takes root if he stands around for too long, so Betsy and he walk and talk, but as she prepares to depart, a winding road, which they'd inadvertently walked on, picks them up and takes them far away to a sandy road. Betsy finds a package with sandals called Quick Sandals, which she gives to Carter Green so that he doesn't take root. But the sandals have a mind of their own, and with Betsy in tow, they're whisked across the quicksand and then across the Deadly Desert to a pink city and castle. Not trusting kings, Betsy warns Carter away, but he insist they make the best customers. Another person in the city warns him that the Pasha is in a foul mood, but Carter ignores him too. Irasha sends him away, but the Vegetable Man begins to root in the soil, enraging the Pasha who has him and Betsy thrown in prison to be eaten by the tiger.

Betsy and the Hungry Tiger reunite, and she introduces him to Carter Green. The guards soon throw another prisoner in, this time a barber who accidentally nicked the Pasha's face. Betsy assures him he's in no danger, and he explains the situation in Rasha. The real ruler is Asha, who retired to study radio in an unknown country. He is the brother of the current king, Irasha, who seized the throne, and hid his son, the Scarlet Prince, who is the rightful heir.

By nightfall, the Hungry Tiger hides them all in the cave underground where the singer is, but the guards come and bring a small package, a child. The Hungry Tiger roars furiously, and they depart, but he reassures the child that he's in no danger. Just then Fizzenpop, the Grand Vizier, throws himself into the prison in an attempt to offer himself up instead of the child, who is Prince Evered. The Tiger reassures him, and Fizzenpop explains that the only way out is to find the missing three magical rubies. Each ruby was embedded in the royal scepter until Irashi hid them. They protected the bearer from injury in the water, air and earth. The Hungry Tiger takes the boy underground, but when he doesn't come back, Fizzenpop explores and discovers that they're not there. Hatching a plan, he calls for the guards and informs them that the Hungry Tiger had magically escaped.

Having heard that the prince was alive, the barber had excitedly pounded on the walls, only to have it open into a sliding tunnel, which they all fell into. They land on goose down, followed by the Hungry Tiger and Prince Evered, who introduces himself as Reddy. With a square moon in the sky, they sleep, and awaken to read a sign that says "Down. No Uppers Allowed." They proceed towards the city, discussing the rubies when Carter pulls out a ruby he'd found in a potato. It has the signature R of Rash, and he gives it to Reddy, who is happy, and determined to find the other two.

Spotting the city of Down Town, the Hungry Tiger crashes through the gates, scaring the citizens, and into a restaurant where everyone flees. Betsy and the others join him in eating everything present until police come and throw a net over the thieves. The police bring them to a bank rooftop where the king, Dad, sits with the Queen, Fi Nance, reading his paper. The charges are listed, and the Queen demands instant payment on ninety-nine dollars and '68 cents, but everyone is astonished because she's made of money, her face and hair of gold, hands and feet of silver, and her dress made from paper currency. Also, they have no money, which makes the Queen irate. Dad suggests they earn some. Betsy is to become a cash girl, Reddy an office boy, the barber and singer will remain doing what they do, although the Queen thinks he sings like a jackass! The prisoners are brought to the center square, where stands the Indus Tree, from which everyone picks their business. The barber picks a new razor, while the singer picks a harp. As Carter finds a wheelbarrow, and Reddy a sword, the Hungry Tiger discovers a way out, a subway to Up Town. There is no train in the subway, just a passage they follow to a door marked Cave Inn.

At that, the cave dumps them down a dark passageway into the dominions of the Nomes. With his wizard's exspectacles, Kaliko sees the near future, and knows they're coming, so he sends Guph to invite them to lunch. Betsy hopes that Kaliko is still king, recalling that she'd been present at his coronation, and happily greets him, telling him of all their adventures. At the mention of the rubies, however, Carter sees Kaliko remove and hide a ring from his finger. After lunch, the party is escorted to their rooms, but Carter secretly listens and discovers Guph attempting to get Kaliko to steal the other ruby and kill the guests. Kaliko is reluctant, and they go off to consult the wizard. Once they've departed, Carter sneaks out and steals the ruby ring, along with the exspectacles. But putting them on, he sees Guph impaling Reddy on the head with a pickaxe. After accidentally breaking the glasses, he wakes the others and tells them of Kaliko's treachery. Kaliko had, in fact, withdrawn, and allowed Guph to do what he will. Guph attacks, slamming the pickaxe into Reddy's head, but with no damage. The other Nomes attack, but again the magic ruby protects Reddy and his friends, who fight back. The Hungry Tiger, with everyone on his back, runs through the tunnels and leaps over a cliff, which turns out to be a fire-fall.

Saved by the Rash Ruby, they emerge unscathed (except for Carter Green who lost his ears in the fire) in a farming country in Ev, where Carter picks a few "ears" of corn. They fail to heed a sign warning them to beware ants, which turn out to be gi-ants, one of whom scoops up the Hungry Tiger, thinking it's a kitten. Betsy, Reddy and Carter follow, but the giants enter Immense City, and the way is barred by a giant stone gate. When a giant pigeon takes Reddy, the Vegetable Man conceives of a desperate plan, but then the door opens.

Meanwhile, as Ozma goes looking for Betsy in the garden, a balloon-man, four times the size of an ordinary man, swoops down in iron boots, picks Ozma up, leaves the boots, and soars back into the sky, proud of himself for obtaining proof that people live below the clouds. The Airman is oblivious to Ozma's pleas, and after introducing himself as Atmos Fere, tells her the lecture and banquet alone will take years in the Cloud Country. Grievously, for she had "never hurt anyone in her whole gentle life," Ozma punctures him. Losing air, they begin to sink back down to the earth. Ozma weeps at what she'd done and admits it to Atmos, who forgives her. Just then, they're met by an iron worker named Rusty Ore, who has a bellows in his shop. After reproving him for abducting Ozma, he fixes Atmos up and makes him a pair of iron boots so that he can see more of Oz. They thank him and depart, crossing the Deadly Desert with the iron boots. But as a storm approaches, Ozma hurries him on, wishing there was a house nearby (forgetting she has the Wizard's wishing powder in her pocket, she causes a dog and his doghouse, to appear instead).

Reddy, meanwhile, escapes from the pigeon into the house of the giants whose daughter has the Hungry Tiger. Reddy makes his way into her playroom, and as she takes the tiger out to play, he plays for a bit with her toys before she returns. He follows them into her bedroom where the Hungry Tiger is demoralized by his experiences with the giant girl Elma. But Reddy discovers that the giants are frauds. When they take off their wigs, they shrink down (with the wigs) to normal size! Reddy then takes the wig and grows to giant size, and taking the Hungry Tiger with him, leaves Immense City, calling for Betsy and Carter. Betsy thinks a giant has come for her, but when he takes off his wig, she sees that it's Reddy, who explains everything that's happened.

As they head off for the Deadly Desert, the Hungry Tiger tells Reddy to use the wig to grow to giant size and look for a roast-beef bush. But he spots instead Ozma and Atmos Fere. They greet each other warmly and exchange stories. Everyone is fascinating by Atmos Fere, whose fascinated by everyone! When he hears about the missing ruby, he pulls out one which he got from a skylark near his airhome. It turns out to be the missing ruby.

The travelers head to Rash, where they storm the castle. With the protection of the three rubies, Irashi and Ippty can't harm them, but when their army attacks, Reddy puts on the wig and shoots up into giant-size, terrifying everyone. Fizzenpop shows up, and Reddy shrinks back down to explain what happened. Fizzenpop rings the bells and announces the return of the rightful prince and heir. Reddy ties up the usurpers. After dinner, Atmos departs with the usurpers to the skies, figuring to drop them off on a lonely island when his lecture is done in a decade or so. After goodbyes, Ozma wonders how they'll all cross the Deadly Desert now, but the Grand Vizier tells them about the hurry-canes. Reddy agrees to join them for a month, and gives Fizzenpop the wig to rule in the meantime. In five minutes, they're all in the Emerald City, and the celebrations and stories begin.

Continuity Notes

Airman: Atmos Fere comes from the Cloud Country, which appears to be above the clouds, as he's never been in a storm before. Yet, his air castle must be low enough in the atmosphere that a skylark is able to reach it. It may be that he can raise or lower his air castle (he has air current bushes that he tends). Atmos has a friend in the Moon (possibly Zeph, who he mentions earlier) that he visits. It's he who made him his first pair of iron boots, enabling him to land on earth to discover if it was inhabited. All Airmen have floating ribs. Atmos is engaged to an heiress.

Betsy Bobbin: This is Betsy's only starring role in a book, other than Greg Hunter's novella "Betsy Bobbin of Oz" (from Two Terrific Tales in Oz) and it's revealed that she hails from Oklahoma. Her familiarity with cities and subways, however, points to her having lived elsewhere. See "Dating" below for a discussion on Betsy's birth date.

Big Wigs: The fake giants of Immense City must have discovered it or taken it over from real giants who once lived there, as the trees, birds and homes are all giant-sized.

Carter Green: The Vegetable Man's transformation into a living vegetable person is highly suspect. He had been a Winkie farmer who sold his wares to the various royal families in Oz. Every night, however, he came home with unsold fresh vegetables. Not wanting them to be wasted, he ate them, and gradually became the Vegetable Man, and yet was still able to carry on his business (which he seems a bit obsessed about). There seems to be a large part of his story yet untold. In the Thompson play "A Day in Oz," it's revealed that Carter met Ozma at Glinda's a few days before coming to the Emerald City.

Coincidences and Rubies: "Regarding the story's dependence on numerous coincidences, Rich Morrissey, on the Pumperdink BCF forums, writes: "Though Thompson didn't specifically say so, she once or twice seems close to implying that the magic of the rubies themselves is at work to bring them back to their rightful owner. At least, that's the only reasonable explanation for what's otherwise one of the wildest collections of arbitrary coincidences I can recall in an Oz book... that Carter's ruby was responsible for the road and the sandals sending him in the direction of Rash, that it continued to lead Reddy and his party in the direction of the Nome King who had the second ruby, and that the one Atmos Fere had brought him to Earth not once but twice, right in the vicinity of Reddy and the other two." This assessment, which likens the Rash Rubies to the One Ring (only with that object's malevolence), goes a long way towards explaining the coincidences.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of six days. See the Day to Day Chronology for more details. According to Campbell & Terry's Masquerade in Oz, Betsy Bobbin's birthday occurs on Halloween, indicating that this story runs from the 10/31 to 11/5 (Guy Fawkes Day).

Hungry Tiger: The Hungry Tiger's secret desire to eat live people comes to the fore and is actually conquered in this book. That it wasn't entirely a whimsical notion, even with Baum, is indicated in the short story Baum wrote for The Little Wizard Stories, "The Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger of Oz."

Hurry-canes: This magical transportation device appears in its first in-universe chronological appearance in 1842's "Gone with the Hurry-Cane." According to The Tired Tailor of Oz, it was created by Jinnicky the Red Jinn of Ev.

Kaliko and Guph: While Kaliko's treachery can be laid at the door of General Guph's influence (recall that he was the warmongering influence who gathered the Erbs in The Emerald City of Oz), Kaliko's portrayal is closer to his ambivalent character in Rinkitink in Oz than that of earlier books. As that version isn't considered canonical (a role restored back to King Roquat in King Rinkitink), it can be said that Guph was merely a bad influence on Kaliko who perhaps capitulated because he didn't want the militaristic nome turning his people against him. This is the last appearance of Guph in the Sovereign Sixty, but not in the Oz series. Guph returns again in The Emerald City Mirror #33-48, where he's Chief Steward. When the Nome Kingdom is again visited in The Wishing Horse of Oz, Kaliko's chamberlain is Shoofenwaller. Guph tries to usurp Kaliko's throne in The Red Jinn in Oz.

Ozma: Thompson finally returns Ozma to the way Baum wrote her, as someone who had "never hurt anyone in her whole gentle life." This points to her actions in the prior book (The Lost King of Oz) as appropriately retconned by the peaceful resolution depicted in Oziana 38's "Executive Decisions."

Wishes: J.L. Bell (on the Pumperdink BCF forums) notes that: "The Wizard was experimenting with Dr. Nikidik's wishing pills in The Lost King of Oz. In HUNGRY TIGER he's got his own 'new wishing powders' that he's 'anxious to try' [34-5], and one of them turns out to work for Ozma [202]. Presumably he later packaged those powders in pill form, making "the Wizard's wishing pills" that figure in so many more of Thompson's books." In The Tired Tailor of Oz, it's noted that it takes the Wizard seven days to make a batch of these pills.

History: Adventures in Oz (where this story was collected) is considered Book 54 in the Sovereign Sixty (and Supreme Seventy-Five)!

Synopsis: In the Forest of Burzee, Queen Zurline holds court over the first trial of the wood nymphs ever held there. Summoning forth the wood nymph Nelanthe, Zurline asks her what the Law of the Forest is. She responds that it includes tending the trees, protecting them from fire or blade, and resisting the deadly advance of mortal civilization. Zurline then accuses her of breaking the law by allowing a mortal to kiss her three days earlier and hiding it from her. Despite the pleas of Nelanthe's friend Nebelle, Queen Zurline takes away Nelanthe's immortality and banishes her from Burzee.

Nelanthe runs in despair until she collapses in grief, where she's found by the King of the Trolls. When he hears what's happened to her, he's dismayed and offers to make her his queen so that she can live in luxury as befitting one so beautiful. With nowhere else to go, she accedes, and a few hours later marries the Troll King.

As the months pass, Nelanthe becomes bitter as she broods over Zurline's unjust treatment of her. As Queen of the Trolls, she summons a council and proposes waging war upon the Forest of Burzee. While acknowledging that they're natural enemies, the trolls fear they could never overcome their magic. But Nelanthe proposes a night attack with fire from their dragon allies in the lava pits below the volcano. The trolls see this as an opportunity to get the dragons under their power since they know they hate the wood nymphs as well.

By the next full moon, all is ready, but Nelanthe is having second thoughts. Torn by bitterness, she seeks a way to forget the past, and comes across a means in a book that discusses the properties of the Fountain of Oblivion.

Later that night, Toto hears something and wakes Dorothy. Checking the terrace, she's surprised to see a giant bat. Toto grabs the creature's harness, and in trying to get him back, Dorothy grabs on as well. The bat flies off with the pair of them attached. Returning from the castle of the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and Sawhorse see their friends attached to the giant bat and pursue them to the edge of the Deadly Desert and beyond! The Sawhorse reminds the terrified Scarecrow that they're made of wood and straw, not flesh, and can't be harmed by the Desert.

Nightshade, the giant bat, brings the Water of Oblivion to his mistress, the Queen of the Trolls. She suggests that his passengers should have been dropped over the Deadly Desert, but Dorothy tells her that Ozma would punish her if she did. Nelanthe brings them to her quarters, concerned only with the forgetfulness that the Water of Oblivion will grant her. Dorothy figures out what she's doing, and stops her, explaining that it's forbidden to drink. Angrily, she turns to strike Dorothy, but Toto bites her, revealing sap instead of blood in her veins. The troll guards arrive to escort their queen to the army.

Climbing up to the crater where the bat flew, the Sawhorse gets stuck when a boulder opens up. The Scarecrow goes beneath him to break his fall, but when the boulder shifts again, they become trapped underground. They follow a light which leads them to the troll castle, where they overhear the plans to destroy Burzee. The Scarecrow explores a vent and discovers his friends on another floor. Atop the Sawhorse, they burst in, startling the guards. Grabbing the Water of Oblivion, Dorothy, the Scarecrow and Toto ride off on the Sawhorse's back to warn Burzee of the imminent danger.

The dragons in the lava pits respond to the summons of the King of the Trolls, but a messenger comes to inform him the Queen's prisoners escaped. The King is furious at Nelanthe, knowing that Ozma could spoil the plans he's cultivated for years. He reveals to his wife that he was the mortal she kissed, disguised so as to lure her out and learn about Burzee's weaknesses. Realizing that he's the real reason for her banishment, she determines to stop him. As Dorothy has taken her Water of Oblivion, she hops on Nightshade and flies off after the Sawhorse, spotting him just as the Scarecrow and Toto fall off. Pursued, the Sawhorse attempts to jump a wide chasm separating Burzee from the lands outside, but Nightshade grabs him before he falls and carries him to the other side where they escape into the forest.

Nelanthe decides then that she must stop the army, and flies off to tell the dragons that the Troll King has deceived them and wants their domain for himself. The Troll King calls her a liar, and a blast of fire from one of the dragons silences them. But when Queen Zurline arrives with her army of wood nymphs, the dragons believe that Nelanthe was right and turn on the trolls, burning the army with fire.

Zurline thanks Dorothy and the Sawhorse, but Nightshade swoops in and Nelanthe grabs the Water of Oblivion. The nymphs command the trees to grab the fleeing bat. Nelanthe tells Nightshade to flee as she falls to the ground. The wood nymphs are shocked to see Nelanthe and even more upset to know she's dying. Nebelle pleads with Zurline to restore her immortally, but she's reluctant because of the law. But when Toto and the Sawhorse arrive with the news that it was her who turned back the army, Dorothy determines to give her the Water of Oblivion. Nelanthe refuses it, realizing she wants only her forest home. Zurline decides that she cannot abandon her to death regardless of the law, and restores her as an immortal Daughter of the Forest.

Continuity Notes

Burzee: Queen Zurline notes that this is the first trial in Burzee, but more accurately, it must be the first trial of a wood nymph in Burzee, as the fairies Nelebel, Faleero, and Falingo were tried in Burzee and punished by exile (see "Nelebel's Fairyland," The Purple Prince of Oz, "The Banishment of Faleero" and The Red Jinn in Oz). Burzee is shown to be surrounded, on the northeast side, by a wide chasm. This provides a means of protection from the lands outside. It is unknown if a similar chasm protects them on the west and/or south.

Dating: The narrative takes place over the course of months, though Dorothy's actions occur in the span of a night. As Dorothy has only a passing familiarity with Burzee, this story likely happens early on, perhaps a short time after The Magic Carpet of Oz, when Ozma first went to Burzee.

Deadly Desert: For the first time, it's shown that neither the Scarecrow nor the Sawhorse can be harmed by the Deadly Desert, as the Sawhorse points out that they're not made of flesh, and can't be overcome by the fumes or the burning sands.

Trolls: The troll nation was decimated by the dragons of the lava pits, who lived at the bottom of the volcano they both lived in, when the dragons came to believe they were deceived by the King of the Trolls (also presumably dead), who coveted their domain. Trolls are uncommon in and around Oz, and this very well may be the reason why. Shanower's initial conception of the trolls was a literal demonic race, but the occasional benevolent troll does pop his head from time to time in Oz, most notably Tekrouri from Bucketheads in Oz, who had been rejected by his tribe for being different. Whether his tribe hails from the same one as shown in this story, or another, is not known. The trolls, as depicted here, are much more akin to Nonestica's ogres and goblins, than the large, violent and dim-witted beings of the Old Norse and Scandinavian folk tales, or of even J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, which derives directly from these sources. In my estimation, they are a branch of the same tree that brought forth the ogres, orcs and goblins, which may be why they're noted as being the natural enemies of the wood nymphs and residents of Burzee. It is not known why the lava dragons would hold a similar antipathy. See "Betsy Bobbin in Yartralia" and "The Orange Ogres in Oz" for more information on ogres and goblins.

22nd book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: In the Sapphire City, one of the five islands that make up the Ozure Isles, which is the capitol of the north Munchkin country, and secluded from the rest of Oz by the Munchkin Mountains, King Cheeriobed receives a dire message from Quiberon, the dragon/fear-fish that guards the Lost Lake of Orizon: Send a mortal maiden in three days or be destroyed. Quiberon had been sent by Mombi years earlier when she kidnapped the King's wife, and he has since eaten up all of the giant sea horses that the people once rode and made all 1007 Munchkins prisoners in their own island. Since then, everyone in Oz has forgotten their existence.

Each of the Islanders take turns serving Quiberon, and the last, Jewlia, had read him stories of Ozma and the three mortal maids that have befriended her. Cheeriobed is advised by his Soothsayer Akbad to pick the Golden Pear, reserved for the prince in times of danger, but the king refuses. His son Philador suggests letting him find a way out of the Ozure Isles to procure help from the Good Witch of the North, but Cheeriobed won't hear of it.

Philador then confides to his friends, the blue gulls, and they tell him to return later that evening. As his father and advisors discuss the problem, Philador sneaks out and is met by a giant blue gull, Mo-gull, who is king of all the land and sea birds. He agrees to take him to the Good Witch of the North. Akbad, meanwhile, makes his own plans, and takes the Golden Pear. This grants him magical wings, which he commands to take him to the Emerald City.

In Boston, shopkeeper Dan has repaired a suit he bought second-hand and puts it on for his niece's wedding. En route, he discovers a black book in the pocket, and reads aloud some of the strange words and phrases. At that, the statue of a public benefactor, which stands behind him, comes to life! Throwing the book into the bushes, he runs away at top speed. The statue begins looking for an umbrella. Procuring one, he inadvertently terrifies a woman. A mob soon gathers, throwing things at him. A truck runs into him, and firemen shoot water from their hoses at him. Pursued by the mob, he runs and accidentally falls down a deep hole that construction workers had accidentally blown into the ground.

The living statue lands in a field, where he is met by the Scarecrow, who begins to converse with him. The statue doesn't understand why people would treat his so respectfully when he wasn't alive, but attack him violently when he was. The Scarecrow tell him things are different in Oz, and names him Benny. He gets Benny to agree to accompany him to the Emerald City, where the Wizard will turn him into a "real person," which is what he longs to be. Their conversation is interrupted by a strange bird which seems to attack them. Running, they lose the bird, but bump into a miffed Trot. Trot is introduced to them, but after the Scarecrow tells Benny his story, Akbar—the strange bird that had earlier frightened them—arrives and abducts Trot, who he intends to bring to Quiberon. Benny and the Scarecrow grab and cling to him, and five hours later, Akbad deposits them before a cave on Lake Orizon in the Ozure Isles, where he explains the she must serve Quiberon and save the Islanders.

Quiberon arrives and tells Trot that she must polish his scales, comb his hair, sweep his cave, and tell him stories. Quiberon goes off to nap, warning them not to escape. Benny discovers an exit from the cave through a waterfall, but as they head through it, Quiberon discovers their departure and pursues them. The dragon gets stuck in the narrowing passage, as his quarry reaches Cave City. A sign proclaims that they need three rocks for admittance, but they can't locate any, so the Scarecrow determines that the secret is that they must rock with laughter. His seemingly doubtful plan works, and they're admitted into Cave City by a merman on crutches.

Returning to Sapphire City, Akbad is confronted by the king who wants to know where his son is. Thinking Quiberon must have eaten him, he lies and says that he delivered Prince Philador to Ozma in the Emerald City, where he took a mortal maiden for Quiberon. When asked why he didn't ask Ozma for help, he secretly reproaches himself for not doing that very thing, but lies and says that Ozma and the Wizard will shortly arrive and restore the lost Queen. Cheeriobed, however, can't abide the idea of the mortal maiden getting hurt, and travels to the dragon's cave with his men. Akbar attempts to fly to the Emerald City, but the wings will no longer take him beyond the shores of their land, nor will they even come off.

Philador, meanwhile, arrives at the hut of Tattypoo, the Good Witch of the North, but too late. After a conversation with her pet dragon Agnes, who had been inquiring about Tattypoo's past, the Good Witch of the North—who was unable to recall her own past—went to look at the Witch's Window in the attic, which is able to see into the past or future. But she and Agnes fall into it, leaving behind only their two-tailed cat.

Tattypoo's slate instructs the boy to go to the Emerald City, so after a meal and sleep, he begins to pack items and look for some magic he can take along. In so doing, he knocks over a bottle of potion, and out from it forms a man—Herby, the Medicine Man, whose been reconstructed with a medicine cabinet built into his chest. Herby explains that he had once been a standard pharmacologist until he realized that so few people got sick, and so he began collecting herbs to treat other maladies such as impatience, bad temper and rudeness. While collecting herbs, he met Mombi, who mistakenly thought he was stealing from her. She pushed him into his cauldron of cough medicine, liquefying and bottling him. After that, she kept him in her hut. Philador fills him on Mombi's history, letting him know that she'd since been defeated by Tattypoo (who took over Mombi's hut). To repay Phil for rescuing him, Herby agrees to accompany him to the Emerald City. He takes a jump rope and the witch's thinking cap, which gives him directions to the Emerald City.

They soon come to a river and figure out how to use the rope to cross; then they climb a mountain, where discover Joe King, a six-foot tall Uplander, who is taking a break from his kingly duties. Hearing Phil's story, he agrees to assist him and summons his horse, High Boy, a giant purple horse who can telescope his legs high or low, and whose tail is an umbrella. They escort Phil and Herby to Joe's castle in Up Town, where they meet Queen Hyacinth. Walking outside the castle when a storm comes up, Phil and Herby mistakenly put their umbrellas up, rather than down (which is how it works in Up Town), and are swept off the mountain, where they lose the Good Witch's thinking cap. High Boy manages to find them and agrees to take them to the Emerald City.

In Cave City, meanwhile, the merman introduces himself as Orpah, the former keeper of the sea horses, who were devoured by Quiberon when Mombi installed him in Lake Orizon 20 years ago. At that time, he tried to defend them, but was thrust into this cave by the dragon. The Cave Men who live in the cave, however, are Shadow People, living silhouettes from the cave wall, whose king dislikes physical bodies and tries to turn any intruders into shades like them. Orpah proves immune, but the others are summoned before the enormous shadow-king who orders Ozeerus to melt them down into shadows by the blue ray. Benny steps forth to become the first shadow, but the blue ray can't function on stone, and blows up, creating an escape route through the cave wall. Orpah gets Trot, while Benny carries the Scarecrow through the bottom of Lake Orizon to the surface. Orpah goes off to tell Cheeriobed the latest news, while Trot and the others agree to go back to the Emerald City to inform Ozma.

On their way, the encounter Roundabout Way, marked by a curving pathway. There the Scarecrow leads them into a giant dome, wherein they're tumbled round and round. The Round-abouties ask them to join as they revolve merrily around, but after dancing, circling and spinning through two concentric circles, they end up in the last circle, a Merry-Go-Round. Trot asks the ring leader to let them out, but when he refuses, she leads her friends to a door, and up a spiral staircase. From there, they slide atop Benny down the roof of the house, shooting over a forest, to freedom.

Benny and the Scarecrow discuss why people try to make others like themselves, while Trot tells of her adventures in Sky Island. Soon, however, they bump into High Boy, Philador and Herby. They all exchange stories, and decide to ride High Boy to the Emerald City together. Trot notes that she's been ten years old for years, just like Philador.

The party soon find themselves in Shutter Town, where the residents wear shutters over their faces. The Out Keeper runs off, warning the town of bandits and thieves, and advising the king to come down his chimney. The travelers cross the town and, taking some of Herby's energy pills to make it through the night, arrive at the Emerald City.

Meanwhile, Cheeriobed and Orpah reunite for the first time in 20 years, and exchange stories. When a boat arrives carrying a woman, they think it's Ozma, but it turns out to be Queen Orin. Quiberon arises behind her boat, yet before he can harm her, Akbad flies over and snatches her away. Quiberon follows and crashes repeatedly against the castle walls. At the Emerald City, the travelers meet Ozma, the Wizard and the rest of the celebrities, and inform them of what's transpired. Looking into her Magic Picture, Ozma sees what's going on at Cheeriobed's castle, and the Wizard uses one of his wishing pills to whisk everyone there. Instantly, with a black powder, he transforms Quiberon to a silver and bronze statue. Orin then comes forward to announce that she is the former Good Witch of the North.

Orin explains that 25 years ago, Cheeriobed arrived at the castle of her father, King Gil of Gilkenny, to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. King Gil agreed, and preparations for the festivities began. Mombi happened upon Gilkenny and learned of the event to come. She'd unexpectedly fallen in love with Cheeriobed and transformed herself into a beautiful princess, promising him that if he married her, they would rule not only the Gillikin land, but that of the Munchkins as well, implicitly threatening to do away with his father. Cheeriobed refuses her, so Mombi resumed her natural shape and threatened to have vengeance.

That night, Cheeriobed's father, King of the Munchkins vanished. Orin and Cheeriobed married as planned and moved to the Ozure Isles to become rulers of the Munchkins. For three years they were content and safe, but then, two years after their son Philador was born, Mombi returned upon a giant black eagle and seized Orin, taking her to her hut in the mountains. There, she performed the spell that would turn Orin into an ugly old witch. At that, Orin forget who she was and how she became that way, and lived for months in the woods without home or shelter. Then, coming upon Mombi at some evil enchantment, she stopped her, and proved to be a better witch. Driving Mombi out of her hut and forest, she took possession of her hut, and at the behest of the Gillikins, became the Good Witch of the North, ruling as Tattypoo, until Agnes urged her to look out the Witches' Window, where she regained her memory and prior form (as did Agnes, who was her maid-in-waiting). She then headed back to the Ozure Isles.

As the stories come out, it's discovered that Akbad had not brought Philador to the Emerald City, but had been treacherous instead. Orin reminds Cheeriobed that he did save Orin, and they pardon him and dismiss him from court. The Wizard removes his heavy wings, and he is content to move into a cottage on the island.

After spending the night, Cheeriobed mentions how he wishes he had his seahorses back, so the Wizard secretly uses his wishing pills to restore them to life. The Wizard then uses his magic to move Quiberon to the mouth of the cave, and back to the Emerald City they all go.

After celebrating, Benny decides based on Trot and the Scarecrow's advice not to be transformed into a living man, but to stay as he is. Ozma invites him and Herby to live in the Emerald City, the latter as Court Physician. After more celebrations, the Wizard checks the Magic Picture for Cheeriobed's father, the former King of the Munchkins, but finding nothing, concludes he must have been destroyed. Ozma then makes Cheeriobed and Orin King and Queen of the Munchkins. His first act is to make Trot a Princess of the Ozure Isles, and the Scarecrow notes that she is now twice a princess. Ozma then appoints King Joe and Queen Hyacinth rulers of the North, and High Boy rushes off to tell them the good news. For ten days, Cheeriobed, Orin and Phil stay in the Emerald City before returning home.

Continuity Notes

Agnes: Thompson provides no explanation as to why Mombi enchanted Orin's maid-in-waiting into a dragon. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell explains, "Thompson... simply says the amiable dragon walked into the witch's hut on the same day it changed hands from Mombi to Tattypoo [108]. That coincidence may point to this explanation: Mombi, seeking revenge for her humiliation by Orin, flew to Gilkenny. There she sought out the maid she'd seen with Orin before her wedding and changed her into a monster. Finally, she used magic to send the resulting dragon back to her old cottage--Gilkenny doesn't seem to be near that home [261]. Either Mombi was willing to enjoy a private revenge on her rival or she hoped the dragon would destroy Tattypoo. In any event, Agnes's essential goodness, like Orin's, foiled Mombi's plan. Alternatively, Mombi might have enchanted Agnes three years before while trying to gain information about Orin and Cheeriobed. Or Agnes may have been just one of many people Mombi enchanted during her career as a tyrannical witch. It would be a mighty coincidence indeed if Agnes happened to reunite with her old mistress on the very day of Mombi's defeat, but Thompson has relied on mightier coincidences." Given that Mombi tends to use her Switcheroo Spell quite frequently, it seems likely that Agnes was switched with a dragon, though which dragon that might be is yet unknown.

Benny: Benny's descent to Oz through a large hole made by construction workers in Boston reveals either that Oz is under Boston, or, more likely, that Benny was guided to a magical portal, probably part of the spell the passerby had read that brought him to life. Benny is the third inanimate object to uncharacteristically and magically come to life from the outside world and come to Oz, the others include Bill the Weathercock (from Grampa in Oz) and Humpy the Dummy (from The Lost King of Oz). While Baum established that most magic doesn't work in the outside world, he also contrasted that with the times it does, such as in the animation of John Dough, and the magical powers displayed by the visitors from Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz.

Dating: This story takes place in the month of May, over the course of 13 days (the first three of which comprise the story's action). See the Chronology of Oz for more details. The dating within this book can only make sense in light of The New Chronology. The narrative is explicitly dated two years after the events of The Lost King of Oz, and is placed in 1912 for the following reasons:

By the time the Wizard brings baby Ozma to Mombi, Mombi has already been deposed by Orin. Otherwise, Orin would've discovered Tip when she defeated Mombi and took over her cottage. In Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, Jack says that Tip was with Mombi for about nine years when Tip was disenchanted back to Ozma. Thus, Mombi's defeat by Orin can happen no later than 1892, which is nine years before Ozma is disenchanted in 1901 (in The Marvelous Land in Oz). As these events occur 20 years prior to the events of The Giant Horse of Oz, this gives us a date for that story at 1912

Thompson notes that Mombi was "ruler in the north" during that time, which is 1892, up to the point when Orin defeated her. Yet she was not ruler when the Wizard arrived over twenty years earlier in 1871 (see How the Wizard Came to Oz). This indicates that Mombi was deposed TWICE, once by the former Good Witch of the North (Locasta) just prior to the Wizard's arrival 1871, and then again, after she regained her magic skills and took back rule of the North, by Orin in 1892.

Chronology of events in The Giant Horse of Oz

1882: Mombi pushes Herby into a cauldron, melts him down into a potion, and bottles him.

1887: Orin and Cheeriobed wed. They see Mombi—who is "ruler in the north"—in Sapphire City. For some reason Mombi kidnaps or destroys Cheeriobed's father. Cheeriobed becomes king.
1890: Orin and Cheeriobed's son Philador is born.
1892: Mombi kidnaps Orin and casts a Switcheroo Spell on her and Locasta, the Tah-Tipuu (Tattypoo); Mombi installs Quiberon in Lake Orizon, effectively cutting it off from the rest of Oz. Orpah confronts Quiberon and gets stuck in Cave City.
1892: Several months later, Orin (now named Tattypoo) conquers Mombi and drives her away, taking over her hut. Agnes the dragon comes to live with her that very day.

1898: As the Good Witch of the North, Orin/Tattypoo greets Dorothy when she first arrives in Oz. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
1900: Philador hits ten years old and stays at that age.

1910: Mombi starts work at Kimbaloo, meets Pajuka, and travels to the Emerald City, acts that lead to her imprisonment and faked execution (The Lost King of Oz and Oziana 38: "Executive Decisions.").

1912: The events of The Giant Horse of Oz take place; Queen Orin is disenchanted, Herby is unbottled, Quiberon is turned into a statue. Cheeriobed is officially appointed Munchkin King, with Orin as Queen. Joe King and Queen Hyacinth are appointed Rulers of the Gillikins.

Orin's chronology is a bit misleading. She says that "25 years ago" Mombi first threatened them, and that this was when Cheeriobed's father disappeared. She then says that she and Cheeriobed married immediately, and that they had three years of peace. Afterwards, when Philador is two years old, Mombi returns and kidnaps her. However, there is no indication as to when exactly Philador was born, except for what Orpah says. Orpah repeats that when Philador was two years old, Quiberon arrived and began eating the seahorses, at which time he attempted to defend them and was thrust into a cave. He twice says that he's been in that cave for 20 years. That gives a date for Mombi and Quiberon's arrival in 1895. But why then does Orin say that she had only three years of peace and not four? It may be because the year that their son was born was one of anxiety about Mombi's revenge, and they were fearful that she would do something to their infant.

It's revealed in "Tommy Kwikstep and the Magpie" (from The Lost Tales of Oz) that, in fact, Mombi had performed a Switcheroo Spell on Orin and Locasta, attempting to do away with the power of the latter while hiding the former. This spell backfired as Orin received Locasta's powers. When she was disenchanted, Locasta again received her powers, but chose to retire.

As regards Herby who says he's been, "shut up in that bottle for thirty years" [120], some readers have seen a problem with the fact that he knows about Ozma, her magic and the Magic Picture, events that occurred after he was bottled in 1901-2, and interpreted that as meaning he was off in his estimation. He does admit that after remembering "distinctly" being liquefied and bottled, he afterwards remembered nothing. The fact that he specifically states how long he'd been bottled may simply indicate that, offscreen, Philador told him about Ozma in connection with the events in the Ozure Isles, and very likely filled him in on the year, the Magic Picture, and other commonly known events in Oz.

Geography and Topography: The Winkie country is described, accurately this time, as being in the west. Lake Orizon is, interestingly, a body of salt water.

The Good Witch of the North: In Jack Snow's The Magical Mimics in Oz (1942), a different Good Witch of the North appears who Snow was going to write a story about. This was either Orin or Locasta reprising their role. "Tommy Kwikstep and the Magpie" reveals that Mombi had cast a Switcheroo Spell on both women in an attempt to create a new Wicked Witch to replace the one deposed in the south, an attempt that backfired when Orin overthrew Mombi in much the same way Locasta had previously done.

Gulls: The Grand Mo-Gull, aside from being yet another pun, is described as being "The king of all the land and sea birds," a role that's generally given to the eagles. It's possible that what is meant is kingship over birds who traverse land and sea. The narrative features a discrepancy, as noted by J.L. Bell in the BCF Pumperdink forum: "The Ozurians have heard about Mombi's fall from power from the blue gulls [29]. They even have books with pictures of Trot [26, 35] and the Scarecrow [203]. But those same gulls haven't carried any complaints about Quiberon to Ozma or Tattypoo. And Philador, whom the birds regard as a friend worthy of help [31, 40], never thinks to ask them to." One explanation may be that the friendship with Philador and the gulls is recent. The birds also don't note their friendship with anyone else from the Ozure Isles, and if there is a history of hunting them, this may explain it.

High Boy: The titular giant purple horse with telescoping legs and umbrella tail appears again in the Oziana 1992 story, "A Christmas Tree for Dorothy." High Boy has another high horse similar to him in the Gillikin Country on Tip Top Mountain, in The Merry Mountaineer of Oz.

Magically Constructed: King Cheeriobed makes an odd statement that "We who are magically constructed can be destroyed without pain, but a mortal can be hurt." "Magically constructed" is another way of saying supernaturally created. Ozians don't die, but in every way, they act and behave as typical human beings. Cheeriobed's statement, however, indicates that those at his council (since the Ozurians are described as the "race of Munchkins") are supernatural beings. Yet, they're not fairies, and don't correspond to any of the magical types that Baum discussed, nor even any group in fairy lore. This idea is repeated again by Thompson in Pirates in Oz, where she states regarding the Menankypoos that "it is impossible to hurt or destroy beings as magically constructed," and is reiterated by Ato on page 50 of Captain Salt in Oz, who says "We mayn't be killed, being of magical birth, but we can jolly well be singed, fried, boiled, and melted. And after that who'd care to be alive?" While this doesn't appear to harmonize with Baum's indication that Oz's inhabitants are deathless, but not indestructible (as he often used destruction as the single way someone in Oz can die), there is a race of magically constructed/born human-like beings in Oz: the hybrid race that descends from earlier matings with fairies. This is explained in "The Adventures of Munch Kenny and Gil Cain" in Lost Histories from the Royal Librarian of Oz. Incidentally, in The Lavender Bear of Oz, it's indicated that there are magically constructed babies in Merryland brought by storks to parts outside that realm (the Scarecrow believes it's the Outside World, but it very well may be Oz and other fairylands).

Munchkin King: The mystery surrounding Cheeriobed's missing father King Obediah II remains unsolved. The Wizard's assumption that because he couldn't find him in the Magic Picture means that Mombi destroyed him doesn't hold much water when one considers that several times enchanted characters have failed to show up in the Magic Picture, not least of which was Ozma's own father. There is another darker possibility that Prince Cheeriobed allowed or conspired with Mombi to do away with his tyrannical father so that he'd become King of the Ozure Isles in exchange for marrying Mombi, which may better explain Mombi's revenge upon Orin. This story will be told in the forthcoming Mombi of Oz. Cheeriobed's father's name Obediah was first mentioned by March Laumer, but was brought into continuity in Lurline and the Talking Animals of Oz. His father and relations were first explored in A Brief History of Oz in the 12th and 13th Centuries, in Lost Histories from the Royal Librarian of Oz.

Orpah: The merman Orpah is clearly of a different race than the Sea Fairies, a fact that is brought out in The Royal Explorers of Oz trilogy, which notes that Orpah (and his descendents Arko and Orpa) are Pisceans from the line of the Sea Serpent Inko.

Ozurians: These number 1,007 and are described as a "tall, fair-haired race of Munchkins."

Politics: This book ties up the political power of both the Munchkin and Gillikin countries, though there has been a lot of criticism of Ozma handing over the Gillikin country to a couple she hadn't even met in person at that point, particularly when Orin's father King Gil of Gilkenny seems the more likely candidate. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell comments that: "the names Gil and Gilkenny seem to be connected to authority over the larger region. Perhaps Gilkenny at one point dominated the whole north. Perhaps Gil's family was simply making a claim for that authority. In any event, the Gilkenny dynasty seems like a better place to look for a ruler of the Gillikins. But perhaps these problems are actually related. If the Gilkenny dynasty has come down to Orin (and indeed she had governed the North as Tattypoo), that means there's a very real possibility of Philador having a claim to rule both Munchkinland and the Gillikins. That would be a power base to rival Ozma's. She might have moved quickly while she had Cheeriobed's gratitude, establishing another family as rulers of the North—a family whose isolation would make them little more than ceremonial monarchs. In sum, Ozma's unfathomable appointments may have been a savvy way of consolidating her power."

Gil of Gilkenny is still alive, as J.L. Bell points out that the disenchanted Agnes: "immediately set off for my father's castle, to tell him the good news." Orin and Agnes seem confident that King Gil is probably still alive and ruling. That means they received no news to the contrary while the Good Witch of the North was overseeing the north. But we never hear more about Agnes or Gilkenny in this book. King Gil decided not to serve as High King of the Gillikin Country. As revealed in The Enchanted Gnome of Oz, King Gil's son, the former King Gil Iken had left his kingdom around 1842 or 1843 to go in search of his love Belinda (Glinda's sister), but was tricked by the Blue Witches and transformed into a small dragon who forgot his past. He was freed by Ruggedo in 1984, but did not regain his true shape and form until Belinda kissed him in the Emerald City, at which point he had been out of commission for 141 or so years. Thus, the position was open at the time of this story for Ozma to choose Jo King as ruler.

Quiberon: Typical for Thompson stories, the dragon/sea-serpent is demonized, despite not being necessarily evil. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell explains: "Though Quiberon is rough, demanding, and violent, his function is clearly to isolate the Ozurians, not to harm them. He lives on the fifth Ozure island by himself. He doesn't destroy all he could. "Not caring for land food Quiberon had never molested the keepers of his cavern" [25]. He doesn't eat Orpah when he seems to have been able to [167]. He doesn't sink the boat Orin arrives in [235-6], but rather seeks to abduct her to keep as his groomer and storyteller for a few years.

"All Quiberon wants is a mortal maid to care for him, "sweep out the cave and tell me stories" [85]. In other words, he wants a mother. At first he communicates through smoke writing, like the McGraws' Bill Bored [24]... Though he won't promise to keep Trot alive or not to get angry, his demands are actually mild compared to the Shades and Roundabouties. Thompson doesn't put us inside Quiberon's head the way she makes us privy to Akbad's despair, but she reports he feels "anger and pain" when Benny knocks his teeth out [90]. In the end, it's clear he's just a beast whose natural instincts have been harnessed by Mombi, not an ambitious, scheming villain. Nevertheless, the Wizard finds him worthy of being turned into a big metal statue." Cheeriobed later comes to the big celebration in the Emerald City with a dragon (in The Wishing Horse of Oz), and Who's Who in Oz notes that the Wizard disenchanted and tamed him. The forthcoming Oziana 2020 novella The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz features Quiberon, disenchanted and peaceable.

Roundabout Way and Roundabout: There are some striking resemblances between the Round-abouties from this book and the Roundheads of Roundabout in Merry Go Round in Oz, and it seems likely that they are one in the same. Roundabout Way may represent a kind of recreation center or vacation spot for the otherwise hardworking Roundheads (who might also be called Round-abouties), who blow off steam by dancing around in circles. Nathan DeHoff notes on the BCF Pumperdink forum that Roundabout is " similar to the community of the Round-Abouties that Trot, Benny, and the Scarecrow visit in GIANT HORSE. Despite its idiosyncracies, however, Roundabout is a relatively realistic city with a fairly successful economy, while the Round-Abouties apparently don't do anything but dance around in circles (i.e., the McGraws' take on the "round" theme is more developed and realistic than Thompson's). I actually asked Eloise about the similarity at a Munchkin Convention, and she said she hadn't read GIANT HORSE before writing MERRY GO ROUND."

Witch's Window: This magical device, lost over the mountain pass near Uptown, never appears in a story again, surprising if in fact it can see into the past and foretell the future. There is also a question as to why Mombi didn't use it to see what was coming. One can probably conclude that the window isn't terribly reliable, or may reveal things that are so vague as to be useless. Nathan Mulac DeHoff, on the BCF Pumperdink forum notes that: "I would guess that the Witch's Window either shows very general information without specifics, or else visions out of context. Either way, it probably would not have supplied enough details to tell Mombi (or Tattypoo) exactly what was going to happen in the future."

Synopsis: The Awful Ogre of Ogodown: In the southern Munchkin Country, atop Mount Mudge, is a village of Mountaineers. The Mudgekin Jandy tends goats, but longs to get away and explore. But when his merchant father Jandar doesn't return, the chief Mudgkin Mooja determines that everyone should stay at home, and Jandy is sent to live with his cranky, taciturn uncle.

One day, while rescuing his reckless goat Butter-Boy, Jandy finds a bottle that reads Quok's Famous Flying Flask. He knows of the Quadling wizard Quok from his father's stories. When he uncorks the bottle, he finds himself hurtling through the sky at a terrifying pace. Realizing he needs to put the stopper back on, he descends in the Gillikin Country. He loses the bottle, but as proceeds into a beautiful forest, he accidentally steps on the tail of a skinny tabby named Fraidy Cat, who has run away from her cruel master who demanded that she catch and eat mice. Being frightened of them, she was looked down upon by him and the other farm animals. Jandy says she can accompany him to the Emerald City, where he's going to ask to be sent back home. There, she can meet the Cowardly Lion, whose famous timidity should surely encourage her. Fraidy loves the idea and they go along until they depart the forest and enter a valley with a giant castle, where a sign reads: "Ogodown". They plummet down the edge of the precipice into the valley where a cow tells them that it's called Ogodown for Ogwog who runs the village. Before they can depart a giant ogre with one red and one green eye snatches them up, throws them in his sack, and brings them to his castle.

The next morning, he informs Jandy that he is to assist the cook, while the cat can scratch his back. Jandy meets Koko the Cook, who tells him that Ogwog the Ogre has a magic Wish Word that he once got from a witch (a friendly witch, p 144) he saved from a Gunderzatch, which he uses to transform anyone who opposes him into bric-a-brac (the word also enchanted the edge of the valley so that it collapses when people go near it). The valley had been a happy place before the ogre arrived and stole the castle of Old Soochafoo the sorcerer, who went on to live in Zamagoochie in the north.

After Ogwog is fed his lunch, he demands something new for dessert, else he'll turn Koko into a cookie jar. The chef despairs because he's run out of recipes, but when Jandy goes to his room in the tower he discovers behind an old tapestry Soochafoo's old magic workshop. Though most of the books are in Sorcerish, he finds Soochafoo's Secret Recipe for Very Special Shortening Bread. Jandy and Koko spend the afternoon preparing it, but when the ogre eats it, he shrinks down to the size of a child, and they realize what was meant by shortening bread. Koko determines to leave before he returns to his normal size in seventy-seven minutes. He grabs a knap sack, while Jandy goes upstairs to pack and grab some items of Soochafoo's, including a picnic basket, looking-glass, small iron box, dinner bell, sack and envelope. Together with Fraidy Cat, they depart.

Stopping at the edge of valley, uncertain how they'll climb the cliffs, Koko inquires about the letter Jandy packed, and they discover it contains an all-purpose password, QWXTYZGL, which must be pronounced correctly. Koko does so, and they disappear.

Dorothy, meanwhile, is bored in the morning summer heat. With Ozma helping out the Munchkin King, Dorothy determines to go to Glinda's, who she hasn't visited in awhile, so the Cowardly Lion volunteers to take her. Several hours later, they stop to grab food from a Box Lunch Tree. Glinda, meanwhile, checks her Great Book of Records (as she does in the morning, at midday and at night) and notes only that a young giant girl from Big Top Mountain lost her wooden soldier that her father had made her when a boy giant flung it over the side. Dorothy and the Lion, meanwhile, discuss how despite his cowardice, the Lion's been in many dangerous adventures. He explains that when there's danger, there's no time to be afraid until the danger's past. Off the road, Dorothy spots a sign that warns to "Watch Out For the Wild Flowers!" Assuming it means to avoid stepping on them, she and the Lion enter the gate, where giant flowers grow in abundance. Suddenly, the wildflowers wake up and begin growling and baring their teeth/thorns at them; the Dandy Lions, Tiger Lilies and Snap Dragons all snap and snarl viciously. Departing quickly, the rush off to Glinda's.

High Times On Tip Top Mountain: Having successfully pronounced Soochoofoo's password, they end up out of the valley and in a forest looking for food when Koko notices that the picnic basket magically provides food. After a hearty meal, they wonder if the other items are magical, and as Jandy picks up the dinner bell, Ogwog catches up to them. After threatening to transform Koko and harm Fraidy, Jandy swings the Dumb Bell on his head, rendering the ogre speechless for seven months, seven days and seven hours. Unable to utter his Wish Word, the ogre departs.

Determining to use the sun to get to the Emerald City, the come to a sign outside the forest which offers travelers to take the High Way. They do, and the road races off with them on it until it reaches a mountain, at which point it starts to ascend to its top. They find themselves at Tip Top Mountain, where they're greeted by the Uppity Bob-Up, servant of her High and Mightiness, the Queen Upsy Daisy. He leaves them in the hands of the court jester Hi-Jinks, who leads them into the castle to meet the Grand Tip-Topper (whose in charge when the Queen's away). The majordomo proves to be pompous, but the Queen who suddenly arrives on her high horse (whose legs are three times longer than the average horse), proves far worse. After looking them over, the Queen of the Uppities summons her only daughter, Princess Tip Topsy, who upon seeing Koko declares him her dream man! Despite his desire to remain single, the wedding is set for the coming Tuesday.

Trying to figure out how they'll escape the castle before he's forced to marry the Princess, Fraidy Cat tells them to see if they have any magic that will help. Jandy pulls out a silver looking glass, which has an inscription promising to show the user exactly what he's looking for. Koko tries it and shows him dumping everything out of his knap sack and departing. He does as instructed and watches as the knap sack goes over the head of a guard, putting him to sleep. The Nap Sack was also Soochafoo's and has the power to put people and beasts to sleep for two hours. The mirror then shows them the way out, a door behind the queen's throne room. Jandy leads them there, where it goes out unto a ledge, below which is a steep mountain. Jandy spots a red umbrella, suspecting it may be their means off the mountain. Koko opens it, realizing then that it's Quok's Para Shoot, as it rockets them across the sky.

The Wooden Soldier of Oz: When Dorothy awakens for breakfast, Glinda is packing to prevent yet another conflict between the Hoppers and Horners. Telling her and the Lion to make themselves at home, she flies off on her forty-swan chariot, and the Lion suggests they read the Great Book of Records. Dorothy then reads briefly of the escape of Koko, Jandy and Fraidy Cat from Tip Top Mountain in the Gillikin Country to land at the foot of Big Top Mountain in the Quadling Country. Dorothy and the Lion had read the night before how the people of Ogowan were looking for Koko to make him their king now that the ogre was gone. Since it's not too far, the Lion suggests they go there and invite them to Glinda's.

After riding for some time, the Lion grows tired and Dorothy suggests they slow down. They avoid most of the villages and towns, but come to one called Cross Town. They soon discover that the short-tempered people, all of whom are short, dress oddly because they're sent from all over Oz due to their crossness. Dorothy likes the idea that all the grouchy, grumpy people are sent there so as to not disturb anyone else but others like them. Mr. Grumbler, the guardian of the gate, explains that because they can't agree, each person takes a turn ruling, and their current is Uncle Grouch who lives in the big house with his cat Sour Puss, housekeeper Miss Crotchety and Lord High Complainer, Mr. Grump. As they pass through the town to get out the other side, they're beset by the angry sounds of arguing and bitterly complaining. Once out, they take a shortcut through a cornfield to get to Big Top Mountain, but grow concerned by what sounds like fireworks.

As Jandy, Koko and Fraidy begin to scout out a place to sleep for the night, they come across a friendly wooden soldier caught in the brambles. He explains he lived with the eight-year old giant girl Blombolina on Big Top Mountain (where most of the giants in Oz live). Her father, the giant wizard Toddywoz, had carved and painted him and brought him to life with the Powder of Life, which he'd obtained many years ago by trading with the arguing brothers Nikidik and Pipt. Concerned about getting him out, they search Soochafoo's treasures, pulling out the Strong Box, which gives the person who sniffs its contents the strength of a giant for ten minutes. It works, and Jandy rescues Woody the wooden soldier, who leads his rescuers to a hammock tree for the night.

The next morning, they come across a small town in the midst of a cornfield, but are alarmed by the sound of small explosives, but they discover that the corn is popping into buttered popcorn. Yet what starts out amusing for Jandy becomes dangerous as the popcorn starts to cover them and Fraidy, and they rush to escape. Fraidy shrieks when he sees others in the field with them, but Jandy realizes that it's Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion. As she explains they'd read about them in Glinda's Book and came to meet them, popcorn begins to bury them, so Jandy takes a bag he finds in the basked and throws it into the air where it begins sucking up all of the popcorn, allowing them to escape the Pop Corn Field. The sack soon returns to Jandy, and he tells them it's Soochafoo's Guaranteed Bottomless Grab Bag.

They walk to a nearby cottage nestled under a shoe tree with a sign that says Handy Man, hoping they can wash up there. But when they enter, they're surprised to discover that Andy the Handy Man has eight arms! Andy provides them with food and bathrooms, while he washes and dries their clothes, grooms the two cats and repaints Woody. When he's finished he invites them to tell him of their adventures, which they do, while the Cowardly Lion encourages Fraidy. Andy then directs them in the direction of Glinda's, and advises them to take the Footbridge.

No Joy in Mudville: On the road, the party of six get to know each other, and Koko hopes that Jandy will come to live with him in Ogodown as a prince. The boy admits it would be hard to go back to Mudge after all the adventures he's had. They come to the village of Mudville. A Mud Guard escorts them through the town of mud-brick huts, to the Lord High Muckety-Muck, Muddle, who takes them to see her Mudgesty Queen Muddalinda. But first the Big Dipper must turn them into Mudmen by dunking them in the Mud Pits. The Lion objects, and the Queen overhears, explaining that it's healty and good for their complexion. Dorothy politely declines, and as they edge their way out of the town, Muddle summons more guards, so the party runs for it. Even Fraidy puts on a brave face, much to the Lion's delight. Once they escape, Koko and the Lion decide they're not entering any more strange towns.

The next morning, they come to a dark river, which Woody volunteers to test to see how deep it is. But when he tries, he bounces into the air, and they discover it's a Rubber River. Wondering how to cross a river made of liquid rubber, Koko suggests the para shoot, but Fraidy hisses and growls and protests so vehemently, he gives up the plan. Walking further along the river, they come to the Footbridge that Andy had suggested they use. A sign tells them it travelers north. They discover when they mount it, that it literally travels north—on six feet (which serve as its posts)—to the Emerald City, a gift to the Quadlings from the Wizard. They arrive just in time for an outdoor luncheon set by Ozma, with everyone eager to hear of their many adventures. Ozma disenchants all those that Ogwog had enchanted and removes the spell from the edge of the valley. Glinda, meanwhile, having made peace again between the Hoppers and Horners, joins her friends in the Emerald City. That night, Woody stays up with the other magical creatures who don't sleep. The next morning after breakfast, Ozma sends Jandy, Fraidy and Koko, the King-in-Waiting to Ogodown, which Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion look forward to visiting at some time.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Story takes place over the course of five days, Thursday to Monday, in July or August, though no explicit year is provided. The reaction of the Cowardly Lion, and later the rest of the court, to Andy the Handy Man suggests they've not yet met Handy Mandy, which would place it before Handy Mandy in Oz. Yet, as Grampa is mentioned, it's clearly after Grampa in Oz, which gives us a date-range. The Royal Timeline of Oz currently places it in 1913.

High Horse: The high horse of Queen Upsy Daisy of Tip Top Mountain, in the Gillikin Country, is a homage to High Boy, the purple horse who can telescope his legs high or low, and whose tail is an umbrella, from The Giant Horse of Oz.

Nikidik and Dr. Pipt: This story has the two rivals as twin brothers, who after arguing who really made the Powder of Life, split up and went their separate ways. This is, of course, the story Woody tells him, and should be considered highly suspect as he wasn't created when the event happened. For more information on these characters, see the Appendices.

Ogwog and Ogodown: Ogwog the Ogre of Ogodown is a play on Og the Ogre of Oh-Go-Wan (Ogowan), who was found in Mount Up a mountain-island in the Nonestic in Pirates in Oz and in King Kojo.

The Sorcerer Soochafoo and Zamagoochie: Although not much is known of this Wizard, he was apparently good-natured and prolific in his Gillikin castle in Ogodown before the ogre came and drove him to Zamagoochie, where other sorcerers and magicians fled after Ozma came to power. Zamagoochie was first mentioned in The Gnome King of Oz.

Quok: Even less is known of this Quadling wizard, who Jandy's father Jander had met in his journeys. It is also unknown if there's any connection between the wizard and the country Quok.

QWXTYZGL: The sorcerer Soochafoo apparently created another hard-to-pronounce word, and likely based it on PYRZXGL (from The Magic of Oz), for his magical transportation spell.

21st Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: In the Winkie Country of Patch, which produces different colored cotton to make patchwork quilts, Queen Cross Patch the Sixth literally goes to pieces, something that commonly happens to the Quilties of Patch. Since she will need to be kept in a scrap-bag for 10 or so years until she returns to life, the Prime Piecer and Chief Scrapper have to find a new ruler. As the queens work six times as hard as everyone else, the Quilties all go into hiding. Piecer and Scrapper take out the Royal Spool of Succession, which unwinds to the person next to take the throne. This time, however, the golden spool winds right out of Patch, where the pair have never gone.

They follow it far, ending up on the Wizard's hundred-footed footpath, which runs them directly to the Emerald City. There, the spool again unwinds and stops at the feet of Scraps, the Patchwork Girl. Piecer and Scrapper bag her, and take her back on the footpath, directing it back to Patch. As Ozma and Dorothy are discussing curtains for the palace, they don't notice anything amiss.

In Patch, Scraps is furious, but she's then told she's a queen and settles into her role. She soon discovers, however, that the queen does most of the work in the kingdom, and steadfastly refuses to work until Piecer and Scrapper tell her that the Scissor Bird will cut off her head if she refuses. Scraps complies until they leave. She then opens a chest to discover Grumpy a small brown bear, who was a companion of the last queen. As the two discuss plans to escape, someone approaches their door.

In Philadelphia, Peter's grandfather tells him to buy a balloon, but the balloonist sells Peter a magical balloon in the shape of the bird, which flies Peter away from Philadelphia to become a present to Queen Luna of Balloon Island. The bird explains that the balloon man is really Sandaroo, the Lord High Bouncer of Balloona, who chose Peter to be an airrend boy. When the bird explains that the queen intends to put a hole in Peter's back to blow him up, so that he too can float, Peter chooses to let go of the balloon-bird. He lands in the Nonestic Ocean, and swims to a nearby island.

Peter ends up on Ruggedo Island where he's confronted by the former Nome King, who has been exiled there for five years, and is in a bad mood. An unusual phenomenon at sea causes it to bottom-up, revealing a pirate ship, which Peter and Ruggedo board. After another "sea quake," the sea rights itself. Exhausted, Peter eats and sleeps. He and Ruggedo then go exploring and turn up a treasure chest, allowing Peter to have the gold coins. Peter finds the diary of Polacky the Plunderer whose ship (the Blunderoo) they're on. In it, Polacky discusses his capture of treasure from the islanders of Ashangabad, and the magical casket of Soob the Sorcerer that he stole. Searching the ship, Ruggedo finds Soob's magic box, and uncovers three items in it: the Flying Cloak of Invisibility, the Silence Stone, and the elevator plant bulbs, which Peter thinks are onions. Ruggedo takes the cloak from him, but fails to get it to work because it's torn.

They soon reach Ev, where Peter helps Ruggedo swim to shore. Once again in the Nome King's dominions, Ruggedo boasts of having powerful magic and forces Kaliko off the throne, appointing him to his old position of Royal Chamberlain. He makes Peter general. Summoning Potaroo, the Royal Wizard, Ruggedo orders him to mend the Flying Cloak. Potaroo tells him that Nome magic will not mend the cloak, and that only in Patch, in the Winkie country of Oz, can it be repaired. Determined to conquer Oz, they head to the Deadly Desert, where Ruggedo examines the other two magical items. After planting the magic bulbs, they sprout up giant stems, with leaves that fit Peter and Ruggedo. The plant grows, carrying the pair across the desert and into the Winkie country.

The pair head to a house where they're greeted by a hand and foot. The foot kicks Ruggedo away, while the hand brings Peter into the house to meet its owner Kuma Party, who warns him of the wicked nome. After allowing Ruggedo in, Kuma explains that he is the son of the wizard Wumbo who practiced magic in Zamagoochie in the Gillikin country, and has always had the ability to detach his body parts and send them to do his will since early childhood (a trait he credits to his father). Ruggedo asks for directions to Patch, and Kuma sends his hand to guide them.

Reaching Patch, the hand flies off (leaving a note in Peter's pocket), and they meet Piecer and Scrapper who escort them into Scraps' room. In exchange for mending the cloak, Ruggedo offers his "slave" Peter, and prepares to fly off to the Emerald City. Peter, however, tells the cloak to take him to Zamagoochie instead. After the nome is sent off, Peter tells his story to Scraps and Grumpy, and together they devise a plan for escape. Peter retrieves the note from Kuma, which tells him if he needs help to write the directions on paper and throw it into the air.

After preparing breakfast the next morning and sorting through old clothes, they come across the Sandman's Nap Sack, which they use to put the Scissor Bird to sleep. Using Kuma's note, they summon his hand, which armed with a club, leads Scraps, Peter and Grumpy out of Patch, before departing again. Peter asks Grumpy to come back with him to Philadelphia to be a mascot for his baseball team, but Grumpy declines his offer, claiming to be Scraps' bear, and noting that he couldn't be a person outside of Oz, just a bear.

Accidentally departing from the path, they descend down a slippery hillside made of soap and into a community of soap-people called Suds. They take the travelers to meet with the Sultan of Suds, who has them taken to the Sultan Shampoozle. He tries to figure out what kind of soap they are, but when they explain they're not, he insists on turning them into soap. They jump out a window and run past a sudsy lake, where they take a giant bar of soap, and use it as a boat to depart Suds.

They enter a wilderness called Bewilderness where the trees, rocks and bushes dance around them, tripping them up. They make their way to an Oztrich named Ozwold who says he'll take them to the Emerald City so long as they care of his egg. They come to a tall yellow wall, with a piano as a gate. Scraps plays it, allowing them entrance into Tune Town, where it's against the law to be out of tune. Residents cannot walk and talk, but must only sing and dance. Scraps sings a conversation to Queen Jazzma, who allows them to eat at their Viol Inn. There's nothing edible there, but a Tunester tells them to get out of Tune, they must get out of tune. So, they begin screaming discordantly, and find themselves magically out of Tune.

Finding a tree with cantaloupes (and umbrella attachments), they eat and tell Ozwold their story. Seeing their urgency, he races off in such a brisk pace that he runs over the Bookman, a man with the body of a book that contains all kinds of stories that he enjoys sharing with people. Peter, Grumpy and Scraps ask for various stories, but Ozwold, incensed that they would waste their time with Ozma in danger, carries them off, with Scraps inviting the Bookman to come to the Emerald City. Soon enough they find the road of yellow brick.

Meanwhile, in the luxurious Crystal Cave in Zamagoochie (in the Gillikin country), Wumbo the Wonder Worker casts an enchantment to speak to his footstool, clock and armchair, but the latter tells him that someone is sitting in him, at which Wumbo commands him to trap the intruder. Casting another spell, he makes visible Ruggedo. Ruggedo demands to be let go, but determining that he's a liar, Wumbo decides to hold him prisoner until he can find the spell to make him tell the truth. But Ruggedo knows his spell over him will only last four hours, and Wumbo falls asleep as that time passes, allowing Ruggedo to escape. When he awakens, his son Kuma's hand is at the door with a note explaining what had transpired. Wumbo writes back, telling Kuma to send his hand to the Emerald City with a note warning Ozma of Ruggedo's plot.

At the Emerald City, Dorothy and the Scarecrow plan a party for Ozma on her return from Glinda's, but the invisible Ruggedo plays tricks on them, as well as on the Cowardly Lion and Sir Hokus. As Ozma arrives, so does Kuma Party's hand, along with Ozwold, Scraps, Grumpy and Peter. Seeing the Oztrich's egg, Ruggedo leaves to hide in the Hungry Tiger's stall. Meanwhile Scraps tells her story and Ozma places the Magic Belt and other magical items underneath the egg. But after the egg hatches, Ruggedo grabs the belt! Peter uses his baseball skills to throw various things at Ruggedo, preventing him from commanding the Belt. Finally, he throws the Silence Stone, which renders the Nome unable to speak. Kuma's hand grabs him, while the Wizard casts a spell to make him visible.

After the party, Ozma offers to make Peter a prince, but he requests to go back to Philadelphia so that he can practice for the coming game. Ozma sends him back with bags of gold from Polacky's treasure chest. The Wizard, meanwhile, discovers a golden thread which leads to the seamstress Susan Smiggs, the real ruler of Patch, who is sent to become their queen, though Ozma promises to revise their laws so that she's not their slave. Kaliko is restored as Nome King, and Ruggedo who can't speak for seven years, is dipped in the Fountain of Oblivion (again.)

Continuity Notes

Ashangabad and the Treasure: Little is known of this country in the Nonestic other than that the pirate Polacky plundered its treasure, and that Soob the Sorcerer is from there. It is placed west of Boboland on the Haff/Martin map. It is also not known why Ozma doesn't return to them the treasure Polacky had stolen years ago. Oddly, she gives their gold to Peter implying it's real gold from the real world (as opposed to Oz gold, which Thompson implies is unreal). In Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, however, it's discovered that some of the gold is actually magical, which contradicts the whole point. As J.L. Bell notes, perhaps Ozma merely means that they wouldn't make the journey (much as the Silver Shoes and Magic Belt wouldn't). Ashangabad is noted as having a monarch, and he appears at King Evardo's birthday, in The Tired Tailor of Oz.

Blunderoo: How Polacky the Plunderer's ship came to be shipwrecked is unknown. So too why the captain left his magical devices and treasures behind. There are no skeletons on the ship. It is also a puzzle how it can be seaworthy after rotting for years at the bottom of the sea. It is not filled with water, nor, apparently sports a leak, which despite the assertion that he was a "real" pirate, indicates some kind of magic at work.

Bookman: The Bookman may be from Bookville (The Hidden Valley of Oz), yet is much nicer than the residents who live there, which may explain why he is wandering about. He does not appear in another story.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of four days, likely in the summer since it is baseball season, after Peter has finished the fourth grade (5-B represents the first semester of the fifth grade, which he'd be going into and would, as children do, identify himself as in). See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more info. Ruggedo states that it's been five years since he was stranded and exiled at the end of Kabumpo in Oz, which The Royal Timeline of Oz has listed in 1910. Thompson's author's note would seem to make this event take place in 1926, but it's felt that much of Thompson's notes are best looked upon as exaggeration and poetic license. It may well be that Dorothy gave her the information via telegram after filling in the blanks with Glinda's Book of Records on events none of them would have known about (e.g., Wumbo).

Footpath: If the Wizard's magical foot-path travels 35 miles in under a minute, that means it's moving at 2100 miles-per-hour, which seems unlikely (given that anyone traversing at such a speed wouldn't last very long) and should be chalked up to hyperbole. The footpath appears again in The Magic Bowls of Oz.

Grumpy: The little bear Grumpy, although attaching himself to Scraps, does not appear in any other story. He makes a cameo in "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz," where he's shown to have befriended another bear that also doesn't appear in any later Oz story, Snufferbux (from Ojo in Oz).

Location: Thompson again confuses the Oz map, placing the Winkie country in both the east and west (in chapter 10).

Nap Sack: This magical accoutrement of the Sandman's is either returned to him at some point, or kept with Ozma's magical items in the Emerald City.

Oz: Oz is here described as being oblong (like the maps), and is said to have 705 countries. The Emerald City is again said to have a population of 57,318, as in The Emerald City of Oz. To this Thompson adds "nearly a hundred celebrities," bringing this to a total of 57,417. The lack of population growth, even if attributed to people moving out (or joining the ranks of celebrities), underscores the fact that her stories must take place much closer to the time of Baum's than originally believed.

Oz Book: Peter notes having read an Oz book, though it's identity is not noted. Ruggedo wasn't in it (Peter identifies Nomes as "underground elves"), and he knows of Dorothy (whose living in Oz) and Ozma, but not Scraps.

Ozwold: The Oztrich Ozwold, his wife and newly-hatched child do not appear in any other story.

Patch: The kingdom of Patch first appeared in The Philadelphia Public Ledger, in January 1921, in the story "Land O'Patch," and deals with the exploits of King Cross Patch, who is the offspring of a fairy and a Witch.

Peter Brown: Oz's first main protagonist who is a boy from the outside world (as opposed to Zeb and Bob-up who were companions of other main protagonists) makes his first appearance here, and is nine years old, and a fan of baseball. He won't return to Oz for another five years until Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. His final appearance will be in Pirates in Oz, which will give him the surname Brown, and which takes place either five years after this story, or two, depending on whether you go with the narrator's description of Ruggedo's five years of wandering, or Peter's own statement that he's 11 years old in that story (note: The Royal Timeline goes with the latter). David Godwin, on the BCF Pumperdink forum, notes that the newspaper in Philadelphia which Peter sees his grandfather reading, and which states "Philadelphia Boy Finds Treasure and Saves Oz," must have been a custom one he had made for Peter.

Ruggedo: Ruggedo cannot swim, and it's said that Nomes dislike water as much as cats.

Silence Stone: This sexist and abusive magical item was thrown by "the ancient Emperors of Oz to keep their wives quiet in times of war." The effect lasts seven years. As revealed in "The Search for Soob," it was the first magical creation of Soob the Sorcerer, who made it for an ancient emperor to silence his wife who had better ideas than he did. After his successor abused the stone to silence all opposing voices, Soob confiscated it and brought it to his home in Ashangabad, where it was later stolen by Polacky the Pirate.

Suds: Not much is known of this racist community of soap people and soap dwellings, other than that they're a kind of Arabic-styled country obsessed with cleanliness, and who own (black) tar-soap slaves.

Tune Town: The Royal Timeline of Oz postulates that Winkie community of Tune Town was initially established by the royals of the Scale Domain (such as the Clef Kingdom, which lies adjacent to it), both of which are from Ruth Plumly Thompson's short story "The Singing Monarch." Queen Jazzma is likely a relation to the King and Princess of that story, though whether a daughter, younger sister, or cousin of the king is not known. It is also postulated that Musicton (from The Invisible Inzi of Oz), located in the Munchkin Country, was similarly established by a prince, princess or noble from the Cleft Kingdom/Scale Domain.

Zazagooch: Noted as the loudest snoring animal in Oz; it may be related to a Gooch, which is an expression Kabumpo often uses, and is uttered by the King in "The Little Gingerbread Man" as being a kind of bird. Possibly, it has its origins in the Zamagoochie country.

History: Written by L. Frank Baum's son, Frank Joslyn Baum, the infamous The Laughing Dragon of Oz was originally submitted to Reilly & Lee as Rosine in Oz. When they rejected it, he submitted it to Whitman as Rosine and the Laughing Dragon, although as that story was too long, it was cut in half by Whitman to fit into its ‘Big Little’ format, and retitled The Laughing Dragon of Oz. Following its publication in 1934, Reilly & Lee sued Whitman for copyright infringement. Whitman settled out of court, agreeing to print no further copies after the original pressing had sold out. This also quashed the intended publication of the second half of the story, which would have been released as a sequel entitled, The Enchanted Princess of Oz. In recent years, however, a few pieces of art (by the original artist Milt Youngren) were recovered. Then in 2006, after seventy-two years out-of-print, the complete manuscript of Rosine and the Laughing Dragon of Oz was prepared for publication by Books of Wonder, with a new cover by Denis McFarling, but at the last minute, it was cancelled. It is believed that the copyright holders Roger S. Baum and his sister blocked its publication, though why they would do so is not known. Some years later, a privately printed and distributed hardcover appeared, which included the original uncut version of the story, with a few modern editorial emendations, plus Frank's short story "Jimmy Bulber in Oz" (originally published in Oziana 1974). As of this time, no plans are known to be forthcoming for an official release. This summary is based on the full-length Rosine and the Laughing Dragon of Oz.

Synopsis: On her way back to the U.S. to stay with her aunt in California while her father constructs a railroad in a foreign land, young Rosine and her pet monkey Jim comfort each other while flying on a small passenger plane. When a dangerous storm erupts, the plane's side door rips open, and the winds tear Rosine and Jim out of the plane. After falling for a time, their descent slows and they land gently upon a pleasant looking landscape. There Rosine hears a deep voice laughing and threatening her from behind a grove, but when she sees the speaker she laughs, for it is a large-headed dragon with peppermint teeth, a long neck and the body the size of a cat. He explains to her that he only scared her because he believes that's how dragons are supposed to behave. He comes from the Dark Forest of Oz and was sent on an errand by Princess Cozytoes, who was abducted and enchanted by old Zoru the Wicked Witch of the Dark Forest. The only problem is he's forgotten what the errand was. He'd like to find her so she can be disenchanted, but doesn't know where she is. Rosine says she's lost too and needs to find her way to California. The dragon suggests asking someone in town.

Just then, an old man comes over and introduces himself as Cap'n Bob. He was the keeper of a lighthouse in Rocky Point when a storm overtook him and the lighthouse, depositing him on the shores of this town. He notices that the dragon is made up of painted cardboard. As they head towards town, the town disappears, and the dragon spreads his small wings and takes off, warning them of the Posties. Cap'n Bob then bumps into an invisible being, which laughs and says a magic word making them visible. They are the Posties and are essentially mailboxes with faces with posts for bodies. They accuse them of trying to invade Oz and arrest them. The Posties explain that ever since the enchantment of Princess Cozytoes, they bring prisoners to old Zoru to try to appease her in the hopes she'll release the Princess. Marching them across the Quadling Country, they come to a sign marking the way to Twinlet Town and the Dark Forest, but just then Rosine notices that Jim is gone and begins to worry. The Posties dwindle down to two, no longer in fear of losing their prisoners as the road they'd traveled on was a literal one-way road which disappears after they traverse it.

Taking the route through Twinlet Town (which also goes to the Dark Forest), Rosine and Cap'n Bob find Jim again, and he startles them by speaking, explaining that in Oz all animals can talk. He'd found the Laughing Dragon and procured from behind his fish-scale a bag with two magic pills. The pills turn into letters, which Rosine is instructed to place in the mailbox mouths of the Posties, forcing them to deliver them. One letter is addressed to the Wind-Satchel Man in the Valley Mountain of the Munchkin Country. The other is to the Glow-Man on Coneland Island in the Winkie Country. Moving along, Cap'n Bob nearly trips on a Golden Owl, who tells him his wings and feet have been glued together ever since he fell of a mantle in the castle in Toofie-Town. Princess Cozytoes repaired him, but the glue dries in the shade and is only pliable in the sun.

At the gate of Twinlet-Town, a sign reads "Ring for the Bo-Kay." Not certain what this is, they ring. Jim, meanwhile, slips away into an opening in the gate. A bouquet of flowers with two faces answers and reluctantly lets them in, but he's concerned they're not complete, as everyone in Twinlet-Town is a twin. They're escorted to a large double-castle, passing by doubles of every beautiful plant and flower. The flower-people in the double-throne room are wilted out of sadness for having lost Princess Cozytoes. She rules this region of the Quadling Country and had been a friend of the Wizard of Oz, but since she's been missing a long time, they've sent out queries all over Oz, and no one has of yet seen her. They are concerned the Dark Witch has done something with her.

With permission to stay the night and drink fresh water, Rosine and Cap'n Bob head outside. But as they near the tear-pools, an alarm goes off, and hundreds of flower-people come to tell them those pools are forbidden for they are made up of all the tears cried by children in the outside world. They're escorted to their room with twin-beds and fountains with pure water, which fill them up so they're no longer hungry.

In the Dark Forest, meanwhile, old Zoru prepares a brew while Jack, a young boy she enslaved and enchanted to forget his former life, creates a man out of oranges. She summons him into her hut where she's brewing an invisibility liquid, but when she startles him he accidentally knocks into it, spilling it out the window. Angered, she spanks him and heads out to collect the Quee-berries she'll need to make another batch. Unlike other witches, her spells last only seven years before having to be renewed, and her last batch is running out. After cleaning the hut, Jack walks outside and is greeted by the Orange Man he'd made, now alive thanks to the potion he'd spilled. Jack is confused, but the Orange Man assures him that they should leave the hut. If the witch catches them, he should pick an orange from his right arm to become invisible. As they grow back instantly, it won't harm him. The oranges from his left arm will help him regain visibility. Together they head off.

After taking a rest, Jack goes into a clearing to find the Orange Man trapped by sapient strips of noodles called the Noodlers. The Queen says she is the only egg noodle amongst her people in the Noodler Glen and fears that if she lets anyone leave they'll bring back eggs, making her superfluous. The Orange Man encourages Jack to eat an orange and slip by invisibly.

Jack wanders through the Dark Forest, but as it begins to get too dark, he finds a clearing with a Navajo rug that he can sleep on. As it has a big hole in it, Jack determines to fix it with the needle and thread he'd taken from Zoru's hut. He makes progress, but then the Golden Owl appears, followed by a strange light that comes and goes in the night. The owl tells him that he and Wriggly have gotten used to it. When Jack inquires who he's speaking of, the rug speaks up. Wriggly-Rug explains that the Nomes had encountered him one day while he was sleeping and after enchanting him to remain still took him for their amusement. After they were done with him, the Blue Dragons found him and flew him over the Dark Forest where they dropped him. Falling on a prickly bush, he got torn and ceased to live until now thanks to the thread Jack used to repair him. Princess Cozytoes had been given that Thread of Life by the fairies, but she accidentally dropped it near her palace, where the witch Zoru found it and brought it to her hut, and there Jack got it.

Jack tells his story, and the owl and rug agree that the Glow-Man might be able to help him. They explain that the light he saw was from the Glow-Man who lives on Coneland Island in the middle of Milkshake River, and it means he's preparing to go on a journey. But Jack can't make it on foot and there is no bridge to the island. Since Jack fixed up his hole and brought him back to life, Wriggly-Rug agrees to fly him over.

Wriggly and the Golden Owl drop him off at the Glow Home of the Glow Man, where a being that looks like an ice-cream cone answers the door and escorts him to the Glow Man, who is made of glass and also shaped like a cone, and is essentially a living light bulb. He explains that he's on his way to the Rocky Cavern of the Laughing Dragon after receiving a letter from a Postie that Princess Cozytoes is missing. Jack tells his story of bringing the Orange Man to life and that he needs to rescue him from the Noodlers. The Glow Man recalls a similar incident with a Pumpkin and a powder (The Marvelous Land of Oz), and agrees to help. He introduces him to Quackie the Yellow Duck, a friend of Princess Cozytoes, who will accompany Jack and lay eggs to punish the Queen of the Noodlers. After the Glow Man departs, Quackie shows Jack to the freezer button, which creates a bridge of ice on Milkshake River, allowing them to depart Coneland Island.

Meanwhile, the next morning Cap'n Bob and Rosine awaken and are shown to the gate leading out of Twinlet Town, where a road leads eventually to the Palace of Princess Cozytoes. On their journey, Cap'n Bob cries out for help and then sinks out of sight, but Rosine doesn't see a hole and can't figure out what happened to him. Just then the Queen of the Sky Fairies spots her and comes down to help. To find Cap'n Bob, she summons the Laughing Dragon and asks him to summon Flash, the King of the Lightning. Sending sparks from his silver eyes into the heavens, the Laughing Dragon creates a message in the sky, and then putting his tail in his mouth, swallows himself and vanishes. Suddenly, with a burst of lightning a small man appears with long, spiky grey hair and a pointy grey beard. It's Flash, and he then summons Zipper, a lightning bolt, which can carry them all across Oz to search for Cap'n Bob.

Flying overhead, Rosine thinks she sees him in a forest, but when she leans over she falls off, dropping slowly into the private garden of the Most Royal Hi-Burner of Candleland, who is a living candlestick holder with a burning candle about the size of a man. He won't allow Rosine to leave, fearful that if she tells her subjects about his private garden, they won't allow him to have it. King Candlestick brings her to his Private Sorcerer in a high and narrow castle. Yet, while the doorway is tall, it is only six inches wide, so King Candlestick forces the girl to eat what appears to be a stone. Reluctantly, she puts it in her mouth and turns into a candlestick!

The sorcerer Waxie ignores Rosine and the king, engrossed in his own work of reading the messages of a spider spinning sentences on the roof. The king grows angry at him, but Waxie explains that he's just learned that the Jap O'Lantern is coming to his kingdom. Having run out of candles for his lantern head, the Jap O'Lantern intends to take more from Candleland to last him the next year. The subjects are overjoyed at his arrival, for they want to go with him, but as Waxie explains, the king doesn't like being left with so few subjects to rule over. Exiting the castle, Rosine sees the Jap O'Lantern, who has a large Japanese lantern head with a painted-on face and a wiry body wearing a kimono. He can only select 366 candles, one for each day of the year, and each one he chooses rejoices. He picks Rosine too, but she explains that she's really not a candle. She tells him her story, and he postulates that it may have been the Ruby Imp who took Cap'n Bob. He is going to see the Laughing Dragon who can restore her to her original form and save Cap'n Bob.

With his candles in tow they walk past farmhouses and fields where the people wave greetings at them. Near the mountains, they come to a diamond-studded golden door with a sign that reads Slumberland. The Lantern Man tells Rosine that she should get a pass from Princess Cozytoes to visit it one day, for it is the realm where children from the Great Outside World who are good and thoughtful during the day are brought over by the Sky Fairies at night to play. It is presided over by King Morpheus and the Fairy sorceress Seelight, who gives each child the Kiss of Forgetfulness when they leave. It is said that only one child has ever been able to remember his time in Slumberland despite the kiss, and it is hoped that one day when adults become wiser, there will be no need to give the Kiss of Forgetfulness.

Passing around the mountain, they come across S.V. Breezy (Swift Velocity) the Wind-Satchel Man, who'd received a letter from a Postie to meet Princess Cozytoes in the Golden Castle. He's currently having trouble reigning in his four winds. He wishes Glinda was there, as she has a way with the spirits of the air and has been known to cause a windstorm, or even the King of the Wind Demons, who would be helpful. But then he catches the North Wind and the East Wind and puts them in his satchel. But Northie escapes and in the process puts out all the candles, which Jap O'Lantern has to relight before they can move on. So, saying farewell to Breezy, they move on towards the Dark Forest.

Rosie expresses her concern about Zoru to the Lantern Man, who reassures her that she's only a fifth class witch and mostly harmless, and he doubts she had anything to do with Princess Cozytoes' disappearance. She's also the one who brought him to life. After local children had fashioned him, Zoru who had just come back from visiting a crooked magician with the Powder of Life, sprinkled some of the powder on him. Rosine wonders if the Powder of Life will disenchant her, so he goes into Zoru's hut and takes a can that says "double-distilled magic powder," and sprinkles it over Rosine's head (without saying the magic words since she's already alive). With that, she returns to her former self.

Overjoyed, they move on and come to Noodler's Glen. They arrive just as eggs are flying about the excited Noodlers who are transforming into Egg Noodles. Passing through, they comes across Jack, the Orange Man and Quackie, who Jap O'Lantern knows. They introduce one another and decide to travel together to get to the Palace of Princess Cozytoes. Jack and Rosine get to know each other, and he tells her his adventures and the Thread of Life that brought Wriggly-Rug back to life. Seeing a ribbon attached to it, she fashions a necktie out of it, which she places around Jack's neck.

As they talk, Rosine and Jack lose sight of their group and are unable to find them. So they stop to rest and hear a terrible roar. Out comes an alligator-like creature made of different colored tiles. He threatens to eat them, but when Jack stands up to him he relents and cries that he can never hurt anyone. He's looking for his friend the Laughing Dragon, and Rosine mentions that they've met. Cotta the Tile Animal tells them the Laughing Dragon is happy living near the Princess' Palace, but he dreads and worries about the Magic Ribbon that the Sky Fairies made for the Princess, which has the power to make a perfume shoot out of the dragon's nose if the person wearing the ribbon is in danger and unties it. Although the Princess lost it, the dragon still frets about it. Although Cotta doesn't know the way to the Golden City, he shows them to a Toofie-marker, which when they sit on it, transports them to Toofie-Town, which he says is the happiest place in Oz.

The village is bright and pretty and the houses and fence look as if built in the shape of teeth. A girl gatekeeper answers, explaining that they'd been expecting them as they keep records of all the children in the world. She sends them on the path to the palace of the magician Professor Dy, who Princess Cozytoes made chief of the town. At the palace, the professor's wife brings them to his room where he is working on little teeth. A horn echoes a child's cry and rolling out of it comes a small tooth. His wife writes down the number magically projected and goes to look it up in a file, revealing it had belonged to a six year old boy. When a child loses his first set of teeth, the tooth fairies who work for Princess Cozytoes send it through the horn to him, where he stores and keeps track of them. He's been doing this for 500 years. Rosine can't see any sense in doing that, but he dismisses her as a mortal girl who doesn't understand important things. Later, Cotta admits to her that he'd gotten in trouble with Princess Cozytoes a long time ago when he made a dangerous magic solution, so to keep him out of trouble, she sent him there to do this work, which he believes is important.

The three talk so much, they take a wrong turn out of the town and end up strangely on top of a mountain. Looking around the dangerous height, Cotta comes across a bamboo slide that narrowly descends down the mountain. Cotta points out pieces of carpet for them to slide on and volunteers to go first. Rosine goes next, followed by Jack. Sliding down, she is dismayed to find herself going all the way down into a hole in the ground into an underground cavern lit by many jewels. Cotta tells her and Jack that they are in the Underground Palace of the Ruby Imp, who if he catches them will enchant them so that they never leave. The Ruby Imp and his minions arrive, and accepting no excuse for their being in his domain, threatens to transform them into objects that he'll hide in his throne room. When Cotta springs at the Ruby Imp, he transforms him into a stone arrow. Jack warns him not to harm Rosine, or Ozma will deal with him. Furious he grabs at the boy, undoing his tie that Rosine had made for him, and transforms him into an ivory elephant. Then, he turns his attention to Rosine, transforming her as well. Satisfied, he puts his ornaments in his throne room.

The Laughing Dragon, home again and upset he had forgotten the errand his Princess sent him on, starts emitting a violet perfume, a signal that he has to search out the wearer of the ribbon whose in danger. He goes to the palace to get help from the maid Fuss-budget, who tells him to look in the Magic Reflecting Pond. There, in the center of a circle of Cypress trees, sits the Magic Reflecting Pond, which reflects everything that happens in the parts of Oz ruled by Princess Cozytoes, and there the dragon sees the Magic Ribbon and the Ruby Imp transforming Rosine into a golden rabbit.

Knowing what he must do, the Laughing Dragon goes to sleep. Fuss-budget, however, worries and goes to tell the guard Private Horse-feathers all she'd learned. Just then, the Glow-Man arrives, explaining that he got a letter from a Postie, and when he didn't find the Laughing Dragon at his home, he came to the palace. S.V. Breezy is right behind him, having also received a letter from a Postie from the Princess. The Laughing Dragon soon joins them and tells them what he saw in the Magic Reflecting Pond. They agree to help free Rosine and head off for the Ruby Imp's Underground Cavern. The Laughing Dragon leads the way to the throne room, but the Ruby Imp is prepared and drops a fishnet on him, trapping him. The Glow Man and S.V. Breezy hide until the master of Coneland Island comes up with a plan.

With a copper wire, the Glow Man sets up an electrical current throughout the cavern and then confronts the Ruby Imp. He turns on the current, shocking the imps until their leader surrenders to his demands and releases the Laughing Dragon. They also demand the return of the girl and her companions, but one of the imp soldiers finds and disconnects the wires, and the imps overwhelm them. But then the Wind-Satchel Man appears and releases his winds. The North Wind and the other winds toss the imps around, knocking off the Ruby Imp's Magic Cap, which he uses to transform his victims into ornaments. The Glow Man grabs it and the Dragon demands the ornaments be brought forward. Learning how to use the cap, the Glow Man pushes the third ruby on the left and turns the cap. At once, the ornaments begin turning into their true selves and Rosine and the Tile Animal Cotta are restored. But to everyone's surprise, the Princess Cozytoes appears as well!

When Rosine asks about Jack, who has not reappeared, Princess Cozytoes tells her that she is Jack, enchanted by the Wicked Witch of the Dark Forest Zoru. The Magic Cap was powerful enough to disenchant her and restore her memory. The Laughing Dragon remarks that Zoru's been trying Mombi's old tricks. Rosine gets another surprise when Cap'n Bob appears, having also been transformed by the Ruby Imp. Departing, the Glow Man throws the cap away near the entrance to the Ruby Caverns.

The Glow Man and Wind-Satchel Man depart the group for Coneland Island, and the Princess asks the Dragon if he accomplished the errand she sent him on. He admits he forgot what it was, and she tells him it's to invite the Golden Owl to her palace. So swallowing his tail, he departs once again.

On their way to the Golden City, Princess Cozytoes acknowledges that things in Oz can be strange, and are even stranger in her realm. They come across Wriggly-Rug who tells them that she must hasten back to the Royal Palace as the people, concerned that she won't ever return, are selecting a new ruler. Also, Glinda, discovering her disenchantment in the Great Book of Records, has arrived to speak with her on a matter. So, although reluctant to leave her friends, she departs on Wriggly's back.

Cotta leads the way down the road through a small grove of trees and then peaceful meadows and valleys. But all of a sudden, hot steam arises from out of the ground all around them. Underneath the clouds of steam arise ovens with hands, legs and faces. One of them, Queen Hardknot of the Graters accuses them of violating their sacred ground, and having never heard of Princess Cozytoes, takes them prisoner. She explains that while she is constructed with firelogs that never go out, her people must use wood from trees to keep their fires burning, for they are made to take food out of their ovens each day to survive. But the small grove was once a great forest that is shrinking. The Queen demands they either help her with her problem or become slaves helping to cut down trees for the Graters. Rosine suggests they simply move, but the Queen replies that it would not be fair to move unto another's property to take their trees. When the noon-bell strikes twelve, the ovens open their grates and remove the cooked trays of food, which they place in the trees' branches. Then, magically, a tray of uncooked food appears inside them, and they start again the process of cooking it.

The little monkey Jim, meanwhile, had lost all track of time playing with his new bird-friends near Twinlet Town. When he sees again the Golden Owl (now on his way to Toofie-Town), the owl asks him where Rosine and Cap'n Bob are, which the monkey is ashamed to admit he'd forgotten. Exasperated, the Golden Owl tells him they were last seen on the road from the Ruby Imp to the Golden City, and gives him a feather to contact him in case they're in trouble. Jim finds them waiting for the food to cool in the grove of trees, and climbs over the branches to Rosine, who is overjoyed to see him again. Jim apologizes for having spent so much time with the birds of Twinlet Town, and begins to rub the golden feather that the Golden Owl had given him to summon help. Jim then jumps away as the feather vanishes and leaves in its place a large spider. Rosine jumps too, but Cotta laughs, explaining that it's only Spelwor, the spider Rosine saw in Candleland. The spider tells her he's been summoned to help, so he jumps in the trees and begins spinning a web. The words tell them that if they eat the food from any oven, that oven will cool off, so they should eat the food from three adjacent ovens to allow them a path to escape. After the spider casts a web into the sky, he climbs up it and disappears. Jim jumps into the trees and tosses the food down to them and, famished, they begin to eat. When the queen catches sight of them, she shrieks because the fires begin going out in the Graters. Worried that they will go out forever, she leads them off to the grove to refill their ovens with logs.

Freed, the party pass through the mountains where they see a flickering light. Soon, Rosine spots Jap O'Lantern and the Orange Man and runs over to introduce them to Cap'n Bob. The Orange Man inquires about Jack, and Rosine tells him he was really a girl, Princess Cozytoes. The pair are headed to the home of the Lantern Man, whose candles are beginning to burn low, but they plan to visit with the Princess on another occasion. Rosine asks whether he thinks she'll be able to send them home, and Cotta says he doesn't know, but Glinda might, and Ozma and the Wizard have invited some to live permanently in Oz. He suggests that she and Cap'n Bob consider it. Bob says he has nothing for him in the outside world, and no family except his brother Bill who he hasn't seen in years, but Rosine assures him that it was no accident they both came to Oz, and that she's his family.

Saying goodbye to the Orange Man and Jap O'Lantern, they descend into a valley and then ascend up a mountain pass, but it leads them to a wall. After searching for another way around it, the Golden Owl appears and tells them that the wall is an illusion to protect Incense Valley. But as they pass through it, the incense proves to have a soporific effect, and one by one they fall off of Cotta and fall asleep. As he runs off to get help, he falls into a deep pit. Thankfully, the Laughing Dragon is nearby and sees them, but not even his booming laugh will awaken them. The Wind-Satchel Man, who just left the home of the Glow Man, overhears the laugh and goes to inquire why the Dragon is in Incense Valley. The Dragon tells him, but then S.V. Breezy explains that they are overcome by the smell and that even he cannot enter the valley without falling prey to it. The Laughing Dragon wonders why in Oz there are Deadly Poppy Fields and Incense Valleys. Mr. Breezy releases the North Wind, pushing away the incense and allowing Cap'n Bob, Rosine and Jim to waken and escape the valley. Hearing a noise, the Laughing Dragon goes to investigate and finds his friend Cotta down a hole. Once free of it, Cotta says goodbye and departs with S.V. Breezy who is returning to his home in Valley Mountain. With "perception of distance and time... askew," they don't realize how near to the Palace they are. Coming to a river, the Dragon has them put on boat shoes with which they sail down the river to a tunnel.

At the palace, meanwhile, the Princess and Fuss-budget discuss Glinda's visit, which has to do with Rosine and something she read in her Great Book of Records, for which she's consulting Ozma. The two worry about Rosine and her companions, who should have arrived by now, and check on them in the Magic Reflecting Pond. Thrilled that they're almost there, they go outside to greet them and escort them in. Rosine asks about being sent home and her father, but the Princess tells her that the Sky Fairies have already sent a message to him and her aunt doesn't even know she left her father. At that, Rosine decides she'd like to live in Oz and Cap'n Bob agrees he'd like to as well.

Continuity Notes

Cap'n Bob: As the story reveals, this former lighthouse keeper is the brother of Cap'n Bill, who he claims he lost "years ago." [195] He doesn't mention his other brother Cap'n Joe, the former prisoner of Zog (from The Sea Fairies), likely because he presumes he'd died even earlier.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of three days. The year cannot be accurately discerned, but there are clues. It is some years after Cap'n Bill disappeared from the outside world, which places these events after The Scarecrow of Oz, but before this story was written in 1930. Another clue is the fact that the witch Zoru had gone some time in the past to see Dr. Pipt and obtain the Powder of Life. Given the date, was Dr. Pipt secretly back to working on the Powder of Life? Or was this a batch from the same time period in which Mombi obtained her batch? And if so, it takes place earlier and means that Jap O'Lantern has been alive for some time.

Glow Man: The living light-bulb might possibly hail from Electra City (The Blue Emperor of Oz) and/or have been built in Silica (The Hidden Prince of Oz)

Imitation: There are several imitative elements that Frank Baum borrowed from his father's books, some of which are only present in the original, uncut manuscript. These include:

	The Ruby Imp and his transformations in the Underground Caverns mimic the Nome King and his transformations in Ozma of Oz;
	The Magic Cap mimics the Magic Belt;
	Princess Cozytoes' transformation into Jack by the witch Zoru mimics Ozma's transformation by Mombi;
	The creation of the Orange Man mimics the creation of Jack Pumpkinhead;
	The Magic Reflecting Pond mimics the Magic Picture;
	Twinlet Town mimics the Kingdom of Twi from The Enchanted Island of Yew.
	The Incense Valley mimics the Deadly Poppy Field from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The newly edited version of the manuscript includes dialogue from various Ozian characters who recognize some of these parallels, which goes a long way toward lending credence to their existence. The Ruby Imp and witch Zoru are utilizing tricks from the Nome King and Mombi, respectively, which as copycat crimes demonstrate, is not unrealistic. The other parallels are mainly incidental, but no less interesting. For Princess Cozytoes to have a magical pond that works in much the same way as the Magic Picture is telling of the trust the fairies put in her.

Magic Reflecting Pond: While not present in the original manuscript, in the published version, this "Magic Pond" appears not in Princess Cozytoes' Palace, but in Twinlet Town, where it was placed there by the Wizard of Oz. That begs the question as to whether the Magic Reflecting Pond in the original version was also intended to come from the Wizard, and this is not a question that is easily answered. It may have come from him (or Glinda or Ozma) or may have been with Princess Cozytoes for years, not implausible given that she appears to have ruled there for five centuries, if Professor Dy is to be trusted.

Manuscript Changes: The published version features less than half of the chapters of the original, but there are more significant changes than it would seem by the oft stated notion that the manuscript was simply cut in half. In fact, the manuscript was largely rewritten and repurposed to provide an ending for the published version, and that ending is itself different than the ending in the original unpublished version. The published and unpublished versions are essentially the same until the end of chapter 11. Chapter 12 of the original edition picks up with the boy Jack and the witch Zoru and recounts his adventures for five chapters. In the published version, the story continues with Rosine and Cap'n Bob, but not in the same way in which the unpublished manuscript picks up with them in chapter 17. In the Whitman book, the Laughing Dragon awakens the pair in Twinlet Town to tell them he's had a dream that Princess Cozytoes is in the Underground Caverns of the Ruby Imp. This is completely different from the original version which builds up the mystery of what happened to Princess Cozytoes, and which features Rosine having several adventures where she meets friends and enemies who help or hinder her progress until she stumbles into the Ruby Imp's cavern and is enchanted by him. In Chapter 13 of the published version, the Laughing Dragon lead Rosine and Cap'n Bob to the Underground Caverns, but apart from their appearance (in the original it is the Wind-Satchel Man and the Glow Man that he leads) his actions and dialogue are the same as they are in Chapter 25. In Chapter 14, it is Rosine, not the Wind-Satchel Man who remains uncaught, and it is her pet monkey Jim who saves the day with the satchel of the Wind-Satchel Man, who never appears in this version of the book (but which Jim says he met in Twinlet Town). Jim plays no role in this scene in the original, and doesn't come back into the story until chapter 28, where he is helpful in a very different way. His appearance in the published version is a deus-ex-machina that brings the story to an abrupt halt. The original is more clever and craftily written. The published version also does away with the revelation of Princess Cozytoes, which although similar to Ozma's enchantment, is still much more interesting. Another change is Cap'n Bob's attitude. In the published version, he doesn't mention his brother Bill and unreservedly wants to go home. There's also none of the emotional bonding that develops or is expressed between him and Rosine in the published version. Only in the postscript of the published version is there mention of the Jap O'Lantern, the Orange Man, the Glow Man and the Hi-Burner of Candleland, but how Frank Baum would have repurposed them in The Enchanted Princess of Oz is puzzling, as the thrust of the original version was the search for Princess Cozytoes and the adventures of Jack. Even if he'd repurposed Jack, which he would have had to, that still would have left a story without a through-line, which without a complete rewrite would force him (or the editor) to relegate each chapter to a series of unconnected adventures.

Princess Cozytoes: Missing for over a month [155], this important ruler of the southwestern quadrant of Oz governs under Glinda. Other than her enchantment by the witch Zoru, there is little known about her apart from the following: she is well-loved by her subjects; she governs with the same pacifist ideals as Ozma, avoiding punishment in favor of rehabilitation (e.g., Professor Dy, Zoru, the Ruby Imp), and maintains good relations with not only those in her domain, but with the Wizard, Glinda and Ozma. There is an indication that she has ruled there for at least 500 years [139], as this is the number of years Professor Dy says he's been keeping track of baby teeth, but whether we can rely on him for accuracy is in question; Princess Cozytoes is the one who gave him that assignment, and if what he says is true, it means that she's been governing for at least five centuries. That would make her the oldest extant ruler in Oz and the one for whom the least has been told, leaving one to wonder what her role was in the prior centuries, e.g., during the rule of the Wicked Witches of the South, during the time of the kings of Oz, during the time when Glinda emerged and came to power, etc. Unlike Glinda, she doesn't appear to have powers of her own, save what tools and devices the Sky Fairies have given her, such as the Magic Thread, the Magic Ribbon and possibly the Magic Reflecting Pool. To this end, she's not breaking Ozma's prohibition against magic. Along with Zoru, she appears again in The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz and An Ozian Odyssey, where her name is identified as Jacqueline Kozatos, and her bare feet give way to the nickname Cozy Toes.

Ruby Imp: As with Zoru, Princess Cozytoes appears to leave the Ruby Imp to his own devices. His Magic Cap is even left at the entrance of the cave by the Glow Man, which seems odd and unwise given all the harm that the Ruby Imp has done with it. It is likely that Baum had more stories planned, which perhaps may have utilized the Ruby Imp. Their later history is recounted in the Oziana 1997 story, "The Forbidden Cave of Grapelandia." Following the events of the North Wind's attack, the Ruby Imps head to the surface to the surface for a few years to thaw out. There, they met the Duchess of Grapelandia, who in exchange for the magic of transformations, allow them to move to the caves in Big Enough Mountain, where they live for under a hundred years. In The Three Imps of Oz, author Chris Dulabone cleverly indicates that the imps from "Ozma and the Little Wizard of Oz" are the subjects of the Ruby Imp.

Sequel: It appears that Frank Baum was planning a series, as he leaves the book off with at least three possibilities for a sequel, the witch Zoru, who is not dealt with in the story, the Ruby Imp, who is also not dealt with, and more tantalizingly, Glinda's discovery of something in the Great Book of Records (besides the disenchantment of Princess Cozytoes and arrival of Rosine and Cap'n Bob in Oz) that has caused the Princess to be "somber." [211] This could be an impending attack on Oz, but whatever it is it appears to involve Princess Cozytoes, as Glinda goes to speak with her before speaking with Ozma. That the manuscript leaves off without indicating what this specifically was leads one to the reasonable suspicion that Frank Baum was setting up a sequel (this is not "The Enchanted Princess of Oz," which only came about as a title when Whitman had to cut out over half of the original for their published version). Had Reilly & Lee accepted his manuscript or allowed Whitman to publish his stories once a year, as Thompson had suggested they should do, with her proofreading them, sequels would likely have come to pass.

Sky Fairies: This particular branch of faerie plays a large role in the life of Princess Cozytoes and the events that go on in the southwestern quadrant of the Quadling Country. They also extend their role beyond this area as they're responsible for bringing the spirits of children in the outside world to Slumberland and back home. In many respects, this active role resembles the duties of the fairies of the Land of An, where Tititi-Hoochoo governs (see Tik-Tok of Oz), moreso than the fairies of Oz, whose function is primarily that of fairyland. Flash, the King of the Lightning, appears to be a Sky Fairy. The King of the Wind Demons that the Wind-Satchel Man mentions might also. How the Sky Fairies relate to the Cloud Fairies and the Rain King (the Rainbow's brother) is not yet known. The existence of sapient North, South, East and West Winds (the North Wind also appears as a prisoner in The Hidden Valley of Oz) indicates that these beings govern only this particular fairyland. The Sky Fairies are responsible for creating the Magic Ribbon and possibly the Magic Thread, both of which they gave to Princess Cozytoes. The Queen of the Sky Fairies even descends to help Rosine, which indicates that they continue to play an active role in events, though not to the degree that they actively seek out the missing Princess, which indicates the kind of remoteness one usually finds in fairies.

Slumberland: The place where children who behave kindly and thoughtfully go to at night. How Slumberland relates to the Kingdom of Dreams has not yet been explored. Slumberland is ruled over by King Morpheus and the Fairy sorceress Seelight, who gives each child departing Slumberland a Kiss of Forgetfulness so that when they awaken they don't remember their journey there. This was not always the case, but as the adults in the outside world failed to believe their children, the policy was changed to prevent heartache. There appears to be more to this story than what the Jap O'Lantern tells young Rosine, and it's clear that the use of the names Slumberland and Morpheus and the one dreamer who remembered his dreams are references to Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland. This effectually brings those strips, which ran from 1905 to 1914 and 1924 to 1926 (and McCay's son's strips in 1937, Nemo in Adventureland, and Eric Shanower's 2014 comic-book series, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland), or at least aspects of them, into Oz continuity.

Zoru the Wicked Witch of the Dark Forest: As with the Ruby Imp, there's no indication as to what becomes of her after Princess Cozytoes is disenchanted. There is also the matter of the Jap O'Lantern, who she directly made and who holds her in kind regard. The Lantern Man does not mention serving as a slave to her, and considers Zoru a "harmless" "fifth degree" witch. He doesn't even think she's responsible for Princess Cozytoes' disappearance, and although he's wrong on that count, it adds some nuance to her character. Old Zoru is featured in the 1934 short story "Jimmy Bulber in Oz," which was published forty years later in Oziana 1974, and which paints her in a less benevolent light, as she creates a homonculi to light up the Dark Forest for the purpose of luring people into her lair. The magic "life charms" that she creates to bring Jimmy Bulber to life very likely contains some of the Powder of Life that she is shown to own. She appears again in the forthcoming novella, The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz.

23d book in the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: Two years after he first came to Oz (in The Gnome King of Oz), Peter comes upon a gold coin he'd brought home from Oz, and ruminates on his adventures, wishing he could go back. As the coin proves magical, his wish is granted, and he finds himself at the home of Jack Pumpkinhead. After introducing themselves, Jack tells Peter his story and agrees to accompany him to the Emerald City. Since Jack's new head is still green, they head in the wrong direction, and end up in Chimneyville in the Quadling Country.

There, the pair are harassed by smoke creatures who emerge out of the chimneys and form into a black cloud of soot. Finding a candle in his coat pocket, Peter turns Jack into a jack o'lantern, enabling them to find their way out of the gloom of Soot City.

Heading north, they stop in at a Good Shop, but the only goodies available are good news, good advice, good ideas, good days, good nights, etc. They're soon chased by a greedy Christmas tree who wants to take Jack's head. The tree tosses ornaments at them, one of which Jack grabs as they escape into a cave. It turns out to be the magical dinner bell of the Red Jinn. When they ring it, a dinner slave brings Peter a meal.

Following the cave's passage, they come upon goblin lanterns and a spiked gate upon which are numerous frowning heads. Beyond the gate is a city of cave dwellings lit by hundreds of goblin lanterns. The Chief Scarer of Scare City approaches. He is a 6 foot tall man with a face on both sides. He warns them that if they don't pass the tests they'll be turned into Fraid Cats or "scared stiff." With that, a horde of hideous beings with different colored faces and many noses rushes out from the rock-dwellings. Along with them come the Fraid Cats which have a head on both sides of their bodies. The king emerges. He has a horn for a nose, a lion's mane, pig eyes and donkey ears. King Harum Scarum the 7th frightens them with his words, and as the horde prepares to attack again, Jack rings the dinner bell, and Peter throws the food and tray. This they repeat until the food runs out. Peter then swings and tosses his pirate sack, which opens up and swallows the king and all of the inhabitants of Scare City.

Unable to find a way out, the pair meet a former prisoner, a griffin, who because he's lost his "grrr" now considers himself a philosophical Iffin. Freed, he introduces himself as Snif, and says he's been imprisoned for five years (during which time he's forgot his original name). He says he'll serve them for seven years. Snif explains that the Fraid Cats and statues inside each cave represent someone who came to Scare but didn't escape. He himself comes from the Land of the Barons, some of which are good, some who are bad, but who are always fighting. Snif flies them out, and stops in the park of the Belfaygor of Bourne, who is one of the good barons. They're met by the baron's mesmerizer, who runs off in anxiety. They next meet the baron who explains that because of the mesmerizer, his red beard won't stop growing. Also, he's upset because Mogodore of Baffleburg came and stole away with the princess, who Belfaygor was going to marry.

The party agree to help, and Belfaygor accompanies the travelers atop the Iffin to the opposite side of the chasm from Mogodore's mountain. Snif accidentally eats a shrinking violet and shrinks to the size of a cat, leaving them with no means of crossing. Snif gets the idea of using Balfaygor's beard as a bridge, which they do. But in the tunnel leading to Baffleburg, the tunnel tips, nearly plunging down a precipice. Peter grabs hold of the ring of the door and secures their entrance, but then the towers along the wall tip down to shoot spears at them. Belfaygor jumps into a tower window and lets down his beard for the others to climb up. Reaching the castle, a horseman takes them to Mogodore. They claim they're magicians, but Mogodore dismisses them as peddlers and has them scorned with the sauce box.

The night before, Mogodore had decided—against the wishes of his major domo Wagarag—to conquer the Emerald City so as to impress the stolen princess Shirley Sunshine. Belfaygor announces his arrival, but Mogodore's forces overpower and imprison them in the dungeon. Snif, however, recovers from the effects of the shrinking violet and grows back to his normal size, bending the bars of the cell and effecting their escape.

Following Belfaygor's beard, they find and release him. They soon discover Jack's head, along with a downward winding passage that Jack tells them leads to the Forbidden Flagon, which he'd overheard the guards discuss. Convinced to retrieve it, they follow the passage to the hall of mirrors and then the room which contains the Fountain of Fire, within which lies the flagon. Belfaygor uses his beard to tie up the guard while Peter uses another part to knock the flagon out of the fire fountain. Returning, they put Jack's head back on his body, take the sauce box and head out on the Iffin for the Emerald City.

On the way, Jack tells Peter that Kuma Party lent Ozma his hand to help with the Hammerheads. Then suddenly the Swingers of Swing City, a trapezist, grab Peter and the others out of the air, and swings them from one to another. The sauce box, however, startles them and drop their captives into a net, from which they escape. Soon enough they spot Mogodore and his army from the air, but when Peter attempts to open up the sack to swallow them, a gust of wind rips it from his hand, where it flies open upon all of them, except Jack who jumps off with the flagon just in time. Unfortunately, Jack breaks his leg in the fall, and is unable to walk. So, summoning the slave of the magic dinner bell, he grabs hold of him before he can disappear, and winds up transported to the palace of the Red Jinn of Ev. Upon meeting Jack, the Jinn says he hasn't been so amused in 1,000 years. He magically restores Jack's leg, but before he can help any further, Jack disappears.

In Oz, meanwhile, Ozma and her friends are playing in the palace gardens, and fail to notice the arrival of Mogodore, who with 500 soldiers takes the city, and with the other 500 storms the palace. With Ozma and her companions tied up, Mogodore declares he will instead marry Ozma. Mogodore goes off and returns with the Magic Belt, testing it on Scraps, who he transforms into a patchwork bird. Scraps flies off to get help. While they prepare the wedding feast, Bragga, captain of the guard, complains that there are no killings or hangings, but Mogodore assures him he can kill whoever he wants after the wedding. As he's obsessed with the mystery of the forbidden flagon, Mogodore uses the Magic Belt to summon it to him, and with it comes Jack Pumpkinhead, who—first removing his head—tosses it on Mogodore, splattering it on his face. The liquid causes him and all of his army to shrink to the size of brownies! At that moment, Glinda, Scraps and the others from the garden arrive to discover what's happened.

Before Jack tells them what happened, he empties the magic sack, and out come the Scares and Fraid Cats. Jack does it again, freeing Peter, Snif and Belfaygor. Ozma uses the Belt to send the former back to Scare City. Belfaygor is relieved to discover that his beard is gone, and introductions are made. Jack tells everyone the whole story, explaining how the Jinn informed him that to avoid the curse of the flagon, he should first remove his head. Afterwards, the group agrees to turn the festivities into a wedding feast for Belfaygor and Shirley Sunshine.

The next day, as Peter prepares to return to Philadelphia, Snif decides to stay on in the palace. Ozma and the Wizard put the magic sack and dinner bell with their other magical items, while the Wizard frees the enchanted Fraid Cats and statues from the spell of the Scares. As regards Mogodore, Glinda explains that his people were actually Reddies, a kind of brownie from the south. Because his great-grandfather Jair was so noble and helpful to a local wizard, he rewarded him and his people by making them human-sized. So long as the red liquid remained in the flagon, they would remain that size. Since their city had also shrunk, Ozma sends them back there. Also, Peter is sent back home to tell of his adventures to his grandfather.

Continuity Notes

Baron Belfaygor: After the Baron's marriage to Shirley Sunshine, they have a son named Giles whose adventures, along with his father's, are told in The Magic Cryptogram of Oz.

Carnival: As J.L. Bell points out in the BCF Pumperdink forum: "Much of the action in JACK PUMPKINHEAD seems to borrow from circuses and carnival rides, in fact. We have the haunted house of Scare City, the equestrians of Baffleburg, and the high-flying acrobatic Swingers. In Mogodore's castle Peter must overcome not only the funhouse mirrors, but a tilting room that slides everybody to one side and an indoor labyrinth."

Chimney Villains: Not much is known of these smoke-like beings, which Thompson likens to "evil genii... who had long been imprisoned in magic bottles."

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place over the course of three days in the summer (Saturday to Monday) (chapter 6). See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more details. Peter Brown makes his second appearance here, noted in the first chapter as specifically two years after the events of The Gnome King of Oz (which the Royal Timeline dates in 1915), which would make him 11 years old, since he was nine years old in that book. Herby the Medicine Man and Benny (from The Giant Horse of Oz) are said to have arrived "recently." Peter returns again in Pirates in Oz.

Glinda: There is a question as to why Glinda does nothing to prevent or stop the battles between the barons, which take place in a mountainous region in her quadrant. Neither does she stop the magic being openly practiced there, such as by the Chief Mesmerizer, who although described by Belfaygor as "a good old man," is also "well versed in necromancy." It may be because she's related to the barons through her mother Gayelette.

Magic Sack: This history of the magic sack is never explained. This sack is taken by Ozma and locked in her room of magical treasures. Either this sack, or one very similar to it appears in the grasp of the White Wizard Wark, who uses it to kidnap Dr. Pipt and Margolette in "Unc Nunkie and the White King of Oz."

Mogodore: This is the first of Thompson's villains to attempt to conquer Oz. Skamperoo, Wutz and Strut will follow (along with Ruggedo again in Pirates in Oz). He and his town of Baffleburg turn out to have been actually enlarged reddies, a kind of brownie, who are reduced to their original size. See Reddies below.

Red Jinn: This is Jinnicky's the Red Jinn of Ev's first written appearance, though he goes unnamed here, and his palace is not yet identified as being located in Ev. Instead, it appears to be an exotic location: "green glass sea, whose waves broke with a melodious tinkle and crash on the beach... a gleaming stretch of glass splinters." This is not the case when Thompson reintroduces the palace in The Purple Prince of Oz, and may indicate that a temporary spell created this effect. This is also Ginger's first appearance and the first mention of the Jinricksha. Jinnicky's origins under Glinda's tutelage are told in the Oziana 1977 story "Glinda and the Red Jinn." The Red Jinn knows Ozma, the Wizard and most of the court, as indicated by his appearance at her birthday part in 1904 in The Crocheted Cat in Oz, yet he did not meet Jack Pumpkinead until this story because Jack was away on his adventures in Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz at that time.

Red Jinn's Magic Umbrella: As to the Red Jinn's magic umbrella, there is some speculation that the origin of Button-Bright's Magic Umbrella traces to the Red Jinn, as J.L. Bell points out in the Pumperdink.org forum: "It's at least conceivable, therefore, that Jinnicky created the magic umbrella, and one of his Arabesque retainers took it on a trip to Europe or America, where he became one of Button-Bright's eight great-great-grandfathers. Then when the boy rode the umbrella back across the Nonestic, it came under Jinnicky's power once more, which is why he came to lose it." The Magic Umbrella of Oz doesn't contradict this possibility, though the Ring of Time provides a new alternate origin, but one that's still based on an original unidentified origin, which may be this. In either case, if this is Button-Bright's magic umbrella, it eventually ends up back in his home in Philadelphia, though this story had not yet been told, nor has the one the Red Jinn hints at when he says he can't lend it to Peter as he needs it himself.

Reddies: The back-story of Jair the Reddy, who gained the friendship of a wizard who transformed his people into human-sized (so long as the magic red liquid remained in its flagon), is told in the short story "Reddy and Willing: The Adventures of Jair ."

Scare City: Although the Wizard disenchants the Fraid Cats and statues, Ozma restores the Scares to their city, including, it seems, King Harum Scarum and the Chief Scarer, presumably without seeming to make provisions against their turning more people into Fraid Cats and statues. It is possible that Ozma later spoke with them or placed a new king on the throne. The Scares return in "What Scare We ," in which the king's son Rax explains that the king of Scare City came into being due to the enchantment Enilrul placed on Oz ages ago. This explains not only their appearance, but their need to feed on fear.

Snif the Iffin: A griffin whose lost his grrr. This faithful companion who tells Peter he will serve him for seven years (which proves impossible as Peter leaves Oz again) was imprisoned for five years in Scare City, during which time he forgot his real name. He hails from the Land of the Barons in the Quadling country. His story continues in Phyllis Ann Karr's the novella Maybe the Miffin, where he meets the titular griffin.

Tip: According to Jack, Mombi raised Tip for "nearly nine years," (page 27) which, since Tip departed from Mombi and was disenchanted to Ozma in mid-to-late October of 1901, indicates that in 1892, Oscar Diggs the Wizard of Oz gave a one year old baby Ozma into the hands of Mombi for safekeeping from the East and West Wicked Witches.

Oz book 25 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: Five years after being hit with the Silence Stone, Ruggedo wanders Ev a mute peddler. Heading to the Kingdom of Rinkitink, he stops off in the kingdom of Menankypoo, where he reads a sign on the castle door seeking a "dumb king." The Menankypoos also do not speak, though their foreheads light up with words and sentences (a kind of organic texting). Ruggedo explains to Kapoose (the Major Dumbo) that he is a dumb king and will take the job. As their last king has "fallen into the sea," they test Ruggedo with three dumb tests to ensure that he cannot speak, act or think. Feigning stupidity, Ruggedo passes and is made king. The courtiers feel confident that he won't make wars and will allow them the peace and quiet they wish for.

This silent kingdom (for even the animals can't speak) makes Ruggedo lonely and bored, yet when he suggests conquering other countries, the courtiers suggest that he should walk with them along the sea (hinting at what happened to their last king), so he drops the subject and takes to walking along the seashore by himself.

One day, he finds the cave of Kadj the Conqueror, and marvels at all the magical treasures, albeit locked up, within. However, when he opens a trapdoor marked "cure for everything," a blunted axe falls, knocking him into cave's green pond and restoring his voice! Thrilled he can speak again, but anxious that he can't find a way out of the sealed cave, he discovers a ticking sound behind a wall and opens it to discover Clocker, a being with a wooden head and face of a clock, but dressed like a Menankypoo. A bird comes out of Clocker's head and leaves a note with Ruggedo explaining that he's known as the Wise Man of Menankypoo and was banished for putting ideas into the head of the last king. He speaks in this manner every 15 minutes, and advises Ruggedo to hold his tongue as the courtiers will drown him if they discover he can now speak or that he knows of Clocker. The Wise Man tells Ruggedo to leave with Kadj's Es-Cape cape through the burning fireplace.

As he returns to his kingdom, Ruggedo sees a pirate ship land, and hides. Thirty pirates emerge from the ship, round up all 600 of the island's population and throw them into the sea. Ruggedo returns to the cave to tell Clocker what has transpired. Clocker formulates a plan to flatter and deceive the pirates into helping them conquer Oz and the Nome Kingdom, after which they'll destroy the pirates and rule in their stead. Ruggedo and Clocker approach the two co-ruling pirates, Peggo the Red and Binx the Bad, claiming to be wizards, and claiming to require their assistance in their plot to conquer Oz. The pirates are impressed by the Clockwork Man and agree to help, but secretly plan to destroy Ruggedo and Clocker afterwards.

Meanwhile, on the Octagon Isle, King Ato and his companion, Roger the Read Bird—a parrot-like bird with the head of a duck and fan tail, who reads aloud books for the story-loving king—are interrupted by 80 men of the island who loudly announce that they're leaving the king and his island because he's made no new laws, voyages, discoveries or conquests. Followed by the women and children, they take all of the crops and treasures and depart on Ato's ship the Octopus.

Following this event, Ato and Roger are accosted by the pirate captain Samuel Salt, who arrives demanding treasure and men. When Ato explains how the island was just then deserted, Samuel confesses that he too had just been abandoned by his pirate crew due to being too softhearted. Peggo the Red and Binx the Bad had taken his ship the Sea Lion, leaving him on the Crescent Moon to find a new crew and supplies.

While searching for food, the three new friends discover a boy, Peter Brown, who shows them a mysterious flask he'd found when he washed up onshore after having been blown off his grandfather's friend's yacht during a hurricane off the coast of Cape Hatteras (North Carolina). The flask reads "Do Not Open." He explains that he's been to Oz before, which Salt knows of but has never visited. The pirate agrees to drop him off on the coast of Ev, so that he can find his way there. But as Peter whips up pancakes for everyone, Salt announces that Peter will be his cabin boy, Ato his cook, and Roger his lookout, much to everyone's excitement as they prepare for the journey.

En route, preparing to be "rough, bluff and relentless," they come upon an island ruled by the King and Queen of Shell City, the Konk and Quink. The people, Shellbacks, are shelled like turtles, and speak an odd tongue, as well as the common Ozish. Inviting the crew to a repast, they are shocked and angry when none of them eat any of the courses of shells they prepare, and threaten to arrest them when they discover they don't intend to grow shells. To arouse his captain's anger, Roger drops a book on Salt's head, and his bluster causes him to knock the Shellbacks on their back where they're helpless. At that, the pirates knock over all of the shellbacks in a similar manner, and head into the pantry to grab the food they were preparing to throw away, as well as pearls, books and supplies they find. Salt leaves behind gold and jewels to pay for them.

Meanwhile, Ruggedo is furious that the pirates don't respect or listen to him, so Clocker retrieves from the wizard's cave the Hardy-Hood which prevents the wearer from any injury, and the Standing Stick (created by the witch Cinderbutton) which makes its victims unable to move. After putting the pirates in their place, another ship comes into view, the Sea Lion, with the former residents of Octagon. Its two captains, Sevenandone and Sixandtwo, greet Ruggedo, explaining that they left their sleepy king in search of a conqueror and warrior. Ruggedo informs them they've come to the right place, and offers them homes in Menankypoo in exchange for fighting in the impending war on Oz.

The crew of the Crescent Moon, meanwhile, embarks on the island Nowhere, where live the Nobodies who have no bodies and answer no to most questions. Hungry and angered by their belligerence, the sailors head to the Other Side of Nowhere, where they find berries and wild duck eggs. Ato discovers stuck in a tree a talking bananny goat, who he rescues. The goat offers him bananas which grow from the top of her head. Thrilled, he brings the goat with him aboard the ship and calls her Breakfast.

But by morning, the ship is filled with bananas, and Salt and the crew rush to throw them overboard before the ship sinks. Breakfast is forced to keep her head out of the porthole, and Peter comforts her, telling her that they'll find an island to put her on. But they instead run across a giant castle boat, so Peter fires off a cannon-ball, which Salt fears will hurt someone, but which causes the ship to surrender.

Once onboard, Peter threatens the owner, Godorkas, the Duke of Dork, who offers them jewels and gold so long as they leave his ship. Salt isn't happy about the situation, but Ato insists they need supplies. Peter passes on taking any treasure and explores the ship, convinced it runs on modern electronics. Hearing a banging, he unlocks a cupboard, and out pops Pigasus, a flying pig, the gift of the Red Jinn to Godorkas. Whoever rides him speaks in verse, as Peter discovers. He then shows him to Ato and Roger. Captain Salt, meanwhile, has traded Breakfast for the items they've taken, and the Duke, who finds it hard to get bananas, tells Peter to take Pigasus as well.

The Crescent Moon heads north to alight on Snow Island, where they see a North Pole cat (a polar bear) upon an island of snow. But disembarking, Peter, Salt, Ato and Pigasus sink through the snow nearly into the Nonestic, and one by one crawl out wet and frozen, where they head back to the ship and warm up with coffee. Heading south they come to a steep and craggy mountain, called Mount Up, and anchor for the night.

The next day, they decide to head to Ev, but with no wind, they're stuck. So, Peter, Pigasus and Roger fly up to the top of the mountain and spot a summit wherein they discover a people made of water called the Cascadians. They find an eagle's egg with writing on it, warning "Do Not Break," but Peter thinks he should break if he feels like it. He accidentally drops the egg causing an explosion. A giant ogre's head emerges from the rubble below, demanding to know who broke the egg. Peter confesses, and the ogre thanks him for removing the enchantment that had kept him prisoner for 500 years. Og, the Ogre of Ogowan (from King Kojo) explains that the witch who lives nearby shut him in the mountain to stop his snoring. To thank Peter, he agrees to blow hard to get their ship moving, and they end up at the coast of Menankypoo, where they discover the Sea Lion and Octopus, and learn from a tied-up Peggo and Binx about Ruggedo and Clocker's plans for Oz. Peter rides Pigasus to the Emerald City to warn them, while Samuel heads about his ship to think what to do. Coming across the mysterious flask Peter found, Samuel opens it to discover that it raises the ship and begins flying to the Emerald City.

At the Emerald City, Peter and Pigasus see Ruggedo in the throne room, but as they enter, they too get caught in the spell of the Standing Stick, rendering them immobile, save to speak. As the wooden cuckoo bird flies out of Clocker's head, Pigasus swallows him, rendering the Cuckoo Clock Man inert and the pig sick in the stomach. Ruggedo demands to know where the rest of the magic treasures are, and when Ozma refuses to tell him, he transforms the Scarecrow into a bale of hay, Scraps into rag bag, the Cowardly Lion into an iron dog, and the Iffin into a china cat.

The Crescent Moon, meanwhile, overshoots the Emerald City. So Roger gets the idea to turn the ship around and slowly replace the cork when they arrive at their destination, a plan that works when Salt grabs Ruggedo, making him drop the Stick, and Roger removes the Magic Belt from him. Peter introduces their rescuers and Ozma uses the Magic Belt to transform Ruggedo into a stone water jug. Removing the cuckoo bird from Pigasus' stomach, Clocker comes back to life and makes a run for it.

Ozma disenchants her friends and everyone listens to Peter and Salt's story. She learns from the pirates left to guard the gates that Ruggedo had transformed the remaining pirate and Octagon Islanders into cobblestones. After disenchanting them, Sixentwo begs Ato to forgive them for their conquering ambition. Ato does, but informs them that from now on, he will travel with Captain Salt aboard the Crescent Moon six months out of the year. Samuel is thrilled, but Ozma then decrees that he give up piracy to become the Royal Discoverer and Explorer of Oz, to "take possession of new countries and set the flag of Oz on far islands and mountain tops."

At the party that follows, Clocker is summoned and given to the Wizard to "replace his bad works with good ones." Ozma saves the magic items, except the Hardy-hood, which she gives to Roger. The Menankypoos are brought back out of the sea, along with their former king. Salt asks to see his former pirates, and the Magic Picture reveals them sailing aboard the Sea Lion, so Samuel decides to seek out new crewmates. Ozma secretly transforms his former crew into seagulls so that they can remain at sea, but no longer trouble anyone. Peter again asks to go home, and Ozma tells him to bring his grandfather the next time, sending him home with the pearls he found in Shell City.

Continuity Notes

Animal Cruelty: As is common in Thompson titles, there is a disregard for the lives of sentient animals, many who are quite close, species-wise to the books' protagonist counterparts. J.L. Bell notes that "Duck in all its forms seems especially popular on the CRESCENT MOON. Ato muses, "I'd rather have a roast duck, or an omelet" [ch 8]. Salt soon shoots two drakes, as Neill illustrates [ch 9]. The captain later looks for "duck eggs" [ch 11], and refers to his old pirate deputies as "trussed up like fowls on market day" [ch 16]. (In addition, Peter is unconscionably careless with the egg on Cascadia Island, which breaks with the very eggy smell of "brimstone" or sulfur [ch 15].) Even more remarkable, the men make all those comments in front of Roger, who's rather ducky himself. Perhaps Roger sees himself as unlike those other types of birds, the way we humans see ourselves as unlike other mammals. Still, it seems a bit heartless to make a bird read a recipe that begins, "First you take two eggs..." [ch 8]. But that's nothing to how Ato greets Pigasus: "He'll make splendid sandwiches." Peter insists, "Oh, no, he's not that kind of pig." So what sets Pigasus apart? The power of speech isn't what saves him from the cleaver. Rather, it's his power to make others speak in verse [ch 13]." This isn't quite reconciled, but in The Royal Explorers of Oz, the crew (and Roger) are much more sensitive and only eat meat that grows on trees and eggs that grow on plants. This would indicate that either the characters became more concerned about their fellow neighbors in Nonestica, or that Thompson's account is inaccurate. Given the general sensitivity with which these characters are shown to have, and the world that Baum establishes, the latter may be the more sensible conclusion.

Bananny Goat: This talking goat that produces copious bananas from his head claims to be the only one in existence. Ruth Berman, in the Pumperdink forum notes that "Her ecology must take some heavy-duty magic, as she is nourished by the skins of her own bananas. Considering his heavy appetite, and considering that Bilbil isn't around in goat-form anymore, I wonder if Rinkitink might have acquired her later from the Dork. That would explain how he can be glimpsed a-goatback in Lucky Bucky in Oz."

Captain Salt: This is the first appearance of Samuel Salt, the kindly pirate who becomes an explorer and loves to collect specimens. He will go on to appear in his own book Captain Salt in Oz, as well as Shipwrecked in Oz and The Royal Explorers of Oz quadrilogy.

Clocker, the Cuckoo Clock Man, and the Wise Man of Menankypoo: The origins of this clock-faced character, who is a kind of cyborg (as he's part flesh) are never stated, save that he gave the last king of the Menankypoos bad ideas and was exiled. Nor does he appear again in story despite that the Wizard was to "replace his bad works with good ones" so that he'd live in the Emerald City. His relationship with the wizard Kadj the Conqueror is also unknown, though it's possible that Kadj had constructed him.

Colonialism and Imperialism: Ozma's decree to Captain Salt to "take possession of new countries and set the flag of Oz on far islands and mountain tops" is essentially (and unfortunately) a model of colonialism, which is not only out of character for Ozma, but runs contrary to the major themes that Baum established for Oz, though it reflects well the conservative mindset of author Ruth Plumly Thompson. The Royal Explorers of Oz trilogy has all but Samuel regard this as repugnant, but doesn't otherwise reconcile why Ozma would have made such a statement until the fourth book in that series. Ozma intended this to be understood in the most altruistic manner possible, to spread the immortality and happiness of Oz to the countries and islands in the Nonestic, which is what happens as the deathlessness of Oz spreads. In this way, Ozma is actually fulfilling what Lurline started so many years ago.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in the summer (chapter 9) over the course of eight days. See the Day to Day Chronology for more info. There is internal contradictory evidence as to what year this book takes place, as the author notes in chapter 1 that Ruggedo had been wandering voiceless since Peter hit him with the Silence Stone (at the end of The Gnome King of Oz) "five years" earlier. That would seem to establish the date at five years after The Gnome King of Oz (which the Royal Timeline has at 1915). But in chapter 7, Peter himself states that he's only 11 years old. If this book was dated in 1920, according to information given in chapter 1, however, he should actually be 14 since he was nine at the time of The Gnome King of Oz. But if his stated age of 11 is to be taken at face value, it means that Ruggedo has been wandering two or three years at most, not five (which would make it an authorial exaggeration or error as it is the author and not character who states that), and that Pirates in Oz takes place shortly after Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. The Royal Timeline of Oz goes with the latter character statement rather than the one made by the author, and places this book in 1917 after Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz.

Discrepancy: As J.L. Bell notes in the BCF Pumperdink forum: "Thompson doesn't show us how Ruggedo's army got to the Emerald City (well, she says Clocker supplied a "way-word" for crossing the Desert, but implies the army marched the rest of the way, which would have been quite a feat on the feet). She's even more vague about how Clocker made himself and the Nome King invisible. And as for what happened to that magic by the time Peter arrived, she doesn't even acknowledge the question."

Es-Cape: As per The Tired Tailor of Oz, the magic Es-Cape was created by Jinnicky the Red Jinn of Ev.

Kadj the Conqueror: A wizard of Menankypoo whose cave Ruggedo discovers. Clocker, aka the Cuckoo Clock Man has been kept in his cave since being banished when the last king was put into the sea. Kadj's daughter is Cinderbutton the Witch, who invented (among other things) the magical Standing Stick. Cinderbutton makes an appearance in Umbrella Island in Oz.

King Ato and Roger the Read Bird: This is the first appearance of the kindly King Ato the Eighth of the Octagon Isle and his loyal companion Roger the Read Bird. Ato will become a regular cook and companion to Captain Salt aboard the ship the Crescent Moon, as Roger will be its lookout, and both will appear again in Captain Salt in Oz, as well as Shipwrecked in Oz, An Ozian Odyssey, and The Royal Explorers of Oz trilogy. Ato is said to be a thousand years old.

Imagi-Nation: This is the first occurrence of this term used by Thompson in an Oz book, and is contrasted against a "real country." Chapter 18. As King Ato is the one to say it, and he's known to read a lot (via Roger), it may be that he read the term in a book. His consternation includes the fear that if they reach a "real country," "no one will believe in us at all." This accords with the idea Thompson adds that "it is impossible to hurt or destroy beings as magically constructed" (chapter 4), an idea that was first spoken in The Giant Horse of Oz (see the note "Magically constructed") regarding the Munchkin royalty in the Ozure Isles. This idea contradicts Baum's, which expressly states that although Oz is deathless, beings can be destroyed. As Nathan points out, in countries outside Oz, "Evoldo, Gos, and Cor all presumably died in the ocean." Thompson seems to regard all the (human) residents of Nonestica as some kind of fairies, but this is, again, not how Baum envisioned them. On the other hand, she notes in chapter 2 that "in fairy countries, sovereigns are not destroyed or killed by such simple accidents," implying that perhaps more complex accidents might kill or destroy them. Thompson seems to have been seeing through a glass darkly in several matters.

Og: The Ogre of Oh-Go-Wan (Ogowan) later appears in Thompson's King Kojo comic strips (and book). First introduced here as Og (likely named after the giant Amorite king of Bashan in the book of Deuteronomy), he has been awakened by Peter Brown from a 500 year enchantment, and is charitable towards Peter and the crew of the Crescent Moon, who he successfully blows to the coast of Menankypoo, their chosen destination. He is considerably more ogre-ish in King Kojo.

Peter Brown: Following The Gnome King of Oz and Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, this book marks the final adventure of Peter (who gets his surname Brown here) in Oz. Once again, his main priority is getting back home to play baseball, and we learn that he goes to school at Philadelphia's Blaine School. While he has a softer side, he's characterized as belligerent and anxious to fight and employ violence. J.L. Bell notes that "He fires a cannon at Godorkas's castle boat without orders; Thompson first says this shot was 'across the enemy's bow,' but the 'gaping hole' in the castle wall show Peter aimed INTO the enemy's bow [ch 12, 13]. And he plans to fire those guns again [ch 14]." Given this, it is a surprise that Ozma later wants to make him a prince, but it's possible she was unaware of these details. It may explain why Peter ultimately does not become a permanent resident of Oz. His only later appearance is in the short story "The Two Peters" (Oziana 1987), in which he's an old man reading Pirates in Oz to his namesake grandson. (Note: There is yet an undiscovered manuscript by Henry Blossom called Peter Brown. See The Lost Books of Oz for more details).

Pigasus: This flying pig, upon whose back the rider spouts poetry, reappears in several stories, and has a starring role in The Wishing Horse of Oz. As J.L. Bell notes in the Pumperdink forum, "The Pigasus of WISHING HORSE also has a power that is not mentioned in PIRATES: the ability to read the minds of his riders. Why Thompson later decided to give the pig this power, of which there is no hint at all in the text of PIRATES," is unknown. Nathan M. Dehoff notes in the same forum that "the magic that lets Pigasus transform words into verse must have involved some kind of direct connection to thoughts, and Pigasus could just as well be conscious of the connection."

Pigusus' origins: J.L. Bell adds that "Pigasus doesn't seem to remember his origin or a life before being winged, which implies he was either formed as he is or transformed very young. (Most enchanted creatures in Oz preserve some memory of their earlier state.) I can imagine Jinnicky insisting that he'd do something only 'when pigs fly,' and then changing his mind and creating Pigasus to justify himself." In The Wishing Horse of Oz, Bitty describes Pigasus as a creation of Jinnicky. On page 53 of The Tired Tailor of Oz, the narrator says that Pigasus was "born and raised" in Jinnicky's castle, indicating that Pigasus started off life in the Red Jinn's keep, either born as a winged pig, or magically winged by Jinnicky at a young age. The amusing short "Vice Versa" (Oziana 2002) explores what happens when the doggerel-spouting Patchwork Girl rides the poetry-producing Pigasus.

Ruggedo: Chapter 2 notes that Ruggedo has existed for a 1,000 years and can see in the dark (chapter 3). At the end of this story, he's turned into a stone water jug with his face on it. Nathan Mulac Dehoff notes that "The former Nome King is also selling sunglasses, but there is no mention as to where he got them. I suppose he either made them himself or stole them, but this is not explained in the text."

Talking Beasts: While there are no talking animals in Menankypoo, Ruggedo notes that he misses the talking beasts of Oz and Ev. However, when Dorothy first came to Ev (in Ozma of Oz), there appeared to be no talking beasts there, save for Billina. This may reveal that talking animals across most of Nonestica is a relatively recent phenomena.

Untold event: In the 19th chapter, the Scarecrow explains that at the time Ruggedo and Clocker attacked, "Ozma and her councilors were... choosing a ruler for a new kingdom in the Gillikin country."

24th book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: When Sir Hokus of Pokes decides to go on an adventure, everyone in Oz wants to participate, much to the annoyance of Hokus who decides to sneak off discreetly. Heading into the Winkie country, where he thinks he might learn more of his lost history, he meets a night owl who tells him to mind his own business. He's then accosted by Getsom and Gotsom, two mud guards of Queen Marcia of Marshland. Hokus fells them with his sword and axe (though he reasons they'll regain their senses in a few hours), and then begins to attack the child-sized frog-goblins which try to pull him into the bog. As a giant turtle approaches, however, they flee. Hokus prepares to attack him as well, but the turtle introduces himself as Ploppa, and thinking him to be some kind of turtle-man, invites Hokus to ride upon him through the marsh. Hokus agrees and they pass by marshlanders and stick-in-the-muds.

The Queen's mudguards arrive and accost Hokus upon Ploppa's back and drag him off to meet the hideous Queen Marcia and her sister Mira, the Marchioness of Muckengoo. The queen has vowed to marry and make a king of the first stranger to enter her domain, having lost the last one who disappeared. Brought to an apartment to await the impending wedding, Hokus sees Ploppa out the window, but the turtle tells him to be patient. Queen Marcia bursts in the room, but at the Knight's refusal to marry her, she begins pummeling him. Hokus hears Ploppa's whistle and jumps out the window. The turtle had been destroying all the stilts so that no one can pursue them through the marsh.

Ploppa invites Hokus to stay with him in the swamp, but Hokus cannot as he craves adventure. Ploppa cries, but Hokus invites Ploppa to join him, but he cannot as he needs mud. So, Hokus says farewell, promising to visit anon.

Meanwhile, in Samandra, in the north part of the Winkie country, the Sultan of Samandra inquires whether his Grand Vizier Tuzzle has found the missing camel. Over the last ten years, neither he, nor Chinda the Chief Prophet and Seer have been successful in locating him. Chinda chides the Sultan, who 500 years ago conquered Corumbia and Corabia, for obsessing over a mere camel, and informs him that through his magic telescope he just discovered the camel is in the Emerald City. The Sultan promotes him to Magician Extraordinary and Grand Bozzywoz, and commands Tuzzle to board the Royal Sampan—with numerous slaves and treasures for Ozma—and sail down the Winkie River to the Emerald City to bring back his camel. The Sultan confides to his Pekinese Confido, the Imperial Puppy (who cannot speak, as true of all animals in Samandra), that it is not really the camel that he's after, but what's in the saddlesacks that was lost with the camel in a sandstorm a decade ago.

Arriving at the Emerald City, Tuzzle introduces himself to Ozma and explains his mission, but when they go to ask the Comfortable Camel if he wishes to return to his old master, he is nowhere to be found, and the Scarecrow assumes they are obtaining supplies for their adventure. Tuzzle declines to wait, however, choosing to return back up the Winkie River to consult the Sultan. Ozma goes to check the Magic Picture, but it's missing, so the Wizard decides he needs to finish perfecting his new searchlight.

On Long Island, meanwhile, ten-year old Speedy (Bill) and his Uncle Billy are preparing a rocket ship to go to Mars. But as Uncle Billy ignites the flying torpedo from without, he fails to enter it in time, and the rocket goes flying off into space with Speedy alone. Turning the wheel, the torpedo instead flies down into the earth, plummeting into the field behind Speedy's house and downward into the earth through rock strata, molten lava, and an oily sea with "phosphorescent fish and terrifying monsters." After that, the ship hits a rock, knocking Speedy out.

When he awakens, he finds himself in Subterranea, surrounded by a crowd of thin, greyish beings with metallic clothing and tall headdresses. His words echo loud like thunder and he's warned to speak softly. The crowd bows in obeisance when, astride a giant earthworm, comes the Shah bearing a scowling mask. His headman Rhomba announces the Shah, noting his 10 year reign, and queries the "upperdweller" about the hole in the sky. Speedy explains his story in detail, causing the Shah to change his mask twice, from blank surprise to boredom, after which he departs. Rhomba tells Speedy that he can stay if he fixes the hole and works on the realm's defenses, and if not, he'll be thrown to the fire fish of Lava Lake. Speedy protests that he can't even reach the hole, but this falls on deaf ears.

Another Subterranean, Zunda, befriends Speedy, who figures his uncle will organize a search party to retrieve him. Zunda offers him a tour of Subterranea and worms to eat, but Speedy declines the latter. Zunda takes him to the dark Underwood, but warns him that no one ventures past Lava Lake, as the Groper lives there, a blind dragon with excellent hearing. Speedy gets out his flashlight, anxious to explore. All the undergrounders dive for cover when it rains sunbeams, but it cheers Speedy. This soon changes when he hears the growl of a Groper, and he rushes into one of the caves.

Inside the cave, he trips on a fallen gold statue of a princess. When he raises the statue, it comes to life and speaks to him. Peter identifies her from the name on her dress as Princess Marygolden, but she doesn't seem to know much else. The Groper reappears and the two run to safety. Speedy decides not to expose her to any further danger, and thinks the Shah might be pleased at his discovery and explain to them how she winded up there, but when the Shah arrives he puts on masks of ferocity, a lion, tiger and goblin, and Speedy runs off with Marygolden to his rocketship, and the furious underdwellers attack. Speedy uses the parashuter, hoping it will lead them out of the hole in the sky, which it does, but then the ship departs from the original tunnel to dig its own way through the earth rock and sand.

Sir Hokus, meanwhile, unwittingly falls asleep under a Serpent Tree, and awakens to find himself wrapped in their coils. Singing a heroic song, he lulls them into a hypnotic state, which allows him to escape just in time to meet up with Camy, the Comfortable Camel, who'd been searching for him since he left the Emerald City. After traveling together awhile, Hokus goes to sleep again, but this time the field itself comes to life and starts flying across the country.

The Flying Field eventually deposits them in front of a dilapidated golden castle. Three statues blow trumpets as they enter, but searching the castle and forest reveal no sign of anyone. Even the animals cannot speak. Hungry, he digs through Camy's sacks and finds figs and old dates, which he devours. Throwing a date seed at some laughing crows upon a strange vine, the vine disenchants into a jester! The jester remembers little besides his name Peter Pun, but he wishes to accompany Hokus on whatever quest he's on. Hokus first searches for the other date seeds, but failing in this, he leads them to the bank of a river.

There, the Grand Vizier Tuzzle is approaching on a slave-rowed ship, and spotting Camy, throws a rope around his neck and hauls him away after the ship. Because of his weighty armor, Hokus is unable to stop him, so he attempts to follow by going around the course of the river, but is just too slow to keep up. Camy then recalls his past days in Samandra, but he cannot cry out in protest as he finds he can no longer speak. Resolving to escape the first chance he gets, he allows himself to be brought before the Sultan. The Sultan is at first overjoyed, but he soon grows enraged when he discovers that the hidden dates are gone. Approaching Chinda with the news that it was the package the camel was carrying that he wanted, Chinda looks through the magic telescope and tells him that he'll find part of what he seeks in the middle of the night.

Speedy and Marygolden, meanwhile, burst through the crust of the earth, and find themselves surrounded by twelve thin, silver-clad, silver hooded Quix, who dance and proclaim him their king. After their former king left them, their Book of Stars predicted that a young man would come from underground who's quick to fight, run and lose his temper, and whose name means Swift. As Speedy matches this description, the Chief Counselor Hurreewurree pronounces him king of the Quix, but to be crowned he must first catch the castle, which like all the buildings of Quick City, move around.

As they reach the castle, Speedy notices something more disturbing. Hurreewurree and all twelve of those who found him begin growing old at a rapid rate. But then, just as suddenly, they began growing young again, and then start growing old again. After Speedy is crowned, the very same thing begins happening to him! He tells Marygolden to remove his crown the moment he's the same age (he doesn't want to be too old to miss "the fun of college"). She does and he stops aging and de-aging, and they escape Quick City to a forest where nothing shoots up and down.

Speedy throws a rock at a chestnut, which when it falls down grows to immense side, and then bursts open to reveal a chestnut steed. To Speedy's astonishment, the horse, Stampedro, introduces himself and says he belongs to the Yellow Knight, but owes a debt of gratitude to Speedy for disenchanting him. Speedy asks him to take them to the United States, but when the horse discovers that it's a place where horses don't talk and are ordered about like slaves, he declines, suggesting instead to find the Yellow Knight who can help point them the way home. Speedy and Marygolden mount him and ride off until Stampedro sees a basket floating down the river filled with food, which the young people eat. Written on the basket is the name Samandra, which Stampedro remembers as the only country in Oz where the animals don't speak, and that it lies near the home of the Yellow Knight. Just then Hokus comes into view, and Speedy wonders aloud if it's the Yellow Knight. Stampedro dejectedly says no, for his master was young and hale in gold armor, not old and thin in silver.

The adventurers share their stories, as Hokus notes that the stone Speedy threw had the same disenchanting effect as the date he'd thrown, and Peter Pun remembers that Stampedro belongs to the son of the king of the golden castle, who is the Yellow Knight. Although the horse can no longer speak now that they're in Samandra, he begins to recall more as well. Speedy agrees to see their quest through, and figures out that whoever stole Camy knew about the magical dates, which Hokus now realizes must have been with the camel when he discovered him ten years earlier. So, upon Stampedro's back, the four head to rescue Camy, bursting into the Sultan's palace to demand his return. The Sultan figures out that Chinda's prophecy was true, as one date was in the "middle of the knight," and calls his spearman who surround them, but Speedy abducts his dog Confido, while Stampedro jumps out a window.

Speedy finds his way up a spiral staircase to Chinda's room and peeks into the magic telescope just as he wonders where the dates are. The magic tunnel show him they're in the forest he'd just left in a squirrel's nest in a hollow tree. Escaping with a rope down the window, Speedy meets back up with Marygolden, Peter Pun and Stampedro. Although Hokus is still in the castle, Speedy convinces Stampedro to bring him back to the forest to retrieve the dates. Once he has them, the group realize they must touch an enchanted person with them. The only problem is they can't search the forest forever. Speedy tells them that's why he brought Confido, as the little dog knows all of the Sultan's secrets. The Pekinese won't talk, though, until Marygolden promises to be his master and feed him chicken hearts, at which point he whispers to her the secret.

Planting the date seed, they await the arrival of the palm tree that will bring forth all six of the enchanted dates. Impatiently, Speedy waits atop the mound, which shoots up like a tall oak, carrying him with it. Suddenly, Hokus and Camy arrive, and the tree begins to shrink back into the ground as Peter Pun has gathered all the dates. Confido tells him to eat the smallest date and bury the red seed. Speedy does so, revealing the forest itself disenchanting as trees and bushes become knights and maidens, until the king and queen of Corumbia themselves joyfully reunite and look for their son the Yellow Knight. They head triumphantly to the castle, but are sad to see it in ruins with no sign of their son. Confido tells the king to eat the smallest date and throw the seed into the fire. At that, the castle is restored to how it was five hundred years ago. But the Yellow Knight cannot be disenchanted till morning when the queen must eat the last seed and throw it from the highest tower. So, they have a grand feast and go to sleep.

When the time comes at last, the queen throws the date seed out the window, revealing that her son, Corum the Yellow Knight of Corumbia, is Sir Hokus. No longer an old man, Corum is restored to his youthful self in golden armor. As he and a joyful Stampedro recall that their last quest was to win the hand of a neighboring princess, off they go!

Camy tells Speedy and Marygolden that they should follow, and they find him again in Corabia, which is as dilapidated as Corumbia had been. Camy scolds him, but the former Hokus doesn't seem to remember who they are. Confido tells them that Corabia was similarly enchanted, only not as trees and bushes, but as fishes and frogs. Speedy then realizes that's what the extra dates are for. Quickly, he swallows the smallest and tosses the pit into the river, transforming the frogs and fishes into people.

The king of Corabia is overjoyed at being restored, and Speedy explains to him about the enchanted dates. So the king eats the next smallest date and tosses the pit into the fire, restoring his silver castle and country. Corum strides out, explaining that he's come to win the heart of the princess, but so have several others. Confido says the she will not be disenchanted until the contest is won. The king announces that under three trap doors is a seven-headed hydra, a poisonous gas, and a passageway to the princess's chamber. All the knights, except Corum, depart back to their kingdoms. Corum chooses the correct passage, but the king asks him to examine the others, and they turn out to be grass, a trick to ensure that the suitor of his daughter be loyal and brave. So, he is instructed to eat the last date and place the seed on the ledge of the tower. At once, the Princess of Corabia is disenchanted, revealing herself to be Marygolden.

The king and queen of Corumbia arrive and a grand party begins. Feeling left out and sad, Speedy and Camy prepare to leave, but the pair are given a grand honor, and the couple reassure them that they remember them and are grateful for all their help. Camy is invited to be one of Hokus' steeds and Speedy to have half the kingdom, but he just wants to get back home. Ozma and Dorothy arrive, finding out that Hokus had hidden the Magic Picture so they wouldn't follow him. But with the Wizard's searchlight now perfected, they were able to. Ozma and Dorothy greet the royal families, and are shocked to find Sir Hokus now a young prince.

Soon everyone is exchanging stories. To answer remaining mysteries, Ozma summons forth the Sultan of Samandra, who is nervous to be in Ozma's presence and admits that he was the black knight who challenged Sir Hokus to combat with forbidden magic, enchanted him, and sent him to Pokes. He also enchanted Marygolden and sent her to the Shah of Subterranea, and conquered the friendly neighboring dominions. Ozma leaves his fate to the royals of Corumbia and Corabia, but they show mercy and ask that Ozma take away his magic, return all he'd stolen and force him to remain within his domain for five hundred years. Sending him away, the marriage takes place, and Speedy is knighted by both kingdoms. With the Magic Belt, Ozma sends him back to his home on Long Island, where Uncle Billy is not surprised to see him safe and sound and back home. Speedy tells him his story, and Uncle Billy says he'll complete his new rocket so they can return to Oz.

Continuity Notes

Coincidences: As with several other Oz books, there are a number of coincidences that play into the larger story. The Yellow Knight of Oz is particularly replete with them. David Hulan in the Pumperdink forums points out five coincidences in the story:

1. The Flying Field dumps Sir Hokus off within sight of the castle where he was born.

2. Speedy's improbable trip in the rocket ship (leave aside the impossibility of what it did...) ends up in the near vicinity of the enchanted Princess Marygolden.

3. The Parashoot takes Speedy and Marygolden to the surface within a dozen miles or so of the castle where she was born.

4. Sir Hokus flips a date stone into a random bush and it just happens to hit the one his father's jester had been turned into.

5. Speedy similarly just happens to disenchant Sir Corum's favorite horse.

These coincidences, rather than detract from the story, can be said to reveal a kind of Providential hand who assists in righting the wrongs done years earlier. The late Rich Morrissey, on the BCF Pumperdink forums, offers another possibility, with "the Sultan's spell containing (figuratively and literally) the seeds of its dissolution. The magic was already at work to bring enough individuals and talismans together at the place where the disenchantment could take place, and was probably at work as early as the events of ROYAL BOOK, when Sir Hokus and the Comfortable Camel (the latter bearing the enchanted dates all along, as it turned out) met and bonded with each other before moving into Ozma's palace."

Dating: The events of this story take place in May over the course of six days. See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more information. Although many date the year of this book in relation to Charles Lindbergh's famous flight, which is mentioned in the text, the reference is made by the author, not by a character, which means the narrative is not tied to the year of Lindbergh's flight. The Yellow Knight mentions that it's been ten years since the events of The Royal Book of Oz. See that entry for the year of this story.

Flying Field: The Flying Field in the Winkie Country is the fourth sentient or sapient road/contrivance in Oz. The first was a rolling road in the Winkie country in The Royal Book of Oz. The second was the Runaway Road, also in the Winkie country, in Grampa in Oz. The third is the Winding Road in the Emerald City in The Hungry Tiger of Oz. The fourth is the Footpath in The Gnome King of Oz. The fifth will be the River Road in the Quadling Country in The Purple Prince of Oz. The sixth will appear in Ojo in Oz.

Marshland: As per The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, Marshland is located in the Great Winkie Marsh.

Marygolden: The Princess of Corabia was enchanted into a statue for 500 years and hidden in Subterranea until Speedy stumbled across her. As David Hulan points out in the Pumperdink forums: "Marygolden is the most fully realized female character Thompson invented to date. Peg Amy is nice, but one-dimensional; Urtha is even more one dimensional; and while Shirley Sunshine had some potential she wasn't on stage enough to really come through satisfactorily as a person. Thompson later did even better with Gureeda, Mandy, and Planetty (and in a way Jellia, since Baum really never developed her character to the extent Thompson did in _Ozoplaning_, though Thompson didn't invent her)." Princess Marygolden appears again briefly in the upcoming The Haunted Castle of Oz.

Ploppa: A giant turtle that lives in Marshland who befriended Sir Hokus and helped him escape from Queen Marcia. Ploppa is grieved at his parting from Sir Hokus, but the knight promises to visit with him again. Whether he makes good on his promises, which seems fitting for the character, is never told in story.

Quick City: After their king departed, the thin, silver-clad people of Quix consulted their Book of Stars which accurately predicted the coming of a young man from underground whose quick to run, fight and lose his temper, and whose name means Swift, descriptions which all match Speedy. Quick City features moving buildings, not unlike Fix City (in The Royal Book of Oz) which featured moving furniture. Even more strikingly, in Quick City, the residents rapidly age to a point, and then de-age to an infant before growing older again. How this city got this way is unknown, but in The Tired Tailor of Oz, it appears they later find their rightful king in Quigeroo. Many years later, the Tin Woodman later brings a young girl to Quick City who discovers she made a mistake in aging, when the young man she loved marries another (Fairy Wand of Oz). This would indicate that one could actually grow younger in Oz.

Samandra, Corumbia and Corabia: The Samandrans are "one of the most ancient races in Oz... Most of the Samandrans are more than seven centuries old," and have not aged in all that time. Five hundred years prior to the events of this story, the Sultan conquered the two neighboring kingdoms of Corumbia and Corabia; enchanting the citizens and stealing their treasures, he left the cities to fall into ruin. As Corum was two hundred years old at the time he left to win the hand of the Princess of Corabia, it seems that Corumbia and Corabia are also ancient and also fell under the immortality spell alongside neighboring Samandra. Yet, as Stampedro can speak, it appears that only Samandra had non-speaking animals, a mystery that's not yet been solved. Talking animals also cease speaking when they enter Samandra, however they do not lose their reasoning capacity and sapience. In Toto of Oz, the Sand Witch Pita notes that only Water Magic can prevent an animal speaking in Oz. How Water Magic was used in Samandra, however, is not yet known.

Slaves: At the end of the story, Ozma doesn't seem to do much to alleviate this situation for the animals in Samandra, nor to free the slaves the Sultan utilizes. This is in keeping with Thompson's seemingly hideous ideal that certain people were born to be slaves, for the same situation is left unresolved in The Gnome King of Oz, Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, The Purple Prince of Oz and The Silver Princess in Oz, although this story is the only scenario where Ozma personally sees slaves, which elicits from her "curiosity." Given Ozma's personality and high moral stance, it seems likely that she later handled the situation offscreen or in a later story.

Speedy: This is the first appearance of Speedy (proper name Bill) who is ten-years old and hails from Long Island, where he apparently lived with his uncle Billy, who is a genius inventor of a rocket ship that he believed would take them to Mars and back. Speedy recognizes that he's quick-tempered, but is otherwise provincial, and is surprised that Marygolden doesn't conform to the stereotypes of females that he holds. He develops a crush on Marygolden and keeps insisting that she's coming home with him to America, but like his prejudices, this idea is thwarted upon her final reveal. Similar to Peter, Speedy departs Oz and returns again years later to star in his own book Speedy in Oz. Unlike Peter, Speedy is confronted with sexual issues. As J.L. Bell on the Pumperdink forums points out, "He and Marygolden start to talk about going to America immediately after he cuts off her skirts with his pocket knife [ch 14]. In any Hollywood movie made under the Hays Office code (imagine Clark Gable cutting Claudette Colbert's skirt), that act would have a clear symbolic meaning: sex. Of course, sometimes a knife is just a knife. And sometimes it's what a boy uses to plant his seed in the ground [ch 17]. What's the next thing we see after Speedy does that? A tree trunk rises out of the ground like a "great greasy pole," produces more seeds out its top, and then subsides back. On a symbolic level, Speedy's form of masculinity, and his response to Marygolden's femininity, clearly includes a sexual dimension." Speedy's final appearance is in Ruth Waara's Umbrella Island in Oz, which provides a fitting conclusion to his story-arch by providing him, at last, with Princess Gureeda who he'd met in Speedy in Oz.

Subterranea: Subterranea is one of nine possible kingdoms underneath the northern Winkie country of Oz (see "Underworld.") Ruled for the past ten years by the Shah who because he's saving his voice, instead uses various masks to express himself. Radium "stars" in the ceiling provide light. Lava Lake boils in the dark Underwood, which is the royal hunting grounds and home of dragons. It is filled with giant mushrooms, twisted trees and mysterious caves. No one goes past the lake, as the Groper lives there, a blind dragon who has excellent hearing. There are hot springs and geysers as well. Somehow, Subterranea gets occasional "rainstorms" of sunbeams. How this is remotely possible is unknown, but there must be an artificial sun in the level immediately above them. Similarly, the Shah's ten years of rule is likely not measured in solar years, but this is not explicit. The statue of Marygolden has either been in his keeping for 500 years, or one of his predecessors, though why he grows angry at its disenchantment isn't quite explicitly known.

Uncle Billy: Speedy's uncle from Long Island, William Harmstead, is described by Speedy as a "famous scientist," yet, as this doesn't appear to be the case, it seems likely that he either told Speedy that. He may perhaps be more accurately described as a rogue scientist. Given that there was no known technology able to make even unmanned landings to the moon, let alone Mars, until 1959, Uncle Billy was either many decades ahead of his time, or was able to utilize some kind of magic. The fact that he is completely nonplussed at Speedy's return, or the story of his adventures in the Underworld of Oz, seems to indicate that the latter might be the case. Uncle Billy appears again briefly in Speedy in Oz.

Underworld: The Subterranean Zunda explains that there are nine levels to the Underworld: Neath, Underneath, Low, Below, Down, Upside Down, Farther Down, Allthewaydown and Subterranea. It is unknown if any of the Subterraneans ever visited these other realms, of if this is simply what they've been taught (as the text implies). There is clearly magic involved for Speedy to have gone deep through the ground in Long Island, New York, and then come back up into Oz. His passing a strata of gold, copper, coal, silver, lava, and an underground sea with phosphorescent fish and monsters demonstrates that he left the outside world and through a dimensional gate ended up in the underworld of Oz. Whether this magic was part of his uncle's rocketship or something else (a hidden gate at the very spot the rocketship hit when it descended unto the ground) is not yet known.

Violence: The Yellow Knight engages in acts of violence against Getsom and Gotsom, the mud guards of the Queen of Marshland, and some Samandrans. In the former case, he speculates that they'll "regain their senses" in a few hours, which seems to indicate that Hokus (as well as Thompson) recognizes that no one can die in Oz. For Hokus, this seems to give him free reign to use violence as he sees fit, and he goes even beyond this, seeking out the destruction of dragons (one of which he destroyed in The Royal Book of Oz).

Yellow Knight: Corum, the prince and son of the King of Corumbia, is disenchanted after 500 years, the last ten of which were spent in the Emerald City as Sir Hokus of Pokes. That he continues to be referred to by his former name Sir Hokus has much to do with how the Ozites he knew him as such regard him. Ozma notes that his eyes are the same, and he has the same gentle manner, but it's clear that some of his more obnoxious, violence-loving traits seem to have left him as Corum. He continues to appear in various Oz stories.

Oz book number 26 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: When Randy, a young stranger from the mountains, is caught eating the royal grapes of Pumperdink (first introduced in Kabumpo in Oz) and calls them sour, King Pompus orders him dipped in the well. Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant intervenes and makes him his attendant. A week later, Kabumpo tells Randy the story of how Prince Pompadore and Peg Amy met. In the royal hall, Kabumpo and Randy meet Kettiwig, King Pompus brother, but he takes offence at the elephant's reference to him as "brother." The coming of the magician Nishibis soon gets everyone's attention until one of the spells makes the royal family disappear. Over Kabumpo's protests, Nishibis proclaims Kettiwig the new king of Pumperdink.

The wizard's magic nearly consumes Kabumpo, who's saved by Randy, and the elephant and boy depart Pumperdink for Follensby Forest, where they spend the night. Kabumpo decides that rather than head to the Emerald City to have Ozma and the Wizard rescue the royal family, he will do it himself.

Coming upon the hut of the evil fairy Faleero, Kabumpo decides to see if there's any food, but discovers Nishibis is there with three witches. It is soon revealed that Nishibis is actually Faleero in disguise, and she prepares to marry Kettiwig to become queen of Pumperdink.

Departing from the forest, the pair come across a soothsayer. Kabumpo pays him a pearl and he predicts that a person of high rank is heading to the Emerald City, but that they will find what they seek in the castle of the Red Jinn. Assuming that this is in the Quadling country, Kabumpo and Randy head south. Choosing one of the three roads to the river, they end up swept up by a raging River Road which carries them down a waterfall and into an underground cavern. There it subsides and Kabumpo swims for the shore. At the back of the cavern is a metal wall, which the elephant leans upon, causing it to open into a cavern, within which is a fire fountain. As the pair warm themselves by it, fifty-one smaller doors open in the wall, and with an explosive shot, fifty torpedoes come flying at them. Kabumpo braces himself for his imminent destruction, but then one of the torpedoes speaks!

The pair meet Torpedra, Queen of Torpedo Town, a community of torpedomen and women, who have iron-clad bodies, no legs (since they can fly through some kind of propulsion system), and arms made of fire. A torpedodo bird lives with them that has wings and claws of fire. Kabumpo tells them their story since leaving Pumperdink, but the queen doubts its existence and the bird agrees he's never heard of such a place. Torpedra decrees that Kabumpo will be the royal riddler, promising to riddle him and pass them through the fire fountain.

After she and her subjects decide to go back into their holes to torpedoze, Randy and Kabump press against the metal door to try and escape, but the bird reveals that the door only opens once every 100 years. When a firestorm erupts, Kabumpo orders Randy underneath him, protecting him from the fiery drops which burn away his cloak. After it passes, Randy finds an iron ring hidden in a wall and pulls it, summoning the Dodo bird, who must obey the ringer of the bell. They demand he show them the way out, and tapping on the north wall, a passage opens allowing them to depart.

The tunnel leads to Stair Way, a community of step-relations who go up and down stairs all day, ruled by King Kumup and Queen Godown. When the king shouts "come up," the people move up the stairs, and when the queen shouts "go down," they move down. Kabumpo and Randy continue up the stairs, despite the queen's orders, past the step-castles, and escape Stair Way to the silver mine of the Delves. Queen Delva invites them to help dig for silver, but when Kabumpo refuses, the Queen threatens to bore them to death, and summons her army of Delves. Kabumpo and Randy rush ahead and enter an elevator which takes them up to the Gillikin country. Kabumpo knocks on the door of a nearby castle, but it proves to the castle of Nandywog the giant.

Nandywog brings them inside his castle, but treats them with hospitality, explaining that he's lonely because no one will speak to him or treat him as a fellow being because they fear him. And at only 20 feet tall, he is the littlest giant in Oz. As Nandywog's servant Kojo brings food to his guests, Nandywog explains that when his people cast him off Big Top Mountain, he came to Tripedalia, where live the round, ruddy and three-legged Trip-Pedals The elephant and boy explain their journey and invite Nandywog along. He declines, so they promise to return to visit with him again.

Heading south, they pass through Rubber City, where live the Squee Gees, a rubbery people who bounce about and need to be squeezed in order to talk. They're friendly at first, but when Randy plucks a rubber flower, they grow indignant and Kabumpo bounces he and Randy out of their city. They pass the Emerald City into the Quadling country, stopping at a Guide Post Man, who points northwest to the Red Jinn's castle. Kabumpo ignores him, insisting it's to the south, but when Randy tells him to take them to the Red Jinn's castle, the Guide Post Man picks them up and flies them there.

In Regalia, meanwhile, Hoochafoo, the uncle of the prince worries about the prince, who has been gone for eight days. The Wise Man Chalulu tries to assuage his fears, but with the abdication of the prince's fathers, they know is up to the prince to prove his worthiness to the throne and pass the seven tests, including 1. making true friends, 2. serving a strange king, 3. saving a queen, 4. displaying bravery in battle, 5. overcoming a monster, 6. disenchanting a princess and 7. receiving magic treasure from a wizard. When the amethyst ball flashes, revealing that one of the tests has just been fulfilled, Hoochafoo and Chalulu rejoice.

At the Red Jinn's castle, Randy tells Jinnicky their story. Recognizing that Faleero used red magic to enchant the royal family, Jinnicky agrees to help, but when Kabumpo attempts to buy him with a small bag of jewels, the Red Jinn grows incensed and shows them all the barrels of rubies in his possession. Randy, however, talks him back into helping them. As the elephant won't fit into the Jinrikisha, they decide to walk (upon Kabumpo's back). Addie, Jinnicky's hissing adder, adds up their provisions, while Alibabble, his Grand Advizier, insists he get a haircut. The Red Jinn finally concedes, but gives Alibabble a haircut first.

Departing at last, Kabumpo races to get to the Deadly Desert. A storm arrives, leaving a rainbow in its wake, with Polychrome on the rim. After hearing their story, she invites them to cross the Desert over the rainbow, which Kabumpo is at first reluctant to do. Once in the Winkie country, Jinnicky provides magic red glasses for Kabumpo's head which lead its wearer to whatever they want to find. Kabumpo rushes along to Pumperdink, but runs headlong into a combinoceros, a creature with the body of a dragon and head of a rhinoceros. Randy grasps his sword to protect himself, but when Jinnicky pulls the glasses off Kabumpo's head, she stops short, and Randy flies off the elephant, landing on the combinoceros's neck, sword first, overcoming the creature.

After a meal, Kabumpo leads them to the city of Double-Up, but the approaching band of musicians use trick horns to strike Kabumpo and Randy, and cause Jinnicky to dive into his jar. Awaking in the city, they discover that the citizens are called Doublemen and are two-faced (a face on either side of their head, both of which speak contradictory things) They're soon brought before King Too Too the Second, King, King, Double King, who makes them slaves and orders the Red Jinn's jar cracked. Randy is thrown in the dungeon, but in the early morning he finds Jinnicky, who'd escaped in the might whilst they were feasting, and used his bottle of blue incense to render them insensible (a magic that only works after 3AM). After finding Kabumpo, they depart the "hateful city," and with the glasses' magic, head to a river, where Jinnicky tosses a magic flower pot which grows into a tree that topples across the river, creating a bridge. From there they proceed into the Gillikin country.

In Pumperdink, meanwhile, after the wedding of Kettywig and Faleero, the wicked fairy banishes singing, music, dancing and games. Even laughter is a punishable offense. As she takes full control of the kingdom and bullies Kettywig, he comes to regret his bargain with her. Finally, General Quakes leaves Pumperdink for the Emerald City, where he discovers that Ozma and the Wizard had left for Glinda's to celebrate her 100th anniversary as rule of the Quadlings. So he marches there instead.

Kabumpo and his friends, meanwhile, encounter an army of 11 foot wooden soldiers who fire upon them. Jinnicky throws up a magic vase which turns into a giant protective covering. Their master Ozwoz the Wonderful, who deems himself a wozard, invites them to his castle. Kabumpo refuses, but Randy and Jinnicky are curious to learn about the wooden soldiers, of which Ozwoz has 2,000. At the castle, he treats his guests well, even doing magic tricks with Jinnicky. He agrees to trade the first of his wooden soldiers, Johnwan (John One) for the Red Jinn's magic cookie jar. Departing with it and the controller that make him perform up to seven tasks, they arrive at last at Pumperdink.

The citizens gather around them, cheering, but when Kabumpo grabs Faleero, she casts a spell knocking him and Randy to the ground, where the controller accidentally activates Johnwan to pick up Faleero and march off. Randy searches for the controller, in vain, and worries that Johnwan will fall into the Deadly Desert. In the royal dining hall, Jinnicky takes out his bottle of yellow incense and commands the rulers of Pumperdink to reappear. Nothing happens, though, leading him to realize they've been transformed. They confront Kettywig, who'd been earlier locked in the tower by his wife, but he proves to have no magical knowledge. Then the Wizard, Ozma, the Scarecrow, Jack Pumpkinhead, Dorothy and General Quakes arrive. The Wizard is concerned that the Red Jinn will have already solved the mystery, and Jinnicky is upset the Wizard will take credit for solving the case, so he and Randy depart for Follensby Forest and the hut of Faleero.

In Faleero's hut, Randy lights a fire in the fireplace using Jinnicky's red incense, but as the fire starts, one of the logs starts to scream and the face of Prime Minister Pumper appears on the log. The other members of the royal family also appear and Randy rushes to get water, but Jinnicky stops him, warning that they'll stay as half-logs forever if he does that, as the only way to un-transform those turned into wood is to burn it. He does so, and still smoking, the royal family emerge unharmed. Jinnicky tells them about Kettywig and Faleero's treachery. Thinking again of Johnwan, Randy takes Jinnicky's glasses and heads off, while Prime Minister Pumper slips away and isn't seen again.

The Red Jinn and royal family return to the castle, where the Wizard has been attempting one spell after another. Jinnicky insists that Randy get the credit, and he and Kabumpo leave to search for him. Randy, meanwhile, uses the glasses to find the controller, and with it, has the wooden soldier march back. When Faleero awakens in Johnwan's arms, Ozma transforms her into a raven. Her ladies-in-waiting flee to her hut in the forest, and all attention turns to Kettywig who is lectured and sent home.

At the party that follows, Ozma takes note of the Double-King, Dorothy of the little giant Nandywog, the Scarecrow of the Guide Postman and the Wizard of Torpedo Town. The Wizard and Jinnicky become friends, while Pompus offers Randy a princedom and permanent place in Pumperdink. Jinnicky goes further, offering to make Randy his sole heir, but then Hoochafoo and Chalulu burst through the windows by the magic of the amethyst ball, announcing Randy (Randywell Handywell Brandenburg Bompadoo) as Prince of the Purple Mountains and King of Regalia. Chalulu explains that Regalian Law determines the prince must go on an adventure without aid to fulfill the conditions of the scroll without knowing the nature of the seven tasks.

Randy bids farewell to his tearful companions, promising to run away to see them. Jinnicky and Kabumpo vow to spend three months of every year with Randy in Regalia, starting in a month and a day. With that Jinnicky departs with Johnwan (to duplicate him for his own army, after which he plans to give him to Randy) by means of the magic dinner bell. King Pompus makes General Quakes his new prime minister and commander of his army and promises Kabumpo anything he wants.

Continuity Notes

Big Top Mountain: Big Top Mountain, in the Quadling Country, was the original home of Nandywog, the littlest giant in Oz, who was exiled from the mountain years ago. Big Top Mountain is also known as Huge Mountain, and is the original home of the sixty-foot giant Orlando, who though hidden away in the Winkie Country by his mother, is the crown prince, as he is the fourth son of the wicked and deceased giant Enormous II, who ruled as king of Big Top Mountain until his death. His first three sons were also destroyed due to their wickedness. See The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2: Tippetarius in Oz.

Dating: This story takes place in May (chapter 15) over the course of 11 days. See the Day to Day Chronology for more info. The year of this story is uncertain. The earliest date it can occur is 1918, since it takes place after Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, and must be at least a year after that story (1917), as Jinnicky mentions learning about its events a year later. Due to factors relating to this book's sequel, The Silver Princess in Oz, which takes place six years later, The Royal Timeline of Oz places this story in 1920. As Princess Pajonia is four years old, this date would indicate that Prince Pompadore and Princess Peg Amy (first introduced in Kabumpo in Oz) conceived her in the tenth year of their marriage (which took place in 1910). Also, as Glinda celebrates her 100th anniversary as ruler of the Quadlings, that places her ascension to the Quadling throne in 1820.

Death in Oz: In her first full acknowledgment of Baum's conception of death in Oz, Thompson notes in chapter 13 that "In Oz there is no death. People and animals can be overcome for a time, but not forever..." How this bodes for those animals which she has her characters eat is not quite known, but it does go some way towards softening the violent actions of Hokus of Pokes, Grampa and others in her books.

Delves: The Delves later attempt to destroy the Emerald City in the Oziana 1995 story "A Princess in Oz," where they're identified as rock fairies, not dissimilar to Gnomes. Their name is somewhat of a misnomer, as they have no connection to Elves, but are under the rule of Queen Delva, and are thus named. Unlike Nomes, the Delves eat worms and grubs, and their primary quarry is silver.

Faleero: This evil fairy is first mentioned in Kabumpo in Oz as an old and ugly fairy, but it is not until this story that she takes action against Pumperdink. Faleero's back-story can be found in Nathan Mulac DeHoff's short story "The Banishment of Faleero." This is the only evil fairy to appear in any of the original Oz books, where she's also referred to as an "old witch," and is surrounded by three similar witch "ladies in waiting." By story's end, she is transformed by Ozma into a raven. In The Red Jinn in Oz, Faleero returns to her old human form after having spent years tracking down the magic she needs to disenchant herself. Her companions are not the "ladies-in-waiting" from this story, but are her sister Falingo, whose also a fallen fairy, her servant Dubra (who is an ordinary human forced into the conspiracy), and her husband Kettywig. Faleero's ladies-in-waiting do appear in the Oziana 2000 story, "The Invisible Fairy of Oz," where they're also revealed to be wicked fairies, named Claudia, Audia and Fraudia. There, after having worked under cover as Princess Pajonia's ladies-in-waiting, they help Faleero advance the plot against Pumperdink.

Jinnicky the Red Jinn: First introduced in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, Jinnicky is given a name and starring role here. Alibabble is first introduced, and the location of the Red Jinn's palace is noted as being in Ev. The glass sea is retconned as being the coast of the Nonestic with none of the prior descriptive elements present. Jinnicky says he's been "jarred" all his life, which brings to mind the Cookywitch's jarred subjects in Preservatory (in The Cowardly Lion of Oz). Jinnicky mentions the dinner-bell found by Jack and Peter in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, which he says he learned about a year later.

Kabumpo's origins: In the first chapter, it's noted that Kabumpo was given to Pumperdink's King Pompus "Oz ages ago by a famous Blue Emperor." The identity of this mysterious Blue Emperor is revealed in The Blue Emperor of Oz to be the former King Ozroar, who is King Pompus's brother. Where Kabumpo originally comes from, prior to being gifted by Ozroar to Pompus, is not noted.

Ozwoz: Despite practicing magic in Oz, which he justifies by semantics, calling himself a wozard instead of a wizard, and the creation of a deadly army of 2000 wooden soldiers, Ozma is not shown in the text to have any concern over this. However, the fact that there is no further mention of Ozwoz or his soldiers in the original series may indicate that Ozma, in fact, took a very serious look at this wozard and his army.

Pumperdink: It appears that after several years, Prince Pompadore and Peg Amy came to live (with their daughter Princess Pajonia) in Pumperdink.

Rainbows: Long before Judy Garland's Dorothy sang "Over the Rainbow" in the MGM musical Wizard of Oz, Thompson used rainbows as means of transportation to Oz in both Grampa in Oz and this book.

Regalia: This Gillikin kingdom boasts a straight succession of kings over the course of a thousand years. Randy's father not only abdicates, but abandons his family, as J.L. Bell in the Pumperdink forums notes, "'The King...has chosen to retire from the throne and pursue the life of a hermit in the mountains' [133]. We don't seem to hear anything at all about Randy's mother. He clearly has the support of his uncle Hoochafoo, who makes a good contrast to Pompa's uncle Kettywig (Hoochafoo is also the previous king's brother and possibly next in line for the throne, but he wants to see his nephew successful and safe)." Randy's surliness early in the book can be seen as emotional turmoil from the departure of his father. Randy returns again, six years later, in The Silver Princess of Oz.

Betsy Bobbin of Oz

Synopsis: On Betsy's birthday, Ozma lends her the Magic Belt so that she can make a wish. Betsy thinks of her parents, lost in the tornado that destroyed them and their home in Lake Grove, Oklahoma. Then she wishes for a doll that can do anything. At that, her old doll Pearl appears, much to astonishment of all present. But just as quickly, Betsy and Pearl are whisked off to Limbo. With the Belt, however, Betsy wishes them back to Oz, where they end up in the Winkie Country.

Pearl had heard a voice say they were summoned from the Silkies in Silk City. They meet a living firelog called the Lively Fire, whom Dr. Pipt had inadvertently brought to life whilst fashioning a doll for Margolette (who didn't want a wooden doll) with the Powder of Life. The Lively Fire can take them to Silk City, which is inside Volcano Mountain, west of the Winkie River, at the edge of the Deadly Desert. First, however, he warns Pearl not to play with the Yellow Poppies, as they're explosive. Crossing the Winkie River thanks to some Card Fish playing Bridge, they arrive at Volcano Mountain, and discover that a giant silkworm is blocking the entrance to the mountain at its base. He is the one that sent them to Limbo, as he has no desire to move after a hundred years of supplying the Silkies with silk. Betsy explains that the volcano is threatening to blow, which could destroy everyone trapped inside, but the giant silkworm doesn't care.

The Lively Fire takes matters in his own hands, and runs up to the giant silkworm, burning him, and causing him to roll away from the entrance. The trapped Silkies now freed, rush out of the volcano, celebrating their rescuers. With them comes two people that aren't Silkies. They are Betsy's mother and father, Belle and Robert Bobbin, whose house had been blown into Volcano Mountain years earlier, and couldn't climb the walls of the mountain to escape or get past the giant silkworm. The silkworm threatens to crush everyone, but Pearl places the yellow poppy in front of him, which explodes, sending the silkworm to the top of the volcano, which explodes with silk, and blows the giant silkworm up into thousands of small silkworms.

Ozma whisks them to the Emerald City, where the Bobbins are welcomed by everyone, and a home in Oz is offered them. The Lively Fire is given a home in the fireplace of the Grand Ballroom.

Continuity Notes

Betsy's Parents: Established here are Belle and Robert Bobbin. Their welcome into Oz, where they make a new home, is referenced as well in Thorns and Private Files in Oz.

Dating: That this story takes place during Betsy Bobbin's birthday makes it tempting to place it prior to The Hungry Tiger of Oz, which begins with the end of Betsy's birthday party. However, as that story is set in 1910, placement prior to it seems unlikely as Betsy's parents say that if they were to return to Oklahoma, they would be too old to enjoy the reunion with their daughter, and that she would be "very old" as well. As Betsy was born in 1891, she would be far from old at that time. Therefore, this must be a much later birthday party, at a year in which her parents would still be alive in the outside world, and Betsy herself old. Hence, The Royal Timeline of Oz places this story in 1931. Betsy's birthday is on Halloween, as established in Masquerade in Oz.

Unc Nunkie and the White King of Oz:

Synopsis: Just before the gypsies arrive (at the start of Ojo in Oz), Unc Nunkie recalls a recent trip to discover what became of Dr. Pipt and Margolette, who they hadn't heard from in many months. On the way they stop at their old house in the Blue Forest in the Munchkin Country and run into Victor Columbia Edison, the old victrola that Dr. Pipt had accidentally brought to life. Vic remembers well Ojo's poor treatment of him and stalks off, but disapproving of Ojo's rudeness, Nunkie sends Ojo to retrieve the talking victrola. Vic explains that he visited Margolette every Saturday afternoon to play her music while her husband was out in the garden. Then one day, Vic spied a man dressed in white with a white sack descend the mountain. Vic has waited for Pipt and Margolette ever since. Unc Nunkie concludes that the man in white abducted them by means of magic, and sets off to find them in the White Mountain across the Deadly Desert.

Crossing into the Gillikin country, they pass through an empty valley and find themselves trapped in a kind of mirage. Vic plays a brass orchestra, shattering the illusion, which allows them to continue. Once they reach the desert, however, there is no way to cross. Nunkie conceives of using a nearby rubber tree to propel them across, but the tree turns out to be a giant rubber ostrich named Oscar Higher, who explains that he is the last of his kind. His band, who once dominated the northern edge of the Deadly Desert (robber ostriches being unaffected by the deadly sands), were mysteriously swallowed up by a hole that appeared beneath them and then filled up again. Oscar alone escaped and is off to procure the help of Gayelette the Sorceress in the Gillikin country.

Oscar volunteers to take them across, and drops them at the foot of the White Mountains before departing on his quest. As they proceed, Unc Nunkie tumbles down the side of the mountain. Then Ojo and Vic find themselves falling down a hole, emerging into a white chamber where lays the white sack of the man Vic had spotted near Dr. Pipt's home. When Ojo goes to open the sack, he disappears inside it. The white stranger then arrives and as Vic notices that he's made of china he puts Vic into his cauldron.

Unc Nunkie, meanwhile, is rescued by a Winged Monkey who flew him to the top of the mountain, where a cloud castle sits. Two hooded guards escort Nunkie into the presence of a masked monarch who reveals himself to King Bleachard, a king made of porcelain. Nunkie tells him of his search for Dr. Pipt, but Bleachard tells him that no one practices magic in the White Mountain since Glinda first informed them of the law. There had been a white wizard named Wark who was discharged because he refused to stop practicing magic. Wark suddenly reveals himself and attacks the king with the liquid of petrifaction, which he'd earlier forced Dr. Pipt to make for him after he kidnapped him.

Ojo, meanwhile, discovers a cotton field inside the magic sack, wherein he finds Dr. Pipt and Margolette, and helps them to escape. Climbing out of the magic sack, Dr. Pipt discovers Vic inside the cauldron and saves him. Pipt leads them all to the throne room, where he discovers Wark about to petrify the king. In the ensuing melee, the liquid ends up on Wark himself, but instead of petrifying, it causes him to grow a beak and wings. Pipt reveals that he'd forgotten much of his old magic, and instead of creating a petrifying potion made a pet potion that transforms someone into whatever animal he wishes. With that Wark flies away, bursting through the ceiling window. The relieved party celebrates, and the porcelain guards escort the Ozians back across the Deadly Desert by means of an ivory box that they carry. Once there, Dr. Pipt tells Vic that he may live with them once again and play soft music occasionally.

Continuity Notes

Dr. Pipt: The footnote on page 33 appears to indicate that Dr. Pipt is Dr. Nikidik, however, the information itself is incomplete and can be misleading, as other sources indicate that Nikidik used Dr. Pipt's name as an alias, and in turn, Dr. Pipt did the same. Additional sources confirm what is stated in this story that Margolette calls Dr. Pipt "Nikidik" when he is being bad. His actual first name is Ozwald, as per Father Goose in Oz. For more information, see "Nikidik and Dr. Pipt" in the Appendices.

Magic Sack: This sack is reminiscent of the one used by Peter in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. Whether Wark stole it from Ozma's magical treasures, or had one which boasted similar properties is unknown.

Oscar Higher: The tale of this Rubber Ostrich is said in the footnote to be a tale that may be told elsewhere. Chris Dulabone has long had on his schedule a story called The Rubber Ostriches of Oz, which may be this tale.

Victor Columbia Edison: The talking victrola named Vic was first brought to life The Patchwork Girl of Oz, and appears in few stories since. He is revealed here to have visited Margolette once every Saturday (which would have been for about 15 years). She lets him move back in with them in Bungle and the Magic Lantern of Oz, but his ill treatment at the hands of the Shaggy Man a second time (at the end of the latter story) appears to have left Victor feeling bitter towards people, as revealed in The Astonishing Tale of the Gump in Oz, and it may be that left or that Dr. Pipt or Margolette threw him out of the house again at some point. He is helped by a girl from the Outside World, who feels sorry for him, in the book The Lonely Phonograph of Oz. In Marcus Mebes' "Quiet Victory," from The Lost Tales of Oz anthology, he's helped to exercise self-control, and appears again in Carrie Bailey's Bungle in Oz, where he's married and living in Dr. Pipt's former house. He also appears in Bar Sira's "The Boundaries of Oz."

Oz book 27 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: In their cottage just outside the Emerald City, while Ojo reads a blue fairytale book and Unc Nunkie recalls his visit to the King of the White Mountain, a caravan of Gypsies arrive with a bear chained to one of their wagons. Unk Nunkie departs to tell Ozma, warning Ojo to stay put. But the enticement of their music and lure of an old woman offering to read his fortune proves too much for Ojo who ends up in their camp. When he reveals his name, however, the band picks up to leave, taking Ojo with them. His attempt to escape leaves him battered by other children his age, and he is tossed in a wagon with the bear who tells him he's been abducted because there's a price on his head. The bear, who introduces himself as Snufforius Buxorious Blundorious Boroso, who the Gypsies call Rufus, but who Ojo calls Snufferbux, tells him he's been a prisoner/slave for a long time, and after each attempt he's made to escape, they've starved him for a week. Ojo promises to free him, but Snuffer warns him about Zithero, the Gypsy leader.

Ojo is put to work and while on an errand to collect firewood, he finds a silver whistle, which he keeps. Later while washing dishes for Zinaro, Zithero's wife, a band of armed bandits arrive. Because he keeps silent, the bandit chief Realbad rewards him with a gold ring. The bandits get the jump on the Gypsies, who they tie up, along with Ojo and Snuffer. One of bandits threatens to roast Snufferbux until Realbad says he'll make for a nice rug instead. Riffling through Zithero's stolen baubles, he finds a parchment offering 5,000 bags of sapphires for the one who brings Ojo to Moojer Mountain.

At their secret hideout, Realbad lets Ojo and Snuffer out to eat—promising not to kill the bear. Snuffer tells him how he was abducted by the Gypsies five years earlier. Ojo tells his tale (as related in The Patchwork Girl of Oz), but is dismayed when Realbad won't take him to the Emerald City or be swayed from his decision to hand Ojo over for sapphires. While most of the bandits are asleep, Ojo overhears two of them plotting to take Ojo themselves and do away with Realbad. When they go to take him, he blows on the silver whistle he'd found earlier, awakening the rest of the bandits, and summoning the great silver bird Opodok, who Ojo tells to get rid of the bandits (except for Realbad). Snuffer then asks Opodok to take them someplace safe, which he does. Finding themselves in a deserted locale, Realbad admits that he became an ignoble bandit because noblemen stole his possessions. When he strikes a nearby rock, a passageway appears beneath them, and they slide inside the Crystal Mountain until they reach Crystal City.

There they see a giant blue dragon guarding the gates, but they manage to sneak into the city and discover that the crystal residents have all been magically frozen. Even the king and queen are frozen. A large crystal ball warns Ojo that he's in danger. When they light a fire in the kitchen in order to keep warm, the frozen cook starts to melt away to liquid. They put the fire out and ask the crystal ball what to do to save the city. It informs them that the blue dragon must be killed. As Realbad departs to do that, the spell is soon lifted.

Upon being restored, the king and queen order Realbad's imprisonment. Princess Crystobel, however, takes a liking to him and belays this command. The Wise Man informs the king that they indeed had been frozen for 50 years. The king explains to them that the princess was propositioned by the dwarf king of Snow Mountain, and when she refused his proposal, the snow dwarf sent his dragon to freeze the city. At the behest of Princess Crystobel, King Christopher and Queen Christine consent for Realbad to marry her, but first he and Ojo and Snuffer must be crystallized. The Wise Man attempts to crystallize Ojo first, but for some reason nothing happens, and Realbad helps them all break free out the other side of Crystal City at the back of the mountain where a river of water now runs (from Realbad having melted the dragon into water). Swimming across it, they come to the house of a Munchkin shepherd whose out, and they help themselves to food (leaving a token of their gratitude behind). While Realbad is napping, Snuffer convinces Ojo to take off before he wakens. Ojo feels bad, but agrees.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Unc Nunkie reports Ojo's abduction. Ozma sends Dorothy, Scraps and Cowardly Lion to go after him. She herself will go to Glinda's to consult the Great Book of Records and find who took Ojo. Dorothy swallows the Wizard's wishing pills, but impatiently, Scraps makes a hasty wish, landing them in a forest without the magic dinner bell (from Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz) or any magical tools to get Ojo home. As Dorothy and the Lion recount their stories (such as the one he had in Fix City in The Royal Book of Oz), Scraps finds a path called the Rolling Road, and like other self-moving roads before it, it wraps them up and takes them to a field. But Dorothy is having trouble straightening herself out after being rolled up, and a voice advises them to just roll. They listen and roll themselves into the Munchkin River.

After getting out, a bird comes near which the Lion threatens to eat (!) but Dorothy stops him, as he has a sign that says he's a Dickey Bird and he leads them to Dicksyland where reside the queer Dicks. To gain entrance past the gate, one must have a peculiarity about him, which the gatekeeper determines. All the party are all considered peculiar, they're allowed entrance. The Dicks feed their guests, who note that flowers and fruits don't grow on the normal bushes they grow on, and windows and doors are reversed on some houses. Yet, the queer inhabitants prove gentle and harmless. The Dictator of the Dicks, Dickus, asks if Dorothy will obey his rule, but Dorothy declines which excites Dickus whose unused to being declined, and he runs off and comes back with a horse and his right-hand man Reachard. Reachard reveals that his arm can travel a long distance and that each of his fingers has an eye at the end of it! Since Dorothy reasons their best course is to return to the Emerald City, Reachard sends his arm to guide them, and even stops for sleep when they do. But when they awaken, concerned about having to cross a mountain, Reachard's arm coils around all of them, and flies them to the top of the mountain.

Once there, they enter a nearby hut and meet a strange clockmaker named Mooj. Mooj thinks they've come to trade Ojo for sapphires, but when Reachard knocks on the door, the lion decides he won't travel like that again, and looks for a place to hide. Mooj takes advantage of the distraction and strikes them each with a magical rod that transforms them into clocks. He then answers the door, expecting the Gypsies Dorothy had mentioned, but gets throttled by Reachard's arm who goes looking for his companions in vain.

In Glinda's palace, meanwhile, Ozma, the Scarecrow and Unc Nunkie look through the Book of Records, which reveals amongst other things a "small war" between the Grigs and Twigs of South Mountain, and how the king of Seebania is trying to secure his crown, but nothing of Ojo, who Glinda feels may not be important enough for the book to mention.

In the Munchkin forest, Ojo's ring starts ringing, signaling the arrival of danger in the form of a Snoctorotomus, an earth serpent able to travel through land as easily as a sea serpent travels through water. The creature coils itself around Ojo, but just in time, Realbad (who had been following them) severs its head. Realbad reveals that the ring he gave Ojo protects him from harm, which is why he couldn't be crystallized in Crystal City. Concerned the serpent will soon pull itself together, they move on. On the other side of the forest, they find a walled city called Tappy Town, where the residents communicate solely with their feet. King Stubby and Queen Skipyfoo learn who their guests are from their footprints. Snuffer first does a dance which greatly pleases the king and queen; then Ojo does one that amuses them, but when Realbad does a clog, they furiously kick their guests out of the city.

Starting off in a thick blue fog the next morning, Realbad accidentally impales a unicorn named Ann Gora. The dwarf Unicorners take care of the unicorns, including the Queen unicorn Roganda, who can actually blow her horn and extend and retract it. She asks Angora what she wants in payment for her injury. She wishes to impale Realbad, and does so five times before Roganda makes her stop, not realizing that his ring has protected him. The dwarves invite them to share their delicious silver apples which when eaten stave off hunger for a week. The travelers do so, but when Realbad begins eyeing the Queen's Treasure Tree, which has rubies, emerald and sapphires in its hollow center, Snuffer grows incensed and challenges Realbad to wrestle him without his ring. Ojo, meanwhile, finishes playing with the unicorns and speaks with the queen, who admits to only knowing her immediate country. Ojo invites her to visit the Emerald City. As she drifts off to sleep, Snuffer comes along and snatches up Ojo to leave, despite Ojo's protests that he won't go without Realbad. Snuffer explains that Realbad had decided to steal the unicorns' treasure in place of taking Ojo to Moojer Mountain. Ojo is saddened by the news, but determines to find Realbad again one day and live as a bandit.

Reaching the foot of Bear mountain, they meet X.Pando, the Elevator Man, who serves as the elevator himself, a talent he got from his father. As Ojo and Snuffer have nothing to offer, Pando accepts a waltz with Snuffer. Afterwards, he takes them to the top of the mountain, where Ojo hears the ticking of clocks from a nearby hut and runs off to investigate it. The door opens and Moojer snatches Ojo inside and locks the door. From the window, dozens of bags of sapphire come raining down on Snuffer, who despairs to realize he led Ojo to the very place they were trying to avoid, Moojer Mountain. Tied up, Ojo is approached by three alarm clocks. They are the transformed Dorothy, Scraps and the Cowardly Lion, who urge him to flee. Outside, Snuffer vainly pounds against the door when who should arrive but Realbad astride Roganda. Realbad tells Snuffer he understands why he tied him up and fled with Ojo, and the three together break down the door and confront Mooj. But Realbad and Mooj are familiar to each other, and the latter tells him that he sought Ojo because he is the king's son, and with him out of the way he can rule Seebania without a rival to the throne.

Mooj then disappears with Ojo, leaving Realbad despondent because he knows that if he ever reveals who he is, his wife, the queen, will die. Just then, the Wizard, Ozma and Unc Nunkie magically appear following the searchlight the Wizard brought to save Ojo. Gathering the three clocks, they prepare to leave until Unc Nunkie, whose name is Stephen Nunkie, spots Realdbad, who is Ojo's father, and whose real name is Ree Alla Bad. Together, they use the Wizard's "famous flying pills" to follow Mooj to Shamsbad, the capital of Seebania, where Mooj is holding Ojo and Queen Isomere (Ree Alla Bad's wife) hostage.

With the Magic Belt, Ozma turns Mooj into a sparrow, frees the prisoners and disenchants her friends from their clock forms. Realbad tells his story of how years before Ozma came to the throne, the kings of Seebania ruled the southern part of the Munchkin country. When Ozma later arrived, Ree Alla Bad's father, the former king, and Prince Stephen relinquished their claims and returned to rule Seebania. Through tricks and flattery, Mooj, a magician from the north, worked his way into an important position at court. With the king more interested in hunting than ruling, Mooj was able to assume greater power until the one day the king didn't return. Mooj took the throne, imprisoned Stephen and Ree Alla Bad (then 24 years old), and informed him that so long as he departed, never returned and never told anyone, Isomere would be safe; otherwise she would be destroyed. To ensure he didn't interfere with his plans, Mooj pushed Ree Alla Bad into a ravine. But he was protected from harm by a magic ring he'd gotten from a fairy at his christening.

Discovered by robbers, he became one, and later their leader. Shortly after his departure from Seebania, Ojo was born. Stephen bribed a guard to release him. Fearing Mooj would destroy the baby as he had his grandfather (the former king), Stephen convinced Isomere to relinquish the child to him, at which point he took him deep into the Munchkin forest where they remained for years.

After everyone tells their story, Ozma transforms Mooj into a drop of water and puts him in the Nonestic. The bandits she turns into farmers by the Winkie River. The Gypsies she banishes to Southern Europe.

Continuity Notes

Animal Cruelty: Despite that Thompson herself notes in the authorial voice that "in Oz all the animals talk," (chapter 1) there is a surprising amount of cruelty and killing of animals in this book, something that Baum's Ozma would not have tolerated. The Gypsies starve Snuffer; worse, the bandits are poachers and have several bear rugs in their hideout, as well as "the heads of deer, elk and other large animals," and they threaten to eat or make a rug out of Snuffer; Realbad himself kills a dragon and a sand serpent, and while both of those will likely come back to life, what of the two wild birds he plucks and roasts? In chapter 13, Thompson notes: "As you probably know... no person or creature in Oz can be permanently destroyed." She specifically speaks of the Snoctorotomus coming back to life (despite being beheaded), but how this plays out for the slaughtered bears and eaten birds is unknown. The bear rugs aren't described as being alive. It's possible that the dead animals in the bandits' cave had been killed prior to the enchantment in Oz and that the bandits merely took credit for the deaths to appear fierce and dangerous. The killed wild birds might possibly have grown on trees, (though if so, it seems odd that they would grow with feathers, but this remains one of the few possibilities). A similar oddity of magically appearing fowl appears in the Isle of Un in The Cowardly Lion of Oz. While this has led some, like author David Hulan, to determine that Oz must have sapient and non-sapient animals in Oz, the latter which Thompson deemed OK to kill and eat, Nathan DeHoff points out, "If it's only these 'dumber' animals who are eaten by humans, though, it doesn't explain why both Snufferbux and Pajuka were potential dinners." As regards the treatment of Snuffer, David Hulan on the BCF Pumperdink forum notes that "Snufferbux was exhibited at "fairs throughout Oz" chained up with a collar. Nobody noticed this and let Ozma or one of the other local rulers know that an animal was being mistreated? It's one thing for something like that to go on in one of the little isolated communities that seem to dot Oz, especially in the post-Baum books, but for it to go on among a group that apparently spends its time traveling all over the country, for, IIRC, five years, stretches the bounds of belief." An in-universe fix has not yet come be revealed, but it may simply be that the gypsy band purposely avoided the more cultured centers of Oz, and focused on performing to the wilder, crueler residents of the land.

Bandits: As brought out in the BCF Pumperdink forum, the motivation of the bandits makes no sense in Oz, not even by Thompson's conception of Oz. David Hulan states: "The whole motivation of the gypsies, and later the bandits (including Realbad) is to acquire the five thousand bags of sapphires Mooj has offered as a reward for Ojo. Yet we've always been told that jewels are common as dirt in Oz, and specifically sapphires are like gravel around Lake Orizon to the extent that Cheeriobed's crown is studded with cobblestones because they're relatively rare. What value would five thousand bags of sapphires have for dishonest folk? It's like offering a reward of a truckload of gravel--without the truck." An in-universe explanation might be that the value of the jewels was not monetary, but for some other undisclosed purpose. Hulan goes on to ask, "What's the point of being a bandit in Oz? Everyone can have whatever he wants just by asking for it; why take it by force? Rather than being 'the original labor-saving device,' as one historian I've read characterized group-on-group violence, it seems to be more work than acquiring goods honestly." Indeed, Thompson seems to misunderstand or willfully ignore Baum's conception of Oz's economy as laid out in The Road to Oz and The Emerald City of Oz. For their crimes and failure to rehabilitate themselves the bandits are later sent to an island in the Nonestic ("The Hearts and Flowers of Oz").

Coincidences: As with The Yellow Knight of Oz, and several books, there are several unlikely coincidences that in order for them to make sense have to be attributed to the Providential hand and/or unseen fairies in Oz. David Hulan (on the Pumperdink forum) notes four:

1. When the gypsies come to the EC looking for Ojo, with no idea
where he might be or what he looks like, they just happen to set up
camp across the road from his cottage.

2. He just happens on the whistle that calls Opodock. (OK, Oz seems
to be practically littered with magic items waiting to be picked up,
so maybe that isn't so odd. If it weren't that whistle he'd likely
have found something else lying around that would have served the
purpose.)

3. The bandits - who just happen to be led by Ojo's unknown father -
find the gypsies in the very short interval between Ojo's kidnapping
and his delivery to Mooj.

4. Both Ojo's and Dorothy's parties converge on Mooj's cottage even
though the first actively wants to avoid it and the second has no
reason to go there.

Dating: This story takes place over the course of five days. See the "Day-to-Day Chronology" for more information. Due to the invention of the Wizard's "new" magic search light, this story must take place after The Yellow Knight of Oz (when it is first mentioned being invented) and prior to Speedy in Oz (where it's in use).

Famous Flying Pills: Aside from the Wizard's magic search light (see Dating), his other new invention is a pill that makes one glide along after something. How they differ from wishing pills, which could achieve the same effect, isn't noted, or how they're "famous" when they've never been mentioned before, is also not stated.

Gay Pride: Contrary to her normally conservative views, Thompson apparently includes a gay community in Oz: the Dicks of Dicksyland are all males who are described as queer several times (a connotation to homosexuality that was in use by 1933). "Some looked queer, some acted queer, but they were all gentle and harmless." The community is described as one of the few (in Thompson's books) who are "content and satisfied." Ruth Berman notes in the BCF Pumperdink forums regarding the expression "Dick with the queer hatband" (Dick wears a girl's sash around the brim of his hat), in Dicksy City "as the phrase is rather obscure nowadays, maybe I should add that 'queer as Dick's hatband' used to be a synonym for 'homosexual.'"

Grigs and Twigs: A throwaway line, Thompson notes a "small war between the Grigs and Twigs of South Mountain" [p. 189-90], but nothing more is said about them, save that the Scarecrow likens Ojo to being "as lively as a Grig." A grove of violent trees known as Twigs are encountered in Kabumpo in Oz, but these live in the Winkie country. Another group, however, may live in the South Mountain of the Quadling country. David Hulan (in the BCF Pumperdink forum) notes that "this is probably a reference to the old English expression 'merry as a grig,' 'grig' in this context meaning 'cricket.'"

King of the White Mountain: This king and the adventure that Unc Nunkie recalls at the beginning of the story is told in the novella "Unc Nunkie and the White King of Oz" (included in Two Terrific Tales of Oz).

Magic Belt and Lapses in Logic: There is a discrepancy in that Ozma fails to use the Magic Belt to simply bring Ojo to the Emerald City, and instead sends a party to go retrieve him. In the Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell discusses this:

"Of course, using the Magic Belt would destroy the tension in the novel and prevent Ojo and Realbad from meeting, much less bonding. Thompson doesn't even try to provide an excuse; she just hurries us on toward Dorothy's search party. ("Pay no attention to the belt around that woman!") She also breathlessly informs us that the Wizard is still working on his searchlight [137] even though it seems to have worked fine in YELLOW KNIGHT. But maybe that speedy approach is more effective than it would have been to pause for a lame excuse about why the Belt couldn't rescue Ojo right away.

In Shamsbad, all of a sudden, Ozma discovers what she's wearing. Boom! Mooj is a sparrow (and seemingly a non-talking, non-magical one, unlike Ugu in LOST PRINCESS). Boom! Dorothy, Scraps, and the Cowardly Lion are back [288]. Boom! Mooj is a drop of water. Boom! The bandits are farmers--whether that's a personality change or reeducation or simply a land grant is unclear [297]. Boom! The gypsies are rolling around southern Europe. Boom! The Seebanians are loyal to Ree Alla Bad (again?) [298]. Boom! Everyone's lounging in the bandits' cave [302], and Boom! the Emerald City folk go home [303]. It's as if Ozma's just gotten the Belt as a birthday gift and is eager to find out what it can do."

Mooj: This "old wise man from the north" (p. 291) is a mystery. J. L. Bell (in the Pumperdink forum) notes several interesting things about him: "Neill seems to have come up with Mooj's nasty clock face, and I think that's what makes him such a memorable villain. Thompson says only that he's a "bent and evil-looking old Munchkin." His motivations are also unknown. "Not only does Mooj's interest in Seebania go unexplained, but once he has the kingdom he doesn't appear to do anything with it." His "mischievous spells" have "secured.. the loyalty and support of all the Seebanians" (page 297/8) Yet, as J.L. Bell notes, there appears to be a legitimate alternate reading that sees Ree Ala Bad not entirely disclosing the truth and the whole truth:

"Seebania dominated the southern part of Munchkinland. Perhaps Mooj was an agent from the Ozure Isles [which as Nathan DeHoff points out, would explain the numerous sapphires he has to offer] or another regional power (Keretaria or Wutz?) charged with taking control of Seebania. Once he'd accomplished that, he could indulge his real interest in clocks.

Secondly, we have to admit that OJO shows us only the Ree Alla Bad dynasty's take on Seebanian history, in which they're the good and legitimate rulers and Mooj the usurper. Thompson's note in the front of the Reilly & Lee edition even states that she "called [Ojo] on the radio phone and begged him to tell me the whole exciting story!"

What if Ojo's grandfather, who was "fonder of hunting than of ruling" [291], wasn't serving his subjects? We know that Seebania's influence declined during his reign, though Ree Alla Bad insists that was because he was loyal to Ozma--who is, of course, right in front of him and has just turned a man into a sparrow. What if Mooj engineered a palace coup that the Seebanian population supported not because of spells but because they were tired of their previous king? Shamsbad doesn't seem to have suffered during Mooj's rule.

That brings up a yet more disturbing possibility. Mooj seems to have kept Isomere comfortable in Seebania. She has an "apartment" [294], and we see her first dressed in "silvery satin" [287], not rags or a gardener's smock. She's weeping, but that's because after many years Mooj is about to transform or do away with her--though he never does. Has Isomere been loyal to Ree Alla Bad all that time? Or might she have reached an understanding with Seebania's new king? Early in her captivity, Isomere gave birth to a baby boy--which comes as a complete surprise to Ree Alla Bad. So here's the kicker: Is Ojo truly his son? Why do the names 'Mooj' and 'Ojo' overlap so much?

I have to wonder why he still has both the rings from his christening. They protect their wearers, but warn of danger only when they're separated. They thus seem tailored for a young prince to give to his bride. Why hasn't Ree Alla Bad done so? Or perhaps he did give Isomere one ring, but she gave it back."

Whatever the case, Mooj is deemed so dangerous that Ozma actually transforms him into a drop of water which she places in the Nonestic, which is an effective, though highly uncharacteristic (for Ozma) form of destruction, unless the magic ensured the water molecule remained a. intact and didn't mix with all the other water molecules in the ocean, and b. sapient, allowing Mooj to retain his identity (though that itself might prove to be a form of torture).

Nathan adds: "Mooj also seems to be one of the most formidable and threatening villains. When Ozma and her companions reach Shamsbad, Mooj apparently tries to enchant all of them, not leaving Ozma with much time to react, and certainly no opportunity to reason with him. It could be argued that she should have given him a trial before enacting the second transformation, but, based on his actions, I think he probably deserved the punishment he received."

Mooj is restored from the harsh punishment Ozma gives him (as a drop of water in the Nonestic) in "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz," and is given water from the Fountain of Oblivion.

Ojo: Ojo is noted as being 10 years old, an age he must have stayed at for some years. His birth is noted by Unc Nunkie as being shortly after Ree Ala Bad is exiled, which is some time after Ozma comes to the throne. This chronology at first seems problematic because The Patchwork Girl of Oz, which takes place around 1906, means that Ojo was born prior to Ozma's ascension to the throne. From an out-of-universe explanation, Thompson appears to have assumed that The Patchwork Girl of Oz occurred closer to its publication date in 1913. Yet, the dating in her own books precludes that (see "Thompson and the New Chronology" in Appendix C). From an in-universe perspective, it lends itself to some interesting speculation. Why would Unc Nunkie not tell the truth? One theory holds that it's for the sake of Isomere, a possibility that has several interesting implications that have not yet been explored in story. For Ree Ala Bad to not know of his son implies that he was away for an extended period of time and may not actually be Ojo's father. One possibility is that Ojo is Mooj's son. See the entry for "Mooj" in Ojo in Oz. Another is that he's Stephen's son.

As regards Ojo's personality, J.L. Bell notes in the BCF Pumperdink forum, Ojo is portrayed by both Baum and Thompson as prone to disobedience and emotionally fragility: "Ojo appears prone to more emotional highs and lows than most young heroes." Bell addresses this directly in the coming-of-age story "Ojo and the Woozy."

Racism and double-standards: It should be noted that Thompson's portrayal of the Romani people (Gypsies) is particularly unpleasant and off-putting, as she utilizes every stereotype in the book to demonize them as cruel and hateful. As Tor.com reviewer Mari Ness notes, "they dance, read fortunes, beg, con, steal and, in Thompson’s words, have swarthy skin. They even have a dancing bear and spicy stew... I grant that Thompson, writing in 1932 and 1933, could not have anticipated the eventual fate of the Romani. But it’s difficult for me to read this without remembering the results of attitudes like the ones she displays here." J.L. Bell adds that "Thompson had no way of knowing that in a few years Hitler's regime would be trying to exterminate the gypsies in Europe, including even their "bright-eyed" children. But her portrayal of gypsies as innately nasty and thieving, even worse than the worst bandits, was the same that spurred on Third Reich policy." What's worse is that by contrast, the bandits, who also rob, threaten and kidnap people (including Ojo) are portrayed as fun and their lifestyle desirable (by Ojo), and they're only "punished" by being turned into Winkie farmers. Despite having abducted a child, boasting of killing several animals, threatening to kill Snufferbux, and living a pointlessly violent lifestyle, they're allowed to stay. Aside from this double-standard that Thompson imposes on the narrative, Nathan DeHoff points out its improbability: "It opens the question as to exactly how you could transform a bandit into a farmer, and how she would make sure these farmers never made attempts to rob anyone." Ruth Berman responds to this, writing: "They might by then be worried enough about getting severer punishment to try putting up with becoming farmers instead of just turning themselves into Winkie outlaws." As a large community of Gypsies exist in The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, there is evidence that Ozma regretted her decision and brought them back to Oz, providing them a home in the Fountains of Romany in the Impassable Desert, and allowing them to roam Oz. This story is told in "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz."

Roads that Roll: The Rolling Road, in the Munchkin Country, is the seventh sentient or sapient road in Oz. The first was a rolling road in the Winkie Country in The Royal Book of Oz. The second was the Runaway Road, also in the Winkie country, in Grampa in Oz. The third is the Winding Road in the Emerald City in The Hungry Tiger of Oz. The fourth is the Footpath in the Winkie Country The Gnome King of Oz. The fifth is the Flying Field of The Yellow Knight of Oz, located in the Winkie Country. The sixth is the River Road in the Quadling Country in The Purple Prince of Oz.

Seebania: The southern seat of Munchkin power, as contrasted by the northern seat of power in the Ozure Isles. A conflict between them once existed, as noted in the upcoming The Talking Animals of Oz. The former King of Seebania, Ojo's grandfather, claims to have abdicated to Ozma when she came to power, and yet disobeys one of her primary mandates by going hunting, and it is on one such trip that he is destroyed by Mooj, who takes over rule of Seebania. How neither Glinda nor Ozma are aware of this for 19-20 years is surprising, and may have to do with Mooj's magical acumen, though other factors are possible (see "Mooj"). It is also a puzzle that Prince Stephen (Unc) Nunkie doesn't go to Ozma for help, though it may be because he fears the same threat that Mooj makes explicitly to Ree Ala Bad, namely the destruction of Queen Isomere. As regards Seebania's political power itself, J.L. Bell brings out some likely speculation as the state it was in, and the course its rulers took:

"Was the King of Seebania truly strong when Ozma came to the throne? The evidence to that effect consists only of the biased statement of Seebanian royalty and Mooj's desire to control the land (though he spends little time there). Seebania couldn't shield central Munchkinland from the Wicked Witch of the East, and Mooj's takeover went unnoticed by Ozma and Glinda. How's this scenario instead? Seebania was in decline before Dorothy's arrival in Oz. While still prosperous within its borders, it had lost the allegiance of neighboring kingdoms because it couldn't protect them from the Wicked Witch. But her sudden death opened a power vacuum in Munchkinland.

Seebania's Prince Stephen began to campaign for the rotating Munchkin kingship, which had last rested with the missing monarch of the Ozure Isles. The prince set out on a diplomatic tour to secure or renew his friendship with powerful Munchkins, including Dr. Pipt. The King of Seebania took on a new wise man from the north to advise him in his brother's place while he continued to indulge his fondness for hunting. But shortly thereafter, to everyone's surprise, Glinda swooped in from the south to put young Ozma on the throne of the Emerald City. Munchkins flocked to her cause, eschewing a king of their own... Prince Stephen retired to Seebania, where the king drew back on claiming his realm's old territory, both saying they did so out of deference to Ozma. At some point, with no one watching Seebania anymore, Mooj struck.

Social Criticism: Thompson isn't known for including social commentary in her work, like Baum did, but she did it once before (in The Giant Horse of Oz during the conversation between the Scarecrow and Benny) and here she's got two, the first, in chapter 7, which reads: "Poor people are always kinder than kings." And the response: "So you've found that out, have you?" The second is Thompson's surprisingly progressive views on the gay community (see Gay Pride above). Sadly, she doesn't extend her views to include the Gypsies.

Zinaro: The gypsy Zinaro reappears in "Halloween Island."

The 30th book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: 3 years, 11 months, 26 days and 12 hours since the end of their adventures in Pirates in Oz, King Ato and Roger the Read Bird wonder when the former pirate, now Royal Explorer, Captain Samuel Salt will return to fulfill his promise to take them to sea. As they look out, the Crescent Moon sails into harbor. Rejoicing at their reunion, Salt explains that he's been home on Elbow Island retrofitting the ship with self-hoisting sails, mechanical steering and other magical contrivances courtesy of the Red Jinn of Ev.

As they sail off to adventure, Salt explains that Ozma doesn't want any country "taken by force or against its will" As they pass by an erupting volcano, Roger drops the flag of Oz into the center of the crater. When one of the bursts of lava hits the ship, Salt discovers a fire baby in the midst of it, and puts it in a bed of hot coals. But right behind him come the Lavaland Islanders themselves, and the Queen, who wants her baby back. Samuel shoots the baby back via cannon, and the Islanders send him a pet salamander with a rock that contains a message in a strange language. Samuel christens the island Salamander Island.

After dinner, they toss their plates into the sea, and as Salt prepare a place for his salamander Sally, the creature jumps into his pipe, delighting the captain. The next day they come upon Patrippany Island and sail down its main river. Samuel and Ato get on stilts to explore, but the sudden attack of crocodiles causes Ato to fall on top of a hippopotamus who rescues him and introduces herself as Nikobo. Inquiring about her ability to speak, the crew learn that no other animal on the island speaks, and that Nikobo only began doing so five months earlier thanks to a foreign boy who arrived on the island. As she takes them to meet him, Nikobo informs them of the fate of the savage Leopard Men, who recently took to the sea in their logs and were washed away by a hurricane.

The crew soon meets Tandy, who five and a half months ago was left in a cage on Patrippany Island by an unknown kidnapper who abducted him from his home in the White City. Tandy, however, says he has no desire to depart with the bedraggled pair of pirates, though Nikobo, who'd been looking after Tandy since his arrival, tells him he should trust them. Tandy explains that he is Tazander Tazah, King of Ozamaland. Samuel is excited to hear that, as he's been wanting to find the fabled land and bring back one of its flying reptiles and creeping birds from the continent of Tarara.

Roger goes off and returns with an axe, which Samuel uses to open the cage. Samuel then departs and returns with rare specimens such as tumbleweed, which tumbles men down, and yellow creeping vines, which follow their prey and tie them up. As Tandy won't go without Nikobo, the hippo decides to join the Crescent Moon, so Salt rigs up a raft that can be tied to the ship which she can ride on.

On board, Roger explains to the haughty boy-king that his attitude and behavior are ridiculous and shows him how he should behave according to the book Maxims for Monarchs, "which has been used by the Rulers of Oz and Ev and the Nonestic Islands these many thousand years." (p. 141) Roger tells Tandy that he would do best to just be a person and have fun, but Tandy has never heard of fun or play. As his parents before him, he studied and kept himself to the White Tower of the Wise Men for ten years for safety and in fear that the prophecy of being abducted by an aunt might come to pass.

As Roger teaches Tandy about ships and sailing, a sea serpent emerges whose teeth are made up of white goblins and their spears. Ato throws hot molasses into the creature's mouth, which deters it. When Salt discovers Tandy's illustration of the sea serpent and other sketches, he promotes him to cabin boy and Royal Illustrator. After many happy days at sea, the crew comes to a unique crystal island with tall peaks and no seeming way in. But as they approach, a large vessel comes roaring out to impale them. Ordering Nikobo into the sea, the Crescent Moon's sails turn into balloons and raises the ship into the air, causing the incoming ship to miss them.

Hovering above the island, the ship descends unto Bridge City where Samuel announces that they'll be free to govern themselves but are now under the protection and rule of Ozma of Oz. Alberif, Prince of the Peaks, introduces himself and queries who his conquerors are. Samuel corrects him and says "comrades" and lays out the benefits of membership, which means changing nothing, and awaiting food, books and merchandise from Oz. The island can in return send its crystals and make room for settlers. Alberif heartily agrees, saying there's room for a thousand people to settle on Peakenspire. As Roger goes around planting Oz flags, Alberif signs a pledge to Ozma and gives the explorers a tour of the island and its many bridges. He tells them that no one tires, grows old or gets sick, and most spend their time dancing and yodeling (which Samuel and Ato find catches on). Departing, Samuel tells Alberif to keep an eye out for Oz airships and Alberif gifts them with two undying vines, one that grows a variety of vegetables, the other a variety of fruit.

No longer wishing to go home, Tandy explains the division of Tarara into Ozamaland on the east and Amaland in the west. In his country, only the thousand nobles living in the White City of Om can read or write. The fierce Zamas are tribesmen who live in the jungles and deserts, which make up most of Ozamaland. Nine Ozamandarin judges make the laws for the entire country. As his people wear white robes, they're known as the Whites. The Amas who wage war upon grey horses are called the Greys. Tandy wishes to put an end to their wars, which Samuel agrees he should hurry to do. Tandy also explains that he has three aunts, all of whom were locked up in the dungeon at the same time he was locked up in the White Tower after the prophecy was revealed.

The next morning proves dark and foggy, and the Crescent Moon soon crashes into what they think is an enemy ship. Samuel refuses to fire first, but it turns out to have been a tree growing in the midst of a deep sea forest. Riding aboard Nikobo, Samuel, Tandy, Ato and Roger explore the sea forest for specimens. After passing snarling sea lions, and failing to catch the flying fish, Roger catches a monkey fish. They return to their ship, where Samuel sees to its care and comfort; naming it Mo-Fi, they depart once more for the open sea.

As they sail peacefully along, the Crescent Moon is attacked by a narwhal, a whale with the horn of a unicorn, which gets its horn stuck through the bottom of the ship and up into it like a mast. The whale thrashes the ship until Tandy throws a creeping vine at it, trapping it. Utilizing a diamond saw, they cut the horn off and set the narwhal free (where they are assured it will grow another).

Admiring his new whalemast, Samuel comes across a hole in the sea, and decides to explore it by throwing a long rope into its center and climbing down. The crew grow nervous, however, and Roger flies down to find him. He returns to report that Samuel's been captured and put in an air bowl at the bottom of the sea, in a place called Seeweegia. With the diamond saw, Tandy descends the rope down 240 feet to where the strange geometrically-shaped, transparent, jellyfish-like Seeweegians are displaying Samuel as if in a zoo. When the saw fails to work, Nikobo plunges down the hole, puncturing both the air bowl and the vacuum of the hole, causing a tumult in which everyone rises to the surface, including Captain Salt whose taken one of the Seeweegian children as a specimen. Back aboard the ship, he puts him in a large aquarium.

A storm arises, causing the crew to hoist Nikobo aboard the deck, where Tandy joins her for the ride. Meanwhile, in the White City of Ozamaland, the nine Ozamandarins consider their plot to rid the kingdom of the royal heir—as they had Tazander's parents—by their use of a false prophecy that blames his aunts. To get confirmation that Tazander is dead, they call forth Boglodore the Magician, who explains how five months and two weeks ago, he abducted Tandy, and with his umbrellephant, flew him to Patrippany Island and left him there with the Leopard Men. Boglodore requests his payment, 1/10th of Ozamaland (the jungle areas), but they deny him this, and he departs with a threat to return. The nine prepare the execution of the aunts and assumption of the throne when a ship comes into view, a thing that has never before happened. They panic and prepare for attack.

As the Crescent Moon approaches Tarara, Tandy and the crew wrestle with the idea of his parting, but Samuel leaves the decision to him. Approaching the shores of the cliff, Captain Salt announces the lost king, Tazander Tazah, who then addresses the crowds. Some murmur about him, but an old tribesman takes to the young man. When the nine arrive, they feign gladness, but seek to get Tandy back into the tower. He refuses, ordering them to prepare his palace. Didjabo, the head of the nine judges, insists that he cannot rule until he's of age, and attempts to pull him off Nikobo by force. This lands him a punch in the nose by Tandy, to the delight of the crowd, but when Didjabo calls the guards, Ato uses the creeping vines to tie him and the Ozamandarins up, and uses the tumbleweed to stop the coming elephant and camel riding guards. Tandy and Nikobo lead the way to the palace, inviting the old tribesman, Chunum, who is the sheik and leader of a thousand tribes.

In fear of the "magicians" who arrived with Tandy, the nobles all hide in their homes, leaving the palace empty. Samuel explains to Chunum how he came across Tandy, and Chunum reveals his suspicion of the Ozamandarins, who he believes killed Tandy's parents in an ever increasing bid for power. Realizing they must be dealt with, the two men head back to the cliff when a large flying elephant swoops down. The elephant, Umbo, is ridden by Boglodore who tells them his story of abducting Tandy, while secretly plotting against the Ozamandarins. He was the one who built Tandy the cage to protect him from the Leopard Man. He also gave Nikobo the power of speech and desire to help Tandy. But as Boglodore and Umbo pick up the Ozamandarins to toss them into the sea, Samuel protests, not wishing to see them murdered. Chunum, however, tells him that they won't die, but will fall to the bottom of the sea where they will be harmless. Umbo tosses all nine into the sea and departs with Boglodore, as Chunum urges Samuel to return to the palace to release Tandy's innocent aunts.

Tandy agrees a couple of hundred years at the bottom of the sea will soak all the sin and wickedness out of the Ozamandarins, and then hugs Captain Salt, exclaiming that he's returning to the Crescent Moon with them, and leaving Chunum in charge of Ozamaland. A week later, the aunts are released and Tandy and Chunum explain to the people how Tandy is leaving to complete his education in foreign parts, leaving Chunum in charge until he returns. Ozamaland is also declared a province of Oz and under the rule of Ozma, who will eventually send settlers to help them build cities and towns. Chunum explains too that the Greys had long desired peace with the whites, but the Ozamandarins stirred up trouble in order to be seen as protectors of the country. Samuel, Ato and Nikobo are taken by Chunum into the jungles to procure specimens of a feathered snake and scaly fanged bird, as well as a baby camel and elephant. Ato returns with an exotic fruit.

Tandy waves Goodbye to everyone, promising Chunum to return. Samuel looks forward to further exploration and finding a roc's egg before heading to Oz for Christmas

Continuity Notes

Boglodore: A powerful magician known as the Old Man of the Jungle, he abducts Tandy on the orders of the nine scheming Ozamandarins, and brings him to Patripanny Island with the intent of later betraying them and restoring Tandy to the throne. His powers must have some limit, otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to work with the Ozamandarins, but he gives the hippo Nikobus the power of speech AND maternal feelings for Tandy. He has a magical umbrellaphant named Umbo who he uses to fly from place to place and terrify his enemies. J.L. Bell notes in the BCF Pumperdink forum that "Boglodore has the cunning to double-cross the Mandarins and lay the groundwork for restoring Tandy. Presumably he plans to win the king's favor by bringing him back at the right time, probably achieving independence or dominance for the jungle people." Nathan M. DeHoff speculates that Boglodore may be responsible for even more than he let on: "Although unstated in the text, I wonder whether Boglodore might have been responsible for the hurricane and/or the Leopard Men's odd behavior. Perhaps he killed off the race so there would be no danger of their harming Tandy. Boglodore mentions nothing about this when he describes his deeds to the Captain and Chunum, however, so maybe there was some other odd force at work." Boglodore is the only living Ozamandarin to survive the passage of time and appears again in The Royal Explorers of Oz quadrilogy.

Dating: The narrative takes place over the course of five weeks in the summer. See the Day-to-Day-Chronology for more details. The story is explicitly dated four years after the events of Pirates in Oz. There is a minor internal dating anomaly, as pointed out by J.L. Bell on the Pumperdink forums: "Everyone agrees that it's been five and a half months since Tandy was kidnapped to Patripanny Island. However, they all agree to that figure on different days. Tandy says he's counted "five months and a half" of imprisonment by gnawing daily marks on his cage [109]. Nikobo agrees that she started talking "five months ago last Herb Day" [98], which can't be more than five months and two weeks [216]. Then some time passes while Tandy sails on the CRESCENT MOON. Ken Shepherd estimates it as three weeks "in order to give Tandy time to acclimatize" in his chronology of all the Oz books (in the Day-to-Day-Chronology). Thompson certainly wrote of "days that followed" his promotion to cabin boy [168], and at least four days pass between Peakenspire and Ozamaland. Yet on the day that the CRESCENT MOON reaches Ozamaland, Boglodore tells the Ozamandarins it's been 'five months and two weeks' since he stole Tandy, which would also have to include the 'two days' of flight to Patrippany [260]. The best factual explanation is that Thompson's report of Boglodore's conversation with the Ozamandarins is inaccurate. None of those men seem to be around at the end of the book, and certainly none is on the CRESCENT MOON. But in that case she did a poor job of recreating their conversation, and missed an opportunity to tell us how long the MOON had taken to sail from Patrippany to Om."

Colonialism and Imperialism: No small amount of controversy surrounds Thompson's transformation of Ozma from a pacifist into an imperialist, although there is some wiggle room between what Ozma says from how Samuel Salt interprets it. Although only having been to Oz once, Salt and Roger justify their colonialist attitudes on the grounds that Oz is overcrowded and needs to expand its territory. Salt is rare in that he follows to the letter Ozma's command to use no force and colonize no one who does not wish to be. But it is a slippery slope, particularly as Sam abducts a child, the jelly-boy of Seewegia, as part of his specimens collection which he intends to bring to Oz, and his colonialist mindset doesn't appear to have been fully corrected until The Royal Explorers of Oz trilogy. One in-universe interpretation for Ozma's speech which seems to employ Sam as a colonialist is provided by J.L. Bell on the BCF Pumperdink forums: "when Ozma said, 'take possession of new countries,' she really meant countries that were new to humans and other sentient creatures, and therefore free for the taking... Similarly, when Ozma spoke of a mission to 'set the flag of Oz on far islands and mountain tops,' she may have had in mind the way mountaineers left their nations' flags on Everest or explorers left theirs on the Poles--as a symbol of reaching that spot, not as a sign of possession. But Salt and Roger feel they have a mandate for playing some sort of imperial game of Tag, seeing legal force in leaving a flag of Oz wherever they choose. In this reinterpretation, the most important part of Ozma's speech in PIRATES comes at the start: 'I hereby decree Samuel Salt shall give up piracy.' She may not care what Salt does with his time as long as he's no longer bothering innocent people. Having him fuss around uninhabited 'far islands and mountain tops' could be her way of keeping him busy."

Immortality in Ozamaland: Although Chunum reassures Samuel's conscience that the Ozamandarins were not killed by Boglodore, since they are immortal, it is later revealed in The Royal Explorers of Oz that there is no immortality in Ozamaland, and that in fact the nine Ozamandarins were killed.

Maxims for Monarchs: Noted as being "a book of great authority and antiquity that has been used by the Rulers of Oz and Ev and the Nonestic Islands these many thousand years" [page 141], it is one of the oldest books noted in the Sovereign Sixty. J.L. points out that "Like other collections of wisdom, however, it probably grew over time to its codified state." There is also a question as to whether "these many thousand years" signifies an exact millennium of rule in Oz, or if Roger was telling him a rough estimate.

Racism: Unfortunately, not atypical for Thompson's writing is the inherent racism which she weaves into the narrative. Not only does she fail to see the abduction of the sapient Sweegia boy as reprehensible, but she depicts the Leopard Men in the typical manner that colonialists and conservatives viewed native peoples in her era, going so far as to hint that they've earned their destruction. The biggest problem with this viewpoint in the narrative is that she doesn't support it by their actions. J.L. Bell details this (in the BCF Pumperdink forum): "why did the Leopard Men who inhabit that island suddenly paddle away less than two weeks before the CRESCENT MOON arrived, only to be engulfed in a "great hurricane" [105]? Thompson doesn't much seem to care about this entire people being wiped out. The Leopard Men have a language [99]; cook some of their food [114]; fashion weapons [99], including relatively humane ones [124]; and do nothing to Tandy but try to feed him [114]. Yet Thompson and her seaman hero treat those people as nothing more than "savages" [102]. Well before spotting a soul, Salt is half-expecting 'to feel an arrow in my back' [86--compare that to Roger's supposedly civilized advice to shoot Nikobo with a blunderbuss 'behind the ear,' 94]. The Leopard Men's loss doesn't matter to anyone except Samuel, who responds 'peevishly' because he can't grab one as a specimen [105]. Why such contempt? Nikobo certainly doesn't like the Leopard Men's bellicosity, but Thompson has shown us other warring islanders (e.g., Roaraway and Norraway in SPEEDY) that don't get summarily drowned. Similarly, though the Leopard Men are half-animal, with 'long tusks' [99] and 'brown spots all over their hides' [104], other physically odd peoples in Thompson's books get more respect. CAPTAIN SALT sets up a dividing line between 'natives' and seemingly normal people--even those normal people who are native to where they live. Salt wears special clothes for 'impressing the natives' [28]. The Lavalanders are 'immense and thunderous-looking natives' [58]. The common desert and jungle people of Ozamaland are 'natives,' even to the Ozamandarins who were, by all evidence, born there [258 et seq.]. The Leopard Men are among the book's 'natives' [87]. In CAPTAIN SALT 'native' appears to mean not 'of local birth,' but to be a synonym for 'physically unlike Europeans.' Thompson never applies the word 'natives' to the 'blue-eyed, handsome' Peakenspire islanders, as exotic as they are. Ato asks of the Leopard Men, 'Are they...black or brown?' [104] Salt, overeager for a specimen, mistakes Tandy for a Leopard Man youth. 'It's nothing of the kind,' Nikobo contradicted him sharply. 'Can't you see he is white...?' [107--cf. 99]. Even a hippo who's been speaking English for only five months has picked up Thompson's distinction between 'native' and 'white.'"

Sequels: The adventures of Captain Salt and his crew continue in An Ozian Odyssey, Shipwrecked in Oz and the four The Royal Explorers of Oz books.

Talking Animals: Captain Salt notes that "To my knowledge, only animals in Oz, a few in Ev, and you [Roger] on the Octogon Isle have the gift of speech." This indicates that, at this time, talking animals were limited in the Nonestic. This gradually changes as the people and animals living in the lands outside Oz eventually achieve the same immortality that Oz has had for two centuries. As regards the animals that Salt brings onboard The Crescent Moon as specimens, J.L. Bell on the BCF Pumperdink forum raises the following interesting questions: "We have to wonder whether, when Samuel Salt guides the CRESCENT MOON into the Winkie River some holiday hence, all his specimens WILL start to talk. Will the baby elephant that's small enough for him to lift and the baby camel that's small enough for Tandy [304] demand to be taken back to their mothers? Will Sally tell Ozma everything Salt has done in her name? Will the captain have to free all his specimens on moral grounds? Will they face a choice of staying away from their homes or never speaking again?" The answer to these questions is not yet known, but it may very well be a variety of responses.

Tarara: The continent of Tarara has Ozamaland (later elucidated in The Royal Explorers of Oz to be properly regarded as Ot'sama land, as opposed to its westernized pronunciation) in the west and Amaland in the east. A large landmass with wide tracks of jungle and desert, it is explored in greater depth in the trilogy The Royal Explorers of Oz. Politically, the country at this time is split into three groups. J.L. Bell delineates the various factions:

The dominant society at the start of CAPTAIN SALT is "the thousand Nobles and their families who live in the White City" of Om. They define the laws and control the army. Only they are said to be literate and settled [201]. Though nominally ruled by a hereditary kingship, the real powers are actually Didjabo, Lotho, Teebo, and the six other Ozamandarins or Judges, ironically called 'the Nine Faithful Servants of the People' [258]. (The only other individual named in this society is Tandy's tutor, Woodjabegoodja [141].) Both the Ozamandarins and Thompson refer to all the rest of Ozamaland's population as "natives," as opposed to these "Nobles."

For at least the last ten years, the Ozamandarins have been in league with Boglodore, the Old Man of the Jungle. He's an "immense wrinkled old native," thus labeled as from a different society or caste. He appears "clad only in a turban and loin cloth" [260], while the Ozamandarins wear "square hats" [204]. Boglodore seems to represent a jungle society on Tarara. We can guess how large that society is when Boglodore says, 'I was promised one tenth of Ozamaland, and I am here to claim as my share the entire jungle reach of this country' [261]. So either jungle covers about a tenth of Ozamaland, or a tenth of the population lives in the jungle. And Boglodore seems to embody those people's hope for autonomy...

The third society on Tarara, and probably the largest in terms of population and territory, are the nomadic tribes. Tandy has grown up believing the Amas and Zamas are enemies, but he's not sure why [203]. The only differences we can see between them are that the Zamas wear white and ride elephants and camels while the Amas wear gray and ride horses. The tribes may therefore extend across a nearly arbitrary political boundary, as we hear about in Afghanistan and Pakistan's 'tribal areas' today. As with the jungle natives, we meet only one desert tribesman from Ozamaland: Chunum, whom Scott Hutchins noted was one of the rare favorable portrayals of an Arab (or someone generally from Muslim south-central Asia) in Thompson's works. One dividing line among Ozamaland's three societies might be dialect.

Didjabo refers to the country's people as "Zamians" [258], Boglodore as "Zamans" [289], and Chunum as "Zamen" [275]. Of course, Tandy referred to them as "Zamas" [201], so that's probably just Thompson's carelessness. [But you gotta admire the level of carelessness an author needs to come up with four different ways to refer to the same people.] When Chunum first met Tandy, he said, 'Too long have the city dwellers ruled this great liberty-loving land'--a sign that the nomads have become restless under the Nobles [282]. The old man seems to have been speaking to many desert nomads, both Zamas and Amas. Being in Om at the crucial time when Tandy returns with no loyalty to any local faction, Chunum seizes his opportunity and attaches himself to the king. That helps him achieve probably greater success than he imagined. By the end of the book, Chunum has Tandy's mandate to rule in the White City and Ozamaland, plus the desert tribesmen's loyalty throughout Ozamaland and perhaps across Tarara. The Ozamandarins are gone, the royal aunts cowed, and the king absent and reluctant to return. Chunum no longer fears the jungle natives' champion: "I expect Boglodore does not find this country healthy after the pretty story he has just told us," he tells Salt [292]. In sum, Chunum may now hold all the political power on Tarara. What we see in CAPTAIN SALT, this reading suggests, is not really the restoration of Ozamaland's royal dynasty in Tandy. It's a silent coup against the entire Noble society and their erstwhile jungle allies in favor of complete dominance by the desert nomads. If Ozma does start sending Ozian settlers to Tarara, they're probably going to encounter some trouble."

The Royal Timeline of Oz considers The Gardener's Boy of Oz one of the deuterocanonical works

Synopsis: In the Quadling Country of Jinxland, King Pon seeks to rescue his father King Phearse from the bottom of a pond where he'd been buried under stones for over twenty years. The former gardener's wife Tessy Cotta thinks he should be left there and that Queen Gloria's father, King Kynd, would be better off rescued, but Pon doesn't see how he can rescue anyone in a bottomless gulf (Kynd was pushed in there by Phearse). Another mystery is the whereabouts of Kynd's wife (Queen Gloria's mother) Queen Tralynda.

In the Whispering Woods—where all of the flora whisper secrets to each of long-gone people in faraway lands, Pon heads to the home of Ricky Tick, a former courtier of King Kynd, whose wife was abducted by a Rakpat (a kind of pack rat) who exchanged her for a pillow. Feeling his plan won't work, Tick fails to tell him that it was Pon's own father who pushed Kynd into the chasm. Pon then goes to visit Blinkie the witch. He offers jewels in exchange for her help in rescuing his father, but she has an abundance, and requests food instead. He agrees. But upon his departure, Googly-Goo offers her even more to ensure that Phearse is not set free.

In America, meanwhile, a young half-Indian girl named Candy Longtaw, who doesn't know who her parents are, is abducted and sold into slavery in another land. Kindhearted people rescue her and send her back to the U.S. aboard the Dicky-Bird, but when the ship passes through the Bermuda Triangle, it's accosted by a giant talking fish who tells them he's going to eat the ship, but will allow the passengers to get off first. As they do, they're greeted by the roilbubs, a kind of merman made up of bubble-like appendages. They take the shipwrecked passengers to their underwater domain, where they spend a peaceful and contented time, and there Candy befriends an octopus. The octopus warns her that in their sphere, people age in reverse and get younger. Candy begs to depart with him and goes off to tell the Dicky-Bird's former captain Ned Dauntless to accompany her.

In Jinxland, meanwhile, a large crane with a globe containing King Pon and the former King Krewl (whose now known as Grewl the gardener's boy) lowers into the water, where Grewl reluctantly removes the stones covering Pon's father King Phearse. But as they go to raise the globe, it comes off the crane and sinks into the ground, trapping the three men inside it.

In the underground city, meanwhile, no one else from the ship wishes to leave, preferring to grow younger in the easy life they have to growing older in a hard one. The octopus escorts Candy and Dauntless to the top of a Great Jellyfish and warns them not to anger her. They pass by several islands and a luxury liner, none of which are suitable to the humans or jellyfish. But due to sunburn and hunger, Dauntless inadvertently offends the Great Jellyfish, who stings them and strands them in the water.

They awaken to find they've been rescued by dolphins and brought to Parrot Island, where the talking parrots have applied paneasalve to their wounds and dressed them in sun-protecting feather garments. After they are fed, Queen Klurookuk requests a song, which Captain Dauntless obliges her with, after which the birds provide entertainment. The next day, the queen asks Candy if she'd like to become a bird, for she has magic silver feathers which give her the power to transform others into birds. Candy declines, but the parrot queen flies over to Ned and turns him into a parrot!

Arguing within the globe, Pon, Phearse and Grewl are approached by a strange undersea creature called Quam, who is a mudkitty. Quam communicates solely through writing and learning of their plight brings the globe down to his domain where his people think it is a creature and the three people inside it its brain. When Pon says he comes from a world up above the water that he wishes to return to, the mudkitties think he's confused and push the globe into a tunnel going down!

The globe finally stops, surrounded by blue mud. As Pon reaches to grab a crystal butterfly he sees in the mud, his father pushes him into it. Grewl and Phearse fight in the globe, while dragonfly people called Tizzlanders fly in, tie them up, and bring them to the surface where Pon is held in honor. When Grewl discovers that the butterfly bestows rulership to whomever wields it, and that a ruler can be challenged, he challenges Pon for the rule of Tizzland. After Grewl wins, Phearse then challenges him, but it's decided that only one challenge a day will be allowed. Grewl whispers to Pon to beware his father.

In Parrot Island, a week after Ned Dauntless was turned into a parrot, Candy is annoyed that he's adjusting well to the change and is even considering settling down with Queen Kluroorkuk. While sulking, the gray dove Ugu (formerly Ugu the Shoemaker) settles down to speak to Candy. She's excited to learn he's from Oz, and that the parrot queen can actually turn Dauntless back into a man, although she won't because she's been using a magic to make him attracted to her. Ugu's there to collect her silver feathers for his kind mistress, and since they grow back, the queen is generous with them. He tells Candy where she can find a boat, provision it, and prepare a cage, while he tricks Dauntless into joining her. Upon meeting Dauntless, he convinces him that the queen is jealous of Candy. This convinces him to meet Ugu in private. Once there, Ugu tells him that he believes the queen will send Candy away upon a boat. He brings Dauntless to the cove. Dauntless sees Candy upon a boat and alights upon it, at which she grabs him and puts him in the cage. Together, the three sail for the Nonestican continent.

After a week of fighting for the throne, Grewl and Phearse are still at it. Surrounded by a lava lake (beyond which live unpleasant creatures, a tunnel that goes downwards only (with something deadly that lives in the bottom), mountains riddled with dead-end caves (used as homes, storage and hatcheries), Pon despairs at finding a way out of Tizzland. But when he discovers that the Tizzlanders impose a mandatory death-sentence to anyone who lives beyond two months (due to overcrowding), he urges Grewl and Phearse to stop fighting and find a way to leave there. But Phearse (who currently wields the butterfly) gathers the Tizzlanders about him and orders the wasp man, Big Zector, to put Grewl and his son to death immediately. Without a proper offence, however, Zector won't do it, so Phearse settles to have them tied up for the night until the next day. Then, he reveals to Pon that when he pushed King Kynd down the bottomless gulf, he needed a way to connect himself to the throne, and so sought to marry his son to Kynd and Tralynda's daughter Gloria... except he didn't have a son! He paid the witch Blinkie to bring him Pon and use him for that purpose. Pon is shocked to find out he's not Phearse's son.

Ugu, meanwhile, leads Candy and Dauntless to Pessim's Island, where Pessim attempts to give Candy shrinking berries. The travelers depart for Macvelt and walk to the Deadly Desert. Ugu admits that his mistress is practicing magic without a license, but for a good cause. She hadn't known it was illegal until she met Ugu and intends to give it up once she achieves her purpose.

Meanwhile, Pon and Grewl struggle with their bonds when Big Zector and his girlfriend Zuzanna, the ladybird woman come along with nectar for them to drink. As Zector doesn't care for Phearse, he uses his sting to help loosen their bonds. Grewl gets the idea to hide in the tunnel in the northeast corner of Tizzland. Pon is concerned about what might live down there. Crawling through the tunnel in the dark, they come to a chasm and drop a rope down, reaching a soft pile at the bottom. The carpet leads them to a large lit cavern filled with miscellaneous items. It is the lair of the Rakpat, a magical dragonlike creature who travels the world, stealing things by exchanging them with other things.

The Rakpat tells the pair that he's going to turn them into figurines and trade them. Pon convinces him to at least bring his figurine to the Emerald City to trade for jewels, and he looks to write a note to leave for Ozma so she'll know to change him back. But after discovering a figuring of Lanagrette, Ricky-Tick's wife, who'd been taken by the Rakpat 20-30 years earlier, Pon discovers that she'd given birth to a baby, which the Rakpat raised until it grew into a toddler and started knocking things down. At that point, he traded the baby to an old Jinxland woman for tea. Pon then realizes that Ricky-Tick must be his real father and Lanagrette his mother! Grewl then tells the Rakpat their whole story. Fascinated, he agrees to trade Lanagrette to them, but the pair have nothing of value, so Pon agrees to procure the Crystal Butterfly for him.

They ride the Rakpat to Tizzland, where he transforms the raging Phearse into a figurine, which Big Zector, in the chaos, accidentally breaks along with the Crystal Butterfly. Pon gathers up the pieces of Phearse, while Zector gets the idea that Tizzland can maintain population control and allow its citizens to age longer than three months. Pon offers the Rakpat the globe they arrived in, which he gladly accepts. Heading back to his home, the Rakpat forgets to transform the two into figurines, and simply tells them which tunnel to take to Oz. There are hundreds of tunnels leading to various places, including two marked for "Subsylvania" and "Great Spirit Falls, Montoming."

Candy soon discovers that Ugu's mistress is Queen Tralynda, King Kynd's wife and the mother of Queen Gloria. With the help of birds and magic, she'd crossed the gulf from Jinxland into Oz proper, and has been living in a cave studying magic ever since. With Kluroorkuk's silver feathers and other ingredients she'd acquired over the years, she intends to attain wings to enable her to fly down the gulf and find her lost husband. But along with these features, Ugu brings news of his companions Candy and Dauntless. Tralynda agrees to help them cross the Deadly Desert, but Candy has already determined to cross on her own. Fashioning sandshoes from nearby flora, and ignoring the protests of Dauntless, she crosses, making it about halfway through when the heat and exhaustion begin to take their toll. When her right shoe gives, a speck of sand disintegrates her fourth toe. She lets Dauntless out of the cage and tries to carry on. When she sees a flying woman overhead, she waves, but loses her balance. Just in time, Tralynda rescues her.

Pon and Grewl, meanwhile, emerge in a barren country. A dark, noisy cloud approaches made up of black and transparent cylindrical creatures who announce themselves through discordant music as the Abandoned Chord. They are a sentient counterpart to the sweet notes that ascend to the Music of the Spheres, and comprise sour notes which play the Music of the Kubes. They tell the travelers that they are on the other side of the world from Oz, and demand that they sing. Pon sings well, which angers them, as it adds notes to the Music of the Spheres, which they are trying to drown out (and have been making progress due to discordant popular music). They are pleased by Grewl's bad singing and take him along. To assure that Pon never sings again, one of the creature thrusts its tail down his throat, removing his voice box and leaving him voiceless, save to whisper.

Queen Gloria, meanwhile, has not been idle, organizing search parties, digging tunnels and building bridges, but all to no avail because Googly-Goo has been paying the witches to sabotage every effort. She confronts Blinkie, but the witch bitterly replies there's nothing she can do. When Googly-Goo for the umpteenth time propositions Gloria, she has her Army, Dandoodle, arrest him. Gloria heads to the Great Gulf and spies a woman flying down it, and also sees Candy on the other side, who she begs to bring a message to Glinda. Candy agrees, but this concerns Ugu.

Having presented his idea of reform to the Tizzlanders, meanwhile, Big Zector and Zuzanna are forced out of Tizzland, where they follow Pon and Grewl through the tunnel, past the sleeping Rakpat to the land of the Kubes. There, they bump into Pon and accompany him on his rescue of Grewl, who the Sour Notes are forcing to sing. A battle occurs, with Zector and Grewl emerging victorious.

At Glinda's palace, Glinda confirms to Candy that she knows of the situation in Jinxland, and is heading there with the Wizard and Ozma to rectify matters. Candy confesses that she's an outsider, but Glinda reassures her, scolding Ugu for causing her needless anxiety. She does, however, warn her that there is little room in Oz for those from the outside world, but Candy replies that she has nowhere in that world to go, and that she feels a strange connection to Jinxland. Before Glinda departs, Ugu places a magic pearl (meant for travelers) inside Candy's pack, believing Glinda intended it for her.

Grewl reveals Pon's voicebox, which he snatched from the Sour Notes earlier, which Pon wraps up along with his mother's figurine and the pieces of Phearse. Big Zector and Zuzanna, meanwhile, are amazed at the sight of their first sunrise. But when the giant Tonedeaf Blowhard arrives, repairing fallen Sour Notes, Big Zector goes back to fight him, only to find himself taped up. Zuzanna rescues him, and they head west to the border, over which Zector and Zuzanna fly Pon and Grewl. They enter the land of Tititi-Hoochoo, and meet Flora, the Queen of Flowers. When Big Zector begins bragging about taking over the country, she turns his sting soft and brings them before Tititi-Hoochoo, warning them that they'd best be more polite. On the way, she tells them that there are only three ways into their land: 1. the tunnel made by Hiergargo, 2. the border fencing them from the land of the Sour Notes, and 3. a bottomless fissure. Flora receives word that they will meet the Jinjin tomorrow and should bring with her a more recent arrival, the Prince of the White Pansies. In the meantime, Flora restores Pon's voicebox, much to his joy and relief. Pon meets the Prince who queries him about Gloria and Tralynda, but it is Grewl who reveals to everyone that the Prince is actually the lost King Kynd of Jinxland.

Kynd is happy to see him and explains that he didn't know if he'd been pushed by one or all three of the courtiers who'd accompanied him to the gulf, or if he'd just lost his balance and fallen in, and refrains from accusing any of them to the Great Jinjin, who would certainly have punished the offenders. The Great Gulf leads to the bottomless fissure in Tititi-Hoochoo's country, which is how he got there. Pon tells his story, but when he gets to the part about how Phearse was sunk in the pond, Grewl and Kynd go off to discuss it in private, as Grewl is afraid of the Jinjin's strict punishment when he finds out that he usurped Phearse's rule.

The dragon Qrax arrives. Older than Quox (the youngest of the dragons in the land) at 8,972 years, he explains to Zector that a new dragon hatches every 5,000 or so years. With the pink ribbon that Quox had once worn, Qrax explains that he can disenchant Queen Lanagrette and King Phearse, which he does, though not without warning the latter. Pon is introduced to Lanagrette as her son. But when she says that she had had a girl, Pon despairs that he might actually be a girl, even though Kynd reminds him that even Ozma was once a boy. Lanagrette says she will not mind, especially given that he's married to her daughter, if he remains a boy. At last arriving in the capitol, they are escorted to the presence of Tititi-Hoochoo, who reunites King King with Queen Tralynda, who had successfully flown into the fairyland two days earlier. As no one has broken any laws in his land or made a judgment against another, he allows all of them to return to their homeland.

Ozma, the Wizard, Dorothy and numerous Oz celebrities (including Trot's mother) arrive in the Wizard's bubbles to Jinxland, along with Glinda in her swan chariot, removing the "forget spell" she'd placed over the border. Queen Gloria is overjoyed to see them and even happier to know Pon is ok. Inspecting the fallen bridges, the Wizard concludes that the witches have been casting sabotage spells, so they go and see Blinkie, who under duress is forced to tell them that her sisters are hiding in Ricky-Tick's house, which they made invisible, in the Whispering Woods. Making themselves invisible, Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard surround the house and shrink it to the size of a dollhouse, capturing the fleeing witches and taking away their magic as they once took away Blinkie's. The house becomes their prison for a time, as the Wizard builds another bubble machine for the Jinxlanders to use until a proper bridge can be constructed across the gulf. When Pon and Grewl don't arrive, however, Glinda checks her magic bag to find that the magic pearl, which would have guided them to it, is missing.

Flora makes Phearse the replacement Prince of the White Pansies, while she transports the others, according to Glinda's plan, back to where the pearl is located. They end up at the Truth Pond in the Winkie country, where Candy, Ugu and Dauntless are. The latter dives in, transforming himself back into a man from a parrot. Big Zector is amazed, and Candy herself dives in to the Pond, and emerges changed. No longer Candy Longtaw, she is revealed to be Chantilly, the long-lost daughter of Lanagrette!

Glinda arrives and finds out what happened. She forgives Tralynda for practicing magic and tells her that she could have come to her for help. Lanagrette and Grewl tell their parts of the story, and Candy, now Chantilly, realizes that the Rakpat had traded with her "grandmother." But as they all prepare to leave for Jinxland, Pon jumps in the Truth Pond, desperate to know who he is, but he emerges as himself. Stopping off at Glinda's castle, Pon looks at the Book of Records, revealing at last that he is the son of Terry and Tessa Cotta, and is the gardener's boy after all!

Thrilled to finally know who he is and that he has loving parents, he and the others return to share the good news with everyone. As to punishing the wicked, Big Zector suggests making the three witch sisters permanently attractive servants of Zuzanna. Googly-Goo he requests as his man-servant. Grewl is offered a vice-presidency with Zector, but chooses to remain in a humble position.

In time, the bridge is built across the gulf, along with a safety wall and stairs. Bubble machines are manned on either side as well. King Kynd is reappointed king of Jinxland, and his wife Tralynda is allowed to keep her wings, with a license to use them in cases of emergency. Chantilly and Ned Dauntless travel Oz and its waters in their new boat The Dicky-Bird II, and are sometimes joined by Trot and Cap'n Bill. With Glinda's help, Big Zector, Zuzanna and their new servants established Zectorland in the mountains south of Merryland. Blinkie's home is expanded with a garden of her favorite foods, houses, pavilions and gazebos, making it a popular tourist spot in Jinxland.

Continuity Notes

Blinkie: King Pon hasn't known Blinkie to have done any harm in the fifteen years since she was shrunk by the Scarecrow in The Scarecrow of Oz, which indicates that Blinkie's kept the people of Jinxland unaware of her role in the events of The Ork in Oz. As Blinkie is back to her short stature (she was restored in the latter story), this is an indication of a yet untold tale in which she practiced forbidden magic and shrank once again. The names of her sisters are revealed to be Bilkie, Bikkie and Bittie. By story's end, they have their magic taken from them and are transformed into pretty servants for Zuzanna in Zectorland, in the mountains south of Merryland. One early story of the four witch sisters, and another sister who is no longer with them, is recorded in "Reddy and Willing: The Adventures of Jair in Oz."

Bottomless Gulf: As revealed in this story, the Great Gulf in Jinxland extends through the earth to the bottomless fissure in the Land of An (Tititi-Hoochoo and the Original Dragon's country, known earlier as the Empire of the Fairy Fellowship.) It is now surrounded by a safety wall, and a bridge spans it to Oz.

Dating: The events of this sequel to The Scarecrow of Oz are set just over 15 years after that story. King Phearse believes he's been in the pond for 17 or 18 years, which dates the time of Krewl's accession to the throne to two or three years prior to the time of The Scarecrow of Oz. King Kynd notes that Ozma came to the throne a few years after he'd been pushed in the Great Gulf.

Islands: One of the islands the Great Jellyfish passes with Candy and Dauntless appears to be Skull Island, from which the legendary King Kong hails, bringing that storyline into the Oz universe. Parrot Island is near Pessim's Island.

Jinxland: Aside from the Scarecrow, no Jinxlander has seen another person cross the mountains from Oz into Jinxland. This clarifies that the Ragbad army (from the first chapter of Grampa in Oz) did not, in fact, make it across the Gulf into Jinxland, and probably settled elsewhere (a fact that Thompson was unaware of).

Kube (or the Land of Sour Notes): The land of the Abandoned Chord is said to be somewhere on the other side of the world from Oz, and borders Tititi-Hoochoo's and the First Dragon's country (known at this time as the Empire of the Fairy Fellowship, but was once and will be again called the Land of An).

Rakpat: The methods employed by this magical dragonlike creature (of taking items, but not without replacing them with something else) are reminiscent of Pervus the Packrat in The Ork in Oz. The Rakpat, however, appears to be a kind of small dragon with ratlike features, and his name is derived from both the packrat and the Rak, a giant and dangerous kind of dragon found in Ev.

Tizzland: A few valleys away from the subterranean kingdom of Mangaboo. Since it was reached through a tunnel deep under Jinxland, and the mudkitties know of it, it must have been accessed through a magical portal either in the tunnel, or the portal is the tunnel itself.

Trot's mother: Mrs. Griffiths is alive and well and living in Oz in this story. This was initially contradicted by other recent accounts, however, later printings of the stories, The Law of Oz and Other Stories and Queen Ann in Oz, fix this, and indicate that she chose not to stay in Oz and went back to living in California. She is later mentioned at a Christmas party in Oz in The Enchanted Gnome of Oz, likely indicating that she came back to Oz at some point.

Ugu: This is the first appearance of Ugu the Shoemaker since The Lost Princess of Oz. This is the Dove of Peace version of Ugu, who is reformed, and will appear again in a larger role in The Law of Oz and Other Stories. See those entries for more details.

The 28th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: On Umbrella Island, Pansy the Watch Cat warns the daydreaming King Sizerroo that they're going to crash, which is what happens, causing the su-jester Bamboula, the Chief Couselor Kacheka and the Wizard of the Realm Waddy to convene. Suddenly, they discover that their floating island has crashed into Loxo the giant, who snatches Umbrella Island from the air, angry that's he's been hit in the head by it. In response to his questions, Waddy explains to the giant the history of their island. Umbrella Island once sat off the coast of Ev, by Pingaree and Impossipillio. Seven years and seven months ago, Waddy devised a way for the island to float by magic and mechanical means, utilizing a giant umbrella that was placed through the center of the island. Once accomplished, they could float all over Nonestica, and had "even crossed over into the realms of Reality on the other side of the Rainbow."

Although fascinated, Loxo demands in payment a child that comes running out at that very moment. The child turns out to be the king's daughter Reeda (who they call Gureeda for her incessant reading habits). Loxo wants her to help ties his boot laces. Waddy gets the giant to agree to wait three months in order for them to train the child. Loxo agrees, but warns them that if they try to escape, he will find them. Gureeda is grieved, but comforted by the fact that her father has no intention of giving her over to Loxo. After conferring with his counselors, the king decides to procure help from the Emerald City. Yet, worried that he'll be shown up by the magic users there, Waddy discourages him from this course.

In the Grand Canyon, meanwhile, Speedy (who first appeared in The Yellow Knight of Oz) and his Uncle Billy (William Harmstead) are on an archaeological dig. Arriving at Professor Sanderson's camp, they discover the complete remains of a dinosaur. After laying all the bones together to get an idea of what it looks like, a geyser suddenly erupts underneath Speedy and the skeleton, fusing it together, and shooting them up into the sky, where the dinosaur suddenly begins to speak. Speedy inadvertently names him Terrybubble (from his nervous pronunciation of terrible), and the dinosaur skeleton grabs a cloud in an attempt to stave off their eventual fall. The cloud, however, turns out to be an island. Terrybubble tells Speedy he lived to the age of 400 when he was attacked and killed by a mogorith (a megalosaur) in the Valley of Virtula where he lived.

The pair spot a city and race towards it only to find the Umbrella Islanders engaged in a grand procession around the island (designed to keep the king's mind off his troubles). The Islanders are terrified of the living dinosaur skeleton, but Speedy explains to the king and his court what happened and who they are. They grow to like Speedy, though Kachewka makes secret plans to give Speedy to Loxo in place of Gureeda. Terrybubble, meanwhile, earns Gureeda's trust, but while they go off to get an umbrella for Speedy, Pansy comes by, and upon learning that she's a cat, Terrybubble chases after her. Gureeda is terrified, and Speedy worries that the cat's death will mean he'll have to leave the island, but Terrybubble catches and presents the cat unharmed, although furious at his treatment. The dinosaur explains that he was merely racing with Pansy, and attempting to show Speedy that he could be every good a pet as a dog (which Speedy told him chases cats).

Speaking with Waddy, Speedy learns that Umbrella Island has a protective armored shield that can be activated, and anchors that keep it tethered to the sea bottom in the event of storms. Testing the umbrella made for Terrybubble, Speedy and Waddy jump on it, and end up floating above the Nonestic. Steering the island towards them, Bamboula comes to the rescue along with Terrybubble, who lets down his tail for them to grab. Terrybubble's loud cheers, however, cause Bamboula to let go of the wheel, causing Umbrella Island to drop down into the sea in between two fortressed islands, Norroway and Roaraway, who are at war.

Unable to escape back to the sky until the umbrella is repaired, Speedy remembers what Waddy told him, and presses the button releasing the shield, protecting them from a volley of arrows. But when a small boat bearing Radj the Red, of Roaraway, arrives flying a white flag, Waddy sends Speedy to speak on their behalf. Speedy tries to get Radj to stop fighting, but learns that Roaraway and Norroway have been fighting for centuries starting when one ancestor called the other a cabbage. Speedy suggests they hold athletic contests instead, but Radj says their loss would just cause him to declare war anyway. Speedy then asks for a cease-fire until they can leave, at which point Radj shows him his latest weapon, a tremendous water gun that could destroy Norroway if Radj chose to.

Unable to sleep that night, Speedy goes to visit Waddy, whose busy trying to fix the umbrella that will allow them to escape. He leaves with what he believes is a flashlight, but which he soon discovers is a beam that can cut through iron. With this, he gets an idea and swims across to Roaraway Island while everyone is asleep. There, he destroys Radj's Water Gun and returns to Umbrella Island. In the morning, he tells Waddy what he did, and the pair celebrate until Radj and his soldiers come rowing over. But Waddy has by then repaired the umbrella and up and away they go.

Days pass in peace as Speedy spends time with Gureeda, daydreams about joining the navy and bringing the schematics of the Water Gun to the U.S. One night, as Umbrella Island hovers over Oz, Terrybubble overhears Kachewka's plot to hand Speedy over to Loxo. Alarmed, he inquires about it to Pansy, who confirms it and warns him to take Speedy off the island into Oz. Terrybubble, also worried about Gureeda, takes both Speedy and her, and drops off the island onto the foot of Big Enough Mountain. There, they discover Loxo himself, peering out from a telescope. Terrybubble turns to run, but Loxo hears him and uses his magnet to pull them in. He's pleased to find two servants instead of one, and right away puts them to work lacing his boots.

Back on Umbrella Island, Pansy reveals what occurred the previous night, and Waddy, who learns of Kacheska's treacherous plan, grows furious with him, and steers the island to above the Emerald City, where he, Sizzeroo, Bamboula and Pansy drop down off the island to surprise Ozma, Dorothy and the Scarecrow. Discovering that Speedy and Gureeda haven't come to the Emerald City, they tell the Ozites the whole story. At once checking the Magic Picture, they discover that Speedy and Gureeda are the prisoners of Loxo, whose green mountain sits at the center of the Quadling country. The Wizard arrives with his magic searchlight and together they head off to confront Loxo. When the Wizard threatens to use his powder of petrifaction, Ozma cautions him not to use violence, and Waddy, not wishing the Wizard to get all the credit, rushes off and returns with a cake and drink, which he offers Loxo as a toast to their bargain. Once Loxo eats it, he shrinks down to human size. Rather than be angry, he claims to be relieved since it is lonely to be a giant, and now he can find a dairy-maid to marry.

A big celebration ensues on Umbrella Island, as everyone meets Terrybubble and the Umbrella Islanders. Speedy considers staying, but remembers his uncle and the Water Gun weapon he wants him to build for the U.S. Leaving a note for Gureeda to look out for Terrybubble while he's away and promising to some day return, Speeedy whispers to Ozma to send him back home, where he is soon telling his uncle the story of his adventures.

Time passes, and Waddy brings Umbrella Island into the mortal worlds, as Terrybubble looks down over the edge hoping to find Speedy to bring him back.

Continuity Notes

Big Enuf Mountain: The mountain in the center of the Quadling country... "is in the exact center of the Quadling Country and this mountain, settled by a band of Emerald City dwellers and planted with seeds and shrubs brought from the capital, retained all the verdure and charm of our own countryside. Later, I understand the giant Loxo drove off these peaceful settlers and took the mountain for himself. Your Watch Cat doubtless mistook the capital of the Quadling Country for the Emerald City." [281] The implication of these words is that either: 1) Big Enuf Mountain was an outpost of Oz's capitol (as J.L. Bell speculates) or, 2) if the "Emerald City dwellers" refer to the ancient Oz capitol where now sits the Emerald City, that Big Enuf Mountain was the ancient capital of the Quadling country. Big Enuf Mountain is also called Big Enough Mountain in some stories, and Huge Mountain in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3.

Dating: Story takes place in May (Chapter 6) over the course of eight days. See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more info. It specifically takes place two years after the events of The Yellow Knight of Oz (in 1919), as Speedy's Uncle Billy is two years into an attempt to rebuild the rocket that first took Speedy to Oz.

Encyclopedia of Giants: It is not known who wrote or published this book in Oz, but Loxo the giant and his magic magnet are mentioned in it.

Kachewka and Waddy: These counselors to the king are set-up as villain and hero, though each is a bit more of three-dimensional and not entirely one or the other. As J.L. Bell notes in the Pumperdink BCF forum, "Like Akbad in GIANT HORSE, [Kachewka's] a thin, long-nosed, sharp-tongued, faint-hearted, pointy-bearded advisor willing to sacrifice a child from America to save his island kingdom." However, it's worth noting that "turning Speedy over was far from Kachewka's first plan to deal with Loxo. Early in the book he suggests going over the giant's bruised head to Ozma and asking her to save Gureeda [57]. Only because of Waddy's jealous insistence of handling the problem himself does the giant remain a threat [59]. The wizard is jealous not only of the Wizard of Oz, but also of "the Grand Grumboleer," as he calls Kachewka [261]. In other words, the unsympathetic counselor is rational, willing to seek help from the proper authorities, and concerned about the greatest good for the largest number; the sympathetic wizard is emotional and acting on purely personal motives." This may be why "Thompson lets her antagonists off lightly. Loxo shrinks—but to what might be a happier size. Kachewka retains his post after being 'gently reproved' [293]"

Loxo: Loxo is the largest described giant in Oz, able to pick up Terrybubble "between his thumb and forefingers." As J.L. Bell notes in the Pumperdink forum, Once Loxo gets the boot-lacers he wants, he's quite happy... He really isn't a traditional fee-fi-fo-fum giant. But by the end of SPEEDY Loxo performs two major sins in Thompson's Oz books: he keeps white children as slaves, and he's rude to Ozma ["Save your breath, Lady"--285]. So we know he's going down... Considering that all Loxo wanted was servants to help him dress--something Sizzeroo's and Ozma's palaces supply for the favored few--this seems quite unfair. Fortunately, Loxo sneaks off, and we can only hope he fulfills his hope to marry a dairymaid [290, 292]. As per the Oziana 1991 story, "A Cozy Castle in Oz," that's exactly what comes to pass, as Loxo marries a peasant from Grapelandia, a duchy on the foothills of Big Enough Mountain, and works the vineyards there.

Magic Mirror: According to Fred Meyer, who writes in the afterward of the 1992 International Wizard of Oz Club edition, Thompson wrote "Magic Picture" in the original manuscript, and it seems to have been mistakenly changed by Reilly & Lee editors.

Metal Melting Flash: This magical item, which Speedy first thinks is a flashlight, predates the lightsaber of Star Wars lore by forty-three years.

Norroway: This warring counterpart to Roaraway presents an actual alternate (though archaic) spelling for Norway (such as found in the fairy tale "The Black Bull of Norroway," found in several collections, including Andrew Lang's). The real Norway, of course, isn't implied in this story, as Norway exists in the Outside World, and is employed simply to provide yet another pun.

Searchlight: This is the third book to mention or feature the Wizard's invented searchlight. It was first invented in The Yellow Knight of Oz.

Speedy: Speedy first appeared in The Yellow Knight of Oz. His actual name is William, and he might share the surname of his uncle, Harmstead. His parents died on the South Seas Islands when he was two, and he came to live with his scientist uncle Billy in Garden City, Long Island. The summer after Speedy's first trip to Oz, he spent at camp, noting that "scientists... did not like to be disturbed." Regarding his character, J.L. Bell aptly notes in the Pumperdink forums that "Like several of Thompson's other male heroes, Speedy is secretly attracted to the form of masculinity presented by bellicose villains. He thinks 'how splendid this Sea King [Radj] looked in his high helmet and red armor.' Even while fearing Radj's water gun, Speedy 'could not help feeling a certain admiration for the big, bluff ruler' and gives him a 'friendly, vigorous wave.' Despite having just told the king 'you do not care much about good sportsmanship' [195], the boy nonetheless decides the ruler is 'pretty sporting' for making his threat so obvious. The king in turn offers him the rank of 'fifth in command,' just as the Nome King offered a general's rank to Peter [193-200]."

Sequel: Speedy finally returns to Oz, Gureeda and Terrybubble in Ruth Waara's Umbrella Island in Oz.

Umbrella Island: It took Waddy seven months to build the umbrella and steering mechanism to fly Umbrella Island, which only begins flying seven years prior to the start of this story in 1914. Before that, it was a traditional island off the coast of Ev, by Pingaree and Impossipillio. What name it originally went under is unknown, but their source of currency was silk worms. It is home to 769 people prior to Speedy's arrival, as well as several animals (presumably talking ones since none are surprised by Pansy and Terrybubble's speech). It's foliage changed to a more tropical one when they took to the sky (and one that seems to grow umbrella like flora). Umbrella Island can travel at 160 mph (p. 293), and also has the unusual distinction of being able to fly beyond the "dream-like mists and rainbows surrounding all fairy countries" to the outside world.

Water Gun: This weapon developed on Roaraway Island for Radj the Red, can destroy an entire island. The main reason Speedy leaves Oz is not so much because he's worried about his uncle, but because he wants his uncle to build the weapon so that they can give it to the U.S. military. Speedy's militaristic attitude is noted several times in the book, such as when he first discovers the war between Roaraway and Nooroway and tells Gureeda, "This is no time for books... What we need is guns... bombs or cannon or air ships." This is not atypical for Thompson protagonists, but is an unpleasant and notably un-Baumian trend that Thompson repeats. As Tor.com reviewer Mari Ness notes: "Coming from a boy who earlier in the book had bravely risked his life to deactivate those same weapons to prevent a war, this decision is particularly distressing. Speedy could, after all, ask Ozma to bring his uncle to Umbrella Island. But the weapons issue is a real one, presented by Thompson as the right, and only patriotic choice. Speedy of Oz may have been written six years before Hitler marched into Czechoslovakia; nonetheless, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, the rise of fascism in Europe, and the ever-present threat of the Soviet Union had left Thompson, at least, convinced that the United States and its citizens needed to focus on war preparations. (It somewhat foreshadows some of the later Oz books that would be printed with notes urging young readers to buy war stamps and war bombs.)" Speedy's wish to have his uncle build this weapon for the U.S. fails to come to fruition, as no such weapon was known to exist in the years following his return to the U.S., and Speedy fails to mention it again in Umbrella Island in Oz.

Oz book 29 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: In the southern part of the desert of Noland, in the Kingdom of Skampavia, King Skamperoo finds himself dissatisfied with the harvest he collects in taxes twice a year from the seven governors (supervisors) who represent the seven counties in the country. He begins fantasizing about conquering a nearby land, but Zixi of Ix is too "pleasant and friendly," same with the King of Merryland, who his marauders had met when they went in to steal and "make trouble."

When two supervisors begin arguing over an emerald necklace that had been acquired by a merchant, who got it from a traveling peddler, who'd come from Oz, Skamperoo demands the necklace, as well as the other two the merchant has, telling the governor of the region that he'll alleviate his tax burdens if he brings them to him. Fascinated by Oz, he has Pinny Penny, his prime minister tell him tales of Oz, and his eyes gleam when he learns that only a single soldier represents the Army of Oz. Pinny Penny warns him that Ozma has powerful magic at her disposal and encourages him to forget Oz.

But when the governor arrives with the merchant and the other two necklaces, Skamperoo becomes obsessed with them. The merchant, however, will not leave, demanding that since he sold his house, business and possessions to acquire the necklaces, the king must provide him a suitable position or he will raise an army against him as a thief. Skamperoo relents, suggesting he remain as entertainer and storyteller, but the merchant confides to him that he is a magician named Matiah and can only discuss it in private. This ruse is an attempt to get Skamperoo alone where he will behead him and take back his necklaces.

The king meets him in a small cactus garden, where Matiah convinces him to hand over the necklaces in order that the king make a wish, close his eyes and count to a hundred. As Matiah goes to leave, the king's wish comes true and a horse from Oz arrives out of thin air, startling the false magician. Matiah tries to wish himself to Ev, but nothing happens, while the horse introduces himself to the king as Chalk. The king is shocked by the horse's ability to speak, a fact Matiah attributes to his being an Ozian horse, and Skamperoo determines to keep the magic a secret from Pinny Penny by claiming it's the merchant's horse.

To buy time, Matiah tells Skamperoo that he can only grant one wish a week. During that time, he attempts to figure out how the magic of the necklaces work, reasoning that the wisher must not wear them. But he makes a wish and nothing happens, deepening the mystery and his frustration. He convinces the king that the gems of the necklace need cleaning, hoping to uncover some secret about them, and discovering that one of the three necklaces has a diamond clasp. But when Skamperoo tells him what his next wish is going to be, he's astounded by the brilliance of the plan, and adds some helpful details of his own.

As the king retires for a nap, Matiah studies the big volume on Oz in his library. But Skamperoo awakens with an idea and sneaks off to question Chalk about the necklaces. The horse knows nothing of them, but tells him that Matiah is a fraud, which Skamperoo believes. Having taken a liking to the king, Chalk instructs him to hand the necklaces on his ear and wish to be on his back. The magic works and Chalk tells Skamperoo to tell him what his next wish was going to be. He is disappointed by what he hears and asks if he really wants to leave his people high and dry. So, Skamperoo makes a wish for Pinny Penny, and astride Chalk's back, disappears into thin air before Matiah notices he's gone.

In the Gillikin country, meanwhile, Joe King explains to High Boy (both from The Giant Horse of Oz) that they're going to a gala spring festival to celebrate the "discovery" of Oz by the Wizard and Dorothy. All the kings and queens from all four quadrants are making preparations. In and around the capital, Notta Bit and Bob-Up (from The Cowardly Lion of Oz) prepare a circus tent, while Happy Toko (The Royal Book of Oz) sends fireworks. The girls in the palace look forward to seeing Sir Hokus, Ojo and Unc Nunkie, Urtha and Prince Tatters (Grampa in Oz). The Hungry Tiger, in charge of the reception committee for the animals, anticipates the needs of Hank the Mule, Kabumpo the Elegant Elephant, the Doubtful Dromedary, who lives at the palace, along with his old friend the Comfortable Camel, who will be arriving with the Yellow Knight, Marygolden and Stampedro (all from The Royal Book of Oz and The Yellow Knight of Oz), Snif the Iffin (Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz), Roger the Read Bird who will march with King Ato and Captain Salt (Pirates in Oz and Captain Salt in Oz), Snufferbux (Ojo in Oz) and a blue dragon that Cheeriobed is bringing (The Giant Horse of Oz).

The celebration arrives and all the Ozian royalty march in the parade, the king and queen of Ragbad, Prince Tatters, Urtha and Grampa (Grampa in Oz), the king and queen of Seebania with Ojo, Unc Nunkie and Snufferbux (Ojo in Oz) well as Glinda, the Wizard, Jinnicky, Benny (The Giant Horse of Oz), the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, the students of Professor Wogglebug's college, Samuel Salt's crew and others (Captain Salt in Oz). Ozma, Dorothy, Betsy and Trot march as well. After Dorothy and the Wizard are given their medals, Omby Amby's beard turns red. The Wizard and Jinnicky, believing magic is afoot, go to consult their books on red magic. The Scarecrow also suspects something.

Dorothy takes the precaution of swallowing one of the Wizard's wishing pills, and wishes that if anything happens she'll be able to save Ozma and Oz. She soon discovers that each of the quadrant rulers are missing, and asks the Scarecrow what's become of the Wizard. The Scarecrow replies that he's never heard of any wizard! When she asks Corum and Prince Pompa where Ozma is, they say they don't know of any Ozma. Rushing into the throne room, Dorothy discovers a white horse atop the throne with a fat man atop the horse. Dorothy runs to tell everyone, but Herby and Betsy suggest she needs to lie down. Kabumpo lifts Dorothy on his back so she can glimpse the Emperor of Oz, Skamperoo.

Dorothy is horrified and escapes to the gardens where she encounters Pigasus (Pirates in Oz ) who requests that she take a ride upon him. As soon as Dorothy gets on his back, he remembers everything and tells Dorothy that everyone is under a spell to forget Ozma and the missing royals of Oz, as well as all the magic users. He suggests they consult the Magic Picture to find out where they'd been taken, but the Picture is gone along with all the magic treasures Ozma and the Wizard had kept. Dorothy suggests they head to the Winkie country where the people might not be under a spell, and might raise an army to force Skamperoo to tell them where their missing friends are.

Towards the evening, Pigasus takes Dorothy to a comfortable farmhouse to sleep. Concerned about the farmer (he's had problems with farmers in the past), he wakes Dorothy early to depart. Walking for a bit, they meet a fisherman, but he too is under the enchantment. They also meet a ferryman, but all he knows is stories of their Emperor Skamperoo. Disgusted, they press on, attempting to reach the Deadly Desert, fly over, and maybe seek the help of Kaliko or Evardo.

Deciding to walk through a forest, they soon find that it grows dark very quickly, and before they know it, Pigasus is being held back by a member of the Invincible Black Watch. Though it is too dark to see him at all, the guard is perfectly able to see them, and notes from their color eyes that they're not black like everyone else is in the forest. So, he determines to take them to see the witch of the Black Forest Gloma. First, though, he dips them into a nearby stream, after which they can clearly see into the darkness, but the thing that Dorothy notices is that she's black from head to toe, as is Pigasus.

Soon enough, Dorothy comes to see how beautiful everything is, including Queen Gloma. Surrounded by black leopards and ten axe-wielding foresters, Gloma jumps up in terror, upbraiding General Blotz for bringing her "most dangerous and mortal enemy" before her! As the foresters surround Dorothy and Pigasus, threatening to behead them, Dorothy approaches the queen and explains that they arrived by accident and merely wish her help in departing. But Gloma identifies Dorothy as the destroyer of the east and west witches. Dorothy explains that they were bad witches and that she has no intention of harming her. When a star on Dorothy's head begins to glow, Gloma stops her men from harming her, but when they threaten Pigasus, Dorothy angrily threatens to turn all of them into insects. The queen orders them taken to the dark room in her palace.

The room is bare save for a stool and a crystal. Pigasus inquires whether Dorothy really did kill two witches, and she explains that both were by accident, and that the glowing star on her head must be from when she first met the Good Witch of the North. Pigasus insists they find a bucket of water, but Dorothy objects, believing Gloma to be good. Pigasus points out that the fact of her beauty won't stop her from trying to destroy them. Bearing out his words, the room soon darkens and someone enters, striking the crystal in succession. Each time a different danger occurs, a fountain of fire, a twisting mass of black snakes, a choking green smoke and a hail of silver arrows, but each time Dorothy and Pigasus prove invulnerable. Gloma ceases her magic and invites Dorothy to destroy her, pleading that she only leave her people in peace, as they had never harmed a soul. Dorothy reiterates that she didn't come to kill her, but is seeking a way to rescue Ozma, recounting the story of everything that has occurred.

Gloma is abashed at her actions, but Dorothy forgives her, and asks if she knows of Ozma. Gloma explains that she knows nothing of what is going on in Oz. When the Wizard arrived, she ruled by right and inheritance the southern part of the Winkie Country. The Wicked Witch of the West, though claiming the whole land, had only brought the north and central portions under her control. The entire south under Gloma was free. But when word came that a mortal had arrived and destroyed the east and west witches, Gloma assumed she'd be next, so with any who'd remain with her, she went into hiding in the black forest. There, with her magic, she turned her subjects, castle and herself black. She admits she's come to love that color more than all the colors of the rainbow, and that they'd been happy and content all these years.

Gloma invites Dorothy to share with her the history of Oz since that time, which she does. The queen consults her crystal, but discovers that her black magic is useless against the green magic that was used to enchant her friends, however, she gives Dorothy a black box with a powder that can turn any city black, blinding them while allowing Dorothy and Pigasus to see. After sharing a hearty repast with Gloma, General Blotz, Gloma's pet jackdaw and the foresters, Dorothy comes to enjoy their company, but then requests that Gloma transport them to Ev.

Dorothy and Pigasus arrive at the back door of the underground Gnome Kingdom. King Kaliko's chamberlain Shoofenwaller informs him that the Long Eared Hearer has heard two people approaching the back door. Kaliko looks through his expectacles and discovers Dorothy and a winged pig. Shoofenwaller escorts them to a comfortable room, and in the morning Kaliko sees them. Dorothy explains what's happened and asks for Kaliko's army to help. He is reluctant to do this, however, and explains that since everyone believes that Skamperoo is their rightful emperor, they will fight for him. Still, he concedes that if another king were to send an army, he would follow suit. He also sends for his wizard Potaroo. The wizard has a magic spyglass wheeled in by four Gnome wise men. Looking through the telescope, Potaroo reveals that Ozma and the other rulers are hidden in Thunder Mountain in the north. Before sending them off with food, Kaliko also grants them a box of stumbling blocks.

In Skampavia, meanwhile, Pinny Penny suddenly becomes king when Skamperoo departs, and his first act is to exile Matiah from the realm. Dorothy and Pigasus fly to the coast of Ev, stopping amongst the dunes to eat and rest. Dorothy awakens to find they're surrounded by a horde of sandmen called Dooners. Pigasus is bound, and when she goes to untie him, the Dooners pellet her with sandballs and tell her that she and the pig invaded their sacred domain and will be turned into sandwiches for the sand crabs. Dorothy tosses the stumbling block at them, causing them to fall down and stay off-balance, while she unties Pigasus. Upon departing, the Dooners are restored and the stumbling block returns to her possession.

Flying along the coast they're then accosted by what appears to be a giant snake that shoots up and coils around them. But the snake turns out to be the shooting tower of Bitty Bit, the Seer of Some Summit, who is riding atop his tower in search of a sea serpent. Inviting them back to his castle, he leads them to a cozy room lined with books and explains that because he's a seer he already knows who they are, and that Pigasus is the creation of the Red Jinn. Ozma, he tells them, and the rest of the royals are safe, but in a trance at the bottom of Lightning Lake at the top of Thunder Mountain. Bitty Bit offers to take them there via his tower, but after breakfast the next morning, he explains that they need to instead go to the Emerald City to retrieve the lost wishing emeralds of Lorna the Wood Nymph.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Skamperoo enjoys the festivities and company of the Ozian celebrities who were enchanted not to remember their missing comrades. But that night, someone steals into Skamperoo's bedroom and makes off with the necklaces. Chalk believes that Matiah somehow crossed the desert and took them. He is correct, but when he searches the palace he doesn't locate Matiah's hiding place underneath the cellar in the underground caves that had been discovered and excavated by Ruggedo (Kabumpo in Oz). Matiah tests out his theories on the necklaces, but to no avail. He'd crossed the desert through bribing an eagle to whom he promised three wishes, and, in a nearby forest, the eagle awaits his payment or the punishment of Matiah if he doesn't deliver. Convinced the necklaces must be worn by another, he abducts a kitchen boy from above and begins the experiments again. But then everything turns to darkness.

Bitty Bit, Pigasus and Dorothy, who are responsible for the darkness with Gloma's magic, finds Chalk and Skamperoo and leads them into the laboratory where, restoring the light, they confront them about their treachery. The kitchen boy then interrupts, explaining his abduction by a madman under the cellar. But seeing the necklaces on him, both Skamperoo and Bitty Bit dive for it, frightening the boy. Bitty Bit gets it to Pigasus who flies out of harm's way.

Unable to figure out how to work it to restore Ozma, they demand that Chalk reveal their magic secret. This he won't do unless they grant him two wishes. They don't trust him, but Chalk explains that just as she loves her mistress, he loves Skamperoo, and besides that, they'd done no harm to anyone save to give Ozma and the others a chance to rest for awhile. After some consideration, Bitty Bit agrees to their terms, and Chalk is given the necklace. Skamperoo repeats his words, wishing themselves five wishes upon their return to Skampavia. The second wish is to be reserved for later. Chalk then whispers to Dorothy the necklaces' secret, and then handing them to her, he has Dorothy wish their return to Skampavia. At that they disappear. Bitty Bit next wishes that Skamperoo's spell over the inhabitants of Oz is dispelled and that Ozma and the others be released and restored to the palace. The Wizard, Ozma and the others are unaware of the passage of three days since they were first enchanted. Dorothy and her friends tell the story, which shocks everyone present. Grateful for his help, Ozma invites Bitty Bit to stay, though for the love of his castle he declines, promising to help should they ever need it.

Looking backwards to the history of the necklaces, the seer informs them that the emeralds were first collected and strung into necklaces by the Wizard Wam for the Dwarf King of the Green Mountain. He presented them to Lorna the Wood Nymph who'd promised to marry him, but upon receiving them she turned him into a frog and returned to her forest. But a squirrel stole the necklaces and buried them for the winter. A woodcutter's son later spotted them and, as emeralds are common in Oz, traded them to a peddler for a new axe. In time, the peddler made his way to Skampavia, where because gems are rare, Matiah traded everything for them. Since by law, every subject must render the king 1/3 of everything he raises or owns, the necklaces came to the king who insisted on having all three, causing Matiah to pretend to be a wizard to get them back. Though thwarted by Skamperoo, he made his way to Oz and retrived the necklaces, losing them again when the darkness of Gloma's spell allowed the kitchen boy to escape, and Matiah to hit his head in pursuit, knocking himself out.

With the necklaces on Dorothy, Ozma wishes Matiah to forget them and become a good citizen of Skampavia. She wishes the vengeful eagle turned into a sparrow. But before she can deal with Skamperoo, Bitty Bit tells her that he'd looked to see what wishes Chalk would request and found them all to be good and wise. Later after their resumed celebration, when Ozma puts the necklaces in the safe, Dorothy explains that their secret is to wink with both eyes on the sixth count. In Skampavia, meanwhile, Pinny Penny is happy to see his king again, and has changed some laws, taxing citizens only 1/20th of their earnings. Chalk and Skamperoo tell their story, but Penny is concerned that with these wishes they'll leave Skampavia behind. But Skamperoo surprises him, telling him that Penny himself shall make the wishes. His first is to make the king of the country always wise and generous as Ozma; next, that the people make the country, rich, happy and prosperous; and last, that the climate and soil become mild and fertile. Chalk wishes that they never be separated, and they save one wish for a future time.

Continuity Notes

Chalk: There is some confusion as to Chalk's origins. He seems to think that he was magicked out of thin air, but also that he was an Ozian horse. Nathan M. DeHoff on the Pumperdink BCF forum notes: "Chalk knows that Skamperoo brought him into existence, but also that he comes from Oz. If his existence really began in Skampavia, there is no way he could be 'from Oz.' Perhaps he was an Ozian horse whose memories of Oz were erased when he was summoned by magic."

Crime and Punishment: For a change, the story's antagonists aren't transformed, memory-wiped or destroyed. J.L. Bell postulates: "For many of her villains, Thompson has Ozma or someone else punish them with transformation, captivity, or near destruction. Only a few so far are allowed to remain not only intact but actually on their thrones: Mustafa, the Sultan of Samandra, and Skamperoo. What distinguishes this group from the unlucky majority (J. Glegg, Irashi, Gorba, the pirates, etc.)? Thompson hints that each of the exceptional three is more childish than evil (Skamperoo is "like a big bad baby" [29]). But their actions, objectively measured, seem just as bad. How does Skamperoo taking over Oz differ from taking over Seebania? I think the three exceptional villains earn their lenient desserts because they:

1) are already kings.
2) don't try to marry any princesses by force or stealth.

In Thompson's plots, it seems, a commoner or lesser noble usurping a king's place and/or forcing himself on a princess becomes guilty of a "capital" crime. Unlike Baum, she rarely deposes an established ruler, no matter how much he's oppressed his people or preyed on neighbors... Ozma does punish one creature for his actions in WISHING HORSE, though he's done no wrong to her or anyone else that we see. Matiah "bribed a red eagle with the promise of three wishes" to carry him to Oz [251]. After Bitty Bit speaks of the giant bird's "exceedingly fierce look in his eye," Ozma turns the eagle into "a harmless sparrow" [288]. Neill provides quite a scary picture of this eagle in star-spangled overalls [252], but we never see him do anything that deserves transformation." Bitty Bit, however, is able to clearly see that the five wishes Skamperoo was going to make were wise ones, he likewise may have seen that the three wishes the red eagle was going to make were wicked ones.

Dating: Due to the fact that Samuel Salt and Ato had not reunited in the four years from the end of Pirates in Oz to the start of Captain Salt in Oz, The Wishing Horse of Oz (which features them together in a grand Oz parade) must takes place afterwards. Some have made a case that Skamperoo's spell caused them to forget, but as everyone else under that spell saw their memories restored, this theory seems unlikely, not least of which because its sole purpose is to keep the chronology in line with the books' publication order (something which Thompson's internal chronology argues against in other books). The narrative presents an anniversary celebration of the Wizard and Dorothy's "discovery" of Oz. It's not initially clear exactly whose anniversary it is, as each is sharing it with the other, but the enormity of the celebration would indicate a milestone year for either Dorothy or the Wizard's arrival, 25 or 50 years, respectively, indicating that a 1921 or 1923 date is the correct one. Because the text notes that the celebration takes place in the Spring, and because it must take place prior to Captain Salt in Oz, which takes place in the summer of 1921, the indication appears to be the 1923 celebration based on the 25th anniversary of Dorothy's "discovery" of Oz in 1898. If there was a gala celebration for the Wizard in 1921, it's unknown, and there is the possibility that that date was overlooked or kept a relatively small celebratory event, which may be why Dorothy insists on sharing her 25th anniversary celebration with the Wizard. This also works thematically, as the narrative is centered around Dorothy's quest to save Oz, it would seem appropriate that it marks the anniversary of the first time she saved Oz.

Dorothy's color blindness: An unfortunate characterization in this book has Dorothy grieved over being turned black. As J.L. Bell points out on the BCF Pumperdink forum: "becoming black strikes Dorothy and Pigasus as a terrible fate. As soon as Dorothy sees her new skin color, she 'began to weep bitterly' [154], and she continues to cry for two more pages. When was the last time Dorothy cried in the Oz books? Perhaps as far back as WIZARD! And Thompson ties Dorothy's reaction directly to her blackness--it's not said to be delayed sadness over losing Ozma or frustration at becoming a prisoner, it's because she sees that even her tongue is black... It takes a while for Dorothy to realize, "maybe there's no harm in being black" [168]. She's even able to say, when 'she did not want to hurt Gloma's feelings,' that 'black is a perfectly beautiful color' [179]. Some of Thompson's best descriptive writing in her Oz books is her picture of Gloma's ebon realm. Nonetheless, Thompson also assures us that the Black Foresters weren't born black, and Dorothy's response to Gloma's remark, 'I turned myself and my subjects as black as you now see us,' is 'What a shame! What a pity!' [176]. Despite her characters' declarations that black can be beautiful, Thompson and her version of Dorothy still seem to assume that black skin is very unfortunate." While we can recognize that this is due to Thompson's own parochial mid-1930s views, in-universe, it has to be understood that the black that's being discussed in the narrative is not the brown skin color of African Americans, but in fact, pitch black.

Dorothy's blindness to good and evil: Dorothy is portrayed with an immature understanding of good and evil, as Bell points out: "According to Thompson, Dorothy assumes that a good-looking person must be good. Dorothy even starts thinking Gloma might be nice because 'her name sounds rather pretty' [156]. Similarly, Dorothy begins to change her mind about General Blotz because 'he is not bad looking at all' [156]. Thompson writes that Gloma looks 'much more like a Queen than a witch,' as if one could tell both queens and witches by sight [159]. This pattern of statements maintains Thompson's usual linkage (especially in females) of traditional beauty with goodness." This thankfully changes by the next book, Handy Mandy in Oz, where the king and wizard Wutz are noted by Mandy as looking "so nice," and yet is one of Oz's most ruthless villains.

Doubtful Dromedary: This camel (who first appeared in Kabumpo in Oz) still lives in the Royal Stables at this time. The Comfortable Camel, his companion, has been living with Prince Corum in Samandra since the events of The Yellow Knight of Oz. He'll find his own master a few years hence in The Magic Cryptogram in Oz.

Gloma and Black Magic: By the time of the Wizard's arrival in Oz in 1871, the Black Witch of the Black Forest ruled over the southern part of the Winkie country, a part that she notes the Wicked Witch of the West could not take control over. (Thompson says Wicked Witch of the East, though she is again mixing up the east and west designations thanks to the ill-conceived designation in the Tik-Tok of Oz map). It appears, however, that Mordra had some control of this territory prior to Gloma coming to power, or prior to Gloma learning "black" magic. Given that the Wicked Witch of the West was fearful of the dark, Gloma could have used this magic to keep Mordra at bay. Gloma also notes that she came to power by "royal right and inheritance" (page 175). So, she is queen by "right" of succession. Succession from whom we don't know? Were her forbears also wizards, witches or magicians? What became of her parents? Did she learned witchcraft on her own? The battle between her and Mordra must have kept them busy for years, but it appears she's triumphant in maintaining control over the south (though not all of it, as the Kingdom of Nekoosa was already enchanted by Mordra: see "Catalina's Wish"). The fact that she chose to go into hiding when Dorothy arrives, rather than seek out the aid of Glinda or the Good Witch of the North is an angle that has not yet been explored, though it's discussed briefly in The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz. As regards her powers, J.L. Bell, on the Pumperdink forum, notes that they are: "among the most visually striking and scary that Thompson ever described: 'red hot sparks'; 'a hundred, huge, hideous, black snakes [with] green glittering eyes lighting up the room'; 'a shower of silver arrows'; and 'a cloud of choking green smoke' [172]. The phosphorescent green eyes reappear later on the Dooners [220], so Thompson must have had them in her mind—perhaps in her nightmares." Despite Gloma's attempts to destroy Dorothy, Dorothy proves rather magnanimous, stating on page 174: "You thought we were going to destroy you, so, of course, you tried to destroy us. That was fair enough and I don't blame you." Gloma's magic isn't the black magic of evil magicians or dark sorcerers, but merely the magical color palette that she employs, black being the admixture of all the colors in Oz, red, yellow, blue, purple and green. This does not mean Gloma is proficient at any specific one of these color magics, e.g., red magic, which Glinda and Jinnicky employ, but has rather created her own kind of magic by mixing the others into a hue that she uses. The fact that the color is a dark one easily confused with traditional black magic may have something to do with her defense of the Southern Winkie Country against the Wicked Witch of the West, and Gloma may have developed her specific magic to keep Mordra at bay.

Good Witch of the North's Kiss: Not since The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has the protective kiss given by the Good Witch of the North to Dorothy been utilized, and there is some speculation as to exactly what kind of protection the kiss affords. It is clearly not from accidents, as Dorothy is tripped up in the Wicked Witch's castle. It also doesn't appear to protect her from magical spells (at least not non-lethal ones) as Dorothy is successfully transformed by Kiki Aru in The Magic of Oz and by in Ojo in Oz. On the Pumperdink forum J.L. Bell notes that: "If the kiss protects Dorothy just from being intentionally physically harmed, then it offers a limited defense for a traveler in a magical country. Even in WIZARD, the Good Witch's kiss comes into play only with the Winged Monkeys, then under the magical control of the Wicked Witch of the West. Some other characters see the mark, but it doesn't deter the Kalidahs, counteract the Poppies, or otherwise smooth Dorothy's way in that book. Then it disappears from the series until WISHING HORSE, when the kiss protects Dorothy from the spells of another witch in Winkie Country, and also turns out to protect pigs she happens to be squeezing. Another wrinkle in trying to understand this charm is that, while the Wicked Witch of the West is by definition wicked, both Dorothy and Thompson reject that label for Gloma. The black witch doesn't seem to be exercising "the Power of Evil"—yet the kiss thwarts her nonetheless. The Monkeys' understanding of the wish's moral underpinnings may be too stark. At the same time, Gloma seems to be trying only some of her spells: those intended to destroy Dorothy physically. She could probably send Dorothy far away since she later proves she can do such magic [184]. Had she chosen to transform Dorothy, the precedents imply that she could have succeeded. But she chose the spells to destroy Dorothy—not really confirmation of blameless intent."

Green Magic: There appears to be a discrepancy with the use of green magic. On the Pumperdink forum, Nathan M. Dehoff notes that: "Gloma identifies the emeralds as being "green magic." This is appropriate for green gems, but the fact that they work in Skampavia seems to contradict Mombi's statement in LOST KING that green magic only works in the Emerald City territory. My guess is that green magic just has to ORIGINATE in that area (or possibly another "center" of green magic, if any others exist). There is really no reason to believe that Wam was NOT in the green area when he made and enchanted the necklaces."

Parade: There are some curious factors about the gala parade, including an implication that there is an abundance of horses, as Ragbad and Seebania arrive in open coaches. On the Pumperdink forum, Nathan DeHoff notes that it's not explicitly horses, and J.L. Bell adds that "on page 104 Thompson refers to 'Royal Equipages,' implying that horses were pulling every vehicle. Ruth Berman counters that while this is likely so, "it wouldn't actually have to be specifically horses for all royal equipages. I have this picture in my head of a friendly Kalidah who promises faithfully not to eat any of the spectators if allowed to come be in the parade and pull a float and be cheered by all. For a Special Effect, maybe the Queen of the Mice could send a thousand or so mice to pull one, and the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman could show off their special skills in fast-order rolling of grass into strings and knot-tying and mouse-harnessing. (Perhaps with little teeny mouse-collars for each, so's they can pull hard without getting choked.) Llamas, anyone?" This seems the most in keeping with how Baum depicted Oz.

Princesses: Trot and Betsy Bobbin are noted, on page 86, as being "princesses in their own right." This same expression occurs again on page 162 of Handy Mandy in Oz. While Trot is a Princess of Sky Island (see Sky Island) and an honorary Princess of the Munchkins (The Giant Horse of Oz), Betsy has never before been referred to as a Princess before, and it may be that Ozma offered her that title some time prior the events of this book.

Road to Oz: Akin to the way Baum brought in characters from his prior books, Thompson has a host of protagonists from her prior Oz books appear in the Emerald City for the gala celebration. Even Happy Toko, though he doesn't appear, gets a mention. J.L. Bell, on the Pumperdink forum, also notes who isn't mentioned (and presumably doesn't arrive): "At the top is her father Pastoria, along with Snip, Pajuka, Humpy, and the rulers of Kimbaloo. The lost king is even supposed to be living in the capital. Neither Carter Green or King Evered of Rash make the scene. The Iffin from JACK PUMPKINHEAD is on hand, but that book's happy couple are no-shows. The Pumperdink royal family attends, but not King Randy of Regalia." This is a point noted in The Silver Princess of Oz. "Thompson breaks her usual pattern of mentioning characters from her most recent book by leaving out the Umbrellians. And of course she continues to ignore many of Baum's second-tier celebrities, even those whom he left living in Ozma's palace: Button-Bright, the Shaggy Man, the Frogman, the Tin Soldier, Cap'n Bill, and so on."

Size of Oz: Based on the calculation of how large Skampavia is, Nathan M. DeHoff and J.L. Bell have come up with a possible size for Oz that seems reasonable: "Adding up the county tax collectors' territories on page 19, I get only 218 square miles as its total area. As Nathan DeHoff notes, the usually reliable Pinny Penny says Oz is "about fifty times as large" as Skampavia [30]. That would make Oz around 11,000 square miles, or the equivalent of 88 miles by 125 miles. By comparison, the state of Massachusetts is 10,554 miles, making Oz larger than that state by 446 square miles.

Skampavia: Since the text notes that Skamperoo's "father or grandfather picked out this pesky little country," (page 20) and that Skamperoo has marauders who snuck into Merryland to steal and make trouble, it might be assumed that Skamperoo's father or grandfather basically invaded the country and began ruling over its inhabitants.

Soldier with the Green Whiskers: There is no explanation as to why Omby Amby's beard turns from green to red, cluing Dorothy in that something is wrong. On the Pumperdink forum, Tyler Jones cites it as a possible magical glitch while J.L. Bell postulates: "This hints at some deeper order of magic protecting Oz, which we never hear of before or since. Dorothy's wish--'Whatever happens, help me to save Ozma and Oz' [113]--seems like an odd response from her, and unconventionally phrased to boot." What it seems like is a prayer. David Hulan suspects that it was an intentional wish by Skamperoo designed to get the rulers of Oz out of the public eye so they could be spirited away. Atticus Gannaway attributes it to the kiss of the Good Witch of the North.

Thunder Mountain: The location where Ozma and the other enchanted royals were sent by Skamperoo. Lightning Lake, where they were magically asleep under, and the mountain itself are one of the "unexplored places" of Oz, as Dorothy and Pigasus, though traveling to it, never end up going there.

The Wishing Necklaces: The origin of these emerald necklaces made by the Wizard Wam for the Wood Nymph Lorna is explored in detail in Book 1 of The Seven Blue Mountains trilogy: The Disenchanted Princess of Oz: chapter 20. They're used, as well, in The Emerald City Mirror #54.

32nd Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

The Royal Timeline of Oz recommends the Empty Grave Retrofit version of this book edited by Adam Nicolai, which eliminates the racism present in the original edition of this book (a list of textual changes is included in the back of that version).

Synopsis: As young king Randy grows weary of the formality and of court life in Regalia, he blames his father for having retired to a cave and leaving the burden of rule to him. Uncle Hoochafoo suggests that Randy get married, but he declines. Much to his delight, Kabumpo arrives, bursting through the gates. Kabumpo notes that it's been six years since he's seen Randy, and that he is now 16 years old (though technically 20, as he'd remained 10 years old for four years). Randy asks him why he didn't come six months after their adventures in The Purple Prince of Oz, as he'd promised, but Kabumpo cites the difficulties in taking a break from court life, something Randy can relate to, noting that earning the crown had been more fun than wearing it.

The pair decide to sneak away from the kingdom and enjoy a vacation with Jinnicky. Waiting for the appropriate time when Uncle Hoochafoo won't catch them, they head north by northwest to the Deadly Desert, unsure of how to cross it, but convinced a solution will present itself. The pair find themselves, however, on an unfamiliar road that leads to a cleft upon a steep rock. Entering it, they note a sign for Gaper's Gulch and the Most Snorious Gaper. Unsure what that means, they proceed forward and meet a sleepy guard named Wink, who tells Kabumpo to follow the arrows. He passes forty Winks, each of whom shoot an arrow into the back of his legs. Randy removes them and keeps them.

Randy soon falls asleep and Kabumpo grows drowsy, and as he enters Gaper's Gulch he can no longer keep his eyes open. He awakens some time later to find forty Wakes attempting to bury him. The custom of the Gapers is to lie dormant in the ground for six months from January to June, after which they're dug up good as new, and then eat from July to December. Kabumpo escapes the pit he's in and trumpets so loudly he frightens away the Wakes and rouses from slumber Sleeperoo and the other dormant natives of Hiber-nation. Kabumpo demands Randy be restored to him, explaining that they do not sleep as the Gapers do. Sleeperoo sends Snorpy and Torpy (Wakes who are awake in the winter and spring) to guide them out of the gulch.

Coming finally to the edge of the Deadly Desert, they spot several heads flying about with a sign leading to Headland, which is at the northwestern tip of the Gillikin country. The sign reads: "no bodies allowed." As the travelers approach, the heads grab a coil of wire in their teeth, with which they attempt to behead Kabumpo and Randy! As they tighten the noose around Kabumpo's neck, Randy remembers the darts the Winks had shot into Kabumpo's legs and hurls them at the Headman, putting him to sleep. Randy continues throwing darts at the rest, putting them all to sleep.

Venturing on, they encounter a hail and rainstorm so severe that Kabumpo puts on a waterproof to protect him and Randy. But the wind picks him up (along with Randy who hangs on to the waterproof) and blows them across the Deadly Desert.

Finding themselves in Ix, they seek refuge in a farmhouse, but having never seen an elephant before, the residents of the village flee in terror. Kabumpo procures food, while Randy leaves them a pearl in exchange. As Kabumpo is giving Randy a hayride, a smoking black horse comes from the sky, startling the travelers. Breathing fire, he burns all the hay from Kabumpo's back and rushes to get in the water. The horse communicates through smoke messages, and writes out a greeting, introducing himself as Thun the Thundercolt, steed of his mistress Princess Planetty from Anuther Planet. With his trunk and legs, Kabumpo spells out greeting in return, and Thun leads them to where his mistress is waiting. Planetty is able to speak the language, although she utilizes some unfamiliar words and expressions. She explains that they had been traveling across a netway to a zorodell when a storm overtook them. Frightened, Thun sprang upon a thunderbolt which transported them to Ix. She and Thun cannot stay as they must bathe in the Vanadium Springs every week or they'll stiffen and cease to move. Kabumpo then realizes the urgency with which she must return to her planet before she becomes a statue, and realizes that Jinnicky might be able to help her. Planetty agrees to join them.

Coming to a wooden walled city, Thun burns a hole through the wall and they enter Box Wood, a city of people who go about wearing boxes at all times to prevent them from spoiling and withering away. Fearful for the intruders, they immediately box Thun in an iron box. The Box Chief Chillywalla explains that their boxes are the best grown anywhere. In fact, their entire country is covered by a giant wooden box. Chillywalla agrees to show them the way out, but en route, the travelers discover that the boxes that grow in abundance throughout the country each contain valuables, from chocolates to jewelry, breads, cakes, suits, clothing, and even cigarettes [a reflection of the era this story was written in], but the boxers throw them all out when collecting the boxes, which is the only part they value. So Randy and Kabumpo start collecting the items inside the boxes. All is well until Randy notes aloud that people in Regalia throw out the boxes and not the items inside. This enrages Chillywalla, who calls his people to box the travelers. Kabumpo, however, bursts through the wall on the far side of Box Wood, allowing them to escape.

Planetty—who they also call Netty or Anetty—explains that on her planet there are no families or houses, and she's enamored of the life in Oz they describe, so that she no longer wishes to return home. Randy assures her that with Jinnicky's magic, she won't have to. Exiting the forest, they enter a field of feathers which begin mercilessly tickling Kabumpo and Randy (though it has no effect on the Nuthers). Thun gets the idea to tie Kabumpo to him, so Planetty finds a chain, enabling Thun to pull Kabumpo out of the deadly field of feathers. Arousing from his ordeal, Kabumpo pledges to a be a fellow friend and warrior to Thun, who rejoices. A sign soon informs them that they're in Ev, but it comes with a warning to beware Gludwig the Glubrious, causing Randy to suspect that it was this Gludwig who planted the field of feathers.

As they reach the shore of the Nonestic and the castle of the Red Jinn, Planetty is amazed. But when what seems to be a parade of scimitar-wielding warriors arrives, the travelers discover they're in danger. A fierce battle erupts with Planetty standing on Thun's back hurling her staff which turns the warriors (60 in all) into statues. Kabumpo trumps and falls upon men while Randy throws boxes at them. The army disperses, but the Headman informs the group that Jinnicky is at the bottom of the sea. Randy apologizes for putting Planetty in danger, but she explains that on her planet they also have "bad beasts and Nuthers" which they subdue with their voral staffs.

Bursting into the throne room they encounter Gludwig, who is a tall man in a red wig with red lashes, smoking a pipe. Before Planetty can throw her staff, Gludwig releases a trap door in the floor, tumbling all of his would-be conquerors into the cellar. Investigating their prison, they discover many of Jinnicky's used up and semi-used potions, of which Randy snatches up two that look good. Another thing he finds is a handbag that has actual hands, and this he gifts to Planetty. There is also a large drum in the cellar, and as the Nuthers have neither seen nor heard a drum beat before, Kabumpo beats it. This results in the release of Ginger, Jinnicky's loyal servant of the bell who had been shut up in the drum by Gludwig for seven months. Ginger informs them that Gludwig had been a trusted officer and manager of the ruby mines, but he convinced his miners to become an army of rebellion and march upon the castles. They drove everyone out, sending Alibabble and the members of court to work the mines under Glubdo, Gludwig's brother. Jinnicky was pushed into the sea. As "the best part of Jinnicky's magic," Ginger couldn't be destroyed, so he was shut up in the drum. While Ginger thinks how to proceed forward, Planetty and Thun grow tired and lie down to rest. To the horror of Randy and Kabumpo, they turn into statues, deprived of the Vanadium Springs needed to keep them alive!

Meanwhile, on Nonagon Island, a nine-sided island inhabited by only nine fishermen, a fisherman named Bloff who'd "never... seen anyone in his life but... Nonagon Islanders," fishes Jinnicky out of the sea. The Red Jinn is glad to be rescued and greets them, but only Bloff's hungry and abused cat Nina shows any consideration towards him. Jinnicky tries to depart from the intractable man's hut, but he attacks him, insisting on taking his jar. Jinnicky resists, and Nina assists him, attacking her abusive master. In the melee, a magic dinner bell is dislodged from Jinnicky's sleeve, and ringing it brings Ginger, Kabumpo and Randy. Bloff flees, while the Jinn has Ginger bring everyone food, including Nina who Jinnicky adopts.

Jinnicky is informed of Planetty and Thun's crisis and thinks he can replicate the Vanadium Springs in his lab once he gets his castle back from Gludwig. But Gludwig has been testing out Planetty's staff on the palace dog and several servants, turning them into statues. With Ginger's help, Jinnicky, Randy and Kabumpo descend into the castle and enter the bedroom where Gludwig is sleeping. Gludwig overhears them, though, and as they enter, he flings the staff at Randy. But much to everyone's surprise, it passes right through him! Randy then grabs the staff and uses it on Gludwig, turning him into a statue, which Kabumpo throws into the garden. Randy searches his pockets for a magic charm, and comes across the potions which he'd gotten in the cellar. Jinnicky tells him that they're what saved him.

Jinnicky announces his return and pardons those who joined with Gludwig, except Glubdo whose already fled, and the army that had attacked Randy and his party. These are left as statues in warning to others who might think of rebelling. The other miners claim to be glad to return to the mines, as Jinnicky's policies include short hours, high pay and nice cottages along the sea (though whether this is a newly adopted policy or something Jinnicky already had in place isn't clear). Hours later, the Red Jinn announces his success in having restored Planetty and Thun, but he is upset that their restoration has come with a price. They are now like people from Ev and Oz, and can no longer survive on their original world. Thun also can now speak and hear, and breathes cold fire. Planetty is no longer metallic but flesh. Randy is overjoyed at the news and asks Planetty to be his queen, and with Thun, to live with him in Regalia. She accepts.

After a month-long wedding celebration, Randy, Planetty, Kabumpo and Thun leave the Red Jinn's castle for Regalia, where Randy sees through on his promise to restore the kingdom. Kabumpo also begins to spend almost as much time with them as he does in Pumperdink, having adventures traveling through Oz with them.

Continuity Notes

Anuther Planet: Despite its exotic customs and rituals, Anuther Planet bears some strikingly earthly origins. Its two known inhabitants are a horse and a young woman, who aside from their surface metallic skin, look and behave like their earth equivalents. The horse breathes fire, which is unique, and speaks through smoke, but utilizes the English language when doing so. This can probably be explained by the same magical contrivance that makes it so that nearly everyone in and around Nonestica speaks English (even if they have another language). There is the very alien concept of being born from and needing to bathe in Vanadium Springs in order to stay alive, though even this has terrestrial origins in that Vanadium is a hard, silvery grey metal that occurs naturally in minerals and fossil fuel deposits. In the BCF Pumperdink forums, Scott Andrew Hutchins brings out that "Vanadium has a melting point of 3434 °F, which means that not only must Anuther be extremely hot, it would seem Planetty would have to be so as well in order to move and be soft to the touch." J.L. Bell counters that "No passage says that they're the temperature of molten vanadium, only that they enjoy baths in that substance. Thun breathes hot flames and has a fiery mane, but Randy actually touches him without injury" [page 145-6].

Vanadium derives from Norse mythology, a fact that Ruth Berman explains: "vanadium" comes from the Old Norse Vanadis, which is another name for the goddess Freya, one of the Vanir (the elder gods who allied themselves with the Aesir). Seems an appropriate element to choose for a celestial princess. The silent Thun would seem to be named ironically for what his hooves don't do over the pavement early in the morning."

There are wild beasts on Anuther Planet that the staff needs to tame, and if death doesn't happen, assuming they always go back to their springs weekly (sonestorily), perhaps they fear the beasts because they can damage their bodies to some level of discomfort, though it is probably reparable. Maybe the planet itself is the king, and all the Thunderhorses and Nuthers are his children. The children are obviously intelligent enough to distinguish vanadium from non-vanadium, to recognize day and night on their planet, and to have designed a seven-day period similar to ours."

In Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz, Anetty explains that the people once believed in a pantheon of gods led by Kthonthus, who is the equivalent of Zeus (or Odin), and who live in a mountain above the clouds. Kthonthus is said to have created Anuther Planet and determined that it was so wonderful that none would ever leave it. A goddess determined to create another wonderful realm, and stole the gifts of the other gods to do so. She created Atlantea, and when her theft was discovered she was exiled there. Although the people no longer believe in the gods, deeming them and fairies as myths, they still hold to the traditional view that it's wrong to leave the planet. For this reason, Anetty explains she would be punished if she ever returned.

Not a Planet: Nathan M. DeHoff notes that Anuther Planet may actually be another realm (as in a "nether" realm) and not quite a planet. "It's possible that Anuther Planet is located in the sky far above Oz, as Kabumpo seems to think, and as some of the stars (like the one into which the Flyaboutabus crashes in COWARDLY LION) are, but that would make the 'planet' designation a misnomer. This would make it another 'skyland,' along the lines of Sky Island, Un, and Stratovania. It certainly wouldn't be possible for a thunderbolt to travel from another planet to Oz (whether or not Oz is on our Earth, which is a much debated topic in and of itself). Even a comet wouldn't enter another planet's gravitational field and then return to space. If Anuther Planet really IS a planet, then the thunderbolt must have had some magical powers that aren't indicated in the text. An odd feature of Anuther Planet is that its week has seven days... On their planet, it has more significance, though, because it indicates how often the inhabitants must take vanadium baths. Of course, we have no idea how long the days are on Anuther Planet, and Kabumpo's assumption that they are the same length as ours might have been way off. On the other hand, Planetty and Thun both adjust quite easily to the days in Ix, which might be a hint that their days are about the same length." J.L. Bell adds that: "the atmosphere Planetty and Thompson describe is unlike Earth's: 'skies were grey and leaden, and the various states of slate and silver strata arranged in stiff and net-like patterns' [113]. That implies Anuther Planet is not within the airy atmosphere of Atmos Fere, Sky Island, and the like. If Planetty's atmosphere is isolated over her own realm, like the suns above the Mangaboo land, then she could come from almost anywhere, including subterranean Earth, and only BELIEVE that she fell through space. Yet again, we have to consider that some astronomical disturbance of an unknown sort has transported Planetty and Thun to Earth, as well as disturbing Earth's atmosphere near part of the Deadly Desert. Though Planetty in her language and understanding presents that event as a 'thunderbolt,' that might not correspond to the atmospheric thunderbolts we experience on Earth."

Boxwood: A large community of beings who live under a giant box, and who wear boxes to protect them from withering and dying. There is no indication of what Chillywalla, the Box Chief, or the Boxers look like under their boxes, or even if they're human, animal or some kind of sapient plant. Whether or not the Boxers' fear of spoiling (and hence dying) is a legitimate concern (which it wouldn't be in Oz, given that even vegetable people such as Carter Green don't spoil, but they're not in Oz but Ix) or one built on fear isn't explicit in the text. If the Boxers do spoil, the boxes they wear, and even the giant box that covers their country, would only slow the process, not prevent it entirely. If it is a psychological fear, it is a deep one, as the very notion of throwing boxes away (which Randy notes people do in Regalia) is horrifying and repellant to the Boxers.

Dating: This book takes place over the course of four days in the Spring (from May 7—10, page 213), after which a month is spent in celebration. See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more details. The narrative occurs six years after the events of The Purple Prince of Oz, according to the age of the protagonist, Randy, who in the latter story, was 10 years old, and in the former is 16. The narrator also notes that six years have passed, confirming the dating. The Royal Timeline of Oz places the events of the latter book in 1920, which gives this story a date of 1926. The Silver Princess of Oz is also dated three years after the events of The Wishing Horse of Oz, as Kabumpo remembers seeing Jinnicky at the gala celebration recorded in that book (page 121). There is another interesting seeming discrepancy, which J.L. Bell points out regarding the end of The Purple Prince of Oz: "At the end of PURPLE PRINCE, Jinnicky promises Kabumpo that he'll be back to Pumperdink in "a month and a day" so they can go on to Regalia. In SILVER PRINCESS, Randy says to Kabumpo, "You promised to visit me six months after I was crowned" [33]. Is it possible that the first visit took place, but Kabumpo never returned five months later?" This appears to have been the case and represents a story untold, or a story with not much to tell. "After all, the Regalians would surely have wanted a holiday for their new king's coronation. On the other hand, SILVER PRINCESS gives us no sign of Johnwan, whom Jinnicky was supposed to bring back on that occasion, or the back-engineered wooden soldiers the Jinn had been hoping to make. Perhaps Jinnicky ran into more difficulty with that job than he expected, and in embarrassment put off his and Kabumpo's visit to Regalia, first for a few months and then indefinitely."

Field of Feathers: This unusual field of deadly tickling feathers appears to derive from the Deadly Poppy Field, though with a twist, since in Ix at this point, people can presumably still die. Nathan DeHoff, on the Pumperdink forum, notes that Gludwig may not have been responsible for its existence: "After seeing Gludwig's sign, Randy and Kabumpo guess that Gludwig 'was the fellow who planted those feathers' (p. 168). Later on, however, we learn that 'in [Gludwig's] whole seven months in the castle he had not discovered a way to use any of the Red Jinn's magic, nor been able to cast a single spell or transformation' (pp. 226-227). This implies that Gludwig didn't plant the feathers, and leaves open the question as to who DID plant them." Opal Sound responds, noting that as indicated by the sign, Gludwig did plant the feathers: "My guess is that the feathers were already magically activated when brought there, and all Gludwig had to do was let them out of the bag, so to speak, but he was incapable of making such feathers himself." Ruth Berman adds that it "Might have been a failed experiment of Jinnicky's that he'd been meaning to plow over before being interrupted by insurrection? Either Jinnicky or Zixi (or maybe less well known people, like Kadj the Conjuror or Cinderbutton the Witch) could have planted them in error in working on something else and not realized what had grown? Or, depending on how rigidly not discovering a way to use any of the Red Jinn's magic is interpreted, it might leave room for Gludwig to find a packet of seeds labeled 'quick-growing! protects against cutworms and other invaders! Caution: dangerous to invaders' and plant them? Strictly speaking, that would be using the RJ's magic, but if 'use' is interpreted as meaning learn how to replicate or control it, maybe not?" J.L. Bell reasons that the feather plants may simply be a naturally-growing plant, not unlike the poppies of the Deadly Poppy Field, and that Gludwig merely cultivated this naturally growing plant to protect his usurped realm from intruders.

Gludwig: As with most of Thompson's characters, Gludwig isn't given much motivation besides greed and power, and even the hints that he is motivated about righting the wrongs done to laborers and slaves is undercut by his casual disdain for those servants he has in his care once he's in power. There is also no indication as to why he wears a red wig. The short story "Gludwig and the Red Hair," which builds on the idea put forth by the author in his "retrofit edition" of The Silver Princess in Oz that the slaves were magically-created gravel men (avoiding the racism present in the original version), answers these mysteries, and indicates that the solution lies in the wig itself.

Planetty: The titular silver princess is enamored of Nonestican life and very quickly decides she'd rather stay there than go back to whatever passes as a home on Anuther Planet. Her title is harder to comprehend, however, as J.L. Bell notes on the Pumperdink forum: "In one sense, Planetty resembles Dorothy in WIZARD: both have animal companions who impetuously dash the wrong way at the wrong time, causing their mistresses to take a long journey to a magical realm. But Planetty is also a princess. Kabumpo, with his nose turned up for royalty, recognizes that immediately [101], even though it's not clear how one gets to be a princess of Anuther Planet. Planetty's not born to a ruler [152], and she doesn't speak of responsibilities or benefits she's missing back home. We can assume that all of Anuther Planet is one society since Planetty makes that assumption about Earth ["planet of Oz"—104]." While she mentions countries, she "doesn't mention political or geographic sections of her home planet. But maybe everyone there is a princess." Planetty mentions that "people are all the same" on her planet, which would argue against her being some kind of royalty, unless everyone born of the Vanadium Springs is royalty, or if the word princess simply means young woman in her dialect. Opal Sound notes that Thun may be referring to the notion that she is a princess to him. Bell adds that "Whatever the zorodell is which Planetty and Thun were on their way to, we know it is an event" or a place, and that "social interaction is implied. Perhaps the social interaction is like a party, but lighter in nature. After all, Nuthers don't even seem to reproduce. The springs make them, and that's it. In Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz, Anetty admits that she's not a princess at all, and only pretended to be one. In fact, she and Thun were longtime friends who worked as security officers. When they passed by Oz in the ship they were working on, they took the chance to jump off escape Anuther Planet, which is frowned upon by their traditional society. Planetty and Thun appear again in The Magic Dishpan of Oz and Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz.

Racism and slave labor: The Silver Princess of Oz is one of the most criticized of Thompson's books due not only to its racism and cruel stereotypes (the latter in large part due to Neill's illustrations), but because she has the story's white protagonists and heroes crush a black slave revolt. As J.L. Bell notes in the BCF Pumperdink forum, "Thompson uses the term 'slaves' to refer to Jinnicky's miners [180, 183], even as she also says they were paid and housed [238]. Thus, she presents the situation as BOTH a slave revolt and a labor dispute. But resistance to slavery is a dispute over labor, so those two things aren't really opposed." So vicious is her treatment of Jinnicky's revolting slaves that she has the Red Jinn keep them as statues in order to warn others of the dangers of rebellion. For this reason, the Royal Timeline of Oz recommends the Empty-Grave Retrofit Edition of this book created by Adam Nicolai, which reflects far more closely the values of Oz as embodied by Baum and the protagonists he created. In this version, the slave revolt is not one of blacks, but of gravel men that Jinnicky created to expand his castle. This book also contains the Oz short story "Gludwig and the Red Hair." There is still an issue of slavery present in even this version of the text, but that issue is dealt with in other works, specifically Carrie Bailey's Bungle in Oz.

Racist Predecessors: Noting the historical precedent for such a tale, J.L. Bell notes that "I think it's useful to look at SILVER PRINCESS's depiction of Jinnicky's slaves through the lens of the 'Lost Cause' myth of U.S. Southern history which prevailed in Thompson's time. In that image of the past, American slaveholders were kind and generous to their human property, and American blacks were better off working for rich white landowners as slaves or sharecroppers than becoming independent farmers and workers. Thompson applies the same model to Jinnicky's kingdom: the savage, foolish, and easily frightened black characters don't realize how good they had it working for the Jinn. They're led astray by a malicious lighter-skinned official (as in BIRTH OF A NATION), but in the end are grateful to return to their old boss. And Jinnicky publicly displays the lifeless bodies of some uppity rebels in order to keep the rest quiet. As troubling as that narrative is to us now, it wasn't an uncommon depiction of race relations in the U.S. in the late 1930s, and was therefore easy to apply to a good guy in the Nonestic world... by the next time Thompson wrote about Jinnicky, in YANKEE, she seems to have discarded the term 'slaves.' While not fully erased in the decades right after WW2, 'Lost Cause' ideas were no longer so prevalent in American culture. (It's conceivable that Thompson used the old terms when she wrote YANKEE in the early 1960s and received more editorial advice when the Oz Club published the manuscript in the 1970s, but I prefer to think she'd made the change herself.)... So we'd have to believe that Alibabble, Randy, Kabumpo, or others convinced Jinnicky to change his mind about what to do with the petrified soldiers--and that Thompson not only didn't report that change of heart but wrote favorably of the Jinn's initial harshness. And for most of us today, we do HAVE to believe something like that to retain our fondness and admiration for Jinnicky. As I found when trying to reimagine the relationship between Jinnicky and Ginger (in "Dearest Mother," published in Oziana 2001), that requires some noncanonical and wishful thinking. But wishfulness is part of fantasy, after all."

Randy: Revealed in The Purple Prince of Oz, Randy's full name is "Randywell, Handywell, Brandenburg Bompadoo." Kabumpo appears to make sense of this lengthy name when he refers to Randy as "Randywell Handywell of Brandenburg and Bompadoo" (italics my own), indicating that his last two names are place names, likely the towns where his mother and father hail. As king Randy appears again in Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz, where he intends to convert an Ozoplane into a vehicle for space exploration.

Regalia: Gathering information on this country from The Purple Prince of Oz and The Silver Princess of Oz, J.L. Bell pieced together what is known about this kingdom: "PURPLE PRINCE said Regalians were "much given to feasting, celebrations and gay processions." SILVER PRINCESS elaborates: the small kingdom has daily judicial courts, a 'weekly court reception' [18], and 'seventy-seven national holidays' [17]. Some of these holidays might be the 'numerous celebrations for national heroes' [19], and it would be nice to know who those folks are. There seem to be a separate 'Purple Guard' and 'Highland Guards' [30-1] marching for review; since the latter muster in the evening, they might be a militia. The Regalian economy appears to be traditionally agricultural, based on raising goats [as on Mount Mern?—17, 19, 31] and growing grapes [31]. In PURPLE PRINCE we first saw Randy amid the grape groves of Pumperdink. Since Regalia has the 'largest and most luscious grapes in Oz,' it's no wonder that the young wanderer wanted some—and found them more 'sour' than he was used to. From our first look at them, Thompson has said Regalia was 'a proud, pompous, and regal little kingdom.' Here she makes a big deal of this: Regalians are 'proud and independent,' 'superior,' 'top-lofty,' and 'stiff and unbending' [18]—which makes one wonder why Kabumpo didn't fit right in. Even Uncle Hoochafoo, who spent PURPLE PRINCE worrying about his nephew, is here portrayed as snobbish and 'tempery' [31]—again, rather like a certain elegant elephant. Everyone seems to want to serve Randy, however; unlike other young Thompson royals, he suffers from smothering care rather than treachery or want. The only Regalians we met in PURPLE PRINCE were Randy; his uncle 'Hoochafoo, the Foolish'; and Chalulu the Wise Man. The latter two figures seem to be combined in the Hoochafoo of SILVER PRINCESS. He's still equally devoted to his nephew and Regalian custom, but he's also become the king's main advisor, without the dithering."

History: Adventures in Oz (where this story was collected) is considered Book 54 in the Sovereign Sixty (and Supreme Seventy-Five)!

Synopsis: While having breakfast, Dorothy and Ozma receive a note delivered by albatross from the Ice King, who wishes to send a delegation to form an alliance with Oz. Not much is known of him or his realm, save that he's a magician who rules an ice continent at the southern end of the world. Ozma is not inclined to refuse any offer of friendship, and sends a return message via the albatross.

Over the next few weeks everyone prepares for the visit. Finally, on Thursday morning, the delegation of ice imps arrives via magic. Chief Advisor of the Ice King, Popsicle, introduces himself to the court (who consists of Em, Henry, the Wogglebug, Jack, Tik-Tok, Sawhorse, Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, Glinda, Dorothy, Toto, Billina, Shaggy, the Wizard, Valyn, Button-Bright, the Nine Tiny Piglets, Hungry Tiger, and Cowardly Lion) and unveils a life-sized ice statue of Ozma, made magically so that, like the ice imps, it cannot melt in the sun. The second gift is even more surprising: an engagement ring for Princess Dorothy. Shocked, Dorothy declines, and Ozma adjourns the proceedings.

The next morning, Ozma is late for the Grand Tour of the Emerald City, and Jellia tells Glinda and Dorothy that she's not in her rooms. The Scarecrow comes running to tell them the ice delegation is gone. Glinda leads them to the Magic Picture, which shows Ozma in a block of ice being carried by the ice imps in an ice cavern. Glinda promises that she and the Wizard will find a way to challenge the Ice King's power and that they'll reconvene in the evening.

At the council that evening, the Wizard explains that things are more difficult as the Ice King's domain is protected from foreign magic spells and enchantments by his own Ice Magic, which Glinda and he are unfamiliar with. The only way to save Ozma is to send a band of travelers to rescue her, and they can have no magic with them. The council selects Dorothy, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman to depart in the morning. After everyone leaves the chamber, Jellia Jamb douses the candles, but one of them starts groaning! This brings everyone back in the room, and Jellia explains that since they'd run out of candles, she procured some from the Wizard's workshop. The Wizard notes that they once belonged to the Wicked Witch of the West. Suddenly out from the candle bursts a short, fiery haired man made of wax. He introduces himself as Flicker, and hearing that Dorothy had melted his captor and enemy, pledges himself to her. He had once been a human candle maker, and famous in the Winkie Country for his long-lasting candles. After the Wicked Witch enslaved the Winkes, he was forced to make candles only for her, but after she demands an order he can't fulfill in time, he lashes out at her, and she turns him into a candle that could only be disenchanted by burning. He suspects that he'd been a candle so long that the spell can't be broken entirely. Glinda asks if he'd like to accompany Dorothy on her mission the next day, and he gladly agrees.

Early the next morning, Glinda and the Wizard conjure up a magical flier that will take them as far as the Ice King's realm, after which they'll have to walk. The trip is a long one, and by dawn the next day, they arrive at the desolate and frozen lands of the Ice King. Before they can land, however, the flier crashes against an invisible barrier, depositing Dorothy and the Scarecrow at the edge of cliff. Thanks to the Tin Woodman, they're saved, but not knowing in which direction to travel, they choose one at random. After many miles, they come upon a seal who confirms they're heading towards the Ice King's palace, but tries to warn them away from it. Dorothy then notices that Flicker's shrinking down.

A blizzard overtakes them, but they trudge on until hitting a giant wall. The Scarecrow discovers an alcove, which Nick enlarges, allowing them to enter a cave. While the Scarecrow oils Nick, Flicker goes off exploring and returns with the news that there's a light in the tunnel ahead. Following it, they come upon a wide cavernous opening. Below them is the throne room with hundreds of ice imps. The Ice King is on his thrown. Ozma, frozen and blue, sits beside him. The king is in the midst of speech in which he tells his people that due to their discontent with the unchanging surroundings, he's brought Ozma, the former queen of Oz to brighten their lives. As Flicker looks for a way down, the head from his head cracks the ice they're on, and they go sliding down to crash amongst the ice imps. Dorothy and the Scarecrow rush to save Ozma, but she resists them, and deeming herself the Ice Queen, declares that she has no memory of them or Oz.

After the imps capture everyone, Dorothy offers herself to the Ice King in exchange for Ozma, but he tells her it's too late and intends to keep Ozma and destroy them. He brings an ice stalagmite down on their heads, but Nick wields his axe furiously, protecting them. The Ice King counters by freezing the temperature. Nick and the Scarecrow freeze over, but Flicker uses his fiery head to keep Dorothy warm. The Ice King then causes the ice floor to crack open, beneath which is freezing water. Dorothy flips into it, but manages to climb the stairs before the throne, warning the Ice King that no matter what he does to them, more will keep coming. Angrily, Flicker leaps upon the Ice King in an attempt to melt him down, but the candle man only ends up shrinking himself. Yet his sacrifice proves not to be in vain, as the Ice King discovers that his heart's been thawed out, and with it, his conscience returns. Suddenly, he restores the throne room, unfreezes Dorothy's companions, and releases Ozma from his spell. Ozma thanks him for freeing her, and her graciousness motivates him to want to inspire his own subjects with the same warmth. He then transports them home.

The next day, Glinda is able to half Flicker from shrinking any further, and he contents himself to remain small. Ozma and Dorothy hope the Ice King's heart will remain thawed and that he always remembers the importance of love and truth.

Continuity Notes

Dating: No specific internal date is given as regards the month or year. That the Wizard and Glinda conjure up a flier to take Dorothy and company to the realm of the Ice King, instead of using an Ozoplane, indicates that this story likely takes place before the Wizard's invention of those. Similarly, the illustration of Flicker in The Wicked Witch of Oz (which takes place in 1931) is another clear indicator that this story must precede that one.

The Ice King: Ruling over the southern continent of the planet, the Ice King is no mere magician, but an immortal earth spirit who utilizes an uncommon form of magic called "ice magic." How his heart became frozen is yet unknown, though the author believes it happened gradually over time. He is the first cold personage to propose to Dorothy. The second is Jack Frost in the Oziana 1987 story "The Blizzard of Oz."

Expanded, alternate versions: Two different versions of this story had been planned, the first going back to 1979, featured a larger cast of characters, including Polychrome, Jellia Jamb, Jack Pumpkinhead, Scraps and others. The second was a non-Oz version with different protagonists. Although the first version was never completed, and can't be considered the canonical one, Shanower released some expanded material from it at Munchkin Con 2005. The following is printed here with his permission:

The rescue party visit a kingdom of living clouds who in authentic Oz book style want to turn the Oz characters into clouds by using a large and alarming machine called a Cloud-Press, which is a large slab of marble over which a metal grille is lowered, squeezing flat anything caught between the two sections. Here’s an excerpt:

“Those cloudies mean to use THAT on us?” cried Jellia Jamb.

“Don’t worry too much.” Jack Pumpkinhead tried to comfort her. “You won’t be killed ’cause you live in Oz.”

“He’s right,” added Scraps. “You’ll soon be as thin as a piece of paper with little bumps all over you where the holes in the grille are.” Then she danced around saying:

“Jellia Jamb, it won’t be awful
To come out looking like a waffle.”

At this point poor Jellia started to cry.

The Polychrome storyline went as follows:

"As Dorothy and Company are traveling across the snow from their landing to the Ice King's palace, the Northern Lights appear in the sky. In the Oz world, I figured the Northern Lights were similar to Polychrome and her sisters and are Polychrome's cousins. Polychrome happens to be visiting these cousins at the time, sees Dorothy and co., and joins them on the rest of the adventure. When the Ice King uses his magic to try to stop Dorothy and company, one of the things he does is make bright, piercing lights appear in order to confuse and blind them. Polychrome dances among the lights and weaves them into gentle patterns, foiling the Ice King. After they rescue Ozma, Polychrome rejoins the Northern Lights."

History: 39th book the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five, and the first penned by Rachel Cosgrove (later to add Payes to the surname), who would later see The Wicked Witch of Oz published (by the International Wizard of Oz Club). This is the first and only book illustrated by Dirk Gringhuis.

Synopsis: Jonathan Andrew Manley, or Jam, son of the famous Professor Manley, builds a large collapsible kite and ties a crate to it. Bringing along his father's white rat and some guinea pigs, he heads to the top of a hill, imaging traveling to far off places when a sudden gust of wind lifts up the crate. Jam holds on and climbs in as it flies higher and higher. Eventually he falls asleep.

He wakes up to the crate crashing on the hillside of a purple valley. To his surprise the rat and guinea pigs start conversing with each other. The rat says is name is Percy the Personality Kid; the guinea pigs are Pinny and Gig. He puts them in his pockets and Percy on his shoulder and heads down the valley where he runs into a group of small men wearing purple. They flee at first, but then ask him if he's a wizard come to save them from the giant Terp the Terrible. The boy says he's from Evansville, Ohio and is lost. The men have never heard of it and tell him he's in the fairyland of Oz. Perch, Pinny and Gig agree since they were never able to speak before. The men are slaves in a jam factory and surrounding vineyards. Terp lives on the jam and muffins which grow on a tree in his castle courtyard, where they're guarded day and night by a two-headed beast (with one head always awake) who only allows Terp near. They suspect Terp's powers come from the muffins, but they can't escape the Hidden Valley because the plains surrounding it are guarded by the fierce Equinots. The birds have told them of a Woodman who lives in the Winkie country who might be able to chop the tree down and send Jam home.

All of a sudden Terp arrives. At over 50 feet tall, he sees Jam and determines to punish him for not working. When the boy tells he's not one of his slaves and that his name is Jam, the giant wonders what flavor he is and determines to eat him for breakfast with a muffin. Jam is carried to the giant's castle tower and sees the two-headed guardian, it's body like that of an elephant, its tail like an alligator and its heads that of a wolf and owl. Percy thinks of a way out and climbs out the window, appearing later with a vine in his mouth. With some reluctance, Jam ties it around his waist and jumps out the window, swinging down to just above the ground.

On escaping, Percy becomes obsessed with the idea of tasting a muffin and sneaks over to the tree. The owl-head, which is awake, fails to notice him until he plucks a muffin off its branch, and by then it's too late as Percy dashes off with his prize. Jam, meanwhile, has had to move forward into the plains, but the sound of horses soon overcome him. The Equinots, who are centaurs, catch him and explain that since no trespassers are allowed on their land he is now their stable slave. Just then, Percy catches up with Jam and discovers what's going on. When the guinea pigs suggest he eat the muffin, he does so and begins to grow to ten times his size, which frightens the Equinots away.

The party stops at the house of a kindly Gillikin family, who offer them food and a place to sleep. In the morning, they assure them that the Tin Woodman will help them and the Winkie Country is only a few hours walk. But Pinny and Gig have decided to stay with the farmers' children who've fallen in love with them. The Gillikin and his wife tell Jam to visit again. Jam and Percy depart and after a few hours come to a river across from which lies the Winkie Country. Percy instructs Jam to hold onto his tail as he swims across, but the current proves too strong and they're swept up to an island, where they dry off.

After they proceed inland something swoops over their heads and they look up to see hundreds of kites with faces. A red kite asks why Jam's kite doesn't speak, so Percy suggests that Jam draw a face on it. As soon as he does, the kite winks to him and greets them. The kites explain that years ago the Wicked Witch of the West, while flying overheard on her broom, discovered the children flying their kites and took them away, bringing them to this island and tying them up on the trees. They've been trapped there ever since. Jam and Percy proceed to untie them, and in gratitude, they carry the pair over the river. Jam wonders that their former children will now be adults, but the kites assure them that in Oz everyone stays at whatever age he wishes. The kites drop them off at the castle of the Tin Woodman and fly off to their former homes.

Jam, Percy and his now-talking kite enter the courtyard, where the guard assures them that the Tin Emperor has the kindest heart in all of Oz. Leaving the kite there, they enter and are greeted by the Tin Woodman, who feeds them and listens to their adventures, recalling his own with Mrs. Yoop. "The North Country seems to be the place where most of the giants of Oz live" (110), he says. But when Percy suddenly begins to shrink, he eats another bite from the magic muffin, causing him to shoot back up to his former size. Nick then figures out that Terp is an ordinary man who made himself into a giant. Jam asks about going home, and Nick agrees to bring Jam to the Emerald City where Ozma and the Wizard can help. Percy also hopes they enchant him so that he can stay large and not be dependent on muffins.

The next day, Jam releases his kite to go off with the other kites and make a new life. Dorothy and the Scarecrow arrive at the castle, where they're introduced to Percy and Jam. As Ozma is away visiting Glinda, it's decided to go to the Hidden Valley first to rescue the people from Terp. Percy and Jam also meet the Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy reassures them that they're friendly. The group depart, with Jam upon the Hungry Tiger's back and Dorothy on the Lion's, and they listen to all their stories.

The party enter a forest and before long hear a terrible commotion. Before them appears a leopard whose spots keep changing to various shapes and colors. He begs the large cats not to attack him, as he's just fled his home because the animals there distrusted and hated him because he was so different. The Scarecrow remarks that often people think something is wrong with those who are different. The party reassures him that they too are different and that such a state is preferable to being ordinary. They invite him to join them, cheering up the Leopard with the Changing Spots, who Jam nicknames Spots. Spots has never had any friends or adventures before, and as they travel on he gets to hear all their stories.

The next day the travelers come to a sign marking the way to Bookville or Icetown. The Tin Woodman admits there are a lot of unexplored places in the Winkie forests, and they agree to try Bookville. Down a trail and around a bend, they come to a giant bookcase filled with books, but someone warns them away. Seeing no door, Percy climbs up, but again the warning repeats and something pushes him off. This happens a few more times before Nick Chopper concludes that the books must be doing it. They soon reveal they're alive and serve their king, who demands to see them. With that, a section of the bookcase opens, and they're met by a Guide Book to take them through the village. They pass by sections of detective books, flower books and children's books.

At the Royal Palace, the palace pages escort them to the Book of Royalty, who is haughty and provokes Dorothy to remind him that the Tin Woodman is their Emperor. The Royal Court calls them imposters and the king says he has no ruler besides himself. He calls for a trial and the law books, but as the party have no title, they will have no defender. The Rhyming Dictionary, who is the court jester, comes in and with his poetry warns them to get out while they can. The judge calls for a jury who deems them guilty of treason. In punishment they are to be pressed and bound, the Scarecrow's clothes used for paper and the Tin Woodman melted down for the printing press. They're then put in prison.

Percy comes up with an idea and begins gnawing a hole in the back of the prison. To cover up the sound, the Tin Woodman suggests everyone sing whatever songs they know. Percy gets out and bumps into the Rhyming Dictionary who agrees to help them. Getting the guard to pursue him, Percy jumps him, gets the key and then frees his friends, putting the guard in prison. The Rhyming Dictionary leads them to a wall surrounding town, opens a section, and allows them out.

The next morning, Jam tells the Dictionary the object of their adventure. He's not sure he's up to that, but also doesn't want to return to Bookville, so Spots decides he'll take him to the Emerald City. Dorothy tells him to find Scraps, who'll welcome them. The remaining party make their way to Icetown, a village of snow and ice with houses like igloos and residents who are living snowmen. The guard tells them that visitors are not allowed, but the Scarecrow insists and they pass through. The Scarecrow soon slips in the ice and slides down and around a bend. When they go to find him, he's gone. Nick Chopper calls out to him, but is answered by the howling wail of the North Wind, whose been made a slave of the Snowmen, and warns them away. When they say they won't go without their friend, he laughs.

Heading to the largest igloo, they enter through a tunnel and find the Scarecrow secured to an icicle next to the King of the Snowmen, and when they go to release him a wall of ice appears between them. The king explains that the law dictates that trespassers must be punished, and if he fails to carry out his duty he'll be replaced by another who will. The Lord High Freezer is summoned to turn them into snowmen, and they're brought to a small igloo called "the Freezer" that's even colder than it is outside. The Scarecrow comes up with an idea to build a fire and offers up his own straw (a sacrifice Nick remembers him making years ago to the Hippogyraf) So long as his head and clothes are intact, he can be re-stuffed later. When the Tin Man lights a match, the North Wind blows it out, so the group huddle around and the straw lights up. The North Wind blows angrily, causing the flames to fan and melting a hole in the igloo, allowing their escape.

On their way out, Dorothy assures Jam that even though there are some odd ducks, and that "some of these remote places don't even known that they are a part of Oz... the good are in much greater numbers than the bad" (220). Coming to a Winkie farmhouse, the friendly couple invite them to a repast while the Scarecrow is re-stuffed. At the end of the road, they come to a river that divides the Winkie and Gillikin countries. Nick begins chopping logs to construct a raft, but he hears odd groans. Once the raft is complete, the oars move of their accord. As they sail down the river, the whole raft rebels against them. Figuring out that it was a magic wood, the Scarecrow tries reverse psychology and proclaims aloud that he wishes the rough ride will continue and hopes they don't reach the opposite shore. The raft then does the opposite, and the party is able to disembark from the raft, as it goes sailing off merrily by itself.

Heading back to the Gillikin farm, the farmers are happy to see Jam again as well as to meet the famous Ozites. Pinny and Gig and the others gather to hear their adventures, and after a good night's rest they head out again.

Back on the plains, the Equinots come riding to enslave them, but the roar of the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger, led by the fierce Percy make them turn back to their homes, where they learn to stay henceforth. After conferring, the Tin Woodman concludes that the Gillikins will rise up against their oppressor once they see they've come to help liberate them. The Scarecrow comes up with a plan to lure Terp away from his castle, and Jam and Dorothy go forth to recruit Gillikins. They soon find one who agrees that Terp was angry at the loss of Jam and searched far and wide for him. Percy shows them exactly what the muffins do, and they realize Terp is just an ordinary man. Concerned that he'll destroy the village when he discovers the tree chopped down, the Gillikin suggests they lure Terp to the smokestack, from which he won't be able to escape.

The plan set, the Gillikins tell Terp that Jam was spotted in the hills, so he rushes off to find him. The Tin Woodman approaches the Guardian of the Tree, with his axe spinning in the moonlight. This hypnotizes the beast as the Scarecrow plants the suggestion in his mind that they are harmless. Breaking its chain, the beast departs, allowing Percy to grab a few muffins. Nick then chops down the tree. Terp, meanwhile, is told that Jam has been spotted in the smokestack, where they can't reach. So, Terp climbs in, and they seal the door shut behind him. Once he realizes what's happened and that his secret's out, he weeps, but the people celebrate their freedom from the cruel tyrant. Over the next few days, Terp shrinks, and the heroes prepare to head to the Emerald City. The Gillikins will teach Terp to live as they do, if he'll behave. The trip to the Emerald City is pleasant and once they arrive, Spots, Scraps and the Sawhorse come out to greet them. On hearing of Terp's defeat, Scraps is glad that there's "one less wicked giant to contend with." (293)

After Ozma meets Jam, she shows him his parents in the Magic Picture. Reassured they're ok, he enjoys the banquet in his honor and the Rhyming Dictionary recites a poem about their adventures. The next morning, the Wizard gives Percy an elixir to drink that will keep him large-sized. He gives Jam a new kite and crate, which he can use anytime he wishes to return to Oz. Then with a wishing pill, he sends the boy home to be reunited with his parents.

Continuity Notes

Bookville: In the BCF Pumperdink forum, Nathan M. DeHoff notes that "In The Gnome King of Oz Peter and Scraps met a Bookman, with a book for a body. The people of Bookville have books for heads instead. Similar idea, but different in execution. That's not to mention that the Bookman is friendly, and the people of Bookville rude." It's possible that the residents of Bookville were more varied than those few the reader meets (e.g., the royal pages aren't even complete books), so it remains a possibility that the Bookman was once a citizen of Bookville that had escaped for the same reasons that the Rhyming Dictionary later did.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of 11 days. See the Day-t0-Day Chronology for more details. Internal evidence indicates that this story takes place in the summer. There is no other indication as to what year this takes place, save that it must be some time after the Wizard invented the Wishing Pills. It has been placed in 1930 due to the following factors: The Blue Emperor of Oz takes place 12 years after the events of this story. In it, the Gump notes that Ozroar was abducted and enchanted by Mombi during the christening of Prince Pompadore. Prince Pompadore was born in 1892 (28 years before the events of The Purple Prince of Oz in 1920.) The Gump says it's been 50 years since Ozroar was abducted. 50 years from 1892 brings The Blue Emperor of Oz to 1942. 12 years prior to that is when The Hidden Valley of Oz takes place, therefore, 1930. Although somewhat unconventional to place a story so far back from when it was written, it is not without precedent. More importantly, there's nothing to conflict with it taking place in this earlier time frame.

The Guardian: Terp's unnamed two-headed guardian makes an earlier chronological appearance in "Kabumpo and the Rain King ."

Ingenuity and Hypnotism: As J.L. Bell points out (on the BCF Pumperdink forums), Hidden Valley is filled with examples of characters who use their minds to get out of difficulties, rather than relying on magic or a deus-ex-machina. "In one way I think Cosgrove shows a stronger sense of plot than her predecessors. When they're trapped on the live raft, the Scarecrow and his companions *trick* it into taking them where they want [223]. The Scarecrow and the grape-gatherers *trick* Terp into going inside his factory's smokestack [245, 255], knowing that without the muffins he'll soon become ordinary and harmless. In both situations the heroes figure out their antagonists' desires and weaknesses, then take advantage of those to achieve their goals. We rarely see that sort of solution in the Oz books. Instead, conflicts are usually resolved with overwhelming magic or other force and/or lucky breaks... That said, I thought the Scarecrow's idea to use of 'mass hypnotism' to overcome the guardian of the magic muffin tree comes out of a deep left cornfield [263-6]. The Scarecrow has only a cursory notion of hypnotism, and no apparent experience with it; he seems to think it's part of regular sorcery. The idea that a circle of light would make the beast's brain susceptible to personality-changing suggestions is, well, optimistic. There's some logical problem-solving in that scene as the
characters realize their vulnerabilities (shining in the moonlight, dealing with two heads) and figure out solutions. But it still seems like a stretch to me."

Jam: Jam returns to Oz 12 years later in Henry Blossom's The Blue Emperor of Oz.

Kite Island: The "hundreds" of sapient kites stranded on Kite Island (likely named after they were stranded there) reveals yet another living race of normally non-sentient objects in Oz, akin to Loonville's balloon people (later called Ozalloons in Ozallooning in Oz), Thompson's Balloon Island (The Gnome King of Oz) and Karyl Carson's living balloons in Jodie in Oz. Why the Wicked Witch of the West (who, for the first time is described as riding a broom) would be so incensed by flying kites that she'd take the time to tie them up on an island is not known, and seems on the surface to be a bit too mustachio-twirling for her. Perhaps it was a lesser witch that they assumed was the Wicked Witch, or maybe there's more to the story than meets the eye.

Manley Family: Jam indicates that he lives on Terrace Place in Evansville, Ohio. As Nathan DeHoff and J.L. Bell reveal (on the BCF Pumperdink forum), Evansville exists southeast of Cleveland, near the Pennsylvania border, in Trumbull County, a rural area with an Amish community. "Which brings up the questions of why the Manley family was living there, and where did Prof. Manley teach? Youngstown State University?"

The North Wind: In Icetown, the North Wind reveals that he's been made a slave of the snowmen. Yet his behavior is odd for one whose working against his will. He often laughs cruelly at the heroes, which would seem to suggest that his story is a lie. Yet, as J.L. Bell reveals he "knows of their escape plan, takes pleasure in trying to thwart it, yet doesn't warn the snowmen [214]." This would seem to support the notion that the North Wind is indeed a prisoner, and while he is somehow bound to enforce Icetown's laws, is hoping they'll actually escape. Such an interpretation would mean he has a rather unusual sense of humor. In Oz, the North Wind is the servant of the Wind Satchel Man, as noted in The Laughing Dragon of Oz. Whether or not this is the same North Wind as the ones represented in George MacDonald's At the Back of the North Wind, the Norwegian fables "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," and "The Lad Who Went to the North Wind," and other fables and stories, remains to be seen.

Original Beginning: The original first chapter of this story—called Rocket Trip to Oz—was excised by Reilly & Lee and published in Oz-story Magazine #6, by Hungry Tiger Press. It features Jam getting to Oz via a rocket ship his father built. Payes rewrote the scene on the advice of the editor and to better tie it into the kites chapter. According to Payes, Reilly & Lee told her that they "wanted to change the way Jam got to Oz as they had rejected another manuscript which also used a rocket ship." That manuscript was The Dinamonster of Oz, by L. Frank Baum's youngest son Kenneth Gage Baum (which was later published by Bucketheads of Oz).

Percy: The giant white rat that started off as a lab rat in Jam's father's laboratory is considered by J.L. Bell the "chief hero" and "problem-solver" of The Hidden Valley of Oz until the Scarecrow arrives. Percy also stars in Payes' follow-up, The Wicked Witch of Oz and in "Percy and the Shrinking Violet," in Oz-story Magazine #1. In Ray Powell's original version of The Raggedys in Oz, Percy accidentally revives Ruggedo and is punished by being sent back to the outside world as an ordinary rat. The second edition of that book altered that unlikely scenario, so that Percy is forgiven. The latter version is considered the canonical one by the Royal Timeline of Oz.

Slavery and Conformity: The running commentary throughout the narrative is the evils of slavery and the superiority of being different. This is expressed through Terp, a slave-owner, the Equinots, who seeks to become slave-owners, the King of Bookville, who tries to make trespassers into books, and the Snowmen of Icetown who seek to make trespassers into snowman. The point is underscored by the community that Spots the Leopard with the Changing Spots comes from, who have banished him because they don't trust a creature so different than themselves. He thankfully comes across those for whom noncomformity is natural, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, who give him a comforting speech on the benefits of being different.

Spots, the Leopard with the Changing Spots: This unusual and endearing character reappears in Rachel Cosgrove Payes' "Spots in Oz," which appeared in Oz-story Magazine #3.

Book #49 of the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five!

History: Originally called Percy in Oz, Rachel Cosgrove Payes' follow-up to The Hidden Valley of Oz was penned in 1950 and would have seen print then as book 40 in the Oz series were it not for the indifference of Reilly & Lee's then-owner Frank O'Donnell. Thanks to the efforts of the International Wizard of Oz Club and Eric Shanower, who's illustrations grace these pages, this book is available for everyone to enjoy!

Synopsis: When the Hundred-Year Alarm Clock wakes her up, Singra, the former Wicked Witch of the South before being put to sleep by Glinda, begins brewing red ink tea and searching for her hidden Magical Musical Snuff box. The alarm clock suggests looking under the carpet, and there she finds it. Snorting a pinch of its contents and sneezing three times causes the box to do the witch's bidding. First she orders breakfast; then she inquires about her cousin witches, the Wicked Witches of the East and West. The snuffbox tells her that due to the intervention of a moral girl named Dorothy, who is now a Princess of Oz living in the Emerald City, both have been destroyed. Dismayed, Singra spends the night plotting revenge on Dorothy.

Glinda, meanwhile, prepares for her vacation to see Queen Zixi of Ix, but first checks her Great Book of Records. With nothing of great significance to report, she departs upon her swan chariot, while Ozma rides in the Sawhorse-pulled Red Wagon back home. Only then does the Book report that Singra has awakened.

Peering through her Handbook for Witches and Sorcerers, Singra discovers a spell to transform a mortal girl into a piece of cheese. The two ingredients she needs are Red Dust, sorcerer's variety, which can be found in Glinda's palace, and straw from a live man, which the snuffbox tells her can be obtained from the Scarecrow that resides in Oz. On her way, she asks the snuffbox if there are any potential dangers ahead, and he gives her a riddle about her downfall coming from one who was short but is now tall. Ignoring it, she moves on, reaching a brook where once long ago she'd rescued a water nymph in exchange for a wish to be impervious to water.

When Ozma reaches the Emerald City, she invites the Scarecrow to keep an eye on the Great Book of Records and he agrees to travel in the morning. He and the Sawhorse depart before dawn and soon reach the palace. Reading through the recent entries, he discovers that Singra has awakened and stolen the Red Dust from Glinda's workroom. Summoning the maid to unlock the workroom in the high tower, the Scarecrow enters, unaware the Singra had been forced to spend the night there, having followed the same maid into the room earlier that night. To Singra's amazement the very Scarecrow that she needs enters the room. Catching him unaware she ties him up and takes the straw she needs for her spell. Telling a maid on her way out that the Scarecrow wishes to remain undisturbed, she departs for home. (No one suspected she was a witch because there are no more known witches in Oz at this time). There she makes her potion and heads off for the Emerald City, spending the night in a farmer's barn.

The next day, Percy the giant white rat greets Dorothy and Trot in the gardens, and on his way out bumps into Singra. The witch asks him where she might find Dorothy and he tells her. But as Dorothy has just gone back into the palace, Singra thinks the girl is Trot. Pretending to be an Ozade maker, Singra convinces her to try a new flavor of the popular beverage. Upon drinking it, Trot turns into a piece of green cheese. Catching sight of this, Dorothy confronts her and the witch learns her mistake. Grabbing the cheese, she runs off as Dorothy cries for help. Percy answers the call. Explaining to him what happened, she follows the rat as he uses his nose to track the cheese until a Munchkin couple with their own basket of cheese leads them astray. Getting back on track they head south to the Quadling Country and spend the night at a kindly woman's house.

Staring off early the next day, they enter a forest where they pick up the scent, but also hear music. Following it they come to a bandstand where the Rubber Band—a band of musicians literally made of rubber—are playing. They invite the pair to play with them, but they tell them they're not made of rubber and are on a mission. Pulling Percy's whiskers the rubber musicians discover that they're telling the truth, and insist on playing them a song. The pair concede for two songs, and after expressing their appreciation they depart and proceed deeper into the forest.

Percy and Dorothy stop off for lunch, where they're met by a strange man named Leon the Neon whose made entirely of neon lights. He tells them he was an ordinary Quadling man until he won a 1st place prize for best hen. The prize was an electrical kit that he determined to assemble. After he completed it, however, he tripped, throwing the switch as he fell upon the electrified apparatus. Ever afterwards he was made of neon lights. Sad at first, his light heart soon caused him to accept the situation and move on. Dorothy and Percy invite him to join them.

Moving on, Percy catches a whiff of honey and tracks it down to a tree. As the honeybee flies off, Dorothy and Percy help themselves (Leon no longer eats), but before long an angry swarm rushes upon them. The bees call them thieves and refuse to accept Dorothy's excuses. They herd them to a giant beehive larger than a house in the forest, where the Queen Bee will determine what to do. The Queen Bee demands they must pay with labor for stealing their honey. Percy protests, but bees surround him threatening to sting. The bees lead them to a giant kitchen where they're put to work cleaning honey out of bottles and dishes. Later, the prisoners are brought into a small six-sided alcove where they're sealed in for the night.

Percy tries to gnaw his way out, but a bee lands on his nose in warning and seals it back up. So, he gnaws a hole into Leon's room, and together they plan an escape. Leon suggests he gnaw the back wall, and doing so leads to an empty room with a doorway. This leads around to the throne room. Percy gnaws a hole into Dorothy's room and awakens her. Leon shuts off his lights so that the glow doesn't alert the bees, and together they escape. Singra, meanwhile, makes her way home, where she searches for a place to hide the cheese, knowing it's her bargaining chip. Finally, she thinks of her well. After draining it of the red ink, she wraps the green cheese in a cloth and hides it in the well's bucket at the bottom.

The next morning, Leon brings Percy and Dorothy strawberries and buns from a bun bush. He finds it odd that in the country she and Percy came from only fruits and nuts grow on trees. They move into a forest, Percy still following the scent of cheese until, after a time, the scent is overpowered by honeysuckle. Lost in the forest, they decide to press on. They meet a hummingbird who offers them refreshment. The bird leads them to the stump of a tree covered in honeysuckle and surrounded by hundreds of hummingbirds. Three goblets filled with a red liquid sit atop the stump, which the hummingbird offers to them. Leon cannot drink, but Dorothy and Percy do, and the nectar causes them to sprout wings! Without realizing it, they spring into the air.

Dorothy figures out how to steer herself and teaches Percy, yet they can't seem to lower themselves beneath the treetops to rejoin Leon. The birds, meanwhile, explain to Leon that if Dorothy and Percy don't continually drink of the enchanted nectar they'll lose their wings. Concerned they'll fall out of the sky, Leon tries climbing a tree, and when he gets above the tree line, he glows as brightly as he's ever glowed before. He catches the eye of Percy and Dorothy who fly near and reveals the impermanence of their wings. They tell him of a hut they've spotted, and joining hands, Percy and Dorothy carry Leon till they're above a straw stack near the hut. There, the magic wears off and they fall unto the stack.

Unharmed but thirsty, Percy goes to the well to draw up some water, while Dorothy knocks on the door. Much to his surprise, Percy draws up the bucket which hides the green cheese. Leon informs him that that must mean the hut belongs to the Wicked Witch. Dorothy has already been invited into her dark house and when she realizes, too late, that her host is Singra, the witch throws a magic net over her, turning her into a statue! Leon knocks, pretending to be a lost traveler on his way to the Emerald City, and is dismayed to see Dorothy frozen in stone, but Singra gives him directions as well as a ransom note to give to Ozma.

After a time, Singra goes out to make tea, and then discovers the missing cheese. Upset, she inquires of her snuffbox, which tells her a rat has taken it. Convinced he's eaten the cheese, she worries that Ozma will punish her, but consoles herself that at least she has Dorothy to bargain with. In the palace, meanwhile, Betsy tells Ozma that she's worried about Dorothy and Trot who've been gone for over two days. Ozma's sure the Scarecrow would have alerted them if anything untoward happened, as he's reading Glinda's Book regularly, but she checks the Magic Picture and discovers that he's tied up and Dorothy's a statue. Inquiring the whereabouts of Trot reveals only Percy and a strange man made of neon tubes. Summoning the Wizard and the Magic Belt, she wishes Dorothy to the palace, but the Wizard says he might not be able to restore her, as it seems only Singra can break the enchantment.

They go with the Sawhorse to Glinda's and free the Scarecrow, who tells them what happened. The Great Book of Records informs them everything that's transpired since Singra first woke up. Not sure where she is, the Wizard suggests returning to the Emerald City to retrieve his Magic Searchlight, which will lead them directly to her, but on the way they discover Percy and Leon on the road. They're glad to see them and hand over the green cheese. After reading the ransom note, it's decided to retire to the palace and summon Singra to them. Back at the Palace, Jellia Jamb dusts Dorothy's statue and discovers webs all over it, which she inadvertently pulls off, releasing Dorothy from the spell.

Awakening the next morning, Singra is shocked to see the statue of Dorothy missing, but before she can inquire of the snuffbox where it went, she is magically transported before Ozma and her friends in the throne room. After Ozma ascertains that it was indeed Singra who was responsible for their troubles, she orders her to disenchant Trot. Dismayed, Singra throws the snuffbox to the floor, explaining that it lied to her. Curious, the Wizard inquires how it lied, and she has it recite the message about one who was tall that is now small that will be her downfall. Percy laughs, explaining that the message referred to him as he was once small. Ozma brings Singra's magical apparati to her with the Magic Belt, and Tik-Tok picks up the Hundred-Year Alarm Clock, recognizing it as a creation of Smith & Tinker. The clock confirms that he is and that Singra acquired him in a trade long ago. Glinda set him 100 years ago when she put Singra to sleep.

Knowing she's been defeated, Singra concedes to Ozma's demands and restores Trot. After that, Ozma pronounces her judgment, indicating that Singra must drink from the Fountain of Oblivion then go to sleep for another 100 years. Singra complies.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The story takes place over the course of six days. The existence of the Wizard's Magic Searchlight (p.281) definitively places this story after a good portion of Thompson's run, as the Wizard perfected the Searchlight in The Yellow Knight of Oz. As Percy is in Oz, this also places it after The Hidden Valley of Oz. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it a year after that story in 1931. This is an earlier date than many generally conceive, but it works in context with what's known of Singra, a Wicked Witch of the South who never attained actual power in the South because she had to contend with Glinda. Therefore, until further evidence comes forth, a shorter period of time for Singra's activities in the Quadling Country seems more likely than a longer one.

Electricity: Leon the Neon further underscores the fact that Oz has electricity, and it is revealed in the Oziana 1976 story "The Adventure of the Cat That Did Not Meow in the Night" that Oz has had it since 1880. Additionally, Oz has a power plant located in the southwestern Munchkin Country called Electra City (see the entry in The Blue Emperor of Oz). Nathan M. Dehoff notes (in the BCF Pumperdink forum): "Leon specifically states that his house did not have electricity prior to his receiving the kit. Electricity is not unheard of in Oz (the palace has apparently been using it at least since the Wizard's time), but it doesn't seem to have spread to the rural areas of the country."

Handbook for Witches and Sorcerers: From this book, Singra finds the ingredients to turn Trot to cheese and Dorothy to stone. On page 189, the author notes that the spell she cast over Trot "was a special enchantment known by only a few witches. It was very possible she, herself, was the only one who could free Trot from the spell." The Wizard later seems to confirm this as he needs Singra to disenchant Trot. J.L. Bell, in the BCF Pumperdink forum notes of this book that "It's not necessarily a /printed/ book, which would indeed imply some mass distribution. It could be a hand-copied manuscript that Singra inherited, assembled, traded for, or stole. That's what books have been for most of human history, after all. In the 18th century, gentlemen assembled "common-place books" by copying bits from literature, their own thoughts, useful information, etc. Many household cooks still assemble recipe books, which would be quite like witchcraft notebooks. Eric Shanower's illustration of Singra's book shows Gothic writing, which could be either handwritten or the old-fashioned printing type modeled on that style of handwriting. If the book were handwritten, then Singra could have reason to believe the knowledge of that spell was rare, but of course she couldn't be certain."

Magic Belt: As is the case with several books, there are inconsistent uses of the Magic Belt. As Nathan DeHoff notes in the BCF Pumperdink forum: "Ozma uses it to bring Dorothy, Singra, and the WWS's magical tools to the palace. On the other hand, she never thinks to use it to transport herself to Glinda's palace (instead using the Red Wagon for that purpose), or to bring either Trot or the Scarecrow to the Emerald City. Whether she just doesn't think of that, or the Belt has some limitations we don't know about, is never really addressed."

Punishment: It seems excessive for Ozma to have made Singra both drink of the Waters of Oblivion, thereby erasing her memory of who she is, AND put her to sleep for a hundred years. With past offenders, she's done the former, sometimes multiple times (as with Ruggedo), and oftentimes with success. So, why erase Singra's memory--rendering her harmless--only to then rob her of an additional hundred years?

Rubber Band: This group of musicians made of rubber are familiar with other rubber people and animals (as they think Dorothy and Percy are like them). One well-known rubber being is Para Bruin, the Rubber Bear from John Dough and the Cherub.

Singra, the Wicked Witch of the South: The narrative establishes a familial connection between three of the Wicked Witches. Singra is a cousin to the East and West witches. Shanower has also stated that the unnamed Wicked Witch of the South in The Enchanted Apples of Oz is her sister. See Appendix H: "Names and Relations of the Wicked Witches" for more information. The Royal Timeline of Oz calls her Angra. Angra is the second Wicked Witch of the South (see The Enchanted Apples of Oz). It's not known exactly when she took power after her sister Singra was put to sleep by Glinda, but given that Singra fantasizes about ruling the Quadlings, "thinking about how nice it would be to rule the south country of Oz," (p. 195) it can be discerned that she's never ruled it before. As Glinda came to rule the Quadlings in 1820, it seems reasonable that Singra did not become Wicked Witch of the South until after that time. On the other hand, it's also possible that she took over immediately after her sister was put to sleep in 1802, but never managed to wrest control over the south in the ways that her sister and cousins had over their respective lands. This either indicates that Singra was given a ceremonial title or that the title Wicked Witch itself does not necessarily require that one has dominion over the land, but rather that she is the sole authority in the land in connection to the compass witches. There may be other witches, and they may be wicked or otherwise, but they are not part of the quadrumvirate of Wicked Witches.

Singra's power and personality: It's clear that Singra is less powerful than her sister Angra had been, and the fact that she doesn't seek her whereabouts tells us much about their relationship. She is also far less vicious than her sister. She never seeks to destroy her opponents, but rather to create a bargaining chip for herself so that she can attain power (e.g., ruling the southern quadrant). Yet, when she's caught, she concedes to disenchant Trot, when she could have refused. As to her magical abilities, Singra relies on having to put together ingredients to create magical objects to use, rather than having any innate power of her own. She also doesn't seem to know what the Fountain of Oblivion is, or has forgotten what it is, pointing to a possible insular existence (since the Fountain goes back centuries). Her desire to punish the killer of her cousins appears to indicate either a dependency on them for her own status and power, or even a possible close familial connection. There is a question as to how Singra knows of the Emerald City since she had been asleep during its construction. Nathan M. DeHoff postulates several possible answer: "Perhaps Singra made some additional queries of the Magical Musical Snuffbox that weren't recorded by Payes... For that matter, it's
possible that the settlement in that area could have had the nickname "Emerald City" before the Wizard arrived, although it wasn't officially called that until later." Singra had a wicked wizard associate named Kizzo (which appears to be a nickname), but of him nothing is known.

Spiders and bees: While many of the insects in Oz are of the standard non-speaking variety, some are sapient, including spiders "In Oz even the spiders can talk" (p.77), and bees (chapter 12). Dorothy has run into spiders in Glinda of Oz. Although the first bees mentioned were the magical non-speaking ones the Wicked Witch of the West used to attack their party in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (created by Krizzle Kroo as shown in the Oziana 1992 story "The Woozy's Tale,") she also met the friendly Spelling Bee in Dorothy and Old King Crow, and was herself was turned into a bee in The Magic of Oz. In The Medicine Man of Oz, the Ozians run afoul of giant talking ants, and another party comes across normal sized talking ants in Wooglet in Oz.

Synopsis: Ten year old Patrick Kelly, from Evanston, IL, has no interest in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, or his Irish heritage, and finds his grandfather and visiting Celtic-speaking relatives tiresome. Yet, he's dragged along. Once there finds an exceedingly rare, intensely colored four-leafed shamrock, which he picks for his aunt. Heading back, he sees many of the children dressed as leprechauns, and finds the concept ridiculous, wishing that if the little people did exist that he'd visit them and see what they were actually like. With that wish, he's transported to Glenellen, a leprechaun village on the outskirts of the Forest of Burzee.

Patrick is greeted by the leprechaun Pim, who introduces the boy to the residents of Glenellen. Patrick sees they have crooked bodies with leathery skin, red beards, and wear brown or green. Patrick admits he thought they were made-up and wonders why they're not in Ireland. Pim explains that they're fairies who hail from the Forest of Burzee and that many centuries earlier they'd taken a liking to Ireland, which is their primary residence in the mortal lands. In Burzee, they're shoemakers, but other fairies look down on them because of their mischievousness. Pim explains that his people scatter those shamrocks around the world to give mortals a wish, though most squander it. He confesses that he placed the shamrock there at that time and planted the thought in Patrick's mind because after looking after the Kelly clan for a long time, they now need his help with a banshee that's been plaguing their village. With the end of one of the oldest family lines in Ireland, the banshee Clio, who'd watched over them, warning them of bad times ahead, now haunts the forest from which she original come. Due her wailing and howling winds, the leprechauns can't sleep or drive her away, and haven't been successful in contacting Lurline. But with a magic shamrock, Patrick can wish himself to Oz and request the aid of Ozma, who can bring the situation to Lurline directly.

Surprised to discover Oz is real, Patrick agrees, and that very night hears the eerie wailing of the banshee. He goes exploring the next morning until Pim awakens and instructs Patrick to pluck a shamrock and make a wish, but when the boy does he grabs hold of the leprechaun and together they transport to Oz. The boy apologies, not wanting to go alone. They head east in the Winkie Country, as Pim explains that the pot of gold stories are true, and although they need no money themselves, leprechauns like to hoard and hide things. At a ravine, Pim notes that leprechauns don't care for water, but a yellow snake agrees to help the across, summoning others who form a snake bridge.

Entering a forest, Pim reveals that he's six or seven hundred years old. They enter a greenhouse only to meet a community of walking, talking windows of various shapes and sizes. They wait in the City of Windows until they're magically selected for someone's home in Oz, at which point they vanish and reappear in their new home. A bay window gives them a tour. They meet kitchen windows, French doors, stained glass, living room and storm windows. Broken windows are there waiting for their glass to heal. Others windows model window treatments. The Bay Window hopes they'll keep them in mind when planning a new house.

Sating their hunger and thirst in the Winkie Forest, they're met by Dorothy and the Wizard who've arrived to escort them to the Emerald City. Ozma had received a message from Glinda via swan informing them of their arrival. So, via Wishing Pill, they are transported to the Emerald City. Ozma greets them and has Jellia prepare rooms for them. At dinner, Pim explains what's been happening with the banshee. Ozma reiterates that only Lurline can deal with them, though she is often away from Burzee and is hard to reach. Ozma volunteers to bring the matter to her, as she is one of her direct descendents and hasn't visited in some time.. She invites the Wizard, whose been wanting to visit Burzee, and Glinda, whose been planning a council with the fairy queen. The Scarecrow is left as ruler in Ozma's place, and Ozma invites the leprechauns to stay as guests in the Emerald City until the matter with Cio is resolved.

The next day, the citizens hear the news and open their homes to the 300 leprechauns, while the palace residents prepare Irish songs and limericks. Ozma uses the Magic Belt to summon them. She explais how she's going to help. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman welcome them and Tik-Tok sings "Danny Boy." Ozma and the Wizard then depart for Glinda's and Burzee.

At a welcome feast for the leprechauns, the Scarecrow notes that their table manners aren't the best, and that they don't care for Ozade, as "rustic fairies" are fond of ale. The Scarecrow doesn't believe they have any in Oz. After some time spent touring the city, the leprechauns grow bored. Deciding that the citizens won't mind some amusement, the leprechauns start engaging in various harmless, but annoying pranks. Scraps's hair is knotted, Omby's beard is shaved, Jellia trips down butter-slathered stairs, Toto falls in a hole, and more. The citizens housing the leprechauns come to the palace to complain to the beleaguered Scarecrow. Dorothy and Patrick search for Pim, who left earlier to speak to the leprechauns, but he's missing. After he'd found his people by the Royal Storehouses at the outer reaches of the city, he discovered they built a large apparatus from the items they stole, which with a bit of magic, brews beer from the grain in the storehouses. They lock him up in one so that he won't report them. Drunk from the ale, they go on to cause even more mischief.

The Wizard is in awe of Burzee, and Ozma explains it's home to all the fairy bands, her distant cousins. Near the home of the Flower Fairies, who tend flowering plants, he learns that each growing thing has its own fairy to protect it. Lurline rules all, but is often away for long periods looking for ways to guide and protect those who dwell in the mortal world. With Ozma's wand and a strange call, Ozma summons Ora, Lurline's attendant. She finds the leprechauns offensive and crude, but is sorry to hear about the banshee, and escorts them to Lurline's invisible home. Having been away for weeks, Lurline arrives to greet them and explain that banshees are "curious beings." Without a mortal family to look over, Clio is restless and mourning. After a sumptuous feast, Lurline whisks them to Glenellen to await Clio. When she arrives, Lurline assigns her to become protector of the leprechauns and guardian of their villages, and takes away her ghastly appearance and voice. Clio is happy and grateful.

The next day things in the Emerald City reach a fever pitch as the Scarecrow is glued to the throne and the citizens bar their windows and doors. Checking the Magic Picture, they discover where Pim has been locked away. Polychrome arrives for a visit. Hearing of the troubles, she remarks the leprechauns are always trying to steal her father's gold, though the Rainbow enjoys teasing them. The Tin Woodman and Omby Amby free Pim and destroy the brewery. Patrick conceives a plan. Pim pretends to conspire with Patrick regarding the Rainbow's gold, and word spreads. The leprechauns rush up the Rainbow to grab the visible pot of gold, but once they're all on, the Rainbow lifts up his bow into the air, stranding them on the arc!

Ora shows the Wizard and Glinda the realm of the knooks and ryls, the birthplace of Santa, and the lake home of the nymphs and mer-people. At last, they return to Glinda's palace where they discover the troubles in the Emerald City, where they go to free the Scarecrow and thank Polychrome. She has her father drop his bow before Ozma, who chastises them for repaying her hospitality with bad behavior. She commands them to make restitution before they're restored to their village. She informs them that Clio has been reformed and will now serve as their protector. Pim tells them they got off easy. Contrite, the leprechauns do as they're told. Omby Amby get his whiskers back (the Wizard magically restores them), the Palace, Gardens and Royal Stables are cleaned up. The citizens forgive them and Ozma throws a farewell banquet with Irish music, speeches and magic tricks. Ozma praises them for making amends and sends them back home with Patrick. Clio asks the leprechauns forgiveness and Pim welcomes her to the village. Later that night, Pim cautions Patrick about who tells of his adventures, as most will think him mad.

In the morning, the leprechauns gather to thank Patrick and present him a small crock of gold coins and four leafed shamrock, which will appear whenever he might need them. Patrick wishes himself back home, where his parents are happy to see him. He tells them that he's been doing research on his Irish background. In the years ahead, he confides only in his grandfather, who believes his every word.

Continuity Notes

City of Windows: Oz houses get their windows and doors from this city of sapient windows who wait eagerly for new homes to become part of. All shapes, sizes and types are here. The Tin Emperor of the Winkie Country, where this city resides, did not even know of the existence of this place until the time of this story.

Dating: This story begins on March 17th. There are several dating clues. The Scarecrow says that if his outer self was ruined, he'd never be the same, which would suggest that this story belongs prior to the events of A Refugee in Oz, in which that very thing happened. Ozma says she hasn't seen Lurline in awhile, which would indicate a date after The Magic Carpet of Oz, in 1908, but prior to the fairy convocation in The Magical Mimics in Oz. (This is also the Wizard's first visit to Burzee). This earlier dating is supported by several factors. One is that Patrick has read about Oz, but makes no mention of seeing a movie about it, which would be unlikely if this took place after 1939. Additionally, Patrick has relatives who still commonly speak Gaelic (his own father was born in Ireland). Following the Potato Famine of the 1840s, many native-speaking Irish died or emigrated, and the language began to die out. However, a language revival occurred from the late 19th Century into the early 20th Century, which helped preserve Gaeilge and Gaelic, though it would never overtake English. Another clue for an early dating lies in the fact that his aunt reports having seen the little people as a child, and belief in the leprechauns is commonly held to be true amongst his relatives. Patrick, being American-born, scoffs at this, however. Thus, an early 20th Century placement for this story makes considerable sense and is not contradicted by the text. The Royal Timeline of Oz places this book in 1932.

Four-leafed Shamrocks: Pim says that the leprechauns spread these all over the world, though some grow naturally. They grow in abundance in Glenellen and the other leprechaun villages in Burzee, but the leprechauns cannot use them for wishes.

Leprechauns and banshees: Himself the Elf was the first leprechaun mentioned in Oz, though he was only part-leprechaun (Handy Mandy in Oz). He was followed by Siko Pompus (The Wonder City of Oz), Paddy O'Paint (The Hidden Prince of Oz), and Vega (Prince Pompadore in Oz). According to the six-seven hundred year old leprechaun leader Pim, who appears to be an expert on the subject, leprechauns hail from the Forest of Burzee, where they have several villages along the outskirts of the forest. Many centuries prior to the time of this story, they took a liking to Ireland and made it their primary residence in the outside world, acquiring their customs, way of life, and speech. Given that the earliest references to leprechauns in extant Celtic literature is from The Saga of Fergus Mac Léti, which dates from around the 7th to 8th Centuries AD, their earliest excursion to the Emerald Isle cannot have been later than that era. How they travel is not explained here, and it seems odd that they can go back and forth to Ireland, but can't get to Oz on their own. The pot of gold stories are also true, and though leprechauns require no money themselves, they like to hoard and hide treasure. They clearly have some form of magic, at least over the families they watch over, as Pim is able to put a thought into Patrick's mind. Pim mentions that the fairy realm, including pixies, brownies, ryls, knooks and guardian fairies, are ruled by Queen Lurline. The leprechauns appearance is akin to that of knooks, but with some differences, and given that they're all cousins, this shouldn't be surprising. They are earth spirits and not fond of water. There are no female leprechauns. Pim puts forth the idea that every time a mortal baby laughs, a new leprechaun is born, but this is obviously a fable. The history of the immortals is told in Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Banshees also hail from Burzee and have a connection to the outside world. They are a type of guardian fairy, as their name ("fairy woman" or "woman of the fairy mound") and legend indicates. Their job is to warn certain Celtic families of impending death, as well as keening when one dies. Given that their only appearances in the outside world are in Celtic and Nordic communities, they must have traveled with (or around the same time as) the leprechauns when they first went to Celtic lands and fell in love with them. There is as of yet no explanation as to why the Celtic people (at least some of the families) have guardian fairies such as banshees and leprechauns in the first place when this is clearly not the case for other peoples. This and the fact that banshees can travel back and forth between realms, like the leprechauns, indicates a deep, but as-yet unexplored connection and story.

Lurline: One of the few stories in which Lurline plays an active role, the Fairy Queen's frequent trips away from Burzee, the fact that she has an invisible house while there, the difficulty even Burzee residents have in contacting her, and the wariness/guardian-like aspects of her attendant Ora (Latin for boundary or border) all point to the fact that Lurline is in hiding from her brother Tititi-Hoochoo at this time, a situation that won't be resolved for another thirty years in The Law of Oz and Other Stories. Ozma earlier met with Lurline in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz and The Magic Carpet of Oz. She'll meet with her at a fairy convocation in The Magical Mimics in Oz and again 50 years later in The Emerald City Mirror 5th story arc: "Transference of Spirits."

Mischievousness in Oz: This story is similar in some respects to The Winged Monkeys of Oz. In that story, which takes place 60 years later, the winged monkeys were invited to stay in the Royal Palace (although in that case permanently) and they soon began pulling pranks out of feeling cooped up in a building and city. It is likely that Ozma and her friends got a sense of deja vu when it happens again, but in both cases, she handles it with grace and understanding.

33d Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

History: 1939's Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz was the last book written by Ruth Plumly Thompson until 1972 when the International Wizard of Oz Club asked to publish her Yankee in Oz, an Oz book Thompson had written many years earlier, but which Reilly & Lee rejected. (She would return to Oz one final time in 1976 with the book, The Enchanted Island of Oz, for a total of 21 Oz books.) To capitalize on the success of the upcoming MGM musical The Wizard of Oz, Reilly & Lee saw fit to include the word Wizard in the title of Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, and to reunite the original cast of Baum's first book. It is the first and only time she utilizes the Tin Woodman as more than a cameo. The narrative's polygamous tyrant (who is treated not in a childish way, but as a serious threat), the violent actions of the usurper Bustabo (who also is not played for laughs), and the science-fiction elements, demonstrate a more sophisticated kind of book than Thompson generally wrote, as if she were stretching out to other audiences, or perhaps recognizing that her audiences were growing older and that in order to compete with the more sophisticated fantasies of the day, her stories would have to mature as well.

Synopsis: The Wizard and Jellia Jamb prepare a party to celebrate Dorothy's first trip to Oz, which will include a miniature replica of her original farmhouse. Seven table settings are provided, and Jellia informs the Wizard that the Guardian of the Gates will not attend, as he hasn't left his post in 40 years. Also, Toto has gone with Ozma to visit Glinda. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion and Dorothy soon arrive, and as Jellia is also a guest, the Wizard has Fredjon serve them dinner.

After reminiscing for a time, the Wizard shows them his latest invention, a spy glass that he calls a Tell-all-escope, which announces information regarding whatever or whoever it is one is looking at. As Dorothy looks at the wizard through the spy glass, it tells her a summarized history of him. The Lion doesn't want his history revealed, but the Wizard has other plans. He takes them outside the gates of the city into the woodland. There he shows them to a glass building, inside of which are two Ozoplanes, built from magic and the science of aeronautics, which he calls the Ozpril and Oztober. The Wizard assures the Soldier with the Green Whiskers (whose birth name is said to be Wantowin Battles) that they're not for war but travel and exploration of the unknown regions of the upper air. He plans to present them to Ozma for their first flight, allowing for four passengers in each plane, including the group now present. The Wizard explains that they lift off by means of a magic gas that inflates the balloons atop the fuselage until reaching their chosen altitude, at which point the balloons are deflated and the ship continues on its own power.

To show them the interiors, the Wizard leads the Scarecrow, Dorothy and Lion into the Ozpril, while Nick, Jellia and the Soldier go into the Oztober. Dorothy is impressed by the relatively spacious interior, but the Lion, remembering his prior experience on the Flyaboutabus (The Cowardly Lion of Oz) determines he'll not be flying! But as the Wizard is shwoing the Scarecrow how the push-button controls work, the Oztober suddenly takes off! Worried that they'll crash, he powers up his ship and takes off after them.

Unbeknownst to them, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, having had too many pickles, cramped up over the control panel, hitting numerous buttons. The Tin Woodman finally figures out how to undo this, but not before the ship is zig-zagging in the atmosphere with Jellia about to be thrown out. Nick takes control and determines to make his way back to where they lifted off, but he feels the need to practice flying first in order to make a safe landing. As he flies upwards, however, he encounters strange and fascinating sights, including a crescent-shaped lavender island, where he decides he'll practice landing. All he manages to do is crash through a frozen cloud, however. As Jellia Jamb gets out the transparent air helmets and altitude pills they'll need, bizarre creatures like octopi, only with spikes and spines, begin to surround and ram against the ship. Nick maneuvers out of the area with the spikers in pursuit and soon escapes the "airimals," as he calls them.

5200 miles in the air (as recorded by the hypsometer), the Oztober finds a place to land on the planet Stratovania, which is ruled by Strutoovious the Seventh, the Strut of Strat. As they prepare to disembark, they hear a cat's cry and discover the Wizard's "Kit-Bag of Magic," which is to be used in times of emergency. Nick has Jellia bring it along, but he's determined to win the friendship of the strange airlanders with kindness.

Across the waters of the Half Moon Lake, Strut is amazed to find that it was not a dragon that invaded, but odd-looking aliens. The parties meet around the lake, where Nick announces Ozma's claim on the realm and offers free citizenship in Oz. When a furious Strut approaches, eyes flashing red, Nick tries to assure him they've come in friendship. Strut is at first amazed that they can understand one another, but promises to blow them to atoms if they attempt to leave. He proclaims himself "Supreme Ruler of all the Upper Areas," and orders his twenty Blowmen warriors to kill them, but suddenly he stops them and takes off Jellia's helmet. He then touches her hair. The altitude pills protect her from losing oxygen, but as Strut strokes her hair he says she is "very pretty." He summons his messenger Hippenscop to summon the Queen, intending to present Jellia as a servant for her, and kill the rest. The Soldier fires his gun with marbles, but Strut knocks him and Nick down and takes Jellia. As he prepares to destroy her friends, Jellia opens the kit-bag, pulls out a trumpet and blows three notes, releasing a green gas that causes all of them to feel great cheer, including Strut and his wife Queen Kabebe. The queen is not as enchanted about Jellia, however, and as Strut invites them all to be their guests, she pinches her. Wantowin slaps her fingers, causing her to take notice of him.

In the Royal Pavilion, Jellia is placed on the Star Throne as their chosen "Starina." The guests are offered air-ade and confections of wind pudding. The drink causes Jellia to float. When Strut asks the Tin Woodman whether they come from above or below, Nick launches into a lengthy description of Oz, which reminds Strut of the Tin Woodman's earlier attempt to claim Strat for Ozma. Failing to take the hint, however, Nick continues, describing Ozma's wealth, treasures and magic, such as the Magic Belt and magic fan (from The Royal Book of Oz). Furious, Strut declares that he's greater than any Belowlander and that Oz is actually Ohs, in the Ozone, and belongs to him. He claims Ozonia for himself and orders the Tin Woodman to take him to Oz aboard the Ozoplane. Calling his 20 Blowman, he leaves Jellia behind with the Soldier and several guards who are ordered to protect her from harm. He promises to return to her with riches and "Ohsma" who he will make into another Starina. Into the Ozoplane they go with a thousand warriors following them atop their flying sticks. To Nick's surprise a map of their route from the Emerald City appears atop the controls, a magical contrivance of the Wizard intended to help pilots return home, but it thwarts the Tin Woodman's plans to divert Strut.

Wantowin, meanwhile, goes off to explore, while Jellia, remembering her new station, orders her guards Jennenrump to bring her amusement and Hippenscop to bring her two of the flying staffs. While they're gone she recovers the kit-bag just as Junnenrup returns with a Piper, whose fierce playing draws a large crowd. Jellia dismisses him and goes off looking for a private place to examine the contents of the bag. She trips on a crystal bar that she failed to see, but instead of falling down she flies up and lands in a tune tree. Some of the trees growing notes dislodge, releasing arias and chords. Wantowin goes running by screaming, chased by Queen Kababe wielding a rolling pin, three Blowmen and a hundred citizens. The Soldier trips on the same bar and flies up to Jellia in the tree, explaining to her that the queen has claimed power and wants them dead.

Jellia comes off the tree and assumes an imperious air, demanding that the guards protect them as commanded. But afraid to defy their queen, they take them to the edge of the cliffs and prepare to blow them off. Just then, an Ozoplane comes into view. Convinced Strut has returned, they run off, but Wantowin sees that it's the Ozpril. When the Wizard, Dorothy and the Lion disembark they hear the ordeal their friends have been through, plus the alarming news that Strutoovious has gone with Nick and a thousand warriors to conquer Oz! When the Queen and her Blowmen find them, Jellia gets an idea and tells them that Ozma has transformed Strut into a lion. To prove it, the Cowardly Lion roars, terrifying and convincing them that it's true. The Lion then orders that the Queen be taken away and supper prepared for them. Not knowing any talking animals, they assume he is indeed Strut. As Jellia and the Wizard believe that Nick will find a way to lose Strut and return to Strat to rescue them, they determine to wait for his return. As Dorothy and the Wizard nap, the servant Bittsywittle brings their food. Wantowin warns the Lion, but having only had the Wizard's square meal tablets, he digs into six pink puddings, which blow him up like a balloon and cause him to float. The Scarecrow ties him to the throne so he doesn't float away.

Hippenscop returns with the two flying sticks Jellia had requested, and warns her that Queen Kabebe has worked up the people to come and destroy them and their ship. Thanking him with an emerald ring, Jellia suggests they depart for the opposite shore. The Soldier carries the Lion via a cord he ties to him. At the cliffs they hear the sound of the Ozpril being blown up, and the Wizard feels dismayed. Soon the Queen and her people arrive to destroy them, but Jellia, Dorothy and the Scarecrow hop on one of the flying sticks while the Wizard, Soldier (with the floating Lion) hop on another and fly off.

After some time mastering the technique, the Ozites do well, but the Lion, regaining his former size, threatens to bring them down. Seeing this, the Wizard takes out a bottle from the kit-bag, and pours it out, creating an icy island in space upon which they land, and putting a hedge around it so they don't fall off. With the two flying sticks in place, the island descends much more softly. The Wizard shares his plan, and as soon as they come down in the Quadling Country of Oz, they prepare to fly to the Emerald City and warn Ozma. But they land in a large mountain lake, and on the shore are thousands of bowmen, who are the army of a red castle that sits upon the mountain. All but the Lion, who hides underwater, take off on their flying sticks, but the red-bearded king shoots and hits each of their sticks, crashing them to the ground.

The Wizard scolds the king, whose name is Bustabo, King of the Kudgers and Red Top Mountain. Bustabo knocks the Wizard down with his stiff pointy beard. The party introduces themselves and apprise him of their situation, but Bustabo tells them it doesn't matter what happens to Ozma, as he's more interested in what they can do for him. Dorothy, he concludes, can't sing, and Jellia can't dance. When he discover the Wizard's a wizard, however, he tells him to find his missing Princess Azarine the Red, who vanished in the forest three days earlier. The Wizard has little choice, and Bustabo promises him that if he fails to return by morning he'll throw his friends off the mountain. In the meantime, however, he'll treat them as guests, and if the Wizard succeeds, he'll speedily get them to the Emerald City.

Accepting a basked of provisions from Bustabo, the Wizard trudges off into the forest where he travels until nightfall. He grows concerned when he hears a roar, and suddenly a bug-bear appears before him. Half-bear, half-insect, the creature prepares to attack, but the Wizard magically makes himself invisible. At the same time, a great red stag appears behind him, and from his horns dangle a silver lantern and a bell. He warns the bug-bear to never approach the cave of the princess and chases him off. Shagomar, the stag inquires if the Wizard is still present, and the Wizard makes himself visible again. The Wizard tells him of his troubles and Shagomar tells him the story of Princess Azarine, who up until a week ago was ruler of Red Top Mountain. Bustabo had been chief of the bowman, and with his army's help, he usurped Azarine's throne. As she would not give him legitimacy, he locked her in a tower from which she escaped with the help of a faithful servant. Shagomar has guarded her in the dangerous Red Wood ever since, bringing her food and protecting her from the bug-bears.

Knowing the true history, the Wizard is unable to see through on his promise to return Azarine to the deceitful Bustabo. But when he meets the lovely and gracious Azarine, he forms a plan in which Shaggy (Shagomar) can run them to Glinda's palace, which is only a mile or two away from Red Top Mountain, as Glinda can restore Azarine to the throne. But first he must rescue his friends, and with that he recites their recent adventures. Azarine and Shaggy agree, and the stag introduces his wife Dear Deer, who can carry his friends.

As this goes on, Dorothy and her companions finish eating supper in the prisoner tower. Jellia examines the kit-bag and discovers some pajama-like outfits that will allow its wearers to fall distances without getting hurt. The Lion tries to sleep but when he hears Bustabo tramping up the tower stairs, he leaps up with the Soldier. The Scarecrow begins examining the windows, one of which he finds had been sawn through by the former prisoner. Jellia gets everyone to put on the falling-out suits and with the kit-bag in hand they jump out the window. The rest soon follow, discovering after a hair-raising plummet that the suits balloon out, slowing their fall to a gentle drop at the base of the mountain, where they encounter the Wizard, Azarine and the two deer.

After introductions and explanations, Jellia, Dorothy and the Scarecrow climb aboard Deer Dear, while the Wizard and Soldier join Azarine upon Shagomar. With the Cowardly Lion between them, they run off to the Southlands. By dawn, they reach Glinda's. As Glinda and Ozma have gone off to see Prince Tatters and Grampa in Ragbad (from Grampa in Oz), the party make themselves at home and find places to sleep. The Scarecrow and Wizard go to Glinda's study and read the Great Book of Records which proclaims that the "Airlanders from the Upper Strat are descending on the Emerald City." Knowing he needs the Magic Belt, the Wizard attempts to magic Ozma's safe to Glinda's, but fails because her zentomatic transporter isn't working. Determined to fix it, the Wizard sends the Scarecrow to the Great Book of Records to keep track of Strut's progress.

The Tin Woodman, in the meantime, had attempted several means of thwarting Strut and his flying warriors, but to no avail. The Stratovanian ruler does not even fall asleep. By morning, the Oztober sails above the Quadling country, and soon enough arrives at the Emerald City, where the palace residents are evacuating. Betsy, Trot and Scraps climb into the Red Wagon and set off for the Munchkin country. Tik-Tok marches after them with all the valuables he can carry. Herby the Medicine Man rides the Hungry Tiger down the yellow brick road, along with the rest of the palace residents. The inhabitants of the Emerald City close their windows and doors, and only the Guardian of the Gates stands defiantly.

Singing and shouting, the warriors march in ranks behind Strut and Nick to the palace. Finding it entirely deserted, Strut determines to spend his summers there, and demands Nick bring him to the Magic Belt and magic fan that the Tin Woodman had earlier bragged about. Nick is unable to open the safe, and Strut fears having the treasures inside destroyed. Even his swordsmith cannot pry it open. In anger he determines to blow it open, but after the explosion, the safe is gone. When he checks the window to see if it's blown into the garden, he's astounded to find his army of 999 fighters gone! Ozma, Glinda, the Wizard, Dorothy, Jellia, the Soldier, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarcrow and Azarine suddenly appear in the room. Ozma confronts Strutoovious, assuring him that his army is back in Stratovania. Jellia returns her crown, proclaiming that she's had enough of kings to last the rest of her life. Ozma tells him that whether or not he returns to his kingdom depends in part on how he treats Kabebe.

So she sends him back, removing the power of his Blow-men's horns, and expressing that, "for the kind of people he rules" he's "probably the best sort of ruler they could have." Ozma returns the tell-all-escope (which she locks up in her desk drawer) and safe, which the Wizard had transported with Glinda's repaired device before using the Magic Belt to summon Ozma and Glinda from Ragbad. With Ozma's wand, they were all brought to the palace. The Wizard is happy to hear that Nick has successfully kept the Oztober from harm, and Ozma says he can be official pilot when he needs a vacation from the Winkies. The Wizard officially presents the Ozoplanes to Ozma "for exploring, pleasure or warfare," and then rushes off with Nick to find and retrieve the Ozpril (even if it's in pieces).

After Glinda releases her doves to assure the residents of the palace that all is well, they begin to come back. Ozma transforms Bustabo into a red squirrel, sends a message that places Archibald the Archer—the servant who had assisted Azarine to escape the tower—in charge until the queen's return, allowing Azarine, Shagomar and Dear Deer to spend some days meeting the celebrities of the Emerald City. The celebration begins at noon and ends after nightfall, but the Princess and two deer stay for quite some time, checking in every night in the Magic Picture at the adventures of Nick and the Wizard in the "Highways and Byways of the Stratosphere."

Continuity Notes

Bustabo: The former chief archer, usurper of Red Top Mountain and self-proclaimed King of the Kudgers (who are either the people of Red Top Mountain, or the archers). There doesn't appear to be any connection to the Mudgers of The Cowardly Lion of Oz. Bustabo later shows up again, disenchanted from his squirrel form, and across the Deadly Desert in the Thompson Sissajig stories, "Adventures in Sissajig" and "Tommy and the Flying Slippers," (found in Sissajig and Other Surprises) where he is the watcher of Sissajig. His brogue and proclivity with a bow remain intact; only his personality is changed, as he's kind and generous in those stories. Whether this is due to a drink from the Forbidden Fountain or an enchantment of the magish-owitch Susan Figg, is not known.

Celebration: The book opens with an anniversary celebration for Dorothy's first arrival in Oz, with the Wizard inviting "everyone immediately associated with Dorothy's first visit." Yet, as Nathan DeHoff points out in the Pumperdink BCF forum, "there seems to be an unspoken assumption that only those who live nearby were invited. There certainly isn't any indication that he tried to invite Queen Orin, Boq, the Queen of the Field Mice, the King of the Winged Monkeys, or even Glinda, all of whom would seem to be of equal or greater importance than Jellia, the Soldier, and the Guardian of the Gates." It is possible, however, that they were invited, but were unable to attend for various reasons.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this book takes place over the course of three days (see the Day to Day Chronology for more details) in the late fall (page 17), as several of them "snatched up coats" and Jellia "shivered" outside (pages 32 and 33). This is consistent with the arrival of Dorothy in Oz in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on November 12th, which is celebrated at the onset of the book. The year is more difficult to ascertain as the only clue given is that the Guardian of the Gates has not abandoned his post in 40 years. If one goes by the notion that he served as Guardian of the Gates since the time of the Emerald City's construction (in 1892; see Oz and the Three Witches)—which appears to be indicated in How the Wizard Came to Oz—forty years of faithful service brings the date to 1932, and indicates that it's not yet the 41st year, thus bringing us to 1933. This would mark the 35th year of Dorothy's first arrival in Oz. J.L. Bell suggests that "It's possible the gatekeeper may here [20] be referring to his enforced retirement during LAND, when Jinjur replaced him with "a fussy little fat woman," however that would place the events of this book in 1941, which is two years after the book was published. The Guardian must not be counting that incident, as he didn't "abandon" his post during that time, but was forcibly taken from it. The fact that it is a small celebration for just the seven of them, and that not even Toto or Ozma are there may indicate that either another larger party was already given, or that the Wizard's small party was taking the place of the usual gala festival. This year, of course, places the book prior to Handy Mandy of Oz , but there is nothing in that text to indicate that this cannot be the case. The story must take place after Captain Salt in Oz, which indicates on page 77 that "The Wizard of Oz is working on a new fleet of airships."

Jellia Jamb: Although the "b" is left out of her last name, this is the first book written that features Jellia in a starring role. This is significant because Jellia has been a regular fixture in the Emerald City (and in the Oz books), albeit a background one, since The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Here, she is elevated from maid to Starina, a position that comes with some authority and to which she feels admittedly proud: "Terrified as she was, the little Oz Maid could not help a small thrill of satisfaction to have been chosen by a monarch as High and Mighty as Strut of the Strat, to be Starina to him and his Queen." [97] As J.L. Bell remarks in the BCF Pumperdink forum, this title includes no small measure of power: "being Starina involves a crown, a throne, being addressed as 'your Stratjesty" [125], and ordering servants around. 'Starina' is reminiscent of 'Tsarina,' or empress, but in this case it seems to mean concubine, official mistress, or trophy wife with some regal privileges."

New Creatures: Thompson invents several new races, including the bizarre Spikers, who live in the realm below Stratovania (there are also the Zoomers in the realm above, but nothing at all is said of them). In Oz, she introduces readers to the first two talking deer in Oz, the majestic red stag Shagomar, who shares the same nickname as the Shaggy Man of Oz, Shaggy, and his wife Dear Deer. In the same red forest, are the Bug-Bears, which Neill pictures as scary creatures on page 197, and which are half-bear, half-insect.

Political authority: With Thompson's last book for Reilly & Lee, one can see a continuation of the political themes she'd developed throughout her run. As noted by J.L. Bell, "Once again, in the Thompson books Ozma politically prefers to see stability under friendly hereditary monarchs to all other forms of government, containment of unfriendly monarchs while leaving them on their thrones, and harsh punishment for people who try to take over thrones they can't claim by inheritance."

Polygamy in Oz: Polygamy is not only indicated by Thompson in this book, but serves as a plot point, and receives criticism from Ozma herself. Nathan DeHoff points out, "Strutoovious, the King of Stratovania, seems to be the first clear example of a polygamist in the Oz books (although Prince Evered of Rash does offer to make both Betsy Bobbin and Ozma his queens). He takes Jellia as his 'Starina' (apparently a secondary wife), and says that he might make Ozma another one. Kabebe is never referred to as "Starina," only "Queen," and she seems to be Strut's head wife. Most of the Stratovanians support Kabebe over Jellia, although this might be because Kabebe is one of their own kind, and not a stranger like Jellia. On p. 259, after Strut has been defeated, Ozma tells him, 'Whether or not you return to your Kingdom depends entirely upon yourself and how you treat Kabebe.' This statement is somewhat confusing, as Kabebe is presented as nearly as villainous as Strut, and presumably meaner, since the Cheer Gas hardly works on her." Nathan notes that there is no indication that Strut ever treated Kabebe poorly, which lends support to the idea that "Ozma considers his taking other wives to be poor treatment. After all, most of Kabebe's mean actions in OZOPLANING can probably be attributed to jealousy toward Jellia." J.L. Bell adds that Kabebe likely also has adulterous ideas of her own, as evidenced by her peering "at him with astonished admiration" after the Soldier strikes her hand, and becomes "so fascinated by Wantowin's flowing green whiskers, she forgot all about pinching Jellia. [103] There's a hint that Thompson means this fascination as more than momentary. Jellia later seems to bring up the relationship: 'The little maid turned mischievously to the Soldier with Green Whiskers. "After all, you are a kind of King, too!" [155] The Soldier's only claim on being "a kind of King" is the queen's infatuation with him (though the last time we saw them together, she was chasing him with her rolling pin)."

Princesses in Charge: This is the first recorded instance of Ozma leaving Betsy and Trot in charge of the Emerald City, a seemingly odd choice with Cap'n Bill, Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and others who might fare better in that role. But this may have been a case of Ozma grooming the girls for greater responsibility. The problem is that she puts herself out of touch, so that when the invading army of Stratovania arrives, the girls order everyone in the palace to flee, and as Mari Ness of Tor.com notes, "leaving the regular Emerald City folk to face the aliens alone and defenseless." Whether this changed Ozma's mind about making them princesses at that time is not known.

Rulers of Oz: Thompson indicates that the prior rulers of Oz (at least some of them) were also of fairy origin: "if you are a born fairy like Ozma and the former rulers of Oz, working spells and charms just comes natural." Thompson may be considering all Ozites to be fairies of a kind, akin to how she has Cheeriobed (in The Giant Horse of Oz) describe his court: "We who are magically constructed can be destroyed without pain, but a mortal can be hurt," a phrase that's replicated by Ato in Captain Salt in Oz, "We mayn't be killed, being of magical birth," and Thompson says of the Menankypoos in Pirates in Oz: "it is impossible to hurt or destroy beings as magically constructed." If so, then the Wizard is contrasting naturally-born Ozites to those like him from the outside world. However, it's clear that numerous naturally-born Ozites, like Jellia Jamb, don't have an ounce of naturally-born power to work spells and charms. So, Ozma and the former rulers of Oz must be of a different sort, what she calls fairies. Bell notes that "Thompson also seems to be making a distinction between 'fairy' and 'Fairy,' with the latter being a synonym for 'born fairy.' That implies that there are some fairies who are made, not born, as we'll see in WONDER CITY." In The Royal Book of Oz, the Wogglebug says that Ozma "descended from a long line of fairies," although Pastoria, her father, doesn't seem to be one. It is now known that Lurline left Ozma with Pastoria II and his wife Cordia, and indeed comes from a line of fairies, but of the rulers before King Oz, her grandfather and Ozroar her great-grandfather, what is known has been recorded in "Lurline and the First Fairy Queen of Oz" and "The Adventures of Munch Kenny and Gil Cain" (both in Lost Histories from the Royal Librarian of Oz).

Science-fiction and Ozoplanes: While the atmosphere above Nonestica is different than that above the earth (see for example the realms of Atmos from The Hungry Tiger of Oz or Planetty from Anuther Planet in The Silver Princess of Oz), Thompson goes to some extent to add scientific as well as magical elements to her depiction of the ozoplanes, e.g., she recalls that it would be impossible to breathe, and so notes that the air in the cabin is magically treated, and "so long as the windows and doors are closed, riders may safely pass through the highest stratas." For debarking, the ship provides "patent protective air helmets" and "elutherated altitude pills." This kind of jargon and more predates the technobabble that will come to feature in early science fiction writing and film. She also goes to some lengths to describe Stratovania in seemingly scientific terms. She even describes Glinda's magic in scientific terms when the Wizard mentions a "triple-edged, zentomatic transporter." This is a technique she'd never employed before, and it changes the book tonally from her prior titles, and reads much more like a science fiction story (as opposed to a fantasy one), or rather a hybrid science-fiction/fantasy, predating, as far back as 1938/9 when she first wrote this book, the coming science-fiction genre.

Soldier with the Green Whiskers: As with Jellia Jamb, this is the first written work in which the Soldier with the Green Whiskers is given a large role. His background is also revealed for the first time. Born in the Munchkin country, the text indicates that his birth name is Wantowin Battles, and Jellia Jamb calls him Wanny. While it fails to note that he's been until now called Omby Amby, it is not necessarily a contradiction, as Omby Amby may be the name he chooses to go by, particularly as he's the embodiment of one who doesn't want to fight. Yet, as Jellia knows him from long ago, she may still use the nickname she'd used when she first got to know him. J.L. Bell notes the discrepancy with growing a green beard in a blue country: "One way to explain these oddities is to assume that the Soldier was an oddity himself in his village: for having green whiskers, perhaps for having such fast-growing whiskers, and perhaps for being so tall. If he felt out of place at home, he might well seek a more comfortable position in the central green area, especially if he'd heard about a new ruler who was hiring. That history might help to explain why for this Munchkin 'Any country that was not green like the land surrounding the Emerald City held no interest for him.' [102]... According to OZOPLANING, the Soldier arrived in the Emerald City with his whiskers already long and green, and no hint or knowledge that they're cosmically (or comically) connected to the overall fairyland. Did a magic-worker lay a spell on them, unbeknownst to the Soldier himself yet hinted at in records known to the Scarecrow and (maybe) Wizard?'"

Stratovania: Thompson describes the Stratovanians strange appearance well: "The Airlanders were a head taller than even the Tin Woodman. Their hair grew straight up on end, sparkling and crackling with electricity in a really terrifying manners. Their eyes were star shaped and shaded by long, silver lashes, the noses and mouths were straight and firm, the foreheads transparent. Some shone as from a hidden sun, while across the brows of others tiny black clouds chased one another in rapid succession." They wear belted tunics of iridescent material and silver sandals laced to the knee. Crescent pendants danger from their ears (women were star earrings). They carry a tall staff tipped with wings. The fruit on their trees glow like lightbulbs, and everything sparkles because of being made of "solid air." Their land is surrounded by a rim of warm air that keeps the temperature and climate stable all year round. Strutoovious rules not just Stratovania, but the Spikers below and the Zoomers above: "all the other spheres and half-spheres" in the area. There are no talking animals in Stratovania. Geographically, it stands at 19.3 miles above Oz (which is actually in the stratosphere), and presents a curiosity. Bell writes that, "Most of that return journey to Oz appears to be straight down, and it ends only one or two miles from Glinda's castle [207]. Even if we assume that the flying sticks pulled the party laterally away from the edge of Stratovania for a reasonable distance, that still implies that the sky kingdom was somewhere above Oz when they left. If Stratovania moves about the atmosphere in relation to Earth's surface, it would be a tremendously handy coincidence that Dorothy and her friends could basically step off the sky island and land in their home country. If not, that means Stratovania is always above Oz, implying additional interaction between the kingdoms."

Tell-all-escope: This new invention of the Wizard's is a kind of talking encyclopedia that provides information about whatever the user is looking at, but it seems to not yet be perfected or it recites old and invalid information. When it recounts the Wizard's history, it goes off on a tangent and then notes that Mombi had destroyed the King of Oz and his son. The latter is explicitly false, as Pastoria is revealed to be alive and well in Thompson's own book The Lost King of Oz. Similarly, as Nathan points out, "The idea that the Wizard purposely created the device not to tell about his giving Ozma to Mombi suggests that he programmed in this information, yet it knows things that the Wizard does not, such as Jellia's being made a Starina by Strut. Why the Tell-all-escope doesn't say anything about Jellia's past before being made a Starina can be added to the list of mysteries. Maybe it just doesn't know much about her, for some reason or other." Or perhaps Thompson chose not to share this information. In the end, Ozma locks it up, not in her safe with the other magical implements, but in her desk drawer. What this might mean is also open to speculation.

Tin Woodman: There has been criticism of Thompson's portrayal of Nick Chopper, her first use of him as a major character, and in the minds of some a misuse. Most of this stems around his decision to continue flying the Oztober rather than taking it back to the Emerald City immediately, an act which puts everyone in danger. J.L Bell notes in the BCF Pumperdink forum, "Baum's Tin Woodman is strongly concerned with his duty--indeed, that's why he makes the journey to find Nimmie Amee, whom he no longer loves. But Thompson's tin man secretly puts his comrades in jeopardy for his own desires. Once he gains mastery of the ozoplane he could steer back to the Emerald City at any time. 'But the truth of the matter was, the Tin Woodman did not wish to turn back. And after all, who was to insist?' [65] Yet, in fairness to Thompson and the character, there are some mitigating factors to consider. One is that he wished to better fly the plane so as to land it correctly; 'he would take a horizontal direction until he grew more accustomed to piloting the Ozoplane. Then, as night passed and the sun rose, he would zig and zag slowly downward and make a safe landing near the Emerald City.' [62]. Also, he notes 'I really need a lot more practice before I go back or try to make a safe landing.' [65] True, this is followed up by the quote above, but that only reflects a three dimensional personality that is more that just the duty, kindness and compassion often attributed to him. Nick is described as being 'delighted at the way the Oztober responded to his clever manipulation of the wheel and buttons,' and 'scarcely realized the distance he was putting between himself and Oz.' So, while his actions are motivated by excitement at this new phenomenon of traveling the atmosphere, as well as his skill in doing so, he can hardly be labeled selfish. There was no immediate danger to his passengers; he knew and trusted the Wizard long enough to know the ship was safe, and correctly notes that he has to 'practice landing' [66] before attempting it in the Emerald City (where he could do serious damage). The Tin Woodman is also unwise in the way he handles Strutoovious, declaring Stratovania for Ozma and Oz. In Nick Chopper's mind, however, Oz is a paradise, especially when compared to other realms like the outside world, and one in which becoming a part of that has all benefits and no down side; so long as they do no harm, kingdoms can rule themselves freely, immortality is extended to all, and a regular state of peace is maintained. From his perspective, his proclamations weren't colonization or imperialism, but an extension of the great hospitality. Additionally, because it is in the skies above Oz (see "Stratovania" above), he may conclude that that country rightly belongs to Oz, just as the realms below Oz do. And there may be something to that. He is no diplomat, however, and he fails to put things in the right words or to see how what he's saying might look from the Strut's perspective. At worst, he is guilty of naïveté, but at best he is honoring his qualities of duty, kindness and compassion by extending the loving benefits of living under the Oz banner to a people who may wish to benefit from it."

Unpublished sequel: Thompson left the conclusion of her story with the idea that there was a sequel to tell of the Wizard and Nick's adventures finding the Ozpril out in space. As Michael Patrick Hearn notes in the endnotes to the International Wizard of Oz Club edition of Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, this would have included a visit to the land of the Jug-heads where it is against the law to show your face, "the Rocketeers, the Bottled or Packaged People, the Roofers who live on rooftops... the Frowning Prince and the Smiling Prince, Aunt Hill, Stumbleena, Mrs. Floppenhopper, a Snowman with a melting glance, and Judy the dressmaker's dummy. [The Wizard's] bag of tricks would include a magic lantern, a magic pipe that goes up in smoke, a magic ring, and a down quilt. And for an animal companion, Thompson was considering Jenny the Gentle Giraffe, Willy-Nilly the Billy Goat, or Jo the Flamingo." If this story ever got past the planning stages, it has sadly never been found.

Oz book 31 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: When Mandy, a goat herder, goes after her goat at the top of Mt. Mern, she gets carried off into the sky atop a rock that gets shot off by a turbulent mountain spring. At first terrified, Mandy eventually settles into the journey, and picks a blue flower growing on the rock. The rock shoots over the Deadly Desert, and before long comes down, depositing Mandy on a soft mound of blue flowers. Surprised, Mandy leaves the mound, which disappears, leaving only the blue flower she'd first plucked. Taking it with her, she discovers she's in the kingdom of Keretaria in the Munchkin country. Approaching an ox with a golden horn and golden plow, Mandy decides to make herself useful in the hopes that the king will see her industriousness and offer her food. But the ox is startled by Mandy and charges off with her hanging on into the throne room of King Kerr.

The king and his courtiers are astonished to see Mandy, who has seven arms, but Mandy is even more astonished to hear the ox speak. The ox, Nox, names her Handy Mandy, and she explains that all the people of Mern have seven hands: an iron one for hard work, a leather one for cleaning, a wooden one for digging, two rubber ones for washing and two white ones for doing their hair. But the Imperial Persuader deems her a witch, and the High Qui-questioner calls her a dangerous character, and the Lord High Upper Dupper wants her put in the dungons. But Nox calls them all dunces, and takes her as his slave, which the king approves.

As he leads her to the royal stables, a grand elegant building that the former king once resided in, he explains that he is the Royal Ox of Keretaria, as per a thousand year old prophecy that indicates that so long as the Royal Ox is in good spirits and health, the king will reign. If something befalls the ox, the king will be destroyed. This has proven true time and again, and when a new king is crowned a new ox mysteriously appears. Nox doesn't know where they come from, and has memories of living happily in a blue forest until the day a silver cloth was thrown over his head and he fell into a slumber, only to awaken in Keretaria. He and the former king, a boy named Kerry, became fast friends until one day, two years ago, when Kerry went off to accompany the Royal Huntsmen for an hour, Nox—who was then known as Boz—was struck a blow that knocked him unconscious. When he awoke, he found he'd been buried in a shallow grave, and had a bent horn. Returning to the castle, a new king was being crowned, and because the former king was gone, Boz was taken to be gone as well, so the people automatically thought Boz to be the new Royal Ox and named him Nox.

Mandy reasons that if the prophecy is true, since Nox is alive, Kerry must also be alive. Box/Nox hopes this as well, but cannot go looking for him as he's watched by 20 guardsmen. Handy examines his golden horn, and pulls it off, discovering that it screws back on. Inside the horn are hidden two silver balls. These unscrew as well, revealing a key and a note. The note tells them to go to the Silver Mountain of Oz. Nox is surprised, but agrees this must be where Kerry is. Later, while it is still dark, Handy awakens him after knocking out the guards with her iron hand. Armed with a weapon/tool in each hand, Mandy leads Nox out of Keretaria. They head north towards the Gillikin country, but on the way she stumbles across a silver hammer with a large W engraved on it, and puts it in her pocket.

Coming to the Munchkin River, Mandy plunges in, unable to swim but determined to try. Nox pulls her out twice. A sign announces to "Turn Here" and go back, but Mandy defiantly presses forward into Turn Town. The corkscrew-turn roads lead them to a gate in a wall behind which they see a whirling village. But spotting food, they enter and discover that all the houses and buildings turn slowly round and round. Mandy manages to secure six pies in one shop, but she breaks some china departing, waking up the native Topsies who shout in high voices that "stand-stillians" and "thieves" have broken in. The Topsies are short, black and blue beings who have a peg under their torso instead of legs. They also have attached cords which they pull to spin them around like tops. As they shout for the intruders to be turned out, the commotion brings out Tip Topper, the king, and Topsy Baker who accuses Handy and Nox of stealing her turnip turnovers. Mandy explains that they just want to leave, but as they go to depart, the Topsies shriek because they don't spin as they all do.

The king sees that they're constructed differently than them and orders that the Turn Coat be brought out so that they can be turned into Topsies. Mandy does some impressive somersaults, which the people enjoy, but when they demand that Nox turns as well, an exhausted Mandy unscrews his horns wishing she could be in a river. At that, a torrent of water shoots out of the horn, flooding the city. The Topsies float away unharmed, but Nox is annoyed. Handy figures out that there must be magic in the horn. Screwing it back in his head, she wishes the river gone and it goes.

Mandy wishes them to be with Kerry, but nothing happens. She reasons that the horn only grants things, and orders a quantity of breakfast for them, which is granted. Entering the Gillikin country, Nox explains the geopolitical structure of Oz. They soon come to a framed poster welcoming visitors to Oz, but warning them to be good and not practice magic. Mischievously, Mandy tosses stones over a grove of trees, bringing forth a tribe of highlanders with long thin, hooked noses, from which they hang iron rings. As the "Hookers" rush down on them, they toss the rings. Handy wishes a barrel of molasses on each highlander, just as a ring catches her. She escapes atop Nox, who takes her to a waterfall and removes the ring from her.

Drinking their fill, Mandy discovers a door hidden behind the waterfall. Unable to open it, she tries the silver hammer she'd found earlier, but upon striking it, a gnarled and crooked elf with a purple beard appears. Calling himself Himself the Elf, he informs her that he must do whatever she asks of him. She asks that he open the door, which he does before vanishing, and inside they go. They discover a wide cave system with hanging silver stalactites and amethyst-studded walls. Mandy suspects that this may be the Silver Mountain, so Nox chooses one of the many passages to explore. They soon hear heavy footsteps approaching, and a silver-helmeted giant appears demanding to know why they are trespassing in the cave of the King of the Silver Mountain.

Snorpus the Mighty, Keeper of the Hidden Door, is talked into bringing them before the king, but he tells them that they must be brave. As Nox warns Handy to be polite, they enter a bright grotto carved with "all the historical figures and characters of ancient Oz: wizards, giants, knights, witches, huntsmen, robbers, kings, queens and their patient subjects marched in a splendid procession around the walls." On a small island in the middle of a quicksilver lake sits the King of the Silver Mountain, a handsome, silver-haired, purple-clad monarch, who tells them that they are clever. But he then scolds Snorpus and blows from his pipe a giant bubble that envelops the giant and shrinks him to their size. Another bubble summons seventy bell boys who he commands to take Snorpus away to Nifflepok for potting. Timano is to replace him.

Introducing himself then as the Wizard Wutz, the king demands to know what magical treasure allowed them to enter and who sent them. He describes himself as second in importance only to Glinda and the Wizard of Oz, though he will soon be first, as he has in his possession the Great Book of Records and other magical treasures brought by his secret agents in the Emerald City and every kingdom in this country. He asks which of his agents sent them: 3, 6, 9, 5 or 11? Mandy picks 9, and Wutz says he thought they had come from the Munchkin country, and asks if 9 mentioned the Silver Hammer, as he's been looking for it for two years when he first removed Kerry from the throne and placed 9 on it. As he notes that the hammer is the second most important magical item in the four kingdoms, Mandy keeps quiet about having it. When Wutz asks what they brought him then, she offers him the magic flower, but he is wrathful that they've wasted his time with so insignificant a treasure. Wutz is then informed that agent 5 has arrived from the Emerald City with a jug that was once Rug, and Ozma's Magic Picture. So, he orders Nox chopped up for food, and Mandy to become turned into a slave. Nifflepok, a small man, arrives, warning them to come quietly. He puts them on a silver sleigh which slides down a curving runway through cave city, past the subjects of the Mountain King to Potter's Den, where the king's prisoners are buried up to their chins in vast silver pots. There, a gardener waters them. Recalling the blue flower, Mandy pulls its petals just as the cart dashes them out into the darkness. The pair land upon a heap of soft blue petals, which again disappear after they get up from it, turning back into a single blue flower. After scaring away the twelve workmen who come to pick up what they thought would be their mess, the pair become more determined than ever to find Kerry and keep the hammer out of Wutz's hands.

Ten days before Mandy left Mt. Mern, a "monk of some old and ancient order" arrived at the Emerald City, speaking in a "strange and undistinguishable tongue." Sneaking into the palace gardens, he saw Ozma, Dorothy, Trot and Betsy playing croquet, while the Scarecrow read and the Wizard and Tik-Tok conversed of the disappearance of Glinda's Book of Records, which his searchlight and looking glasses couldn't locate. Heading to the palace door, the monk met up with the footman Puffup, who questioned him, but Jellia Jamb invited him in and went off to get food for him. Left alone, he stole a jug and crept into Ozma's sitting room where he blew a magic potion upon the Magic Picture, shrinking it. Putting it in his pocket, he stold away out a window, put on a disguise as an old woman, and escaped the capitol with his prizes. Jellia burst into the garden reporting the theft, leaving them to wonder how anyone would've known they transformed Ruggedo into a jug. When they went to check the Magic Picture they discovered too late that it had been stolen. Ozma was upset, thinking that Ruggedo had been her last villain. The Wizard departed to see if he can find out who did it, the Scarecrow to inform the Army, and Dorothy to prepare the Cowardly Lion and Tige (the Hungry Tiger) to guard the safe. Trot excitedly recalled the time Ugu had committed a similar theft (The Lost Princess in Oz).

The "monk," really agent number 5, reached the Silver Mountain, just as Mandy and Nox spoke with Wutz. The king feigns knowing the value of the treasures he brought, citing 7's greater theft of the Great Book of Records. But when he examines the Magic Picture, he is furious to see that it doesn't work. Glinda's book, however, confirms 5's story that it was indeed stolen, but also that Nox and Mandy are still alive searching for Kerry. With a dire threat, Wutz summons Nifflepok to spy on them.

Handy and Oz check the silver ball again, noting this time that the message has changed, telling them do nothing and wait for the wizard to appear. Nifflepok reports this to Wutz, who is frustrated because no magic he has tried has enabled him to disenchant Ruggedo, who he believes can aid him in conquering Oz. Nifflepok suggets having Mandy and the ox do it, as he's convinced they must be sorcerers to have survived so long in the mountain. Wutz appears before them, offering to release Kerry to them if they release Ruggedo from the jug. If they fail, however, they will be obliterated. Examining the jug, Mandy accidentally drops and breaks it, releasing Ruggedo from Ozma's enchantment. He is at first unaware of who he is, but he shortly gets his memory back. Soon enough, the King of the Silver Mountain reappears and takes the former Nome King with him to plot the overthrow of Oz.

Nox is furious at his betrayal and rams through the back wall, which swings outward, leading them into a tunnel. Checking with the message in the silver ball, the note simply says "follow me," and starts to roll along and down a flight of spiral stairs. Wutz, meanwhile, explains to Ruggedo that 6 stole magic from the Winkies, 11 from the Gillikins, 7 from Glinda and 5 from Ozma. He now needs either the Silver Hammer that once belonged to a witch, or the Magic Belt, with which he'll restore Ruggedo to the Nome Kingdom. Ruggedo requests the return of his belt to him afterwards, which Wutz deceitfully concedes to. Blowing a large quicksilver bubble, they float off to the Emerald City just as Ozma and the others are at Glinda's palace.

The silver ball, meanwhile, leads Mandy and Nox to the bottom of the Silver Mountain, to a locked door. Handy thinks to use the key inside the other silver ball to open it. There, in a bubble, which Nox breaks, is Kerry, alive and glad to see them. They tell him everything that's transpired, but Kerry remembers nothing and is shocked that two years have passed. Banging the Silver Hammer, Mandy requests that Himself get them out. The Elf shows them to an elevator which brings them up to Wutz's workshop. Nifflepok is there, and he tells them that Wutz and Rug have left for the Emerald City to steal the Magic Belt with which they intend to turn everyone into rocks. Banging the hammer again, Mandy tells Himself to transport them to the Emerald City to save Ozma.

Everyone in the Emerald City has been frozen like statues by a stupefying powder Wutz has blown down every chimney, allowing the wicked pair to enter the palace unmolested. Reducing Ozma's safe to ashes, Wutz retrieves the Magic Belt, but he and Ruggedo then argue over it. Ruggedo is forced to capitulate and gives Wutz the instructions for its use. Mandy, Nox and Kerry suddenly appear, however, and when Wutz attacks her, she bangs the hammer down on his head. Removing the Belt from his waist, Himself takes Ruggedo and Wutz away. Just then Ozma, Omby Amby and Scraps appear. Noting the frozen state of their friends, the ruined safe and magic belt, they assume that the three are the thieves, and Scraps attacks Handy, pushing her down. Nox is irate, but Kerry explains the truth. The Wizard, Glinda, Dorothy, Trot, Betsy and the Scarecrow arrive, and the situation is cleared up as Nox explains everything that's transpired. Ozma and Mandy become friends and Kerry and Nox ask that she be allowed to live with them in Keretaria. Mandy agrees, provided her goats can come as well. With the Magic Belt, Ozma restores all the stolen magical items, as well as anyone who'd been stupefied. She frees the potted prisoners, puts Nifflepok in charge of the Silver Mountain, moves the cliff-dwellings of the people outside the mountain, and seals off the interior "tightly and forever." Ozma also turns Wutz's secret agents into actual moles, including King Kerr who was number 9. Mandy strikes the Silver Hammer, instructing Himself to now obey Ozma of Oz. The elf brings two cacti before them, one who is Wutz, the other Ruggedo, and Jellia puts them in the conservatory.

Himself explains that the Silver Hammer once belonged to the Munchkin witch Wunchie who lived in the Munchkin Mountains "for about a 1,000 years," and had used the Hammer to "control as many of the Munchkin kings as she could." She was responsible for the prophecy in Keretaria, and "placed her own white oxen in the country. Each time she had trouble forcing the king to do as she wished, she tapped him and the ox on the head with her hammer." But when she ordered Himself to tap Boz when she traded Kerry to Wutz in exchange for magic jumping beans, Himself disobeyed, and only lightly tapped the ox. He put the magic silver balls in the magic golden horn with the ability to help him find Kerry. Wunchie, meanwhile, "exploded and popped off" from eating the jumping beans, which Himself warned her not to eat. After that, he buried her hammer in Keretaria, where Mandy found it. Ozma notes too that when she enchanted Ruggedo into a jug, she made it so that only the seventh hand of a Mernite could disenchant him, but at the time did not realize that seven-handed Mernites actually existed. Ozma throws a party for the new celebrities, and grants Mandy seven sets of seven gloves and an emerald necklace. Himself comes to the celebration, and Ozma summons him many times after to "amuse or cheer her." The Silver Hammer is stored amongst her other magical treasures in a newly restored safe.

Mandy holds on to the blue flower, and after returning to Mount Mern, where she stays for a month, she gathers her goats and takes one of the Wizard's wishing pills, bringing her to Keretaria where she, Nox, and the silver balls, help Kerry rule well.

Continuity Notes

Agents: Some of Wutz's secret agents go unidentified other than by where they infiltrate. Five is known to be the disguised monk who infiltrates the Emerald City. Nine is King Kerr, the uncle of King Kerry, who infiltrates Keretaria in order to obtain the Silver Hammer of the deceased witch Wunchie. Seven steals Glinda's Great Book of Records, but nothing is known of this agent. Since Glinda is surrounded by young woman, might it have been a female agent? Six went to the Winkies and Eleven to the Gillikins, but there are numerous kingdoms in each of those countries. To which they went, and what treasures they stole, is unstated.

Animals: Confirming Baum's conception of Oz, Thompson notes on page 49 that "All Oz creatures can talk, even the mice and squirrels."

Continuity Error: Thompson and the ineffectual Reilly & Lee editors forgot that Nox was originally known to young King Kerry as Boz, and wasn't called Nox until after Kerry was abducted and the new king placed on the throne. Yet, when Kerry sees his beloved ox again, he says "Why, hello Nox!" Also, on page 196, Ruggedo tells Wutz that Ozma dunked him in the Truth Pond when what he means is the Fountain of Oblivion. Since, Ruggedo's memory is noted as being faulty, it might have been a slip of the tongue.

Dating: Nox and Mandy's story takes place over the course of two days, though the larger narrative occurs over the course of eighteen days. For more details, see the Day-to-Day Chronology. Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in the winter. According to Book 1 of The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy, this story is dated to two years after the 32nd year of Ozma's reign, which is 1935 (page 199 and 205), placing the events of this story after Thompson's last book in publication order, Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz. Continuity-wise, there's no problem with this.

Handy Mandy: An earlier and unrelated seven-armed character called Handy Mandy was created by Thompson for her Supposyville stories. That one was a robot invention of the Supposyville Wizard and was quite unlike the Mernite girl in every way but appearance. As per Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz (third edition), however, these characters (and Supposyville) exist in Oz and are known by the Mernite Handy Mandy. This same book lists her people, seven-armed people, as being called Septimen. As to Handy's age, J.L. Bell notes in the Pumperdink BCF forum that "the dust jacket for Reilly & Lee's HANDY MANDY (reprinted by the Oz Club), says she has 'fourteen years' or so experience' of life." She 'lived all by herself in a small cottage on Mt. Mern, high above the village of Fistikins' [24]. That seems to be one of the Nonestic countries where people die (Mandy's an orphan) and animals don't talk. Yet it's magical enough for the Mernites to all have seven arms of various materials. It must also be isolated enough that Mandy finds a castle, talking animals, and us two-armed folk a shock [28, 40]. In sum, Mandy seems to come from the same sort of separate little communities of oddly made people that she later visits." Mandy does know of castles, at least, and oddly, of rockets. The Oz Club map places Mount Mern in the east-most peninsula of Aurissau. Contrary to Thompson's usual handling of those who are different, the seven-armed Mernite is a welcome change of pace. As Tor.com's Mari Ness explains: "a human girl refusing to apologize for her very different appearance, and even defending its practicality, is a refreshing change from the more typical characterizations of disability and difference in children’s literature. Thompson, to her immense credit, avoids two of the most common disability narratives: the angelic disabled girl who exists to teach everyone moral lessons about the True Meaning and Goodness of Life, or the girl who Must Learn to Overcome Her Disability. Mandy, with her habit of not thinking things through, and a decided bit of a temper, is delightfully flawed, and she does not see any disability that needs to be overcome. Rather, she demands to be accepted for who she is, and assumes she will be. The attitude works. By the end of the book, Handy Mandy is accepted, celebrated and honored, a more than welcome guest in the Emerald City and the rest of Oz."

Magic Belt: There are some seeming discrepancies with the use of the Magic Belt at the end of this book. As Nathan M. DeHoff on the BCF Pumperdink forum points out, "the end of HANDY MANDY features probably the ultimate in Magic Belt quick fixes. Ozma uses the Belt to return the stolen magic items to their rightful owners, free Wutz's prisoners, transport all of the dwellings inside the mountain, seal the mountain itself, and transform Wutz's agents into moles... She apparently does this all from the Emerald City. If, as some people think, the excessive use of the Belt at the end of EMERALD CITY drained its power, it must have been totally ineffective after HANDY MANDY, yet it is in good working order two books later. These quick fixes also raise several other questions. If the Belt has the power to transport other magical items (a power we actually already know it has from ROYAL BOOK and JACK PUMPKINHEAD), why couldn't Ozma have used it to bring the Magic Picture back to the Emerald City after Five stole it? Also, how does the Belt know who the rightful owners of Wutz's stolen property are, and how does Ozma know that she isn't returning them to magicians just as dangerous as Wutz? If only Glinda and the Wizard are allowed to practice magic, doesn't it stand to reason that the magic taken from the Winkies and Gillikins belonged to other illegal magic-workers? I think one possible solution is that the quick fixes described on pp. 238-239 really took a few days to complete, but Thompson made them into quick fixes so as not to bore herself or the readers with the details." This seems a likely scenario. As to the rightful owners of Wutz's stolen magical items, Ozma may simply have wished the items back to where they were prior to being stolen. Wutz's agents stole them from all the kingdoms in Oz, and as the magical items may have been indigenous to those kingdoms, Ozma can be seen as politically savvy in returning them rather than raising an issue as to the rights of those kingdoms to that magic, interpreting the law in a more narrow manner (restricting wizards and witches) rather than a broad manner (restricting the common production of organic magic inherent to the various kingdoms).

Organized Religion: That agent number five chooses to disguise himself as a monk, and the fact that those in the Emerald City recognizes him as such, indicates that there is organized religion in Oz, though the only other time an Oz book notes it is in the China Country in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But even early on in Handy Mandy in Oz, Mandy hears "church bells tolling the hour." (page 25)

Ozma's enchantment: Apart from seeming more vindictive than the Ozma Baum portrayed, Ozma's enchantment of Ruggedo appears, for all intents and purposes, to be a permanent one, as the only way he could have been disenchanted would be from a Mernite with seven hands, something Ozma didn't know existed (perhaps she heard of them in legend and story). This reveals something of fairy magic. On the Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell elucidates: "This detail may reveal something deeper about how magic works as well. When Ozma transformed Ruggedo into a jug, she left a way for her spell to be reversed. Since she didn't understand how to perform that reversal, she couldn't have done so in order to be able to bring Ruggedo back whenever she chose (i.e., she wasn't using the spell like a safe that she knew the combination for). Instead, it appears that Ozma HAD to leave some sort of way to reverse her transformation, and she chose a very obscure method to minimize the chances that anyone could carry that out. That in turn may imply there's some sort of natural law or law among fairies (which would be much the same thing in Baum's universe) that no enchantment can be unbreakable. That conforms to the laws of the physical universe--Newton's 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction,' the reversibility of chemical reactions, etc." The one exception to this is Mrs. Yoop's transformation into the green monkey form, which cannot be reversed but only transferred to another.

Racism: While not as overt as in The Silver Princess in Oz, Thompson uses racial terms to denigrate people of color, and for the first time, to poke fun at Scottish nationals. On the BCF Pumperdink forums, J.L. Bell explains regarding the Topsies: "Topsy was a character in UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, an enslaved young girl. In the decades after Reconstruction, when the slave labor camps of the ante-bellum South became a source of quaint nostalgia instead of embarrassment for much of the nation, stage shows of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN shifted from political melodrama to minstrel-show spoofs. It was largely in these years that 'Uncle Tom' became a symbol for blacks ingratiating themselves with white oppressors rather than showing dignified forbearance. In those same years Topsy was played by a grown male impersonator in a broad black-minstrel style--leading to the phrase 'growing like Topsy.' As a result, the name Topsies itself carried clear racial overtones for Thompson. She makes the connection explicit when she refers to those people as 'small black-and-blue men and women' [78]. She also refers to them as 'the natives' [77]; we saw in CAPTAIN SALT how she uses that plural noun to refer not to all people born in a region, but only to dangerous and mostly dark-skinned peoples... She refers to 'kinky little black heads,' 'each kinky head,' and 'the kinky-headed little citizens.' Thompson also uses the term 'wool,' another historically common derogatory term for Africans' hair, and makes clear that becoming a Topsy would mean Mandy becoming non-white: "Fine! Fine! That's the way!" cheered the Topsies heartily. "You'll be spinning circles before you know it and have beautiful wool like the rest of us." "Wool!" gasped Handy, who was extremely fond of her shining yellow braids. "Oh, I wool not. That's just too much!" [82] As in WISHING HORSE, when having her skin turned black reduces Dorothy to tears for the first time in decades, the prospect of becoming more like African-Americans seems especially awful to Thompson's white heroine... To be fair, however, we should note that the Topsies first become angry at Mandy because she steals their food [77], and that the Highlanders because she pelts them with rocks [106]. They have every right to be hostile. Thompson is applying double standards here. That she applies those standards to both dark and light-skinned peoples doesn't negate their unfairness. Nor does her equal unfairness to these two groups negate her overall demeaning depiction of dark-skinned characters... In her pre-WW2 Oz books ALL people with dark skin are either enslaved or savage. Unlike light-skinned communities, she gives dark-skinned peoples no chance to be hospitable or civilized. Unlike light-skinned servants, she gives dark-skinned slaves no chance to be intelligent or individual--no chance, in sum, to be fully human. HANDY MANDY is part of that pattern."

Ruggedo: The former Nome King appears for the last time in the original series, though he will appear numerous times in future books. See The History of Ruggedo the Nome King. His motives here are somewhat different than in prior books, where he sought to punish Ozma and to rule Oz. Here, by contrast he says, "Oh, don't bother me with any of the Oz Kingdoms. I'm sick of the place!" frowned the Gnome, wagging his beard vindictively. "All I want is my own old Kingdom and my own magic belt!" While he shows no indication that he disagrees with Wutz's plan to turn Ozma and her people to "rocks and rubble," he does display a marked change—arguably some maturity—from his prior obsessions and megalomania.

Searchlight: This is the fourth book to mention or feature the Wizard's magical searchlight. It is first being invented in The Yellow Knight of Oz. Here, it proves ineffective in locating the stolen Great Book of Records or Magic Picture, a fact that must be attributed to something that Wutz does to prevent their location by magical means, though this is never explicitly stated. It is, however, curious that the Magic Picture is not listed as being used to find Glinda's lost Book of Records, which could indicate that it was tried and failed. The Wizard's Looking Glasses are a new invention of the Wizard's, very likely in imitation of the ones he saw Jinnicky successfully use in The Purple Prince of Oz.

Silver Hammer: "Regarded by many as the most powerful magic in Ozma's castle" (page 246) and "the second most important magic in the four kingdoms," (page 139), the actual origins of the Silver Hammer and Himself the Elf appear again in Oziana 2018's "Himself," Atticus Gannaway's The Silver Sorceress of Oz and Book 1 of Melody Grandy's The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy: The Disenchanted Princess of Oz. Wutz's hyperbole in regards to the Silver Hammer may not reflect magical appliances that he's unaware of (e.g., the emerald necklaces of The Wishing Horse of Oz). The Silver Hammer is referenced in The Emerald City Mirror #53. Himself the Elf also appears again in "The Search for Soob" and Oziana 2018's "Himself."

Sloppy Plots: There are several legitimate accusations of sloppy writing on Thompson's part in this book, however, with each listing, I've provided in-universe retcons that might help to make sense of the characters and narratives for readers:

1. The behavior of Ozma and friends in the Emerald City the day after Glinda's Book of Records is stolen seems at first to be out of character for them. J.L. Bell points out: "The Wizard works his 'powerful searchlight and looking glasses' without success, as he confides to Tik-Tok [163]. But does Ozma look for the Book in her Magic Picture?" For the same reason that the magical searchlight and glasses don't work, the Magic Picture likely doesn't either. Wutz must have cast a powerful spell preventing this very thing. "More important, do the Ozians take any steps to stop further thefts... Obviously not. The Magic Picture is unguarded and easy to take off the wall [166]. The Magic Belt isn't in Ozma's safe, or else the Wizard wouldn't have to advise putting it in there [173]. Jellia must know the earthen jug in her kitchen is Ruggedo because she notices it's missing so quickly [169], yet even during this parlous time she's letting strangers into the castle and into that room. Ozma herself is playing croquet ["Now watch me make this drive"]. Even after Ozma and her friends learn the Magic Picture is missing, they don't think to inventory their other magical devices [171]. Despite memories of Ugu the Shoemaker [174], Ozma and her counselors never consider that the same thief who took Glinda's Book could be after their own magic until two important items have already disappeared. In sum, in order for Thompson to make her plot work, she has to give Oz an unbelievably lousy homeland security plan."

In answer to this, there are several possible answers that Thompson didn't bother to write about. Ozma may have thought there was no need to secure the Magic Picture since it was still safe in her sitting room, with numerous personnel in and around the palace to ensure no suspicious characters came in. This was, of course, spoiled by Jellia's kindhearted naiveté. Though not stated, the Magic Belt may have been around Dorothy or Ozma's waist, but the Wizard may have felt it was better off in the safe. No one in the palace thought anyone else knew about Ruggedo's transformation into a jug, so there would have been no need to hide it. As regards the fact that they're playing croquet, this seems to shine a negative light on Ozma, but the context may be missing. If the palace residents had already spent considerable time inventorying, worrying and wringing hands, a game might have been a necessary stress-reliever once there was nothing else they could do, with the Wizard, Scarecrow and Tik-Tok nearby in case of new developments.

2. The inability of the Magic Picture to work for Wutz: It is assumed by Wutz that agent five's shrinking of the picture did something to ruin it, however, when Ozma gets it back she "immediately" is able to fix it. J.L. provides a sensible explanation for this: "in the ten days it took agent Five to reach the Silver Mountain, Ozma used the Magic Belt to place a haze in front of the Picture's canvas or otherwise disrupt it so its thief couldn't use it."

3. Ozma's use of the Magic Belt to move the homes of the inhabitants inside the Silver Mountain to outside seems hasty to some, as Ozma doesn't appear to know much about these people, whether they need to be away from direct sunlight, whether the sudden exposure to the sun would prove shocking or harmful, or whether they even want to move. As Nathan DeHoff points out on the Pumperdink forum: "She merely has a conference with Mandy, who was only able to see the Silver Mountain's common people while speeding through the mountain on a roller coaster ride, which doesn't exactly qualify her as an expert on the place." As it appears that Ozma made these changes over the course of time (see Magic Belt above), and not in a split-second, there was time for her to have researched the situation in much greater detail and determine the wisest course for the inhabitants of the Silver Mountain, even to summon one or two and interview them. While the brevity of Thompson's account doesn't explicitly indicate this, it seems in keeping with Ozma's character to have done her homework first before making such a major decision.

4. Ozma appoints Nifflepok as the new king, despite knowing nothing about him. Nathan continues: "In some ways, Nifflepok is similar to Kaliko, being a nervous servant of a tyrannical and bad-tempered monarch, so his promotion is similar to Kaliko's in TIK-TOK. On the other hand, TIK-TOK demonstrates Kaliko's important role in running the Nome Kingdom, as well as his unwillingness to obey his master's orders when they conflict with his own morality. Kaliko refuses to lock Betsy Bobbin and Hank in the Slimy Cave, but Nifflepok, despite saying that he feels sorry for Mandy and Nox, obeys Wutz's orders to destroy them without question. Nifflepok certainly seems to be a kinder man than Wutz, but there is no indication that he has any idea how to rule, and no known reason for Ozma, who has never even met the man, to give him a promotion." This, as with the decision to place the Silver Mountainers' homes on the outside, are legitimate criticisms of the text, but ones that can be explained with an understanding of a greater passage of time (than noted in the text) in which Ozma makes these decisions. It seems much more likely that Ozma summoned Nifflepok before her and interviewed him at length. Perhaps it was revealed that Nifflepok was responsible for some kind acts that he hid from Wutz, but with Glinda's Book of Records, felt unable to help Mandy and Nox without being discovered and destroyed himself.

Questions: Handy Mandy in Oz leaves off with some questions for possible future authors to tackle. J.L. Bell (on the Pumperdink forum) delineates a few:

* What happens to the Keretarian officials after King Kerr scurries away? [This is answered in The Goat Girls of Oz]
* How do Mandy's goats feel about coming to Oz, leaving their mountain, becoming able to talk? (What-a-butter is the fattest and most troublesome, Speckle the smallest.)
* Will Kerry grow old faster than Mandy and eventually think about making her his queen? Or will she, seemingly used to aging, grow old faster than he?"

* Is Wutz's "patent stupefying powder" (that he implicitly invented) "still out there for some nasty magician to use"?

Wunchie the Witch: Further detail about this Eastern Witch (who Thompson incorrectly identifies as a western one, as she erroneously places the Munchkin country in the west), who controlled the Munchkin kings from her home in the Munchkin Mountains for a thousand years, first appears in "Lurline and the First Fairy Queen of Oz" (from Lost Histories from the Royal Librarian), then again Melody Grandy's The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy, explaining that the dominion of Wunchie extended from the Seven Blue Mountains in the very north Munchkin country to Keretaria. Some questions from this book are: why does Wunchie go through the trouble of the prophecy and the Royal Ox? What relationship did she have with the Wicked Witch of the East? Some of these questions are answered in Grandy's trilogy. The question of her death by magic jumping beans is answered as being tainted by Wutz in the novella The Goat Girls of Oz.

Wizard Wutz: Not much is known of the King of the Silver Mountain beyond his cruelty and plot to steal all the magic in Oz and take over. He is regarded by many as one of the most successful villains in the Oz series, and certainly the most successful villain in a Thompson book. As the "Wizard of Wutz," there is an indication that Wutz is a place, but where it is remains unknown. It may be that the region surrounding the Silver Mountain, or the Silver Mountain itself was called Wutz. As regards his final fate, unlike Ruggedo, who was disenchanted from his cactus form several times in several books, Wutz has never, as of yet, been brought back.

Wutz's plot: As regards Wutz' plot to attain the Silver Hammer of the witch Wunchie, J.L. Bell conceives that "at some point the Wizard of Wutz began to covet Wunchie's hammer, both for itself and for the other magic it could bring him. But he knew she'd never willingly give it up... About two years before the start of HANDY MANDY [60, 139], the wizard contacted Wunchie to offer a trade. He expressed interest in the throne of Keretaria, which she controlled: would she replace young king Kerry with Kerr? In exchange the king offered the witch "magic jumping beans" [242], which she wanted badly for some reason. The Wizard of Wutz actually had no interest in Kerry, nor in Keretaria. (He keeps Kerry in good health only as leverage over agent Nine [139].) Instead, his trade with Wunchie was simply a ruse to establish relations with her, install an agent near her home, put her in his debt, and/or weaken her in some way. It's conceivable that the Wizard of Wutz even knew those jumping beans would be fatal [242]--thus the trade was just a way to make sure that she was dead. But that's hard to square with the wizard's complaint that "none of my agents has been able to find the witch" [205]. Thus, a more likely scenario is that the wizard had been working on scheme to obtain Wunchie's silver hammer, but it derailed when she secretly exploded. Himself is once again the wild card in this situation, and his actions hard to explain. Even while Wunchie was alive, the elf had enough autonomy to enchant Nox's horns... After her death, he buried the hammer very near the Keretarian castle [242]. What logic was Himself following? If he really wanted to restore Kerry to the throne, he seems to have had the power to do so--if he could exercise it. If he really wanted to keep the silver hammer out of evil hands, why place it so near King Kerr? Without knowing more about Himself's magical link to the hammer, how much he can operate on his own, and how much he cares about humans, it's impossible to say his actions are illogical. But at least the logic isn't apparent to these mortal eyes."

34th book the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five, and the first to be written by long-time illustrator, John R. Neill!

History: It is known that a good portion of Neill's original manuscript of The Wonder City of Oz was re-written without his approval. According to an auctioneer of the original manuscript, "Neill pieced together sketches and stories he had been gathering and submitted the typescript. Reilly & Lee hired a ghost writer to alter and complete the story, evidenced by the second typescript and the finished book. The two drafts are drastically different, from the titles of the chapters to seemingly disconnected parts of the plot." In the final analysis, the published version of The Wonder City of Oz presents an Oz that is wildly different than any other depiction of Oz, with a large number of seeming inconsistencies and contradictions. See "original manuscript" and "reconciling discrepancies" below.

Synopsis: 15 year old Jenny Jump of New Jersey catches a leprechaun named Siko Pompus trying to steal her pepper jack cheese. Not daring to blink, lest he escape, she takes advantage of her good fortune and wishes to become a fairy. Siko turns her into a half-fairy, not daring to give a girl with anger issues full fairy powers. Jenny discovers she can breathe fire when she's angry, which she does, setting Siko's beard on fire (and causing it to grow longer). She also discovers she can jump as high as she wants. Deciding to take a trip, she jumps over the Jenny Jump Mountains and four days later, lands in Oz.

In Oz, Jellia prepares Ozma's dress for her birthday parade. As her mouth is filled with magic silver thread and golden needles, any attempt to speak causes her mouth to get sewn shut, and all the pent-up words threaten to explode her head. Ozma fixes it so that she can speak through her ear while continuing work on the dress.

Ozma spots Jenny Jump in the Magic Picture heading to Oz. She inquires of Henry, Em and the Wizard, but none of them recognize her. The Wizard, however, senses that she's trouble, but because Dorothy wants to meet her and Glinda says they can undo whatever she does, Ozma allows it. Jellia cries that all the trouble started with her, and her tears harden into rock candy which a maid throws outside for the gathering crowds to consume.

Ozma summons Wantowin Battles, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, to begin the parade. All the people are colored according to their quadrants, even to their faces. Kabumpo leads the parade on roller skates, followed by a dragon, china bulls, unicorns, sea horses and other animals. The people follow, concluding with Munchkins, led by the Scarecrow who is currently their king. The dragon flies up and blazes Happy Birthday Ozma across the sky.

Jenny Jump finally lands in Oz, right in Ozma's carriage. The Soldier threatens to lock her up in the "dungeon of oblivion," but Ozma reassures the frightened girl and welcomes her as a guest. Jenny tells her she's a half-fairy and would like to rule a country, but Ozma says she can fill out an application as all the positions are filled. When everyone throws up their hats in celebration, a Munchkin boy forgets his hat is tied under his chin, and throws himself up with his hat into the sky. Jenny jumps to the rescue and brings him back to the chariot to much applause. The boy's name is Number Nine. As they pass into the city gates, the people get upon the recently built ozcalator (designed by the Wizard, but built by a Quadling named Later Oz Q), which circles the perimeter of the Emerald City boundaries, dropping off the various peoples in their respective quadrants. When they get to the Gillikin quadrant, however, the bridge over the Cream River is out, so Ozma commands the river to churn. After it has, she has the swordfish spread the butter over the river to make a new bridge, which the ozcalator goes over.

Jenny says she'd like to stay in Oz, and Ozma invites her to stay forever. But Jenny says she'd rather be a queen and wonders when the next election is. Dorothy explains that Queens don't get elected. Ozma decides that it might be amusing to have an election and asks Jenny if she'll run against her. Jenny accepts. Number Nine invites her to have dinner with him and his family in the Munchkin country and she departs to meet his mother, father and thirteen brothers and sisters who live in a large one-room cottage.

After dinner, they form into the shape of a question mark, with Jenny as the dot, which is the time and place in which she and the children are allowed to ask questions. After a series of inane questions and answers, the baby screams and Jenny goes to answer the door. At the door is the Voice that Lost his Man. Tired of wandering, the invisible voice settles by the fire. He feels sad and resentful that his man went fishing and caught a Cold, which crept into his man's throat and pushed him out. It being dark, he lost him. When he explains that he doesn't need a long rest as his man is a singer, Mother asks him to sing a lullaby, which he does, putting everyone to sleep.

The next morning Jenny and Number Nine head out toward the Yellow Brick Road when Jenny comes across the ruin of a former magician's house. There she finds a decrepit turn-style which magically changes her hat into something more stylish. Walking through it, her whole outfit gets an upgrade. Dismantling it, she orders Number Nine to get a wheelbarrow, and puts it in. At the gates of the Emerald City, she asks the Guardian of the Gates about obtaining a house, and he advises her to let the house choose her. She does so, passing several that aren't interested, until coming to a strawberry-roofed one that is inviting. She sets up the turn-style in the front room and with her fairy fingers makes shelves with material appear on the walls. Content with her new Style Shop, she declares herself Number Nine's boss. Believing him to be lazy, Jenny catches the notes he's been whistling, sews them into his trousers and passes him through the turn-style, resulting in bloated trousers that shriek anytime he stops or slows down.

Meanwhile, handing out arithmetic pills in his College of Art and Athletic Perfection in the Munchkin Country, the Wogglebug is greeted by Jack Pumpkinhead who brings a message from Ozma. At the Emerald City, Ozma informs him of the upcoming election (which he corrects is an ozlection). As they try to determine what to use as notes, the Wogglebug explains that they want people to throw their soles into it and use their rights, and therefore, their right shoes should serve as votes. Glinda, Dorothy, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman cast their right shoe votes early for Ozma, but the Wogglebug warns them that the Heelers, spineless sponges who live in the Deadly Desert, feed on votes and may try to steal them. So the Sawhorse and Jack Pumpkinhead, who now lives in an Ozoplane, are appointed to guard them.

After a long day of advertising Jenny's Style Shop, Number Nine heads to his uncle's to rest, but his new whistlebreeches won't stop shrieking. The Town Crier comes to complain that in 811 years no one's made more noise than him. As he announces the ozlection, Number Nine steals away to see the animal-plants in the public gardens. There he runs into Scraps who taunts and teases him. Running after him, she follows him into Jenny's shop and through the turn-style, where she emerges in a boy's bathing suit. Mortified, she runs out to Jack's Ozoplane.

As news of the ozlection gets out, the houses hear about it and grow angry at the idea of some upstart taking over for Ozma. Jenny's house feels differently, which starts a battle between her house and the others on Strawberry street as shingles, pianos, trees and other items go flying back and forth, crashing unto the houses and sending their residents into their cellars to hide. Jenny tries to send Number Nine out to stop them, but he hides and gets caught in the turn-style, changing his outfits from a clown suit to an evening gown. So Jenny goes out, furious to try and stop them. Breathing fire, she sets several houses on fire, bringing out the fire injins to put them out. Chagrined, the houses begin putting themselves back together piece by piece until everything's back to normal. Taking advantage of the gathering crowds, she decides to have her Grand Opening. Jellia Jamb comes, still unable to speak through her mouth. So, Jenny makes Ozma a dress, freeing Jenny from the magical thread, but demanding her vote in return. Many come to the shop and Jenny tells them that in exchange "for each dress a shoe should be left." She tallies 621, but to her horror, discovers they're all left shoes.

Ozma wears her new dress to a concert that evening given by Jack Pumpkinhead and his Glee Club and Orchestra, made up of all the right shoes that he's been keeping with him. Henry and Em invite Professor Wogglebug to the concert, but he is heading to a gas station to fill up his oilcan so that he can continue studying his book about the Heelers, who he explains only come out on moonless nights because they're afraid of their shadows, which bite, kick and pull on their tails. The Professor warns Ozma to go back to the palace, but she won't disappoint Jack. The concert goes as planned, with the Ozoplane used as a stage, and all the shoes playing and singing songs like "Shoeman's Sonato" and "O Dem Golden Slippers." The audience, who have come with their cats on leashes to help lead them home after dark, applaud, but then a scream breaks out. While the concert had been going on, the Guardian of the Gate fell asleep, allowing the Heelers to enter the city. The shapeless sponge-like beings have short tails and long snouts, with which they suck in votes. They go house to house, stealing votes while the houses sleep. Sir Hokus has his shoe taken. The Heelers attack the people at the concert, sucking up right shoes. Even Jenny has her shoe taken. As everyone in the city is in a panic, she jumps and meets up to warn Ozma. Ozma has the Lion roar, which ceases the screaming, but then Ozma has Jenny jump to the gardens to wake the firefly fairies to light up the city. Once this occurs, the Heelers' shadows attack the Heelers, who race out of the city. Jenny's upset about her loss of votes, but Ozma assures her they'll come up with something else, and allows Jack to keep his shoes for his Glee Club.

On his way to work, Number Nine comes across a magician pulling rabbits from a hat, who gives him half a fruitcake and inquires about his whistlebreeches. Number Nine invites him to the shop. Jenny doesn't care for him, so the man makes himself a matching pair of whistlebreeches. He takes Number Nine with him, who complains that if she were younger she'd be less obsessed with work and more interested in playing. The man tells him he'll see what he can do and leaves. At that the Wizard, who was the magician, goes to the Emerald City and summons her fairy godfather Siko Pompus. The Wizard asks him if he minds him de-aging Jenny to eleven. Pompus is fine with that, particularly as it means she'll lose her fairy powers, though he'll return them to her when she's learned to hold her temper.

When Jenny looks in the mirror she's surprised to see she looks younger. She also feels like taking time off from work. Just then a Boxer comes to her door looking for work. The Quadling creature is made up of a box-shaped head, hands and feet. Jenny puts him through the turn-style, covering him in cellophane, which makes him feel so good he wants to box. As Jenny only knows one person who enjoys that, Scraps, she has him follow her to where she might be, but when he sees a wanted sign for head waiter, he departs to get the job.

Jenny continues to the Ozoplane, where she thinks she'll find Number Nine, and as she walks in, Scraps begins pummeling her. To Jenny, it feels like tickles, and she pushes her across the plane. Jack welcomes her to his home and shows her his new pipe organ, which he started building from the parts of the ship's engine. Jenny praises his intelligence and he begins reassembling the engine. Then Jenny grabs a lever that starts the ship, which lifts off. Jenny likes the idea of flying, and the shoes get excited. Scraps wants to return, and begins turning the wheel. Jack loses his head which goes flying amongst the clouds. The cloud pusher tells him to watch where he's going, while the cloud sweepers push him into a pile of sky trash. Rolling out, he rolls unto the point of the star, looking for the Ozoplane, which arrives, anchors and rescues the head. Jack discovers that Jenny looks younger, and they're lost. The shoes jump out the window just as the plane heads towards a mountain. Jack flies down and they crash into a chocolate star. The shoes are there, covered in fudge, and Scraps tosses them back in the ship. When a chocolate army arrives, Jenny struggles to get out, but discovers that she no longer has her powers. They come and fire chocolate at them, but Scraps has fun attacking them. They arrest them and march them into prison as the shoes sing a sad song. They meet the General who is angry that the ship ruined a valley of sauce he was intending to make into a thousand soldiers to attack Oz.

Jenny's house, meanwhile, begins preparing breakfast and all the utensils pitch in. Number Nine shows up and begins cleaning, but his family soon pull up in their four mule-driven wagon. Number Nine shows him the shop and invites each of them through the turn-style, and as the neighborhood children see Number Nine's family decked out, they come for new clothes as well. When the family goes to have lunch, which the utensils and appliances prepare for them, two gnomes, Umph and Grumph, enter the shop to cause mischief. When they discover the the turn-style has given them handsome warts, they pull it up from the floor and take it to the chimney where they hide. After lunch, the family discover the turn-style missing and go searching for it. The gnomes decide to climb to the roof, but it causes the house to sneeze, and when they reach the roof, the chimneys shake them. Back down the flue they go.

At that moment, Sir Hokus is chasing a two-headed purple dragonette down the street. Number Nine asks him for help, and curious, the dragonette pokes her heads down the chimney wondering why the knight isn't chasing her. When they discover it's over two gnomes, she sticks her tails down after them, forcing them to exit, where they're caught and the turn-style is retrieved. Everyone praises the dragonette, who then merrily returns to the chase. Number Nine's mother, meanwhile, gets eggs and throws them at the gnome's heads, knocking them out. Number Nine brings them to the river and asks it deposit them where they belong.

Jenny, meanwhile, alone and freezing in her prison cell, starts to bite through the prison bar. Once she's made a big enough gap, she squeezes through and goes in search of Scraps and Jack. But unlike her frozen guard, the ones around their cell have a fire going. When they spot Jenny, they pursue, but she makes her way to the Ozoplane and has the shoes wedge it out of the chocolate mud it's stuck in. She then raises ship and heads out.

Meanwhile, as his sister runs the shop, Number Nine goes on a search for his boss. He decides to check an animal enclosure where lions and tigers are chained, but determines that they're too skinny to have eaten her. Ojo is there, (now considered the elephant boy of Kabumpo) but he tells him Jenny isn't there. Nine then checks Doughnut Drive and comes across the Boxer who tells him when he last saw her and what her destination was. Number Nine goes to the pumpkin patch and finds the Sawhorse, who says they vanished in the Ozoplane, but he'll help him find her.

They search the Quadling land first (because "red stands for danger" reasons Number Nine). They come across the Voice That Lost His Man, now happy living the wandering life, who joins them. Drinking from a river, Nine spots the plane in the reflection. Jenny emerges unhurt from the crash and hops upon the Sawhorse's back to warn Ozma of the chocolate soldiers. Jenny says goodbye to everyone, and promises to send someone to rescue them. As they race to the Emerald City, they can see the silver cloud with a dark lining above them descend outside the city gates, with the chocolate soldiers disembarking. Hurrying past, they head to the palace and learn that Ozma has gone to Glinda's. Rushing to the Style Shop, they grab the turn-style and bring it to the city gate, where the Soldier with the Green Whiskers is hiding. Jenny orders the Guardian of the Gate to open the gate enough to allow only one person through at a time. At the opening she places the turn-style, and as each chocolate soldier marches through, they turn into tiny tin toy soldiers, which the children run out and grab to play with.

Jenny then sends Number Nine to the palace to tell the Wizard to rescue Scraps and Jack Pumpkinhead, still prisoners of the chocolate general. The streets of the city are crowded, as this is Choose Day, the busiest shopping day of the week. Polychrome greets Number Nine, who used to play with her in the rain. Tik-Tok and Captain Salt head to the zoo to get his shoes shined. Finally at the palace, Nine searches for the Wizard and climbs up to the tower only to discover a strange man sweeping. He brings the boy a large meal, but he doesn't wish to stop to eat. He then tries to hire him, but Nine declines. Finally he brings him to a laboratory where he keeps the Bureau of Missing Persons. In it is a Munchkin baker boy missing for 984 years, as well as Scraps and Jack. Then he takes him to the west room where there are disguises of all kinds and a teletable which locates missing things and people. Number Nine is told to use it, and he first finds a lost pink kitten in the catacombs under the city, then the missing Munchkin boy, then the star upon which is the chocolate mountain. The Wizard (for that's who it is) uses his Ozmic Ray and Number Nine's fervent wish to send a beam melting the General and prison, freeing Scraps and Jack, who climb onto the Ozmic Ray back to the Emerald City! To save the boy climbing down long stairs, he lets him use his Ambassa-door, which wishes them to the bottom. There, Ozma and company have returned, as has the Wizard, which the boy remembers as the man he brought to the Style Shop earlier. He returns there with Scraps to get back her Patches.

Later that night, Jellia comes to tell Jenny to meet them at the P.L.Oz (public library of Oz) about the ozlection. She soon meets up with Ozma who thanks her for saving them. The reversible chute takes them to the top floor of the library. The party knock to no avail until Henry yodels and whoops loudly and the Wogglebug answers (he'd been lost in thought for three days). Ozma asks his opinion on what method of voting to use. The Professor determines that to avoid a sure and catastrophic landslide they must keep the votes even. Thus, the ozlection will be left to chance and voting will be based on weight.

Everyone in Oz comes the next Choose Day to weigh in. A scale stands before each candidate. The Wogglebug has each voter in turn go to a different scale. The candidate with the most poundage at the end becomes ruler. As the scores continue piling up, the Voice appears and at last finds his Man who bursts into "O, Sole Mio." As night falls and the city celebrates, the tally comes in at a tie. Then Siko Pompus the leprechaun appears and jumps on Ozma's scale, making her the winner. Furious with him for causing her to lose the election, she rushes to throttle him. But he jumps upon a moonbeam. Out of control, she goes to the zoo and throws open its gates. Prodding a dandy-lion, he runs out, followed by foxes, tigers, snap-dragons and other animal-plants, including a family of bulls. Jenny wrestles with Trou-bull, who sends her sailing into the fence where she hits her head and passes out.

As the animals run through the city, the houses begin fighting against them, defending their people. Ozma sends the Town Crier to cry the animals back to their enclosure, but he goes running in fear. Number Nine's father helps a bull, who explains that he's just trying to get away from the noise and find a friend. The father says he'll be his friend. Then he helps a dragon who follows him. Then a wildcat, and soon a whole procession of animals is following him, including the blue horses he'd been searching for. When he brings them to get a drink, General Jinjur appears, who says that as a farmer she can handle the animals. She leads the animals back to the enclosure, except the bull which goes with Number Nine's father back to the Munchkin Country. Many of them had been injured by the fighting houses and need a doctor.

One man appears promising to return later as he must first cure a case of Bad Temper. Jinjur identifies him as the Wizard, but he hushes her and sends her back to her farm, and she vanishes. The Wizard and Number Nine go through his Ambassa-door Junior which takes them and Jenny to the palace. There, the Wizard places an extractor cap on Jenny's head and removes all of her ill-temper. Asking Ozma if anything else should come out, she suggests envy and ambition, and the Wizard extracts these as well. As a result, Jenny starts to look happier, younger and prettier. Putting Visibility Powder into the cap, Number Nine and Dorothy can see a black wasp which was her temper, a green snake that was her envy and a fat red toad that was her ambition. The Wizard plans to keep them for experimentation and then give them to the Wogglebug for zoology classes. Jenny awakens feeling like a new person. Ozma then bestows her with the title of First Duchess of the Realm and Chief Stylist and gives her the Sapphire Suite next to Dorothy. Jenny decides to only work half the time and have Nine's Sister Six run the shop the other half. Then she and Number Nine can play. Siko Pompus comes to say goodbye as he's returning to New Jersey, and leaves her a gift. They are eyeglasses, gloves, a slipper and ear-muffs, which when she puts them on bestows upon her the fairy gifts she'd formerly had.

Continuity Notes

Bizarre: Due to the bizarre nature of this book, nearly every aspect of it contains discrepancies and contradictions, which means that much of it has been viewed as suspect, as far as history and canon are concerned, particularly in the way it's told. As Mari Ness notes in her Tor.com blog: "The mess... stems from a serious misunderstanding about Oz: Oz is fantastical, filled with puns and strange and odd creatures, but not nonsensical. Someone—either Neill or the editor if not both—attempted to turn Oz into nonsense here, and decidedly failed." The forthcoming novella The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz explains some of what happened to cause these events.

Boxer: This Boxer seems to be an immigrant from the Box Wood in Ix (from The Silver Princess in Oz).

Cloud Pushers: This is the first appearance of these ethereal beings who push clouds across the sky. They appear to differ from the Sky Sweepers and Sky Scrapers (from The Runaway in Oz), who clean weather debris from the sky, or the cloud fairies called Cloud Sculptors (who reside with Jubulut the Cloud Tender in the Cloud Kingdom) in his Oziana 1993 short, "Jubulut," though perhaps they are related.

Dating: Begins four days before Ozma's birthday on August 17th, covers fifteen days and then an unspecified amount of time before its conclusion, which chronologer Ken Shepherd has given a week. See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more details. The year is based on the information given on page 120, in which it's explained that the Ozoplane Jack lives in is "last year's model," which hadn't been given to Ozma until the new year's model was constructed, a strong indication that this was intended to be the same Ozoplane depicted in Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, likely the Oztober, as the Ozpril was initially lost or destroyed. However, as J.L. Bell points out in the BCF Pumperdink forum, "this old model doesn't work like those we saw in OZOPLANING, however: it has a lever for a starter instead of buttons [161], and Neill draws levers among the controls [214]. So Ozma's must be at least the third-generation design." Of course, since everything is suspect in this book, ascertaining a date for a story that couldn't have happened exactly as told is difficult at best.

De-aging: The Wizard's de-aging of Jenny is a power that no one in the books has displayed before or since, not even the more powerful fairies, and it would seem that if it did exist, everyone who is old would be lining up at the Wizard's door, such as Dr. Pipt's wife Margolette and Queen Zixi of Ix. It does not appear in Neill's original manuscript.

Faces: The text indicates that each resident from the four quadrants have the skin color of that quadrant, so that Munchkins are blue, Quadlings red, Gillikins purple and Winkies yellow. Like much of the text, that's not in keeping with the rest of the series, but it may simply be that many of them painted themselves for the sake of the parade, perhaps as a kind of fad or mark of national pride.

Gnomes: Either the text on page 205 erroneously states the gnomes have a kingdom underneath Oz (it is underneath Ev), or these are not the Nomes (or gnomes) of Ev, as they like warts and find them desirable, dress in red and green (instead of grey) and show no proclivity towards digging and gems.

Heelers: The feeding habits of these spineless sponge creatures don't make sense, as they're said to literally feed on abstract concepts like votes, and the embodiment of those votes, which in this case is shoes. What do the Heelers feed on when they can't get votes? Oz and the surrounding nations are either monarchies or socialist states that don't have elections. Have they been starving in the Deadly Desert for millennia? Also, their shadows literally abuse them, so they only move about in the dark. The concept of a sentient shadow is somewhat presented in The Nome King's Shadow in Oz, though there it is better explained and handled. The Heelers are also the first creatures to be said to live in the otherwise uninhabitable Sandy Waste.

Living houses, Singing Shoes, etc.: Neill's Oz is one in which nearly every inanimate object is alive. The houses in the Emerald City gossip, wage battles and welcome—or repel—potential homeowners (this was Neill's conception as evidenced by the illustrations). Even the utensils and appliances are alive. (Oddly, the houses outside of the city, such as Number Nine's house in the Munchkin Country, don't seem to be alive, and when the family comes to visit it seems like a novelty to them). The rivers are alive and can hear and take commands. The shoes which residents offer as votes are also alive, though whether they were alive before they became votes is not noted in the story. In the original manuscript, they did not represent the votes of the citizens, since there was no ozlection in that version. In either case, they're able to sing and play instruments for Jack Pumpkinhead's Glee Club. The clock in Jenny Jump's shop is alive. How (or if) this all came about is unknown, but it certainly was not the case prior, otherwise precious and time-consuming inventions like the Powder of Life would have been superfluous. The forthcoming novella The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz shows what happened to cause this. Edward Einhorn presents a similar premise on a smaller scale, in his book The Living House of Oz. The houses in Oz are likely still alive, though perhaps calmer than they were in this story, as there is a living house in Bucketheads in Oz, and living stairs and stepladders that are sold to houses that need them in Maybe the Miffin.

Lobotomy: One criticism of this story, and an element that is not present in Neill's original text, is Jenny Jump's lobotomy, which removes her ill-temper, envy and ambition (which take the form of wasp, snake and red toad). While the Wizard does have a history of this, e.g., he removed Bungle's brains in The Patchwork Girl of Oz and Clocker's bad works in Pirates in Oz, the Tin Woodman's line in Lucky Bucky in Oz appears to reinforce Neill's original intent: "the Wizard would never meddle with anyone's appearance without first getting his consent" [216] In either case, as with Bungle's brains, the Wizard restored Jenny's original personality traits, as revealed in The Runaway in Oz.

Munchkin Houses and Customs: According to Number Nine, all Munchkin houses have only one room. According to his father, all Munchkin children must wait until after dinner to ask questions. Neither seems likely.

Original Manuscript: There has been discussion over the years of re-editing the original manuscript, which is missing two chapters, and republishing a version that is closer to Neill's intent, and which makes more sense as a story and in the larger mythology. The following is known: The first six pages of the published version, including the introduction of Siko Pompus and Jenny's enchantment into a half-fairy are not Neill's. Nathan DeHoff notes that "Jenny's transformation into a fairy happened earlier in her life, and Jenny herself might well be older than fifteen at the beginning of the story proper. She had not gotten along with the fairies in the Jenny Jump Mountains, and had sued them for ownership of the range." This is supported by the line on page 71 of The Scalawagons of Oz: "My fairy godfather provided me with them long ago." As per Stephen Teller, who examined the original manuscript, it was 106 typewritten pages:

The beginning of the book is different, we are told much more about Jenny's childhood, and her receiving fairy gifts from Psychopompus (sic) occurred years before her jump to Oz. There is no Ozma party, no rescue of a Munchkin boy, no ozcalator ride. Jenny lands in the Munchkin Country, discovers the Turn style, gets a young Munchkin to help her wheel it to the Emerald City and sets up shop. She makes whistlebreeches for the boy. After the missing chapter 6 she starts growing younger. There is no Ozlection plot. At one point Scraps dashes into the shop and accidentally changes her patches for a boy's swimming suit. Jenny, for no good reason goes on a rampage and releases many animals from the animal gardens. She gets to Jack Pumpkinhead's home a reconditioned Ozoplane, where he has a glee club of shoes. Jenny accidentally starts the Ozoplane with Jack, Scraps and herself aboard. They fly to a chocolate star where, after a battle they are imprisoned. Meanwhile Whistlebreeches' father helps stop the animal attack, the family run the style shop, and Numbernine (as he is sometimes called) searches for the Wizard to try to locate Jenny. Eventually using on Ozmic ray, he recovers the Ozoplane and its three inhabitants. Jenny, by growing younger, has lost her fairy gifts/powers. She has also become nicer and less spoiled. Everything ends happily. There is no removal of her bad temper, envy, and ambition.

Pink Kitten: The Wizard's teletable indicates that a pink kitten is lost in the caverns underneath the palace. Eureka is the only known pink kitten in the Oz books, so this may be a yet untold story. On the other hand, the text also indicates that the various residents from each quadrant are also the skin color of their quadrant.

Reconciling Discrepancies: One way of reconciling this very bizarre story and its various contradictions may be to follow the train of thought that Oz scholar J.L. Bell discusses: "My pet Oz-as-history theory on this question is that Neill had access to images from Oz for his job as Baum's and Thompson's illustrator, but didn't have their access to verbal news. Therefore, his first two novels are attempts to put together the events he saw into a narrative, though some were causally related and some not, some normal for Oz and others aberrations. His third book was based on similar images plus a written source (that 'special record of Lucky Bucky') that didn't come through official channels. Does that let me treat some details in Neill's books as accurate (e.g., a boy and a wooden whale made a dangerous journey to Lake Quad), others as accurate but not reflective of normal life in Oz (live houses, trees, and paintings), and others as ludicrous (Bucky taking the crown from Kaliko)? It sure does!" According to Bell, this explains why:

    * Neill challenges readers in the WONDER CITY author's note, "Were the
     pictures made to go with the story or was the story written to explain
     the pictures?"
    * Two distinct narratives exist for the same images in WONDER CITY.
     (After that book, I imagine Neill might have been granted a little more
     information from Ozma, though it still seems very choppy.)
    * Neill's books contain so many loose threads and contradictions with
     the previous and subsequent titles.
    * Neill's books are more tightly based on events in the Emerald City than most.

Scraps: The Patchwork Girl is oddly and singularly combative throughout the story, taunting Number Nine to fight with her, boxing Jenny, fighting the chocolate soldiers.

Sir Hokus: Corum, the Yellow Knight, is back to being Sir Hokus, or at least being called that, but he continues to speak archaically. One improvement to his character, however, is that he now plays at chasing dragons instead of actually doing so, and has a game of chase with one two-headed purple dragonette. The origin of this meeting is told in The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz.

Sister Six: Number Nine's sister was given the task to run the shop the other half of the time it was open, which she is still doing a year later, as noted in The Scalawagons of Oz.

Wizard: The Wizard employs several disguises throughout the book in a way he hasn't done since The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and "Little Dorothy and Toto in Oz," where he dressed up as Crinklink. This was probably a reflection of his characterization in the MGM film, which had just been released the year prior. He's also uncharacteristically rude to Jinjur, magically whisking her off to her farm without so much as a thank you or goodbye.

Wogglebug: More pedantic than ever, the Wogglebug reads from a book he wrote that is over a million pages long, which is nonsensical. He also indicates on page 118 that there are gas stations in Oz. This also seems highly unlikely, though he may be referring to the gas that powers the Scalawagons in Neill's follow-up The Scalawagons of Oz.

Zoo: Ozma would never allow an animal enclosure in which lions and tigers, even ones that grow from plants, to be chained up and starving. Nor would Kabumpo be there. Similarly, the animals in Oz would never not get a vote, which was an invention of the ghost writer of the story. As to the former point, it may be that the plants that grow animals tend to grow carnivorous beasts. When they finally get out, the people panic and run, which seems to support this notion, yet the loose animals don't actually hurt anyone. The zoo appears again in "The Wizard in New York."

35th book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: Late for his job as the Wizard's assistant, Number Nine (from The Wonder City of Oz) gets scolded by the palace clock for being late. Cleaning the Wizard's teletable, which can see and hear anywhere in and above Oz, he spies the Wizard under the red glass dome of Carrot Mountain in the Quadling Country talking about his new invention, the scalawagon. A kind of motorcar, the scalawagon will serve as taxis, tractors and gliders. They're unbreakable, have small engines and even serve lunch. Peli-cans (birds with hollow cans for bodies) fill the tanks with motor fluid. The Wizard prepares to show them to Ozma in the morning, and makes Tik-Tok superintendent of the factory, which holds hundreds of them. He warns Tik-Tok to never touch the flabber-gas, and then disappears. Tik-Tok inspects the factory. Made in a variety of colors, at only 25 pounds, each scalawagon has a lid through which the vehicle's eyes pop out. Tik-Tok smacks them if they're sleepy, but otherwise welcomes them before his own works run down.

Near the base of Carrot Mountain lies Lolly-Pop Village, home to six families. The six five-year old girls, one from each house, push their six lazy fathers out to the street so they can get the housework done. Going to the river, they scoop into their buckets water fairies which they splash into their homes. When the fairies finish collecting the dirt and dust, the Lollies scoop them up again and return them to the river. After preparing dinner they bring their pops back home.

After sunset, there is a scream warning them of the Bell-Snickle, a cylindrical flat-shaped being that rolls along, with bells along its edges and curly fingers and toes. The Lollies come out and throw spoons at it, but it hurls the spoons back at them, and they run and hide in their houses till the sound of the Snickle's bells have passed. As he goes up the mountain, the Bell-Snickle talks to himself, saying he is a Mystery that will never be discovered, photographed or drawn. Nor will he abide any other mysteries but him. Making his way into the scalawagon factory, he roars and scares away the peli-cans. Coming across Tik-Tok, he tries to scare him away, unaware he's run down. So, he knocks him down the mountain where he rolls to the village of Lolly-Pop. The Bell-Snickle makes himself manager of the factory. Soon, he discovers the flabbergas and begins filling the cars' tanks with it, even spilling some on himself. The scalawagons speed around like mad, crashing into the dome and each other before confusedly setting out for the Deadly Desert. Concerned, the peli-cans go after them, while the Mifkits, creatures that live in the Deadly Desert, watch and wait.

At Glinda's castle, the Wizard prepares to unveil his surprise to the 427 visitors from all over Oz that Glinda had invited, including Ozma, Dorothy and Jenny Jump (from The Wonder City of Oz), Scraps, Jack Pumpkinhead, Sir Hokus, Captain Salt, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. But when Glinda reads in her book that the scalawagons have disappeared, the Wizard vanishes as well, and everyone is thrown in an uproar. Jenny, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman volunteer to go in search of the lost scalawagons, though no one knows what they are, but Glinda reads they've been set loose by the Bell-Snickle and have gone over the Deadly Desert. Ozma has left the Magic Belt back at the palace, but secure in her fairy powers, Jenny and her companions ride the Sawhorse through the hills of the Quadling Country. When the Sawhorse overhears Jenny praising her blue mule, he races faster than ever, right into the Winkie Country, and soon crashes into a farmer and his beets. The damage is minimal, but the Tin Woodman loses his oilcan in the journey and his jaw has rusted shut.

Riding at a much more moderate pace, they soon come to the Bottle-Necks, tall sapient bottles with horse faces filled with medicine. They hope and seek to break necks and bones so that they can prove their medicine works. As the bottles won't move out of their way, the Sawhorse jumps over them (breaking one in the process) and makes his way into the Winkie woods, where the light winks on and off. When it goes dark, the Sawhorse stumbles and breaks his legs. Unhitched from the Red Wagon, the Sawhorse runs back to find the Bottles to get it mended. With her fairy foot, Jenny jumps with the Scarecrow and Tin Man to where the Sawhorse has gone. Though the Bottle-Necks repair his leg, one Bottle still wants a trial, angering Jenny who jumps away. The Sawhorse takes the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman back into the forest, hitches up again to the Red Wagon and races off.

Jenny, meanwhile, soars too far and high to turn back. Putting on her fairy "eye," she spots fairies that look like old men with long bears and bells on their heads. Putting on her "ear-muffs" allows her to hear the beautiful chimes and peals. They are the Nota-bells; their music inspires composers. Hearing she's on an adventure they decide to come along. In the Wizard's tower, meanwhile, Number Nine learns of the lost scalawagons from the teletable, and when he sees Jenny involved, he and the clock go off to help. They transport up in the sky where the Notta-bells hold on to them. Nine tells Jenny that it's too dangerous to rescue the scalawagons, but Tik-Tok needs their help.

They head over to the Lolli-Pop village and wind up Tik-Tok. Jenny tells him what became of the scalawagons and that it's too dangerous to rescue them because of the Mifkits. When the Pops start leaning on Tik-Tok, he hits them over their heads with a rubber mallet, which transforms them into intelligent men.

The Sawhorse, meanwhile, departs the Winkie Country only to end up in the Gillikin lands, where he doesn't want to be, so turning towards the Emerald City, he speeds his way past the Soldier with the Green Whiskers and Guardian of the Gate. Heading to the animal enclosure, the Sawhorse cries out to save Jenny, and the Soldier races at his heels shouting to stop. The commotion causes the animals to rush out of the animal garden, tigers, sheep, dragons, mules, horses and unicorns all. At the palace, Jellia and Betsy inform them that there are no oil-cans in the palace and that Ozma is at Glinda's, so they hop aboard the Red Wagon. As they pass the Guardian and Soldier again, they try to detain the Sawhorse for disturbing the peace, even threatening to put him in the "Dungeon of Oblivion" if he doesn't play marbles with them, but the Sawhorse flies off.

Jenny tells Tik-Tok to hold on to one of the clock's hands. She holds on to the other, while Number Nine holds on to her free hand. Then she jumps into the sky and over the Sandy Waste where they spot the scalawagons. Out of flabbergas, the tired peli-cans are keeping them from dropping into the thousand Mifkits waiting below. Jenny kicks one of the scalawagons, propelling it through the air as Tik-Tok hits it with his rubber hammer, bringing it to its senses, so that it knows to head back towards Oz. They repeat this with all of the scalawagons, though one Mifkit manages to get inside a scalawagon. With the last four, Jenny and her party each gets inside a scalawagon. At the border, the peli-cans let them down to fill them up, but the crash to the ground breaks the windows of the Lolli-Pops houses. Jenny promises them that the Wizard will repair them, but they don't know who the Wizard or Ozma are. Declaring they must be a backwards tribe, Jenny offers to take them to and back from Glinda's to meet them.

At Glinda's they're received with a royal welcome, and Ozma is thrilled that her people will be able to go wherever they wish, and even the Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion are thrilled because of the endless lunches the cars produce. The Lollies and the Pops are introduced to Ozma, the Wizard and Glinda. Suddenly, the animals from the enclosure arrive followed by the Sawhorse and Red Wagon. The peli-cans oil the Tin Woodman and Ozma gives the animals a day off to enjoy themselves and invites them to ride in the cars. Kabumpo stands on four.

The Lollies suggest they take a ride to their village and have a beach party. Pops says bathing suits will be provided for all. The Wizard has already vanished, but everyone else likes the idea. Then the Wizard arrives with a new batch of scalawagons, with the Production Department turning out more for the rest of Oz. But as Ozma sets out she sees the Sawhorse hanging back, and inquires what's wrong. The Sawhorse says he feels useless now. Ozma reassures them that he'll always be needed and will be their official carrier with Scraps his dispatch-work girl. The Sawhorse cheers up and goes for a ride. En route, Aunt Em screams, discovering a Mifkit in the car, and as Henry picks up the offending critter, his hand gets bitten by it. He shoves it in his boot, and brings it to the Wizard when they reach their destination.

After fixing the houses in Lolly-Pop, he identifies the creature in the boot as a Mifkit. When Ozma sees it she sees "we haven't been bothered with them for years." [176] Ozma asks him if he'd like to be a winder. He responds that so long as he gets to remain himself, he's fine. With an emerald ring, Ozma makes him a winder and explains that he now has to ensure that Tik-Tok remain always wound up. In the water, Captain Salt sails his scalawagon like a ship, while the water fairies and kelpies play with the animals and swimmers. A bull-frog and his wife welcome them to their pavilion and offer bath-houses and treats. But Jenny and Glinda see a strange cloud in the sky. It turns out to be the 88 Notta-bells. The Wizard asks them where they're from, but they don't remember as they've been lost and wandering for a long time with an enemy that always shadows them. At that, a dark shadow comes over them, followed by a large shapeless being. Ozma stands her ground, raising her hand with the emerald ring, and the creature departs for a time.

Later, it returns, and Jenny pulls out a pair of scissors and cuts a toe off its foot, releasing the flabbergas that first blew up the Bell-Snickle (as that it what it is). Jenny then snips off his ear, and in fear that everyone will see his true shape, he jumps into a scalawagon and flies off.

With Ozma's permission, Jenny stamps her foot and goes after it, but she gets caught up in a thunderstorm and lands in a potato field. There she's arrested by Dick Tater, the greatest Potentato of the Vegetable Kingdom. Jenny scoffs, saying she could boil, mash, cream, fry or chip him, but this leads to thousands of sapient potatoes surrounding her. Dick calls for her to be peeled, sliced and fried. Finally, Jenny jumps with potatoes clinging to her, but they soon jump off. Ozma, meanwhile, concludes their celebration and everyone changes out of their bathing suits. The dragonette Evangeline helps Aunt Em dry her hair. As the scalawagons approach the Emerald City, the Guardian of the Gates begins to fret, but the Wizard appears to calm him, and Ozma gives him a scalawagon. When the houses in the Emerald City see the coming cars, they panic, but Ozma stops them and announces that everyone is getting a scalawagon. The animals return to their enclosure, and at the palace she has the Notta-bells roost in the tower.

In the morning the 88 bell-men return to see if Ozma can find out who they are. She consults her Book of Magic Tribes. She first checks lost bands from Boboland (Rinkitink in Oz; its underground locations explored in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz), but they don't recognize them [219] Then she finds them. They were originally a type of Fly-a-way from Sugar Mountain in Boboland called Whisker-Wings, who got lost seven hundred years ago (at the time of the ancient book's publication). At that point they became a lost tribe called Puckerts and were thought to have possibly become cloud-rovers. Ozma asks if they wish to be sent back to the Sugar Mountain, but they say it's filled with ants and relatives and they'd rather stay with Ozma. She agrees, giving them the tower to live in and play music. They're happy to oblige, and promise to ring a warning if there's ever any danger. Tik-Tok then arrives, begging Ozma find another use for the Mifkit as he's become too solicitous. The Wizard asks if he wishes to return home, but he begs not to be sent there. So the Wizard sends him to Number Nine's father to help on the farm. Ozma then checks the Magic Picture to see how Jenny is doing with the Bell-Snickle.

Jenny had slept in a forest the night before, but when no rain came the forest grew restless and moved to the river to get water, leaving Jenny exposed. There the Bell-Snickle comes and, remember her scissors, takes Jenny's handbag with all her fairy-gifts in it. Finding the forest he climbs a tree and falls asleep. In the morning, the trees decide to leave the riverbank, fearful of being chopped down, and search for a plowed field. The Bell-Snickle awakens, weakened from having lost so much of its innards. It cries out, but its voice is so weak the trees cannot hear him.

Jenny awakens to a surprise, not seeing the forest she went to sleep in, and missing her handbag. But soon, four scalawagons arrive with Dorothy, Betsy, Trot and Jellia. Betsy and Trot say they haven't had such an adventure since they first came to Oz [240]. They each pull out scissors saying they have permission to deal with it and "cut up as much as they like." Their scalawagons lead to Jenny's, which leads to the trees. The trees have meanwhile been shooed off by a farmer and continue to worry about woodchoppers. The Bell-Snickle, figuring out that if it sucks in air it can swell for a time before the air escapes his toe again, regains his voice and frightens the trees into obeying him. Holding his toe, he leads them to the Emerald City, where he determines to become king and prevent anyone using scissors. But as the trees reach the crossed-eyed house, the scalawagons catch up to them and in terror they flee towards the Emerald City. Meanwhile, Ozma and the Wizard are enjoying the show in the Magic Picture. The Wizard restrains Ozma from stopping the Bell-Snickle so that she doesn't deprive the girls of the fun.

The Puckerts begin ringing out a warning as the trees approach. Reluctantly following the Bell-Snickle's orders, the trees grab the Soldier and Guardian, and force him to drop his keys. But then the gate opens and the Tin Woodman is there, summoned from his home via Magic Belt. Hearing the Bell-Snickle's orders to enter, he begins chopping limbs from the terrified tree that houses the Bell-Snickle. The scalawagons catch up and surround the fallen creature, forcing him to surrender. He begs not to be exposed and throws out Jenny's handbag. Nick has Kabumpo lead the other trees to water. The girls help the tree whose limbs Nick chopped to find his tree-friends. Then Jenny picks up the Bell-Snickle and leads the girls to her Style-Shop, which Sister Six (The Wonder City of Oz) is watching. Despite his protests, she puts him through the turn-style and his original form returns. Jenny recognizes him as the Bell-snickle (perhaps from the Lolli's description, but this is not in the text), and puts him through it again, this time adding a leash to him. The girls scold him about having to be useful in Oz while they try on different styles in the turn-style. After dousing him in a fountain, she parades him through the streets of the Emerald City where he's mocked and jeered at. At the palace, Ozma decides Jenny can do with him what she will. Jenny determines to shrink him down into a rubber-stamp and make him useful stamping merchandise in her shop. The Bell-Snickle regrets his loss of freedom and loss of mystery, but Ozma tells him he abused his freedom and that Oz needs mystery to keep up the people's interest. But as he's desperate for variety, Ozma relents and appoints him her Royal Rubber Stopper, which will help her stop certain injustices (e.g., Munchkin seeds blowing into Quadling lands, a house that keeps its shutters closed at night and open in the day). The creature agrees to this.

At court, Ozma won't allow the Gillikin trees, represented by Kabumpo, to settle in the Emerald City because of the clashing color scheme, so she summons the foresters of Oz, who in every quadrant put out fires started by careless dragons. They would like elevated posts to see up high. She grants them each a tree, which they must keep quenched with water. She then rewards the Nota-bells with new outfits from the turn-style and molasses. Number Nine's father then bursts into the throne room with the Mifkit. The Mifkit had milked his cows, but wouldn't stop until they ran away. Angry as well, the Mifkit throws his head at the farmer and then at Ozma, who has the Soldier hold his tongue. When he demands his body back, he gets chastised for using slang speech, and without another word, Ozma banishes him. Though tired, she determines that a new hat will make her feel better, and she has the Town Crier announce the 3:00 party to initiate the scalawagons. After getting their new outfits, the nota-bells get molasses all over them when the Tin Woodman brings out a barrel for them. After Scraps starts fighting with them, Ozma orders them back to the style-shop to clean up. At the party, Jenny and Number Nine dance, and everyone has fun, even the clock back in the Wizard's tower.

Continuity Notes

Bell-Snickle: An unique and interesting being that is shapeless, but has some appendages, such as bells and a snout. Halfway through the text, the narrator begins calling it a rubber ghost, which is what Dorothy calls it, though it appears to be neither. It clearly suffers from insecurity, as it desperately wishes to be the only mysterious thing around. It also seeks to frighten those it comes in contact with, but it actually never does harm or commits any violence. It has opportunities to when it comes to the Valley of Lolly-Pops, and especially when it comes to Jenny Jump asleep. Jenny had formerly cut off its toe and ear, and if it there was anyone it was going to revenge itself upon it would be her. But it merely steals her handbag, primarily so it can deprive her of her scissors that had injured it. J.L. Bell, on the BCF Pumperdink forum, ponders whether he represents a kind of paradox: "the Bell-snickle may be self-defeating and conflicted. He'd be far from the first or last person with those qualities. Indeed, he may be stuck in an unresolvable paradox by wishing to be recognized as a mystery--i.e., both known and unknown. Neill describes him as made of rubber, flat and circular, like a 'great bladder' and capable of making 'a mighty blast...like thunder' [247]. At the risk of spoiling his mysterious qualities, I'll repeat my identification of him as an overgrown whoopie cushion."

Book of Lost Tribes and Boboland: This ancient book lists several "lost of strayed bands" from Boboland, and presumably other lands. As the book is so old, several of these tribes may have long since been found or discovered. The book also seems to give these lost tribes a different name than the original one they once had before they became lost or strayed, e.g., the Puckerts, who by the time of this story are called Nota-bells, were once known as Whisker Wings, which themselves are a type of Fly-a-way from Sugar Mountain. Fly-a-ways are themselves a type of fairy. How these fairies relate to the fairies of Burzee and An (Tititi-Hoochoo's country) is unknown. Of the then lost/strayed Boboland tribes are: Crinks, Chuckerts (which may be related to Puckerts), Elfeons (related to Elves?), Jollericks, Spunkers, Gadixies (a kind of Pixie?) and Giffers. No information about these is known, but Ruth Berman offers some helpful possibilities (on the BCF Pumperdink forum): "Crinks might be bent-over beings. Chuckerts and Puckerts might be related beings, the first more lumpish, and the second more shriveled. Elfeons might be elfin, but still smaller, Jollericks and Spunkers cheerful and brave, Gadixies might be roaming nixies or pixies or drinking cups, and the Giffers might be unusually generous." As to why Boboland has so many lost tribes, J.L. Bell offers a possibility, offering that Boboland might be "a republic with many of its citizens eager to become 'civilized,' thus making the region less hospitable to princes (hence Bobo's willingness to live elsewhere) and immortals (causing the Puckerts and other somewhat magical tribes to migrate). That possibility is largely inspired by a wish to make Boboland unlike other Nonestic-region countries, not just another magical monarchy, and thus throwing out new stories instead of the same old restoration dramas."

Crank Clock: The Wizard's punctuality-obsessed hall clock doesn't appear to have a name until Jack Snow coined him "Crank Clock" in Who's Who in Oz. Despite Number Nine's annoyance at him in this book, he later develops a closer bond with him in Lucky Bucky in Oz. Where he comes from is unknown, though there are sapient clocks in Fix City in The Royal Book of Oz. Then again, whatever brought the houses and other appliances to life may have also brought the Wizard's hall clock to life as well.

Dating: Takes place over the course of three days. See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more details. Jenny mentions the whistlebreeches she made for Number Nine "last year, when you helped me in my style shop," [138] which places this story in the year after The Wonder City of Oz. Given that the latter story ended in November, it can be reasonably stated that this story takes place early in the new year.

Deja Vu: In the BCF Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell indicates how Neill's approach to the manuscript resulted in several ideas being repeated twice (or more) in the story, which gives it an odd feeling of deja vu: "Rereading SCALAWAGONS for the first time in years, I was struck by how loopy it is. By that I don't mean the surreal elements of any Neill book, but how every so often the plot loops over the same ground to produce a feeling of deja vu. On page 55, Neill describes how one Mifkit climbs into a runaway scalawagon. On page 141, he describes the same thing, but never mentions the first Mifkit-in-scalawagon. In between, Jenny and Nine spot the scalawagons but decide not to rescue them yet, after all [113]. The Sawhorse runs so fast as to harm his passengers in chapter 7 and chapter 14. (And then he wonders why people prefer to ride scalawagons.) Mysterious clouds approach Ozma's picnic on page 186 (this cloud turns out to be the Nota-bells), page 195 (the Bell-snickle), and page 198 (the Bell-snickle again). Jenny flies off on hunts twice, the Mifkit is ordered to take a job twice, the Nota-bells demand two sets of uniforms. And how many times do characters come upon the village of Lollies and Pops? I suspect that Neill had certain ideas about where he wanted this story to go (e.g., "one of the scalawagons carries back a Mifkit"), but didn't carefully plan out how the pieces would fit together. He could definitely have pulled the threads of the plot tighter, and snipped off some loose ends."

Legacy: Eric Shanower notes on the Tor.com "Travels in Fairyland" forum that The Scalawagons of Oz spurred on the creation of two Oz books by later authors: "Eloise and Lynn were inspired to write Merry Go Round in Oz after reading Neill’s Scalawagons in Oz and finding it not-up-to-snuff. Interestingly, Scalawagons also spurred Rachel Cosgrove to write The Hidden Valley of Oz. So although in some circles Scalawagons is considered the worst Oz book, it has actually been beneficial for Oz."

Lollies and Pops: This strange Quadling family is essentially made of candy. J.L. Bell notes in the BCF Pumperdink forum: "The Lollies and Pops are apparently all made of candy: mint, butterscotch, chocolate, lemon, grape, and licorice [35, 39, 120]... The Lollies and Pops can dissolve and melt [37, 39], so their choice to live beside the water and apparently near the Deadly Desert is a little odd. They can be eaten, arousing the appetite of both Jenny and the Hungry Tiger [120, 153]. Yet they make "stew" [120] and other warm food [39]." What accounts for the foolishness of the fathers, the industriousness of the daughters, or the odd fact that Tik-Tok's beating of the fathers restores their intelligence is not answered in the text, nor is the reason, as J.L. Bell remarks, "people keep crashing in on their village."

Map: Neill's map places Glinda's castle much further north than Baum, who indicates that it's on the border of the Deadly Desert. It also places Jack Pumpkinhead's house within the Emerald City, when Baum and Thompson place it in the Winkie Country, just outside the city border.

Mis-characterizations: Neill's characterizations are off from Baum's (and Thompson's) by sometimes wide margins: Ozma, the Wizard, Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead and to a lesser extent Dorothy, Betsy, Trot and Jellia behave in ways that are nearly unrecognizable from their former selves. Tik-Tok is emotional, anxious and exasperated. The Wizard disappears constantly when he's needed. Jack Pumpkinhead is suddenly concerned about dignity. Wholly uncharacteristic of Ozma and the Wizard, they not only approve of Jenny's dismemberment of the Bell-Snickle (she cuts off a toe and an ear), a creature that's done nothing but cast a shadow on their party, but they give Dorothy, Betsy, Trot and Jellia scissors to go and "cut up as much" of the Bell-Snickle" as they like! [241] Even when the Bell-Snickle determines to become king of Oz, his sole thought is to prevent anyone using scissors. Ozma, the Wizard and the posse of girls on the other hand either take pleasure in cruelly hunting the creature down, and in Ozma and the Wizard's case, watching it be hunted down, oblivious to the terror of the trees that are being controlled, or the physically injured state of the Bell-Snickle, whose been losing his life fluids through the toe that Jenny already cut off. The kindhearted Tin Woodman is also distorted into a figure of violence when without even waiting for a reply, he begins chopping limbs from one of the frightened trees that the Bell-Snickle has been ordering. After Jenny publicly bathes the Bell-Snickle and parades him through the streets of the Emerald City, where he's jeered and mocked, Ozma praises her for how she's handled things thus far, and allows her to administer whatever justice to him that she sees fit! While Ozma relents in that she allows him to become a rubber stamp (as if that's some great honor), she is less "generous" to the Mifkit, whose side of the story she never hears because his slightly slang speech is offensive to her ears. As she banishes him, she calls him a "little savage." The novella The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz explain these personality changes.

Mifkits: Though spelled differently, the description of this race and Neill's pictures identify it as being akin to the Mifkets of John Dough and the Cherub, as well as the Scoodlers (The Road to Oz), who have the ability to remove their heads and throw them. If this aspect of the account is correct, then there is an established familial link between Mifkits and Scoodlers. This particular branch of Mifkits, however, are considerably smaller than the Mifkets or Scoodlers, which begs the question of why they'd be deemed such a threat, particularly as the one individual the Ozites meet is contentedly willing to work. J.L. Bell indicates that, "Both Mifkets and Scoodlers are hostile and violent, like these Mifkits as a bunch [even among themselves--142]. But the individual we see most proves quite willing to work hard for Ozians. Neill nevertheless calls that one a 'little brown monster' [173]," which evokes possible unpleasant racist depictions. Other unanswered questions include their reputation. Both Number Nine and Ozma have heard about the Mifkits before [118, 175]. In fact, they seem to have been a problem for Oz at one point; Ozma says, 'We haven't been bothered with them in years' [176]. While the text at first seems to suggest they live in the Sandy Wastes, the map indicates they are on the other side of the desert, living near the Scoodlers. If they are, in fact, a different tribe, they live not too far from their head-removing kin." Ozma's unkind behavior towards the hard-working Mifkit is explained in the forthcoming story, The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz. A Mifkit named Jinx lives and works in the Emerald City in The Ozmapolitan of Oz. This is likely the same Mifkit whom Ozma banished, but later brought back when she came back into her right mind.

Nota-bells: The 88 Nota-bells match the number of keys on a piano, with the dumb-bell representing rest. There are several discrepancies with what they say. They claim to have no memory of their past, and yet when Ozma correctly identifies them and asks them if they'd like to return to their original home in the Sugar Mountain, they decline, saying it's filled with ants and relatives. Puns aside, if they don't remember their past, how do they remember that? Their identity is also odd. The Book of Magic Tribes calls them Puckerts, a lost tribe from Boboland. This seems to be the name given to a kind of Fly-a-way from Sugar Mountain in Boboland called Whisker-Wings, who got lost seven hundred years ago (at the time of the ancient book's publication). The book speculates that they may have become assimilated into the community of Cloud Pushers. Given that the book is so old, the Puckerts may have been lost for well over a millennium. This makes their ignorance of girls [98, 190] and human swimmers, who they think are "water spirits" [190] odd in the face of their claim that they inspire human composers, [98-100], "some of whom had been female and some of whom swam." (J.L. Bell, BCF Pumperdink forum) Another discrepancy is the Nota-bells' complaint that their "great enemy, who shadows us," is the Bell-snickle. The Bell-snickle never once throughout the story mentions them or bothers them, his sole purpose being to maintain his status as the MYSTERY and to eliminate any competing mysteries. The Nota-bells seems to have exaggerated an untold incident in the past when the Bell-Snickle encountered them, deemed them a mystery to be solved, followed them for a bit, and then forgot about them. Either that or the Bell-Snickle is not the great enemy from their past. Nathan DeHoff, on the BCF Pumerdink forum, offers that "Perhaps the Nota-Bells are mistaking the Bell-Snickle for some earlier enemy (there could be an interesting story there, if the original enemy followed them to the Emerald City), or they just assume that anything big that casts a shadow in their vicinity must be an enemy." J.L. Bell postulates that: "the Bell-snickle probably hears a ringing in his ears from the bells he wears. The Nota-bells take responsibility for tunes ringing in other people's ears, so perhaps they're shadowing him--or there's mutual resentment."

Scalawagons: These sapient automobiles are a curiosity. At only 25 pounds, they utilize "gas" from peli-cans, which resemble barrel-birds, but which contain some kind of fluid that powers these cars. The scalawagons also produce food of any and all kinds, presumably magically, and seem to have a built-in knowledge of where everything is in Oz. The Wizard's factory appears to have been producing one for every citizen. There are highways for cars in Oz, but the scalawagons seem to be able to hover and swim on water. The one big difference between them and their predecessors, the Ozoplanes, is that the scalawagons are alive. Their absence in later Oz books is accounted for in the short story "Revolt of the Scalawagons."

Teletable: This magical invention of the Wizard's, first mentioned in The Wonder City of Oz, and which purportedly finds lost things (and in the latter book, retrieves them, though this is highly suspect) never appears again in an Oz story. This maybe because it has problems. As J.L. Bell notes, "A bigger mystery might be why the teletable had never before shown the Nota-bells or the several other lost tribes. Then again, the teletable never seems to show the Valley of Lost Things in Merryland, which would be an obvious place for it to point all the time."

Trees: The narrative presents a different group of sapient trees than the Fighting Trees in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, or the Twigs of Kabumpo in Oz. Nathan DeHoff notes in the Pumperdink forum that: "In Onyx Madden's MYSTERIOUS CHRONICLES, the fighting trees are able to communicate, but not with regular spoken language. They apparently couldn't move around. In addition to SCALAWAGONS, there are walking and talking trees called Twigs in KABUMPO, and there's a mention of Twigs living on South Mountain (presumably not the same place they were encountered in KABUMPO) in OJO. Personally, I think there are several different varieties of sentient trees, some being able to talk, others to move voluntarily to varying degrees (some just their limbs, and others their roots as well), and some to do both."

Wizard of Oz: As J.L. Bell points out in the BCF Pumperdink forum, the Wizard's behavior is bizarre throughout the book, disappearing and reappearing without rhyme or reason, and mismanaging his responsibilities, which end up causing problems: "As a manufacturing executive, the Wizard leaves a lot to be desired. When the Wizard vanishes on page 26, he hasn't explained to Tik-Tok the danger of flabber-gas. Presumably it's part of the manufacturing process, since otherwise its only function in the factory is as a plot device. The Wizard also doesn't tell Tik-Tok that the assembly line might back up, which it does to the sound of "'crumpling fenders' [28]. The Wizard doesn't consider what might happen when Tik-Tok runs down, which he's bound to do eventually. Since no one else knows about the scalawagon factory and Carrot Top Mountain appears too steep to climb, presumably the Wizard himself expects to come back and wind Tik-Tok up."

Book 36 of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

Synopsis: After his uncle's tug boat explodes in the New York Harbor, "Lucky" Bucky Jones is propelled up past the Statue of Liberty, past the Cloud Pushers and Barrel Birds, onto a volcano made of dough in the middle of the Nonentic Ocean. There, as vegetables shoot out of the volcano's crater, angry cooks try to push him back with paddles. Coming upon an oven, Bucky takes out some pies to eat. The bakers retaliate, but are drawn away by an alarm indicating the approach of pirates emerging from a great wooden whale. Bucky enjoys the battle between the cooks and pirates. When the latter get the upper hand, the whale retreats from them, forcing the pirates to surrender and become doughboys for the cooks, who take away their weapons and gear. Turning their attention back to Bucky, they send him into the water, where the whale takes an interest in him and invites him inside. Bucky enters his open jaw, which is the deck, but the whale asks for confirmation that neither he nor his relatives are pirates. Satisfied, he tells Bucky where he is. When Bucky tell his tale, the whale tells him to desist, as he doesn't care to hear of fantastic places like New York and the Atlantic. Bucky knows of Oz, however, and the whale says he'd like to visit the Emerald City as he's never been there. The pirates who'd caught him had kept him laughing for two years and he needs a sad spell.

After cleaning up the pirates' mess and finding a chest with a box of silver door knobs, Bucky goes to sleep and awakens to find the whale in a good mood. He introduces himself as Davy Jones, and Bucky says his last name is also Jones, which causes the whale to determine that they're cousins. Pledging their friendship, Davy takes Bucky to meet the Dollfins. These are large mermaid doll-like beings, and hundreds of them emerge to meet the person they think is going to be their new playmate (Davy had promised to bring them one some time ago). Disconcerted by the grabbing dolls, Bucky withdraws, but the dolls grow possessive, indicating that while they'd prefer a girl playmate, they'll take Bucky. Concerned for Bucky, Davy departs westward to Oz.

Putting on one of the pirates' overcoats, Randy finds a map of Oz stitched into the lining, and Davey follows the directions up a waterfall and unto the top of a mountain covered in snow. Yet they soon find themselves unable to move, frozen by the power of the Zerons, who are frosty little snow men. Davy spouts a stream of warm water from the top of his head, melting the Zerons and freeing him to slide down the mountain towards Oz, where he zig-zags into a river eight miles below. But skiing down the mountain behind them are the Dollfins who'd followed them, so Davy takes off again down the river into a forest.

As they float down, bubbles start appearing warning them to turn around. Soon, they're completely covered by bubbles. As speaking causes the bubbles to pop, the pair start talking incessantly until they've cleared a path for themselves. Davy tells Bucky that in Oz there are no prisons or death, and although there are witches and obstacles, no one who comes to Oz ever wishes to leave. One of the obstacles they encounter in the wild wilderness where they travel comes from the weeping willows who push them towards the Tickly Bender, a giant water elemental who waits at the head of the river. When the Tickler's tickles fail to elicit a response from Davy, the Tickler rises up and sends them down into an underground cavern.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Number Nine exits his Scalawagon to visit a popular Oz cream shop, whose owner worries that the dragon Evangeline, a favorite around the city, will eat all her stock. Number Nine assures her the Wizard knows the problem, and there appear two more bottomless supplies of Oz cream. Evangeline comes and enjoys the treat, though one of her heads worries that neither head knows which is Evan and which Geline. Number Nine departs for the Style Shop to see Jenny Jump. She puts him through the turn-style for a new suit, and he departs for the palace, where children are teasing the Soldier with the Green Whiskers by drawing pictures of him on the palace walls. Ozma is amused by this and decides to have all the children draw pictures on the walls depicting Oz's history.

The Wizard announces the CWO project (Castle Walls of Oz), in which Dorothy, Betsy, Trot, Ojo, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman will paint their histories on the walls, as will Kabumpo, Scraps, Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok, Sir Hokus, General Jinjur, Captain Salt, the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger. Others from the Emerald City and outside it come to join in the fun. The Wizard hands out magic paint brushes to them. The brushes never drip or need to be dipped in a paint-bucket, and colors are determined by turning the handle. Number Nine departs for the Wizard's workshop. Looking through the tattlescope lens of the Ozmic Ray, he sees the events of Bucky and Davy at the start of their adventures in the volcano. So consumed by this does he get that he returns to it the next morning, departing through the ambassa-door only when he sees something in the Gnome King's dominion, but he soon returns.

The city walls are covered in ladders and scaffolds, as each artist is given a city block to decorate. Kabumpo and Ojo paint the Elegant Elephant, Tik-Tok and the Shaggy Man paint what appears to be Tik-Tok, and Scraps decorates her wall with patches filled with rhymes, including one to the Bell-snickle (The Scalawagons of Oz). Captain Salt paints an ocean, while General Jinjur and the Sawhorse paint a revolt of cows and horses with guns attacking red, white and blue crows. The Hungry Tiger does a self-portrait, while the Lion forgets to add himself to a scene. Trot and Jellia Jamb draw the palace. Even Rinkitink (Rinkitink in Oz) arrives with a surly goat to paint. Sir Hokus and Evangeline paint an army of knights. The students from the Wogglebug's College join in the festivities.

Of all of the paintings, Jack Pumpkinhead's painstaking depiction of witches, sorcerers and cauldrons is the most realistic and arresting. Its most striking image is Mombi, and as Jack inspects it the picture turns its head to glare at him. The speaking likeness of Mombi steps out of the wall and becomes three-dimensional, terrifying the crowd who flee. Smacking Jack across the head, she goes off to hide, hoping to settle old scores with Ozma. She leaps over the wall and then up to the wizard's tower. The bellmen (the Nota-bells from The Scalawagons of Oz) ring out an alarm. Number Nine sees the Mombi likeness runs off with the Wizard's magic bag. But Jenny jumps up and grabs the bag out of her grip. The image of Mombi heads to the lonely mountain passes of the Winkie Wilderness where "bandit sorcerers and weird witches" have lived for years, working magic and waiting to ambush wanderers. But even there, the image of Mombi isn't safe as she escapes becoming a slave to wizards and witches just as cruel as her "and even more powerful." Flying across the Deadly Desert, she sees Davy and the Tickly Bender, and flies into a door in Davy's side. Spying the empty room, she hides under the bunk.

Passing through the subterranean river, Bucky and Davy comes across a sign from Kaliko that prohibits fish, chickens, children and ex-kings. Soon enough, they encounter the Gnomes who throw chains on them and bring them into a cavern to meet with King Kaliko. He inquires if Bucky encountered Ruggedo hanging around outside (last seen in Handy Mandy in Oz). Bucky says he didn't, but angry at being chained up, he speaks rudely to Kaliko, who in response, orders Quiggeroc to put the boy to work in the deepest mine. Just then, Number Nine's voice welcomes Davy and Bucky to Oz, assuring them the Gnomes can't hurt them. He then puts up an invisible wall, blocking the gnome forces from Bucky and Davy, while untying the latter. Bucky tackles Kaliko and when his crown falls off, he grabs it up and declares himself king of the Gnomes. Kaliko unlocks the throne and hides inside it. While he wears the Ruby Crown, the gnomes don't molest Bucky, but when he orders them to open the closed flood gate, they refuse to obey. So, remembering the door knobs he'd found, he tosses them at the flood-gate, causing a powerful wind to rip loose the hinges of the barriers. The Gnomes then unleash a barrage of large gems, but Bucky tosses another door handle, blowing the Gnomes away. Suddenly, from the door-knobs come forth the Gabooches, Tom, Dick and Harry, who are birds with heads shaped like bellows and nozzle-shaped beaks. Bucky tosses the fourth one, bringing forth Flummox their younger sister.

Together, they plunge out of the flood-gate into a gloomy twisting and turning current. Number Nine's voice informs them to keep to the left, and they soon emerge on the surface. Concerned about Tickley Bender, Davy hurries down the waterway which grows shallower until it dries up completely. Determined to get to the Emerald City, Davy crawls inch by inch on the sand, with Bucky removing rocks from his path, until the next day when they reach a field of bones. The bones come alive and attack Bucky and then Davy. The electrical currents they release actually prompt Davy to go even faster, and he soon leaves them far behind.

When they reach the Deadly Desert, however, they're unsure what to do and where to go. But then the Gabooches spot Polychrome sitting on a rock. She greets them and when the Rainbow arrives, invites them up the Rainbow and over the desert. Davy is reluctant, but with everyone's help he ascends the rainbow. When Davy's weight begins to sag the rainbow, some Cloud Pushers come along to help. Davy speeds down the other side of the rainbow into a lake and emerges a happy whale now that he is in Oz.

Proceeding through the Winkie river the next morning, Davy ignores a sign that indicates there's no connection to any other river, and before long finds his path blocked by cattails. Bucky pulls one free and it turns out to be a cat. Pulling out the others, Davy passes through. Flummox believes they were once humans that are under a witch's enchantment. Bucky isn't sure, but she reminds him that she and her brothers were doorknobs before he threw them.

The river ends at Gameland, where a band of human-sized grasshoppers in kilts invite them to play. Everyone spends the day involved in the numerous contests and games of chance and skill as they slowly make their way down the river. Around the bend, they come to a talking china teapot named King Jack Pott who challenges them to a game of checkers played across a large board that sits on the river. Offering to make tea or hot chocolate, the King tells Bucky that if he wins he intends to keep them there to play checkers with him all the time. Not desiring this, Bucky, with Flummox's help, has the king's checker pieces replaced with pies. These attract the attention of the hungry Thunderbugs who come to eat the pies and allow Bucky to win the game. As more Thunderbugs arrive, the Gabooches try to blow them away, which just inflames them, causing Jack Pott and his checkerboard to flee. Davy puts their fire out and the fireflies explain that they're obsessed with pies and aren't really as bad as the teapot would make them seem. Bucky goes to the whales' stores and brings out many pies. The king then returns with a policeman whose a tall safety-pin. Punning his way out of trouble, Bucky, Davy and the Gabooches proceed down the river with the Thunderbugs in tow and atop Davy, hungry for more pies.

As they feed the glowing fireflies, whose light illuminates the dark path through the most dangerous river in Oz, the party pass by mountain sorcerers and marauding witches who've gathered for an assembly. One powerful wicked witch nearly captures them, but they are saved by the light of the thunderbugs and the speed of Davy who, terrified, rushes down the sinister river, where await the "huge prowling spy-ders" and "hostile bands" of outlaw sorcerers and their servants who reside on either side of the narrow ravine.

By morning all the pies are gone and the travelers find themselves deep in the Winkie Land where the river bed goes dry. The fireflies fly off as Davy slides down the soap-stone surface of Slippery Dick's land, which is a greased racetrack. Dick himself tells them to dry off as he departs for his soap castle, and it soon begins snowing talcum powder. The Gabooches fly off to find a river, and after many miles of cornfields come upon a large corn tower.

The Scarecrow and Tinman greet them. On hearing of their quest, the pair inform them that they had the Wizard remove many of the rivers due to bad experiences with mischievous rivers that brought witches from the mountains and Jinkyinks who constantly pushed and dragged them into the water. The rivers that remained were limited to flow only a short distance, explaining why the ones Davy had traversed had dried up and ended. The Wizard had rolled up their local river and placed it under the cellar doors. In order to help the Gabooches and their friends, they retrieve and unfold the river which follows the birds as they return to Soap Hollow.

Freeing the whale from under the mounds of talcum powder, the Gabooches blast a path to the river, which Davy follows to the corncob castle of the Scarecrow. The pair come out to greet Bucky and Davy, who is thrilled to meet them. Although the whale's concerned about how scuffed up he's gotten, the Scarecrow tells Davy that the Wizard will give him a new polish and even reduce him to the size of a goldfish if he wishes. Davy doesn't wish that, but the Tin Woodman reassures him that "the Wizard would never meddle with anyone's appearance without first getting his consent" [216] With the rolled up river, Davy prepares to sail to Lake Quad, which is only two miles south of the Emerald City. But when the rubber band holding the river jerks one of the Gabooches overboard, the Tin Man cuts it, starting an argument between himself and the rubber band and causing the Scarecrow and Nick Chopper to decide to come along with Davy to make sure the river behaves itself.

They next arrive at the Wise Acres Country Club where all the members are uncles and are indignant that a river is running across their grounds. They only allow uncles on their property, and although the Tin Woodman says he is the uncle of six nieces, they look to throw off the others. When Bucky sees Uncle Sam, however, he proclaims him his uncle. Sam recognizes him too. The Scarecrow then puts on his crown and the clubhouse recognize his authority and accept them as guests. When they learn they're journeying to the Emerald City, they claim to need a vacation and ask to go with them. Davy welcomes them onboard, but when he finally makes it to Lake Quad, the strain of the journey and stress on his planks causes him to sink.

The uncles and Bucky reach land carrying the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman with them. Davy, meanwhile, disturbs a large sleeping cat-fish, literally a cat with eight legs who calls herself an Octopuss, who pummels him until he's pushed ashore. After having the water drained out of Davy, Nick Chopper goes about repairing his leaks and examining his planks. The living image of Mombi then reveals herself from having hidden under Bucky's bed. The Gabooches blow and chase after her and she heads to Volcano Island.

Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard, meanwhile, gush over Jenny for her rescue of the Wizard's black bag. As they head back to the castle wall, they discover that the trickster Trickolas Om and three other witches have escaped from their portraits. The Wizard comes to realize that he mixed too much magic in the paint, and makes everyone in the streets disappear as they decide what to do with Trickolas Om, who had once been their "greatest menace" next to Mombi. The practical joker arrives and tries to trick himself into a magical wave which the Wizard undoes. Ozma sends him back into the painting with the Magic Belt, instructing Jack Pumpkinhead to paint chains around his ankles.

The other missing witches are: Aunt Geranium, who is invisible as long as a bird is singing, a talent that allows her to put geranium buds on Quadling noses (Glinda recalls having to remove as many as fifty a week); Blue Schoola, a Munchkin who used to break shoestrings; and Plush. To ensure they don't get away, all the brooms in the city have been hidden or locked away. But Old Schoola and Aunt Geranium return and give up, returning to their places on the wall. Ozma catches Plush as well, setting up a broom in a chimney which magicks her back into the picture. The Wizard brings back the people and readjusts the magic in the paint brushes. Meanwhile, the painted image of Kabumpo eats the painted hay, characters in their pictures quarrel and the portrait of Ozma waves at the real one as she passes by. Also, twenty-two painted Wizards leave the walls to greet the real Wizard; as they have no memory of anything that happened to them prior to being painted, the Wizard manages to convince each one to go back to his wall, and then secures them in.

As Kabumpo hands out medals and presents to the children and everyone in the Emerald City, the Wizard goes to the kitchens to eat a snack. There, he's approached by a number of brooms who'd been damaged by witches that have "hag-ridden" them. One witch, Curly Ah-Ha-Do, took him into the mountains and abandoned him. After two years he found his way home. One had her back broken by the Thimble Witch who smashed her on a Munchkin farmer's head. Unhappy about being stuck in corners and doors, they ask the Wizard's help. The Wizard restores each of them and then flies up to this tower, where Number Nine is trying in vain to fix Crank Clock, which Mombi appears to have damaged. The Wizard fixes him. The Clock tells them how he'd been watching Davy sink into Lake Quad in the tattlescope when he was struck in the back and thrown to the floor, noticing only the figure of a witch who stared into the screen. Searching, the Wizard finds Mombi at Volcano Island, where the bakers are shooting biscuits at her. So, the Wizard, Ozma and Glinda jump into a Scalawagon and fly to the island. Ozma laughs that it's like old times, remarking that "it's been a long time since we hunted witches together. I rather like it."

With Davy's injuries repaired, they head north towards the palace. Concerned that Davy will crash into the wall, the Scarecrow falls overboard, with Nick right behind him. The whale only circles the wall, as the river follows him, but he soon notices their loss. The city raises an alarm and clamor, but the pair are merely bouncing on the surface, as the Wizard had changed the river's nature. Number Nine, Dorothy and her companions rush off to meet the arrivals.

Bucky thanks Number Nine for helping them in the Gnome Kingdom and Number Nine drags him off to Jenny Jump's style-shop to get him a new suit, but the Gabooches, thinking he's taking him prisoner blow upon Number Nine until he explains. When he puts Tom, Dick, Harry and Flummox through the turn-style, however, they transform into children. "Little Sister" is the first to realize they'd never been Gabooches at all. After they go off to meet everyone, Number Nine decides to sleep with Bucky inside Davy.

The Wizard, meanwhile, shrinks the volcano with Mombi inside it until it wraps around her. Glinda uses her wishing cap to make the baker's hats puff out so that they float. As they head home, the volcano and bakers are made to follow them. The Wizard explains that the volcano can be put in the middle of Lake Quad, where the Doughboys can bake their pies and doughnuts without fear of pirates. Mombi is placed back in the wall, where Jack paints on her a happy smile, causing her to change her disposition.

In the throne room, Davy is invited by Ozma to sing his sea songs. Later in the evening, Davy and the others go to Lake Quad where the Wizard has restored the volcano's size and is shooting off magic fireworks. The Wizard then appoints an appreciative Davy with the task of delivering all the pies the Doughboys make every morning to the Emerald City. Then the Wizard requests a spare bunk to spend the night with them and Davy learns that Ozma gave him a new polish. With Davy staying on permanently, Bucky decides to join him and be his helper.

Continuity Notes

Bucky Jones: Several theories have been floated around as to the twelve year old [129] "Lucky" Bucky Jones' previous life. He appears to be an orphan, though this is not explicit. He appears to show no concern over his uncle, whose tugboat he was on (and if his uncle or any others were killed in the explosion that propelled him to Oz), and whether any remaining family will grieve over him, thinking him dead. It is possible that Bucky did not have a good relationship with his uncle, or that his uncle might already be dead, leaving him the tugboat as all he has. Bucky tellingly looks at the Statue of Liberty, almost expecting her to speak, and the narrator refers to it as "the Great Goddess of Liberty," as if to suggest that she bestows this orphan, and possibly even immigrant, with special favor [18]. Of course, there is also the question of what information, if any, Neill left out of his account.

Crank Clock: Number Nine blames Mombie for the fallen state of Crank Clock [252], but Mombi hadn't been anywhere near the Wizard's tower during the period in which the clock was knocked over. It may be that it was another witch from an escaped painting that Number Nine mistook for Mombi. Another theory might be that Mombi knocked him over through the Tattlescope [254], though it seems unlikely that while fleeing Mombi would waste time frightening a clock.

Corncob Mansion: The text presents a contradiction as to how many floors are in the castle, noting that Bucky climbed twenty flights to the tower at the top [213], but from there the Scarecrow fell only twelve flights to the bottom. There is also a seeming contradiction to The Emerald City of Oz, in which the Scarecrow's Mansion was said to have five floors, but the Scarecrow may have had floors added in the interim. As regards the Scarecrow's crediting of Nick Chopper for its construction, this also seems to contradict The Emerald City of Oz in which the Tin Woodman states that it was "my Winkies and many other people from all parts of the country." This is also indicated in The Corn Mansion of Oz. But the Scarecrow may be giving extra credit to the Tin Woodman for his contribution.

Dating: The narrative is dated to six days, but as the Day-to-Day Chronology notes, there are some serious time anomalies. Lucky Bucky in Oz might be said to be dated by the back-cover inscription, in which Bucky urges kids to buy war bonds. The U.S. didn't enter World War II until mid-December 1941. However, these words were clearly composed for the book's publication date and have nothing to do with the events depicted in it. Thus, they can be discarded in terms of dating the story. It's also suspect whether Bucky actually wrote that or whether the publishers were using his name to push a nationalistic agenda, as many in the entertainment field were doing so at the time. In the author's preface, Neill says he came across Bucky's record and kept the story close to how he received it, which is an indication that it takes place considerably earlier than 1941.

Davy Jones: One of Neill's most endearing creations is this great wooden whale who longed to see Oz and good-naturedly carried Bucky inside him. He carried around pirates for two years before leaving them in the ocean around Volcano Island. He also has a friendly relationship with the Dollfins, who he carried to where they currently reside in the river, and had promised to bring them a girl companion (though whether he ever kept that promise is not known). Although being a magical creature, he claims a familial connection to Bucky by virtue of their both sharing the same last name, an indication that he may not realize he's named after an idiom for death at the bottom of the sea, usually reserved for the place where pirates and sailors go after they die in a shipwreck. Also unusual is his blowhole, which blows out warm water, and the fact that despite not eating, he sleeps [71, 73, 142]. Only two other magical constructs are known to sleep. The first is the Wooden Gargoyles from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. The second is Bungle the Glass Cat (See continuity notes for The Patchwork Girl of Oz). Davy's ultimate origins and creator are never discussed and remain a mystery. J.L. Bell notes two other interesting factors about Davy: "he can change the length of his jaw: 'Extending his lower jaw to its fullest length, Davy made more room on the deck' [227]. And at one point he even seems luminescent: in the Nomes' underground realm, 'occasional flashes from Davy's eyes lit the tunnel' [119].

Gabooches: A family of four bellow-headed birds that can blow fierce winds. They had been transformed into door knobs, presumably by Trickolas Om, and were later transformed into human children by the turn-style. One theory postulated by J.L. Bell holds that they are naturally Gabooches and not humans based on the idea that the turn-style has never disenchanted anyone, only their clothing.

Glinda's Wishing Cap: Never seen before or after, Glinda apparently has, at least temporarily, a wishing cap that she uses to blow the Doughboys' hats into balloons that she then flies over to Lake Quad. The Wishing Cap can also be made much smaller: she "folded it over and over until it was small enough to slip into a tiny button she wore on her sleeve" [277].

Jack Pumpkinhead's Memory: Jack must be in need of a new pumpkinhead, as he seems to think he was a slave of Mombi for seven years (something he says twice on page 111), when in fact he escaped with Tip the very day he was brought to life by Tip.

Magic Paint and Mombi: There is some precedence for the unusual circumstance of painted subject matter coming to life, leaving the wall, becoming three-dimensional and carrying on. In chapter 5 of Ozma of Oz, Mr. Smith of Smith & Tinker was said to have painted a river so realistic he fell into it, a clear indication of magic. He repeats this trick again in the Oziana 1987 story "Button-Bright and the Knit-Wits of Oz." Also, in The Tin Woodman of Oz, the Scarecrow recounts a time when Jinjur painted him a straw-stack that was so natural he was able to re-stuff himself with it [135]. There is every indication that these are not quite doppelgangers of the original persons, particularly as many of the escaped paintings represent persons that are still alive, the Wizard, Ozma, Kabumpo, and even Mombi (see Oziana 38: "Executive Decisions.") There is a contradiction as to what these speaking likenesses remember. On Page 246 none of the twenty-two painted Wizards have any memory of what came before they were painted. Yet, when the image of Mombi comes to life on page 113, she declares that she has some old debts to pay to Ozma. Clearly, she has a memory of events, and there is a question of how the 22 wizards know they're wizards if they have no memory. Nontheless, the sapient images do behave uncharacteristically from their original selves, with the wizards and several witches going voluntarily back to the wall from which they came. There is also no indication as to whether they remain sapient on the wall or if that magical quality of the paint fades over time.

Money: Neill follows Baum's indication that there is no money used in Oz and "never any charge for a single thing." [87]

Nick Chopper's Nieces: J.L. Bell points out yet another odd statement regarding the Tin Woodman and his family: "The Tin Woodman says he 'had six nieces, years ago. They all married Tinsmiths' [226]. Since he himself was a woodchopper, does this mean the family had an interest in tin even before he started losing limbs? Or perhaps Nick brought these nieces to the Winkie Country after he became emperor, and they married some of the tinsmiths who helped build his castle. Why doesn't Nick have these nieces anymore? I suppose that means he no longer feels avuncular responsibility for them since they're all married." The latter explanation of their marrying Tinsmiths seems to make the most logical sense. What we don't know is whether his nieces are from a brother, sister, or both. As of this time, no story has ever been written discussing any sibling.

Nonentic Ocean: This is the first appearance of the Nonentic Ocean (as opposed to the Nonestic Ocean). While some fans have chalked this up to a mistake on Neill or the editor's part, The Royal Explorers of Oz trilogy includes a Nonentic Ocean which borders both the Rolantic (from King Kojo) and Nonestic oceans. This still leaves a mistake as Volcano Island is described as being in the wrong ocean based on the textual evidence as to its location. The Haff & Martin map corrects this, placing it in the Nonestic Ocean.

Polychrome: This is the second time Polychrome is coincidentally found on the edge of the Deadly Desert (though this time she's on the other side) and the second time the travelers cross over via Rainbow. The first was in The Purple Prince of Oz and it was Kabumpo who feared crossing the rainbow (and who made it sag).

Rinkitink and the Surly Goat: This is the first appearance of Rinkitink in canon since the book of his own name (Rinkitink in Oz), though his surly goat certainly cannot be the disenchanted Prince Bobo, but must be another goat which he befriended to keep him company. Mrs. Pickering Goes to Oz suggests that he named this goat Bilbil after the one he lost in Rinkitink in Oz.

Scalawagon: While it was implied in The Scalawagons of Oz, it is made explicit here. Scalawagons can fly [256-8].

Shaggy Man: Though he doesn't appear by name, the indication on page 107 of an "elderly man with scraggly clothes" is almost certainly him.

Soap Hollow: At the foot of the same mountain, Slippery Dick's kingdom of Soap Hollow appears to have a connection to Suds, also in the Winkie Country, from The Gnome King of Oz. The Haff & Martin map sagaciously places them together, which begs the question of what relationship does Slippery Dick have to Shampoozle. Is the former a vassal king of the latter. And if they are the same kingdom, what became of Shampoozle? J.L. Bell notes that "Some might therefore choose to believe that by LUCKY BUCKY Ozma had deposed Shampoozle and freed those people, and that Slippery Dick is the elected leader of the same territory."

Temporal Error: The sequence of events in the narrative is very off between chapters 9 and 11. Number Nine follows the events of Davy and Bucky to the point where they are in Kaliko's presence. Seeing a disturbance there, he takes the ambassa-door to the Gnome Kingdom and back [104/5]. The events of that encounter are later revealed on page 125. The problem is that Number Nine, after coming back from the Gnome Kingdom, goes to inspect the painting of the city walls, at which time the image of Mombi comes to life and flies away from Oz and over the Deadly Desert, where she encounters Davy and Bucky dealing with the Tickly Bender in Chapter 7, which took place the night before they encountered the Gnomes! When Bucky and Davy encounter Kaliko, Mombi is already hidden inside the whale! This is a time paradox (and a big mistake on the part of Neill and the editors at Reilly & Lee). Did Mombi fly back in time to an event that happened the night before? Did Number Nine jump ahead in time to aid in Bucky and Davy's escape? Oddly enough, it's not the only chronological error in the text. J.L. Bell notes: [Number Nine] frees Davy and Bucky from Kaliko on pages 125-8. Later he throws his voice back to the underground river on page 140 to advise them on getting out of the whirlpool. These episodes are 'hours' apart. Yet Nine was gone from the Wizard's workshop to the Nome Kingdom for only "A few minutes" [105], and immediately left the palace to inspect the city. Ken Shepard's chronology notes some other time impossibilities.

Tickly Bender: A nineteenth century expression for thin ice, or playing upon thin ice. Also called Kittly Bender. The being represented by that name in this story is a kind of mischievous water elemental, and may be the kind of entity that the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman complained of when they send the rivers brought down witches from the mountains and Jinkijinks.

Unreliable Text: As with Neill's prior two manuscripts, there are events present that are so outlandish and nonsensical, even by Oz standards, as well as contradictions that are "fundamental," "pervasive" and difficult to reconcile, that not a few have postulated exaggeration on Neill's part and a general unreliable text. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell takes this one step further, arguing "the text of LUCKY BUCKY can't be a reliable record of what Number Nine was up to during Bucky's journey. If we had Nine's own input, he'd presumably tell a more coherent story--a story which might also differ in significant respects on what he saw, or didn't see, Davy and Bucky do. Neill tells us he stumbled across a "special record of Lucky Bucky with all the details of his difficulties and hardships," and accepted it as accurate. I posit that that record reflects Bucky and Davy's claims, but doesn't include first-hand testimony from Number Nine or others in the Emerald City or other verification. Yet another Oz-as-history interpretation could be rooted in American history. LUCKY BUCKY was published shortly after the US entered a total war against the Axis. We now know that FDR's government kept a great many things secret during that time, including infiltration by German spies. The government also issued cover stories to protect some of its own activities. If saboteurs blew up a tugboat in the middle of New York harbor (creating an explosion that emitted light, as shown in Neill's drawing on page 17), the wartime government may have insisted that Neill not reveal all its details. That could lead to a narrative full of holes, loose ends, and relentless cheeriness."

Untold Tales: This book reveals a number of untold stories that occurred beforehand which had never before been mentioned.

Hunting Witches: On page 257, Ozma says "It's been a long time since we hunted witches together. I rather like it." The odd characterization of Ozma is told in the upcoming The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz. There was no story told of Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard hunting witches. And it's clear from this story that they weren't very successful.

Trickolas Om: There is an untold tale of this character, as the text of page 240 says "Next to Old Mombi, Trickolas Om had once been their greatest menace, disturbing the peace and quiet of the nation by transforming innocent people into lost keys and door-knobs, for he knew a few low tricks and was a practical joker as well." All that is known of his actions from before is that he transformed Little Sister and her brothers Tom, Dick and Harry into doorknobs (with him likely turning them first into Gabooches). Trickolas Om appears again in Button Bright of Oz, but this appears to take place after this story.

Winkie Rivers: An untold story exists of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman being harassed by what they call "mischievous rivers" who brought down witches from the mountains and Jinkyinks who regularly harassed and threw them into the rivers. So bad did this problem get that they had the Wizard roll up the river nearest them, as well as several others, and limit the distance and connectivity of the other rivers in the land, presumably to prevent what had been occurring. There is a possibility that the water elemental Tickly Bender is one of these Jinkijinks. Given that the rivers are sapient in Neill's conception [217] during the time-period he's covering, this must have happened within the span of two or three years prior to this story. This is further evidenced by the fact that the river beds are still dried up and there's no evidence of new growth or construction over them, except for the Wise Acres Country Club. When they release the rivers again, they merely resume their former pathways along the river beds. J.L. Bell notes a connection to one of the Little Wizard of Oz stories: "Neill has the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman tell of their difficulties with rivers [202]. This seems to echo the LITTLE WIZARD STORY about them, in which they try to go fishing and end up in various sorts of trouble. In that tale the tin man sinks straight to the bottom of a river while the Scarecrow can't dive at all--but it's not so funny when he loses an eye." That much earlier event lacks the witches that pull them into the rivers, though it may have started their concern about bodies of water.

Witches and Wizards of the Winkie River: As with the Winkie Rivers and Trickolas Om (see the notes above), there is an untold story here, as the Scarecrow says "We, too, had difficulties with the outlaws. Now we know where they are so we avoid their wild haunts." The picture of page 184/5 shows about 50 witches and sorcerers, while the one on page 188 depicts 13 creatures spying on Davy. Located in the Dangerous Passage on the International Wizard of Oz Club map in the northwestern corner of Oz, the map fails to indicate the mountains [186, 217] and forest that surround the area. This region is visited in the upcoming The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz.

Volcano Island: An island made of dough in the Nonentic Ocean, where bakers fend off pirates who seek after their baked goods. This is a very similar situation to what Thompson describes in her illustrated booklet The Prince of the Gelatin Isles, which she wrote for the Royal Baking Company in 1923, and may represent a neighboring locality.

Zerons: Snowmen also appear in the town of Icetown in the Winkie Country of Oz, in The Hidden Valley of Oz. Whether they are related to the Zerons or not is unknown.

Synopsis: Retired wheat farmer Barnaby Amos Fields of Willsford, Kansas struggles to adjust to his son Frank running the farm. His wife Bertha advises he go to the Miller auction and learn to relax. Barney agrees, and while chatting with a neighbor, spots the deputy escorting two hoboes out of town. The neighbor recalls they'd had a young boy with them earlier.

During the auction, Barney bids a dollar on a box of Big Little Books for his grandson and wins. When he sits to eat, a 12 year old boy tries to steal his sandwich. Barney offers it to him on the condition that he sit. The boy, Billy, explains that he was traveling with the two men, and is upset to learn they'd left without him. A commotion breaks out when the auction worker insists that Barney's neighbor bid on a mule, but he says he didn't and can't afford it. Barney pays the five dollars for the mule.

A storm threatens, and Barney invites Billy to accompany him and the mule to his barn. On the way, Billy pulls out one of the books Barney won, regretting that he can't read. Hearing that it's The Laughing Dragon of Oz, the mule terrifies his companions by speaking and telling them it's important they believe in Oz. As the storm intensifies, a horse's water tank careens into one of the windmill's legs. The mule, Barney and Billy jump into the tank to weigh it down, but lightning strikes the windmill, which lands in the tank and lifts them all up into the air. Awakening the next morning, Barney finds the tank is in a lake moving to shore. They get out and move into a forest, where Barney finds some baling wire that he tucks away. Billy notes how blueish everything looks.

In the Royal Palace, Jellia hands Ozma a message from Glinda inviting her to go over some matters found in the Great Book of Records. Concerned that something's wrong, she uses the Magic Picture to look in on old friends, and finds Captain Fyter tied up somewhere in the Gillikin Country. She asks the Shaggy Man and Hungry Tiger to bring a message to Nick Chopper about the situation.

Walking through the forest, the mule says his name is Two-Bits, and he's actually a retired reindeer from one of the teams that pulled Santa's sleigh. He'd come to Oz to visit a friend where he ran afoul of the Prankster, who turned him into a mule for the sport of it. When he retaliated, the Prankster sent him to the Outside World and said he'd never return until he found someone who believed in Oz. It seemed like a long time before he did. Two-Bits explains that their worlds "do not exist in the same dimension anymore. You can't just wander back and forth like in old times. It's really difficult to go from one world to the other now." He suspects the Prankster arrived through Santa's North Pole (the Kingdom of Kris Kringle also exists in a "different plane of existence"). Two-Bits needs to find him and make him undo what he did.

At last, the hungry party comes upon a place called Pamela's Pies, where Pamela serves them a variety of pies and ice cream. She tells them that they're in the Munchkin Country, and when Barney tries to pay, she informs him that no one in Oz uses money and that they all share. While Billy enjoys his dessert, Barney fashions from the baling wire a six-inch tall greyhound, but Pamela's intrigued by the Oz book, which she says could have magic. This appears to be the case, for when the book touches the wire-dog, it comes to life and starts lapping up Billy's ice cream. Barney starts to unmake him, but the dog protests that he's just arrived and will be a good buddy. Barney ignores him and straightens out the baling wire. He refashions it into a monkey, but nothing happens. Then a cat. Again, nothing. Finally, at the prompting of Billy and Pamela, he remakes the greyhound, who comes back to life. Barney names him Bouncer.

Shaggy and the Hungry Tiger comes upon Woot driving a four-wheeled spring-wagon that combines bicycle and bus. Woot winds the coiled spring each morning to power it, recognizing that some magic must be involved to keep it going all day. Shaggy nicknames it the Woot Wagon. Woot invites them onboard. En route to the Tin Castle, Woot explains that he chose to grow older because he knew it would be safer for him as a wanderer. By late afternoon, they hear a cry of distress, and discover a grizzly and leopard cub called Trixie and Moxie, who insist they're twins.

Pamela suggests that with the rainstorm, they should stay at the Blue Harness Hotel, and she gives them a trick box to keep their Oz book in. The proprietor of the hotel, Clem, gives them accommodations and in the morning tells Barney that he should inquire at the O-Bar-Z Ranch about the Prankster. He also gives him a saddle to more comfortably ride the mule on. Hours later, they find themselves pursued by three froglike creatures called muddlumps who ride astride razorback hogs. Because they're on the private property of Lazy W, they take them to their ranch to see their boss Bobcat Bob, who will probably put them to work in the mines. The muddlumps see the box and try to open it, but are unable to. After they leave, Bouncer chews through their bonds, and Two-Bits suggests they take the razorbacks to escape.

At the Tin Castle, Shaggy and Woot agree to accompany Nick Chopper to find Captain Fyter, while Hungry Tiger brings the cubs to the Emerald City. The Woot Wagon travels north the next morning into the Gillikin Country, where they come upon the swamp Muddy Mire. The wagon gets stuck and as they push it, Nick's joints start to rust. Suddenly, the swamp comes to life and calls them trespassers and water stealers. Shaggy explains that they're no such thing, but the Prankster had said the same thing before stealing the March Monster's water. They rush off to the wagon, but Woot and Shaggy are dehydrated. When the creature catches up, Nick explains that he will help him retrieve water. Agreeing, the Marsh Monster directs them to a nearby stream, where they can let the water elemental there know of his plight. Joints oiled, Nick makes the trip and returns with water for Woot and Shaggy. They then ask the creek to wash the wagon, after which they make good on their promise to the Marsh Monster.

The Prankster, meanwhile, seeks shelter in a cave, but the tall, lean man falls down the slope and breaks his leg. With no spell to heal him in the spell book he carries, he inches into the cave, where a thunderous voice addresses him by his real name, Tommy, and tells him that after finding the Prankster's Book of Phine Pranks, he's used it for his amusement at the expense of others, and now a prank just as amusing has been played on him. Since Tommy has helped no one, he will not receive help. Tommy promises to free everyone of the tricks he played on them, but the voice just says "perhaps" and departs laughing.

Taking back their book from the muddlumps just as Bobcat Bob appears, Billy and Bouncer join Barney at the stables, where he's saddled two razorbacks. With Two-Bits in the lead, they race off for the O-Bar-Z ranch, two hours away, losing their pursuers along the way. Once there, a ranch hand named Rusty feeds and takes them to their quarters, but he wakes them up when he discovers the saddles from the Lazy W ranch, and assumes they're saboteurs. He puts them in the root cellar, though Two-Bits explains all that transpired. The next day, they meet the ranch's red-haired owner, Callie Conniption, who invites them to stay for barbecue. She shows them the field where they grow and harvest steaks from Earleaf plants, which grow like corn stalks, and have leaves that look like cows' ears. During the delicious meal, they explain what happened. Callie has a book of magic her mother left her, and uses it to disenchant Two-Bits. Unfortunately, it leaves him a goat. Barney notices that someone changed the spell, and Callie reveals that the Prankster was there a month ago. Recalling his destination was the Candy Caverns, she agrees to meet up with them in a few days after the harvest.

The Woot Wagon travels northeast, skirting rivers and mountains, and stops at a cabin where they meet a burly bear who left her cave when she found a human occupying it. They follow her directions to the cave and find a feverish, dehydrated man with a broken leg. Shaggy and Nick set the bone while Woot gets him what little water they have. They comes upon a spell book, and knowing that no one besides Ozma, the Wizard, and Glinda should be practicing magic, hold onto it.

Barney's party heads southeast the next morning, hiding from muddlumps riding giant lizards. By afternoon, they reach the Candy Caverns and are escorted into the chocolate and candy-making facilities, and invited to eat at the tasting pole where they can select any flavors they want. Greeted by scientists Farf and Narf, they explain that the Prankster was there, but after turning two workers, Bart and Art, into monkeys, he was sent through the Illuminator Transporter. The monkeys accompany them into the transporter, which brings them to the wild part of the Gillikin Country.

Stopping for the night, Shaggy and Woot are met by two girls with bows and arrows. Shaggy invites them to share their fire, and the girls, Mara and Clara, give them directions to the nearest watering hole. But when they're not looking, they steal the magic book. When Nick returns from reconnoitering the area, they follow the girls' direction to a pool beneath the falls, where the dehydrated Tommy drinks. But then a man appears, explaining that they can't drink there. He's the Guardian of the Forbidden Water, the very same water found in the Fountain of Oblivion, but even more potent, as one drop causes complete memory loss. Too late for Tommy, the Guardian says he has a team of three helpers in the house who rehabilitate people who drink from the pool. He also points them to the trail from which Captain Fyter usually comes to visit.

Leaving a sign for Callie to follow, Barney's party heads to the Gillikin Mountains. They hear a noise, and fleeing rabbits warn them to run, but it turns out to be Captain Fyter, tied up with a magical rope that can't be untied, broken or burned. The monkeys, meanwhile, lead Bouncer off to play, but they lose their way. Avoiding a burly bear, they're then captured by a tribe of little people painted in purple called the Purple Scamps.

Shaggy and his friends discover the spell book was stolen, but are interrupted by a strange cry from a man and his wife grieving the loss of their two daughters. Hearing that they're not Mara and Clara, but Trixie and Moxie, Shaggy promises them Ozma will help. Callie, meanwhile, uses the transporter to arrive at the Gillikin Country, where she follows the sign. She discovers Clara and Mara singing. Not trusting them, she snatches up the spell book and offers them chocolate in exchange for it. Sneaking away from the odd girls, she explores the book to find remedies for all the pranks the Prankster pulled. Bouncer chews through the monkeys' bindings, and they come upon Callie, who disenchants Bart and Art. They then catch up to Barney and his party. She properly disenchants a grateful Two-Bits back into a reindeer. Just then, the Woot Wagon rolls into view, and after introductions, Callie realizes that with the aid of the magic Oz book, she can break the bonds on Captain Fyter.

Two-Bits returns with Art and Bart to the Candy Caverns, from where he can go back home, and says goodbye to Billy. Callie explains how she came upon the book, and her description of the Prankster matches that of Tommy, whose no longer a threat. Captain Fyter departs to inform Trixie and Moxie's parents that they'll be reunited with them soon.

Three days hence, the remaining companions arrive at the Emerald City. Shaggy introduces them to Ozma, who invites Callie to help her disenchant Trixie and Moxie. Once done, the Magic Belt sends them home. Callie shows Ozma the book and all the pranks Tommy played, and Ozma asks her to stay for awhile to help her and the Wizard undo the wicked spells. Nick and Woot bid everyone farewell. The next day, Jellia brings Barney, Billy and Bouncer to breakfast, where they tell Ozma the story of how the dog came to life. Ozma agrees that the Oz book is magical and summons Professor Wogglebug to the Royal Gardens. He gives Billy a pill which enables the boy to read. Ozma then asks them if they wish to stay in Oz, return to Kansas, or something else. Barney says he'll tell her tomorrow.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The cost of the Big Little books that Barney purchases (e.g., The Laughing Dragon of Oz) as well as the mule ($5.00) indicates a very early time frame, as does the fact that only Ozma, the Wizard, and Glinda are allowed to practice magic (though Ozma makes a notable exception for Callie), all of which means it's likely a short time after the publication of The Laughing Dragon of Oz in 1935.

Magic and the Magic of Oz Books: It's stated by Pamela of Pamela's Pies that some Oz books have magical properties. Ozma agrees with this sentiment, indicating that Barney's book, The Laughing Dragon of Oz, is one of those, and serves to bring to life Bouncer, a small dog made of baling wire. There is a question as to why Ozma allows Callie to practice magic at a time when this wasn't done. It's of note that Glinda's not around when she does this. There's no indication that Ozma tells Callie she can't practice magic afterwards, but this may have occurred offscreen. Ozma likely discerned (or was told) that Callie isn't a practicing magician or sorceress. She merely used a book her mother left her (who and where her mother is remains unstated) to help undo the damage of the Prankster.

Forbidden Fountain: Apart from the Waters of Oblivion found in the Fountain of Oblivion in the Royal Gardens, there is an additional source of this water hidden in the Gillikin Mountains, known as the Forbidden Waters, and guarded by a man known as the Guardian of the Forbidden Water. Apart from his duties guarding the pool, he and three others work towards rehabilitating anyone who accidentally drinks of the water, noting that they usually turn into better people than they were before. Who appointed them this task, and how long they've been at it, is unknown.

The Prankster: The Prankster turns out to have been a tall lean man with dark eyes, a long mustache, tan eyes, and an expensive frock coat. All that's known of him is his name Tommy, and the fact that he was not a prankster until he came upon the spell book The Prankster's Book of Phine Pranks, with which he goes about playing cruel tricks on people, children and animals, pretty much anyone he comes across. After he breaks his leg, a thunderous voice accuses him of his wicked crimes, and informing him that he's gotten his just desserts. Although Tommy is rescued, his drink at the Forbidden Waters, removed all of his memories. Where he originally came from is unknown, though Two-Bits speculates that he arrived through Kris Kringle's Kingdom. How he got there is not stated. Similarly, there's indication as to who the original Prankster was. There was the trickster, Trickolas Om, from Button Bright of Oz, and the Jester, from Dorothy of Oz.

Other Dimensions: Two-Bits explains that Oz is no longer in the same dimension as the Outside World, but indicates that although that there was a time when they were, and one could wander into the other, now it's much more difficult. He also indicates that Santa's realm of the North Pole, which he calls the Kingdom of Kris Kringle, is also in another dimension. Likely, this is the same dimension as Nonestica, as Santa had come from Burzee and the Laughing Valley (The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus).

48th book of the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five

History: John R. Neill's final Oz story went unpublished in his lifetime and he died prior to illustrating it. In 1990, Fred Meyer and Robert Pattrick produced a copy called A Runaway in Oz, which was then "enlarged and edited" by Margot Daniella Mueller, who distributed 67 "xerox and staple" copies. The illustrator is left uncredited. A few years later, Books of Wonder sought to produce a hardcover edition in the style of the originals, and obtained the services of Eric Shanower, who re-edited the manuscript and illustrated it. That version, re-titled The Runaway in Oz, was released in 1995. There are some differences with "A Runaway in Oz," which will be detailed soon.

Synopsis: After Jellia Jamb scolds Scraps the Patchwork Girl for scuffing the floor, and the Tin Woodman scolds Scraps for scuffing his polish, and Evangeline the Dragonette scolds her for knocking off her scales, Scraps angrily heads to Jenny Jump's Style Shop to fix the rent in her dress which she got from crashing into Evangeline. But when Jenny Jump—already late for the banquet in honor of the arrival of ten of the most important monarchs of the Gillikin Country—turns her down (explaining that it would take hours of stitching), Scraps decides to run away.

Riding into the Munchkin Country on her spoolicle, a kind of bicycle designed by Jack Pumpkinhead, she stops off at Jinjur's farm, asking if she can stay. Jinjur's horse Jennifer has doubts about her, but Jinjur agrees to let her stay if she'll do work on the farm. Scraps attempts to plow a cabbage patch, to little success, and when Jinjur marches in followed by a regimen of extra large blue squashes, to inform her that plowing will continue for three weeks, Scraps runs away again, this time wondering if she should leave Oz altogether to explore the countries beyond. She turns down a path marked Lazy Lane, where she soon plunges into a pothole, tearing her dress further and breaking the spoolicle.

Near half a mile away, she comes to a house with a sign promising to fix anything. Entering, she finds a little old man with a lengthy beard. With a magic feather duster, the Repairman repairs the spoolicle and Scraps. When she asks how to get out of Oz, he acknowledges that he's only a "Repairer of Broken Things," but advises her to seek out the Weather Witch in the southeastern corner of Oz on top of the highest, steepest mountain in Oz. Her windmill blows weather to wherever it's needed in the world and can certainly blow Scraps out of Oz.

From there she follows Lazy Lane to a sign pointing the way to the Wogglebug's Royal Athletic College, which she follows, hoping someone there will point her towards the Weather Witch's mountain. She soon crashes into a game of marbles, which the students are playing with the Professor's Education Pills. Scraps plays and meets the young winner of the game, a twelve-year old boy named Alexample, who admits that marbles is the only sport he likes or is good at, and that he'd rather read books than take pills, but the college is the only place he knows of to get a higher education. Just then, Professor Wogglebug's castle in the air comes into view, and Alexample explains how the Wogglebug had been taking extra naps to dream it up for his vacation. He intends to spend a week afloat in his castle. Scraps invites Alexample to come along with her to see Fanny and become a runaway with her. He agrees and they go off in the spoolicle, but when it hits a root, the two are pitched off. Alexample is thrown to the rope mooring the castle, which becomes unwound, and he goes floating off with the castle, much to the anger of the Wogglebug who blames Scraps.

Scraps then speeds off to her destination, the mountain of the Weather Witch. As she rides up the mountain, however, the winds prove daunting, knocking her off the spoolicle. Persevering, she makes it to High Faluting City, where she is greeted by the guard, who like the people living there, are flat like cardboard. When the winds grow fierce, their houses fold down like accordions. A local woman, Flatima, explains that they're painlessly pressed flat every week so that they don't blow off the mountain. Scraps sees the benefit of that when she tries and fails to go further up the mountain. Flatima takes her to the Press Room, where Scraps is flattened.

The next day, Scraps rides her spoolicle up the mountain and flattens herself any time a strong wind blows. During one such instance, she meets a small straight bush with the face of a beautiful woman. The bush introduces herself as Popla the Power Plant, the strongest and most energetic plant in the world. She desperately wishes to depart the lonely mountain ledge. Scraps agrees to take her along on her runaway adventure, but in order for her to move she needs a flower pot, so Scraps rides back down to secure one from High Faluting. Then, together on the bike, after agreeing not to speak in rhymes, they travel up to the top of the mountain. Once there, they're unable to slow down, and crash into Fanny's windmill home, knocking over the china in the room. A muscular woman in overalls, who turns out to be Fanny, grabs Scraps. Popla introduces herself as the most powerful plant in the world, and Fanny challenges her to a wrestling match! Popla literally sweeps her off her feet, and Fanny bursts out laughing, glad for the challenge. She welcomes them and gives them a tour of the windmill and the machinery and bellows she uses to make the weather of the world. Unlike most windmills, she makes wind with the mill, and if ever she makes a mistake, she sends a cloud pusher or sky sweeper to tackle it. Fanny agrees to send them over and tells them when to jump out the window so that they don't hit the windmill arms and the wind will carry them across the Deadly Desert. But Popla waits a second too long and falls upon the windmill arm, breaking it, and swinging up into the sky.

The Wogglebug, meanwhile, angry at Scraps for the loss of his dream castle, heads to the Emerald City to report her to the Wizard. When he encounters Jinjur and her vegetable army, he complains to her that Scraps has ruined the first vacation he's had in nearly forty years. Moving on, he later encounters Jack Pumpkinhead and Jenny Jump, who explain that the Wizard is off with Number Nine "traveling the remotest corners of Oz ridding the country of dumb little kings and their kingdumbs." Ozma has escorted the ten Gillikin monarchs to each of their monarchies. Jack is upset over the loss of Scraps, so Jenny and he go off in search of her, Jack with his sack of singing shoes to lure Scraps, and Jenny with her malfunctioning suitcase containing her fairy powers. The Wogglebug accompanies them past his college, deep into the Munchkin country. When Jenny goes to retrieve her fairy gifts, so as to better locate Scraps, her bag fails to produce them, and although her spyglass spots Scraps in the far distance, they're forced to continue searching without magic.

They soon come upon a forest of mirrors, where even the pathway is mirrored. They encounter a bubble-shaped glass house, glass cow and glass man, stirring a cauldron. Broken glass lies everywhere. The glass man tells them that he saw them coming, and intends to melt them down and make glass of them so that he can repair himself. Enchanted by the mirror, Jenny fails to respond and is made invisible. Incensed, Jack advances upon the glass man, who falls and shatters, breaking every mirror in the forest, as well as the glass cow and glass house. Jenny reappears and they depart the mirror forest.

Scraps and Popla, meanwhile, land on a small friendly cloud, only to discover that Fanny is after them and has sent her cloud-pushers to retrieve them. A thundercloud proves too much for the little cloud who lets them off on a star and flees. Coming out from the star's interior is Captain Battery-Bat, a manlike being made up of tightly coiled wires and lightbulbs for eyes, who tries to shock them with his electrifying hands if they won't serve him. Scraps punches him in his push-button nose, causing him to temporarily shut off. The Twinkler then appears, an older human man whose been polishing up the star as a slave for Captain Batt for so many years he's forgotten his name and past life. Gladly, he agrees to join them and become a runaway too. But then Fanny catches up with them! Popla takes the controls and flies off, pressing "shoot," which shoots the star into the sky. But then they crash into an unknown celestial object.

Jack, Jenny and the Wogglebug, meanwhile search the Munchkin Country as a rainstorm erupts, causing Jack to lose his head as stormcloud shoots lightning at a star, which flies off. In the morning, the Wogglebug agrees to search for one more day as Jenny leads around a headless Jack. The Wogglebug and Jenny climb a poetree, inside which lives a poet with thousands of verses, many of which grow on the tree as leaves. Unable to get help from him they depart.

As it was the Wogglebug's dream castle they'd crashed into, Scraps introduces Popla and the Twinkler to Alexample. Popla falls in the love with the gardens while the young boy gives the others a tour of the magnificent castle, after which they decide they'd all like to live there forever. Alexample shows the Twinkler to the pantry while Popla plants her roots in the soil. That afternoon they meet sky fairies and air sprites, as well as cloud sheep, cloud pushers and sky sweepers. Even the friendly cloud stops by for a chat. They also encounter the Rainbow briefly. But then a dangerous cloud ship with air pirates onboard attack! Popla extends her branches, grabbing pirates on the ship and tossing them about. Alexample uses his slingshot to shoot education pills at the pirates' heads. Soon enough they retreat and the Twinkler prepares for them a delicious repast.

Three days later, lost in a giant orchard, Jenny Jump, the Wogglebug and body of Jack Pumpkinhead give up the search for Scraps. They come upon a friendly bandbox that plays music, and warns them that the quinces are coming. The reason they can't depart the enchanted forest is because some months ago angry farmers closed it to prevent the rebelling quinces from leaving. That night, the shoes and bandbox play music, but in the morning they find themselves surrounded by quinces, who poke and prod them with their sharp thorns. The Imperial Quince and Quincess address the Wogglebug, who offends them, so they prepare the conse-quinces and attack the party. But in the sky above, the dream castle, now a week old, begins to disintegrate around Scraps, Alexample, Popla and the Twinkler, who scramble around frightened and unsure of what to do.

Meanwhile, frustrated that she's been unable to retrieve her fairy gifts from her suitcase, Jenny determines to find them, and begins emptying it of all its contents, but all that come out are rubber boots, which soon form a giant pile around her. Upon them fall the former residents of the melted dream castle, crushing the king quince. The quincess calls for vengeance upon Scraps, and the conse-quinces pursue her on her spoolicle. Finally, they trap her and pelt her with black balls of soot that they dislodge from their heads, after which they fall over dead.

Undaunted by the fact that Scraps is blackened from head to foot, the Wogglebug chases her, only to be thwarted by Popla who protects her. The families of the enchanted orchard then emerge to celebrate the defeat of the quinces, but Scraps cannot be consoled due the loss of her color, nor the Wogglebug at the loss of his dream castle. But Jenny happily finds her fairy gifts, and flies off to find a pumpkin for Jack. As the Twinkler joins in the preparation of a feast, Jenny finds a carver who carves a happy face, and Jack is restored. Scraps, however, refuses to return to the Emerald City and dons a white sheet so that no one can see her. Popla carries her, Alexample, the Wogglebug, Jenny and Jack aboard the spoolicle so that Ozma or the Wizard can restore her. The Twinkler chooses to stay behind to make his new life in the orchard as a chef.

Scraps insists on entering the Emerald City on her own, and vacillates between continuing on as a runaway, or reuniting with Ozma and Popla, who she made go on ahead of her with the promise of coming along shortly. In the end, she chooses to return. On her way into the palace, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers and an old dragon run off in terror, thinking a ghost is walking in their midst. In the throne room, Ozma restores Scraps' original colors and offers Popla a permanent home in the palace. Scraps then determines that she will not be parted from Popla, and won't run away again, until the mood strikes her to!

Continuity Notes

Alexample: A twelve year old boy and rare example of a student at the Wogglebug's Royal College of Athletic Arts who cares more for an education than for sports. He also holds to a contradictory view of education than the Wogglebug, whose college he attends because he knows of no other. Whereas the Wogglebug finds knowledge easier to swallow than to acquire it "laboriously from books," [The Emerald City of Oz; chapter 9] on page 157 of The Runaway in Oz, Alexample states that the dream castle's library renders "any pill obsolete." This may account for the antipathy these characters portray in the story, and the idea that Alexample perhaps better deserved a vacation dream castle than the Wogglebug. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Ruth Berman notes that "Alexemple is a book-lover and really enjoys reading, so digesting facts in a more literal way isn't as much fun for him. Baum was thinking of the College as a place to dump twerps who aren't good for any real work, but both RPT and Neill seem to have thought of the College as maybe genuinely a place where people want to find things out. Another change Neill made was in making the College co-educational."

Bandbox: A small musical box that lives in the Enchanted Orchard in the Munchkin Country. Not unlike Victor Columbia Edison, he was abandoned by his owner who didn't like the music he played. The bandbox plays a centuries old traditional Scottish pipe tune called "The Campbells are Coming." How the bandbox and the Wogglebug know the song is unclear, though there appears to be a Celtic influx of people in Oz in olden days, as judged by places and people like Gilkenny, which may be the origins of the Gillikin name. The farmer who the bandbox formerly lived with may have been of Scottish descent.

Battery Batt: Aka. Captain Current in the Fred Meyer/Robert Pattrick version. There is speculation that he is a creation of Smith & Tinker.

Dating: Story takes place over the course of seven days. It can be dated by what the Wogglebug says in terms of not having had a vacation in nearly two score years, which is the equivalent of forty years. The Wogglebug first became a working individual in 1901 after he was magnified. The reader, of course, doesn't know if the Wogglebug is rounding the number or exaggerating for dramatic effect. It's safe to say, however, that the Wogglebug probably isn't far off in his estimation, and the fact that he says "nearly two score years" [101] indicates a more precise reckoning. In other words, he's saying 39 years. His idea of a vacation is also clearly indicated to mean lying about his dream castle, reading. So, the various adventures he's had over the course of 39 years do not, in his mind, count as a proper vacation.

Editorial Emendations: On Tor.com's "Oz Reread" series, editor/illustrator Eric Shanower explained to reviewer Mari Ness how he turned The Runaway in Oz into a publishable book, and why it works much better than the three books Neill wrote for Reilly & Lee:

1. Take out whatever made no sense.
2. Write bridging material to join the parts that made sense.
3. Fit back in around the edges--in ways that made sense--as much as I could of what I'd taken out.
4. Make sure it was more or less consistent with the established Oz series.
5. Make sure it was a readable, reasonably enjoyable book.

I frequently embellished what was already there, but I inserted no new major characters or events, except for one expansion and one addition. I expanded Jenny Jump's role in order to try to correct as much of the damage that the Reilly & Lee editor had done to Jenny in the published Wonder City of Oz and to restore her, as far as was reasonable, to Neill's original conception of Jenny in his Wonder City manuscript. And the addition I made was Jenny's suitcase, because she just wouldn't be Jenny Jump without a ready change of clothes--and I needed something for the group to land on after falling from the Castle in the Air--Neill's manuscript just had them fall all that way without any explanation of how they remained uninjured when they hit the ground.

Fanny the Weather Witch: Not a true witch, Fanny uses what appears to be magical machinery, a windmill that grinds out wind and storms. Fanny is said to be responsible for the weather of the world, and countries outside of fairyland, such as Ulan Bator (the capital of Mongolia), the Andes, Halifax, the South Pacific, and Tashkent (the capital of Uzbekistan) are named, though this seems suspect. She also mentions places in Fairyland, such as the Forest of Burzee. But there is a question as to how Fanny is responsible for even just the weather in Oz, as there is the entity known as the Rain King, though perhaps she works alongside him. On the BCF Pumperdink forums, Ruth Berman notes that it's: "Maybe some kind of cooperative arrangement? Fanny's mill produces wind, and she's described as having valves for snow and hail, but it doesn't actually say she produces rain. (She mentions being able to get help from cloud-pushers and sky-sweepers if needed to correct storms or lightning, but she doesn't actually claim that storms or lightning are her work.)" I also suspect that Fanny was at one time associated with the Weather Man, from Dr. Angelina Bean in Oz, though whether romantically or in some other capacity is not known at this time.

The Glass Man: This unusual being of glass appears to have been a kind of magician, or at the very least a magical being, as his mirrored realm was somehow directly connected to him. When he broke, so too did the mirrored pathway, mirrors, glass cow and glass house, all of which he appears to have been fashioned from his cauldron. His nature was clearly wicked since he intended to melt down the Wogglebug, Jack Pumpkinhead and Jenny Jump (people he hoped would be of "the correct consistency") so that he could make glass out of them and repair the damage to his body. The mirrors in his domain seemed to have a hypnotizing effect, and he was able to use them to turn Jenny invisible. Where he came from is yet unknown, though there is a possibility he was originally hails from Silica (from The Hidden Prince of Oz).

High Faluting City: While the residents appear to be human, canine and feline, the fact that they are flattened out every week, without harm to themselves, appears to indicate that they're something besides human, canine and feline.

Jenny Jump: Pages 104 and 109 were written in accordance with the published version of The Wonder City of Oz, in which an anonymous editor changed Neill's manuscript to have the Wizard magically lobotomize Jenny and de-age her. In the original, the latter happens gradually over time and the former never happens. Shanower's edited version of The Runaway in Oz reconciles that version by indicating that the Wizard restored her bad temper (see "Editorial Emendations"). However, in the event that the original version of The Wonder City of Oz is ever published, the statements on these two pages will likely fail to harmonize with the newly restored original version.

Kingdoms of Oz: Page 103 indicates that the Wizard is off with Number Nine "traveling the remotest corners of Oz ridding the country of dumb little kings and their kingdumbs." The latter pun aside, this appears to be an indication that Ozma is finally doing something about some of the violent kingdoms we've read about over the years. How exactly the Wizard is "ridding the country" of them we don't know. Ozma would certainly oppose any violent solutions, so it may be possible that the Wizard, armed with his magic bag and assistant, are simply going around deposing these "dumb" minor kings of their power and ability to cause harm. In either case, it goes some ways towards explaining why some of these kingdoms are not present in later stories. Ozma is, interestingly, on a similar, though far more diplomatic mission, inspecting the ten monarchies in the north (See "Ten Important Gillikin Monarchs") [104]. That the author uses the word "inspect" indicates that she is likely making some changes to their way of governing, including the final eradication of a money-based economy (as noted in the Thompson books) in some of these kingdoms, as well as a reiteration of her nonviolent policies.

Popla: A sapient bush with a beautiful woman's face; her name reflects both the poplar tree that she no doubt resembles and the power plant, a pun on her tremendous strength. How she came to grow on the side of the Weather Witch's Mountain is not known. Like the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, she and Scraps form an intense bond of friendship.

Sapient and Sentient Vegetables: The irate quinces of the Orchard Lands and Jinjur's marching squashes [29] are examples of sapient and sentient vegetables. Jinjur's squashes don't appear to be actually living, but merely enchanted in such a way as to enable their easy transport. The quinces, on the other hand, have personalities and even a king and queen, the former of whom is squashed (another pun), presumably destroying him.

Sky Sweepers and Sky Scrapers: These beings clean weather debris from the sky. Though not stated in the text, it's possible they reside in the Cloud Kingdom (see Oziana 1993: "Jubulut")

Ten Important Gillikin Monarchs: The grand banquet for the ten most important monarchs of the Gillikin country might include: 1) Joe King (and Queen Hyacinth), who rule the entire quadrant, 2) King Kinda Jolly (and his wife) from Kimbaloo, 3) Gugu from the Forest of Gugu, 4) King Pompus and Queen Pozy of Pumperdink, 5) King Gil of Gilkenny, 6) Princess Gayelette, 7) King Randy of Regalia, 8) Lady Aurex of the Skeezers, 9) the Three Adepts of the Flathead Mountain, and 10) Nifflepok of the Silver Mountain. Other possibilities include: the King of the Winged Monkeys, the King of Kiltoon and the King of Portmore (Red Reera the Yookoohoo and the Enchanted Easter Eggs of Oz). Nathan DeHoff also considers the possibility of the following: King Bal Loon, the Great Dragon from The Tin Woodman of Oz, the Ruler of Rith Metic, King Cheer of the Illumi Nation, the King of the Soup Sea, Kinda Jolly, Rollo the Worst, the Queen of Catty Corners, Vanetta (Vanette?) of Blankenburg, Queen Torpedora, King Kumup, Delva, Nandywog, Ozwoz (sort of), Tip-Topper, Nifflepok and Sleeperoo. Another option is Princess Angelique and Prince Allen from "Courtships of Mistakes," from The Emerald City Mirror #20.

Wogglebug's Dream Castle: It is unclear how the Wogglebug dreamt up a physical item, let alone something as grand as a floating castle. It's also curious that it disintegrates after a week. On the Pumperdink forum, Ruth Berman wonders if "Perhaps it was an experiment in dream-casting that hadn't been tried before? I wonder if we could assume that he got help in the building from the Kingdom of Dreams on the Oz map that never wound up getting used in an Oz book."

Synopsis: The Scarecrow arrives to inform Ozma that an apple tree that Button-Bright had showed him three days earlier has grown as tall as the palace. Ozma concludes that it must be a magic tree, but Dorothy doesn't trust its balance. The Scarecrow would like it for his farm, but the Wizard and Ozma think it will cause harm. No attempt to cut it down succeeds, so the Wizard tries magic, but even that fails in its deed.

Afterwards, they go to the Magic Picture to find Button-Bright, whose lost again, a puzzle since the Guardian of the Gates was to report if he ever left the city. The Wizard decides to give his assistant Number Nine the job of locating Button-Bright every morning. In the Picture, they spot him with a thin stick-like man of steel and someone with spectacles. Big-headed people nearby roll hoops in some kind of game. Wearing red, the group conclude he's in the Quadling Country. Convinced Button-Bright's fine, they turn back to the matter of the tree. The Wizard's Technical Dictionary tells him that they need to retrieve special Copper Dust from the Everblue Tree Grove. Meanwhile, the Wizard tries some of his Inhibiting Elixir, which appears to stop the tree's growth for the time being. Ozma, Dorothy, the Wizard and Scarecrow set out for the Special Copper Dust (meanwhile Scraps heads out with the Hungry Tiger to visit Jo King and Queen Hyacinth).

Three days earlier, Button-Bright, riding his Over-cycle through the city, bumped into a homely merchant peddling candy from his shop. Unbeknownst to him, it is the magician Trickolas Om (first mentioned in Lucky Bucky in Oz). He convinces the boy to retrieve a two-handled mirror made of platinum that will bring him goodies to eat and drink. Button-Bright asks him why he doesn't retrieve it himself, but Om admits that the passageway is too narrow for anyone his size to get through. Button-Bright likes the idea of tricking the Guardian of the Gates, who he knows has been watching him, and accepts a banana that Om gives him which will turn him invisible. Walking south and climbing a hill, he soon chases an animal and finds himself in a strange foggy forest.

He spots a house, wherein live three lean men, who spend their days pouring over a scroll and plotting to conquer the world. Purple Smudge, Brown Smoulder and Yellow Smoke proceed to share their plans with him until they're interrupted by their cook, an immense woman with a black patch over her eye, who feeds the hungry boy and gives him a bed. He's awakened the next morning by the blasting of a horn. The three men inform him that the cook is also the Mistress of the Forest, and must blow a mist each morning with her fog horn. She returns to feed him, but her patch is on the other eye, which she explains is to protect it. She can't take the light, which is why she blows a fog each morning, so that the light from the sun doesn't blind her. She laughs at the notion that the three men would be able to conquer anything and instructs Button-Bright to find the Mystic Compass in the yard which points to the Emerald City. The boy soon discovers, however, that her fog also makes it difficult to get out of the forest, despite the direction the compass points to, and he ends up walking in a circle.

Button-Bright meets a forlorn-looking man with wrinkled clothes and old-fashioned square spectacles whose also been lost in the fog. His name is Packer, called so because he always carries packs with him, and he informs the boy that the forest turns around in a slow spin like a merry-go-round. Packer is a worrier and a collector of ivory. Hearing what sounds like a frog, they discover a structure that houses a fog pump. The fog horn of the mistress magically causes it to start pumping fog. Button-Bright determines to destroy it, which they do, helping to diminish the fog, but they soon discover that either it's been repaired or there are a dozen or so wells that pump fog in the forest.

Elsewhere, next to the Foggy Forest, grows a unique giant tree with thirty-seven branches. On each is thirty-seven pods, which every thirty-seven years bursts open. Out pops a Needlepin (for it is a Needlepin tree), a large sapient needle-person. That day, the pod burst and alongside their king Whist, the Needlepin people awaited the birth of the prince, who they'd named Plop. Out shot the new Needlepin, but instead of landing on the Cushion Plant, it sailed into the mysterious Foggy Forest on the other side of the village. Their Chief Adviser Sharpy tells them to begin the process of preparing a long journey to find him. Plop, meanwhile, finds himself on the side of a wooden castle door. It begins pounding from the other side. Wiggling he soon falls out before a stocky woman picks him up, addressing herself as the owner of Mutton Mountain and the one that got him out of the wall. She tells him that he is Plop, of the royal branch of the Needlepins, son of the king, sent to her to serve her for a year. She was once a giantess who was wickedly enchanted to a smaller size. She will be his manager and he will cook and keep the castle clean. Plop is content enough with this arrangement, and follows her instructions for each task.

Button-Bright and Packer, meanwhile, cross a brook at the center of the Foggy Forest. In time, they reach the castle where Plop has begun serving his formerly giant manager. Plop answers the door and invites them in. He tells them what he knows of his mistress, explaining that she is currently searching for a certain vine on the mountain that will enable her to regain her former stature. She soon arrives and introducing herserlf as Lazzel, invites them to spend the night. She has Plop escort them to their room. After some hours, they see yellow eyes looking at them. It reveals itself to be a raven, grown to giant size, who tells them that they're prisoners, and he'll help them escape. He'd witnessed the day Lazzel was shrunk by someone riding a black stork who threw a powder at her. In the dawn before sunrise, the raven awakens them. He can only carry one of them at a time, but gets them outside the castle. The Raven comes up with a plan. As he knows where the white vine is that Lazzel is looking for, he'll trade her for a wooden chest in her kitchen. There, the boys will hide. To ensure she keeps her word, he'll claim to lead her to mutton, which she loves to eat. There are hardly any left on Mutton Mountain, however.

In the castle, they explain their plan to Plop, who concludes that he should escape as well. The Raven tells him he must spring into the air after them when they leave. When she arrives, Button-Bright and Packer hide, and the Raven greets her and tells her he's found the white vine, which he'll give her in exchange for the chest. She agrees and he takes her to the vine, but he doesn't allow her to touch it until she assures him that if she keeps her side of the bargain. At that point, he'll show her to a herd of sheep. She agrees, and seizes the vine, growing larger and larger. Returning to her castle, she picks up the chest in which Button-Bright and Packer are hiding. With their departure, Plop springs into the air and lands in the soil; then picking himself up, he continues this pattern, following the giantess out of the Foggy Forest. She puts the chest down as the Raven leads her away on the false premise of leading her to sheep, allowing the stowaways to escape.

Earlier, Trickolas Om had ordered Stacy—a black stork who he forced to serve him by means of a magic ring around his neck—to fly him into the air to find Button-Bright, but it proves to no avail. Trickolas orders him to get a hummingbird web so that he can make his Tomorrow Brew and discover where Button-Bright is. The bird puzzles at his obsession with Button-Bright, but Trickolas explains that he has the right Zigrashen Vibrations to his heartbeat to allow the key to work on the door he has to open. The stork asks why he needs the mirror, and he explains that it can build invisible walls to wall people up, and with it he intends to conquer Oz. After mixing his potion, he inquires from his magic brew where Button-Bright is, and learns his whereabouts. Trickolas then puts together another magical gadget, which sends out a magical candy twist, which steer Button-Bright in the right direction to obtain the mirror. Soon, the tree Trickolas planted near the Palace will be large enough to grow the Boogey berries, which he'll unleash on Ozma and the Emerald City!

South of the Foggy Forest, they encounter short men with thin bodies and large heads. The Fatheads shake their rattles and take them to the Hill of Many Steps. For trespassing on their land, the Fatheads force their kidnapped party to pass a trial. First they must drink from a pail, which they do. Then they must keep off flies, which they do. The Fatheads are amazed at their intelligence. They ask why a stump is there, which Packer correctly answers. They ask where the parents of baby birds are, which Button-Bright correctly answers. They next ask Plop a question, but he correctly answer them, angering the Chieftain, who challenges them to a race. Plop beats them all, astounding the Chieftain, and accepting the three as visitors free to join their games. Only they must be sure to lose the games and not anger them. But when no one wins, the Chieftain tells them to open a circular wooden trapdoor and slide away from them.

The candy twist conjured up by Trickolas Om soon arrives and after announcing itself as a Hypno-Twist, hypnotizes the companions to travel to Mushroom Butte to retrieve for him the magical item he wants. Each desiring to reach the location, they head towards the top of a long ridge. A sign warns them not to annoy the haughty people of Mushroom Butte. En route they meet the Cloudhopper Clyde, a creature with a great body, long furry neck and white furry head. Clyde has eaten all the haughty people that once lived there (but they continue to argue inside him). After assurances that he doesn't eat un-haughty people, they hitch a ride with him to the city they seek. Clyde says he'll sleep until they're ready to depart. Button-Bright begins to poke around inside a large house, and there discovers Trickolas Om, who magically appears, frightening Packer, who throws a pan at him and flies out the window. Trickolas warns him that any time he strays away from his task of retrieving the mirror from the Garden of Roots, his hands will turn purple and everything they touch will turn to sticky tar. He then gives him a key and instructs him to follow the room down into an old abandoned mine.

A sign indicates that the mine was closed by order of King Mortar the Firth to preserve the commonwealth, and Button-Bright must climb the brick wall erected to prevent entrance. On the other side is a bare room with a square hole in the floor. As per the instructions he'd been given, he calls out for assistance, and up comes Pokey humming a tune. His head is shaped like a ball and painted with a face. He has a wooden peg for a neck and a round wooden body painted yellow. He serves as the elevator, carrying passengers up and down by stretching. He tells Button-Bright that most avoid the Garden because of the roars, but he says that only the Minesweeper is down there, and that's him, but he's never been in the Garden of Roots. A special crystal lights up the passage as they descend like a telescope. With brushes for feet, Pokey is also the means by which the mine is kept clean.

Knocking on the door at the end of the tunnel, Button-Bright hears a roar. He enters a narrow tunnel. Crawling through, he emerges into a large cavern lit by a giant electric light. Small houses of blue clay and brick stand in curving rows to the left and right. Tall, slim parsnip-people, called Roots, live there. One of them tells him that the king and miners used to fear the roar in this Garden city. Other kinds of Roots live on the other side. The Parsnip warns him to avoid the Arch which stores electricity from lightning that hits the Earth outside.

On the other side are arithmetic roots. Cube the Cabby, a Cube Root, approaches him to see if he wants a guide. Button-Bright tells him what he's looking for. Recognizing it as one of the playthings of the Squire, a Square, and the source of the roar, they head over to see him. The Square is stuck in a round hole and can't get out. His Echo Trumpet allows him to roar. They ask him for the mirror, which is a prize he'd won years earlier when he was an umpire. He will give it to Button-Bright if he can free him from the hole, which he fell into when a stray number rode into the Garden of Roots on a cosmic ray. Roots on this side of the Garden find themselves in numbers (ala square roots of a number). But in this case, it wasn't a number the Squire jumped into, but a minus one, which looks like a number, but is hollow. Button-Bright realizes that if he adds a one to the -1, the hole will disappear and the Squire will be free. Yet only large numbers fall into the Garden. Button-Bright finds a layer of numbers. Unable to peel them apart, they go to the mandrake root magician. With a rod and a magic spell, Sir Mandrake separates a One from the layer, and bringing it to the hole, free the square Squire, who procures for Button-Bright the mirror. Twisting one handle, and asking for lemon pop, he magicks into existence a goblet with the liquid. He orders a graham cracker with peanut better, and eats it, surprising his hosts with the mirror's power. Returning to the magically-alive Minesweeper Pokey, Button-Bright gets back to the upper level.

When Trickolas Om sees him, Button-Bright attempts to keep the mirror, but the magician paralyzes him and takes it anyway. Trickolas is curious to know about the source of the roar, the real reason he never attempted to get the mirror himself, but Button-Bright refuses to answer. He asks Stacy about the Cloudhopper, but the bird angrily tells him its dangerous, so he agrees to return to the Emerald City. When the paralyzing spell wears off, Button-Bright tells his friends about his adventures in the underground mine. Clyde takes them back down and then, saying goodbye, flies up into his cloud.

Meanwhile, widening cracks appear in the ground as the Sawhorse and travelers aboard the Red Wagon attempt to cross a prairie off the Yellow Brick Road, imprisoning then unto an island surrounded by dark chasms. Before the Wizard can do anything, the island begins sinking into the blackness made by no ordinary means. Dorothy pokes her head into it and tells them that she could see and hear nothing. Then something growls at them. It announces itself as the Ogre, and threatens to eat them. But then it admits that it's not a real Ogre, but an Ogre-Ogre, who can't do any harm at all. For years, he'd hoped to trap someone. All he eats is agar-agar. He would release them, but he can't. They are in a Willing Well, which will only help people it knows. He'd come across it in the underground passages long ago. For a long while, Ozma and the others speak to the Willing Well about themselves, their adventures and why the need to get out of the hole. It doesn't speak, but the Ogre-Ogre finds the conversation fascinating. Finally, it rises and they say goodbye to the Ogre-Ogre.

Soon enough, they find the grove of Everblue trees and begin searching for the copper vein. A barking snake threatens to bite the Wizard who begins putting some of the copper powder in a vial, but Ozma uses her wand to disperse it far away. This is followed by others who live in the nearby holes. The Scarecrow volunteers to do the job. They attack him, but as he cannot be harmed by them, he gets the job done.

Trickolas Om, meanwhile, reaches the Emerald City only to discover his Rocket Tree has been tampered with. With a magic liquid, he causes one part of it to soften up, and out of it a new branch grows. It stretches out towards the tower, nearly surrounding it, and from it a great cluster of black berries grow. Seizing them, he tosses them into the tower windows. The berries swell and pop and grow wrinkled. In a matter of hours, they stretch into the forms of long and lean wrinkled shadow men, taller than human beings. The faceless boogeymen scatter through the palace until every bedroom has one. Then they begin whispering strange words and sounds, terrifying everyone in the palace with their screeching. After the palace is emptied, the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger, Woozy and Glass Cat confer with the Comfortable Camel and Doubtful Dromedary. They spot the Shaggy Man who declares that there is a kind of terror that accompanies these beings, otherwise he would not be so afraid. He gathers those on the outside, but their meeting is broken up by the Boogeymen who emerge from the palace. The Lion and Tiger launch themselves at them, but they hit solid mass and fall to the ground. An invisible barrier has emerged, surrounding the palace and pushing outwards. Nearby, Trickolas Om maneuvers the Platinum Mirror so that only the Boogeymen can move through it.

Cap'n Bill and Trot, who have a house outside the Emerald City, invite as many in as they can fit, and in the morning provide food. After exchanging ideas, they're joined by Plop, who introduces themselves. He informs them of Trickolas Om's plot, and Cap'n Bill remembers him, realizing he's the one behind the Boogeymen. Plop is asked to head south to inform Glinda of their troubles.

Earlier that night, Button-Bright and Packer come upon the Scarecrow and friends. Dorothy, Ozma and the Wizard greet them, and Button-Bright tells of his adventures up till that point. Arriving at the gate of the Emerald City, they're surprised to see the gathered crowd and soon discover what has transpired. After much discussion, some begin trying to dig under the barrier, but a flock of birds attack, cracking Jack Pumpkinhead's head. Two black clouds of poison air follow, which the Wizard disperses with a tin whistle. Stacy the stork comes next with a warning from Trickolas Om, letting them know that he has to hurry or Trickolas will tighten the slave collar around his neck. He tells them that if they don't put their magic tools in a bag and prepare for a dip in the Fountain of Oblivion, Trickolas will push the wall all the way to the Deadly Desert. They have till noon to decide.

Reading of the events in her Great Book of Records, Glinda departs in her swan chariot before Plop and Tik-Tok (who was also sent to Glinda's) can arrive. She joins her friends outside the magical barrier. As they converse, Button-Bright tosses a ball of blue clay that he'd found inside the mine of Mushroom Butte. It sticks to the invisible and begins to cause it shrink. Glinda then recalls that the magic mirror was hidden from the Wicked Witch of the East inside the very Butte whose clay is a defense against it. Plop then joins them and is introduced to Dorothy and the others. As the Wizard brings out a magical object to use against the barrier, Stacy sneaks down and takes it from him. Trickolas Om roars in triumph now that he has stolen the Wizard's Power Superthruster, which can amplify magic. As he announces his intent to drive them all to the Deadly Desert, Stacy attacks him. But he uses the mirror to create a barrier around himself, and turns a dial on the instrument. Just then, he's silenced. The Wizard then announces that Om didn't get his Power Superthruster, but a similar-looking device, a statiawampthist, which served instead to solidify the wall around him. Retrieving the now ensnared Trickolas Om, Ozma sends him to reside above the Deadly Desert, unable to harm anyone or be harmed. The invisible barrier shattered, the Ozites celebrate.

The next day, after examining the palace for boogeymen, and assured that they faded away as Glinda's book indicates they would, the Wizard and the copper dust put an end to the Rocket Tree that produced them by turning it into a rubber balloon, which Plop loudly pops. Scraps, returning from visiting the Foolish Owl, makes some poetry, as Ozma orders a feast to tell everyone the adventures of the past few days.

Continuity Notes

Cloudhopper: A furry serpentlike being with wings that rides the clouds. Clyde appears friendly, and although he eats the royal family that lived upon Mushroom Butte, he did so because their behavior was cold and unkind. He doesn't generally eat living creatures, and, in fact, the haughty family still live inside belly, quarrelling amongst themselves. Clyde helps Button-Bright, Packer and Plop to ascend Mushroom Butte and bring them back down again. Another Cloudhopper appears in The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz.

Dating: The narrative takes place over the course of four days. Since Cap'n Bill recognizes Trickolas Om, it seems this story must take place after Lucky Bucky in Oz, which lists his earlier crimes on page 240 as "transforming innocent people into lost keys and door-knobs, for he knew a few low tricks and was a practical joker as well." As he transforms no one into lost keys or door-knobs in this story, this is not the tale of those occurrences, which must take place earlier. Also, by this story's end, he is left in a glass prison above the Deadly Desert.

Foggy Forest and Mushroom Butte: Within the Foggy Forest, which slowly spins on an axis, is Mutton Mountain, upon which is the castle of the wicked giantess Lazzar. There is also the home of the Mistress of the Forest and her three would-be conspirators. The tree of the Needlepins is outside the forest. Mushroom Butte, in the Munchkin Country, was home to the haughty rulers of that land until Clyde swallowed them. The underground mine, which must have once been under their domain, was closed by King Mortar the Fifth, who is perhaps now in Clyde's belly. There live the sapient Roots, of the vegetable kind in one region, and of the more abstract mathematical kind in the other, as well as the magical Minesweeper Pokey. For Button-Bright to have come upon Dorothy and Ozma in the Red Wagon, that land cannot have been too far from where they were. Thus, the Foggy Forest, which is in the Quadling Country, must be southeast of the Emerald City, east of Story Blossom Mountain on the Haff & Martin map. Mushroom Butte must be right across it on the Munchkin side, south of Moojer Mountain. Right around there is likely where the Everblue trees are, where Ozma and company were seeking out copper dust.

Lazzel: The wicked giantess Lazzar lives on Mutton Mountain in the Foggy Forest. She once devoured the mutton who lived upon that mountain so that none are left, though it is possible some escaped. Why Trickolas Om shrunk her to human size is unknown, whether as some kind of joke on his part or for another reason cannot be ascertained. Whether Ozma leaves her in this state is also unknown, as she is known to be dangerous.

Mistress of the Forest: This large woman who lives in the Foggy Forest appears to suffer from severe photophobia, as she must each day cover one eye and cause the fog to produce (which she does by use of a magic fog horn) from the fog pump (or pumps) that were built for that purpose in the forest, in order to keep the sunlight hidden. What her relationship is with the three would-be conspirators, Purple Smudge, Brown Smoulder and Yellow Smoke, who love to pretend they're going to take over Oz, is unknown, save that she cooks for them and takes care of them.

Mysterious Beings: The Ogre-Ogre is not, in fact, an ogre at all, but an underground creature who eats agar, but aspires to be an ogre, likely because he suffers from low self-esteem and envies the ogre's fierce reputation. The Ogre-Ogre becomes fascinated by the stories of Ozma, Dorothy and the Wizard, who he captured temporarily but soon befriended, and may come to aspire to more than meeting an ogre. What race of being this creature is is yet unknown. The Ogre-Ogre befriended an even more mysterious entity called the Willing Well, which can help individuals, but only does so when it gets to know them. It helps the Ogre-Ogre capture Ozma, Dorothy, the Wizard, Scarecrow and Sawhorse by creating an island upon which the Red Wagon stood and bringing it down into the magically dark underground. As it later gets to know them, it brings the island back up and repairs the cracks. Not much is known of this being or what it's true nature is.

Packer: Although not explicitly stated in the text, Packer appears to be a former resident of Flutterbudget. He is mentioned again in The Sawhorse of Oz and makes an appearance in Bucketheads in Oz.

Reference: The events of this story are referenced in The Three Imps of Oz.

Trickolas Om: first mentioned in Lucky Bucky in Oz makes his last appearance here. Unlike his earlier practical jokes and tricks, he is far more sinister here in his attempts to take over Oz.

History: The Royal Timeline of Oz considers The Blue Emperor of Oz a deuterocanonical work. Published in 1966, it is one of the earlier known Oz pastiches, written after the close of canon in 1964.

Synopsis: When Jam and his father Professor Manley pick up the mounted head of a strange animal in a pawn shop, Jam is disconcerted to see it wink at him. Later, in his his father's lab, it identifies itself as a gump from Seebania in the Munchkin Country, which Jam recalls from his adventure in Oz 12 years earlier (in The Hidden Valley of Oz). The gump wants to go back to his forest and the Blue Emperor who rules Seebania, but Jam tells him that King Ree Ala Bad and Queen Isomere rule there now. The gump mentions he'd lived in the Emerald City for many years, but was wished to the outside world by a servant who didn't want to clean him and who found a wishing pill inside his hollow neck. The gump head was then picked up on the side of the road and sold to a pawnshop, where Jam's father purchased him. With one wishing pill left inside him, the gump tells Jam to wish them back to Oz. Jam decides to do it, so swallowing the pill and counting to 17 by two's, he gets them to Oz. Jam and the gump find themselves in Fiddlestick Forest, so he drags the gump head to a boat on the river. As he gets sleepy, the trees take out their fiddles and play him to sleep.

The next morning, the gump discovers that none of the trees know what happened to the Blue Emperor 50 years earlier, as they only know of Ree Ala Bad as the ruler of this section. Jam finds a hotel tree and eats, after which they return to the boat and sail downstream, where the gump recognizes another gump. Muab hasn't seen his distant cousin Namyl in sixty years, and asks what happened to him that he ended up as a head. Namyl explains that he was shot and killed and brought back to life by Tip/Ozma. The two talk of the old days in Seebania where the Blue Emperor fought the other chieftains to keep his throne.

In Pumperdink, meanwhile, Kabumpo complains that nothing exciting has happened since the time Faleero tried to take over the kingdom (in The Purple Prince of Oz). King Pompus tells him to go visit Randy or Dorothy, or figure out who the friendly stranger was who left Kabumpo with them during Prince Pompadore's christening. Kabumpo recalls being gotten from the Jurassic Forest of Rinkitink, given weeks of training, and then left in Pumperdink with the Royal Family, but he's puzzled that no one's able to remember the man's name.

The next morning he goes to the heirloom chest and finds a book that indicates that the friendly stranger was none other than the king's brother, the Blue Emperor, who trained Kabumpo and gifted him to King Pompus, along with a cup and saucer. The elephant finds the cup and saucer in a box and notes that they were created by a W.W. He goes to show the king and queen his discovery, but they don't recall any brother. To their horror, the cup and saucer start floating and writing a message in the air that warns of danger if the Emperor's mug is broken. Queen Pozy Pink finds a note in the box that says the cup and saucer warn of danger if both Pompus and Ozroar's lives are threatened. This is signed W.W. again. Kabumpo is certain they've been bewitched to have forgotten Ozroar the Blue Emperor. King Pompus sends Kabumpo to the Wizard to solve this mystery before anything bad befalls them. Without realizing it, though, Kabumpo gets turned around in the forest and ends up going north instead, where he comes to Skid Row. There, the proprietor provides him with skids for traveling to various places. Kabumpo is unaware of just how fast the skids will take him.

Muab, meanwhile, knows that the Blue Emperor was never seen after he went to a banquet given by his brother, but he knows he took the magic mug with him. The mug was able to walk and talk. Namyl and Muab decide to find the Blue Emperor who they think could be of use in looking over Fiddlestick Forest. The travelers come across a bend in the stream, at which point the forest ends. They find living fountains, which after complimenting them, Jam is able to drink from. Leaving the boat behind, Jam searches for a saddle, but is approach by Mossolb, a magician, who is also searching for the Emperor's mug. Muab sees him and chases him away so that he can't do any tricks or transformations on them. When Muab then goes for a drink, he discovers the lost mug. The mug's name is Hiccup, and he explains that he's been avoiding Mossolb. At that moment the magician reappears again and grabs him. Namyl proves quicker, however, and knocks Mossolb unconscious. Muab arranges his new friends on his back and they head south to the Quadling Country. En route, Hiccup tells Jam that he was brought to life, along with a cup and saucer, by a wizard in the middle of a mountain. He was then given to the Blue Emperor in thanks for some favors he'd done. By late afternoon, the party reach Doughill and the Sauce Sea, where the Emperor's cabin stands alongside.

Princess Dorothy, meanwhile, goes to spend time with Pastoria, but upon arriving at his shop, his teapot starts acting strangely and spells out in tea-leaves the same warning about the Emperor's mug. Dorothy runs to get the Wizard, who discovers that the teapot was made by W.W. in the Year 605 for Ozroar. When he gets the pot to speak again, it tells him to seek out the Wizard Wam in Old Smokey Mountain. If the mug is broken, a catastrophe will occur. Pajuka's feather also comes to life, warning that Pastoria will turn to clay. Pastoria recalls that Lurline put him on the throne when his father disappeared, and he realizes that Mombi must have had a hand in his father's disappearance. Dorothy and the Wizard prepare for a trip when she bumps into Kabumpo, whose arrived by skid. After explaining what's gone on in Pumperdink, the Wizard concludes there's witchcraft at work and they decide to travel together.

Meanwhile, the next morning after their arrival at the cabin, Mossolb finds them and assaults Jam, who throws magical molasses and frosting over him, and pushes him in the closet. The party leave and decide to go to Mossolb's castle to see if Ozroar is there. Muab knows that Mossolb takes enchanted photographs of his victims, which puts them in a framed picture from which they can't escape. En route to the Blue Forest adjacent Ragbad, they come to a large cloth wall and a door. Out of it comes a being with a flat head and three wiry legs. He identifies himself as a rectifier named Silicon Diode, or Sili, and allows them to enter Electra City, whose residents are all conductors. King Transformation and his wife Variable Condenser (Connie Vary) tell them that the laws are all based on electricity. The party ask questions, but the king is unable to assist them. After feeding his guests and escorting them to the south gate, he offers his assistance if they need transformations. When he discovers they're going to Mossolb's castle, he gives them a living C-B transceiver, who he can communicate through, and they put him inside Hiccup.

Dorothy and the Wizard, meanwhile, wonder who the Wizard Wam is. He's not in the Wogglebug's Cyclopedia of Makers of Magic. Kabumpo suggests they use the Magic Picture to determine his whereabouts, and they discover he's in a mountain in the Quadling Country. Atop Kabumpo they head out and see the Guide Post Man who tells them where to find the mountain. Heading southwest they pass by Loxo's old mountain on their way to Smoky Mountain. Climbing it, they pass by the Cactus Garden of Tequila. Tequila himself is there, a kind of walking cactus, and he inquires about the two cacti in the Royal Conservatory that he'd like to add to his collection. The Wizard and Dorothy say they can't help him, so he grudgingly leads them to a brick edifice wherein an old man is working. He introduces himself as the Wizard Wam.

They ask Wam about the enchanted items and the old king of Oz, and the wizard acknowledges that Ozroar was king before Pastoria and ruled Oz for several hundred years. Lurline put him on the throne when she enchanted the land. Wam created and gifted Ozroar the mug on his 972nd birthday. Wam admits that the items reactions are due to his earlier inexperienced days when he gave too great a penalty for the giving of life, so that if the living mug were to be broken, Ozroar and his son would turn to clay. That is why the teapot, cup and saucer all give warnings about the mug breaking. Wam recalls that Ozroar was short and jolly, but can't remember how he disappeared. The Wizard believes Wam may be enchanted, but he says he's not changed in the last 500 years. The Wizard explains that everybody was enchanted to forget Ozroar.

While the Wizard searches for a magical solution to their current predicament, Wam tells Dorothy he's worked as a horticulturist and developed many of the food, Hotel and Traveler's Trees in Oz, some of which were stolen by the Nome King years ago. The Wizard uses his skeropythrope to turn a mirror into a screen to show what happened to Ozroar. It shows the Blue Emperor at a banquet hall when Mombi appears out of smoke. After pointing her finger at each of the guests, she summons a broom and beckons Ozroar upon it. She follows him and they fly out the window.

Jam and the gumps, meanwhile, end up back in the Munchkin Country and end up on a footpath which takes them into a large boulder and down a long tunnel that ends at the edge of a lake. A sign announces they're in John Doe's cave. John Doe then introduces himself. He is a sheet of paper with signatures all over him. He advises they consult the footpath's creator to learn how to control it, and as he lives nearby, John tells the footpath to take them to Gussum. Down a dark shaft the footpath takes them into the Blue Forest and to a giant tree, which opens up to an elevator.

Gussum greets them and asks Hiccup when he was made. The mug tells him he was made for Ozroar around a thousand years ago, give or take a few hundred years. Gussum looks up the location of Mossolb the Sour Sorcerer with his magic light and a map, and it points to a location in the forest. Gussum agrees to go with them, but Mossolb appears at the door with a powerful wand. Hiccup turns CD on while a scuffle ensues, allowing him to escape to the elevator. Just then, King Power Transformer arrives and shocks Mossolb, causing him to drop his wand. But when King Transformer grabs it at the wrong side, it starts to drain his power. This allows Mossolb to escape and steal Hiccup and the footpath. Gussum plugs in King Transformer, restoring him back to life.

Meanwhile, in the Wizard's picture, they locate Ozroar moving inside a picture in a castle, located in the Great Blue Forest. Using Wam's magic clay, the Wizards creates a howdah atop Kabump where he and Dorothy use to ride through the night. Passing through the country between the Munchkin border and Big Enuf Mountain, they follow an eastern path until coming to a building called Backstage. Entering it, they're greeted by Stage Manager and a large rearranging theater set. Stage doesn't know much of the world outside, preferring his world of make-believe. Stage is hospitable, however, and provides Kabumpo a savannah set to sleep in, a circus wagon for the Wizard and Dorothy.

In the morning, Gussum wakes up Jam and the others. Namyl stays behind with King Transformer. Heading south they make their way to a Traveler's Tree and have lunch at just the same time Kabumpo, the Wizard and Dorothy arrive there. Dorothy and Jam reunite, and they discuss their mutual quest. Traveling together, they come to Mossolb's castle. The drawbridge lowers for them as a laugh rings out. They enter and dismount, but Kabumpo impetuously rushes forward and disappears. The same thing happens to the Wizard and Gussum when they follow him, unaware that Mossolb is snapping their picture. Muab tries to snatch the camera and fails, but then King Transformer arrives and turns Mossolb into a statue. Hiccup figures out how they can get everyone out of the pictures he put them, and they enter into a room with dozens of framed pictures whose imprisoned residents cheer them on. They soon find Ozroar above the mantle and free him.

By the end of the 2nd day there, they have everyone disenchanted. King Transformer takes Mossolb's statue with him back to his domain. Ozroar travels to the Emerald City and meets with Pastoria and Ozma, and then goes to Pumperdink to see his old friend King Pompus. Finally, he settles in Fiddlestick Forest.

Continuity Notes

Backwards names: Three characters in the story have backwards names, Muab, which is Baum; Namyl, which is Lyman, and Mossolb, which is Blossom, the story's author. On page 52, Jam figures out that Mossolb's name is Blossom backwards and considers it stupid, a sentiment shared by some readers.

Dating: The action takes place over the course of five days, though the denouement adds an additional few days. The story is set 12 years after the 1930 events of The Hidden Valley of Oz. The narrative details a 50 year span from the time Ozroar was abducted (at Prince Pompadore's christening in 1892), predicating that the events of this story take place in 1942. This earlier date-placement also allows Kabumpo's statement to King Pompus that 'nothing exciting has happened' since the events of The Purple Prince of Oz to be true. It also allows sufficient time for the gump to have been shot and killed, as his cousin notes this having happened 60 years prior to the time of this story [14, 15], placing the gump's death in 1882.

Electra City: A living power plant located in the Southeastern quadrant of the Munchkin Country (somewhere between Seebania and Silica), and ruled by King Transformation and Queen Variable Condenser; it remains unknown how and when this city came about, but as electricity in Oz was first established in 1880 (see Oziana 1976: "The Adventure of the Cat That Did Not Meow in the Night"), it seems reasonable that it was some time after then. Electra City likely serves as the main source of electricity for Oz. It's noteworthy that Silica, the Royal Glassworks (from The Hidden Prince of Oz), is also nearby, as they might reasonably produce lightbulbs for the country.

Hiccup: A talking, walking mug created by the Wizard Wam in his early career as a magician for King Ozroar, who requested it. Hiccup says he was created "about a thousand years ago, give or take a couple of hundred years." [78] According to the calculations provided (see "Ozroar" below), Hiccup is mainly correct, as he was made in 1227 when Pastoria I was born. This marks the 972nd birthday of Ozroar. Because the only way to create the living mug was to exact a high price for his destruction, Wam is forced to create a penalty for his destruction [67]. So, at the same time he creates Hiccup, he enchants three other items, a cup, saucer and teapot. Each of these is provided to sound a warning if Hiccup is in danger of being broken, since his destruction will result in Ozroar or Pastoria turning to clay. For this reason, the teapot was given to Pastoria, and the cup and saucer given to Ozroar along with the mug. Ozroar later gives the cup and saucer set to his brother. Hiccup is there when Ozroar is enchanted by Mombi in 1892, but where he goes for fifty years after that is unknown. He later turns up in Fiddlestick Forest at the start of this story in 1942, and somehow knows how to get his enchanted master out of the picture frame Mossolb put him in. This may indicate that he was a prisoner of Mossolb's for a time.

Jam: Jam from Cosgrove-Payes’ The Hidden Valley of Oz returns to Oz again to help solve the mystery of King Ozroar's disappearance and the warning about his sapient drinking mug Hiccup, and is joined by the Gump (Namyl), his Gump friend Muab, Kabumpo, Dorothy and the Wizard.

Kabumpo: The origin of the Elegant Elephant is here noted. He comes from the Jurassic Forest in the Kingdom of Rinkitink. He was trained by King Ozroar for a few weeks and then gifted to Ozroar's brother, King Pompa of Pumperdink in 1892 at the christening of Pompa's son Prince Pompadore.

Mossolb: The magician who captured Ozroar the Blue Emperor with an enchanted camera that puts his victims inside a framed picture. Mossolb worked with Mombi, who captured Ozroar in 1892 and brought the then King of Seebania to Mossolb's castle in the Munchkin Country. It is not known if Mossolb created the enchanted camera, or even if Mossolb is his real name. Jam comes to realize it's a backwards spelling of Blossom [53], which may indicate that Mossolb is not using his real name. How Mossolb comes to discover that his part in Ozroar's disappearance is threatened to be exposed is unstated in the text, but somehow he comes to figure out that Hiccup—who he must believe can expose him—is near Fiddlestick Forest. Mossolb has a castle in the southeastern part of the Blue Forest of the Munchkin Country, west of Shamsbad and Snow Mountain [79].

Ozroar: The Blue Emperor of Oz is called by Muab "the original, the first ruler of Oz." Ozroar was directly placed on the throne by Lurline in 1227 when she first enchanted Oz [67]. As is noted by this story, he's said to be Pastoria's father, which appears on the surface to be problematic, as a very different King Oz is known to be Pastoria's father and Ozma's grandfather (Paradox in Oz). However, this was reconciled in "Lurline and the First Fairy Queen of Oz," which showed that as a boy Pastoria II was raised by his grandfather after the boy's father, King Oz Pastoria I went mad in 1265.

Ozroar's rule of Oz is known to be long (several hundred years [65], but intermittent (as other kings and queens were known to have ruled for various periods). He is from the Munchkin Country. Ozroar's birth year is established by the Wizard Wam's gift to him of the mug Hiccup on his 972nd birthday [66, 67], which was just after his son (Pastoria I or grandson Pastoria II) was born. Pastoria II has the teacup and his prime minister Pajuka has a feather that echoes the same warning, but they may have gotten it from Pastoria I after the throne went to his son. It also must be while Ozroar is still king [66]. This points to either the year 1255, when Pastoria II is born, or 1227, when Pastoria I was born. The Royal Timeline of Oz currently favors the former date, giving his birth year as 255 AD. This leads to some issues in regards to King Pompus, who is said in this story to have been Ozroar's brother. Thompson's Pumperdink stories, particularly "The King of Pumperdink," shows that Pompus' father is ruling monarch in the 13th Century and Prince Pompus is a child. The answer to this mystery was revealed in Lost Histories from the Royal Historian of Oz.

Due to the fact that Ozma identifies her great grandfather by the name Ozandahan in Oziana 1992's "Mr. Thinman in Oz" (which would more accurately be Oz-Andahan,) it's been since established that Ozroar is a nickname he chooses to go by. Andahan's story is told in Lost Histories from the Royal Historian of Oz. In his early years of rule, he was King Oz-Andahan the Roarer, which became Ozroar. After he goes on to rule Seebania, in is his chosen country, in 1743, the year after his grandson and adopted son Pastoria II takes the throne, he becomes known as the Blue Emperor. Seebania at this time is capital of the entire southern Munchkin border, and relations between the northern Munchkin kingdom in the Ozure Isles are not good (The Talking Animals of Oz). Ozroar brings peace between the kingdoms. Ozroar's brother is King Pompus of Pumperdink. However, although Ozroar was king of Seebania, he is not Ree Ala Bad's father, who was a rival chieftain known as Tibira Bad. Tibira eventually wrests control of Seebania and shoots and kills Namyl the Gump. Both Namyl and his cousin Muab loved Ozroar; in fact, Namyl considers Ozroar his master [12] (making it clear that these kings are two very different men). This is further supported by the narrative, which indicates that Ozroar had to constantly fight to keep the throne from rival chieftains [16]. In 1882, the year Namyl is shot, Ozroar had temporarily lost Seebania to this Tibira. Then, when Ozroar was enchanted by Mombi, Ree Ala Bad's father took full control of Seebania until he was killed in a hunting accident (thought to have been orchestrated by Mooj). When Ozroar is disenchanted, he goes to preside over Fiddlestick Forest, not Seebania, and allows Ree Ala Bad and Queen Isomere to maintain their diminished rule over that kingdom.

Wam the Wizard: The Wizard Wam is revealed in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz as Wammerian Hadrakis. His first mention in an Oz book was in The Cowardly Lion of Oz. To reconcile the existence of the Wizard Wam in this book with his history, as established in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2: Tippetarius in Oz, it might be understood that Zim took on the role of his "father" Wam during these events. Zim is known to be able to transform into a number of different wizards in the Blue Mountains, and could have taken on the Wam persona when he discovered the warning of the cup, saucer and teapot, which his father created in 1255, when he was still relatively new as a wizard. It's established here that the Hotel Trees, seen in the Nome Kingdom (Tik-Tok of Oz) were actually created by Wam, along with the Traveler's Trees (first mentioned in The Cowardly Lion of Oz.) [69] Ruggedo stole the Hotel Trees and brought them to the Metal Forest in his underground domain. Wam is noted as having a sister whose husband smokes pipes [68].

Year of Oz: Following on Thompson's O.Z. calendar notations, first utilized in The Cowardly Lion of Oz, Blossom establishes a start year for the establishment of Oz, and helps unlock the Ozian calendar. It's noted that the enchanted teapot (which along with the enchanted cup and saucer were created at the same time the mug Hiccup was created [43]) was "Made by W.W. (the Wizard Wam) in the Reign of Ozroar 605." [42] This leads to three possible meanings. The first is that it refers to Ozroar's 605th year of rule, but this cannot be the case. Lurline put Ozroar on the throne during her first enchantment of Oz [67] in the year 1227. His 605th year would be in 1832, which is far too late as Pastoria II is reigning at this time. It also can't mean his 605th year alive, as that would be 888 (since he was born in 283 AD; see Ozroar above), which contradicts the fact that it's 1227. That leaves the final interpretation, which appears to be the one that Thompson often used, which is an indication of an Ozian calendar year. If so, then 605 O.Z., which is the year Hiccup was created, refers to the Gregorian year 1227, indicating that the Land of Oz was established 605 years earlier in 622 AD. What happened in this year is unknown, but it may be the year Oz was removed from the circle of the earth.

History: Early pastiche that brings Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy Ann stories into the Oz universe. That series, written for young children, ran from 1918 to about 1974, with additional books written by other authors later.

The second edition of this rare, privately printed manuscript by Ray Powell proves more effective than the first. Contradictory elements, such as the banishment of the giant rat Percy (who originated in The Hidden Valley of Oz, and was still under copyright when Powell used him), and the restoration of Ruggedo to the throne of the Nome Kingdom, have been removed in order to better bring this story of Raggedy Ann and Andy's adventures in Oz in greater harmony with established Oz continuity.

Synopsis: When they leave their playhouse, Raggedy Ann and Andy are caught up in a powerful gust of wind that takes them from New Jersey to the Gillikin Country of Oz. They are soon captured by King Hawser and the Ropies, which are a kind of rope people who fear circuses. They place the dolls in a cave, where Raggedy Ann hears movement. Moving aside two rocks, they discover the Woozy, who introduces himself and tells them about the Land of Oz. He'd been returning from the Ozure Isles when he fell into the cave.

Percy the white rat, meanwhile, grows bored and knowing the Wizard is nearby to ensure no real harm comes of his mischief, decides to disenchant Ruggedo to entertain himself. Going into the Palace Gardens, he pushes over one of three cacti, releasing Ruggedo from his spell. Ruggedo inquires what became of him, but seeing the cactus that is Wutz, remembers his enchantment. Noting the black cactus, which is unknown to him, Ruggedo threatens Percy to disenchant that one. Fearful of the Nome, he does so, releasing a foot-long, thin black creature that looks a piece of film with red eyes and slit-mouth. Ruggedo recognizes him as the black magician Cell-U-Loid, though the creature prohibits him from ever saying his name.

Percy suddenly disappears, and the Black Magician tells Ruggedo that he was the supreme ruler of the black land of Philm long before Oz came be a fairyland. His realm bordered Patalonia, home of the black demons, and they were allied with the Awgwas. They traveled to the realms of men by means of invisible Gadgols, and his Philimites would even carry away evil persons to become one of them. Then Ak declared war on the Patalonian demons, giants of Tartary, Gadgols and Awgwas, defeating them. The Black Magician had been in Noland during this, assisting the Roly-Rogues. Seeking revenge on Ak and Burzee, Cell-U-Loid mounted an attack by air, but one of his Philimites had betrayed them and told a Ryl, who informed Ak. He directed the wind out of the world, far past the Land of Eternity (which is likely meant to be Tir Na Nog from Irish mythology and folklore), where they were destroyed. The Black Magician alone remained, faced by Ak who transformed him into a cactus and placed a curse upon it so that whosoever would free the Black Magician would disappear.

The Black Magician then casts a spell of his own, making all the inhabitants of the Emerald City his prisoner, causing each one to vanish and darkening the sky. Noticing something wrong, Dorothy uses the Magic Belt to hide all of Ozma's magical treasures. Yet with each person the Nome King names, the Black Magician makes him vanish.

In the morning, the Ropies snatch the Scarecrow and bring him to their cave. But remembering their fear, Raggedy Andy addresses the Scarecrow as a circus owner, causing the Ropies to release them. The Scarecrow tells them he was on his way to see Cheeriobed and have him contact Ozma, as he'd heard from a Knook to beware the Black Magician and an old Nome.

Traveling south for a time, they come upon Bagville, which prohibits sharp objects. As they start to head in, however, the Woozy and village disappear, and the Scarecrow fears the work of black magic. Reaching the southern mountains of the Gillikin Country, they spy the brilliant waterfall of Bubble Lake, which releases bubbles in an array of colored lights. The water of this mountain lake is actually of powdered soap, and a sign notes that it was discovered by Hardas Flint in 20 O.Z. As the sign advises them to 'take the tub,' they push the marked button releasing a bath tub, which they embark on as it takes them over the falls. However, it also gives them a bath, and after soaking them in bubbles, brushes descend upon them, scrubbing them, until at last the tub flings them out.

Back at the Emerald City, the Black Magician finds that the two ragdolls have thwarted his attempt to vanish the Scarecrow and demands that Ruggedo tell him who they are. The old Nome doesn't know, but they determine that they're not from Oz and that whatever magic they posses, the Black Magician's powers have no effect on them. After seeing them plunge into Bubble Lake, the pair assume they're out of the way, and put them out of their minds.

Raggedy Andy reports that they're on a small island. The Scarecrow is badly in need of straw, but only sand abounds. A small rabbit-like creature in coveralls approaches and welcomes them to Coney Island. The ragdolls pick up the Scarecrow and follow the creature to several large hay stacks. The Raggedys stuff him, but then hundreds of coneys come in, calling them hay thieves. The Chief Haymaker then enters, but before he can get an answer, flying nestors launch an attack. They are large like seagulls, but made up of nests made from hay. Small baby nestors ride them, holding long poles with sticky paper tied to the end of the lines. With this, they attempt to capture the hay, but the coneys seek to protect it with pitchforks, cutting their lines. Thinking quickly, the Raggedys overstuff the Scarecrow with all the hay they can find, so that the birds, losing their quarry fly away. They then offer the hay back to the coneys, telling them their story in the process. So pleased are they, the chief allow the Scarecrow to have as much hay as he needs.

The chief tells them Coney Island is in the center of Bubble Lake, and that years ago two coneys (or pikas) were shipwrecked there. Lurline passed the island and told them they were in the Gillikin Country and now fairy coneys. Since then, only Flint and the nestors have come there.

The next morning, the Chief Haymaker takes them to meet Hardas Flint, who lives inside a large rock. He's a short being made of flint and dressed in a red shirt, trousers and boots. He explains that his father was Steely Flint and lived in Ev. They were miners who dug quartz, which they sold to the Royal Family of Ev. They had frequent problems with the Nomes, so that in time they moved, but they lost each other in a sandstorm. Coming to Bubble Lake, he met Queen Lurline who transformed the waterfall into soap powder for him, and brought the brushes to life. The Scarecrow inquires if he knows who the ruler of Oz was at that time, as he's heard of Ozroar and other names, but Flint doesn't recall (page 58). Inquiring a way off the island, Flint summons the Chief of the Coneys to discuss giving them the Giant Pod which would transport them off the island, but he says he must consult with his people first as the large pea-pod was a gift of Lurline's and the source of the island's pea vines. Knowing this, Raggedy Ann and the Scarecrow are reluctant to take it. Flint brings him a magic quartz mirror which can show, once a week, anyone they ask to see. Requesting to see the throne room, they see Ruggedo on the throne and the Black Magician, who Flint recognizes as the former ruler of the Land of Philm.

At the next nestor raid, the Scarecrow captures a nestor who explains to him that they need the hay to live, and there is no other in the area. He then scolds the Chief Haymaker, who wants to punish or destroy them, as being selfish, advising him that since they only need a small amount for themselves they should turn it into a game and allow the nestors to take what they need. Flint agrees, and the Chief discusses it with the nestor, who says they'll "raid" every other day. With that the Scarecrow suggests that they use the giant peapod and the nestors could return it after they've crossed the lake.

The next day, Mr. Flint brings oars for them and tells them he's going with them. So together they depart from the lake, leaving the pod with the nestors, and begin their journey on foot. At night, they're visited by Pixies from the Deep, Deep Woods, who know the Raggedys well. They lead them to their king who lives in the hidden land of the Pixies of Oz, Pixie Wood. The pixies ride astride bees and dragonflies and movd about the ground. The king hopes that Flint is a sorcerer come to destroy the Black Magician, and explains that he is covering the land in grey and will soon enslave or destroy everyone. The Pixies live near portals of Fairyland, but can go no more to the lands of humans and disbelievers, from which they are driven out. Even in the Deep, Deep Woods, the boundaries are shrinking and they are slowly leaving: "Some perish before they can find a new home. Some are destroyed by witches or other evil beings, and thus our numbers grow less and less." In order to save Oz, the king tells them, they must leave it and find Ak in Burzee, though no one has heard or seen him for the past three-hundred or so years." He gifts them the Veil of Aridity, which will keep them dry at all times.

At dawn the next day, they're led out of the Pixie Wood to the south, avoiding the Emerald City, but forced to enter the grey fog caused by the Black Magician. Ruggedo, meanwhile, becomes despondent. After failing to find the magic items of the palace, he tells the Black Magician he wants to go back to the Nome Kingdom. So, thinking to conquer the entire fairy world, the Black Magician summons a black wind to take them to Ev. There, the Black Magician overcomes Ev and its people and asks Ruggedo to get them into his kingdom. This puzzles the Nome, but he keeps silent and leads him through a torturous path underground, which the Black Magician has difficulty traversing. Finally, Ruggedo enters the throne room and kicks Kaliko off.

As the fog begins to dampen them, the three stuffed travelers take the Veil of Aridity, which helps as they pass into the Quadling Country. But when they enter Frameway, they're captured by living frames who wrap them in coils. But then a man dressed as a painter with wildly colored facial hair enters and frees them, bringing them into his house. His name is Dauber and was once a Quadling named Artie Painter. After he fell in the Paint Pool, he became the greatest painter in the world, but as he was mocked by his own people he returned to this wood and built a house at the edge of the pool. He discovered that the frames he made from the trees became animated and the trees themselves grew canvases. The frames consider him their leader and long to be hung. Also, if he puts anything alive into the canvas it becomes part of the picture, where it remains. The Scarecrow tells him they're on an urgent mission and must depart, but Dauber leaves the house and locks them in.

Insider his house they meet a squirrel in one of his pictures along with other animals, and realize what Dauber's intentions are. Raggedy Ann then discovers a little man in one picture. He introduces himself as Lemon, a Yellow Ryl. He seeks to get out, but they don't know how to release him. Out of curiosity, Raggedy Andy steps into his picture but gets stuck. So, the Scarecrow reaches in and pulls him out, but when he tries it with the Ryl, it doesn't work. But it gives the Scarecrow an idea. He, Raggedy Ann and Mr. Flint enter the picture, while Raggedy Andy goes to hide. When Dauber enters the room again, Raggedy Andy pushes him into the picture and then reaches in and pulls out the Scarecrow and Mr. Flint. The Yellow Ryl warns him that Dabuer's got a grip on Raggedy Ann and won't release her until they pull him out. But the Ryl chants a spell to the flowers to bind the mad painter, and they bind him to the ground with vines and stems, freeing Ann, who the Scarecrow brings out of the picture. The Ryl tells them to lock the door behind them so that his frames can't help him. Promising to come back for the Ryl, the travelers depart.

They reach the Hill of the Hammerheads, but as the Scarecrow announces they'll have to go another way, a Hammerhead corrects him and tells him that they're loyal subjects of Ozma, and knowing of the trouble, will allow them to pass. Soon enough they reach a break in the black fog and find themselves at the edge of the desert. Not knowing how they'll cross, they wait for a time. Suddenly, the Sunset Express comes into view, and as the captain mistakes them for small stars, he hauls them aboard. He's dismayed to discover his error, and stops sobbing long enough to introduce himself as Aurora Australis. The ship, with its cargo of stars, is heading to the Citadel of the Night, where only stars can go. Panicking, he decides to throw them overboard, but as this would deposit them in the Deadly Desert, Raggedy Andy knocks off Aurora's strange hat, causing the ship to veer and the stars to escape their crates.

No longer over the desert, Aurora pushes Raggedy Ann overboard, and the others jump behind her. After safely landing they meet Arky the dog star (who fell out of the ship), who points them in the direction of Burzee to the east. Heading along the shores of the Nonestic, they meet the sandpipers, but skirt around their village of Piperville. They next come across a mile-long sand castle, which they can't avoid without going out of their way. Once inside, however, the sandmen throw sandballs at them from above. An eight-foot king of the sandmen then emerges and tells them they'll stay and turn to sand in a week's time, at which point they'll be refashioned into soldiers or citizens. The party is sucked underground into a dungeon.

The guards, emerging through the walls, bring sandwiches and sand fruit, and there appears to be no other way in or out. The Scarecrow tells Mr. Flint that he can dig them out, and with his spade fingers begins to do just that. After several hours, he digs his way outside the walls of the city.

Nome King once again, Ruggedo confides in Kaliko a plan to get rid of the Black Magician. When the Long-Eared Hearer tells him that he's at the far end of the north tunnel, Ruggedo puts his plan in action, ordering a suit made of every metal in his dominion. Word of this work gets out, however, and the Black Magician overhears his plans and goes off to confront the Nome King.

Meanwhile, the party enter Burzee, where they're met by Shagree the Lioness, granddaughter of the lioness who befriended Neclaus in his youth. She brings them before the Great Ak, Bo, Kern and Aero, the Master Airman of the World, besides numerous nymphs, ryls, knooks and fairies. After Ak tells of having defeated the Black Magician before, the Raggedys suggest doing the same now. Ak and the Masters of the World smile and agree, yet Ak acknowledges that "as our forests grow smaller and fewer in number, so equally are our powers diminished." [117] He chooses to go along with the four heroes, and as the inhabitants of the realm celebrate, Ak tells them an old legend that says the revelation of the Black Magician's name will lead to his destruction. Flint tries to remember what he'd heard of it in times past.

Later, Ak tells them that he's just spoken to the Supreme Ruler and learned that Oz and its realm are in a different dimension from the Deep Deep Woods and other magical places that the Raggedys know. Yet, the Supreme Ruler brought them to Oz in order to help, and thus, they are under his special protection.

Transporting to the Nome Kingdom, Flint leads the party to a hidden entrance underground. They soon find Ruggedo cowering before the Black Magician. Upon seeing the intruders, the Black Magician quickly casts the Veil of Immobility spell upon them, freezing Ak and the Scarecrow. The Magician puzzles why the Raggedys and Mr. Flint are unaffected, but then realizes that flint is the one mineral immune to his magic. He's glad to have his revenge of Ak and makes the Scarecrow disappear. Yet before he can do the same to Ak, Flint remembers and speaks aloud his name, Cell-U-Loid. This infuriates the Black Magician who conjures a magical fire to burn the forest of Burzee. But Raggedy Andy pushes Mr. Flint into Ak's raised axe, causing sparks to burst forth, sparks that catch Cell-U-Loid and cause him to burn away!

With his destruction, all those he made vanish reappear. Ak restores everyone to their homes, except the party of travelers, Ruggedo, Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard, who he transports to Burzee. To the latter three, Ak recounts to them what had transpired and Raggedy Ann explains that she got the idea to have Andy push Flint into Ak's axe from her mistress Marcella's father, who once told her how flammable film is. Since the Black Magician looked like film to her, it made sense to try it. Ak notes that the Black Magician's name signified what he actually was: celluloid, which revealed his weakness: fire. His people who'd been blown into a volcano suffered the same fate. Ak then erases the memory of Cell-U-Loid from the minds of everyone, except those gathered there. The giant rat Percy is brought before them, and although Glinda suggests sending him back to the Outside World, Dorothy protests and Ozma agrees. The Wizard sternly tells him to stay out of the garden and away from magic, to which he heartily swears.

Ruggedo is then brought before them and admits that he'll likely not behave. So, Ak places him under his control and restores him to the Nome Kingdom, warning him that if he does evil, his axe will find and destroy him!

The party celebrate for three days and nights. Ozma restores the magical items in the palace and frees the Yellow Ryl from the painting. Dauber's powers are taken away, though he's left to paint in Frameway. Although the Raggedys are offered a home in either the Emerald City or Coney Island with Mr. Flint, they choose to return to their mistress Marcella, whose been missing them.

Continuity Notes

Black Magician: Supreme ruler of the black land of Philm, a realm located next to Patalonia, southwest of Oz. The Philms traveled atop invisible Gadgols, and were allied with the Awgwas, and would sometimes capture evil humans and transform them into Philimites. Cell-U-Loid indicates that after the battle with Patalonian Demons, Giants of Tartary, Gadgols and Awgwas, told in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Ak defeated the Philimites. Ak later reveals they ended up inside a volcano, where they burned. He escaped because he'd been off helping the Roly Rogues (to what end is not stated). The fact that he and his people are essentially sentient film stock appears to be a contradiction as celluloid was only first created between 1856 and 1870, when it was mass produced as celluloid. The Philimites appear to have been enchanted film stock, but if they existed "aeons ago... before Oz became a fairyland," as the Black Magician states, and which The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus indicates, then either film was first created in Nonestica, or the Philimites were a kind of film elemental that preceded the invention of film.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of eight days. There is no indication as to year, though the fallen apple blossoms may indicate Fall or Winter. It must take place prior to 1967, when it was written, and after The Hidden Valley of Oz (and in which the giant rat Percy was first introduced). Ruggedo was first turned into a cactus in Handy Mandy in Oz. The earliest date might appear to make the most sense given that the Raggedy's mistress Marcella is still called a girl, however, Marcella was introduced in the very first Raggedy Ann book, which was published in 1918. Even at the youngest possible age she might have been then, say six years old, by 1935 she'd be 23. The story clearly indicates that she's still a "child" [11], and while that might be what they call her, it seems much more likely that it is not the same Marcella, but her own daughter with the same name. The best date for this story is provided by the wider history of Ruggedo. At story's end, he returns to the Nome Kingdom, where Kaliko apparently allows him entrance. Given that Guph (Ruggedo's former general) usurps the throne (in The Red Jinn in Ev) and hands it to Ruggedo (in A Refugee in Oz), the best date for this story, is thus 1943.

Hammerheads: This is the one of the rare times that the Hammerheads allowed travelers to cross their realm, and they do so for Ozma. This harmonizes with the real purpose of the Hammerheads, as revealed in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz.

Hardas Flint: The stonelike Mr. Flint returns to star in his own book, 1969's Mister Flint in Oz, in which he goes on a search for his father Steely Flint. The Royal Timeline of Oz places this book, however, in the Parallel History section.

Raggedy Ann and Andy: The Great Ak reveals that the magical places in which the Raggedies have traveled near their New Jersey home belong in another dimension. He also reveals that the Supreme Ruler himself brought the Raggedies into Oz to help them defeat the Black Magician, and his power is upon them.

Ruggedo: By story's end, Ruggedo is released from his enchantment as a cactus and restored to the Nome Kingdom under Ak's watchful gaze. Were he to return to evil, Ak assures him he won't hesitate to destroy him.

Supreme Master: Although Providence is sometimes alluded to, this is the first time since The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus that God is directly shown to have a hand in the events in Fairyland. He is here referred to as the Supreme Ruler. In the latter story, it is the Supreme Master, and in Policeman Bluejay, the Supreme Maker. Ak explains says that while He doesn't wish to interfere with the affairs of His creation, He will help. The implication here is that when warranted the Supreme Maker (God) will occasionally play a role in the affairs of fairies and men, as he does here when he brings the Raggedys into Oz to assist against the depredations of the Black Magician.

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Synopsis: Dorothy tells Ozma that since the Scarecrow has never had a birthday party before, they should throw him one. The Cowardly Lion suggests they call it a Makeday party; Ozma adds that it should be a surprise, while Dorothy envisions a straw-ride and costume party to be held on the day she first met him—a Thursday, to be held after Betsy and Trot return from Sapphire City. Then, they'll surprise not just the Scarecrow, but everyone.

In the middle of the night, Dorothy is awakened by a flash, but figuring it to be the Wizard, she goes back to sleep unaware of the plot at work. In a hut in Follensby Forest, in the Gillikin Country, two old crones stir a potion, while a thin man sits by and a screeching raven circles above. The evil fairy Faleero, who'd been turned into a raven by Ozma (in The Purple Prince of Oz) has spent years gathering the formula she needs. Diving into the cauldron, she reemerges as her former self, a bent old woman. Kettywig, Faleero's husband, reminds her that she's going to need all four of them for their plan to work, with him impersonating the Wizard, she Ozma, her sister Falingo Glinda, and her servant Dubra Jellia Jam. With a golden powder, Faleero casts the enchantment and the conspirators are transformed into replicas of the people they intend to replace. Falingo and Kettywig worry that Faleero's temper is going to spoil things, but she assures them she won't, though she intends for Ozma to suffer. Untying their giant vultures, they fly off to Pumperdink to exact the first part of their revenge.

Dorothy wakes up, anxious to check in on the Scarecrow in the Magic Picture, but when she enter Ozma's room, the Picture is missing. At breakfast, Ozma seems off, scolding Dorothy for having gone into her room. Dorothy concludes that she must not feel well (though she's never been sick before) and invites herself along with the false-Wizard to see the false-Glinda, but once there, she is again taken aback at Ozma's tone when she prohibits her from reading the Great Book of Records. Heading back to the Emerald City, Dorothy brings up the Scarecrow's impending party, which irritates "Ozma," who tells Dorothy there won't be any more parties and to go away and stop bothering her. Heartbroken, Dorothy confides in the Lion who comforts her. Popping what she thinks is a peppermint, but is really a Wishing Pill, she wishes she knew what was wrong. Instantly, her and the lion are transported magically to Glinda's, where Dorothy reads in the Great Book of Records that Faleero has impersonated Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard.

Together they forge a plan, and after they return to the Emerald City, the next day, Dorothy tells the Lion they should ask the help of the Red Jinn, but to get to Ev they have to use the tunnel the Nomes once dug underneath the Deadly Desert. The Lion thought it had been filled in, but Dorothy explains that it was only closed at this end. Going to the garden of the Forbidden Fountain, Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion start digging in various places, but can't find the tunnel. In their last attempt, however, the Lion uncovers a large rock, under which lies the tunnel. The Lion suggests that rather than arise suspicions, Dorothy should ask the Ozma-disguised Faleero if she can visit Ojo in Seebania. Glad to be rid of her, Faleero consents. Packing food and matches, Dorothy returns to the tunnel where the Lion anxiously awaits her. Terrified of the pitch black, they lower themselves into the hole and pull the stone back over them. Quickly lighting a torch, they begin their journey. Reminding the Lion that the tunnel alights in the Nome country, Dorothy wonders if they could enlist the aid of Kaliko, but the Lion—recalling his devious behavior when Skamperoo conquered Oz (in The Wishing Horse of Oz)—thinks it best they say nothing of the real reason for their journey until they see Jinnicky.

All of a sudden, the Lion trips on a wire, dousing their light and flinging Dorothy off his back. They are greeted by Be Low, captain of the king's guard of the City of Low. As no light is permitted, Dorothy and the Lion can't see him but for his glowing eyes. He tells them that all Lowers float and that he must escort them to his Imperial Lowness. Following Be Low they pass through a door where the glowing eyes of the king and others greets them.

Back at the Emerald City, meanwhile, Faleero finds it difficult to get along with any of the court regulars, and ends up insulting Betsy, Trot, Cap'n Bill and others. Cap'n Bill wonders if they've outstayed their welcome. The girls conclude that Ozma must be worried about something but they all agree to give her a wide berth until she asks for their help. But when Scraps, Button-Bright, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers and Shaggy Man go missing they become convinced something's wrong.

In Low, the king proclaims that to leave is against the Law, and that they'll feel much better once they've been removed from their clumsy bodies and become a Lower. Dorothy protests and the Lion leaps at the king, but to no avail. Dorothy then lights a match, which sends the Lowers scampering. They find themselves in a large chamber. The Lowers hide and mock them from behind a curtain. There is large wooden door out, but Dorothy can't open it. Frustrated by their threats to get them when the lights go out, Dorothy threatens to burn down their "castle," which frightens the king who offers to help if they shut the light. Dorothy doesn't trust him, but the king tells her that light destroys them, so it is the only way. Dousing the light, they're met by Hel Low, who guides them out of their domain.

Exhausted, Dorothy rides the Lion who looks for a spring of water, which he'd seen every mile or so on the journey so far. But after five miles, Dorothy awakens and the Lion has found no water. Feeling the heat, she realizes they're now under the Desert. The pair eat and sleep. Awakening some time later, they hear what sounds like a waterfall, but is actually a firefall that prevents them from crossing. A giant fire serpent then enters the fire river and the pair flee before he can see them, but too late. The creature shoots down the tunnel after them, but he reveals himself to be friendly, even offering to let them swim in his lake.

He is a Glow Worm named Glimmer (or Glim). White, with pearl-like scales and a pearlescent inner glow, Glim had heard of Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion from his friends, the Rock Fairies. Glimmer is about a mile long, but isn't sure. He often visits his tail, which he says gets lonely. After the Lion tells them the true purpose of their journey, he agrees to help them. As they travel upon his head over the river of fire, Dorothy invites him to the Emerald City, where she promises to have him measured. He likes that idea, and as there are many passages leading to the surface he promises to take her up on her offer. When Dorothy inquires about the other passages, Glim explains that after the Nomes' attempt to conquer Oz failed, and the tunnel was abandoned, "many creatures moved in... there are as many creatures living under the Earth as upon its surface." The Glow Worm explains that none of the Underlings associate with the Lowers, which is why a road was built around their little kingdom. Dorothy inquires if all Underlings like fire, but Glim says that they're all different, and some live far below in caverns of ice, or in water. Hearing of water, the Lion asks him to take them to some, which he does, though he's surprised they drink the substance. Dorothy and Lion meet the Delvers, who are a branch of beavers who once lived above ground, but after years of predation (due to having light coats and a preference for working at night), they were invited by Glim to make their home underground. Soon, other residents come to meet the newcomers, including Blazer, a tiny, flame-colored bat, and Shiner, a great fiery fish who lives in the lake. They depart and come across Glimmer's tail, which is made up of gold rattles which chime like bells and play tunes.

Dorothy and the Lion invite Glim to come with them to the Red Jinn's castle but he insists he must polish his scales before he meets with Ozma. He takes them to the end of the tunnel in a matter of hours. After saying goodbye, they emerge in the Nome King's mines, where the Nomes stop work to approach them. Dorothy requests to see Kaliko, but the Nomes seem suspicious and unfriendly, and they soon find out why. Guph (last seen in The Hungry Tiger of Oz) has usurped the throne and made Kaliko a mine worker. The Nomes ask Dorothy if she might conquer Guph whose almost as bad as Ruggedo had been, but the Lion assures them that they'll ask Ozma to intervene when they return to Oz. Kaliko guides them to the surface and points them in the direction of Jinnicky's castle. It is dark by the time they reach the ocean and they sleep upon the sands.

In the morning, the Lion brings Dorothy to a dinner-pail tree and they eat. By nightfall they approach the red glass castle of the Red Jinn, and after getting him to stop talking, explain to him what's become of Ozma and the others. Jinnicky determines to undo Faleero's mischief, but when the Lion tells him that Pumperdink has been turned into an ant hill and its people into ants (and Kabumpo a pinching bug), Jinnicky calls Alibabble to gather his things and get him a haircut. As he studies his magic books, Dorothy and the Lion are escorted to their rooms and fall off to sleep.

The new morning the Jinn informs them that because Faleero only uses red magic, which he invented, he feels certain he can undo her spells. Jinnicky knows Guph won't let him back into the tunnel, as Guph had earlier attacked his people. As the Jinnricksaw won't hold the Lion, Dorothy suggests they ride in a cart which the Lion can pull, and their journey begins. Later, when the Jinn lies down to take a nap, he shrinks the cart and all the magic in it so that no one can steal it. Putting it in her pocket Dorothy and the Lion explore and discover a valley of beautiful flowers. Dorothy goes to pluck one, but it proves unbreakable. Suddenly, the flowers start growing and moving towards them, and before long have wrapped them up.

Back at the Emerald City, Ozma finds Betsy in her room and throws her, Trot and Cap'n Bill out of the Palace. The girls are nonplussed and discover a sign in the throne room proclaiming that anyone not employed in the Palace must leave. Singing, dancing and parties are now forbidden. Everyone in the city must have gainful employment and give half their income to Ozma. She has also formed a new army and intends to impose martial law. Trot determines to see Ozma to find out what's going on, but a guard prevents her. She gets by him anyway, but when Ozma sees her she smacks her across the cheek. Trot departs, telling her friends that she knows now that it's not Ozma. The three leave the city, heading south.

The flowers deposit Dorothy and the Lion on a hill in a lovely but "strange, rosy land." The cross a spongy, springy ground to the castle only to notice that it has no doors. They try walking around it and Dorothy calls out to anyone in the vicinity. With no answer they walk away, but turning around they see winged men issuing from the windows. Dorothy hops on the Lion's back to flee, but they're caught and flown back to the castle. Dorothy's captor tells her not to fear, and asks what she's doing in the cloud country of Cumuland. She tells him who she is and where she's from, and he replies that his name is Boag and that King Gip wishes to see them. Unfortunately, the king is not as friendly or kind-hearted as his people. Boag explains that thirteen years ago, the sky country of Cumuland was ruled by Gip's brother, who was loved by the people. When their son was but an infant he and the queen disappeared. Gip took over, and became crueler over time. When Prince Rory neared the age of 12, one year ago, he disappeared as well.

Brought before the king, Dorothy and the Lion demand to be released, but the king refuses, so the Lion and Dorothy accuse him of spiriting Prince Rory away. He orders them put in the dungeons, but the guard Taggle refuses, so he's ordered imprisoned as well. When the Lion proves intractable, Gip uses his scepter to render the Lion immobile, but when he tries it on Dorothy it doesn't work, so he has her and the Lion carried off to the dungeon.

Boag and the other guards leave them free to roam the dungeon, which is just part of the castle's basement that's been blocked off. They believe Rory is somewhere in it. Dorothy comes upon the cart that Jinnicky had earlier shrunk. She tells Taggle of their quest and then finds the magic Dinner Bell and summons Ginger. He makes Jinnicky's magic jars normal sized again, but doesn't know how to use them. He does waken the Lion and shows Dorothy how to shrink the bottles again so she can transport them when needed. He also gives her a key that will fit any lock. Dorothy and Taggle go to sleep while the Lion explores.

In the morning, the Lion reports that he found nothing else in the dungeon. The guard Hob arrives and explains that the basement, of which the cells are but a small part, once encompassed game rooms, pools, a ballroom and dining room. But the dungeon is cut off from them by a locked door. Dorothy uses Ginger's key to unlock the door and they begin searching the ballroom and adjoining corridors the rest of the day.

They search again the next day.

On the third day, the Lion discovers a secret passage. Dorothy finds the seal and uses Ginger's key (which transforms into a skinnier key) to open it upon a flight of stairs going down. It leads to a winding passage that takes them to a room where they find Gip threatening and pleading with Prince Rory to give him the magic ring his father had bestowed on him, which prevents him from being harmed. Rory refuses to hand it over, so Gip tells him he's never returning. After he leaves, the Lion follows him while Dorothy and Taggle release Rory with the magic key. The Lion reports that Gip returned upstairs and suggests they take Rory back to the dungeon, where Dorothy requests Ginger bring him food. Rory tells them that he'd been abducted by Gip just before his 12th birthday when he told his uncle he was old enough to rule. But he was tricked into going downstairs by the promise of a letter from his father, and there he's remained for a year.

The next day, Hob comes and is rejoiced to see his prince. He tells other loyal guards and together they escort Prince Rory to the throne room. Gip is horrified to see him and attempts to use his scepter to immobilize them, but Rory's ring protects him and all who touch him. Gip then summons a fire-breathing dragon. Dorothy pulls out one of Jinnicky's jugs and wishes he was there. Jinnicky appears, grabs another jug and hurls it down the dragon's throat, defeating him. Rory then captures Gip's scepter and the false king jumps out the window, pursued by the guards. Taggle places Rory on the throne. This is followed by a celebration. Gip is brought before the king bound and gag, but Rory doesn't wish to return cruelty for cruelty and has the Red Jinn turn him into a pink bat which is set free. As Rory himself can no longer fly due to being cooped up in a cell for so long, the Red Jinn gives him a potion which restores his wings, and he flies happily about.

The next day, after the coronation and celebration, Rory determines to go with Jinnicky, Dorothy and the Lion to help them with their troubles at the Emerald City. When Cumuland arrives there, Rory and the guards fly Dorothy and the Lion to the surface. Jinnicky suggests that in order to make them suffer, Faleero has likely kept Ozma, the Wizard and Glinda close by in some enchanted form. After searching the grounds, Jinnicky spots three fish in a small fountain, one green, one red and one black. Dorothy knows there are no fish in that fountain, but before her friends can be restored, she and Jinnicky hide as Faleero arrives. She tells the fish that she's declared war on the Winkies and imprisoned the Tin Woodman along with many others. When she leaves, Jinnicky takes the fish out of the pond, sprinkles them with a gold powder, wraps them in a kerchief and burns it up. The spell restores them to their true forms. After many grateful thanks, the Wizard acknowledges that it was clever of Faleero to turn them into fish, as no one expects fish to have anything much to say.

Earlier, Betsy, Trot and Cap'n Bill made it to Glinda's palace where they tell the false Glinda all their suspicions. The next day "Glinda" admitted that it was Faleero disguised as Ozma, and flies them back to the Emerald City in the Swan Chariot. Falingo then chides Faleero for letting her temper get the better of her, revealing to the Ozites that she too is an imposter. Faleero determines to transform them into statues, but Kettywig interrupts her to report that the people have revolted and are storming the gates, Ozma, the Wizard and Glinda amongst them. Cap'n Bill tackles Faleero and tosses the Magic Belt to Rory, who flies it over to Ozma. Jinnicky tosses the contents of a silver flagon at the imposters, restoring their original forms and revealing to the crowds who they are.

Marching the usurpers to the Forbidden Fountain, Ozma makes them drink and forget who they are. Ozma sends the three back to Follensby Forest. Back at the palace, Dorothy identifies Jellia Jamb as Faleero's servant, but Dubra protests that she was forced to do it and shows them where the Magic Picture's been hidden. With it, they're able to find all their missing friends. Ozma gives Dubra a drink from the Fountain and sends her back to her mistress. She also sends a note telling Guph to restore Kaliko to the throne. Jinnicky, meanwhile, restores Pumperdink and its citizens. As Dorothy notes that the next day is Thursday, they continue their preparations for the Scarecrow's Makeday party.

Continuity Notes

Cumuland: This is one of many sky countries in Nonestica. See the Appendices for a complete list. Unlike Sky Island and Umbrella Island, there is no mechanism that guides it. The ground is made of a solid-form of cloud, which floats to and fro. It can, however, be directed, though through what means is not revealed in the text.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of 14 days, two weeks from Wednesday to Wednesday. There is no indication as to what exact year the events of this story take place other than that it is a number of years after The Purple Prince of Oz. Because there is no Barrier of Invisibility mentioned, as there appeared in the main tunnel in The Shaggy Man of Oz, it must be before 1944 when Glinda convinced Ozma to restore the Barrier of Invisibility after it had been down for many years. This date is strengthened by the usurpation of the Nome Kingdom by Guph, an event that leads directly to the restoration of Ruggedo to the throne in A Refugee in Oz (which occurs behind the scenes prior to the start of that story). Given this possibility, the Royal Timeline of Oz places this story in 1944.

Faleero: Faleero's origins are told in "The Banishment of Faleero," which is her first chronological appearance. She is first mentioned in Kabumpo in Oz as an old and ugly fairy, but it is not until The Purple Prince of Oz that she takes action against Pumperdink. Her companions in this story are not the "ladies in waiting" from the latter. One is her sister Falingo, another apparently fallen fairy; the second is Dubra, her servant. Faleero's husband Kettywig serves the role of fourth conspirator here. In the Oziana 2000 story, "The Invisible Fairy of Oz," however, her three ladies-in-waiting are introduced, after having been working undercover in Pumperdink as Princess Pajonia's ladies-in-waiting. They are Claudia, Audia and Fraudia. They restore Faleero's memory (after Ozma erases it in this story) and advance the plot to take over Pumperdink.

Glimmer the Glow Worm: One of the more charming characters introduced to Oz (or rather the tunnel connecting Oz to Ev) after the Sovereign Sixty, Glim is a mile-or-so-long fire serpent, called a glow worm because his interior lights up, likely due to the fire and lava he consumes and spends his time in. Glim is exceedingly friendly to all creatures great and small, and has made numerous friends in his underground realm, including the Delvers, flame bats and fire fish.

Great Book of Records: According to the narrative, the Great Book of Records highlights events in Oz in red lettering.

Guph: The militaristic nome Guph (first seen in The Emerald City of Oz) was last seen in the sixth story arc of The Emerald City Mirror, after which Kaliko replaced him. It can be assumed that Guph ignores Ozma's request to restore Kaliko to the throne, and that Guph's plot includes restoring Ruggedo to rule of the Nome Kingdom, as shown in A Refugee in Oz.

Lowers of Low: As with the Shadow People (or Cave Men) who live in the Ozure Isles (in The Giant Horse of Oz), the Lowers appear to have discarded, or were created without, physical bodies, and seek to make intruders cast off their bodies and become shades like them. The Nobodies of the Island Nowhere (in Pirates in Oz) also don't have bodies. It is not known if any of these fear (or are harmed by) the light as the Lowers are.

Scarecrow: This story marks the first celebration of the Scarecrow's birthday, which they call a "Makeday." The Tin Woodman's first publicly celebrated birthday is planned in A Refugee in Oz, the following year.

Tunnel under Oz: The tunnel underneath Oz and the Deadly Desert, which the Nomes dug in The Emerald City of Oz, was, according to that book, closed up: "Ozma used the Magic Belt to close up the tunnel, so that the earth underneath the desert sands became as solid as it was before the Nomes began to dig.” However, in this story and in The Shaggy Man of Oz, it is still there, and now adjoined to numerous underground passages that branch off it. This is explained here when the Lion says to Dorothy that he believed Ozma had closed up the entire tunnel (as she said she was going to do), but Dorothy clarifies this and tells him that Ozma only plugged up the end of the tunnel. This may be because of what the Glow Worm Glim said, "Many of these [creatures] made their homes in the tunnel; and when I came, it was already crowded. Since then the tunnel has been greatly enlarged, and the side passages made for the benefit of those who wish to spend some of their time on the Earth's surface." It's likely that not wanting to disturb these creatures or the new homes they were building in and out of the tunnel, Ozma likely decided to leave it be, but closed up the side on her end. As regards security risks, it appears that because a maze of passageways and inhabited chambers surround the tunnel, it's hard to stay on the original path, particularly as rivers of fire cross some passages.

Synopsis: Dorothy discovers from the Scarecrow that it's the Tin Woodman's birthday, which he considers as the day Ku-Klip gave him his tin head. While he's never had a birthday party since Dorothy's arrival, the Scarecrow spends time with him every year on this day. Dorothy considers it a celebration not of a beheading, but a reheading, and decides to accompany the Scarecrow to go see him. Figuring she'd like to bring a gift, she brings along the Magic Belt so that she can grant him a wish.

Nomes, meanwhile, break through from under the Deadly Desert unto an oasis called Sidia, capturing members of the peaceful Madou tribe who live there. Only the son of the elder, Kokoro, is able to escape across the Desert, where he passes the Barrier of Invisibility, and finds Oz.

Seeking help from the High Cocolorum of Thi, Kokoro is told to find the queen of the land. Seeing the Tin Castle, Kokoro heads there, and meets with the Tin Woodman, Scarecrow and Dorothy, who hear his story and agree to help him. Heading north, they send Tik-Tok to the Emerald City to warn Ozma of a Nome invasion. Tik-Tok passes the message along to Jack Pumpkinhead, but Jack loses his head along the way.

Kokoro is surprised and put off by the news that magic is forbidden in Oz since the whole country is magical, and for his people, magic is a natural and everyday occurrence. The Tin Woodman in turn becomes offended when Kokoro refers to him as a golem. The Travelers reach the edge of the Deadly Desert and discover that Kokoro's village is actually on the Deadly Desert. Wondering how they'll cross, he tells them to hold hands. His people can float off the ground and carry others so long as they hold hands.

Scraps, meanwhile, discovers Jack and brings him to the palace where Ozma carves him a new head. Jack informs her of the Nomes and Ozma summons her counselors. Kokoro, meanwhile, is too tired to continue and erects an oasis in the desert by turning the sand to glass. After resting and eating, he explains how his people all use domestic magic. One day, their sorcerer had made an animal to eat the insects that were threatening their crops. It had a tough hide and could go without food for a long time, but he had a sweet tooth and loved bees. Above all else, the village needed their bees, however, and could not allow this, so the creature eventually left them, and presumably died crossing the Deadly Desert.

Reaching the village, Kokoro is horrified to see its destruction, and the hole leading down to the Nome's dominion is still open. The party agree that they'll demand the release of his people and so descend into it, Kokoro lighting the way.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, a party heads out made up of Ozma, the Wizard, Ojo, Jack, Billina and several chickens, the Woozy, Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger and Sawhorse. Button-Bright is left behind as no wants to have deal with him when he inevitably gets lost. They find Tik-Tok wound down. Winding him back up, he gives them the directions the Scarecrow's party was taking. With Tik-Tok's internal navigation and the Wizard's silver spider, they head in the right direction in the Winkie Country.

The Scarecrow, Tin Man, Dorothy and Kokoro, meanwhile, enter a large cavern filled with glittering gems and metal trees. They soon find the Madou tribe, but the Nomes led by General Guph are upon them, and Guph takes Kokoro, forcing the Tin Woodman to lay down his axe as they take them to a hot room with an open furnace. Dorothy's left foot is then bound tightly so that she can't wiggle her toe, a necessary component to using the Belt to make a wish, and the Tin Woodman is chained. Ruggedo, king of the Nomes once again, enters and tells them he'll release them if they allow him to use the Magic Belt to wish for his memory back. The Scarecrow tells her not to do so, knowing that once he got it, he'll be an even worse threat and Dorothy will have no protection. The Nome King then tells her to make the wish herself and he'll release the three of them. But he intends to keep the Madou, as their powers can help him to locate all the gems that had been stolen or lost over the years. However, if he has the belt, he won't need them. To make his point, he then tosses the Scarecrow's hat and boot into the furnace where it burns up.

The Scarecrow urges Dorothy not to give him the Belt at any cost. Angrily, Ruggedo throws the Scarecrow's body into the furnace. Abashed at his lack of heart, the Tin Woodman protests, but Ruggedo has his chest pried open and his heart taken out, is surprised to find out it's made of silk. When Dorothy doesn't give up the Belt, he tosses the Tin Woodman's precious heart into the furnace. He then grabs the Scarecrow's head, opens it and tosses his brains into the furnace. Finally he throws in his head sack, but at that, the Tin Woodman bursts through his bonds, breaking his arm off at the elbow, and follows it into the furnace.

The Nome King tells Dorothy he'll soon melt, but Nick Chopper reemerges, noting that he's nickel plated, and that without a heart to guide him, he can no longer gauge right from wrong, and with that he raises his axe to kill Ruggedo. But the wily Nome calls his guards and flees in terror. As the Tin Woodman furiously battles Nomes, Kukuro frees Dorothy. Suddenly, the Nomes panic as chickens come flying into the tunnels. Billina flies in after them, asking about the Scarecrow and shocked to learn of his fate. Dorothy considers using the Belt, but remembers that Glinda told her that even wishes have their limits and that magic cannot bring back the dead. Nick is horrified to see what he'd done to the Nomes, but Billina notes that his axe is clean and that he didn't use the bladed side, only knocked them out.

As one of the hens informs them they've trapped Ruggedo, they go to see him. He's locked himself in a room with his books of magic, protected by diamond glass. Kaliko has been turned into an ornament and Ruggedo warns that they won't retrieve him in one piece. The hens discover a way for their eggs to get through, and the party leave Ruggedo trapped to go search for Kaliko. After examining numerous items of values, Dorothy discovers a geode cut in two and realizes that's what Ruggedo meant. If they restore him, he'll be cut in two. Kukuro goes to work healing the stone so that, in time, it's no longer bifurcated in two parts, but a whole stone again. Once that's complete, Dorothy touches it and says "Kaliko," which restores him.

Kaliko explains that he'd felt sorry for Ruggedo, feeling that no Nome can live happily on the surface, and let him live in one of the caves, believing he'd changed. Not realizing it, though, Ruggedo began gathering an army of malcontents. [93/4] Kaliko goes to see Ruggedo and tells him that he's walling him in, with eggs mixed into the stone so that he'll never escape. Kaliko then goes to free the Madou, apologizing to their elder Kuromo for what the usurper Ruggedo had done and escorting them back to the surface. But he's horrified to discover what Ruggedo did to the Scarecrow.

Since the Madou's home in Sidia is uninhabitable, both Kaliko and the Tin Woodman offer them a new home in their domains. They choose to travel to the Winkie Country and head there, and Kuromo dissolves their former oasis. Passing through the invisible barrier, they come upon the Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion, who Dorothy assures them won't harm them. The Wizard is dismayed at the loss of the Scarecrow and concerned about the detachment that the Tin Woodman is experiencing. Dorothy explains that she doesn't think the Madou are fairies or desert sprites, as the Wizard suggests, just "people who fly around and do magic." Kuromo explains that while they will do no magic while in Oz, they cannot settle in Oz as magic is integral to their way of life. He also feels the deathlessness of Oz would mean stagnation for the Madou (he also believes that no one is born in Oz). So, they will create another oasis in the desert. Some of the chickens offer to join them there.

Kukoro then brings his father over to see the Woozy. Kuromo asks the Woozy what he is and where he comes from, but the Woozy can't answer the latter question because he doesn't remember. Kuromo, of course, remembers him, as he was around when he'd been created, and is glad to know the Woozy's happy. The Woozy tells him the only thing that upsets him is the word "Krizzle Kroo," which Kuromo recognizes as the spoken part of a spell that temporarily stops living creatures in their tracks. He'd used the word many times to keep the Woozy from eating their honeybees. Once out of earshot, Kuromo explains to his son that he didn't tell the Woozy his true origins because learning he was a failed creation whose purpose it was to eat bugs would make him unhappy. He reasons that his creator must have flown him over the desert and removed his memories of Sidia.

As the Madou and some chickens stay behind to prepare their oasis in the desert, the rest of the party move towards the Emerald City. The Tin Woodman takes the Scarecrow's empty head sack out of the place where his heart had been, and tells him to give him a fitting memorial. When asked how he's doing, he says he's glad Ruggedo burned his heart first. Claiming to feel tired, he goes off to his castle.

At the Emerald City, the Wizard meets up with Glinda and Ozma, and shows them the Scarecrow's head sack. He tells them he thinks together they can save him. Glinda inquires how, and he explains that the Scarecrow remembers being alive prior to the creation of his body (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). He also knows that the "brains" he gave him weren't anything magical, just bran and pins and needles. With Kokoro's help, they begin the process up in the Wizard's tower room. Scraps, meanwhile, anxiously awaits outside.

By dawn, they've accomplish their goals and the Scarecrow comes walking out with them in a new suit of Munchkin clothes. He is glad to see everyone, but admits that he feels unsettled, as if he's not all there. After several days at his corn mansion, the Scarecrow still feels off and hasn't visited the Tin Woodman. Scraps confronts him in his cornfield, and he tells her that Ruggedo burned his brains, so he can't think anymore. She tells him that the Wizard was no wizard back then, and that he was already smart before he mt him, to which the Scarecrow replies that others have told him that, but he knows different. He also knows the Wizard can't give him new brains because he would already have done so. Feeling he's lost his intelligence and wisdom and that he'd make for bad company, he has to come to terms with his new situation. Scraps storms off furious and frustrated.

She heads to the Tin Woodman's castle, hoping he can knock some sense into the Scarecrow, but the Tin Woodman has locked himself in the throne room and dismissed all his staff, save two guards who've disobeyed his orders. Going into the garden she climbs up the trellis and, breaking the window with a rake, enters the castle, only to discover that Nick has rusted solid. Calling one of the guards to bring an oil can, they get him moving again. He's surprised to discover the Scarecrow is alive and that the bit he brought back was enough, but he understands his dilemma. He believes he feels no love now that he has no heart. Scraps is incredulous and tries to point out how all of his actions, including crying himself into a rusted state, prove that he doesn't need a fake heart inside him to love because he already loves. When he says he intends to respect the Scarecrow's wishes and leave him be, Scraps says that she will say there night and day trying to cheer him up until he comes with her. And with that threat, he gets up. Several hours later, he's ready to depart, but he refuses to be polished, insisting that his rusty exterior doesn't matter because he's empty inside.

Upon reaching the Corn Mansion, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman embrace heartily. They determine that they're no worse off than they were before they met the Wizard, but wonder if they can ever really be happy again. Still, the Scarecrow tells him to stay at his castle while he attempts to learn to be a farmer. Scraps hopes they'll soon be their old selves again, but days later they're still morose. She leaves to go to the Emerald City, where she bursts into the throne room and announces to Ozma that the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are broken. She explains what happened and what their attitudes have been like. The Wizard says he can't do anything magical, as that could be unethical and it might change their personalities. They simply have to learn to accept themselves as the Lion has. Ozma agrees, but Scraps is incensed. Dorothy comes up with an idea, however, and discussed it privately with Ozma and Oscar. When they emerge, they send the Soldier with the Green Whiskers to fetch the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are surprised to see the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, and his gun loaded with new flowers. Although Nick wishes to polish himself before he goes, Omby insists they come immediately.

Once in the throne room later that night, Ozma commends them for having sacrificed themselves for Oz and to keep the Belt out of Ruggedo's hands, and for saving the Madou people. She concludes that it's not right that they should suffer as a result. So, she wishes on the Magic Belt that the Scarecrow be restored to who he was before he entered the Nome tunnels. Instantly the Scarecrow looks and feels like his old self. As midnight hits shortly after, she makes the same wish for the Tin Woodman. Suddenly he is polished and can feel his heart beating inside him.

Although everyone is overjoyed, the Wizard is sullen and says to them that they still underestimate themselves and he wonders that once they figure out if they'll forgive him. But they misunderstand him. Scraps later confronts the Wizard about not telling them the truth, but he explains that they wouldn't believe him if he did, and that their faith is stronger than the things they have faith in. Even after they've exposed the Wizard as a humbug they wanted the things they believed they were missing. Scraps hates it when stupid things like that make sense, but says she'll keep his secret to keep them happy.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Dating this story is based upon as assortment of evidence: On p 117, it's noted that they'd worked with the Three Adepts (from Glinda of Oz), which places this story squarely after Baum's tenure. In The Royal Book of Oz, the Cowardly Lion says he's never known the Scarecrow to worry, and as he worries a great deal in this story it must take place after. The Invisible Barrier is cast around Oz at this time. It was erected in 1905, but removed at the end of that year. It was then restored in 1941, indicating a later date for this story despite the Wizard saying the law prohibiting magic was cast recently [p106], with "recently" having to be understood in a relative sense (as in the last 40 years). That the Wizard works in his tower room, something that hadn't been mentioned until Neill's books, also indicates a post-Thompson era placement for this story. What seems to argue against that is page 75, where it says of Ruggedo, "Though he had twice lost all his magical knowledge when his memory had been erased by the Water of Oblivion... his old personality had reasserted itself both times." Due to the following evidence, this authorial line has to be interpreted to mean not that he drank the Water of Oblivion two times only, but that he twice lost his magical knowledge due to the Water of Oblivion. Thompson's Kabumpo in Oz precludes any major events from occurring in Ruggedo's history prior to that story, as Ruggedo scrupulously lists his history since the loss of his Magic Belt. His appearance in The Gnome King of Oz also precludes any in-between adventures, as he's still exiled on Runaway Island and has been there since the end of Kabumpo in Oz. So this story must be after those books, as well. At the end of The Gnome King of Oz, he's given the Water of Oblivion again for the third time, yet because A Refugee in Oz can't take place prior to these stories, the text must be interpreted to mean that Ruggedo lost his magical abilities to the Waters of Oblivion twice, not that he only drank of it twice, which works from a textual perspective. Another telling piece of evidence is that the Madou are strictly not allowed to practice magic in Oz, which means this story must take place prior to 1964 when Ozma softened the ban to include magical races (like Yookoohoos) to practice their own natural brand of magic. The Madou would have been included in this had this story taken place later than 1964. The Royal Timeline of Oz currently places this story in 1941.

Deadly Desert: The existence of oases upon the Deadly Desert was established in The Shaggy Man of Oz (page 199) and The Forbidden Fountain of Oz.

Ruggedo: The narrative doesn't address the question of how Ruggedo had escaped his enchanted cactus form, which allows The Royal Timeline of Oz to find an appropriate placement for it. The preceding story involving Ruggedo, The Raggedys of Oz, shows that Ruggedo was pardoned and went back to live in Ev. In this tale, Kaliko says that Ruggedo asked him if he could live again in the Nome country, which Kaliko (believing he repented) allowed. The ending of this story leaves Ruggedo walled in by eggs. It is unlikely that Ozma agreed to allow the Nome to be tortured and she likely restored him to his cactus form, potentially leading right into the events of The Medicine Man of Oz.

The Tin Woodman: The first celebration of the Tin-Woodman's re-birthday (of his being fully made into the Tin Woodsman, not Nick Chopper's original b-day) is marked here. The first birthday celebration of the Scarecrow takes place in The Red Jinn in Oz.

The Woozy: Although the true origin of the Woozy is presented here, the Woozy has a much longer story that occurs after the time he leaves Sidia. The Woozy's creator likely flew him to the Land of Wooz, an uninhabited realm of honeybees that he likely named after the Woozy. There Mombi later had him brought to Oz in order to use the "Krizzle Kroo" spell, after which he melted the bars and escaped, as shown in "A Trip Down Memory Lane, or How the Woozy Came to Oz" (The Emerald City Mirror #7), after which he's found by the Bootmaker and used by him and the Wicked Witch of the West to protect them from Krizzle Kroo's black bees, as described the Oziana 1992 story "The Woozy's Tale," after which he winds up where he's discovered in The Patchwork Girl of Oz. See "The Woozy's Origins" in the Appendices.

History: Initially pulled from publication due to the inadvertent use of a copyrighted character (Herby the Medicine Man) and the Baum Trust's insistence that the phrase, "Founded on and Continuing the Famous Oz Stories" ought not be used without their permission (despite the fact that nearly every modern Oz book contains those lines), this book was reissued in 2008 by a private publisher.

Synopsis: In the city of Windairy, on Mount Airy, west of Pumperdink in the Gillikin Country, live 647 people ruled by King Gustav and Queen Airleen. The country produces flags, banners and kites, the flying of which is their favorite pastime. The royal couple are content, but their daughters, Princess Zephyr and Princess Breezette, who are neither the pretties or pleasantest girls, are upset that they can't find husbands because their home is so remote and unknown. Captain Blues, the Prime Ministers, gets the idea to bring fame to himself and Windairy by packaging winds and breezes that they can distribute throughout Oz. As they aren't allowed to practice magic, and don't have any anyway, Bluster determines to go to the Emerald City to ask Ozma and the Wizard to assist them. Though Queen Airleen doesn't care for the idea, King Gustav gives him leave.

Herby the Medicine Man and the Wogglebug, meanwhile, depart from the Royal College of Atheltic Arts, discussing Herby's remedies, which alleviate bad temper, boredom, rudeness and fatigue. Herby remembers that he needs new roots and herbs and heads to the palace to inform Ozma that he'll be making a trip into the Gillikin Country to collect more. Trot asks to go with him, as does Scraps. Since there's a "Beautiful Baby" contest going on in the Emerald City, the Hungry Tiger (who doesn't want to be tempted), asks to go as well. Herby is happy to have the company, and Ozma also requests that he go to the old cottage of Tattypoo and bring back any magical items that might have been left behind when she was disenchanted.

In the morning, with a bottle of the Wizard's Wishing Pills and Square Meal Tablets, the party head off atop the Hungry Tiger's back. By afternoon they pass by an old, seemingly abandoned farmhouse. A voice calls out to leave him alone or they'll be sorry, but Trot insists, and the farmer opens his door. A gruff and grim-looking man answers, and Trot, Herby and Tige all notice that they feel a lot grumpier. The farmer explains that it's the curse. He had let himself become so negative and complaining that his wife and neighbors started to catch his condition every time they were near him. So they exiled him and he's lived alone ever since. Scraps tries to cheer him up, but to no avail, so Herby gives him a pill for aggravation. It does the trick! Overjoyed, the farmer invites them in for supper and a good night's rest, and makes preparations to return to his wife and village.

In the morning, Herby points out that much of the cure came from the farmer's desire to get better. By afternoon, they enter a forest and take a path that leads them to Masquerville. A red-clad man in a blonde wig answers the knock, declaring that while Scraps can enter the others can't unless they're in costume. As Trot persists, however, he ushers them in town and to a giant wardrobe, urging them to change and not forget their masks. So Trot dresses as Cinderella at the ball, and the Hungry Tiger as the Cowardly Lion and Scraps as a ghost. At the chiming of a bell, all of the town comes out, dozens upon dozens dressed in all manner of costumers. One of them spots Herby's wig and takes it for his costume, leaving Herby bald. Trot thinks it's cute that they spend every day like Halloween at a masquerade ball, but when the people think that Scraps' patchwork outfit and the Hungry Tiger's skin are costumes, and wish to add them to their wardrobe, things get dangerous. As the wardrobe mistress attacks Scraps with her shears to get the outfit off her, the Hungry Tiger roars a terrible roar, sending all the Masquers away, and allowing the four to continue their journey.

Bluster, meanwhile, makes if down the mountain on his way to the Emerald City. He stops off an empty cottage to rest and find food, and there discovers the magical items of Tattypoo, for it's her cottage. Although he can't read any of her potions or magic book, he fills his basket with all of her magic apparati. Bluster then begins to envision himself as a powerful Wizard ruling over the Gillikin Country and Oz.

At that moment, Herby and his party arrive and Bluster sneaks out the back door. The party search the house but find nothing, except the old container that Herby had been imprisoned in for many years. He explains that he'd been brewing a kettle of herbs and elixers outside his own home when Mombi came by. She informed him that she'd be taking his kettle, but when he refused, she pushed him in it, adn with his own bottling powder, which he used for easy transportation and storage, she liquefied him and poured him in a bottle which she then brought to her hut. When Tattypoo defeated her she took the bottle to her cottage, not realizing that someone was inside it. "So much of old Mombi's mischief was never discovered," said Herby.

Trot's grateful there's nothing dangerous yet, remembering the trouble that Ruggedo had brought on them. Herby's glad he's a cactus, but admits he'd have destroyed him after his last attempt to conquer Oz. As the Ozites settle in for the night, Bluster—whose overheard their conversation—decides to wait in hiding until they're asleep. As soon as Scraps goes off exploring, he sneaks back into the house and steals the bottle of Wishing Pills that Herby put on the counter.

In the morning, after they've left, Bluster uses a wishing pill to get a hearty breakfast. He then determines that he needs someone who understands magic to assist him in his new plans, and remembers Ruggedo. With another wishing pill he restores and transports him to the cottage, where he informs the overjoyed nome of all that's transpired. Ruggedo asks him how he was released and where the wishing pills are. Bluster is reluctant to tell him, but after the nome seduces him with tales of wealth and riches and power, he offers it to him. Ruggedo explains that he'll render the Magic Picture and Great Book of Records useless. Then he'll wish the Magic Belt back in his possession. Ruggedo doesn't mention that after he's in power, he intends to do away with Bluster. With three wishing pills, everything he said comes to pass, and all of the Emerald City's precious magical items are in their hut.

At the Emerald City, Ozma and Dorothy discover that the Magic Picture isn't working. The Wizard also discovers his black bag missing. Ozma soon discovers that all of the magic treasures are missing. So, together they head for Glinda's palace. Glinda, however, is dismayed at her Book of Records, which is only recording gibberish. She too discovers that her magical implements are missing. They consider who might have committed such an act, but they know that Ugu is a now a harmless dove and that Ruggedo is a cactus. So the three magic users retire to construct some new tools to help them.

Leading his friends towards his old hut, Herby tells Trot that he was a native of the Winkie Country who moved north because it had a better selection of herbs and roots. Then, suddenly, Scraps vanishes. And a sand trap opens up under the Hungry Tiger, swallowing him in as Herby clings to his neck and Trot holds on to Herby's waist. Sliding down an incline they shoot into a cavern, where they find Scraps and a dozen tunnels leading in different directions. Herby goes to grab and wishing pill, only to discover the bottle isn't there. Trot selects a large road at random and they proceed. But they are soon halted by the approach of giant ants. Antrillo, Captain of the Ant Guard, proclaims them prisoners of Queen Anthria, the ruler of Anteria. Unaware of who Ozma is, they serve only their queen who requires additional slaves.

Brought into a large chamber with hundreds of ants, the party meet the queen. Trot tells her to let them go, as they are all subjects of Ozma, but Queen Anthria tells her that she doesn't know of their existence. They had once been an ordinary colony until Mombi cast a spell over them, causing them to grow. With them she'd intended to march upon the Good Witch of the North. When she vanished, they built their underground labyrinth, emerging only to collect sugar cane which grows in a nearby field. This is to be the job of her new slaves. The Hungry Tiger is to drive her chariot, Herby will collect and transport the sugar, Trot will process it, and Scraps will serve as a mop. They are put in a prison where after some hours they fall asleep.

The next morning, Ruggedo turns Glinda, Ozma the Wizard and all the residents of the palace into cacti in the Royal Conservatory. Ruggedo then uses the Belt to transport them to the Emerald City. After visiting the Conservatory and gloating, Ruggedo transports a few thousand nomes to the Emerald City, along with Kaliko, who he makes his chief stewart again after taking his crown.

Herby, meanwhile, comes up with a plan to escape the lair of the giant ants. Burning his wig, he sets fire to the sugar cane. Giving pills to those who can swallow prevents them from suffering smoke inhalation as they lead Scraps out in the ensuing chaos. They emerge once on the surface of the Gillikin forest. Trot hopes the fire didn't spread or hurt the ants, and determines to tell Ozma to shrink them back. But as they try to figure out which way to the Emerald City, Trot, Scraps and the Hungry Tiger disappear! Herby searches unsuccessfully for them, unaware that all of the palace residents have been turned into cacti, a fate he was spared because he doesn't live in the palace (but in a shop in the emerald city).

After traveling for a time and getting nowhere, Herby stops to rest and is greeted by a hawk who tells him the Emerald City was overrun by nomes and that Ozma and the court have vanished. Realizing what happened to his companions, Herby decides to head to his old cottage, which the Friendly Hawk helps lead him to. There, Herby is thrilled to find, amongst other items of use, the remnants of his liquefying formula in a bottle that Mombi didn't take.

In the morning, the Friendly Hawk returns to lead Herby to the Emerald City and gives him the idea of putting the liquefying solution in Ruggedo's bath water. After a long walk, Herby rests for the evening.

The next morning, Herby wakes up early and goes ahead, but he gets ensnared by a sentient moss that drops down from the trees and enchases him. It pulls him up the tree and leaves him dangling. The hawk comes along and Herby cries out for help. Seeing that Herby got trapped in the Mossy Glen, the hawk departs and returns with others who pull Herby free of the clinging moss. The hawk tells him that while the moss is generally dormant, it becomes active after rainfall in the dawn hours.

As they near the city, the Guardian of the Gates and a large group of other Emerald City residents approach Herby who greets them and tells them his plan.

Now two days after Ruggedo conquered the Emerald City, he promotes Captain Bluster to General, and tells him he wants him to lead the army of nomes through Oz, forcing everyone to accept his rule or become a cactus, after which he intends to conquer Ev. Ruggedo also announces that in two days time he will marry Ozma after he waters her cactus with water from the Fountain of Oblivion. Bluster listens to all of this in horror, bitterly regretting all he'd done since leaving Windairy. The Friendly Hawk, however, has overheard the conversation and reports it to Herby and the others that he thinks Bluster can be made an ally.

That night, he flies to Bluster's window and tells him that he'll be given a reprieve if he helps overthrow Ruggedo. Bluster agrees, but is unsure how to help. But when Kaliko enters the room, the hawk sees a way, and has Bluster bring him before him. Kaliko is relieved to know there is hope and the hawk explains their plan of getting Ruggedo to take a bath. Kaliko knows this is something he rarely does, but thinks that with the upcoming wedding, he can convince him. The hawk leaves and returns later that night with Herby's bottle of liquefaction, which he gives to Kaliko with instructions to place it in his bath water.

The next day, the palace is bustling with preparations for Ruggedo's coronation and wedding. Kaliko then suggests that Ruggedo look his best, get a haircut, trim and take a bath. Ruggedo agrees that for Ozma he should look his best. Kaliko prepares his bath and empties the contents of the magic elixir into the tub. When Ruggedo enters it, he shrieks as his body dissolves into a grey liquid. Kaliko and Bluster rejoice and follow the hawk's instructions to pour the liquid into a kettle, boil it down and place it in a bottle, which they put along with the Magic Belt into a safe.

The next morning, Herby and the Friendly Hawk arrive to undo the damage Ruggedo did. Kaliko tells Bluster he forgives Bluster his mistake and apologizes to Herby for the damage his nomes did. With the Magic Belt, Herby sends all the nomes and Kaliko back to their underground home in Ev. He then restores the city to its former glory and the citizens to their homes. Finally, he disenchants the palace residents from their cacti forms. Ozma is apprised of the situation and restores the magical appliances Ruggedo tampered with. She tells Bluster that he'll drink a drop of water from the Fountain of Oblivion and give him some of Herby's discontent-relief pills. Bluster concedes. She then thanks the Friendly Hawk and Herby and prepares a banquet in their honor. The bottled liquid that is Ruggedo she pours into the ground.

The next day, Ozma has the Wizard deal with the giants ants and gifts Windairy with the ability to box the winds, which brings them much fame. Herby is no longer court physician, but the Royal Medicine Man of Oz.

Continuity Notes

Beautiful Baby Contest: The existence of such a contest indicates that, in fact, babies do continue to be born in Oz. An argument can be made to the effect that these babies are decades (if not centuries) old, though this seems unlikely aging still occurs in Oz, but can be halted at any age if one so chooses.

Dating: No year is indicated in the text, but the dating is predicated on the fact that in The Enchanted Gnome of Oz, Ruggedo's cactus has been making noise for 40 years and driving the Goblin King, who lives underground, crazy. The dating also works in that Ozma's concern over the magical items left behind in Tattypoo's hut points to the fact that this story likely doesn't take place many years after those events. Nor can it take place too close to that time either, as the residents of Windairy know of Tattypoo from an Oz history book. Reasoning that Ozma would not want Ruggedo to be tortured, the Royal Timeline of Oz now places it right after the events of A Refugee in Oz in 1942, forty years prior to The Enchanted Gnome of Oz.

Giant Ants: Though both stories were written independent of the knowledge of the other, the adventure with the giant ants is reminiscent of the adventure with the bees and queen bee in The Wicked Witch of Oz.

Ruggedo: An untold event must occur following this one regarding Ruggedo's fate. Herby's "bottling formula" liquefied Ruggedo, who was then poured out by Ozma. Since Ruggedo reappears in later stories, he was clearly released from the liquid-form, and it may be that the effects were temporary (Ruggedo is an immortal rock fairy). It's also possible that the potion (which was very old) had a less-than-permanent effect, or that the effect of Ozma pouring it out led to the immediate reconstitution of Ruggedo in his original form.

37th Oz book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

History: This is the first Oz story by writer Jack Snow, and by illustrator Frank Kramer. Snow had written to Reilly & Lee to continue the series as early as his teens, prior to Thompson being chosen as Royal Historian, and finally got the opportunity in 1944, following John R. Neill's death.

Synopsis: After Ozma sends Toto to fetch Dorothy she ponders on the history of Oz and the time before it was enchanted. Because the Deadly Desert kept it excluded its people lived free from destruction and terrible wars. Then came Queen Lurline "ruler of all the fairies in the world," who circled over Oz with her band and made it into a fairy realm. Then she sought out the king, an old man without an heir, and left baby Ozma with him. At attaining her full age of girlhood, 14/15, she would be crowned Princess of Oz, although several of the witches nearly prevented this.

The day was at hand to answer the summons of the Fairy Queen, for every 200 years, all members of the Queen's fairy band gather for a Grand Council in the Forest of Burzee to discuss the work of the next two centuries. She will be accompanied by Glinda. When Dorothy asks Ozma what Lurline did after enchanting Oz, Ozma tells her that she went to Mount Illuso, next to Mount Phantastico, to confront the dread Mimics about whom not much is known, save that they are of the ancient race of Erbs, who inhabited the earth long before man, and are related to the Phanfasms. They hate humans and immortals for having stolen the world from them. After Lurline enchanted Oz, she placed a spell on the Mimics to make it impossible for them to attack Oz.

Ozma appoints Dorothy as acting ruler in her stead, the first time Dorothy has been given this honor. The Wizard will serve as her counselor and advisor until she returns in three days.

Flashback: After leaving Ozma with the king, Lurline went off to Mt. Illuso with a Fairy Maiden. Making themselves invisible they spied the terrifying caverns of the Mimics who are shape-shifters and shape stealers. Able to cast themselves on the shadow of mortal and immortal alike, they take their form and leave their victim conscious but unable to move or speak. So, Lurline casts an incantation on the Mimics, rendering them powerless to harm the inhabitants of Oz, and leaving behind her fairy companion on the summit to watch over them.

On the morning Ozma and Glinda depart for Burzee, King Umb and Queen Ra of the Mimics convene in a hidden cavern filled with ancient books of magic and strange implements. Umb has little power, but his queen is skilled in the conjuring and incantations of the Erbs, and has followed the history of Oz over the years. While free to attack and bring misery to other lands, Queen Ra is obsessed with Oz, and has discovered through her magic that the spell to remove Lurline's enchantment lies in Ozma's Royal Palace. With a magic circlet of metal, she summons a mist within which turns a glowing ball. In it, she can spy Ozma bidding her friends goodbye and vanishing. Queen Ra declares it's time to act. Those who came from the outside world after Lurline's enchantment are not protected by her spell preventing the Mimics from stealing their shapes. The queen lays out her plan to enslave Oz, causing her husband to declare her "the most wicked queen who ever ruled the Mimics." After midnight and accompanied by Styg and Ebo, the Mimic Monarchs depart the mountain transformed as birds and unconcerned about their guardian whose attention has been elsewhere for some time.

As Dorothy consults the Wizard in the top of his tower, four giant black birds enter through the large windows. As "all birds and animals possess the power of human speech," the Wizard asks them what the intrusion is, but they leap at their shadows, rending them unable to move or speak. Dorothy and the Wizard then find themselves looking upon, not birds, but exact duplicates of themselves! Styg and Ebo, still as birds, pick them up in their talons and fly them over the Deadly Desert to Mt. Illuso.

Later on, the Scarecrow tells Scraps that he finds Dorothy's behavior strange. Scraps mentions that it's oldd that she hadn't gone to see Aunt Em. They run into Cap'n Bill and Trot, and Bill tells them that the Wizard's been acting strange as well. Just then, they overhear Dorothy and the Wizard come up on the other side of the hedge, talking about trying to find some spell and plotting against Ozma.

In their prison in Mt. Illuso, the Wizard determines that his captors aren't Phanfasms. Just then, a warm light shines down on them, freeing them of the evil spell. Exploring the cave, Dorothy finds a button and pushes it, opening a panel in the wall that leads to an elevator. A small painted wooden man sits inside.

Toto, meanwhile, wakes up in time to join everyone for dinner. Suddenly, he declares that the Dorothy sitting there is not his Dorothy, but an imposter, and demands to know what became of his mistress.

The real Dorothy and Wizard enter an elevator operated by Hi-Lo from Pineville. He takes them to the home of he and his wife, explaining that they're their first visitors from below. The couple tell them that the fair Ozana rules the mountaintop. They also share a sad tale of their son, Charlie McCarthy, who left home with a stork for the outside world. The Wizard says he knows of him and that he went to a good home, having attained this information from music on the radio, which gets a signal from America. The next morning they head to Pineville, a community of wooden people where they find Princess Ozana's cottage and gardens. She greets them, as does her kitten Felina, and her wooden servants Dolly and Poppet. Ozana tells them she is Ozma's cousin and a member of Lurline's fairy band. Ozana has kept up with events in Oz and knows of Dorothy and the Wizard, who built the Emerald City, through which the four quadrants were united [119]

She explains that she'd been placed there by Lurline to guard Oz from the Mimics. She created the magic light and elevator to help potential prisoners of the Mimics, though until then they had not seen fit to take any to their Cavern of Doom. She was remiss in not noticing the departure of the Mimic Monarchs because they'd been inactive for so long. And in that time, Ozana had grown lonely, creating the wooden people and Pine Village to keep her company. Because Dorothy and the Wizard arrived in Oz after Lurline's spell was cast, they were not protected by it. Now, the king and queen seek out the magic antidote that Lurline had left with Ozma for safekeeping. Once they find it, then all of Oz can be attacked and subject to their shape-stealing.

Before Ozana leaves to study the best means of defeating them, she takes her visitors to Story Blossom Garden where each flower, once picked, tells a unique story, withers, and is then planted again and returns with a new story. Dorothy and the Wizard go around putting their ears to different flowers, who offer them various tales, including that of:

A wicked witch and a princess

Silken beasts in their jungle lairs

A Highland girl for Auld Lang Syne

Merryland and the Valley of Clowns (a story Dorothy read about; from Dot and Tot of Merryland)

Men's love for black, brown and blue eyes

Love stories

A vagabond in faraway places

Wind-mills, Holland canals and pretty Dutch girls

Sun-baked prairies and western farmhouses

Dick Superguy, greatest detective in the world (this was offered by a weed)

A "magic white ship that sails the jeweled seas" and "the strange creatures that dwell in its depths."

A tale of "the secret islands of the never-ending nights, where the winds are music in the palm trees and the hours are woven of delights."

Sermon-like stories

A Spring Maiden who dances around the earth vanquishing ugliness and cold, and bringing forth flowers in her wake, causing new hope to arise in the hears of men.

Adventure stories

Stories of home, love, patience and virtue "in which the poorest may find riches."

In the morning, Ozana reveals that Queen Ra has put up a magical screen preventing Ozana from spying upon her activities. They must head to the Emerald City immediately, and to cross the Deadly Desert, Ozana summons her three swans, who with her fairy wand, causes them to enlarge to five times their size. Following the fairy's lead, the Wizard and Dorothy (with Felina) settle upon the birds' backs. They find the journey one of the most relaxing they've ever had in the air, hampered only by Ozana's worry that something has gone terribly wrong and that the Mimics have outsmarted her.

Following Toto's announcement at dinner, the false Dorothy and Wizard flee, with Toto and the Scarecrow in pursuit, but the Mimic Monarchs lock themselves in Ozma's Chamber of Magic. The Ozites gather to discuss the problem, and returning to the locked door, demand an explanation. But they find two large black birds instead. Queen Ra had found the antidote spell and Ozma's Magic Belt, and with King Umb, they fly away back to Mt. Illuso. Checking the Magic Picture, they find Dorothy and the Wizard safe in the cottage of Mr. and Mrs. Hi-Lo. But when Trot suggests using the Belt to get them home, they discover it has been stolen. Uncle Henry volunteers to go with the Sawhorse to Glinda's to consult the Great Book of Records.

The next morning Queen Ra summons the serpent-headed Ebo to fetch Dorothy and the Wizard, the latter which she wishes to transform into a salamander and drop into the desert (where it will live), and the former to be kept for amusement and diversion. But when he returns reporting their escape, she has Ebo cast into the Pit of Forked Flames. Gathering the Mimic hordes at midnight, Queen Ra begins the disenchantment spell, releasing a magical scarlet spider that grows to enormous size and builds a giant web that will act as a net for Lurline's spell, provided it remains unbroken. Transforming themselves into birds, the Mimic throng flies across the Desert to Oz. Approaching the Emerald City, they take on beautiful colors, which entice the Emerald City residents to come out and gaze upon them. As the magnificent flock lands in the courtyard, the Ozites approach, where one by one, the Mimics enter their shadows and become their duplicates, rendering the originals immobile. Button-Bright, Trot, Betsy, Cap'n Bill, Ojo, Aunt Em and Jellia Jamb are duplicated, amongst others, but the animals and non-humans remain unaffected. Queen Ra puts a spell on Hank the Mule, the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger, and has her people tie up the Scarecrow, Scraps, Tik-Tok, the Glass Cat, Billina and the Woozy. Only Toto is able to sneak by. Queen Ra and King Umb sit on the royal thrones and revert to their original forms, that of large, red-skinned beings, Ra with dark hair twisted in a knot and crown, and wearing the Magic Belt, Umb with a huge black beard and knotted black hair. At her word the Scarecrow is brought before her, and she threatens to burn him and keep his head around for wise advice; Tik-Tok she threatens to dismantle, the Glass Cat to be melted down, the Woozy chopped into cubes, and Billina roasted! To buy time, the Scarecrow challenges the queen, but she angrily sets a fire around him.

Just as he's about to go up in flames, Ozma and Glinda arrive and magically douse the flames. Glinda informs Ozma that these are the evil Mimics, and Queen Ra declares herself the new ruler of Oz, promising to take Ozma's own shape. Even Glinda and Ozma know their powers are greater than theirs, but then Toto runs over and bites their ankles, a distraction that allows time for Dorothy, the Wizard and Ozana to appear. Queen Ra attempts to use the Magic Belt to turn Ozana into a wooden doll, but it fails, unable to harm the fairy Guardian of Oz. Ozana recasts the enchantment, destroying the scarlet spider and its web, which frees the Ozites from their immobility. The Mimics revert to their original repulsive shapes.

Ozma thanks Toto and Ozana, but she acknowledges that had she done her job and watched them more closely they'd not have gotten a foothold in Oz. She suggests they bring the Mimics to a mirrored room, and into the mirrors they're sent. Breaking the mirrors, they return to their cavern home in the mountain. Uncle Henry returns, glad to see all is well. Ozana, however, is sad to have to go back to the lonely mountaintop, but Ozma assures her that she's welcome to stay in Oz with them. She promises to ask Lurline, who wishes to converse with her on events in the outside world.

Later, Ozma returns with the news that Ozana is now a Princess of Oz, and that they can keep an eye on the Mimics through the Magic Picture. Yet, grateful as she is, she grieves at having to leave the residents of Pineville and Story Blossom Garden to destruction at the hands of the Mimics, and so must turn them back into unliving beings. Felina alone is safe as she is a fairy cat and as old as Ozana herself. When Ozana goes to the Magic Picture to look upon her beloved creations one last time, she is shocked to find a wasteland, but Ozma reassures her that all is well. She has transported them to Oz. Upon a small mountain in the Quadling Country, near Miss Cuttenclip, resides Pineville and Story Blossom Garden, where now everyone in Oz can visit to hear stories and talk with the wooden dolls who live there. A grand banquet ensues.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This story takes place over the course of six days. See the Day-to-Day Chronology for more details. The placement of this book determines the year when Oz was turned into a fairyland by Queen Lurline, which is specified by Ozana's statement that she'd guarded Mt. Illuso for over two hundred years [123]. The latest the book can be dated is 1944, when Snow began writing it. The earliest is harder to discern, but as it includes a reference to the Wizard having a tower-room—something that he wasn't noted to have until the Neill books—it likely takes place after the Neill books in publication order. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1942.

Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion: This pair are planning a trip to the forest where they came from.

Lurline's Visit to Mt. Illuso: Lurline is noted as looking for ways to protect mortals in Leprechauns in Oz, so the fact that she does not visit Mt. Phantastico, enchant the Phanfasms (who are just as dangerous as the Mimics) or leave behind a fairy-guardian there, indicates that the Phanfasms are at this time restricted to their domain. The psychology and history of their race is partly revealed in The Law of Oz and Other Stories. The deeper history of the Mimics and their relationship to the Phanfasms is forthcoming in the book, The Ancient Dawn of Oz. That Lurline did not enchant the Mimics so that they couldn't attack neighboring countries may also indicate that at this time in 1742, the surrounding countries were either sparsely populated, or had powerful defenses of their own, such as Burzee on account of Ak, Ix on account of Zixi, etc.

Charlie McCarthy: The famous ventriloquist doll of Edgar Bergen, popular from the 1930s to the '50s, is referenced as having been the "son" of Mr. and Mrs. Hi-Lo. Having been restless at home, he left Mt. Illuso with the help of a stork and came to the outside world, where he was adopted by Bergen and went on to great fame. The Wizard learned of him through his wireless, which is noted to pick up stations in the outside world. Charlie's appearance gives us an idea of what the wooden people of Pine Valley look like.

Giant Spider: Queen Ra's spell to create the giant scarlet spider is reminiscent of what the Wicked Witch did when she created the giant spider to attack the Wizard in How the Wizard Came to Oz.

Good Witch of the North: The Good Witch of the North pays a visit to Oz in this story, but who this is remains uncertain. It is likely not Queen Orin, as she is no longer a witch, having been disenchanted years earlier. There are two future Good Witches of the North, Maggie from the Seven Blue Mountains, and Belinda, Glinda's sister (from The Enchanted Gnome of Oz), but neither comes into the role until years later. That leaves a possible Locasta (the actual Good Witch at the time Orin had been enchanted by Mombi, as revealed in "Tommy Kwikstep and the Magpie"), and although she doesn't want the job any longer, she may have temporarily retaken the role for some unknown purpose. The Wizard considers asking her to do so in "The Wizard in New York." On the other hand, it could be an entirely different person whose story has yet to be told.

Mimics: Of the ancient race of Erbs, the Mimics are evil spirits and related to the Phanfasms. Snow indicates that the latter are far older, and are resentful at immortals and humans for having stolen the earth from them, which implies that they came to earth before faerie or man (though possibly not before the Original Dragon of An). They have one additional power that the Phanfasms do not have, which is to steal shapes from their victims by entering their shadows. This leaves the victim conscious, but immobile and speechless. The advantage of this is that it allows them to take their place in society. Rather than making an outward attack, they can infiltrate governments and seats of power in the world. It appears that they have to keep their victims' alive, since they didn't just drop Dorothy and the Wizard into the Deadly Desert, but brought them to the Cavern of the Doomed in Mt. Illuso, where they were kept alive but hopelessly out of reach. The Mimics are limited, however, to stealing human shapes, and although they can readily shape-shift into animals, and do so regularly, they cannot steal animals shapes, nor that of nonhuman beings (like the Scarecrow).

Omby Amby: Snow identifies the Soldier with the Green Whiskers as Omby Amby, which Baum had indicated, but never explicitly stated. Nathan M. DeHoff notes as well that "Thompson's alternate name of Wantowin Battles is ignored, as is Snow's general way. Oddly enough, though, Snow says that the Soldier is also the Keeper of the Gates, when the Guardian is clearly a separate character in previous Oz books. I suppose it's possible that the Soldier is watching the gates while the Guardian is on vacation, though. Ozma suggests just such an arrangement in SCALAWAGONS, after all." Snow also says that Omby Amby is married to the jailor Tollydiggle, who first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, (and who has an expanded role in Adolf Hitler in Oz.) Because the Soldier's wife in Land "doesn't sound like the friendly Tollydiggle from PATCHWORK GIRL. A few possible ways to reconcile this are:

1. The Soldier divorced his old wife and married Tollydiggle. We never see any clear occasions of divorce in Oz, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.
2. Tollydiggle behaves very differently in public than in private. I believe this was suggested in "The Merchant of Oz," an Oziana 1993 story.
3. There's more than one Tollydiggle, and the Soldier's wife is a different person from the jailor.
4. Since Snow has apparently confused the Soldier with the Guardian of the Gates, Tollydiggle might actually be the Guardian's wife (Ruth Berman's idea, I believe).
5. Baum, Snow, and/or Jinjur made a mistake. For that matter, I suppose that Jinjur's having heard rumors that the Soldier's wife is bad-tempered doesn't necessarily make those rumors true."

As Adolf Hitler in Oz makes clear, #2 can be ruled out (and for other reasons, "The Merchant of Oz" appears in the Parallel Histories timeline). I would also rule out #3, leaving #1, #4 and #5 as possibilities.

Ozma's wand: Ozma's fairy wand is shown to have the power to transport her (to Burzee at least), as well as to douse flames. In Beach Blanket BabylOz, she can use her wand to protect those she sends to the Outside World from the ravages of time.

References: Although Snow eschews references to any Thompson character and event, he mentions two Neill ones, the aforementioned Wizard's tower in the Emerald City, and the magic paint brushes. Nathan M. DeHoff points out on the BCF Pumperdink forum: "On pp. 63-4, Cap'n Bill mentions the Wizard's magic paint bucket and brush. The brush, which 'paints any color you want from the same bucket o' paint,' sounds similar to what the Ozites used to paint the castle walls in LUCKY BUCKY. This might well be a revised version of the same, with the bugs worked out so that the paintings no longer come to life. The fact that it has to be used with a bucket might be part of the new design." Snow also references The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus and Dot and Tot of Merryland. See "Story Blossom Garden" below for more possible references.

Story Blossom Garden: Many of the stories the flowers offer are well known tales, and even include Baum's Dot and Tot of Merryland. The story of the White Ship appears to be a reference to the H.P. Lovecraft short story "The White Ship," which ties into his larger "Dream Cycle" stories. Snow had written for Weird Tales and was familiar with Lovecraft's work. Similarly, the language and cadence of the tale of the "secret island of the never-ending nights" appears to reference Clark Ashton Smith, another popular Weird Tales alumni, who wrote in that kind of ornate style.

History: Originally self-published without illustrations, this book was later revised to fit with continuity, and expanded to include new story elements and illustrations by artist Patricio Carbajal. A trade paperback, deluxe hardcover (with exclusive cover and several color interior illustrations) and limited edition deluxe version (with extra illustration) was produced by The Royal Publisher of Oz.

Synopsis: At the end of World War II, after marrying his love Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler fakes his suicide and enters what he believes is a time machine, constructed by Professor Oberfurth. But the machine instead transports him to a lake in Oogaboo, which has recently relocated to the Gillikin Country. Hitler is saved from the machine by Stan and Ollie, residents of Oogaboo, who happen along. They bring him to Queen Ann, where Hitler learns some of the history of the land, which he has trouble believing.

Determining to conquer Oz, he convinces Ann to abdicate, and with the help of Stan and Ollie begins recruiting forces. The first comes from a town of runners to the north called Runnymead. He secures their loyalty by beating them in a race, in which he uses a bicycle (which they'd never seen) and cheating. Watching him in the Magic Picture, Ozma, the Wizard, Dorothy and the Scarecrow grow concerned as he starts making speeches about the rights of the "meat people" who've been pushed aside by non-meat beings.

Discovering the existence of the Winged Monkeys, Hitler manages to secure the Magic Cap from their king, and begins by ordering them to Oogaboo, where he has the women donating canisters which he'll use to drop bombs. He travels to Himm's Mines, but Himm insists on getting to know him better before giving him any blasting powder. After tricking him as well, Hitler secures it, and then heads to a northern volcano where he convinces the Red Hot Mana, the Queen of Flame City, to produce munitions for him.

Armed with his Panzer division of Runners and Luftwaffe of Winged Monkeys he begins the march south through the Munchkin Country and down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City. Along the way, he meets General Jinjur, who feigns joining him, but secretly communicates with Ozma. At the Emerald City, Dorothy grows increasingly worried, particularly when Ozma declares that she's going to let things play out and not use magic, except to save people. Dorothy doesn't understand this stance, but Ozma, having been recently to the Fairy Conclave in Burzee (The Magical Mimics in Oz), is convinced that she has abused her powers in the past and won't do so again.

When Hitler fails to take into account a magical device in his power, his plans start to go awry, and he ends up in the Emerald City. His rage is magically removed by Ozma and he is sent to Tollydiggle's prison. There, he is shocked to learn that he will not be tortured, and that the prison is a kind of reform system intended to make him a functioning and morally strong adult. He escapes and starts to make trouble, until the Cowardly Lion returns him. He is also shocked that everyone in the city is motivated by love of one another and not money or power. He balks at Tollydiggle's methods and leaves again. This time, he encounter a young artist who he relates to. But unable to keep his boorishness in check, he offends the young man and finds himself alone. Finally, he returns to Tollydiggle's where he has dreams and visions of the people he killed, as well as his former beloved Geli, who reprove him for the cruel and vicious being he had been. Terrified and fearing he may, in fact, have been a monster, he seeks Tollydiggle's aid.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This story has a cardinal date of May 1945, the day after Hitler committed suicide (which in this account is revealed to have been faked).

The Golden Cap: After the Wicked Witch of the West used it, the Golden Cap went to Glinda, who used it three times (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). She then returned it to the King of the Winged Monkeys, who gave it back to her for safekeeping. When the Wicked Witch of the West was resurrected (in Father Goose in Oz), she then gave the Golden Cap back to the king. Following the events of this story, the King of the Winged Monkeys realizes it's not safe with them and secretly returns the Golden Cap to Glinda, a secret that only the two of them, the Scarecrow and Ozma knew about, but which is revealed to Dorothy, Omby Amby, the Tin Woodman and the Sawhorse in The Winged Monkeys of Oz.

Jo Files, Queen Ann and Ozga: Ozga's "death" is predicated on what happened to the former ruler of the Rose Kingdom, who also withered and died, and had to be replanted. Unbeknownst to the residents of Oogaboo, however, when Ozga "died," they believed that because she was essentially a living rosebush that she actually died. Jo Files then remarried to his friend and comforter Queen Ann and had two children with her, Raspy and Letty. It is they who discovered Ozga growing in their yard. Her return to life was honored by Queen Ann, who relinquished her claim on Files, and the three remain good friends.

Jo Names: The 2014 revised edition explains how the old tradition of naming children by their product has become less common over the years, particularly as immigrants from other areas in Oz have come to settle there.

The Musket-Tree: The 2014 revised edition includes reference to the musket (or gun) tree that Baum first mentioned in Tik-Tok of Oz. Why Hitler doesn't access weapons from this tree is detailed in this story, and relates to the tree's guardianship by Jo Musket, first mentioned in Queen Ann in Oz, who doesn't trust him and won't allow him access to it. This also explains why Hitler is unable to get a larger following from the people of Oogaboo.

Oogaboo: The 2014 revised edition explains that because Queen Ann wanted to travel, but her people didn't want her to go without them, Ozma agreed to temporarily move Oogaboo to the Gillikin Country. This is told in greater detail in The 2014 Ozmapolitan.

On Becoming a Person: This book by the late psychotherapist Carl Rogers is read by Hitler while in Tollydiggle's home. This appears to be a discrepancy, as that book was not published until 1961, sixteen years after the events of this story! However, it's been observed that the book tree in Jo Files yard have been producing books telling of events, some true, some fictional, that have either not yet occurred or been published. See Thorns and Private Files in Oz for further details about this odd behavior.

Salye Soforth: Queen Ann's sister Salye is only mentioned in the story, and doesn't appear because she's "fallen in love with a Winkie farmer." What becomes of that romance is not known.

The Scarecrow: As first revealed in The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz, King Cheeriobed and his family are on an extended holiday of the fairylands outside Oz, and have left the Scarecrow to rule in their stead.

Errata: There is a dating error, as Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, not 1932, as it states in Chapter 3.

Also, in chapter 4, page 72 of the "Revised & Expanded Edition" (as well as the Deluxe hardcover), there is a missing proclamation that Hitler posts in Oogaboo. The proclamation exists in the original draft, and was published in the original version, but accidentally got left out of newer editions. It is reprinted in full here:

CITIZENS OF OOGABOO!

For too long your glorious heritage has been forgotten. The courage of your army in your valiant effort to bring Oz under your control deserves a better fate.

Queen Ann has appointed me Reichschandellor of Oogaboo. What that means is that I am now your leader.

I intend to restore you to your rightful place as the greatest people in all Oz. We meat people must stand together and overcome the vegetable and mineral people who keep us in poverty and bondage.

It is the destiny of Oogaboo to be in the forefront of this struggle. I shall lead you to the fulfillment of this destiny and to the first place among all the people of Oz.

ADOLF HITLER

Reichschancellor

History: The Tales of Yot book reprints each of the short stories that appeared with the Empty-Grave Retrofit versions of The Silver Princess of Oz, The Magical Mimics in Oz and The Shaggy Man of Oz. These are all interconnected stories, tied into the titles they were first published with, as well as with each other, and the upcoming novella Asper and the Unheard Heroes in Oz.

Gludwig and the Red Hair

Synopsis: Jinnicky's servant Gludwig gains consciousness while still a statue, and can remember nothing after having put on a red wig he found. So, he thinks back to the beginning, the creation of himself and his brother Glubdo by Jinnicky, his introduction to life and work in the mines by the slave Pepper (Ginger's giant brother and slave to a giant silver bell), and the continued creation of gravel men like himself to further expand Jinnicky's kingdom.

One day Gludwig discovers a strange red gem. He seeks to show it to Jinnicky, but after his mine collapses from an earthquake, presumably killing Pepper, he decides to wait until the next day to show it to him. When he returns to his room, he discovers that the gem has grown into something else. The mysterious red gem has become a red wig. When Gludwig examines it, it induces him to put it on, at which point, it takes over. Gludwig begins to feel resentment towards Jinnicky and plots to revolt against the Red Jinn.

Now that he has figured out what happened to him, and while still in statue form, two other gravel men appear and throw raw rubies at his head, breaking off a piece of the bronzed wig, which releases red spores into the air!

Continuity Notes

Dating: The earliest flashback is to the time shortly after Jinnicky built his Red Castle in Ev. This likely goes back to the late 1700s, after Jinnicky's trained under Glinda ("Glinda and the Red Jinn," Oziana 1977). The majority of the story takes place shortly before The Silver Princess of Oz to shortly afterwards, where the frame story occurs.

Ginger: The story provides a twin brother for Ginger, Pepper, who was created as a giant and served a giant dinner bell. This interpretation of Ginger is consistent with what the character says in this story that he is "the best part of Jinnicky's magic." While this might appear to conflict with the Oziana 2001 story, "Dearest Mother: The Last Letters of the Slave of the Magic Dinner Bell," in fact, Jinnicky's gravel men are given families, e.g., Gludwig's brother Glubdo, and it makes sense that Jinnicky gave them gravel mothers so that they would have a family of their own.

Gludwig: As with all of Jinnicky's slaves/servants, Gludwig is retconned to have been a magically-created gravel man, which the Red Jinn discovered one day whilst mining for the red rubies he used to construct his palace. Gludwig's motivation for having revolted against Jinnicky and for his subsequent evil actions are explains as having come from the parasitic, sentient spore that infected a red wig that he was drawn to put on.

Tote's Blemished Blossom

Synopsis: When the red pollen that had infected Gludwig's wig makes it's way into the nose of Ozana on Story Blossom Mountain, she sneezes it upon one of her story flowers, an oleander, making it shrivel up. Ozana calls over Dolly to ask if she's ever seen it shrivel up before telling its story, but she hasn't. So she tells her to keep an eye on this one that she buries in case of disease.

That night, Dolly sneaks up to Ozana's window, where she's propped up a wooden boy she carved, and watches to see exactly how the fairy brings to life the Pinefolk people she creates. But the cat Felina startles her and she misses the details, so she brings her lifeless doll, Tote, into the woods and buries him.

The next day, she notices a hideous blossom growing up where Ozana buried the oleander. It doesn't tell stories, so she digs it up, thinking to show Princess Ozana, but she instead plants it where she buried Tote. Later that night, Tote comes to life. He discovers that a parasitic flower had dug its way inside him. He pots the uprooted plant that Dolly had buried and falls in love with it.

The next morning he names it Yottabacquerel, which he shortens to Yot. Coming to the edge of the mountain he sees a Pineville girl, but she's horrified by his appearance and pushes him off the cliff. He doesn't understand quite what's happened as he has trouble hearing (Dolly only carved a small hole in his head). As he comes to, he has a vision of a giant Yot speaking to him, but he suddenly sees an ex-lumberjack Raynaud Whitefinger standing over him. The man is also a little deaf, but he too has heard the plant say something. Whitefinger tells him that he was born in Razington, a moving village of metal homes and saws that cut down trees and forests. When he decided he didn't want to cut trees anymore, he says behind.

Tote and Whitefinger determine to find a way to better hear Yot and become obsessed with the idea, devising various tools, and eventually determining that the best way would be to put him in a cave. En route to find one, they pass by an enormous hole in the ground, alongside of which they meet Glucas, Trader of the Holes, a ridiculously dressed salesmen with strange junk for sale. Whitefinger prevents Glucas from charming Tote into buying anything, but when Glucas sees the wooden boy eating a berry, he warns him that they're muffleberries, and tells him a tale of Timmy who was so lost in his daydreams he fell down a hole into a cave where he discovered the muffleberries. There he stated, ate berries and daydreamed. But the more he hate, the larger his head grew and the louder his thoughts became until he could no longer think or remember anything at all, and there he was stuck forever. Whitefinger tells him that Tote's head hasn't grown at all, and Glucas concludes that because he's wooden he might be immune. Tote promises to eat no more berries.

Continuing their search for a cave, Whitefinger discovers that Tote's been sneaking off at night, eating muffleberries and trying to hear Yot speak. The wooden boy apologizes, but Whitefinger discovers something. He later returns to explain that the muffleberries create a dome of quiet around Tote that dampens outside noise. So, they continue this approach in their camp, until one day Whitefinger, in horror, notices that Tote's hand has become invisible. He determines to stop the experiment entirely, and pleads with the boy to stop eating the berries, but to no avail. Deciding he must part company with his only he friend, he fails to notice that Tote has figured out a way to distill the berries, thinking this will allow him to finally hear Yot. So, excusing himself to go to the bathroom, he takes his concoction, but it makes him disappear entirely.

Whitefinger searches desperately for the wooden boy, but can't find him anywhere. Now, the dome of quiet has covered the entire forest, but when attempting to hear Yot, he can still hear other animal sounds and noises. Determining to destroy the plant, he begins to break off roots when he accidentally steps in a burrow and falls on a whistle he's kept in his pocket. Blowing it, he finds out that, although silent to him, it frightens away all the animals. This gives him an idea, and he goes through the forest scaring away all the animals. Returning to Yot, he sits down to listen, and finally hears words. The plant says: "I sure hope you have a pen or pencil."

Continuity Notes

Dating: This story takes place over the course of weeks, possibly months, beginning prior to the events of The Magical Mimics in Oz.

Prequel: Although the events look at the life of Ozana and Dolly prior to their adventures in The Magical Mimics in Oz, it follows more directly on the events that led to "Gludwig and the Red Hair," and leads into the events of "Ruprecht the Castaway King," which takes place three years later and explains what's transpired in that time since the events of this story.

Ruprecht the Castaway King

Synopsis: In Ev, A clumsy and irresponsible beaver named Ruprecht departs the company of his fellow beavers when he fells an unauthorized tree, killing the beaver Fritz in the process. He runs off and finds himself in Mufflewood Forest, where he is chased by a naked old man (Whitefinger from "Tote's Blemished Blossom") blowing a whistle and wielding a bath brush, and runs into his library to hide. There he finds a lifeless doll and an ugly plant. When the man finds him, he runs off again, this time plunging, along with his pursuer, off a cliff and into a river that gets swallowed up into a black hole. The old man is nowhere to be found, so Ruprecht heads off and finds himself in a clearing with a giant mass of animals.

A moose sends him to where the woodchucks are, and the woodchuck Mirt tells him that they're all part of Story Time now, ever since the man and the wooden boy moved into Mufflewood Forest. They created the hush in the forest. Although the wooden boy's no longer alive, the man figured out a way to hear the plant talk. So every seventeen days, he kicks all the animals out of the forest with his whistle, and then takes a bath to clean out his hears. Then it's Story Time, and he writes down everything the plant has to tell him. He's got a whole library of books now that no one's read. When Story Time's over all the animals return to their homes in the forest. Ruprecht doesn't understand, but a stampede of animals sends him rolling along north and desperately in search of water to drink. He comes upon what he thinks is a lake, but it appears to be a mirage.

In the morning, however, he discovers it's no mirage, but a floating cloud called Sky Lake, above which lies a city. From it comes balls of water, being ridden on by giant beetles called whirligigs. Desperate for water, he dives into one of these flying balls and gets soaked. The name of the Water Rider is Gyrin. The beetle explains to him that they ride the balls of water from Muddy-Yah, the Great Tree, where they live, to the Shaded Wastes, to relieve it of being parched. The only problem is that once they deposit the water, the beetles fly off, and have just enough energy to fly back. Gyrin cannot do anything to help Ruprecht from being stranded. Hungry now and desperate, he knocks Gyrin off the water-ball, causing the beetle's wing to break as he falls.

He rides the water-ball back to the Great Tree, but discovers he can't eat of its bark, as it makes him sick. So, he fashions a fake magic wand and prepares to be a fairy beaver whose come to release them from the oppression of work. The whirligigs listen to him despite the protests of the few who saw what he did to Gyrin. They also attribute the mysterious quaking of the earth to his magic, and follow him. But as they pass the Shaded Wastes, the beetle Dryblin tells him they're wearing down and can fly no longer, so Ruprecht brings them down. To his horror, he discovers that the whirligigs cannot eat normal tree leaves, which are poison, only the leaves from the Great Tree. As they beg him to use his magic, they start to die. Remorseful for what he's done, he wishes they'd all be beavers instead.

With that, the whirligigs come to life as beavers and he becomes the king of the fairy beavers. He teaches them how to swim and behave like beavers, and leads them to the pristine forest led by the ancient tree Medeah. Seeing the destruction of her trees, she retreats deep into Deep-Root to meditate and make plans.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This story takes place a few years prior to The Shaggy Man of Oz, but also years after "Tote's Blemished Blossom." There is not enough time for Whitefinger to have naturally grown to an old man in between stories, but this may be attributed to other causes.

Fairy Beaver King: This story explains how there are two Fairy Beaver Kings, the first one and his people, which live in the Island of Mifkets in John Dough and the Cherub, and the one that appears in The Shaggy Man of Oz, which the Shaggy Man and his party meet. This story ties into the forthcoming Asper and the Unheard Heroes in Oz.

History: Best known for his sword & sorcery fantasies and Lovecraftian pastiches, author and editor, Lin Carter produced several short Oz stories, of which this is his first to see print. His others were compiled in The Merry Mountaineer of Oz, also published by Tails of the Cowardly Lion & Friends.

Synopsis: Because Jenny Jump's Style Shop has taken business away from the tailor shop, Pastoria decides to take Snip on a vacation, leaving Pajuka—who doesn't enjoy traveling—to watch the shop. The pair head to the palace to invite Ozma, but as Captain Salt has claimed new islands as colonies for Oz, she has to receive them as official citizens, a task that will force her to miss King Evardo's birthday in the coming week. The Scarecrow suggests that Pastoria and Snip vacation in Ev to represent Oz and bring a present to the king. They like that idea and Dorothy and Pigasus agree to accompany them.

The next day Ozma sends them via Magic Belt to Ev. The party investigate a yellow castle belonging to Wumbo the Watchman, who watches for things others are too busy to watch for. Leaving the forest they climb up hills and crooked paths before nearly tumbling down a gulf, where Dorothy loses the Wishing Pills the Wizard had given her. Checking on them in the Magic Picture, the Scarecrow and Wizard see that the party is lost and not in the right location. Noting that it will take seven days to make a new batch of Wishing Pills and two days to reach Glinda's, the Wizard sends Tik-Tok with the Sawhorse to Glinda (unaware that she'd left weeks earlier for a fairy council in Burzee), while he and Number Nine go about repairing the Ambassa-door.

The party of travelers, meanwhile, decide to look for a bridge, but Dorothy uncovers a hidden alcove in the hillside in which is stored a magic Hurry-Cane made by the Red Jinn of Ev. With everyone holding on to each other, the Hurry-Cane propels them across the gulf. Proceeding to the city they notice that everything is overgrown, dilapidated and empty, and they realize they're not in Evna, but the city of Evos which was deserted after King Evoldo died and the Royal Family were sold into slavery.

In the courtyard they discover the statue of a silver Pegasus. Admiring and touching him, Dorothy wishes he were alive, and in that instant, he comes to life and thanks her, introducing himself as Skyhi, the Silver Horse of Sky City. He explains that Sky City was once a common city before it became the Flying City of Ev when King Uppanup invented Air Rays to make the realm float, as well as Sky Hooks and Cloud Anchors to keep it in place when he wished. So that no citizen or animal would fall, he devised wings for everyone. The King magically created Skyhi as his steed and counselor, but Wudj the Court Wizard grew jealous, so seven months and seven days ago he cast a spell, transporting the winged horse to the deserted city of Evos as a statue, where he would have stayed had not a mortal girl from Oz touched him. Not knowing how to return to Sky City, he gladly joins the party. Flying up to discover their location, he sees that Evna is just west of them.

King Uppanup, meanwhile, still mourns the loss of Skyhi. Wudj lied and told him the flying horse departed because he coveted the throne. Later, in secret, the wizard checks in on Skyhi only to discover him alive again and with a group of people he believes must be wizards. With "underground magic," he sends them through the earth into a cavern deep underground. The travelers plummet down through the earth.

When they land, the hole above them closes, and a party of mud-men riding astride giant earthworms approach. They're led by Unda the Grand Mudlump who takes them to see their king Duke Down, who rules the Downers of Undertown. Placed atop the earthworms the travelers are led through caves, lakes, and across rivers of lava to Undertown. The Duke recognizes them as "Surfacers" and orders the humans dipped in the mud pits and turned into mud-men. He orders Skyhi melted in Fire Lake and Pigasus destroyed. Upon hearing his wicked declaration, Skyhi has Dorothy and Pastoria mount him, while Snip mounts Pigasus, and they fly off to hide in a cave in the wall behind the firefall of Fire Lake. There, they find the magic Es-Cape of the Red Jinn, but it only works if it's not torn, and it is. But since Pastoria has brought along his tools of the trade, he soon mends the cape, throws it on and gathers the others. Together they magically transport back to the forest clearing where they had been and continue on their way to Evna and the Royal Palace. Arriving at last, they're greeted by King Evardo and his mother Queen Evraline who provide them accommodations. She assures Skyhi that although they don't know where the Flying City currently is, the Red Jinn, whose coming to the party, will be able to help him.

The next morning, the royal birthday celebrations begin. In attendance are the Queen of Merryland (from Dot and Tot of Merryland), Sugaree the Candy Man and the royal guard of wooden soldiers, John Dough, Chick the Cherub and Para Bruin (from John Dough and the Cherub), King Skamperoo and Chalk the Wishing Horse (from The Wishing Horse of Oz), King Dox of Foxville and King Kikabray of Dunkiton (from The Road to Oz), Queen Zixi, King Bud and Princess Fluff of Noland (from Queen Zixi of Ix), King Rinkitink, Prince Inga of Pingaree and Prince Bobo of Boboland (from Rinkitink in Oz), the Monarch of Mo (from The Magical Monarch of Mo), King Oomeron of Oom and Ruggabug the Red Lion, the rulers of the Vegetable Kingdom (from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz), Play (from Grampa in Oz), the Rose Kingdom (from Tik-Tok of Oz), Kaliko the Nome King, the King of Menankypoo (from Pirates in Oz), Evered the Red—the Pasha of Rash (from The Hungry Tiger of Oz), the monarchs of Ashangabad (from The Gnome King of Oz), Tazander Tazander and Nikobo, as well as Alberif of Peakenspire (all from Captain Salt in Oz), King Quigeroo of Quix with King Pandy and Poso the Snow Man of Quix (potentially from The Yellow Knight of Oz), King Amaman of Am and Bella the Yellow Kitten of Am. Dorothy tells Jinnicky of their adventures and he invites them to his castle, where he can assist them, after the celebration (he also allows Dorothy to keep the hurry-cane and es-cape).

The next day sees a grand parade, magic show, pageant and banquets. The next morning after that, they say good by to everyone, and stop for lunch. A shadow passes overhead and Skyhi is overjoyed to see that it is Sky City. After everyone mounts, they fly up to it. King Uppanup's chamberlain Hiho wakes him up to tell him that his silver horse has returned. The king rushes out to greet Skyhi with a kiss on his nose, but upon seeing Wudj, the horse bares his teeth and charges. But the wizard has come prepared and throws a magic globe on him, as well as on all of his companions, including the Red Jinn, freezing them in place. He then tells King Uppanup that the horse had brought powerful wizards with him in order to depose him. To forestall further trouble, he recommends they be cast into the sea. The king is beset with grief and allows him to do as he pleases. Yet, before Wudj can carry out his plan, the Wizard of Oz and Scarecrow arrive through the newly repaired ambassa-door. Having watched their adventures in the Magic Picture, they know of Wudj's treachery and inform the king of the truth. Out of magic globes, Wudj is forced to obey the Wizard and disenchant the frozen victims, after which the king orders him flung into the deepest, darkest dungeon. Following a royal banquet they all go off to sleep, but Wudj, in his prison, discovers a potion of glass-acid that had been hidden in his pocket. He uses it to burn a hole through the floor, exposing him to the air. Spreading his wings he flies out sneaks into the castle of the Red Jinn. Stealing into his workshop, he finds a magical device that creates giant bubbles that imprisons whatever goes inside them. Figuring out how to use it, he creates one that traps Sky City.

The next morning, the adventures awaken to find it dark, and they soon discover that Wudj has escaped and used the Red Jinn's magic against them. Pigasus is also missing. The Scarecrow suggests they try the ambassa-door, but the Wizard informs him that it won't work through magical barriers. Pigasus, however, had left earlier for a flight and returned to discover Sky City imprisoned within the giant globe. Figuring out that Wudj must be behind it, he flies into Jinnicky's palace, where he'd been born and raised, through an open window and crashes into the surprised Wudj who falls into a cauldron of some liquid. Tipping it over, Pigasus discovers that Wudj has been dissolved, as the potion he was brewing for the residents of Sky City was Wam the Wizard's Magic Dissolving Formula. Going to the Magic Bubble machine, Pigasus shuts it off and frees Sky City and his friends.

After the relieved adventurers and King of Sky City express their appreciation to the flying pig, Jinnicky returns to his keep, while the king directs his flying city to the Emerald City. There a host of characters emerge to welcome their friends home and to greet King Uppanup and Skyhi. The party consists of Ozma, the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tigers, Spots the Leopard (from The Hidden Valley of Oz), the Tin Woodman, Cap'n Bill, Benny the Stone Man (from The Giant Horse of Oz), Snif the Iffin (from Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz), Jack Pumpkinhead, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, the Woozy (from The Patchwork Girl of Oz) and Captain Fyter (from Tik-Tok of Oz). After Ozma hears their adventures, she locks up the hurry-cane and es-cape and gives a royal thanks to King Uppanup and Skyhi, inviting them to visit any time they'd like. After saying their goodbyes, Pastoria and Snip return tired to their tailor shop to share all their adventures with Pajuka.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Story takes place over the course of six days. While the mention of Jenny Jump's "new" Style Shop appears to place this story shortly after The Wonder City of Oz in 1936, the inclusion of Spots from The Hidden Valley of Oz forces this placement after that book.

King Evardo: "Young" King Evardo is turning 60 years old at the time of this story. It does not appear that he is married at this time, though it's possible, as Princess Fluff (who becomes his wife) is said to be at the party. More information will be revealed about King Evardo and his wife and child in the forthcoming The Immortal Longings of Oz.

Pigasus: It's revealed here on page 53 that Pigasus was "born and raised" in the Red Jinn's palace, indicating that he was either born a winged pig, or born a normal pig and magically given wings at an early age.

Queen of Ev: For the first time, Baum's unnamed Queen of Ev (from Ozma of Oz) is here given a proper name: Evraline. In "The Princess of Ev," her original name was Princess Bevina. She hails from Boboland.

Thompson Pastiche: The Tired Tailor of Oz bears no small resemblance to the Oz stories of Ruth Plumly Thompson. Not only does it reference near every Thompson book, but there are several characters and places that are reminiscent of Thompson inventions. The Flying City of Ev is akin to Umbrella Island (from Speedy in Oz), which had also been a standard land that went floating off the coast of Ev when its ruler devised a way for the island to float by magic and mechanical means "seven years and seven months ago" (as opposed to the "seven months and seven days ago" that Wudj enchanted Skyhi). The name Wudj sounds much like Mudge and the Kudgers, as well as Kadj the Conqueror from Pirates in Oz. Skyhi hearkens to both Chalk (The Wishing Horse of Oz) and Thun (The Silver Princess of Oz). Undertown and the mud-men riding giant earthworms are reminiscent of the worm-riding ruler of Subterranea and the mud people of Marshland from The Yellow Knight of Oz. The Es-Cape (itself from Pirates in Oz) is given the same properties as the Flying Cloak of Invisibility from The Gnome King of Oz, in that it won't work if torn.

Unknown Persons and Kingdoms: There are several never-before (or since) mentioned peoples and kingdoms that are listed in this book at King Evardo's birthday party. King Oomaron of Oom appears along with Ruggabug the Red Lion. Oom might be a reference to the Faun Tumnus's misunderstanding of Lucy's "spare room" as the Land of Spare Oom in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, which may be a fairy realm in Nonestica or the surrounding lands. Ruggabug sounds like a kind of Aslan, though his name also sounds akin to Ruggedo. There is a King Quigeroo of Quix, which may be a reference to Quix from The Yellow Knight of Oz, which was bereft a king when Speedy left them. In that story, however, there is no King Pandy or Poso the Snow Man of Quix (though there are snow men of Isa Poso in Grampa in Oz.) King Amaman and Bella the Yellow Kitten of Am are also new, as are Sugaree the Candy Man and the royal guard of wooden soldiers who accompany the queen of Merryland. Ashangabad was briefly mentioned in The Gnome King of Oz, though this is the first mention of its unnamed monarch.

Wishing Pills: It takes seven days for the Wizard to make a batch of Wishing Pills.

History: Chapters 19—21 of this story was first published as "The Improbable Forest" in Oziana 1973, and features artwork by Kevin Harris. The novel was later privately printed in 1981.

Synopsis: After taking his frustrations out on his cow, the discontented Gillikin farmer Krook discovers a magical device called a Spray Tube buried under his property. It responds to questions by spraying the answer on a wall. When Krook inquires how to get rich and powerful, the Spray Tube shows him a silver chest in the Tin Woodman's castle.

At the same time, the Tin Emperor's chamberlain stumbles upon the Silver Chest and brings it to the Emperor's attention. Nick puzzles as to how it got in his castle, and can't find a way to open it. So, he sends out a call for anyone who might have knowledge of the chest's history. Several days later, Krook arrives at the Tin Woodman's Castle, feigning to be the owner of the chest. Nick doesn't entirely trust him.

A Winkie woman arrives at the castle and tells her emperor of a legend of a nearby lake, which emitted a deadly gas that killed people and animals. When Lurline enchanted Oz so that no one would die, the gasses produced a different effect, shrinking people to such a tiny size they could no longer eat. So, the fairies came and drained the lake of the gases and sealed them in a silver box, which they buried. The shrunken people were then restored.

A Winkie man next arrives, but he tells a different tale. This story comes from Packer (from Button Bright of Oz), who Nick remembers, and involves a band of trolls who once lived under the lake. When anyone came to fish there, the trolls would eat them and laugh about it. So disturbing was this that the farmers and their families were driven away. The fairies heard of this and came, bringing with them a silver chest with which they put the seven trolls after flattening them. Then they buried the chest.

A third Winkie arrives, bearing yet a different legend. In this one, the sun would boil the ancient lake so hot that it shot boulders high into the sky. So dangerous were they that the farmers had to move away. The fairies heard of this and came and discovered that a chunk of liveliness was making the lake boil. They sealed this chunk in the silver chest and buried it.

Dorothy, Toto and Betsy arrive as part of a holiday trip visiting places they know in the Winkie Country. The Tin Woodman tells them about the silver chest and its mystery, and decides to bring it to the Emerald City to see what the Wizard might discover about it. Krook is informed of these plans and sulkily chooses to stay behind, where he hatches his own plan. Consulting the magic Spray Tube as to how to stop them, he's instructed to wait until a certain time.

Nick, Dorothy, Betsy, Toto and two Winkie helpers carrying the chest go off on their journey and come across a Winkie farmer who greets them and describes all the sights he's seen since he started traveling, including an ocean on the other side of the hill. As there are no oceans in Oz, they determine he must be mistaken, but when he insists, they go to look, and there it is! But upon further probing, they discover that it's an illusion and walk through it. When Krook discovers the illusion didn't stop them, he angrily tries again. Dorothy and her friends, meanwhile, recount their adventures with Wag, Peg Amy and the Forgetful Poet when a large, slavering beast appears before them. Yet once again they probe further and discover that it's another illusion.

After that illusion fails, Krook asks the Spray Tube how he can turn the Winkie helpers away from their task. He's shown a tree with pink nuts on it. He goes to the grove and eats one, stuffing his pocket with others. But a sign there reads that the effects last for up to two days. He doesn't read any further and departs. With the magical help of the Spray Tube, he flies away to the location where Nick Chopper and his friends are, but once there loses all memory of who he is and why he's there. Nick figures out he must have eaten a nut from the nut tree, which causes one to forget all his memories temporarily.

The next day, they arrive at Jack Pumpkinhead's house, which is even bigger than the last time they saw it. Jack decides to join the party and befriends Krook. Journeying on, they see the Scarecrow flying through the air atop Flighty the Flutterbough, who lives in a rare tree at the end of the woods where his family reside and where must return to refuel. Nick explains the situation to his friend and the Scarecrow joins the party. Arriving at the palace, they tell Ozma their tale, and she expresses concern about the magician whose been casting illusions and determines they must know the true story of the Silver Chest.

In the Royal Stables, meanwhile, the Sawhorse departs to the Royal Athletic College to retrieve the Wogglebug. Back at the palace, the professor confirms there are three legends concerning the Silver Chest. As the Wizard can't determine what's inside it, and Krook has no memory of anything before yesterday, it's decided to bring the chest to Glinda's for examination. The travelers consist of the Sawhorse, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Dorothy, Betsy, Krook and Jack.

En route, Krook's memory returns and his wicked personality reasserts itself. Feigning the need for water, Krook consults his Spray Tube and is given the magical words to create a whirlwind. When he utters the magic words, the whirlwind casts the Red Wagon and its passengers into the air and way off-course, landing them in an unknown forest. There they come upon strange signs for someone called "the Dictator," who rules a kingdom called Place. Approaching the Dictator's castle they get arrested for not being people. Dorothy puts up a fight, arguing that they are all people, but the non-humans are taken away. Pal, the Dictator turns out be daft, and Dorothy, Betsy and Toto are put under guard. While the girls talk to a maid who wishes she could leave, Krook learns from the Spray Tube that the Dictator has a Burning Glass that can penetrate even fairy silver. Convincing a guard that he's actually on a secret mission for the Dictator, Krook sneaks into the Star Chamber, but there he discovers Pal and others deciding the fate of the non-peoples. Pal is impressed with Krook and invites him to serve as judge. Krook proves apathetic towards their plans to destroy Jack, Nick and the Scarecrow, and is concerned only about his plan to melt down the Silver Chest. Pretending to admire the Burning Glass, he's allowed to hold it, and then utters a spell to make him and the Chest fly off!

The next day, Dorothy, Betsy and Toto hatch a plan to escape. But after a valiant attempt that results in Jack losing his head and everyone getting recaptured, Nick, the Scarecrow and Jack are put inside a stockade and given the task of chopping wood. Instead, however, Nick chops away at the stockade and they escape again, collecting the girls and Toto on their way out.

The next day they make their way to a river and follow it, wondering if Krook is the magician who sent the illusions. When they discover to their dismay that the river runs in a circle without beginning or end, they veer away from it into a wild grassland. There, they see signs for Doors 1 and 2. They soon find a sliding trapdoor on the ground, where a man's head pops out. They query him, but he explains that he doesn't know the territory, save that they'll need a grass-traversing wagon to get through the terrain. He gives them a list of products that grow in their underground farm using the light from sunflowers. As the girls are hungry and the list includes pumpkins, they accept the invitation to dine, and all but the Sawhorse descend down the ladder.

The farmer shows them to the picnic area and tells them to pay the man at the door. As "they rarely had found money in use in Oz," they have none, and the man suggests they do some light work. So, as the girls go about gathering various fruits, nuts, vegetables and meats that grow on trees, the Scarecrow offers to work for their meals. He's shown how to get sunlight for the sunflowers by means of sun mirrors that reflect sun from the surface. Nick, meanwhile, carves Jack a new head from a pumpkin he picks, and brings him up to speed.

The party is then greeted by Rizipetalo, who invites them to the ranch, but there they're met by men who take Nick's axe and arrest them, explaining that the men of Place are their best customers. Dorothy tells them they're from the Emerald City on an important mission to see Glinda, but they've never heard of her. Rizipetalo, however, agrees to give them a chance to get away.

The next morning, they meet some of the friendly residents, but they seem clueless about matters in Oz. Rizipetalo gives Betsy the first task. She must empty water from a kettle with holes that are too small. Betsy attempts several things to no avail, but then thinks to boil the water. Completing her task, Rizipetalo agrees to free her. Next, Jack is given a broom with splinters and told to eliminate them. After several unsuccessful attempts, he simply throws the broom in the fire, which technically eliminates them and qualifies him to be set free. Nick is next given an iron scoop and wooden rod which don't fit together. He must make them do so without destroying either. Nick figures out they'll fit if put on the opposite ends,. Dorothy is then given a mop and told to remedy the floor spotted with a green stain. As no amount of soap of bleach will remove the stain, she gets the idea to spread the stain so that the whole floor is green. Finally, the Scarecrow is tasked with picking up a slippery gelatin and putting it in the cookie jar. Several tries fail, until he thinks to put the jar over the gelatin. With that final task complete, Rizipetalo declares they're all free and admits that he's glad of it.

The Sawhorse, meanwhile, determines to go to Glinda to get help for his friends. Coming to a river, he inquires directions from a group of crabs, who send him to Bill the local carpenter. Bill is impressed with the Sawhorse, as well as the Red Wagon, and agrees to build him a raft and guide him along the river to the other side. He too has never heard of Glinda, but he proves true to his word. The Sawhorse then enters a forest and comes across a young girl walking upon a pool of water, peeling slices off it. Realizing she's a fairy, he leaves her and comes upon her mother, piling leaves so that she won't walk on them and burn her feet, or cover her head and put her to sleep. She asks the Sawhorse to help her daughter Pipsy, whose a cloud sprite, as they can't leave due to the wolves that climb out of the ground. The Sawhorse learns he's in the Impossible Forest, which explains its peculiarities. The Cloud Sprite of the Mirror Pool hasn't heard of Glinda either, but offers him the key to a magic door that will take him anywhere he wants to go. First, however, he must travel to the Mad Serpent, whose responsible for turning the forest against them. Once he sees him, he must utter the magic words that will make the Serpent shrivel up and die.

The Sawhorse runs all night, but gets nowhere until an eagle named Sharp Eye comes and explains that between the fences, the ground is a treadmill. He knocks down the fence and races off to his destination. He finally comes upon the coiled serpent and says the words: "Batoose Batoose," but the serpent merely yawns and introduces himself as Spud, though his real name is Etdelbtfp. He explains that he'd had more of a temper then, and the Cloud Sprite had been a nuisance, flying all over with her pet cloud (which eventually grew up and became a thunderhead), so he confined her to the forest, made her unable to fly, and transformed the earthworms into wolves. He also changed the leaves so that they didn't laugh as loudly at night. The serpent agrees to leave his spot, which a volcano had thrown him to after he'd coiled around a pillar of ice, freezing him that way. At the bottom of the hill, he discovers he can uncoil again and leads the Sawhorse back to the Impossible Forest. They meet with the Chalk Snail who agrees to help restore the forest. The Sawhorse then learns that he's not in Oz, but Ix.

When the Cloud Sprite arrives she pleads that the serpent break the spell. He convinces her, however, that since she's a widow and he's really a prince they should marry. She agrees to this, and he transforms himself back into the form of a jolly, curly-haired man. Calling himself Eddie and the Cloud Sprite Lettie, they give the incredulous Sawhorse the key to the invisible gate, which is in an oak tree, where he can depart. Although they invite him to the wedding, he's anxious to go, and crossing the gate, finds himself at Glinda's palace.

The other party, meanwhile, makes it to the hills, but are puzzled that the colors of the land are so variegated and that there are so many places they've not seen before. But Jack sees a sign informing them that they're in Ix and the desert lies to the south of them. As they ponder how to cross, the Sawhorse greets them. The Sawhorse explains that Glinda had read of their adventures in her Great Book, and not trusting Krook, looked into him. The Court Librarian brought her information on the Spray Tube, which is called a walpirtis, an old Ozite word for both a grapefruit from the east and a magical spray tube, of which several had been created by a magician looking to trade secrets with other magicians. Over the years, they had all been destroyed, except the one Krook found. When Krook departed Place, he ended up trapped in Faraway, in the Gillikin Country. With a magic box and personal item from one of the party (Nick's oil can), Glinda sends the Sawhorse and Dorothy's group to Faraway, instructing the Sawhorse to find its rulers in the village of Remote, and convince them to release Krook and the Silver Chest into their custody.

Passing by the town of Distant, the party come to Remote, where the election of the New Council and vote to go to war are being announced. Dorothy and her friends find it odd that the residents all lean in a backward posture, learning later that it's so they can stay as far away from others as possible. The herald tells them they are the most democratic republic in the world because they vote for their rulers every week. The seventeen members of the council are at the village square, and have decided to go to war with Place so they can procure more silver chests. Dorothy informs them that Place is in Ix and they don't have any more chests. But the Spokesperson says they already voted that they did. He refuses to return their Silver Chest since they voted that they're too high and remote to be part of Oz and no subject to Ozma's laws.

Krook is caught on a tall spire and the Silver Chest sits in public view. The Sawhorse gets an idea. With the magic box of Glinda's, Dorothy transports the top five council members to Glinda. When Krook sees the rest coming for him he uses the Burning Glass to get off the steeple and runs to the chest, threatening to open it. The Scarecrow distracts him while Dorothy uses Glinda's box to send them all to her palace. Glinda ties up Krook, while she and Dorothy counsel the council members on Ozma's wishes regarding war and justice and sends them back. Glinda gets Krook to admit he sought to overthrow her, but she lets him know the Spray Tube was deceitful, having failed to tell him that if he'd opened the Silver Chest, he'd have been destroyed. So, with the Burning Glass, she dissolves the walpirtis and sends the Burning Glass back to Place.

Regarding the Chest, the Scarecrow believes it contains trolls, the Tin Woodman gasses and Jack liveliness. Glinda confirms that it once held poisonous gasses, but that magic had long ago absorbed them so that all that remains is a powerful vacuum. She suspects that when the Tin Castle was build, someone had unearthed it and put it in the closet where they later found it. Nick offers it to her and suggests that Krook be put in the care of a wise guardian, who can help him become a better person. Glinda agrees to try this for a year, after which he must pass some tests. If he fails, he'll have to drink from the Fountain of Oblivion.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The story takes place roughly over the course of a week. There are no explicit dates, but there are clues to its dating. It cannot take place after 1973, when three chapters of it were first published in Oziana 1973. As it mentions Packet, the story has to take place after the events of Button Bright of Oz. There is a seeming contradiction in that it notes (on page 55) that the Comfortable Camel is still living in the Royal Stables, which is unlikely. The Comfortable Camel went to live with Prince Corum in The Yellow Knight of Oz, which takes place years before Button Bright of Oz. It is an incidental mention made by the author, and thus likely a historian error. The author might have meant the Doubtful Dromedary, who lived in the Royal Stables until the events of The Magic Cryptogram of Oz.

Ix: The narrative describes two more locations in the little explored country of Ix, these are Place, where the Dictator rules, and the underground farm that trades with Place. These and their connecting landscapes are both in the southern portion of Ix, not far from the Deadly Desert.

Krook: The appropriately named Krook is left off as a ward of an unnamed "wise guardian," possibly Tollydiggle. Whether a sequel was intended to follow up his story is not known, and it is left to the reader's imagination to determine whether or not he reformed.

New Creatures: Flighty the Flutterbough is a flying branch-like creature with an anteater-like head and fern-like wings who lives with his family in a rare tree not far from Jack Pumpkinhead's home (page 53). He's friends with the Scarecrow, who he's given a ride to. Flutterboughs appear to be related to Needlepins (from Button Bright of Oz), though the former can fly, whereas the latter can only leap long distances. Flutterboughs use the sap from their tree as fuel, which enables them to fly.

New Locations: Faraway in the Gillikin Country boasts at least two insular communities, Distant, which the travelers only pass by, and Remote. In Remote, the citizens are so averse to contact that they physically lean backwards. They also believe themselves the most democratic nation in the world because they vote for their leaders every week. Yet, it's from the same pool of 17 politicians, all of whom blindly agree with the Spokesperson.

Tin Castle: The Tin Woodman has newly constructed a hedge maze on his property. The discovery of the Silver Chest in his castle remained a puzzle to him until Glinda suggested it was likely dug up during the castle's construction by a worker and placed in a closet. The construction of the Tin Castle was depicted in The Tin Castle of Oz.

38th book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five!

History: The final book-length Oz story from Jack Snow, who went on to pen the Ozian dictionary Who's Who in Oz and the short story, "A Murder in Oz." His next Oz manuscript, Over the Rainbow to Oz was likely only partly-completed and subsequently lost after Snow's death. This is also the last Oz book Frank Kramer illustrated. Eric Shanower's sequel novella, Abby (from Oz-story Magazine #2), clarifies or adds detail to some of the events in this story.

Synopsis: In their home in Buffalo, New York, twins Tom and his sister Twink go to watch Buffalo Bill on their projection screen television that their scientist father built. But during the show, the picture shifts to reflect a beautiful vista with a castle. Most surprising still, their favorite wooden doll Twoffle is in the midst of the scene! Twoffle invites them to enter the picture quickly while Conjo can still keep it open, but the kids approach it with trepidation. A gust of wind pushes them through, however, and they realize there's magic at work. The doll explains that he's not their doll Twoffle, but his cousin Twiffle. They are on the Isle of the wizard Conjo, who lives in the castle towards which they head.

In Oz, Omby Amby rushes to tell Ozma that the Love Magnet fell and broke. Ozma had kept the Love Magnet at the gate of the city so that all who enter might be loving and loved (she also altered its power so that it must be displayed by its wielder). Omby goes off to summon the Shaggy Man, who brought the magical object to Oz. [Professor Wogglebug wrote a book called Chronicles of the Land of Oz] He's sad to see it broken, and asks if Ozma can repair it, but according to her research only the person who made it can repair it, and that is the wizard Conjo, whose island is in the Nonestic.

The Shaggy Man thinks he should pay Conjo a visit, though Ozma feels he may not want to repair the Love Magnet. Looking in on him in the Magic Picture, they see Tom and Twink, and Ozma instructs Shaggy to see that they're returned home or to Oz. She cannot wish him back with the Magic Belt as she is heading to Glinda's for a few weeks to work on magic charms that require the Belt, but gives him a magic compass that will take him anywhere in Oz he wishes to go.

With the power of the Belt, Shaggy arrives on Conjo's Isle. Twink recognizes him at once from his pictures in the Oz books. Since he also has business with Conjo, Twiffle invites him to join them. The twins explain that their real names are Abbadiah and Zebbidiah, but were nicknamed Tom and Twink. Entering Conjo's castle, they find numerous magical potions and appliances. Conjo is asleep snoring. When he awakens, he greets Tom and Twink who he knows since he's been sending Twiffle to visit Twoffle, but he wonders who the Shaggy Man is. Shaggy explains that he's from the Land of Oz. The fat bald wizard is familiar with it, and explains that he gave his creation the Love Magnet to a person who when he sailed off encountered a whale who loved him so much he swallowed him. Uncertain of the veracity of this story, Shaggy counters that the boat must have washed ashore since the Love Magnet came to an Eskimo who gave it to him, an untruth he initially told years ago (The Road to Oz).

Shaggy explains that the Love Magnet is broken and since Conjo is its creator, he would like for him to repair it. Conjo agrees on the condition that Shaggy give him the Magic Compass. Shaggy refuses, arguing that he's not be able to return to Oz without it, but Conjo tells him he can sail across, and takes him up an elevator to the roof of the tower, showing him his Airmobile, which flies by means of gravity resistor plates. After dinner, Conjo retires to examine the Love Magnet and his guests retire to bed. Several hours later Shaggy awakens to find the Love Magnet in his pocket, repaired, and the Magic Compass gone. Shaggy attempts to fall back asleep, but has a nightmare of Conjo transforming the children into dolls. He wakes up to the sound of Twiffle trying to arouse him from sleep.

Twiffle leads Shaggy and the children to the roof and into the Airmobile, from which they take off. He explains that Conjo planned to drug Tom and Twink so that they'd forget their past and stay on the island. Conjo doesn't care for people, and brought Twiffle to life to have someone to brag to, but lately he's grown restless. The Airmobile will take them to the edge of the Deadly Desert, he explains, but will not penetrate the Barrier of Invisibility. Yet the Shaggy Man recalls that others have crossed it before.

They pass into the Land of Ev, and see before them a village in the sky called Hightown, 15,000 feet above the ground (which they later discover is quite off), with a population of 522. As they fly above the city in the sky, the Airmobile ceases to function, and they're approached by a crowd of very tall and thin men, women, children and dogs. The Lord Mayor of Hightown explains to them that they should remove their ship by pushing it over the edge, where there is gravity, and are safe to walk in the four square acres of air in Hightown like they are. But fearing the airmobile will fall off the edge, Twiffle adjusts the gravity plates too much, so that when they push it off the edge, it shoots up high into the sky above them and is soon lost to sight.

The travelers soon learn to walk on air, but when they explain that they must go to the Land of Oz, the Lord Mayor cannot understand why anyone would want to leave the exalted Hightown to go crawling around on the earth like worms, believing that once they've grown accustomed to their lofty ways, they'll want to stay. He brings them to his air castle, which is similar to everyone else's, and shows them a plant that predicts the kind of wind and clouds they'll have on a given day. The mayor's wife provides them with fresh fruit and offers them a place to sleep for the siesta, or the front porch if they don't wish to nap. Choosing the latter, they're soon approached by a brown wren which tells them that if they don't wish to stay they should swim down the air to the earth. Trying it, they jump off the edge and swim down to an orchard where the Hightowners get all their fruit, a small area devoid of gravity. Soon enough, they fall to earth, where they see the most beautiful green and hilly valley they'd ever seen, upon which stands an elegant and delicate-looking castle. Unsure of where they are, they decide to go there to ask directions to Oz.

In the foyer stands a fountain, called a Phontain, which will carry the message of visitors to the king and queen, Rex Ticket and Regina Curtain. After Shaggy sends a message, an entrance sign lights up leading them to a large theater where the king and queen are overseeing construction for an upcoming play. The king explains that this is the Valley of Romance, and that Oz is quite far away. The Lords and Ladies of the Royal Theater are the ones who construct the scenery and make the costumes, though they don't always do such a good job. The plays run night after night, year after year, for as long as they can remember; and they have no need of any other life, since the play is a world unto itself. They offer dinner and seats for tonight's play, but Shaggy declines and says goodbye. As he leads his friends to depart the castle, he suddenly disappears! Twiffle is incensed, but the king and queen tell them that they have no choice now but to stay for dinner and the play.

Lady Cue is charged with showing them to their rooms, but she is befuddled and forgetful and gets lost. Eventually, they get a suite of rooms, and she returns a short time later, her dress on backwards, to inform them that dinner is to be served. After dinner, they accompany the king and queen to the royal box, and actors soon appear on the stage. The actors behave as if they're sleepwalking, the scenery and props fall apart, and the entire production is a disaster, but the Lords and Ladies are entranced as if seeing an altogether different play. The queen declares it one of the greatest romances they'd ever staged, and the king calls it touching and beautiful. In the last act, Shaggy appears on the stage!

Tom and Twink exclaim aloud when they see him, but he fails to respond to their calls. The King and Queen are incensed at the outburst, and promise to make Twink into one of the performers tomorrow. After the play, Twiffle tells them that he thinks the actors are all under some kind of enchantment. Following him, they sneak behind the stage and there find fifty men and women, young and old, standing like statues, the Shaggy Man among them. His suspicions confirmed, he tells them that the actors must have been visitors from other kingdoms who got ensnared by the king and king into becoming enchanted performers for the absurd theater.

The next morning, Twink is missing. Tom is upset and angry that a place called the Valley of Romance could be so heartless as to abduct his sister. This gives Twiffle an idea. That night, as the same dreadful performance ensues, they wait until the end when the Shaggy Man and Twin appear in as somnolent a state as the others. Tom then jumps on the stage and digs into Shaggy's pockets, where he pulls out the Love Magnet. He waves it around, breaking the spell upon the actors, who awaken as if from a dream. He also waves it before the audience, who proclaim their love for Tom. At dinner that night, the King and Queen explain that they'd been in as much bondage as their enchanted slaves on the Stage of False Romance, for they'd replaced real love for artifice. The king offers the former actors the opportunity to either return home or be made as the Lords and Ladies of the realm. The theater will be turned into a Temple of Learning, where each can learn a craft or art useful or pleasurable to his fellow man. The king offers Tom the position of king, but Tom politely declines. Even Lady Cue is affected, and no longer befuddled, prepares for them a large basket for their journey the next day. Promising to invite the Wogglebug to teach in their new temple, the Shaggy Man leads his party along the directions the king provided.

They stop along the way for lunch and to discuss how they'll cross the Deadly Desert, and are met by the King of the Fairy Beavers who says he'd like to visit Oz. When Shaggy invites him along, he's thrilled and tells him he has a plan for crossing, and takes them to his palace. The Fairy Beaver summons a boat pulled by himself and twenty beavers, and they sail downstream to a door in a stone cliff. Inside, Beaver Land is a labyrinth of large and small tunnels inside a vast cave. After escorting them to his grand throne room and dining area, the Beaver King waves his magic wand and conjures up a repast for his guests. Then he relates that although they can't fly or cross the desert, they can go under it via the old tunnel of the Nome King (from The Emerald City of Oz). The Beaver King worries about the Barrier of Invisibility, but they all agree to try in the morning.

Passing through miles of beaver burrows, the King of the Fairy Beavers leads the party, plus 20 young beavers, to the entrance of the tunnel, which intersects it about a mile from the Deadly Desert. The tunnel is 20 feet beneath the sands, where it gets much hotter as they pass underneath it. To their surprise they find a light coming from the roof, and before them ten beings made of fire. The leader of the Flame Folk tells them that they must turn back, explaining that as the Dwellers of the Desert, they who live on the burning sands occasionally visit the oasis upon the desert and burn their way into the tunnel below for the coolness, so that when they return to the sands, it feels so much more pleasant by contrast. The Shaggy Man tells them they have a fiery temper, which angers the Flame Folk who try to attack them. The Beaver King uses his wand to cool them off and they dash back to the burning sands above.

Hours later they pass through the Barrier of Invisibility and find themselves invisible from themselves and each other, so they withdraw. The Beaver King opens his backpack and gives Twink and the others a Cloak of Visibility, telling them that while Cloaks of Invisibility are famous in the fairylands, one that does the opposite may allow them to overcome Glinda's spell, which is weaker underground. They successfully pass through the Barrier and trudge on for six hours before stopping for the night [it is a 12 hour journey from the edge of Oz to the Emerald City]. In the morning, the Beaver King disposes of the cloaks and in six hours they reach the cork of earth that plugs up the entrance to the garden of the palace in the Emerald City. The young beavers chew away, exposing it, and bringing the Cowardly Lion crashing down on their heads! After greeting Shaggy, the Lion encourages everyone to climb upon his back to get them out of the hole. He tells Shaggy that there's been some excitement in the capital and brings them to Dorothy and the Wizard.

After introductions, the Wizard explains to them that his Black Bag of magic has been stolen by a little man. When he pursued him, the bag was gone, and the man locked himself in his magic tower room. Ozma had taken the Magic Belt to visit Glinda, and the six other doors leading to the magic workshop are all protected by the Wizard's own magic, leaving them helpless for the moment. Twiffle ascertains that it's Conjo who used the Magic Compass to bring him there. After hearing Twiffle's story, the Wizard comes to realize that the wizard is merely selfish, lazy and vain, and asks the little clown to see if he can get Conjo to talk with them. Surprisingly he does, explaining that now that he has all the Wizard's magic, there's no reason he shouldn't be the Wizard of Oz, and the former Wizard be his assistant. He's tired of being a wizard of whom no one knows anything. Dorothy warns him that Ozma will have something to say about that, but he's not worried about a little girl. But before he can close the door, the King of the Fairy Beavers uses his wand to shoot a stream of water into Conjo's face and mouth, rendering him harmless. The Beaver King explains that he channeled water from the Fountain of Oblivion, so that Conjo no longer remembers who he is.

Ozma suddenly returns, glad at the outcome of events and granting the Beaver King some of the waters from the Fountain of Oblivion for use in his own kingdom. She and Glinda had read about the recent events in her Great Book of Records. Ozma wonders what to do with Conjo, and Twiffle volunteers to serve as a guide for him back on their small island so that he will learn to become a good wizard. The Wizard and Shaggy Man agree with this idea, and Ozma grants him a golden ring from her finger. Should he ever cause mischief again, Twiffle need only rub it to be transported to Ozma's presence. After Twiffle says goodbye to all his friends, Ozma uses the Magic Belt to transport him and Conjo back to Conjo's Island.

The rest of the day is spent showing Tom, Twink and the Beavers around Oz in the Red Wagon. After the Love Magnet is restored to its place above the city gate, they visit Miss Cuttenclip, Professor Wogglebug in his College and the Scarecrow. At dinner that night, they meet even more famous people (including Ozana from The Magical Mimics in Oz). The Wizard, however, is concerned still about the loss of his Black Bag of magical tools, so they consult the Magic Picture, but it appears to show the same pastoral scene. But Ozma figures out Conjo's trick and uses her magic to move the Black Bag from the tree in the picture and into the room. That night, Tom and Twink tell Ozma that they must return home, so after they say goodbye to all their friends and go to sleep in one of the guest rooms in the palace, Ozma uses the Belt to send them to their own beds in Buffalo.

Continuity Notes

Airmobile: Similar in principle to the Wizard's earlier Ozoplane (from Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz) and the anti-gravity vehicles of H.G. Wells 1901 novel The First Men in the Moon, Robert Cromie's 1892 novel A Plunge into Space, and Chrysostom Trueman's 1864 novel, The History of a Voyage to the Moon. Conjo's Airmobile, however, appears to have some limitations that none of these have, including the Ozoplanes, in that it cannot cross the Deadly Desert. Why this should be, given its anti-grav (or repulsorlift) principles, is not certain. The ship can certainly fly high enough to avoid the fumes of the deadly sands, and is even said to go into outer space. Twiffle cites Glinda's invisible barrier, but it doesn't make much sense that they couldn't just penetrate it, as the barrier isn't a physical one, but merely an illusory one that renders Oz invisible from those outside of its borders. In the end, one has to chalk the little doll up to being overly cautious.

Barrier of Invisibility: A magical invisible barrier around Oz was placed by Glinda at the end of The Emerald City of Oz, but was later removed some time prior to The Magic of Oz. Nathan M. DeHoff, in his Vovatia article, "Invisible Touch," notes that "neither the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy in Rinkitink nor Kiki Aru in Magic are hampered by any invisible barrier. Ruth Plumly Thompson never mentions the barrier, and in fact often hints that Ozma wants to pursue a foreign policy pretty much opposite that in Emerald City." Phyllis Ann Karr indicates in The Gardener's Boy of Oz, that "since many of the immigrants from the outside world... had proven themselves good and valuable residents, while several of Ozma's most dangerous enemies... had been native Ozites, the little ruler had decided it was more trouble than it was worth to keep up the shield of invisibility, and had graciously permitted the history of her country to be shared with readers in the outside world..." It is clear that the barrier has been replaced by the time of this story, though when this might have been is subject to speculation. As stated further in Gardener's Boy, "if the whereabouts of their country were known, hordes of men and women would be coming constantly to seek them out and beg their favors; and therefore these fairies had kept their land a careful secret from the very beginning, guarding their borders jealously and exacting severe penalties for willful trespass." Thus. it appears that at some point Glinda convinced Ozma to put back the Barrier of Invisibility. The first incident was the invasion of the Mimics (from The Magical Mimics in Oz), as that represents one of the few times in the then recent history of Oz in which an evil external threat succeeded in invading Oz. This was followed by the restoration of Ruggedo to the throne by Guph in 1944, and the invasion of nomes that followed. The restoration of this barrier may have later caused some diplomatic issues with the neighbors they were friendly with, Ev, Ix, Noland and others, so that by the time of the Oziana 1988 story "Side View of the Nonestic Islands," all of Nonestica has an invisible barrier around it, which allows vessels such as The Crescent Moon to penetrate. But also at this time, those countries have become deathless.

Cloaks of Visibility: Several have pointed out that there doesn't seem to be much need for these as the travelers can simply follow the tunnel wall to their destination. Ruth Berman, on the BCF Pumperdink forum, offers other possibilities for their use: "the characters are walking through a tunnel with no side-passages, and they could simply keep a hand (or paw) on the tunnel wall and keep walking until they got past the barrier. Perhaps it would help to assert that there's some reason not to touch the tunnel wall -- maybe danger of touching an outcropping of Deadly Desert sand (and perhaps getting a serious burn, even if one doesn't assume it's as Deadly as some of the books claimed)?" Yet, as it's revealed, there are side tunnels connecting to various other passages and realms, as discovered in Mildred Palmer's The Red Jinn in Oz.

Conjo: In the Oz-story Magazine #2 sequel, "Abby," Abby (Twink) describes Kramer's pictures as cartoonlike and comical, but bereft of his more realistic aspect, which was "obscenely fat and infirm with age... sparse hair greasy, his forehead eternally dewed with perspiration. Abby had been terrified of him." Conjo is still alive 29 years after this story, but has remained in a vegetative state since Ozma sent him back.

Conjo's Connections: Nathan M. DeHoff, on the BCF Pumperdink forum, indicates that there are some unusual connections between Conjo and Trickolas Om from Lucky Bucky in Oz that are hinted at. "Conjo's magical accessories include 'books of magic recipes and formulas--everything from changing people into door-knobs to curing headaches' [p. 50]. Considering that LUCKY BUCKY mentions Trickolas Om having turned people into doorknobs, as well as the Gabooches actually having been turned into them, it's interesting that we see this same type of transformation mentioned in SHAGGY MAN. I don't know that Snow had read Neill's book by the time he wrote SHAGGY MAN. From an Oz-as-history perspective, though, it's possible that Conjo had exchanged spells with Trickolas, and maybe even that he was the one who had enchanted the Gabooches. (Along those lines, is it possible that the whale who swallowed the original owner of the Love Magnet might have been Davy Jones? Probably not, but I did think it was interesting how many themes from LUCKY BUCKY showed up in SHAGGY MAN.)"

Dating: This story takes place over the course of six days, and has a cardinal date due to the Oz-story Magazine #2 sequel, "Abby," which dates their adventures in August of 1948. The film Buffalo Bill Rides Again, which was broadcast in the U.S. on April 19, 1947 would appear to contradict this, as that is it's debut date. However, it's never noted by Tom as being the TV debut, and was likely rerun in August. Incidentally, Tom calls it "Chapter 4" because it's the fourth film in the Buffalo Bill series (not counting the earlier silent films, or the television series, there were Buffalo Bill, Young Buffalo Bill and Days of Buffalo Bill before this.)

Deadly Desert Inhabitants: The Flame Folk, or as they call themselves, Dwellers of the Desert, are beings of fire who live upon the burning sands of the Deadly Desert, and note the existence of an oasis, which surprises the Shaggy Man. These are the third such beings known to inhabit the Deadly Desert after the bizarre Heelers of whom little is known (The Wonder City of Oz) and Mifkits (The Scalawagons of Oz). A tribe of beings called the Madou live on one oasis in the Deadly Desert (A Refugee in Oz).

Fairy Beavers: The King of the Fairy Beavers and his people first appear in John Dough and the Cherub. Ruth Berman, on the BCF Pumperdink forum, suggests that "the Fairy Beaver King's comment that he and his subjects live in a rocky spot because they are less likely to be disturbed there to imply that the beavers had in fact before lived somewhere else where they were disturbed—specifically, on the Mifket island where they appear in" that book. However, the short story "Ruprecht the Castaway King" indicates that this Fairy Beaver is another beaver entirely, as are his beavers, an indication that the Fairy Beavers of John Dough and the Cherub still reside on Mifket Island.

Glinda: According to the Beaver King, "Glinda is a fairy just as Ozma is." [209] This is new information, of which little has been said, surprisingly. The Living House of Oz implies that she was granted eternal life from Lurline, while The Witch Queen of Oz implies that Glinda was granted powers from Enilrul's Fountain of Oblivion, the same fountain that augmented the Wicked compass witches' powers. Perhaps she was made into a fairy at that time. Glinda is established in Oziana 2011: "The Solitary Sorceress of Oz" to have been a mortal who came from the outside world in the late 1500s (likely 1582) when she was 17. It is believed, however, that she was brought there by her father, and later returned bereft of her memory (for a time). In The Winged Monkeys of Oz, however, she's also established to be the daughter of Gayelette by a father who lives in the outside world, and Leprechauns in Oz specifically states that she is not a fairy like Ozma. Gayelette is also not known to be a fairy, however, she may have fairy blood. Thus, the Beaver King is both correct and incorrect. Glinda, having fairy blood, is not the same thing as Ozma, who is an incarnated fairy. For more information, see Glinda's History in the Appendices.

The Love Magnet: Snow provides the origin story of the Love Magnet, as well as fixes a discrepancy in its earlier history. As J.L. Bell, in the BCF Pumperdink forum, notes: "In telling the story of repairing the Love Magnet, Snow also repairs a hole in its earlier history. In ROAD, the Love Magnet makes everyone (except the Scoodlers) fond of the Shaggy Man without him having to show it. But it's crucial to the plot of TIK-TOK that the Love Magnet has no power over the Nomes as long as Shaggy's arms are pinioned to his sides. Snow evidently noted the discrepancy because in SHAGGY MAN he states: 'Ozma had wisely altered the powers of the Love Magnet so that the talisman did not automatically cause the person who carried it to be loved by all he met, but must be /displayed/ by its carrier before the eyes of the person or persons whose love he wished to win. Had the magnet been this way before, then the young woman who possessed it before the Shaggy Man wouldn't have had the problem of unwanted lovers. She could have had her pick.' As to why Conjo created the Love Magnet in the first place, perhaps he just wanted to be loved; is that so bad? Yet he gave the magnet away to the 'last shipwrecked person' on his island, along with a boat--and apparently for nothing in return. (Snow adds a note of doubt to this story, however: 'The Shaggy Man wasn't sure whether the Wizard was serious.'") The full history of the Love Magnet and how it got to the woman who got it to the Shaggy Man is told in Queen Ann in Oz.

Magic Picture: On page 250, Ozma says "the Magic Picture is my own fairy creation, and I understand its magic better than anyone else." As Ruth Berman, in the BCF Pumperdink forum notes, this seems unlikely since when the Picture "first shows up in Ozma of Oz she doesn't seem to know much about magic (as others have commented, it is The Tin Woodman of Oz where she first is shown doing magic of her own, instead of relying on Glinda or the Magic Belt, which is definitely not her own workmanship, or the Magic Picture). I suppose it's possible that there's enough variability in working different kinds of magic to mean that Ozma could have the kinds of inexperience with magical tools shown in her early books and still be able to create the Magic Picture. (Or maybe 'my own fairy creation' should be read as meaning 'a fairy creation and belonging to me.')" While that is a certainly a possibility, Berman also notes that the King of the Fairy Beavers has a very similar Magic Picture, which he utilizes in John Dough and the Cherub, and which he uses to keep "informed of important happenings not only in Oz but in all other parts of the world." It is, however, unlikely that he made that one (he notes only really being good at "water magic") or a similar one for Ozma, as he's never met Ozma or been in Oz before. As revealed in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, the Magic Picture is a gift from Tititi-Hoochoo given to Ozma in thanks for returning the dragon Quox unharmed. It seems likely, therefore, that the similar one utilized by the King of the Fairy Beavers is also a gift of Tititi-Hoochoo. That doesn't answer why Ozma claims it's "my own fairy creation" unless, in fact, it is. In her pre-Ozma incarnation, Ozma was a fairy of Lurline's band, the same band that comes from the Land of An, which is where Tititi-Hoochoo serves as Private Citizen. Ozma may have made the Magic Pictures before coming to Oz in 1742. Tititi-Hoochoo would therefore be gifting Ozma with the very creation she constructed in her prior life.

Rewrite: The first thirteen chapters, about 40% of the book, was asked to be rewritten on the suggestion of Reilly & Lee editor Elizabeth Laing Stewart who felt that the story too closely hewed to the plot of Tik-Tok of Oz. In fact, it hewed closer to John Dough and the Cherub (elements of which still remain in the rewritten version). According to Douglas G. Green, in the Afterward of the International Wizard of Oz Club publication of the book, two fascinating chapters of this original manuscript still exist, the yet unpublished Chapter 7: "Into the Cave," which details the journey of The Ozma along the Gillikin River with the Shaggy Man, Ozma, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cap'n Bill, Trot, Button-Bright and the Tin Woodman. Father Goose also joins the adventurers before they go sailing through an opening in the face of a cliff. This leads to Chapter 8: "The Crystal People," which was published in The Baum Bugle of Autumn 1967 (and reprinted in The Best of the Baum Bugle 1967-1969), in which they meet Prince Stalag and Princess Stalac, who look forward to the day they unite in nearly 350 million years when they will become the rulers of Oz. The Ozma then enters a dark tunnel and the chapter ends. Sadly, not much more is known apart from the surmise that the adventurers meet with further adventures underground. Chapter 7 is currently being searched for.

Shaggy's Lie: On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Nathan M. DeHoff notes that "It's odd that the Shaggy Man tells Conjo that he got the Magnet from an Eskimo, when we know from ROAD that that story was a lie, and Shaggy should be unable to tell a lie, having bathed in the Truth Pond. The only plausible explanation I can think of (which might also be a possible explanation for how Button-Bright was able to lie to the Blue guard in SKY ISLAND) involves the Truth Teller from FORBIDDEN FOUNTAIN, who had also bathed in the pond. He was able to lie, but his ears would glow green if he did. Surely Conjo would have noticed Shaggy's ears glowing green, though, unless he did and just decided not to mention it." Or, if he couldn't see them because of Shaggy's lengthy hair and hat.

Tom and Twink: Real names, Abbadiah and Zebbidiah, but called Abby and Tom, are twins from an upper-class family in Buffalo. Their father is a scientist, who built one of the first projection-screen televisions. Their later story, along with further details about their parents and adventures, is told in the Eric Shanower story "Abby: The Further Adventures of Tom and Twink" in Oz-story Magazine #2.

Twiffle and Twoffle: How exactly these wooden clown puppets are third cousins isn't entirely clear, save that Conjo brought them both to life, and they simply call themselves that.

Tunnel Under Oz: As regards the tunnel underneath Oz and the Deadly Desert, which the Nomes dug in The Emerald City of Oz, it was said that "Ozma used the Magic Belt to close up the tunnel, so that the earth underneath the desert sands became as solid as it was before the Nomes began to dig.” However, in this story, as well as in The Red Jinn in Oz, and Ruggedo in Oz, the tunnel is still there, extending from the Emerald City to a mine in the domain of the Nomes. It might have been left due to the fact that there are numerous underground passages beneath Oz which intersect it, as revealed in The Red Jinn in Oz. Closing up the tunnel would likely have impeded upon these other peaceful inhabitants who use the tunnel. It's clear from this story that only a thick cork was sealed on the Emerald City side of the tunnel. Ruth Berman, on the BCF Pumperdink forum, writes: "It occurs to me that Snow may have intended an explanation in having the Beaver King say that the tunnel was left open and filled in only at the ends—Snow may have meant the reader to assume that the "EC" description was an error (perhaps the result of an incorrect extrapolation by Baum on the statement that Ozma closed up the tunnel." The latter book explains that Ozma simply changed her mind.

Valley of Romance: This castle of Lords and Ladies under the rule of king and queen, Rex Ticket and Regina Curtain, is based on the Palace of Romance in John Dough and the Cherub, but is definitely a different domain and peoples.

History: A shortened version of this 1974 sequel to Speedy in Oz was first published in Oziana 1996. The original version has never officially been published, though a privately printed version of it has seen print as The Collected Oz Stories of Ruth Waara, which includes Ken Cope's Oziana illustrations. There are several differences between versions, noted in the continuity notes below, including completely different endings that the author may have provided to accommodate the shorter page length in Oziana. A version that combines elements from both would be ideal, as there are aspects of both that would work well together.

Synopsis: (Unpublished original version) In a small carnival in rural Michigan, John Allen Konkel plays at the Wheel of Fortune booth run by the small-time crook Ivan Montebank. When the sheriff catches him cheating, Ivan runs and climbs atop a rope ladder he believes will lead him to the circus balloon. It doesn't.

Pansy the Watch Cat scolds King Sizzeroo for not paying attention and steering Umbrella Island off course in search of their American friend Speedy, but the king wonders if the boy hero even remembers them anymore. Speedy's pet dinosaur practices catch so he can play with Speedy when he returns, and Princess Reeda, nicknamed Gureeda, also awaits his return, a point that Pansy teases her about. Sizzeroo, however, is not happy at the prospect of his daughter growing up and getting married. Seizing on this concern, Kachewka, the Prime Peer suggests they examine Wogglebug's Royal Book for a more suitable match for the princess.

Suddenly, it's announced that someone is climbing the ladder and they all go out to greet Speedy, only it's not him, but the gaudily dressed Ivan. Ivan quickly gets over the shock of a flying island and a cat who speaks as politely as the humans. He announces himself as the King of the United States, but is disputed by Pansy who remembers what Speedy told her of that country. Ivan counters that it's a recent development of the last two years. Kachewka, thrilled at the prospect of the princess marrying royalty, invites Ivan to dine with them, and explains to him about their island, Speedy and Terrybubble. The Wizard Waddy, flattered by Ivan, shows him him his magical implements. When his back is turned, Ivan steals a potion of Agree Filtre that will make the drinker obey his slightest wish.

John Allen, in the meantime, thinks Ivan has gone into a UFO, and finds his parents and sister Lynn, whose acquired a new pet, a chameleon she named Pickle. When he explains what he saw, his mother jokes that it might be Umbrella Island, which she read about in a book when she was younger. But when they reach home, the ladder passes by. Pickle hops on it, followed by Lynn and John before it passes out of the reach of their home.

When they reach the top, a giant dinosaur skeleton comes bounding at them. Spotting nearby baseballs, John throws them at the dinosaur who catches them and throws them back before grabbing up the boy, exclaiming how happy he is to see him again. But when he looks closer at him, he realizes it's not Speedy. Terrybubble then spots the chameleon, who he calls his cousin, and Pickle explains that he belongs to the girl and that her brother is ok. Johnny explains that the person who ascended before them is a crook, but when Terrybubble tells him he claimed to be the king and is at a banquet, Johnny insists on warning them. But they arrive too late, as they've all drank from the elixer that Ivan stole and snuck into their coffee. They believe Ivan's story that he's from a rival political party, and have them locked up in the tower along with Terrybubble who the wizard Waddy sprayed with DDTeethless to make him weak.

John and Lynn's parents, meanwhile, try to follow the ladder to no avail, and go to the police and reporters, who print the story. This brings Speedy, who read the article, to their door. They're incredulous but glad that someone's helping them. Speedy doesn't understand why King Sizzeroo doesn't just send the kids back. He fashions a sign that requests Ozma to bring him to Oz, and within moments is gone.

John, Lynn and Terrybubble form a plan, meanwhile, to send Pickle to Waddy, thinking that of all of them, he might be the most helpful, but he's soon thrown into prison as well. He explains that he discovered Ivan had stolen his potion of Agree Filtre, used it on Sizzeroo and the Princess, and lied about being king, but suspecting he knew the truth, Ivan used the DDTeethless against him. Waddy suggests they send Pickle instead to Pansy, whose the smartest being on Umbrella Island after him. Pickle seems unsure about talking to a cat, but goes anyway. Pansy, however, chases him under the throne.

In the Emerald City, while Ozma's visiting Glinda, Dorothy asks the Magic Picture to show her all of her old friends; after Pompa and Peg in Pumperdink, Tatters and Urtha in Ragbad, Captain Salt on the Nonestic, and Peter in Philadelphia, it reaches Speedy, who is in the home of the Konkels with a sign that asks to come back to Oz. Dorothy gets the Magic Belt and wishes him there. Speedy explains about needing to retrieve the children from Umbrella Island, and with the Magic Belt they appear before King Sizzeroo. But still under Ivan's spell, he orders them imprisoned. Doroth attempts to use the Belt to get them all to Oz, but it fails to work. In prison, Dorothy tells her tale, but Johnny points out that she's not wearing the Belt, and Dorothy thinks its getting temperamental.

Pickle, meanwhile, had gotten through to Pansy, and climbing upon her back and changing color so as to be unnoticeable, they prepare to head to Waddy's workshop. But just then Ivan and Kachewka come in and they listen in the shadows as Ivan discusses the idea of forcing Ozma's hand in marriage instead of Gureeda and ruling Oz. Racing up to the wizard's tower, they attempt to take the items Waddy recommened, but they are far too big. Instead, they grab some sleeping powder, a small horn and chunk of wax and race to the prison.

Lynn is glad to see Pickle alive and well, and they present their items, which John takes. Just then Ivan and Kachewka come up to the prison and informs them that he will not allow Ozma to discover Dorothy's whereabouts, as he intends to make her non-existent with a potion of Waddy's that turns iron in wax. Once Dorothy has been transformed, he will melt her down to nothing. The potion only affects iron, but, alarmed, Johnny takes the horn and blows upon it. The magic horn summons witches from far and near, and when one inquires what is going on, Johnny asks that they get rid of Ivan. The witch replies that they are not genies and cannot be commanded. Ivan attempts to get them on his side, but they'll have no part in it. Instead, they determine to take for themselves two servants, and choose Johnny and Speedy, and fly off with them.

Disappointed, Ivan goes to speak to Gureeda to get information about Oz, but she tells him that it would take seven months to tell him all there is to now, but she mentions that she, Terrybubble and Speedy appear in the book Speedy in Oz. He explains to her that he cannot have Dorothy be seen by Ozma, and she suggests simply putting Dorothy in a dark room; this way the Magic Picture cannot identify where she is. As he goes off to prepare a dark room, the Agree Filtre begins to wear off (it is obsolete magic which only lasts 12 hours), Gureeda begins to recall that she is not engaged to Ivan, nor should her father have imprisoned their friends and guests. She goes to see if Ivan's memory has improved, but seeing that she's no longer under the spell, he sprays the DDTeethless at her and drags her up to the prison, where he discovers to his dismay that the prisoners are gone!

John Allen, meanwhile, despite being whisked away upon a witch's broom, enjoys his flight over Oz as Speedy points out the sights of Baffleburg and Glinda's castle. Johnny asks his witch if she'll be landing nearby, but she tells him that the law of Oz prevents her from practicing magic, and she must fly the statutory three miles above land. She flies them past the Munchkin Country over the Deadly Desert to a cornfield in Ev, near Menankypoo. The witches explain that it is broom corn and they need servants to plow and weed the fields. The witch Cinderbutton affixes cow shoes upon their feet, which due to the cattle guards, will prevent them escaping the cornfields.

Speedy and Johnny are forced to work all day, although the grows already roasted and when the stalks are broken off, provide lemonade, and one kind of corn grows ears of unpopped popcorn, which Johnny puts in his pocket. At the sound of the cowbell, they are sent to the barn, where they help feed the hungry cows alfalfa and hay. Cinderbutton tells them they must milk the cows, and one of them tells Johnny how to do that. The Hereford cow gives forth chocolate milk, cheering Johnny considerably. The boys wonder how they can escape. The cows know a way, but would rather they milk them than Cinderbutton. But Johnny promises to tell Ozma of their plight, so the cows tell them that the witches' brooms are kept in the corn crib at night. Another cow warns them that the door is squeeky and the witches are light sleepers. Jonnny then remembers the sleeping powder he has, and after ascertaining that the witches drink the milk from the cows, pours it into the milk. Tired from the day, he soon falls asleep, but Speedy wakes him up at 3AM.

They find the brooms where the cows said they would, and remembering how the witches flew them, succeed in attaining flight. Speedy thinks they should head to Glinda's, and tells Johnny that he'd been thinking about marriage lately and had wanted to see Gureeda. En route, a group of carnivorous bats flies out from near the land of the Nomes, but Johnny remembers that the wax they'd gotten from Waddy's workshop can make brooms fly faster [how he knows this is uncertain, but Waddy must have told him earlier while in prison]. By sunrise, they reach Glinda's castle, but Umbrella Island has descended upon her gardens nearby. Unsure if this is good or bad news, they enter the throne room.

Earlier, Lynn had figured out that when Ivan sprayed the potion at Dorothy, it hit some of the iron bars of their prison, and Lynn pulls them apart. Though they can't get Terrybubble out, they escape. Waddy gets Dorothy and Lynn umbrellas in preparation for jumping off when they near land. Just then Ivan appears and Pansy and the girls jump, but Waddy tackles Ivan to stop him from catching them. Still weak from the DDTeethless, however, Waddy is caught, and Ivan orders him to steer the island towards the Tin Woodman's castle where the girls are floating down towards. Waddy steers the island instead to Glinda's, so Ivan throws him into the dark room with Gureeda.

Ivan had intended to go to Glinda's anyway, and armed with Waddy's Agree Filtre and DDTeethless, he and the re-spelled King Sizzeroo wake up Glinda and Ozma at dawn with a story about a threat to Umbrella Island. Once Sizzeroo slips, however, and mentions that Ivan is king of the United States, Ozma tells Glinda to get her magic, but too late, as Ivan sprays them both with DDTeethless. After Ozma refuses to concede to his wish to marry him, he storms off to find Glinda's room of magic, promising to destroy all her friends starting with her. Just then, John and Speedy burst into the room, but Ivan returns with a magic ruby that turns enemies into jewels. Johnny throws the kernels of corn at Ivan, and they begin to pop. Speedy pins him down as Glinda summons her palace guards to tie him up. Glinda then summons Dorothy, Lynn, Pickle, Pansy, Waddy, Gureeda and Terrybubble to the throne room, and Ozma declares that since Ivan wanted to be a king, he'll become a king in a chess set. Gureeda feels embarrassed, but she and her father are assured that they were under her spell. Speedy proposes and the princess answers yes. Next, Ozma thanks Lynn and gives John a medal for Bravery Before Magic. He requests that the cows be taken from the witches to live with someone who treats them better, and Ozma transports them to Umbrella Island. Next he requests the cow shoes be taken off their feet. Finally, he requests that he and Lynn be sent home. Ozma deals with Pickle, as well, allowing him to talk in the outside world at need.

Continuity Notes

Bamboula: The Royal Su-Jester doesn't appear in the unpublished version, but has a few lines of dialogue in the Oziana version.

Cinderbutton and the witches: Cinderbutton the Witch is first mentioned in Pirates in Oz as the daughter of Kadj the Conqueror of Menankypoo. In the unpublished version of this story, there is no Cinderbutton or summoning of the witches, who are cut out of the part of the story when John uses the magic horn to bring them to their prison. In that original version Cinderbutton and another witch take John and Speedy to slave for them on their farm in Ev, and with the help of their cows and the magic sleeping powder, the boys escape the witches on their brooms and fly off. They encounter carnivorous bats, for which they use the magic wax to speed up the brooms and head to Glinda's where Umbrella Island has gone. In the published version, Ivan and Kachewka are put to sleep by Pickle, which throws the magic sleeping powder at them, allowing them to use the magic wax to squeeze out of the prison bars. Thus, they all escape Ivan and jump off Umbrella Island together. Instead of John throwing the witches' popcorn at Ivan, Pickle leaps at his face, which earns him—not John—the medal of Bravery Before Magic.

Dating: This story takes place over the course of two days. The year is more difficult to ascertain if one goes by the published version in Oziana 1996, as the author (or whoever edited this version) includes late date references to Watergate [12, 16] and Skylab [9], references that would place the story at the earliest in the summer of 1973. There is also mention of having watched the MGM movie The Wizard of Oz on television a few times, the earliest date of which would be 1961. Contrary to these indications is the fact that the original does not include these references and that Speedy is not a 64 year old man. Conversely, both versions indicate that Gureeda is now 18 [Oziana, 6], which implies that a minimum of eight years has passed since Speedy was last on Umbrella Island (which was in 1922), but if the Umbrella Islanders are like Ozites, they'd be able to remain the same age for years, so it may have been longer. As Terrybubble hasn't seen Speedy since the events of Speedy in Oz, it's clear that he hasn't made an unrecorded stop in Oz in-between these two stories. One indication of the date is noted by the protagonist John Allen Konkel who mentions UFOs, a term that the Michigan newspaper prints when the parents report him missing. The acronym UFO did not come into use until 1953, however, and a placement this late would mean that Speedy was 44 (he was born in 1909). Speedy notes, in the unpublished version, that he'd recently been thinking of marrying and wanted to see Gureeda. One indicator might be found in this story's sequel, The Magic Cryptogram of Oz, which indicates that it's been 40 years since the Comfortable Camel and Doubtful Dromedary lost their caravan and Karawn Bashi, an event that occurred just prior to Kabumpo in Oz in 1910. This gives us a definitive date of 1949 for this story (which takes place a year prior to The Magic Cryptogram of Oz) and makes Speedy 40 years old.

DDTeethless: A pun on DDT, the carcinogenic insecticide manufactured by Monsanto and 14 other companies. Banned in 1974 thanks in large part to Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, which exposed the chemical's toxicity and danger to wildlife, the environment and humans. It was first synthesized in 1874 and described in 1929. The published Oziana version includes an additional line of dialogue from Waddy, telling Terrybubble that his DDTeethless is "temporary and not really dangerous to your health."

Ivan Montebank: Ivan returns again in Waara's sequel The Magic Cryptogram of Oz.

Allen John Konkel: In the published Oziana version, the young protagonist is named John Concel, nicknamed Johnny. In the unpublished version it is John Allen Konkel, nicknamed Johnny, and sometimes referred to as Allen John. He is based on the real Allen John Konkel, as is Lynn Konkel, both of whom were the grandchildren of Ruth Waara. They return in The Magic Cryptogram of Oz.

Lynn Konkel: In the published Oziana 1996 version, Lynn does not go to Oz with her brother and pet lizard.

Magic Belt: In the published version, the failure of the Magic Belt when Dorothy is in King Sizzeroo's throne room is attributed to it becoming temperamental "in its old age," whereas in the published version it's explicit that Dorothy didn't fasten the clasp properly or the wind blew it off, as it appears on the floor before the Magic Picture. In both cases it's noted that the Belt never failed her before.

Magic wax: It is not clear in the unpublished version how John knows the magic wax speeds up broomsticks, as Waddy only tells it to Ivan. It's possible he informed him in the jail cell. In the published Oziana version, which cuts out the witch scenes, Waddy tells John in the cell it helps things glide smoothly.

Pansy and Pickle: The Watch Cat of Umbrella Island and chameleon are noted in the published Oziana version to have used a shortcut to get to Waddy's tower, which better explains how they get past Ivan and Kachewka. At the end of the published version, Pickle is claimed by Speedy and Gureeda, who wish to keep him with his "cousin" Terrybubble. In the unpublished version, Pickle claims Lynn as his mistress and doesn't wish to be parted from her. Ozma allows him the power of speech in the outside world, a rare gift that is also granted to Andy from The Giant Chinchilla of Oz.

Speedy: In the published Oziana version, it's explicitly noted by Ozma that Speedy intends to make Oz home (this is only implied in the unpublished version). Furthermore, King Sizzeroo says he intends to step down and turn Umbrella Island over to them.

History: This sequel to Umbrella Island in Oz is one of three unpublished manuscripts by Ruth Waara, which have been privately printed by an unknown source as The Collected Oz Stories of Ruth Waara.

Synopsis: Secondhand shop owner Old Gregory goes to see Ozma to get a king chesspiece missing from his set. She gives him the red king chesspiece that is the transformed villain Ivan (from Umbrella Island in Oz). Gregory sells the set to Baron Belfaygor for a hundred gold pieces on the premise that they were all once real people. The baron and his wife Shirley Sunshine are in the Emerald City to meet with Ozma to present their son Giles, whose about to become a knight. Requesting that Ozma give their son a task, Ozma sends him to make peace between the Hoppers and Horners.

At home at their castle, preparations are underway for Giles' knighthood. Sir Tristram, the most famous knight in the Land of the Barons (having killed 97 dragons and rescued 139 maidens from towers), instructs Giles to take a ritual bath and kneel all night in his armor, meditating upon the symbolism of the arms and armor, e.g., chivalry and justice. Belfaygor determines to stay up all night as well, and examines his chess set, playing the pieces against each other. Upon using the red king, however, it suddenly comes to life and begins to grow. The baron feeds him and asks what he wishes to do, but not remembering who he is, he agrees to play chess with the Baron.

Soon, though, the red king recovers his memory and recalls that he had determined to conquer Oz and still wishes to do so. Ascertaining from the baron that he's a loyal subject of Ozma, he tries a different approach. Using the same words the baron had used to break the spell over him, he begins telling each of his white pieces: "Your move now," which brings them to life! While the human pieces grow to human size, the rooks intertwine and begin growing to castle size. The baron rushes off to warn everyone, but Ivan has his white knight stop him. All of the baron's subjects, except Giles, are buried in bricks, and though no one in Oz can die, they are rendered unconscious. Catching sight of the young Giles, the knights pursue him, but he evades capture in a cave near the ruins of his former home.

At Lynn's sixth birthday party, meanwhile, Lynn and John pull on a third chicken wishbone, and making a wish, find themselves, along with all of Lynn's birthday presents, in the Winkie country of Oz. Putting her gifts in a basket, they head over to a signpost and encounter an out-of-work magician begging for alms. He explains that he was a real magician in one of Ev's small countries when the king and queen, bishops and knights were enchanted, leaving only the princess to rule. The magician had offered to marry her and rule as king by her side, but she refused. So he attempted to turn her into a goldfish. She escaped anyway, but his crystal ball told him that the one way to get her back would be to capture a girl named Lynn, which the magician knows from her basket is her, who will restore her with the magic V. As she begins to run away, the magician's beard shoots out and grabs her, holding her in place. Not sure what to do, Johnny declares that he won't leave her side. The magician doesn't care.

The next day Giles leaves his hiding place, and a frog follows him. The frog introduces herself as Amphibia and points out a piece of paper on the ground, which she retrieves for Giles. When the sentries catch site of him, the frog leads him to a cottage where the mistress of the house disguises him as her husband. The knights and pawns warn the woman that King Ivan has decreed that her husband must harvest her hay immediately or be evicted. After they leave, Giles offers to cut it for her.

The next day after the grateful woman makes him breakfast Giles and Amphibia head off to the Emerald City, where Amphibia, having lost her memory, thinks she may have been born.

The bearded magician, meanwhile, explains that the crystal ball's message was that Lynn would break the magic V with the "son of the beard," which he assumes must be him. After stopping for lunch at a bacon bean bush, the magician takes a nap. Lynn tells her brother that the beard is like having a snake coiled around her, which gives John an idea. He plays a music box, one of Lynn's gifts. The beard begins to dance and sway to the rhythm, allowing Lynn to get free. The siblings run but soon after losing the magician, a lightning storm arises, causing the flying pig Pigasus to come crashing to the ground.

Giles and Amphibius, meanwhile, run into the Doubtful Dromedary, whose depressed because he thinks he's not needed and that no one notices him. He's searching for a new Karwan Bashi (master), as he'd lost the last one forty years prior. Moved by his loneliness, Giles promises to be his new Karwan Bashi, and he nicknames him Doubty.

The next morning Giles looks at the paper and finds that it's instructions are in an unknown tongue, but they reveal how to restore the black chessmen to their board. He realizes this is the way to defeat the white knights. They next move into a swamp, but a giant alligator attacks them, forcing Giles to defeat the creature.

Lynn, meanwhile, finds out from a bird that her Reynolds aluminum pan triggers a chemical reaction in Oz plants so that whatever she puts on her pan will turn into something edible. The experiment works and after John and Pigasus eat, they set off for the Emerald City. Pigasus tells the kids that he'd been spending time with Captain Salt and the crew of the Crescent Moon, reporting their discoveries to Ozma. He was heading to the Emerald City when the lightning storm broke. John and Lynn tell him they're trying to go there too, and Pigasus offers to fly them taking turns. But after a time, they discover they went the wrong way into the Quadling Country. Just then a tree snatches Lynn off Pigasus's back, claiming he needs Lynn to incubate a cowbird's eggs, John to dig for worms and Pigasus to fly them up to Lynn to feed the babies when they hatch.

Ivan, meanwhile, discovers from his new knights that they had once been real people who lived in Ev, and fought with the royal surveyors over a strip of land. One day, the white king laid a trap for his enemies, but he fell into it instead and was lost down the deep chasm (which is why there was no white king in the chess set), while the other king asked his magician to do something about his enemies, although without harming them. So while they were engaged in battle, he turned all of them into chess pieces. The surveyors became the black army and they can only be disenchanted from their spell by a true knight who first passes certain tests, as laid out in the instructions that were included in the chess set.

Ivan questions Belfaygor about Oz's defense, but the Baron refuses to help, so Ivan puts him back in the dungeon, and declares he'll attack at night and marry Ozma. But the white queen protests that she must marry him if he intends to use her army. But he craftily explains that her husband may yet be alive, and that she'll be given Glinda's castle after they've conquered Oz. She capitulates.

Giles, Amphibia and Doubty run into Johnny, Lynn and Pigasus, and after explaining the situation, Giles determines to help them. Giles and John attack the tree's roots, allowing Pigasus to snatch back Lynn. When the tree accuses them of not caring about the cowbird eggs, Lynn offers her stuffed rabbit to keep the eggs warn, and Pigasus tells the tree that he can feed the babies himself with the nest of carpenter ants he has on one of his limbs. The tree agrees and the party depart.

En route, they look at the instructions and notice asterisks have appeared before certain numbers. John concludes that it's a kind of cryptogram, and Amphibia figures out that the asterisks mark deeds he's accomplished.

Ozma, meanwhile, sends Scraps and the Woozy by means of Magic Belt, to resolve the dispute between the Hoppers and Horners. They discover that the Horners have a new chief who imprisoned Dicksey and the former chief. That new chief is the white king. He'd fallen through the chasm into the realm of the Nomes who'd imprisoned him for years and put him to work on a radium mine, where he eventually found a passageway that led to the underground kingdom of the Horners. Imprisoning the pair, the white king is unaware that Giles and his party are heading that way. Upon learning the situation from the Hoppers, Giles challenges the white king to a duel. The pair fight until Giles gets the upper hand and forces the king to yield. Scraps, Woozy, Dicksey and the Chief Horner are released from prison. Together they figure out that Ivan is leading his white knights, and although the white king wishes his people back, they keep him in prison.

The next day they head to the Emerald City. As Lynn notes how useful her birthday presents have proven to be, the large party enter a foggy valley. They travel upstream, but when the fog lifts they find themselves at the ivory castle and in sight of the magician. Upon seeing Amphibia, the magician grabs her with his beard and she remembers that she is really Princess Phillia, who years earlier he had turned not into a fish, but a frog. She also recognizes the white castle as that of her father's enemy, the white king. The magician warns her that unless Lynn capitulates, she will remain a frog. But Scraps recognizes that the "son of a beard" that the crystal ball referred to is not the magician, but Belfaygor, who had a beard, and his son Giles. John then realizes he knows what the magic V is. It's the wishbone that brought them to Oz. With it they disenchant Amphibia back into Princess Phillia.

After Pigasus does reconnaissance of the ivory castle, they all go in and free Belfaygor, who tells them Ivan's gone off to conquer the Emerald City. The party then figure out the Magic Cryptogram, which tells of each of the tasks Giles had to perform before he could free the black knights. The princess helps him complete the final task and the black knights and their castle are soon restored.

With the third wishbone, they are all transported to the Emerald City and win their way into the throne room. But Ivan slips away to steal the Magic Belt. John and Pigasus thwart him and Ozma wishes the white knights and their people, along with their original king, back to their former country in Ev. She transforms Ivan into a blade of grass on a Kansas prairie and orders a banquet. The magician is dipped in the Fountain of Oblivion. Belfaygor's castle is restored along with his people. Ozma knights Sir Giles. And Giles marries Princess Phillia. Giles also assures Doubty that Doubty will remain his friend and steed.

Ozma speaks in private with the black king, who promises to never go to war again; Ozma also sends Scraps and the Woozy to warn the white king to give up war as well, and that they'll be watching. After saying goodbye to all their friends, Allen John and Lynn are sent back to Dearborn, along with all of Lynn's presents.

Continuity Notes

Baron Belfaygor: This is the first reappearance of the Baron and Shirley Sunshine, his wife, after Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, and it establishes for the first time their son Giles.

Dating: This story takes place a year after the events of Umbrella Island in Oz, as noted on p.25: "last year at Umbrella Island." The Doubtful Dromedary says it is 40 years since he lost his Karwan Bashi, an event that occurred just prior to Kabumpo in Oz in 1910, placing this story in 1950 and giving Umbrella Island in Oz a definitive date of 1949.

Doubtful Dromedary: Nicknamed Doubty by Prince Giles, this camel (first introduced in Kabumpo in Oz) had been living in the Royal Stables for years. His companion the Comfortable Camel had gone off to live with Prince Corum in Samandra (The Yellow Knight of Oz). Here he gains a much-longed for Karwan Bashi and purpose in the kind-hearted son of Baron Belfaygor and Shirley Sunshine, Prince Giles.

Book 42 in the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five, and Ruth Plumy Thompson's final Oz book!

History: The International Wizard of Oz Club's 1976 publication of The Enchanted Island of Oz was first composed in the early fifties as The Enchanted Island, and wasn't expanded into an Oz story until twenty years later. The 2006 version has an afterward by Dorothy C. Marylott, Thompson's niece, who typed out the story.

Synopsis: 11 year old David B. Perry attempts to rush off from his grandma's house in Long Meadow, Westover, Pennsylvania, to see the circus that's come to town, but she makes sure to groom him and repair the missing button on his shirt with a pearl button that she'd just found on her property. At the circus David gives one of the camels a cookie and wishes he could talk and go somewhere together. At that, the camel introduces himself as Humpty, a name he went by long ago when he belonged to the Shah of Hah Hoh Humbad.

David is surprised, but mounts him and they take off for Somewhere. Three and a half hours later, they enter a cave to eat. Humpty explains that he can talk because he's an Oz animal. He'd been abducted by bandits who put him on a ship that sailed across the Nonestic to the U.S. where he was sold to the nasty owners of the circus, and has had a miserable time since.

David leads Humpty through the cave, but as they go deeper they begin slipping down in the dark until emerging in the sunlight of Somewhere, which is in Oz. The gate of the city is guarded by a dragon, who inquires of Else if he should allow them in. Else, the Queen of Somewhere, opens the gate for them and introduces them to Dismocoles the Gatekeeper. Else gives David a china egg, which she grows. She also advises David, who wants to contact his grandmother, to send her a message in a bottle and put it to sea. Dismo talks about liking to eat David, but Else scolds him. Dismo weeps and his tears fertilize the eggs, which cause china chicks to hatch. Else explains that Dismo is the "last dragon in existence," and as no one believed in him, they found a place for him in Somewhere. Humpty doesn't trust him, however, and they take off for the shore. While Humpty is off enjoying the sand, Dismo tries to harm David, who flees into the water where the dragon—fearful of being put out—won't go. Humpty returns and leads David along the shore to the neighboring kingdom of Dwindlebury, out of the dragon's reach.

Feasting on some apples, David discovers that after the first bite the apples dwindle down to the size of a cherry. They meet a farmer, Mr. Small, who warns them to keep their stay in town short. As they pass through town they remark on how all the people and animals wear ruffs and live in small houses. They head to the palace to meet the Princess of Little, but upon entering, Queen Be Little's bee stings Humpty and David! Although they're told it's a common greeting, Humpty is incensed and leads David out of the castle to sleep on the grounds outside. They soon encounter what they think is a giant rabbit before realizing that they're shrinking! Humpty realizes it was the bee sting that did it, as that's how the queen ensures her visitors are rendered harmless. They race out of the Dwindlebury, but an eagle spots them and picks them up, intending to carry them off to Mount Much. But as they start growing again, the eagle drops them in a lake.

There they meet Water Lily, the Lady of the Lake, who falls for them and invites them to stay with her. They decline, which makes her sad, but they promise to visit again. Finding themselves in the Winkie Country, David wishes he'd dry off, and a warm breeze comes along and does just that. The pair soon meet Ben Tover, who's searching for the footprints of a band of gypsy giants. He spots a small one that belongs to Jerry Giant, who he describes as a good kind. He comes along at that moment and picks up Humpty. David's shouts convince him to put him back down. Just then, the Emperor of the Winkies, the Tin Woodman, comes by and greets them. He offers them room and lodging, but as he's on his way to the Cowardly Lion's birthday party, he writes a letter of introduction for them to give to his castle keeper Makebel Eva, who likes to make believe she's a princess. He also gives David his jumping stick to help them cross Tin Can Canyon, which is between them and the Tin Castle. When they reach the canyon, the jumping stick allows them to fly over it. Makebel greets them with a smile of gold teeth, introducing herself as the Princess of Pic-a-nic, and provides them dinner and a place to sleep.

After breakfast the next day they cross over the Tin Canyon again and say goodbye to Makebel, leaving her with the jumping stick. After leaving the village behind they come to a toll keeper who requests two quants and a quingle. Not having those, David gives him a dollar bill, which he tears in half and gives one torn half back to David. The toll keeper, Didjer Not, asks them if they've received permission from the Grand Wanger to enter the Country of Whatnow. As they hadn't, he denies them entrance, so Humpty leaps over the 10 feet tall gate, surprising even himself!

They come to a crossroads sign pointing the way to either Catty Corners or Dogwood. David chooses the latter and Humpty makes it there in 37 minutes. Dogwood features dogwood trees and a large variety of dog breeds who are led by King Chow. They're all so excited to have a boy enter their domain they decide to keep David for themselves. Not wishing to spend forever in Dogwood, David instructs Humpty to run and they race out of town. They next come upon the Winding Way. After David follows the instructions and winds the handle, the Winding Way unrolls and tells them to get onboard. The moving highway heads up into the sky and leaves them on the floating island of Kapurta.

Once an inland Gillikin country, King Rupert moved Kapurta to the sea and then to the air. Totter Off, the Grand Advisor is not thrilled with the king's recent choice in this regard. He had long served the king's father Ibenurt, who ruled wisely and well over the Purtans of Kapurta, a pastoral people who tend flocks of blue and purple sheep. After Ibenurt died, Rupert took the throne and was content for some years, but then became restless. Eight months ago, he discovered a magic vest with pearl buttons among his father's things. So, putting it on, he'd wished Kapurta to be an island, and it was! Then the king wished seven trading vessels with which they used to sell and trade their wool with the port city of Seventon (in the country of Macvelt). The Purtans were contented, as was the king who kept the vest a secret. Then, eight months later, when some began to complain of rheumatism and dampness, King Rupert wished the country to become an island in the sky. The next day, however, it was discovered that three sheep fell overboard. The king thought to wish for a fence, but discovered that the top pearl button was missing from the vest. With none of the other buttons working, he frantically began searching for the button, but in vain. He soon began to worry that his people would starve (as "no good Purtan would think of eating mutton or lamb"). Confiding in the Grand Advisor his dilemma and secret, Totter Off comes up with a plan and tries on the vest to attempt to make an un-wish. Only he never finishes his wish when the island begins spinning round!

David and Humpty, who'd just reached the island, are astonished, but David wishes it would stop spinning, and it does. The Chief Shepherd Malacca Malloo comes upon the pair and hearing of their exploits, which led to the island's return to normalcy, urges them to come see the king, as he believes David's a wizard. The Grand Advisor, meanwhile, explains that he said "turn us back home" backwards, but never got past "turn us" when he was turned about. Malacca then brings David and Humpty before them, but when Totter catches sight of the pearl button, all hell breaks loose. The king finally calms everyone down and allows David to tell his story. He does and even uses a wish to bring his shoes and socks back from Lake Lilly. The king explains that it's the very same magic pearl that was upon his father's vest. The king invites them to a grand repast and explains that he'd like the pearl back so that he can restore Kapurta to the Gillikin Country, but will allow him one last wish for himself. Afterwards, David and Humpty spend the night at Malacca's.

In the morning, King Rupert asks David to wish for a fence, which he does. When Humpty arrives, he asks that they stay. He'll make David the Royal Prince of Purta and Humpty the Chief Guardian and Royal Protector of the Realm. The king then makes his wish and transports Kapurta back to its original location west of the Ho-taro desert and east of the hills of Humber and the plains of Pau in the north Gillikin Country. David, no longer wishing to cause distress to his parents and grandparents, says he must go home, but suggests that the king might one day wish for him to return. Humpty, who has decided to stay with Malacca and the king, offers to go with David, but the boy won't allow him to be caught and live in the cruel circus again. The boy promises that they'll all go to the Emerald City next time he comes, but impulsively, King Rupert wishes them there that instant.

As Ozma, Dorothy and Scraps are deciding new curtain colors, (and Mrs. Sew and Sew from Grampa in Oz is handing out samples) David, Humpty and King Rupert land in the palace. The Wizard welcomes them and Glinda says she knew of Kapurta's disappearance from the Book of Records and has been watching their adventures in the Magic Picture ever since. While Humpty goes to meet the Comfortable Camel, Doubtful Dromedary, Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion, the Wizard tells King Rupert that the last two buttons do good. Remembering it's the Cowardly Lion's birthday, Humpty sings a song, in which he names the Lion "Cowy." The Lion says he now has "a real name like everyone else." Then, touching the third pearl button, King Rupert unleashes its power, resulting in a shower of presents for everyone. David, regretfully having to go home, packs up numerous presents and reminds the king and Humpty that he has a long vacation during Christmas and in the spring. With that, the king wishes David back in his grandmother's house. She had gotten David's message in the bottle, but his arrival surprises her, as do his presents and stories from Oz.

Continuity Notes

Cowardly Lion: On page 138, Thompson has Humpty give the Cowardly Lion a proper name, Cowy, which the Lion gratefully accepts: "Now, I have a real name like everyone else."

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story begins on a Saturday some time during the school year prior to summer. It concludes three days later on Tuesday. On page 81, the narrator says "it is summer, not fall," yet earlier on page 16, David said he was grateful he'd gotten measles during the school year because summer was too long to wait for. The answer to this dilemma must be that the measles allowed him to get out of school earlier than when the summer break began, likely in early June. No year is indicated, save that it must take place prior to when it was written, around 1951.

The Desert of Ho-Taro: Although unexplored in this story, the Desert of Ho-Taro receives a visit in the short story "Kabumpo and the Rain King."

Dismocoles the Dragon: On page 35, the Else, the Queen of Somewhere, describes Dismo as "the last dragon in existence," which seems rather unlikely given all the other dragons found in Oz and An, the Land of the Original Dragon. It may be that he's the last dragon born. Else also notes that he wasn't believed in, which might indicate he was born in a quasi-magical country, or even a civilized country, before being whisked to Somewhere (and how that came about is a mystery as well). Ruth Berman (on the BCF Pumperdink forum) considers Dismo ambivalent about eating meat, and yet he never threatens or bothers Humpty, who would certainly be a much larger meal than an eleven year old boy. Yet, he's particularly interested in frightening or actually harming David. Does the dragon hold a grudge against little boys? And if so, might this relate to his past before to coming to Somewhere?

Glimpses: David and Humpty manage to say on track during most of their adventure, and so the reader gets only glimpses of places and peoples. Nathan DeHoff notes on the BCF Pumperdink forum that: "David and Humpty never make it to their dinner appointment with Queen Else of Somewhere, and never even get to see the Princess of Little. They run away from the Dog Wood after a visit of less than two pages, and there's no real indication as to what the country of Whatnow really is."

Humpty's captors: There is a mystery as to why Humpty's captors abduct him from the Gillikin Country of Oz, cross the Deadly Desert, board a ship on the coast of the Nonestic, sail across the Nonestic to the U.S. in the outside world, only to sell the camel to a two-bit circus owner. How did they cross the Desert? On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Nathan DeHoff suggests that "Humpty mentions that the bandits were riding 'swift desert ponies.' Perhaps they were somehow bred to be able to cross the Deadly Desert. If so, the horses that draw the gypsy wagons to the Fountains of Romany (mentioned in FORBIDDEN FOUNTAIN) might be somehow related to those ponies." That one can sail from Nonestica to an ocean in the outside world has been noted in several stories, with the implication of a magical barrier. It's revealed in the Oziana 1978 story, "Zimbo and the Magic Amulet" that the barrier is the Pillars of Hercules. J.L. Bell asks, "Why they would even bother?": "Wouldn't it be simpler and cheaper to steal (or even just plain buy) camels in the Asia of this world to sell in America, or to steal Oz camels to sell in Oz-world markets? What do the US circuses pay them in that has any value back in the Oz world? Well, perhaps if their magic for transportation is really easy and reliable, maybe it's no extra trouble to speak of to follow so wide a trade route, and maybe there are trade goods they can buy in the US with dollars (gold or gems for Oz-world markets -- although too common inside Oz? -- or bulkier but still shippable goods such as foodstuffs, cloths, books, and the like) to turn a dishonest profit." In a land that provides whatever its citizens need and then some, it seems unreasonable that there would be any kind of criminals in Oz, though Thompson has demonstrated that there are some who enjoy simply being vicious. What seems more likely is that those who abducted Humpty were not native Ozites, could not settle there, and thought they could make a fortune in the U.S. with a talking camel. Humpty might have disappointed them by either not being able to speak in the U.S., or choosing not to, which given the fact that he was kidnapped and was annoyed at the way they grunted and screeched at him, is certainly possible.

King Ibenurt: King Rupert's father is said to have died, an occurrence that must have taken place prior to Ozma's ascension to the throne.

Location of Grandma: Although the narrator situates David's grandmother's house in the very rural Westover, Dorothy C. Maryott, Ruth's niece (who typed up the manuscript), notes that the locations (Latch's Lane and Wister's Woods) are actually in Ardmore, where Thompson lived, and which is also where the Clyde Beatty Circus came to town, inspiring the pivotal scene where David rescues Humpty from the cruel circus.

Location of Oz: On page 81, Humpty tells David that there's no point in bringing his grandmother daffodils as they'll "wilt and fade soon as you hit outer space on your way home." This appears to confirm Baum's indication in the "Interplanetary Dispatches" articles for The Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz strips that Oz is on another planet in another solar system, or perhaps extra-dimensional. This is the first explicit reference to this from a canonical author since Baum. There are many fans who prefer that Oz be located on Earth, and while the Royal Timeline of Oz agrees there is clearly a terrestrial connection to Oz (clear from this story, as the magic pearl button somehow ends up from the floating island of Kapurta in Oz to Pennsylvania), the evidence from Baum and Thompson cannot be so easily ignored. Thus, the Royal Timeline of Oz finds that Oz exists in another dimension, and yet is intimately connected to the earth. Evidence from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus indicates that Burzee once bordered terrestrial locations in ancient times, indicating that Nonestica was once on the Earth, in much the same way that Valinor (from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth legendarium) was once on the Earth before being sundered.

Magic Vest: Those this story doesn't provide the origins of the vest, the sequel, "From Oz to the Moon" explains that the vest was made by Soob the Sorcerer and King Cross Patch as a gift for King Kurtis for having saved them from the Purple Wolves in the year 742 OZ."

Sequel: David returns to Oz a year later and reunites with Humpty, King Rupert and Totter Off in Nathan DeHoff's short story, "From Oz to the Moon."

Shah of Hah Hoh Humbad: Despite having affection for his former master, Humpty makes no effort to return to his old master in Hah Hoh Humbad (located neard Mudge from The Cowardly Lion of Oz). Nathan DeHoff, on the BCF, Pumperdink forum notes: "While Humpty tells Lily that he plans to return to his old master, the Shah of Hah Hoh Humbad, he later decides to stay in Kapurta with Malacca, apparently with no intention of informing the Shah of his adventures and plans. We could, perhaps, assume that Ozma will send a message to the Shah after Humpty's visit to the Emerald City." One could argue that maybe Humpty wasn't all that enthralled with him, but the camel has no compunction about calling his circus masters "rogues," the circus itself "wretched" and his time spent there as "miserable." He has no such negative words for the Shah, however. It might simply bad that while his former master was kind to him, there was no strong emotional bond between them as there was with both David and later Malacca.

Sheep: On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Nathan DeHoff notes that: "[Page] 50 describes the blue and purple sheep of Kapurta as 'the only such sheep in existence,' which is interesting, considering that the next Quasi-Famous book published by the Oz Club (the McGraws' FORBIDDEN FOUNTAIN) suggests that most sheep in the Gillikin Country are purple. As is usual for the Oz books, I think these 'the only such-and-so in existence' comments have to be taken with a grain of salt." It may be that the Kapurta sheep have a certain quality or uniqueness to their color and coat that sets them apart from the more common variety of sheep in the Gillikin Country. It's also worthy of note, particularly for Thompson who hasn't always been as consistent or sensitive on these matters, that when faced with starvation, the King of Kapurta acknowledges that "no good Purtan would think of eating mutton or lamb." A white lamb makes an appearance in The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, and is persecuted by her purple brethren and shepherd.

Somewhere Else: This country was first visited by Thompson in her non-Oz fantasy novella Marvelous Travels on a Wish, aka The Wish Express. Here, it appears in the Gillikin Country. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Ruth Berman notes that there are some tonal differences: "Somewhere Else is also a lot more cheerful than the kingdom of Somewhere Else visited by the discontented travelers in RPT's Marvelous Travels on a Wish. [Those] travelers find... that they don't like what they would be in their other lives Somewhere Else at all." This may be because Somewhere's earlier rulers Illusion and Delusion are no longer in power, and Queen Else, who replaced them, is a much kinder person.

Tin Canyon: Either the Tin Woodman installed a Tin Canyon around his Tin Castle or this highly inconvenient barrier was never before mentioned. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, J.L. Bell notes that" The Tin Canyon is surprising... It apparently either surrounds the castle entirely or extends so far to the sides as to make going around a significant barrier. Did Nick think he ought to have such a feature for aesthetic reasons and have one installed in the interim, as the owner of a British estate might put in a ha-ha between the house and the grounds? Could he have wanted it put in for security reasons? Either way, isn't it so inconvenient to need those Jumping Sticks to get in or out that it would be a good idea for him to get rid of it? (It's apparently not there in The Ozmapolitan of Oz or at least I don't recall that Dick Martin included any mention of it when they visit there."

The McGraws's return to Oz is the 43d book in the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five!

History: Eloise McGraw returns to Oz one further time with her excellent The Rundelstone of Oz.

Synopsis: On Clover Day in the Emerald City (an ancient custom that grew into the Clover Fair during the Scarecrow's reign), the Clover Festival is held. Desiring a cookie, Emeralda decides to sell limeade at three ozzes a cup until she has a prozter to spend. Not wishing to tell her parents, she sneaks off with a pitcher and a basket of lime, and goes in search of a fountain not swarming with people. Entering the Palace Gardens, she makes her way into the remotest part of the garden through a gate, and fills her pitcher with water from the fountain there, unaware that it's the Forbidden Fountain.

Upon spotting the girl selling limeade, Ozma volunteers to be her first customer, and the child goes away happily, accidentally spilling the remaining contents of the pitcher. Drinking a cup, Ozma then suddenly loses all memory of who and where she is. She walks through the old gardens wondering, and ends up in an old butterfly arbor, where the monarch questions her. As she doesn't know who she is, the butterfly names her Poppy and declares that she cannot leave. The vines close up the exit behind her, forcing her to follow the imperious butterfly through an unpleasant maze of encroaching thorns. But when the monarch flies ahead, a hedgebird named Oliver offers to lead her out of the maze through a thicket of brambles to an open hillside. Oliver tells her that the Maze had been used since his grandfather's day as a prison. Oliver advises her to go north away from the Emerald City and whoever's trying to capture her. She departs and discovers a strange belt around her waist and hides it before she heads down to a cottage where a deaf woman takes pity on her and gives her son's shepherd clothes and cap to wear. Ozma thanks her and leaves. When she puts the belt back on, she wishes it fit better, and suddenly it does.

Ozma makes it to the Gillikin Country, where she rescues an anxious lamb running from her flock and shepherd, but in their haste to escape, they fall into a stream and wash ashore. The lamb Lambert explains they've turned her out because she's white and not lavender-colored like the rest, and so she's considered wicked. "Poppy" adopts Lambert, but as they move on, Lambert and Ozma are suddenly transformed into glitterbugs. In the Emerald City, meanwhile, the Cowardly Lion asks Kabumpo if he's seen Ozma, since she's been missing for two hours. Kabumpo goes off to search the garden, returning in a panic with her crown. With everyone convinced she's been abducted, the Wizard, Toto, Jack and the Scarecrow check the Magic Picture, but it only reveals weeds and insects, though Kabumpo recognizes certain plants from the Gillikin region. Yet when the Wizard checks again, the landscape is yellow. He sets out for Glinda's, commanding them to only tell those who already know she's missing.

Glinda's Book of Records reveals nothing, so the next morning, the Wizard sends out a search party, consisting of Dorothy, Trot, Cap'n Bill, the Scarecrow, Cowy and Toto to the Great Winkie Marsh, but as Kabumpo is certain Ozma's in the Gillikin Country, he sets out on his own. Ozma and Lambert, meanwhile, find themselves as hyacinth moths. Mulberry bugs tell them they've been transformed because they fell into the Camouflage Creek. Ozma and Lambert continue to transform, from canaries to horses, rabbits, mice and so on. As dragonflies in the Great Winkie Marsh, a frog catches Ozma and she wishes them back to themselves, miles away. The Magic Belt does this, but when Ozma tries to wish her memory back, she fails to grasp the Belt at the same time, so that the wish does not come to pass.

A color-changing borderbird informs them that they're in the Bordermoor, the land between the Winkie and Gillikin Countries. As they follow the path up the hill, they're stopped by the highwayman, High Toby, son of the Bordermoor Blackguard. When Ozma goes to hand over her shepherd's knife and cap, the man breaks down crying, and explains that he's not cut out for this trade. His real name is Tobias Bridlewell, Jr. Ozma shares her story with him, and he suggests they team up with the Gypsies who are traveling north through the Gillikin Country, to an oasis in the Impassable Desert called the Fountains of Romany. When his Suggestion Box warns him that Borderbullies (a cross between bulldogs and wild hogs) are approaching, he leads Poppy and Lambert to his hidden cave. He tells them that his father and uncles had all been exiled to an island in the Nonestic by Tattypoo, the Good Witch of the North, many years ago, and he feels he's a disappointment. Lambert reassures him that he's really the better man.

To find out what route the Gypsies took, he takes his new friends to see the Purple Wolf, who is King of the Bordermoor. They're anxious about this, but he reassures them he won't let any harm come to them. Yet when he and the Purple Wolf get into an argument, they flee down the hillside, and Ozma wishes they could run like hares, which they do! They find themselves in Gozzerland: Gillikin Nat'l Park. The Suggestion Box warns them of boiling geysers, and in their attempt to circumvent them, they run headlong into Kabumpo.

The Elegant Elephant had been heading towards Pumperdink when he was picked up by a living dump truck named Dumpling, who, mistaking him for a giant wind-up toy, brought him to Wyndup Town, where live the friendly Wyndups, clockwork people and animals who have windup keys on their back, as well as serial numbers and dates of manufacture. When they discover that Kabumpo has none of these, they grow concerned that he's broken, and have Dumptruck bring him to their Chief Tinkerer, Clockwise, at the Clockworks. Kabumpo soon learns that he's also a clockwork man, albeit a more advanced one. This reminds him of the villain Ippty of Rash (from The Hungry Tiger of Oz), though Clockwise isn't wicked, but merely ignorant of the existence of flesh and blood beings. Unable to comprehend that Kabumpo is not mechanical, he determines to open him up the next day to observe his strange gears, and has Dumptruck take him to the warehouse. From there, Kabumpo escapes, though a Wyndup sees him and alerts the others. He races out of town and over the fence, where he winds up in a dense foggy glen. There he bumps into Ozma and her companions. Yet due to her male clothing and cap (where she has her hair piled up in), he doesn't recognize her as Ozma.

Kabumpo and Toby lead them out of the sticky, unpleasant environs of Gozzerland into Cleanitupia and Bathasphere, gateways to Sanitaria and Pristinia. They're greeted by small grey, sponge-like entities who invite them to be cleaned. The party agree, although that proves to be a far more intense experience than they'd anticipated. Moving on, Toby determines not to tell Poppy's secret of being a girl, or their past, and Kabumpo, for his part, determines not to tell them about Ozma being missing. He invites them to his home in Pumperdink, where they can gain more information about the whereabouts of the Gypsies.

They next enter Pristinia, which appears perfect in every way, except that a voice warns them off the grass and not to eat the landscape, so they follow a path out to the Little Gillikin River. Upon a bridge they meet the Truth Teller, who years ago fell into the Truth Pond, and now can only tell the truth (else his ears turn green), which has forced him to become a wanderer, since no one wants him around. When asked, he tells them they're on the road to Pumperdink. Later, a chipmunk tells them they're in Teagarden and they enjoy the fruits of doughnut trees, apple-pie plants and a lemonade pond, as well as hay and clover for Kabumpo and Lambert, and friedeggplants, a meatball bush, a pond of syrup and pancakes, cupcake creepers and other goodies. After they eat, they go to Nightingarden, where pillows, blankets and tents are ripe for the picking and the nightingales sing travelers to sleep. They go to sleep, but Kabumpo wakens later to overhear Poppy and Toby argue about keeping secrets, concerned that the elephant might bring her back to her captors in the Emerald City. Then the elephant discovers that the boy is actually Ozma! Kabumpo reasons that she must be under a spell to not recognize him, and that Toby must be her captor and enchanter. So he resolves to wait for an opportunity to get both Toby and Ozma to the Emerald City.

The next day, Kabumpo turns them around south, telling them he's taken a shortcut. It leads to a rainforest and then a toll bridge, guarded by a Toll Troll, who demands a pound of honey to cross. Ignoring him, Kabumpo fords the river and the travelers come to a log cabin with a sign reading "Passportal." Entering the cabin they find a door in the back with a sign that reads, "To the Peaks of Passepartout," and this leads to a beautiful mountain view.

Traveling through the narrow mountain passes proves difficult, particularly when they're forced to slide down Hourglass Pass, which goes down a hole in a spiral, emerging unto a road, where they come across the Truth Teller again. To Kabumpo's chagrin, the wanderer confirms that they're going south instead of north, and when Kabumpo browbeats him into lying, the Truth Teller's ears turn green. Ozma knows now the elephant has been lying and Toby threatens him with his wasp-shooting blunderbuss if he tries anything, but Kabumpo tells them he's trying to save her from Toby, and that he knows who she really is. This stops them in their tracks. But when he says she's Ozma, they don't believe him, so he tackles Toby with his foot and puts Ozma in his pocket. Toby then fires his blunderbuss, but nothing happens (as the wasps had gotten soaked in the Bathasphere), so Kabumpo puts Toby and Lambert in his pockets and heads to the Overpass. This proves costly, however, as it leads to a dangerous tightrope atop the mountain where he discovers he cannot go forward or back. Far below is Underpass, where he needs to be. Stamping his foot in frustration, Overpass opens a trapdoor underneath him and they plummet down a steep incline to Underpass. From there, he heads to Bypass and onto the road leading to the Emerald City.

Entering through the North Gate, Kabumpo notes that few are about the city, so he locks Ozma and Lambert in her sitting room in the palace, and goes in search of someone. Ozma and Lambert, meanwhile, use the new curtains to try and escape. Yet, once outside the palace, they come across Jack Pumpkinhead, who recognizes her as his father. This annoys Lambert, who considers her his mother, but Jack explains that she looks like Tip his father, and this triggers a memory in Ozma of having created Jack, and of Mombi. Just then, the Hungry Tiger arrives, along with the Wizard and his party led by Kabumpo, who snatches off Ozma's hat to show them.

Her friends try to convince her that they're her subjects, but she doesn't remember the Wizard or Dorothy or any of them, except Jack. Kabumpo insists Toby should disenchant her, but this only angers the former highwayman, so the Wizard assures Toby that he knows he didn't enchant her. As the din escalates, Ozma calls out for silence and asks the Wizard how he knows Toby didn't abduct her. He then produces Emeralda, the last person to have seen her, and explains that she was accidentally given water from the Fountain of Oblivion to drink. When the Wizard tells her of the Magic Belt, she realizes that that's what must have granted her wishes. The Suggestion Box then suggests she use it to get her memory back. With Dorothy's instructions as to using the Belt, Ozma wishes to remember all she's forgotten. Suddenly, she does and a great rejoicing amongst her old friends begins. Toby, Lambert and even Kabumpo, meanwhile, consider leaving her in their company and start heading out, but she stops them. She asks Toby to be her personal bodyguard, to which he gladly agrees (she summons his wasps with the Magic Belt), invites Lambert to live with her in the palace (which he happily agrees to, though he'd like to keep calling her Poppy), and tells Kabumpo she's throwing a grand banquet in his honor for all the brave and heroic things he's done.

That evening is a royal feast, and Toby is presented with his own room, while Lambert has his new friend Betsy Bobbin help temporarily dye him green. Glinda and many others attend and hear stories of all their misunderstandings and adventures along the way. Ozma decides that from this point forward, the gate to the Fountain of Oblivion must be locked, and the entrance to the Maze, which had been a place of punishment from her father's time, be bricked over so that no one ever gets trapped in it again.

Continuity Notes

Clockwise and the Wyndups: The narrative gives no indication as to who created Wyndup Town, Clockwise and the Wyndups, though they appear to resemble the kind of design seen in Tik-Tok, leading one to surmise that Clockwise and the Wyndups are more advanced creations of Tinker & Smith.

Dating: Story takes place over the course of three days. Although no year is explicit in the text, a date can be arrived at, as Ozma is said to have received her new curtains a fortnight ago [p. 163]. The plan to change the curtains was earlier noted in Thompson’s The Enchanted Island of Oz, which takes place in June 1951, and would place this story two weeks later. This is consistent with the timing of the Clover Festival, as clover blooms in May and stays in bloom all summer long.

Fountain of Oblivion: From this point forward, the gate to the Fountain of Oblivion is locked, with the key kept in Ozma's safe.

Gypsies: In Ojo in Oz, Ozma was shown to have banished the Gypsies to Europe, but it has been stated by many that maybe Ozma brought them back. The existence of an entire community of Gypsies, with "bands that pass through" Pumperdink "often" (as Kabumpo asserts) confirm that Ozma indeed did the right thing and brought them back to Oz. Their oasis, called the Fountains of Romany, in the Impassable Desert, is one of several safe areas, including Sidia (from A Refugee in Oz) and the unnamed oasis mentioned by the Flame Folk in The Shaggy Man of Oz.

Hoppers and Horners: These two tribes are at "war" again, which is an event that was last dealt with a year earlier, in The Magic Cryptogram of Oz.

Lambert: A white lamb that was exiled from his Gillikin flock merely for being the wrong color, according to them. This leads her to having a complex about her color and a desire to change it. By the time she comes to live in the Emerald City, and become its permanent resident (as she considers Ozma her adopted mother, and calls her Poppy), Ozma hopes she will learn to accept herself as she is.

Magic Belt: One key to the functioning of the Magic Belt, as revealed here, is that one must be grasp it when they make a wish. When this secret was discovered is not known, but it wasn't early on. By the time of The Lost Princess of Oz, Dorothy was starting to figure out it's powers, but determined that it grants only one wish a day. In this story, it's capable of more per day. On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Nathan points out that there are some inconsistencies with what we've seen before, and there are worth retconning: "Ozma's wishes are granted when she puts her hands on the Belt, which is something I seem to recall happening in other books as well. On the other hand, I seem to recall both Roquat and Dorothy waving their arms when commanding the Belt in OZMA. Also, The Lost Princess of Oz suggests that wishes can only be granted once a day, and then only through the method Dorothy uses in that story. Perhaps none of Ozma's wishes are powerful enough to count as the daily wish, though." The latter point is a valid retcon. As to whether one needs to grasp the Belt or wave one's arms, it may be that both methods are effectual.

Magic Items in the Palace: There is a question, asked by Nathan DeHoff on the BCF Pumperdink forum, as to why the Wizard doesn't just use his famous Searchlight or enlist the help of the Elf of the Silver Hammer. Ruth Berman responds with a possible retcon: "Perhaps we should assume a scene present, although not mentioned in the narrative, before the Wizard hurries away to consult Glinda's Book of Records, in which the Wizard tries a bunch of those other magic tools, and they fail to locate Ozma in the moth-form? (Of course, the Searchlight found people who had been transformed into clocks in "Ojo," but perhaps the Change-me-down magic might be assumed to be a more complete disguise.)

Maze: This old maze that Ozma stumbles into pre-dates the Emerald City, and was used by Pastoria I (Ozma's grandfather) to punish citizens. It's ruled by its own Monarch, the monarch butterfly, who craftily ensures that prisoners don't make it back out.

Mombi: Further confirmation that Mombi is alive and not "washed out" by Ozma, as implied in The Lost King of Oz, comes from the conversation Ozma has with Jack Pumpkinhead. While regaining her memory, Ozma asks Jack about Mombi. Jack doesn't say that she's dead, which he would if she was, but rather that she's no threat as Glinda made her forget all her magic. This is in keeping with the Oziana #38 story, "Executive Decisions," which indicates that Mombi was not executed.

Money and Old Ozzish: Nuffet is the old Ozzish word for mid-morning tea time. Ozzos are a small denomination. Piozter is a larger denomination. Nathan DeHoff in the BCF Pumperdink forum notes that this use of coins in the Emerald City proves a bit of a problem to reconcile: One possibly controversial aspect to the McGraws' Oz is that money seems to be in common use there. There are several references to ozzos and piozters, and an unused footnote worked out the entire Ozian monetary system, even working in the quants and quingles referred to by Didjer Not in ENCHANTED ISLAND. While money is used in several situations after the Tin Woodman's blanket statement about Oz having no money in ROAD, it usually seems to be rather uncommon, and used primarily in outlying communities. In FOUNTAIN, however, money is apparently in widespread use within the Emerald City itself." The reason for this may have to do with the tradition of the Clover Festival, which goes back to the Scarecrow's day. Toby himself says he has ozzos and piozter's from his father's day, which seems to indicate that, in general, money is no longer in use. It also explains why a little girl living in the prosperous Emerald City wouldn't have enough money to purchase a single cookie. McGraw herself created an entire monetary system, and it remains valid for the period up to the time that Ozma did away with money (something that took longer to accomplish in the far off realms of Oz):

"The money in Oz is rather complex. There are two copper coins, the tiny fardledink and the triangle-shaped squit; five silver coins, the quingle, the quant, the ozzo, the fang and the jeedle; and the gold piozter, which has Ozma's profile on one side and the Royal Crown on the other. To give you some idea of the relative values: three fardle-dinks make a squit, six squits equal a quingle, two quingles make a quant, and three quants an ozzo. There are two ozzos in a jang and five in a jeedle. The piozter is worth ten jeedles. However most people in Oz care little about getting rich, and enjoy using all these coins mainly because they're so pretty. If you are squitless and need to buy something, they will usually make you a present of it. Not, however, if your mother has said NO."

Ozma's memory: As Ozma wishes on the Magic Belt to "remember all I've forgotten," [p. 178], it seems likely that from this point forward, she remembers her fairy life with Lurline long before being left with King Pastoria as a baby.

Prayer in Oz: Although institutional religion doesn't appear to factor much in Oz, apart from the mention of churches noted by Baum and Thompson, Kabumpo utters a prayer "of thanksgiving for this dispensation," on page 146, demonstrating a previously unreported spirituality.

Suggestion Box: Toby's swag, the helpful Suggestion Box is noted in W. Randy Hoffman's Mixed Magic Makes Misery: The Life Story of J. Glegg, to be one of Glegg's inventions.

Toby Blunderbuss, Jr.: A descendent of highwaymen who were exiled by the Good Witch of the North to an island in the Nonestic, Toby is now the Royal Guard of Ozma, lives in the palace and wields a blunderbuss that shoots borderwasps (who enjoy the excitement).

Trolls: This mercurial bridge keeper is the first recorded troll in an Oz story. Others can be found in The Forgotten Forest of Oz.

Truth Teller: Although several characters in Oz have dipped in the pond, some have experienced unusually trying results afterwards, including this man, whose compelled to tell what many consider unpleasant truths. Some of this may have to do with his negative perspective and abrasive personality, which seem more of a factor that his compulsion to tell the truth. The fact that his ears turn green prevent him from telling a lie, an issue that the Shaggy Man may not have to face (in The Shaggy Man of Oz) since he has long hair that covers up his ears.

Synopsis: On the fiftieth anniversary of becoming a true wizard in Oz, the Wizard prepares a new experiment. Ensuring that he's properly measured out all the ingredients, including lomeleaf from the only lomeleaf tree in Lomeland, and double-checking the recipe in a magic book, including a thirteen-leaf clover, and water from a hot spring near the Deadly Desert, he stirs the mixture in a cauldron. When it cools into a grey clay, he shapes two bowls out of it, puts them in a kiln for two hours, and goes to meet Ozma, Dorothy, Button-Bright and Ojo for lunch. Joining them are the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, Trot, Betsy and Ichabod (the Shaggy Man's brother). When the Wizard mentions his new experiment, Ichabod, Button-Bright and Ojo ask to come see it.

Later, Ozma is visited by a red sphere, inside which is a message from Jinnicky the Red Jinn of Ev, telling her that according to the dreams of the seer Augur, Jellia Jamb is in trouble. Augur is flying across the Deadly Desert upon Areo, the magical paper airplane, to give them a better sense of the danger.

In the Wizard's tower room, the Wizard greets Ozra, Glinda's personal servant, whose come to return a powder and spend time in the Emerald City. She joins the others to watch the conclusion of the Wizard's experiment. He volunteers a reluctant Ojo and Button-Bright to serve as guinea pigs, explaining that the Magic Bowls have the ability, with a magic word, to transfer the mind of the person who touches them into the bowl, after which it can enter the mind of another person who touches it. He has the boys each touch their bowls, intending to briefly switch their minds, but when he says the magic word, the shock of the procedure causes both boys to jump and catapult the bowls into the air and come crashing down on each of their heads. Suddenly, Button-Bright is in Ojo's body, and Ojo is in Button-Bright's! With the bowls shattered, the Wizard has to make new ones, but is missing four ingredients: a lomeleaf, a thirteen leaf clover, sap from an oak tree, and yellow mud from the Winkie River. Only this will restore them, as not even the Magic Belt can help. So, the group determine to go on a journey for the ingredients, and the Wizard packs his Lomemagnet, which can locate that realm.

Over the Deadly Desert, Areo assures Augur that his prophecy about Jellia Jamb is accurate, as has been all but one of his predictions in the last 150 years. Areo, the giant paper airplane, was made by Aura Gammi, the cousin of Miss Cuttenclip, who once lived hear her in Oz and would also get magic paper from Glinda. One day, when the Red Jinn visited Oz, Aura's father Para saved him from falling into the Deadly Desert, so Jinnicky invited his family to live with him in his castle. Hearing that Aura was distressed, he promised she could visit anytime by means of Areo, who he made large enough to ride in, and with wheels to land. In this way, she continued to visit her cousin and got magic paper over the years.

In the morning, the travelers meet up with the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger, who are guarding Ozma's safe. When the Wizard explains their newest adventure and retrieves the Magic Umbrella and footpath, the Tiger asks to join them. Upon the footpath, they head north to the Gillikin Country. That same morning, Jellia wakes up cross from lack of sleep, bumps her toe twice, and the second time breaks a bottle of green fluid which absorbs into her body. She later falls asleep in a tea cart that rolls down the hall and out the door into the gardens and streets of the Emerald City. It finally goes down a hill where it hits a rock, catapulting Jellia into a haystack at the edge of Lomeland in the Munchkin Country.

Back in the Emerald City, Ozma wonders what became of Jellia, but soon meets with Areo and Augur. Ozma tells Dorothy of his dreams, including one in which Jellia was queen of a sapphire city. The Magic Picture currently shows her sleeping in a haystack. Dorothy suggests taking the Picture with them so they can track her down, and they all board Areo.

When Jellia awakens, she finds herself lost and walks an hour until she finds the sapphire studded gates of a city called Lomeland. The Munchkin gatekeeper of Lomeland takes her to see the only lomeleaf tree in the land, after which she's shown to the sapphire throne, reminding her of her time as Starina [in Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz]. Suddenly, the palace staff rush in to announce her application as Queen of Lomeland. Jellia considers that it would be nice, and as the position is only for a week, she agrees and meets with her advisor Lomefomuat.

On the second day of their journey, the Wizard and his part come to Lumberland, a wooden mountain. The lumberjack Paul takes them inside for a tour, where he explains that all the wood for houses and furniture comes from their fast-growing forest, where it takes only 5-6 years for a tree to grow to maturity. 2000 people work there. After lunch, they ride the stream to the other side of the mountain in the north.

Searching the north of the Munchkin Country for Jellia Jamb, Areo flies over the Deadly Desert, but gets caught in a Dust Devil. As Areo stabilizes, Ozma sees Jellia in the Magic Picture pulled into an invisible place and realizes she's been taken into Lomeland. Lomeland can't be found on magical devices (except the Lomemagnet) and is hard to trace because it moves every week. Areo enters the eye of the Dust Devil, where they wait till nightfall when it loses power, and they return to Oz.

The next morning, Lomefomuat brings Jellia breakfast, explaining that she must today cross a gulf upon a thread to become queen. Wondering how she'll do that, she finds a label from the bottle she kicked over, identifying it as a magic Balancing Brew. In this knowledge, she feels safe to cross and soon passes the test to become Queen of Lomeland. Meanwhile, on the Hungry Tiger's back, Ozra goes exploring and meets a silver garland snake who introduces himself as Chris Muss. They invite him back to camp to meet the others, and he explains that Santa, in a playful mood, brought him to life as a piece of garland with a stuffed snake head. He accompanied him on his annual trips until three years ago when he fell out of his sleigh into the Great Gillikin Forest, where he's remained. Chris Muss helps search for the 13-leaf clover and soon finds one. But as they prepare to go after the next item, Ojo complains that Button-Bright has gotten lost with his body. The Wizard decides it's best to move on and get the next ingredient.

The Seer tells Dorothy and Ozma the three dreams he had the night before. The first was of Jellia walking along a brick wall with no gate or door. The second was of her being pushed off a balcony. The third was of him scraping yellow mud off a bear rug into a thermos. They head back on Areo, but search the day in vain.

The next morning, Queen Jellia is asked to settle some disputes, one of which involves Arron the Red's complaint against Wilber the pig who keeps crossing his river to avoid a nearby toll. Jellia determines that Arron must charge the same toll fare, but can keep half. After lunch, Jellia has a chance to talk with Dot, a young girl who tells her about Lomeland, how it moves about Oz and other fairylands, and has always only had queens. The Wizard and his party, meanwhile, depart the forest and two hours later come upon a rainbow colored wall. Entering the gate, they step upon a pink bear rug, who shakes them off, eliciting the laughter of the resident clowns. Mr. Mirth, the Krazy King of Circusville introduces himself, and the Wizard inquires after Button-Bright. They haven't seen him, but insist the travelers stay to enjoy the circus, shutting the gate behind them. The town is set up like a three-ring circus, and as Oscar investigates escape via hot-air balloons, the others explore. The Hungry Tiger is glad to find that his fellow tigers are not locked up or mistreated and enjoy their life in Circusville; Chris Muss talks to a snake charmer; Ichabod to several shabbily-dressed clowns who teach him magic tricks. Finally, the Wizard whistles, summoning the others who enter the two balloons and sail up. Summoning the Magic Umbrella, which brings the footpath, they float towards the Munchkin Country.

That same morning, Dorothy and her party watch as a yellow boy upon a yellow beast approaches them. Augur recognizes one of his dreams come true, and the boy explains that he's Button-Bright inside Ojo's body, and that the beast is the Blue Bear Rug, for whom he made a skeleton so he can walk, and inserted a bellows so he can speak. They fell into the Winkie River. Recognizing the yellow mud as one of the ingredients the Wizard needs, they scrape it off, and the boy and bear wash off in a stream. After learning that they're looking for Lomeland to rescue Jellia, Button-Bright and the Blue Bear Rug agree to lead them there, as they passed it in the night.

The next day, Dot gives Jellia a tour of Lomeland, all except the fourth tower, which is off-limits. Jellia determines then to find out what's in it, but waits until Lomefomuat isn't spying on her. After lunch they sneak in, and discover in a room in the tower with four beds containing the last three Queens of Lomeland under a magical sleep! Jellia worries that she may be in danger and returns to her apartment.

The next morning, the balloons touch down and the Wizard's party jump off. Entering the Quadling Forest, east of Hammerhead Hill, they follow a path to the yellow oak home of Ozner the magician, who invites them in. After they share their story, he offers the sap the Wizard needs. Following the Lomemagnet, given him by Lomefomuat, he's able to find Lomeland. Heading north upon the footpath they arrive at midday and encounter Ozma and her party who explain about Augur's dreams of Jellia. After introductions, Ojo is happy to see Button-Bright and his body again, and they give the Wizard the yellow mud, leaving only the lomeleaf as the last ingredient needed.

The gatekeeper of Lomeland permits all but the animals inside. They soon meet Dot, who explains that Jellia is in danger. At the bonfire that night, Queen Jellia appears on a balcony, but as she makes her speech, Lomefomuat throws a lever causing the balcony to extend out over the fire, and closes the doors behind her. Ojo climbs the Lomeleaf tree to save her, just as Dot lets the animals into the city, causing a stir. Lomefomuat tries to cut the branch, but the Wizard tosses Ichabod one end of a ball of string, and he throws it to Jellia, who ties it around the tree. With Ojo on her shoulder she walks down the string to safety. They race for the gate, while Button-Bright and the Blue Bear Rug get two lomeleaves. When they're surrounded, Areo swoops down and saves them. En route home, the Wizard informs Jellia that the Balancing formula is permanent.

Back at the Emerald City, Jellia tells everyone about the former queens in the tower, so with the Magic Belt, Ozma summons Lomefomuat, but he explains that they would normally sleep for three weeks after their one week term, and cannot be awoken until a replacement ruler is found. Ozma declares him the replacement. She then sends the former Queen Lydia to Mo and former Queen Kathy to Ev, but the third girl is from Kansas, and doesn't wish to return there as she's an orphan whose made her home in Ix. Ozma concedes to send her there. Augur and Areo also say their goodbyes and head back to Ev. So too does Ozra return to Glinda's palace and Chris Muss asks to be sent back to Santa (whose happy to see him again). The Wizard then recreates the Magic Bowls. Once he's successfully switched Ojo and Button-Bright's minds back in their proper bodies, the boys destroy the Magic Bowls, determined that that's one experiment that shouldn't be repeated.

A month later, Lomefomuat awakens. Ozma gives him water from the Fountain of Oblivion and returns him to Lomeland, which she magically anchors in its original location in Ev.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Explicitly dated 50 years after Oscar Diggs became a real wizard. As this appears to have occurred in late 1902, it gives a date for this story at 1952.

Footpath: The Wizard's magical hundred-footed footpath first appeared in The Gnome King of Oz.

Lumberland: This interior mountain realm must be where the majority of the wood in the Gillikin Country, and possibly all of Oz, which may explain why there are no modern woodmen and how the trees in Oz remain safe from harm (for the most part, as there remain out-of-the-way places and unknown areas). The Wizard must have based his invention of fast-growing trees, in The Three Imps of Oz, from his experience in Lumberland, where trees rapid-grow to maturity in 5-6 years.

Magical Missteps: Years later, a very similar magical accident will occur when the Wizard is distracted while reciting a spell in The Emerald City Mirror #27 story.

Seer of Ev: Augur the Seer of Ev has lived in Ev for 250 years. All but one of his predictions in the last 150 years have come true. He is a kindhearted man who is friends with Jinnicky the Red Jinn of Ev and Areo the giant paper airplane.

Shaggy Man's Brother: Baum's musical production The Tik-Tok Man of Oz called the Shaggy Man's brother Wiggy, which can be a nickname for William, yet Baum never brings either name into book-canon, and it is not in every draft of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz screenplay either. Perhaps Baum felt Shaggy and Wiggy were too silly. In any case, Karyl Carlson and Eric Gjovaag, in Queen Ann of Oz, revealed that the Shaggy Man's actual name was actually Shagrick Mann. This provides a surname for both men. This story gave him the given name of Ichabod. Yet, Mark E. Haas, in The Emerald Mountain of Oz, revealed it to be Daniel. The latter story takes place in 1999, while this is in 1952. The stories The Other Searches for the Lost Princess and "Peer Counseling" reveal that the Shaggy Man's brother was in fact have been named Ichabod Mann. His brother called him "Wiggy" as a nickname, but Ichabod never cared for either, and opted to change it to Daniel at some point.

History: Although the author of this graphic novel breaks the fourth wall for comedic effect, the narrative itself is quite plausible, and is included on the Timeline as a historic event.

Synopsis: In Professor Wogglebug's library in the Munchkin Country, the green monkey, formerly the Yookoohoo Mrs. Yoop, returns again to pore over the many books on magic in an attempt to find a way to reverse her condition. When the Professor offers to help, she angrily rebuffs him, and opts to take the books back to her home on the Gillikin border. Ignoring her neighbor, Miss Lillian, who always seems to be envious of the freedoms animals have that humans don't, Mrs. Yoop comes home to greet Potch, the large toad whose lived with her for 50 years. Potch offers her a solution, but as Mrs. Yoop calls her a frog, she says she won't tell her till the next day.

The next morning, Potch arrives and tells her that while Glinda would be keeping a tab on Ozma's former enemies, for which reason she can't enlist their help, she won't be keeping an eye on her allies. Mrs. Yoop thinks the toad is talking foolishness, but Potch explains that if she can learn the secret of the Magic Belt, she knows how to procure it for her. The monkey asks how, and the toad explains that she's also been reading the magic books she's brought home from the library. At that moment, Miss Lillian arrives to ask if the monkey would mind going into town to bring back a few items she needs to bake a berry cake. Mrs. Yoop kicks her out, and the Toad torments Mrs. Yoop by holding out on the plan.

In the Gillikin Country, meanwhile, Button-Bright and Toto say goodbye to the Lonesome Duck who gets a visit from someone in the Emerald City once a year. After they depart, however, Button-Bright gets lost, but Toto uses his nose to locate him in a nearby Gillikin village named Manifolda, where he meets QuillJon (or JonQuill), whose left side is completely different from his right. He's never seen a dog or even a symmetrical creature before. The village is made up of "enhanced" people, who as infants are physically joined with partners who are different from them so that they can grow up more fully rounded, able to see different perspectives. Toto soon meets his rude daughter LauraLea, and his wife who says there's also an unsymmetrical boy in town. They soon meet the mayor MoeYardley (or YardleyMoe) who says Button-Bright is at the Waiting Place, waiting for someone to be matched up with.

After Mrs. Yoop has learned all she could about the Magic Belt, Potch explains that Ozma's friends live by a code. If they make a promise to help someone, they must see good on that promise. Potch's friend Herrona the Stork is owed a favor from the Scarecrow, and Herrona owes Potch a favor. Mrs. Yoop doesn't believe it will work, but Potch insists the Scarecrow must follow his moral code. Herrona appears at the house, and Potch reminds her that years ago she saved the egg that became her son Eggbert from the den of a fox. The stork recalls and is willing to repay the favor, but when she hears that Potch wants the Magic Belt she thinks it's a joke. When the toad explains it's not, she says that she has no way of doing such a thing. Potch then reminds her that the Scarecrow owes her a favor. She then explains that a poor woman was transformed into an irascible green monkey and they need only one wish from the Magic Belt to disenchant her, but for it to work no one else can know until it's been accomplished, and then they'll return the Belt. Herrona goes off, unsure about all of it, but wanting to keep her promise.

In Manifolda, meanwhile, Toto rushes off to save Button-Bright from being enhanced. To his relief, he discovers that the spell doesn't work on those born outside of the village, and he takes Button-Bright back to the Emerald City. But he soon senses that something or someone is following them, determining that it's a Kalidah!

The next morning, as the Scarecrow and Sawhorse are reciting poetry, Herrona drops in and asks the Scarecrow if he remembers her. She asks to speak to him privately and recalls how she rescued him from the river many years ago (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) when he promised to repay the favor. He recalls, and to his horror she asks him for the Magic Belt, explaining to him what Potch explained to her. The Scarecrow proves true to his word, and she flies off to Mrs. Yoop's house. Mrs. Yoop snatches the Belt from her and slams the door, as Herrona tries to make her understand that she can only use the Belt for the one wish she needs. When Miss Lillian arrives, Potch and Mrs. Yoop take her into the backyard where the Yookoohoo prepares to switch her form with Miss Lillian's, but before she can, Herrona sneaks up and takes back the Belt. Mrs. Yoop tells the stork she hasn't used it, so she returns it while the green monkey considers how to word her wish.

As the wish progresses, Toto, Button-Bright and what turns out to be a Kalidah cub run into the yard just as Miss Lillian starts growing into a giant-sized brown monkey and Mrs. Yoop starts turning into a younger version of Miss Lillian. But in the distraction, the spell is incomplete, and she prepares to use the Belt again. Yet, Ozma, the Scarecrow, Sawhorse and Jack Pumpkinhead show up then in the Red Wagon. As Herrona is thanked and sent home, and Toto and Button-Bright are sent aboard the Red Wagon, Ozma demands answers, and everyone gives their account. But when Mrs. Yoop attempts to use the Belt to escape, the Belt winds up on Ozma's waist. Not trusting her to keep her word about using the Belt for only one wish, Ozma had wished that if she attempted a second wish the Belt would return to her.

Ozma returns Miss Lillian to her original form, but makes her wear a pearl ring that will turn dark if she keeps complaining. When next they visit her, they will reward her if it's white, but punish her if it's dark. Mrs. Yoop, however, is turned back into a monkey, but this time a plain brown one. The green color goes to Potch the toad, whose annoyed that now everyone will assume he's a frog. When Potch points out that now that she's a simple brown monkey, she should be able to regain her Yookoohoo powers, Ozma places an emerald ring on her finger that will prevent her from using magic. And if she takes off the ring, they'll know.

Continuity Notes

Button-Bright: The apparent age and characterization of Button-Bright is intentionally written comically, as a kind of parody of this character in Baum's stories, and cannot be taken at face value, particularly given the late date in which this story is set. It does, however, predicate that the story take place prior to The Time Travelers of Oz. See "Dating" below.

Dating: The internal "90 years before" date (on page 5) should be considered a historian error. The story cannot take place after 1983, as Mrs. Yoop's green monkey's form was then given to her husband Mr. Yoop in the Oziana 1993 story, "The Fate of the Yoops, or The Yookoohoos of Oz," which can take place no later than 1983. On page 9, Mrs. Yoop hints that her enchantment into a green monkey took place "50 years ago" (though this is contradicted on page 10 by Potch who says she's been trying to break the spell for over "80 years"). This story must also take place prior to The Law of Oz and Other Stories, when Ozma was made to realize that she must allow the Yookoohoos their natural right to use magic. The Royal Timeline of Oz recognizes the "50 years ago" date as the more accurate one and places it in 1958.

Lonesome Duck: The Lonesome Duck from The Magic of Oz, gets a visit from the Emerald City only once a year due to her low tolerance of company. His irascible personality continues to not engender friendship in others.

Mrs. Yoop: Mrs. Yoop has been walking four hours to the Wogglebug's library every two weeks, poring over magic books for "decades" (page 3), trying to find a way to reverse her condition. She's been living in a house on the border of the Munchkin-Gillikin Countries with the toad Potch for around 50 years. Because she's been known to raid food from those in the Emerald City (The Magic Umbrella of Oz), her house is likely located on the Munchkin side of Squee-Gee Ville. She has attempted to keep her identity a secret, though Potch seems to think everyone knows who she is anyway. The desperation Moyna (Mrs. Yoop) experiences, after having gotten the Magic Belt but failed to disenchant herself, likely exacerbates her bad choices in the events of The Magic Umbrella of Oz, which occurs several years later. Because she's back to being a green monkey at the start of that story, it appears that she risked taking off the emerald ring Ozma gave her to try her powers, an event that likely precipitated her return to the green monkey form.

The Stork: The stork from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz reappears here. She is named Herrona, is married and has children. While this is her third-post Baum appearance after The Lavender Bear of Oz and A Small Adventure in Oz, it is chronologically the second one, with The Lavender Bear of Oz preceding it. In this one, she requests the favor the Scarecrow promised her all those years ago.

41st book in the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five, and Ruth Plumy Thompson's return to Oz after thirty-three years!

History: Courtesy of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Thompson's 20th volume of Oz history–illustrated by Dick Martin (ranking him Royal Illustrator of Oz)–saw publication in 1972.

Synopsis: Eleven year old Thomas P Terry, called Tompy, sets off with his drum for the parade in Pennwood Pennsylvania. When Hurricane Hannah erupts during the parade, the storm sweeps him into the sky, eastward, to a deserted beach. The tide brings in a cylindrical object, a space capsule, inside of which is a two-year old dog named Yankee, who had orbited four times before landing on the strange beach.

After Yankee discovers he can talk, he joins with Tompy on his journey east, where they past wheat fields, hills and trees and come upon a Welcome Well, which cures people of their ills. They then see a sign for Wackajammy and spy a golden castle. Outside it are a group of dignitaries dressed in yellow. King Jack-a-lack tells them they've been expecting them, as their Chief Counselor Yammer Jammer has prophesied that two would come from afar to rescue Princes Doffi, his aunt, who manages the country and does much of the hard work. Wackajammy, they discover, is on the Winkie River, in the northwest part of the Winkie Country of Oz, and they supply the "whole west" with its wheat and baked goods. When Tompy and Yankee try to get away, Yammer Jammer catches Tompy and locks him up, but Yankee turns up with a key and a book that the Chief Counselor had been reading. The pair escape and hide in the wheat fields, where they learn that the book is called "Mind Reader" and can do just that for anyone they choose. On their way out of town, they question why the people aren't working, and discover it's because Aunt Doffie isn't there to tell them what to do.

Yankee tells Tompy he's the first American dog in space, as far as he knows. They then come across Slug-a-bug, a giant anteater who warns them away from the town they're heading towards. They proceed anyway into Tidy Town, but apart from its tidiness, are unable to find any residents. They enter a storehouse looking for food and discover that each of the many packages that line the storehouse contain different residents. Pouring the contents of one package into a bowl and following the instructions, they bring a carpenter to life. Opie tells them that every few years the citizens of Tidy Town are remixed and repackaged. Last time he was a painter. Max is the town planner and mix-master.

When they start to leave, they discover that others have been brought to life, and suddenly Max captures them. He explains that he was once king of Hotchinpotch, which he describes as a contrary and lazy kingdom of ne'er-do-wells. He left and started Tidy Town when he discovered the abandoned cabin of a magician. In it were potions that combined with the leaves of a chamois tree and mixed with the gold spoon, brings the citizens to life. He chose no women or children, as he finds them a bother. Yankee asks if he'd like to hear their story, but he declines. After mixing an extra-large batch, he brings to life a giant guardsman named YZ, who keeps the boy and dog prisoner. Max wants them to become his listeners, and will even provide them a house if they listen to him for two hours in them morning and evening. His creations can't do that as they're only interested in the jobs they're mixed to do.

When he leaves, Tompy drums up a beat, which causes YZ to march out of the door. Yankee takes the gold spoon on their way out. When they reach a river, Yankee accidentally hits YZ with the gold spoon, which causes him to turn back into powder. To cross the river to the Gillikin Country, they hop on a log, which happens to be alive. He introduces himself as Tim Ber, a Trav-e-log. Yankee tells him to take them somewhere they can eat, and the log shoots up into the air and flies east over the trees, dropping them at a woodman's cottage at the edge of the forest. Axel the woodcutter greets them and gives them food, and explains that Tim came from a live oak tree he'd cut down for Joe King. The trav-e-log now likes to give rides, but only one per customers. Yankee asks if he'd like to hear their story, but he declines. After dinner, Axel tells them they have to leave as he doesn't keep anyone overnight.

They next follow a magical lantern to a beautiful and dreamlike realm called the Land of Lanterns, where the lantern-headed people dance in their enchanted gardens. Two of the Lanternese people come to greet them, Flicker and Blaze. They touch Tompy's jacket buttons and Yankee's tail, making them glow and thrilling the pair. Tompy concludes it's cold light (his uncle is a scientist), while Yankee determines they're a gentle people. They follow Blaze and Flicker to their gathering and spend the night dancing and playing music. When they grow tired, Flicker takes them to a bamboo house with flowers, where they fall asleep.

In the morning, they find the Lanternese asleep and their internal lights out. The travelers regretfully depart and head east to the purple Upandup Mountain. After refreshing themselves by a pond, they're greeted by a bewitching butterfly girl, named Su-posy, who tells them to pick the flowers that grow on her head. She spends her days flying over the mountain, distributing her posies to the many castles and shepherds that live on the mountain. She warns them of the dangerous mountaineer who lives on the mountain top, and tells of his sad prisoner who keeps his cave there.

Halfway up the mountain, they meet Jinnicky the Red Jinn of Ev, who befriends them. Summoning Ginger, he feeds them and provides music, which Tompy joins in on, much to Jinnicky's delight. But the sound brings out the man on the mountain who starts complaining and throwing rocks down on them. The Red Jinn gets out an umbrella to protect them. Incensed, he seeks to punish the mountaineer. He tells his companions that he'd just come from visiting Randy and Kabumpo in Regalia. Yankee asks if he wants to hear their story, but Jinnicky is anxious to depart. He brings his new friends aboard his jinrikisha and they fly up to the top. Upon landing, a small woman tries to warn them away, saying it's Badmannah the Terrible's mountain, but he comes out and grabs and shakes her. Yankee and Tompy pursue him and make him drop the woman, while Jinnicky hurls a jar of red pepper at his head. Summoning Ginger, he tells her to bring the woman back to his castle.

Badmannah returns with a net to hunt for another princess to cook and clean after him. They then realize that the woman they just saved was the Princess of Wackajammy. Hauling his magic net, Badmannah ensnares the palace of the Emerald City, intending to make Ozma his slave. Once on the mountain, he ushers the palace residents into his cave, but Ozma and the Wizard are nowhere in sight. Jinnicky spells the castle with a blue bubble, preventing anyone from entering or leaving it. He then retreats with Tompy and Yankee to his red castle in Ev.

Tompy and Yankee meet Alibabble and the princess, while the Jinn prepares to deal with the mountaineer. She tells them that Badmannah abducted her a week earlier and with his magic magnifying glass and magic net, has been stealing the treasures of the neighboring castles and kingdoms. Leaving the princess behind to prepare a feast for them when they return, the Red Jinn, Tompy and Yankee leave for Upandup Mountain.

Once there, Tompy gets lucky and drums up the exact beat that opens Badmannah's cave. Badmannah then locks them in. Smelling people, Yankee opens up a chest and dives in, only to disappear! Jinnicky figures out what happened and where the evil mountaineer put the Ozites. He uses his magic to release Yankee who confirms that the Ozites are in there. Jinnicky taps the earlier sequence Tompy used to escape the cave, and in so doing, traps Badmannah, who'd been spying on them. Yankee bites his hand, forcing him to drop the magic net, which Yankee then takes. Dahing off for the jinrikisha, the three fly off just as Badmannah frees himself. On Yankee's suggestion, they fly back and Tompy throws the net over Badmannah, just as Jinnicky instructs the net to take him to the bottom of the Nonestic and keep him there.

After the three groom themselves, Jinnicky bursts the protective bubble over the castle and they enter. Thinking Ozma and the Wizard to be enchanted, they begin looking around for them. Yankee mentions a covered picture, which reminds the Red Jinn to check the Magic Picture for Ozma, and there he sees she's in Badmannah's treasure cave. There they go and free her. Overjoyed at all they've accomplished, Ozma explains that she'd been looking for a costume for Jack Pumpkinhead's party when the castle rose up into the air and landed on the mountain. As the mountaineer began driving the others into the cave, Ozma swallowed a wishing pill and wished everyone to a safe place. The Wizard, meanwhile, had been visiting Glinda, and wasn't around. After telling their story they go off to the magic chest where Jinnicky uses his magic to free the Ozites. They decline going back to the Emerald City, as Tompy is anxious to go home. So, using the Magic Belt, Ozma wishes the palace and its residents back to the Emerald City.

The Red Jinn escorts Tompy and Yankee back to his keep, where a big celebration, prepared by Princess "aunt" Doffi awaits them. Although she declines to stay with Jinnicky, she promises to come for his birthday, at which Jinnicky says he'll have seven birthdays a year. After a tearful parting, he sends her home. He's sad to see Tompy and Yankee go so soon after, and gives them medals. After whispering into Yankee's ear, and giving Tompy one last present, he lets the pair take a final ride in the jinrikisha to their home in the outside world. Yankee is sad about going back to the army base, and leaving Tompy. Tompy thinks his father can talk the Air Force into releasing Yankee into their care, but the dog doesn't believe it works that way. Tompy offers to lie about finding him, but Yankee doesn't want him to be dishonest. Suddenly, Yankee can no longer speak, and they know they're in the outside world (over South America) and in ten minutes are standing in Tompy's yard in Pennwood. After giving the jinrikisha the words to return back to the Red Jinn, Tompy and Yankee go to his bedroom and fall asleep. The next morning, Tompy's parents are thrilled to see their son, and they quickly take to Yankee. His father calls the base and they return the dog. Some time later, Tompy and Yankee go to visit the dog and ask about retiring him. Though the commander is against it, Tompy opens up Jinnicky's final present to him, which makes the commander change his mind and discharge the dog to them. A week later, Yankee is with Tompy, and can speak every day from 5 to 6 to Tompy alone. The pair go on to do everything together, including reading about Jinnicky's early adventures in The Purple Prince of Oz, and Yankee finally gets to tell his full story to a mixed pack of dogs.

Continuity Notes

Badmannah: This giant is strongly hinted at in The Giant King of Oz, where he's noted to have temporarily partnered with Mr. Yoop after the latter's escape from prison.

Dating: The portion of the story in Oz and Ev takes place over the course of two days. The denouement in Pennsylvania takes place within about a month's time. Internal evidence indicates this story takes place on Labor Day, September 7-9, 1959. The year is fixed as it's based on the real-life date of Hurricane Hannah.

Dogs in Space: Although the narrator indicates that Yankee's flight in space made the newspapers, in fact, only two monkeys (Able and Baker) were sent into space by the U.S. and there's no evidence of them having launched a dog into lunar orbit that year. Two Russian dogs, Otvazhnaya (Brave One) and Snezhinka (Snowflake), along with a rabbit, Marfusha (Little Rabbit) were sent into space on July 2 1959.

Invisible Barrier: Jinnicky, Tompy and Yankee fly back and forth from Ev to Oz, but there is no mention of an invisible barrier between them. This could either mean that it was taken down again, or that Jinnicky has a magical means of penetrating it (since he's a welcome guest).

Jinnicky the Red Jinn: Jinnicky notes on page 152 (repeated on the next page) that he'd studied red magic for 200 years. He also claims to have invented red magic, and whether or not this is hyperbole (since he studied first under a "red" sorceress in a "red" country) it means he's studied magic for 200 years (Jinnicky doesn't know green magic, and appears to have focused his studies on red magic). Because this story has a cardinal date of 1959, it gives us a cardinal date for the Oziana 1977 story "Glinda and the Red Jinn" in about 1760.

Oz and the Outside World: Though it's through the mouth of a character who doesn't necessarily have all the facts, Thompson has Tompy indicate his belief (and likely hers) that Oz is not on earth. On page 17, Tompy says that Oz is "between the earth and outer space," which would seem to indicate another dimension. Then on page 31, he says "But we are not on earth. We're way up here in Oz."

Red Jinn's Castle: Jinnicky's realm is described now as a more democratic one, with his central castle replicated in his citizen's smaller, but just as lavish castles (where they're kings of their own castles). They still have to work in the mines to obtain the rubies, which is the source of their wealth. How that works with Jinnicky's "share and share alike" policy is unknown. Also, how Jinnicky gets away with mining rubies so close to the Nome Kingdom is a puzzle.

Su-Posy: This girl with butterfly wings who distributes posies grown on her head to all the castles on Upandup Mountain is also named Fern, and is the sister of Zim the Flying Sorcerer from The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy. She first appears in Book 2.

40th book of the Famous Forty, Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five, and the first by Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren McGraw! This also marks the first original Oz book illustrated by Dick Martin!

History: Spurred on after having read The Scalawagons of Oz, and finding it not up to snuff, Eloise Jarvis McGrow created with her daughter Merry Go Round in Oz. Prior to her death, she gave Oz fans two other magnificent volumes, The Forbidden Fountain of Oz and The Rundelstone of Oz! A fourth was began but not finished. This is the only book of the Famous Forty to not have an author's note.

Synopsis: In the town of Cherryburg, in Clackamas County, Oregon, foster-child Robin Satchiverus Brown is taken, along with the nine McGudgey brothers, to visit the carnival in the evening. Robin heads for the merry-go-round. Paying a little man, who encourages him to grab the brass ring, Robin is ushered towards a handsome horse. After missing it the first five times, Robin catches it on the sixth. With that, he and the merry-go-round horse fly up into the air and away, finally coming down gently in an unknown land.

Robin's overjoyed to hear the horse talk. The horse is surprised too! Robin names her Merry Go Round. Uncertain where he is, Robin determines to find a farm for food and directions. But he discovers that Merry can only move in circles! Several redbirds arrive, informing them that they're in the Quadling Country of Oz. They sing like a calliope, which helps Merry canter in a straight line. She's thrilled to be able to act more like a Real Horse, which she wants to become, than a wooden one. Robin uses his harmonica to mimic the calliope, but before they're able to leave the meadow, a fox passes by, followed by hounds, horses and foxhunters, scaring Merry, who reverts to running in circles. Wireweather, one of the huntsmen, has no interest in Robin, who he declares a kennel boy, but is fascinated by Merry, and reins her to two riders, forcing her to run in a straight line and jump over hedges. They ride off to View Halloo, and the castle of the Master of Foxhounds, Yoicks III and Queen Tantivy. They assign Merry and Robin to be trained, but Robin promises the frightened Merry that he'll find a way to escape.

Meanwhile, that same Tuesday morning in Pax-on-Argent, the capital of Halidom, in the Munchkin Country, the pageboy Fess, who hails from across the river in Troth, discovers that on the day of the famous joust between Sir Gauntlet and Sir Greves, everyone is sleepy. Even the horses and his pet flitmouse are sleepy. Concerned, he goes to see the wyvern who guards the last of the three Golden Circlets of Halidom. In ages past, Lurline gave Halidom three magic Circlets. The first, worn by the king as a crown, gave the people knowledge and wisdom. The second, worn on his arm, gave them strength. The third, worn on the thumb, gave them skill in crafts. The first was lost down a rabbit hole. The third was taken by a poppinjay. Now, Fess discovers to his horror that the second too is gone! He rushes off to rouse his flittermouse and the royal family to explain that the missing Circlet is the reason everyone's sleepy. Reluctantly, they arise, and at court, one of the knights suggests rousing an army, but he's reminded that armies and wars are against the law. So, Prince Gules decides he'll wander Oz in search of the lost Circlets. Fess and the flittermouse will go with him.

The next day, after telling the animals that they all can't go with them, Fess goes to feed the Unicorn (who eats flowers). The Unicorn is a unique fairy animal from Lurline's band, who was gifted to the first Herald of Halidom. She wants to go with them too, as she's bored, but he declines. Fess convinces Prince Gules that they should sneak off after sunset so that all the animals don't go following them. Gathering the Prince's horse, Federigo (who he calls Fred), they sneak off past the crenellated wall to the unknown lands beyond, where they make their way to a grove to eat and sleep. The next morning, the Unicorn shows up, insisting on going with them. She provides Fess a mount, which will help speed their journey along, as they have no idea where to look. They come to a 'keep out' sign, which is followed by other warning signs.

In View-Halloo, the night before, Robin grows tired of the monotony of View Halloo. His teacher Spots is an elderly hound, who trains Robin how to be a kennel boy. When Robin explains that in his world, fox-hunting leads to the death of the foxes, Spots grows outraged at such barbarity, explaining that no fox is ever harmed here, only tagged, and Robin soon learns that they enjoy the game every bit as much as the hounds, horses and huntsmen, who regularly gather to discuss their strategies and maneuvers. The next morning, Spots takes Robin to meet them, but Robin concludes that they're all obsessed with their sport, as it's all they talk about. When he learns that he won't see Merry for a month until she passes exams, he protests, but Spots ignores him, so that night, he crawls out a window. He bumps into Merry, who'd also escaped. But the pair are soon spotted by a fox who calls out to the huntsmen who gear up to follow them. Merry and Robin escape across the meadows and fields until Merry feels safe enough in a gorge by a waterfall to let Robin sleep.

The next morning, Merry (who doesn't sleep) tells Robin she'd been thinking about going to the Emerald City, which the redbird had earlier mentioned. They come across a hut besides a river, and pull a cord to call for the ferryman. A bent old man with a pink beard emerges from the hut. Howzatagin agrees to ferry the pair across the river for free, though Robin gives him some raspberries. The ferryman is grateful, as he doesn't like to fish since they're his friends. He brings them to his hut on the other side of the river to meet his trout Richard, as well as the other animals he treats for various ailments. Though not many people pass that way, he won't abandon his post, claiming to be the only ferryman in the Quadling Country, and an employee of the Municipal Interstate Rapid Transit Waterways System Commision of the Quadling Country of Oz, Inc. He assures them that Ozma will send them home and tells them of the famous residents of the Emerald City, where he used to live. Robin had never heard of Oz, but upon hearing of the fascinating people who live there, he and Merry begin longing to stay in Oz.

The party from Halidom, meanwhile, enter a valley of talking signs and encounter Bill Bored, the proprietor of Sign-Here, who speaks only through smoke signs from his pipe. When they tell him their story, he tells them to ask the oracle in the coracle on the Link, and points the way. On the climbing pathway, it begins snowing. The party come to a black lake made of ink, which they realize is Link. In its center is the coracle. After signing the register, the coracle floats towards them. Inside is a crystal ball that tells them to deposit three gold coins. Prince Gules does so, and the ball tells them to ask three questions. He asks where the recently stolen Circlet is, but the crystal ball shows them a crystal ball. Angrily, Gules asks what that means, but the oracle only shows the same scene. Before he can waste the last question, Fess asks how they can find the three Golden Circlets. The ball then spells out a rhyme that says the first Circlet will lie unseen before their eyes, but that flight and chance will set it free. Of the second Circlet, problems lie ahead, but to trust in the humblest of their number. The third Circlet is in the hands of a future king and can be found in a roundabout way. Fess jots down the riddles and the party head to the exit sign on the other side of the lake. Impetuously, Fred pushes through the door, which turns out to be a kind of fire escape, leaving them tumbling from one sliding platform to another. At the bottom, Fred shrieks that there's a lioncel!

Earlier, in the Emerald City, Dorothy, Ozma and the Wizard prepare an Easter party for all the children in the Emerald City. Billina and Scraps agree to help, and the Cowardly Lion jokes they should get eggs from the Easter Bunny. Ozma agrees, informing them that the Easter Bunny actually lives in Oz, underground in the Munchkin Country. Dorothy volunteers to go place an order of several hundred Easter Eggs for the kids. The Lion says she won't go without him, though he hates traveling by magic, whether by Wishing Pills, Flyaboutabus or whirling mountains, and Ozma uses the Magic Belt to send them to the entrance of the rabbit hole. They descend into the burrow and discover lots of rabbits preparing holiday treats. The Easter Bunny is overjoyed to meet them and take their order. He gifts Ozma with the Great Egg, a valuable antique.

On their way out of the warren, they accidentally go the wrong way and end up at the same place Fess and his party have arrived. Fred is scared by the Lion and the Lion angry that he's been called a name. Dorothy's frightened by the flittermouse, which she thinks is a bat, and the flittermouse is upset too. After Gules calls for silence, there are explanations and apologies. Dorothy says she knows of Halidom from Sir Hokus of Pokes, who gets his armor there. Fess's party knows of them from their Oztory books. Dorothy suggests they get help from Ozma, but Prince Gules wants the fame and glory. Fess acknowledges that, since they're missing the First Circlet, Gules is not very smart. So Dorothy and the Lion agree to travel with them. The across a a field of trees that grow food and drink, including bread and butter, peanut butter, doughnuts, marshmallows, lollipops, and cookies, as well as lemonade brooks and cocoa bushes.

Robin and Merry, meanwhile, end up in the Munchkin Country, but they can't find the Yellow Brick Road, so they take a blue road they hope will lead to it. The road brings them to the city of Roundabout, which is made up of round houses and buildings and set within a giant sphere that sits inside a bowl-shaped hollow. A road spins around the sphere, which fascinates Merry, and a sole bridge allows them entrance into the dome. They meet the Roundheads, who are round and who bring them before their Sphere-Seer, Roundalay, who shows them around the city and how everything they make is round, even holes. The Roundabouts look forward to meeting their king who will solve all their problems and take care of them forever. Roundelay informs Robin that he is to be their king. Robin protests, but the Sphere-Seer explains that it must be since their names are round, the way they arrived was by a round ring on a merry-go-round, and the prophecy states that the king would bring the thing and the treasure would be found. They recently acquired a shiny circle treasure. So, Robin is decked out with a crown and Merry, the Royal Symbol, with a robe. They tell Roundelay that they can't stay as they're heading to the Emerald City, but he tells them they can't leave as the bridge has been shut.

Dorothy and Fess' party, meanwhile, arrive at a sign that says "Home," wherein they meet the Good Children and their nanny Miss Tot. Prince Gules declares them all namby pambies, a feeling shared by the group, who try to move on from Good Children's Land. When the Nannies see Dorothy's stained dress, however, they rush her to the Nursery. The party go to rescue Dorothy, but end up surrounded by Nannies, insisting it's Naptime. This aggravates the Lion who roars, scaring them away for a time. They rescue Dorothy, but when the Prince and Fred nearly rush by their hiding place, Fess jumps in the way, causing Fred to stop short and Gules to accidentally drop the Great Egg, which dislodges a gold band from around it. This turns out to be the first Golden Circlet of Halidom. The flittermouse, Fred and the Prince rejoice that they're smart again, and marvel at how the oracle said it would lie unseen before their eyes.

As night comes, Dorothy ponders if they're in the Great Blue Forest, hoping they don't get lost. In the morning, the Cowardly Lion goes exploring, reporting back that they are lost. Following a stream leads them only deeper into the forest. So they strike out into the forest again and find a path. After following it for a time, a bird tells them they're headed to Roundabout, a name they recall from the oracle. At the forest's end, they arrive at Roundabout, which looks to them like a giant crystal ball. They head off to enter it, and soon come bursting in on Robin and Merry. When Roundelay shows up, Prince Gules detects him as the peddler he saw in Pax-on-Argent, and they discover that he stole the third Circlet with the help of Sir Greves. Robin leads the party to the tower where the "shining circle" is kept and guarded by the Machine. As they touch the spiral stairs, which winds all the way up to the roof, the Machine appears, ringing out a loud alarm and placing discs across the platform to block their entrance. The party retreat and consider various plans before going to sleep. Dorothy wonders if the Circlet is even up there.

Unable to sleep, Flitter decides he'll determine for sure if the Golden Circlet is there, and flies up to where the Machine presides. There he discovers a golden bracelet upon a cushion, and realizes that it's not the Golden Circlet they're looking for, which is much smaller. Going closer he discovers that it's in fact the second Circlet! Snatching it, he flies down and wakes up the others. After giving Flitter a good deal of praise, the party recognize that the oracle's prophecy of Circlet #2 proved correct regarding trusting the smallest of their number, but they don't understand how the mention of roundabout for the Circlet #3 prophecy doesn't fit.

Before dawn, Merry takes Robin to Roundelay's room, where are various maps, including one that goes to Halidom. Robin takes it to give to Prince Gules. At dawn, when the bridge is lowered, as it is once every day, the party rush out to escape, but they're crowded by roundheads and Roundelay begins to withdraw the bridge. But noting the spinning road that circles the dome, Merry invites everyone to jump on it, telling them that it's no different than a merry-go-round. Although they're afraid, they follow Merry's example and make it safely onto the spinning road, after which they escape to freedom. Merry hands Prince Gules the map he found, and the prince determines to head back to Halidom to ensure that the traitor Sir Greves doesn't steal the kingdom while he's away. After a time they arrive at Halidom, where they're greeted by the people and King Herald and Queen Farthingale.

Prince Gules has Sir Greves brought before them and the ashamed knight tells his tale. Although born to be a knight, he actually hated it, and instead enjoyed reading and gardening and cooking, the latter of which he especially had to conceal. He met the peddler Roundelay and used him to get recipes from outside of Halidom, but he could never obtain the recipe for the national dish of Roundelay, Pi, which he became obsessed with. Not realizing Roundelay was a scoundrel, he confessed to him his fears, and Roundelay promised to give him a courage and invulnerability potion in exchange for five minutes in the castle. Greves refused at first until Roundelay promised him the recipe for Pi. Thinking the man could do no harm since the Wyver guarded their only treasure, he conceded.

Dorothy and the others feel sorry for him, and she tells them that had he been allowed to cook, he'd not have gotten into this mess. The others agree the jousting tradition is a silly one anyway. Robin explains that the Roundheads are also a decent people who only wanted an occupation and a king so that they wouldn't have to be peddlers, and now that's been taken away from them. King Gules understands but doesn't know what to do about them or Sir Greves, who the law states should be exiled to the Sandbar Sinister. As they discuss the final prophecy of the oracle, they consider that Robin might have been the future king, but when they explain to him that the final circlet is smaller than the others, he pulls out the brass ring he'd pulled from the merry go round. This turns out to be the missing Circlet!

With its discovery, Ozma pops onto the scene to congratulate and meet everyone at Halidom, including the Unicorn fairy that she knew long ago when they were part of Queen Lurline's fairy band. Ozma explains that having heard their prior conversation, she intends to make Sir Greves the new king of Roundabout. In this way, they'll not only have the king they desire, but one who loves to cook, and their famous pi can be their occupation. Roundelay will serve him in this endeavor and the Machine can guard the recipe. Greves is overjoyed, but Ozma tells him he must first make peace and end the feud with Sir Gauntlet.

King Herald releases Fess to become a knight of Troth, and makes him as well a knight of Halidom. The king then announces that he's abdicating, and making his son King Gules the 65th Herald of Halidom. As his first act as king, Gules promotes his horse Fred to Destrier and calls him Frederick the Great! He also promises the Flittermouse a silver collar and the Unicorn daisy chains. At the banquet that follows, Merry and Robin wonder what will become of them, but when Ozma, Dorothy and the Lion prepare to go home, they don't forget them, and Ozma asks Robin and Merry what they really want. Robin says he doesn't have a home, but would love to live in Oz. Merry says she no longer wants to be a Real Horse and also wishes to stay in Oz. Ozma grants them their wish and invites them to live in the palace with them forever, and with the Magic Belt they head to their new home in the Emerald City.

Continuity Notes

Cultures: For an in-depth and fascinating analysis of Halidom and Roundabout's economy, class system, law and gender-roles, see J.L. Bell's note #34 on the BCF Pumperdink forum here.

Dating: This story takes place over the course of five days. See the Day to Day Chronology for more details. Internal evidence indicates that Day 3 of this story takes place a week before Easter in April (p. 136, 141). This has to be taken in the sense of meaning near a week, as Day 2 is said to be a Tuesday (p. 44 and 276). This is underscored by what Dorothy says on page 221, when she worries that if they spend any longer in the forest they'll miss the Easter Party, as well as when Ozma arrives on Day 5 (p. 290) and says that "Easter is tomorrow." In this latter statement, she must mean the eve of Easter, when the party is set to occur (since Easter is always on a Sunday). The Royal Timeline of Oz places this story in 1960, which gives it a date of April 11-15.

Flittermouse: This shy little winged mouse, who goes by the nickname Flitter, was set to return in the McGraws' fourth Oz book, which featured him and the Hungry Tiger. Sadly, Eloise passed away before completing it. The third chapter of that story, which takes place three years after the events of Merry Go Round in Oz is available in Oziana 1990 as "Chapter Three." No word on what happened to the first two chapters.

Halidom: Halidom, Troth and Pax-on-Argent are very English-based countries in the Munchkin Country of Oz. This is, in itself, not unusual, as there are Arabic communities, Scottish ones, American ones and communities that are entirely alien to known earthly cultures. Halidom is visited again in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3: Zim Greenleaf of Oz, when Zim disposes of the wicked wizard, Wormfist the Evil, who operates from a nearby castle, and has enchanted the residents of Halidom for over two centuries.

Inconsistency: Although Baum had established that even the fish in Oz talk (pages 146 and 224 of Glinda of Oz), and Howzatagin has a pet fish named Richard, later on page 221, the party led by Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion catch and cook fish. As with earlier mentions of this in Thompson's catalogue (Kabumpo in Oz, The Lost King of Oz, etc.), this discrepancy is explained in the forthcoming novella The Talking Animals of Oz.

Lurline: One of the few books from the original series to mention Lurline (along with The Tin Woodman of Oz, Glinda of Oz, The Lost King of Oz, and The Magical Mimics in Oz), the narrative notes that she gifted the three Golden Circlets, along with the Unicorn, who was part of her band, to the first king of Halidom. The fact that the Unicorn recognizes Ozma and proclaims that she doesn't "look a day older" (p. 290) indicates that Ozma was initially the same "age" that she is now before becoming an infant and being given to Pastoria (the reason for this will be explained in the forthcoming book Death Comes to Oz and "Lurline and the Kalidah King in Oz") Lurline's known visits to Oz occur the two times she enchanted Oz, with the first in 1227. The pattern of kings abdicating is set by the current 64th Herald of Halidom, but it is not stated whether there is a law in place, or tradition, which limits the time a king can rule. There is 733 years spanning the 1st and 64th Heralds of Halidom, which would appear to limit their term to 11 or 12 years. What became of the prior kings is unknown; likely most died prior to Ozma's coming to power, leaving only the last few alive and well, perhaps living in Halidom as ordinary citizens or going to Pingaree where kings go to retire (King Rinkitink).

Magic Picture: On page 291, Ozma notes that she needed the Wizard's magic radio to hear the conversations occurring in Halidom that she was viewing on the Magic Picture, indicating that this device is required to hear. It seems likely then that the magic radio was set up near the Magic Picture in the past when Ozma and others heard conversation. It's possible too that she doesn't keep it permanently with the Magic Picture out of courtesy so that she doesn't inadvertently hear private conversations.

Merry Go Round Attendant: It was initially intended that the Merry Go Round operator who steers Robin to Merry and then sends both to Oz might be someone from Roundabout, though the authors never got around to making that connection.

Neighboring Kingdoms: Although not much is said of it, bordering the shield-shaped Valley of Argent, in which Halidom and Troth lie, is Bezanty. In the center of Troth and Halidom is the River Argent, within which lies the Sandbar Sinister, in which they exile their lawbreakers, gyrons and wyvers. In the mountains north of them live leopards, lions and dragons.

Robin Brown: Robin's age isn't quite known, though it is stated that he was an orphan for 10 years. At what age he was orphaned is unknown. Robin appears again in

Roundabout and Roundabout Way: There are some striking resemblances to the Roundheads and Round-abouties from The Giant Horse of Oz, and it seems likely that they are one in the same. Roundabout Way may represent a kind of recreation center or vacation spot for the otherwise hardworking Roundheads (who might also be called Round-abouties), who blow off steam by dancing around in circles. Nathan DeHoff notes on the BCF Pumperdink forum that Roundabout is " similar to the community of the Round-Abouties that Trot, Benny, and the Scarecrow visit in GIANT HORSE. Despite its idiosyncracies, however, Roundabout is a relatively realistic city with a fairly successful economy, while the Round-Abouties apparently don't do anything but dance around in circles (i.e., the McGraws' take on the "round" theme is more developed and realistic than Thompson's). I actually asked Eloise about the similarity at a Munchkin Convention, and she said she hadn't read GIANT HORSE before writing MERRY GO ROUND."

Themes: Reviewer Mari Ness, on Tor.com's "Travels in Fairyland" article, notes Merry Go Round in Oz's main theme is that of the need to change the status quo: "Overall, the book can be seen as an argument against holding to static roles and refusing change: not just Halidom, but Roundelay, the Good Children, and View Halloo all harm themselves or others by refusing change or any threats to the status quo. It’s a surprisingly subversive message, harking back to the Baum books, especially in a book that outwardly appears to celebrate aspects of the very traditional culture of the British aristocracy (hunting, heraldry and so on), however humorously."

Tribute: In the pages of Autumn 2001 issue of The Baum Bugle, writer/editor Atticus Gannaway wrote a fitting tribute to Eloise McGraw: "Flipping through MERRY GO ROUND today, I can see and articulate the indications therein of a writer who knows what she is doing. The dialogue and characterizations exude personality and life. I come to the passage about the travelers' escape from Roundabout, when the animals in the party must bound on the whirling road like carousel creatures, and I smile as I read that "the Unicorn wore the affronted expression of a duchess being forced to dance a jig." I watch Robin grow from a timid, lonely boy afraid to expect anything but disappointment to a boy who dares to ask for what he most wants--a home in Oz--and is rewarded for his brave vulnerability. We all root for him, because we all ARE him. Indeed, it is satisfying to note that the official Oz canon ends with the Cowardly Lion's welcoming Robin to Ozma's palace, where the boy will finally belong. The final paragraph is just two words: "Welcome home!" But what a great deal is contained in that sentence. Any true writer understands the emotions and desires of a human being, and Eloise McGraw ends the book with the acknowledgment of that most basic need of all, the one which lends a common humanity to everyone: feeling a sense of belonging--feeling loved."

Unicorns: A welcome footnote from the author appears on page 73 notes that there are other unicorns in Oz, a reference to Loo from The Magic of Oz and Roganda and her unicorns from Ojo in Oz. Halidom's unicorn is noted as being unique by virtue of the fact that she's a fairy unicorn and was once part of Lurline's band. There is the unicorn Monokeros, from The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, who is the "Lord of All Beasts," and who would likely not identify as a fairy animal as much as a kind of elemental that governs all animals (or all fairy animals). A lost tribe of unicorns appears in the story, "The Land of the Unicorns," in The Emerald City Mirror #4.

Book 52 of the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy Five, and Gina Wickwar's second published Oz book!

History: Author Gina Wickwar's first Oz story was originally sent to Ruth Plumly Thompson in the mid sixties. Completed in the late eighties, it was circulated privately for a time by Fred Meyers of the International Wizard of Oz Club. It finally saw publication in late 2006 by the International Wizard of Oz Club, elevating Wickwar to the status of the first Royal Historian following the end of Reilly & Lee. Not to be confused with Chris Dulabone's Toto in Oz.

Synopsis: As King Firth the Fourth prepares to say his vows to his beloved Princess Winifred on Christmas day, a roar and a mist comes forth, engulfing the room. After three knocks and a flash of light, the Princess and her dog Skye have vanished! In their place is a pool of icy water with words warning that the princess if forever lost and that anyone who leaves Kiltoon will forever wander the moors. The king is besides himself with grief, particularly when no one volunteers to go rescue the princess. So, he bands Christmas and New Year's festivities.

Four months later, the king has fallen into a deep depression and has banned birthdays and songs. The king's counselors Loroad and Hiroad, along with the bard Sonny Burns, the Royal Poet of Kiltoon, are warned by Angus, the leader of the Kilty Guard, that if they don't do something about the king, they will! Sonny tries to speak to him, but to no avail, and the king's owl Mac Tavish chases him from the room. Sonny then gets an idea from looking at an Oz history book that if he goes to the Emerald City to bring back Toto—who looks like the missing Skye—it'll cheer up the king and prevent an insurrection. Hiroad and Loroad give him an old bagpipe that was used to defend the kingdom; it can lift him out of harm's way and overcome his enemies. Sonny also brings along an enchanted tam that grants its wearer invisibility. It was given him by an ancient wizard who was the cousin of Merlin.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, it has been raining and getting everyone down, and Toto has a nightmare of being chased by Kalidahs. He wakes up to Dorothy making him "it" in a game of hide-and-seek, but while searching for his friends he discovers to his dismay that he's once again lost his growl. Ugu stole it the last time (The Lost Princess of Oz), and he's convinced someone has stolen it this time too. So, Toto runs off, much to Dorothy and Ozma's dismay. Toto heads towars the Gillikin Forest, but tells Scraps to tell Dorothy that he's going to visit the Tin Woodman.

In the U.S., meanwhile, young Davy buys a tartan for Lollipop, the Shetland Pony that he takes care of at Churchill Downs. The shopkeeper jokes that it's an enchanted tartan, and indeed when he puts it on the pony and mounts her, they vanish!

Sonny, meanwhile, sneaks away from his castle and crosses the moors. The next morning he comes to a lake with a waterfall, and out of it arises a vicious sea creature that wraps its coils around him and drags him down to the bottom. There, Sonny learns the creature's name is Seasil, and meets his guardian, the Lady of the Lake, a tall, beautiful Sea Fairy named Finna, who wields a trident and wears a goldfish necklace. Besides her is Roccus, a short, squat, fish-eyed being. Finna magically supplies food for Sonny, but is reluctant to talk about her former home in the Nonestic. Her servant Seaweed escorts him to his room. At dinner, Finna asks about Sonny's king, and he tells them the history of Kiltoon and how he's on a quest to bring Firth a pet that will cheer him up. Finna understands as she views Seasil as her pet. But when Sonny mentions that it's Toto he intends to bring, Finna grows furious, forbids it and locks Sonny up. The poet puts on his tam and becomes invisible. He then takes Finna's trident and dives back into the water. But Seasil follows to devour him, so Sonny throws the trident down the creature's throat, dissolving him into a stream, which hardens into a bony bridge, which he crosses.

Davy and Lollipop, meanwhile, appear on a lake shore called the Isle of Sandwich, where they're greeted by walking, talking condiments who tell him he's in the Land of Oz. They take them before their King Goober, passing by various sapient vegetables and lunch meats playing sports and games.

Coming to another lake, Sonny discovers a rowboat and takes it across, but he's soon engulfed in fog and is started to discover MacTavish the Owl (who he calls Tavy) has come to join him and look after him. They make their way to a black sand island used for oil derricks. The angry inhabitants of the Isle of Grease take them before their King Petrol, who resides in a black marble city. Oilslick accuses him of being a spy. The king puts aside his Oil Street Journal to hear Sonny's story, but then responds that he's never heard of Kiltoon or the Emerald City. If the poet competes in the Spring Games, however, he'll allow him to depart. Slip-Slide escorts Sonny through the marketplace to the playing fields where hundreds of athletes compete in various matches. Sonny is brought before his opponent, the huge Castor. The poet suggests they compete at a the caber toss, which is unknown in Grease. After explaining the contest, Petrol agrees, but when Sonny beats Castor, the king grows angry and orders him throw in the Grease Pit. Sonny then blows on his bagpipes, which push the king and his guards to the ground, and lifts the poet and owl in the air, as they float over the city back to their boat. At the opposite side of the lake they continue their journey southward until making camp for the night.

After spending the night at a farmer's house, Toto enters a dark forest populated by animals, and soon falls into a hole where he meets Sir Gladstone, a guinea pig who produces gold guineas. After hearing his tale, Gladstone decides to join Toto on his quest, and they spend the night in his den.

Finna is in a rage, meanwhile. She'd been banished to Oz after it was discovered she'd been luring sailors to their deaths against hidden rocks. Her exile can only be mitigated by her marrying a king. Having determined that Firth of Kiltoon would be her betrothed, she enchanted Princess Winifred and sent her far away, and ensured the people wouldn't try to find her. But with Sonny out there, she worries that he might succeed in bringing Toto to Kiltoon. Finna had stolen Toto's growl in order to make her enchantment work, and if he growls three times in Kiltoon, her spell will break. So, looking in on them in her magic fish bowl, she sees Toto in the Gillikin Forest and casts a spell.

Davy and Lollipop, meanwhile, are greeted by the king of the Isle of Sandwich who calls for Pita the Sand Witch to join them. Although she's the only magic-worker on the island, she doesn't practice magic on account of Ozma's law. Davy and the pony are surprised to find Pita is human, but she's puzzled that the pony doesn't speak, and concludes that water magic is involved. Since the tartan was enchanted by water magic, the only kind that can prevent an animal from talking, in Kiltoon, the blanket must be destroyed there in order for Lollipop to speak again. King Goober lends them his boat and two oarsmen, Honey and Chutney, to help them cross the lake to get to Kiltoon.

Toto and Gladstone, meanwhile, come upon a wall, out of which comes a man who abducts Toto and runs off. Toto is brought inside Dog Pound, where dogs of all kinds have been chained to posts in front of doghouses. His neighbor, a boxer named Cleo, tells him he's been there a year since his master can't afford the fines. The king and queen, Rex and Queenie arrive, assessing that Toto will fetch a handsome price, explaining to the dog that if he misbehaves, no notice will be placed at the city gates so that he can be claimed. Cleo, however, tells him that because so few know of Dog Pound, which is hidden in the Gillikin Forest, and those who do can't afford the fines, no dogs are ever rescued.

Davy and Lollipop try to cast off, but their boat is grounded on a sandbar, and before long the Card Sharks arrive. These are sharks who like to play cards, and they insist on playing on the condition that if Davy wins they'll help them off the sandbar. But after winning 25 games in a row, Davy comes to realize they're too good. When a storm brews, however, their boat is freed and they row away to the disappointment of the sharks.

Gladstone, meanwhile, waits till morning and sees a posting of Toto put up. But the dognapper tells him that only a human can pay the fines. Incensed at this, Gladstone goes looking for a human, but they're rare in this part of the forest. Climbing a hill, however, he comes upon Sonny and MacTavish. Sonny is glad to help, but the owl prevents him from telling the full story of his quest for Toto. Going to Dog Pound with Gladstone's gold coins to pay the fine, Toto objects, telling him he mustn't legitimize what Rex and Queenie are doing, especially since there remain hundreds of dogs who'll never go free. Toto demands their release, but the king and queen refuse, stating they've ruled there for years, but Toto warns them that if Ozma finds out they're keeping animals against their will, they'll face her wrath! Toto says they'll pay for all of the animals on the condition they never capture another one again. The queen concedes, figuring she'll be rich enough to retire to a farm. Gladstone draws them a map to one of his treasure after they give Sonny the keys to Dogwood. When they depart, Sonny releases every captive, who thank them and take off in search of their families.

The owl Tavy entices Toto with tales of Kiltoon and invites them to come for a visit. Intrigued by the journey and still anxious to find his growl, Toto concedes. Setting northeast they come across a lake so vast it looks like an ocean. So, creating a raft from driftwood, they begin their journey. Finna spies upon them in her fish bowl and casts a spell to have a storm destroy Toto. With that, the seas rage, icy rain falls and just as they see another boat pass them, a bolt of lightning hits their raft, splintering it and sending them into the waters.

Toto finds Tavy and Sonny on the shore along with the survivors of the other boat. Sonny introduces himself and his companions. Davy explains they're headed to Kiltoon to destroy the blanket so that his pony can speak. Sonny agrees to escort them, allowing Honey and Chutney to return home. Tavy leads them to bread and butter and fruit salad trees and they go to sleep.

In the morning, the six build a new raft and head off north. But discovering that Toto's still alive, Finna transforms a vulture into a black rye bird, "one of the most powerful and wicked birds in all magicdom." In moments, it swoops down and snatches away everyone with a large net, but Toto dives into the water in the nick of time. With his friends gone, he determines to rescue them and paddles north to land. Suddenly, three orks descend for a rest. Having never met one before, Toto recounts his tale and asks for their help.

When the rye bird discovers he's failed to catch the dog, he drops the net on a skyhook and flies off. Gladstone chews a hole in the net and the owl flies out, where he encounters the orks. They grab the net and bring it to the ground, after which they return to Orkland. Searching for Toto, the party find him barking at a group of kalidahs. The creatures, however, prove to be friendly and Toto apologizes.

The next morning, after traveling for a time, they find themselves back at Finna's lake, where they cautiously cross the bridge. Roccus surprises them and grabs Davy, but the boy fights back, causing Roccus to fall into the lake where he turns into a lake bass. Finna then sends an army of soldiers over the bridge, but each one the party knock into the lake becomes a fish. Seeing as they're outnumbered, Gladstone chews on the bridge, and as it falls, they all leap through the waterfall into Finna's grotto. Finna confronts them, but as she begins to cast a spell on Toto, Gladstone attacks her, causing her spell to fall upon him. He transforms into a gold coin, and it is a one-way transformation. Angered, Toto, Davy and Lollipop knock out Finna. Retrieving the coin and tying her up, they use Sonny's bagpipe to flee the grotto.

The next day, they arrive at last at Kiltoon, where they're greeted by Hiroad and Loroad. The king, however is disinterested and distracted, Confused by his behavior, Sonny confesses that he'd planned to bring Toto there in order to cheer the king up and explains what happened. Firth is grateful to them, but explains that Toto's presence doesn't address the real issue. Davy asks about the blanket they must destroy so that Lollipop can speak, but after Firth throws it in the fire nothing happens. Just then Angus and the Kilty Guards march in to depose the king. Toto then rediscovers his grow, but then Finna arrives, threatening Toto. Firth stops her just as Ozma and Dorothy, wearing the Magic Belt, pop in the room. Having heard Queen Aquareine's story, Ozma upbraids Finna and tells her she must restore Gladstone, but the only way to do that would be for her to take on the form of a gold coin. Refusing, she attacks Dorothy to get the Belt, but Toto growls three times.

With that, Lolipop is disenchanted and becomes again Princess Winifred. The king and everyone celebrate, but Toto leaps at Finna's whose trying to cast a spell. He rips off her goldfish necklace, and she transforms into a goldfish. Dorothy then uses the Magic Belt to switch Finna into the gold coin, releasing Gladstone from the spell. Word spreads and the people of Kiltoon rejoice. The king and Ozma address them and a great celebration ensues as he recommences his wedding.

Later that night, Winifred approaches a saddened Davy to thank him for having given her his love and protection. To stave off his unhappiness, she suggests they discover the mystery of the tartan. Davy asks Gladstone for help and the guinea pig eats the blanket, after which Winifred's dog Skye rappears, thanking Davy for saving him and finding him in the old shop. Winifred and Firth invite Davy and Gladstone to remain and live with them in Kiltoon. Toto promises Dorothy never to run away again, unless someone steals his growl.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Story begins on Christmas eve. Two chapters later, the main thrust of the action takes place in the beginning of May. The year is not listed, but must take place prior to when the author wrote it in the mid-1960s. Not counting the day in December, the story takes place over the course of six days.

Finna: A powerful Sea Fairy, who Queen Aquareine exiled to a lake in Oz when she discovered Finna had been luring sailors to their deaths. Aquareine grants that if Finna can marry a king, she'll allow her back in the Nonestic. Finna is capable of powerful magic. She can create sea monsters like Seasil and transform fish into other beings, and ordinary birds into powerful rye birds. She can also do one-way transformative magic, like the Yookoohoo Moyna Yoop in The Tin Woodman of Oz.

Kiltoon: A Scottish community in the Gillikin Country, Kiltoon was once warlike, as clans fought amongst themselves. This is in keeping with other Scottish named countries which appear in the Gillikin Country like Gilkenny. King Firth is the fourth Firth. They possess old magic, like a tam that can turn the wearer invisible, and a bagpipe that can flatten their enemies while lifting the player into the air. This was presumably a gift to Sonny the Royal Poet of Kiltoon from an ancient wizard who claimed to be Merlin's cousin. This is possible, as Merlin is later discovered to be living in Neverland, in An Ozian Odyssey.

Water Magic: Pita, the Sand Witch, notes that Water Magic is the only thing that can prevent an animal from speaking in Oz. How this relates to the situation with non-speaking animals of Samandra, if it does, is not known.

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History: The Law of Oz and Other Stories comprises three connected novellas and a bonus short story. Time Travelers of Oz and The Lost Boy of Oz were originally published online at this site, while "Mothers of Oz" and The Law of Oz are exclusive to this volume.

Time Travelers of Oz

Synopsis: After three days of attempting to show Ojo how to get lost, Button-Bright acknowledges that they've discovered a different kind of lostness, as the pair travel from the Gugu Forest in the Gillikin Country to the Winkie Country. Resting in the bower of an old tree, a grey dove directs them to the Tin Woodman's castle. Button-Bright recognizes him as the former magician Ugu the Shoemaker (The Lost Princess of Oz). Ugu admits that over the past year he's been searching for the Ring of Time, which he'd learned of when he used to study magic. The Ring of Time will propel him back into the past, where he hopes to warn his former self to not commit the same mistakes he did. Button-Bright considers the possibility of going back in time, wishing he could be there the day Lurline enchanted Oz. Suddenly he's gone!

Ugu realizes then that the Ring of Time is the very circle of roots that Button-Bright was laying within, so he and Ojo wish themselves back to the same time. Ugu finds it strange that he doesn't remember anything from back then. Ojo notices that the predominantly yellow color of the Winkie country is gone. Then he realizes to his dismay that Button-Bright is nowhere to be found, and that Ugu can no longer speak! He determines that it must be the morning before Lurline enchanted Oz. Coming upon a wild field, Ojo spots a large, flat cloud descend, and upon it tall, beautiful fairies and a variety of animals. Towards the center is a pavilion where the Fairy Queen herself is present. A young girl, Onna Val, approaches them, explaining that Queen Lurline has been expecting them, having read of their trip from her Great Book of Records. Onna adds that they're from the Land of An, where the Queen's brother runs things. Lurline and her band have been away from An for years, traveling aboard Cloudcourt, enchanting various lands, including Mo and Ev, which she describes as a bust.

Onna takes them to Lurline, who warmly greets Ojo and the dove, feeds them and inquires as to Ojo's history. Upon hearing his story, a she-wolf named Luba believes this confirms that Oz is meant to be enchanted, though a mockingbird named Avia questions whether it's a trick of some magician. A flying catfish named Pesca wonders if some of the rulers of the enchanted lands, such as Queen Zixi, might even try to set themselves above Lurline, though the Fairy Queen is unconcerned, explaining that the Magic Eggs she breaks upon the lands do as they will. But Luba and Pescus think they should stay awhile to guide the magic, as well as the land's inhabitants, so that there's not another repeat of the Wheelers. The snake Herpetium suggests they question the grey dove, convinced he's a transformed being. Ojo tells them Ugu's history and how it was the Nome King's Magic Belt which transformed him into a dove. Lurline asks Herpetium to undo the spell, which he does, restoring Ugu to his natural human form. But Ugu only weeps.

Cloudcourt takes off to the center of Oz, where Lurline prepares to break a Magic Egg, an egg laid by the Phoenix containing raw fairy magic. Luba explains to Ojo that these Eggs create fairylands, though their magic is unpredictable, which is why he wants Lurline to stick around and help the inhabitants adjust. Lurline then shows them five magic loaves that she baked from one egg. The largest loaf is from another egg and Lurline admits that she's never cooked a Magic Egg before and doesn't know what the effect will be. She asks each of them to take one loaf and disperse them in each corner of Oz.

When they land, however, Lurline becomes distressed to discover that her loaf is missing! She silences all the accusations that fly amongst them, and Pescus and Herpetium decide to divide a loaf amongst themselves so that Lurline can have one. After shrinking them and placing them in pendants around the necks of each fairy, Lurline takes a Magic Egg and breaks it at her feet, christening the land Oz. The yolk shines like a mini-sun before dissolving into the earth. With that the four fairies and others disperse to the four corners of Oz, while others stay behind with Cloudcourt, awaiting their return. Ugu suggests that Ojo and Onna go with him to Herku to accomplish his mission of convincing his past self to resist pursuing an evil course.

Button-Bright, meanwhile, had darted after a squirrel to get answers about the change in the landscape, but found himself lost. He'd found a path, but after it seemed to lead him on a strange course, he arrived at a large outdoor party. Most of the guests wear purple, though some yellow, red and blue. On the verandah of a small purple house sits an old woman watching the proceedings. Playing near him are three children, Jenta, Bina and Kram. Bina reveals that they're all Yookoohoos and that where Jenta is from the green country, she and Kram are Gillikins, and their great aunt Grandma Natch (who sits on the verandah) is the head of the Gillikin Yookoohoos. Button-Bright reasons that it was perhaps she who manipulated the path to bring them there. The old woman sends the children away and asks if he's a Yookoohoo or Yoop. When he says neither, she asks him to point out the Quadlings, Winkies and Munchkins in the crowd, which he does. She then asks him to point out the Yoops, and he decides it must be the pompous group he sees in the crowd. She laughs and confirms it, explaining that it's a wedding. For the first time, a Yookoohoo and an ordinary man are marrying. The Yookoohoo is her daughter Moyna Natch. The Yoop is Ogram, the son of Mayor Yoop. Grandma Natch explains that her eldest daughter Reera left home without marrying. Button-Bright tells her what he knows of Mrs. Yoop and the Land of Oz, but when he gets to the part about the Ring of Time, both he and her come to realize what's happened and that he's come from the future.

The girl Jenta returns as Moyna starts to make a speech, and tells Button-Bright that her aunt has a problem with transformation. Unlike other Yookoohoos, once she transforms something, she can't change it back. During Moyna's speech, the change comes over Oz and the forest around them takes on a purple hue. Suddenly, Mr. and Mrs. Yoop start growing into giants! The couple only stop growing at seven yards tall. Moyna accuses her mother, but she denies it. She then blames Reera, but she too denies it, telling her sister that it's what she wanted in a way. The idea of ruling over others comes to Moyna's mind and she decides to find a city to rule over. Her husband, however, determines he first wants food, and not magic food, but real meat. Moyna allows him to pick from her guests. At that, they all scramble away in various forms, except for Grandma Natch who launches into a tirade. But Moyna snatches up Button-Bright and puts him in her husband's pocket. The giant couple walk away, and after a time come upon a walled city in the Winkie Country that Moyna determines is the place she'll rule. Hungry, Ogram takes Button-Bright out, but suddenly the boy is turned into a hummingbird. Flying away, he's joined by another who he identifies as Grandma Natch. Together they fly to the city's topmost tower.

Ugu, Onna and Ojo, meanwhile, prepare to enter Herku's gates, as that is where Ugu formerly lived. He recalls how the prosperous citizens kept giant slaves, which they managed by regularly drinking Zosozo, which made them extraordinarily strong, but skeletally thin. But when they enter, there are no giants or skinny men. The gatekeeper Kogden is alarmed to hear Ugu speak of giants, and misunderstanding him as meaning there are giants about to attack, runs off to warn the city. The party then head off to Ugu's former home. The Ugu from the past (who wears yellow) meets the Ugu from the future (who wears grey), but refuses to believe them, thinking they're magicians. He comes to accept that they might be telling the truth after Ojo and Onna talk about the changes coming upon Oz, but he considers his future self a namby-pamby, especially because he hates being a shoemaker and shuns the company of others. But convinced he's turning a new leaf, grey Ugu tells him he can prove who he is because he knows where their ancestors' magic books are hidden. Though he wants them to together burn those books, yellow Ugu has other plans, and feigns innocence. Ojo and Onna realize that it's not a good idea, but suddenly the city is overrun by giants. Kogden explains that two giants have attacked the city from outside, while a boy on a horse started turning some of the citizens into giants to fight for Herku. Ojo then sees that the boy on the horse is Button-Bright, but he flies off before seeing Ojo.

With their departure, Herku is left with a giant problem. Yellow Ugu convinces the city's leader, Czarover Granadge that they can fix their problem when they retrieve his ancestor's magic books. Granadge sends his assistant Vig to help them, but then Mrs. Yoop appears. She threatens to turn Graenadge into a moth, but the city's giants counter that they're unaffected by the giantess' spells. She agrees, but proves that the others aren't immune by turning Granadge into a moth. Ojo, Onna, Vig and the two Ugu's sneak away. Grey Ugu confesses then that it was he who stole Lurline's Magic Loaf and wished it small so he could hide it in his jacket. Onna, Vig and the two Ugus debate what to do with it, but grey Ugu wants Ojo to decide. He believes Lurline should be brought to Herku. Onna Val then departs on the fairy cloud to retrieve her.

The next day, yellow Ugu sneaks into the Yoop's new, magically constructed palace, where he tells Moyna of Lurline and the Magic Loaf. In exchange for its whereabouts, he requests a home, a living, freedom from transformations and the books his brother has hidden. She agrees to the terms and sends two giants to accompany Ugu to bring his brother before her. Grey Ugu and Ojo are then brought before the Yookoohoo, who demands the Magic Loaf. Ugu refuses and she turns him into a grey dog, causing the raisin (which is the shrunken loaf) to roll away. Ojo grabs for it and before anyone else can take it, puts it in his mouth. But without intending to, he swallows it! Mrs. Yoop tries to turn him into a pencil, but the spell fails. Just then, Button-Bright, Grandma Natch and Queen Lurline show up. Yellow Ugu tries to pin the blame on Ojo and grey Ugu, but the dog confesses, and Natch says that because of her daughter's idiosyncratic magic, he'll remain a dog forever. Lurline then commands the Yoops to depart the city. Angrily, she does so, leaving the two dozen giants for them to deal with.

While yellow Ugu sneaks off, grey Ugu decides he likes being a dog. Natch and Lurline meet with Ojo and Onna at Vig's house. Natch takes responsibility for the giants, recognizing that she had to make them permanently giants so that her daughter couldn't turn them into something worse. She creates housing for them, while Lurline provides Zosoxo for the ordinary citizens so that they don't get trampled. Natch scolds Lurline for meddling and changing things that don't need or want changing without anyone's permission, but Button-Bright and Ojo reveal to her that Oz will become the greatest fairyland in the world. Lurline is glad to hear it and plans to give a Quadling sorceress a duplicate of her Great Book of Records. Glinda had showed her the Forbidden Fountain, concealed behind her garden wall, which they will use to make everyone forget the misery of the past to ensure a better future. The waters will spread to every river, stream and pool for one day. After that, Lurline will depart, leaving two of her fairy people behind, an old man and his infant daughter. The latter will grow slowly with the land and those who are there now will grow no older, while those yet to come will choose to age if they want. Finally, when the infant comes of age she will become ruler of Oz. Grandma Natch decide she won't drink of waters of oblivion and Button-Bright and Ojo realize that's why no one remembers the distant past. Natch and Lurline tell a dismayed Ojo that he can use his newfound magic to help others, and Onna Val invites him to the Land of An to teach him how to use his powers. Button-Bright consents to go with Ojo to An, relieving both boys to get lost together.

The Lost Boy of Oz

Synopsis: A week after he'd ended up in the past, Button-Bright misses Ojo who'd gone off to the Land of An to learn how to harness the magic he suddenly found himself in possession of where he at the Magic Loaf. Deciding to visit his friend Grandma Natch, he goes to check in her in the Magic Picture, but there he sees Trot looking in on her mother, who now runs a boarding house for retired sailors. Button-Bright admits he doesn't remember his mother who died when he was little. His father died when he was 11. Only his uncle Bob understood his wanderlust because he also had it, so he gave Button-Bright the key to his attic where his brother had locked up the Magic Umbrella three years earlier after he'd gotten back from Sky Island. With it, he flew off to Ix, Ev, Noland and Mo, where he met Trot and Cap'n Bill and came again to Oz (in The Scarecrow of Oz), after which he sent his umbrella back to Uncle Bob.

Button-Bright then requests to see his uncle in the Magic Picture, and determines to go visit him, stopping only to tell Ozma. She says she's also on a trip to see Lurline in An, and gives him a magical ring so that he can get back home safely. With the Magic Belt, she sends him to Philadelphia. Uncle Bob is glad to see his nephew and admits that he knows the powers of the Magic Umbrella because he'd taken some trips with it as well. When he was 16, he'd wished to go where the magic was greatest, and ended up on Mount Phantastico! There he was tormented by the Phanfasms, but was mercifully saved by one who called himself Jandilay, who got him across the alligator-guarded bridge. Jandilay presented Bob with his umbrella and a young child who was in the form of a goose when he got stranded on the mountain. Bob brought the child back home, where his older married brother raised him as his own. His new adopted mother, prior to her death, nicknamed him Button-Bright. Button-Bright is shocked to hear of his true heritage but frustrated that Jandilay never revealed who his parents, and so resolves to go see him. Uncle Bob is not happy about this, but the boy explains the Phanfasms had been rendered harmless years ago. Uncle Bob gives him the Magic Umbrella, and his nephew promises to return again.

Spotting a rainbow on the horizon, he wishes to go to Polychrome's rainbow to get information on the current state of the Phanfasms. En route, Button-Bright reasons that his unknown past must be the reason he always found himself lost. Returning to the fairylands, he alights upon the Rainbow, where Polychrome and her sisters welcome him. She makes his body like theirs temporarily as they go to introduce him to their father, the Rainbow, along the way showing him the air castles hidden in the clouds when the rainbow passes. Underneath the bow, Button-Bright meets the mountainous man who appears to be carrying the Rainbow on his shoulders (though he explains that he is in fact the Rainbow). Button-Bright tells his story, inquiring about the Phanfasms. The Rainbow doesn't know, as they've long hidden their mountain behind enchantments and illusions, and he cannot penetrate where the sun does not shine. Only rumors of war had come to him over the years.

The next day, Polychrome explains that her body solidifies when she touches down on the ground. The Rainbow brings Button-Bright to Mt. Phantastico and they bid him goodbye. Button-Bright is confronted with a ruined wasteland, but then an old man appears. Button-Bright queries after Jandilay, which piques the man's curiosity, and he transforms into the young Jandilay.

Jandilay explains that his kind once had come from the outside world many centuries ago. The Piper had come to them in their dreams, offering them magic if they would give up their figurative hearts. They all did, save for Jandilay who resisted. The Piper flew them off to Mt. Phantastico, and as they become heartless and powerful beings, their neighbors deemed them Erbs, evil spirits, and fled before them. At first, Jandilay did as the others, but then he went off to live alone. His solitude allowed him to rescue Button-Bright as a baby, and the man who became his uncle as well. Shortly after that the Nomes recruited the Phanfasms to invade Oz. When the First and Foremost marched everyone off to war, Jandilay stayed behind. They returned unaware of who and what they were, and he helped them to stay that way. A being of light came to help them (Fionna Freckles, the First and Foremost), and for a few, new hearts began to grow. But after she left, quarrelling began anew and some discovered again the true nature of their powers. Some fled the mountain, others left, or were summoned by an older power, or for their own purposes. Those that stayed fought a terrible war. Of those brought there by the Piper, only Jandilay remained, trapped because his power is too great and he cannot trust himself in the larger world.

Jandilay tells Button-Bright that he arrived as a goose during a storm, and he said only to send him to Comina Dreams. Button-Bright thanks him for the information, promising to come back, and tells the Umbrella to bring him to Comina Dreams. Hours later he arrives at a house and meets Rexona, a young girl, who tells him he's in Ev and takes him to meet her mother Darmina. She listens to Button-Bright's story, and explains that Comina was her mother, and had died, but she was not his mother. She had come from Oz because she was pregnant, and like all women who got pregnant at the time of Lurline's enchantment, they remained pregnant. Button-Bright had helped her get to Ev, and would often visit her. Although Darmina doesn't know who his parents were, she does remember that he called his mother Yada. After a meal, Button-Bright tells the Umbrella to take him to Yada in Oz.

He's brought before a small house in the Gillikin Country. When no one answers his knock, he inquires of a nearby raccoon, who informs him that the only ones who seek her out do so for magic. Button-Bright worries that she must be a witch. Suddenly, he's changed into a mouse. The raccoon reveals herself as Yada. Button-Bright tells her he's her son, but she's suspicious, particularly since he can't do transformations like her son could. Her son had transformed Comina into a goose so she could leave Oz. Button-Bright concludes that he must have forgotten as he grew up as a boy in Philadelphia, and Yada concedes that their kind require a talisma to channel their powers through. Button-Bright determines that he doesn't want magic, especially after what it did to the Phanfasms, but Yada argues that the problem isn't magic, but what people do with it. Button-Bright argues that in her isolation she's as bad as Jandilay. This angers Yada, who says she chooses not to have company, and that's the Yookoohoo Way. Button-Bright realizes to his horror that he's a Yookoohoo, but he comforts himself knowing that Grandma Natch was one, and Yada tells him that's his grandmother. Yet, she's miffed that he's so fond of Grandma Natch and not his own mother, and she leaves him a mouse, telling him to make a talisman and prove he's her son. Left alone, he makes several failed attempts, until Yada returns to remind him he must pour his power into talisman as he makes it. Starting again, he fashions a talisma that works and regains his human body.

Now morning, Button-Bright acknowledges his heritage and Yada admits he's her long lost son. He'd been born less than two years before Lurline enchanted Oz. His father was gone by then, and because it seemed he'd stopped aging at 18 months (during the time Lurline enchanted Oz), she changed him into a mouse, which are adults at that age. Then Comina Dreams showed up with her friend Chelery, who was also pregnant, but didn't want to leave Oz. Button-Bright changed Comina into a goose and flew with her to Ev, and continually went back and forth visiting her until one day he didn't return. Knowing the freedom and independence of the Yookoohoo Way, she let him be. Button-Bright thus recognizes his need to for freedom and why he so frequently got lost, and asks to apprentice under his mother for a month, after which he promises to visit from time to time.

Mothers of Oz

Synopsis: Chelery Coglammen tells her friend and neighbor Comina Dreams that she wants to visit a Yookoohoo who she discovered lives in walking distance from them. The two women want to have their babies, as they got pregnant at the time Lurline cast her enchantment of Oz, and cannot give birth. After a long walk, they finally reach the house of Yada Natch, but the Yookoohoo is derisive of Lurline who created this mess. The women ask for help, but she tells them there is nothing she can do. They meet Yada's son, whose a year and a half old mouse. The mouse agrees to help them by turning them into geese and flying them to Ev, where their babies will begin to grow in their wombs again. Once there, he can change them back and ensure they get settled in. Chelery refuses to go, but Comina says she's ready, and saying goodbye, flies off with Yada's son.

The Law of Oz

Synopsis: In Burzee, Tititi-Hoochoo, the Great Jinjin, has the dragon Quox ensnare a knook in order to discover where the hidden Land of An is. The Jinjin seeks to return An to his realm, where it had originally been, and wants to know what magic can be used in Burzee to enter An. The knook resists, but cannot help tell him that the Silver Shoes, the Magic Umbrella and the Magic Belt would allow him to penetrate the barrier into An.

A few weeks after he first me him, Button-Bright returns to Mt. Phantastico to see Jandilay. Button-Bright tells him he's a Yookoohoo, explaining what that is and that he now has a native magic from before Lurline's time. But this upsets Jandilay whose disgusted with the idea of power and magic, and he shows Button-Bright the horror of power, shaking the earth, turning into lightning, making thunder and fire and transforming into an avalanche. At last, Jandilay returns to his own form, and Button-Bright admits that no Yookoohoo or fairy could do anything like that. Jandilay says it's why he can never leave his self-imposed exile, as he still hears the music of the Piper inside him. He only wishes he could be a normal human being again.

Ozma and the Wizard, meanwhile, journey to Glinda, where they explain that with Ojo having such great powers they would have to make an exception to the law, preventing all but them to practice magic, a slippery slope that could lead Oz to becoming like the chaotic Land of An they'd just come back from. Even worse, Ozma's seen Button-Bright's new powers in the Magic Picture, while he spent a month with some enchantress, and then a Phanfasm! Glinda informs them that she discovered in her Great Book of Records that Button-Bright is a Yookoohoo and the enchantress is his mother. Ozma worries that they cannot ignore a whole tribe of them breaking the law. They must find a way to destroy their magic, but Glinda informs them that their magic predates Lurline's enchantment and is inherent to them. Glinda encourages Ozma to return to Lurline to see if she can help them.

Ojo, meanwhile, asks Onna Val if the Land of An was always chaotic, and she tells him that after they stopped creating fairylands, Lurline fell into a depression and had family problems. She then decided everyone could have magic in her land, but she ignores all the fighting that goes on and, apart from preventing anyone from coming or going, obsesses over writing her memoirs. A wren arrives, summoning them to Lurline's palace, but the two struggle to get past fighting factions and an ever changing palace to reach her. When they finally do, they're surprised to find Ozma waiting there. Lurline explains that Ozma has come to request her most ancient possession, the Cedar Box, given her by a family member, which she's guarded due to the fact that it can destroy the magic power of anyone looking into it. She tells Ojo and Onna to retrieve it from her Private Archive, and summon it by saying in the room's center "Emptiness is Law." Ozma alone has the key to open it. After a journey through the palace to reach its deepest levels, they reach the room and do as instructed. Ozma gets it, but before she departs, Ojo requests coming back with her to see Button-Bright, but Ozma declines, causing Onna to puzzle why.

As Button-Bright takes the Magic Umbrella to Gugu Forest to see his mother, she scolds him for not using his own power, and she worries that he's spending time with a Phanfasm. At last, she agrees to go with him to see her mother Grandma Natch, convinced his grandmother will convince him to make a more permanent talisman.

The next day, Grandma Natch is thrilled to discover Button-Bright is her grandson, but when he invites her and his mother to come with him to the Emerald City, they're unwilling to go. After arguing for a time, Grandma Natch concedes to visit the next time, but Yada flies back home.

The next morning, en route to the Emerald City, Grandma Natch explains that she escaped drinking the Waters of Oblivion by gathering her fellow Yookoohoos and fleeing to Ev until the waters of Oz returned to normal. Soon enough, they enter the city where she's introduced to Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse, as well as Dorothy and the Shaggy Man. But when Grandma Natch goes to climb the palace stairs towards Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard, Ozma opens the cedar box, tearing from the Yookoohoo all her powers. Grandma Natch screams, warning Button-Bright to take her with him and fly! Glinda and the Wizard try to lure Button-Bright, but he turns him and his grandmother into hummingbirds and flee. Back in her own country, Grandma Natch weeps, explaining how Ozma and the others had tricked her. With Button-Bright's own talisman fading, he feels his own powers growing muffled and dim, and Natch shows him a quick way to create a temporary talisman to tide him over until he cam make a proper one. He turns them to geese, and sends his grandmother to his mother's house. He determines to return to the Emerald City to find out what's going on.

Arriving at the Council Chamber, he turns himself into a fly and spies on the proceedings. Ozma, the Wizard and Glinda explain before Dorothy, the Shaggy Man, Jack, Cap'n Bill, the Frogman and Wogglebug that legally only the three of them can perform magic in Oz. Ozma fears the Yookoohoos will have been warned, but Dorothy counters that they should have been left alone. Shaggy agrees that the law is what's at fault, as it punishes the innocent with the guilty, but the Wizard feels that issuing magic licenses left and right will result in them losing the peace they have. Glinda cites the Land of An as an example, arguing that Button-Bright doesn't have the wisdom to wield magic. Jellia interrupts to tell them that a hole has opened up in the middle of the throne room. They go to investigate, along with Trot, Betsy, the Glass Cat, Omby Amby, Scraps and the Woozy. But Shaggy and Betsy identify it as the Hollow Tube.

Suddenly, Quox emerges with the Great Jinjin astride him. He announces that Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard are under arrest for practicing forbidden magic. The cedar box is his, stolen by his sister, and they used it to deprive an innocent of her birthright. Invisible hands subdue them before they can do anything and the Jinjin even turns Glinda's magic against her. With the cedar box in hand, Tititi-Hoochoo takes the magic powers from Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard. He then takes the Magic Belt, declaring that with it, he'll arrest his sister, the outlaw queen, and restore An to its original domain. He also seeks to place Grandma Natch on the throne of Oz!

An idea pops in his head, and Button-Bright transforms back to himself to request Tititi-Hoochoo allow him to convince his grandmother to do this, and to wait for him until he can. He agrees and sends Button-Bright to his mother's house. There, Button-Bright explains all that's transpired and how he plans to use the Magic Umbrella to fly to An and warn Lurline, while Grandma Natch distracts the Jinjin. The two Yookoohoos fly to the Emerald City, while the Magic Umbrella takes Button-Bright to Burzee, where the Land of An is hidden. He soon finds Ojo and Onna Val and explains what's happened. They travel through a labyrinth of strange puzzles to Lurline's chamber, she she informs them she's been expecting them. She'll meet her brother at the Truth Pond, which she created and placed in the Winkie Country centuries ago. With a magical portal, Ojo is sent to the palace to tell Tititi-Hoochoo where to meet her, while Onna and Button-Bright take a flying cloud to see Jandilay.

Ojo appears in Ozma's palace and tells the Great Jinjin that Lurline has left for the Truth Pond. The others ask to accompany him, and they depart. Once there, he declares Lurline guilty of having created fairylands where none should exist. Yet he won't enter the Truth Pond to retrieve her. Yada turns him into a ball and attempts to push him in, but he quickly untransforms. She tries this again and again, but with the same results. Determining that he's been betrayed, he turns to smite them, but Ojo places himself in the middle, invoking the full power of the magic loaf inside him. As his struggles threaten to overcome him, Button-Bright, Ojo and Jandilay arrive, and the latter transforms into a terrible force, hurling the Jinjin into the Truth Pond.

From it emerges a more youthful and humble brother and sister, Tititi-Hoochoo and Lurline, restored and friends again. They explain that when the Phoenix gave them the very first Magic Egg, they differed as what they wished their land to become. She sought a place of magic and beauty where he sought a place of order and justice. But as he moves towards the idea that it shouldn't be used and she grows fearful that Enilrul will return to spoil things, Lurline hastily broke the egg, and the magic of it focused her love for beauty and wonder in her, and his love of justice and law in him. After that, they never agreed again. Now, they are whole again, as is the Land of An back across the other side of the world. Lurline informs Ozma and the others robbed of magic that if they too bathe in the Truth Pond, their powers will be restored. Ozma and Glinda apologize to Grandma Natch and grant them permission to practice magic in Oz. Jandilay retrieves for Ozma the Magic Belt, and gives the cedar box to Button-Bright so that he can fulfill his promise. He does, opening the box and taking from Jandilay his terrible powers. As Lurline, Jinjin and Onna prepare to return to their restored realm, Jandilay asks if he could accompany them and be of some use. The three heartily welcome him. After goodbyes, everyone thanks Button-Bright for the role he played in having saved the day.

Continuity Notes

An: The land of the Original Dragon and Tititi-Hoochoo was split asunder, with Lurline taking a portion of it when her brother turned against her. Afterwards, the realm was called the Empire of the Fairy Fellowship until the time that Lurline and her brother reunited, restoring the land to its original name An.

Button-Bright's Age: Although Button-Bright is noted to have been four years old when he first came to Oz (The Road to Oz), this is erroneous, as Baum's chronology dictates he was six (This will be corrected in a future edition). The other dates are more or less correct, but may require an adjustment of a year. He went to Sky Island when he was 8 (Sky Island), in 1905, and after being given back the Magic Umbrella by his Uncle Bob, went to Mo (in The Scarecrow of Oz). This is said to be when he was 11, shortly after his father died, however, The Scarecrow of Oz is currently listed in 1907.

Button-Bright's True Nature: Button-Bright is revealed to have not been born in Philadelphia, but to have been rescued by his Uncle Bob and a Phanfasm named Jandilay after he got stranded in Mount Phantastico. His true identity is revealed to be the son of Yada Natch, a Yookoohoo. He was actually born in June of 1740, but at a year and a half, when it seemed like he'd stopped growing due to Lurline's enchantment, his mother gave him the form of a mouse, which is an adult at that age. Button-Bright helped a woman emigrate to Ev so she could conceive the child she'd been pregnant with since Lurline's enchantment the year prior. He'd made frequent visits to see her and her daughter, until one day in 1899 he got lost in a storm and ended up in the land of the Phanfasms. Saved by a Phanfasm with a conscience, he's sent to Philadelphia with a 16 year old boy who also ended up stranded on Mt. Phantastico due to a poor command to his Magic Umbrella. As Button-Bright is returned to the form of a boy of under two years old, he grows up in Philadelphia, forgetting who and what he was until this story in 1964.

Dating: The year of this story was predicated on the fact that Button-Bright's Uncle Bob—although very old—is still alive, as is Trot's mother. Time Travelers of Oz runs from November 20-21st, though Button-Bright and Ojo are exploring for three days prior (on November 17). The Lost Boy of Oz begins on November 28 and ends on the 30th. The Law of Oz takes place almost a month later, on December 27-29th. The time travel portions all occur in the spring of 1742 when Lurline enchants Oz into a full-bloom fairyland (her second enchantment; the first was in 1227).

Great Book of Records: Glinda was given her Great Book of Records from Queen Lurline, who has a similar magic book. She discovers the book in her palace in 1892, though it won't unlock until 1901, just before Ozma is found.

Herku: Once ruled by the Czarover Granadge, Vic became Czarover when Granadge was turned into a moth by Moyna Yoop, who arrived to take over rule of the city. It was Grandma Natch who turned two dozen of its own citizens into giants to protect the city from her, a plan that ultimately failed. Lurline provided the drink Zosoxo in order for the ordinary-sized citizens to not get accidentally trampled by their brethren. Over time, however, the giants became the slaves of their former friends and family. The Emerald City Mirror shows that other giants were brought to Herku to serve as slaves, either at the behest of the original 24, or because it was deemed by Vic that the workload had grown in the intervening years.

Magic Egg: This grey-colored, fist-sized egg is laid by the Phoenix of An (first mentioned in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz); these magic eggs contain abundant raw fairy power to enchant entire lands. Lurline notes that all eggs contain the power of the sun, which underground nomes dislike, and is why eggs are poisonous to them.

Magic Umbrella: It's revealed that the Magic Umbrella came to Button-Bright's Uncle Bob (Robert Von Smith) by means of Bob's Aunt Meg, who gave it to him when he was 16 years old. It was passed down to Aunt Meg from a man who came to Oz in the 1700s. See The Magic Umbrella of Oz. The umbrella renders its users weightless, which is how they're able to endure hanging from it for long periods of time as it travels from place to place.

Ojo: Although having discovered his living parents in the capital of Seebania in the southern Munchkin Country, they let him live in the Emerald City several years earlier. When Ojo goes back in time, he accidentally swallows an entire Magic Egg that's been baked into a loaf. He thus gains unheralded powers that are manifest at the end of this book and in The Magic Umbrella of Oz.

Pregnancy in Oz: Pregnant women who were alive at the moment of Lurline’s enchantment remain pregnant with their unborn children inside them. But women who got pregnant after that are able to give birth and rear their children normally.

Sequels: The events of this story continue in several sequels, including The Magic Umbrella of Oz, The Yookoohoos of Oz and The Immortal Longings of Oz.

Trot's Mother: The Gardener's Boy of Oz indicates the Mrs. Griffith's came to live in Oz, but as revealed in the August and later printings of The Law of Oz and Other Stories, she did not stay very long. (See errata below).

Truth Pond: Created by Lurline centuries ago to one day restore her and her brother to the persons they were before the Magic Egg turned their divisiveness into a literal division between them.

Ugu: Ugu made his first attempt to abduct Ozma in "The Braided Man of Oz." He succeeded in The Lost Princess of Oz. According to author Paul Dana (The Law of Oz and Other Stories), "there’s a lot of confusion at the end of Lost Princess, when Dorothy uses the Magic Belt to perform at least two transformations in short order. The text also says that she’s only just learned how to use the Belt. She tries turning Ugu into a Dove of Peace, but he is able to alter the transformation and become a giant Dove of War. Then she tries making him a small Dove of Peace... with her magic and his colliding violently through all this, he splits into two doves – one dove that fulfills Dorothy’s Dove of Peace spell and another that fulfills Ugu’s own Dove of War spell... The dove that escapes in the Dishpan is the Dove of Peace, panicking. This is the dove that Button-Bright and Ojo meet in Time Travelers of Oz. Meanwhile, the defeated Dove of War conceals itself in the castle and waits till the invaders are gone."

The reformed Ugu, the Dove of Peace, returned in 1923 in The Gardener's Boy of Oz, in this story, at which point he goes becomes human again for a time. He again becomes a dove by choice, as revealed in The Royal Explorers of Oz: Book 3: Terra Obscura. He also appears in Bucketheads in Oz. The Dove of War can be retconned as first appearing in "The Mystery of the Missing Ozma," (Oziana 1984), as well as in the eighth story-arc of The Emerald City Mirror (issues #49-55).

Uncle Bob: Aged 16 when he rescued a two year old Button-Bright and brought him to Philadelphia, where the boy started to age normally, it can be calculated, therefore, that Jandilay and Uncle Bob rescued Button-Bright in the year 1899. Robert Von Smith is 80 by the time of this story.

Errata:

Page 24, second paragraph: The fifth sentence indicates that Ojo is the only person to have ever spent a night in prison. The line should read: "I'm the first person in Oz who ever spent a night in prison..."

Page 175, paragraph 2: In the first printings, Trot said regarding her mother, Mrs. Griffith: "Besides Cap'n Bill and me, you're the only person around here who ever met her." In the later printings, however, this was corrected to reflect the fact that Mrs. Griffiths had come to live in Oz for a short while (as evidenced in Phyllis Ann Karr's The Gardener's Boy of Oz), but did not stay. The line now reads on page 174, paragraph 3: "Besides Cap'n Bill and me, you're the only person around here who ever new her in California." Then, there's an additional line after : "I guess she figured Cap'n Bill and I got drowned at sea," on page 176, paragraph 1: "Then again later, after she decided she didn't want to stay in Oz." (This is on page 175, paragraph 2 of the new addition)

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Synopsis: Immediately after the events of The Law of Oz and Other Stories, the Piper is set free when Jandilay's powers are taken from him. The being that helped create the Phanfasms now seeks for purchase in another host, but cannot find one. He ruminates how he lured children from the outside world centuries ago, but is disappointed that they did not conquer more worlds, content to stay in their lands playing childish games. After having slept for many years he is awakened by Jandilay's act and sees Lurline and Tititi-Hoochoo, the very ones who long ago exiled him from An! He flees.

Nearly a month later, Button-Bright and Ojo spend time at the palace where they learn that Ojo's magically grown peach tree produces the most delicious peaches. Button-Bright shows Dorothy his newly created talisman and she asks if he's ever tried being a large animal. He experiments with being a bear, but this brings the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger running, causing Ojo to magically create a giant pillow to protect his friend. Ozma tells him there's yet many powers he's not discovered. The Wizard asks to visit Grandma Natch to look at the Magic Umbrella, where Button-Bright left it, but Jellia interrupts with news of visitors for Button-Bright. She notes she didn't sleep well due to unpleasant flute music playing all night. The visitors are Chelery and her husband Darrich. She'd come to take Button-Bright up on the promise he made long ago to take her to Ev. She's had morning sickness for over two centuries (since Lurline enchanted Oz). He finally remembers she was Comina's companion and agrees to help her.

That night, the Wizard reminds the boys that whenever they go to Ev, they'll begin growing up. This concerns them. He tells them he'll meet them the next day at Grandma Natch's house after they return from their trip. Later that night, Ojo goes to his peach tree in the garden and after a few hours produces a special fruit that he gives to Button-Bright in the morning. He explains it will magically preserve his youth anywhere he goes. He's already immortal thanks to having swallowed the magic loaf.

Earlier in the night, the green monkey that is Moyna Yoop irritates some locals in the Emerald City (who she's been pestering for years) and overhears their gossip about a Yookoohoo named Button-Bright living in the Emerald City, and that several other women who've been stuck pregnant want to visit so they too can go to Ev. As they depart, concerned over an unpleasant dream of flute music, Moyna grows angry that one of her sister's sons should enjoy his birthright while she's forced to live magic-less as a monkey. In her rage and grief, she decides to leave Oz so that she can grow old and die, and determines to ask seek out Button-Bright at her mother's to ask him to take her to the outside world. But then she hears the piping, angry and hungry for revenge, like her, and she listens to its voice.

The next day, Button-Bright and Ojo deliver Chelery and her husband to Darmina in Ev and she opens her heart and home to them. After a time, the boys depart for Grandma Natch, where she, Ozma and the Wizard await them. Visitors had come looking for Button-Bright to take them out of Oz. Ozma thinks the boys should enlist the help of the royal family of Ev, as well as King Bud of Noland and Queen Zixi of Ix. Natch also mentions that her daughter had come by as well, but she doesn't trust her. The discussion turns to the Magic Umbrella. Oscar and Ozma are fascinated by it because it's unique in that it works not only in fairyland, but the outside world as well. Not even the Silver Shoes or Magic Belt have that ability.

The green monkey interrupts them, demanding the Magic Umbrella so that she can leave Oz and get out of everyone's hair. At their protest, she reminds them that Button-Bright is her nephew and a Yookoohoo and doesn't need the Umbrella. But her mother puzzles at the way she's suddenly speaking in the plural, and Moyna admits she has an invisible friend who speaks to her through her dreams by his music. This alarms Button-Bright, particularly when she calls him the Piper, and he overreacts, offending her. After she departs in a rage, Button-Bright explains that it was the Piper who helped created the Phanfasms. He realizes that when he umagicked Jandilay with the Cedar Box, he must have released him. The Piper's been looking for recruits, they realized, and found one in Moyna. If he returns to the outside world, it will begin again. Button-Bright and Ojo request Ozma send them to Jandilay in An to try and get more answers, while the Wizard goes to the Emerald City to research matters in his books. Ozma stays with Grandma Natch to await the boys' return.

The two friends are greeted by Onna Val who takes them to see Jandilay, who is renowed as the hero who reunified the two Private Citizens, Tititi Hoochoo and Lurline. An is now a place of peace and harmony. Even the palace is a combination of Lurline's old palace and Tititi-Hoochoo's, along with new construction. Jandilay's glad to see them, and is happily in charge of collating all of Lurline's voluminous memoirs, which fill boxes and cover the time shortly before the Ovarious Revolution (when Lurline broke the first Magic Egg in the Land of An) to the present. When he learns of the Piper on the loose, however, he worries, explaining that he never openly revealed himself, only ever through his music and about their power. He shows them to one of Lurline's boxes, and a manuscript she wrote discussing the Piper a few decades after the Ovarious Revolution during the time the neighboring valleys of Estram and Tamser began taking up arms. The Jinjin and Lurline discovered that the residents had all experienced dream-music from a shadowy piper which spurred them on to anger and violence. Clommuc felt it particularly hard, as he was piper by trade. Feeling sorry for him, Lurline invited him to her court, though Tititi-Hoochoo didn't like or trust him. Years later, the Lady Na'al falls into a coma, having earlier wished only to sleep. Joy leaves the Land of An, and the Jinjin reports that the fairy kings and queens were having dreams like those of Estram and Tamser, but soon enough he and his sister begin arguing and become estranged. The Dual Court period begins, where each keeps to his and her own half of the palace. When Na'al awakens, however, she admits to Tititi-Hoochoo that her dream lover was the Piper. Now that he's gained power, he boasted of leaving her. She acknowledges that he's Clommuc, confirming the Jinjin's long-held misgivings. He finds and subdues him, punishing him by sending him through the Hollow Tube into oblivion, but granting him the one wish of taking his pan-pipes with him.

Onna reasons that this must be how he got into the outside world, and Ojo realizes that he was once human and had actual pipes. They decide to visit Na'al, who is still around. In her lonely tower, she's not pleased to see them, but Jandilay tells his story. She marvels that anyone whose heard his music would call him an enemy. After all the many centuries that have passed, and knowing his music was lies, she loves and pines for him still. She's driven sleep and dreams from her life until the day he returns, and she despairs that the only way to stop him is to destroy him. His pan-pipes are the key to his power. But how to take them from one who only appears in dreams?

Back at Grandma Natch's, Ozma is surprised to find the Yookoohoo keeps an empty house and sleeps outdoors in an animal form. Natch offers to show her how cozy a burrow can be and suggests turning her into a rabbit. Ozma concedes and is shown into her burrow. Her reverie is interrupted by banging, and Natch discovers her daughter attempting to get the Magic Umbrella to work for her. But, remembering the Ring of Time and the Silver Shoes, she commands it to take her there, and it does! Natch changes into an owl and pursues her, while Ozma awaits Button-Bright and Ojo's return. Ojo worries that Moyna will disrupt history, but Ozma thinks the Ring of Time doesn't work that way, and that it's no coincidence that when they went back in time before they ended up pushing events in the right direction. Natch returns with the bad news and the boys determine to follow Moyna into the past to prevent her getting the Silver Shoes.

Once there, they meet the Tah-Tipuu, a young woman who is the Good Witch of the North. She warns them that the Wicked Witch of the East is called the Wise Woman. Consulting her magical slate, she tells the boys they must restore the Silver Shoes to their rightful owner. Ojo thinks that means they're not the witch's, but the Tah-Tipuu corrects him that since the centuries she's been around, she's had the shoes. They are what keep her young.

In the morning, Ojo and Button-Bright transform into falcons and fly to the Munchkin Country, which they can tell by the color of the houses. The Munchkins work as slaves with Winkie guards overseeing them. They approach a woman named Millie Awl, who secrets them in her house and warns them that Yookoohoos are banned in her country and her sister's in the west. She confirms that the Shoes are hers, as her grandparents remember them. Her recent admirer, however, has just stolen them, and there is a search ongoing for him. She tells them where the Wise Woman lives.

Finding the path to the witch's house, Ojo outspokenly explains the situation. She finally concedes, but on certain terms: Ojo must remain with her along with Button-Bright's talisman. Left with no choice, they concede, and Ojo is transformed into a falcon, which she chains outside her house. Button-Bright transforms himself into a bloodhound and leaves to follow the thief's scent. After awhile, he comes upon him. Though his attempt to steal back the shoes fails, he surprises the man by speaking (since animals don't speak in Oz at this time). Getting over his shock, he introduces himself as Smythe, confiding that he deceived the witch and took her shoes in the hopes of using them to get back home to London. Button-Bright tells him he'll take him home once he gets back his Magic Umbrella, but just then Monya (who'd been following him), takes the Silver Shoes and has her thugs destroy the Magic Umbrella and dump Smyth and Button-Bright in an abandoned well.

The Wise Woman, meanwhile, hopes the shoes will restore he youth and beauty. The Munchkin king arrives and has his men tie her up, explaining that because she's powerless, he's allied with the green monkey and the greater power she serves. Moyna arrives, demanding the charm to make the Shoes work, threatening her with death if she doesn't. Cannily, she bides for time, while Button-Bright begins digging, remembering the time he was four or five when his mother was dying. He'd grabbed his father's pocket-watch and ran off to dig, envisioning himself far away, which is where he ended up, meeting Dorothy and the Shaggy Man. With this memory, Button-Bright knows he can get out, and before long transports him and Smythe to outside the Wise Woman's house. Ojo, still a falcon, brings Button-Bright his talisman, and he transforms himself back. Grieving over the Magic Umbrella, they bury the elephant-headed handle and Ojo sheds a tear over its grave.

Turning their attention to Moyna, Ojo gets an idea. He flies out amongst them, announcing himself as an oracle, directing that for the Silver Shoes to work they must be worn by the Piper Clommuc. With that, the Piper materializes. The moment the pipes become solid, Ojo grabs them and Button-Bright turns them into matches, setting them ablaze. The Piper vanishes, breaking his hold over Moyna, who passes out and leaving Clommuc behind, his last memory of the time Lurline was about to break the Magic Egg in An. The Munchkin King flees before Button-Bright, who turns into a bear. The Wise Woman demands the return of her shoes, but Smythe gets an idea, and Button-Bright magically enchants a shard of glass, which he puts in her left shoe. When she puts them on, she falls into a deep sleep. Button-Bright doesn't know how long the enchantment will last, but he'd hoped for a hundred years.

Smyth expresses admiration for them, revealing his name as Von Smythe, which astounds Button-Bright who realizes he must be the first Von Smith. Even more astounding, a plant has grown where they buried the Magic Umbrella, and from one of its shoots comes the Umbrella itself, only new. Button-Bright gives it to Smythe to get back to London, knowing it will eventually pass to his uncle and later him. Taking Clommuc and Moyna, they bring them along to the Ring of Time and say goodbye to Smythe.

Back at Grandma Natch's later on, the boys explain how overjoyed Na'al was to get Clommuc back, even though he didn't remember her. They even magicked up new pipes for him. Moyna ran off angrily when they brought her back to the present. Button-Bright discovers that Jandialy and Onna Val want to grow up and leave An, which puzzles him, but his grandmother explains that at one time even she wanted a family. Inquiring about his grandfather, Button-Bright is shocked to discover he was Von Smythe, who she met 250 years earlier after Button-Bright said goodbye to him at the Ring of Time. Ojo realizes then that Button-Bright is both a Yookoohoo and a natural-born Von Smith!

Continuity Notes

Button-Bright: It's revealed that Button-Bright is both a natural-born Yookoohoo and a Von Smith. The discrepancy between the intelligent and helpful Button-Bright of Sky Island and the flighty immature version depicted later in The Scarecrow of Oz is explained here as having to do with the way the Magic Umbrella was able to center and focus him, without which he became foggy and prone to getting lost, a natural occurrence of his being a Yookoohoo, who are naturally creatures of the wild. How Button-Bright first arrived in fairyland is also here revealed as having a connection to his natural-born Yookoohoo powers, as well as his father's pocket watch, a reference to Outsiders from Oz.

Dating: The bulk of the story takes place in three days, just over three weeks after the events of The Law of Oz, which took place in December 1964. This dates this story to very early 1965.

Magic Umbrella: The re-growth of the Magic Umbrella is a mystery to Grandma Natch and the boys, though it's hinted at in the text that Ojo's tear might have been the catalyst. As Button-Bright gave it to his ancestor it returns to Uncle Bob's house in Philadelphia, where eventually he retrieves it after his uncle's death (Time Traveling in Oz). The Magic Umbrella that appears in Mrs. Pickering Goes to Oz (in 1908) is likely not a duplicate the Wizard made, but the real thing that he summoned (temporarily) from the room of Button-Bright's Uncle Bob, where the Wizard returned it. An origin of the Magic Umbrella as given in very synopsized form in A Wonderful Journey in Oz.

Moyna Yoop: First revealed in The Tin Woodman of Oz, Mrs. Yoop's back-story was later shown in The Time Travelers of Oz. The concept of Yookoohoo talismans was first explicated in The Lost Boy of Oz. Here it's revealed that Moyna's talisman was her apron. It's also revealed in this story that Moyna wants to leave Oz and ultimately grow old and die. This comes to pass in the alternate universe short story, "Mrs. Yoop of Oz," in which she and Woot leave Oz for the outside world. In the Timeline, however, Moyna goes on to further adventures, including A Promise Kept in Oz, and Oziana 1983's "The Fate of the Yoops or The Yookoohoos of Oz."

Tah-Tipuu: The origin of the name used by Orin the Good Witch of the North, Tattypoo, is revealed to be a title for the magical guardians of the north. It is unknown which Tah-Tipuu appears in this story. It is likely a predecessor of Locasta.

Wicked Witch of the East: It's here revealed that the Silver Shoes were able to preserve the East Witch's life and youth for centuries. She also lets it slip that her and her sister have an evil spirit inside them (p. 183), though whether she means that literally or figuratively is unknown. She is portrayed here as intelligent and clever, but self-deceptive, believing her authoritarian rule is beneficial to the Munchkins.

Yellow Brick Road: The Road of Yellow Brick was first commissioned by the Wicked Witch of the East (then known as Wise Woman of the East) with bricks imported from the Winkie Country, using Munchkin slave labor. As revealed in How the Wizard Came to Oz, it was later expanded on by the Wizard of Oz, but through more benevolent means.

History: This privately printed book appeared in 2006 after the discovery of this novella and the lengthier Mrs. Pickering Goes to Oz, written by Vincent Ward in 1976 and 1975 respectively. Accompanying them was a letter to then president of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Fred Meyer. No further information is known about the author. Beany is the first recorded black child to find his way into Oz.

Synopsis: 12 year old Beany Johnson's life turns upside down when his aunt Abigail comes to pull him from St. Joseph's Home for Boys, where he lives and has friends, to live with her and his uncle Oscar. His aunt proves to be a stern woman, and when the taxi drives them to the train station and she's approached by an unusually clean and educated panhandler, she brushes him off, taking Beany to the train where she explains there will no longer be play, but lessons in piano and dance, and daily tutoring.

After she falls asleep on the train, Beany goes into a neighboring car to change into more comfortable clothes, and finds the car full of chicken coops. There he sees the panhandler from earlier. He introduces himself as Patches the Hobo, and explains that he's on his way to visit his brother in Philadelphia. The boy decides to return to his aunt before she wakes up, but the train car suddenly derails and the rest of the train goes speeding off. They think to wait for help to come, and opening the car door find themeelves in the midst of a beautiful countryside. Suddenly, a green rooster emerges from one of the broken coops and begins conversing with them. He explains that he's long been avoided by his family due to his green coloring, and as he couldn't get a mate and was frequently picked on, he decided to leave. Another farmer soon spotted him, though, and put him in the coop on the train, though one of the railroad workers liked him and called him Paddy. Only now he discovers he can speak human words and reasons that they must be in a fairy country.

Determining to go find a town, the three follow a trail leading through a forest into a clearing where a peculiar tree sits at the center. Entering into it, they find stairs leading down to a dark tunnel. Paddy, who can see, leads the way to a circular room where the only exist is above where a light shines down. The Green Rooster flies up and finds himself in a lovely garden. There he meets a friendly girl, who tells him he's in the Royal Gardens of Zomeek and helps his friends escape the tunnel by making a daily wish on the Wishing Well. She introduces herself as Princess of Holly, the Silent Princess of Zohumble. King Zomeek and Queen Zomild arrive and prove to be anything but meek or mild, and act as if they can't understand what their daughter is saying.

When they depart, she escorts them through the castle, explaining that years earlier Mombi had traveled to Zohumble by means of the Magic Dishpan that she'd borrowed from Cayke the Cookie Cook. Cayke had given her a pearl necklace to give to Queen Zomild in exchange for her famous recipe for gingerbread cookies. Being mischievous, however, the queen gave a fake recipe, and when Cayke learned of it, she flew to Glinda's palace to report the king and queen's treachery. Glinda informed them that until they gave Cayke the correct recipe, or returned the necklace, they would be placed under a spell of delusion. After dinner and tasting the famous cookies firsthand, Beany suggests bringing the recipe to Cayke, but Holly says the queen keeps it locked up.

After everyone goes to bed, Beany sneaks into the queen's room, unlocking the door with a plastic hotel card, and begins searching for the recipe. After failing to locate it, he sees on her headboard a drawer that contains the recipe for the "world famous gingerbread cookies," but as he begins to pick it with his knife, the king catches him, and accuses him of trying to murder his wife. The whole castle is awakened, as the king proclaims that instead of beheading the strangers, as he'd intended, he'll feed them to the Deadly Drolls!

Down to the dungeon Beany, Paddy and Patches are taken where they're dropped through a secret passage beneath them, dropping them into a large cavern where they land upon soft earth. But soon they hear a growl and find themselves surrounded by the seven-foot tall Drolls, who have the bodies of gorillas, but the heads of lions with long manes. As they cannot decide whose turn it is to eat the prisoners, they withdraw to hold a council. Beany calls up to the trapdoor, in case Holly is there, and she opens it, grateful to see her friends are still alive. She tells them she'll go to the Wishing Well to get them out, but Queen Zomild overhears her and pushes her daughter into the trapdoor, where she lands in the cavern. Knowing he's the only one who can help, Paddy flies up through the trapdoor and disappears. The Drolls, meanwhile, decide who is to eat and send three of them to partake. Beany, Patches and Holly try to run and hide, but they are soon caught. As the creatures prepare to devour them, they suddenly find themselves safe in the Winkie Country of Oz thanks to Paddy who made it to the Wishing Well in the nick of time!

They spot a nearby giant tent and walk over to the tent town of Hurvyville, which is northwest of the Black Forest (from The Wishing Horse of Oz). There they're greeted by the friendly Bowzuv, their leader, who is tall and brown-skinned like Beany. He explains that their community serves as a haven for people who are no longer happy living where they were born. They are fed well, and Holly soon grows to fall in love with the community and its leader. But trouble comes in the form of the Bonyo, a 30 foot long winged creature with a serpentine face who lives in a cave in the Black Forest who harasses and terrifies the Hurvies. Bowzuv and Holly go to confront it, but the Bonyo picks them up and takes them to his lair. Having witnessed this event, Paddy goes and tells everyone what he sees, but the Hurvies are too scared to do anything, so Beany, Patches and Paddy set off to save them.

En route, they're greeted by the Hungry Tiger and Patchwork Girl, who had been at Glinda's when she saw in her Book that there were new visitors to Oz and sent them to greet them. Beany and his companions take a liking to them and explain what's happened to Holly and Bowzuv. So off they go to the Black Forest. In the Bonyo's cave, Beany angers the creature, who tries to smash the boy. Beany is quicker, though, and stabs his knife into his claw, as the Hungry Tiger jumps on his head and takes a bite from his ear. The Bonyo's roar and commotion causes a cave-in, which buries the creature and allows the heroes to free his captives. They return to Hurvyville, where they celebrate for days, and Holly announces that she's going to marry Bowzuv. Her friends are happy for her and depart for the Emerald City where Dorothy and Ozma await them.

At the gates of the Emerald City, the Wizard, Cap'n Bill, Trot and the Sawhorse are there to greet them. But when Paddy hears there's a Yellow Hen, he grows nervous. But Billina proves welcoming to the Green Rooster, and the two are soon fast friends. Ozma and Dorothy happily greet Beany and Patches the Hobo, and offer them permanent rooms in the palace, and the pair are overjoyed to stay.

Continuity Notes

Beany and the Question of Color: What's notable about Beany Johnson is not the fact that he's one of the few black children to come to Oz, but the fact that his skin color is a complete non-issue to those in fairyland. He is merely an adventurous and likable boy with a big heart and loyal spirit. Not only is Dorothy excited to meet him when he arrives, but Ozma prepares permanent rooms for him and his hobo friend. While Beany may be the first explicitly black protagonist to be recorded as coming to Oz, it's clear from this narrative and others that there are people of color living in Oz (and have been for years), from Bowzuv the leader of Hurvyville, to Hurly Burly from The Hidden Prince of Oz.

Dating: The story occurs over the course of three days. The year is not explicit, though it is set in what would then be modern times, and must take place prior to its copyright date of 1976.

Hurvyville: A significant community in the Winkie Country, the tent town of Hurvyville provides haven for any resident (of Oz or beyond) who no longer wishes to live in the place where they had been living. It is an egalitarian community led by Bowzuv, and built on the principles of love and friendship. They are located northwest of the Black Forest (from The Wishing Horse of Oz).

Mombi: This is one of the few instances where the actions of Mombi are not shown to be mischievous or malevolent, and in a surprise twist, she appears to have been a friend of Cayke the Cookie Cook (from The Lost Princess of Oz), who lends her the Magic Dishpan to travel with, and entrusts her with a pearl necklace in which to trade for a famous recipe from Queen Zomild. The queen proves to be the traitorous one in the tale. Although it is admittedly uncertain why Mombi sought to travel to Zohumble in the first place, Mombi often traveled great distances to obtain magical herbs and formulae, as well as books of magic.

Zohumble: It's uncertain where exactly Zohumble lies, whether on the continent, or in an island in the Nonestic. What is known is that their queen's gingerbread cookies are famous, even in Oz, where Cayke has heard of them. Mombi is also able to fly there and back with the Magic Dishpan. There is a magic Wishing Well in the Royal Gardens of Zohumble which grants a wish a day. In the underground, beneath the dungeons of the castle roam the Drolls, seven-foot tall creatures with the bodies of gorillas and the heads of lions with long manes. No other flora or fauna are known, though it is speculated that Mombi may come seeking after some herb necessary for magical formulae in the Royal Gardens.

History: The title on the cover and spine, The Flying Bus of Oz, is in error. The actual title of this book is The Flying Bus in Oz. This is confirmed by the author in her second book Dr. Angelina Bean in Oz. The interior title page also lists it as a longer title, The Flying Bus in Oz: Joy Marie and the Noyzy Boyz. It's original title in 1974 was Morrises in Oz.

Synopsis: When Joy Marie gets on her school bus, it takes off into the air! Tante Jeanne, the driver, is terrified, as she had just overhauled the engine herself. Yet no matter what she tries, a different and disconcerting effect is produced and she's forced to let the bus to fly off by itself. Joy's parents call the police and Canadian Air Force, but by the time they arrive, the bus is long gone. Joy's siblings, Peter, Corinne and Doug reason that magic must somehow be involved. This is confirmed when they pull the string of Joy's old doll Shrinkin' Violet and it begins speaking, telling them Joy's gone to Oz and become captive of a Quadling tribe known as the Noyzy Boyz. She doesn't know how she knows this, or how she even came to speak. The kids try other dolls, but she alone can talk. Suddenly, Joy's blanket begins to grow and Peter gets an idea, commanding it to take them to Oz. The blanket wraps itself around the kids and Shrinkin' Violent and takes them to Oz!

King Tyrone, leader of the Noyzy Boyz, is concerned about his son Prince Robin. Robin doesn't shout well, and prefers music and the songs of birds to the raucous behavior of their tribe, such as wrestling and raiding neighbors, like the Antiquettes. There are no mothers in the land, so infants explode out of popgun flowers. King Tyrone consults the Magic Firecracker, which once a year answers three questions. It reveals that Robin was different from birth because a passing fairy gave him the gift of music and tranquility. To undo this, he must have their magician Edgar bring Joy Marie Morris to their land, keep her prisoner for 30 days and have Robin visit her alone each day. So it is that the four-year old girl from Quebec was brought to Oz. Edgar had first enhanced the enchantment already upon her doll, so that Joy would be transported to Oz if she pulled the string eight times, but when the king grew impatient, he enchanted Joy's tricycle. This failed too, so finally, he enchanted her school bus.

When the bus arrives, Jeanne is left alone, but Joy is arrested and put in a locked playroom filled with noisy toys. Robin enters and the two get to know each other, as he likes hearing about her world. The enchanted blanket, meanwhile, flies Joy's siblings and doll over the Deadly Desert to the Munchkin Country. After determining to head south to rescue their sister, Shrinkin' Violent (Shrinky) discovers she can move and speak on her own without the string. They stop for water by a lake, and spot a tiny elf water-skiing behind goldfish. Friederick the elf is friendly and invites them to Rippleton, a beautiful crystal city on an island in the lake, complete with grasshopper airport, school, library and hospital. They're given a tour and are met by King Roderick, who tells them that he must depart to search for the Magic Motto of Elfville, which his son had brought with him to help a community of ants. After losing it in a brush, a squirrel had picked it up and carried it away, until a fox startled him and he dropped it. Peter offers to help, explaining that they're on their way to rescue their sister. The king says that if found the Magic Motto can help them and describes it as a small silver stick with an elf motto on it that Lurline had gifted to them to help others. Hearing its description, Doug pulls it from his pocket, having recently come across it. The elves are overjoyed and throw a banquet for them. The king gives them the Magic Ruler, which can twice give them the best advice if they find themselves in trouble. He then summons the Gold Oak Leak, which answers a question a week and tells them that Joy is trying to escape Noyzy Boyzville. Though they don't know it, this came about when Prince Robin came to realize his father wouldn't release Joy, and determined to set her free himself. His sparrow friend Chirrup agreed to help and gathered the other sparrows.

The next evening, it begins. Using a blowtorch, Robin cuts open the bars in her window. Joy exits the window and climbs aboard a large hammock held in place by hundreds of sparrows. But Robin drops the blowtorch by mistake and the explosion brings out the loud residents who can only watch as their prince and prisoner escape.

With her bus no longer working, Tante Jeanne, meanwhile, hikes across the fields looking for a place she can get help for Joy. When she crosses a brook, she wades into dozens of frogs who begin leaping in and upon her. She's even more shocked to hear them speak English (and to find out she's also speaking it and not her native tongue French). The frog captain, Ferdic, tells her she's trespassed in the Winding Waters of Federated Frogland and must be brought to their emperor. They are concerned about the Stream Snakes, who play tricks on them and hide their babies in hollow logs. In retaliation, the frogs invade and destroy their homes. Jeanne tells Ferdic that she'd harass him him too if he did that.

Suddenly a fog rolls in and the frogs find themselves being stung and paralyzed by hundreds of red-eyed Stream Snakes led by Sevryn, who neutralizes the paralysis and has Ferdic taken away, assuring Jeanne that he's being brought back to the Sticky Swamp, where the frogs lived before moving into their stream a few years ago, disrupting the peace that each had. Unlike their non-magical relatives, the Stream Snakes don't eat frogs, but the frogs fear them anyway. He suspects they moved in because their King Croak got bored and envious of the snakes' splendor, and as they got their new uniforms filthy in Sticky Swamp, they moved to Snake Stream and renamed it, harassing the snakes who lived there, who had to retaliate, but they never did any real harm. Tante Jeanne argues that if the frogs knew this, they could talk over their issues, especially since the stream is big enough for both of them. Brought before King Serpentine, Jeanne explains her situation to the large and beautiful monarch, advising that they send over an emissary to settle their differences with the frogs. The king agrees, and chooses her.

Though surprised, she goes off to frog headquarters with a delegation. Greeting King Croak, she explains who she is and why she was sent. He tells her they can't help but have a mistrust of snakes. She recommends moving, but they've had no time to explore beyond the immediate area and won't return to Sticky Swamp. She proposes that if they have any mechanics to help fix her bus, she'll take all 326 of them on a tour of the country while she searches for a way back to Quebec. Croak agrees and they send Ferdic to inform King Serpentine of their plans. Jeanne goes out with a team of frog engineers to inspect the bus. She's dismayed to see it's been damaged by the Noyzy Boyz, but when a large group of snakes appear, the frogs panic. Yet the snakes have come to thank Jeanne and to help the frogs with their own team of engineers. The frogs return and the two teams begin working together on the problems. Concerned about the Noyzy Boyz' return, they move the bus together out of sight. Even the two kings help in this endeavor, and they each return to their homes on friendly terms.

The next day, Peter, Corrine, Doug and Shrinky enter the Quadling Country. A redbird gives them directions to Noyzy Boyzville, as the Quadling Federation of Feathered Friends have deemed it a menace to birds. They first come to Scrabbleton, a neighboring town surrounded by a wall and made up of a giant Scrabble board, and whose citizens are two-feet tall Scrabble letters. They invite the kids to play, but are concerned they might be from the dreaded neighboring town. Corrine confirms that they're not, as there are no girls there. The Scrabbletonians ask them to concede to a game, as their Noyzy Boyz can't sit still long enough to play (and in the past had destroyed their board and pieces). So they play an exciting game and are invited to spend the night.

The next day they depart, but Douglass becomes invisible. Anxious, they consult the Magic Ruler, which tells them that Douglass touched a magic bush, and the effects will wear off in three days, but will come in handy in the meantime. This proves true as the party are arrested and imprisoned by a troupe of Noyzy Boyz, who the king intends to keep hostage. Joy and Robin, meanwhile, say goodbye to the sparrows, though Chirrup opts to stay and guide them on their way south to Glinda's. When a search party of Noyzy Boyz arrives, they veer off down a narrow path and find a place to eat and sleep.

In the morning, the local birds tell them the nearest town is ahead and they enter Raisinville. The suspicious raisin guards bring them to their judge, but he's paranoid about being eaten and fears the travelers will tell others about them. Suddenly, Tante Jeanne and her bus of frogs and snakes come bursting through Rainsinville's wall. Overwhelmed by what he thinks is an invasion, the judge offers his life in exchange for his people. Robin assures him that no one has any intention of harming them. Relieved, he admits they've lived in fear of outsiders for a long time since first building their city to hide from those who might want to eat them. Doug, meanwhile, follows Peter to his cell after he's separated from Corrine and Shrinky. Peter uses the Magic Ruler one last time, and it tells him to find the girls, and that noise will be the key to their liberation.

The next day, Doug makes his way to the girls' cell. Corrine makes earplugs for them while Doug scouts around for explosives and soon finds a fireworks storeroom.

After a day, Doug manages to steal a key from the guards. Bringing fireworks to the girls and Peter, they hatch a plan for that night. When the explosives go off, Corrine and Shrinky escape their cell with the key, as Doug frees Peter, but despite the chaos that ensues, King Tyrone and Edgar try to head them off. The invisible Doug then lets out an ear-splitting howl that terrifies them and allows his family to escape.

Robin, Joy and Chirrup, meanwhile, get to know Tante Jeanne's new frog and snake friends and they all play games on the bus. They stop by a farmhouse and tell the farmer their story. She feeds them and invites the amphibians and reptiles to dine on her lawn. Afterwards, they follow her directions to Glinda's castle. As they approach it, however, the bus starts to fly again. But Glinda appears in her window and halts its flight. Landing it, she greets each guest with a smile and invites them inside where a repast is prepared for them. Joy is surprised to hear her siblings are in Oz and that the magician Edgar had brought her there. Having anticipated Glinda, Edgar had also cast protective spells to resist her usual methods. Glinda has even bigger news, though, and informs her that Shrinkin' Violet is actually an Oz princess from Viola, a place near Mombi's old hut. Mombi first practiced the enchantment she would use on Ozma by testing it on Viola, transforming her into a doll and sending it to the outside world where she couldn't give away what she'd done. To make it even more difficult to return, she enchanted the doll so that she'd first have to come through Noyzy Boyzville. Glinda further tells them that they've already escaped and uses a spell to bring them to her palace, and to make Doug visible again. After very hearty greetings, Glinda hitches the school bus to her chariot and they all fly to the Emerald City

Dorothy, Betsy, Button-Bright, Ozma, the Wizard and Cowardly Lion all happily greet their guests and hear their adventures. The first order of business, Glinda and the Wizard put a protective spell on Raisinville, along with a bitter smell and taste to protect them. Via the Wizard's new Ozmagic Delivery Service, they send an Airmail message to them, informing them they're now safe. They then prepare to disenchant Shrinky. Joy is sad, but wants to see her restored, and before long she's once again Princes Sharon Violet of Viola. The party attend a banquet where they meet Tik-Tok, the Yellow Knight, Em and Henry, Billina, the Wogglebug, Hungry Tiger, Shaggy Man and his brother, Woozy, and Ojo, who along with Button-Bright, befriend Robin. King Croak and King Serpentine tell Ozma they'd become such good friends that they'd like to return to living together in the Stream Swamp.

Robin proposes to go back to try to be a better son to his father, but Ozma suggests it's their community that needs a change, not him. She expands the Spell of Tranquility that had been placed on him to all of his people, so that they're still fun-loving, but also considerate to the rights of others and able to enjoy quieter things. Edgar's powers are removed and the town is renamed Bouncy Boyzville. At the banquet, the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow make speeches while Pigasus and Scraps put on a skit. After long and hard goodbyes, Ozma uses the Magic Belt to send everyone back to their respective homes.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Takes place over the course of six days in the fall. 1974 year is based on the fact that Ruth Morris's protagonists are her own children, who were the very same age as the Morrisses of this story at this time when she wrote it.

Mombi: It's here revealed [129] that before casting the spell on Ozma, Mombi tried the spell out on Princess Sharon Violet of Viola, whom she abducted from the neighboring village of Viola. It's not revealed why she chose Sharon specifically as her test-subject, and there's likely a story there, but the text indicates that the spell was cast on her when she was given Ozma, but that's too late (1892) as Mombi had long been transforming people before then. It must be that she practiced on Viola the specific Switcheroo Spell that she wanted to use on Ozma when she learned of the child's existence. She did the Switcheroo Spell on Ozma in 1887, so it would be some time before then. The Royal Timeline of Oz places this in 1871 when Pastoria II is still king. She remained a doll for 103 years until 1974, indicating that Shrinkin' Violet was likely passed down in the Morris family for two generations.

Noyzy Boyz: Now known as Bouncy Boyzville since Ozma placed the spell of Tranquility on them. There is a strong cultural similarity between the former society of Noyzy Boyz and the Bad Lads of Brookville, from The Glass Cat of Oz, both of whom are relatively nearby, the former in the Quadling Country, and the latter in the southern Winkie Country (near Herku). Though the former grow from enchanted plants, the latter are born in the customary way.

Rainsinville: The judge and raisin-people of Raisinville did not always live in the city, which they built at some point years earlier. It seems likely they initially came from a place like Bunbury (The Emerald City of Oz), Cookry Land or the Gelatin Isles (from Thompson's Royal Baking Company stories). Why they left there for their own community is unstated to build their own is unstated.

Sequel: Joy Marie returns to Oz years later as an adult in Dr. Angelina Bean in Oz.

Synopsis: When Wooglet's uncle Chris takes her and four other girls on a camping trip in the New Mexico mountains, Wooglet gets annoyed and bored by the other girls and decides to go exploring with their burro Cosmo. But with snow falling, Chris is vigilant and wakes up at dawn to catch his niece departing, but when he slips on the ice and catches onto Cosmo's leg, they all begin sliding down the icy incline until they land under the snow in an enormous bird's nest.

Mary Becque, Beth Simpson and the other girls use the ham radio to contact Mary's father Henry to come and get them. Chris, meanwhile, digs out a small cave under the snow, and hopes the rescuers will follow their trail as they have very little food. Wooglet begins rummaging in the nest and finds money and jewels. She gifts Chris with a gold ring that has a strange sigil. When she finds a small pepperbox, she begins to suspect they might be in the same jackdaw's next that Tip, the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow found themselves in (The Marvelous Land of Oz). Recalling they had only used one of the Wishing Pills and left without the box, she opens it. Two silver pills pop out. She retrieves one, but the other falls into the nest. Not wanting to get her uncle's hopes up, she doesn't tell him, but asks what the right way is to use the pills. Having read her the book when she was younger, he explains that one must count to seventeen by twos starting at minus one. And that's what she does!

They find themselves on a strange beach where Cosmo is now talking! Wooglet explains what she did, and they begin gathering coconuts to eat. Staking along the beach they find fresh water as well, but a man approaches, telling them they're trespassing. Introducing himself as Wilberforce, he explains that he's one of the original Takers, and wonders how they got there if Glinda or Ozma hadn't sent them. Wooglet's amazed to find she's in Oz, though he corrects her, explaining that they're on an island where the Takers have been exiled, along with the wizards Dr. Nikidik and Braxus, who refused to stop practicing magic.

The history he explains is that the Takers had refused to live by Ozma's honor system that was in place by the time of the Nome King's invasion (The Emerald City of Oz). The system comprised working only half a day to fill the Royal Storehouses and then take whatever's needed as it's needed. The Takers just took, and when Glinda discovered they weren't contributing anything, she got Ozma's permission to cast a spell on Oz to catch them and exile them to Taker's Island. If any wish to return to Oz, a platform in the center of the island exists where they can proclaim they believe in the system. Several have come and gone in the years since, but no one's arrived in the last five years. Some of the Taker's turned to pirating, such as Captain Blaggard and his band. After learning about the Taker's way of exchanging services (as they don't yet have money), he agrees to work for Wilberforce for two hours a day in exchange for food and the use of his property to build a house.

The next day, they meet Ethelred the carpenter who requests Cosmo's help. Chris informs Cosmo that he's now his own person, though the burro realizes that he's now required to think and be responsible, which Wooglet equates to growing up. They all get to work and at lunchtime visit the village where they stop at a tea shop. Wilbeforce introduces them to Dr. Nikidik, who upon spotting the ring on Chris's finger inquires about it. Chris tells him of its discover in the jackdaw's nest. Nikidik invites them to his home on Pal Ave, insisting that Chris keep the ring hidden.

Once there he tells them of a plan to conquer the kingdom of the Mer-folk and Oz by the wizard Braxus and pirate Blaggard, who discovered the underwater palace of Zog, where they intend to take the magic left behind in his store rooms after he was destroyed. Although Braxus was once his equal, Ozma had had Nikidik's magic destroyed when they were exiled. Braxus, however, can still perform illusions and transformations on himself. When Wooglet tells Nikidik what she knows of the Wishing Pills and Powder of Life from the Oz books, he explains that he'd traded four of his wishing pills to the crooked sorcerer for the Powder of Life. He can't remember the sorcerer's name, but recalls that he was so afraid to use his real name that often used aliases. He likely put the pills in the pepperbox with the Powder of Life. So frightened must he have been of Mombi, a "very wicked woman," that he used Nikidik's name when he traded her the Powder of Life. When he hears that Dyna took over his house, he says she wanted to marry him and told everyone he fell off a cliff because it was more respectable than getting exiled.

Nikidik tells Chris his ring is a seal ring of the Mer-folk, reading "Aquarus, King of the Mer-folk." King Aquarus is Queen Aquareine's father. It's used to keep anyone from drowning, and they wonder if it's Cap'n Bill's ring that he may have lost. While the others gather food for their trip, Nikidik uses a memory spell to remember his summoning spell which he can use to summon the Mer-folk. He reasons that after they conquer the Mer-Folk they'll travel from an underwater tunnel to Bottomless Lake of Hidden Valley in the Munchkin Mountains, which he first discovered the lake while living in the Munchkin Mountains. That night they head over to the storage shed of the Tiger Shark, Blaggard's ship. Nikidik can't unlock the door magically, so Chris picks it. Once inside Nikidik determines that Braxus made a magnetic arrow and cast a direction spell on it to lead them to Zog's cave.

The next day, they bid farewell to Wilberforce, and they wade out into the water where Cosmo ferries Nikidik to a sandbar. Nikidik requests the ring to help summon the Mer-folk, but which he then flings into the sea. Not long afterwards, the sea fairy Princess Clia appears. She confirms the ring was the one given to Cap'n Bill years before. Nikidik warns her about Braxus's plot, and she agrees to take them to Queen Aquareine's palace. After turning their legs into dolphin tails, she explains that part of the spell includes their ability speak and comprehend the language of the undersea inhabitants. Wooglet asks why the ocean is brighter underwater than theirs at home, and she explains that the fairy seas draw light from the Radiant Mountains. The Queen's palace was built near three such ones. Other sea inhabitants prefer the darker sea bottom. Zog's cave is there, as is the Golden Goblin, who thinks he rules the sea and is unaware that King Anko is intelligent. King Neptune's queen had a run-in with him early in the century (The Golden Goblin). Clia confirms that the myth of Davy Jones' Locker is true and exists on the borders of the fairy seas. Some have left to die, while others like the Ancient Mariner have been there for centuries (The Pearl and the Pumpkin).

They go to Davy Jones' home to spend the night. They meet the Ancient Mariner, Captain Jinks, Davy and Bridgett. They haven't seen the Mer-folk in nearly a century. Clia uses a shell send by messenger cod to warn Aquareine about Braxus's plot to steal Zog's magic. Davy, meanwhile, shows them the pumpkin vines Joe Miller had brought and taught them how to grow underwater. They even trade pies with the Great Goblin. When they go to eat, they meet Lieutenant Yamamoto and Ensign Yancy, who each think their side won the war until Chris explains what he believes happened. The pair determine to keep on fighting, albeit in the games Go and checkers, which they play every night. Chris wants to teach them the card game Bridge, so with the help of Wooglet (who envisions each card in the deck), Clia (who summons the image for the Mariner to see) and the Mariner (who then conjures it), they soon have a full deck.

In the morning, Bridget informs Wooglet over breakfast that they're surrounded by the octopus-like devilfish, who once served Zog, but now serve the Golden Goblin. Guardsman pass through the blockade to greet Davy Jones, and the Goblin ambassador explains that his master heard of the arrival of two mortals and wants each to marry two daughters. As each princess rules one of the four winds, they've brought harm to their suitors (ending their last engagement), so he's determined to put two opposite princess together to solve the dilemma. But Dr. Nikidik transforms himself into an old, feeble mean, so the ambassador decides that Chris will have to marry all four. Chris refuses, but that doesn't matter to them. When Cosmo swims by with a school of groupers, Chris grabs hold of him and escapes, but the ambassador considers this an act of war and determines to level their home until the mortal is given over to them. Davy quickly sets plans in motion and takes the Goblin ambassadors prisoner so that the devilfish can't harm their home. Jinks uses cannons to repel any who try, while Clia and Bridget cast a spell of protection over it. Clia gives Cosmo her wand to lead him to Aquareine's palace, and when Yamamoto shoots a hole through the devilfish net, Cosmo swims out.

Some time later, Cosmo returns with an honor guard of sawfish, who win the day. Davy gives the Goblin ambassadors some pumpkin pies along with a note for the Golden Goblin explaining that the mortals he seeks had already left for Aquareine's. He knows none of them will tell the truth about their defeat. Clia then leads her party to the Queen's palace where they await King Anko.

Blaggard and Braxus, meanwhile, had used the enchanted arrow to locate Zog's old cave. With diving suits purchased from Mr. Smith's grandson, who'd restarted the company in Ev, Braxus, Lieutenant Snarge and seaman Lummox dive down into the water with the intent of putting the inhabitants to sleep. Braxus knows if they kill them they'll face King Anko's wrath. After releasing the flagons of sleep poison into the cave, they enter to find many of Zog's former servants asleep in the gardens and palace, including Captain Joe on the throne with the young Prince Sacho. They find the bronze door to the magic room, but picking the lock sends Snarge and Lummox sailing across the room, knocked out. Now accessible, Braxus spends the next two days studying the magic hiding in the room. Snarge and Lummox awaken hours later and return to the ship, where the paranoid captain determines to ensure that the wizard doesn't cheat him. The next day Snarge descends with Blaggard. They find everyone still asleep. Hearing the commotion outside, Braxus reemerges and heads for the door. Angry at being ignored, Blaggard fires his harpoon at Braxus, who turns, points his finger at the missile and sends it back at the captain, who ducks just in time. Braxus sets the record straight that he is now in charge, and will destroy him if he disobeys. Back on the ship, he takes Blaggard's quarters, giving the angry captain instructions on where to go.

The giant squids of King Anko discover, along with the killer whale Oryx, that something emanating from Zog's cave is putting fish to sleep, and they go to inform Anko who is on his way to Aquareine's palace to discover in detail the news of Braxus's plot. Anko goes to Zog's cave and tells his Sergeant Squid to summon the Puffer Fish Brigade, who can flush out the poisoned water with fresh water, while the killer whales and dolphins, who breathe air and won't suffer the effects of the poison, are to rescue the people in the palace and gardens. Oryx is sent to spy on the Tiger Shark, and reports back that it's indeed the ship of those exiles plotting to conquer Aquareine and Oz.

At Aquareine's palace, they wonder at Zog's failure to appear, and the Queen posts sentries for the night. That night, the Tiger Shark drops twenty barrels of sleeping potion over the palace, but the sea fairies and their guests, who draw breath from the film of air around each of them, are unaffected by it, and awaken the next morning to discover their underwater friends are asleep and cannot be woken. As the Queen instructs Cosmo to bray and summon the whales and dolpins to aid them, Braxus's magic chant causes a lightning strike to reduce Queen Aquareine's palace to rubble! By the time Mer-folk dig themselves out of the ruins, the pirate ship had sailed away. Aquareine sends a group to pursue, including Uncle Chris, Wooglet, Nikidik and Cosmo, along with Oryx and King Anko, who show up, and follow the ship northeast to the mainland of Ev. By the time they find it, it's abandoned.

With the help of her wand, Aquareine discerns that Braxus had taken the tunnel to Oz and suggests sending some of her people after them, but King Anko thinks this will only encourage land folk to invade the sea, but he allows her to accompany Chris, Woogle, Nikidik and Cosmo, explaining that she can no longer transform mortals again without his permission. Cosmo asks if he can stay, but Anko says the fairy kingdoms are not and cannot become a refuge for mortals. He grants Cosmo human speech, even in the civilized worlds when he's with his companions, as well as long life so long as Chris and Wooglet are alive. He also gives all of them the ability to enter the water without drowning, but they are prohibited from entering the deep ocean under pain of death. Aquareine explains that their peace depends on isolation.

On the shore of the Bottomless Lake, one of the pirates attacks Braxus, but he freezes him and gives him a second chance. When he attacks again, Braxus freezes him permanently. He creates a smoke which hides them from Glinda's Book and Ozma's Picture. He will invisibly enter the palace, seize their magic and allow them to take possession, with Blaggard as king and he as High Wizard. Before Glinda can discover what's occurred, he'll fly there and defeat her. Turning the chest with Zog's magic small, he pockets it, turns into an eagle and flies off.

A few hours later, his plan goes off, and although it takes him five hours to open the magic safe, he succeeds, puts on the Magic Belt and places all the magical items in his chest. With the Belt, he commands it to take him to the Wizard's lab, where he steal his Black Bag. Entering an empty guest suite, he enchants the door so that no one will want to enter it, then adds a magic lock and alarm. Behind the closet he stores the chest, then magically locks the closet door and places it behind the illusion of a blank wall. Then, with the Belt, he appears in Glinda's laboratory and starts a fire while Glinda is in her garden having a discussion with her gardener Potawee. Invisible still, Braxus watches from the throne room as Glinda casts an umbrella spell to protect the gardens, before going to her parlor to consult the Great Book of Records. Noting nothing, she returns to her ruined laboratory in search of clues. Realizing the intruder may yet be there, she goes to the throne room and waits. Seeing an indentation on the carpet, she casts a spell to undo invisibility and stands before Braxus. Uncovered, he rushes into the garden and transforms into an eagle, but Glinda is quicker and her soldiers fire a volley of arrows at him, three of which pierce him, causing him to crash on the balcony, resume his own shape and command the Belt to carry him back to the hidden suite in Ozma's palace. Ozma then appears before Glinda, having used her fairy wand to travel there, reporting that all the magic in the palace has been stolen. In the morning, after learning nothing further, they take Glinda's stork chariot to the Emerald City.

Cosmo, meanwhile, convinces Nikidik to try a flying spell on him. When that works, he transforms all of them. Two hours later, the spell wears off, and Cosmo crashes into an ant hill. The ants protest and call him a vandal. One soldier called Xkshch uses a spell to grow larger so they can see whose talking to them, and arrests them in the name of Queen Qxcht. Using another spell, the soldier ant shrinks them to a size smaller than them. He explains that the natural magic they use to protect themselves is allowed in Oz, and herds them along inside the ruined ant hill, where Wooglet and Chris are amazed at the skill and beauty of. They finally come before her Supreme Acidity, the Queen, but unable to see anything, Chris lights a match, which disturbs the ants greatly. Chris explains that it was an accident and that they're on their way to warn Ozma of an impending threat. Xkshch says it doesn't matter to them who rules from the Emerald City, but Dr. Nikidik explains that the chief ingredient that the invading enemy uses in his magic is formic acid, which is made by boiling up thousands of ants! With Braxus in power, no ant will be safe. In a gesture of friendship, Wooglet gives her a gold chain she'd been wearing, and the Queen determines that they must proceed on their journey to save Oz (and the ants), but as it's dark, they stay as guests in their kingdom for the night. She also has her ants gather the ingredients Nikidik needs for the flying spell.

At early dawn, the Queen gives Wooglet a note to give to Queen Ozma, and after restoring them to their normal size, the party are able to fly off with Nikidik's spell upon them. The Emerald City, meanwhile, has surrendered to the pirates, though the Wizard, Dorothy, Toto, her aunt and uncle, Jellia, the Hungry Tiger, Cowardly Lion, Omby Amby and Stovely the Chief Cook, are holed up in the Throne Room, which the pirates barricade. The Wizard sends Jellia, who the guards ignore, to the Sawhorse to arouse the Winkies to their defense, and sends Toto to the Gillikin Forest to summon the elephant monarch King Magnus to send his animal forces. Braxus, meanwhile, arrives in the hidden suite, and uses the Magic Belt's last remaining wish of the week to heal his wounds.

After some sleep, he goes to find Blaggard who informs him of recent developments. Braxus leads him to the Throne Room to deal with the resistors. He commands the Belt to send them to the Deadly Desert, but it fails to work. Angry at the mocking pirate captain, Braxus turns Blaggard into a hyena. At that time, Nikidik's party arrives, puts the encroaching pirates to sleep and turns themselves invisible. Ozma and Glinda also arrive and enter the palace, where Braxus and a hyena are fighting. Nikidik casts a spell, canceling all magical transformations while Cosmo picks up Braxus and Wooglet takes the Belt. The Tin Woodman arrives, as does Toto, having flown upon an eagle to the forest, followed by King Magnus, the jaguar Nippur, orangutan Oran, the giraffe Topper, and wild turkey Gorble, who herd the remaining pirates. With a magic wand, Nikidik leads them to Braxus, and they pass through a wall of illusory fire that he's set up. They follow him to the enchanted suite, where Ozma and Glinda break the spells he's laid upon it to find Braxus in the room. Before he can fly out the window as an eagle with the Black Bag, the Wizard casts a weight spell upon it, and Topper seeing the commotion from outside the palace, sends Gorble to stop the eagle. Braxus falls to the ground, where he's knocked out.

Ozma has Magnus's animals bring the pirates to the Fountain of Oblivion to ensure they each drink, after which the Wizard will use his bubble machine to send them back to Taker's Island, where Wilberforce will teach them honest trade. Wooglet gives Ozma the note from the Ant Queen Qxcht, who wishes to visit the palace. The magic from Zog's cave will be sent by the Wizard to King Anko's palace. Braxus is deprived of his magical abilities and sent back to his home on Taker's Island. As to Dr. Nikidik, Ozma is grateful for his help, but he must decide to stay in Oz and forsake magic or return to Taker's Island. He says he is happy there, so Glinda informs him that his library and magical appliances were not destroyed but stored in her castle's cellar. They will be returned to him along with Braxus' magical appliances on the condition that he only use them outside of Oz. He is overjoyed. Ozma then expresses gratitude to Chris, Wooglet and Cosmo, and explains that they can have an extended visit, after which she'll return them to the place and time of their choosing, where they'll continue to receive news from Oz, and may one day be invited to return. Glinda returns to her own castle to restore all the damage done, and Ozma throws a grand feast in their honor.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Story takes place in late spring. The year is harder to ascertain. As far back as 1940, "Vivaudou produced a green, indelible lipstick with a minty fragrance called Viva-Caprice." Yet, it was in the 1960s that more outrageous colors like green began to be worn by teens, and lime green lipstick (which Wooglet puts on) became popular in the 1973 by Bonne Belle (Lip-Smackers) and Revlon, making this the most likely earliest date this story can take place. Given the absence of the giant electric sea slug, it appears to take place prior to Zim's visit to Aquareine's palace in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1 (though that is conjectural). The Royal Timeline of Oz currently places it in 1973.

Devilfish: As per King Anko's account in Oziana #38's "Polychrome Visits the Sea Fairies," most of the devilfish came to serve him after the destruction of Zog, though it's clear from this story that a few went on to serve the Golden Goblin, while others went on to serve Prince Rath. A school of devilfish appear in the 7th story arc of the Emerald City Mirror.

Dr. Nikidik: Dr. Nikidik is here portrayed as a benevolent magician who after helping the mortals save Oz at the end of the story, is returned to Taker's Island and given back his library of magic, which he pores over for the next three years. Though not explicit, it's clear from the larger Ozian narrative that Dr. Nikidik was initially exiled to Taker's Island in 1907, as per Dagmar in Oz, and then snuck back into Oz where he got into mischief in various stories, before finally getting caught in the Magic Box in The Master Crafters of Oz. He is shown at the start of this story to have a limited memory, as revealed by his inability to recall Dr. Pipt's name, and has some confused memories as to his role in events of Oz history. Thus, one can conclude that Ozma or Glinda had made him drink from the Waters of Oblivion, after which they gave him a basic history of who he was. He was again sent back to Taker's Island, likely as a precaution in case he resumed his full memory, where he's found at the start of this tale many years later.

King Magnus: King of the Gillikin Forest, King Magnus and his subjects, Nippur, Oran, Topper and Gorble first appeared in The Crocheted Cat in Oz.

Magic Belt: At this point, the Magic Belt grants several wishes a week, and after they're used up will only perform transformations. This is clarified in The Three Imps of Oz, in which it's made clear that the Belt stores up wishes.

Moon Queen: Polychrome's reference to the Moon Queen, although facetious, is likely a reference to the wife of the Man in the Moon, whose name is both Honey Moon and Chang'e (see the exclusive short story "From Oz to the Moon.")

Nonestic Ocean: This story mentions the Bottomless Lake of Hidden Valley in the Munchkin Mountains as one of the three known ways to get to the Nonestic Ocean. The other two are Lake Quad, as revealed in The Glass Cat of Oz, and Lake Forgottune in Ozallooning in Oz.

Other Fantasy Worlds: Wooglet in Oz serves as a minor sequel to W.W. Denslow's The Pearl and the Pumpkin and directly references (page 39) the events of Curtis Dunham's The Golden Goblin, effectively bringing those stories and characters into the Oz universe continuity. The former also brings Coleridge's The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner and the legend of Davy Jones' Locker into continuity, whereas the latter brings King Neptune and the legend of the Flying Dutchman into continuity.

Ozma's Fairy Wand: On page 73, Ozma notes that her wand is very limited. It can augment her natural fairy powers and protect her from being harmed by magic, but not much else. The wand is, however, able to get her from the Palace to Glinda's castle, though whether she flies there or transports isn't specified.

Queen Aquareine's Father: It is here for the first time revealed that Queen Aquareine is the daughter of King Aquarus. He confronted the Golden Goblin a few hundred years ago when he tried to interfere with the affairs of the Mer-folk.

Smith & Tinker: Although the original owners of this company are now living in Oz, Smith's grandson reopened the company in Ev, and is noted as being less imaginative and more practical than his grandfather. He invented the patented magical diving suits used by Braxus and Blaggard in this story.

Takers and Money: The Takers were thus called by Glinda because they refused to live by Ozma's Honor System, which was established by the time of The Emerald City of Oz. In this economic system, one works half a day, gives to his neighbors and the Royal Storehouse, and then takes whatever he needs. This new economy was first expounded in the latter book as follows: "Each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use... Each man and woman, no matter what he or she produced for the good of the community, was supplied by the neighbors with food and clothing and a house and furniture and ornaments and games. If by chance the supply ever ran short, more was taken from the great storehouses of the Ruler... Each one worked half the time and played half the time, and the people enjoyed the work as much as they did the play... There were no cruel overseers set to watch them, and no one to rebuke them or to find fault with them." Unfortunately, because Ruth Plumly Thompson chose to ignore this system and have her little kingdoms use money, this economic system was never explored in depth beyond its initial discussion, and it had to be retconned that Ozma allowed the kingdoms further from the Emerald City more time to gradually phase out money.

At some point after the Nome Invasion, Glinda discovered in her Great Book of Records that some were taking advantage of the system. Because many of the kingdoms further from the Emerald City were allowed to gradually do away with their money-based system, the Takers, therefore, had to have come from the Emerald City or nearby parts. Most of them initially reformed when it was announced that they would be exiled. Those that didn't were sent to Taker's Island. This was in late 1905 (page 23 says that Nikidik—who arrived with the first exiles—was deported when the "new queen outlawed magic"). Taker's Island is near another called Elkanee.

Ozma and Glinda's decision to exile the Takers was a wise one that essentially eliminated the greedy from Oz, allowing an economic system based on the principles of sharing and compassion to really work. Wilberforce discovers that the system the Takers have developed on the island is essentially the same one that exists in the Outside World that is called "business."

Synopsis: While playing in a neighboring forest in their home state of Oregon, seven-year old Rebecca and her three year old sister Shoshanna are surprised to be greeted by a friendly frog, who appears to want them to follow him down the creek. Shoshanna believes he's communicating to them, so they follow him to the roots of a large oak, within which is a surprisingly decorated interior. The frog directs them to a large dishpan buried in the mud. Together, the girls manage to pull it out and discover that it's made of gold and covered with precious gems. They carry it with Froggie back home, but realizing they're filthy and wanting to hide that fact from their mother, they opt to bathe in the large dishpan, filling it up with soap and water. When Rebecca wishes she knew where the dishpan came from, the tub rises up into the air, taking the girls and frog over the Pacific Ocean and Australia, as well as other unknown oceans and continents, finally landing them in a golden field.

Froggie leads them past a sheep pen, where the guard dog warns them not to go near his sheep. They approach two children Wally and Holly, who are reticent to speak to them, though Wally tells them they're in the Winkie Country. Holly summons her mother Polly, a stern type who asks lots of questions, but Froggie indicates they should keep secret the magic of the Dishpan. Convinced the girls are liars and spies, Polly determines to take them to the Magician in the morning, and at her command the other children surround them, herding them into a barn for the night, and taking the dishpan.

The sheep comfort the girls, but they're puzzled why everyone in Oz is so unfriendly. The sheep explain that things have changed since the Magician arrived. Even the sheepdog has turned mean and distrustful. Only they and a few others, like Wally, remain unaffected. The sheep also suggest that Froggie can't speak because he's under an enchantment.

In the morning, the sheep offer the girls their milk and tell them their plan. Hiding them under their wool, they call out to the dog, claiming the prisoners escaped. So the dog rushes off, leaving the doors open. Giving them directions to the Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City, they instruct the girls to tell Ozma the situation. As the girls escape, Froggie ribbets, and Shoshanna knows he wants the dishpan. Seeing it in a window, they climb up to get it, but Polly's there waiting for them. Thanks to the quick thinking of the frog, who jumps at her face, they escape with the dishpan, and as the sheep block the road, preventing the enchanted Winkies from recapturing them, they run out of town.

Along the Yellow Brick Road, they try to get the Magic Dishpan to fly again, but it doesn't work. They stop to eat from a lemon three that produces whatever lemon-flavored items that you wish for. They then come to an odd abandoned house, with an unidentified round object in the yard, a pile of straw and cotton next to the door, a strange looking chimney and stove, blue clothes and a patchwork quilt on the bed. At night, Rebecca hears a moaning sound and discovers that the pillow is the head of the Patchwork Girl! The girls re-stuff her with cotton, while she explains that the Winkies did this to her weeks ago when she came to get the help of the Tin Woodman after an evil Magician took over the Emerald City, and made the Wizard, Dorothy and Ozma vanish. But the Winkies determined that she was a spy because she wasn't wearing yellow, and removed her stuffing and put here in the house. Scraps realizes what became of the Tin Woodman, and tries to get up to the roof. She falls into the yard, however, and discovers the head of the Scarecrow! The girls help him regain his straw and clothing. He explains that the Magician of Suspicion took over the Winkie Country. Scraps, meanwhile, gets Nick Chopper's head from the roof and his body from the stove, and with a little oil makes him functional again.

When they go to leave, however, the old Magician is there waiting for them with a hundred Winkies. He informs them that the Magicians of Mischief are taking over Oz, with only the north left to be captured. The Winkies drive them to the Tin Castle, placing a guard at each entrance of the storeroom where they keep them. Rebecca shares her story of how she, Shoshanna and Froggie arrived, and Scraps knows if they can retrieve the Magic Dishpan from the kitchen, she can get it working again. The Scarecrow's plan involves using the guards' mistrust against them, and once that's successful, they retrieve the Dishpan. Scraps fills it with soap and water, explaining that that's what's required to get it to obey.

Rather than go to Glinda, as they'd originally planned, they head to the Gillikin Country which is under siege from the third Magician. They arrive at the castle of King Randy and Queen Planetty, only to find a battle underway as Sir Dynar and the elephant Kabina (Kabumpo's sister) hurl invaders back, while Planetty the Silver Princess and her horse Thun deflect hordes with her magic spear that turns whoever it hits into statues. Snickwad, the king's valet, escorts the travelers into the castle, explaining that they were attacked last Thursday while Randy and Kabumpo were off exploring. Scraps goes off and returns with an enemy combatant, who angrily tells them that the Gillikins are superior to those from the other quadrants, and that King Randy is a traitor for marrying a foreigner. The Scarecrow then realizes that the Magician of this quadrant causes hate and intolerance.

Rebecca comes up with a daring plan to get to the Magician by pretending to surrender to Shoshanna, who they disguise as a Gillikin girl. Planetty and Kabina play along, feigning capitulation to the superior strength of the Gillikins, but when one of the soldiers sees through the girl's disguise, chaos ensues, and Kabina carries her allies away to safety. Together, they travel south to the road leading to Glinda's palace. Stopping for omelettes from eggplant bushes, Froggie takes a shine to Planetty. When he brings her flowers, she kisses him, and before their eyes he is disenchanted into the Frogman of Oz!

He greets and thanks everyone, especially the girls for saving him. Weeks ago he and Cayke were invited to a banquet at the Emerald City, and using the Magic Dishpan, they arrived, only to discover a stranger in white sitting on the throne. The Magician of Ignorance enchants Cayke, but upon the Frogman his magic has no effect. So, shrinking him and robbing him of his speech, the Magician sends him and the Dishpan to the outside world. The enchanted frog built a home for himself in the Oregon woods until the girls found him. Scraps adds that the citizens of the Emerald City have been enchanted to believe that Ozma abdicated and appointed the Magician in her stead. Even Trot believes this.

The Scarecrow leads them south to a garden that Glinda made for him on his birthday, and in it, the party dine on magically cooked artichokes, with each leaf having a work of art on it, and sandwiches from the sandwich plant (which was first invented by a good witch who lived near the Deadly Desert). There they sleep.

The next day, they make it to the Quadling Country, where they feel the oppression of the magicians lift off them. A farmer and his wife invite them to eat and spend the night.

In the third day after walking through the Quadling Country, they make it to Glinda's castle, but to their dismay, the Captain of the Guard tells them that she went to the Emerald City weeks ago and never returned. Rebecca remembers her Great Book, so pulling a key from around her neck, the Captain hands it to them so that the Scarecrow can get a clue as to what happened. He asks the Book to show him what happened to Glinda and it turns to the appropriate page and reads that she'd been transformed into a jewel and placed on the Magic Dishpan before it was sent out of Oz. Only a rose can disenchant her and the others.

Just then the Book of Records flips to the last page, where it reads the the Magician of Ignorance has arrived, enchanted Kabino and Glinda's guards, and is just now at the door! Rebecca is also alarmed to see her sister chewing on one of the gems from the Magic Dishpan, thinking it's candy, but then has a revelation and encourages her to bite down hard. At that, Glinda reappears and encircles the Magician with her Golden Thread, rendering him immobile. The Magician of Ignorance invites her to rule Oz alongside him, but she tells him her only desire is to serve. Recognizing that the Magicians of Mischief have long plagued the outside world, she deprives him of his cane, the source of his power, and sends him to the outside world. Within him deposed, the other two Magicians lose their power and vanish as well.

Glinda inquires how Shoshanna disenchanted her, and the girl explains that her name means "rose." Going ahead and biting the other gems releases the Wizard, Ozma and Dorothy. Several stories and grateful acknowledgments later, Ozma realizes that the girls' parents are worried and must go home now, but she gives Rebecca an Emerald Ring to use any time she and her sister wish to come visit the Emerald City.

Continuity Notes

Alcohol in Oz: Confirmed here, as well as in The Rundelstone of Oz, A Murder in Oz, and Oziana 1980's "Colonel Cotton in Oz," adult citizens occasionally drink alcohol in moderation, with Sir Dynar noting that the best wine in all Oz is grown and produced in the Gillikin Country.

Colors: There is a minor discrepancy in that the narrative seems to suggest that the natural-born citizens of each quadrant bear that color in their skin and hair, and a plot point hinges upon Shoshanna disguising herself in purple dye to convince them she's a Gillikin. An easy retcon for this is that the invading Gillikin army, or even the Gillikin citizens as a whole—to show off national pride—have begun painting their skin purple.

Dating: Story takes place in the summer over the course of five days. The year is uncertain. Ozma, Dorothy, the Wizard, Glinda, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Scraps have been missing for "weeks" prior to the start of this story, likely three weeks, putting the entire events of the takeover of the Magicians of Mischief at nearly a month.

Dr. Pipt: Scraps notes that Dr. Pipt is still not allowed to make Powder of Life, a fact that will change in the coming years. C.f. Bungle of Oz.

Frogman: Though not stated, the Frogman at some point in time went back to the land of the Yips in the Winkie Country to live.

Great Book of Records: A little more information is provided as to how the Great Book of Records is manageable. One need only ask it to show an entry on someone or something and it turns to the correct pages. According to the Captain of the Guard, it appears that Glinda is not allowing others to read the Book while she's away. While this appears to conflict with other reports that show she shares her duties with her handmaidens, and frequently allows her friends to read the book while she's elsewhere, it seems likely that Glinda—having read of the coming of the three Magicians of Mischief—changed her policy to prevent any of their enchanted slaves from getting hold of the book.

Kabumpo's Sister: Kabumpo's sister, Kabina, is revealed here for the first time. No other information about her is provided.

Magicians of Mischief: Save for their powers, not much is known of this evil trio, who for forty years wrecked havoc in the outside world from 1935 to the time they're defeated in this story in 1975. The Wizard of Suspicion sows irrational mistrust and paranoia. The second Magician (unnamed in the text, and possibly called the Magician of Intolerance, the Magician of Pride, or the Magician of Hate) sows pride and hatred. The Wizard of Ignorance, upon who the other two are dependent for their powers, is the most powerful and uses his white staff to sow ignorance and gullibility. Only a few are immune to their powers, though it's not known (even by them) why. The author appears to suggest that the events of World War II, as well as the subsequent conflicts in Indochina, were exacerbated by these powerful magicians.

Randy and Planetty: Some additions to their household include Sir Dynar, a valiant knight, and Kabina the elephant (who may or may not make their castle her residence).

History: Adventures in Oz (where this story was collected) is considered Book 54 in the Sovereign Sixty (and Supreme Seventy-Five)!

Synopsis: As Ozma is off dealing again with the Hoppers and Horners, Dorothy and the Scarecrow drop in on Glinda in her castle to ask a question. Since there were four Wicked Witches in Oz, one for each quadrant, why have there only been two Good Witches, one for the north and south?

Glinda reminds Dorothy of Gloma, the Queen of the Black Forest, who served as Good Witch of the West. As for one in the east, she recalls there had been one before the Wizard arrived. Curious, she consults her Great Book of Records to find out. It reveals that long ago in the Munchkin Country, Abatha and Dash were married and moved to the northern Lonely Mountain, where he could practice to be a sorcerer. A year later, they had a son they named Star, inspired by the subject Dash was most fascinated by. One day, Dash developed a spell that would take him to the closest star, and with his family he climbed to the top of the mountain. Promising to return in ten days, he cast the spell and flew off in a bright white light.

By the fifteenth day, however, Dash hadn't returned, and a Munchkin woman advised Abatha to study magic herself to find out what happened to him. Abatha took her advice and proved to have a talent for it. In time the Munchkins christened her Good Witch of the East. Abatha learned that in order for her to cast the spell Dash used, the stars would have to be in the same configuration, which would take hundreds of years.

A year after Dash was gone, Abatha's son Satar disappeared. Even with the help of friends and neighbors, the boy couldn't be found, and Abatha began to suspect magic was involved. Traveling the Munchkin Country for answer, she consulted every magic user she could find. Five years after his disappearance, a soothsayer sent her to the Great Gray Gillikin Swamp to locate Flinder, Dash's younger brother who'd married Abatha's sister Morna and moved to a neighboring mountain. Flinder was never as good as his brother, though he loved him nonetheless. When his wife died in childbirth, he and his son Javen moved to the Gillikin Swamp. His own son had disappeared once, but was later recovered.

When Abatha appeared at his door, an enchantment overcame all of them. The Great Book of Records then went silent on them, noting only that Star had been taken away by magical vines. The Scarecrow exclaims that Abatha and her brother-in-law must still be under the enchantment, and Dorothy determines to go break it. As Glinda must join Ozma, she offers them magical supplies and tells them the swamp lies in one of the wildest portions of the land and is not on most maps.

The next day, the Sawhorse takes them as far as he can go, and Dorothy and the Scarecrow continue on foot. At long last, they locate the Great Gray Gillikin Swamp below, but as they try to navigate a safe path down the cliff, Norman the Fox warns them away from his pups. Though he thinks them crazy for wanting to venture into the swamp, his wife Ophelia tells them to wait for one of the islands to float by, and then jump onto its tree branches when it does.

After a long while, a slow-floating island comes by and they jump on, but Dorothy loses her knapsack which sinks under water. They explore the island, but all they find are unusual bush-tailed birds, and realize it'll take them forever to search the whole swamp if they have to wait for the islands to pass by. So Dorothy gets the idea to cross across logs to the next island. The Scarecrow inspects them to make sure they're not alligators, and they cross. But halfway across, Dorothy notes that they don't roll like logs normally do, and suddenly she discovers one of them has a crown! As the wooden alligators close in, Dorothy falls in the water and grabs the back of the wooden alligator king, who flips her off into the arms of the Scarecrow, who both fall into the king's mouth. He spits them out unto the island, where they're surprised to find the Glass Cat is there. She tells them not to worry as the wooden alligators have no legs.

Bungle explains that as no one in the Emerald City appreciates her, she prefers to explore Oz to find someone who might. They tell her of their quest and she tells them she arrived yesterday and came across a ruined castle. By nightfall, they reach it, but when they enter it, a strange scene plays out before them. Abatha greets her brother-in-law as if she'd just arrived. Neither she nor Flinder can see or hear them, and Dorothy realizes this is the effect of the enchantment.

Abatha explains that she's been looking for her son for five years and needs his help. Flinder's son Javen comes down to see what the commotion is, and Abatha is shocked to see that he's her son Star. He even has the scar to prove it. Flinder says it's a superficial resemblance as he has the same mark on his face. But when Javen says he knows her voice, Abatha uses a spell to determine the truth. Flinder responds with a counter-spell, after which everything flashes, and when next the travelers look, Abatha, Flinder and the boy are covered in vines.

The next morning, the Scarecrow finds a bush-bird and inquires about the castle. Before it flies off, it says that it's haunted by ghosts every night. Dorothy concludes that Abatha's spell to replay the past mixed with Flinder's spell to freezer her. The Scarecrow suggests they simply prevent the spell from being cast. That night, they try to move them, but they can't be moved. Suddenly, Bungle jumps into the middle of them as the spell is cast, deflecting the rays away from them. The enchantment breaks, but Abatha and Flinder bitterly argue over the identity of the boy until Dorothy interrupts and tells them Glinda can help. Flinder rushes out with Javen and crosses the waters of the wooden alligators by means of a magical vine. The others follow, but when Abatha tries to stop Flinder, the boy falls into the water. Before the wooden alligators can get him, she conjures a magic thread that pulls him out towards her.

Flinder crawls back and admits he's not the boy's father, but is indeed her son Star! In his attempt to succeed at reaching the stars before his brother could, Flinder studied hard and became a great sorcerer. But the night he was to depart was the same night Dash cast his spell, though he was then unaware of this. Flinder intended to bring Javen with him, as there was no one else to look after a two-year old boy, but something went very wrong, and the spell took the boy and left him behind. In bitterness and grief, and after learning Dash had succeeded where he failed, he abducted his son Star.

Dorothy explains that Ozma now rules Oz and is kindhearted and will help them. Abatha agrees to get them off the island and invites Flinder to join them. After the delegation of Hoppers and Horners departs, Dorothy brings the sorcerers before Ozma and Glinda. Ozma explains that it was to prevent this very kind of misfortune that she passed the law prohibiting magic, except for Glinda and the Wizard. Abatha responds that she's a good and trusted witch, and that if she cannot practice in Oz, she must leave it. Ozma says that as she'd grandfathered in the Good Witch of the North before she retired, she agrees to the do the same for her. She also comforts Star, explaining that a hard truth is preferable to a comforting lie. Yet the boy proclaims his love for the man who raised him as his father. Flinder despairs, but Ozma appoints him Royal Wagonwright, in charge of the Red Wagon. She promises as well to use her power to bring back Dash and Javen if they still live. As Star has made his choice, Ozma suggests Abatha spend time getting reacquainted with her son, and Star agrees to this.

Continuity Notes

Dating: That Ozma brings up the law prohibiting magic, and lists only Glinda, the Wizard, and Good Witch of the North as exceptions, indicates this story takes place prior to the time Ozma began allowing individuals to petition for magic licenses, which occurs in 1982. This story has thus been placed in 1978.

Good Witch of the East: As of this story, Abatha is again the Good Witch of the East. It is not known how long she and Flinder had been under the enchantment, save that it was prior to the coming of the Wizard. How long prior is not stated. Because Glinda says it's before the Wizard arrives, it may indicate that it was a relatively short time before he arrived, and possibly during or even shortly after the time the Wise Woman of the East (Wicked Witch of the East) was put under a sleeping spell (The Magic Umbrella of Oz), as it would take her some time to re-establish power in her domain. Abatha recognizes Glinda, though she hasn't met her, also indicating she and Dash had practiced magic after the time Glinda was established as Good Witch of the South.

Great Book of Records: It's here noted that the Great Book of Records tells the "complete history of the world from the beginning to the present." Yet, when Dorothy flipped to the beginning of the book, in The Witch Queen of Oz, it appeared to begin with the story of Queen Enilrul and Oz. What may explain away this discrepancy is the Book's sentience. If Dorothy mentioned what she was looking for, the book's "first page" might have revealed the beginnings of Oz for her, whereas if someone asked for the beginning of the world's history, the first page might have revealed that.

Book 49 in the Sovereign Sixty!

History: Eloise (Jarvis) McGraw's final foray into Oz was initially published for Oz-story Magazine #6 and later released posthumously in hardcover. The story was first begun in 1980, but became an excised portion of her and Lauren McGraw's The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, until Hungry Tiger Press encouraged the McGraws' to tell another Oz story, which brought back the excised cast with The Rundelstone of Oz, which is the final book from one of the original authors of the original series.

Synopsis: In the garden at the Royal Palace, Ozma has tea with two of her ladies-in-waiting, the final of ten. Her guests include the elderly Lady Pernilda and youthful Countess Magriata. Pernilda tells of her important husband Sir Nevilard, who first brought her to the Emerald City from the Gillikin Country (where she comes from a very old Gillikin family), and her important cousins, who haven't written in recent times. Ozma tells her she can look into it.

On a cold winter day after two weeks of wandering the Forest of Gugu in the Gillikin Country, the Troopadours finally come upon a town where they can perform. Presto and Pronto, the two donkeys pulling the wagon, head into the town of Whitherwood, where a small crowd gathers. The wagon's driver introduces himself as the owner and director of the Troopadours, Maestroissimo Signorissimo Pizzicato Furioso, and his company of thespians. Opening the side of the wagon, he reveals the living marionette Poco (or Signore Pocotristi Sostenuto), third comedian and flute player. He plays "the Jittery Jig" from their play Pirnce Polygon's Ball, followed by "one of the best loved old Ozzish dances," the Quadling polka. Furioso then introduces the rest of the troop, comedian-trumpeter Largo Doloroso, comedian-drummer Scherzo Con Brio, character actress Dame Andante, ballerina Signoretta Allegra Arpeggia (nicknamed Tutti), and the handsome principal actor Signore Bravado Solo.

As the town clamors for a performance, their leader Slyddwyn, the Whitherd of Whitheraway offers his castle for the performance. The townsfolk inform them that the royal family had moved away, leaving only the Whitherd, who is like a wizard, though he does only tricks. Inside the wagon, the marionettes wonder if the Whitherd is performing illegal magic. Poco hopes Slyddwyn's tricks won't send Furioso into a tantrum that he usually takes out on Poco.

The Whitherd's servant Bickers irritably moves them into the courtyard, where he and Furioso begin arguing over small things. After tending the donkeys the Whitherd appears to Poco, praising his performance and wondering why he never left the abusive Maestroissimo. Dame Andante and Largo wonder the same thing, but Poco doesn't know what else he'd do if he quit. The show that evening goes well, and the Gillikin crowd enjoys the comedy and music as much as their counterparts in the other quadrants. After taking their final bow and leaving the stage, suddenly everything goes black!

Poco then finds himself in a dark box alone. Suddenly, he's thrust out shrieking and goes back in, realizing he's a cuckoo in a cuckoo clock! Slyddwyn takes him out, and disenchants him, explaining that it was all a mistake that he got lost, and that his companions departed after searching for him weeks ago. The Whitherd says he'd intended to enchant someone in the first row, but to Poco none of it makes sense. Slyddwyn offers him the position of Major-domo and says that life in the castle will be much easier than life with Furioso had been. Bickers is glad to take his leave, claiming it's better than waking up as a doorknob. Poco's duties are as that of an upper servant, and includes learning new songs to play for Slyddwyn. Above all, he's not to allow any foreign visitors into the castle, only the butcher, baker and truffledigger's boy Rolly. Although the work is easy and Poco enjoys the magic tricks Slyddwyn performs and games of Sticks & Stones, Poco doesn't trust the Whitherd, and becomes convinced that he turned him into a cuckoo so that he could have a servant who was used to being subjugated and wouldn't be too missed.

Poco soon meets Rolly, who praises Poco's playing abilities. Rolly plays a tin whistle so Poco asks him to play a duet. They soon become fast friends and begin practicing in front of the rabbits, raccoons and sheep. Rolly is fascinated by Poco's former life and longs to escape his Pa, whose not really his father, but a drunk. Years ago, the Gypsies had visited the town and left behind Rolly, claiming his father couldn't take him along.

The next day, a man in a multicolored coat, who Poco notes is clearly a foreigner, comes to the door pretending to sell muffins. Recalling Slyddwyn's strict instructions, he turns him away, but the man says he wants his Rundelstone back, but as Poco knows nothing of any old stone, he shuts the door. On another day, Slyddwyn turns him into a bookend. When Slyddwin disenchants him, Poco scolds him and threatens to leave, but the Whitherd says he was only practicing. Poco catches a sly smile on his face, though.

After lunch, Rolly asks Poco what the shining blue/green thing is in front of the castle, which appeared the day Poco arrived. As Poco only goes out to get the Gillikin News, they go look at it. It's a plaster peacock, and Poco hears an inner voice telling him it's actually Bravado Solo, and he realizes then that all of his friends are enchanted. Poco asks Rolly how long after the play that they met. The boy confirms that it was only a few days, and Poco now knows Slyddwyn lied. The pair search the kitchen and courtyard, but there's nothing new there. Poco finally tells Rolly the whole story of his deception, and despite being frightened of the Whitherd, Rolly determines to help Poco.

The next day, when Slyddwyn goes up to his tower, Poco begins searching every drawer, closet and room. He comes upon a wooden fan and realizes it's Tutti. At lunch, Slyddwyn hints at how good Gillikin oak would burn. The next day, Poco searches the grounds, but to no avail, as there are hundreds of ordinary stones. Rolly and Poco work on making a hutch for the rabbits so they feel safe from the neighborhood dog, though Rolly insists he's friendly.

A few days later, the muffin man returns, only now disguised as an herb lady. Poco asks him of the Rundelstone and enchantments, but the man accuses him of being a spy. Poco explains who he is, noting that he was carved by old Angeletto. The foreigner introduces himself as Shmodda-ab-Fyordi-cum-Aximok. Poco explains that he only wants to disenchant his friends, the Troopadours, who were tricked by the Whitherd. Shmodda tells him he'll give him three days to find and disenchant his friends, after which he must have the Stone and return to Fyordi-Zik five days from now.

Shmodda explains the history of the Rundelstone. Fyordi-Zik is an isolated, insular community in the Gillikin Country, north of the Stayaway Mountains, and hemmed in by the Deadly Desert. Since earliest times it was ruled by the Seven Spellbinders whose chief was the Loremaster. Their power lay in seven Spellstones, with the Rundelstone the most powerful, entrusted to the Loremaster. The Aximok Clan had always chosen the Spellbinders, who ruled wisely and well in the olden days. Then a hundred or so years ago, the Tremm-nun clan stole the Spellstones and became wicked rulers, turning the commoners into slaves. But the people rose up, took back the Spellstones and restored them to those appointed by the Aximok clan. The wicked Spellbinders were driven into the Stayaway Mountains and the Trumm-nun clan stayed in their keep as the realm was restored.

Many years passed, and a few months ago, the Spellstones began to disappear. With them gone, their ability to move the mountains and sun (they have an artificial sun due to the dimness of their environs) was diminished, as the Rundelstone didn't work as well without the Spellstones. They suspected Bloa-ab Ditherdum, the head of the Trumm-nun clan, but they don't know how he could have gotten past the sentinels, the Three-Eyed Hounds at day and the Black Non-Sleepers at night. Several days later after more of the small, but fierce Never-Fear dogs were trained to ride the Hounds, they went to Trumm-nun castle, only to find the family locked in a closet for two days unaware of Blo-ab's whereabouts. Then, two weeks ago, the Rundelstone vanished. A purple finch informed Shmodda, whose great grandfather was a Loremaster, that Slyddwyn had the Rundelstone. He'd spied a slinker (a cross between the body of a squirrel and head of a snake), carrying a package to Blo-ab's castle. Keeping watch at the castle, the finch saw one of the servants appear on a balcony put out food for a Giant Hawk of the Gillikin Hills, who took the package sitting there and flew off to Slyddwyn's tower.

With his great grandmaster fallen into despair and sleep, Shmodda is now Loremaster, and though he doesn't know how to use the Rundelstone, he does know that the words carved on it are rundels (rhyming runes), written in flarns (the marks that spell it out), which were filled with the rarest metal ever known, glittarium, which glows like stardust. In five days, the sun of Fyordi-Zik goes out for good, and it's a two day journey. Shmodda gives Poco instructions for transforming and un-transforming, which his great grandfather gave him before he left for Whitherwood.

That afternoon, Poco searches high and low for the Rundelstone, but when he looks into the purplefish pond he notices amongst the stones that one of them glimmers. He pulls it out, confirming its identity. Putting it back exactly, he waits till nightfall to spy on Slyddwyn, but the Whitherd fails to stir. The next day, Slyddwyn prattles on about the family portraits. Poco suggests he could better dust them if he had a long-handled feather duster. Poco's plan works and that night, accompanied by the dog and rabbits, he spies on Slyddwyn again, and this time he appears, takes out the Stone and utters eight words, which Poco commits to memory.

The next morning, Slydwynn presents him with a new featherduster, though to Poco's horror he realizes it's one of the Gillihens that roam the property. He vows to disenchant him. Later that night, he gets the Rundelstone out and transforms a fish into a monkey and back again. With only that night left and still unsure where two of his friends are, he tells Rolly his plan. When the Whitherd goes to bed, he disenchants Scherzo from a game piece. After a happy reunion, Scherzo tells Poco that Largo is the jester piece, and they disenchant him, Bravado, Tutti and finally Dame Andante, who was a darning egg in the laundry room. Scherzo reminds them they need their donkeys and wagon, and that they aught to be in the same form. Rolly says to consider the animals. Inspecting the rabbits, they see that two of them have the same markings as the donkey ears, and they disenchant them. Poco, Largo and Scherzo go to detain Slyddwynn, but he's not in his room and has bolted himself in his tower room.

Shmodda arrives, needing the Rundelstone to find the other Spellstones, so Poco threatens to expose Slyddwyn to Ozma and Glinda. Soon enough, Ozma, Dorothy, the Wizard, Cowardly Lion and Lady Pernilda, who once lived in Whitheraway Castle, arrive via Wishing Pill. Ozma thinks Poco's been doing illegal transformations, but his friends come to his defense. Lady Pernilda demands Slyddwyn tell her what happened to her family, but Rolly explains there's been no one there since he arrived. Shmodda worries they're running out of time for Fyordi-Zik, but Ozma informs him that Glinda has restored their sun and has rendered the power of the Spellstones obsolete, as the Stayaway Mountains will no longer shut them off from the rest of Oz. Poco then tells his story and Ozma realizes he was only righting the wrongs that had been done to him and his friends.

After the Wizard disintegrates the door knob and brings out Slyddwyn, Lady Pernilda recognizes her cousin, but he refuses to tell the truth. Watching him carefully, Poco figures out that Blo-ab was transformed into the nearby suit of armor, and disenchants him. Blo-ab confesses that Slyddwyn tricked him with a promise of partnership, but then used the Rundelstone against him. He gives the Spellstones back to Shmodda, who gives them to Ozma. The Wizard suggests the two villains be handed to Omby Amby until he finishes his "character-repairing" and "mischief subtractor" powders. The Wizard departs by cane, while the remaining group search and discover the 14 family portraits, which Pernilda had never before seen. Poco asks a portrait what happened, and it responds "Gillihens," of which Poco knows there are 13, plus the one turned into the feather duster, who once disenchanted, becomes Cousin Mal. He then tells him which Gillihen is which relative.

Shmodda bids goodbye to everyone, especially Poco who he invites to perform in his realm. Poco acknowledges that he's not the troop leader, but the Maestroissimo, who all but Tutti thinks should remain enchanted. Ozma says she can't do that. Rolly thinks he might be the dog, who he named Blackie, but Poco says their personalities are nothing alike. Since the dog can't seem to speak (like the rabbits didn't), Ozma's convinced it's him. Poco uses the Rundelstone one final time to disenchant the Maestrossimo. He promises to mend his ways and curb his temper, especially now that he has his son back. Rolly, whose name is Molto Rallentando, is thrilled to discover that this is his father. After goodbyes and promises to perform at the Emerald City, the Maestroissimo places his son besides him on the wagon, and the Troopadours go off to new performances and adventure.

Continuity Notes

Alcohol in Oz: One of a few stories to confirm alcohol consumption in Oz, along with The Magic Dishpan of Oz, A Murder in Oz, and Oziana 1980's "Colonel Cotton in Oz." On the BCF Pumperdink forum, Nathan DeHoff notes that: "The reference to Rolly's Pa "sitting over a mug of plum wine with a couple of vagabond friends" is probably the most blatant mention of alcohol in Oz. It's not at all unlikely that the 'courage' the Cowardly Lion drinks in WIZARD is an alcoholic beverage, but it's never specifically stated."

Dating: Late winter into early Spring. The narrative appears to take place around the course of 13 or so days. The year is not explicit. It cannot be after the author first discovered the living marionettes in 1980, but is clearly after the Wizard invented his version of the Wishing Pills. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1979.

Forbidden Fountain Draft: An early draft of The Forbidden Fountain of Oz included Dorothy and Ozma in the main part of the narrative. After the girls had lost their memories (due to drinking from the Forbidden Fountain), they winded up in Whitheraway Castle, where they meet Poco. Slyddwyn played a role as well.

Fyordi-Zik: In the north Gillikin Country, and formerly cut off from Oz by the Stayaway Mountains, this village had created an artificial sun due to the oppressive darkness of the mountains. There is a question as to why they would have settled there in the first place if the valley was so shrouded in darkness. The mountains appear to be mobile, as the Spellstones not only activate their artificial sun, but move the mountains, and it may be that at one time, the mountains did not block out the sun.

Gillikin News: This story reveals another newspaper in Oz, this one specific to the Gillikin County. It seems likely that every quadrant has its own newspaper.

Italian Musical Terms: Each of the Troopadour's names are Italian terms for music direction in classical and opera. They translate as follows:

Maestroissimo Signorissimo Pizzicato Furioso: Grand Master Lord Plucking Tempestuously

Pocotristi Sostenuto: Little Sadness Sustained

Largo Doloroso: Very Slow and Mournful

Scherzo Con Brio: Playful with Vigor

Allegra Arpeggia: Cheerful with Broken Chords

Bravado Solo: Swaggering Alone

Dame Andante: Moderately Slow (Dame is not Italian, but an English word for matron)

Molto Rallentando: Slowing down a lot.

The carver of Poco (and presumably all of the marionettes) bears the name Angelotto, which means Angelic. He was said to have some renown, but who he really is, and how he brought the marionettes to life is unknown.

Synopsis: Frustrated from a dream in which she ruled a large kingdom, the sorceress Vassilia, who lives just south of the Great Sandy Waste (north of Dunkiton), decides that to get rid of her boredom she must conquer a kingdom.

Riding the golden chariot pulled by the Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion, Ozma crosses the Deadly Desert by means of the Magic Carpet after settling a dispute between Foxville and Dunkiton. She's anxious to see her friends again and relieve her father Pastoria from the duties of the throne. With the help of a mirror to mark where she should head, Ozma traverses the desert through the invisible barrier surrounding Oz. But when the Lion stubs his toe on something sharp, Ozma uses her wand to retrieve the offending item, and discovers the long lost Silver Shoes! Once she reaches the Quadling Country, she tests the Shoes, commanding them to transport them to the palace of Glinda the Good. Glinda tells her she knows of the Shoes' rediscovery in the Great Book of Records, and that she's not surprised they were recovered.

Vassilia, meanwhile, reads about the Land of Oz from her book Fairylands of the World. Deciding that it's ridiculous for only three people to lawfully use magic there, she determines that she'll conquer Oz. Taking a gold cloth, she transforms it into a flyer, and flies across the desert to the Quadling Country. After seeing Ozma's Golden Chariot ride by, she heads to the Emerald City. There, Betsy is indoors due to the rain, but when Ozma arrives with the Silver Shoes on her feet, she summons Dorothy, Trot, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Scraps, Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, Toto and Eureka. Ozma tells everyone she found something as powerful as the Magic Belt: the Silver Shoes. Since everyone knows they can be used for transportation, Betsy asks if she can take them to the Quadling Country and find out what else they can do. Ozma concedes.

Vassilia, meanwhile, convinces the Soldier with the Green Whiskers to let her in to see Ozma and give her a gift. In the throne room, she explains to Ozma that she's a sorceress from a land outside of Oz that has heard of their problems with those who practice unlawful magic. To solve that problem she gifts her with two magic powders: a lavender one that brings things to life, and a yellow one that deprives magic from anyone. Ozma accepts and shows her to her room for the night. Once alone, Vassilia magically changes the colors of the two powders.

The next morning, Scraps joins Betsy, whose wearing the Silver Shoes, as they head into the Quadling Country. There they come across Berrybury, a community that grows various berries. The guardian welcomes them, explaining that they're devoted to growing the finest berries in all of Oz, and escorts her to meet King Barry the Eighth, who lives in a ruby palace. He's fascinated by the Silver Shoes, and invites them to lunch. As he feeds her, Betsy tells the story, and the king gifts her with a gold ring with a strawberry-shaped ruby, and Scraps with a patch of a strawberry.

As they pass by a beautiful field of wildflowers, Betsy wishes they were alive, and due to the power of the Shoes, they are! A Primrose declares that only flowers are allowed in the meadow and asks them to leave, the Upsy Daisies begin tossing them into the air, the Daffy Dills make jokes and the Black-Eyed Susans argue amongst themselves. But the Primrose, who declares herself ruler, demands Betsy and Scraps leaves.

They next come to Glassville, where the buildings, trees, flowers, water and people are made of glass. Betsy slides and falls on the slippery surface, and the Glassglows laugh. Scraps gets her up and they slide over to them. They tell them that they're a sign posted warning people away. Scraps becomes offended when they call her absurd, and does a cartwheel, accidentally knocking into a glass woman who crashes into a bush, both of which shatter. Accusing them of murder, they summon forth Queen Gleamenshine the Seventh. She orders them placed in their crystal river to make them as beautiful as they are. Scraps and Betsy fight back as the Glassglows struggle to take her Shoes and push them in the river. After the shoes are thrown off and land in the branches of a tree they can't reach, the Queen then orders them taken to the Prism Prison, within which is a pool. The Queen orders them kept there until they bathe in their water.

Three days after they left the Emerald City, Ozma checks in Betsy and Scraps. Seeing they're enjoying their trip, she checks in on Vassilia, and discovers her plot to take over Oz by switching the magic powders. But when Ozma goes to the safe where she placed them to use the lavender powder on Vassilia, something comes over her.

Earlier, Betsy and Scraps remain imprisoned in Glassville. But when Scraps sees a whistle around Betsy's neck that's used to summon the palace animals, she suggests blowing it. She does, cracking the glass. This brings out the queen and her guards, but Scraps and Betsy run to the edge of the city. Unable to climb up the glass wall, they spot the Shoes upon the tree, and Betsy begins blowing, and with the help of Scraps who somersaults into it, she gets back the Silver Shoes and wishes them to the top of hill outside of Glassville.

There, they overhear Vassilia plotting and reproaching herself for her hasty actions. Angry, Scraps wishes all the magic workers in Oz were out of Oz just as Betsy wishes them to the palace. Once, they find Ozma gone and realize that Scraps' wish came true. Searching for Ozma, the Wizard and Glinda in the Magic Picture results in nothing, so Betsy takes the two powders that Ozma had been examining when she vanished, and determines that if she goes to where the Shoes came from, she might perhaps find the place they sent Ozma, the Wizard and Glinda.

Commanding the Silver Shoes to take them where the shoes came from, they appear in the Munchkin Country before an ivy-covered castle. Entering the abandoned building, they discover magic books, and realize they're in the castle of the Wicked Witch of the East. Examining her books, she discovers that the Shoes were molded from magic silver from the banks of a silver river. They grant wishes and create visions. Now that she knows they grant wishes, she wishes to know where Ozma and the others are, and she's shown a dry spot in the Nonestic Ocean where they and Vassilia are. Wishing to go there, Betsy and Scraps greet their friends and explains what transpired. Ozma realizes that Scraps' wish won't allow them to return to Oz until they find a way to break the spell. As Vassilia had changed her mind about conquering, Betsy uses the Shoes to send her home. They realize then that some powder might have gone on the Magic Picture.

As night falls, Betsy swims to the surface and sees the first evening star, which she then wishes upon, requesting a way to solve their dilemma. Rising up out of the water, she flies up to the star of the Wishtakers, where she meets the queen and several other beautiful girls who fulfill wishes. The queen notes that they were lucky to catch her wish before it got lost in a cloud or burnt up in the sun. The queen suggests that Betsy use the Shoes to restore the magic powders to their original states. Having done so, she adds that Betsy should remove the magic from Dorothy, the Wizard and Glinda with the one powder, and then restore it when they return to Oz. Betsy concedes, and returns to her friends, spreading the yellow powder over them. Then, with the Shoes she returns them to Oz, and they fly over the Deadly Desert to the Emerald City. Once there, Betsy wishes magic users allowed to exist in Oz, and sprinkles them with the lavender powder. Summoning Vassilia before them, she explains that she what she did was out of boredom and promises to leave them in peace. Ozma gives her just enough water from the Fountain of Oblivion to enable her to forget how to get to Oz, and restores her to her land. The Silver Shoes and the two powders are then put in the emerald safe.

Continuity Notes

Berrybury: One of the rare communities that sprung up in Oz that makes sense. Berrybury likely began as a small berry farming community (or group of small farmers who grew berries) who consolidated under the first King Barry; the one in this story is the eighth. That he's never heard of the Silver Shoes can indicate either an insular community, or a relatively young one, and given that they are so welcoming and produce their berries for Oz, insularity seems unlikely. More likely is that they or the king elect a new "king" every few years to represent them. They drink elderberry wine in their domain, one of several examples of alcohol in Oz.

Castle of the Wicked Witch of the East: Located in the Munchkin Country, there's a seeming incongruity with the fact that the witch's magic books were left behind, as Ozma and Glinda are known to have taken away any magical apparatuses or books. It seems likely, however, that this castle was magically protected from detection. It may not have even been her only residence. The books are marked as property of W.W. East, which Betsy knows as the Wicked Witch of the East, though they were likely written by the witch as meaning the Wise Woman of the East, as that is the title she went by when she ruled (see The Magic Umbrella of Oz).

Dating: There is no explicit date given in the text, save that it must take place after Ozma's father Pastoria is restored (The Lost King of Oz) and before 1987 when the story was written. Hurray for Oz, which takes place in 1988, notes that this takes place a short time prior. The Royal Timeline of Oz currently places it in 1986.

Fountain of Oblivion: One of the earliest accounts which demonstrates that the water from the Fountain of Oblivion need not entirely remove one's memory, but can be selective. This is expanded on in The Royal Explorers of Oz: Book 3, in which it's shown that the quantity controls the amount of memory removed.

Glassville: A glass community of glass houses, trees, flowers and people called Glassglows. Ruled by Queen Gleamenshine, they are another of those cold-hearted communities who seeks to make others like them. Likely they were brought to life through magical means, but by whom, and whether intentionally or not, is not known. It's also not known if Queen Gleamenshine originally came from the Village of Glass (from Mrs. Pickering Goes to Oz), Silica (from The Hidden Prince of Oz), or is related to Silico the Glass Blower (from The Crocheted Cat in Oz)

Scraps Wish: Scraps' wish that (p. 70) that "all the people with magic powers were gone from Oz" should have affected dozens of people, and not just Ozma, the Wizard, Glinda and Vassilia. Either they were banished to a different region than the dry area under the Nonestic, and were restored later, or the Wishtakers chose to interpret it differently than the wording suggested.

Silver Shoes: While the Silver Shoes were created by Enilrul (The Witch Queen of Oz), Betsy's wish only asks the Shoes to take her to where they came from. She assumes that means where they were created, but the Shoes only take her to where they were previously, at the castle of the Wicked Witch of the East. Her book indicates how they were made: molded from magic silver at the bank of a silver river, but not who made them. The witch must have uncovered this information years later. For more information on the History of the Silver Shoes, go to the Appendices.

Wishtakers: These wish elementals that inhabit the evening star appear to be some kind of fairy responsible for fulfilling the magical wishes made on the star provided they catch the wish. It may be that they are also responsible for wishes made by objects such as the Magic Belt and others. They also determine how a wish is fulfilled.

Synopsis: When the Glass Cat gets bored, Trot suggests she help someone. So Bungle leaves to join Ozma and Betsy who are discussing Betsy's 75th anniversary in Oz. Betsy would like to see her Oogaboo friend Queen Ann, Jo Files and Princess Ozga, so Bungle offers to travel there to invite them. Ozma tells her it's in two weeks time from tomorrow. The Glass Cat arrives by sunset. Queen Ann is pleased to get the invitation, as she's never yet been in the capital, and Bungle agrees to lead her.

At dawn, Bungle goes to a mountain stream and waterfall to clean off, when she meets a bullfrog who warns her to jump. She does so, just missing a musket ball shot at her by a group of malcontent youth.

In California, meanwhile, Barry Klein and his sister Becky are having trouble adjusting to their new life with their aunt and uncle following the deaths of their parents. Barry comes across an old bottle, and hoping it might hold a genie inside, opens it up. A genie indeed pops out, and Barry asks him if he could wish his parents had never been killed. The genie admits he can't do that, so Barry asks if there's a real Oz like the one in the books. The genie notes that while some of the details are off, there is. Barry then wishes himself and his sister there, and then wishes to know the true pronunciation of the world PYRZQXGL.

The siblings magically appear in the Munchkin Country where Barry explains to his sister what happened, and uses his newfound magic word to give her a new outfit for exploring. He tells her that if they want to stay they're going to have to do something to deserve it, as that's how it usually works in the books.

Bungle, meanwhile, escapes her 13-14 year old assailants by walking along the bottom of the lake, emerging unto a hiding spot where she recognizes them by their ridiculous clothing as the Bad Lads of Brookville, which is a small town in the Quadling Country. She follows the leaders Torko and Moosko as they sneak into Oogaboo and enter the farm where the musket trees grow. They each pick one and its associated bullets. Bungle continues following the Bad Lads to the west side of the valley where they go into a hidden cleft, leading to a clearing in the valley at the side of a mountain. There, near its center, spouts a fountain where two dozen Bad Lads loiter. Torko tells them there's enough guns for them all. To prevent Ozma finding out their plan, they prepare to keep anyone from leaving, and since neither she nor Glinda have stopped them before, they feel emboldened to take over. Bungle learns that they had fled because the Herkus started dipping any Bad Lad they caught in the Truth Pond.

Bungle determines to warn Ozma and Queen Ann, but is spotted and shot at. The Cat escapes to warn Ann who tells her sister Salye Soforth to gather Jo Nails, Jo Apple and Meli Cone at the gun tree. Ann goes off to find Jo Files. They're all too late, though, as the Bad Lads reach the gun trees first and arm themselves. Although they have no experience with firearms, Bungle advises Ann to warn her citizens to hide. She and Salye know of a campground in the north beyond the woods. Bungle determines to contact Ozma in the meantime, and has Jo Files create a diversion so she can escape.

The next day, Queen Ann's team ambushes four Bad Lads and ties them up. Queen Ann learns there are 26 Bad Lads. Salye leads most of the citizens up north, while other parties stay behind to watch. Barry, meanwhile, unsuccessfully fails to fill their hunger when he tries turning rocks into food, so they determine to find some place hospitable. He teaches Becky how to pronounce the magic word, and the two transform each other into peregrine falcons. Enjoying their flight, they spot a Munchkin cottage. After turning back into themselves they met Tosc and Dirna who feed them. Departing, they turn back into falcons and follow Tosc's directions to the Emerald City. Once there, they turn into sparrows and alight upon the dome above the throne room, where they watch as Bungle races into the room to warn Ozma of the Bad Lads invasion of Oogaboo.

Ozma agrees to send Cap'n Bill, Trot, Button-Bright, the Glass Cat and Hungry Tiger to Oogaboo by means of boat that Cap'n Bill will sail up the Winkie River. Ozma gives them amulets that will protect them from bullets, along with extras for the people. She also gives them an ever-refilling basket of food, a magic tent, and magic tangle ropes to tie people up with.

The party set sail, and as it's the Hungry Tiger's first time in a boat, he gets seasick. Becky and Barry decide to follow behind as crows, taking a detour to get food from a Winkie cottage. But when Barry tries to get news from other crows, they detect he's not real. Knowing that magic is forbidden to all but Ozma, Glinda and the Wizard, the crows think he's an evil magician and begin plucking his feathers. In the form of an eagle, Becky rescues him. Later, they sense a storm coming and turn themselves into river dolphins. Cap'n Bill, meanwhile, makes landfall at the Scarecrow's tower and the party are greeted by his major-domo who gives them lodging and food.

The next morning they set sail again, only without the Hungry Tiger who determines to run along the bank. They pass by the Trick River before arriving at the Tin Woodman's castle where they give food to the Hungry Tiger and agree to meet north of Cowville, where Trot wishes to visit at lunchtime. Cowville proves a friendly place, as they meet various cows, including the Grand Dame Elwanda, and get cheese. Elwanda tells them that she knows of the United States from the cows Elmer and Elsie, who were restless and went to the Emerald City and convinced the Wizard to send them to America. There they went into advertising.

Deleted Chapter (Begins on page 72, paragraph 1): Sailing up north as far as they can they disembark and pitch a tent in a clearing. Trot notes that it's the first time the three of them have gone on an adventure together since they first came to Oz, and they share their adventures in Sky Island with the Glass Cat and Hungry Tiger. The next morning, Button-Bright awakens early and walks along the river where he's accosted by the Bookmaker, who insists he must make a bet in order to pass through his estate. For every time he loses, he must work a day in service to him. They race wogglebugs, but Button-Bright loses. They next play the card game Cassino, but he loses again. Tiring of the games and the Bookmaker, Button-Bright takes out his magic rope and instructs it to tie up the bookie. Once complete, he returns to his friends, explaining that he was captured, not lost. (Resume at page 72, paragraph 2)

In the morning, Becky eats some fish, and although Barry is unsure if they talk, he shrugs his shoulders and eats them as well. Seeing the boat, they turn themselves into wood ducks and fly past the Tin Woodman's castle, where they spot some Ozian celebrities. After feasting on minnows, they turn into hawks. Concerned they'll be tempted to eat birds and rodents, they turn into goldfinches and eat apricots. Finding rest in an oak tree, they're awakened at dawn by Bungle, who demands to know why they've been following them. Barry tells most of the truth, leaving out the part about wanting to earn an invitation to stay in Oz. He also acknowledges to having a magic word to transform things. Bungle thinks it'll come in handy, but leaves it to Cap'n Bill to decide.

Salye's team, meanwhile, follows a group of Bad Lads. But when Joli Cheese trips and sprains his ankle, Salye leads the Bad Lads away from him and gets caught in a clearing. They take her prisoner, and on their way to camp, she notices that Lando is more mature than the others. He tells her that growing up in Brookville left him not choice but to become a Bad Lad, but he let himself grow older and has always been smarter than they are. The Bad Lads take her to the village, where Sayle is horrified to see the condition they left things. Because she won't reveal where the others are, they force her to clean up after them. But when the others leave, Lando helps to dry the dishes, and together they prepare food.

Trot meets Barry and Becky, who tell their story of the genie and the wishes. They soon meet the others and Cap'n Bill who says they can travel with them, and they all continue north on foot to the road of yellow brick. When they finally reach the pass, they find the post deserted by the impatient Bad Lads.

The next day, they discuss plans and head out. Button-Bright disappears, but Barry goes looking for him. When Trot is accosted by two Bad Lads, Becky knocks them to the ground and ties them up, explaining to the surprised Trot that knows karate and explains what martial arts are. Bungle, Cap'n Bill and the Hungry Tiger, meanwhile, catch up to a part of Bad Lads. Though their bullets can't hurt them, one of them shatters Cap'n Bill's wooden leg. The Hungry Tiger leaps in, dashing the boys, capturing Torko, Moosko and the other Bad Lads, freeing Salye. Barry offers to give Cap'n Bill a real meat leg, but he's so used to having a wooden one, he simply requests another. The rest of the Bad Lads are soon caught by the Oogaboo citizens and Salye vouces for Lando, who they leave untied. The Rest are marched back to the village to clean up their mess. Salye's then appointed to lead them to the Truth Pond, while her sister attends Betsy's party.

The next morning, the Tiger takes the road while the others sail back. Button-Bright asks Becky if she could teach him karate. They stop at Cowville again. The next day, they reach Lake Quad where a storm arises, with wind and waves that knock Trot into the water. Barry turns himself into a dolphin to save her, but Trot has already used her ring to summon the mermaids, and Clia and her cousin Merla are there. The mermaids greet everyone and explain there's an underground tunnel to the Nonestic Ocean.

At the Emerald City, Barry learns that the Guardian of the Gate retired years earlier. In the city they pass by various drink fountains, and Trot introduces the twins to Dorothy and the various celebrities. Jellia brings them to their rooms, explaining that the Wizard enchanted the baths so that it magically takes their measurements and prepares a proper wardrobe for them. Finally before Ozma, Barry tells the whole story. Ozma asks if they want to stay, and they agree. She says that "only one mortal in the last 50 years has come to Oz and wanted to stay." She also warns them not to use the magic word except in emergencies.

Days later, the Wizard invites Barry to become his new apprentice, while Becky starts a fashion revolution with all the boys and girls wearing jeans. On the day of Betsy's anniversary she goes to see Hank. Polychrome comes down, not having been to Oz "in a long time," and Ozma begins the parade. Quox makes a surprise visit and meets Ozma. Ozma makes Bungle her Principle Investigator to the Throne and sends him to learn whose overthrown the High Cocolorum.

Continuity Notes

Bad Lads: A group of malcontent teenagers from Brookville, nearby to Herku. There is a strong cultural similarity between them and the Noyzy Boyz of The Flying Bus of Oz, and the latter is located in the Quadling Country, whereas Brookville is in the southern Winkie Country. Although the latter grow from enchanted plants and the former are born in the customary fashion, it seems likely that one group is an offshoot of the other. The Bad Lads left Brookville when the people of Herku had apparently had enough of them and began taking Bad Lad prisoners south to the Truth Pond.

Barry and Becky Klein: Although orphaned children have become more common of late with kids coming to Oz, Barry and Becky have the distinction of being the first recorded Jewish visitors to Oz. In 1945 when Hitler asked if there were any Jews in Oz (in Adolf Hitler in Oz), Queen Ann didn't know what they were.

Contradictions: Due to several contradictions, The Glass Cat of Oz is on the Timeline with the caveat that some aspects of it did not occur in the way it's told. While some of the contradictions can be retconned (the use of the magic word pyrzqxgl after its disenchantment in "Much Ado about Kiki Aru," in Oziana 1986), others prove more difficult, including the state of Oogaboo, which has the exact same number of people living in it as it did 80 years prior (which seems to suggest there are no births in Oz, and contradicts Queen Ann in Oz and Adolf Hitler in Oz), people eating animals in Oz (several stories and Ozma specifically indicate this is not the case: see Beach Blanket BabylOz), Quox having never met Ozma (The Law of Oz and Other Stories, though in fairness that story was published later), and most egregiously Ozma and Cap'n Bill stating that no mortals have come to live in Oz in the last fifty years, except one (presumably Robin Brown). Author David Hulan, as with Baum before him, tends to make needlessly definitive, borderline hubristic, statements that are invariably contradicted by other stories and authors.

Dating: The story begins two weeks prior to the 75th anniversary of Betsy Bobbins’ arrival in Oz, chronicled in Tik-Tok of Oz, which takes place in 1905. While the anniversary creates an explicit date, the author's intent is based on his belief that the latter story took place around 1914 (Barry surmises they came to Oz then, but Trot doesn't confirm or deny it, claiming she didn't pay much attention to what year it was), and that his story would take place in 1989/90. To further complicate matters, there are aspects of the story that make it seem as if it should take place much earlier. Trot says that she's never seen a girl wear denim jeans before and doesn't recognize T-shirts. Yet, as Dorothy has been wearing casual clothes for some years, and there have been several youthful visitors to Oz in 1963, 1974 and 1975, this suggests an earlier date, however Cap'n Bill says no one has come to stay in Oz for 30 years. Ozma then says "only one mortal in the last 50 years has come to Oz and wanted to stay," which even by the author's chronology would allow only for Robin Brown (from Merry-Go-Round in Oz), a stance that needlessly restricts other told and untold stories.

Deleted Chapter: There is an unpublished 10th chapter of the book (synopsized above) in which Button-Bright encounters the Bookmaker, whose a bookie. Peter Glassman of Emerald City Press considered it inappropriate. There is a continuity error in it, however, that needs to be discarded, and that is the Bookman claiming there are no horses in Oz except the Sawhorse (a claim Button-Bright doesn't dispute despite having met or heard of plenty of horses in Oz).

Lake Quad: As revealed in other stories, Lake Quad leads underground to the Nonestic Ocean (as well as other places; see Trot of Oz). The others are the Bottomless Lake of Hidden Valley in the Munchkin Mountains, revealed in Wooglet in Oz, and Lake Forgottune in Ozallooning in Oz.

Mascots: Hulan indicates that the famous cow and bull mascots from the Borden's commercials, Elsie and Elmer, are actually emigrants from Cowville in Oz. The Wizard had acceded to their request and sent them to the Outside World. This would have to have been before 1936 (when Borden began using Elsie in its advertising).

Missing Belt and Wishing Pills: Given the threat of Oogaboo by armed teens, it seems more than strange that Ozma doesn't send her party to Oogaboo immediately by means of the Magic Belt or Wizard's wishing pills. Similarly, she could use those magical items to stop the Bad Lads right away. Although Ozma says she'd like to get the rescue party there quickly, she apparently doesn't view them as much of a threat since she doesn't (citing only that the Red Wagon is in use), and goes on to send two children, an old man, and a cat made of glass to deal with them, with only the Hungry Tiger as protection. Trot calls it an "adventure," and Ozma wishes them "an enjoyable adventure." [pages 43-44]

Musket Tree and Moretomore: In Queen Ann in Oz and Adolf Hitler in Oz, the gun trees are guarded by Jo Musket. It's 30 years since the latter story, and it may be that Jo Musket has grown up and moved on, perhaps with Jo Dragon and the dragon Moretomore. Or it may be that they're on vacation. It may have been thought that since everyone in Oz is so peaceful and there were no invasions in the years since Hitler, that it wasn't necessary to guard those trees. Or it may that their guardian was away when the Bad Lads infiltrated Oogaboo.

Oogaboo: The narrative portrays Oogaboo as stagnant since the time of Tik-Tok of Oz, with the same amount of citizens (90) that there were in 1905 [page 34]. Apart from the unlikelihood of this, it's clear from both Queen Ann in Oz and Adolf Hitler in Oz that there have been normal births and arrivals in that community. While possible, it may be that there was a mass exodus of people out of Oogaboo, but again it seems unlikely it would have left behind the very number of people there were in 1905. These figures have to be taken as historian error and discounted. In a similar vein, it's stated that Queen Ann has never been to the capital. It seems to stretch credulity to say that in 75 years, she never once attended one of Ozma's birthday parties, or was never magicked there by the Belt to celebrate some of the many celebrations they have.

PYRZQXGL: There is a discrepancy between the conclusion of Oziana 1986's "Much Ado About Kiki Aru," which purports to see the end of the power of the word, and this story in which the word is still efficacious. See that entry for a possible continuity fix.

Quox: Quox is said to meet Ozma for the first time. He first met her in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, but Tititi-Hoochoo made him forget that adventure. Yet he met her again when Tititi-Hoochoo arrested Ozma in The Law of Oz.

Sally Soforth: Queen Ann's sister is still referred to by her maiden name, possibly indicating that she didn't marry the Winkie farmer she'd been in love with (or did and later divorced) in Adolf Hitler in Oz.

Talking Animals: The author portrays Oz as a place where some animals speak, and some don't, and in this milieu has his protagonists kill and eat animals. In fact, the protagonist Barry notes that they might speak, but then shrugs his shoulders and determines he doesn't remember any "important" fish in the books, as if that should be the determining factor as to whether or not to kill and devour them. This depiction of Oz as a place where only some animals speak runs contrary to the vast majority of stories in which it's said that "all animals" (including fish) speak in Oz, and these scenes should, therefore, must be considered historian error and taken with a grain of salt. Another dubious element is the idea, expressed in the deleted chapter, that there are no horses in Oz, except the Sawhorse. See also the entry on "Dating" and "Ooogaboo" above.

Trot: Trot notes that she lived near Laguna Beach, south of Los Angeles, California. Barry and Becky comes from nearby. Trot uses the ring Aquareine gave her in The Sea Fairies.

Synopsis: When seven-year old Kelly gets grounded by her father for coming home late, she tries the next morning to convince him to let her go to her friend Heather's party. At school, however, she's upset to find out that her friend Charlie, a teacher's assistant, is being forced to leave his position.

At midnight, it becomes uncannily dark, and Kelly awakens to music and the sight of a tiny man with purple spiked hair in a leather jacket on a pink motorcycle. He introduces himself as Spike (real name: Joshua), the new Assistant Tooth Fairy. He explains there's no one Tooth Fairy, and he's not a fairy at all, just a helper for Ruthie Toothie, whose in charge of her region in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kelly informs him that she didn't loose a tooth, but has come to the wrong house. Her friend Kristina lost a tooth.

When Spike gets on his bike, it crashes, knocking him unconscious. After putting him to rest in her dollhouse, Kelly decides to take his list and complete the assignment so that he doesn't lose his job. She heads to Kristina's house, but doesn't know how to get in. When a police officer arrives, she flees. She soon discovers that behind the list is a book: Incisors and Excisors: A Handbook for the Well-Taught Fairy. From it she learns how to enter locked doors. But at the next house she enters, she realizes she has no money. The book tells her that in emergencies she can obtain money from the parents. So, waking up the boy's parents she explains her mission. They call the police and Kelly locks herself in their bathroom. Consulting the book again, it tells her to turn to a certain page in the event of discovery. She does and finds herself in a forest.

After spending the night in a cave, Kelly awakens to find a repast of berries in a clearing by a tree in a colorful forest. More appear again that night and the next morning, when she meets a creature. Unsure what to do, she offers it candy. The creature then shrinks down to the size of a squirrel. Over the next two days she learns that the creature (a Cuddlefuzz) had provided her the food, and that it understands her. She calls her Effie. In the next two days she learns the tree where the berries come from, and where Effie lives, is a geome tree. She can enlarge herself as protection from predators.

The next day, Kelly meets an eight-legged skitterdo, a creature like a llama and a spider, named Stank. He's friendly at first, informing her that she's in Flannigan Forest, but he grows upset when he tells her that on his 116th birthday he failed to capture a cuddlefuzz, the task his brothers gave him in order to become an Appouont Ranger. It's an impossible task and he thinks they set him up to fail, but he decides that bringing a girl instead might work. Stank abducts her and takes her to Skitterdo Scullery in the center of the forest. Kelly escapes, but is caught by his brother. Stank throws her into a dungeon pit, where she finds it's as filthy as the rest of their town.

Kelly awakens the next day to find herself mysteriously clean. But she worries when the skitterdos drop a large sack into the pit with her. Opening it reveals a female skitterdo named Acridette, who tells her she'd fallen from grace and is now an outcast. Effie suddenly appears to rescue Kelly. Upon spotting the skitterdo, whose been the enemy of the Cuddlefuzz, Effie shrinks her down to a small size. This gives Acridette the idea to have Effie also reduce Kelly's size, while enlarging herself so that they can escape out the top of the prison-pit.

Miles later, they come upon a sign for Ohmy Gully, population 1 and a half. Finding a cave to rest in, Kelly awakens to the sight of a giant, who introduces himself as Cokuzima. He believes everyone left the gully because of him. As he proves friendly, they nickname him Coke. He feeds them the dry leaves from the trees that he cross-pollinates, which taste sweet and delicious to Kelly. She tells him her tale up till that point. The giant directs them to the Emperor, and brings out a map showing Ohmy Gully at the edge of the western part, with the Emperor to the east.

They set off the next morning. Kelly gets the idea of having Effie shrink Coke to human-size, but her powers are spent after the last time she effected them. Coke decides its best to stay behind, and although sad at losing his new friends, is anxious to have them tell the Emperor about him. The party come to a river, where Effie stumbles and hurts her leg. Acridette suggests they go back, but Kelly tells her she can't, though she'll understand if the skitterdo needs to. She agrees to continue with them and suggests spinning a web across the river to serve as a bridge. After several tries, it works and they cross.

After dozing for awhile, Kelly awakens to find Cuddlefuzz's foot swollen. Acridette bandages it with some webbing. After several more miles, they come to another river. This time, they meet the star-shaped Fallen Stars, Stanly, Stacy, Steward and Stephanie. They shine only in fairylands and don't orbit the mortal lands. Now that they're fallen, however, they're grounded. Though they don't interfere with the affairs of LandTrodders (or LandTrotters), Stephanie is dismayed by the state of the Cuddlefuzz, and determines to use her stardust to heal him, even if it does break Celestial laws. It works, and once Effie's better, they thank the stars. Effie then enlarges and carries her friends across the river. They come to a small community of humans who point them in the direction of the Emperor's castle.

Kelly is amazed that at the ornate palace, and the fact that it and its trees and bushes are made of tin. The guardsman informs her that she's in the country of the Winkies in the Land of Oz, and that Nick Chopper is the Emperor. Kelly remembers the movie The Wizard of Oz, but the story the guard tells of his origins seems unbelievable to her. Kelly is happily surprised to find the Emperor is kind hearted and willing to help her get back to Albuquerque. He tells her the story of Dorothy and the Silver Shoes, parts of which are familiar from the movie, though the details are different. She asks about the shoes, since that's what got Dorothy home, and the Tin Woodman explains that they were discovered years ago, and again recently, but are now protected. Effie tells him about Cokuzima the giant.

The next day, Kelly meets Glinda, who read of her adventure in the Great Book of Records. She's come to reveal bad news, however. The skitterdo Acridette, that she thought was her friend, had actually been deceiving her from the start. She had traveled with them in order to find human settlements that Kelly could settle in, after which she would lead the skitterdos to attack. She left in the middle of the night. Kelly is glad, at least, to know that her friend Coke was offered citizenship and will guard the realm from the skitterdos. Glinda then assures her she can go home any time, but a celebration in her honor awaits in the Emerald City.

At the party, Kelly is happy to meet all the celebrities, and especially to see Spike again. Although he's been discharged, he's now at his normal height, and Glinda has asked him to stay on. Kelly meets the Braided Man, the Wooden Gargoyle, Mr. Flint, a Viking, the Scarecrow and others. Several days later, Ozma sends Kelly home, promising to see her again. Kelly wakes up to discover a copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, signed by Spoke. Even more surprising, Charlie shows up small and on a pink motorcycle, explaining that now that Ruthie Toothie's retiring, he's the new Tooth Fairy, and he needs an apprentice: her! She agrees and they ride off together!

Continuity Notes

Chapters: Chapter 13 is named "The Hungry Tiger of Oz," though that character does not appear and is not mentioned in the chapter.

Cokuzima: This kind-hearted, three-legged giant appears again in The Giant King of Oz.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of 14 days. The year is noted by its sequel, Fairy Wand of Oz (which takes place four years later) as being in 1988, and a short time after The Silver Shoes of Oz. This story takes place a year prior to The Giant King of Oz.

Kelly and the Tooth Fairy: Seven year old Kelly, her friend Charlie, and pet Effie, reappear again four years later in Fairy Wand of Oz.

Silver Shoes: The narrative tells the story of the Silver Shoes' rediscovery in both The Braided Man of Oz and The Silver Shoes of Oz.

Skitterdos: This unusual race of beings was later exiled, as per Lunarr and Maureen in Oz, in which they reappear. Although not on the Timeline, elements of the latter that might have taken place there.

Stars: In Grampa in Oz, Ruth Plumly Thompson introduced the idea of stars that do not correspond to what modern scientists believe is the nature of stars in the outside world. The Fallen Stars, which have no apparent relation to the biblical "fallen stars" (or fallen angels), explain this discrepancy by noting that they're fairy stars.

Synopsis: When the giant Goola the Glutton tries to capture and eat the Gillikin magician Kerok, the magician barely gets away, but the giant gets his magic Golden Dart, which can hit any target commanded. Goola learns the incantation from the wicked giant Snufflegum, who had seen his brother killed with the magic dart, and becomes king of the giants on Giant's Peak. He married the giantess Lazyliz, and has a son, Prince Kwa, who as he grows older he frequently beats.

One day, Nibble, the Littlest Giant (whose real name is Bignonthaurus), whose been mocked for being only 15 feet tall, came up with a plan to get his revenge. He convinces Prince Kwa that in order to obtain the most delicious mince pies from the humans who made and coveted them, they must borrow his father's Golden Dart. The boy is unsure, so Nibble prepares for him a wooden dart crafted to look like the real one. While his father sleeps, Kwa exchanges them. Successful, they travel to the home of Xerok the Baker, where they take all his freshly baked pies. While Kwa eats, Nibble secretly exchanges the Golden Dart for another fake replica, which Kwa unwittingly switches with the other one when he returns home.

Several days later, when King Goola goes out on a hunting trip, his dart fails to kill a targeted rhinoceros. Trapped between it and a band of armed Gillikins, the giant king is killed. Before his throne can be claimed, Nibble asserts his authority by means of the real Golden Dart, defeating his opposition, and forcing Kwa and his mother to move out and into Nibble's former cave. En route, they encounter the giantess Diapaci, who the former queen deems a troublemaker. Diapaci flirts with Kwa until she learns that Nibble now has the Golden Dart, and leaves to win him over.

For long years, Kwa reproaches himself for his foolishness and keeps himself secluded. Then one day in the Purple Forest, he meets the giantess Kerwiss, who offers to share a doonabeast she caught. He declines, but some time later, when she saves him from a charging rhino, she invites herself to dinner, which Kwa prepares. His mother is thrilled her son has met someone, but dinner is interrupted by Queen Diapaci, who insists Kwa hunt a rhino for the king. The next day, Kwa goes back to the Purple Forest and comes across the largest Doonabeast he'd ever seen. His efforts to shoot it fail and the creature turns on him, but once again, Kerwiss is there to save him. Though he's ashamed, she informs him that she can hunt, but can't cook. She tells him to bring the doonabeast to the king and claim it as his own. When Nibble sees it, he declares a banquet in Kwa's honor, but Kwa later learns that the queen has told all the guests that it was the king's kill. Unable to sleep that night, Kwa goes in search of Kerwiss in the Purple Forest. When a giant rattlesnake attacks him, she saves his life for the third time. This time, he proposes to her, and she accepts.

Since Goola's death, most of the giants have ceased eating humans, and the humans of the Second Valley no longer live in fear. Xerok tells his son Zerok of the time two giants stole his mince pies. Zerok wishes to see the Giant's Peak and asks to borrow the car (a Phebani). Xerok declines, but his mother Querok gives him the keys anyway. The next day, he goes to the Giant's Peak, but upon his return he drives into a ditch, ruining the car and breaking his legs. An old man approaches him and throws a dart at his head. With that, the boy is healed. The wizard Kerok explains that he used a Healer's Dart, as his specialty is Dart Magic. He points out that the hole is an impression of a giant, and promises to work on a dart to fix his car. In the meantime, he uses a dart to bring him and the boy to his home. There Zerok meets his daughter Terok, who serves them dinner. Terok stays with the wizard and his daughter for some time until Kerok makes a magic dart to repair the car, after which their two families become friends.

While his wife helps get him intoxicated, King Nibble ponders the state of affairs since the coming of Mr. Yoop, who was freed by Terp the Terrible years ago, and came to Giant's Peak, where he became the military commander of the army. At the same time, Kwa gets an idea, and goes to Nibble's home, gives him his father's Gagnemar coat to wear, and pretends there's a hunting contest scheduled at this time,. Intoxicated, Nibble agrees to go. Kwa then tells his wife there's a hunt on for Gagnemar. Obliging, she uses her slingshot to fell one, but it turns out to be Diapaci, who insisted on wearing the coat.

In the College of Art and Athletic Perfection, the Wogglebug learns from the three-legged giant Cokuzima about his cross-pollination experiments in Ohmy Gully and his adventures with Kelly the year prior (Hurray for Oz), which saved him from the loneliness he'd been feeling. Yet, he still longs for companions his own size. The Wogglebug informs him that giants are not uncommon in Oz. Unaware of this, Cokuzima is given a lesson pill by the professor, which teaches him Oz history. With it, he discovers Giant's Peak and the unique enchantment of Second Valley, and although no one knows where it is, Cokuzima determines to find it. After much searching, Coke comes upon a two-headed giant, whose names are Long and Hardtopronounce. They tell him the way there, but insist he demonstrate his wit. He departs from the disagreeable giant and escapes across the bridge, where he notices that this section is different from the Gillikin Country and other parts of Oz.

Kerwiss's shot had crippled Diapaci, leaving her bitter and in pain. To make Kerwiss pay for what she's done, he has Kwa drafted in his army. Soon, Cokuzima comes upon Kwa's cave, and hears all about them and their lives. Their gathering is interrupted by Mr. Yoop, who arrives to draft Kwa. Afraid to displease Nibble, who still wields the Golden Dart, he concedes. Before he leaves, though, Kerwiss announces that she's pregnant.

Zerok and Terok, meanwhile, fall in love, marry and move into a cottage provided by Xerok. After spying Cokuzima's ascent upon the mountain, Xerok arrives at their house to report the strange giant's arrival, and his fear that the giants are preparing to resume their human-eating ways. He suggests they get some magic darts and ascend the peak to kill them first. The human army ascends the mountain and enters Kwa's cave. Kerwiss has already escorted Kwa to join Yoop's army, leaving Diapaci interrogating Cokuzima. When the humans arrive, however, she runs to put on Kwa's armor. The giant Nutherun shows up with Nibble to ensure that Kwa has left for the army, and because she's wearing his armor, they mistake her for him. She's unable to shed the helmet in time, and her belligerence and refusal to go causes Nibble to chap her head off, after which the giants feast on her cooked body!

Kwa later goes to visit Nibble, who doesn't know what became of his wife. Seeing Kwa, he grows terrified, thinking him a ghost. Unsure why he's behaving like that, but determined to put it to his advantage, Kwa demands the return of the Golden Dart, which Nibble procures, after which he exiles him off Giant's Peak. With possession of the dart, Kwa becomes king, Kerwiss queen, and their daughter Ooenemm princess. Both the giants and humans celebrate. Cokuzima returns to his cave in the Winkie Country, content to leave the company of other giants.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The main portion of the narrative takes place a year after Hurray for Oz. The appearance of a freed Mr. Yoop in his natural form would appear to indicate that this story likely takes place before "The Fate of the Yoops (or The Yookoohoos of Oz)" in 1983, because at that point he's transformed into a green monkey. However, due to the cardinal date of Hurray for Oz, in 1988, there must be an untold story in which he was disenchanted from his green monkey form. The Royal Timeline of Oz, thus, restores the placement this story to its original placement in 1987. The first chapter appears to take place not very long prior to that, and must be after the invention of automobiles. Yet, it seems incongruous that Ozma would allow the giants to continually harm humans in any part of Oz without intervention on her part. Thus, the first chapter is placed prior to her reign in 1900.

Deletion: The Royal Timeline of Oz considers eight pages (77 to 85) from chapter 6 non-canonical. The content within these pages not only grinds the story to a halt for the sake of incessant jokes, but break the bonds of credulity.

Kerok the Wizard: A wizard or magician (both terms are used here) that specializes in Dart Magic. Not much is told of Kerok, save that he is goodhearted, lives in the unusually enchanted realm in the Gillikin Country known as the Second Valley

The Littlest Giant: The first chapter of this book is an expanded retelling of the Baum short story "The Littlest Giant." The subsequent chapters provide a sequel to it.

Mr. Yoop: The history of Mr. Yoop and his Yookoohoo wife Mrs. Yoop was first told in the pages of The Patchwork Girl of Oz and The Tin Woodman of Oz. Their marriage and transformation into giants was told in The Law of Oz and Other Stories. On page 52 of this book, it's noted that Mr. Yoop escaped his cave prison by means of the assistance a terrible giant, who took pity on him. This unnamed giant was said to have later been reduced to average size and became a farmer, after which Mr. Yoop no longer bothered with him. This is clearly meant to be Terp the Terrible from The Hidden Valley of Oz, which would place Mr. Yoop's escape from prison prior to 1930. Years later, he sought the partnership of another terrible giant, hinted as being Badmannah (Yankee in Oz), but this did not work out, and he left his company, finally coming upon Giant's Peak. Announcing himself as Kambullz Yoop (a play on Campbell's Soup), he was brought before King Nibble, who made him military commander of the army. The name is clearly unlikely. Perhaps he gave a false name for some reason. Mr. Yoop's actual given name was revealed in The Law of Oz and Other Stories as Ogram. Five or six years later, the giant Odarodle tried to take the throne from Nibble, and Mr. Yoop met him on the battlefield and soundly defeated him. After Nibble's exile by King Kwa at the end of this story, it appears that Mr. Yoop challenged the new king for the throne, something he intended to do to Nibble initially, and failed, but rather than kill him with the Golden Dart, Kwa had him exiled and imprisoned in his original cave, where he's later found in the Oziana 1983 story "The Fate of the Yoops, or The Yookoohoos of Oz."

The Purple Forest and Second Valley: It is noted in the text [p. 41] that the animals of the Purple Forest in the Gillikin Country lie under a very different enchantment than the rest of Oz. Two major factors are present: 1. They don't appear to speak (though this is inconclusive), 2. They regenerate after being killed and eaten. Although the Second Valley is also under an unusual enchantment, they don't regenerate, though they do drive automobiles—not Scalawagons (which are explicitly noted on page 40 as being different), but traditional cars. How they got to Oz, whether they were made in the Second Valley (independent of, or imitation of, automobiles in the outside world) is unknown. Also unknown is how and why the Second Valley, Giants' Peak (which is atop the mountain in the Second Valley) and Purple Forest, where the giants hunt, are under so unusual an enchantment. It may be that a fairy (or wizard) changed the nature of the enchantment in Oz to allow for the giants to hunt, ensuring that the animals living there--although killed--would reconstitute upon the moment of their deaths. This may have been done in order for the giants to have a source of food other than humans (though they continued to hunt humans anyway). Other, less violent means, have been taken to ensure the giants' survival in other areas of Oz, such as what Zim the Flying Sorcerer accomplished in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3, for example. The Giants' Peak, Purple Forest and Second Valley are accessed through a guarded bridge located in the Gillikin Country.

Book 50 in the Sovereign Sixty, as Royal Illustrator of Oz takes the role of Royal Historian

Synopsis: When Dorothy goes to the office of the Ozmapolitan newspaper in the Emerald City to post a classified ad for Aunt Em, whose looking to teach embroidery, she meets Septimus Septentrion, or Tim, the seventh in his family from the Gillikin Country, who three weeks prior, came to live and work in the Emerald City. Tim explains that the editor-in-chief is asleep because there's no interesting news to print. This frustrates Tim who believes they should be going out to find stories. Dorothy meets the Mifket Jinx who serves as the printer's devil and errand runner. After Tim suggests they do an article on Em's plans to revive a vanishing decorative art, Dorothy tells him she'll speak to the Wizard about his ideas. The Wizard started the paper years ago. The next day, Tim is invited to lunch with them on the following day.

That Thursday, Dorothy informs Tim that the Wizard's approved his plan for an expedition, which she'll accompany him on. The Wizard arrives and Tim proposes they distribute the Ozmapolitan with the peddlers who come every week to the Emerald City. In this way, all four quadrants can have access to it. The Wizard agrees, and tells him that if they journey west along the Winkie River, the Scarecrow can accompany them on his new boat. He gives the young man an old camera and gives Dorothy a "speaking tube" to use to contact him in case of an emergency. Later in the day, Tim interviews Aunt Em, who thinks he'll go far.

Early the next morning, Tim heads to the palace where Jinx awaits, insisting on going along. Dorothy arrives and agrees he should come. Then Eureka shows up and invites herself as well. She and Jinx begin the first of many quarrels, but the four march proudly out of the Emerald City, with Jinx brandishing a banner for the Ozmapolitan Expedition. They stop to eat outside the city. When the cat and Mifket start arguing, a squirrel complains they've awoken his newborn, so the party apologizes, but a Trade Wind comes along, and they find themselves missing their travel gear and holding items that don't belong to them. The squirrel explains that the Trade Winds literally trade items. The party, however, comes across their own items as they encounter a woman and cow who have them.

At the Scarecrow's mansion, they look forward to going on the Scarecrow's new boat, made for him by the farmer who made the Scarecrow. The houseman tells them that the Scarecrow took it in the morning to show the Tin Woodman, and should be on his way back now. After freshening up, they decide to walk along the river to meet the Scarecrow on his way down. Along the way, they come across a gingerbread houseboat. Skipper Sally invites them in and reads their fortunes using gingerbread cookies. They find the following mysterious fortunes: Fat Chance, a Silent Melody, a Blue Moon.

Three miles later, taking a shortcut to the Tin Woodman's castle, they get turned around. Eureka says a black crow with a gold chain has been following them, but they don't believe her. They then come to a place called Art Colony, filled with paintings and artists working in a maze of corridors. They realize the artists are living human-sized paintbrushes. Their guide introduces them to his family who insist on painting them. Dorothy concedes, but the travelers don't know what to think of the strange Modern Art representations of them (Cubist, Surrealist, etc.) Tim takes a picture of them, but they soon realize they now all look like their portraits! The painters are pleased with themselves, feeling they've improved them. Tim insists on their old forms, but the painters refuse to paint "old fashioned... naturalism" styles. Tim calls them frauds, and they attack. The travelers get the better of the brush people, but when more arrive, they run out of Art Colony. Dorothy looks for the Speaking Tube to call the Wizard, but discovers she's lost it.

At the main road, they determine to follow it east to the Emerald City to get their natural forms back. A fat traveling sales man pulled by his burro Miss Annabelinda, introduces himself as Chauncey Chance, and Dorothy realizes this is the first of the fortunes: Fat Chance. Dorothy inquires if he has anything to cure the enchantment of Modern Art, which turned them into Artistic Interpretations. Chance finds a bottle of Muddle's Miracle Mixture, which does the trick! Aboard his wagon, they head to the Tin Woodman's castle. Eureka inquires how a dignified animal can pull a wagon, and Annabelinda explains that she doesn't work for Mr. Chance. They're partners. He gives her sustenance, shelter and an interesting career. In return, she provides him transportation. He's also easy to train and even has good ideas. Approaching the castle, Chance promises to come every Thursday to the Emerald City to pick up Ozmapolitans, and the burro will visit Eureka.

At the castle, the housekeeper says the Scarecrow and Tin Emperor haven't returned from their boat trip, and invites them to spend the night. After Dorothy falls asleep, Eureka goes for a stroll, but she spies the big crow talking with Tim! The crow identifies herself as the Royal Watchbird, saying its her duty to spy on him for His Majesty. Tim confirms his mission is progressing, but tells the bird to stay away so that this companions don't get suspicious. Eureka determines to keep an eye on Tim, realizing he's not all he appears to be.

On saturday morning, Dorothy awakens to find Tim and Jinx have made them a small skiff and christened it the Princess Dorothy. He's determined to take the south fork down the Winkie River. Turning a bend in the river, they enter "Game Preserve," which is labeled private property. Broad black stones prevent the skiff going forward, and as they drag the boat to the other side the stones carry the travelers to the bank. An alarm bell brings forth the Game Keeper who says that although they're trespassing, they can follow the rules of the game, travel on the squares, and find their boat again at the end. The stones are set up like a big game board and there are instructions on some pieces. They're team #23. Dorothy spins the arrow on the Spinner, a creature with sharp teeth, but they soon find out that the game can go on for a week! To escape, Jinx kicks the Spinner while Tim removes it's arrow, which makes it lose its sense of direction. They run to the finish line, where the Gatekeeper tells them they cheated. Tim says he stole their boat, and won't return the arrow until he unlocks the door, which he does.

The river takes them into a cave, through a tunnel, down a corkscrew waterfall. When they stop on the shore to eat, Eureka again spots the crow. Back on the river, they pass into a larger cavern, where they meet two course-looking, but friendly Cave People. In the darker section, they're attacked by a Tyranicus Terrificus who snatches up Eureka. She tells the dinosaur that she's poison, and he drops her as they sail through an archway. But realizing he'd been fooled, the dinosaur threatens them. In the cold, dark cave, they discover stairs going down to a frozen chamber where they rescue the River Princess, who was a captive of Tyranicus. Bringing her to their boat, she revives and says her name is Melody, a River Princess, and cousin of Polychrome, but a river Elemental. Her three other sisters are princesses of the Quadling, Munchkin and Gillikin Rivers. The travelers recognize their fortune cookie, Silent Melody, as she explains that she feels bad for Tyranicus as he's the last of his kind. She swims off to rejoin her people.

Before dinner, Tim walks off, but Eureka sees him talking to the crow. They return to find their food has been stolen. Dorothy hands them Wogglebug's Square Meal tablets. After making torches they sail into another dark cavern. Frustrated, Tim says he'll be 16 by the time they get out, which is next week. He's been putting it off, but his father won't allow it any longer, and before he comes of age, he has to prove himself. Eureka confronts him and calls him a spy. The boy denies it, but asks Dorothy to trust him and he'll explain everything later. Jinx then tells them the boat is leaking. Dozens of tiny holes are in the bottom and sides. They bail out just as the skiff sinks and the empty hamper floats away. After walking awhile, they settle to sleep, while Eureka scouts ahead. She discovers a hidden passage, but before she knows it, she slides down the slippery slope, alighting upon a brighter cave with a stream upon which floats the hamper. Unable to get back up, she christens it the Clever Kitten and goes for a ride down the stream.

Dorothy, Jinx and Tim wake up Sunday morning to discover all their supplies gone. They go in search of Eureka, but the shadows from the torch conceal the passage she found. After getting to the end of the cavern, they find no way out except by boat. Jinx then leaves to find Eureka, and as they wait, Dorothy cheers up the dejected Tim. Jinx comes back, and after awhile, they hear two voices approaching. It's the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow, in his seahorse-prowed boat, Blue Moon, with Eureka leading in her hamper. They had been lost as well when she found them and led them up a water rise.

Tim leads them out the westward passage, but Tyranicus is waiting for them! As he tries to eat the Tin Woodman, Nick hits him with the flat edge of his axe, but as he goes in for the kill, nooses are flung about him by a group of warriors under the command of Princess Melody. After the River Men have tied up the dinosaur, Princess Melody gets the idea to put him in the frozen cavern where he'd placed her. She figures that in a few thousand years he may better behave himself. She then invites them to their Water Palace, and as they pass by the arch on the way there, Tim and Dorothy recover their stolen items which are hanging there.

Princess Melody upon her dolphin leads them to an enormous domed cavern with a circular skylight. Within it stands an elaborate, crystal-like turreted castle. Tim takes pictures as Melody gives them a tour, and they all enjoy the banquet of unique river foods. As they depart, flying fish rise up on wings out of the river and circle the palace. The Princess informs them that there are many caverns they'd have to traverse to get back out, but Tim suggests the flying fish take up their boat. Six fish carry the Blue Moon over the cavern edge unto the nearest river outside, about a mile from the Tin Woodman's castle.

On the trip back, Eureka quietly remarks to Dorothy that Jinx looks glum because he'll be returning to his old shed behind the Ozmapolitan building. After saying goodbye to the Tin Woodman at his castle and the Scarecrow at his, the original party head back, bumping into Chaucer Chance and Miss Annabelinda again, who offer them a ride to the Emerald City. Ozma greets them, along with the Wizard, the crow Cornelius, the Royal Watchbird, and a tall, sour-faced man, who is the Prime Minister of Septentria. He explains that their kingdom lies in the lower range of the Gillikin Mountains. Septimius will turn 16 in four days, and has succeeded in proving himself despite the obstacles Cornelius has thrown his way. But before they can celebrate, he announces that the boy is unfit to rule! Yet, Tim is thrilled, explaining to the stunned crowd that Septentria is a democracy and the royalty exists only for pomp and ceremony, which he hates. He wants to be industrious, but as a royal, he's not allowed. Now that he's proven himself, his eldest sister—who enjoys all that—can take his place. With that, the Wizard lets Tim speak to his father by temporarily making the Magic Picture a two-way device. King Grandioso is proud of his son, but Queen Elegantine is besides herself, and his six sisters lead her away. The king confirms that he did not order Cornelius to steal the food and poke holes in the boat, but before the Prime Minister can punish him, Ozma comes to his defense, explaining that he was only being loyal to their traditions.

The Wizard announces that the Editor-in-Chief is stepping down, and he offers Tim the position. The boy is thrilled, but even happier is Jinx, whose offered the Head Assistant position, along with a room of his own at the Hozpitality House. After they go to freshen up for dinner, the girls conspire to throw Tim a birthday gala.

A week later, when Dorothy and Eureka go to see Tim and Jinx, the boy tells them of his plan to update the map of Oz by having the Wizard organize another Ozmapolitan Expedition, this time by balloon! Dorothy, Eureka and Jinx all volunteer to go!

Continuity Notes

Animal Equality: The burro Miss Annabelinda explains to Eureka how the arrangements in Oz between humans and animals are no longer exploitative. She partnered with Mr. Chance for a mutually-beneficial arrangement in which both use their skills and receive rewards. She even considers him easy to train, an indication of the kinds of role-reversals that can and have taken place in a land in which humanocentrism has been done away with.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of six days, and then one day the following week. Internal evidence indicates it takes place in the spring. No year is indicated, save that the presence of a Mifkit in Oz indicates that it takes place after The Scalawagons of Oz.

Eureka Error: Dorothy tells Tim that she found Eureka in Kansas. Either Dorothy misspoke, or Martin made an error, as the kitten was found either in Australia or California, as per Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. Eureka in Oz indicates it was the former.

Jinx the Mifkit: Though not explicitly stated, this character likely first appeared in The Scalawagons of Oz, and if so, he must have forgiven Ozma her bizarre and unkind treatment of him (due to the fact that she wasn't herself). His work ethic is very similar to the Mifkit in that story, which appears to be an uncharacteristic trait for their race.

Magic Picture: This is the first instance of the Magic Picture being used as a two-way visual and auditory communication device, not unlike Skype, with the Wizard transforming a painting in King Grandioso's castle into a temporary Magic Picture so that the Royal Family and those in the Emerald City can see and speak with each other. This demonstrates the progression of magic and technology in Oz, as well as the Wizard's seemingly ceaseless experiments.

River Cruise: The overall concept of a trip down the Winkie River is reminiscent of the unpublished chapters of Jack Snow's original Shaggy Man of Oz story, in which the Shaggy Man, Ozma, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cap'n Bill, Trot, Button-Bright and the Tin Woodman are traveling aboard the ship, The Ozma, down the Gillikin River. See the Summer 1967 issue of The Baum Bugle and the continuity notes for The Shaggy Man of Oz for more information. The fact that the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman like to traverse the rivers by boat (despite both it being a potential dangerous endeavor for each) comes from Baum himself in his Little Wizard Stories of Oz short story, "The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman of Oz."

Telephone: The Wizard's Speaking Tube is essentially a kind of phone (the sorcerer Zim was given an unnamed but similar device in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3). This invention has been around since Tik-Tok of Oz, when Ozma used one to contact the Shaggy Man, and it is a mystery as to why this device hasn't been in more frequent use since that time. It certainly would've come in handy. Most likely, the Wizard hadn't quite gotten the technology/magic right, or there was some kind of external interference he couldn't figure out.

Tyranicus Terrificus: This rampaging dinosaur is noted by Princess Melody, the River Elemental, to be the last of his kind. This doesn't mean he's the only living dinosaur, however, and she's likely unaware of the existence of Quaddle, who lives in Lake Quad (from Oz-story Magazine #6: Trot of Oz), or even Terrybubble, who resides on Sky Island (from Speedy in Oz). Also, in Oz history, dragons are amongst the oldest beings alive, and technically more ancient than dinosaurs (or at least contemporary with them).

Winkie River: Tim correctly notes that not all of the Winkie River's tributaries are noted on the map. Each of the four quadrant rivers of Oz have River Elementals which reside in them. Melody is the Princess of the Winkie River. The Elementals are noted to be a kind of cousin to the fairies. Melody has a large host of "river men" under her, who also appear to be River Elementals, and in fact all who live in the River are under her domain.

The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy is considered a deuterocanonical work

Synopsis: When 19 year old Aleda flies off of Grandfather Mountain in Morganton, North Carolina, on her hang-glider, she finds herself over an unknown landscape, passing through noxious smog and then getting tangled in a tree. The next morning, a sixty-foot tall, eight-fingered giant gets startled by her when he knocks her from the tree. She finds out he lives in the Winkie Country of Oz and is frightened of small people. Anxious to get away, she prepares to take off from the desert, but the giant grabs her before the sands can destroy her. Aleda awakens the next morning, feeling better after being given water and berries. He explains that as a boy, the little people in the neighboring village shot him full of arrows. Afraid to leave due to the little people, who he believes are cruel, he determines to keep Aleda, whose the most interesting to happen to him in 50 years. He's lonely since his mother stopped visiting him 25 years earlier for unknown reasons. For her part, Aleda tries to get him to overcome his fear, and names him Orlando.

One night, she sneaks out of the little house he'd made her and walks to the chasm that surrounds his valley. Though too steep to climb down, she hides from Orlando for the next week until he catches her again. She tells him he must let her out or let her go, but he refuses, so she stops speaking to him. Three days later, he relents and brings her into his house, where she discovers many books on Oz, which grow on his book tree. Orlando doesn't know how to read, so she reads to him, starting with The Lost Princess of Oz. She spends the next few weeks reading books like The Four Wicked Witches of Oz and The Red Sorceress of Oz, amongst others. Though Aleda longs to get to the Emerald City, Orlando is ashamed at the behavior of his fellow giants.

Dinny tells Zim he'd like to travel to Oz on his own and asks Zim to surprise him with a place that's safe. After exploring his Perpetually Updating Geographical Factual Atlas of Oz, Zim gives Dinny a tin pail that when planted will grow a tin pail lunch tree, and a magic treehouse that will grow and ungrow. After a leavetaking party at Maggie's, Zim casts a spell ensuring Dinny will remember him only when he's by himself. Zim opens a portal to the Winkie Country, and Dinny finds himself in Townsville, where everybody is named for the work they do. Mr. Derry Farmer gives him a ride to the castle where Amadin introduces himself to the royal couple and an afghan hound named Royal, and applies for the position of gardener's assistant. The Royal Hound, a gift to Mr. King from the Wizard Wam, explains that he has a magic nose that can sniff out whether one is wicked or good. Determining Amadin honest, he tells him of their giant who they make tools and utensils for. Their foundry also makes things for other Oz kingdoms. After Wam left their town, along with the giant plants he'd cultivated, a female giant moved into the next valley asking for tools. A year later, she had a son, but she's since been taken by the Herkus. Several boys dare Dinny to go see the giant, so a short time later, he follows the men who bring him a new knife that they leave at the canyon. There, he spends the night.

After the death of King Whippetarius (who ordered someone pushed into the Deadly Desert, a fate that was reversed unto him), his thieving son Slippetarius is due to come into power. Yet before he can, his mother gives him a quest to fulfill first. She explains that the boy they mistreated years ago was really their brother. He had formerly been their sister Amalea. They must find and bring him back to Lostland. They set out for Brown Bleegum's house, knowing Dinny had worked for him. Not home, they're directed by a neighbor to Maggie's, who discovers that Slip has no conscience and tells him only that Dinny left Bleegum's service. After they leave she remembers she has a spare conscience that she'd gotten from a man who had one too many.

When Dinny awakens he sees Aleda across the canyon and they discuss the misconceptions Orlando and the residents of Townsville have of each other. Orlando arrives and snatches Dinny, bringing him home for Aleda. The next day, they read Speedy in Oz and Orlando becomes enamored of the idea of the wizard making him human-sized like he did to the giant Loxo in the book. Aleda tries to convince Orlando to let one of them go to the Emerald City; Dinny suggests the Wizard could shrink him and the Wogglebug's pills could enable him to read. He says he'll think about it, but Aleda thinks his fear will override common sense. Dinny writes a note for Royal, and in the morning, Aleda slings it over the chasm, where the Royal Hound spots her. She explains their situation and he tells her to be there with Dinny at midnight. They show up and are met by three men who aid them across the chasm. But when Aleda discovers they've called the Herkus to come and take away Orlando, she grows incensed and guilty, and determines to go back and warn him to take her to the Emerald City. Dinny agrees to meet her there. Waking up Orlando, Aleda explains the situation, and at last the giant agrees to leave the valley. Announcing for everyone to get out of his way, he runs through Townsville. Dinny sees and follows them, but is stopped by Royal. He explains to the dog that the giant is harmless and only wants to be shrunk down to human size. The hound concedes and Dinny invites him to accompany him to the capital.

Orlando and Aleda arrive at the Scarecrow's mansion. The Scarecrow hears their story and joins them. At the Emerald City, many run away, but the Scarecrow assures Ozma that all is well. Aleda asks the Wizard if he could shrink Orlando. The Wizard asks for Ozma's crown and fashions a ring of it. Aleda and Orlando meet the various residents of the palace. When Ozma repairs her hang-glider, Aleda demonstrates how it flies. She asks Ozma to send her home, but Orlando pleads with her to stay, explaining that she'll grow old and die in the outside world. Ozma extends the invitation and the Wogglebug offers to make her instructor of hang-gliding. Overcome, she agrees to think about it. The Wizard arrives with the gold ring, which shrinks Orlando down to the size of an ordinary man. If he removes the ring, which he can three times a day, he'll shoot back up to his original size. When the Wizard sees the anklet around his leg, he realizes he's from Huge Mountain (Big Top Mountain) and may be a prince. Ozma suggests they need a good king, but Orlando's not interested. The Scarecrow knows he just needs experience and adventure first and offers a guided tour.

Dinny gets information on the Herkus from Mr. Messenger. The Czarover had come, but when his party spotted Orlando leaving Townsville, they turned around, deeming him too big for even them to handle. That night they're awoken by a Yellow Weech (a Winkie wildcat), but Royal's barks scare it away.

The next morning, Dorothy takes over rule as Ozma takes the chariot, pulled by the Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion, to visit her people. Hitched to the Red Wagon, the Sawhorse leads the Scarecrow, Scraps, Aleda and Orlando to the Seven Blue Mountains, as Aleda wants to see where Dinny grew up. Their first stop is Jinjur's farm. The women become friends and catch a peculiar orange flower that can run. They next head to Sapphire City, where they lunch with King Cheeriobed and Queen Orin, and Prince Philador takes Aleda horse riding. The king tells Scarecrow that the Fairy Ferry came into existence five years earlier, breaching the Jaggedlands. The Seven Blue Mountains are known for their unequalled sapphires and blue gemstones. When the Scarecrow learns there are practicing wizards and witches, he determines to inform them of the prohibition.

Next morning, the party pass through the Munchkin Mountains into the Jaggedlands and Jagged River, where they summon the Fairy Ferry, a crystal swan boat captained by three sea fairies, which navigate the river's constantly turning gears by hooking the boat's rubber notches into the gears, which propels it along until reaching the lake of the Seven Blue Mountains. The travelers venture to Noth, Lonlee and the Kingdom of Trope in Mount Azurite. In each, the friendly people tell how they were helped by a good wizard against a mishap or wicked magic user, and the Scarecrow tells each that they must inform their wizards that it's illegal to practice magic. They feel that the Wizard and Glinda are too far away to help them. The Tri-Rulers of Trope admit they never posted Ozma's decree because they need their good witches and wizards. Finally, the Scarecrow says they can get a license to practice magic, but they must go before her. While the Scarecrow posts a note on Brown Bleegum's hut, Aleda goes hang-gliding around the mountains. She lands at the base of Mount Azurite and is met by Ganalan, who identifies the orange flower and asks for it in trade for a Magic Star, which lights up the dark. She agrees and he kisses her with a protective kiss on the forehead.

The next day, Orlando is happy to have taken the Wogglebug's reading pill, and Scraps returns from exploring to announce she's found a cave (which is the very cave Amadin explored years earlier). The party go spelunking and are amazed by the crystal formations. Hours later, they come to a tunnel leading to Rimmersden.

Ozma, meanwhile, comes across Amadin's nine brothers, who think she's their long-lost sister Amalea. Hoping she'll remember, they introduce themselves: Slippetarius, Hippetarius, Clippetarius, Zippetarius, Skippetarius, Lippetarius, Chippetarius, Flippetarius and Shippetarius. Ozma only remembers that she was once known as Tippetarius, and tells them to go to the Palace so the Wizard or Dorothy can show them the Magic Picture to find their brother. The brothers determine she's under a spell and must be saved. Slip goes to the Emerald City, but his brothers don't trust him, so Ship follows behind. The rest follow Ozma and grab her while their horses ambush the Lion and Tiger. Slip waits til night to sneak into the palace and Ozma's suite. There he unlocks the safe (having learned how from a master thief) and steals the treasures, including the Magic Belt, which he uses to turn his brother Ship (the rightful heir to the throne) into a stone. Shrinking the Magic Picture, he departs, throwing his brother's stone it into a river. When he meets with the rest of his brothers, he turns Ozma into a gold ring, which he puts on his finger.

Aleda and the others emerge in an underground forest where they enter a hexagonal kingdom of hexagonal houses (with lunchbox and supper trees in every yard) and a palace capped by seven sapphires. They meet Arly. She's never seen a dark-haired person before, save in books, and believes they're cursed. She explains that the Rimmers once raided Oz from the north and fought battles with the Mudgers in the south. The jester Summer Saltin dances over to greet them. As she speaks in rhymes (forced to by their Queen Celestia), she makes fast friends with Scraps. Aleda isn't sure about this queen, though Scarecrow says most fairies are good. Past the mirrored great hall, they're brought before the beautiful Celestia in a silver sapphire throne room. She wears a silver circlet with a daisy chain of sapphires. Celestia acts as if she's never heard of Ozma, and when the Scarecrow says she needs a license to practice magic, she grows angry (and resentful that Lurline gave Ozma a larger kingdom and made her subject to her). Ganalan's protective kiss prevents Aleda from harm, but not from being sent to prison with Orlando. Scraps and Scarecrow are stuffed into tiny crates where they can't move.

The fifth day after Aleda arrived, the Guardian of the Gate tells Amadin and Royal that Orlando's been shrunk, and Omby Amby tells them their friends left on a tour three days earlier. Dinny's shocked to see a portrait of Ozma, as that is the face he used to wear as Amalea. Dinny insists on seeing Ozma, but discovering she's been abducted by his brothers, he and Royal head to the Munchkin Country, where they encounter the Sawhorse, whose shocked to see Tip!

Aleda picks the cell lock and escapes with Scarecrow and Scraps, promising to come back for Orlando (whose lock she can't pick). She hang-glides to the forest, and though she must leave the glider behind, the jester Summer meets them and leads them to an illusory wall that hides a passage to Zim. Discovering their escape, Celestia has Orlando brought to the tunnel, but it closes up after he enters it, and he joins his friends who are magically provided books and beds. The next morning, the floor of the tunnel rises up into Zim's palace. He welcomes them and explains that he provided the beds and closed the tunnel so the guards wouldn't find them. The Scarecrow complains that magic is illegal in Oz, but Zim promises to apply for a license and tell his associates, which mollifies him. Zim says that Celestia is only half-fairy. Her mother had married a mortal, who died when Celestia was young. Her mother was later re-admitted to Lurline's band after a century. As a young girl, Celestia was made ruler of the Rimmers, but she never forgave the fairies for the perceived slight. She now transforms anyone who annoys her. Zim was once her advisor, but when she came of age, she appointed Corfon her adviser and made Zim court wizard. When she began copying his magic, he left Rimmersden and made his home on Mount Azurite.

The dragon Hadasse lights Zim's pipe as he listens to the origin stories of Scraps and Scarecrow, and then announces he's going to deal with Celestia. Exploring his palace, they enter a room of categorized seashells, rocks, coins, art, a labyrinthine library, conservatories and arboretum. The red paths are lined by carnivorous plants. After turning himself invisible, Zim flies to Rimmersden and discovers the palace empty. Inquiring of his old friend Andrus, he learns that Celestia has taken her army and Aleda's glider through the passage Aleda came through. Zim returns to his sanctum, knowing he must go to the Emerald City for the first time in a century to warn them that Celestia will use her fairycraft (half fairy magic, half witchcraft) to conquer them.

With the magic of the palace stolen, Glinda, Dorothy, the Wizard, Betsy, Trot, Button-Bright, Omby Amby and Herby are joined by Jinnicky whose brought anti-transformation magic, but before he can use it, they all begin shrinking. Zim surrounds Celestia's army with a wall of thorns ten feet thick, but when he enters the palace, he too begins shrinking. Celestia spots him, but he flies away terrified into Ozma's Council Room, where he's tackled by the men and passes out. The group puzzle who and what he is, but Herby awakens him. The Jim asks if he's from the Isle of Zimba, and they wonder if he's a Hilander, Hightowner or Nome. He explains and says he's come to warn them. Zim confides to Herby alone that he's got gigantophobia, and he prescribes anti-panic panacea pills. Flying out a fireplace, he flies back to the Seven Blue Mountains.

Dinny learns from the Sawhorse that not only had he worn Ozma's form, but she wore his, reasoning that Mombi switched their forms when they were babies, and switched them back when Glinda captured her. The Sawhorse rides them to the Ferry Fairies, who take them across. They go to Maggie, who brings her spare conscience along to the Withy Woods, where the fairy Etwiri, Truro and her band of tomboys join them as they proceed to the tunnel leading to Lostland. The Royal Lockup tells them that Slip is to be made king. Etwiri puts the guards to sleep and returns home, as the Sawhorse and Royal break into the palace, where they find Slip transforming Hippetarius into a hippo and demanding his mother Jolanna crown him immediately. Maggie puts an anti-transformation powder over them, and Royal attacks Slip. Tip's allies prevent his brothers from interfering, while Slip transforms all those unprotected into worms. Maggie stops him from speaking and Tip gets the Belt and turns him into a rat, which Royal grabs. Truro collects the stolen magic and Tip disenchants everyone. At last, he and Ozma meet face to face. Ozma's ears grow elfin, her truest form, though she agrees to let Maggie bob them (wishing to resemble her people). Maggie pulls out the spare conscience and sends it into Slip through his ear. Slip admits he transformed his brother Ship. Ozma, reclaiming her Belt, restores him. Tip's brothers apologize to Ozma and to the Lion and Tiger, who Ozma summons. She and Tip get acquainted. In the morning, Slip admits he stole his father's scepter and put it in Ship's room so that he'd lose his claim on the throne. Jolanna proclaims Shippetarius king of Lostland.

Zim barely escapes being eaten by several birds and keeps swallowing Herby's pills. He's caught by Bartolo, who mistakes him for a butterfly that he'd collects for his garden, but he frees him. In the morning, Zim convinces a hummingbird named Whizzer to fly him to his garden, where he eats the berry that restores his normal size. He tells his guests all that transpired and prepares anti-shrinking flowers for them, and other magic to deal with Celestia. From his portal room, Zim renders them all invisible, and flies each into the city. Orlando is fearful to act, and when the invisibility wears off, the Rimmers taunt him. Taking off his ring at last, he scares them away and helps Glinda's soldiers gather up prisoners. Zim leads his group to the throne room, where Aleda sneaks up to Celestia and removes her sapphire crown, taking away her protective powers. Zim gives her an opportunity to repent, but when she refuses he throws a bouquet at her and unfurls a magic scroll. She then becomes a picture in the scroll. Zim then releases Summer from the rhyming spell and frees Glinda and the others from the gold replicas they were turned into.

The Rimmer's defeated, Dorothy is asked what to do, so she summons Zim. He and Summer explain that while many reformed over the two centuries, many refused to turn from violence. Dorothy concludes there's no room in Oz for such like ones, and they're banished to Coregos, where the dark-haired inhabitants hate blondes. While healing Glinda's soldiers and Orlando, he learns of the giant's fear of small people.

The next morning, the palace and gardens are restored as Ozma arrives with Tip and an entourage, shocking everyone who knew her back when she was Tip. They all welcome the boy and are happy to learn that he's real after all. Ozma then introduces Tip's family and court, the Geldamom's, Blue Mountaineers, Maggie, Truro and the tomboys, Faraq and Queen Jolanna. Jinnicky introduces Ozma to the man who saved them, Zim. Tip asks who Zim is, but Summer reveals he's worked for him for decades. Zim then removes the spell that made Tip forget him in public. But Tip gets back not only his memories, but all of Ozma's early ones as well. Mombi had exchanged not only their forms, but some of their substance as well. Jack wonders who his actual father is, but Ozma declares that they're both his father. Jinnicky then credits Summer for convincing Celestia to keep them as trophies, and not destroy them as she'd intended. Ozma sends the scroll with Celestia to Lurline in Burzee. As the magic treasures are unpacked and put back in the vault, Jinnicky shows Zim the Wishing Necklaces of the Wizard Wam. Holding them again, Zim's full powers are restored, and the necklaces are rendered inert. Maggie, meanwhile, is pleased to see the Silver Hammer amongst the treasures.

Ozma wants to reward them, so Zim and Maggie tell her they'd like a license to practice magic legally. Ozma learns that Zim's picked and harvested enough six-leafed clovers to land him in prison for 2000 years. Glinda's Pearl of Truth confirms his honesty, so Ozma forgives him and is convinced he's passed the Test of Character. In two days, Glinda will administer the Test of Skill. Maggie wonders why she's never heard of him, but Zim tells her he's the leader of the other wizards in the Seven Blue Mountains. The others soon discover that the Wishing Necklaces no longer function, and wonder what happened.

Faraq befriends the Glass Cat and tells Ozma how Zim saved his life and goes off to thank him. The Hammer Elf is summoned from the Silver Hammer to help clean up the Emerald City, and Summer is made the new Queen of Rimmersden. She asks Zim to be her advisor. Ozma asks them all to stay for the celebration and testing. She wonders if Orlando might be the rare fourth son of Enormous II, the wicked giant of Huge Mountain, but Glinda says he only had three, all of whom were destroyed because of their evil ways. His wife turned him into a dwarf, and he was killed by wild beasts. Orlando doesn't want to even consider being king. The next day sees a Victory Parade, but Zim downplays his powers when they ask him to do a double haumennan with his fingers, as he doesn't wish to around suspicions.

The next day sees the Test of Magical Skill. Maggie and Glinda face off in the Testing Chamber in the palace, hurling and blocking waterballs. Glinda wins, but her test for Zim is to see who can reduce the other to six inches. Zim pales and tries his utmost to get her to change the test. Even Ozma is puzzled, as the Wizard's test was merely to turn her green. The test begins. No one has ever seen anyone last so long against Glinda. Jinnicky sees Zim do a triple haumennan! Zim casts a rare spell he knows from the Wizard Wam and wins, something he wished not to do, but the Munchkins in the crowd rejoice as they know they now have a wizard of their own. Jinnicky congratulates him, saving he's the first to have defeated Glinda in 139 years. But everyone else is dismayed when Zim reveals he can't disenchant her for a week! Glinda understands, knowing she'd insisted on this particular test. After several failed attempts to restore her, including the Belt, Zim brings from his home an ornate dollhouse she can spend the week in. Tip shrinks down to keep Glinda company, while Zim promises to deactivate the trap around the location of the unique flower that Trot and Cap'n Bill gave Ozma for her birthday (The Magic of Oz). Tip tells Glinda of Zim's good deeds with the Mangaboos, Rose Rulers and Rimmers, but leaves out his deeds as his various alter-egos.

The next day, Ship invites Tip, Ozma and others to sail on Lake Quad. A swallow from Lurline intercepts Ozma, inviting Zim to Burzee to deal with Celestia. In Burzee, Zim enters as Lurline holds court. Celestia is brought forward and told to hold Zim's hand. With that, her half-fairy powers are transferred to Zim. Had she been unselfish, she'd have received her full fairyhood. Zim himself has a quarter fairy blood from Wam's grandmother who was a cloud fairy, which is how he's able to fly. Now mortal, Celestia is exiled out of Burzee. Zim asks about removing his fear of giants, but Lurline believes it's kept him humble. He counters that his father was once defeated by Wizeram the Great and Koachlan who exploited that very same fear. Lurline says he must conquer his fear with the help of his friends. He fears that Glinda will turn against him when she finds out what became of her friend Wam. He asks if he's done enough over the centuries to get him back, but she says he must do that which all mortals do. After he leaves she admits to a knook that he or his sister must marry.

Glinda remarks to her friends how similar in some regards Zim is to Wam, as he had been her first teacher of magic, known then as Mr. Hadrakis, and who also had a fear of giants, which is why she insisted on the test. Jinnicky thinks they're one in the same, but Zim is 275 years old, whereas Wam is over 3,000. Wam used to foolishly teach anyone magic, and many of the wicked witches and wizards in Oz where once students of his. After Zim returns from perfecting his spell, he disenchants Glinda and she returns to her normal height. She then asks if he has gigantophobia, and he is forced to admit it. He must then swear before the Pearl of Truth that he's not Wam, but his son. He says his middle name is Hadrakis and he drained the Wishing Necklaces, which were his father's and enchanted to restore his power upon touch. Glinda asks what happened to Wam, and he agrees to tell her the truth provided she rid him of his fear of giants. The Wizard says Orlando is the key to that, and before he can object, Ozma uses the Belt to shrink him and put him before Orlando. After both recover, they discover they've been cured.

Restored to his size, Zim explains he was created by Wam as a kind of scarecrow out of plants and vines. Glinda recalls making the scarecrow's face, not realizing Wam's intentions with it. So happy was Wam with his new "son" he created a sister named Fern. Zim informed Wam they were going to wither and die, just as all plants cut from their rootstocks do. When Wam saw spoilage, he had them bathe in the fountain to stave off rot, and in time began replacing the spoiled parts with new ones, yet after awhile, the power of life in them began to fade. After many other attempts, Wam went to Lurline in Burzee, heartbroken. She's moved by his love for them, and agrees to give Fern immortality. Wam won't relent on Zim, and she asks him if he's willing to give his life for him, and he agrees. Lurline weaves a spell that causes two Wam's to emerge from the one, who ceases to exist. Fern gets Wam's personality, while Zim gets his knowledge and memories. Fern is sent to a mountain in Oz to spread flowers and cheer. Zim is sent to advise Celestia, whose newly been made Queen of the Rimmers. Zim asks for a way to restore Wam, but she tells him it won't work. The only clue is that he or Fern must do something any mortal can do. Zim makes her promise to tell no one, and flies for the first time to his father's house in the Forest of Fighting Trees, gathers his father's equipment and flies to Rimmersden.

Glinda tells Zim that no one has the right to judge Wam's sacrifice, and Jinnicky adds that many in Oz are far from natural. Glinda adds that if Wam were around, she'd have removed his magic; a foolish wizard is as dangerous as an evil one. Later that night, Zim shares his story with Scarecrow (who figures they're related), the Tin Woodman, Scraps, Jack Pumpkinhead, Dorothy, Betsy, Trot, Maggie, Robin Brown, Truro and the tomboys, Bungle and Tip's relatives. Scraps is thrilled to know he's one of them. Ozma realizes that since he had Lurline's blessing from early on, they were never actually illegal.

The next day, Maggie and Zim are awarded their magic licenses. Maggie is appointed Good Witch of the North. Zim is declared the official Wizard of Munchkinland. At Lurline's behest (revealed by letter), Zim is to beautify the barren places of Oz. Shippetarius is declared King of Lostland and Tip is made Prince Tippetarius of Oz, third only to Dorothy and Ozma, and Ambassador Extraordinaire. Orlando, discovered to in fact be the fourth son of Enormous II, is then appointed King of Huge (Big Top) Mountain, where he must teach the other giants to live as vegetarians. Restoring his ring, Zim offers to help him with this. Zim reveals that Orlando had grown so large due to the giant-sized fruits and vegetables Wam had grown in the valley where he lived. Orlando's mother is a Herku slave, and with Nick Chopper's help, they intend to release her.

Later, Zim restores Cap'n Bill's leg. Jinnicky insists he show them his technique, but it proves complicated, akin to the work of a physician. Zim, conversely, finds the Wizard's proclivity with machines, astounding. Several days later, they prepare for their trip to Herku, Townsville and Huge Mountain. Orlando asks if Aleda will join them, and at last she agrees to stay in Oz, having agreed to become a hang-glider instructor at Wogglebug's College. Ozma and Tip say goodbye as he embarks on a new adventure.

Continuity Notes

Cap'n Bill: Despite the fact that Zim restores Cap'n Bill's meat leg, it appears that Cap'n Bill preferred his peg leg after all, as he's later found to be sporting it.

Dating: The narrative is explicitly set in 1982.

Emerald City: The narrative indicates that the Emerald City is built on the ruins of Ozmara, the former capital (known elsewhere as Morrow); Oz and the Three Witches specifies that the old capital was closer to the Winkie border.

Glinda: Glinda's given name is here established to be a contraction of Good Linda. Etymologically, the name is believed to be derived from old Germanic, and was already in use by 1833. It potentially means gentle or supple, and may hearken to the German linden tree (which has supple branches). For the first time, it's revealed that Glinda's first magic teacher was the Wizard Wam (Wammerian Hadrakis). When that training occurred is unknown, as he was born in 1774 BC.

Jack Pumpkinhead: Tip correctly reasons that although Jack's heads each measure his level of intelligence, his personality is stored in his body. He also ponders what Jack would be like with a watermelon for a head.

Magic: This story is the third of four stories that show the progression of Ozma's law prohibiting magic, which began in The Scarecrow of Oz, in which the original law banning magic was put into effect. In The Law of Oz and Other Stories, Ozma was confronted by the overt stringency of the law by Tititi-Hoochoo, and allowed magically-natural beings like Yookoohoos to do as their natures intended. By the time of this story, Ozma presents a more liberal policy in which individuals can petition to use magic, upon which they must first be tested as to their intentions and skills by Ozma, the Wizard and Glinda accordingly. The final relaxing of the law will come about in The Living House of Oz.

Maggie, the Good Witch of the North: A good witch practicing in the Seven Blue Mountains of Oz. As of 1982, Maggie becomes the new Good Witch of the North, appointed as such by Glinda and Ozma to fill a void in that region. Locasta (the Good Witch of the North prior to Orin) retired from her role as the Tah-Tipuu (the traditional title given to the Good Witches of the North), as she describes in "Tommy Kwikstep and the Magpie." Maggie's parents and three sisters were wicked. Her mother was Agamorensis the Wicked. Her father was Folderol the Bad. Two years later, upon learning of the return of Belinda, Glinda's sister, Maggie retires from the position to allow Glinda to appoint her sister in the north. (See The Enchanted Gnome of Oz)

Huge Mountain: The Oziana 1983 story, "Way of the Emerald City" confirms that the Huge Mountain of this book is essentially the copyright-safe name for Big Top Mountain, the original home of Nandywog in The Purple Prince of Oz. As of 1982, the kindhearted giant Orlando is King of Big Top (Huge) Mountain, and with the help of Zim, teaching them how to farm and grow the giant fruits and vegetables Wam created centuries earlier. Thus, most of the giants in Oz are now tamed.

Rimmers: The history of the old hexagonal city of Rimmersden is given. The Rimmers once raided Oz, and fought terrible battles with the Mudgers of the south (see The Cowardly Lion of Oz). One group who sought to escape them was the Lostlanders who found their way through a mountain pass into Lostland many years ago. The Rimmers are a blonde-headed "Nordic" race, further indicating that the ancient peoples of Oz came from various places around the Earth. Their rapacious nature was mostly dampened by the arrival of the half-fairy Queen Celestia, who the Fairy Queen Lurline placed there as ruler, alongside Zim Greenleaf, her advisor. Celestia, however, failed to tame her own temper, let alone that of the Rimmers, and although they were forced to cease their raids (likely due to the difficulty that arose crossing the Jaggedlands into Oz), many remained warlike in their disposition. As of 1982, Summer Saltin is their reigning queen.

Townsville: A Winkie town bordering the valley of Orlando. The Wizard Wam had begun growing his giant fruits and vegetables there, which he intended to bring to the giants of Big Top Mountain, so they could stop eating people and horses. After Wam left, giving the mayor (Mr. King) an Afghan Hound named Royal, Orlando's mother, the Queen of Big Top Mountain, moved in. A year later, she gave birth to her son, who she left there. The presence of giants so nearby kept the town safe from the Wicked Witch of the West. When Orlando was young, he innocently crossed the chasm into Townsville, causing the fearful residents to shoot arrows at him. He afterwards grew up with a terrible phobia of little people. A hundred years later, he crossed the chasm for the last time, leaving behind the valley with his friend Aleda.

Unknown Oz Books: The narrative notes two Oz books that have never been released in the Outside World. The Four Wicked Witches of Oz tells of how the old capital of Ozmara is destroyed. Ozmara would likely be the original name of Morrow. Some of this is told in Oz and the Three Witches from the Wizard's perspective. The Red Sorceress of Oz tells of Glinda's defeat of the Wicked Witch of the South and how she became ruler of the Quadling Country. This is likely the defeat of Angra, the first Wicked Witch of the South, after which Glinda became ruler of the Quadlings, an event mentioned in The Enchanted Apples of Oz.

Wizard Wam: Wammerian Hadrakis, aka., the Wizard Wam was born in 1774 BC. He once had the known the secret of immortality, but lost it. He was short and fat, and lived in a house in the Forest of Fighting Trees (which at the time was likely not named that). He was known to have great powers, but was foolish in his administration of them, and although he was Glinda's first instructor, he also indiscriminately taught many of the wicked witches and wizards in Oz magic. Wam, who had gigantophobia, left the Afghan Hound Royal (whose nose can detect whether one is honest or thieving, good or evil) with Mr. King of Townsville, where he had been experimenting with growing giant vegetables and fruits so that the giants of the land would have no need to prey upon horses and humans. Yet, due to his fear, he never got around to teaching them how to farm them. Wam's fear also led him to run away from the stone man Crunch, which he brought to life (see The Cowardly Lion of Oz). Wam created Fern and Zim Greenleaf as his children in 1706 AD, and after many attempts to keep them alive, went to Lurline for help. Wam's disappearance is noted by Glinda as one of the great mysteries of Oz. Wam sacrificed his life so that they would not die, pouring his essence into the two children, Fern getting his personality, Zim getting his memories and knowledge. When this happened is unknown, but is likely around 1742.

Zim Greenleaf: 275 years old in 1982, Zim and his sister Fern were created by the Wizard Wam in 1707 with an early version of the Powder of Life, probably the Great Elixir, but one that was unable to sustain their lives for very long. After 35 years and several attempts to stave off death, including testing a prototype Powder of Life on the stone man Crunch, Wam petitions Lurline (then in Burzee) to give his children permanent life. This can only be accomplished through a sacrifice on his part, which he makes. There is a small discrepancy, however. Lurline greets Zim and says "Could it really be only three centuries ago?" which can only be interpreted as a lapse in her memory or, more likely, a very rounded figure, since it's only been 240 years. Zim has a quarter fairy blood from Wam's grandmother who was a cloud fairy, which is how he's able to fly. He is given half-fairy powers from Celestia, who loses the powers she has. Had she been unselfish, she'd have received her full fairyhood.

History: Thorns and Private Files in Oz was written with an intended sequel, to be called: Dorothy and the Hybrid-Roses of Oz. This instead became chapters 7-15 of the third book of the Seven Blue Mountains of Oz series: The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz 3: Zim Greenleaf in Oz.

Synopsis: Sunday: Private Jo Files and his wife Ozga the Rose Princess are thrilled to welcome their old friend Hank the Mule who they haven't seen since Nox the Ox's banquet three years prior. As they share food and talk of their quiet lives, Hank says it's Dorothy's birthday and she and Betsy are taking trips in the Wizard's balloon. Files is glad to hear Betsy's parents relocated in Oz (Betsy Bobbin of Oz) and says they'd like to have children of their own. They spend the night recounting old stories, including tales from the book tree, which produces volumes of ancient Oz history, though he's since changed it (by repeatedly telling the tree it's a purple cow) so the tree produces novels and fantasies. They admit they wouldn't mind having a small adventure, so Hank tells them that on his way, he got lost in an unusual forest where he saw a deserted castle in a lake, and they decide to explore it.

Monday: After breakfast, Ozga says she had a dream of Briar Rose, which is a story she'd never heard before. The king invited twelve fairies to his wedding, but eleven drank from gold goblets, while the twelfth drank from a lead one. Insulted, the Blue Fairy cursed them to never have children. The Star Fairy modified it so that some event must first pass before they can. Weeks later, a silver owl appeared to the queen, who cares for it, even after she conceives, but her jealous husband kills the owl. Upset, she made from its feathers a blanket for the baby. The Blue Fairy was excluded from the christening of Briar Rose, and as the owl had been her brother, she came to curse the baby to prick her finger on a spindle and die. The Star Fairy modifies it so that she'll only fall asleep until someone who loves her more than life comes to kiss her. The king destroys all the spindling wheels, but on her 17th birthday, Briar climbs up a deserted tower where she finds the Blue Fairy spinning thread. Wanting to try it, she pricks her finger and falls asleep. The Star Fairy casts a spell, turning all the people and animals in the kingdom into rose bushes, except for Briar Rose, and they grow until the whole kingdom is covered in thorns. 80 years later, the Blue Fairy bears a son to a king. On his 19th birthday, he travels about inquiring about the legend of the sleeping beauty. He comes upon the enchanted kingdom, crawls through the thorns, faces down a gryphon, ogre, snake and demon who let him pass. He comes upon Briar Rose and kisses her, causing all the rose bushes to turn back into people and animals, and the two are married. On their wedding day, the Blue Fairy arrives to curse Briar Rose and her family to rot, unaware that she'd just cursed her own son. Briar Rose forgives her, and the curse is turned upon the Blue Fairy instead. Yet the other fairies modify it so that she's turned into a rose bush.

Files takes them into Oogaboo where Salye warns them that Queen Ann had snuck into Files' orchard and taken some of the books from his book tree. Due to Files' modifications, she thinks they tell the future. Files tells her that the tree only produces fiction, but Ann wants to plant trees that tell the future. Hank says he'll deal with her, and goes into Ann's manor, stomps on all the purportedly future history books, including the one she's reading: Queen Ann: Queen of Oz, telling Ann that she shouldn't know the future.

Tuesday: The next day, they go to the castle, where Ozga sees overgrown rose bushes emerging from the windows. Getting an idea, she runs her hands over a dying rosebush and it springs to life. She can even take a cut rose and grow a new rosebush from it! She realizes this is why the roses decorating her headdress haven't died in six years and why her husband could change a history tree book into a fiction tree book. She shows Files and Hank her newly discovered powers and he gets the idea for her to create a plant bridge to one of the castle's window so they can cross over. After four hours, it's done, and they enter the castle, which is filled with thorn bushes. Ozga grows fruits and veggies for them, and they spend the night in an adjoining guest house.

Wednesday: The next morning, they explore further and discover a filthy swimming pool. Ozga wonders if the rose bushes are all enchanted people, but Hank says Ozma or Glinda would have known about it and done something. After cleaning up the pool through the use of water lilies, Ozga and Files go for a swim. After exploring the rest of the castle and cleaning up the throne room, they discover behind a tapestry a hidden door leading to a tower room. In it is a library and numerous private files and folders. Files discovers one about Prince Arnaude and the late Princess Nitschka, which includes a picture of the very castle they're in, a place called Cyrune. Departing, they hear the growls of Kalidahs and decide to sleep again in the guesthouse. Ozga wakes up later and goes outside to listen to the rosebushes calling to her. But when she touches one of the thorns, she disappears.

Thursday: Hank and Files later awaken and search the castle, concealed passages and grounds, but the forest is easy to get lost in. When they hear kalidahs, Files tells Hank to go back to the castle. Files runs and trips over a tortoise as the Kalidahs chase him. Then another one emerges and tackles the others. After they run away, she introduces herself as Kericot the Kindly Kalidah. The tortoise is Mister Terrence Oldshell the Wise Turtle. They are on their way to Gugu Forest, and Terrence is teaching Kericot etiquette. After they leave, Files runs into Hank, who'd also gotten lost. The pair come across a thatched hut, where they spend the night.

Friday: In the morning, an old woman arrives carrying files and folders, and Files realizes she's been up in the tower. She explains that this is her home and she's been trying to keep everyone away from Cyrune and the enchanted castle for many years. He tells her what happened and she explains that his wife's likely been transported somewhere. Suddenly, a gander named Benny bursts into the shack and warns them not to believe the witch, whose responsible for everything that's transpired and the Mixed-up Woods. She yells at the bird and tells Files to go find his wife.

Files rushes off and comes upon a sign announcing the Kingdom of Punton. Unresponsive to his knocks, he climbs over the wall and finds a community that's larger inside than it should be. To his horror, it is a town of living puns, and he encounters a hot dog, eye-scream, Lady Chatterly with no lover, fire-crackers, hard water, wing-nuts, a mys-tree, a caterwauling catapult that went catatonic, enlightening light bulb people who are light headed, and more. When he asks to leave, Lady Chatterly turns into the man Curt and escorts him out.

Happy to get away from a town where ones thoughts and actions result in actualized puns and determined to get out of the Mixed-Up Forest, despite that it erases one back tracks, Files walks for hours with no end in sight. At last he comes upon the gander again. The bird tells him that over seventy years ago, he left his flock as they approached the Atlantic. He met some birds discussing the rift in the ocean that opened temporarily to allow passage into the Nonestic, which housed the Continent of Imagination. Following a pelican named Oscar, Benny successfully breached this rift, flew over Yew, Meerth, the Deadly Desert and finally the Munchkin Country. Splitting up, Beenny comes to Cyrune, which was then a happy place. The young King Arnoud invited him to stay. This was before or at the beginning of Ozma's reign. The hermit was then Miss Nevou, a second-rate sorceress and resident of the tower. With the former queen Nitschka dead, Nevou began running things over the following decade, insisting Arnoud grow older so she could marry him. He aged from 17 to 22, but feared her. When it became illegal to practice magic in Oz, save for Glinda and the Wizard, he urged her to stop. One night, after a heated argument, she enchanted the castle and forest. Benny was rendered unable to leave, and saw to it that anyone who did would forget everything that had occurred within the kingdom. And anyone who knows too much can't leave at all.

That night, as Files sleeps, Benny ties yarn around Files' head with a feather attached to it, that he tucks away under his clothes.

Saturday: In the morning, Files starts hacking at the thornbushes, convinced they're responsible for his wife's disappearance. Hank tries to stop him, but its not until he sees shed tears that he realizes he's made a terrible mistake. Nevou arrives, terribly upset, and begins healing them. Files angrily rebukes her, but Hank scolds him for being rude. She explains that it's Rose magic and gives him a rose that will bring his wife back. With a drop of his blood, he must petition the Rose Fairy Omiarr to exchange it for his wife. The spell works and Ozga returns. Nevou says they must run if they're to escape the enchantment upon the woods, and they soon see again the mountains of Oogaboo. Hank suggests they tell Ozma and Ginda, but the moment they leave the forest, they forget everything that transpired within them.

Monday: Hank stays with them an additional two days. Nevou, meanwhile tends to the rosebushes, which are the former citizens of Cyrune. Benny confronts her, but she comforts the largest rosebush, insisting she'll never let anyone take him away from her.

Continuity Notes

Book Tree: By telling his book tree that it's a purple cow (with orange triangles), Private Files changes his history tree book into a fiction tree book, which produces works like Little Golden Book's Dorothy Returns to Oz (1983; based on Disney's live-action film Return to Oz), Philip Jose Farmer's A Barnstormer in Oz (1982), Ann Hampson's The Shadow Between (1977) and Piers Anthony's A Spell for Chameleon (1977; the first book in the Xanth series). It also produces one book that doesn't exist: Queen Ann, Queen of Oz (unless that's the Oz version of Queen Ann in Oz), one that does and is a legitimate history of Oz, The Gardener's Boy of Oz, one that is not, Skeezik and the Mys-Tree of Oz (written in 1989, but not published till 1993), and one that has not been published at all, Fwiirp and the First and Foremost of the Phanfasms in Oz. Thus, the book tree is actually producing future histories and fiction stories that have not yet been told! This is seen also in Adolf Hitler in Oz, in which the title character is reading a psychology book not published for another fifteen years.

Dating: The story takes place over the course of nine days (they are in the Mixed-Up Woods and Cyrune for seven days, from Tuesday to Monday), and before Chapter IV of Bucketheads in Oz. The year is designated in text as 1982. The story appears to take place in the fall, likely October. Its conclusion in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz 3: Zim Greenleaf in Oz takes place immediately afterwards, when they go to the Emerald City, and are then sent to Zim in Corumbia. There are some minor internal dating issues which fail to take into account the necessary compression of Baum's stories (see Appendices), so that most of the mentions of Hank and Betsy coming to Oz 70 years prior should be 80 years, as the earliest they could have arrived in Oz was 1909.

Kericot: This second appearance of Kericot the Considerate Kalidah with Terrence Oldshell takes place a short time after his first appearance in "The Guardian Dove" (Oziana 1990), which is Chapter 3 of Bucketheads in Oz). Due to the information he expresses in Chapter 6 of this book and Chapter 14 of the latter, he left the Kalidah Woods with Terrence, went to meet the Cowardly Lion and Glinda in the Emerald City, and is heading after Chapter 6 of this story to Gugu Forest. He and Terrence appear again in Maybe the Miffin.

Meerth: In Chapter 9, When the gander Benny describes his flight over the Nonestic Ocean, he mentions the Isle of Yew, and then a place called Meerth, which he depicts as uninteresting save for a castle in the center and big hefty trees around it, which is an accurate description of Meer, from the Warren Hollister and Judith Pike book The Moons of Meer. As those authors are well-known Oz fans, and members of the International Wizard of Oz Club, this was a way to tie-in their story into the larger Ozian canon without infringing on copyright.

Punton and the Mys-Tree: This town of living puns was created by a boy's wish (specifically by Prince Arnaude when he was 15: noted in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3: Zim Greenleaf of Oz), who brought it into existence by means of the Wishing Horn. This might explain how some of the more fantastical communities in Oz came to be. The existence of the Mys-Tree in this town may account for the anthologies such as Skeezik and the Mys-Tree of Oz, which is in the Parallel Histories section. Another mys-tree appears in the Munchkin Country in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3: Zim Greenleaf of Oz, and Zim begins growing one in his garden.

Sleeping Beauty: The story of Briar Rose in Chapter 2, which is a dream Ozga has the night before going to visit Cyrune (which is also overrun with the enchanted rosebushes and thorns of those who were once citizens), is a variant of the Sleeping Beauty story, based on Charles Perrault's "The Beauty Sleeping in the Woods" and the Brothers Grimm's "Little Briar Rose," both of which are based on early folk tales, including Perceforest, which dates to circa 1330-1344, the 1634 work, "Sun, Moon and Talia," by Giambattista Basile, and much earlier French stories, Pandragus et Libanor, by Baudouin Butor, and “Frayre de Joy e Sor de Plaser,” from the mid-1200s. The Briar Rose name comes from the Brothers Grimm in their 1812 collection. The variant present here omits the prince's rape of the earliest stories, as well as the cannibalism of Perrault's tale, and substitutes the prince's ogre mother for the Blue Fairy, tying it better to the larger narrative.

Spatial Distortion: On page 69 it's noted that due to the magic of Oz, communities can be considerably larger on the inside than they appear to be from the outside. The phenomena is called spatial distortion. It explains how so many large kingdoms exist inside Oz, which no larger than a small state in the United States. This same concept is discussed as well in Maybe the Miffin.

Synopsis: Day 1: In a house in the Gillikin Country, Tekrouri and Tisha Rae prepare for a visit from Wally the Wogglebug. Tekrouri is a 58 year old troll who rejected his tribe's ways and studied at Professor Wogglebug's college years earlier. Tisha Rae is a four-horned jackalope (a rabbit with antlers) who lives in the tool shed behind the house. The troll met Wally after he escaped a creature in the Gillikin River who had the body of a snake and head of a tiger. After serving Wally his famous foghorn soda, Tekrouri accidentally knocks the wogglebug off the table into a crack between the floorboards. There, Wally retrieves a diamond ring with a woman trapped inside it.

In the Kalidah Woods of the Gillikin Country, the Kalidah Kericot catches an old monkey who pleads for his life. Kericot asks him why the monkeys call them "patchwork" animals, and he explains that it's because they're patched together from the pieces of a tiger and bear. Having never seen either, Kericot doesn't understand, but lets the monkey go anyway. A grey dove flies down and tells Kericot that he's glad to see what he did, but will keep it a secret from the others in the forest.

Half a year later, Kericot and her brother Randicot go hunting for the first time. They come across an old bear, and when Randicot goes to kill him, Kericot wrestles with him and explains that he looks like a kalidah from the neck down. They next come across a tiger cub, but again Kericot stops her brother, wrestling even harder with him, and explaining that he looks like a kalidah from the neck up. After snacking on a meat-growing tree, Kericot dreams that the dove appears to him, explaining that there are many more bears and tigers than kalidahs, and that if they left their woods the other animals would join together and destroy them. Yet, Kericot is the strongest of the kalidahs.

The next morning, the siblings come upon a Munchkin boy, Braxie, and his grandmother Quandera, talking to a passing turtle. Although Kericot is hungry, she again feels reluctance to kill, and when she goes to stop her brother this time, the fight becomes a serious battle. When Kericot claws across his face, Randicot ambles off in pain. Kericot approaches the frightened Munchkins, but the older one points a stick at him, says some words and turns him into a turtle. The dove reappears and scolds the former wicked witch, Quandera, for using magic, and explains that Kericot is a friendly kalidah. She disenchants him, but argues that she only uses her spells now for protection, healing and housework. After they leave, Kericot wonders what he can eat, and the dove says he should ask the other predators of Oz what they do. Knowing he can't go back home, he's introduced to the turtle, Terrence Oldshell, who agrees to travel Oz with him, and suggests he give his name a tag, christening him Kericot the Considerate Kalidah. With that, the dove bids them farewell.

When columnist Xaviera Elizabeth Thing cuts short her vacation in Mo, her companion, the Lazy Lion Leotryaton of Wycke (a duchy in the northern Nonestic) gives her a pinch of hooshoo (a rare magical element that promotes health and can effect transportations) and heads to the castle of the Purple Dragon. En route, he's offered a ride by the Bubble Bird, F.R. Pheasant (Effer), who gives sightseeing tours of Mo. The lion agrees and Effer encloses him in his bubble. When the bird goes to the Royal Palace to refresh herself, the dogs chase her off, and she flies over the Deadly Desert into the Kalidah Woods, where they're attacked by Randicot. But another kalidah arrives to fight him, and Leo uses his hooshoo to transport them back to their home. Terrence Oldshell scolds them, explaining that because Kericot is unlike his tribe, they'll harm him. Effer agrees to fly over to locate him, and Leo can use what's left of his hooshoo to transport them all away.

Packer (from Button-Bright in Oz) visits Harley the Flying Hammerhead. Harley trades him for the foghorn soda he acquired from Tekrouri in exchange for aromatic nathanielwood. Packer tells Harley he traded Jack Pumpkinhead for an ivory walrus which gave him dreams of the sea. He lets Harley try it that night, and he has similar dreams.

DAY 1: A week later, Harley flies off on a trip to see Tekrouri to acquire more foghorn soda and to return the ivory walrus to Packer (who forgot it). He finds the troll along with Tisha Rae and Wally just as they're leaving for the Emerald City to show the Wizard the woman in the ring.

Leo, Effer and Terrence, meanwhile, search for the Kalidah Woods when they're attacked by the creature with the tiger head and serpent body. Leo tells him that he can't eat them because he's related to them. The creature agrees, introducing himself as Magenta, and explaining that he'd been enchanted by a witch, though he can't remember any more than that. With Effer punctured in the attack, they're forced to walk, though Magenta warns them of the dangerous bayou en route to the Kalidah Woods.

DAY 2: After breakfast, Tisha Rae spots a doll in the river, which Harley retrieves, but it's too heavy and realistic for a doll, and as they head towards the Emerald City, it comes to life and grows. She asks them to make a bonfire, which she proceeds to dance in, explaining that she's Conflagra, a fire fairy from underground who crossed the Deadly Desert (which does no harm fire fairies) on a mission for Kaliko to summon Zim the new Wizard of Munchkinland because he can restore body parts. Kaliko wants to restore all the many Nomes who've been torn apart in accidents, cave-ins, or by dragons. She explains that fire fairies are a kind of female Nome, though unlike the Nomewives who resemble the males.

The party invite her to join them, but she must first retrieve her fire baton from the river, as it revitalizes her strength. Tekrouri goes into the river and sees it, but the hungry Magenta rears up. Conflagra takes the fire baton lodged between the scales on his back, as Magenta demands to speak to the wogglebug. When he sees Wally, he realizes that he's not the wogglebug from his past. When the others describe Professor Wogglebug, however, his memory comes flooding back to him and he remembers that he's really Professor Nowitall. Tekrouri had been in his class, but the troll reasons that Mombi was washed out years ago, and she had to have enchanted Nowitall before then. But Magenta explains that his son is also a professor. Mombi had demanded his magnifying screen so she could enlarge Jinjur's army to conquer the Emerald City. He refused, but knowing she'd get it anyway, he destroyed it. Infuriated, she turned him into the creature Magenta and cast him in the Gillikin River, ensuring that no one but her could disenchant him. He now laments that his wife is likely still grieving him. The party promise to ask the Wizard about restoring him; he's been enchanted so long, he didn't even know the Wizard was back in Oz.

At night, the party rest in an old shack. Tekrouri keeps the first watch and explores the shack. He comes across a drink called the Solution of Dreams Awakened, which once belonged to Mombi, whose cottage he discovers they're in. The drink grants wishes, and he wishes for an extra wish after the first. But his wording says "I desire that which," which is interpreted to mean "I desire that witch," and Mombi is brought forth before him. He quickly wishes they each had a wish, but Mombi isn't concerned with him, only Ozma, so the troll wishes them all away.

DAY 3: They arrive somewhere in the Gillikin Country, but before they discern where, Tekrouri picks a flower, which causes them all to shrink down into an enclosed flower. There they're met by Ben Thos, guide to the Kingdom of Floretsia. Brought before King Herb and Queen Frond, the Queen scolds them for picking the flower and sends them to the compost. Conflagria tries wishing herself to Zim, but her wish (and Harley's) fails to do so. The King then summons them, and explains that he's lonely, as his wife does all the talking. They explain that they're on a quest to the Emerald City and to help Kaliko the Nome King. As King Herb is in debt to him, he agrees to free the party and restore them to their natural forms. Once outside again, Tekrouri notes that not only is he a few inches taller, but Wally has been turned into a Nome! Wally wishes the king was before him, and suddenly he is. King Herb corrects his mistake, and gives the party a Quest Shun. He doesn't know how it works, but it's in the form of a brass box.

At the Royal College of Art and Athletic Perfection, Osborne Austin becomes incensed when Professor Wogglebug criticizes his painting. Unable to take even the slightest criticism, he smashes the canvas on the Wogglebug and insults him, after which he leaves school to return home. He rues the idea of admitting to his parents that he'd given up his education. In the Gillikin Country the next day, he comes across the party led by Tekrouri, who recalls the insignia of his old school embroidered on Osborne's jacket. After introductions, the party invite him to join them.

Cotrikar the Kalidah is surprised to see her first two cubs fighting in her den, but Randicot angrily leaves to tell the Kalidah Court of his sister's treachery. Kericot knows that if found guilty, she'll be scattered, a terrible fate. She'd tried to fit pieces of a long scattered Kalidah together when she was a cub, but she'd never managed to find enough matching pieces. The mouth had finally directed her to leave her pieces to the ants and birds so she'd be destroyed altogether. Cotrikar urges her daughter to leave, recalling that the court hadn't found anyone not guilty since Great-Grandfather Brusterbruk fought both judges and won, and the judges all now have bodyguards. Kericot, however, thinks she can sway them with news of how the other Ozian carnivores eat and are still beloved by all. Cotrikar's newest cub, the six month old Daritrik, is surprised to hear of such a thing, and Kericot explains that she heard it from the Cowardly Lion himself, as well as Glinda the Good.

Leo, Effer and Terrence reach a sign reading Bye By the Bayou, and enter the marsh of cypresses, pines, exotic birds and jeweled alligators. A cobblestone highway leads to an alabaster city. A Bye-cyclist pulls alongside, transforming his bye-cycle into a vehicle to fit all of them. The cyclist, Toodah Lou, the official Bye-Ped, rides them into the city of bye-standers and passers-bye. They're brought into a grand room, where a party is being held, and before the three rulers, the Bye-Partisans, Al Veederzane, Orrey Vuarr, and Cy Hennara. The three fail to understand why anyone would ever want to leave Bye, and they invite them to feast at a park and flower garden. Once seated, the Seer, Sage and Sorcerer of Bye, an old alligator named Cornelius Ulyssicus Later, arrives on the stage. Designated the Protector of Bye, he welcomes the visitors and the banquet begins. Entertainment follows, consisting of dancing maidens and men, singing mud turtles, a fat Bye-lander soprano, and more and more performances, singers and acrobats, finally ending in the Good-Bye Girl, Reba Deerchee. The Honourable Alligator then performs magic, and the guests all put on bye-focals as Reba dances to music. Later, the alligator explains to them in private that he has a license to practice magic in this kingdom, as he'd long been a beneficent sorcerer. He maintains an invisible barrier of magic to keep the kalidahs from entering the Bayou, which he can spirit them through. When they have Kericot, they need only think of the place and the bye-focals will bring them back.

At the kalidah courtroom, a large clearing at the foot of a cliff, the judges Honcho, the King of the kalidahs, and Sardak the Elder preside over Kericot's case. Three hundred kalidahs assemble to watch. The charge brought against her is defending their meals. Kericot brings to their attention the fact that there are so few cubs now than before everyone in Oz became immortal. They agree, so she makes up a story about how Lurline had told only Glinda that those in Oz can make up their own minds to die if they wish. Lurline also slowed down the number of births so Oz didn't become overcrowded, and all the new babies in Oz are formerly destroyed Ozians whose life forces were transferred into new bodies, and become true members of that species. They don't remember the life they'd lived before. Those who choose to die can be reborn as whatever they want, but none want to be a kalidah, so the new births are only from those who've been destroyed without wanting to. Kericot explains that bringing them this knowledge is why she's come back. The other carnivores ask permission first before eating anyone. Honcho calls this a scam, but Sarjak names her to replace him as Elder. Before he and Honcho go to blows, Leo and his friends arrive into the circle to rescue Kericot.

Tisha Rae, meanwhile, uses her wish to give everyone an extra wish, but the thirsty Tekrouri wishes Harley had a buckethead (instead of a hammerhead) to carry water. In response, Harley returns the favor. When they all begin arguing, Osborne wishes everyone, but Wally whose silent, to shut up, and they do. They all hear growling, and in the valley beneath them they witness the rescue of Kericot. Two kalidahs sneak up on them, but Conflagra flames up and scares them. In the melee, the party slip off the hill down into the kalidah courtroom. As Randi and Honcho attack, Harley launches his head against the former and Conflagra shoots down on them like a fireball. Wally wishes everyone to normal, and they all vanish. Honcho storms off, while Sarjak names Cotrikar his successor.

The two questing parties introduce themselves before discovering they're in the Kingdom of Normal. Gatekeeper Normal Smith takes them to the Normalizer, where Tom Brown says to simply walk through the wooden covered arch. Tekrouri goes first and finds his head back to normal and his speech restored. The others follow, but Harley loses his wings. He and Tisha Rae try wishing them back, but they come on upside-down, and Conflagra realizes that 2nd and 3 generation wishes are inferior in quality and power, and 6th don't work at all. She remembers this from Ruggedo when he'd had his Magic Belt. They spend the night in Normal and learn that though they're further from the Emerald City, they're nearer the Munchkin Country, where they can find Zim.

The Munchkin Boq and his wife Johanna prepare for the next day's anniversary of the day they met when Mombi appears in their yard, having fallen there due to a faulty broom. Changing a doll's frock into a dress her size, she disguises herself and attempts to transform her old clothes into a cat. What results is a farquette, a kind of laundry creature she calls Rags. Johanna welcomes them in her home, but when she goes to bring them supplies, Mombi locks them downstairs.

Tekrouri, meanwhile, wakes up with a stomach-ache and heads to the kitchen to brew up some foghorn soda. But when he sees a girl walking a goat over a bridge, something comes over him and he bites into the goat's flank and eats the girl Virginia! Kericot awakens too late to help her, but alerts the others who realize the Normalizer had turned him into a normal troll. Kericot argues that behavior is individual and can't be defined by cultural standards, and Effer suggests that the Normalizer must base its standards on its own perception of normalcy. Keri calls it one of the most sinister devices in Oz and Normal itself a subversive community. Tekrouri drinks his soda and has a violent reaction, but it returns him to his former self. Tisha Rae gives him the bad news, and he's grief-stricken at what he's done.

DAY 4: In the morning, Osborne figures out how to use the Quest Shun box, as it points the way to the Seven Blue Mountains and the Fairy Ferry. They follow it there, and greet the Ferry Fairies of the swan boat, who assure their sister fire fairy that it has successfully transported people over the Jagged River for five years.

DAY 5: After sleeping in an inn, the next morning, they make their way through the Blue Mountain foothills. Getting lost, they come to Fantasque, where a sign says reason and logic will be left behind. The path goes sidewise and upside down, and following it, they realize it's a magical place. The floating trees, black sun and shifting colored landscape is phantasmagoric and difficult to navigate. They meet a resident, Fodgasko, a Phantasy of Fantasque, who stretches, swirls and changes shapes and colors. He tells them they can't get out and hurls the "island" they're standing on across the sky over other islands to another Phantasy and another, finally bringing them to a bizarre palace where the ever-shifting King-sometimes-Queen-sometimes-beast-Fantasia, swirls and enlarges and shrinks. Osborne sketches him, but the sketch tries to leave the page, so the boy shuts the drawing pad. The king kicks them into a great wind which buffets them all around. Realizing that nothing's as it should be, Osborne draws a hole and pulls himself through it. He arrives in a regular forest, where he's assisted by the red-haired Rooster, who pulls the others through, including Wally, who he needs a butterfly net to catch. Rooster comes by the hole every so often to make sure visitors haven't gotten lost in Fantasque, as the locals know to stay out. Osborne is shocked to learn that hole was already there, but it's yet another impossibility of the place, as is the still-shifting, but now un-alive grotesquerie that is his sketch of the king. Rooster warns Wally that Zim eats bugs, then gives them directions to find him. He then rushes off home, goes through a portal that leads to Zim's house on Mt. Azurite, and changes back to Zim.

The travelers come upon Zim as expected, and after introductions, Harley requests his wings restores, Tekrouri that the woman and Magenta be restored (failing to mention Victoria or Mombi), and Leo requests that Effer be repaired. Conflagra then presents him with a gold mimosa tree with emerald leaves and a gold bird's nest on every branch with a different clockwork bird in each. She explains that King Kaliko Kikey the Third needs help healing the broken Nomes. He happily agrees to help. On their way to his home, he assures Wally he never eats friends. Zim inquires about the Quest Shun (which fails to acknowledge his presence) and they tell him of King Herb and Floretsia, which Zim would like to visit.

Zim restores Harley's wings, but tells Effer that the Wizard is better at machinery-based magic. He removes the woman from the ring, who turns out to be Ima Nowitall, the Professor's wife. She was trapped in an interdimensional pocket set off from time and space. Ozma and Oscar, he notes, will more quickly restore the Professor. He then tells Tekrouri to tell him what he fears to. So the troll tells him the Normalizer turned him into a bad troll, and only the foghorn soda could revive him, but not before he ate a girl. Zim admits he can't restore someone whose been digested after a few days. Even the Magic Belt and wishing devices can't effect a temporal reversal after a few hours, which only ever happened once before (see The Seven Blue Mountains in Oz: Book 1). Tekrouri is dismayed.

DAY 6: The next day, Zim opens a portal to the Emerald City. Omby Amby greets Keri and Terrence, who he'd met before, and Tisha Rae asks for an audience with Ozma. Tomorrow is Disenchantment Day, so the city is preparing for a big celebration of the day Glinda disenchanted Tip and Ozma. They bump into Rags and Mombi in the city, but don't recognize her. She enters the throne room, and reveals herself, throwing a lavender powder on Ozma and Tip, and a different powder on everyone else, freezing them. Mombi then transforms Glinda into a broom, and orders Ozma and Tip—who can't resist—onboard. Rags tries to get on, but Mombi scolds the laundry beast, who is saddened at her treatment of him. After she flies off, Leo and the others come into the room, and are shocked to see what's occurred. Rags tells them his "Mommy" had kidnapped Ozma, Tip and Glinda. Harley has Tekrouri brew up a large batch of foghorn soda in the kitchens, and once complete, it works to un-freeze the court. They then go off to Boq's house to stop Mombi.

Mombi, meanwhile, commands Ozma to return to the Emerald City to send all the children to an island in the Nonestic, and promises to turn Tip into a statue. Osborne knocks at her door, pretending to be a roving artist who wants to paint her picture. Mombi plays along, but is flattered by the attention. While distracted, the others sneak away the captives, which Effer (now repaired and enhanced by the Wizard) flies back. When Mombi critiques the painting, Osborne loses his temper and she pushes him out. Discovering his treachery, she turns the glorf trees against them. Conflagra uses her fire to stop them, but Mombi summons a storm cloud to rain upon her. As the trees close in on them, they bring forth their secret weapon, Magenta, who wraps Mombi in his coils. Mombi is forced to disenchant the trees, as well as Magenta, who becomes Professor Donti Nowitall again. Mombi pulls out a flask to turn them all to stone, but Leo throws his remaining hooshoo at her, sending her somewhere she won't bother them.

Zim appears to congratulate them. Having just returned from the Nome Kingdom, where he restored the broken Nomes, he tells Tekrouri he has an idea about restoring the digested girl he ate. All he needs is a bone, with which he can restore the missing body parts. Finding a jawbone in his stomach (as troll stomachs are different than humans), he begins the process of restoring Virginia. He even brings forth the goat and heals the bite he had in his flank. Once complete, he scolds Terkrouri for failing to tell everyone sooner about Mombi, yet for his bravery Ozma's decided to make his foghorn soda the official drink of Oz. As everyone is invited to celebrate Disenchantment Day, they return to the Emerald City.

Continuity Notes

Boq: Boq first appeared in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He appears again in Father Goose in Oz, and with his wife Johanna in The Hollyhock Dolls in Oz and Bucketheads in Oz. He creates Mortimor Mix to help keep the Road of Yellow Bricks in repair, in The Tin Castle of Oz.

Bubble Bird: Bubble Birds are artificial intelligences, constructed with genuine bird brains in the latest developments in bubble memory. They were apparently created to give sightseeing tours of Mo.

Dating: Story is set in 1982, five years after the Fairy Ferry has been installed. It takes place over the course of six days, though there are several prologues that begin earlier. Chapter III covers the course of six months, and concludes at least several weeks before the start of the first chapter, as Kericot and Terrence need time to travel to and from the Emerald City. Chapter V also begins a week earlier than the first chapter.

Death and Rebirth in Oz: Kericot puts forth an advanced theory and death and rebirth in Oz, which amounts to a chosen reincarnation if one chooses to die, or a random one if one is destroyed. He also claims that the carnivores of Oz, like the Cowardly Lion, ask their prey if they're willing to die, and won't kill them if they aren't. Yet, it's important to note that on page 121, she says "She had come up with a story that she knew would not sound altogether plausible, but it would at least buy her some time. And, for all she knew, it might actually have some truth behind it."

Fire Fairies: Another kind of Nome (see The History of Ruggedo and the Nomes/Gnomes), Fire Fairies are female Nomes who tend the furnaces and prepare meals. They are unlike the Nomewives, who resemble their male counterparts. It's unknown what duties the Nomewives perform (apart from the obvious). This is the first time female Nomes are mentioned, though it accords with The Emerald Wand of Oz, in which Ruggedo's son features.

Grey Dove: Though not specifically mentioned, this "friendly dove" could be Ugu, the Dove of Peace, who was transformed into that form at the end of The Lost Princess of Oz. He not only aided Kericot towards becoming the considerate Kalidah that she became, but carried Alligator Sorcerer's application to practice magic to and from the Emerald City.

Harley the Flying Hammerhead: The origin story of Harley is highly suspect, as it portends that Glinda saw the friendship of Harvey Hammerhead and Ariel the Pegasus and decided to create Harley as a Hammerhead with Pegasus wings. This seems out of character for Glinda.

Intoxicants: Bucketheads in Oz presents an interesting look at both the euphoric and tormenting effects of getting high, depicting Oz as having its own natural methods of doing so. The effects of Tekrouri's Foghorn soda, which appear throughout the narrative, appear to give its drinkers a buzz equivalent to alcohol, while the nathanialwood tree, when burned, gives people a potent lightheadedness equivalent to getting stoned on marijuana. Conversely, the phantasmagoric Fantasque (in the Seven Blue Mountains) depicts the more unpleasant aspects of LSD, specifically a bad acid trip.

Kalidahs: Given that Baum states in The Emerald City of Oz that most kalidahs were "now nearly all tamed," this must mean that the kalidahs of Kalidah Woods are one of the last remaining "wild" (and dangerous) kalidahs in Oz. No surprise then that they are an insular community and many don't know who Ozma or Glinda are, or that the laws strictly prevent their violent actions. These kalidahs only found out about Lurline 20 or 30 years ago from a winged monkey. That they didn't know may mean that the elders keep the truth about Oz secret from the younger kalidahs. The text notes that 300 kalidahs were assembled at the trial of Kericot, and that these were "most of the kalidah population of Oz," but this has to be disregarded, else Baum's statement is rendered moot. Also, there is the Kalidah King Grumble who lives in the Munchkin Country (Father Goose in Oz).

Kalidah Woods: Sarjak is the Kalidah Elder in these woods which border the Gillikin and Munchkin Countries. Honcho Warleybones is the Kalidah King. They are the two judges that preside over the rare cases, which are not decided simply by strength. Sarjak is also the grandfather of Kericot and Randicot, and the father of their mother Cotrikar. He has been an elder since the time before Oz was made a fairyland, having inherited it from his mother.

Kericot the Considerate Kalidah: Kericot appears again (and alongside the turtle, Terrence Oldshell) in Thorns and Private Files in Oz, in which he's heading to Gugu Forest, but has already come from the Emerald City. This clearly must take place after chapter III and before chapter IV of this story. However, because he's traveling with a turtle, and must go from the Gillikin Country south to the Emerald City (where occurs an untold story of him speaking with the Cowardly Lion and Glinda), then back up north again through the Winkie Country (where he ends up in Cyrune and the Mixed-Up Forest) to his intended destination, Gugu Forest, Chapter III must take place earlier than the first two chapters. Kericot appears again later in Maybe the Miffin. Kericot is an unusual kalidah for the Kalidah Woods, though most of the kalidahs in Oz are tame, according to Baum (see "Kalidahs" above.)

Mombi: While the resurrection of Mombi appears to be at odds with what is revealed about Mombi's survival in the Oziana #38 story "Executive Decisions," there's no reason internally that Tekrouri's accidental wish wouldn't have brought forth the very alive-and-well Mombi that everyone only assumed was dead. Her actions and powers seem to suggest that the wish restored her memory after Ozma removed it with water from the Fountain of Oblivion. Interestingly, Mombi's actions aren't as harmful as they could be. She temporarily freezes the court, threatens to turn Tip into a statue, and has Ozma send the children away to an island in the Nonestic. This last act is the most curious, not only being she does no harm to Ozma (in fact, she seems fine with her being on the throne), but because she merely wants the children out of Oz. The reason for this is explained in the story "Sunday Visits," in Oz-Story Magazine #4, in which Mombi is harassed by boys throwing rocks at her. Even in this, however, she doesn't seek their destruction, only their exile. Zim seeks out Mombi in a sequel to this story in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3.

Professor Nowitall: Prior to Jinjur's Army of Revolt attacking the Emerald City, Mombi had demanded that Professor Nowitall give her his magnifying screen, which had enlarged the Wogglebug, so that she could enlarge Jinjur's army and take the palace. When he refused and destroyed it, she transformed him into a creature with the head of a tiger and body of a large serpent, casting him in the Gillikin River with a spell that only she could undo. There, as the creature Magenta, he forgot who he was. Mombi also transported his wife Ima into a ring, what Zim calls an interdimensional pocket set off from time and space. 80 years later, Magenta meets Wally the Wogglebug, Tekrouri the Troll, Tisha Rae the Jackalope, Harley the Flying Hammerhead, and Conflagra the Fire Fairy. They promise to tell the Wizard of his plight. This history presents a seeming dilemma, as Eureka in Oz has Professor Nowitall alive and well for years in his quiet abode. In this story, however, Magenta notes that he has a son, also named Professor Nowitall, who had taught at the Royal Athletic College, and it is this Professor Nowitall Jr. who taught Eureka in the latter story. It was him, using his father's magnifying screen, when the Wogglebug expanded and left for fame. Asha in Oz names him Ido'ant. Professor Nowitall Sr.'s first name is revealed here to be Donti. There is a question as to what Magenta was doing for eight decades, since no one has seen or heard of him until the events of this story, where he suddenly threatens everybody, and the simplest solution may be that Mombi had put him into an enchanted sleep up until this time.

Wogglebug: Bucketheads in Oz presents the first new wogglebug character that is not Professor Wogglebug. Wally is not enhanced like his more famous cousin, but is a friend of the troll Tekrouri (under whose porch he was invited to live) and the jackalope Tisha Rae.

Wycke: A duchy in the northern Nonestic in which the Lazy Lion Leotryaton lives and is famous.

Troll: As with the ogres of "Ozma and the Orange Ogres in Oz" and the goblins of "Betsy Bobbin in Yartralia," Tekrouri is a troll that is unlike his tribe in having renounced violence. Tekrouri pursued education at Professor Wogglebug's School of Athletic Arts, and was chosen by a house in the Gillikin Country to reside.

History: Third and final book in the deuterocanonical Seven Blue Mountains series sees the end of the storyline developed in books 1 and 2, as well as the events of Thorns and Private Files in Oz and Bucketheads in Oz.

Synopsis: Zim, Tip, Royal, Scraps, the Scarecrow, Tim Woodman, Aleda, Orlando and Dorothy head off on the Red Wagon to Herku. Zim tells Dorothy it was shameful that the Wizard sent her to kill the Wicked Witch, but she reasons that he was trying to get rid of them, and didn't think they'd actually do it. Zim had intended to render her harmless, but hadn't yet found a way to overcome the protective charm of the Silver Shoes. After entering the Winkie Country, the Scarecrow asks how Zim scared crows, and he tells him his face is too friendly. The Scarecrow asks for a scary one, and Zim paints a formidable face on him.

The next day, Dorothy uses the Magic Belt to send the Scarecrow to his former farm, where the Scarecrow so terrifies the crows they bring back the corn they stole. The Munchkin farmer who first painted the Scarecrow is glad to see him. Returning to the Red Wagon, the Scarecrow asks for his old face back, and after Zim restores it, he presents him with a tracing of his scary face that he can use as needed.

The following day, they arrive at Herku and ask the Czarover if he has a giant named Tiborena. He confirms it, and Nick explains that she must be freed. Orlando argues that it was wrong to imprison an innocent giant. The Czarover Vig has never freed any giants before, but since Tiborena has married Tibanto, he'd have to free two, and then all the giants would demand their freedom. Scraps suggests they free them at night while the others are asleep. Vig agrees to this, and two hours before dawn, the two forty-foot giants are brought out. Orlando removes his ring and shoots up to greet his mother, who is happy to see him again. She introduces him to her husband, who proves friendly. The Czarover's servant gives the party eight doses of Zosozo. Tibanto tells the Tin Woodman that there are other giants in Herku who are innocent like them and Orlando, and Nick agrees that it's wrong to keep them as prisoners.

At Townsville, Mr. and Mrs. King are happy to have Royal back, and Nick introduces them to Orlando, explaining that he's their former giant. They're surprised, but glad to see things resolved. Heading to his old home, they collect all the giant fruit-and-vegetable-bearing plants and gardening tools, which Zim shrinks down. Tiborena used to bring some plants to her uncle Mog and his son, and wonder how they've fared since her capture 25 years ago.

The next day, they drop off Nick Chopper at his castle and head south to the Quadling Country. They come to the Kingdom of Pinkaree. When Tip falls down into a cave, Zim follows and encounters the silly Doonabeasts. His magic compass indicates that the book The Collegiate Mother Goose is an enchanted person. They take the book out of the pit, where Zim disenchants it back to Philbert, the chief magician of Pinkaree. They bring him before the queen, where old misunderstandings are cleared up. They next arrive at the last kingdom before Huge Mountain, the sprawling farmlands of Adiposa, where the fat, pink people feed them with a ten-course meal. Princess Pelora explains that giants would make snacks of them were it not for the spell Glinda placed on the mountain that causes any giant leaving it to shrink down. She's happy they've come to teach the giants to eat properly. There's also a giant there who trades them food for furniture that he builds. That night Pelora bursts into Aleda's room and takes away the chocolates, explaining they're magic and will instantly plump her up.

The next morning, Orlando's mother and husband head up the mountain. After establishing lodging with Tiborena's uncle Mog, they bring the others, telling them to hide in Orlando's pocket, particularly since her late husband's advisor Mercador has assumed authority on the mountain. Uncle Mog doesn't like wizards, but Zim provides a feast for him and his son, cousin Sheruth, whose happy to meet Orlando, his family and friends. Mogeras explains that he'd tried growing a garden, but it failed. Zim tells him that it's because it was salted by Gorn and other of Mercador's cronies. Mercador is actually a Yookoohoo who makes food only for those he likes. Mog has managed to get food from an unknown benefactor, as well as by trading with the Adiposans. Mercador hates him because he won the hand of Sharetha, whose since vanished, and Sheruth believes Mercador's behind it.

The next day they begin planting, though Orlando and his mother remain hidden. Zim uses a portal to bring instant plant growth powder from his arboretum. Zim asks his queen bees for volunteers to take swarms to Huge Mountain. Two agree, and Zim puts their hives in the windowsill where they're safe.

In the morning, Zim informs Mog that his magic failed Gorn, who had returned to pull the same trick. He also notes that Sharetha was transformed, though into what he's not sure. Mog gets to work using Zim's magic to make the plants grow. A friendly giantess comes by asking questions, amazed at the growth she sees, and goes off to tell the neighbors. The bees do their job, and an audience soon gathers as fruits and vegetables grow and ripen before them. They're even more surprised when Mog brings out their former queen Tiborena and her son Prince Orlando. He offers everyone fruits and vegetables. Mercador's cronies show up, but they're invited to eat too. Mog explains that they can all be free of Mercador and grow their own food. So they gather seeds. Mercador arrives himself to stop them, demanding the magician reveal himself. Zim comes forward and Mercador turns himself into a hawk. Dorothy uses the Belt to shrink the hawk, while Mog defends Zim. The bees also attack Mercador. Dorothy turns him back, but keeps him small. Orlando takes charge and warns that any giant who harms a small person will get shrunk or sent to Herku. Tiborena supports her son, while Zim takes Mercador's Yookoohoo talisman, an apron, from him. Seeing the anklet around Orlando's leg, the people recognize that he's their true prince, and proclaim Orlando king.

At Mercador's former dwelling they disenchant a trumpeter swan who turns out to be Mog's wife Sharetha. Zim promises the giants to seek out potential wives for them from the small people who might be willing to become giants. He sends Merador to Glinda, who charges him with illegal magic and cannibalism, and sends him to Herku. The friendly giantess Greena admits to everyone that she's actually a Yookoohoo as well, and the one who left food for Mog and others who were hungry. She volunteers to keep helping until everyone's garden grows. As his friends prepare to depart, Orlando proposes to Aleda. She declines for the time being, as she wishes to teach at Professor Wogglebug's college, but she promises to visit. Several days later, Huge Mountain beomes abundant with giant fruits-and-vegetable trees and bushes, including macaroons, which the giants all love.

The Tin Woodman, Orlando and the Czarover come to an agreement. From now on, they will only take in the bad giants. If they reform, they can go free. If not, they're to be shrunken down to man-size and exiled from Oz. Thus, giants come to roam Oz again.

A short time later, Tip is surprised to hear Zim say he wants to go on pretending to be five different wizards. In order to do that, he must forget who he really is. After each has gotten his license, Tip must touch their foreheads with his wand. Brown Bleegum gets a third-degree license first, then Winkle, and Ganalan. Vega is next, and he inquires of the Wizard whether he and Glinda are more than friends. The Wizards says he looks too old for her and she is too old for him. So Vega asks Glinda to accompany him to the palace ballroom. When she says she's older than she appears, he counters that so is he. Tip is puzzled by the uncharacteristically happy minstrel and watches as Vega conjures up music and dances with Glinda. The Royal Conductor Baton is impressed and invites Vega to join the Royal Orchestra. That evening, when Tip tries to touch the wand to his head, Vega grabs it and leaves, and Tip is forced to convince Vega that he's really Zim, and should do it himself to prove it. To his relief, he does, and Zim returns home where he realizes that it's not Glinda that he prefers, but Maggie. Vega returns to inform Glinda that while his affections are sincere, it cannot be, and Glinda agrees and gives him his license.

After consulting with Ozma and the Wizard and Number Nine, Ozga, Private Jo Files and Hank approach Zim, whose planting a garden near Corumbia, about having lost a week of time and finding a gander's feather tied to his head. Zim undoes all forget spells on them. He and Tip then bring them, along with Benny the gander to confront Nevou in the enchanted kingdom of Cyrune (see Thorns and Private Files in Oz). Zim removes the spell over Benny, disenchants the rosebushes, restores the Mixed-Up Woods to the Verdant Forest, and destroys Nevou's magic abilities. After consideration, the restored King Arnoud banishes her from Cyrune until she can prove beneficial to the community.

Dorothy, meanwhile, finishes reading of Ozga and Files' adventures in the Great Book of Records, and discovers an odd line about Nevou and Ozga causing Mombi's rosy enchantment to wilt. While Ozma and Glinda are dealing with the Hoppers and Horners again, Betsy and Princess Trot are running the Emerald City, and Dorothy determines that the Book of Records might have a mind of its own and is trying to get her to solve the mystery (it is). She had thought all of Mombi's enchantments were undone, so she summons Scraps and the Sawhorse to ride off to Cyrune.

She's surprised by the beauty of the forest, which is as lovely as Burzee or the Black Forest, and the fact that after only one day, Ozga and the citizens have restored so much of the town and castle. Dorothy tells Zim and the king what she learned, so they determine to find her. A young girl named Sabine finds her and convinces her to return to Cyrune. When asked about Mombi, she says it was she who turned her into a witch. Nevou explains that that she'd once been the princess of a small kingdom. The Wizard Wam had given her father a wishing horn that granted a wish a day and he used it wisely for his people. On Harvest Day, however, he'd grant his son and daughter one wish each. When she was seven and her brother 15, he wished for a playland where everything is fun and funny (creating Punton). She wished for the most beautiful roses, and received a silver rose with a gold stem and emerald leaves. A few days later, Mombi came to her kingdom with her four-horned cow, explaining that she was returning to take care of her nephew. The silver rose interested her, as did her brother. Days later, when her father went hunting, he was killed by Kalidahs. Mombi showed up again, claiming her magic could help lower Nevou and her mother into a pit where the wishing horn lay.

Dorothy interrupts to inquire why King Arnaude is crying, and Nevou reveals that it's because he is her brother. Their parents were King Vounen and Princess Nitschka. Arnaude is astounded and happy to have his sister Princess Ouneve back. She could never tell him because Mombi threatened she would die if she did. Zim assures her that Mombi's been rendered harmless. After Tip goes to call Maggie on the Wizard's wireless phone (that he insist Zim carry), Zim's monocle confirms they're siblings. Ouneve continues her story: Mombi lowered the queen and princess into the pit, where they find the horn and hand it up to Mombi. She suggests that her husband may yet be alive in the cave, so they go to explore, but Ouneve's faithful dog Blarney arrives and joins them. The caves prove deep and extensive, and are used by dragons. When they arrive, Nitschka hides her daughter in a crevice, while they lead the dragons away, but the girl hears them scream. Later, a baby dragon comes along trying to hide from its older cousins who he fears will eat him. He leads Ouneve in the other direction, where they enter a cave of terrifying faces that scream and accuse Ouneve. She faints. On awakening, the monsters are gone, but Mombi is there, claiming to have been the baby dragon. She claims the silver rose, saying it belonged to her, and uses it to turn the girl into a witch. She departs, and after many days, Ouneve finds her way out. She discovers she's suddenly old, and thinks it means she was in the cave for years. She discovers that she's also in Ev, and it takes her a year to find a way to cross the Deadly Desert, which she accomplished with the help of a magician who recognized her as a witch and taught her some tricks. Once in the Winkie Country, she found her way to Cyrune, where she was unrecognized. She could now read minds and used that skill to become the Royal Sorceress and Advisor. But immature as she still was, she wanted to marry her brother. Then Mombi returned, intent on marrying King Arnaude and claiming to have enchanted their parents, which she'd return to them upon their marriage. Nevou overheard her brother agree to her demands, so when everyone gathered on their wedding day, she transformed everyone into rosebushes. She knew she couldn't win a battle of magic against Mombi, but neither could Mombi undo her spell, so she left. She then turned the Verdant Forest into the Mixed-Up Woods, and ensured that any who entered would forget upon leaving, and if they touched a thorn to try to undo the spell, they'd be turned into a rosebush also. In this way, she thwarted Mombi's plans.

Zim understands that her actions were as that of a child's, and Dorothy assures her Mombi was melted after Pastoria was restored. Tip, however, reveals that she was accidentally brought back by Tekrouri the Troll and that the Lazy Lion Leotryaton had wished her somewhere where she couldn't bother them. Zim determines to know what she's up, and Dorothy, Tip and Ouneve determine to join him. Opening a portal to Mombi's old hut, they enter. Zim's magic compass indicates the the Wishing Horn and Silver Rose are east, along with Mombi. Ouneve finds a book of poetry that Zim takes along. In the Munchkin Country, they get new directions to go northeast. Tip suspects she's hiding out in a mys-tree, an ancient hollow tree where stories and historical artifacts are archived (by the elusive Skeeziks).

Inside the tree, they find an array of junk, but in a cabinet is an Erlenmeyer flask, inside which is a shrunken and unconscious Mombi. Zim takes it, wishing neither to restore her, nor destroy her. Zim also retrieves the Silver Rose and Wishing Horn. Yet, as he goes about placing a forget spell on Dorothy and Ouneve (so the mys-tree doesn't lose its mystery), a Skeeziqu sneaks away the Erlenmeyer flask from him and brings it back to the tree. Back in Cyrune that night, Arnaude surmises that despite Mombi's attempts to repair it, the Wishing Horn was irrevocably damaged in the kalidah attack. He wants to have a proper coronation for his sister, but Zim asks him to postpone for six days until Harvest Day.

Six days later, Zim appears at the coronation, casting a spell on Ouneve, removing her aged form that Mombi gave her, and restoring her to the seven year old she'd been. Ozma crowns Arnoude king and Ouneve princess, but Zim then asks if he'd like to join his sister. Realizing what he means, he agrees, and Zim de-ages him to 15 again. But an even bigger surprise greets them when their mother Queen Nitschka and their father King Vounen appear, along with their dog Blarney. Vounen takes back the crown, and the celebration begins. Glinda arrives, along with Maggie, King Cheeriobed, Queen Orin, Prince Philador, Joe King, Queen Hyacinth, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Scraps, Dorothy and others. But the arrival of Amouretto of Amouré surprises everyone.

She speaks with Zim in private, and remonstrates him for taking Mombi from the Mys-Tree without asking permission of the Skeeziques, who are good creatures who often "step in to warn others of impending disaster," and although the Erlenmeyer flask is back with them, she tells him he has a problem with imposing his judgment on others, just as Ozma had done when she took Ruggedo's Magic Belt, making an enemy of him for decades. She also reminds him of what the dragon Hadasse would do if she could return to her former size, and tells him it was wrong to turn her and her children into slaves and pets against their will. Zim acknowledges his failings. Later he speaks with Tip about restoring Hadasse and her children, and Tip in turn says that Maggie has found a way to keep harmful insects out of the garden so that he doesn't have to eat them. He agrees to employ it.

Eighty-seventh year of Ozma's reign: In the Emerald City, Zim reveals to Tip and the Wizard that he wants to bring the Wizard Wam back to life. One potion will separate his father from him, and if successful, another will separate his father from his sister Fern. They they'd combine the two. But when Zim takes the potion, he instead breaks up into 31 tiny composite Zim's, each reflecting an aspect of his personality. Dorothy and the Wizard are able to round up all but two, Cruelty and Love, the former who bit her before he ran off.

Love, meanwhile, flies off to see Maggie in the north, and expresses his affection for her. She flies on her broom with him to the Emerald City, where she learns that particulars of what happened.

Three days later, Cruelty found a way to grow to his original size, and torture and kill the wicked witch Bastenda and the wicked wizard Wormfest the Evil. The Wizard and Tip determine they must capture him before he does more harm and before his other parts grow more extreme than they already are. Maggie agrees to help and watch the mischievous pack while the Wizard lures Cruelty to the Emerald City with the ruse that it's been conquered by a villain. Maggie volunteers for the role. Intellect and Industriousness prove helpful, but the latter collapses from exhaustion. Maggie meets Fern. The Wizard with the Magic Belt departs with Tip for Zim's arboretum where they suspect he's hiding.

The two confront Cruelty and present him a copy of the Ozmapolitan showing the witch's conquest and threat to send everyone to the bottom of the Nonestic at seven. They return and wait, while some of the little Zims volunteer to take Maggie's place. She permits Dishonesty to disguise himself as her partner. When Cruelty arrives at seven to destroy the witch, Maggie reveals her true self, and the Wizard, Ozma and the little Zims go on the offensive, shrinking him down and rendering him magic-less with the magic noose. Courage nearly removes it in order to fight him, but they stop him in time, and decide it's safer to put Cruelty to sleep for a time. When he awakens later, Anger berates him for ruining Zim's reputation and being worse than the villains he destroyed.

Three days later, and no closer to reuniting the Zim's, the Tin Woodman arrives. He takes an instant liking to Love, whose continued to woo Maggie, and asks to place him inside his chest to see if he could feel love. It works, and he explains that while he has a kind heart, it's not a loving one. Tip, meanwhile, suggests to the discouraged magic workers that the hippogyrafe was likely a combination of two different creatures put together with a spell. Intellect then returns from a trip to the castle of Wormfest with a spell, confirming Tip's hypothesis. Ozma says they usually destroy the books of wicked magicians, but Intellect argues that it's not necessarily the spell that's evil, but the way it's used. With his help, they combine all of tiny Zims' robes into the original one. They next fuse Cruelty and Kindness, Pride and Shame, Love and Hate.

Creating more powder, the next day, they combine Calm and Anger, Sloth and Industry, Hope and Despair, Honesty and Dishonesty, Trust and Suspicion, Courage and Fear; Intellect is then combined with Love/Hate, and then Sympathy/Apathy is bound with Kind/Cruel. Finally, he combines all the Zims into the original eight-foot tall one. Embarrassed and apologetic, Zim wishes to find a cure for the combination spell, as Wormfist had none. The Wizard and Ozma agree, but in the meantime, they celebrate in the ballroom, with Zim and Maggie lead in dancing.

Three weeks later, Tip and Zim pick up Maggie on route to the castles of the wicked witch and wizard Zim destroyed in order to collect their books and restore any enchanted victims. Maggie inquires of the medal he wears, and Zim explains he fulfilled a Halidom prophecy that said Wormfist would be ended by someone crueler than he. They find several enchanted people in Wormfist's castle, including one person whose been an oak for two centuries. Maggie flies them back to Halidom, where the king accepts them and puts them up in his castle until a home can be provided for them.

As Zim and Maggie discuss their pending nuptials, Tim walks off to disenchant someone outside the castle near a well. But he falls into a trapdoor upon a big box of pillows where he's confronted by the largest giant he's ever seen. Introducing himself as Corfon, he tells Tip he must play a game called the Battle of Kipo. If he wins, he gets set free. If he loses, he must keep playing. The game is similar to chess (but with wizards and witches instead of bishops). After two games, Zim finally finds his location and enters invisibly. He explains to Tip that he must win against the giant, whose also a victim of Wormfist, and had been placed in this limbo pocket, which is outside of normal time and space, over two-hundred years ago. Zim departs to tell Maggie, who is anxious to play, but she first tells King Herald of the trap. The giant informs them that they must win fairly, but can discuss strategy in between games. Zim informs them that the Wizard Wam once had a strategy that never failed, but he struggles to remember it. After many games, Zim takes away any magic that might be causing Corfon to win, but the giant discovers him, and forces Zim to play. Finally, he remembers his father's strategy and gives it to Maggie who wins. Good to his word, the giant releases them, and then appears with them, a normal-sized man. He'd been punished by Wormfoot the Bad for having beaten him in Battle of Kipo four times in a row. After restoring him to Halidom, Zim, Tip and Maggie look for other enchanted people, and in the end disenchant forty-six. After visiting several other wizards and witches dens, and disenchanting more people, Maggie gives Zim a maybe in answer to his proposal.

In the 95th year of Ozma's reign, Zim reveals to Tip that he's going to find his great-grandmother, a cloud fairy, but his only link to her is a star ruby ring and blackthorn walking stick passed down from his father Wam and his father before him. Lurline did not know where she lived, only that she wasn't from this continent. Zim opens a portal to discover where the ring came from and discovers a misty world of gray cliffs. His Magic Mirror tells him the world is Tir Na n'Og, the Land of Youth and Fairyland of Ireland. His great grandmother was one of the Sidhe. They had married mortals much more frequently than those in Nonestica. They currently live in fear of the Black Druid, who lives not far from where the portal opened. If he finds Zim, he can reopen it and enter Oz.

Zim and Tip head to the capital of Tir Na n'Og where his great grandmother Aurea lives. Most of the fairies reside in the west, as the east is wild, unsettled woods. Tip hops atop Zim's back and they fly west. When they're pursued by bats, Zim greats illusory duplicates and a magic shield. They pass by the round treehouses of the fairies, linked by catwalks and stairs, and at its center is a great marble palace with a nearby river and perimeter trees protecting the palace with giant spider webs. The pointy-eared fairies are more ancient than the people of Oz. Guards shoot green lightning from their spears at the bats, which were sent by the Black Druid. Tip serves as ambassador and introduces everyone. The great white spiders pull apart their webs and allow them into the city, where they meet the Sidhe, some on white horses, and leprechauns. Zim's language spell translates their Celtic tongue for both parties. The pair are impressed how they live in harmony with the old growth forests.

The largest oak tree they'd ever seen stands in the courtyard of the white marble palace decorated in Celtic knotwork. The handsome blue-eyed, black-haired King Tehtra greets them alongside his druid Nocmell. The king knows of Oz existing in a different time-space (dimension) and wonders how Zim managed to cross realms, as their land is hard to get to. Zim explains his ring and portal, explaining he'd come to find Aurea who ground his great grandfather to Oz 3900 years ago. At hearing this, the people whisper that the prophecy's coming to pass. Tethra tells him that she did this to save him from the Black Druid. Nocmell prophesied that he'd be destroyed by her descendent. This led him to kill her husband and his great grandfather's older brother. The Black Druid will do everything in his power to kill Zim. The Black Druid came from another dimension, arriving from Ireland in Tir Na n'Og over 100 years ago, which given the time differentials, is as 1000 years in Ireland. He drains the magic from fairies to make himself more powerful. Zim's Ruby of Naught was created by Nocmell and given to Aurea so that the Black Druid would be unable to find her.

Aurea arrives to greet her great grandson and inquire about Wammerian. Zim says only that he never married. She offers to train Zim to draw upon nature to better help him defeat the Black Druid. After a celebration, the pair are shown to their rooms. Nocmell tells Zim he's dressed much like a druid, but Zin says he doesn't worship oak trees or the Sidhe, as the Celts did, but Nocmell explains that neither do they, and that the Celts made the fairies of Tir Na n'Og into deities. In Ireland, druid means a Celtic Priest, but in Tir Na n'Og, it means a magic worker. Zim then teaches Nocmell and Aurea the counterspell to the Black Druid's magic-extraction spell, and they tell the others. Nocmell feels that Zim as as close to a Green Man as he's ever seen. They put more of Zim's counterspells in a book that he magically multiplies so that all the fairies of the realm can benefit. That evening, Zim tells his great grandmother that he's the creation of Wam, who made him out of perhishable vegetables that began dying. He had to give up his humanity so that Zin might live. Zurline said there was a way for Wam to live again, but couldn't divulge how. Several guards arrive to protect Zim since the Black Druid is a shapeshifter.

The next day Aurea teaches Zim nature magic and they fly off on stucks like troop fairies to distribute the magic books to those who live in the country. They visit a seaside cottage where they meet a man married to a selkie and invited by King Tethra to live there. They then go near to the portal and meet the leprechaun Donel who explains how craggy lands were once forests until the Black Druid arrived. Zim returns to the portal to learn more about his enemy when the red eyed, dark-cloaked figure appears shooting red lighting and black fire which destroys Zim's magic shield. Zim shoots white energy and three fire rings out of his wand. The Black Druid responds with red energy fireballs. Finally, Zim makes it to the portal while the others fend him off until he returns. Zim consults the Magic Mirror, which explains that the Black Druid is a force, a concentration of evil magic that mindlessly kills because it's not truly alive. Those who created it died in the process. It's mission is to find paradisiacal universes and spoil them.

Zim returns and uses positive nature magic to shrink the Black Druid down to nothing. Zim realizes the magic magus vine his father had fashioned him from has powers against evil. Zim lies down exhausted from the battle and the fairies sing a healing spell. The land is restored to its former splendor and undoes the evil creatures the Black Druid made. At King Tethra's palace, there's a week-long celebration in honor of Zim and the prophecy's fulfillment. Finally, Zim and Tip bid goodbye to everyone. Aurea and the king invite them to live there, but the pair promise to visit on occasion.

While restoring limbs to nomes injured in the mining accidents, Zim is informed by Kaliko that the Great Jinjin has requested to meet him. Zim has been pushing this meeting off for years, concerned that the Higher Power wants to shackle him, or worse, remove his magic. Kaliko says he'll put in a good word for him, as he's grateful to all the help Zim has given his people, and acknowledges that everyone's scared of the fair, but heartless Jinjin.

Agreeing to meet him, Zim takes Tip along. Riding upon the dragon Fraeius, they go through the Hollow Tube to the country of Tititi-Hoochoo. The Great Jinjin explains that he's summoned him because of all the good things he's heard, yet the fact that he can't discover anything about his is unusual. Zim credits that to the ring his great-grandmother left with his grandfather when she left him in Oz to escape the Black Druid's detection, a being he recently defeated.

Zim asks if he can use an empathy spell to see what it's like to live without a heart. Once complete, he apologizes to the Great Jinjin for not coming sooner, as he didn't realize how much pain he was in. Zim casts an empathy spell in reverse so the Jinjin can experience fullness for the first time. The fire in his eyes go out and Zim offers to construct a heart for him. The gathered kings and queens think he should do this. No longer wishing to remain in that poisonous foul mood, the Jinjin agrees. The King of Forests and Queen of Gardens help procure the ingredients necessary, while Zim warns the Jinjin that not all emotions feel pleasant. The next day, he constructs a heart, but it turns out to be tiny, so he requests more ingredients. The heart grows a little bigger, but Zim is stumped, and makes it larger. Finally, the Jinjin reveals that he's actually giant-sized, but keeps himself smaller as to not intimidate his people any more than they already are.

The Jinjin places Zim under his authority and protection, as the other fairies are, but promises to be benevolent, fair and just. He adds a silver ring to Zim's ruby one so that he—but no one else—will always know where Zim is in case he's in trouble. Later, Zim tells Ozma that he'll continue serving as Wizard of Munchkinland, but must now attend fairy convocations. Ozma says they're all answerable to the Great Jinjin. The Tin Woodman is happy to hear Zim gave him a heart. Nick asks if the Scarecrow still has the plush velvet heart that he gave him recently. Tip offers to sew it up inside the Scarecrow so it doesn't get lost in him. Zim notes that before Jinjin had a heart, he had little to no healing powers. Now, they're greater than his!

2001: Maggie agrees to marry Zim, but teases that she'd have preferred Brown Bleegum. Zim laughs and shows her that he is Brown Bleegum, as well as Ganalan, Vega, Roose, the Green Knight and Winkle. Maggie is amazed.

2002: Maggie and Zim marry in the Emerald City with Glinda serving as maid of honor, and Tip as Best Man. Even the fairies of Tir Na n'Og attend. After the ceremony, Zim's sister Fern hugs him, which suddenly makes Zim dizzy. Then, with a flash of thunder and lightning, the Wizard Wam appears! To get his father back, Zim had needed only to marry. Fern and Zim embrace their father and Aurea her grandson. At the grand celebration that follows, Tip introduces himself to Wam, but the wizard says he's known him all along since he's been part of Zim all these years. With the restoration of Wammerian, the celebration lasts a week, but Wam notes that he's forgotten his magic. He determines to relearn it, acknowledging that he's been unwise in the past, but has learned wisdom from Zim and Fern over the years. Maggie says he'll have time and he'll need it before Ozma will grant him a license.

Continuity Notes

Bastenda: The wicked witch Bastenda was tortured and destroyed by the composite part of Zim's personality called Cruelty. Whether this witch operated under the Wicked Witch of the East, or in opposition to her (or both) is unknown. The witch's name Bastenda is remarkably like Bastinda, the Wicked Witch of the West in Alexander Volkov's Wizard of the Emerald City, a re-imagining of Oz called the Magic Land. Whether there is any connection is yet unknown, as the Magic Land exists in a different dimension than Oz.

Black Druid: The black robed, red-eyed being is actually a powerful force created by evil beings. The Black Druid's sole purpose was spoiling paradises. When it discovered Nocmell's prophecy that a descendent of Aurea would destroy, it sought out her heirs for destruction. It is not known who created it, yet Zim notes that even with all the magic in the world at one's disposal it would be nearly impossible to create the Black Druid, and that whoever did it would have been destroyed in the process.

Dating: The story is broken up into five sections, the first of which takes place immediately after the end of The Seven Blues Mountains of Oz: Book 2, in 1982. The second part of that section, chapters 7 to 15, is listed as taking place in 1983, yet because it's inextricably tied to Bucketheads in Oz and Thorns and Private Files in Oz, occurring immediately after the latter, which are set in October of 1982, the internal date must be incorrect.

Incongruities: The Royal Timeline of Oz omits Chapter 3: "The Doonabeasts," contains references to characters and locales detailed in The Colorful Kitten of Oz, which due to contradictions with Eureka in Oz, is located in the Parallel Histories section. See that entry for more information.

Limbo Pocket: Also known as a pocket dimension, this is a place where time and space operate different than normal. It is essentially a dimension within a dimension, though called a pocket because of its relative small size in comparison to the larger dimension in which it inhabits. The one that houses Corfon was created by either the Worm Wizard Wormfist the Evil or one of his ancestors.

Mercador: One of the rare Yookoohoo males. Selfish and spoiled, he eventually came to rule Big Enough (Huge) Mountain for a time until he was deposed by Orlando, the rightful ruler

Mombi's Fate: In the present day (1983), Dorothy assures Ouneve that Mombi was melted after Pastoria was disenchanted, which means that at this point she's unaware that Mombi was not melted but given Water of Oblivion to drink (Oziana #38: "Executive Decisions"), a secret Ozma kept for years. Zim discovers that Leo's spell (from Bucketheads in Oz) ended up placing Mombi shrunk and unconscious in an Erlenmeyer Flask in a Mys-Tree in the Munchkin Country (along with the Silver Rose and Wishing Horn that the Skeeziques must have taken from her hut). Zim's attempt to retrieve Mombi from the tree fails and the Skeeziques put it back in the tree. As Mombi is alive and well, and unaware of her past in "Executive Decisions," it must be they who restore her to Ozma, who again administers Water of Oblivion to her.

Ouneve and Mombi: Ouneve's tale of Mombi's transformation of her into a witch echoes closely the Switcheroo Spell she used on Tip and Ozma, Jellia Jamb and herself, Queen Orin and Locasta (which at this time was still unknown), and Princess Sharon Violet and a doll (The Flying Bus of Oz). The witch she used to switch with Ouneve must have been a potential threat or rival of her or one of the Wicked Witches, and one who was old and who could read minds, as that is one of the powers that Ouneve inherits, along with her aged form. There is an untold story here, but a magician in Ev recognized the form Ouneve wears as that of a witch and so helped her cross the Deadly Desert. It appears that Mombi had put Ouneve to sleep for a period of time, 25 years seems likely, as she notes that when she returned to Oz, the wicked witches ruled the land and Pastoria and his wife and daughter were missing [125], which would mean Mombi performed the Switcheroo Spell on her in 1871, the same year she first tested that same spell on Princess Viola (The Flying Bus of Oz) and enchanted the Royal Family, Pastoria I and II. Mombi had earlier told the Princess and her mother that she had to return home to take care of her nephew (which seems to suggest Tip), but that must have been a lie, as she doesn't acquire Tip until 1892 (Jack Pumpkinhead makes it clear that Tip was with her for nine years), which is far too late in time (since Pastoria was already long gone at that point). She does have a four-horned cow with her, which she did not acquire until after she had Tip with her (Oziana 1985's "Mombi's Pink Polkadot Vest"), so this must be a different four-horned cow, and is likely the original Imogene (see the continuity notes for the latter story). 25 years from 1871 is 1896. Benny notes that Nevou was in Cyrune for 10 years, and that towards the end she and Arnaud would argue about Ozma's law forbidding magic except by a chosen few. Ozma passed that law in 1905. Mombi returned to Cyrune in either that year or the following (which would be the tenth year Nevou was there), demanding King Arnaud marry her in exchange for the return of his parents, whom she claims were not killed, but were enchanted by her. He agrees, but in a rage against the woman who ruined her life, Ouneve (now Nevou) enchanted everyone in Cyrune to become rosebushes, preventing Mombi from marrying her brother or undoing the spell.

Tir Na n'Og: In Celtic myth, this is the realm of the fairies. In Tolkien's legendarium, this land was called Dorwinion and Tol Eressëa, and existed alongside Valinor. Given previous Tolkien crossovers, and the descriptions of the Sidhe and their realm in this story, it is not hard to imagine that they are one and the same, and that these are ancient Elves.

Wormfist the Evil: Last in the line of Worm Wizards, the wicked wizard Wormfist was tortured and destroyed by the composite part of Zim's personality called Cruelty. Wormfist had been active near Halidom for over two centuries. His father was known as Wormfoot the Bad. Wormfist is last in the line of Worm Wizards. What powers the Worm Wizards had is not entirely known, though to create a pocket dimension would indicate they were powerful. Wormfist the Evil and his ancestors appears to have preyed on the Halidonians. A prophecy in Halidom said that he would be destroyed by one crueler than himself.

History: Four editions of this privately-printed book exist.

Synopsis: In the Royal Stables, the animals of the Emerald City tell their stories to entertain Ippie, Pippie and little Kak, Winged Monkeys on a tour of Oz for their son's education. After they're through, Kak tells his tale of being caught in a Whirligig Wind in the Winkie Country where he was saved by a Miffin, a creature similar to Snif the Iffin (Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz), but with golden fur and female. This gets Snif's attention, particularly as he'd like to have children.

The next day, Snif departs for the Winkie Country to try and find the Miffin, but she's flown to the Gillikin Country for the first time, though for what reason she doesn't know, save that she's looking for something. She spots four stepherders herding a flock of living stairs, including stairways, porch stairs, stadium stairs, and one peculiar stepladder who keeps trying to run away. The Miffin inquires what's going on, and the stepherders, Stepfather, Stepmother, Stepsister and Stepbrother, explain that they sell their steps to homes that need them. As money has been abolished in Oz years ago, money is only used as a trade item, and they also accept clothing or food. But the stepladder doesn't want to be a stepladder.

The Miffin offers to trade four of her golden feathers and two tufts of tail feathers for the Discontented Stepladder. The stepladder protests that he still won't be a stepladder, but she tells him when she settles down she'll need a bookcase. He agrees and she renames him the Eager Bookcase, privately telling the rigid Stepfather, who won't sell the stepladder as anything but, that as a bookcase he'll be a stepladder to knowledge.

When Snif finds the Miffin's eyrie, there's a note saying maybe she'll return and maybe she won't. He then flies to the Munchkin Country, where he hears a cry for help. Diving down, he spots a kalidah on a raft caught on the roots of a tree dangling over the edge of a hundred-foot waterfall. With him is a turtle, a book, and some flying fish. One of them, Flighty, flies over and tells him that the kalidah is Kericot the Considerate Kalidah. The turtle is Terrence Oldshell. The raft is a trap with magic bait that lures the unwary to beneath the waterfall where dwell the Fall Guys. Snif flies over to them for a chat, and inquires if they've seen another like him. They answer honestly that they haven't, and he decides to help them. Tossing Terrence a rope, he untangles the other part of it from the tree, after which he pulls it to the bank, where Kericot grabs the turtle and jumps to the shore. He then goes back for the book. Puzzled at why the Encyclopedia Oziana was so important, Terrence explains that he was once a student of Professor Nowitall, and is going to teach Kericot to read. The book reveals that the Fall Guys are the ghosts of everyone whose ever jumped off a cliff. The Wicked Witch of the East brought them into Oz from the Great Outside World as part of a booby trap. Terrence looks up Iffin and Griffin in the encyclopedia and finds that only two members of the species have ever been reported in Oz: the Iffin of the Quadling Country, and the Miffin of the Winkie. As he's heading to the Emerald City, Snif requests the book to report the Fall Guys to Ozma, and says goodbye.

The Miffin and Eager Bookcase investigate a plume of smoke emerging from somewhere in the Quadling Country. They arrive at a subkingdom called Microcozmony, the former playground of the Good Witch Cozmony. A sign warns of the Vile Isle. The country contains several additional communities, including a Chinese Pagoda, Russian Castle, Haunt of Friendly Ghosts, Babylon Gardens, Arabian Knights pavilion, and the Vile Isle from which the smoke arises. Flying over they see a shabby dollhouse, behind which is another building. A Chinese mandarin explains that all the communities in Microcozmony were once dollhouses for a young Cozmony. When she grew up, she gave them life and made them all large, save for the wicked dolls, who were kept small and sent to live on the Vile Isle. Before she departed to parts unknown, she cast a spell so that any who reform will grow big and can leave the island. Conversely, if a good citizen turns bad, they'll shrink and will be rowed to Vile Island by means of a magic boat. Sang Hwong stays there because he's a head taller than everyone else, and Secretary of State to President Raskolnikov Rasputin, the shortest man on the island.

Yesterday, Rasputin demanded Lovely Lulu's hand in marriage, but as she is in love with Stevie Two Feathers, she declined, so he threatened to have them burned. Sung Hwong thinks that Cozmony's magic brought them there to save them. After showing them a trapdoor leading to the Housing Project where the furnace is, the three arrive just as Lulu and Stevie are being pushed into a giant furnace. The Miffin and Bookcase jump in to rescue them, but get trapped when the door slams shut. Instructing the couple to climb up on the Bookcase, the Miffin grabs hold of the former stepladder and soars up through the top. As per their request, he drops them off at the Haunt of Friendly Ghosts.

Snif, meanwhile, has returned to the capital, reported the Fall Guys, and gone with Ozma and the Wizard to undo the Witch's trap, rescue the earlier victims and return the ghosts back to the Outside World. But unable to find the Miffin, Sniff falls into a depression and stays in the Royal Stables day after day, making notes in the Encyclopedia Oziana for the Wogglebug to fix for his next edition.

Then suddenly one day, Snif is alerted to the fact that she has arrived. Flying over to the palace, Snif praises her beauty, and determines she must have another name. She chooses Maybe. The Eager Bookcase gets excited when he sees the book in Snif's hand, which he then offers to him. As the Bookcase sings about his very first book, Maybe the Miffin realizes she's finally found what she'd been looking for in Snif.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This third and final appearance of Kericot the Considerate Kalidah and Terrence Oldshell indicate that this takes place still early in their journeys, as Terrence is teaching Kericot how to read. Given Snif's depression, the narrative might reasonably span a few weeks, though only a few days are depicted.

Ghosts: One of the few Oz tales to feature spirits of the dead, the narrative states that the Wicked Witch of the East brought the spirits of those who'd jumped off of falls or bridges, called Fall Guys, to Oz to be used as a snare, though it's unclear exactly how that works or why this was needed. By story's end, Ozma sends the spirits back to the outside world.

Good Witch: Cozmony, formerly of Microcozmony. This good witch turned her numerous collection of dolls into living beings, and grew their size (and that of their dollhouses) for them to live there. She placed a spell over the domain so that any doll who was bad would shrink back to small and be sent off to the Vile Isle until they reformed, at which point they'd grow again. The current whereabouts of Cozmony are unknown.

Iffins, Griffins and Miffins: Snif first appeared in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. The Encyclopedia Oziana, written by the Wogglebug, indicates that only two griffins have been reported in Oz, the Iffin and the Miffin.

Money: By this point in time, money has once and for all been abolished. It was noted that Ozma earlier abolished it in the Emerald City, but allowed the outlying regions to gradually dispense with it. Now, it's used by some only as a trade item. The Stepherders use it to make jewelry and even to play checkers with.

Spatial Elasticity: Called "Spatial Distortion" in Thorns and Private Files in Oz, it's again described here [17] as a phenomena of fairylands in which subkingdoms have more acreage on the inside than their boundaries would dictate. This accounts for the relatively small space of Oz, in which some have crossed Oz in a relatively short time, despite the numerous amount of subkingdoms that exist in Oz.

Steps and Stepherders: The idea of sapient stairs fits in with the idea of living houses, as detailed in Neill's Oz books, such as The Wonder City of Oz. This is the first time we've heard of a stepherder family that keeps a flock of steps, of different kinds, stepladders, porch steps, stairways and stadium stairs (which must be huge). How these came to be alive in the first place isn't noted, and it may be related to the same mysterious means that brought the houses to life in Neill's books (see the forthcoming novella The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz).

Tornadoes and Whirligig Winds: It's believed that the Whirligig Winds are an offspring of the twister that first brought Dorothy to Oz, as the phenomena was never noted prior to her arrival. Other possibilities include the King of the Wind Demons, S.V. Breezy, the Wind-Satchel Man, and the North Wind (all from Rosine and the Laughing Dragon of Oz; the North Wind also appears in The Hidden Valley of Oz), Fanny the Weather Witch (The Runaway in Oz), and the Great Tornado Wizard Cyclonius (Oziana 2015: Prince Pompadore in Oz). The Whirligig Winds may bear some relation to the Trade Winds (The Ozmapolitan of Oz). The name whirligig is also given to a giant flying beetle in Ev (Ruprecht the Castaway King).

Synopsis: When the Wogglebug comes to the Emerald City one June morning, he takes the elevator up with Betsy Bobbin to Ozma's suite. As the three talk, Ozma suddenly disappears, and just as suddenly the Wizard appears with Button-Bright's Magic Umbrella! He explains that he was testing time travel with the umbrella when he accidentally prevented Ozma from getting disenchanted after Ugu kidnapped her (in The Lost Princess in Oz).

The Wizard then whisks Betsy and the Professor back in time with him, commanding the Magic Umbrella (which he's gotten to obey him) to bring him back to the time before he caused the peach pit (Ozma's transformation) to get lost. He explains that when he first arrived, he hid from Button-Bright in a tree, but accidentally kicked him, causing the peach pit to fall out of his pocket and into a nearby stream. Now, after the event repeats itself they must find and retrieve it back to Button-Bright's pocket without him knowing.

Climbing the same tree when Button-Bright arrives, the Wizard-from-before also arrives, so the present Wizard makes them invisible. After the Wizard-from-before kicks Button-Bright in the head and the peach pit falls out and into the stream, the present Wizard makes them visible and commands the Magic Umbrella to go after the peach pit as fast as it can. It does, but the Magic Umbrella gets torn on the branches, causing them to plummet into a fast-moving river, so that the pit eludes them as it goes down a hole in a rock that runs along the shore. They follow on land till they reach the gates of Rip City. An unusual being that looks like a tear in space opens the gate and explains to them that whenever rips are sewn up, they come to this city. The city is miles-wide on the inside and filled with millions of rips. At the tattered palace of the king, two ripped pages hold the peach pit, which the king offers to the travelers when they claim it. He also gives them a box of rips. The Wizard then pops a "mile pill," and commands it to take them nine miles north.

They arrive near to the Oz party, so turning invisible again, the Wizard sneaks up to Button-Bright and places the pit back in his pocket. Going back to Betsy and the Wogglebug, they worry that with the Magic Umbrella torn they're stuck in the past, but the Wizard says the umbrella can be repaired in Needland. With his magic floating powder, they soar up into the clouds towards the Munchkin Country. As the powder begins to wear off, the Wizard supplies them with two cans of compressed air which will keep them aloft, but they panic and shoot off, forcing the Wizard to follow them as they splash down in a river upon a mountain in the Gillikin Country.

They're met by the Purple Mountaineers and the Mayor of Heliotropeville, who requests their help disenchanting the Violet Forest. Years ago, an evil magician attacked them during a celebration feast in the forest, turning the mayor into a gold brick and a knight into a silver spear, which he plunged into the gold brick, at the same time enchanting the forest so that all the creatures in it were turned to bronze. Though the magician later fell into a canyon, the spell remains until the silver and gold can be separated. The Purple Mountaineers each try to remove it, but cannot. Finally, Betsy gives it a go and easily pulls it out. With the enchantment broken, everyone in the forest is restored. There is a great feast, after which the Mayor uses magic to float them down the mountainside with a picnic basked of food.

After hours of walking, they come to the Gillikin Forest where the Wizard creates a magical tent, table, beds and lamp. But after eating and going to sleep, two kalidahs report them to the Kalidah King, who uses his magic crystal to transport them to him. As the creatures close in for the kill, the Wizard shatters a glass bottle against the Kalidah King's head, causing the kalidahs to sneeze uncontrollably. The travelers make their escape out of the woods and beyond the reach of the magic crystal, after which they again pitch a tent.

In the morning, they resume their travels to Needland, which lays on the border of the Quadling and Munchkin Countries, by the Deadly Desert. Before long they come to a green castle made of mud and giant palm trees, which belongs to the Leaf People, living plants, whose King Tumbleweed is a distant cousin of the Mangaboos (from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). The King is friendly until he learns the travelers befriended the King of Rip City, at which point he throws them in the Dungeon of Quick Sand, angry that quintillions of his grass subjects get ripped up. Remembering the box of rips, the Wogglebug tosses one against the wall, creating a rip that allows them to escape.

Bored in the palace, meanwhile, Dorothy wishes herself to the Quadling Country by means of the Magic Belt she's wearing. En route to Glinda's she passes by an entrance in a small mountain and decides to explore. The cavern is lit by numerous lanterns. Grabbing the largest one, which is gold and ruby shod, she presses button releasing the Lantern Elf King Lanty. He's heard of Dorothy and invites her to dine, along with everyone else at the palace. She declines, so he gives her a gold candle that can send her out the mountain on the other side. The only catch is that it destroys other magic, and he is unaware that she's wearing the Magic Belt. When she emerges facing the Hill of the Hammerheads, she discovers the Belt is gone. So, blowing a silver whistle, she summons Glinda's storks who come to bear her to Glinda's castle. Glinda brings her to the Great Book of Records to find out what happened to the Belt, and it's revealed that it returned to the first person who touched it after its creation, a gnome magician named Hitveoehun, who now lives in an onyx cave under the Deadly Desert, which he built when the nomes invaded Oz (The Emerald City of Oz). Telling Ozra, the leader of her stork girls to transform into storks (The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz), Glinda and Dorothy fly off to the Emerald City, where Jellia Jamb informs them that Oz has been conquered by the Hitveoehun and his Magic Belt

The Wizard and his companions, meanwhile, arrive a mile from their destination, where they enter the Valley of Reality. The Wizard is turned into a nervous old man, Betsy a sad old woman, and the Wogglebug a stupid insect. When the Wizard acknowledges he's been secretive and apologizes, he turns back; when Betsy admits she's been gloomy and apologizes, she turns back; when the Wogglebug admits he puts on airs and acts smarter than he really is and apologizes, he turns back. At last they reach Needland. The Munchkin Gatekeeper brings them to the Royal Seamstress who mends the tear with a magic needle. In thanks, Betsy gifts her with a pearl and emerald necklace. Holding on this friends, the Wizard commands the Magic Umbrella back to the moment they left their own time in Ozma's room. Ozma is surprised, but is soon appraised of all that transpired. But when she goes to have a banquet prepared, she discovers that Hitveoehun has taken over, and just then Glinda and Dorothy arrive.

When Glinda denies the gnome the title he wants, he turns her into an onyx statue. The Wizard arrives with the three Wishing Necklaces (The Wishing Horse of Oz), which he places on the necks of Ozma and Dorothy, and wishes the gnome into a pebble, but before he can count to six for the spell to take effect, Hitveoehun turns him into onyx. Jellia sneaks in the Silence Stone (The Gnome King of Oz) to hit him with, but he transforms her first. Dorothy picks up the stone and manages to hit him on the head with it before she too is transformed. With the gnome unable to speak, Betsy rushes over and grabs the Magic Belt from around his waist and puts it on hers. Using his own powers, he hurls a fireball at her, but she grabs a mirror from the wall and reflects it back at him. He's turned into a match, which Professor Wogglebug picks up, lights a candle with, and then douses with water, causing another explosion that makes Hitveoehun disappear. But the Magic Belt disappears as well!

With the Magic Umbrella and the help of Button-Bright, Betsy and the Wogglebug, they fly to Glinda's to learn that the Belt has gone to the Land of Destroyed Magical Appliances. The four then fly there and are met by the Guardian of the Magical Appliances. Introducing themselves as ambassadors of Oz, the Guardian retrieves the Belt for them, but for it to regain its powers, they must go to the room where it was destroyed. With the Belt around Betsy's waist, they fly back to the Emerald City, where she wishes everyone enchanted back to normal. The magical devices locked back up in the safe, everyone enjoys the banquet and two day party Ozma prepared.

Continuity Notes

Betsy Bobbin and her Sudden Strength: Betsy's home town is here noted for the first time as Lone Grove, Oklahoma. There is no explanation as to how or why Betsy is able to pull the silver spear out of the gold brick when several mountaineers were unable to. It's an obvious King Arthur parable, but in the context of this story (or any other involving Betsy), it has no greater meaning other than to give a random girl the power that no strong man has. Otherwise, Betsy does not become a queen (or even a princess) and the narrative gives no reason why she should have been granted this sudden ability.

Button-Bright's Umbrella: As noted in The Magic Umbrella of Oz, Button-Bright's umbrella was left in the past with his ancestor, and would likely have eventually come to reside in Philadelphia with his uncle Bob. At this point in time, 20 years later, it seems likely that Button-Bright retrieved it from his uncle's home when he died. Though it may be possible that time travel was one of the umbrella's original properties that no one knew about, it seems more likely that the events that occurred to the Magic Umbrella in The Magic Umbrella of Oz (which included time traveling) appear to have given it the ability to travel in time, which the Wizard is exploring for the first time (and last if he's smart) in this story. These properties are further explored in A Wonderful Journey in Oz.

Dating: The time traveling portion that briefly revisits the events of The Lost Princess of Oz is listed as taking place in 1917. This date is based on the erroneous idea that the Oz books take place the year of their publication. While it is impossible to date that story for a certainty, The Royal Timeline of Oz lists The Lost Princess of Oz as taking place in 1908. The discrepancy in the text can be chalked up to historian error. The frame story must take place prior to A Wonderful Journey in Oz, which takes place after The Enchanted Gnome of Oz.

Magic Belt: If one accepts K. Kline's Kaliko in Oz in their personal canon (it is listed here in the Parallel Histories section), there was an issue of a contradiction between the origin of the Magic Belt as presented in this story and the one in Klein’s. This was resolved in an essay by Tyler Jones entitled, “Who Made the Magic Belt.” For archival purposes (and fans), it is presented in the continuity notes of Kaliko in Oz.

Imby Amby: Imby Amby is listed as one of the Guardians of the Gate. As the gates to the city would have four guardians, this may be one of the lesser known guardians, and apparently is Omby Amby's brother. Another guardian is Mozel Tav (from the yet unpublished stories of Margaret Berg).

Palace: The author mistakenly cites Ozma's suite as being on the seventh floor, when it's actually on the second (see "Palace Layout" in the Appendices). The Royal Palace had four floors, though the Wizard's tower room may have ascended higher than this, but additional floors might have been added some time prior to this story, and perhaps Ozma temporarily moved her suite to the 7th.

Rip City: This absurd place is akin in some respects to the Braided Man's invisible flutters and rustles, which are whimsical, but nonsensical. How an entire city of sapient rips came about is uncertain.

Synopsis: Button-Bright grabs his recently recovered Magic Umbrella and invites Trot and Cap'n Bill to go on an adventure with him. Grabbing a picnic basket, the three head out to the Valley of Mo. After picnicking there, Button-Bright commands the umbrella to go to the Quadling Forest. They land in a clearing, where stands a three-foot tall magician who introduces himself as Ozner, the Royal Magician of the Quadling Forest.

Ozner invites them inside his treehouse. They climb the narrow stars which embark upon a comfortable room. Ozner shows them a powder that can show him anything he asks. He obtained it from Ozma who didn't need it (as she has the Magic Picture) in exchange for a book on water magic, which he didn't need. Curious to try it out, he puts the potion in a boiling cauldron along with another, and makes passes with his ruby-tipped silver wand. The water resolves to show the Shaggy Man and his brother Ichabod picking apples, Scraps writing songs, and Ojo playing catch with Omby Amby.

Thanking Ozner, they head off to see Glinda, where they spend the week feasting, talking and reading the Great Book of Records. They even race against her stork chariot. Finally, they say goodbye and depart for the castle of the Tin Woodman, where they converse for a time before exploring the library, where Button-Bright discovers a book called The Magic Appliances of Oz, which lists the story of the Magic Umbrella. The book reveals that it had been created by a magician named Nbrgk in the 1700s, who flew over to Arabia, where he was captured and killed by the Arabian Knights. One of them discovered the umbrella's powers and it was passed on from father to son after that, until finally coming to Button-Bright.

The next day, they head out. Recalling the stories Pastoria told him of the past, Button-Bright wishes he was there, and suddenly the Magic Umbrella begins to spin as everything turns dark. When it stops, they're tossed to the ground before a red and white marble castle. Soldiers escort them to the throne room where sits a beautiful woman wearing a pearl dress and jeweled crown. Button-Bright recognizes her as Queen Ozara, the wife of King Ozroar, and Ozma's grandmother. She came into power when King Ozroar went into hiding from Mombi, but Trot recognizes that Mombi is there right now offering Ozara a magic powder that can destroy the Wicked Witches. She yells and tries to warn her, explaining that they're time travelers from the future. Button-Bright and Mombi push Mombi over before she can harm anyone and grab Ozara, fighting past the guards who see them as kidnappers. Button-Bright commands the umbrella to take them back to the time they left.

Ozara marvels at the beauty of the Winkie Forest (this is the Forest of Fighting Trees), and Cap'n Bill wonders who created it. Oakaria, the dryad of the forest appears, explaining that the fairy Thyrfh was long ago captured by the evil sorcerer Rghytuh, who forced her to make the forest for him, after which he banished her. The sorcerer then forced the trees to do his evil bidding. Oakaria heard of it and brought the hamadryads from Burzee to drive out the evil tree spirits (Yarmadryads). They struggled for years to keep the trees alive until Ozma came one day and healed them.

After lunch and some games till evening, Button-Bright uses the Magic Umbrella as a tent and they go to sleep. In the morning, they acquire food from a nearby Travelers Tree. Having heard of their trip from Jellia Jamb, the Wizard arrives upon the Sawhorse, and they add a new seat for the Magic Umbrella to carry him. Their next stop is the Gillikin Country, where amongst the purple wheat they run into Ruggedo! The former nome king had recently been an ice sculpture, but the polar bears of Ev sent it to Ozma who had a servant placed in the safe. Carelessly, he was put on top of the Magic Belt, at which point he wished himself back in his own body. Once restored, he puts the belt on and wished to be Nome King again. A servant once more, Kaliko asks what he wants, and Ruggedo demands fifty of his best nomes to sail with him across the Deadly Desert.

Meanwhile, traveling the Quadling Country, Dorothy and Tot enter a dark forest. Upon entering a clearing, they become terrified to find ghosts, goblins and ghouls. The zombie king of the Evil Forest tells her that the realm of Scare had become overcrowded, so as the scariest of the Scares, he led a group there, where he was made king. After he threatens to turn Dorothy and Toto into zombies, the two run, but witches fly over and drop a cage on them. After three hours, all the evil spirits have gathered, and the king says he'll take their life power and escape the Evil Forest. When he pushes a sucking tube into the cage, Dorothy pulls out a partially-grown Wishing Pill, but is afraid to use it. Toto suggests she make a double-wish to ensure its effectiveness. She does and they end up in the Gillikin Country where their friends Trot, Cap'n Bill, Button-Bright and Ozara are.

After cutting another seat for them, Button-Bright instructs the Magic Umbrella to head to Sky Island, but as they pass by the Rainbow, he lowers the umbrella so that they land on it. Polychrome and two sisters, Multihue and Spectra greet them, and take them to the top of the Rainbow and across a bridge of light in the Rainbow Palace. There, the Rainbow King prepares a banquet for them. After this, they visit the palace library where they find the books project hologram images, and the palace theater, where they watch a performance.

The next day, the Rainbow King sends word to his brother that they need rain, and the Rain King sends showers, after which the rainbow unrolls into the sky. After thanking them, Button-Bright and the others continue on to Sky Island, where Trot and her friends reunite with Rosalie. After two days of food and games, they head over to tour the pink countryside. Resting on a boulder, they start to sink, and the Wizard realizes that in the hole is a rare mineral called gaulau, which makes magic machinery work. He has everyone collect as much as they can.

Taking a vote where to go next, they decide to go to Trot's house back in time. The Wizard uses his new powder to facilitate this, and he Wizard warns them that they cannot be seen or time will unravel. They wind up just as Button-Bright, Trot and Cap'n Bill were first heading out to Sky Island. The past Button-Bright accidentally falls into the water, and as he can't swim, the future Button-Bright fears he'll disappear. Thankfully, the past Cap'n Bill comes to his rescue.

After this, the party return to the present and go to the Emerald City where friends new and old greet them. Ozroar is overjoyed to have his wife back with him. But as they're sharing stories, Ruggedo and a hundred nomes march in. Ruggedo wishes them all frozen, but before he can turn them into a china spoon, the Magic Umbrella turns into an elephant. His trunk touches Button-Bright, allowing him to move again, and he hits Ruggedo with a cake. Unstrapping the belt from around his waist, Button-Bright puts it on and wishes Kaliko the Nome King, the army back in Ev, and Ruggedo a common nome in the Nome Kingdom. With him gone, the Magic Umbrella returns to normal.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Takes place in May a short time after Ruggedo gets free of being an ice sculpture in The Enchanted Gnome of Oz. As Belinda, Glinda's sister is among those present in the Emerald City, this also necessitates it take place after her arrival there.

Disclaimer: The events of this story were written by a very young Atticus Gannaway in a way that it is closer to an outline than a full-fledged prose story. Nevertheless, the events can work, even if they require some creative retconning to make sense, e.g., the trips back in time, particularly to Trot's house, seem particularly irresponsible, especially with the Wizard present.

Ichabod: See the continuity notes for The Magic Bowls of Oz for information on the various names for the Shaggy Man's brother.

Magic Umbrella Origins: According to the book The Magic Appliances of Oz, the Magic Umbrella was created by the magician Nbrgk (see "Nonsensical Nomenclature" below) in the 1700s. After flying to Arabia, where he's captured and killed by Arabian Knights, the umbrella is discovered for its magical powers by one knight and handed down generation after generation until reaching Button-Bright. It appears that the book leaves out a considerable amount of information and detail, but thus far this origin works fine with the altered-history one that occurs in The Magic Umbrella of Oz.

Nonsensical Nomenclature: Each of the following names should be considered made-up, either on purpose to conceal their real names, or because the author was uncertain and invented them: The magician who created the Magic Umbrella: Nbrgk. The fairy of the Winkie forest: Thyrfh. The evil sorcerer who enchanted her: Rghytuh. None of these are real names, and whether chalked up to historian error or some other cause, they should be considered inaccurate until an expanded, corrected version of this story comes out.

Ozara: Queen Ozaria is the wife of King Ozroar. A former Winkie, she maintains a red-and-white palace in that country. Button-Bright calls her Ozma's grandmother, but in fact she'd be her great-grandmother, as King Ozroar is her great grandfather. This historian error is due to the early confusion with the various royals that preceded Ozma, namely the mad king, King Oz (Pastoria I, Ozma's grandfather), Pastoria II (Ozma's father) and Ozroar (aka. King Andahan the Roarer, later King Ozroar, the father of Pastoria I). The misidentification of Ozroar with Ozma's grandfather was made in The Blue Emperor of Oz. This story does very little to develop Ozara as a person aside from being beautiful and pleasant to be around

Ozner: The Royal Magician of the Quadling Forest. Given that he traded magical items with Ozma, he must have gotten a license to practice magic to be regarded as such.

Ruggedo: Picking up where The Enchanted Gnome of Oz left off, with Ruggedo as an ice sculpture in Ev, the polar bears send the sculpture to Ozma, who has a servant put him in the safe. Neither the servant or Ozma realize it might not be such a good idea to put him in there with the Magic Belt, and once the iced-up Ruggedo touches it, he makes a wish that restores him and the Magic Belt to him. Button-Bright later takes it back from him, but the idea of hitting him with a cake seems implausible as a means by which he's able to take the Belt off of Ruggedo's waist. Likely, there is more to this story. With the Magic Belt, Button-Bright restores Kaliko and sends Ruggedo to the Nome Kingdom as a common nome.

Sailing Across the Deadly Desert: The idea of the nomes sailing across the Deadly Desert by boat seems implausible, however, a jeweled boat magically enhanced for this very purpose was used by Ruggedo in the story "That Nome Will Never Learn!" for The Emerald City Mirror #48. The boat here is the original one, likely created with the help of Potaroo, or with Ruggedo's own magic. It was likely dismantled (or destroyed) by Kaliko when he regained power. Ruggedo would have had to have it rebuilt for the latter story fifteen years later.

Scares: The Scares first appeared in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. It is not known when the zombie king led a group away from there to their original city to the Evil Forest, elsewhere in the Quadling Country. His powers seem different than the other Scares, who feed off of fear. In this case, he's attempting to feed off of Dorothy and Toto's life force, with which he'll have the power to escape the Evil Forest. Why he'd want to escape his own realm, which he founded and serves as king, is an unaddressed continuity error. A later civil war amongst the Scares occurs in the story "What Scare We."

Winkie Forest: The Winkie Forest where reigns the dryad Oakaria is the former Forest of Fighting Trees that Ozma had healed years ago in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz. This story provided a back-story for how the forest first came to be and why there are hamadryads there. The narrative calls its ruling dryad Oakaria, but she's known as Lark Ellen in the latter. The change may have been due to copyright concerns, but both names are possible. Oakaria/Lark Ellen came when she'd heard the evil sorcerer was using the fairy-created trees for evil ends. It's clear that the reason these trees are sapient is because they're the creation of a fairy, though they were corrupted by the evil Yamadryads that the sorcerer appears to have summoned. To counter their influence Oakaria brought the hamadryads from Burzee, but it would take some time for the trees to shed their corruption, and not until Ozma's arrival, where she teaches Oakaria a lesson in forgiveness do the trees finally find peace.

Synopsis: When Toto is laughed at for falling into a bush, he confesses to the Cowardly Lion that he feels a general lack of respect; even the most unqualified children from the outside world are made princes; so he determines to go Glinda's to ask about getting some.

En route, he falls asleep and dreams he's the ruler of Dogud, a kingdom of 345.5 dogs, where he's protected by Bernie the Saint Bernard. As King Totoshka, he governs wisely and is respected by all. After visiting his subjects, he appoints Poe the Pug, a puppy to be his royal herald. When the kingdom is later attacked by the cats of Caterpill, the pug and his friends encourage the king to fight.

The Sawhorse wakes him up and brings him the rest of the way to Glinda's. Toto explains to her that even language is embedded disrespect for dogs. Glinda notes that she can't use her magic to give him respect, as that must be earned, but since it's midsummer's eve, when wishes are sometimes granted, she can see about getting him a title.

Excited, he runs south to go home, but sees a sign for Arfrica, and as he's thirsty, he takes a detour. He sees the citizens of Arfrica looking for something, but when he comes across an ivory rod, they tell him he's their new ruler! Every nine years the prior magistrate steps down and hides the rod. Whoever finds it becomes king. Toto's royal office is called the Dogate, and there he meets his guardian Lunarr Bernstein, who assures him it's a peaceful community. The book The History of Arfrica informs him that there have been twenty magistrates before him. In Toto's mind, they've done little as far as social change over the years, and determines to do better.

Toto's French maid Froufrou brings food, but when she comes to collect the plates, her pearl necklace, a gift from her grandmother, breaks. Toto calls in all of the staff to search for the pearls. All but one is found, so Toto gives as a reward the prize of serving as acting ruler when he's not around. Yet, it can't be located. Later that night, Toto's awoken by the sound of someone in the room. He tries to sneak out before the creature finds him, but when it approaches, he barks, arousing Lunarr and Froufrou, who discover Bertram the Butler. He'd come back into the room to search for the pearl. Toto ends the contest and orders everyone back to bed, while he reads the story of the kind fox Krenag and the cruel jackal Shagar. Shagar tells Krenag he wishes to reform, but Krenag's parents warn him to avoid the jackal. But when Shagar saves Krenag from the bear Sefar, Krenag agrees to Shagar's invitation to bring all the forest creatures to his house. Once there, however, they discover that the jackal was in league with Sefar. Thanks to the actions of Elgul and Dyagar, the rulers of the forest and Krenag's parents, the forest creatures escape.

The next day, Magistrate Toto decrees that Lunarr and Froufrou must learn the dog language. Then, at the courthouse, Toto presides over various cases, including the charge that Gordon the Gardener pulled a rose, which he did by accident, after which he gave it to his wife Gleerup. Another case involves gold that was found by the children of Ackhal and Ruby, which turned out to be the life-savings of Hector. Toto decrees that he must return the gold to its rightful owner, but Ackhal, whose been out of work, will be given employment.

Dorothy, meanwhile, tells the Scarecrow that she's upset because Toto's been gone for three days. Checking the Magic Picture, they see Toto presiding as judge. Determined to find out why, they go with the Hungry Tiger to visit the Wizard, whose staying at the Tin Woodman's castle. The two agree to accompany her.

To help learn Doggish, Lunarr magics himself and the maid tails, but in the process Toto ends up losing his! To help get his mind off it, Toto goes out to meet his citizens. He meets Mr. Aminell, whose bitter because his brother Forst had been magistrate, and is now missing. Toto determines to find him. He next meets the schoolteacher Miss Petulant, who wants Toto to speak to her class. As she needs a file clerk, Toto employs Ackhal to this position. When Toto later returns there to speak to the class, he appoints the wise Stroodle, the gardener's son, as his herald.

Dorothy discovers the Sawhorse and Cowardly Lion playing in the woods, and requests their help. En route, Nick Chopper picks up a small strange device. Suddenly, Nick is transformed into a tin teddy bear, the Red Wagon is shrunk, the Lion and Sawhorse are turned into a tree, and Dorothy into a bird. The Wizard watches as the metal device transforms into a metal man, Nalexan the Necromancer, who wishes to challenge the Wizard. The two begin effecting various transformations in battle. After declaring a draw, Nalexan vanishes and the Wizard finds himself stuck in the form of a rhinoceros from the outside world, and unable to speak!

To Toto's surprise, Bertram the Butler announces that at last he's found Toto's bride, Princess Radenier, a human, as it's the law of the land that their magistrate must marry. Stroodle suggests Toto run away before the wedding that night. Lunarr agrees to go with him, and turns Toto's Persian rug into a magic carpet, with which they, along with Froufrou, escape.

Ozma and Glinda, meanwhile, discover what's become of the Wizard and Dorothy, as each thought they were with the other, and determine to disenchant them. Gordon the Gardener, meanwhile, raises an army to help him find Stroodle, who at this time is flying over the Deadly Desert on a carpet that's fast unraveling. As Toto and Lunarr drop, two Pegasi, Krespott and Kraygon, rescue them and bring them to the floating land of Billowed, which is in a cumulus cloud. Ozma and Glinda approach a rhino, who writes his name with his paw on the ground. As Glinda realizes he's the Wizard, an aluminum book magically appears in her hand. It belongs to Nalexan, who had been the leader of a peaceful people, but was punished by Roquat the Nome King for refusing to go along on one of his schemes. With the Magic Belt, Roquat turned him into the necromancer. Glinda and Ozma disenchant their four friends.

The Pegasi bring Toto and his friends to the passing Rainbow, and the maidens help escort them to an easterly island called Hawlaii in Nonestica. A Scottish Terrier named Labyz greets them, and brings them to her home for food and lodging. A ship arrives bearing Gordon and the army of Arfrica. Behind them fly Glinda's chariot with Toto's friends and mistress. But the ship carrying the Arfricans turns into Nalexan, as he had earlier intercepted them. Ozma quickly employs the Belt to restore him to his original self. Nalexan turns into the missing magistrate Forst. Glinda, Ozma and the Wizard return everyone to their homes, while Lunarr employs Glinda's help to restore Toto's tail. He decides them to move to the Emerald City.

Weeks later, Lunarr explains to Dorothy that Toto is missing Labyz and has given the dog a small crystal ball in which he can communicate with her. Dorothy says Toto can bring her to the Emerald City with the Magic Belt anytime he wishes.

Continuity Notes

Arfrica: A small Quadling community ruled by a magistrate for nine years, after which he hides an ivory rod. Whoever finds it becomes the next magistrate. The community has only existed for 180 years, and appears to house humans who'd come from various countries, such as France and Israel, however, it may have been first established by a dog, as its founder is named Christopher Colliebus, which may be why they make no objection when Toto becomes magistrate, which he does for several months. Arfrica is visited again in The Three Imps of Oz. It is not clear why this late in time, Arfrica is still using a money-based economy, or why Toto doesn't phase it out, as it's been in the rest of Oz.

Dating: The narrative runs three months, starting on midsummer's night June 24th, and ending three months later (page 147, in the 2006 edition) in late September or early October.

Great Book of Records: As per this account, all matters that are pertinent to Oz appear in red in Glinda's Great Book of Records. It may be that Glinda can choose the way information comes forth, and that this is but one of several methods.

Lunarr: Although not on the Timeline, Lunarr appears again in Lunarr and Maureen in Oz.

Peter: Although the narrative hints that the boy Peter may be Peter Brown from Ruth Plumly Thompson stories, Oziana 1987's "The Two Peters" indicates that that's not possible. Based on the latter story, however, it may be that the elderly Peter's wish comes to pass and his grandson gets to visit Oz for a time.

Transformations: When battling the enchanted Nalexan the Necromancer, the Wizard is said to use a "Magic Word of Transformation" (p. 141 in the 2006 edition), which is likely Pyrzqxgl, which first appeared in The Magic of Oz. See that entry for more information on Pyrzqxgl.

Synopsis: At the base of North and South Mountains, situated between the two Yellow Brick Roads in the Munchkin Country, lies the caves of the Goblin Gorge, home of the orange Goblins, a race who are distant cousin to the gnomes. The elderly goblins live in the caves of the North Mountain, while the younger mischievous ones live in the South Mountain, where they're watched over by the Goblin nanny, Nongob. Forty years ago, a noise started to grow underground that has since gotten worse, and driven the Goblin King HobGoblin to distraction.

One day, the king's Wise Advisor Red Eye tells King HobGoblin that the noise has stopped. Overjoyed, the king makes a speech promising his subjects will now see a new king who won't neglect them, but at the celebration that follows, Red Eye finds a note from the king that shows he meant it literally, as he's retiring. Nangob, meanwhile, is besides herself trying to find two missing goblin children.

Red Eye summons the Ancient Black Goblin Gorlak, who is feared because of his demonic appearance. He is known as the Mischief Magician, though his powers are scant. As per the Royal Law Book, Red Eye is the new Goblin King. Nangob arrives to announce she'd found the missing children, who'd gone into the Emerald City to get a Christmas present for the king. This disturbs them as Goblins don't venture into the Emerald City and because Goblin holidays include Halloween and April Fools, not Christmas. Nongob then announces her retirement as well, and leaves them with a grey cactus, the present the children had brought. The children explain that a mole had told them she knew where the noise was coming from and could lead them there. Determined to bring the source of the king's distress to him, they were led to the Royal Conservatory, where they found the cactus by itself, the noise emanating from its roots.

Scanning the book The Underworld Magician's Handbook to Unsolved Mysteries and Courses of Transformations, Gorlak discovers that the cactus is under an Elf transformation. The cactus then begins to spell a word: Ruggedo. Recalling that it had been 80 years since Roquat first encountered Ozma and lost his Magic Belt, Red Eye orders Gorlak not to disenchant Ruggedo, knowing Ozma would punish them if they did, and that Kaliko has been Nome King for 70 years. But when Red Eye leaves to announce the king's departure and his ascension to the throne, Gorlak heads to his underground cliffside home by the Cavern Sea with the cactus and a picture of Ruggedo (in a family album) that is necessary to disenchant him. On an island in the Cavern Sea lives a hermit, and far across the sea lies the Land of the Ogres, who the Goblins don't get along with. Gorlak follows the instructions and makes a concoction, and before long transfers the essence of Ruggedo into the picture. He then pulls the Nome out of the picture. Ruggedo is happy to be free, but Gorlak demands payment in the form of help finding the Magic Lamp, which will grant him three wishes. Assuring Ruggedo he has no interest in conquest, he leads the former Nome King to the Quartz Maze where it's hidden.

Years before Ruggedo was turned into a cactus, one of the Blue Witches, who had been cast out for having fallen in love with a homely king, came seeking Goblin magic, which her clan had deceived her into believing was the most potent of all magic. Thinking the Mischief Magician could grant her a love spell, she brings a Magic Lamp, which she had already used, as trade. But once there, she hears from other Goblins that he has no real power, and decides to test him first. King HobGoblin suggested she hide the lamp in the Quartz Maze, which she does, using string tied to a rock so she could find her way back out. But when she passed by the Ice Pit, Gorlak surprised her and pushed her in. Despite an in-depth search, however, he's unable to find where she hid the Magic Lamp and is convinced she must have turned it into a rock.

Rock magic is no difficulty for Ruggedo, who enters the maze to find the lamp, but the Black Goblin warns him that if he doesn't find it, he won't be coming back out. The Nome searches but discovers no enchanted rocks. Nearly despairing, he discovers that hanging upon a ledge of ice within the Ice Pit sits the Magic Lamp. But when he tries to retrieve it, he falls in, and just barely stops himself. He calls out to Gorlak, who demands he hand him the lamp. Ruggedo tries to first wish upon it, but nothing happens, so he hands the Goblin the lamp. With no further use of him, the Goblin magician grabs his hand and then drops him into the pit!

Ruggedo falls for some time until the pit becomes an incline that emerges in a lighted cavern, where he discovers a land of living icicles. General Sickler tells him that for unlawfully entering Ice Sickle City, he must be ice-packed! Ruggedo is brought into the giant cavern, and sees igloo-houses and streets like ice-skating rinks, where the inhabitants' favorite sport includes chopping off each other's heads with their sickle arms. Although their heads can be replaced with new ice ones, Ruggedo knows his head won't easily be replaced. He then sees the result of two formerly ice-packed victims, the witch who Gorlak had pushed down the pit, and who'd tried to turn them into ice cubes, and a small dragon who'd tried to melt them. When Ruggedo likens their city to one that polar bears would like, his captor stiffens and scolds him for using those words. Sensing he'd hit a nerve, he continues to say "polar bear" until his captor and the others roll over in terror and flee.

Ruggedo pushes over the ice-packed sculptures of the witch and dragon, bringing them both to life. While she thaws out and they prepare to depart on the blue dragon's back, a gigantic polar bear comes roaring out, followed by an army of hundreds of Ice Sicklers. General Sickler tells them they've awoken from hibernation the King of Ice Sickle City! When the Polar Bear King threatens to punish them, Ruggedo jumps on the dragon's back, and the dragon picks up the witch by the belt around her waist. They barely escape the blows of the giant polar bear king when Ruggedo spots something and tells the dragon to fly above the fountain. There, he snatches a Magical Ice Circlet. Without it, it begins to rain, and the city and its inhabitants start to melt. General Sickler pleads to his king to save them, but there's nothing he can do, and he melts away. The Polar Bear King explains that he needs the Magical Ice Circlet, which has kept the city frozen for a hundred years since he first fell down a hole into the cavern. Now, without ice or companionship he says he'll suffer endlessly in a pool of water. Ruggedo heartlessly refuses to pay heed, and flies off upon the dragon up through a hole in the cavern ceiling.

Once on the surface of the Munchkin Country, Ruggedo tells the dragon and witch they're going to help him conquer Oz and turn it into an ice city with the Magical Ice Circlet. The witch says she'll do no such thing, but the dragon is curious to hear Ruggedo's story. Ruggedo proceeds to regale them with all the injustices he suffered at the hands of the Oz people. The dragon can't remember much of his past, and only barely recalls his name is Wunch. The witch says her name is Belinda and she once lived in a hut in the Gillikin Country until she was betrayed by the very same Black Goblin who threw Ruggedo down the pit. She recalls being in love with a Gillikin king who didn't love her back. The dragon too recalls a Gillikin king, but she doesn't remember him having a dragon of the court, just a red cat. Ruggedo informs her that the king she's speaking of left Oz years ago, after which Mombi ruled for a time until she was defeated by the Good Witch of the North. When it was discovered years later that the Good Witch was really the lost and enchanted Queen of the Munchkins, Ozma appointed a mountain king as ruler of the Gillikins (The Giant Horse of Oz). Ruggedo offers his help in finding the former Gillikin King if she'll aid him in conquering Oz. She agrees. Curious, Ruggedo inquires why her powers are so limited. Reluctantly, she explains that her powers had been taken away from her when she was younger. She then left home and went to live with the Blue Witches, but Blue Magic is not terribly strong.

Examining the circlet, Belinda discovers that it has three buttons which each spell out what it can do: ice, sleet, and snow. Ruggedo gets an idea. Knowing the power only works when it touches water, he determines to place the circlet in the Forbidden Fountain and have it produce snow, which will make everyone forget who they are. With Belinda's magic, only the three of them will be immune to its effects. That night, while Belinda digs a trench around the circlet, Wunch tells her she's beautiful, but she tells him that her father said so too, but also said she was ugly on the inside. The dragon reasons that anyone can change, but she counters that the past can't be. When Ruggedo returns with wood for the fire, she casts her spell, and causes a circle of blue magic fire to surround the Magical Ice Circlet. After chanting, blue smoke suddenly courses out and into their lungs. After their coughing subsides, she explains they'll now be immune to the magic. Wunch wonders why he feels so sad, and Ruggedo too says he feels weak, but Belinda explains that Blue Magic is a depressant magic, but that it should wear off in time.

Upon Wunch's back they fly west to the Emerald City, where they notice that all the colors of Oz are represented. Ruggedo remembers that it's Christmas Eve, amused that they're about to get a white Christmas. He directs the dragon to a secluded garden not far from the Royal Conservatory where the Fountain of Oblivion is kept. Wunch is entranced by the beauty of the Emerald City, but Ruggedo scolds him, suggesting he might destroy and rebuild it as a city of rocks and coals. They spot Santa Claus leaving upon his reindeer and settle down in the garden. Recalling how hungry he is, Wunch begins eating grass. Belinda follows suit and grabs some apples from a nearby tree. Ruggedo also realizes how hungry and tired he is, and decides they'll sleep for awhile first.

With the residents of the Palace fast asleep, Eureka the Pink Kitten gets up and goes about her nocturnal activities, eventually entering the Palace Gardens, where she smells something awry. Spotting someone snoring near the Forbidden Fountain, seeing a tail, and assuming it's the Glass Cat's, she pounces, only to terrify herself and Wunch the dragon! Ruggedo wakes up and tries to catch her, but Belinda does. Ruggedo tosses her in the Fountain of Oblivion. Unhappy to see her suffering, Wunch helps her out, but the cat has no longer any memories of who she is. Ruggedo then puts the Magical Ice Circlet in the Fountain, and a blue mist shoots out of the Fountain to the sky, where magical clouds begin to form.

Dorothy and Toto wake up early to see what gifts Santa left them, and run into Jellia Jamb who tells them she had another nightmare that she was in a strange country and didn't know who or where she was. Dorothy thinks it's because the Forbidden Fountain is too close to the Palace and Jellia agrees, hoping Dorothy will speak to Ozma about it. They run into Eureka, who proclaims that her name is Pinky. Thinking she's being mischievous they ignore her and greet Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Trot, Betsy, Betsy's parents and her doll Pearl, Trot's mother, Cap'n Bill, Button-Bright, Ojo, Ojo's parents, Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok, the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger, Billina, the Shaggy Man and his brother, Professor Wogglebug, Pastoria, and Ozma. The Wizard then comes downstairs to show everyone that it's snowing blue snow! But as they head out to the snow to play with others already out there playing, they suddenly start to feel either sick or depressed. Just then, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman come forward carrying Ruggedo, who they caught hiding behind the Palace wall. He acknowledges his plot, but is stymied by what went wrong, explaining that they were supposed to forget who they are. When asked how he escaped, he admits his distant cousins the Goblins had freed him from the cactus form.

Suddenly, Belinda, atop Wunch, comes flying across the lawn, an opportunity Ruggedo takes to escape. The Wizard tries some magic, but can't remember the words. Belinda then conjures up a blizzard that throws everyone about. Jellia gets Ozma the Magic Belt, but Ozma can't think of the word "wish," and Ruggedo comes for it. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers, Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger then pounce on him. Under Belinda's orders, the dragon grabs Ozma and flies her to the top of the Wizard's tower, then takes the Magic Belt and brings it to Ruggedo who clasps it on.

Wunch starts to doubt he's doing the right thing, and his impression isn't improved by the way Ruggedo speaks to Ozma when he wishes them all into the throne room, declaring himself King of Oz. Summoning up some of the anger that Tip once had, Ozma hurls her scepter at Ruggedo's head. Wunch and Belinda decide it's time to leave and fly off. Ozma can't remove the Belt from Ruggedo's body, and realizes he'd wished it on himself. When the Nome regains consciousness, he wishes Ozma to be nothing and him to become famed as the coldest king Oz has ever known. She disappears and he plots his next move.

Belinda directs Wunch to the old Gillikin castle where once lived King Gil. The red cat Tarts greets her and asks where she's been all these years. She tells her story and asks what became of King Gil. The cat tells her he went searching for his true love: her! Shocked, she asks why he didn't show it. Wunch, meanwhile, smells a sweet cinnamon aroma and ventures into the castle. Once Tarts is sure he doesn't eat cats, she explains that the apple-cinnamon smell comes from her. Wunch remembers his grandmother baking them. Tarts explains that during the time the East and West Witches ruled their lands, Mombi was anxious to rule the north. King Gil had ruled it for many years, however, and did not respond to her threats, and Tarts expects that she might have planned to destroy him. But after leaving her home amongst the Blue Witches, Belinda moved in nearby, and ran into the king. The two fell in love, but when Mombi discovered it, she knew that his having a wife would be a threat to her plans, and she warned the king that the Wicked Witches of the East and West would destroy them both, as marriage between a mortal and a witch was prohibited then. King Gil was, thus, forced to keep his distance. When Belinda departed to visit the Blue Witches who told her she could procure a powerful love potion from the Black Goblin, King Gil learned from a squirrel where she'd gone and went after her, telling his staff he'd gone on a hunting trip. It was the last time Tarts ever saw him, and soon after Mombi declared herself Ruler of the North.

The trio head out for the Blue Cave, where the Blue Witches live, to find out what happened. There they find only the witch Blind Woebegone. Her sisters had all died in a sudden rainstorm while crossing the Inland Desert on their way to buy hallucination magic on the Blue Oasis. When asked about the king, she tries to threaten Belinda, calling her a Quadling Princess, but she has no powers left due to the effects of the Blue Snow. Forced to tell the truth, she and her sisters had tricked the king into entering the Forbidden Blue Passage. Worried he's lost forever, Belinda goes into the tunnel. Wunch and Tarts follow. They all pass into the Blue Door of Light, and she warns them that strange things will happen. Belinda begins having visions or memories of fighting with her parents and sister. The dragon and cat experience unpleasant things as well.

Returning from her trip to the Burzee the night before, Glinda awakens Christmas Day to discover in her Great Book of Records all the terrible things that had happened earlier. She tries to use a ruby necklace to transport to the Emerald City, but the words to her spell won't work. None will. Preparing her Swan Chariot she heads to the Palace, but the blizzard that Belinda had summoned knocks her out of the chariot onto a snowy mountainous incline in the Munchkin Country. Unaware, the swans fly on without her. She is found unconscious by the Guardian Goblin who announces to Red Eye that he found someone to replace Nangob. But upon seeing Glinda, the new King of the Goblins realizes who it is and thinks she's come to punish them for releasing Ruggedo. When she wakens, he begs her forgiveness and explains that the cactus was brought there by mistake, and that it was the Ancient Black Goblin who disenchanted Ruggedo. She assures him she won't punish him, but she needs the aid of the foolish Mischief Magician who caused this. Red Eye leads her to his lair.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Ruggedo turns Dorothy into a sycophant, the Wizard into a nut, which he crushes, and makes Henry and Em mute. When the Lion and Tiger attack him, he places Kaliko in his seat, so that they do damage to him instead by mistake.

In Goblin Gorge, Glinda and Red Eye come upon the Ancient Black Goblin weeping for his foolishness. He admits he disenchanted Ruggedo so that he could get his hands on the Magic Lamp in order to have some powers to prove to the Goblins that he was more than just a poor and weak Mischief Magician. Glinda looks at the object and tells him that it's only an ordinary lamp. He had been fooled. She tells Gorlak that true magic comes not from objects, but inner confidence. She hopes he's learned his lesson, and tells him that although magic is prohibited in Oz, he may petition for a license if he can prove himself. She explains the dilemma with Ruggedo, and he agrees, showing her a shortcut tunnel that had been blocked years ago, which leads to underground passages that connect to the old tunnel the Nomes had used to invade Oz.

As the passageway turns blue, the two Goblins start to smell something delicious and race after it. Glinda follows, only to discover a cat and a dragon. They each wonder what the other is doing there when suddenly Belinda appears in the form of a haggard Blue Witch. Calling herself Bertha, she introduces the others and explains they're looking for the lost King Gil of the Gillikins. Gorlak recalls the witch who'd been in love with this same king years before, but Bertha says nothing. Glinda tells her that King Gil Iken is not there, but she can later help her find him. She requests their help to stop Ruggedo from conquering Oz. "Bertha" thinks it over, astonished by this turn of events, and agrees to help. Heading to the old Nome tunnel, Belinda tells them her plan for stopping him. At its end, they come up through a plug in the garden of the Palace, near the Forbidden Fountain, where Glinda sees where the origin of the Blue Snow is. Bertha and Wunch look ashamed, but say nothing. Eureka suddenly appears with a cricket in his paw. Glinda scolds him, but the cat has no memory of anything or anyone, and she realizes he's been enchanted. The pink kitten informs them that a wildman's been enchanting everyone in the Palace.

After Ruggedo strangles Pastoria and wishes Button-Bright lost, he smells an enticing aroma, and literally floats after it out the window into the gardens by the Fountain of Oblivion. Tarts attacks him, but with a wish the creature is put in a glass wall. He then sees "Bertha," who demands the Magic Belt. Before he can act, a large black dragon picks him and squeezes his head while trying to get the Belt off, but to no avail, as they realize he'd wished it on. Glinda encourages Gorlak, who then transports the Wizard of Oz to their location. Recognizing that the Blue Witch is the source of his problems, and the reason it's stopped snowing, Ruggedo wishes a bucket of water from the Fountain of Oblivion to douse her. Belinda then melts into a puddle. Enraged, the dragon hurls Ruggedo against a tree, where he crumbles unconscious.

Glinda urges the Wizard to do something, explaining she's lost her abilities, but he confesses he's lost his too! She suggests a drastic action: severing Ruggedo's head! But the Nome has heard her, noting in horror that that only happens in Wonderland! He causes the opening in the hillside where the Goblins are hiding to cave-in, and then decides to send the Wizard and Glinda to the Great Outside World. But before he wishes it, Wunch has found the Magical Ice Circlet. Setting it to ice, he refills the bucket, pours it over Ruggedo's head, and slams the circlet on his head. In an instant, the Nome is turned to ice!

Remembering the fate of Belinda, Wunch sheds a tear over the puddle that was once her. Suddenly, the substance materializes into the form of a youthful Belinda in a ruby-embossed gown! Glinda is shocked to see that it's her sister! Having not seen Belinda in over eighty years, Glinda is stunned, but her sister is grief-stricken that no one came to find her after their father stripped her of magic. But Glinda reminds her that it was she who called herself Belinda the Bad, and that their father did that only because she'd cursed them, demanded the Quadling throne, and threatened to destroy all of them if they didn't comply. In the years that followed, Glinda looked for her in the Magic Picture, but it revealed only a crystal scene, and she assumed she'd been melted down due to her hate. Belinda acknowledges that Glinda was the eldest and had the right to the throne. She asks for forgiveness, but Glinda says all that matters is that they love one another.

Gorlak returns to thank Glinda for giving him the encouragement he needed. With it, he frees Tarts, and switches the Magic Belt with his own, and then restores everyone else's magic. When Belinda sees him, however, she recalls the evil deed he did to her, but says she'll forgive him for the help he gave her sister. He accepts it and admits what he'd done was wrong. She forgives him, acknowledging she'd done some bad things as well, including helping Ruggedo. He gives the Belt to the Wizard and tells Glinda he promises not to practice magic unless authorized by her. Red Eye tells him that he is now the official Mischief Magician of the Goblin Court, and also one of his Wise Advisors.

Before they return to the Palace to try and fix everything, Tarts gives them Ruggedo's crown, which had fallen off, and which has all the symbols of his past (and present) enchantment engraved upon it, including a nut, a jug and a cactus. Once inside, the Wizard disenchants everyone, and introduces them to Belinda and Wunch, who he says have been reformed, helped stop Ruggedo, and that the witch is Glinda's sister, which surprises everyone.

After returning Kaliko to his kingdom, the Wizard brings forth a new invention that he calls a Magical Hologram Recorder, a combination of magic and science, it records events that happen in each of the four quadrants in detail, and can play them back when requested. The Wizard plays back Ruggedo's enchantment of Ozma, noting he wished her to become nothing. Because fairies can't be destroyed or turned into nothing in Oz, he actually wished her to become a nut-thing, and points to the etching of the nut on Ruggedo's crown. Despite this, neither Glinda, the Wizard, or Gorlak's magic works. Belinda realizes they must use love, and asks everyone to hold hands, recalling to Glinda's memory that her father put a clause in his spell on her that if she should reform she would get her magic back. Love proves to be the answer, and Ozma returns, proclaiming this the greatest Christmas gift she's ever gotten. Button-Bright is wished back from Mo, and Ozma is brought up to speed.

Belinda asks the Wizard if his device could locate King Gil, but he acknowledges that it only began recording recently when he invented it. He asks where the king was lost, and she tells him of the Forbidden Blue Passage in the Blue. He recalls that the magic there transforms those who pass through it once in a blue moon. She herself had been turned into a Blue Witch. Jack Pumpkinhead reasons that if love could work to bring Ozma and her back, it could restore Gil. The Wizard suspects that Wunch is King Gil. Belinda kisses the bashful dragon who disenchants into King Gil. They embrace and kiss, and Tarts is overjoyed to see him, but the youthful king has no memory of what happened to him, or his time as the dragon Wunch (which derived from his middle name Munch), though he's happy to know he was a good dragon. While everyone begins telling him the story, Jack decides to just play for him the events on the Wizard's device, but in so doing he accidentally knocks it over, breaking the machine which the Wizard won't be able to repair for another fifty years. King Gil then proposes to Belinda.

The wedding is held that day, with the Wizard inviting anyone who might attend by means of his magic Speedy Messenger. They plan to honeymoon in Magic Valley, after which they'll return to his castle. As he has no desire to rule the Gillikin Country, he's happy to be subject to Joe King. Since there is no Good Witch of the North, Ozma invites Belinda to serve in this role, which she accepts. As they ponder what to do with Ruggedo, Belinda reminds them there is a polar bear suffering in a flooded cavern beneath the Munchkin Country. That reminds the Wizard what Jinnicky once told him of a community of giant polar bears called Igloo City because they live inside a huge igloo kept perpetually frozen by three magical objects of ice until many years ago when a polar bear prince ran away with one of them. They reason that this one must have gotten to Oz and started Ice Sickle City. They determine to send the suffering polar bear and Ruggedo ice sculpture to this place. Belinda hopes that if he ever does disenchant again that he'll make better choices like she did, and her husband calls her Belinda the Benevolent. After the Goblins return home, they find Nangob has returned, realizing troll children are even wilder than Goblins.

When Eureka comes by, Belinda reveals what happened, and with the Magic Belt, her memory is restored her. Also, Glinda takes the liberty of placing an invisible barrier around the Forbidden Fountain so that none but the Wizard, Ozma, or her can enter it unsupervised. Dorothy is relieved. The next day, Ruggedo is transported along with the polar bear to Igloo City in Ev, where the polar bears place the Ruggedo statue at the center of their town.

Continuity Notes

Belinda: Belinda is a Quadling princess and the first of two younger sisters of Glinda. The other is Fabia, from Cory in Oz. Though not stated in the story, her mother is Gayelette, though her father is still uncertain. She grew angry, jealous and belligerent, especially when Glinda assumed the rule of the Quadlings in 1820, at which point she threatened her family and identified herself as Belinda the Bad. Her father then stripped her of her magic, with the caveat that if she ever repented she would regain her powers. Belinda left to join the Blue Witches in the Munchkin Country and learn their magic. Twenty years later, she moved to the Gillikin Country, where she met King Gil Iken, ruler of the Gillikin Country, and in time fell in love with him. But Mombi, then seeking to become ruler of the Gillikins, discovered their relationship, and warned the king that the Wicked Witches of the East and West would destroy them both if they discovered a liaison between them, as marriages between mortals and witches were prohibited at that time. King Gil avoided seeing Belinda, who grew despairing. Returning to the Blue Cave to seek the counsel of the Blue Witches, they deceived her by telling her the magic of the Goblins is stronger than any, and she departed for Goblin Gorge to procure a love potion from the Mischief Magician. Once there, however, she overhears that the Ancient Black Goblin has no real power, and devises a test. Feigning to have a Magic Lamp that can grant wishes, she goes before King HobGoblin who tells her to hide it in the Quartz Maze. She goes to hide it, but Gorlak, the Black Goblin follows her, and when she passes by the Ice Pit, he pushes her in. His attempts to find the lamp go in vain, however, as she's left it on a shelf just below the Ice Pit. She falls into Ice Sickle City, where the Polar Bear King has his subjects ice-pack her. She becomes an ice sculpture for 142 years until a disenchanted Ruggedo rescues her and the dragon Wunch. That Belinda melts when Ruggedo later pours water over her is a puzzle. The water punishment for wicked witches appears to be a law that exceeds that of Oz's naturally-granting immortality, though it may only apply to wicked witches who've grown older than a natural life would be, and who were alive prior to Lurline's enchantment of Oz in 1742.

Blue Cave and the Forbidden Blue Passage: The Forbidden Blue Passage, an underground tunnel beneath Oz, located between the Blue Cave in the Munchkin Country, and the tunnel of the Nomes connecting to the Emerald City. It has the unusual ability to occasionally transform those who pass through it once, though often it only gives visions. The tunnel leads to a series of underground passageways, caverns and dens (as shown in The Ork in Oz), including Ice Sickle City.

Blue Magic: Blue magic is defined here as a depressant form of magic, but one that cannot work transformations, or harm anyone physically. This is the primary magic of the Blue Witches of Blue Cave, as well as any witch functioning in the Munchkin Country. Magic users who wish to employ other powers have to learn magic from the other quadrants, or from outside Oz.

Blue Snow: Apart from causing whoever touches it to feel unwell or depressed, the Blue Snow generated from the Forbidden Fountain by the Magical Ice Circlet, also stops magic users from practicing magic, figuratively freezing their thoughts when they try to recall spells and magic phrases. The depression also causes them to behave unlike themselves, so that Ozma uses violence on Ruggedo, Omby Amby feeds emerald pellets into his rifle to shoot Ruggedo, and Glinda even suggests chopping off the Nome's head!! All this and more can be accounted for as a result of the Blue Snow.

Dating: Takes place on Christmas Eve and Day, in 1982, as it's noted that it's been eighty years since Ruggedo first encountered Ozma and lost his Magic Belt (an event that occurred in 1902 in Ozma of Oz).

Good Witch of the North: Given that Ozma says there is no Good Witch of the North at this time, it's clear that Maggie must have learned of the return of the Belinda, Glinda's sister, and either retired from the position to allow Glinda to appoint her sister in that role, or took up the role in the Seven Blue Mountains. Belinda remains in that position until at least 1992. Called Belinda the Benevolent, she chooses a castle in between two mountains in the Gillikin Country, where she retires from public life to study the Empyrean Plane. This puts her in good stead to help Glinda when she gets trapped in that dimension (The Emerald City Mirror #14-19).

Historian Errors: Due to the fact that The Enchanted Gnome of Oz was composed in 1988, there are a few errors that have since crept in which could not have been unaccounted for. For example, it takes into account the events of the book Mister Flint in Oz, which other authors disregard, and which The Royal Timeline of Oz does not consider as having taken place in the primary Oz Timeline. In order to preserve this story in continuity, any reference to the history presented in the latter story must be considered historian error. This does not preclude the existence of certain characters, such as Ozette, who is purported to be Ozma's mother (but is actually her grandmother Queen Oz Etti). The author also presents Button-Bright as a very young child, and treats snow as if the majority of Ozites had never before seen it. As most of these errors occur over the course of a few paragraphs in Chapter 11, 16, and 19, these mentions should be considered suspect. The Wizard also tells Belinda that King Gil Iken vanished during his reign, but the Wizard is incorrect, as Mombi was deposed before he came to Oz (in 1871), and other evidence shows that she became ruler of the North in 1843, a short time after King Gil would have vanished.

King Gil Munch Iken: Though only hinted at in the text, and made explicit elsewhere, the former ruler of the Gillikins is the King of Gilkenny, as this land had been the ruling kingdom in the region for years. He is not King Gil, the father of Princess Orin, but is his son, Orin's brother. The King Gil Iken of this story had left his kingdom around 1842 or 1843 to go in search of Belinda, who he'd been told had returned to the Blue Witches of Blue Cave in the Munchkin Country. There, they tricked the king into the Forbidden Blue Passage, where he was transformed into a small dragon and forgot his past. Believing himself to be the blue dragon Wunch, he followed the tunnel into the underground realm, eventually finding himself in Ice Sickle City, where he attempted and failed to melt the Ice Sicklers, who turned him into an ice sculpture. He was freed by Ruggedo in 1984, but did not regain his true shape and form until Belinda kissed him in the Emerald City, at which point he forgot all of his time spent as the dragon Wunch. This puts him out of commission for 141/2 years. King Gil, Orin's father, was still ruling his kingdom in 1887 when Prince Cheeriobed came to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. It is, therefore, believed that Gil Munch Iken is the son of King Gil of Gilkenny, brother of Princess Orin. He was the son of King Gil Di Corrine who was appointed by Pastoria II as King of Gilkenny in 1752, replacing the wicked Trickolas Om.

Igloo City and Ice Sickle City: Within a giant igloo in the country of Ev is Igloo City, kept perpetually cold by three Magical Ice Circlets. There the giant polar bears live in peace until one day when a polar bear prince stole one of the circlets and left. Finding himself in the Munchkin Country of Oz, the giant polar bear fell through a hole (possibly the Ice Pit the Quartz Maze) and landed in a giant cavern lake, fed by the water from a large fountain. Setting the Magical Ice Circlet to ice, and placing it on the fountain, he create an environment he could live in, as well as creating the Ice Sicklers to keep him company. This latter aspect appears to be outside the parameters of what the circlets can do, however, it may have been use in tandem with the Polar Bear King's own powers. The cavern was henceforth known as Ice Sickle City. Since Ruggedo took the Magical Ice Circlet, it has since reverted to its former state, and the Ice Sicklers are no more. The ice sculpture of Ruggedo came to stand in the center of Igloo City for some time until he was disenchanted again.

Uncommon Guests: There are several Christmas guests that readers don't often see at the Palace. These include Betsy's parents and her doll Pearl, as well as the Lively Fire, whose stories were first told in Betsy Bobbin of Oz, and Trot's mother, who was first shown in Oz in The Gardener's Boy of Oz, then left Oz, and returned probably shortly after The Magic Umbrella of Oz. Other uncommon guests are the Shaggy Man's brother, who as in The Magic Bowls of Oz, is named Ichabod, which has been retconned as being his given name, which he never cared for and later changed to Daniel by the time of The Emerald Mountain of Oz. Ozma's "mother" Ozette is mentioned, but as with most of Mister Flint in Oz this is currently considered a historian error, and is actually Ozma's grandmother Queen Oz Etti. See that note for more info.

Synopsis: After school, twelve year old Cory Marcus runs back to her Sixth-grade class after discovering she left her homework there, knowing her teacher Miss Crimp would not be pleased. But when she enters the classroom, she discovers chalk, papers and books, all magically moving about! Miss Crimp catches her and attempts to mind-wipe her, but it fails to work, and she suspects that she must be a witch too! Realizing what her teacher is, Cory wants to learn more. To test her, Miss Crimp shows her a simple movement spell and asks her to replicate it. Cory does and even surpasses it. The girl explains that her parents died when she was an infant, leaving her and her brother Mike. Miss Crimp makes her promise to keep quiet and agrees to teach her White Magic after class every day.

At home, Mike's wife Marla eyes the unusually happy Cory suspiciously and reminds her to do the dishes while she goes to watch TV. Cory tries her newly learned spell, but when the dishes grow wings and start flying about, they crash into the chandelier before she remembers the counter-spell. Marla flies into a rage, making Cory wish she lived somewhere else. The next day after school, Miss Crimp teachers her a spell to repair broken things and do housework, but tells Cory she must not use them while others are at home. When Cory returns home, she uses the spells, remembering to do the counterspell before Mike and Marla come home from work.

The next day, Miss Crimp tells her that she intends to return to her country of birth, the Quadling Country of Oz. Her father had been a scientist, and her mother a good witch. One day, her mother overheard strangers talking about conquering Glinda for Ruggedo, and she went off to inform her. Glinda turned Ruggedo and Nomes into lizards. A few years later, she was born, but when she turned five, Ruggedo broke the enchantment and put three curses on her family: he turned them ugly, removed their magic, and transported them to the Outside World. For some reason, however, her father never arrived, and despite years of searching, they were unable to find him. Her mother had been holding a book on Green Magic when Ruggedo cursed them, so they were able to relearn some spells. Now, with Cory's help they believe they can finally return. Miss Crimp takes Cory to meet her mother, and warns her that her appearance is hideous, and when Cory enters their home she sees a what looks like a giant toad in a dress. Despite this, Cory comes to like Hermoza, who tells her that her daughter's real name is Ozalie, and that the longer she spends in the outside world the larger and more froglike she becomes. They agree to leave at the start of summer vacation in six weeks.

Six weeks later, after practicing hard every day on the spell that will transport them to Oz, Cory gathers some things for the trip, including clothes, food, a diary, her piggy-bank and teddy bear. Cory says a guarded goodbye to her brother and joins Ozalie and Hermoza in their home, where she recites the spell and drinks a magic potion. Suddenly, they fly off!

Meanwhile, in the Nome Kingdom, Ruggedo's younger brother Fumaro has usurped the throne from Kaliko and imprisoned him, while irritating the Nomes by throwing frequent temper tantrums. His latest is a fit over something that smells like rotten eggs. His scientist Grotch determines to use his new machine to locate the source of the stink. It informs him that it's a substance from the earth's core called nauzeon gas. Grotch proposes they use it to build a flying ship since its lighter than air. Fumaro envisions invading Oz, punishing them for leaving Ruggedo a ragged wanderer, and restoring Ruggedo. Grotch, however, plots to get rid of Fumaro.

The three female travelers pass through Limbo and land in a body of white water, which bleaches them like statues. They make their way to a snow-covered shore with square-shaped white buildings. An albino named Blanco lets them into his purification factory where they see other albinos working to remove all the color from the meat, fruits and vegetables they eat. In Kromofoabia, they believe colors are evil; even the words are forbidden to speak. Blanco proclaims their eye colors sinister and insists on bleaching them, but Ozalie tells him they don't intend to stay, and says they like colors. Blanco calls them sinners and perverts who must be purified. He forces them into the medical room, where he tries to inject a hypodermic needle into Cory's eyes. Hermoza casts a spell, turning him and his guards into ice, which Cory accidentally knocks over and shatters.

Making a magical hole in the door, they start to escape when the workers ask for help. With a magic word, Cory breaks the chains of all 30, and they make a run for it. The Kromofoabians pursue, but Hermoza gives Cory a magic word which creates a whirlwind, pushing them into the Purification Pond. Hermoza then notices Cory's backpack bouncing, and upon opening it, Cory's teddy bear and piggy bank pop their heads out and begin complaining about each other. Ozalie explains to the astonished girl that while real animals can talk in Oz, toy ones don't usually do so unless they've been sprinkled with the Powder of Life. They also wonder why they haven't returned to their original forms.

Corry introduces them to Dorge, her stuffed bear, who wonders why they're all so ugly and white, and Xerxes, the piggy bank. Realizing they're in the Munchkin Country, they eat and set off into the Blue Forest, where Cory finds a large egg who asks for help getting out of its shell. With magic, Cory bores two holes, allowing the yellow-furred creature to see. He decides to stay in his shell for a little longer and accompany Cory. She carries him in her knapsack while Dorge and Xerxes walk besides her. Coming across the rescued workers playing, they explain they were Munchkin farmers. The Kromofoabians captured and forced them to work in the factory. Anxious that their families will think they're ghosts, Hermoza has them hold hands, while she, Ozalie and Cory whisper a magic word nine times. The restored Munchkins joyfully return to their homes, pointing the way to the Quadling Country.

As night falls, the travelers grow concerned that their magic isn't strong enough to craft a shelter, and they soon begin hearing growls in the dark. Following a distant light, they come to a giant oak tree with a lantern hanging on a bough and a stairway cut into the tree spiraling up to a door at the top. They reach it just as a creature comes banging upon the closed door. Suddenly, through a window bursts a Kalidah!

In the Nome Kingdom, the gnomes have prepared a spider-web bag that Grotch fills with nauzeon. A steering wheel, propeller and rudder are attached to the basket. Impressed, but skeptical, Fumaro names the ship the Avenger. When they take it up the next day, however, the fumes from the nauzeon and the Deadly Desert knock the gnomes out, recovering just in time to save them from landing on the Desert itself, as they fly over the Munchkin Country.

As the Kalidah prepares to take a bite out of Cory, her color and medicinal spell repel her. Crying because she won't be able to feed her kittens, Ozalie offers her their sandwiches, which she gulps down, hungry herself. She explains that as a smaller Kalidah, she's forced to forage for whatever the other Kalidahs don't want. Suddenly noticing that in the room with them is a Wishing Basket, they order a meal for each of them. Content that she now has food for herself and her kittens, the Kalidah departs. Ozalie asks the basket who lives in the tree, and it produces a paper saying it's Vago the Hermit, whose had an accident and is in need of help.

After breakfast the next morning, they set off to rescue Vago, with the help of a slip of paper showing them where to find him. They're greeted by the Kalidah who has her kittens with her. She's determined to leave the forest and get away from the stronger, more ferocious animals. Hermoza invites them to join them, and as she's desirous of an education for her kittens, she agrees, introducing herself as Felina. Dorge, Xerxes and egg grow jealous of the weeks-old kittens, but Cory reassures them.

When they see the Avenger fly overhead with angry looking Nomes, they determine to warn the Wizard, but their magic is yet weak. They soon come across a prostrate man in a pit. Although he looks like a dirty tramp, Hermoza is sure he's Eleozar, her lost husband! Finding a long log, they try to get him out, but he's too heavy. Felina, however, is able to drag him out. When he awakens, he has no memory of having married, let alone to a frog, and believes his name is Vago. Paying him no mind, Hermoza leads them all back to the tree, hoping the Wishing Basket can transport them to the Emerald City. En route, Cory asks about Dorothy, but the last thing they remember is that she returned to her home in Kansas. Reaching the tree, Hermoza inquires of the Wishing Basket, which informs her that its magic doesn't expend past the tree house, so he cannot warn the Wizard, who placed him there to help travelers. He recommends they take Vago, and sends them a flying vessel for their use.

As the Avenger approaches the Emerald City, a wind blows them off course into the Quadling Country, where Grotch convinces Fumaro to conquer Glinda instead. Once over Glinda's park, Grotch goes to let air out of the balloon, but it bursts open, and the Avenger crashes down to the tree tops, stranding them. Sneaking into the back kitchen entrance, the Nomes secure the cooks and enter the hallway, where they soon spy Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion playing checkers. With the Magic Belt on the chair behind her, Fumaro leaps for it, but before he can use it, Grotch leaps after him and seizes the Belt, transforming Fumaro into a pebble, which he puts in his pocket. When Dorothy and Lion move to stop him, he turns them into red marbles and tosses them in his pocket. Entering the throne room, where Glinda is engrossed in a book on sorcery, Grotch paralyzes her and announces himself King of the Gnomes and Quadling Country, promising to turn her into water and pour her in the Nonestic Ocean.

Provided with a magic flying quilt, they discover that it charges a fare. Xerxes sacrifices himself so they can have the money, figuring they can mend him when their magic is working again. With they money in the piggy-bank, they pay the fare. Cory secures the broken pieces and Xerxes' cracked face assures her he's fine. The quilt grows and everyone gets on it. Cory wishes for a railing and it produces one. Egg then requests some more holes, out of which pop green wings or fins. They discover that the magic quilt has followed the Nomes to Glinda's palace, where Cory is struck by its beauty. They land and Hermoza leads them through a short-cut into the throne room. Bursting in on Grotch, the egg flaps its wings and flies over to Grotch's head, causing him to explode into smoke! Cory rushes over to the egg to discover it's burst open completely, and is a winged baby dinosaur (which is why his egg had a more powerful effect than that of hens or geese). Glinda lets him know he can wish to grow older every year on his Hatch Day. Content, the baby dinosaur calls himself Dinny and goes into Cory's shirt pocket. When another Nome informs Glinda what happened to her friends, she searches the soot and finds the marbles. With the Belt, she disenchants them. The Nomes explain that they hated Fumaro, though Grotch was worse. The promise to release Kaliko upon their return, so Glinda sends them back to Ev. Fumaro, meanwhile, struggles to break out of the pebble, so Glinda puts it into a crystal vase, transforms it into water, and after casting an incantation, pours it into her fountain in the throne room.

Turning her attention to the visitors, Glinda is greeted by her old friend Hermoza, who she tried to find in the Great Book of Records, noting the impossibility of tracing events in the Land of Mortals. Hermoza explains about Ruggedo's curse and the help that Cory gave them. At last, Glinda restores Hermoza and Ozalie to their true forms, which are graceful and lovely, though the white color remains. Searching through a magic tome, she discovers an ancient enchantment, and is able to restore them. Then, with the help of the two women and Cory, Glinda attempts to return Vago's memory and form, and he transforms back into Eleozar. He's surprised to find his young daughter has grown into a young woman, and that Ruggedo's now a wandering beggar.

Hearing Cory's story, Glinda determines to investigate Blanco and the Kromofoabians, who she notes have a right to their beliefs, but not to impose them on others. Next, she address Felina, making her promise to never harm another soul again, while ensuring her that she and her kittens will always have good food to eat. Also, they can attend classes at Professor Wogglebug's Academy.

Finally, Glinda informs Hermoza and Ozalie that Ozma is their queen and rightful ruler, and the one who'd banished Ruggedo. To Dinny she gives a ruby crown. Eleozar figures out he's a brontosaurus (once extinct) and the wings are a mutation. Glinda then prepares a feast for everyone. Xerxes, however, is indignant that Cory forgot him, so she tries a repair spell, putting the piggy-bank back to normal. Watching her, Glinda mentions that coming from the Land of Mortals, she shouldn't have magic powers. Then she asks if her mother's name was Fabia. When Cory says it was, Glinda says her younger sister was called Fabia and had the same bank. She'd fallen in love with a mortal and run away with him. They had a son named Michael. Dorge says he has a picture of her mother inside him and will allow Glinda to open him. Cory searches inside him and pulls out the picture in a locket. Glinda closes him back up and confirms that Cory's mother is her sister, making her Cory's aunt. Also, Fabia can't be dead because she's a fairy from Oz. The force of the accident transformed her into something else.

Glinda invites Cory to live there, learn more magic, and become her apprentice. Cory agrees, as do Dorge and Xerxes, but Glinda tells her to consider that she won't see Michael again. Glinda then awards the two jealous toys awards for bravery, a ruby ring for Xerxes tails and a brooch for Dorge. Cory asks him what he thinks, and he suggest they send Michael a note to let him know she's fine. With Glinda's new teleportation ruby and crystal ball (a gift from Ozma). The note goes through successfully, as does a small gold replica of Dorge. Dorothy and Cory become friends, as Glinda catches up Hermoza, Eleozar and Ozalie on events that transpired since they were away. Dinny, meanwhile, stuffs himself and asks Cory if she'd be his mother. She agrees and he happily falls asleep. Dorothy invites Cory and her new family to join her and the Cowardly Lion on a tour of the Quadling Country.

Two days later, after several goodbyes, Cory and her three companions look through the Great Book of Records. Roza Rouge, one of Glinda's readers, tells Glinda there's no real news. Glinda turns to an appendix called "Citizens of Oz in the Land of the Mortals" to look for Fabia, but it has no new information after her accident. She asks the book why, and it writes back that it's being prevented. Glinda then consults the crystal ball, and it blacks out. Glinda tells Cory to prepare for a trip to the Emerald City while she tries to find out whose behind this. In her new room, Cory tries out an invented spell to turn her clothes into something more suitable for Oz. They come out too big, then too small, then just right.

Tired from the day's events, Cory takes a nap, but she's soon awoken by a sinister-looking woman holding a wand over her. Dorge attacks, but she hurls him against the wall. Dinny then flies up and bites her neck, causing her to flee. Dinny, however, thinks the witch's blood was tainted and falls down prostrate as Glinda comes in the room. Cory tells her everything that transpired. Promises to help Dinny, but worried about Cory, she determines to leave at once. After creating doppelgangers to fool spies, Glinda opens a secret tunnel hidden beneath the throne. Unable to trust magic, she leads Cory and her companions down to a tunnel and upon a red boat, which speeds them along a canal.

Upon reaching the Royal Palace, they park and climb up a flight of stairs where Ozma is waiting. She replaces her own throne back to its spot, and greets Glinda's long-lost niece. Distressed to learn of all that's happened, including Dinny's condition, she takes him to the laboratory, and sprinkles some remaining Powder of Life on him, uttering the magic words, but it fails to revive him. Testing the powder to ensure it works, she tries it on a glass sculpture of a fish, which comes to life and asks to be put in water (which she obliges). Checking the Magic Picture, it fails to show them Cory's assailant until they use the Magic Belt and Glinda's scepter in tandem. Cory recognizes the witch, so Ozma and Glinda create a magical trap and summon her into it. The witch transforms into various animals, but is unable to escape or attack Cory, who notices that the witch's shadow moves independently of her. Without thinking, she grabs the shadow and pulls it away from the witch, who suddenly begins rapid-aging while the shadow gains substance and strength. At last it resolves into the form of Fabia.

Glinda recalls that the witch's name is Malevola; she'd been banished to the Outside World for practicing black magic. The witch explains that she happened to be in the area when Fabia and her husband had their fatal car accident. Noting that the woman's life-force remained behind instead of going to the invisible realm, she realized it must belong to a fairy. With the help of magic mushrooms she'd been collecting, she took it and weaved it into her own shadow. She then had her lost youth and magic powers back. But after a time, its power began to wane, and she sought out the woman's daughter Cory to replace her. Glinda sends Malevola to become the shadow of a wild kalidah until such a time as she reforms. With the witch's powers gone, the toxic effects of her blood dissipate and Dinny is restored to good health.

Ozma welcomes Fabia back to Oz, as do Dorge and Xerxes, complaining of having been speechless and immobile in the Outside World until Cory brought them back to Oz. Glinda invites her sister to join her daughter in magic lessons, as she hadn't finished her own when she left.

Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, Sawhorse, and Felina arrive after having dropped off her kittens at the Wogglebug's Academy. The Lion introduces the sad Munchkin Kalidah to Ozma, who consoles her that she'll see her kittens again soon since the Professor has developed education tablets. In the Throne Room, everyone catches up on the recent events and they're joined by Betsy, Trot, Scraps and others. Ozma throws a party, after which Cory, Fabia and Glinda depart on the Swan Chariot she summoned to bring them home.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Hermoza and her daughter Ozalie were cursed out of Oz to the Outside World by Ruggedo. At the time they left, Dorothy had just returned to Kansas, and they're not sure if the Wizard was still ruling Oz. They're also unaware of Ozma, placing this event in 1900. Ruggedo had enchanted them when Ozalie was five years old, which gives her a birth year of 1895. At the time this story takes place, which is upon their return to Oz, Ruggedo is a wandering beggar. This has to be a later date (than 1907/8 when he's first made a wanderer) because Cory wears jeans and her brother owns a television set (both of which indicate a post-1950s date). Another clue is the fact that Glinda and Ozma have no qualms about Hermoza, Ozalie and Cory using magic in Oz, with Glinda even offering to make Cory her apprentice and later partner in magic! This would clearly date this story to after 1982, when the ban on magic was lifted to allow magic users to obtain a license. The Royal Timeline of Oz is thus placing this story in Spring and Summer 1985, after Ruggedo somehow thaws out from the events of The Enchanted Gnome of Oz. As to Fabia, given that Ozma knows of her (although the reader's have never met her, indicating untold stories), we can discern that Fabia left Oz to live with a mortal man at least 30 years earlier due to Cory's older brother Michael, who was already living with his girlfriend Marla when an infant Cory came to live with them in 1973. Assuming Michael started living with Marla at the age of 18 (just out of high school), and that his mother had given birth to him early after marrying her husband, the earliest Fabia could have left Oz was 1953. Given that Fabia hadn't completed her magical training she was likely young herself when she left, probably 18 or 19, which makes her born in the mid-1930s. It could be argued that she merely stayed young for some years, which could push her birth back decades, though her maturity level (she leaves Oz without telling her sister, who tried looking for her) suggests she was young. This makes her an unlikely candidate for the Good Witch of the North of the 1940s, who despite being called Glinda's sister, appears as an older, knowledgeable worker of esoteric magic (The Emerald City Mirror #15-19)

Discrepancy and Retcon: There is an apparent discrepancy in the narrative, as Hermoza and Ozalie should not know the name Ruggedo, as he'd changed his name after his foiled plot at the end of The Emerald City of Oz, at which point they were already in the Outside World. It can be argued that they read about it in the Oz books, but in that case they would have known Ozma was ruling Oz and that Dorothy was back living there. Yet they don't find that information out until Glinda tells them later on. Oddly, they state that Oz people don't use money [70], which wasn't true until after Ozma came to the throne. Nathan M. DeHoff has speculated that "Hermoza and Ozalie saw L. Frank Baum's play The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, which referred to the Nome King as Ruggedo." Another minor discrepancy occurs in Chapter 17 when Cory addresses Dinny by his name before he's actually named himself, but this can be chalked up to a missing scene.

Fabia: After Belinda, from The Enchanted Gnome of Oz, Fabia is the second of Glinda's younger sisters to be revealed. Once again, there is no mention of who her mother or father are, though it's likely that her mother is Gayelette (revealed to be Glinda's mother in The Winged Monkeys of Oz). As she's considerably younger (she hasn't even finished studying magic), in this case her father is likely Quelala, making her a half-sister to Glinda and Belinda. Fabia left to marry a mortal in the Outside World, though there's no indication as to the circumstances involved, or why she didn't bring him to live in Oz with her. They had two children, Michael, and Cora-Lee, or Cory. As we don't know his age, we don't know exactly how long ago she left Oz. He is clearly a young adult probably in his early 20s, which would mean that Fabia left Oz in the early to mid 1960s. When Cory was an infant Fabia and her husband had a car accident. He died, while her spirit lingered (because she was a fairy). Cory went to live with Mike, who was already living with his girlfriend Marla.

Fabia and Malevola: The banished witch Malevola happened to be in the area when the accident occurred and took the spirit, attaching it to her shadow, and leeching off its power to make her young and magically potent again. Given the enormous coincidence of such a thing happening, there is some speculation on my part that the accident was actually Malevola's doing, though this isn't indicated in the text, it's hinted at it by Malevola's words to Glinda that she was after Cory in part to punish Glinda for banishing her. Might the accident have been manipulated by the same motivation? Weaved into Malevola's shadow, Fabia's spirit began to drain over time, so that Malevola began searching for her daughter Cory, casting spells on the Magic Picture and Great Book of Records to prevent anyone trying to track her down. That the spell also affected Glinda's crystal ball, which was a brand new item Ozma had just given her, indicates that the spell involved protecting her identity, and did not harm the magical items as Glinda feared. This is not the first time a magic user made it so that the Great Book of Records and Magic Picture wouldn't be able to find them. There is a question as to what would have happened to Fabia's spirit if events didn't work out as they did. Might her spirit have died at that point? As revealed in The Royal Explorers of Oz quadrilogy, death for a fairy is exceedingly rare, but still possible. Odder still is the convenient fact that Fabia has no memory of her husband or the fatal car accident that killed him. Yet she remembers holding her infant child. There appears to be some psychological trauma due to his death (and nearly her own). Neither does she seem to remember that she has a son living in the Outside World. Her selfishness in leaving Oz is not brought up either, except perhaps by Xerxes who notes that he and Dorge were left immobile and speechless there. Why Fabia, a grown woman, would have even brought magical creatures to the Outside World (where she must have known they would suffer as statues) is unknown, but it explains why their personalities are so irascible, as her abandonment and ill-treatment of them reveals why they're both so needy. Glinda doesn't address it, at least not in the story, but simply says she can resume her magic studies. Fabia's behavior is contrasted with that of the Kalidah Felina, who unselfishly guards her children and ensures that they get a good education, even if it costs her pain to leave them at Wogglebug's Academy. Interestingly, Malevola is cast into the shadow of a wild Kalidah, as if to give her a taste of her own medicine, though Glinda assures her she'll check in some time in the future to see if she's repented.

Fairy: Glinda calls herself and her sister fairies [110] and distinguishes that from Cory, who she refers to as a half-fairy (as her father was mortal). Yet, in Ozallooning in Oz, she says she is not a fairy. See Glinda's History in the Appendices for a further discussion of this.

Great Book of Records: This story reveals several new facets of the Great Book of Records. Glinda notes that it's "impossible to trace every event in the Land of the Mortals." [79] This is the first indication of the book's limitations, but should not be surprising information given that if the book recorded all the events of the Great Outside World, its pages would fill up and turn so fast that it would be impossible to read anything. It would also cease to be a single book, but thousands. Given that the Book has been shown to record some events in the Outside World, it must be that those events have some connection, however tenuous, to events in Nonestica. The book also has an appendix called "Citizens of Oz in the Land of the Mortals," and, as suspected, one can ask the book questions, which Glinda does in writing on a blank page, which it responds to in writing.

Kromofoabia: A play on the word chromophobia, designating a fear of color, the town of Kromofoabia is in the Munchkin Country of Oz, near a small lake they call the Purification Pond. The town is run by those who view color as sinful and evil, and who not only bleach inhabitants white in the pond, but inject their irises so that even their eyes are turned white. It's not known how these individuals came to feel this way, but once they abducted several Munchkins who they proceeded to bleach, and forced to work in their purification factory, Glinda determines to correct them.

Ruggedo and Fumaro: It's here revealed that the former Nome King plotted an invasion of Oz prior to The Emerald City of Oz. It is unknown what exactly Ruggedo's goals were, save that his target at the time was Glinda. Warned by a friend and Quadling sorceress Hermoza, Glinda turned Roquat and the Nomes that accompanied him into lizards and sent them back to Ev. About seven or so years later, he found a way to disenchant himself, and punished Hermoza and her family by making them ugly, removing their magic, and sending them into the Outside World. As Ruggedo didn't obtain his own magic (apart from the Magic Belt) until 1905, his wizard Potaroo must have actually effected the magic in that situation. The absence of Roquat during this period might also explain why Goldemar (from Zauberlinda the Wise Witch) was Gnome King during this period. It's also revealed that Ruggedo has a brother named Fumaro. This isn't the only time he's said to have siblings, as the Emerald City Mirror indicates that he has a brother as well, though, as of this writing, that situation hasn't been fully investigated. Fumaro attempts to get Ruggedo back on the throne, but is foiled by his scientist Grotch. Glinda turns Fumaro into water and pours him into her fountain. Grotch is apparently destroyed when Dinny's egg accidentally crashes into his head.

Temporal Magic: Rarely seen in Oz, but extant in at least two prior cases, such as Mr. Tinker in Oz, time magic returns the person to the Outside World as if no time had passed since they left it. Glinda offers to do this for Cory if she wishes to return there.

Synopsis: Finding Dorothy and Toto in the Palace gardens, Trot tells them that she has that "ocean feeling" and suggests they ask Ozma and anyone else who might be around if they'd like to go to a beach on the coast of Nonestica, reasoning that Ozma could send them there by means of the Magic Belt. Dorothy loves the idea, as does Ozma, the Wizard, Scraps and the Scarecrow. Ozma leaves her father Pastoria in charge while everyone gets ready.

The Wizard returns with his new and improved magic traveling case, while the Scarecrow brings towels, buckets and spades. Ozma gives the Belt to her father, and the Wizard assures Dorothy they'll have everything they need in his traveling bag, including Wishing Pills. Handing one to Trot, Ozma suggests they go to the coast of Ev. But just as Trot makes the wish, the Wizard realizes he's spilled a bottle of Instant Hiding Place Elixir all over them!

The seven plummet into a wave which tosses them unto the shore. While the humans and dog recover, the Scarecrow and Scraps are unable to move, though they can cry out for help, which they immediately get. Dorothy realizes they're not in Ev, as the coastline is backed entirely by cliffs, and Ev has level coastlines. Suddenly, the Wizard doubles over and Dorothy and Trot collapse to the ground. In a matter of seconds, the three of them and Toto begin to grow decades older! In horror, Ozma runs over to each person, touching each with her wand. Although Toto and the Wizard are near death, it works, and with tears of joy, Ozma watches them revert to their former selves.

Dorothy asks how they were saved, and Ozma explains that fairies are the guardians of humankind; so long as she rules Oz, its people are her charges and are granted certain fairylike gifts. These don't automatically apply, however, when they're outside Oz, so she had to will her fairy nature to shield them from the "ravages of the outside world." With her fairy magic, Ozma then restores Scraps and Scarecrow, who had become inanimate. Then Wizard sets up magic tents, knowing they'll be there awhile. Checking his bag, he discovers the Wishing Pills are all ruined. Dorothy realizes it'll be up to someone back in Oz to get them home. They suspect they're in California, but the Wizard reminds Trot it wouldn't be as she remembered it from when she lived there.

The Wizard explains how his bottle of Instant Hiding Place Elixir broke, saturating the Wishing Pills, and causing Trot to get a mixed-up spell instead. The Elixir works by hiding the user from whomever she's looking it, which is meant to be someone dangerous chasing them. In this case, Trot had been looking at Pastoria, and they realize that the spell will do everything in its power to prevent him from finding them. They determine then to make the most of their situation until someone figures it out, and they proceed to play and have fun.

At sundown, Ozma prepares a magical meal, after which they go to sleep. Trot awakens the next morning, and when she returns to the party, is very upset. She leads them to an alcove where they come across a sea lion that had been shot to death, likely killed by a fisherman to eliminate the competition for fish. Trot asks Ozma if she can bring him back to life, but she cannot, explaining that had they died of old age, she'd have also been unable to save them. Trot then asks the Wizard if he has any Powder of Life to use on the sea lion, but he tells her that doesn't, and that he wouldn't if he did because it would only animate a decaying corpse.

Breakfast is eaten in silence, so to alleviate the pall hanging over the group the Wizard introduces everyone to his Artistic Notion Potion, which when sprinkled on a tool enables the user to sculpt like an artist. Everyone tries it out and begins crafting amazing wonders on the beach. Amongst all of them, Trot's stands out as the most poignant, a sea lion staring out to sea. Ozma says she's sure the poor sea lion who'd been killed is grateful. Trot says that it's about restoring a kind of balance.

Suddenly, she remembers the ring she's wearing, which she got from the Sea Fairies, and which she can use to summon them. Before long, Queen Aquareine and Glinda arrive, the latter sporting a tail. After introductions, they recount their tale. Glinda explains that when they failed to return, Pastoria used the Magic Picture to no avail. Other magical devices were employed, and search parties sent out, but Glinda began to realize a hybrid spell had been cast. She came with Aquareine, figuring out they had no way of returning them to Oz.

Before Glinda sends them all home to the Emerald City, Trot discusses with Queen Aquareine her grief over the killed sea lion and that it shouldn't have happened. The Sea Fairy notes that at least it taught her the difference between the should-nots and the will-nots, as well as the important trait of transforming sorrow to joy, a necessary thing to learn for one who lives the long life of a fairy. Promising to visit her undersea friends, Trot says to goodbye and Glinda transports them back to Oz.

Alone on the beach with the sculpture Trot made, Queen Aquareine brings the sandy sea lion to life.

Continuity Notes

Animals in Oz: Clarifying a situation long wondered at due to the feline natures of the Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion, who are sometimes said to slink off after their meals, Ozma definitively says to herself that hunting and killing for food are unnecessary in my kingdom. [53] That they eat meat grown on trees is revealed, as well, in "The Way of a Lion."

Aquareine: Queen of the Sea Fairies, Aquareine, first appeared in The Sea Fairies.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in the summer. While there is no specific year mentioned, there are some conflicting internal clues. It's noted that the Sea Fairies rescued Trot once before when she used her ring [66]. This occurred in The Glass Cat of Oz. Yet, Glinda's motivations for going with the Sea Fairies is that she's the only means for her friends to get back to Oz, which would only make sense prior to the discovery of the tunnel under Lake Quad, revealed in The Glass Cat of Oz, or the one under the Bottomless Lake of Hidden Valley in the Munchkin Mountains, revealed in Wooglet in Oz, both of which connect the Nonestic to Oz. Glinda would have known that the Sea Fairies could escort her friends back to Oz via Lake Quad. On the other hand, perhaps the Sea Fairies were busy with other important matters and Aquareine asked Glinda to come so that she'd be unable to get them back to Oz in a timely manner.

Death: One of the rare Oz stories that confronts death head-on, as well as the cruelty of the outside world, Buckley's story also looks at the limitations that a fairy has. Ozma tells Trot that her sculpture of the sea lion has made the sea lion grateful, indicative of her belief in an afterlife for the creature (and hence for all animals).

Outside World: This story establishes that without magical protection, an accidental trip back to the mortal worlds can prove fatal. This is built on what happened to Dorothy in The Lost King of Oz when she accidentally ended up in Hollywood. That others, including the Wizard, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Gump, Sawhorse, Cowardly Lion, and Wogglebug had been to the outside world, e.g., in The Witch Queen of Oz, Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz and The Scarecrow and TinMan, amongst other stories), indicates that Ozma or Glinda give them the magical protection they need so it's as if they never left Oz, here indicated to be a fairy spell from her wand.

Transmission: The story is told to the author via a seagull while the author was on a beach in California.

Trot: Trot uses the ring Aquareine first gave her in The Sea Fairies. She used it before in The Glass Cat of Oz.

Synopsis: Clancy Clambake writes a letter to his beloved Bonnie, expressing how much he loves and misses her, and how he's taken up entomology in her absence. Over his next few letters, he explains how he's obtained a perfect flea specimen and named him Yechuah, and that due to his experiments with his Gregormendel plant, which he feeds him instead of meat, Yechuah has grown to the size of a watermelon! Yet, Bonnie begins to fear the worst when one letter claims the flea has grown taller than Clancy, and she makes her way home, only to discover her fiancée missing.

Clancy finds himself in Oz, suspecting that somehow Yechuah and the other specimens have transported them all there. Coming upon a wishing well, he makes a wish that Bonnie would be with him.

Dr. Nikidik also sends a series of letters back and forth to a magician named Esor, explaining how he's renamed his children Putnam and Srednuas after his grandparents, and that he must now focus on raising them. Esor urges him to join them and begin practicing magic again, and goes so far as to enchant the letter so that Nikidik forgets the children and focuses on his magic. Nikidik then leaves a letter for Clancy and Bonnie, who the wish has brought to Oz, along with his children Putnam and Srednuas, asking them to take care of them, and acknowledging that he's forgotten their pasts, but has rapid-aged them.

Bonnie writes to her new friend Xisque, thanking her for her help in seeing Ozma and being permitted to stay in Oz, and promising to come visit with the children. Some time later, Bonnie and Clancy are making another trip to the Emerald City to see Xisque and her husband Lunigar. Clancy allows Putnam to steer Yechuah. The boy confesses to the giant flea that he wishes to know the truth of his heritage, so Yechuah suggests dipping in the Truth Pond, and they take a detour. Once they arrive, Srednuas dives in, with Putnam behind her. She suddenly grows and transforms back to her real self, as Mombi, recovering her memories as well. Putnam also turns back into himself as Nikidik the Younger. Mombi determines to create a batch of Powder of Youth to trade with Dr. Pipt for his Powder of Life, and flies off with a broom she summons forth. Nik, however, chooses to remain with his adoptive parents, explaining that now that he knows the truth, he's no longer interested in magic and prefers to stay with them and be a flea farmer.

Nearly 80 years later, the Scoodlers have mainly retrieved their heads since the incident in The Road to Oz. Queen Dagmar tests her new glue on Duchess Pacine, hoping for something that will keep their heads bound to their bodies. The Duchess, who is normally violent and irascible, begins acting strangely obsequious, causing Dagmar to realize that she's made something far better than glue, and with which she can revenge herself on the Shaggy Man, who had humiliated the Scoodlers so long ago.

Dagmar soon comes across Yechuah. Using a spray can to administer the glue formula on him, she inquires about his family and learns that Putnam is the son of a magician. Thinking he'll be useful, she commands the giant flea to retrieve him. Putnam then falls under her spell, and thinks to retrieve a case he'd hidden many years ago when Mombi had come to request the assistance of her former "brother" in overthrowing Ozma. They'd argued, and she'd departed, leaving behind the case containing Powder of Life.

Putnam summons a mountain of books pertaining to Oz. As they go through them to find a way to take over Oz, they discover instead that Ozma has always won out over her adversaries. Yechuah concludes that fear is the key, specifically fear of the unknown, which is how the Bogiemen had been able to terrorize the residents of the Emerald Palace (Button Bright of Oz). So they work to fashion a being that might effect the same results, crafting a creature from a wheelbarrow for a body, a barrel for a head, cushions for a bill, screens for wings and a coconut and ball for eyes. With the Powder of Life and a recitation of the formula, they bring Eyetwo Bill, or Ittubil, to life.

Duchess Pacine, meanwhile, demands that her headless Prime Minister Xanthascood—who can think and communicate telepathically with an electric brain, and hear with an ear in his pocket—make her soup. When Rachel, a young girl lost from the Emerald City, arrives looking for directions, he determines to make soup of her, and puts her in the cauldron. Rachel cleverly says there's a head in the pot. When he goes to see, she escapes, but only temporarily, as he catches her and puts her back in the cauldron. The Duchess is anxious to eat the boiled child, but Rachel grabs her head off her body. The Duchess screams for help, but many of the Scoodlers hate her for having stolen their brains and putting them in her own head, and refuse to assist her. Taking advantage, Rachel stomps on her head, releasing the stolen brains, which the Scoodlers grab up. One of the Scoodlers then tosses Pacine's head in the fire! With that, Xanthascood proclaims Rachel a hero and awards her an amulet which will ensure she won't be harmed. Rachel then gives him Pacine's brain to use instead of the electronic one. With the aid of a magical device he'd created, Xanthascood escorts Rachel back to Oz. But once there, they're surprised by Ittubil.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, the Ozites celebrate the anniversary of the time Ojo and Unc Nunkie rescued the White King from the evil magician Wark.

Ittubil demands to know where the Shaggy Man is, but Xanthascood who acknowledges the man is responsible for his lost head, doesn't know, and isn't interested in finding out, as he's come only to escort Rachel home. Ittubil is incensed at the lack of devotion for his mistress, Dagmar, who scolds the Prime Minister for helping the child instead of cooking her. She sprays glue on him, but it has no effect. She orders Ittibul to take the girl for soup, but the creature is surprised at this, and although wishing to please her, objects. Dagmar insists that she's food, but Yechuah and Putnam protest as well. When the Queen moves to do it herself, Ittibul opposes her, rolling her up into a ball and tossing her far away.

Suddenly, Ozma, the Wizard and Shaggy Man appear. Ozma praises them for standing up to Dagmar, especially while under the control of the enchanted glue. Xanthascood is given a tin head to replace his lost one. Putnam and Rachel are restored to their families, and Ittibul is given a guesthouse in the Gillikin Country.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The first chapter is explicitly dated in 1907 and 1908. The second chapter is in 1908. The remaining chapters take place roughly 79 years later. There are some time issues with the fact that Nikidik the Younger (Putnam) and Mombi (Srednuas) were first turned into infants in 1902, and thus would already be five years old and past the toddler age, which Nikidik says he rapid-aged them to with the Aging Powder (which he must have made anew, as he gave the last batch to Glinda at the end of Dorothy and the Magic Belt).

Nikidik the Younger: The son of Nikidik through an unknown mother, and renamed Putnam by his adopted parents Clancy and Bonnie, it is not stated here how he attained magical powers (which he uses to summon a mountain of books), unless his mother was magical. As Nikidik the Elder was consort to Enilrul, could this be their son? If so, it makes him heir to the throne of Oz, as Enilrul was Queen of Oz. This initially seems unlikely as Enilrul had been gone from Oz since 1227, but there may be more to the story. He first appeared in Dorothy and the Magic Belt.

Spurious References: The narrative also contains references to peoples and events in several prior Buckethead releases which are not in continuity on the Oz Timeline. In cases such as these, it should be understood that while persons and places may exist, the narratives that spawned them did not necessarily take place. A kindly Nome named Acinad might exist, but that does not mean Acinad Goes to the Emerald City of Oz took place. Similarly, the book The Magic Diamond of Oz is found in Oz (Oz has literal book trees), but this does not mean the contents of that book are anything but fiction. The latter part of Chapter 9, which details the events of Acinad Goes to the Emerald City of Oz is excised on the Timeline without harm to the story.

Sequel: This story serves as a sequel to the events of Dorothy and the Magic Belt, dealing with both Mombi and Dr. Nikidik's son Nikidik the Younger's transformation into infants. It also brings back into play the Scoodlers, who had not been seen since The Road to Oz.

Srednuas: The name purportedly given to the infant Mombi by Dr. Nikidik is author Susan Saunders' surname spelled backwards. Saunders had written Dorothy and the Magic Belt, in which Mombi was turned into an infant, the event that prompted the writing of this book. Clearly an in-joke, it seems highly unlikely that this was the actual name Nikidik gave her.

Available to read here!

Synopsis: When the Scarecrow, Scraps, and Hank the Mule go on a search for a present for Betsy Bobbin's upcoming birthday, they encounter a young Scare from Scare City (from Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz), who tries but fails to frighten them. He introduces himself as Nerverax, or Rax, and explains that the Scares live off of fear, a consequence of the Witch Queen's curse ages ago, but fear has been hard to come by in recent times. As his father's birthday is also on Halloween, they invite him to accompany them.

They continue through the forest, coming across Captain Dipp and his battalion of spoons from Utensia, and a section marked off with police tape behind which is a house made of pumpernickel. Going past the tape, they enter the house and find a woman inside. Waking from a trance, she introduces herself as Bleakie, the sister of Blinkie, but no longer part of her coven. She's missing her husband, the magician Jakgar, who disappeared after leaving to confront Mombi for transforming one of their friends into a copper-plated lobster back when the Wizard was still ruling Oz. Through her trance states, she knows he's still alive, but not where he is. As the farm where Mombi raised Tip isn't far, the Scarecrow invites her to join them, and after feeding Hank and herself, they depart.

Passing over the plains of the Winkie Country to the Gillikin border, past Loonville, they come across a community of cats at Cat Cafe, some of whom are napping, eating or chasing magical yarn. One of the strays who used to spend time at Mombi's old hut recalls a man of Jakgar's description. The only problem is that it's across the Mauve Mountains where lots of monsters lurk, but there's a new route through it, and a black cat named Daniel, who once lived in a lion's den, agrees to show them. They come to a giant who tells them of his bullet train which will help them cross the mountains. They discover it's an actual giant bullet when he shoots them into a spooky tunnel, but they soon slow and arrive at the other side. Daniel leads through a forest to a corn maze, but when a giant crow tries to grab the Scarecrow, the cat lets out a lion's roar and scares him away. At the maze's end, the purple tentacles of the Sole Eaters emerge from the ground, but they only feast on the party's shoes.

At last reaching Mombi's house, which is shaped like a pumpkin, Rax comes upon a well from which a lot of fear is emanating, and Daniel discovers a man at the bottom. Bleakie floats out her husband, who'd been asleep for years having nightmares. He'd tried to cast a sleep spell on Mombi, which backfired. Rax realizes the water from the well could help his community of Scares. The giant crow overhears and offers to bring them bottles from a nearby bottlefield. She explains that the Scarecrow is the great symbol of their oppression, but realizing they both can't help being who they are, they resolve their differences.

After bringing bottles, the giant crow and his companions fly the party back to Scare City. Rax's father, the Chief Scarer is pleased with his gift, but when he and his son go to King Harum Scarum to announce they've solved the city's problems, the king disagrees, and soon two parties form for and against the idea. After a short battle, Bleakie sends the king and his party to her former home, which they can haunt. She and her husband are going to live in Mombi's old house. Soon enough, a two-headed raven messenger from the former king arrives, requesting some of the bottled fear that Rax brought, which they concede to.

Hank recalls they still don't have a present for Betsy, but Rax, whose a model maker, brings them a snow globe of their city that he'd made years earlier. Once shaken, the little city lights up and tiny Scares emerge. With that the adventurers say goodbye and return home.

Continuity Notes:

Author's Note: Here's a Halloween-themed Oz story I wrote, largely inspired by Joe Bongiorno mentioning that he didn't like the Scares from Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. I tried to give them a little more of a background and motivation, but you'll have to see whether I actually succeeded.

Dating: As the events of Bucketheads in Oz are referenced, this story must take place after 1982 in late October. The Royal Timeline of Oz has it currently in 1988.

Ineffable, effable name: The cat Daniel notes that his name comes from his having once lived in a lion's den, a play on the Old Testament book of Daniel (where he and his companions were thrown into a lion's den by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar). He then says that Daniel is not his "ineffable, effable name." This is based on a line from the poem by T.S. Eliot, called "The Naming of Cats," first published in his poetry book, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The poem is reproduced here:

The Naming Of Cats by T. S. Eliot

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

Origin of the Scares: The king of Scare City notes that their existence is due to the enchantment Enilrul placed on Oz ages ago. This explains not only their appearance, but their need to feed on fear. See The Witch Queen of Oz. An additional community of Scares appears in the Evil Forest in the Quadling Country, in A Wonderful Journey in Oz. There, the zombie king, the scariest of the Scares, led his people.

References: The author was good enough to provide a list of references for the various mentions in his story.

	Donald Abbott’s How the Wizard Saved Oz for Mombi’s old pumpkin-shaped house and the Mauve Mountains. This book is difficult to fit into a larger sense of Ozian history due to a take on the situation with Mombi, Pastoria, the Wizard, and Ozma that does not square with the canon; but I still liked it, and perhaps some version of its events took place even if some parts have to be disregarded.
	L. Frank Baum’s Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz for the trial of Dorothy’s kitten
	Dot and Tot of Merryland for giant cats living in Merryland
	The Emerald City of Oz for Utensia and the Spoon Brigade
	The Lost Princess of Oz for the introduction of the Frogman and the magic skosh
	The Scarecrow of Oz for the Scarecrow’s meeting with Blinkie
	Bill Campbell and Irwin Terry’s Masquerade in Oz for establishing Betsy’s birthday. It’s also the story where Scraps accidentally mixes up everyone’s minds during a masquerade.
	Rachel Cosgrove’s The Hidden Valley of Oz for the magic muffins
	Chris Dulabone’s Dagmar in Oz for Mombi living with the Clambakes and their giant flea
	Greg Gick et al’s Bucketheads in Oz for Tekrouri Troll bringing Mombi back.
	Greg Hunter’s “Betsy Bobbin of Oz” tells how Betsy found her old doll and her parents.
	Philip John Lewin’s The Witch Queen of Oz for the story of the titular character and her creations
	John R. Neill’s Lucky Bucky in Oz for Jack Pumpkinhead’s painting of Mombi coming to life and giant crows playing crow-kay
	The Wonder City of Oz for Heelers eating shoes and the Scarecrow as King of the Munchkins
	Susan Saunders’ Dorothy and the Magic Belt for Mombi being youthened
	Jack Snow’s Who’s Who in Oz for establishing the Chief Scarer’s birthday as Halloween
	Ruth Plumly Thompson’s The Giant Horse of Oz for the story of Tattypoo driving Mombi out of her old house
	The Gnome King of Oz for Scraps as Queen of Patch
	Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz for the introduction of Scare City, as well as the Reddies Jakgar mentioned. Their story is told in my “Reddy and Willing: The Adventures of Jair in Oz.”
	The Lost King of Oz for Kimbaloo and Catty Corners. It’s also where the Scarecrow and Sir Hokus melt Mombi, or at least they think they do. See David Tai’s “Executive Decisions” for another possibility.
	The Royal Book of Oz for the Scarecrow as Emperor of the Silver Island

Synopsis: When the King of the Imps discovers his ornament room in disarray, he summons forth the three sons of Imp Ossible to answer for their crimes. Imp Udent, Imp Olite and Imp Ertinent explain that they were merely fighting amongst themselves. The king banishes them until such a time as they prove their worth, specifically, when they find the Lost Treasure of the Ancient Imps, an enchanted ruby which had been stolen by the Scoodler Dagmar years ago.

The imps leave their underground home and ascend unto a valley in the Quadling Country, where they carve small cave-homes for themselves in nearby valley. In the morning, their neighbor Ingela comes to welcome them, but the imps eat her hat and rudely taunt her and her husband. Word travels of the mischievous imps and the community learns to stay close to home and lock their doors.

When Ozma and the Wizard arrive, they learn about this and head into the valley where the imps accost them, tearing Ozma's dress and shoving the Wizard. The Wizard uses his magical lytero to transform them into bushes, but they grow thorny and attack. He then turns them into mice, but they become pigs who stampede them. He then turns them into doves, but they bite and try to pluck their eyes out. Finally, at Ozma's behest, he transforms them into inanimate objects: Olite to a tin button, Udent into a brass one, and Ertinent into a lead one. He places them in a silver box, intending to sew them on his coat, and casts a spell over them that will alert him should they repent by turning the metals into other metals.

83 years later: The Wizard has Tik-Tok help construct a Speedifier, a device that will grow instantaneous trees. When the machine malfunctions, Tik-Tok sweeps up the broken pieces, and discovers the Wizard's old coat. The Wizard hasn't seen it in decades, and upon seeing the buttons in silver, gold and aluminum, realizes the imps must have repented years ago. Getting out his lytero, the Wizard disenchants them.

A few days later, Imp Ertinent is serving as the Wizard's replacement apprentice while his normal assistant (Number Nine) is away. Udent is learning how to cook under Chef Wessonoyl Smith's tutelage, and Olite is learning to be a gardener. As Ertinent has trouble creating even a sweet roll, the Wizard sends him out to try his magic on helping someone, which he says is more effective. He attempts to restore a broken bridge, but manages to turn it into a large snake, which attacks a chatty woodchuck named Larvy. Trying again, the imp turns the snake into a sweet roll.

In Kushiville, Pudent and Chef Wessonoyl are preparing treats for Suzi's birthday when King Squaz sends out his Squaziqs to abduct the town's residents. Having heard of the famous chef from the trader Packer, he wants him as his own royal chef. When no one comes forward to identify the man, the king announces he'll turn all the residents into slaves until he comes forth. Smith identifies himself and is transformed into a Squaziq. The others are let go, but Udent refuses to leave his side, and the king agrees to let him stay and keep his amusing form. When they prepare dinner, they add an ingredient that puts the Squaziqs to sleep, after which they head to the transformation room where they restore the chef to his original form and escape.

In Arfrica, the Wizard introduces Olite and his Speedifier to Gordon the Gardener. Gordon's wife Gleerup prepares them lunch, after which he shows Olite how to pull weeds. One weed proves tricky, however, and the imp digs a hole around it, pulling up a carved pewter box, inside which are the directions to the Treasure of the Ancient Imps! Olite goes to his brothers, imploring them to accompany him on the quest. They puzzle over the poetic instructions he found and start off at the Dogate in Arfrica, then to the smiling tree (a tree entwined with smilax vines), then go north to find the birds at play, and come into Greenturf, where they find a community of golfers and learn that a score is called birdie. At the 18th hole, they dig and find an underground cavern where live the next part of the clue: the Holbert, little grey people with lavender eyes. Usjgdqf tells them that the magic ruby is in the haunted Castle of Murch.

Once inside the castle, the imps reluctantly split up to search. Udent comes across a yellow wolf guarding a suitcase. The wolf tries to eat him, but Udent snares him with foodstuffs and opens the case. Inside is a red-handled dagger. In another room is Murch's army, and in another a ravenous purple creature called Jellybelly, who tells him to look for hidden doors.

Imp Ertinent, meanwhile, comes upon the wizened old man, Murch, who was once an apprentice to Dr. Nikidik. He challenges the imp to a magical contest. Ertinent does better than he'd expected, but when Murch conjures up the Jabberwock, Old King Crow and Father William from the pages of Dodgson, Ertinent escapes through a corridor.

Ollie winds up in a library, where a pink baby dinosaur challenges him to catch him in exchange for the Enchanted Ruby. Try as he might, the imp's legs are just too short. After throwing a book at the dinosaur in frustration, the dinosaur complains that he hates books, leading the imp to discover that he doesn't know what books are. The imp explains and the dinosaur becomes interested in hearing a book read, promising the ruby if he'll read one about dinosaurs. Unable to find a suitable story, Ollie invents one. Pleased, the dinosaur gives him the ruby, and the imp finds himself in a room with his brothers. Murch appears as well, telling them they must find a way out, and vanishes. Udent leads his brothers down a corridor where a black-hooded figure tears open a door before them, and a gate seals shut behind. Two pendulums swing before the exit, and the room begins to rotate while the floor shifts. The imps struggle and nearly get chopped up, but together they manage to escape through the door, which is a portal to the Imp King's cavern.

Imp Ortance, the Gatekeeper, doesn't believe they have the Enchanted Ruby, but when they show it to him, he brings them before the king. He inspects the ruby, but tosses it back, declaring it a fake since he can't detect its magical properties. He then banishes them for life.

Back at the palace in the Emerald City, Ozma pardons the imps for abandoning their jobs, and they're happy to be back. The Wizard asks Ertinent for his help in making the Speedifier work. When the imp touches it, a potted plant starts growing. The Wogglebug explains that the power of the Enchanted Ruby affected it. It was never an imp treasure after all, but an ancient magical aid in plant growth. With that, Ozma makes the three imps of Oz permanent citizens.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in the summer. The first chapter is a retelling of "Ozma and the Little Wizard," from Baum's The Little Wizard Stories of Oz, which takes place in 1906. The remaining narrative takes place eighty-three years later in 1989.

Imp King: The King of the Imps first appeared as the Ruby Imp in (Rosine and) the Laughing Dragon of Oz. His connection to the three imps from The Little Wizard Stories of Oz was first revealed here.

Magic Belt: The discrepancy with the use of the Magic Belt is here explained. The Magic Belt grants one wish a day, but it also saves up wishes. This explains how Dorothy and Ozma (and others) were at time able to request multiple wishes in a single day.

Murch: A former apprentice of the crooked magician Nikidik, Murch has a castle wherein he keeps various people and creatures, though it's not known which are illusions and which are real. The Enchanted Ruby came to be hidden in his castle by the Scoodler Queen Dagmar.

References: The narrative serves as a direct sequel to "Ozma and the Little Wizard," from Baum's The Little Wizard Stories of Oz, and includes an expanded version of that account in chapter 1. It also references Packer and the boogiemen attack, from Button Bright of Oz, Arfrica, from Toto in Oz, and the fact that Mr. Tinker's returned from Oz, from Mr. Tinker of Oz and The Lost Queen of Oz. Additionally, Old King Crow is from Dorothy and Old King Crow, while the Jabberwock and Father William are from Lewis Carroll's (Charles Dodgson) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The Jabberwock makes a larger appearance in The Emerald City Mirror story: "Invasion of the Jabberwocks," from issues #33-40, where they're revealed to be Erbs. The Scoodler Queen Dagmar is from Dagmar in Oz. That book, as well as the apocryphal Veggy Man of Oz, also appear in Murch's library.

History: Published in three editions, the first in 1990, the second in 1995 with revised illustrations and color plates, and the third expanded edition in 2008 as a hardcover.

Synopsis: As Dorothy, Ozma, Handy Mandy, Polychrome, the Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion debate how to properly pronounce the name of the Fairy Queen Lurline. Dorothy inquires about who else besides Ozga and Ozana are related to Ozma, but Ozma seems reticent to discuss it. Poly notes that she's distantly related to Lurline, whose a goddess, but this surprises Dorothy who says she's known as queen of the fairies, not a goddess. The Scarecrow adds that Mab, Una and Titania also bear the title of Fairy Queen.

In the palace on Mt. Olympus, the goddesses argue over whether Lurliné the Fairy Queen should added to their ranks as a goddess due to her actions saving a fishing village from an erupting volcano. Athena attends the gathering but is anxious for her kin to settle the decision quickly so she can return to the war being fought in Ilium/Troy.

Iris, goddess of the rainbow, speaks on behalf of Lurliné, but Artemis the moon goddess and Eris the goddess of discord argue that godhood is derived by birth, as they're all born of Gaea and/or Zeus. No mortal, even of faerie, has ever been made a god. The three seasons counter that as there is no rule book, they are free to decide on this matter. Iris points out that by using her powers altruistically, Lurliné saved some who would go on to make positive change in the world. Besides which, the gods live only because they're worshiped, so saving humans who worship them is a benefit to them. Athena concludes that Lurliné be made a probationary deity. Aphrodite, Persephone and Demeter agree, though Decay is against it. Finally, Hera decides Lurline will be given a trial period. Many of the goddesses rejoice.

In another part of the palace, the gods drink and laugh raucously as the sun god Apollo declares Lurline the most beautiful maiden in the world. Hermes agrees that her band will prove a good diversion for them, and a drunken Zeus acknowledges her beauty, but wonders at her intelligence. Hephaestus says he would court her, while the intoxicated Dionysus says all women should serve them. Lurliné then enters their presence, acknowledging that she's not even heard of many of them. Zeus explains that some have come from far for her initiation, and for this reason Decay and Eris don't like her. Apollo then proclaims himself her champion, and as he escorts her away, Iris and Kolé bring them the good news of Lurliné's acceptance into the pantheon.

Dorothy interrupts, querying whether Iris is related to Polychrome, who wistfully notes that she's still around. In her studies at Professor Wogglebug's college, Dorothy has never heard of Kolé, Enyo, and recalls that Lilith is from Judaic mythology. Ozma says that what she learned might not be accurate, and the Scarecrow adds that there may be more than one Lilith. Handy Mandy notes too that there's another seven-handed Handy Mandy, but it's not her.

Apollo declares his love for Lurliné and she responds in kind, though both wonder if Eros shot arrows into them. He then proposes and she surprises herself by accepting. He leads her past a rainbow bridge with rainbow maidens [Dorothy interrupts to ask if Poly was there, but she doesn't respond] to a place where she can see the world below. They see Ilium fall to the invade Greeks and three men following a bright star. They then spot an unnamed land of great beauty, peace and contentment. A drama unfolds there as the king of Morrow demands that the immortal serpent Quiberon—whose terrified the people for centuries—combat him. If he loses, he must leave them in peace and cease ravaging other lands. Quiberon agrees. Lurliné seeks to help the king, but Apollo counters that it's inconsequential who wins because the people of that realm don't pray to them or even know of them. It would be just as incomprehensible if Odin rescued someone in Thailand.

While Apollo is distracted watching the battle, Lurliné sends a fairy to help the king. The fairy bestows on him a branch, though he doesn't see how it will help him. It does, however, stopping the giant creature in its tracks. Defeated, Quiberon skulks off. Apollo realizes Lurliné helped the king, and a fairy arrives, confirming that she gave the king faith, with which the branch was transformed.

Later after the celebration for Lurliné winds down and the drunken gods fall asleep, Lurliné enters Apollo's chamber and takes the reins to his sky chariot. Then from Iris's room, she takes a jug of rainbow. From Kolé's room, she takes a bottle of crystal essence, and from Lilith's room a torch. She kisses all of them but Lilith who stirs. Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, records her actions. Lurliné then meets with her fairy band at the place where she and Apollo had seen the unnamed land. With them come Pegasus, Ario and Apollo's chariot. Lurliné uses these to fly over the land, sprinkling light, rainbow and crystalline magic upon it, leaving behind their magic and even a few fairies. She then lands at the king's castle of Morrow. Dorothy interrupts again, exasperated by the contradictions the story suggests against other histories she's read.

Lurliné sprinkles rainbow magic on the king and his pregnant wife, calling her a descendent of fairies and daughter of Oziana, whose descendents will become glorious. Having used up the rainbow magic, she heads back into the air, shielded by Coeus and Phoebe, and pours out the remaining crystal essence on the center of the land, rendering its inhabitants immortal, knowing it will eventually spread out to all the land. Back in Olympus, she returns the reins and empty bottles, and tells her band to disperse. Zeus and Hera arrive later to announce the theft. Apollo is incensed, determining that whoever did it will never again see the light he brings on the world. At the assembly, Zeus presses Lilith who reluctantly admits that she saw Lurliné in her room. Mnemosyne then tells Zeus that Lurliné has enchanted another land. Zeus proclaims that it will be her prison and that she will see Apollo no more.

Dorothy makes notes to reread several books, including The Witch Queen of Oz (for which she can't recall her participation), The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, Time Travelers of Oz, and Death Comes to Oz.

Banished from Mt. Olympus, Lurliné is sent down a dark pit, but her goddess friends appear to forgive and comfort her. Apollo is there, as well, but does not speak to her. Iris tells her that Zeus put a protective spell around her enchanted land to shield it from the outside world. From a seedling from the Golden Apples of Gaea, Hera has placed the Golden Apples there to keep the land's magic pure. Kolé presents her with a large opal to protect the lifeblood of all in the land. Lurliné says she's named the land after its king: Oz. She admits too that she was bold and arrogant, but Iris says the fates played a role and that Oz will engender heroism and the betterment of the world. The goddesses say goodbye and promise to be at her side should she call on them. Iris then decrees that her rainbow maidens will favor the land, especially Polychrome, and whispers that Lurliné alone is banished from Olympus, hinting at something. Apollo departs mournfully.

Dorothy exclaims about Iris being Poly's mother and wonders what her hint meant, and if that means Lurline is also Zurline, and if her three goddess friends ever visited her. After Polychrome returns to the Rainbow, Ozma tells her that it's all just a myth, rooted in truth, but a myth no less.

In the following days, Dorothy goes about finding out just how much truth there is. She first researches Lurline in Professor Wogglebug's library, and discovers references to her in Aztec and Mesoamerican myths, as well as an Egyptian myth of elephants. After interviewing Orin and Philador in Sapphire City about Quiberon, Dorothy goes to Regalia to speak to Queen Anetty/Planetty, whose fascinated by Dorothy's findings. Dorothy tells her that Glinda, the Wizard, and Red Jinn sometimes help the Wogglebug acquire books from the outside world, and sometimes he even disguises himself and goes with a student. One time, Dorothy even went with him to Rome. With a spell form Ozma, the Wogglebug can make magical copies of any book he can't purchase. According to one book that he'd acquired from Milan, which along with a staff of archivists and some magical aid, was restored, Dorothy learned of Lurline's connection to the Atlantis myth.

Kabumpo arrives announcing that Randy and Jinnicky plan to modify one of the Wizard's Ozoplanes for space exploration so that they can visit Anetty's home world. The princess explains that she doesn't wish to go back and would probably be punished if she did, as her people are traditionalists and maintain ideas from when they believed in gods such Kthonthus, who is said to have created Anuther Planet and determined that none would leave it. She also acknowledges that she wasn't really a princess there, but only pretended to be when she arrived in Oz. She and Thun were actually security officers (and old friends) who decided to make a jump for it when they passed by Oz's solar system.

When King Randy and Jinnicky enter the room, she continues, explaining that amongst the mythical powerful beings who lived on a mountain above the clouds was one goddess who sought to make a place just like Anuther Planet. So, she stole gifts from the other gods to do so. When it was discovered, Kthonthus banished her to her created realm of Atlantea. Dorothy comments that that sounds like Atlantis, and the myth sounds like the one she just heard of Lurline. Anetty doesn't recall the name of the goddess, as her people no longer believe in fairies or myths.

Kabumpo tells Dorothy that she can better find Lurline in ancient Egypt in the tale of Loorlinut, which he'll tell her once they're in Pumperdink. Everyone agrees to go, and en route they're joined by Polychrome, who tells Dorothy she recalled another detail she'd forgot to mention earlier. She recounts a recent time she'd spent in Burzee amongst the flower fairies and tree fairies, and how she learned of Zurline's law preventing anyone from picking or cutting down any living thing. Poly asked her tree fairy friend Pethri if anyone had ever broken the law and ended up enchanted, and she showed Poly one tree, a barren poplar, who had once been a woodcutter. Although a prohibition prevented any fairy from giving the tree succor, Pethri sometimes snuck and did so anyway. Upset by this news, Polychrome went the next day to see Ozma. This was Saturday morning, the day after Trot's birthday. She inquired how Zurline could be so cruel as to keep a woodcutter not only enchanted, but not cared for. Ozma promised to inquire and made arrangements to meet with Zurline.

In Burzee, Zurline greeted them and explained that the woodcutter had committed high crimes against the forest. She reluctantly acknowledged that it's been 70 years. When they approached the tree, they spied a man tenderly ministering to it; Zurline identified him as the enchanted woodcutter's brother Gendon Coll. Gendon had urged Vanden, his brother, not to disregard the warnings of the forest, but he ignored him. Thinking back to that time, Zurline noted that her warnings were not explicit, and that the brothers had come here because they'd run out of trees sufficient to fuel their homes for the winter. Realizing she'd been too harsh on both men, she disenchanted the tree back into Vanden. The brothers embraced, but Zurline held back the fairies from greeting them, wishing to neither instill terror or godly awe in them. The fairies rejoiced, and Poly was glad of their freedom, as she values that in herself.

The party reach Pumperdink, where after dinner, Prince Pompadore joins them. Kabumpo tells them the tale of his ancestor Emchay who was the male leader of a herd of wild elephants who lived in Cairo, at a time when there was peace between the people and animals. After the pharaohs came and monuments began being built to them, the humans began clashing with the animals whose homes they began encroaching upon. When Akiernet, Emchay's fourth wife, begins to worry that the humans won't stop, Emchay struggles to devise a plan to foil their pride, which he fears is growing unchecked. His father Toompa, the eldest elephant in the herd, suggests they petition one of their gods, who frequently goes to bathe at a forbidden spring. But his idea of sending two females, Akiernet and Chanessa, Emchay's eldest daughter, to petition her is rejected by Emchay. That night, however, the two females decide on their own to go and seek out the goddess.

Loorlinut is the goddess of animals, the companion of Isis, and brother of Ganesha, who like her bears an elephant head, four arms and a giant human body. The elephants kneel before her, but she knows of their dilemma and tells them to relay her message to move south past the desert to the jungles. Then she will contain the pride of man in Egypt. When they return to the herd, they tell the elephants, but wake Emchay last. He objects and will not migrate with them, so his father Toompa opts to stay as well. Loorlinut, meanwhile, meets resistance from the ennead, who are only concerned with their human worshipers. So, she takes things into her own hands. Loorlinut shrinks the soil back to the Nile, expands the desert, brings asps inward to live on the sands, and enchants the Nile so that it recedes and floods once a year only. Other animals follow the elephants south, but Loorlinut is never again mentioned in the legends, and the Ennead becomes an Ogdoad. Dorothy figures that she was exiled, just as in the other myths.

Suddenly Gendon and Vanden Coll appear with Ozma and Pethri. The brothers had realized a supernatural element was at work and sought out Zurline to thank her. She told them the whole story and they went with Pethri to the Emerald City to thank Ozma, and now Pumperdink to thank Polychrome.

Dorothy tells Ozma that the stories she's collected all share a common thread, and Ozma tells her there are more (such as the Asgardian Lorelei and the Rhine Maidens). She realizes then that her research isn't over, as she wants answers to questions and to figure out how they synch up, but she has enough for a first volume of the Legends of Lurline to be called Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz. Ozma suggests that she can update it with future expanded editions as she acquires more information about the legends.

The next day, Randy moves forward with his plans to explore space, though he promises his wife not to visit Anuther Planet. Vanden and Gendon accept Pethri as a sister, as she will stay for awhile with them to serve as a liaison between their village and the fairies of Burzee. Everyone else returns to their respective homes. Ozma is reluctant to confirm Lurline's true history, saying only that truth is fragile but legends live forever. In Keretaria, meanwhile, Nox and Handy laugh as they approach their Septiman village, recalling that they have their own Lurline legend.

Continuity Notes

Anetty: The truth behind Anetty/Planetty, from The Silver Princess in Oz, is here revealed. She admits that she was not a princess, nor Thun her royal steed. Both were long-time friends who worked as security officers. When they passed by Oz's system, they jumped, hoping to escape Anuther Planet. As of this story, Randy is unaware of her deception, but she intended no harm when she arrived in Oz and told everyone she had been a princess.

Book Collecting in the Outside World: The narrative reveals that the Wogglebug sometimes travels to the Outside World in search of rare books. Glinda, the Wizard, and Red Jinn also help the Wogglebug in this endeavor, but sometimes he disguises himself and goes with a student. One time, Dorothy even went with him to Rome. With a spell of Ozma's, he's able to make magical copies of any book he can't purchase. The Wogglebug also utilizes a staff of archivists as well as some magical aid to restore books that have been ruined.

Dating: The frame story is not explicitly dated, save that it must take place prior to the first edition's date of 1990 some time in the late Autumn of the year (as noted by the fact that the disenchantment of the woodman in Burzee occurred in the fall, and he immediately embarked on a trip to thank everyone responsible for his disenchantment). The 1990 (or earlier) year appears at first glance to be somewhat troublesome, as the frame story of the third edition includes titles of books that only came into existence a decade later, and had not yet been conceived, let alone published prior to 1990. Yet, as the Oz books are accounts of events that occurred in Oz's past, it may be that books of the same name were already written by someone in Oz (such as Professor Wogglebug), and were not transferred to those in the outside world until much later.

As regards the myths recorded in the story, they cannot and should not be dated for several reasons; 1. they are still considered myths, and not historical events, 2. they include time anomalies that defy logic. E.g., When Apollo shows Lurline the world below Mount Olympus she sees the Wise Men following the star to the Christ child, an event that occurred in 2 or 3 BCE. Yet, that very day Athena worries about the fate of the Trojan War, which is said by various historians to have taken place some time as early as 1334 BCE (Eratosthenes) and as late as 700 BCE (Velikovsky and Rohl). To make matters even more convoluted, that very night Lurline goes and enchants Oz and King Oz, yet Oz wasn't first enchanted until 1227 AD. To explain this, the text notes that time flows differently in Mount Olympus, except that Lurline sees King Oz at the same time she sees the Wise Men, and at the same time that she witnesses the Trojan War! The time illogicalities ensure that this and the other correlated myths, which are dated to vastly different times (e.g., Emchay's tale is set at the time of the construction of the great pyramids), but involve the same basic incidents of Lurline stealing magic from the gods to enchant Oz, are but fantastic legends which cannot be treated as historical incidences.

Comparing Editions: The first two editions encompass a shorter version of chapter 2 of the third edition, the section detailing Lurline's entry into the Greek pantheon, her betrothal to Apollo, and her theft of the items she uses to enchant Oz. In this third version, Ozma makes it clear that the Greek legend of Lurline is a myth rooted in truth. The story is framed in a setting in which it's told to Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Handy Mandy by Ozma and Polychrome. Dorothy's later investigation adds additional myths of Lurline, the Egyptian one of Loorlinut told by Kabumpo, and the one of Anuther Planet told by Anetty, and includes Dorothy's attempts to make sense of the contradictory histories, included in The Law of Oz and Other Stories, The Witch Queen of Oz, The Enchanted Apples of Oz, The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, Paradox in Oz, and the forthcoming Death Comes to Oz.

Dorothy as Historian: As the narrative of the third edition shows, Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz is actually Dorothy's book, compiled from her notes and later expanded (and apparently shared at several periods with Marcus Mebes). Ozma suggested that Dorothy create expanded editions as she acquires more information about the legends, which explains how later editions came to have expanded and more detailed accounts. Interestingly, in the third edition Dorothy (or Marcus) chose to includes her role as historian in the larger narrative. This aspect of Dorothy as educated at Professor Wogglebug's college and interested in history is also present in Dorothy and the Magic Belt, Eureka in Oz, and The Emerald City Mirror, all of which showed that Dorothy got an advance education in Oz. Dorothy expands her role as historian in The Lost Tales of Oz anthology.

Gifts of the Gods: Two of the gifts given by the goddesses to Lurline corresponds to a crucial item in two different Oz stories: The Golden Apples are from The Enchanted Apples of Oz, while the opal is from The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz.

Greek Pantheon: Following on the idea put forth in Pendexter III's The Crocheted Cat in Oz that the Greek gods and goddesses were actual immortal beings, Mebes places Lurline (or Lurliné) into their framework, while at the same time indicating that such is a myth based on truth, but not truth itself. This is played out by Dorothy's discoveries that Lurline appears in various forms in several other competing myths, where she plays the same role. Pendexter's story indicates that the stories of the gods in the myths did not play out as generally recorded in them, an idea that's also put forth here. The exact nature of these beings has not yet been set forth, but is currently being researched by Jeff Rester and Joe Bongiorno for their respective books.

Handy Mandy: Handy Mandy acknowledges the existence of the other Handy Mandy, namely Ruth Plumly Thompson's earlier incarnation of a seven-handed girl, a robot created by Solomon T. Wise to cook for him. Sir Solomon is from Supposyville, located "between the Maybe Mountains and the Valley of Somewhere on the Nearlyso River." That Mandy knows of the existence of this other Handy Mandy indicates that not only is that story in-universe, but that Supposyville itself exists in Oz. "Handy Mandy: Solomon T. Wise's New Cook" can be found in The Wonder Book (International Wizard of Oz Club, 2006) and Oz-Story Magazine #1 (Hungry Tiger Press, 1995).

King Oz: In the Greek myth, Lurline sees King Oz battle Quiberon, and sends a fairy to aid him. She then gives King Oz and his wife magical enchantments that benefit them (in terms of immortality) and their children. She names Oz based on his name, and notes that the queen comes from a line of fairies. All of this should be considered dubious at this time.

King Pompus: While in Pumperdink, Ozma discovers that King Pompus and Queen Pozy have allowed themselves to age to their sixties. Prince Pompadore explains that it's because they want him to get married and have children.

Lurline: The Scarecrow notes that several fairies hold the title of Fairy Queen, including Titania, Una and Mab. Whether there are multiple fairy queens or one who holds different names is unresolved in the narrative. Similarly, the question is raised whether Lurline is the same person as Zurline (or Lulea for that matter). This is also unresolved without any evidence to support the view. The Royal Timeline of Oz holds the view that Zurline is also Zulena (the fairy from The King of Gee Whiz), but Jeff Rester's forthcoming work will resolve the mystery behind Lurline. Dorothy also encounters various mythologies in which Lurline (in various similar names) plays out the same role of being accepted as a goddess, stealing the magic of the gods (or using forbidden magic) to enchant a land, and getting punished by being exiled to that land. Thus far, Lurline has played a role in the myths of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Scandinavians, Atlanteans, Azteks, Mesoamericans, Mernites (Handy Mandy's people), and Anuther Worlders. The truth behind these has not yet been explored, but will also appear in Jeff Rester's forthcoming book.

Available to read here!

Synopsis: When Handy Mandy and Nox leave Keretaria to visit Regalia, Mandy investigates a mysterious cave, where Nox vanishes into thin air. A talking torch informs her that this was the former hideout of Wunchie the Witch, who enchanted the cave to ensure that none of the royal oxes would ever enter and discover her. The only way to get Nox back is to find the three blue Jewels of Munchkenny, which have been scattered. They were created by the Wizard Wam and given to the King of the Munchkins years ago. The torch directs her to a magical hoop, which will bring her anywhere she needs to go. Her first stop is to the Royal Museum of Antiqueville where one of the gems is being held, but when Mandy is attacked by the guardians of King Logrum, she fights back and takes the jewel. Then she commands the hoop to take her to the location of the next jewel.

Meanwhile, accompanied by the dragon Phlaymer and Kloimer the Cleric, Prince Trelnor of Tralmia (located north of Jinxland in the Quadling Country) comes to the Kingdom of Ilgerniltia to ask King Ilgramm for his daughter Niltia's hand in marriage. The king proposes a series of tests, two of which the prince passes, but the third involves the search for the Jewels of Munchkenny. Trelnor is determined to do it, but is surprised to see that the princess seems sad or worried about something. That night, the travelers attend a religious ceremony in honor of the Sacred Mole, which makes them suspicious of the High Qui-Questioner and priest. Investigating the temple afterwards, they find a prophecy involving the coming of a "mwll," which might be a mole, or something else. They overhear the priest and High Qui-Questioner discussing the Jewels and their desire for them. After they depart, Prince Trelnor determines to find them and get to the bottom of the mystery, and the next day the companions head north to the Oracle in the Coracle to discover the location of the jewels.

Inquiring of a hamadryad in the Blue Forest, Kloimer and his party are directed north to inquire of the knook Harlan. Harlan lives in a log cabin, where he runs a home for animals abused by witches and wizards. Inside, they meet the bird Qualf, who'd been enchanted by the witch Gharna, as well as various animals. A miniature unicorn named Aliason tells them she's heard of the Jewels of Munchkenny, as she was the mistress of Wunchie who used her for the healing power of her horn. She suggests they go to the castle of Wunchie, who may have hidden them there. Aliason calls forth the sapient broom Strawlene, who used to belong to the witch Little Blue Schoola. Although old and worn, the broom agrees to fly them there.

Stopping at an inn, they discover that the museum in Antiqueville's been robbed of a blue gem. Later at Wunchie's castle, the unicorn notes that the Wizard Zim took all of Wunchie's magic books and appliances, but may have missed some of her hidden places, and indeed she finds a restorative powder, and a paper indicating the three jewels went to 1. Nnydd, a disorienting wilderness in the Quadling Country (after which he jewel went to Antiqueville, 2. the Nome Kingdom, and 3. Braz, a forest on a continent west of the Nonestic Ocean.

Departing, they come across a fallen star, which is out of fuel. Using the restorative powder, the ship rises up but brings them to an old service center across the sea in Ristill at the edge of a desert on the western continent. Although they no longer service old stars, the serviceman directs them to the Forest of Braz by way of train to Widdicoombe.

Handy Mandy, meanwhile, emerges in a pretty field near a white cottage, a mountain and small city. Seeing a flock of goats, she approaches the cottage where she meets the friendly Seeress of Saucerville, who tells her she's in Whatalow Valley. Over tea, the women discover they have several things in common, including their love of goats and having been orphans. While Handy explains her quest, a salesman arrives with odds and ends, and Mandy spots the blue jewel she's searching for. The man will only trade for her hoop, and she agrees. Wondering how she'll now find the third and go home, Sally checks her tea leaves and tells her she should journey to the top of Star Mountain, where someone will help her. As they depart to meet Sally's husband Questor, they bump into Prince Trelnor, Kloimer and Phlaymer. Trelnor recognizes Handy Mandy as a hero who saved them from a Nome Invasion, and they both discover they're on the same quest. Sally's husband agrees to accompany them to Star Mountain, but is concerned about a monster in the Silver Mountains whose been eating goats.

As they proceed into the Silver Mountains they run into the goat Amalthea being chased by a chupacabra. Kloister uses a spell to put the monster to sleep, after which they put it on a train. The goat explains he's from Crete and had ages ago nursed Zeus, who rewarded him with immortality and speech. This surprises Trelnor, but the goat explains that Zeus' political power was limited to southeastern Europe, and Mandy indicates he's since retired to a paperweight on Ozma's desk, which serves as a gateway to a facsimile Olympus. Amalthea was heading to Way-Up when the chupacabra attacked, and agrees to lead them there.

Passing through Rockwood, they spend the night at an inn, and in the morning pass by the Underwood, where the goat notes that Prince Reddy has married and no longer tortures people for fun, save on holidays. At last they arrive on Star Top Mountain and meet King Ripitik and Woof the Royal Wizard of Way-Up playing croquet. When the Scissor Wizard hears that they're looking for the remaining jewel in the Nome Kingdom, he uses his magic shears to bring all of them, save the king, to the castle of the Red Jinn in Ev. The two had met 45 years earlier at a gathering of magicians.

The irrepressible Jinnicky greets everyone, procures the remaining Jewel of Munch, and determines that Mandy and Sally might be sisters. He puts them inside a red circle and confirms that they're half-sisters from the same mother. The girls are shocked, but happy, and Mandy invites her to bring her husband and goats and come live in Oz with her. The Red Jinn then whisks all of them to Ilgerniltia, where Mandy recognizes the priest and High Qui-Questioner as the ministers for the pretender to the throne of Kerateria, and the Sacred Mole as the pretender himself, whom Ozma had turned into a mole! When the king objects, Aliason rubs her horn against his leg, freeing him from the control of the false priest. They're arrested and the king admits he's been missing his family, who've vanished. Sally reads tea leaves and utters a prophecy about finding them before the cocktopus crows thirty times, but to beware the Gridsnaddle. The king doesn't know what those are, and Jinnicky determines to try and find out. But first, he throws the three jewels into the air and commands the return of Nox the Ox. He materializes and they fill him in on what's gone on.

Mandy, Woof, Jinnicky and Nox then visit Cheeriobed and Orin, presenting them with the three Jewels of Munchkenny. They return to Ilgerniltia to attend the wedding of Prince Trelnor and Princess Niltia. The party accompany them to the Emerald City, where they honeymoon. Ozma grants Sally and her husband permission to settle in Keretaria, where Amalthea joins them for a time. Although Jinnicky and Woof are unable to locate the king's family, Mandy and Sally eventually come to find out about their mother.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Although there's no explicit date, Handy Mandy says she "recently heard a story about how Zeus kicked Queen Lurline, the fairy who enchanted our Land of Oz, out of Olympus." That story was told in Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz. Assuming "recently" is within a year, that gives us a 1989 date.

Original Versions: The text of "Handy Mandy and the Jewels of Munchkenny" is virtually the same, only now with the addition of her meeting with Prince Trelnor and his companions. The original version of "Prince Trelnor of Tralmia and the Olympians," on the other hand, has been radically changed, and the author's original note revealed that the narrative itself was "unreliable" as it was told by the Munchkin minstrels and subject to embellishment. At the time, the prince could not be reached for comment. It can be assumed, then, that this revised version is the actual story of what happened. In the first version, the dryad magically sent them to Mount Olympus where they complain to Jupiter/Zeus that his daughter Diana has teamed up with a false mole god to create a golden hammer in Oz and cause trouble. For posterity, both versions have been preserved here (click on the links to access them).

Talking Brooms: Sapient brooms were first introduced in Lucky Bucky in Oz, where the witch Old Blue Schoola, a minor Munchkin witch, was first introduced. This is the first story in which one has been given an active role. Another talking broom appears in The Astonishing Tale of the Gump of Oz.

Sally the Seeress: Revealed to be the sister of Handy Mandy, Sally the Seeress of Saucerville, Questor, Widdicoombe, and Whatalow Valley come from the Thompson short story "The Seeress of Saucerville."

Way-Up and Other Lands: The Silver Mountains, Star Mountain, Way-Up, King Ripitik, Woof the Wizard of Way-Up (aka. the Scissor Wizard), Rockwood and King Reddy of Underwood are all from Ruth Plumly Thompson's Way-Up stories, which are collected in The Wizard of Way-Up and Other Wonders. This story definitively places these characters and locations in a continent west of Nonestica. Another Thompson location, Ogowan and Big Enuf Mountain (from King Kojo) are located on the continent Tarara (see The Royal Explorers of Oz).

Wunchie: This witch is noted as being the power behind the throne in the northern Munchkin Country for centuries. She has a miniature unicorn slave named Aliason whose horn enabled her to heal from various ailments. Aliason was away when Wunchie ate the jumping beans of the Wizard Wutz, who'd poisoned them.

Synopsis: The Lunechien Forest of Oz, located in the Munchkin Country, is home to many rare animals in Oz. One day, the rabbit Checkers tells Elephant that a newcomer's been spotted. Concerned that it might be a witch or nome, even Ruggedo himself, he goes to discuss the matter with the bear Winnie, whose cave-home lies in the center of the forest. The brown bear (named after the A. A. Milne character), is a legal consultant and informs Elephant that new citizens must first pass the rite of passage.

Elephant tracks down the newcomer, who introduces himself as Quasoic, a unique creature to Oz called a Yakobea, who flew there from his old home in the south (a place called Schnerville) in order to get more privacy. Elephant informs him of the rite of passage and leads Yakobea to meet Winnie, who to his embarrassment he confuses for a dog, as he knows of most animals species only from books, and often confuses them.

The next day after meeting more citizens, Quasoic is told of the rite: He must collect a pebble from the Forbidden Cavern of Truthstones, bring it to the Cifoicai Cliff and spend the night there. The Yakobea enters the caverns, which have been swept clean. There he meets a giant mouse named Tiny, who refuses to help him find the pebble, and tells him he should turn back. Quasoic moves on to meet a giant snake the size of an elephant named Ruthie the Rattlesnake, who congratulates him on his courage but cannot help him. There are four doors in each direction, and Quasoic chooses the west one. The snake utters a riddle and opens the door for him. It leads to a white marble room with white abstract sculptures. The door vanishes behind him and he's greeted by two albino dragons, who lead him to a hallway that branches off in three directions, the gardens, Houghton Room, and exit out of the caverns. Quasoic heads to the gardens.

Elephant, meanwhile, hopes Quasoic will pass the test. Whiskers the rabbit and Lisa the Hoot Owl reminisce on their own difficult trials. Lisa flies off to check on the newcomer's progress and watches as he enters a greenhouse where a giant venus flytrap opens its mouth to let out a lobo and tiger. Tiger and Louie the Lobo ask the Yakobea if he's good to eat. Quasoic reasons that he's got no reason to fear, and suggests they should be friends. Tiger then leads him to the Houghton Room, where he can attain the Truthstone if he can figure out how the two machines work.

In the purple and blue room, Quasoic presses a button on the purple machine, causing a face to appear on the screen. It tells him he must correctly answer a question or be sent to America, where those with wrong answers thrive. His machine asks him who he is, if he knows himself, and if he's happy with who he is. Quasoic answers that he's courageous without being violent or hate-filled. The blue machine then prints out a map to the Truthstone buried in Cifoicai Cliff. Lisa meets him at the cliff to congratulate him, but a table suddenly appear with three humans sitting at three of its sides. Quasoic is invited to play a hand. Through having never seen humans before, he sits to play. After a time, the three tempt him to bet Lisa. He refuses. They then tell him to bet the Truthstone, and call him a coward. He agrees to one game, betting the stone, but insisting that if he wins they must each serve him for a year. If he loses, he'll serve each of them for a year. By raising the stakes so high, he gets them all to fold.

While Betsy and Trot preside over court in the Emerald City, the Wizard and Glinda are visiting Macvelt, and Ozma, Dorothy, Toto, the Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion are traveling, meeting Ozma's subjects. Just then, they arrive at the Lunechien Forest. Checkers wakes up Elephant at noon to tell him that not only has Quasoic passed the test, but that Queen Ozma has entered their forest! Elephant rushes off to welcome them.

[The events of Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies are here summarized: The Tiger Fairies raise the orphaned cub Jaglon, who grows up to be noble-hearted and true. After learning that his people were exiled for being domineering, he travels to the Inner Circle of the Wilderness to reclaim their lost honor. There, he challenges the cruel Lion King Avok, who wishes to drown his nephews so that his son will succeed him on the throne and not the offspring of the former king, his brother. Jaglon defeats him and becomes king, while the blinded Avok falls into a lake and drowns.]

Quasoic arrives from his trials to meet Ozma and Dorothy, but he struggles with remembering which animal species are which. Thus, he mistakes Toto for a muskrat, the Hungry Tiger for a skunk and the Cowardly Lion for a kalidah. When the Lion scolds him for insulting them, the Yakobea runs off ashamed.

As the former Lion King Avok sinks to the bottom of the lake, he calls out to the Lion Fairies, asking why they've forsaken him. Yaes, the Lion Fairy, tells him that he's been wicked and cruel: he intended to murder his three nephews; he led his brother to his death; he even let his son go hungry on many nights. Yet, they have kept him alive despite this. He concedes that he is unworthy and asks for a painless death so that he can go to the Spirit World. They inform him that he'll be miserable and alone if he does. Instead, they will let him make up for his evil ways. He will no longer live as a king, but as a beast of burden amongst humans.

Avok mysteriously surfaces in the country of the Mudgers in the southern part of the Munchkin Country in the Land of Oz. There, King Mustnotta is determined to find a unique gift for his grandson's graduation. As his chamberlain Quazzywaller goes off to gather a raiding party of thieves to secure a gift, Skylitochit, the oldest person in Mudger, arrives with a large book that had just arrived warning the Mudgers that if they again cross their borders, they will suffer the consequences (an event that was first mentioned in The Cowardly Lion of Oz). The king takes the warning seriously.

Days later, Skylitochit brings the Monarch of Mudge good news. An unusual animal has been spotted in Mudge, a blind lion. Overjoyed, the king has the lion captured and brought to his grandson as a gift. The Royal Grandson adores the lion and showers affection upon him, but his father, King Mustnotta's son, Prince Stabilofax declares that as he is allergic to the creature, a cage must be built to put him in several miles away from their tent.

Five years later, King Mustnotta chooses not to compete against his son in the elections, and abdicates the throne to Prince Stabilofax.

A year later, while strolling through his domain, King Stabilofax comes upon Avok in his cage and begins violently sneezing. Determining the lion must go, he opens the cage and kicks him, telling him he is free, but Avok complains that he is given steady meals and is cared for with affection. The king then ties a rope around his neck and pulls him out, warning him that if he ever lays eyes on him again he will chop off all his legs. With that Avok departs Mudge.

(Four years later, King Stabilofax abdicates and his son Prince Mustafa takes the throne, beginning his collection of lions, but never learning of his father's treachery.)

After leaving Mudge, Avok crosses a bridge over a small stream and comes upon a stranger who offers him tea, claiming it will heal his blindness. Instead, it puts him to sleep for many long years, and Avok dreams of his wife Atlith and the long years he spent in Wilderness.

When he awakens years later, he walks many miles until he arrives at the Lunechien Forest, where he is greeted by the ape Twirler. He tells Twirler that he was defeated by a wicked tiger and asks if he can stay. Determining that the trials would be unfair to put a blind lion through, he agrees to set him up in an empty cave that none but he know of, and he will teach him where to gather food and all the clear paths. After Avok's become independent, he'll introduce him to the other residents of the forest.

Weeks later, Avok has learned where the food-bearing trees are, and can walk the familiar paths, so he determines to explore unfamiliar paths. After joyfully frolicking for some hours, he comes upon Lisa the Hoot Owl, who offers to take him back to his home. He tells her of his loss of position and home to a wicked tiger who blinded him and tried to drown him. She assures him that Ozma would tolerate no such thing in her land. His own land was less civilized, but he is grateful to now have his friend Twirler, though sad that he can't see him. Lisa reasons that, Oz being a fairyland, she can help him. She then takes out her eyes and puts them in Avok's sockets. The lion is amazed at the beauty of the world around him, and thinks of all that he'd missed while he'd been blind. He determines then to find his Wilderness, defeat Jaglon, and leave his eyes for Lisa. The owl protests and demands her eyes back, but the lion disappears into the forest.

Lisa manages to find her way to Yakobea, who is feeling sorry for himself. She tells him what happened to her, and he determines that he can help her. Having her say the word icicle, he (magically) removes the i's from the word and fashions eyes for his friend. She rejoices.

As Ozma and her entourage prepare to depart, the Cowardly Lion smells another lion nearby. Avok approaches and announces himself as the true ruler of Wilderness and enemy of all tigers. Although the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger grow sad at the slanted account he gives of what befell him at the hands of Jaglon, Ozma tells him his behavior is not as a gentlecreature, though she will consider granting him his wish to return to Wilderness. Quasoic and Lisa arrive to inform him that the beast is a liar and has stolen the owl's eyes. Quasoic engages Avok in battle, but Ozma will not allow violence. Before she wishes on her Magic Belt, however, Twirler appears and scolds them for picking on a blind lion. Lisa informs him that he can see due to having her eyes, which he stole.

Upon seeing his friend, Avok breaks down in shame and sorrow. At that, Yaes the Lion Fairy appears and explains that at last he's reached awareness, and will now come with them to become a Lion Fairy and help other lions attain enlightenment. With that they are gone, and everyone thanks Quasoic for his bravery and kindness, and peace again reigns in the Lunechien Forest.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The text explicitly states that the main story takes place in the 1990s, however, as it was written in 1990, that is undoubtedly the earliest it could take place. The flashback to "The Story of Jaglon," is listed as 1905, but that is the date of the story's publication and doesn't reflect when it took place, it should be disregarded. Similarly, Dulabone dates events leading up to the narrative in The Cowardly Lion of Oz according to that book's publication date. While these dates should be chalked up to historian error, the span of years he indicates is reasonable and have been here maintained.

While the dating of Jaglon's story is unknown, the arrival of the lion Avok in Mudge occurs in 1902, which is when Glinda sent the Mudgers the book warning them that if they continued to raid other lands, there would be consequences. Avok's arrival appears to indicate that "The Story of Jaglon" takes place in 1902 as well, though there may be other possibilities, e.g., the powerful animal fairies might have kept Avok in a state of animated suspension for an unspecified period of time until 1902; they effectively do the same thing to Avok when they (presumably) give him the tea that puts him to sleep until 1990.

The ascension of Prince Stabilofax to the throne occurs five years later (Dulabone has it in 1910) in 1907. In 1908 (1911 in the book), the king forces Avok out of Mudge. Dulabone sets up the coronation of King Stabilofax's son King Mustafa in The Cowardly Lion of Oz four years later in 1912. Mustafa would require at least a year to have his warriors round up the ten thousand lions that live in Mudge. Based on the New Chronology (which harmonizes with Thompson's The Giant Horse of Oz), this would necessitate placing the events of The Cowardly Lion of Oz in 1913, after other books that succeed it in publication order. While unusual, this is not unheard of and doesn't harm continuity.

Jaglon: Chapter 9 effectively summarizes the version of the Animal Fairy Tale, "The Story of Jaglon," expanded by Jack Snow, called Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies. Dulabone expands it slightly further, mainly by providing names and minor roles for the various unnamed animals in that story. See Names and jokes below.

Names and jokes: The author names several characters after friends and colleagues, e.g., the Lion Gannaway (Ryan Gannaway), as well as the illustrator of the Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies, Dale Ulrey. While this is clearly a case of artistic license, they should be disregarded as actual names. Similarly, on page 80 and 83, he notes that King Mustnotta went on to become a "high school counselor," while his son King Stabilofax went on to head a "professional babysitting service." While these are clearly jokes, they're also absurd from an Oz-as-history perspective—as they break the fourth wall and are out of place (the story is a fantasy-adventure, not a satire, and should have been edited out)—and should be disregarded as historian interpolation.

Owl Eyes: The absurdity of fashioning eyes out of the "i's" that come from the spoken word "icicle" is implausible, but Carrollian nonsense is not entirely unheard of in Oz, though difficult to parse in any measurable way. While it's possible that the Lunechian Forest has powerful magical capabilities, or that Quasoic does, such abilities are never mentioned elsewhere, and even the author himself notes that it's silly, which could be an argument towards the idea that he made it up for the sake of a joke, and that Lisa actually got her eyes back from Ozma or the Lion Fairies, both of whom she encounters shortly after losing them to Avok.

Stranger: It appears that the stranger who gave Avok tea, claiming it would cure his blindness, but putting him to sleep for many years, was Yaes the Lion Fairy, who effectually cured the lion's figurative blindness.

Synopsis: When Dr. Pipt and Victor Columbia Edison locate the former magician's trapdoor in the attic, they discover the former magician's spells, formulas and vials. Margolette reminds her husband that Ozma forbid him to practice magic, to which he responds that since being straightened by the Wizard, he's been unable to.

That night, while the couple are asleep, a Chimera with three heads, that of a goat, a lion, and a serpent, which is at the end of the creature's tail, bursts into the house. After subduing the couple, the creature's master enters. In a panic, Victor knocks over a table upon which sits the Liquid of Petrifaction, splashing Dr. Pipt and Margolette, and turning them into statues once again.

In the Emerald City, Dorothy inquires of the polite Polit Burro if he's seen Toto. The green donkey pauses in his message of revolution against the forces of the Fairy Imperialists to tell her that Toto and Bungle are watching the Magic Picture, and that he'll meet up with them at dinner. Dorothy goes up to see them, but the Glass Cat is in a surly mood, and when Dorothy reminds her of how loopy she was when she didn't have her pink brains speaks rudely towards Dorothy, Bungle snaps at her and Dorothy snaps back. The Glass Cat then decides to leave the Emerald City. Toto dares her to leave for six months. Agreeing, she goes to Ozma to request that she be sent to Dr. Pipt's house. Toto decides to take the trip with her.

Later at dinner, Victor bursts in, telling everyone what happened at Dr. Pipt's house. Bungle and Toto, meanwhile, arrive at the house to find it in shambles, with the doctor and his wife statues. The Chimera emerges, threatening them. Bungle hands Toto a potion of Juice Ex Machina to drink and reluctantly he does so, while asking for someone to come rescue them. Suddenly, out of a pan emerges a penguin made of macaroni! Telling Toto and Bungle he came as a result of his wish, the Macaroni Penguin hits the Chimera on all three of its heads and vows to forever protect the pair.

When the Chimera awakens they run outside just in time to see a five-foot long Airworm burrow through the sky before them. The Airworm, Yartii, explains that what they do is necessary to keep the air from getting clogged up and constricted. When Yartii goes to leave, the Chimera pounces and ties them all up, using the Airworm as a rope. The group are brought to a nearby house where the creature's master resides. Inside is a wild boar who introduces himself as Balthasar, the world's first Boarceror. Having desired magic since he was a piglet, but derided or attacked by those who might teach him, he decided to learn on his own and stole books from Mombi. But the complex spells required hands, so upon learning from one of the books that Dr. Pipt had in his possession a genie in a bottle in the attic, he went and asked for it. When Dr. Pipt refused to give it to him, insisting it was too dangerous, the boar didn't believe him and thought he was being selfish. With his hired muscle, the Chimera, he stole it. Because he doesn't know how to release the genie, however, he requires Bungle's help. The Glass Cat refuses, so the boar uses Dr. Pipt's Spell of Simpering Sweetness on her. Bungle's ruby heart melts and she tells him how to release the genie.

No longer needing his captives, Balthasar tells the Chimera to eat the others. While they roll out of the creature's way and out the door, the boar then pushes Bungle out the window. Although she stops the Chimera by falling upon its heads, she shatters in the process. Toto, Mac and Yartii gather up her broken pieces, and Mac starts using his cheese to adhere them together. Toto figures out that mud will do just as well, and after a long time they manage to put her back together. Cracked and missing pieces, including her pink brains, which they were unable to recover, Bungle awakens foggy. Mac gives her a literal "wise crack" on the head, which helps restore her personality.

Dismayed by her condition, she recalls the Boarceror's plans and determines to stop him, explaining that she was brought to life shortly after Dorothy destroyed the Wicked Witch of the East. The evil genie had been tearing up the Munchkin Country, and with no one else to stop him, the people begged Dr Pipt to do something. With Bungle in tow, Dr. Pipt confronted Grunge El-Badde and used his wits to trick him into entering the lantern, where he's remained ever since. Bungle fears that if he's released, he'll destroy all of Oz.

Yartii comes up with a plan. Opening up a vortex in space, he takes Toto and Bungle into an air-tunnel, which takes them into Dr. Pipt's house, past the Chimera guarding the entrance. Mac, meanwhile, distracts the three-headed creature who chases him into a dead end, where the Airworm returns just in time, opening up an air-tunnel to the Nonestic, which the Chimera falls through.

But they are all too late, as Balthasar has already released the genie, who not only refuses to grant the boar any wishes, but decides to punish him instead, turning him into a plate of bacon! Bungle tries to trick him back into the bottle by reminding him of all the objects he must have left in there, but when the four friends are unable to shut the lid, the genie emerges hurling Bungle across the room and preparing to destroy the others.

Suddenly, Ozma, Dorothy, the Hungry Tiger, Scarecrow, and Shaggy Man arrive. With her Magic Belt, Ozma wishes him back in the lantern forever and stores it in her vault. Ozma then restores Dr. Pipt and Margolette, and brings everyone back to the throne room, explaining that they'd been watching them in the Magic Picture ever since Victor arrived to warn them. She thanks Bungle and Toto, and restores the Glass Cat to her former pristine self. Balthasar and the Chimera are then turned into infant versions of themselves who will be raised properly by Ozian farm animals, who will teach them to be good.

Yatiir stays to visit for awhile, while Mac moves into the Emerald City. The Polit Burro declares them Heroes of the People. Victor unfortunately plays all his records until the Shaggy Man attacks him and he runs off. Bungle admires herself in the mirror and determines that the Emerald City needs her.

Continuity Notes

Airworm: This is the first appearance of Yatiir the Airworm. Airworms are intelligent wormlike creature that can tunnel through air.

Bungle: This is the third time Bungle cracks. See "The Glass Cat" entry in the Appendices for a list. This is also not the first time Bungle's gotten offended by the remarks of others and sought to leave the Emerald City. Dorothy insults her again, leading her to go on a trip in The Hidden Prince of Oz. Munchkins also insult her in Bungle of Oz.

Dating: Takes place in October. According to the narrative, the genie's been in the lantern for "almost a hundred years." Given that the evil genie was first trapped in the bottle in 1899, and that the story was written in 1990, that gives us a date no later than 1990.

Dr. Pipt: Dr. Pipt is shown to have been a hero around the time of 1899 when he confronted and tricked an evil genie on the loose in the Munchkin Country. As of this time, Dr. Pipt has not as yet petitioned Ozma to practice magic again. He's also still straightened out. Some time within the decade, he does, is approved, and gets physically crooked again, as he is practicing magic prior to the events of Bungle of Oz.

Grunge El-Badde: An evil genie who once tore up the Munchkin Country in the days after the Wicked Witch of the East was destroyed by Dorothy, but before Ozma came to the throne. Dr. Pipt was asked to stop him by locals, which he did by bottling him. Nothing is known of where he came from, or how he ended up rampaging through Oz, though he does reference terms like "sheik," "emir" and other Arabic-sounding words, he doesn't identify as a typical genie in that he calls himself a destroyer of wishes, as opposed to a granter of them. The text refers to him as both a genie and an "evil spirit."

Infant: Ozma might have gotten the idea of transforming Balthasar and the Chimera into babies from the events that befell Mombi and Nikidik the Younger when they were enchanted by the Youthing Powder in Dorothy and the Magic Belt.

Macaroni Penguin: Mac, the Macaroni Penguin is brought to life when Toto ingests Dr. Pipt's potion of Juice Ex Machina, which Bungle suggested he do, while wishing for someone to save them. Mac promises to serve as a guardian to Toto and Bungle, and moves into the Emerald City. Macaroni penguins are actually real creatures, crested penguins resembling royal penguins, but with a yellow crest, giving him the name of the style denoting flamboyance and extravagance. This Macaroni Penguin, however, is literally made from macaroni and cheese, which Dr. Pipt and Margolette had eaten earlier and left behind in the pot as leftovers (which doesn't say much for her cleaning-up skills since she left it in the pot overnight). He's smart, has a sunny disposition, and is courageous in the face of danger.

Polit Burro: A burro who lives in the Emerald City, handing out flyers for the People's Rebellion against the Fairy Imperialists and crying revolution. The protest is more symbolic than anything else, as the green donkey is polite, sensitive, and friends with the "oppressors," the Ozian royalty.

Victor Columbia Edison: The talking victrola named Vic was first brought to life The Patchwork Girl of Oz, and appears in few stories since. He is revealed here to have visited Margolette once every Saturday (which would have been for about 15 years). She lets him move back in with them in this story, but his ill treatment at the hands of the Shaggy Man at the end of this tale appears to have left Victor feeling bitter towards people, as revealed in The Astonishing Tale of the Gump in Oz, and it may be that he left Dr. Pipt and Margolette, or was thrown out of the house again at some point. He is helped by a girl from the Outside World, who feels sorry for him, in the book The Lonely Phonograph of Oz. He appears again in Carrie Bailey's Bungle of Oz, where he's married, and Bar Sira's unfinished The Boundaries of Oz.

Synopsis: After Uncle Henry and Aunt Em finally decide to move to a farm in the Munchkin Country, Dorothy, Toto and Billina come for a visit. With the Wizard's magical help, the farm is considerably easier to run than the one they'd had in Kansas, and Dorothy's impressed by the numerous and various vegetables growing. They even have a cow named Snowball. That night, Dorothy and Toto feel an odd sensation, but it's not until dawn that they realize the entire vegetable garden has grown to enormous proportions, and has pushed the house far up from the ground. Henry's dismayed, recalling his failure with the last farm, but Dorothy reassures him it's a magical glitch and departs to get help with Toto and Billina.

Walking through giant leaves, vines and vegetables, the party encounter large insects, which convince them not to eat any of the giant vegetation. They sleep on a giant zucchini, but in the morning lose their basket of food. Trudging into a giant lettuce patch, Toto and Billina go missing, so Dorothy climbs down to the dark maze, but is unable to find them and climbs back up. Finally, by late afternoon she reaches the garden's end.

Heading southeast to the Emerald City, Dorothy arrives hungry at a disheveled cottage. While examining a magical laboratory, Dorothy pockets a glass jar of herbs that she finds there, but hearing a sound, she runs out past the cottage's garden filled with wide pits, and wonders if there's a connection. Walking through the night, she finds a house with lit windows and is welcomed in. In the morning, she meets Imogene the cow. The farmer's wife gives her breakfast and tells her the empty cottage once belonged to Old Magda, who hasn't been seen in years and was said to be a witch.

After a few miles, Dorothy discovers that Imogene's been following her, anxious for excitement and realizing that if she didn't go see the Emerald City now, she might never. She's also able to provide Dorothy with various types of dairy depending on her mood. Her daughter Delia can provide whatever one asks for. That night, as Dorothy wonders why her shoes feel tight, she milks Imogene who provides her with whipped cream. The next morning, Imogene tells of the time Delia got gored by a bull. The farmer nursed her, which so moved Imogene that she produced gold milk, which healed Delia. When Dorothy spots a balloon, she discovers it's the Wizard and tells him what happened. He says they have to go to the Emerald City, where his new balloon (which employs new technology and magic) will surprise everyone. Introducing her to Imogene, they fly off, but a terrible storm appears, blowing them into the midst of a storm cloud, where giant cloud creatures hurl lightning and toss the balloon around like a ball. When one deflates it, he throws it out of the cloud where they're rescued by the Rainbow. Polychrome helps them safely back to the ground near the valley of giant vegetables.

They enter a forest of broccoli where the Wizard tries out a shrinking powder on a plant. It takes a lot to shrink it, but it then shoots back up again. They enter a forest of beets, where Dorothy milks ice cream out of Imogene. By nightfall, they reach a field of giant watermelons, where the Wizard uses a flare gun to signal a message to Em and Henry that help is on the way. Dorothy dreams of being pursued in her aunt's empty house and awakens to an odd noise. They see a smoke signal from the farmhouse, and enter a patch of giant rutebega covered by giant moles. They hide, but Imogene moos, and suddenly moles pull her and Dorothy underground. In a dark tunnel, the cow is taken away. Gathering her courage, Dorothy tries to crawl up, but moles attack her and she slides down into another tunnel. Covered in dirt, she finds another tunnel that leads to a pool of water where she drinks and bathes. When a mole approaches, she ambushes him, demanding her show her the way out. The mole takes her to Toto, Billina and Imogene, who are all prisoners of the moles who've been forcing them to produce eggs and milk for them, and who've grown bigger because they've been given giant vegetables to eat. Hearing laughter in the dark, she comes upon Old Magda, who says she used a potion to make the vegetables grow, but it seeped into the ground into a pool from which the moles drank and grew big and hungry. To her horror, Dorothy realizes she drank from that same pool!

When a giant earthworm passes by, the moles pursue it, and Dorothy determines to find a way out despite Old Magda's warning that there are hundreds of moles and tunnels. When the moles attack, Dorothy urges Toto to go and get help. The moles bury Dorothy alive! The Wizard, meanwhile, tried a magic trowel to dig, but without matches or Wishing Pills, he's unable to be of use and heads to the farmhouse. En route, he encounters the moles chasing the earthworm, and spots Toto, who leads him to a huge mound, which turns out to be Dorothy's elbow! When she awakens, she digs the ground for her friends. Billina emerges safe, but Imogene and Old Magda have been crushed. She hands them to the Wizard and goes to rescue her aunt and uncle. To her embarrassment, she realizes that she's naked under the caked up dirt. Em and Henry, who've also grown out of their clothes, are trapped in the bedroom, but they pass Dorothy sheets to cover herself. She returns to the Wizard to carry him and her friends to the Emerald City.

He informs her that neither Imogene or Old Magda are breathing or have a heartbeat, but he'll do everything he can to restore them. The Powder of Life won't help, as it only works on things that are dead or were never alive; besides it takes six years to make. Dorothy mourns Imogene as she runs to the Royal Palace, drops off the Wizard at his tower, and sets Imogene and Old Magda before Ozma. The Wizard arrives with a vial of "the last existing gas of the velp vine that once grew in the Forest of Burzee." Ozma recalls that "the fairies of Burzee used it in the spell that bestowed immortality upon the Land of Oz." Unfortunately, the one vial may not be enough to save them both, and velp vines are extinct due to all the pollution of the outside world, which had reached the delicate plant in Burzee.

Billina suggests they save Old Magda, as she's the only one who knows the secret of the growth potion and can restore their normal sizes, but Dorothy won't let Imogene die. Ozma and the Wizard comply and the gas brings Imogene back to life. She's amazed that Dorothy had risked staying a giant for her. When the Royal Gardener milks Imogene, she gives forth three drops of golden milk, which is fed to Old Magda, bringing her back to life. The witch, however, refuses to give her secrets until Ozma threatens to take away her magic. With the jar of herbs that Dorothy had removed from her house, and the Wizard's help, they produce an antidote.

After Dorothy bathes, Jellia and the maids give her a robe made from curtains. The Magic Belt brings Em and Henry (also garbed in robes) to the gardens, where they're all fed and allowed to sleep. In the morning, Billina and Toto drink the antidote and are restored to their natural sizes. The Wizard asks the crowd of city residents to bring as many barrels and wagons as they can find. By noon, there are ox, goat, and donkey drawn carts loaded with barrels of water filled with the antidote en route to the farmhouse. Em, Henry and Old Magda then drink. Only then does Dorothy drink. The next morning, Ozma announces that everything should be restored in a week or two. Old Magda is reluctant to explain herself, but finally she reveals that she doesn't like people much and just wants to be left alone. Yet, as she hates gardening, the potion she made was meant to increase the size of the vegetables so she'd have fewer to tend to. But the moles grew giant, and after eating all her plants, captured her, forcing her to make a pool of potion underground. With it, they spread it on all the vegetable roots in the area.

Henry doesn't want to go back to the farmhouse, feeling he's lost enough farms. Over the next week, Dorothy shows Imogene the Emerald City and surrounding areas. Finally, by the weekend, they travel to the valley, which is now covered by rotting vegetation and mud. There's a small village of temporary camps, housing volunteers from the Emerald City, Wogglebug's college, and Munchkin Country who'd come to help. Em and Henry go to the farmhouse to retrieve their belongings, but start making small repairs. Two days hence, Old Magda surprises everyone. She's moving to a Munchkin village to become a baker, and although she deems it foolish to outlaw magic in a magic land, she agrees to no longer practice it. Henry and Em surprise Dorothy with the decision to stay and make another go of the farm. The Wizard magically levels the house and departs with Ozma, anxious to recover his balloon basket and hobby. Dorothy, Billina, Toto and Imogene extend their visit.

Henry and Em clean the fields, till the soil and plant new vegetables. Snowball returns and strikes up a friendship with Imogene. They visit each other frequently, as does Dorothy and her friends. Even Old Magda visits and trades recipes with Aunt Em.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Uncle Henry states that it's been 80-something years since he and Em came to live in Oz. This was in 1905, indicating that this story takes place likely from 1986-8. The Royal Timeline of Oz has it in 1987. It takes place over the course of two and half weeks. As it's long after the planting season, yet before the harvest, and the weather is hot, it's probably July or August. The excitement over the Wizard's new balloon might seem to date this story to before 1965, in which Oscar began selling his Ozoplanes and flying via balloon again (Ozmapolitan 1965), however, it may be that his excitement stems out of the fact that these new balloons are magically driven as opposed to the standard wind-driven kind.

Immortality of Oz: According to Ozma, the fairies of Burzee used the gas of the delicate velp vine to bestow immortality on Oz. One must assume that Lurline and her band are the fairies who did this. Lurline appears to have used the Magic Egg of the Phoenix in An to accomplish this in 1742, while her sister Enilrul cursed Oz with immortality in 1227 (The Witch Queen of Oz). However, it may be that the actual method through which Lurline granted immortality might have involved a widespread release of the gas from the velp vines that originated in Burzee. The narrative doesn't say when pollution from the Outside World destroyed the delicate plants, but it can be assumed it was a short time after the Industrial Revolution.

Imogene: This congenial cow who provides a variety of dairy products is not the same four-horned cow once associated with Mombi, and given the name Imogene in The Winged Monkeys of Oz.

Old Magda: Old Magda is a magic-practicing woman who just wants to be left alone. She's considered a witch, and is indeed powerful, as the Wizard notes when he tries to shrink the vegetables. Magda has trouble with authority-figures and taking responsibility, and she's confronted with both of those things when one of her potions goes terribly wrong. Old Magda is also treated with great magnanimity by Ozma and the others, and in true Ozian form, is given another chance based on her word alone. She, in fact, reforms, turns over a new leaf as a baker, and realizes that people aren't as bad as she had remembered them being. She becomes friends with Aunt Em, visits her frequently, and trades recipes with her.

Powder of Life: The Powder of Life is currently unavailable, as it's noted that it would take six years to make. It's noted here that it can't be used on those who are essentially dead, but not actually dead. It can work on the dead or things that have never been alive. This accords with what's stated in Beach Blanket BabylOz that the Powder of Life, if used on a dead creature, would animate the dead body, but not restore it to the creature it once had been.

Synopsis: An old and miserable sorceress named Krinkle gets convinced by the Wizard Wutz (recently escaped from his cactus form) to conquer Oz by means of a magical mockingbird they create to steal all of the magical items in Oz. Wutz begins by creating an enchantment that blocks their actions from being recorded in the Great Book of Records.

When Dorothy and Betsy ask the Magic Picture to show them any trouble going on in Oz, it shows them a giant mockingbird headed towards the Emerald City, and an old man and woman with Glinda's Book of Records. Suddenly, the bird flies in and steals the Magic Picture, but the girls grab onto the creature as it flies out. The Scarecrow sees this and gets on the Sawhorse who follow them. The giant bird drops them off in the Quadling Country just as the Sawhorse arrives. All but the Sawhorse agree they should go to Glinda's, but he argues that they want to get in trouble, and that their goal is to have an adventure.

They stop to eat at a Vocabulary Store, where they meet Miss Voka Bularee Dickshon, who gives them alpha-bet soup. Hearing their story, she volunteers to come along, and brings out her own ride, the speed-reader, which she invented, and is akin to a pedal-less bicycle with a box and slot. The speed reader is fueled by words on paper fed into the slot, which it turns into gold from which Miss Dickshon fashions jewelry or gold lettering.

The sorcerers, meanwhile, mount large flying cats and head to Glinda's palace, testing their magic powder along the way upon a small forest, turning flora and fauna into glass. At Glinda's, everyone is listening to a concert from the Scarlet Quad Band, and they sneak in and turn everyone, including Glinda, and the palace into glass. They return to their cottage where they start to make a potion that will turn whoever drinks it into a flower. Dorothy's group, meanwhile, comes upon Glinda's palace, dismayed to discover what's become of it. Betsy manages to find a ruby that hasn't been turned to glass and pockets it. With no road heading west, they travel through forests and mountains, further irritating the Sawhorse, who believes they should be warning Ozma. En route, they're stopped by a three-foot tall, green-haired, star-eyed, grinning creature called Kwitetwoffle, who impertinently refuses to let them pass. Finally, the Sawhorse gets so angry, he runs over the creature, flattening the complaining imp.

Hours later, when they stop to sleep, they're suddenly tied up and put into sacks by X-tron and X-omon, who fly them to their kingdom of X-tavia. There, a fat and ill-tempered King X-sessivfatt, who is friends of the sorcerers, sends them down a bottomless pit. The tunnel, however, deposits them in a lake made of tea in an enormous underground cavern filled with various ponds (filled with different teas) and tall trees, which are hollow, and the homes of the friendly trolls. The Scarecrow and Sawhorse first meet Nephawn, who is four-feet tall with big red hair and an Irish brogue. He explains they're in the Underground Island of Herbs. He brings them into his treehouse to meet his wife Merna, who tells them the story of an American who entered Herb Island and abducted her sister Daisy and about half of the troll population on the island. Purportedly, he shrunk them down in a machine, which rendered them speechless, after which he made a fortune selling them as toys in the outside world.

The Sawhorse and Scarecrow return to their friends who've already met the ten children of Nephawn and Merna, who show them the tea-sets that grow from tea-set trees, and allow everyone to rub their hair for luck, after which they go bac, to the tree-house for lunch.

Krinkle and Wutz, meanwhile, search the stolen Magic Picture for the final ingredient they need for a potion to turn people into turtles, the Magic Ruby of the Wizard Wam. But all they can see is the ruby surrounded by darkness. Sending the mockingbird to steal the Wizard's black bag, they're interrupted by a knocking. King Fumbo of Ragbad has sent a messenger named Millos to tell them tat their garden has grown too messy for Oz standards. So, they give Millos a bottle of potion to give to the king. Claiming it's from the Red Jinn, whomever drinks of it will be sent to Ev.

Merna tells her guests the way to get out of their island to Ev. Following the instructions, they find the silver tree, knock five times, and are met by the stair keeper Wornog. The troll leads them up a spiral staircase, but warns them about the dragon. They soon meet the colorful dragon, but discover he's made of ice-cream and can breathe out chocolate instead of fire. He gives the girls a bowl each of various flavors before he departs. Millos, meanwhile, tries the potion Krinkle gave him, and is transported to Ev. He arrives at the cottage of Ozmella, the fairy aunt of Ozma, whose home is actually palatial on the inside, but made to look tiny to prevent others from knowing she's a fairy. He tells his story and she explains she's been keeping up with events in oz and intends to stop the sorcerers. Before long, Dorothy and her friends also arrive at Ozmella's looking for a night's lodging. Millos escorts them into, and the fairy explains that Betsy has the one thing they've been looking for to complete their potion and conquer Oz. When asked how she knows these things, she introduces them to her pixie friends Zizet and Zizack, who can travel anywhere in seconds.

In the Emerald City, Ozma discovers the thefts and sends Shaggy aboard the Doubtful Dromedary to Glinda's, but they discover a glass wall surrounds the city. Pastoria suggests they use an Ozoplane to escape. The Wizard does so, but discovers they've been surrounded by a dome. He goes off to construct five magic bracelets, using stones from the five colors of Oz and material from sunken Atlantis. It will protect the wearer from spells. He takes one and insists Ozma take one. They then invite Trot, the Tin Woodman and Omby Amby (called Wantowin Battles) to the cellar to give them a bracelet each. Suddenly, a crash is heard above and Ozma goes to investigate.

The sorcerers come to the Emerald City, making a hole in the barrier for their flying cat chariot to enter. Using the Powder of Darkness, stolen from Gloma, they turn the palace dark, and tie up the Shaggy Man, Carter Green, Pigasus, the Cowardly Lion and others. When Ozma arrives, Wutz tries to subdue her with magic. When he fails, he starts beating Scraps, who taunts him. Ozma uses her wand to turn herself invisible and stop him and Krinkle. Ozmella, meanwhile, has brought the travelers aboard her pearl chariot flown by four winged unicorns and flown to the Emerald City. When they arrive, they burst through the window above the throne, and threaten the sorcerers with the Magic Ruby. When they refuse to stand down, she hurls it at them, turning them into granite statues. Ozma greets her aunt and asks that she change them back. With everyone untied, Ozma demands Wutz and Krinkle tell their tale. Dorothy and the others follow with an accounting of their adventures.

Ozmella flies off to retrieve the stolen magic items. Ozma takes away the sorcerers powers and insists they write notes of apology to everyone they stole from. When Ozmella returns with the items, she attaches their notes and sends them back with the Magic Belt (which had been inside the safe). She takes away the sorcerers' magic powers and after making them apologize before the citizens of the Emerald City, sends them, along with the king of X-tavia, to Pokes, where they'll never escape and will learn what it's like to be treated poorly. She also restores Glinda, her people, and palace. The Scarecrow opines that they rely too much on magic, and gives Scraps a tea-set he got from Herb Island.

The next day, Ozma announces a five-day holiday to begin the next day, with floats, parade, medals for the party that set out, games, rides, a fashion show by Jenny Jump, magical performances, food, and much more. More than a thousand people come to celebrate. Captain Salt and Cayke the Cookie Cook take part, as does Spots, Button-Bright, Ojo, Notta Bit, King Pompadore, King Randy, Queen Zixi, the King of Mo, Prince Inga, and many more. During the festivities, Glinda informs the Wizard that as a cactus, it seems that Wutz had gathered enough magic to disenchant himself and travel invisibly to Ragbad. A few weeks later, Miss Dickshon, Ozmella, and others return to their respective homes, and every year on the anniversary, a celebration is thrown in remembrance.

Continuity Notes

Dangling Plot Threads: There are several plot threads that are either left unresolved, or are only partly resolved. Who or what is Kwitetwoffle? And did Ozma restore his flattened body after the Sawhorse violently ran him over? Speaking of the Sawhorse, he several times voiced objections to his party's actions, and is right, but nothing comes of it, and they all get medals. What became of the forest that was turned to glass by Krinkle and Wutz? Presumably Ozma disenchanted it. How really did Wutz escape the cactus form? The idea that, as a cactus, he gathered enough magic to free himself and then turn invisible is flimsy at best. Why is Ozma's fairy aunt living as a recluse in Ev with two pixies? (And where does she keep her four unicorns?) If she's been monitoring events in Oz and abroad, why has she not revealed herself before? What is the story with the ice-cream dragon? And what happens to him when it gets hot?

Dating: Although no explicit date is given, the idea that the popular troll dolls in the U.S. were abducted from the Island of Herbs gives us a rough date, as the first troll dolls were created in 1959, and this story takes place presumably not many years after that event. The Doubtful Dromedary left the Emerald City when he got a new guardian in The Magic Cryptogram of Oz, which takes place in 1951, yet the Doubtful Dromedary is in the Emerald City, so either the trolls have no connection to the toy troll dolls, or the Doubtful Dromedary was visiting the Emerald City when events transpired. The Royal Timeline is going to assume the latter. That the Ozoplanes (or at least one of them) are still a thing would also give us an early date, since they were sold in 1965 (The Ozmapolitan 1965). The Royal Timeline of Oz places this story in 1962.

Ozmella: The concept of Ozmella being Ozma's fairy aunt is not literal, as evidenced by the fact that fairies don't have blood relations in the literal sense. However, there is a familial setting. Being her "aunt" means that she's a "sister" to Lurline, whose Ozma's "mother" fairy, in a sense. It points to Ozma as being a younger generation of fairy than Lurline, Enilrul, Tititi-Hoochoo, Zurline, and Ozmella, but "part of Lurline's band," as opposed to Lulea's band in Burzee, or Zurline's Wood Nymphs (Enilrul, Tititi-Hoochoo and Ozmella don't appear to have had bands). Why is Ozmella living in hiding in Ev? Why, if she monitors events in Oz and abroad, has she never helped before? Why is she not in Burzee or the Land of An? If Ev is her domain to guard, why did she sit back and do nothing while the King of Ev sold his family into slavery to the Nome King. Why does she have two pixies in service to her?

Princesses: At this time, Betsy is noted as being a Princess of Oz, along with Trot and Dorothy. This is the first time that the idea of Princess Betsy is being put forth.

The Sawhorse's Perspective: The narrative presents an interesting scenario in that it shows the Sawhorse to be wiser than those he loyally carries around, namely Dorothy, Betsy and the Scarecrow, repeatedly arguing that they should be warning Ozma of the impending danger of the sorcerers, and that the only reason they're not following this best course of action is because they want to get in trouble and have an adventure! This perspective puts a lot of their adventures in a different light, and a not so positive one, particularly since things could go wrong. Dorothy condescends to him with the false reassurance that nothing's ever gone wrong before, but that's little more than justification. Though unstated in the text, it seems likely that the Sawhorse, whom Ozma first brought to life when she was Tip (The Marvelous Land of Oz), revealed to Ozma his misgivings about their unwillingness to listen to reason. Ozma may be aware of this tendency in her friends to jettison wisdom for adventure, but tolerates it in order for them to be happy and not get bored.

Trolls: Although the author clearly intended to provide an Ozian backstory for the toy troll dolls that were popular in the U.S. from the 1960s to the 1990's, the editor Chris Dulabone put a footnote on page 46, explaining that their creator was Danish, and that Diasy's story might not be as true as indicated. If she could write a letter, he argues, then she couldn't have been rendered speechless, and perhaps the machine wasn't true. Nephawn's speech and the footnote are intended to comfort readers by letting them know their troll dolls may not be frozen, shrunken kidnap victims, or, if they are, then one can be content in the knowledge that the boys and girls who own them take good care of them, and in return are given good luck. A future story by Julia Inglis was supposed to clarify the discrepancy. Trolls were created not by an American, but by a Dane known as Thomas Dam, who began calling them Good Luck Trolls. They were popular in his native Denmark before the U.S. began manufacturing them in 1963. Their resurgence in popularity over the decades led to the animated feature The Magic Trolls and the Troll Warriors (1991), Magical Super Trolls (1992), the video games Trolls (1993) and Trolls on Treasure Island (1994), the 2005 animated series Trollz, and finally the 3D animated Dreamworks movie Trolls (2016). Trolls have also appeared in Pixar's three Toy Story films. There is no indication that the stories presented in any of these has any connection to the underground Island of Herbs or to Nephawn, Merna or Daisy.

Synopsis: Joy Marie's living doll Angie, or Dr. Angelina Bean, has 14 PhDs, and considers ways to get her "mother" to fulfill her promise to have 51 tea parties with her and their doll family. While looking for magical solutions to this problem in the Oz books, Angie explains to her younger "sister" doll, Mellie, that they need to get their mother to Oz. They try Joy's pink blanket that had magic back when Joy went to Oz years ago as a young girl (The Flying Bus in Oz), but it doesn't work. Angie is also obsessed with meeting Ruggedo to tell him that a great wrong has been done him by the people of Oz.

In the Gillikin Country, Ruggedo regales his grasshopper friend Geronimo (who was ridiculed by his people for not properly hopping, but charging instead) with tales of his many wrongs, and works on completing a manuscript which will tell his side of the story, a story Baum and Thompson failed to properly tell. He and Geronimo climb up a mountain only to fall down to Mystic Lake, where a sign indicates that it will grant visitors a magic look at anyone or thing once a day at sunrise if a six-leaf clover is dropped into the lake. Ruggedo determines to ask the lake to show him his perfect ally.

While exploring her new computer program, "Magic Belt," Angie follows the instructions to reveal various Oz characters and places. When she finds instructions to make a wish, Angie wishes Mellie's face green, it works! Then, finding instructions to go to Oz, she types them in and suddenly she, Mellie and Joy are in the Quadling Country! Angie asks Joy to fulfill her overdue 51 tea parties, but when she mentions her intent to right the wrongs done to Ruggedo, Joy protests and retorts that Angie needs a bean psychiatrist because she has a persecution complex, just like him. While they debate, Mellie wanders off and meets Felicity Fieldmouse, who invites her to the town. But after some time, a weasel chases off Felicity, leaving Mellie alone. Joy and Angie, meanwhile, agree to find Ruggedo to see if he'll behave, and if so, they'll tell Ozma to lighten his load.

After much trial, Ruggedo finds a six-leafed clover and goes looking for Geronimo. He finds the grasshopper practicing maneuvers, but when a bear comes charging out, Ruggedo yells to distract it. Impressed by his bravery, the bear Belinda explains that she just wants peace and quiet. Although she'd taken a course at the Royal Athletic College of Oz, the area around her home is lacking stimulation. When she learns that Ruggedo was acquainted with the Wogglebug, she brings out her résumé, insisting he bring it to him. Geronimo invites her to come along. Since they're righting Ruggedo's wrongs, she can deliver it herself. Awakened the next morning from a dream in which he conquered the Emerald City, Ruggedo drops the clover in the lake and watches as a picture of a doll in an orange pajama-suit forms along with the name Dr. Bean. Noting the red foliage, he has a destination, and informs Geronimo and Belinda of his perfect ally; the former is excited for action, the latter for a possible job, and they head off to the Quadling Country.

Though scared at first, Mellie comes across a mischievous squirrel who tells her to rub her green face on the centermost petal of a nearby rosebush. When she does, she begins to grow and tower over the trees. She cries at first, but amazed at her newfound strength, she gets up and begins walking towards a nearby village. An eagle collides into her, but her apology mollifies him and he summons others to wrap a wreath of rose vines around her head to prevent future collisions. Mellie resumes her journey and sees a sign: "Keepumout Village: If you're different, keep out!" Turning back, she sees her family being marched by a group of men in identical suits. When they see the 25 foot tall doll, they flee. The family reunite and are met by the town leader Commander John Van Pettingen, who asks that they sign an agreement to stay out. Angie refuses, dictating her own terms.

The town's anthem expresses disdain for anyone different or inferior to them, and the Commander gets incensed when Angie refers to him as John (and not his title). He also fails to understand hospitality and considers tolerance a bad thing, revealing that they imprison their children who are deemed different in the Different Place. With the fear of Mellie upon them, the Commander agrees to let them pass through the village. They pass by the houses and gardens, which all look the same, as do the clothing styles. They determine to tell Ozma about them.

Heading southwest through Gillikin Country, Ruggedo and his party are beset by a hail of lollipops from a polkadot sky. Taking shelter under an umbrella tree, they meet the cloudy-looking Weather Man who creates weather for this part of the forest. He creates a noisy gale, raining toadstools, small elves, and berries. They spend the night with this friendly person, who prepares beds for them and listens to some of Ruggedo's life story. In the morning, the Weather Man is sad to see them go, and conjures up washcloths and food for the party. They follow Belinda into a dense dark forest, where they're attacked by mosquitoes until she's forced to roar a terrible growl, scaring them away.

In the Emerald City, it's Turnabout Day, where the servants are royalty and the royals are servants. Ozma got the idea from Aunt Em, who remarked that if Oz was so egalitarian, why didn't Ozma or Dorothy serve the servants? Jellia enjoys her place on the throne, while the scullery maid Sulinda orders cakes and laughs as her "servants" make mistakes. Jellia suggests they hold a council on a serious subject. Various ideas are bandied about, but Sulinda suggests Ruggedo. Jellia protests that everyone's sick of him (since he's in half of the Oz books), but Sulinda points out that he's interesting and brings together some of the suggested topics. The Tin Woodman says it would make him weep, but he's reminded that beloved though he is, they're the rulers now. He apologies and departs. Sulinda notes that although Ruggedo's a magic-less wanderer in Oz, he's still a threat since that fate only makes him more frightened and angry. Jessie, another servant cum royalty, adds that they aught to be concerned about treating him fairly and kindly no matter how bad he's been. Sulinda agrees so long as there are limits. Ozma pipes in that she's going to take their ideas seriously. Encouraged, the former servants get into a debate, and Dorothy and Ozma are amazed to hear their prior decisions criticized as new perspectives are brought forth. Finally, Sulinda suggests they mount an expedition to find Ruggedo and bring him terms he could live with so that he no longer wants to avenge himself.

As Ozma tucks Jellia into bed that night, she says that she's learned more on this day than in the entire year and promises to have Turnabout Day every year, as well as to pick up after herself better, not realizing how back-breaking her job is. The next morning, Ozma convenes a council on the subject of Ruggedo, and Nick agrees that the nome was not always fairly treated, citing the time Queen Ann tried to loot his kingdom. After a lengthy discussion they come to the same conclusion as yesterday's council, and prepare an expedition to find Ruggedo led by the Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, Lion and Dorothy, along with Sulinda, Terry and Jessie.

The next day, Mellie carries Joy and Angie to a town called Glory, which claims to be the "best, biggest, finest town in all Oz." They meet Captain Pride who gives them a tour, boasting to have the finest people capable of the best achievements in every area in the whole world. Angie tells him that Mellie could beat them at anything. This is put to the test when the overconfident, three-feet tall athletes compete with her at ball-throwing, jumping, and other sports. Mellie easily beats them. King Glory is thrilled to hear it, having grown tired of the constant boasting and exaggerating. He informs them of a nearby tree that will restore Mellie to her normal size. They spot the "Shrinkin' Winkin' Tree" outside town and follow the king's instructions regarding use of its heart-shaped flower and puffballs. At last, Mellie is restored and they move on.

Ruggedo and his companions enter a town called Promise-Land, where the resident Promistonian dwarfs indulge in making absurd promises they can't or even intend to keep. Ruggedo and the others get into the spirit of it, but when they get hungry they leave, as the dwarves appear to live on promises. One of them, Manny Prom gives them a tour and brings Ruggedo the jewel-like fruit from a certain tree that will fulfill a promise if he throws it in the air three times and catches it each time.

Joy, meanwhile, explains what St. Francis meant by the joy that could be found in suffering. Just then an eight-foot tall person with a television for a head walks by. Telly Vision introduces himself while playing ads for various products. This is followed by a violent action film. Joy shuts off his screen until he promises to stop playing commercials. He explains that he must play five minutes of commercial for every five minutes of programming, which can be substituted for conversation, and is dismayed that they're not entranced by his dumb plots and absurd ads as everyone else is. Even now, he's running from his followers. But when he plays another bad commercial, Joy shuts him off and orders him to leave. Angie and Joy debate television viewers and intelligence as Mellie points out a sign for a town called Teapartyton.

After Belinda makes a long speech about Winston Churchill, Ruggedo promises to have her essays on him published, and she in turn agrees to promise him that he'll meet his perfect ally in three days. Unfortunately, Ruggedo drops the fruit. Geronimo then makes the promise and the nome catches it this time. They enter the Winkie Country, where a storm arises.

Angie, meanwhile, is shocked to be in a town that is the very embodiment of her dreams. She introduces Joy as the star of The Flying Bus in Oz. The hostess, Perfecta, uses a magic tea kettle to serve hot chocolate or tea of any temperature. Angie explains they'd like to stay for 50 more tea parties, but Perfect explains the minimum is 100! Besides herself, Angie is overjoyed that they'll even award her 10 more PhDs! Joy endures it all with grace, and the treats and entertainment prove exceptional. Joy's surprised to hear the town employs a time-dilation trick which reduces all the time they spend there to only a few seconds outside.

Perfecta explains that the town came about when Glinda, her councilors, and the Chief Ozstorian discovered a disproportionate amount of hostile communities in Oz. Dorothy, the Wizard, Glinda and Ozma have long been engaged in cleaning up the frontier and trying to tame the inhospitable corners of Oz, but to little avail. Glinda tried to have the media focus on the more positive communities, but civil libertarians objected to her interference of the press, who argued that stories of danger were far more interesting to the reader. After an ad campaign to make the Quadling Country seem more attractive to tourists from other parts of Oz, one of Glinda's girls came up with the idea to create a community where the visitors felt like royalty. Glinda had just cleaned out a nest of wicked elves and invited their former slaves to become the founding citizens of this new town, Teapartyton, which has since served over 10,000 tea parties.

The Winkie storm proves fierce and Geronimo is sucked up in a whirling cloud. Ruggedo follows. It tosses him about until he's brought to the top, where he discovers a mischievous Sky Elf named Whirligig controls it, and insists he play his question and answer game. The two play, and eventually win, at which point their brought back down. They make their way to Jack Pumpkinhead's farm, where Jack gives them directions to the Quadling Country. Ruggedo's politeness sets off alarm bells, and Jack departs to tell Ozma to keep a close eye.

Joy keeps her dolls on track as Angie goes through tea party withdrawals, but when she realizes they're headed to the Emerald City to spill the beans to Ozma, she explodes and insists they keep searching for Ruggedo until they find him. Joy agrees to 10 days of this, after which they're going to the Emerald City. They come to Lowly Peon Place, where they meet Gollywhistle who, although handsome, has such low self-esteem he constantly refers to himself as "just a lowly peon." But Mellie finds him wonderfully amusing, and he leads them through the humble town. When a furious knocking interrupts them, Gollywhistle opens the door to allow Ruggedo, Geronimo and Belinda to enter. Ruggedo and Angie are dumbstruck to finally meet each other. Joy makes introductions and insists they'll have no part in conquering Oz. Ruggedo explains how he cae to know Angie was his perfect ally and Angie offers to be his thesis supervisor so he can get his own PhD with all the honor, glory and pride it brings with it.

After nine hours spent going over his wrongs, Ruggedo falls asleep, though they pick up in the morning until Joy comes to remind them that she'll only advocate for an adjustment to his situation. Belinda suggests they seek out Ozma to petition Ruggedo to rule and clean up Keepumout, free the imprisoned from the Different Place, and make a publishing house for her erudite bear books. This idea appeals to everyone.

Jack, meanwhile, tells everyone at the palace what he saw, and they head out to the Quadling Country. After an encounter with a friendly woodchuck family, they're assaulted by mud-flinging squirrels, and end up in Rigmarole, where while trying to extricate themselves from the loquacious residents, they see Ruggedo and Angie's party enter. After Dorothy shakes off a female Rigmarole who chides her for never returning after her first visit (in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), she, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman hug Joy, who they haven't seen since she helped straighten out Noyzy Boyzville (The Flying Bus in Oz). Joy explains the reason for their visit. Angie and Mellie joined her family some time after they left Shrinkin' Violet (Princess Violet) in Oz. The Tin Woodman explains that they've come to build a better relationship with Ruggedo.

Leaving Rigmarole, the Scarecrow promises to introduce Belinda to the Wogglebug, while Joy tells him of the bear's sagacious suggestion for Ruggedo. The nome says he's never done any real harm, but Dorothy reminds him that he tried. Ruggedo retorts that he was turned into a cactus, among other things, and repeatedly dunked in the Fountain of Oblivion. The Cowardly Lion says trust is built on courage, and Ruggedo explains that he only wants a stable place to rule. Ozma can keep an eye on him (to be sure he's not also throwing anyone in a Different Place) in his new town, which will be name-changed from Keepemout to BringEmOn. Ozma sees them in the Magic Picture and transports everyone to the Emerald City. Ruggedo is greeted as an honored guest, and Angie is put in charge of the Grand Tea Banquet to celebrate the end of the struggle between Ruggedo and Oz.

Angie plans to climax the night with a half-hour speech on each of her 25 PhDs, and then have Ruggedo do an abridged 24 hour recitation of the wrongs done to him, but Joy says to cut it down to two hours. Mellie asks Gollywhistle if he can come home to Toronto with them, and Ozma consents. After the festivities, they're sent home where Joy's mom hears the story and suggests Joy write it down. Joy introduces her to their guest, Gollywhistle, who she says may be a lowly peon, but is a prince of a lowly peon.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This story must take place after Joy from The Flying Bus in Oz (1974) grows up, and after Ruggedo becomes a wanderer in Oz again in 1991 ("How I Spent My Winter Invasion" from The Emerald City Mirror #17). Given that this book was written in 1993, and composed by Joy herself (and apparently given to her mother Ruth Morris to polish or publish under her name), it must occur at or prior to that time, hence the 1993 date.

Dolls: It's never explained how Joy came upon the sapient dolls Angie and Mellie, which is particularly unusual in that they're alive in her home in Toronto. One explanation that makes sense is that they were sent to her from Oz from Princes Sharon Violet of Viola, who used to be their family doll Shrinkin' Violet.

Prequel: Joy's story of coming to Oz as a child was first told in The Flying Bus in Oz.

Ruggedo: This story presents the final tale of Ruggedo as a villain. Given that there is another story that also deals with Ruggedo's reformation (Ruggedo in Oz), the Royal Timeline of Oz accepts the premise put forth in The Emerald City Mirror story "How I Spent My Winter Invasion" that indicates that unbeknownst to anyone, Ruggedo and Roquat were separate individuals, brothers, with the former having been stuck in an unused section of the palace for years prior to his being found, and the other one taking over his rule, and likely forgetting this fact after being dunked in the Fountain of Oblivion. This brother is considered here to be Ruggedo, not Roquat, whose story is told in Ruggedo in Oz. See the Appendices for more information.

Subjects for Debate: When Jellia and the scullery maid Sulinda take over rule on Turnabout Day, they discuss various subjects for consideration, all of which appear to have some measure of controversy about them. The first, ecology, is likely about the balance of nature with sapient habitation. Unbiased history concerns the accuracy of journalism, particularly when dealing with the Royal Historians' treatment of villains. Maintaining peace likely involves peace between various Oz communities, and peace between Oz and the nations outside Oz. Cleaning up the borders so that the flowers from one don't spill over to the other (confusing the color scheme) was a problem that arose some years earlier in the 10th story arc of The Emerald City Mirror ("The Purple Peril") in which that very thing happened. Finally, immigration policy involves issues surrounding those coming to live in Oz, either mortals from the Great Outside World or others from Nonestica (though the latter is seldom heard). In the end, they choose the subject of Ruggedo, as he ties in some of the other subjects, such as unbiased history and maintaining peace.

Turnabout Day: Based on a sardonic comment from Aunt Em who argued that if Oz was as egalitarian as everyone thought it was, then the royals should be serving the servants. Ozma took this idea and ran with it, deciding to give the servants one day a year in which they get to rule, and Ozma and the other court favorites must serve them. During the Turnabout Day in this first year, Ozma comes to the conclusion that her servants are not only pretty wise, but that she herself has a lot to learn from them.

Weather Man: It's odd that this magical being only utilizes his powers--which are considerable when one looks at the variety of things he can conjure up--in some random forest that few have ever heard of. It may be that he's the former consort of Fanny the Weather Witch, from The Runaway in Oz. The Weather Man is probably a lesser elemental of some kind.

Synopsis: On June 21st, May Day, Freida Helga Anderson gets up before dawn in order to follow a folk remedy her Norwegian grandmother told her for getting rid of freckles. Climbing up Rune Rock Hill, she washes her face in the rainwater, but upon opening her eyes she sees balloons drifting towards the Mississippi River. She then sees an Indian boy, who she thinks is a ghost, but discovers is not. When the weather turns stormy, a man in one of the balloons drifting by asks her where he is.

Earlier in Oz, the May Day celebration is being prepared in the Emerald City, as the midsummer is a special day, the time when borders between the natural world, faerie world, and Oz is thinned. This year is extra special, marking a great gathering from all "countries, times, and dimensions," which occurs once every 500 years. Ozma and some of the cats of Oz depart for this dreamlike realm where the gathering is occurring. Glinda thanks the Wizard and Winged Monkeys who help Oz ready for the celebration and explains to Nick Chopper that she's not of the fairy race. The Wizard asks if they want to take a pre-dawn flight in one of the surprise Ozalloons from Loonville that await in his Ozoplane hanger. These are sapient creatures who communicate through their symbiotic partners the Ozanchors. Omby Amby hands out protective flight suits to everyone (only Scraps refuses). With four gondolas, one for each Ozalloon, Dorothy and the Wizard take one, Glinda and her personal maid Cherri Jelli take another, the Scarecrow and Scraps another, and the Tin Woodman and Button-Bright the last.

At dawn, they're off with the Ozalloons taking on the colors and insignias of the countries their guests are from, with Oz flags on top and silver speaking trumpets that allow the passengers to communicate with those in other balloons. But as they travel they're beset by a storm from the Deadly Desert, causing static electricity. The Ozalloons turn whale-shaped to ride the hurricane. When the storm passes, they revert, but the passengers now find themselves in the eye of the storm over an unfamiliar terrain. Spotting two children, the Wizard asks where they are, and discovers they're in La Crosse, Wisconsin! Fearful for the children's safety, the Wizard urges them onboard the gondola.

Earlier that day, Acorn, the native American boy of the Otter Clan, had been told by his mother that atop Eagle Hill one could see the past, and sometimes the future. He had many times seen such things, including a spirit girl named Freida, and hoped to see her again. He soon discovers that she is not a spirit, but real, and after that came a man on a cloud who lowered a ladder for her and him. When the Wizard discovers that he can't speak their language, he sprinkles him with a powder of Time Awareness and splash of Magic Comprehension, enabling him to understand that he is the Wizard of Oz, they are on a balloon, and that he and Freida are from different time periods. He introduces himself as Acorn son of Tall Oak with Nest of Eagles, the medicine man of the Eagle Clan, and White Owl, wise woman of the Ghost Owl Clan. The Wizard then gives each child a drop of Professor Wogglebug's Instant Elixir for Oz Scholars, M.E. (Maximum Education). The gondola expands to accommodate its new guests, and the Wizard uses a magical map pointer to determine that they were west of the moon and east of the sun, but are now back of the west wind. After the Wizard feeds them and prepares beds, they sleep, and the next morning Freida sees the passengers from the other ozalloons and recognizes them from her book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which she brings out. As the cover is tattered, Dorothy advises she take it to the Reading Tree, which will restore it.

They emerge from a fog and see a rainbow where they're greeted by Polychrome. They explain that they were blown out of Oz, east of the sun, but wishes to get to the Winkie Country for a picnic before the May Day parade begins. Polychrome lends them her father's Sky Hounds, beagles surrounded by an aura of light, who use their long ears to fly. They are also known as St. Elmo's Hounds, or St. Elmo's Fire. As she departs, she gives the Wizard a silver horn to summon or return the hounds home. The Wizard blows a note and sends the hounds to lead them. The Ozalloons turn into thoroughbreds and leap through the clouds after the beagles until Scraps falls out of her gondola and the Wizard has to stop the hounds and call on the Ozanchors to rescue her. At last, they cross over the Deadly Desert into the Quadling Country, then the orange transition zone (where orange trees grow), and finally into the Winkie Country. As they descend, the Sky Hounds start to become thirsty and invisible, and the Wizard blows the horn twice, sending it and them back to the Rainbow. They land in the Ozian National Forest Preserve, beyond the Tin Castle, called Melodia Valley and Forgottune Lake, beyond which is Lostchord Pines. Nick explains that this area is where the secret trove of May Apples grow, and he's made a law that nothing else may be removed.

As the Wizard and company enjoy themselves, Glinda's swan chariot descends and tells Glinda that she's required at the Emerald City. A note from Jellia clarifies that Omby Amby has duplicated himself while using the Wizard's ozplicator machine to duplicate menus. He's now flattened and there are a 100 copies of him. In the panic, Jellia broke a bottle of winter western winds, which was the catalyst for the storm that blew them to the outside world. When the Tin Woodman hears that the Winged Monkeys have been mischievous, he and Button-Bright go with Glinda back to the Emerald City. Before departing, she shrinks the red and yellow ozalloons and hitches them to her chariot.

When Scraps falls in the lake, a freshwater dragon (a former fire dragon) named Noreska, who greets them and introduces himself as a Master Singer of all the Fresh-and-Seawater Dragons in all the Forty Seas, and claims the old Vikings had carved his head on the prows of their ships years ago, and begins to sing an old Norse saga. Asked about his fire, the sea serpent explains that it can be breathed deep underwater. Lake Forgottune is very deep with great caverns that go the Nonestic Ocean, from which underground rivers run into all the great seas of the mortal world. Noreska asks for new songs he could sing, and the Wizard teaches him one from mid-1800s singer Steven Foster, the Scarecrow teaches him some Munchkin songs, and Dorothy sings a heartrending edition of "Amazing Grace." As Scraps is waterlogged, she can barely sing, so when Noreska departs, the Wizard sends her along with May Apples on the blue Ozalloon to the Emerald City.

While in search of a spring, Acorn comes upon a great Ghost Owl atop the horns of a giant white stag. The owl leaves behind a feather, the stag a tip of antler, both of which Acorn picks up, at which a voice says "He who travels between." Acorn returns to camp, and they set out upon the Yellow Brick Road, which is under repair. In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Glinda has Button-Bright collect the paper soldiers of Omby Amby, but only 99 of the 100 are present. Glinda runs them through the Ozplicator in reverse, restoring all of Omby Amby, save for a chunk of his beard. The Winged Monkeys are helping repair the damage done by the winds and present Glinda and Ozma baskets of Quadling May Apples. Glinda sits for a cup of tea prepared for her by Nanny MacRadish (of the McNursery Village in the Quadling Country). A reward is offered for the missing paper soldier, which is found weeks later in the home of a girl named Rosy Posy, who used him to guard her dollhouse while she played the game Attack of the Nome King. Her reward for returning him was a trip to the Reading Tree Gardens.

Passing the sleeping Watchman, who has a clock for a face set inside a yellow brick head, they ignore danger signs, and slide down the slippery, oiled road to a gate with a sign announcing "Oilville, a Boom Town." The Oilers prove to be olive oil farmers with olive oil can bodies, harvesting corn, soybeans, olive trees, and butter plants. Even the birds and dogs are made of oil cans. When they're surrounded by oil drum men, the Wizard blows a silent whistle. They're soon met by Queen Olivia Oil, whose body is a glass bottle of olive oil. She orders her prime minister, an old fashioned gas pump, to have them pressed for oil, but the Ozalloons arrive to get them out of town.

The travelers head to Fashion Plate Mesa, a border country in between the Winkie Country and Emerald City, where the magic Clothes Tree's main branch, the Fashion Branch exists, and where they know they'll get a cleaning and fresh clothes. Madam Chic Chic's assistant Miss Assist and the tree's magical mirror help them in this regard. Freida is initially disappointed that with her new outfit didn't come the elimination of her freckles, but the Wizard explains to her that they're sun kisses and that she's beautiful. With that, she reconsiders her position and is content to leave them be. Dorothy explains to her that Oz is an in-between fairyland and that she and her aunt and uncle haven't grown older since becoming its adopted citizens. Freida would like to visit a full-fledged fairyland, but Dorothy says it's dangerous as they have various complex rules. Also, when one returns from that kind of fairyland, years will have passed without them having realized it due to the time differential.

Miss Assist says goodbye and goes down a flight of stairs en route to the Emerald City. The rest of the party take the Ozalloon and are soon greeted by the Winged Monkeys. The parade begins and all the famous Oz celebrities make an appearance. After some hours it's time for the children to return home. Freida can do so using her grandmother's brooch, while Acorn can do so with the White Stag's antler that turned into a stone with an acorn carved on it. Dorothy wonders if Puck is the White Stag, but the Wizard informs him that he isn't, but that he'll make an appearance. When Freida returns home, her sister Inga marvels at how pretty she looks.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Takes place on June 21st. Must be after the Winged Monkeys have gotten reacquainted with the residents of the Emerald City, such as Ozma and Dorothy, in The Winged Monkeys of Oz, in 1992, but prior to the story's composition. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1994.

Fairy Gathering: The dreamlike realm described here where all the fairies (and cats) are gathering is probably the Empyrean Realm, which the Good Witch of the North went to when Glinda was dying in The Emerald City Mirror arc "Mysterious Interference on the Empyrean Plane" in 1991. This seems likely as the author was a reader and contributor to that journal. This also explains why Glinda was not included, though she says that it's because she's not a fairy like Ozma, which is true, although she has fairy blood through one of her grandparents. See The History of Glinda in the Appendices.

Fairyland: In Chapter 11, Dorothy makes a distinction between Oz and a true fairyland, noting that Oz is an "in-between" fairyland, and that in true fairylands, there may be complex rules and regulations that they don't understand. Also, when they return from one, years might have passed that they were unaware of, indicating that time runs differently in these kinds of fairylands. We see this is the case with realms like Narnia, but not so in Oz, except for places like the Empyrean Plane, which Cap'n Bill and the Good Witch of the North visited in The Emerald City Mirror arc "Mysterious Interference on the Empyrean Plane."

Fashion Plate Mesa: Called a border country in between the Winkie Country and Emerald City, it's more of a border town in which the main branch of the magic Clothes Tree exists. This place might seem to be a rival to Jenny Jump's Style Shop, although the Clothes Trees might exist to serve the many communities throughout Oz outside the Emerald City, who cannot so easily or conveniently travel. The Main Branch location is run by Madam Chic Chic and her assistant Miss Assist.

Gossipy Swans: Glinda's swans prove to be gossips when they tell the Tin Woodman that the Winged Monkeys have been misbehaving. In fact, the Winged Monkeys have been very helpful in repairing the damage done by the storm spell Jellia unleashed, and even before then had helped put up the May Pole and banners. It may be that one or two monkeys acted mischievously, or that the birds were exaggerating, but in either case it's not recorded in the narrative.

Lake Forgottune and the Loch Ness Monster: After Noreska, the sea serpent/freshwater dragon, tells them about the interconnectivity of Lake Forgottune to the Nonestic Ocean, as well as to all the bodies of water in the outside world, page 61 says: "Now they understood where the stories and sightings of sea serpents and monsters originated, as all the oceans and deep lakes were connected, one with the other by underground caverns and rivers." Lake Forgottune is one of three known places in Oz that connect to the Nonestic. The tunnel under Lake Quad, revealed in The Glass Cat of Oz, and the one under the Bottomless Lake of Hidden Valley in the Munchkin Mountains, revealed in Wooglet in Oz, both connect to the Nonestic Ocean.

Oilville: In the Winkie Country, ruled by Queen Olivia Oil, Oilville is likely where the Tin Woodman gets his oil. However, given the implied violence in which the queen and her subjects greet the travelers, it seems as if they're either in rebellion to their Tin Emperor (who was, however, not present at the time), or were put under an evil spell. The only other place in Oz to have oil is the Isle of Grease, ruled by King Petrol, in the Gillikin Country, in Toto of Oz.

Outside World: Neither the Wizard nor the Ozites were affected when the accidental balloon trip took them to the Wisconsin via storm. It may be that since the storm was magical in nature, they were protected from the sudden-aging which would have assaulted them otherwise, as in Beach Blanket BabylOz, but it may also have been that the Wizard, having experienced the latter fiasco, learned an enchantment to keep them at their Ozian ages.

Puck: This being from the world of myths (and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream) will be further explored in the book's sequel.

Reading Tree: Several mentions are made in the story of a Reading Tree and Nanny MacRadish. These will be explored in the forthcoming book The Reading Tree of Oz.

Sapient Balloons: The shapeshifting Ozalloons (and their symbiotic) Ozanchors from Loonville are not the only sapient balloons in Oz. Another group called Windbags live atop a Gillikin Mountain (Jodie in Oz.)

Sequel: The sequel, in which Freida and Acorn return, is forthcoming from The Royal Publisher of Oz.

St. Elmo's Fire: This phenomenon, also known as St. Elmo's Hounds, is identified (in Oz, at least) as being the Sky Hounds of the Rainbow, beagles surrounded by an aura of light, who fly by means of their long ears.

Time Travel: Time travel is a very uncommon, but not unknown phenomenon in Oz stories. Three stories deal with the subject, "Time Travelers of Oz," from The Law of Oz and Other Stories, The Magic Umbrella of Oz, and Time Travelling in Oz. The time travel that occurred with Acorn in this story is somewhat different. Acorn is from about two centuries (or so) from the past, and it centers on Rune Hill in Wisconsin, a place in which Acorn's mother notes is where shamen and others have seen unusual phenomena. Normally, Acorn sees Freida, but believes she's a spirit of some kind. He cannot interact with her until the Wizard's balloons show up. In this, there is a perfect storm of events, beginning with May Day, which is described as the one day in which the borders between worlds thins. Then there is the storm spell Jellia accidentally knocked over, along with storm-winds from the Deadly Desert combining to push the Ozalloons into the outside world temporarily. Somehow, the portal at Rune Hill allowed a doorway to the past to open, permitting Acorn to enter into the present, and then later (with the help of his magic acorn from the White Stag) to return to his past.

Transition Zones: By this time, Ozma has apparently allowed for transition zones to exist in between the various quadrants. Thus, there is an orange zone between the Winkie and Quadling Countries, and a border town between the Winkie Country and Emerald City (see Fashion Plate Mesa). If there are transition zones between the Gillikin and Winkie Countries, or the Munchkin and Quadling Countries (which would be purple), it's unstated. Cleaning up the borders so that colors from one country don't spill over into another was one of the issues of consideration in Dr. Angelina Bean in Oz, a year earlier, and a bone of contention for Gillikin and Munchkin youth over a decade earlier The Emerald City Mirror #65-71 arc: "The Purple Peril."

Unpublished Chapter 14: Seventy years later, on May Day, Freida–now a grandmother–puts on her grandmother's dress, and proceeds to Rune Hill, where she meets with a much older Acorn. He tells her he's traveled much and was often protected by the White Owl's feather and brought home by the White Stag's stone. He is now the village shaman. They had gone to Oz once more, a year after their first adventure, but they know if they go again it will be to stay. This chapter was cut by Chris Dulabone, who published the book under his Tails of the Cowardly Lion imprint, likely because it jumps ahead to 2074, something Oz stories—which are written as histories of what occurred, not prophecies of what's to come—generally don't do. For the author, however, the last chapter was intended as a metaphor for death and the transition to Oz, a land in-between Heaven and Earth. This last chapter was then repurposed as the last chapter of the as-yet unpublished sequel.

Yellow Brick Road: At this time in this part of the Winkie Country, the Road of Yellow Brick is under repair, a task overseen by the clock-faced Watchman, who is reminiscent of other clock-faced beings such as Clocker from Pirates in Oz, Mooj from Ojo in Oz, Clockwise from The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, and the sapient clocks in Fix City in The Royal Book of Oz. He is, however, most related to Mortimer Mix, of The Tin Castle of Oz, a being created by Boq the Munchkin and brought to life by the Good Witch of the North to help keep the Yellow Brick Roads in good repair.

Synopsis: In Tacoma, Washington, Melanie Taylor accompanies her father to the shore to pick up parts. Along the beach they spot what appears to be a strange, brown-furred creature lying dead. Melanie's father puts the animal in a large box and calls the police. Soon enough, policeman and scientists show up to examine the monkey with wings, transporting it to a large cage. One scientist proclaims that it's one-of-a-kind mutation and a boon to science. Just then another winged monkey flies overhead. As they run off to capture it, Melanie remembers The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and tries to tell her father, a policeman or scientist to let the creature go. As everyone ignores her, she returns to the cage where the winged monkey spells out OZ. Immediately, she opens the cage and sets him free.

The crowd sees this and grows angry, and even her father—who'd been hoping for a reward—screams at her and smacks her. With that the winged monkey knocks him down and flies off with Melanie to join his companion. Regaining his power of speech, he introduces himself as Nikko and his companion Breeka. Breeka tells her they were visiting Nole, the capital of Noland, when they were caught in a storm that carried them across the Nonestic outside of faerie. Now they worry they won't be able to find their way back since Glinda put a barrier of invisibility around Oz. Melanie reminds them that they only need to find Ix, Ev or Noland to get their bearings.

In Oz, preparations are being made for Ozma's birthday. Ozma suggests she'd prefer to give gifts than receive them. The Wogglebug remarks that he just read about a culture of small people who do just that. Ozma then convenes a council to decide who should receive gifts, noting that it must be someone who needs help. Em mentions a poor family she knew in Kansas; the Wizard recalls friends from the circus; Rodaina, the Queen of the Field Mice, suggests the winged monkeys. Ozma looks them up in a voluminous history book, which notes that although some postulate that they came from apes and eagles, that has never been substantiated. For hundreds of years, they lived in Oz, always migrating further from the realms of men. Some younger monkeys had befriended the earliest settlers of the Gillikin forests, but their mischievous nature often got them in trouble. One famous incident occurred when they dropped their friend Prince Quelala in a lake on his wedding day, incurring the wrath of his fiancée, the sorceress Gayelette, who enchanted the Golden Cap (intended as a gift for the prince) to make the winged monkeys slaves to the wishes of whomever wore the cap. It fell into the hands of the Wicked Witch. Finally, after her death, Glinda returned it to the King of the Winged Monkeys. Looking in on the winged monkeys in the Magic Pictures, they notice that due to their proximity to the Deadly Desert their soil is arid and the trees are nearly dead. Jack suggests they be invited to live in the palace. Ozma agrees to give them their own floor.

After five hours of flight and unable to find Melanie's home, Nikka and Breeka land exhausted on an island. Melanie explores the nearby wood in search of food. She encounters an odd, noseless, white-haired woman who tries to warn her about forbidden words, but won't say what they are. She then comes upon a similar-looking boy fishing. He explains that on Symma Island all slang words and contractions are forbidden, except on Release Day, under threat of death by loneliness. When Melanie heads back, she discovers her friends have been captured. She turns to the boy for help. He tells her she'll need a disguise, as the Proper One, who rules there, might have them destroyed. Taking her to his hut, the boy introduces himself as ObobO. He feeds her an unusual meal made from the fruit of the Symma tree, which bestoys a healthy mind and body, and has her dress in his tunic. A century ago, human invaders came to the island. Though there is peace now, no "barbarian" can become a Proper One due to their destruction of Symma's culture and laws, which have now been reestablished.

In the town square, Melanie sees the six-foot tall, white-haired Proper One pass sentence on a woman whose house was found to have only one vase. The other went with her son when he was forced to move. The Proper One shows her leniency, but demands she take back the other vase, as everything in Symma is paired. For this reason, ObobO had to move, as his parents had given birth to a second girl. If they have a second boy, he could return to living with them. The winged monkeys are brought before the Proper One who sentences the "freaks" to banishment.

Ozma determines to have Dorothy, the Wizard, Scarecrow, Nick and the Lion accompany her to meet with the King of the Winged Monkeys. The Wizard declines, citing his prior cruel treatment at their hands. He will provide them with his patented moving road (first invented by the Wizard Wam). In the morning, Jack and the other non-eaters prepare a breakfast for their human travelers, collecting eggs from Billina and milk from the original four-horned cow Imogene, who once belonged to Mombi. The Wizard arrives to announce his Ozcalator isn't working and they won't be able to meet the three-day deadline to meet Glinda to discuss the Hammerheads. Dorothy says they'll go in her stead.

When Melanie says out loud that she doesn't think the Proper One is so great, cries of treason ring out, leading to a civil war between the natives and the human barbarians. ObobO sneaks Melanie off to a hut. She thinks they should go to the Proper One and explain the situation, but ObobO explains that he's not easygoing and would kill them, particularly as he's angry with him. Melanie runs off anyway, but ObobO beats her there. He's turned away and searches the jail, but Melanie hides in a hut as preparations for war are underway. It turns out to be the Proper One's hut, and when ObobO hears the war is over, he rushes out to find her with him. The Proper One invites him into his hut, but he recognizes the boy as the son of the woman with the unpaired vase, prompting Melanie to declare the law foolish, angering the ruler, who explains that the barbarians had brought chaos and disorganization, causing Symma's civilization to collapse. The first Proper One, Eurhy Thm was appointed, and they're surprised when his picture reveals him to have been human. Melanie acknowledges that while she doesn't agree with all of the laws, she now understand the reason for them. The Proper One frees the winged monkeys and forgives ObobO, though he still cannot see his parents.

The next day on the Western Shores they say goodbye, and happily, ObobO's father arrives to say his wife's given birth to a baby boy, and ObobO can go back home. The winged monkeys fly Melanie to the neighboring shore, Anna Mile Island, where they feat on giant, cream-filled strawberries.

Dorothy and her companions are joined by Toto as they head into the Gillikin Country. The five of them haven't traveled together since they first went to see the Wizard years ago. They come upon a rabbit who asks for help and leads them to a group of large rabbits whose leader exclaims that he's taking them hostage. Sucrose City has been transforming rabbits into chocolate bunnies. Dorothy asks whether they've ever seen this happen, and when they say they haven't, she explains that no one's being transformed. They're simply making chocolate in the shape of rabbits. The Lion roars and the rabbits run.

The next day they come across a giant sloth who rudely knocks Nick and the Scarecrow down. The Lion tackles and chases him away. The next day they come upon a Gillikin farmer, who soon has them working on the fields with Dorothy fixing breakfast.

Melanie's party encounters Opal the unicorn, who haughtily takes them to meet the King of Anna Mile Island, who is the king of all animals, including humans and fairies, and is a powerful sorcerer. En route, Breeka gets lost, and as night is approaching, they cannot look for him, as the king permits predators to hunt at night. The city of Noiz is surrounded by a marble wall, and Nikko is taken into the castle and given a comfortable room, while Melanie is brought to a stable. She's greeted by a friendly turkey named Karunko, who explains that their streets are made of gold and the city is always lit. This is because the king is all-powerful. Melanie doubts that. Nikko, meanwhile, assures the goat-boy Buneshuss that humans are real, but when he mentions Opal, Buneshuss and the tapir Skooch tell him there are no unicorns on the island, and that it was the king himself, as he can change into different forms.

Breeka, meanwhile, meets an antelope named Equine who once lived in a zoo in San Diego. She takes him to safety and in the morning to a lake with nearby food. She explains that the animals all speak their own language, but can be understood by one another if they pay attention. Equine bids farewell and Breeka goes to the city, reuniting with Melanie and Nikko. They are escorted to see the king in his ornate palace. First they're met by seven owls blowing seven trumpets. Then the owls take them into the Corridor of Cold, and finally the Corridor of Darkness, where they're warned not to make a sound. As they pass through, each hears the voices of friends pleading for help. The owls disappear before a door, on the other side of which is a regal lion, but he is only the prime minister, and he escorts them to the king.

In the Gillikin Country, the King of the Winged Monkeys accepts Ozma's offer to live in the Palace. Dorothy explains how this will create more servant jobs for those tired of farm life. The king explains that their land is hot and barren, though they were forced into it over a century ago. The next day, the winged monkeys are ready to go, but privately the king tells his people he'll find a way to escape the city; for now, they must not anger Ozma who might destroy them. When they arrive at the Emerald City, the Wizard remarks that it exists because they drove him out of the Winkie Country where he lived when he first came to Oz, but Dorothy reminds him that they were slaves of the Wicked Witch of the West and no choice in the matter.

At last, Melanie, Breeka and Nikko see the king, but when Melanie sees he's a tiny faun, she begins mocking. The king causes an earthquake and lightning, which causes the roof to cave in. Melanie falls and hurts herself, but she apologizes. The king confirms that he was Opal, and says he'll only send the winged monkeys home. They won't leave without her, however, and are escorted out of the palace with magic bread that the kind provides. The next day, they fly to another island. When Melanie complains of her bruises, the king, in the form of Opal, appears and gives her a salve to heal her. He turns into a bird and flies off. They come to the town of Pholio, whose residents are under four feet tall and have comical features, and are all artists. Brushes and pencils grow naturally there. They welcome them to the island of Artisand. The Burgermiestro invites them to his home and feeds them. There is no ruler on the island, and they find the idea absurd, as none could govern affectively or justly, but each community has its own Burgermiestro and they meet once a month.

Dorothy wakes in the morning to find the winged monkeys had behaved mischievously. One stole Aunt Em's bonnet, another Jack's pumpkin head, another broke of the Sawhorse's tail, another ate all of Jinjur's creampuff crops. When Ozma's council gathers, the Scarecrow suggests they retrieve the Golden Cap and make them behave, but Dorothy doesn't like the idea, determining to speak to their king about it. He agrees they should be punished, but doesn't know exactly who misbehaved. Finally, after the Wogglebug and Hungry Tiger are harassed, Dorothy sends Omby Amby and Nick Chopper with the Sawhorse to the Gillikin Country to find the Golden Cap that the King of the Winged Monkeys said he hid away. The three search for a time before coming across Quelala and exchanging stories. In the Emerald City, the Scarecrow informs Dorothy that the Golden Cap is in Glinda's possession. He was there when the king gave it back to Glinda for safe-keeping a short time after Dorothy returned to Kansas. Soon enough, Glinda and Ozma return and inform them that they won't allow anyone to use the Golden Cap, as Glinda gave her word to the king when it was entrusted to her.

Melanie and the winged monkeys, meanwhile, follow the Burgermeistro's instructions to the Old Man of the Castle, who lives on an hourglass-shaped island in the center of their country and has maps of all the countries in and out of the world. His island grows a variety of paper trees and inkwells. At the castle, some fishermen warn Melanie that the Old Man is strange. He also notes that no one lives on the other side of the island. The tall, white-bearded Old Man of the Island welcomes them in his castle. Two-feet tall servants prepare dinner, as the visitors admire the artworks on display. Unfortunately, the map they need was loaned to an elven writer named Mr. Rank living on the other side of the world. East Artisands and West Artisands have convinced themselves that no one lives on either side, even when they see someone standing on the opposite bank.

Heading out the next day with a tern to guide them, they come to the town of Pression where hospitality is offered them by the Burgermiestro. The travelers note that where the Eastern Artisands paint stiff and rigid art, the West Artisans are sloppy and careless. The Old Man's art is in between. They come to the home of the short, pointy-eared elf Rank, but already sent the map back with a messenger. The tern flies off to intercept it, while Melanie explores his library, which even includes a book about Polychrome and one in which a fairy girl visits the non-magical land of Tacoma. Most of the citizens find that one far-fetched.

In Oz, the King of the Winged Monkeys apologies to Ozma, explaining that his people cannot abide enclosed space. He was afraid to decline in fear of her wrath, and explains that he's merely a figurehead. Just then a winged monkey flies down and snatches her poppy. Ozma uses her wand to drag him back. The king rounds up the troublemakers and brings them before Ozma. She cross-examines them just as Omby Amby, Nick, the Sawhorse and others arrive on a red chariot driven by six purple deer. Glinda rushes out to embrace her mother Gayelette and her husband Quelala. The red-headed, red dressed Gayelette explains that unlike other beasts the winged monkeys can't adjust to city life. Ozma then apologizes and uses her Silver Wand and Magic Belt to restore their barren home into a lush and beautiful land. She also formerly establishes it to be the home of the winged monkeys.

When Dorothy asks who they are, the Tin Woodman explains that when Quelala brought them to his ruby castle, he learned that Gayelette was Glinda's mother. Glinda's father had been an explorer who accidentally left Oz for the Outside World. She's happy, though, because years later she met and married Quelala. But life in the Quadling castle Glinda now occupies reminded her too much of former husband, and so she moved across Oz to the Gillikin Country where she turned the purple granite into ruby blocks. Ozma determines to throw a week long feast leading into her birthday. Gayelette and Glinda both apologize to one another for not making the time to see each other, as both have been busy. Gayelette notes that she hasn't really used her powers and will try to obey Ozma's laws on magic.

Rank gives Melanie the Polychrome book as a parting gift. The three soon take a wrong turn and end up in Fort Tissimo, a musical town. There they get directions and fly to the Paper Forest. Melanie at this point is homesick, but suddenly there's a magical clap of thunder. Just prior to this, a delegation of winged monkeys asks Ozma about their lost companions Nikko and Breeka. Ozma checks the Magic Picture, finds them, and sends herself, the Scarecrow, Dorothy, Nick Chopper and Jack Pumpkinhead to greet them. Melanie is surprised to find Dorothy with different hair and no gingham, but Dorothy laughs and says she doesn't wear the same clothes. Melanie asks to be sent home, worried after her parents, so after saying goodbye to her winged friends, Ozma sends her home. Her parents are shocked and relieved, and after Melanie goes to bed, she finds the book Polychrome's Rainbow Adventures and knows that what happened to her wasn't a dream.

Continuity Notes

Anna Mile Island: A play on Animal Island, this unusual country is ruled by the "King of all animals," including humans and fairies, which would seem to make him God, or the Supreme Maker/Master, as Baum refers to him in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus and Policeman Bluejay. That he proves himself powerful, can transform into a unicorn and bird, and has a large lion as Prime Minister also points to the Emperor over the Sea, from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia (with the Lion as Aslan), who is also a representation of the Judeo-Christian Creator.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in the days leading up to August 21st (Ozma's birthday), "ninety or so years" since coming to the throne. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1992.

Gayelette and Glinda: Glinda is revealed to be the daughter of Gayelette and an unnamed traveler who went to the Great Outside World. Since "The Woozy's Tale" (Oziana 1992) reveals that Glinda and Gayelette are also cousins, this could mean that Quelala, Gayelette's second husband, is also her cousin, a not uncommon circumstance as royals have been known throughout history to have married their first cousins. The unnamed traveler may have been the Elizabethan court magician John Dee. See The History of Glinda the Good in the Appendices for more information. Breeka expresses the belief that Glinda created the Deadly Desert, as he apparently doesn't realize it was Lurline who did so. Gayelette notes that she hasn't really used magic, but will try to obey Ozma's law. It's not noted whether or not she opts to get a license and take the magical trials that her daughter offers to anyone who wants to practice magic.

The Golden Cap: After the deaths of the Wicked Witches of the West and East, who used the Golden Cap that Gayelette had enchanted, it went to Glinda, who used it three times (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). She then returned it to the King of the Winged Monkeys. The Scarecrow witnessed him give it back to her for safe-keeping just after Dorothy left Oz in the latter story. However, he must have been unaware that she gave it back to him (probably at that time or shortly after Following the events of Adolf Hitler in Oz, however, in which he tricked the Golden Cap from the King of the Winged Monkeys, the king secretly returned the Golden Cap to Glinda for safekeeping, a secret that only the two of them, the Scarecrow, and Ozma knew about, but which was revealed to Dorothy, Omby Amby, the Tin Woodman and the Sawhorse in this story.

Imogene: This story names Mombi's original four-horned cow (The Marvelous Land of Oz and Oziana 1985's "Mombi's Pink Polkadot Vest") Imogene. This is not the same Imogene from The Giant Garden of Oz, who, although has magical properties, is a two-horned cow. This is also not Phogg, who'd been transformed into a four-horned cow by a switcheroo spell in "Mombi's Pink Polkadot Vest." Imogene is the original four-horned cown, who came to live in the Royal Stables after Ozma disenchanted her (which must have occurred after she disenchanted Phogg in the latter story) and tracked down her whereabouts.

King of the Winged Monkeys: Named King Tofu in Oziana 2010's "Fiddle's Revenge." He must be the king during the time of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the next few years, his son, King Nikkalo will succeed him (Father Goose in Oz).

Middle-Earth: In yet another connection to J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-Earth stories, the Wogglebug remarks that he's read of a culture of small people who give gifts on their birthdays instead of receiving them. This is a clear reference to the Hobbits of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. See Crossovers in the Appendices.

Mischievousness in Oz: This story is similar in some respects to Leprechauns in Oz. In that story, which occurred 60 years earlier, the leprechauns were invited to stay in the Royal Palace (although in that case temporarily) and they began pulling pranks out of boredom. Here, a similar thing occurs due to the winged monkeys feeling cooped up in a building and city. It is likely that Ozma and her friends got a sense of deja vu when it starts happening again, but as with before, she handles it with grace and understanding.

Oscar's Resentment: The Wizard of Oz expresses some resentment over the fact that the winged monkeys, although under the power of the Wicked Witch of the West, had driven him out of his original home in the Winkie Country. This event is shown in the webstrip How the Wizard Came to Oz: The True Origin of the Wizard of Oz.

The Ozcalator: Another magical, moving road, this one created by the Wizard, who acknowledges it was based on a concept started by the Wizard Wam. See "The Magical Roads of Oz" in the Appendices for a complete list.

Queen of the Field Mice: This story gives the queen a name, Rodaina. She first appeared in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but chronologically in How the Wizard Saved Oz.

The Sawhorse: When Jack goes off to bury the head broken by the winged monkeys, Dorothy suggests the Sawhorse do the same thing with his tail (which they had also broken off). To this suggestion, the Sawhorse makes an odd reply and says that if he did, he'd worry that the buried broken tail would sprout and make him a parent! As this is something he doesn't wish to be, he declines the suggestion.

Symma: An island in the Nonestic of noseless people and humans. It's ruled by a native called the Proper One. A century earlier (around 1900), humans invaded the island. Their colonization efforts eventually failed, and although peace was established, no humans are allowed to rule, nor are aspects of their "barbarian" culture permitted. Hence, there are laws preventing the use of contractions and slang, except one day of the year called Release Day. Symma culture seems to be quite close to that of the Kingdom of Twi on the island of Yew, as everything must be paired, including people. Thus, the ultimate punishment is to be condemned to loneliness.

Books 6, 7 and 8 of the Deuterocanonical Oz Books!

Book 1 Synopsis: Arriving at Ix for Queen Zixi's birthday, Jinicky the Red Jinn and King Bud of Noland—who've just met and become friends—try to warn Prince Bobo of Boboland, whose on a diplomatic mission to establish ties with all the countries in and along the Nonestic continent, not to present the queen with the present of a mirror. Haughtily ignoring them, Jinicky transforms the mirror into a portrait. Without revealing her secret, they later explain to him why they did, but he departs, considering marriage to Princess Fluff of Noland.

On the Crescent Moon, Derek and Maria (last seen in The Bashful Baker of Oz) are celebrating a belated honeymoon around the continent with Captain Salt and his crew. The mermen Arko and Orpa (last seen in Shipwrecked in Oz) invite them to a newly-forming coral reef, where they meet up with Cap'n Bill, Trot and their crewmate Tandy. Prince Bobo, aboard the Hippocampus, hails them, explaining his diplomatic quest and his ties with the Gnome King Kaliko (who he says had a toothache during the events of Rinkitink in Oz). Arko and Orpa urge him not to forget the peoples under the water, such as Queen Aquareine and King Anko. At the Red Jinn's palace, the crew say goodbye to Cap'n Bill, Trot, Maria and Derek who are magicked back to Oz.

On their way to Pirate Island to pick up Nikobo, the hippo, they are rejoined by Arko and Orpa. Nikobo informs them that the pirates have been tossing watermelons into the sea, so they taste one. Delicious, they decide to gather as many as they can fit in their stores. The pirates' sentry Sport (last seen in John Dough and the Cherub) alert the pirates, and the ship takes off, escaping a volley of cannonballs.

Prince Bobo visits the Island of Yew to meet with the current Terribus, Lord Nerle and Lady Sesely, the originals being long dead. After telling of his visit to Loland/Hiland, he is rebuffed, as they wish to remain independent, and warn him to leave due to concern over Dawna pirates under the Red Rogue. Bobo attempts to sail back to Hiland, but a storm overtakes the ship, and against the advice of his quartermaster, Bobo presses on, raising the ire of his crew. Dawna pirates board them, take the ship, and throw Bobo and the crew overboard on a raft.

On Jaqueline's Island, Jaqueline (last seen in John Dough and the Cherub) gives Captain Salt a treasure she'd seen buried 60/70 years earlier. It is contents of a jackdaws' nest, including jewels and rare items. As they haul them aboard, Ato notes that Zim Greenleaf (last seen in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy) would love to see the watermelons, and wonders that Jaqueline, though visited by orks, Sea Fairies, John Dough, Chick and Mary Marie (last seen in "The Witchcraft of Mary Marie"), would want to live so isolated.

Heading back, Arko and Orpa sense trouble, and soon rescue Chrysalissium (Sally), a Sea Fairy, from pursuing sharks. Aboard the Crescent Moon, she's introduced to the crew: Tandy (Tazandar Tazah), King of Ozamaland, Ato, King of the Octagon Isles, Roger the Read Bird, Nikobo the hippo (and Tandy's guardian) and Captain Salt himself. She's not the only castaway. In the morning they discover Prince Bobo and the ten crewmembers of the hijacked Hippocampus. Since Bobo keeps acting imperiously, however, Tandy keeps pushing back into the water until he speaks respectfully. Salt heads to Thumbumbia (last seen in "The Runaway Shadows") where the crew is sent on a ship heading back to Boboland. They search for Bobo in vain, as he'd gotten himself locked inside a trunk in the hold.

Using the locator spell the Wizard of Oz had given them, they discover his location, and head to the port of Boboland, where they receive a private message from Princess Bebe, his sister, explaining that since they are negotiating a peace treaty with the Growleywogs, it would best if they could keep him longer. So, the Crescent Moon heads to Ozamaland on the continent of Tarara, birthplace of Tandy, which he hasn't visited in 80 years.

Book 2 Synopsis: The Crescent Moon is boarded by an Ork named Zipper and his passenger Princess Truella of Mo (last seen in Outsiders from Oz and The Magical Monarch of Mo), who were blown off-course by a terrible storm on their way to Boboland to establish diplomatic ties. As they won't return there until after their visit to Tarara, and since Bobo is onboard, they're invited to join them.

A mysterious ghost ship appears and disappears on their way to Rock Island, where Captain Salt has obsessively sought a roc's egg. Zipper expresses dismay that the captain would steal a baby from its mother, but Roger and Tandy admit they've found roc eggs many times, but reported otherwise. At breakfast, Ato explains that they do not eat eggs from birds, but egg-plants from Jaqueline's Island. Similarly, the sausages are really vegetables from the sausage-groves of Quok (from "The Queen of Quok").

After introducing himself to Truella, Bobo is angry to learn what has transpired, and that he won't be going home right away. Tandy, meanwhile, is anxious that he's waited too long to go home, and worries that he's burdened his ally, the sheik Chunum, who he left as steward of the realm.

Two weeks later, they reach the port city of Om, at the southeastern coast of Ozamaland. Escorted to the Otsavom River, the crew change into their royal regalia. Tandy begins remembering more, but when the dignitary Ali be Utsa invites them to a banquet, Salt and the others grow suspicious. Tandy learns that the true name of the land is Ot'Sama, not Ozamaland. On the shores of Movasto, they notice that the people avert their eyes from Truella, who is not covered up like the women of the land. Led to a large tent, soldiers come and take away their weapons. Servers come with food and drink, but they turn out to be the actual rulers of the land, the sheik Tazandar Tazah and his bride Najira ab Alon. Tandy introduces himself and his crew, and explains what happened to him since he left. The sheik explains that such a story is a myth to their people, and that in their land such things are impossible. Tandy is shocked to learn that there is no immorality in Ot'Sama, while Tazandar comes to terms with the idea that Tandy is, in fact, the Lost King. He is actually the grandson of Chunum, who died years ago.

Salt explains that he wants to bring representatives of the native species to Oz, but Tazandar warns him of the Kuray, who has decimated the native Hebtuous (a creeping bird like a Dodo) and Ouatos (a flying reptile like a pterodactyl), but they may yet find some in the Monshera Desert. Tazandar warns Tandy that if the people of this land learn that the legends are true, Nonestica will be overrun, and unlike the outside world, the people need only sail to the continent to do so.

As Tandy and Sally draw closer, the crew search the desert, but find no signs of the vanishing species. Ato begins to feel the effect of the desert's heat, and collapses from exhaustion and exertion. As he cools off in Nikobo's tank, the ship arrives at Jade Lake, and presents the official documents Tazandar had given them. Plotar, the chieftain, introduces his third wife Inanna, who tells them that her grandmother Ma'Kra found a creature that will interest them.

Ma'Kra is a healer and wise woman, and begins to discern that these visitors are more than they let on, particularly as they're shocked and sickened by the sight of the skeletons she has on display. She then shows them a living Kuray, which they watch in horror as it consumes dung, defecates and then consumes its own excrement. She calls it an unnatural creature, tied to a dark enchantment, which arose 20 years ago, and that it should be eradicated. She also privately speaks to Sally, as she knows she is a Sea Fairy, and warns her of a mixed future of great joy and terrible darkness.

After sharing watermelons and other fruits from their stores, the Crescent Moon heads northwest over the desert (he ship is enchanted) to an abandoned outpost. Tandy and Zipper go to reconnoiter and hear a scream. Investigating, they make a grim discovery. A Kuray is eating a hebtuous and its chicks, which it then defiles. Horrified, Zipper attacks and kills. They agree to keep the incident a secret, and wash to get the foul smell off them. They then head for the Dragon's Spine Mountains. After many days of flying to the desert, the crew begin to suffer the effects of heat and privation, and speak to Captain Salt. He grudgingly agrees to turn north at the mountains, and then east back to Nonestica. At the mountains' foothills, Salt again sends Tandy, Zipper and Roger to reconnoiter.

Tandy accidentally falls asleep and receives an incapacitating sunburn. Zipper, injured by the Kuray, has gotten infected. Ato is suffering from heat-stroke, and even the merman and hippo are faring poorly. Captain Salt suggests putting them in the hold, where a gelatinous substance, created by the sorceress Maetta (The Magical Monarch of Mo) preserves things indefinitely. Ato, Tandy, Orpa, Arko and Zipper agree and take a sleeping potion and enter the hold.

When a storm emerges, Captain Salt hauls anchor. The next day, the crew are surprised by a giant wooden woman. She introduces herself as Dorcas (last seen in King Kojo) of Ogowan. When she hears of the injured, she goes off to retrieve a doctor, and returns with the wizard Boglodore (last seen in Captain Salt in Oz). Nikobo and Captain Salt are thrilled to see him again, and he goes about healing the sick crewmembers. Dorcas, meanwhile, befriends the crew, and discusses life in Ogowan, noting that no one grows old or dies there. The crew are thrilled to see to a real fairyland again.

Tandy and the others return to full health. He is happy to see Boglodore again. Boglodore informs the crew that the Hebtuous are extinct, and that they should avoid the oasis on their way to Ogowan. As they approach it, Dorcas informs them that the oasis is an illusion, and that it is actually the vile nest of the Kurays, who she recommends wiping out. This presents an ethical dilemma to the crew, but they decide that since the creature is truly evil, and does nothing but destroy and pollute, it is a necessary evil to destroy them. Sally confirms that a loathsome magic is at the root of them. She creates a bomb that works like Greek fire, and Dorcas and Nikobo go forth stomping Kurays and searching for the heart of the swarm. Dorcas soon finds it, noting also the presence of a parrot in the trees. Captain Salt, Tandy and Bobo enter the area, which is a tomb. It is the burial place of Gehanus Maledictus, the First and Foremost. Nearby, Captain Salt finds an encrusted ring, and pockets it. Zipper arrives with the explosive, which they place in the tomb, where a horde of infant Kurays emerge. The truth is revealed at last: the Kurays were once Hebtuous (or the Ouatos), whose eggs were planted in the dark tomb, and became corrupted and defiled by the evil dying Maledictus. The bomb decimates the tomb, Kurays and oasis. Only the crew and parrot survive.

Captain Salt takes a liking to the parrot, who joins them, but ignores everyone but the captain, much to Roger's chagrin. Salt also begins wearing the ring he found, scratching away at the crusty covering. His personality also changes on the journey to Ogowan, as he becomes sullen and angry, and stays mostly in his cabin with the bird. Tandy and some of the others begin having nightmares as well.

Dorcas leads them over Big Enuf Mountain, past the Black Forest and into the enchanted Ogowan. The crew are happy to meet King Kojo, Pogo, Ketch, the Wise Dog and others, but when Captain Salt emerges, the Wise Dog growls, and Pogo's magic lantern begins to shine red. Noting the disturbance, Kojo hints that they should keep their journey short. Salt picks up the hint and agrees to move on, but Ato requests replenishment of their stores, which Kojo agrees. The crew know that something is wrong, and blame Polly. Dorcas says goodbye and hopes they will return without the parrot. She too notes that something is wrong with the Captain. She leads them into the Rolantic, explaining that the Nonentic follows eastward, followed by the Nonestic.

Book 3 Synopsis: Ozma, Glinda, Ozana (first seen in The Magical Mimics in Oz) and Jenny Jump (first seen in The Wonder City of Oz) join a host of fairies and winged creatures to Noland. Ozga and Files fly atop the ork Zipper (first seen in The Scarecrow of Oz), along with Parrot-Oxes (last seen in Paradox in Oz) and the Gobbler, the giant green turkey (from Dorothy in the Land of Oz, and likely the result of the Parrot-Oxes), Old King Crow (last seen in Oziana 2011 "Cryptic Conversations in a Cornfield"), the Lonesome Duck (first seen in The Magic of Oz), Dorcas and a roc, Pigasus, Gloma (first seen in The Wishing Horse of Oz), Azarine (last seen in Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz), the Opodok, Snif the Iffin (first seen in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz), Maybe the Miffin (first seen in Maybe the Miffin), Ereol (last seen in Queen Zixi of Ix) and the fairy Marvel (last seen in The Enchanted Island of Yew), Boglodore and the Umbrellaphant.

At the Emerald City, Ozma has left Dorothy in charge, with instructions not to look in on them. Dorothy looks in on the Scarecrow, who is looking up in the sky, where hundreds of birds are flying. Amongst them are Ozma and Glinda.

Aboard the Crescent Moon, Sally keeps trying to send out a distress signal to no avail, as they're buffeted by the worst storm Salt has ever seen. Salt is back to himself, as the parrot has taken off with the ring. Looking back over the two weeks spent in the storm, Salt reflects on the ring he found and how the parrot would whisper dark things to him. He fell into a black mood, and Polly would encourage stories of his early pirating days, condemning his current crew as weak. Soon, Salt began associating his nightmares to the ring, particularly as Polly kept asking for it over and over, and chipping away at the crust, revealing a pearl. One night, he dreamt of a young boy, Gehanus, lured to evil by the music of the Piper (last seen in The Magic Umbrella of Oz). He was his first victim, and became the First and Foremost of the Phanfasms. His command of the coming Phanfasms was solidified by the ring which could bend their wills to his. But his most trusted sycophants, led by Polimodellano, deceived him. Bringing him to the desert of Ama on the continent of Tarara, they buried him alive in an enchanted sarcophagus deep under the sands where he rotted for centuries before the eggs of the Hebtuous became poisoned by his hatred and evil, and became the Kurays. Awakening from the dark dreams, Salt researches the Phanfasms from the book The Oziad 1910 where he learns that the Waters of Oblivion had erased their memories for a time. One drop erases a year; one cup, decades; more than that, an entire personality and memories.

Unable to sleep, Salt gets drunk, while Polly continues plying for the ring, until in a fit of rage, he throws it at the bird, who grabbed it, morphed into humanoid-size and flew away, revealing himself to be the Phanfasm Polimodellano. To punish them, the Phanfasm causes a storm and sends the Crescent Moon into a dark dimensional rift, where they are now trapped. Ato and Salt notice how Sally doesn't glow anymore, and how the faces of the merman are wrinkled, losing color and scales. Even Truella and Bobo look as if they're growing older, and Salt's rheumatism has returned.

Ato sees a ship, but it turns out to be a haunted ship, upon which stands a winged woman in black; on her right an emaciated man, on her left Death itself. Before her two shrouded figures lay at her feet. A bell rings and they sail away.

Sally tells Tandy the true story of what happened to her when she tried to find and break the Magic Egg hidden deep in the Nonestic in order to give their long-standing friends and allies, the dolphins, eternal life. Her mother, Queen Aquareine wouldn't hear of it, and banished her, sending sharks and barracudas and squids to prevent her from breaking the egg. In the battle that followed, she lost the Egg, and fled for her life, when she was saved at last by the Crescent Moon.

Roger and Zipper are sent to find land, but Zipper ends up attacked by a giant tentatoctopus, and barely makes it out alive. Roger informs them that an island is nearby, but the creature is between them. Once again weighing the ethical dilemma of hurting or killing another creature, they agree they must try to survive. A battle ensues and after several volleys to the creature's eye, it finally withdraws back into the depths. Sally says she felt linked to the creature, and could feel its emptiness and hunger. She announces her engagement to Tandy and sings "Somewhere Beyond the Sea," but the creature rises up and grabs her, dragging her body into the ocean. Tandy and the others jump into the waters, although they retrieve her, nothing Arko, Orpah or Truella attempt can save her. Before they can mourn, arrows come flying at them, hitting Nikobo. A horde of boards form the Island come streaming towards them. With their weapons and cannon, they repel the would-be-invaders. Salt hauls one of their boats onboard and discovers a young girl. Ato brings her food. But then the Rainbow and all of his daughters arrive. Polychrome and Polydori confirm that Sally is indeed dead, causing a tremendous wail of grief to rise up. Then the giant sea serpent King Anko arrives, raging and demanding his daughter. The Rainbow King collects his daughter, but Polychrome stays, pleading with Anko, along with Orpa and Arko, not to destroy the Crescent Moon and his daughter's friends.

The island then moves; it has grown atop a giant tortoise, who, fearing Anko, sloughs the island off his back, causing many to drown. Captain Salt vows to save as many as he can, and everyone gets to work on this task. Even Anko assists. Orpa encounters Zipper in the water, pierced by arrows. After their grievous task, Polychrome believes they can help the Crescent Moon escape this shadow dimension, but her father tells her it's not possible. She explains to Bobo that the world has a hold on them and won't let them go. Bobo shows her the compass given him by the Red Jinn, and describes Maetta's magic hold. Poly hopes it will be enough magic to free them. With the help of Anko and Bifrost and all of the Rainbow's daughters, they lift the ship to the portal leading to their own dimension, but they cannot break through. Just then, the spark of Sally emerges, enabling Polychrome to bring the ship across dimensions from Rainworld to their home.

Back near Ogowan, Tandy realizes that Jade Lake in Ot'Sama would be ideal for the Islanders to live, and Polychrome goes off to ask permission of Tazander Tazah. With this in place, they drop off the Islanders at their new home. Ato, however, is upset over the loss of the Island girl, Kayoko, who he had grown to love as a daughter. But to his surprise, she has stowed away in a locker, hoping to stay with Ato and the crew. Past Regos, Coregos, Mount Up, Pingaree and Ev, King Anko departs from them while he confronts his wife, Queen Aquareine. She explains that she had to take drastic actions to stop Sally from breaking the Magic Egg in the Nonestic. Anko reminds her that the other Magic Egg that she threw down a dark hole in centuries past created the evil Rainworld, where she died, but Aquareine defends herself, noting that Zog had already cracked the egg, and she had no choice. Clia, their eldest daughter, begs her father to forgive her mother.

Anko picks up the crew of the Crescent Moon and brings him to where the hundreds of thousands of birds, and numerous fairies are gathered around a large watery pillar whereupon lie the bodies of Sally and Zipper. The fairies join hands and sing the song Sally had become enchanted with, "Somewhere Beyond the Sea," upon which the Hand of the Supreme Maker takes the deceased.

The fairies request stories of Sally's last days from the crew, as Boglodore spies the fairy Arpeté (the goddess the Ot'Sama people pray to) moving through the crowds. Since the enchantments upon the Crescent Moon are gone, Ozma sails them back to Oz, offering them to drink of the Waters of Oblivion if they so choose to forget the painful horrific events of their recent ordeal. Taking them to the Forbidden Fountain, each decides what they will do. They each decide they will not discard their memories. Ozma is pleased and takes them to a secret garden in Oz where the Magic Egg was first broken, and then to a resting place for Billina's chick Dorothy, and for Sally and Zipper.

The epilogue contains a scene from Sally's meeting with Ma'Kra, where it is revealed that Sally is pregnant with twins. To avoid their mother's fate, Ma'Kra gives her a potion, the very last of the potion that has kept her alive, and which will enable the children to live. She sends Sally to deposit the enchanted eggs deep in Jade Lake. She then summons the fairy Arpeté, but though she loves Ma'Kra like a daughter, she refuses to help her, holding Sally accountable for wanting to break a Magic Egg and holding her mother accountable for nearly letting her. Ma'Kra reminds her that it was she who stole the two Magic Eggs intended for Tarara, and gave it to Aquareine for safekeeping, and that it is not the fault of the unborn infants what came to pass. Arpeté agrees to help under the condition that their heritage remain a secret.

Book 4 Synopsis: Forthcoming

Continuity Notes

King Anko: Proper name is Ankormegir; he is a Titan and the eldest of the three Sea Serpents, Inkormegir and Unkormeggir. He is also a brother of the Rainbow King, Bifrost. He is married to Queen Aquareine. Their eldest daughter is Clia (first seen in The Sea Fairies). Sally was their youngest.

Billina: Billina urged Ozma to sterilize the eggs of her and her offspring after a certain number of chicks, concerned that all of Oz would be overrun by chickens. The now-sterile eggs are used as food. Billina's chick Dorothy, who died of the pip, and is buried in Ozma's secret garden, was the last individual to die in Oz. Note that there is an apparent discrepancy in the text as it gives a grand total of 182 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Yet, in The Emerald City of Oz, Billina herself numbers a total of over 386 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with more hatching every day. While it might seem that a zero is missing from that number, the author explained that many of her offspring went off into neighboring fairylands. Given that Billina claims to have 7,000 offspring by the time of The Patchwork Girl of Oz, that is a considerable amount of emigrants to lands that don't eat animals.

Boglodore: The Old Man of the Jungle has managed to preserve his life, as well as the life of the Umbrellephant (though he lies about his being still alive). He reveals a secret to the Sea Fairy Sally that he is really Tandy's godfather.

Captain Salt: Samuel Salt is revealed to be from Dawna on the Island of Yew, where he first became a pirate. He is over 200 years old (page 58). He comes to realize in the course of this story that his mission of colonization is misguided.

Death and Immortality: Salt and his crew are unfamiliar with death. Though they've met Terrybubble and know what a skeleton is, only Captain Salt knows what a tombstone is, having pirated prior to Lurline's enchantment of Oz in 1743. Ev, Ix, Noland, Boboland and nearly all of the Nonestican continent are said to have gradually achieved immortality over time. For Ev, this would have to have been after 1964, when people were still migrating there to escape the immortality of Oz.

Emerald City: The Royal Palace and Emerald City were built around a secret garden, within which lies the very shell of the Magic Egg, which was broken there in the center of Oz, in 1743 (first revealed in The Law of Oz and Other Stories).

Fountain of Oblivion: One drop from the Waters of Oblivion erases a year. One cup erases a decade. More erases an entire personality. When King Oz was given the Waters to drink from Lurline, all of Oz was made to drink of it (first mentioned in The Law of Oz and Other Stories). The text also affirms that Mombi was spared and made to drink of these waters, as told in Oziana #38: "Executive Decisions." It similarly affirms Enilrul's creation of it by virtue of her suicide (in The Witch Queen of Oz).

Mermaids: The story makes a distinction between the mermaids and Sea Fairies of Queen Aquareine. Arko and Orpa are of the line of the merman Orpah (last seen in The Giant Horse of Oz), who guards the giant seahorses who live in the Ozure Isles of Cheeriobed's domain. They are called Pisceans and are of the Sea Serpent Inko (or Inkormegir). The Sea Fairies under Queen Aquareine are under the Sea Serpent King Anko (Ankormegir)

Phanfasms: The very first Phanfasm, summoned by the Piper (last seen in The Magic Umbrella of Oz), was Gehanus Maledictus, the First and Foremost. He was betrayed by his trusted inner circle under the leadership of Polimodellano, buried with an inscription in Aman not to disturb. The Hebtuous eggs which the parents hid in the darkness were poisoned and defiled by the dying spirit of Gehanus, and became the corrupting Kuray, which sought to destroy its predecessor. Polimodellano waited centuries to retrieve the ring that Gehanus wielded, a ring granted him by the Piper, which could bend the rebellious nature of the Phanfasms to him.

Prequels and Sequels: Pirates in Oz, Captain Salt in Oz and Shipwrecked in Oz are the direct predecessors of this trilogy.

Ogowan: (Oh-Go-Wan) is from Ruth Plumly Thompson's King Kojo, effectively bringing that story into canon, and dating it to between 1905 and 1915, as Dorcas says she lived there for 80 or 90 years. This story also definitively places Ogowan and Big Enuf Mountain (from King Kojo) on the northwestern portion of the continent Tarara. Another Thompson place, Way-Up is found on another continent west of Oz (see The Goat Girls of Oz)

Rinkitink in Oz is correctly dated (by Prince Bobo) at exactly 1905 (the time Baum first wrote the original King Rinkitink), noting that it's events weren't made known until a decade later (when Rinkitink in Oz was published).

Roger the Read Bird: Roger doesn't know what kind of bird he is.

Ot'Sama: The people of Ot'Sama appear to be of Middle-Eastern descent, are patriarchal (though that is slowly changing), and worship the goddess Arpeté, who is the Fairy Queen of Amal, which encompasses Amaland and Ot'Samaland.

Tarara: This is the continent, made up of mainly desert, and split by the Dragon's Spine Mountains, separating Ama (Amaland) and Ot'Sama (Ozamaland). Ogowan and Big Enuf Mountain (from King Kojo) can be found on the northwestern portion, Om on the southeastern. Ogowan is the only enchanted part of the country. As Tandy discovers, it's not as large as Nonestica, as he'd once bragged. The Red Jinn's servant, Alibabble, is from this land. Tarara has little to no magic, and this is because Arpeté, the Desert Fairy who is guardian of the land, had Ma'Kra steal the Magic Eggs from Lurline's Cloudcourt centuries ago, and gave them to Queen Aquareine for safekeeping. As a result, Tarara is like the mundane lands, warring, patriarchal and plagued by death. The current ruler is Tandy's grand-nephew Tazander Tazah (named after him), who is more progressive than past sheiks.

Book 51 of the Sovereign Sixty and Supreme Seventy-Five, and Gina Wickwar's first published Oz book!

History: The winning entry in the International Wizard of Oz Club's Centennial contest (of which Rachel Cosgrove-Payes had been one of the judges), and deemed official by the Club, The Hidden Prince of Oz was originally titled The Glass Cat of Oz, though that name was changed to avoid confusion with the David Hulan story of the same name. Royal Historian Eloise Jarvis McGraw worked closely with author Gina Wickwar, editing this story.

Synopsis: In a Gillikin cottage, south of Oogaboo, Zeebo the Tinker begins experimenting with magic again after over a century of having abstained from it. The purple poodle Penny and blue parrot Beak are less than happy with his clumsy results, and then with a flash of lightning, Zeebo disappears. Penny thinks they should try to find him, but Beak reminds her what a terrible man he was, concerned only about regaining his powers after the Wicked Witch of the East took it away from him 101 years ago in punishment. The pair suspect he went back to his former home in the Blue Mountain, likely to search for his other magic books, the red, green, yellow and purple ones he hid there after being threatened by a mysterious stranger. So, they determine to go to the Blue Mountain to prevent him causing any more trouble. With their magic saddlebag fill with necessities, they head out.

The next day, after several miles travel, Beak gets frightened by the appearance of a snake, but the colorful creature assures him that she's a harmless feathered boa named Ketzal, who loves to travel and who's from a long line of feathered boas that live nearby and will know where to find the Blue Mountain. Filling her in on the back story, Beak tells Ketzal and Penny that the Wicked Witch blamed Zeebo for making everyone on the Blue Mountain disappear, including the Prince who she wanted to marry. After stripping him of his powers, Zeebo and Beak left the Munchkin Country and set up a home in the Gillikin Country where Penny had been living after escaping a wolf pack. Zeebo has never acknowledged if he in fact made the prince disappear.

In Tucson, meanwhile, a thunderstorm erupts after two months of a dry spell. Lightning strikes the wooden Indian of the Old West Trading Post, bringing him to life and transporting him to Cactus Acres Orphanage, where he meets young Emma Lou, whose surprised but pleased to meet the wooden Indian, who identifies as Chief Thundercloud. He admits he doesn't understand how he came to life, and Emma admits she's been sad because they don't celebrate birthdays in the orphanage and today is her birthday. So, the Chief gives her a glass beaded bracelet from his own wrist. When the director calls for her, she grabs her new friend and wishes to be someplace safe.

In the Emerald City, Bungle the Glass Cat overhears Dorothy call her hard-hearted. Considering that Trot and Jellia have also recently scolded her, she goes to the Wizard's lab to see if he can soften her ruby heart a bit, but as he's in the Munchkin Country with the Tin Woodman collecting plants for magical recipes, she decides it's not worth being sentimental. Soon after, she receives an invitation to the Court of Vitrea, Princess of Silica Valley, to celebrate the dedication of the glass works.

In Silica, Mr. Chips, Royal Keeper of the Glassworks, and his assistant Smithereens, Slivers and Splinters scramble to restore order after Emma Lou and Thundercloud come crashing through their skylight. Unhurt, Emma's thrilled to discover she's in Oz and explains to Thundercloud what that means. They're invited to stay and are brought through corridors of mirrors into a magnificent crystal palace where they're introduced to Princess Vitrea. She's happy to meet them, but when she sees the bracelet Emma wears, she inquires about it. Thundercloud explains that he had it since the time he was carved and it must have been put on him by the carver, though he doesn't know who that is. Mr. Chips confirms that it's the very same bracelet that Vitrea gave the Prince of the Blue Mountain, to whom she was betrothed, but who never returned to her 101 years ago.

The Princess' Uncle Vitriol arrives with his nephew Vitrix. Vitriol thinks Emma must be a magic worker to have arrived in Oz. His nephew disagrees, but Vitriol is more concerned about the glass beads around Emma Lou's wrist. Vitrea hopes the Glass Cat can unravel the mystery when she arrives later that week. Excited to meet Bungle, Emma Lou wishes her there, and suddenly, she appears! After introductions and explanations, Mr. Chips tells Bungle that she was actually made in Silica. This is a surprise to her, as she thought she was made by Dr. Pipt. Mr. Chips brings in Huffin Puffin, the glass blower, who says that he made her himself. She and several other glass animals were purchased by a merchant who then peddled them to housewives in the Great Munchkin Forest. Dr. Pipt bought her and gave her her ruby heart and pink brains, and then brought her to life with the Powder of Life.

Thundercloud tells the Princess that he wishes to seek out the Prince to see if he knows who his maker is; Vitrea agrees that perhaps some misfortune had befallen him, preventing him from returning to her, and decides to go as well. Bungle and Emma Lou also volunteer, and Thundercloud vows to protect them all. Vitriol insists Vitrix must go too. While they make preparations, Bungle sneaks off to spy on Vitriol and overhears him trying to convince his nephew to steal the beads from Emma Lou because they're enchanted. Bungle tells Emma Lou what she discovered, but when she tests the beads, nothing happens. Bungle tells her to keep it safe anyway and departs to tell Vitrea.

Beak, Penny and Ketzel, meanwhile, come across the rainbow splattered in colors all over the meadow. The leprechaun Paddy O'Paint is upset because he was left to paint the rainbow while the Rain King took the Rainbow's daughters on holiday, and on his watch the Rainbow tripped over his 'wet paint' sign. Also, Kelly the leprechaun left him in charge of the pot of gold and that is now missing. The party ask Paddy to join them, which he does in the hopes they'll come across the missing gold. After gathering up the balled up tangles of colors into a haystack, the party depart. Entering a field, they find themselves being pulled by an unknown force, and Beak, Penny and Paddy are then surrounded by large living magnets. Their horseshoe leader, Prince Feric, explains they've been caught in a magnetic field during their war with his sister Princess Dipole, who currently rules the "north pole." The war is only ceremonial, and when the field is turned off, they're friends. The Princess greets them and sends them to the Coconut Grove to eat and fill their saddlebag. Feric and Dipole give the party a Magic Compass to help them navigate their way.

Bungle informs the princess about her uncle's treachery, but she has a hard time believing it. Thundercloud also warns Mr. Chips to keep an eye on Vitriol. He promises to contact Glinda (who he's friend with, but hasn't seen for over a century) if any problems arise.

The next day, the travelers cross the Munchkin countryside and come to a babbling brook. They attempt to cross at the Drawbridge, not realizing it's a literal descriptor, as a giant hand emerges to draw them a bridge. But halfway across, the hand begins erasing the bridge and they jump into a raging river. As Thundercloud floats, they all cling to each other and him, and follow the waters to the Caterwauling Cataracts, which caterwauls, and the Wailing Waterfall, which wails. Finally, they make it to the shore of a brook in the Gillikin Country, where they're met by a living bridge! The Runaway Bridge explains that he ran away from his last river, which hated having a bridge and wouldn't speak to him. The Bridge takes a liking to Thundercloud, but is afraid of spanning the deep ravine. Thundercloud proposes blindfolding him so he won't have to look down. He agrees on the condition he be allowed to go with him until he can find a river that wants him.

The Sawhorse, meanwhile, arrives at Glinda's to invite her to join Ozma at the capital. While she prepares to depart, the Sawhorse reads about the Glass Cat and Prince Cyan in the Great Book of Records. In under four hours, the Sawhorse and Glinda arrive at the Emerald City, and have dinner with Dorothy, Betsy, Trot, Cap'n Bill, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, Eureka, Button-Bright, Woot, Jellia and the Shaggy Man. The Sawhorse reveals that Bungle's in Silica.

The next morning, Beak, Penny, Ketzel and Paddy come across a river that blocks their path. The parrot suggests the poodle swim the others across, but the laughing river tosses them out, explaining that it tickles when anyone goes in it. She wishes she had a bridge. Fortuitously, Bungle, Thundercloud, Vitrea, Vitrix, Emma Lou and the Runaway Bridge arrive just then. They discover they're each heading for the Blue Mountain and agree to travel together. Vitrea learns from the parrot that her prince indeed disappeared 101 years ago, almost to the day. What no one understands is why Zeebo would do that. Bidding goodbye to the Runaway Bridge, whose been invited by the ticklish river to bridge her, they set off.

In Silica, Vitriol tricks Mr. Chips into a kiln. Luckily for him, Smithereens happens by. Chips tells him to take the Royal Carrier Pigeon, Venté, to get Glinda's help. Thrilled at the prospect, the young man informs the giant blue pigeon, alights upon his back and flies off. Three hours later, at the palace, they meet Rozlyn, Glinda's top lieutenant and apprentice, who informs him of Glinda's departure, but promises she can make a key to free Chips from the kiln.

The next morning, she feeds the pair and presents him with a key to open all locked doors. Returning to Silica, they free Mr. Chips, and go inform Shivers, Splinters and Huffin Puffin of Vitriol's treachery. Knowing the princess must be told, Venté and Smithereens fly off to find her. On the way, they find Vitriol and track him by means of the Magic Candle he stole from the Crystal Palace. They capture him just as he crashes through the campground of the Tin Woodman and Wizard, and tie him to a tree. Smithereens explains their story, and as Nick and Oscar are also going to the Blue Mountain, they agree to accompany them.

Princess Vitrea's party, meanwhile, have settled for the night. Vitrix debates carrying out his uncle's wishes, and finally decides to sneak into Emma Lou's tent (now that Bungle is in the Princess's tent) and steal the bracelet. But after unsuccessfully wishing himself back to Silica, he returns it (but is seen by Bungle).

The next day, they come to Bonanza Creek in the Munchkin Country, where they meet the gnomish Gold Panners (who are cousins of the Nomes), but take gold from creeks instead of the ground. The other day gold had rained down from the sky, and Paddy knows it from the pot of gold that got lost when the Rainbow fell. The Gold Panners Augie and Mercurio tell them they must first file and make a claim, after which they can pan for the gold. The Inspector hands each of them hundreds of forms to fill out; then after panning through mud to fill up half of Paddy's pot, the gold must be assayed and paid for. Frustrated, Vitrix grabs the gold and goes to leave, but he's blocked by the Panners' pick axes, and the party are arrested. Once in jail, Bungle whispers an idea to Emma Lou, and in a moment they're all outside in a forest.

The morning after Nick informed his party they'd entered the Great Munchkin Forest, where he once lived, they stumble upon his cottage, which he hadn't seen since the time he went to court Nimmie Aimee. The Wizard goes off and finds the plants he needs, and then magically contacting Ozma, he returns to the Emerald City, assured by Nick that he'll escort their new friends from there. A terrible rainstorm breaks out, but they move on. That night, while Nick ruminates on the stars, Vitriol escapes and goes off to find Vitrix in his tent. But Nick, Smithereens and Venté follow him to the camp. While the party is distracted introducing themselves, Vitriol steals into Emma Lou's tent, snatches the bracelet and escapes into the night with his nephew, eventually finding an old forester's cottage where they spend the night. Vitrea is distress to learn of her uncle's treachery. The Sawhorse comes into the camp, extending Ozma's invitation to the Emerald City after they've concluded their business.

The next morning, the forester is visited again by Princess Vitrea's large party. He tells them he was once Prince Cyan's Chief Forester, and that Zeebo was once his sorcerer. The Sawhorse's memory jogged, he informs them that Glinda's Book said the prince was returning to the Blue Mountain, which cheers up Vitrea.

Vitriol and Vitrix, meanwhile, pass into a thicket of butterfly nets, with a sign that warns "no dragon netting." But when Vitriol comes upon a pile of gold he begins filling his pockets, and a swarm of tiny dragons encircle him, telling him to put it back. Picking up a butterfly net, Vitriol angrily captures each Dragon Fly and Snap Dragon. They plead for him to release them and Vitrix protests his uncle's cruelty, but he just walks away. The dragons are grateful, however, that Princess Vitrea's party follows and frees them. The dragons explain about the gold that fell from the sky, and Paddy knows it's the remainder of the treasure. The dragons request that Vitrea send someone to get rid of the butterfly nets and fly-swatter bushes.

Polychrome, meanwhile, requests that she go in search of her father. The Rain King concedes, asking her to check in on a strange man hanging from the Big Dipper requesting to be sent to the Blue Mountain. She finds Zeebo there and brings him to the old palace on the mountain. There they come across Zeebo's old enemy Vitriol and the two begin arguing over the bracelet. When Polychrome and Vitrix ask to take the discussion inside, Vitriol angrily wishes them still, and still they become. Stumbling upon the bracelet's powers, he wishes Zeebo inside the tower, and goes in after him. Yet, he soon realizes that he doesn't actually know the secret and Zeebo, who's locked behind the tower door, refuses to divulge it. He heads then to the root cellar, where he buries the gold he stole, and in so doing, discovers a silver sack containing Zeebo's magic cookbooks, which he takes.

Reaching the summit of the Blue Mountain, Princess Vitrea and her party discover Polychrome and Vitrix frozen before the entrance. Thundercloud carries them in and they follow. Bungle goes off to explore and is caught by Vitriol who grabs him and leaves him tied up in the cellar, while he sneaks to the tower and sleeps there unbeknownst to the others preparing their own sleeping arrangements.

In the morning, Penny awakens, and smelling an unknown scent, follows it up the tower where she stumbles on Vitriol. He puts her in his sack, but she begins barking, arousing Thundercloud and the others who come up and surround him, forcing him to relinquish the dog and bracelet. Beak then recognizes Vitriol from his voice as the mysterious stranger who threatened Zeebo the night before they departed. They search for a key to free Zeebo from behind the locked door, but Smithereens produces the key Rozlyn made for him. Penny and Emma rush to the cellar to save Bungle, whose ear tip and some whiskers had been chipped by Vitriol.

When Nick catches sight of Zeebo, he recognizes him from 101 years ago, just before he was caught in the rainstorm that rusted him. The sorcerer had been arguing with Prince Cyan. Zeebo explains that he did enchant him, not because Vitriol wanted him to, but because the Wicked Witch of the East wanted him destroyed for his refusal to marry her. Something went wrong, however, and though he didn't know what happened to the prince, the witch did, and to ensure Zeebo didn't find out, she took away his magic for 101 years. Bungle and Emma Lou then use the bracelet to restore Polychrome and Vitrix, while Penny and Venté retrieve the gold buried in the cellar. Thundercloud suggests Emma Lou make a wish to bring Prince Cyan there, but her attempts fail.

The Rain King arrives in order to take Paddy to his fallen brother, but Beak asks him if he remembers what happened to Prince Cyan a century earlier, since it was a lightning spell that was used. The Rain King tells him he should try the Purple Book. Zeebo admits he buried them in the cellar, but Penny and Venté confirm they're not there. Smithereens figures out that Zeebo's books are probably hidden in Vitriol's sack and retrieves them. Polychrome, who can read magic, peruses it. Zeebo is then forced to admit that he attempted to send the prince and his people to the Deadly Desert. The Wicked Witch didn't do it herself because she feared the wrath of the Wizard. Yet, because he used the Blue Book of Magic instead of the Purple, the Prince and his people were sent to a desert outside of Oz. Polychrome has her uncle bring about a storm, and utters a spell from the Purple Book.

Instantly the castle is again full of people and Thundercloud is transformed into his true form, Prince Cyan! Vitrea is overjoyed to see him, and he professes his love for her. He explains that it was actually Zeebo's recent spell with the Blue Book that caused the lightning that brought him to life, and Emma Lou's accidental wish with the bracelet, which now only works in the rain, that brought them to Oz. Vitriol is tasked with telling his part, and he grudgingly acknowledges that he planned to stop the prince from marrying his niece and when he learned of the wishing bracelet sought it for himself so he could rule Silica. Zeebo admits that Vitriol blackmailed him because knew that Zeebo had stolen the Magic Books from the Wicked Witch of the East to prevent her from overthrowing the Wizard and the other witches. When the prince was spirited away, the bracelet went with him, infuriating Vitriol, who threatened to tell the Witch of his perfidy. Vitrix is disgusted with his uncle and offers to do anything for Vitrea to make up for his part in things. She asks him to go to the grove of the tiny Dragons for one month and remove the harmful bushes and plant harmless ones. He gladly agrees and even Polychrome offers to help. Following that, he is to return as a Prince of Silica.

Suddenly, Dorothy, the Wizard, Ozma and Glinda pop up amidst the company and congratulate everyone. They'd been watching in the Magic Picture. Prince Cyan then formerly proposes to Princess Vitrea. Glinda brings the old forester, Mr. Chips, Huffin Puffin and the other residents of Silica to the Blue Mountain, where soon they hold a wedding celebration. After it's over, the Wizard asks Beak if he thinks Zeebo is a bad man. The parrot responds that he's bad-tempered, but not bad. Glinda notes that had he not stolen the Wicked Witch's books things could have turned out much worse. Thus, he's allowed to return to his life as a tinker. He asks if Beak and Penny will return with him, and Beak agrees on the condition that he's a lot kinder. Penny, however, won't leave Emma Lou, but she says she'd love to live with both of them and Zeebo, which makes him happy, and he promises once a month they'll visit the Blue Mountain and Vitrea and Cyan, both of whom express their love and admiration for Emma Lou. That night, Ozma decides Vitriol's fate and he disappears.

The next day, Ozma sends the Glass Cat along with the other residents of Silica (except the newly promoted Smithereens who flies aboard Venté) back home, where Huffin Puffin restores her chipped exterior. Ketzal is brought to live with Cyan and Vitrea. Glinda requests the bracelet and magic books for study, and everyone returns home. Back in Arizona, Vitriol finds himself in the form of a wooden Indian.

Continuity Notes

Bungle the Glass Cat: This is the not the first time Bungle gets offended by remarks made to her, which cause her to leaves the Emerald City as a result. Dorothy insults her, as well, in Bungle and the Magic Lantern of Oz. Bungle's origins are here explained and explored. She was made as a glass animal along with several others in the foundries of Silica by Huffin Puffin, then purchased by a peddler, who sold her to Dr. Pipt's wife. Dr. Pipt gave her the ruby heart and pink brains that she's so proud of, and then brought her to life with the Powder of Life. For more on Bungle the Glass Cat, see her entry in the Appendices.

Dating: While the story was told to the author at the approach of the centennial, and deals with a 101 year old mystery, the mystery itself begins with an enchantment placed by the Wicked Witch of the East in the pre-Dorothean period when the Wizard reigned in Oz. The exact year is established by the fact that the Tin Woodman witnesses the prince's disappearance at Zeebo's hands just prior to rusting. As he was standing rusted for around a year or so before Dorothy found him in late 1898, this places this event some time in 1896 or 1897. As this story must be earlier than 1998, since the Tin Woodman goes through a major transformation in that year (Forever in Oz), The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1896. 101 years later brings this story to 1997.

Emma Lou: Emma Lou is the third American child to remain in Oz, but not in the palace. Bucky Jones (Lucky Bucky in Oz) goes on to live with Davey in Lake Quad and Bob-Up and Notta (from The Cowardly Lion of Oz) live in a tent in the outskirts of the city. She is also, along with Bob-Up and Robin Brown (The Hidden Valley of Oz), a child who formerly lived in an orphanage. The reader is never given Emma Lou's last name.

Glinda's Apprentice: For the first time in a long time, Glinda is shown to have an apprentice. Rozlyn is able to perform low-level magic, including making a key that will open locked doors. A 1982 ruling relaxed the prohibition against magic, allowing individuals to petition for a license to use magic, which Rozlyn likely has. Glinda's first apprentice was Jinnicky the Red Jinn, whom she taught in the years leading up to 1760 (see Oziana 1977's "Glinda and the Red Jinn.") The earlier prohibition on magic explains why Glinda had no apprentices until then.

Nome Cousins: The Gold Panners are a Nome branch who get their gold from creeks instead of the ground. This is the fourth of the Nome offshoots introduced in Oz. There are the "gnomes" of The Wonder City of Oz, who are unlike Baum (or Thompson's) Nomes, but may be an offshoot, the Rock Nomes of The Witch Queen of Oz, who were cursed by Enilrul, but who appear to have been Nomes, and the Tree Nomes of "Jimmy Bulber in Oz," in Oziana 1974.

Paddy O'Paint: Paddy is one of many leprechauns who normally live in the Forest of Burzee, but who occassionally travel to Ireland and other places. See Leprechauns in Oz.

Rainbow: A slightly different interpretation is given here of the Rainbow, though it basically harmonizes with the idea presented in other stories, such as The Magic Umbrella of Oz, in that the Rainbow (who is a kind of elemental) is not the same as the rainbow. In the latter story, the Rainbow carries the rainbow on his back and is quite conversant with his daughters and Button-Bright (after Polychrome changes him into a being like them). This idea is certainly possible here, as it describes the Rainbow as "a prime and private potentate," who "rules over the mists and mysteries and magical mathematics." He is said to be generally invisible to ordinary folk, though his daughters see him, and presumably he can make himself visible to anyone if he chooses. In this story, there appears to be more of a connection between the rainbow itself and the Rainbow, as when he trips, he's dependent on others to restore him. The Rain King, also identified in other stories as the Rainbow's brother, is also present here.

Tin Woodman: On page 195, Nick Chopper visits his old home in the Great Munchkin Forest, claiming it's for the first time since he went to visit Nimee Aimee with the Scarecrow and Woot (in The Tin Woodman of Oz), however in that book he doesn't visit his old home, unless it happens off-screen, which might have to be assumed from his dialogue here. He explains that he was rusted for a year before Dorothy found him (p. 190). This is confirmed in Thompson's "The Enchanted Tree of Oz," though it appears to have been just over a year (see "Dating"), and it's certainly possible he lost track of the time while rusted. The reader also learns that he wasn't just chopping down trees prior to rusting. Nick is said to be sad that his former home has fallen into disrepair, and he spends considerable time ruminating in this book, contemplating the stars, how it might be nice to sleep again, and trying to remember what it was like to dream. This sets up the mental state that readers will find him in when he appears shortly after in the Oziana 1997 story "The Heart of the Matter," Oz-story Magazine #4's "Reflections" and Forever in Oz.

Toto of Oz: Wherein Toto Finds Button-Bright and the Cookie Giraffe: This story was published in a pamphlet originally produced in 2007 to accompany the limited edition version of this book. It was later reprinted in The Oziana Stories of Gina Wickwar.

Wicked Witch of the East: The narrative presents new information regarding this witch, specifically that she had both intended to marry Prince Cyan of the Blue Mountain, and when he refused, sought to have him and his people destroyed, a plan that failed when Zeebo the Magician used the wrong spell book. She also had planned to overthrow not only the Wizard but take control of the other compass witches by means of the power that her five powerful Books of Magic would have given her. These five books each represent a different kind of magic, colored for each region and magic-type, yellow, blue, purple, red and green. By stealing these valuable books from her, Zeebo prevented this from occurring. This explains: a) why it took so long for any of the compass witches to obtain enough power to wrest control away from the capital, and b) why it never happened.

Book #56 in the Sovereign Sixty!

Synopsis: When Omby Amby finds a white hair in his beard, he covers it and enters the packed Throne Room, only to discover other citizens complaining of aches and pains associated with old age. The Wizard believes people are starting to age in Oz, something that hasn't happened since Ozma came to the throne. Prior to that, he recalls people aging. Ozma recalls that whilst living with Mombi, people aged. The Scarecrow assumes that it changed when Oz got its rightful ruler, but Ozma says she had nothing to do with it.

When they get to Glinda's, she confirms that when Ozma came to the throne (1901), an enchantment was cast that stopped aging unless they wished. At that time, she checked her Great Book of Records, which said "The Aging Enchantment ran out on the Man Who Lives Backwards and on all Oz." Since no one was growing older, Glinda didn't think more of it. Then, a short time ago there was an earthquake in Oz, and the book read: "The Aging Enchantment was cast on the Man Who Lives Backwards and all Oz."

Glinda admits that time spells can be confusing, and notes that the information was interspersed in the midst of Ozma's activities at that time. Glinda was going to organize a search for the Man Who Lives Backwards when Ombi Amby told her that Ozma found him as a baby living in Mombi's storage room and sent him to Glinda. Ozma has no memory of having done this, and hasn't been in the storage room that contains Mombi's old magical instruments in years since she made it off-limits. The Man Who Lives Backwards not only ages backwards, but lives and speaks backwards, reacting to moments that haven't yet occurred. He also has an odd effect on time for those around him, as Ozma notices when a handmaiden brings out baby Zoey (as Glinda named him), and the moment loops. No one knows why the enchantment started or stopped, or how to correct it. The only time magic Glinda has is a ring that can change time for a single use, which she lends to Ozma. It won't let her go back in time, an impossibility only possible with a Parrot-Ox, a creature born of a parrot and ox that can only do the impossible.

As everyone is puzzled, Glinda explains that when she was Tip Ozma sprinkled the Powder of Life on the Sawhorse because she thought he looked like a horse. Yet, she'd never seen a horse until she met Jim the Cabhorse years later (in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). As Ozma puzzles how that might have been she begins to see from the corner of her eye a giant colorful Parrot-Ox, who introduces himself as Tempus, and explains that he was born in Oz a thousand years from now, and met Ozma years ago. The creature's illogical logic sorely tests the Sawhorse's patience. Glinda asks Tempus if he could take Ozma back in time. He says he already has. To make sure everything turns out alright, he pops into the future and returns with a note signed by Ozma assuring them that everything will be fine, to have fun in Absurd City, and to recall that if she can't do something in Oz-time, do it in Ozma-time.

Ozma hops on Tempus' back, and Glinda tells him to go back 100 years to when the Man Who Lives Backwards is old enough to tell them what happened. They begin moving backwards in time and Ozma gets to see things from Zoey's perspective. Tempus begins flying so fast that Ozma tells him to slow down, and finally, she's dropped off his back to the ground. With no Tempus in sight Ozma puzzles at the landscape prior to its enchantment and colored quadrants. She picks up a nearby paper with strange writing on it and is soon approached by a man wearing similar symbols demanding his equation. She introduces herself as Ozma, and he introduces himself as Dr. Majestico. He's never heard of her, only of King Oz, a tyrant who took all the money from the people and outlawed witchcraft in the land, with Glinda at the top of his most-wanted list. King Oz fears Dr. Majestico, as well, but he doesn't believe in magic, as his formula has just proved it can't exist. Ozma pulls out her wand to show him otherwise, but discovers it has no magic. Dr. Majestico reiterates that "science is the only true way the world works." When he catches sight of the paper in Ozma's hand, he says that it's equation is a paradox and his life's work, but Ozma assumes that he means Tempus, and intends to keep it. He gives chase, but she loses him, as well her crown, in the pursuit.

Ozma follows a narrow path that leads to a large golden fountain. A scowling King Oz emerges to quench his thirst, but realizing it's the Fountain of Oblivion, she stops him drinking from it. The king finds her impudent and threatens to have her hanged. Fairies emerge and the enchantment of Oz begins, but things take a dark turn and the king's eyes become fiery. Ozma's paper transforms into Tempus who whisks her away before he can cast a curse on her. The Parrot-Ox takes them into the future, but it's an ugly and forbidding Oz that Ozma now sees. Tempus explains that he had flown her back too far, to a time before Oz was magical and when he didn't exist. They fly by a black, ominous city made of obsidian in the center of Oz. Its citizens look miserable. Ozma is puzzled, but the Parrot-Ox tells her that the Oz she knew doesn't exist anymore because she changed history.

When Ozma alights in the city, Tempus warns her to be careful. Ozma sees Omby Amby, only with a black spiky beard. The guard points his gun at her and tells her his name is Wantowin Battles and has never met her. She asks to see the Wizard, and he laughs cruelly, gives her dark glasses and escorts her into Obsidian City. There she sees the suffering people in black rags. The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz looks the same, but is younger and far fiercer. A familiar-looking man wielding an axe stands besides him. She tells him she's Ozma, but he retorts that though she looks like her, Ozma and her family are ornaments of Roquat. Before opening the floor beneath her, he tells her he's a very bad man, but a very good wizard. Ozma falls into a dungeon, and soon discovers a sickly-looking Glinda. Glinda asks what happened to her after the Battle of Munchkinland, but Ozma explains that she's an Ozma from a different Oz.

After a long discussion, Glinda explains that in her time there were no real witches, but because of her ugliness, King Oz was convinced she was one. Glinda went into hiding in Dr. Majestico's basement. He took care of her until she ventured out one day when she was caught and sentenced to hang alongside another woman suspected of being a witch. They were put in the dungeon where the woman explained that she met the Fairy Queen in her youth and told her she had plans for her and Oz. Together they summoned Lurline, who says she'll turn them into good witches for the land. She intends to enchant Oz into a magical country, but not with an evil king on the throne. She plans to have him drink from his fountain, which she enchanted to have the Water of Oblivion in it. Then, after he's forgotten his cruel ways, she'll enchant all of Oz. She informs her fairies, who go about creating a tree that will bear enchanted apples, which would be planted just as King Oz drinks from the fountain. But something went wrong and he never did. The enchantment couldn't be undone, so Lurline freed the two women and gave them magical powers, as well as the antidote for time. They found two others and gave them powers, so that they all stopped aging. But the king raised up Wicked Witches to oppose them, and his son, grandson, and great-grandson were all as foul as him.

The good witches built up an army of resistance fighters, but then ten years ago, Lurline returned after a hundred years with the news that a fairy born to rule Oz has been born and left in Obsidian City as a changeling. Yet before this Ozma could take the throne, the Wizard arrived in a balloon. The people embraced him, and he overthrew the Royal Family, inciting a civil war that ended with the Battle of Munchkinland. The Wizard turned out to be more evil than the former kings, and Glinda and her companion were arrested. Ozma then realizes that she caused all this when she stopped King Oz from drinking at the fountain.

The Wizard arrives, telling them he's seen her and the Parrot-Ox in his Magic Picture, and knows she's an Ozma from the past, future, or alternate Oz. As the East and West witches were already destroyed by a girl in his employ named Dorothy, he wants her help to capture the Good Witch of the North, Ozma's protector. In exchange, he'll give her rule of the Gillikin Land. Ozma refuses. After he departs, Glinda brings forth a hidden powder that prevents her from starving. It's her version of Lurline's enchantment that keeps them young. Ozma tries to use magic to escape, but Glinda tells her the Wizard put an anti-magic barrier on the cells. When Mombi appears, Ozma reviles her, but Glinda reprimands Ozma. Their Mombi is Good Witch of the North. Mombi is brought up to speed, and explains that she came to free her, and casting a spell, she does.

The three run from the soldiers, but Ozma gets separated and heads to the Forbidden Fountain hoping to find Tempus. Instead, she's menaced by the axe-wielding man who is Nick Chopper. Suddenly, a blonde Ozma rides out on the Courageous Lion and Nick Chopper flees. After awkward introductions, the blonde Ozma explains that she's enlisted the help of the nomes, whimsies, growleywogs and phanfasms to overthrow the Wizard. She then intends to steal Roquat's Magic Belt and use it against her allies. Ozma dislikes this idea, but the blonde Ozma grows haughty and angry. Trying to puzzle out how she could've turned out like that, let alone the Wizard and Dorothy who came from the outside world, Tempus appears. He explains that she's creating time loops and paradoxes, and they head back into the past so Ozma can stop herself from stopping King Oz.

Ozma winds up in Dr. Majestico's hut just as he discovers the equation he thinks proves magic impossible, and just as it flies out the window. Knowing his paradox is her Parrot-Ox, she follows it and finds it before he does, but she has difficulty finding her way back to the Forbidden Fountain in time, and once again Oz turns dark. Tempus convinces her to try again, and goes back again in time, this time closer to the fountain. This time she sees and stops herself, but that Ozma tells her she's not the Ozma she's looking for, as she's looking for her too. Knowing that she won't find her this time out, Ozma instructs herself to go in the wrong direction, which she does. Oz turns dark and Tempus reappears, explaining that in doing the wrong thing she did the right thing. Tempus takes her back, and this time Ozma sees herself, but now from the other perspective. She proceeds, encountering Dr. Majestico and various Ozmas running to and fro. She tries five more times, with an ever-increasing array of Ozmas until she finally tells Tempus this isn't working and nearly despairs that her friends and her Oz don't exist anymore.

Dr. Majestico catches up and tells Ozma he's been wrong and that magic exists, but Ozma puzzles that he's now speaking in a German accent and his strange symbols are now on his skin as well. Suddenly, his neighbor Mr. Scone arrives. He's been turned into a giant muffin. Tempus suddenly appears and Ozma introduces him. She explains what's happened, and pulls out the paper from herself saying everything will be all right and to try Ozma-time. Tempus explains that while she can't find her Oz in Oz-time, which deals with this particular Oz, she can find it in Ozma-time, which is her personal history. Dr. Majestico adds that normally personal time and historical time are the same, but in time travel they differ. Tempus says he can take her back through Ozma-time. Ozma flows backwards in time until just before she warned King Oz not to drink at the fountain. This time she remains silent and he drinks and loses his memory. Oz is enchanted to a fairyland and Ozma's mistake and its consequences are erased.

Back on Tempus, they fly into the future to 100 years before she set off (1899) to the home of Mombi. There, Ozma approaches Tip playing in a field and encourages him. She then confronts and surprises Mombi, demanding to know where to find the Man Who Lives Backwards. Mombi offers only riddles, but when Ozma threatens her with water, she tells her to follow the path of least logic. Tempus leads the way to where he snifs out a paradox. They come to Brussle's Barbershop in the Gillikin Country of Tonsoria, ruled by Princess Ayala. The proprietor has let his hair and beard grow to the floor due to two conflicting laws. Ozma promises to speak to the princess for him and learns she's been visiting relatives in Absurd City and hasn't returned. As one must fly on the wings of a Parrot-Ox to get there, she hops on Tempus.

Absurd City lies atop the clouds. The Escher-like city is the natural habitat of Parrot-Oxes, and numerous ones, all of whom are Tempus, are playing time-tag. Heading to the mixed-up castle is no easy feat for Ozma, nor is navigating the ever-changing castle. Ozma finds numerous Princess Ayalas in the Mirror Room, and uses her wand and fairy magic to find the real princess and exit. The Princess confirms that the Man Who Lives Backwards is beneath the castle, having arrived there just before the Wizard came to Oz. Saying goodbye, Ozma heads to the basement down an interminable number of stairs. Despite her exhaustion, she continues until she falls and lands in a corridor filled with a swirling mist in which time seems to alter and warp. In a chamber walled with books, she discovers that the Man Who Lives Backwards is not only a grown-up Zoey moving backwards in time, but King Oz. He holds up signs that tell her not to worry and to follow him. He leads her into a misty labyrinth where again time seems to swirl. She stumbles, but is saved by Tempus who warns her that she could be stuck there a thousand years. They meet up with King Oz atop another Parrot-Ox at a place where time stands still (in personal time). The former king feels shy as he's only dealt with Tempus for years. He says he's not from this Oz, and according to the books he's read (brought by Tempus), there's a manifold Ozziverse.

For most of his childhood (as he was growing younger in this Oz), he lived with the Wicked Witch of the East. She liked having around someone who lived backwards, as she used the effect it produced in her spells, including one she cast on Nick Chopper when he was the fiancée of Nimmie Aimee. With the time magic placed on his axe, he was prevented from dying in the process of dismemberment, but she enjoyed torturing him. He learned of Absurd City from the witch's diary and discovered that he had lived there once (years earlier when he was older) and no one could rescue him due to a magic stairway that none could pass. (Ozma was the first to succeed). He escaped the witch and arrived there, but from her perspective he escaped Absurd City and she captured him. From his readings he realized that the Wicked Witches sought to get rid of the Royal Family. Two were captured and disguised by Mombi. She then cast a spell that transported Ozma's grandfather to an Oz where time runs backwards. This spell brought that King Oz into this Oz. After the Wicked Witch of the East was killed by Dorothy (in 1899), Mombi took various things from her castle, including King Oz (now a two-year old baby), which she then transformed into an hourglass and kept on her mantel. (Ozma remembered Mombi having an hourglass that ran backwards.) Ozma asks him about the key to casting the Aging Enchantment, but he knows nothing about it, having only been two years old when it was cast to prevent him from disappearing. He suggests she travel back to the time the enchantment was cast, and volunteers to join her.

The four fly forward to the time the earthquake happened and open the storage chamber, where Mombi's spellbooks, cauldron and powders are kept. There, they find the hourglass. The room fills with mist, which King Oz confirms come from cracks in the Ozziverse caused by too many time anomalies. Tempus clarifies that most time anomalies stem from the Man Who Lives Backwards. They wonder how he turned back into a baby, as Mombi didn't know time magic. As Ozma uses her handkerchief to wipe the dust off the hourglass, the earthquake happens and Ozma can see the cracks in the Ozziverse. The hourglass falls from the table. Rushing to grab it, she falls from Tempus as it shatters and the sand and glass turn to smoke and rearrange themselves into a baby. Ozma sees through the cracks into different visions of Oz, including real-world adaptations/re-imaginings that were animated, silent movies, or performed as plays. Mombi's powders fall through into the different visions, and Ozma nearly plummets into a very dark Oz. But she remembers the encouraging note an earlier version of her sent herself, and grabs onto a third Tempus as the cracks close.

With King Oz restored to Absurd City (not wanting a repeat of what happened due to his proximity to himself as a baby), Ozma alerts Omby Amby of the baby, and travels back to her own time to explain to everyone that it was she who had cast the Aging Enchantment when she wiped the surface of the hourglass with her handkerchief, forgetting the grains of powder Glinda from Obsidian City had given her (which she'd put in the handkerchief). That powder stopped aging, and thus stopped the hourglass/King Oz from aging. Since he aged backwards, it stopped him aging in the past. Thus, the Aging Enchantment started when she rubbed the hourglass and stopped years earlier. When King Oz stopped aging, everyone near him stopped. This started with the Gillikins (in 1899). When the hourglass was taken to the Emerald City (in 1901), all of Oz stopped aging. The Sawhorse, however, argues that Ozma couldn't have cast the spell since she'd have never gone back in time to do that if the Aging Enchantment wasn't cast in the first place. They conclude it's a paradox.

Ozma believes they'll need more of the powder to put on Zoey so that aging stops in Oz. Glinda notes that Lurline had given her a potion to stay young, telling her she might need it to help Oz one day, but putting it on Zoey isn't the answer. When Ozma starts getting stuck in time loops and backwards-speaking, Glinda gets an idea. She casts the potion on Ozma, and Oz stops aging. Ozma then writes a note to give to herself via Tempus. They say goodbye to him, but he explains that he's always around if you look hard enough

Continuity Notes

Absurd City & The Man Who Lives Backwards: The Man Who Lives Backwards is not the King Oz Pastoria I that once ruled Oz, but a version of him from a parallel Oz universe that runs backwards, what I'm calling Backwards Oz. Around 1843, Mombi switched King Oz Pastoria, who was then visiting a city in the Gillikin Country, with one from an Oz that runs backwards. Thus, the Man Who Lives Backwards came to this city, which became, due to his presence, Absurd City. Absurd City is a cloud city that does not exist in time, or rather, exists in unchanging time, likely when it came into being. 1843 is what's currently considered accurate given the age of the Man Who Lives Backwards. He'd be 66 at this time, which matches his appearance, but more importantly allows him to de-age to the age of two in 1899 when Mombi takes him from the castle of the Wicked Witch of the East after she's been crushed by Dorothy's house. Anyone who thus visits Absurd City, which can only be accessed via Parrot-Ox goes to this timeless realm. He escaped Absurd City around the age of 15 in 1886 (43 years later) at which point he was captured by the Wicked Witch of the West, who kept him prisoner and used the time-lapses he created in her spells.

Backwards Oz: How is there an Oz that runs backwards? Tempus makes it clear that Mombi doesn't know time magic, so she didn't create it, and it may have been an accident that caused her to send Pastoria I to Backwards Oz and bring forth Pastoria I from there. Backwards Oz was likely created by Ozma on her 1st trip into the past when she met a version of herself in Obsidian City, as Tempus warned her (in Chapter 9) that she was creating time loops and paradoxes. Although Obsidian City ceased to exist when Ozma corrected her mistake by going back and ensuring that King Oz drank of the Forbidden Fountain, the later appearance of Mordra, the good version of the Wicked Witch of the West, who escaped that Oz to come to the primary Oz (with the help of Tempus) means that either the Backwards Oz somehow also escaped destruction, or that Mombi's spell on King Oz reopened such a place. Given that this never happened to anyone else Mombi enchanted, this would imply that there was something about King Oz that affected Mombi's spell in this way, such as a pre-existing time-enchantment...

Dating: The frame story events take place in 1999. The time travel portions initially take place in 1742, when Ozma changes history. She moves backwards and forwards in the alternate Oz that she inadvertently created. The years in this "Obsidian Oz" are difficult to discern because they don't correspond with the known dates for Lurline, the Wizard, and Dorothy's arrivals in Oz. Ozma notes that the personalities of Oscar and Dorothy shouldn't have changed since they came from the outside world (and were thus unaffected by the alteration in Oz history), and they have. She chalks this up to yet another paradox, and so the dates in this alternate Oz have to be regarded as similarly paradoxical. Once Ozma has corrected history in 1742 back to the way it was, she travels to 1899 to speak with Mombi and find the Man Who Lives Backwards. She does so in Absurd City, which exists in its own unchanging time of 1843. After this, she returns to her time in 1999 and prepares a note for the next past/future Ozma. This appears to reflect a time loop that they're stuck in, though whether it's indefinite one, or one that requires a fixed number of trips to set time back to normal is unknown.

Immortality: In the alternate universe Ozma creates, Lurline gives Glinda and the other good witches immortality in the form of a powder that was an antidote for time. Interestingly, the Good Witch of the North comes up with a similar formula based on that, which Glinda eats to stave off hunger. In the original Oz universe, Lurline gave Glinda and others immortality through a similar potion. Both versions must have been made of the velp vines of Burzee mentioned in The Giant Garden of Oz.

King Oz: The real King Oz Pastoria I is to our knowledge still living in Backwards Oz, and has been since 1843. At the end of Paradox in Oz, the Man Who Lives Backwards was returned to Absurd City. Theoretically, Tempus should, from there, be able to return him back to his Oz, and bring the real King Oz back to the real Oz, though if so, why didn't he do so earlier? In either case, it's unknown what's become of him since or if Ozma, Glinda or the Wizard stepped in to restore him.

Nick Chopper: The reason Nick Chopper didn't die when he was dismembered by the enchanted axe is, according to this story, the time-magic that the Wicked Witch of the East had gotten from the effects of the Man Who Lives Backwards, who she'd captured. This magic was used on the axe that cut off Nick's limbs, which prevented his death and allowed him the time needed for Ku-Klip to replace the missing limb (and head) with a tin one.

Paradoxes and the Non-Aging Enchantment: The biggest paradox of the story is the one that the Sawhorse points out at the end of the story, namely that Ozma couldn't have cast the Aging Enchantment since the only reason she went back in time in the first place (when she cast the Aging Enchantment) was because the enchantment ran out. While this is chalked up as a paradox, which is the punch line of the book (and an amusing one at that), there has to be more to it than that.

The existence of the note from an Ozma who had already gone through it all, as well as Tempus' statement that this already happened, indicate that the story we're reading is from a later Oz that's been caught in a temporary time-loop, and not from the first time these events occurred. The story told in Paradox in Oz appears to be the second or third journey into the past, predicated by what happened in the first. But the Sawhorse's argument still stands regardless.

The answer may be that the initial trip had a different origin. Ozma's first trip into the past may have been not to fix a breach in the Aging Enchantment, since she herself caused that enchantment by accident when she went in the past, but rather to discover the origin of baby Zoey and the mystery of his backwards aging. On this initial trip into time, Ozma then created a new paradox (and the entry in the Glinda's Great Book of Records), which her subsequent trips replay. Recall that in the story she'd earlier caused a severe problem when she stopped King Oz from drinking of the Forbidden Fountain, changing Oz history. It was but her first of TWO changes to Oz history. As the book shows us, in her attempts to fix that first problem, she met an alternate Glinda in Obsidian City who gave her a powder to stop aging. Later, when she brought King Oz back with her to 1999 so that he could see himself as a baby in the storeroom housing Mombi's items, she accidentally put that powder on the hourglass, enchanting the backwards-living King Oz so that the non-aging spell went into affect in 1899 when Mombi first turned him into an hourglass.

Prior to Ozma causing this second change in Oz history, the non-aging enchantment had been cast on Ozma by Lurline, and was intended to go into effect when Ozma assumed the throne, which it did. However, when Ozma went back in time and put the grains of non-aging on baby Zoey (likely to prevent him from further de-aging in fear that he'd disappear from existence), she changed the focal point of that enchantment from herself to baby Zoey, who then became the one responsible for Oz's non-aging spell instead of her. This was later corrected by Glinda who re-placed the enchantment back on Ozma, where it belonged and where it had been in the first place.

This means that there was initially no earthquake, and that baby Zoey wasn't released from the hourglass by Ozma, but by the sands from the hourglass finally running out at 100 years, causing the baby to be naturally released and discovered (likely crying) by Omby Amby. It's noted (in Chapter 19) that Mombi did not have the power to keep King Oz imprisoned in an hourglass forever. She first obtained him as a two year old from the Wicked Witch of the East, who'd had him a prisoner for some years, and to maintain him at that age, turned him into an hourglass, but one that would only run for so long. One hundred years later, it ran out and baby Zoey emerged in Ozma's storeroom in the Emerald City, where they kept Mombi's things.

Parrot-Oxes: The giant half-parrot/half-ox named Tempus is itself a paradox, and exists to resolve paradoxes, and keep the Ozziverse stable. The multiple parrot-oxes that exist are all one and the same Tempus from different times, and can easily cross times and universes. Tempus can thus do the seemingly impossible, and is a benevolent creature, though difficult to understand at times.

Synopsis: During a parade in New York, orphan sister and brother Junipee and Stot are picked up by a giant float of their favorite cereal mascot Chubby Cub, which gathers them in its giant cereal bowl balloon and floats off into the sky. Two days later, the balloon lands in the Quadling Country of Oz and floats off. Walking through a purple meadow they soon meet farmers Ubb and Genfa, who tell them they're in Oz, and feed them from their baconouba melons. They'd never seen African Americans before, and when the kids ask for a telephone, they seem confused, and direct them to find the Pebble and Rock Man.

Following their directions, they see a sign, but a turkey warns them that he has a reputation and is unfriendly. They kids are surprised to converse with a turkey, but press on, entering a dark cave where they encounter a rock-colored man smoking a pipe. He explains that he doesn't have a telephone, but a tellus stone, which is a magical rock that allows him to speak to anyone else who has a tellus stone. He introduces himself as Ruggedo, former King of the Nomes before being deposed by his chamberlain Kaliko (whose not even of royal blood). He explains that all the precious gems that exist in their country exist because of the work of the Nomes underground, without which their civilization would collapse.

Ruggedo tells the children his tale, claiming to have been an innocent Nome until his father Cavernonko retired and he reluctantly took over. He ruled wisely and peaceably for a long time until he had dealings with the King of Ev, who sought to sell his family to slavery. Junipee objects to slavery, but Ruggedo assures him it was long ago. This led to the lost of his Magic Belt due to the meddling of Ozma and Dorothy, and then later his kingdom due to the interference of Betsy Bobbin. He was also robbed of his memory twice, eventually leading him to where he is now, making pebbles for rock gardens.

Stot enjoys his stories, but Junipee informs him that they wish to return to New York. Ruggedo agrees to help, but they must first consult the Pillar of Truth, an underground stone pillar that he only just discovered, but which is the reason he settled in this cave years earlier. The Pillar is a sparkling white column with gems simulating the face of an old man. They ask how to return home, and it tells them to travel with the Nome King. Ruggedo asks how he can regain his position, and it tells him to take the Colorless Gloves from the Queen of the Mangaboos. Ruggedo explains that once he has back his Magic Belt, he can send them home. He doesn't know how to get to the Vegetable Kingdom of the Mangaboos, and the Pillar tells him to follow Eureka. As Ruggedo had never met Eureka before, he leads the children south to the Emerald City.

In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Ozma, Dorothy, Toto, Cap'n Bill, Trot, Betsy, the Shaggy Man, Tik-Tok, the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger, Eureka and Bungle are gathered to see the Wizard shows off his newest invention, the Health Lamp, which can cure wounds, broken hearts, low spirits and provide sun-tans. Toto departs to meet one of the piglets while the Wizard attempts to make his invention work. But when the bulb suddenly explodes, everyone in the room starts to shrink to the size of fleas, even Tik-Tok! Ozma halts the shrinking with her wand, but it's all she can do. Only Eureka and the Glass Cat remain their normal size. The Shaggy Man suggests sending them to Glinda to get help.

Eureka and Bungle depart, but they bicker about the assignment, and Bungle tricks her into going to the Tin Castle, where she claims to have overheard the newspaper's editor say Glinda was heading there. When Eureka departs, the Glass Cat heads south, but then all of a sudden she ends up in the Gillikin Country. This is due to Ruggedo. When he and the children neared the Emerald City, he checked his tell-on-scope, a spy device made of a flat round stone. He asked to see a cat, and was shown the Glass Cat (unaware that it's not Eureka). Because Bungle's made of a mineral, he can control her to some degree, and draws her towards them. But when the Nome calls her Eureka, she plays along, telling a story about Ozma having transformed her to glass when she and Dorothy came to live there. Ruggedo announces who he is and threatens that if she doesn't guide them to the Mangaboo Kingdom, he'll shatter her. Bungle doesn't know where it is, but as they enter the Winkie Country and settle for lunch, she goes on ahead and gets directions from a mouse, whose learned about it from the earthworms.

The shrunken Ozites, meanwhile, are forced to hide when Jellia Jamb comes to clean the room, fearful she'll step on them or mop them away. The Hungry Tiger leads them through a crack between the tiles to the wall, where they come to a mouse hole. Ozma determines to see if there's anything she can do to make her mouse citizens happy, and they discover a giant city built by the mice. Thousands of them have gathered for a political rally, and Betsy warns them that they're now as small to the mice as mice are normally to them. So Ozma uses her wand to expand their shadows and use them to speak through.

The mouse citizens of Eroveechkeevna are disturbed by the visit of the encroaching shadows, but Ozma's shadow reassures them that she speaks for Ozma and that they come in peace. But the two presidents, Harcheevchack and Sorgheefdrock say they won't grovel before the Colossicans, which is what they call the giants of the Oversized World. They wish for assurances that the appointed line of Lurline will not enslave them, an assurance that Ozma makes. That settled, they explain that both presidents are equal and their elections are just for good civic feeling. When Dorothy inquires about the Queen of the Field Mice, they explain that all mice are republics now and that the Queen was deposed and re-elected Supreme President for Life.

Torseechundo, the ambassador for the Republic of Beevboobrala, then arrives and tells them he was late due to having to give directions to the Mangaboo Kingdom to a glass cat traveling with Ruggedo. Tik-Tok believes Bungle was abducted and that Ruggedo's reformation has again not stuck. The Ozites bid farewell to the mice and head back to the throne room, anxious to figure out how to save Bungle.

The next day, Bungle leads his companions through a Winkie prairie when they come to the Deadly Desert at last. The Nome announces that they could take the underground tunnel his Nomes dug years ago. When Bungle tries to counter that it was filled in, Ruggedo explains that the transformations of the Magic Belt don't last forever and wear off. Creating an entrance, they enter down into the tunnel that goes beneath the Desert. When the party pauses to sleep, the Glass Cat goes on ahead, and sees eyes looking through various cracks along the way. Calling out the beings, Bungle discovers that all the eyes belong to a single creature, who calls itself Geodd. As it won't come out, Bungle bids it goodbye and moves on.

Eureka rejoins the party in the throne room, explaining how she'd been tricked by Bungle, but they tell her she's been taken by Ruggedo. Dorothy suggests bringing water from the Fountain of Oblivion, but Shaggy doesn't see the point. Eureka agrees to transport them and Ozma's wand transports them to in-between her shoulder blades.

Ruggedo and his party, meanwhile, make it into Ev and climb back up to the surface, where they begin searching for food and shelter. They're drawn by a light and approach a large ship with wheels. They're met by the Sandamanders, who have the heads of men and women, the bodies of lobsters and the legs of kangaroos. They are friendly explorers who live in the Deadly Desert, which to them is the Deserts of the Sands of Life. They serve their guests pies (which have been preserved by the sands, but have all traces of it removed) and give them bunks to sleep in. They've been stuck where they are for 319 years, but as time has no meaning for them, they're content.

Dorothy asks the Wizard how she could have fallen from California and he from Nebraska and ended up in Mangaboo (in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). He believes that there are pockets of magic far above and below the earth, which lead to the "fairy-earth," wherein fairylands like Oz and Mangaboo reside. The Pink Kitten finally reaches the western edge of Oz, and they see a sand whale approaching them from the Desert. Kwokkle introduces himself, explaining that he's a voiptigg, and lives in the enchanted deserts, serving the Sandamanders as transportation. They cannot long live outside the Desert. Eureka asks if he can escort them across the desert, and he agrees, but has to submerge from time to time. So the Wizard suggests they imitate Jonah, and Kwokkle thinks it's a good idea. They enter the sand whale's mouth and travel across the Desert.

Ruggedo's party, meanwhile, begin to wear down after several hours of walking and no landmark in sight. Bungle starts hearing things and his suspicions are realized when they suddenly find themselves in a Phanfasm village. The residents, having transformed their path to lead them to Mt. Phantastico, now emerge, transforming themselves into glass cats, children and Nomes, then winged wolves, fanged owls and eight foot tall toddlers. State refuses to show fear, however, which irritates Gugnarsh who charges the First and Foremost with failing to bring proper sport. Bungle privately suggests to the First and Foremost that he show them whose in charge by annoying his people and sending them away. He does so and the lucky travelers are sent to above the Nome Caverns.

Eureka, meanwhile, finds himself in what appears to be a Meadow of Mice (mouse plants growing wiggling mice), but the Wizard uses his spyglass to see a park and pavilion, with music and handsomely dressed people. He then passes it to Cap'n Bill who sees the beach and sea; the Shaggy Man an apple orchard; the Lion a quiet woodland; Trot a group of kids playing and reading; Ozma sees herself; Dorothy sees the palace; the Hungry Tiger fat babies. Only Tik-Tok can identify where they are: the Kingdom of Dreams.

Ruggedo, Bungle and the siblings, meanwhile, come to the pineapple shaped mountain that leads down to the Vegetable Kingdom of Mangaboo. Ruggedo magically creates handholds so that they can descend the chasm and makes the rocks glow so they can see their way. They alight upon a cavern, where Ruggedo tells them they're descending down an ice volcano. When they sit upon a boulder, it starts sliding at an ever-quickening pace, so Ruggedo turns it into a kind of canoe, but for hours they speed along at a terrifying rate. When Ruggedo realizes they are nearing the blue suns of the underground kingdom, their canoe flies over the edge of a cliff!

Tik-Tok informs the party that in the daytime, the mists of the Kingdom of Dreams produces the most pleasant dreams for whoever looks upon it; but at nighttime, it produces the most frightening visions, and they manifest as real, so that none have ever survived a full night in the Kingdom of Dreams. Ozma declares, however, that it's the shortest route, and the Wizard agrees that at their tiny size, and without the spyglass, they won't see anything. Betsy suggests they cover up Eureka's eyes and travel through on instinct, and Ozma decides she can just shut her eyes, consoling her that there are no trees or impediments, just an expanse of dirt, and she is warned against eating the dream-food of the mouse plants. The night comes soon, and she watches as the mice turn into giant evil rats. Shutting her eyes, she attempts to proceed, but fear clouds her judgment. Finally, she comes to a cube-shaped building with one door in the middle and no windows, surrounded by a moat of air. They speculate it might be where the king lives. Then, suddenly, they're inside. They find a small being made of mirrored balls. Words appear on his surface, welcoming then, and announcing that he is the Dream King. Yet, he doesn't seem to understand her and she gets frustrated. The Wizard finally figures out that he answers the question she's going to ask. With that insight, they learn that Eureka must ran as fast in any direction to depart the Kingdom of Dreams and get to the land above Mangaboo. Departing, she does as instructed and finds herself falling asleep, and when she awakens is another country entirely. They approach a crack in the ground leading to the Vegetable Kingdom and Ozma warns her friends that in this realm, they could get hurt and die. But using her wand she's able to float Eureka (and her passengers) down slowly into the underworld.

Ruggedo and company sail just beneath the blue sun of the Mangaboos, passing by the seven other colored ones, and their ride begins slowing down as the air grows denser and they arrive at the glass city. The residents take a liking to the Glass Cat, but are anxious about Ruggedo. Finally, they agree to take them to see Queen Ssyr. A tall, silver-haired woman with a star above her forehead, Ssyr explains that she cannot give her Colorless Gloves, as only the Supreme Monarch has authority to transfer possession of the gloves, but in so doing she would no longer be recognized as a Monarch, and so by the laws of logic, it's impossible for her to fulfill his request. As Ruggedo gets angry and makes threats, Junipee tricks Ssyr into showing her the invisible gloves, then without her noticing, steals them from her arms while the Queen frets that they've been lost. Ruggedo is proud of her, but she tells him they're only borrowing them.

Eureka and her passenger reach the realm of the Dragonettes, who remember Eureka, and who are still tied up by their mothers. But when one gets loose, Eureka bolts, leading the Dragonette to a wall when it hits its head. Concerned that she might have killed herself, Ozma demands to check in on her, but the young dragon is fine. They next come to the great cavern-land of the Gargoyles (aka. the Land of Naught), but Ozma uses her wand to have Eureka walk above it in the dense air. Reaching Pyramid Mountain, Eureka climbs up, and they look in on the old home of the Braided Man, which is now a cavern filled with storm and tumult with a raging sea below. Ozma tells them with the Magic Belt she transported him back to his original home years ago. But as they pass by his hut, a gargoyle emerges. Dorothy encourages Eureka to shriek, remembering they don't like sound, but it only responds calmly, explaining that he's grown used to noise over the years. He doesn't have a name, but is looking for a means to become uglier, as he was exiled for being born too beautiful. He's tried various means, but to no avail. Bidding him adieu, they descend to the Valley of Voe. Betsy suggests Ozma float her again, but Eureka is famished and insists on looking for food.

Similarly, Junipee and Stot are hungry, and while Ruggedo goes off to find rocks, they enter a cafe where they're served air, which is what the Mangaboos consume, but after discussing it with Corje, the cook and waiter, he brings them fruit. When they leave, however, Fegrole, High-Knob of the Branchmen inform them they must go with him. Bungle escapes.

Eureka manages to find toots and fruits and a river, but all of a sudden she disappears, and her passengers soon realize she's invisible, having accidentally eaten baby dama-fruit amongst the berries. When invisible bears approach, Ozma uses her wand to float Eureka up and into a cave, where her visibility returns, and they enter the land of the Mangaboos. But they find the passage blocked. Ozma sends Tik-Tok through a crack, and he discovers the Sorcerer Murch, who he convinces to clear the way.

Junipee and Stot are taken to the Bin of Confinement to keep the outsiders out of the way, as the queen believes they've stolen the gloves or brought bad luck. The Bin is contained with the Solarium of Justice, which is a glass maze. In it is Ruggedo, angry at being arrested for eating a public thoroughfare. Once together they decide to try the gloves, and Junipee discovers that if she thinks of a place, the gloves reach into it.

Tik-Tok, meanwhile, convinces Murch that it's proper to use his magic to restore the Ozites to their proper size, which he does. The Wizard and Dorothy press him to see how much he knows of the past, and he retains a vague memory of the first time the Wizard and she had been in the Mangaboo land. Just then, Bungle stumbles upon them and explains briefly what's been going on. The Sorcerer is convinced to help their friends escape from the Solarium, but when they get there they find no one's there. Junipee had used the gloves to get out. As Ruggedo threw a fit about not getting them, she allows him one glove. Together they use them to get the Magic Belt from the palace, but as it's too small for Ruggedo, she insists on wearing it. Her first wish is to restore the Gloves to Queen Ssyr. Then she wishes the three of them into Ozma's bedroom, where the three of them fight for the Belt, until Ruggedo gets it and wishes them rooted to the spot. Then, he decides he wants to take over Oz and make it a colony of the Nome Dominions, and wishes Ozma and her companions there, but unable to move or speak.

As he determines what to do about Billina, explaining that chicken eggs are poisonous to Nomes, Junipee points out that he stuck his hand in Ozma's plate, which has scrambled eggs in them (laid by Billina herself). Shrieking that he's poisoned and soon to die, he wishes on the Belt to release Ozma. She demands the Belt in exchange for helping him, and restores everyone to normal. Everyone suggests a different fate for Ruggedo, but Stot pipes in and says they had a lot of fun with Ruggedo. As Ruggedo carps on that he's dying, Ozma tells him that since he's in the Emerald City he cannot die or get sick, and even eggs cannot harm him. Ruggedo is relieved but annoyed he gave over the Belt, telling Ozma she can't blame him for what he's done over the years. But she says he is to blame for being lazy and not trying harder to restrain his wicked nature. Ozma notes that if he leaves the enchantment of Oz, he might be destroyed by the eggs he touched. The Wizard gets an idea, and Ozma appoints him personal ambassador to the Dominions of the Nomes, and since the grounds of an embassy are the figurative soil of the nation, the enchantment of Oz will continue to protect him. Thus, Ozma sends him back to Ev.

Ozma tells Junipee and Stot that the Barrier of Invisibility only opens for those who have a reason to come to Oz, and grants them a choice to stay in Oz or return home. Junipee leaves it to her brother, and he decides that as they don't have television to go back, and Ozma sends them home to New York.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Story takes place in the winter. No year is explicit, though the author's intent was to have this story set nearly a hundred years after Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, but as he does not take into account Ruggedo's adventures during Thompson's run or the stories of later authors, some minor continuity-spackle must be applied to make it fit where best it makes sense. Ruggedo is said to have been living in the Gillikin Country for some years, and had been stripped of his memory at least twice. His later fate, as ambassador of Oz to Ev, must also be taken into account as to its placement. Given that this former Nome King can be either Roquat or Ruggedo (currently under investigation: see "How I Spent My Winter Invasion,") the Royal Timeline of Oz is currently considering placement in 2003.

Dragons: In The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1, the sorcerer Zim had reduced the mother dragon, Hadasse, (called the Dragon of the Peak) to a foot-long size and kept her as a pet; her children were reduced to mouse-size and given to Prince Bobo of Boboland. They are back in their original home 68 years later, and one of the dragonettes, Vdoxo, remembers Eureka from the first time she visited in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. In The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3, Zim is convinced by the Love Fairy, Amouretto of Amouré, that it was wrong to enslave Hadasse and give away her children as pets. So, Zim returns them to where he believes it is safe. Whether he determines that their original home was safe, or they returned their on their own is unknown, but the four dragonettes appear underground in The Emerald City Mirror #12, either in a new home, or on their way back to their original home.

Junipee and Stot: While these siblings are not the first orphans to come to Oz, they are among the few African-American protagonists to do so. As with Beany Johnson, from Beany in Oz, the fact that they're black is a non-issue to everyone in Oz. As with Beany, they're offered permanent homes in Oz, but unlike Beany, Stot is too in love with television to give up.

Kingdom of Dreams: Ruggedo in Oz is one of three stories to visit the Kingdom of Dreams, a location created by L. Frank Baum for his Tik-Tok in Oz endpapers map, but which he never got around to visiting in story before he died. The other stories that utilize this domain are The Magic Carpet of Oz and "The Strong Man of Oz," and not inappropriately, they each present different details. The former has the Sandman put those who enter the kingdom to sleep by means of Phantagens who engender dreams. In the latter there are dream goblins, who may be the same thing, and a Witch of Dreams. On this trip, they see pleasant dreams by day, and nightmares by night, and meet the Dream King. This is not irreconcilable, however, and in a realm of dreams, nearly anything is possible. One question that remains is the relationship between the Sandman and Dream King.

Mangaboo: The community of Mangaboos is a far less hostile environment than the community Dorothy, the Wizard and Eureka visited in 1902 in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. The residents, from the queen to the sorcerer, have names, are more emotional, and less averse to what humans eat. Though not mentioned in the story, all of this is attributable to the help the Sorcerer Zim gave the Mangaboos in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1.

Mice: There have been some political changes in the world of mice, as they themselves note that the Queen of the Field Mice has been deposed and re-elected as Supreme President for Life. Mice are now organized in a republic, not a monarchy. It seems likely, however, that the Queen of the Field Mice continues to bear that title in a ceremonial way. There are at least two cities of mice living in Oz at this time, one established in the Palace (behind mouse holes), called Eroveechkeevna, and one established elsewhere in Oz, called Beevboobrala.

Phanfasms: The behavior of the Phanfasms in this story is odd, for although they attempt to scare the Nome and his companions, they are far more gentle than they normally are, and the First and Foremost even sends them away upon Bungle's suggestion. This behavior is best understood in the context of Phanfasm history (see "History of the Phanfasms" in the Appendices), as the remnant that populate Mt. Phantastico at this time are reformed Phanfasms. Seeing the untrustworthy Ruggedo, and not knowing what his agenda was, they would have attempted to scare him and his companions away, so that when Bungle told him that they wanted to depart, they gladly obliged.

Ruggedo: Having lived peaceably in the Gillikin Country for an indeterminate number of years (as the Pebble and Rock Man), Ruggedo has at this point recovered not only his memories, but his magical abilities, and owns a few magical items as well. He'd settled in that cave in that part of the country because he'd heard the Pillar of Truth existed somewhere nearby, and knew that with its knowledge he could achieve what he wanted, which he says is "to reclaim his rightful position in my underground dominions." To his credit, while he wants the Belt back, he doesn't think of conquest or even revenge until the end, and his behavior towards the children is not unkindly. Because of touching eggs, and being prevented from destruction by the fact of being in Oz, Ozma appoints him ambassador of Oz, since that will give him diplomatic immunity and he won't be destroyed outside of Oz in case of a delayed reaction. He then is returned to Ev. His redemption is compatible with the redemption given him in Dr. Angelina Bean in Oz because both are dealing with different individuals, one who is Roquat, one is Ruggedo: (currently under investigation: see "How I Spent My Winter Invasion.")

Sandamanders and sand whales: Two more inhabitants of the Deadly Desert, the sand whales are properly known as voiptiggs, and they live alongside and ferry the chimerical Sandamanders, a friendly race with the heads of men and women, the bodies of lobsters and the legs of kangaroos.

Underground Tunnel: As is true for The Shaggy Man of Oz and The Red Jinn in Oz, the underground tunnel that the Nomes built (in The Emerald City of Oz) is still intact. There is an interesting exchange between Bungle and Ruggedo about it, with the cat claiming it was filled in. Of course, this is the official story, as Ozma wouldn't want anyone (especially Nomes) knowing that it was still there. It's revealed in The Red Jinn in Oz that Ozma almost immediately reopened the tunnel, although leaving a plug in on her side, as she knew that other beings who lived underground were using the tunnel and adjacent ones. Ruggedo, however, claims that the Magic Belt's powers wear off, which seems ridiculous, and might simply be a cover story to explain how he knows the tunnel is open.

Wooden Gargoyles: The realm of the Wooden Gargoyles is noted to be the Land of Naught. Although a fire caused by the Wizard burned much of their old city and that some who fled into Voe were killed by its inhabitants there (both details noted in chapter 23 of The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1, which takes place in 1933), its existence here, 70 years later, indicates that not only did they survive the fire, but eventually rebuilt their city.

History: Deluxe editions of this book came with the companion booklet Lost Histories from the Royal Librarian of Oz.

Prologue

Synopsis: Betsy and Trot go exploring in the vast Royal Library of Oz where they make an unusual discovery.

The Great and Terrible Oz Mystery

Synopsis: Everything changes for Ojo, when during a mystery game, he learns from Jellia Jamb that certain people in the Emerald City are not who they seem to be!

Interlude I

The Witch's Mother in Oz

Synopsis: A mother never forgets her child, even if that child was once a Wicked Witch!

The Trade: A Langwidere Story

Synopsis: What happens when a young woman wants to give Princess Langwidere her head?

Ojo and the Woozy

Synopsis: Ojo finds it hard to adjust to his new life, but a little help from a friend goes a long way.

The Other Searches for the Lost Princess

Meeting the Marshmallow Twins: The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman's Journey

Synopsis: Coming soon

The Enchanted Pigs of Oz: The Adventures of the Shaggy Man, His Brother, Tik-Tok, and Jack Pumpkinhead

Synopsis: Coming soon

The Cookywitch Coven: The Adventures of Ojo, Unc Nunkie, and Dr. Pipt

Synopsis: Coming soon

Continuity Notes

Dating: These three short stories take place during and after The Lost Princess of Oz. See that entry for more details.

Chop

Synopsis: Button-Bright has a penchant for getting lost and finding adventure. But when he finds a cabin by the desert, it may be his last.

Interlude 2

In Flesh of Burnished Tin: A Fragment

Synopsis: A short look into the life of Nimmie Aimee under the Wicked Witch of the East.

Diplomatic Immunity

Synopsis: While out to stop magic workers from practicing magic in Oz, Trot and Betsy stumble upon Sky Island in Oz!

Continuity Notes

Dating: While no explicit date is listed, it must take while the ban on magic is strictly being enforced, and before Betsy becomes a princess, an event that happens prior to The Wishing Horse of Oz. Yet, this is not Trot's first time back to Sky Island, as she's been there before in The Witch Queen of Oz.

The Scrap Bag Circus

Synopsis: On an adventure with the Sawhorse, Scraps comes across an unusual sight and discovers more about her past.

The Wizard in New York

Synopsis: When the Wizard decides to take a vacation to see the 1939 World's Fair, things don't turn out quite as expected.

Ali Cat in Oz

Synopsis: The Wizard returns to Oz from the 1939 World's Fair with a new friend, but how will get along in this strange land?

Continuity Notes

Dating: Set in May 1939. Sequel to The Wizard in New York.

Lurline and the Talking Animals of Oz

Synopsis: A farmer's wife in Oz discovers that Lurline's enchantment has some unanticipated consequences when her fellow Munchkins refuse to accept the animals on the farm have started talking and leaving their old lives behind.

Continuity Notes
Forthcoming

Tommy Kwikstep and the Magpie

Synopsis: Tommy and a magpie travel to a wondrous music hall where they'll find unexpected links to the past and future.

Continuity Notes: Locasta, former Good Witch of the North, makes her first onscreen appearance.

Ozma and the Orange Ogres in Oz

Synopsis: When Citros leaves the Orange Cliffs, the cave home of his people, east of the Scoodlers, he makes a new dwelling for himself outside the cliffs by the Orange River, where he and those that join him learn to love the orange trees and lands they cultivate. Resentful at the old stories of his peoples' oppression at the hands of humans, he discovers that humans are weaker than they, and he begins leading nightly raiding parties to neighboring villages, where they bring home slaves to work their groves.

With several other ogres, Citrols forms a ruling council. Deciding to expand their raids one day, they force their slaves to fashion boats for them, which they then take down the Orange River, but it goes underground and emerges in the Quadling Country. After raiding a small village, the ogres are ready to return home, but Citros sees a picture of the Emerald City, and deeming it the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, determines to make it his own.

After escaping the friendly giants of Big Top Mountain, the ogres arrive at the Emerald City. Though their conquest is not taken seriously at first, Citros and his ogres soon overrun the place, and he declares himself king. The ogres, however, are uncomfortable with the surroundings and many strange beings, and are perturbed by Citros' desire to rule as Ogre King. He allows them to take a guide and go home, so approaching the Wizard, who they feel might protect them from giants, they make their petition. He agrees to help send them home, but requires his magic, for which Citros must be lured from the Throne Room. They agree to this, and the Wizard soon regains the Belt and turns the ogres into oranges.

Ozma summons the slaves to learn of their plight. Coming up with an idea, she sends them back, telling them that when next they see the ogres they will be as friends. Disenchanting Citros and the nine council members, they tell them that they will now trade their oranges and live at peace with the villagers. Citros, however, is too enamored with the Emerald City and says he will not stop trying to conquer it. So, Ozma gives him water from the Truth Pond, which enables him to not only speak but see the truth in himself. The Wizard asks him why he took slaves in the first place, and he claims it's in retribution for what was done to their people, though he admits that it was unjust. Still, he is embittered at their ignoble past, so the Wizard takes out a Magic Lantern, and shows him a moving picture which portrays the real history of his people as ravagers and servants of a dark lord. Recognizing that the old stories were true, Citros is humbled, but Ozma says their even older origins were once noble, and that they can be again. She will help make the valley of the Orange Cliffs beautiful. The ogres are surprised and moved by this gesture, and promise to then on protect the neighboring villages, instead of preying on them.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Due to the presence of the non-carnivorous giants of Big Top Mountain, and Maggie as Good Witch of the North, a situation that came about in 1982, in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2, this story must take place after that time. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1986.

Magic Lantern: This magical device (inspired by Oz author Jeff Rester) makes its first appearance here. When directed, it is able to show the significant events of the past in the form of a moving picture.

Nuanced Villains: Following on Baum's nuanced portrayal of villainous beings, such as the Nomes, Yookoohoos, dragons, the author again presents a portrayal of ogres that are not all bad or good. A similar scenario was put forth with the goblins of the story "Betsy Bobbin of Yartralia: An Oz Tale," and with the troll Tekrouri in Bucketheads in Oz.

Ogres: Etymologically, ogres and orcs share the same root, and may be one and the same, or more accurately a later branch from the original tree. Orcs in Oz were first mentioned in The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz, which placed the legendarium of Middle-Earth as part of the distant past of Baum's Oz universe. This story builds on that idea and others. The Wizard indicates that they're moving back to their original heritage, which in ancient times was that of Elves. Ozma determines that they're no longer orcs or ogres, but rechristens them the Orange Ochres after the Orange Cliffs and groves wherein they live.

Quiet Victory

Synopsis: Victor the Victrola learns a lesson in friendship.

Vaneeda of Oz

Synopsis: When the Royal Munchkin Family is abducted, blame falls upon Vaneeda, daughter of the Wicked Witch of the East!

The Puppet Mistress of Oz

Synopsis: What happens when Dorothy, Trot, Betsy and Ozma discover a discrepancy in the Dorothy's first adventure in Oz.

An Ozian Odyssey

Synopsis: When Captain Salt, Ato, Roger, and a crew consisting of Dorothy, Toto, Jellia, Trot and Cap'n Bill decide to sail with Tandy to Tarara in Ozamaland, where he can finally become king, the Crescent Moon crashes into something and begins to sink. With just enough time to grab supplies and the longboat, they abandon ship, and Captain Salt sheds a tear as the Crescent Moon sinks into the sea.

Deciding to head for Patrippany Island, they receive another shock when they discover it's not there. Ozma, meanwhile, receives her own shock when she discovers that she can't find the Crescent Moon or her friends on the Magic Picture. The Wizard is also unable to fix it, but Glinda arrives with bad news. Their friends are not in the outside world or their realm. They are in another realm altogether! Recognizing they're going to need help, Glinda and the Wizard summon Gloma, Ozana, Number Nine, Jenny Jump and Waddy the Wizard of Umbrella Island.

Salt is confused, as he can see that the stars are the same, but the islands are missing. Soon, they spot a land where there ought not be one, and head to it, but they're attacked by killer whales. Escaping them, they arrive on a pleasant island, where they discover a chest with a satchel, but also come across a mine, which Samuel warns everyone to leave alone. The next morning they open the satchel and discover a map, but it doesn't harmonize with anywhere familiar, not even the outside world. When Tandy and Jellia go exploring, they discover the mine has moved, and before they run too far, it explodes. Although safe, they're anxious to leave, and Trot determines to use her ring to summon Aquareine.

Creating a Search Screen, the Wizard, Ozma, Glinda and their magical companions begin searching the otherworlds for Trot and Dorothy, using Betsy Bobbin as a template. The Search Screen, however, has trouble remaining in one world, and seems to jump to random ancient times and places, including the Magic Lands (Alexander Volkov), Middle-Earth during the siege of Minas Tirith (J.R.R. Tolkien), Brigadoon (Alan Jay Lerner), and briefly to a gun-toting adventurer and a female warrior (Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry). The magic-workers know they'll have to fine-tune the screen.

Despite Roger the Read Bird's search, Samuel Salt's party is assaulted by Native Americans led by a Native girl who bring them to their tribal leader, who detests pirates. They explain that they're not pirates, but the leader is uncertain. The next day, the Native girl, Tiger Lilly, introduces her captives to non-Native children, and Trot soon discovers that it's Wendy, her brothers, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. She recalls having seen the play with Cap'n Bill many years ago. They explain that they've been on Neverland for years, and that unlike Barrie's ending, they never left there or grew up. Pan also explains that the attack of the killer whales one way they protect themselves from pirates. Mermaids are the other, and Trot looks forward to talking with them to see if Aquareine got her message, but she's also amazed at the likeness between Jellia and Wendy.

The magic-workers in Oz are joined by Aquareine, whose heard Trot's summons, but can't reach her. She helps with the Search Screen and together they discover the worlds of Perth (Anne McCaffrey), Randland (Robert Jordan), and the Star Wars universe during the Millennium Falcon's escape from the Death Star. Betsy thinks Princess Leia looks like Ozma. When the Falcon goes into hyperspace, it puts too much pressure on the Search Screen to keep it, and the thurnistor breaks. Just then, the Lavender Bear and the Little Pink Bear show up to lend their assistance. When asked, the Pink Bear says that Dorothy and her companions have gone to land named Never.

The next day, the mermaids, although not Sea Fairies, assure Trot that the message was heard. Later, after taking a ride on the talking killer whale Temujin, everyone gathers to eat. Tiger Lilly explains how they first arrived in Neverland through one of the Pawnee tribe's mystical lodges, while Wendy and the Lost Boys learn about Oz, which they'd heard of through books. Trot inquires about Hook, and Peter says he's still alive and has a bounty on him. As regards getting home, Peter explains that they must go through a gate, the same way they arrived. Suddenly, pirates attack and steal away Jellia, thinking she's Wendy! When Peter fails to retrieve her, the heroes get to work on a plan of rescue.

Heading to the home of the wizard Merlin, Dorothy questions his credentials, and he tells her that although he prefers to keep his past private, he genuinely wants to help them, explaining that if Neverland is on another plane, Ozma's attempt to retrieve them with the Magic Belt might cause them to get lost, or to be separated, and that their best plan is to prevent that, rescue Jellia, and have him send them all back to Oz in one piece.

Jellia, meanwhile, is kept in the hold of Black Tom Henderson's ship the Sea Devil, where she's informed by a young pirate that she's to be sold to Captain Hook for a bounty. Her insistence that she's not Wendy falls on deaf ears. The pirates soon land at Fortune Harbor, where they're to meet Hook at a neutral tavern known as "The Long Tom." Captain Hook arrives with his crew to collect, but he quickly discovers that Jellia is not Wendy. The pirates laugh that Tom's crew had managed to sneak aboard Neverland, get past the killer whales and mermaids, as well as Pan, without the right girl. Hook tells them to bring her back and trade her for the right one. When they depart, humiliated, Jellia tries to run, but Black Tom catches her and brings her aboard his ship where he intends to flog her. Peter Pan is there, along with Captain Salt and Tandy, and they capture Tom and tie him up with the other pirates. When another ship approaches, they sneak aboard a smaller boat and sail off with the other ship in pursuit. Peter Pan leads the way as a submarine emerges from beneath the water, scaring off their pursuers.

Jellia learns the sub is the property of Captain Nemo, who she knows from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, and discovers that he escaped his fate in Mysterious Island. After much food and conversation, Jellia worries that Ozma must be looking for them, but they tell her that Merlin has a plan and gives her a bracelet to prevent Ozma from using the Magic Belt, which might accidentally send them to another location.

Back in Oz, meanwhile, the magic-workers use the Search Screen again. This time, they discover the world of Pyrdain (Lloyd Alexander), Uriel (Margaret L'Engel), a boy and a phoenix (Edward Omondroyd), a boy and a striped dragon (Ruth Stiles Gannet), Doctor Doolittle and his animal friends (Hugh Lofting), the orrery on Thraw (Jim Henson and Frank Oz's The Dark Crystal), the escape of Hazel and the rabbits of Watership Down (Richard Adams), Conan of Cimmeria and Kull of Atlantis (Robert E. Howard), the Land Between the Mountains (Carol Kendall), Other place they see include the Kingdom of Why, Amazing Land of Wew, Yamma Yamma Land, The Moons of Mirth, Meer, The Magical Land of Noom, Polistarchia, the Magnetto Hills, the Wondrous Isle, the Plain of Silence, Zimiamvia, Merimna, and Allathurion, as well as the Castle of Otranto, Udolpho, Shangdu, Styria, Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, Davy Jones’s Locker, numerous Enchanted Woods and Fairylands, and the world of Mrs. Frisby and the Raths of NIMH (Robert C. O'Brien). Soon, good news reaches them through Aquareine and the Pink Bear. Their friends have returned!

Ozma welcomes back her friends and formally greets Peter Pan and Merlin, thanking them for their assistance, and inviting them to stay for a visit. Ozma has a grand banquet prepared, while many of the Ozites go for a jaunt on the flying ship, and the magic-workers and Merlin converse. Merlin improves the Search Screen by allowing viewers to look at one day to the next, and they gather to see what will emerge. They see the World of Two Moon and the Wolfriders (Elfquest, by Wendy and Richard Pini), which the Wizard says occurred only a few days earlier. After dinner, Ozma offers Merlin her services. He requests that she salvage the Crescent Moon and package a set of the Royal Histories of Oz for the folks in Neverland. As everyone departs for their homes, Dorothy wonders if she'll ever see them again.

Continuity Notes
Dating: The exact date of this adventure is unclear, but the Wizard seems to indicate a possible time-frame when mentioning the events of Peter and Wendy (commonly known as Peter Pan) taking place sixty-years prior to the current date. The reason that Glinda backs off on her position to allow a softening in the prohibition of magic is due to the events of this story.

Other Fantasy Realms: As Edward Einhorn's Paradox in Oz showed the existence of various alternate Oz-universes, this tale demonstrates the connection Nonestica has to numerous other fantasy universes in history, including Alexander Volkov's Magic Land, J.M. Barrie's Neverland, Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and even George Lucas' Star Wars galaxy.

Trot's Ring: This is the third time Trot summons the sea fairies from the ring Aquareine gave her in The Sea Fairies. The first occurred in The Emerald City Mirror #43. The second was in The Glass Cat of Oz. The fourth was in Beach Blanket BabylOz.

Edited by Gary Ralph

The Romance of the Silver Shoes, by Laura Jane Musser; illustrated by Bill Eubank

Synopsis: During an uncharacteristic thunderstorm in the Emerald City, Dorothy and Toto head to the throne room, where Ozma introduces them to Queen Turbulenta, ruler of the Kingdom of Storms near the Shifting Sands. As she's been trying to speak to Dorothy, but could not cross the Desert, Ozma, who learned of her dilemma (but could not use the Magic Belt on a Nature Spirit elemental) , sent a message to Polychrome's father to allow her passage via the Rainbow Bridge. The Wizard joins them in Ozma's sitting room, as Queen Turbulenta explains that she'd like Dorothy's help retrieving the Silver Shoes, which belong to her sister Princess Zephyra, ruler of the Spring and Summer Breezes, as they were a gift to her from the god Mercury, the Spirit of Speed, enabling the wearer to travel as fast as the wind. They also provide the gift of inspiration. From the Great Book of Records, Ozma discovered that an old crone had learned about the Shoes from an ancient book on necromancy and charmed an eagle to carry them off one day when Zephyra was bathing.

Queen Turbulenta, Prince Torno (the prince of cyclones) and his sister Princess Zephyra tried to get them back, in vain, until Torno got the idea to bring a child from the outside world, since children have a spiritual connection to Fairyland. Torno created a cyclone to bring Dorothy to Oz, hoping that she'd get the Shoes, but the prince fogot he couldn't get her out of Oz or communicate with the Good Witches. The Shoes are now in the keeping of Sandrika the Sand Witch, who rules over the Deadly Desert. A Dust Devil had brought them to her Sand Castle near Ev as a tax payment. With a magic ring to protect her from the Desert (and a circlet for Toto), they hope Dorothy will retrieve the Shoes from Sandrika. They warn her that she has an eye that never sleeps and can turn people to stone. Nor can she be melted. Ozma gives her a necklace with a large locket that opens to a mirror.

Soon, Dorothy and Toto are dropped off by Prince Torno's chariot to the Sand Castle. Sandrika interviews her, but Dorothy lies about how she arrived there. The Sand Witch designates her servant #6 and warns her about angering her, the Dust Devils, and letting Toto out of her room. Dorothy works as a chamber maid for her for six weeks, then Sandrika announces that she's going to visit her cousin Princess Langwidere in Ev (King Evoldo is her third cousin twice removed). Dorothy leaves Toto with instructions to keep to himself as the other servants are jealous. With the Silver Shoes they arrive at Langwidere's country estate.

The servant Nanda informs her of their arrival and of Dorothy, who she remembers from her last visit. The princess doesn't recall, but then she switches to head #17 and remembers. After greeting her cousin, she accuses Dorothy. Furious at her betrayal, Sandrika attempts to turn her to stone, but Dorothy keeps her eyes shut. After Langwidere retires, the Sand Witch determines to conquer Oz, and clicks her heels. Toto, meanwhile, is caught by a servant and thrown to the Dust Devils, who bring him onto the sands. He's saved by Torno's circlet, but for five days he's tied up to their cave entrance and left without food or water until a rainstorm provides some. When the Dust Devil leaves to stir up the sands, Toto's chain falls off (due to his thinness), he slowly climbs the cliff and arrives at a meadow. In the distance, he spots the Tin Woodman's castle and runs for it. Nick feeds him after hearing his story, and starts at once for the Emerald City.

Sandrika, meanwhile, forces Dorothy to the palace where they discover that the Wizard and Ozma are at Glinda's. She makes Dorothy request to go to Ozma's boudiour, where the Sand Witch demands Dorothy unlock the safe. She doesn't know the combination, however, and Sandrika mercilessly shakes Dorothy until her locket falls off, exposing the mirror, which looking into, turns her to stone. When Ozma arrives, she ministers to Dorothy and takes the Silver Shoes from Sandrika. The next day, Ozma gives her an elixir to heal her bruises, but Dorothy is distraught at having left Toto behind. Later, in the Throne Room, Dorothy is formally thanked by Ozma, Princess Zephyra, Queen Turbulenta and Prince Torno. They bestow to her and Ozma and Magic Cloak of Invisibility. Glinda informs everyone that she and the Wizard changed Sandrika's stone heart to one of compassion, and made it so that her eye can only stun those who do harm. Sandrika arrives to thank everyone for their forgiveness and to promise to be a better queen. Before she's sent home with the Magic Belt, Glinda promises to keep in touch with her by means of a radio-telephone. A banquet ensues, and the Spirits of Nature allow Dorothy to keep the magic ring of protection against the Deadly Desert. Toto comes home three days later.

Continuity Notes

Dating: No explicit year is given, but the story takes place over the course of six weeks, some time after The Scarecrow of Oz.

Parallel History: This alternate history contradicts several stories in the Timeline, including The Witch Queen of Oz and The Silver Shoes of Oz, postulating that the reason Dorothy was brought to Oz was because the prince of cyclones, Prince Torno, his sister Princess Zephyra, and Queen Turbulenta, who rules the Kingdom of Storms, couldn't cross the Deadly Desert, but wanted to get the Silver Shoes. Realizing that children have a spiritual connection to Fairyland, they brought Dorothy to Oz, but forgot that they had no way of getting her out of Oz. The idea that such powerful elementals couldn't get to Oz is odd at best. The reason given, that Lurline's spell makes it so that one can only get to Oz by invitation, is contradictory to the books, especially considering how many cross the Desert through magical means all the time. Also, the idea that they didn't think their plan through (forgetting that they could get Dorothy in, but not out to bring them the shoes) is also implausible. Other contradictions include Polychrome's father being the Rain King (whose actually her uncle), and the Silver Shoes being the product of Mercury who gifted them to Princess Zephyra.

Spirits of Nature: Queen Turbulenta, Princess Zephyra and Prince Torno are called Spirits of Nature, and serve as a kind of elemental.

Dorothy's Dilemma, by Mark Deitch

Synopsis: Poem, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

The Threat of Civil-Oz-Ation, by Dan Cox; illustrated by Nate Flower

Synopsis: Bungle the Glass Cat and the Woozy go exploring in the Gillikin Country and come upon a pair of men in strange clothing, who after determining they're magical creatures, capture and put them in sacks. The Woozy tries to burn through, but to no avail as the bag is made of ozbestos. The Glass Cat and Woozy are brought before a man in a throne known as the Duke of Progressia, who explains that he hates magic and that all magical beings are in violation of Ozma's royal decree. To ward off their threats, he pulls out a tuning fork that can shatter glass and points to a chemical fire extinguisher than can put out fires. Though they explain they're favorites of Ozma's, he doesn't believe them, and tells them that for years he'd been harassed by the witches and wizards that were allowed to run rampant throughout the realm. With a machine that allowed him to travel to and from the outside world, he built a machine that can destroy all the magic in Oz. The Glass Cat points out the consequences of this, but he believes that's the price of civilization. Taken back to their cells, the travelers ask the guards why they go along, and they explain that he's threatened their families. But one guard, who has no family, leaves the cell door unlocked, and the pair escape and take some explosives (intended to be used to tunnel through Mount Munch and build highways). Spying on the Duke in his lab, they see him go through the machine leading to the outside world, and plant the explosives. With the fire from Woozy's eyes, they ignite them and run, destroying the room and the two machines, and exiling the Duke of Progressia to the outside world.

Continuity Notes

Dating: A year range is established by the narrative referring to the rule of the Good Witch of the North's in the present tense. This ensures that it has to take place before 1912, when The Giant Horse of Oz takes place. The presence of the Woozy ensures it must take place after 1905, when The Patchwork Girl of Oz takes place. Due to the presence of more modern technology, the story likely takes place later in the spectrum, and has been placed in 1911.

Gillikin Country: This region is noted as being the "wildest and most dangerous place in Oz" due to the fact that the Good Witch of the North doesn't "properly enforce Ozma's decree that no magic is to be practiced by anyone other but Ozma, Glinda and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Zealotry: An unintended consequence of the witches and wizards that once roamed Oz, along with the later decree of Ozma's prohibiting magic, is the Duke of Progressia's extremist view of her position, concluding that like he, she must detest all magic. He thus obsessively looks to stamp it out, regardless of the reality of Oz being a magical country with magical beings. Whether he was actually capable of this or not is unknown, but the conflict later leads to Ozma's own position changing in The Law of Oz and Other Stories and The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3.

Lurline's Collection

Edited by Jay Delkin

Decorated by Bronson Pinchot

How the Wizard Came to Oz and What He Did There, by Donald Abbott; illustrated by Donald Abbott

Continuity Notes This is the first of three versions of this story published. The next was a book in 1991, published by Books of Wonder called How the Wizard Came to Oz, which introduces elements that are difficult to reconcile with continuity. The second How the Wizard Came to Oz was a comic book series published online on Comics Furty in 2016, and illustrated in a different style than the prior two versions, eschewing the Densow-style comic art for a more realistic approach. The latter version is considered the definitive one and doesn't have the continuity problems that the book had.

Wizard's Arrival: Though no date is given in the story as to when the Wizard arrived in Oz, a date of 1871 can be established. While the Wizard states in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz that he "grew to be an old man in Oz," an indication that he'd been in Oz for some time prior to Dorothy's arrival, it's clear from "The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman" that he intended that metaphorically, and didn't actually age (or age much) while in Oz. Hot-air ballooning did not take off in circuses and traveling fairs until 1871, months after Leon Gambetta's highly publicized balloon escape from the Prussian armies in Paris to Southern France, after which ballooning sprang up overnight across circuses and fairs (for more information, see this article). After only a few years, however, solo balloon shows were no longer trendy or novel, and circuses had added acrobats to spice things up.

A point has been made that the Wizard’s city of origin, Omaha, was not established until 1854, thereby limiting Oscar Diggs' age, however, he may have been born in the region of Omaha prior to it being named such, particularly as Omaha is the name of the Native American tribe that lived in that region, and it may have been called Omaha from as early as 1813 when Manuel Lisa established a large trading post there. Oscar was likely born in 1818 (see "The Wizard's Age" here), which works (regardless of whether it was then called Omaha).

The Yellow Brick Road: This tale has the East Witch create it by magic, though based on several accounts (including The Magic Umbrella of Oz), it would be more accurate to say that she expanded it though a Munchkin labor force. The Yellow Brick Road first began construction in 1700, but was halted when the witch was put to sleep for a time.

The Adventure of the Cat That Did Not Meow in the Night, by Jay Delkin & Eric Shanower; illustrated by Melody Grandy

History: This is Eric Shanower's first published story set in Oz, and the second of the stories that feature Sherlock Holmes. It is, however, the first of the "Great Detective" series, in which Sherlock Holmes is clearly indicated, but his name is not used. A discussion of it can be found here.

Synopsis: When Button-Bright and several items from the palace go missing, Ozma calls in the services of the Great Detective to solve the mystery. With Eureka's help, a burglar had been caught the other night and sent to Tollydiggle, the jailor, to reform. Ozma notes that it cannot be the same burglar as he is still there.

Learning that candles were among the stolen items, the Great Detective reasons that the thief lives underground, explaining that Oz has had electricity since 1880. He concludes that Eureka is the key, a she didn't meow in the night, as she had with the other, and must therefore have known him.

In Button-Bright's room, the detective discovers reddish dust from an Ozian Redwood (which is distinctive from a Menankypoo Redwood, though as a young man he used to mix them up). The tallest tree in the Emerald City is an Ozian Redwood (planted by Jellia Jamb during the reign of the Scarecrow), and they head there and discover a trapdoor leading underground. In it, they find Button-Bright and a Nome named Bean. The boy had been stealing supplies for his Nome friend, who'd been living underground since the time the Nomes invaded Oz. When Ozma began closing sections of the tunnel with the Magic Belt, he got trapped and without his tools could only dig a hole to the surface. He kept himself discreet until Button-Bright stumbled upon his hole.

Ozma returns the Nome to his original home and warns Button-Bright not to steal. The Great Detective returns to his room, another mystery solved.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Although no explicit date is given, the fact of a Nome living in Oz since the time of their invasion in The Emerald City of Oz must place this story some time after those events. There is the question of the Great Detective, whose recognized as Sherlock Holmes, and the fact that he's living in Oz at this time. Holmes first came to Oz in 1935 (see Oziana 1971: "Sherlock Holmes in Oz") and was likely invited to return to stay. As Holmes is well-versed in Oz history by the time of this story, The Royal Timeline of Oz currently places this in 1938.

Electricity in Oz: This story notes that Oz first got electricity in 1880 when Swan & Edison products found their way into Oz. It appears that someone from the capital in Morrow was the first to figure out how to utilize it, though it's possible that someone from the four quadrants did so first. A sapient power plant exists in the Munchkin Country called Silica City, ruled by King Transformation (see The Blue Emperor of Oz), and that appears to be the hub of electricity for Oz.

Great Detective: Although the Great Detective is intended to be Sherlock Holmes, it's odd that he says he was a "very young man" in Oz [p. 12]. This has to be understood as a joke, particularly as he was 81 when he first came to Oz.

Tunnel Under Oz: Although the Nome Bean believes the tunnel has been sealed up, he's apparently unaware that it was very quickly unsealed again, as revealed in The Shaggy Man of Oz, The Red Jinn in Oz and Ruggedo in Oz, as Ozma chose to only plug up the ends, and allow the underground inhabitants to continue using it as part of their connecting tunnels and passageways.

The Lost Sawhorse, by Phyllis Ann Karr; illustrated by Nathan Flower

Synopsis: When the Sawhorse doesn't show at the scheduled time to depart for Glinda and bring Ozma home, Dorothy and the Scarecrow check the Royal Stable, but only Jojee, his groom, is there, and he hasn't seen him. So, they the Magic Picture, but all it shows is a cottage in the Winkie Country, with an old woman and a toddler playing with logs and sticks. As the Wizard is in Oogaboo trying to figure out why the book trees are only producing Sherlock Holmes stories, they appoint Jack Pumpkinhead Deputy Ruler and along with Toto, the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger, go in search of the Sawhorse.

En route to the Tin Woodman's castle, they meet Nick on the road. He hasn't seen the Sawhorse, but he'd spend the night cutting up firewood for an old woman. They head to the cottage, and it is the same one they saw in the Magic Picture. In the wood pile, Toto discovers several pieces of the Sawhorse, save for his right eye, leg and middle-section!

The Tin Woodman is horrified, realizing he must have accidentally cut him up for firewood. The old woman runs to the fireplace, but thankfully no pieces appear to be there. As Nick weeps, the head of the Sawhorse explains that he had been deep in meditation and hadn't even realized what was happening to him until it was too late. They all search and soon find his eye and leg. Only the horseshoe and middle-section are missing, and they propose building him a new one. But they soon realize the chopping block the Tin Woodman is sitting on is the middle-section, and with the magic glue (given to Nick by Ku-Klip), they fix the Sawhorse up like, save for a tin horseshoe that Nick gives him in place of the gold one.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The story takes place over the course of a day, though no month or year are indicated. A hint to the latter is provided by the fact that Oogaboo's book trees are producing only Sherlock Holmes stories. The period in which Watson was telling stories of Sherlock Holmes ran from 1887 to 1927 (these comprise the canonical stories). It's possible that with the last of the canon stories published in the outside world, that Oz would begin receiving an influx of Sherlock Homes stories. Thus, the Royal Timeline of Oz places this story in 1927. Another possibility may have to do with the period in which the "Great Detective" (Sherlock Holmes) comes to live in Oz, in 1938, but this is yet under investigation.

Non-meat Creatures: The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Sawhorse all indicate that while their meat companions sleep, they fall into a kind of deep thinking mode. So lost in thought had the Sawhorse been that he didn't even notice the Tin Woodman hacking up until later on.

Oz-E-Gag, by Bill Eubank (based on an idea by Richard Paul Smyers)

Synopsis: Single-panel comic strip, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Edited by Jay Delkin

The Woozy's Tricky Beginning, by March Laumer; illustrated by Bronson Pinchot

Synopsis: Queen Lurline's band decides to add the pixie Dementia to their band when they find her in Burzee. As Burzee is full of burrs, the fairies are always getting them caught in their hair and dresses, which is why they often travel to other places. One day, Espa proposes riddles. Lurline (whose original name is Lulea) asked the first silly one; Ereol follows, and others, and each time Dementia tries to guess but fails. Vexed by her failure, she goes off to pout, and decides to test out one of the riddles for herself.

The Woozy and Sawhorse debate Woozy's love of bees, and decides to go off to the Munchkin Country to find some. The Sawhorse decides to consult with Ozma. After hearing the story, Ozma (who addresses the Sawhorse as Lignum) and Glinda decide to go with him after the Woozy. They find him asleep with bees flying around him. When he awakens, they're dismayed to find they're too late. But Ozma notices that the bees aren't angry. Suddenly, the Queen Bee sends a delegation of drones asking to speak to Ozma. Using the Magic Belt, Ozma shrinks her party and enters the beeshive. The Queen Bee informs them that the story of their relations with the Woozy go back a long time.

As Glinda determines that she's Lurline's "best friend," she contacts her on a "two-way wrist radio," and before long she arrives with her train of fairies and Dementia. The pixie steps forward and tells the story of what she did a hundred years ago. Wishing to try out a riddle, she came upon the Comfortable Camel, but passed him by, the Foolish Owl, but he wasn't interested, and finally came upon Edward Behr, a teddy bear, who was holding a Munchkin beehive. She used her wand and crossed the bear with the beehive, and that's how the Woozy came to be.

Continuity: Though it could be read as a parody, the story's various discrepancies, inconsistencies, and silly aspects see it placed in the Deadly Desert section. The actual nature of the Woozy's origins is told in various other stories, including "The Woozy's Tale," from Oziana 1992, and the book, A Refugee in Oz. See Appendix V: The Woozy's Origin for a more detailed breakdown of the Woozy's chronological history.

How Ducky!, by Harry Mongold; illustrated by Dave Billman

Synopsis: Poem, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

The Adventure of the Missing Belt, by Vincent Ward & Jay Delkin; illustrated by Melody Grandy

History: This is the third of the "Great Detective" stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Synopsis: When the Magic Belt goes missing, Ozma summons the Great Detective to solve the mystery. He questions who her recent visitors were, and she tells him that three ladies from the Enchanted Mountain in the Quadling Country had flown in to give her gifts.

Button-Bright, who'd grown to like the Great Detective since his last adventure, is given a task to look up the Sawhorse runs, and returns to let him know that the Sawhorse is leaving for Glinda's that morning. The Great Detective makes the trip to see her Great Book of Records, and in it discovers that the three ladies had absconded with the Magic Belt.

Heading to the southern edge of the Quadling Country, where the Great Detective would like to retire to become a beekeeper, he ascends the Enchanted Mountain to confront the Queen on her throne. The Queen denies having the Magic Belt and defies him to find it. He trips over a cat, apologizing to it, but the feline makes no response, and he concludes his findings.

The Queen had transformed the Belt into a cat, which he retrieves, making her promise to never steal magic again, else he will make the matter public. In the meantime, he'll persuade Glinda to keep the matter quiet.

Continuity Notes

Dating: No year is indicated in the text. It takes place after the Oziana 1976 story, "The Adventure of the Cat That Did Now Meow in the Night," and it's noted it's been months since the Great Detective had a case, though the latter story is not necessarily that case. Ozma's lax attitude towards the magical powers of the ladies from the Enchanted Mountain would appear to indicate a date after 1964, however, the indication that Button-Bright has become friends with the Great Detective since their last encounter (in the story above), and the indication that Sherlock is intending to retire, would appear to place this shortly after the latter story. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1939.

Enchanted Mountain and the Three Ladies: Not much information is given of this Enchanted Mountain or its inhabitants, save that it's near the border of the Deadly Desert in the Quadling Country, and that there is a Queen who has powerful magic, along with two other "lovely ladies" who ride brooms. This would make them appear to be witches, or at least of the fairy race, and yet neither Ozma nor Glinda indicate this or seem to have an issue with them bringing Ozma "magic tricks, minor enchantments and the like" (which Ozma thinks will only come in handy at birthday parties.) The Great Detective is also pretty certain that Glinda (and presumably Ozma) will forgive the indiscretion of them having stolen the Magic Belt and turned it into a cat, which is itself odd, as he notes that the Queen has powers of enchantment "fully the equal to those of the belt." There may be more to this story and these people than meets the eye.

Metric System: The narrative says in an aside that "Oz is on the metric system." Little evidence seems to support that, but the books and stories written about Oz may have converted those measurements into U.S. ones for its readers.

Retirement: The Great Detective notes that he'd like to retire near to the Deadly Desert, where he can take up beekeeping.

Scraps' Ditty, by L. Frank Baum, Clara Jean Curzon & Tom Benson; illustrated by Dennis Anfuso

Synopsis: Song, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Zimbo and the Magic Belt, by George Van Buren; illustrated by George Van Buren

History: The only story by the illustrator of Harry Mongold's The Sawhorse of Oz and Button Bright of Oz answers the question of how some have traveled by sea in and out of Nonestica to the outside world.

Synopsis: When nine year old Zimbo looks out into Zimba Bay and sees an old man pass between the Pillars of Hercules, the border between fairyland and the outside world, he swims out to rescue him. The man turns out to be the Wizard of Zimba, called the High Zimbroo Grand Wizard. He'd thought a certain stone would allow him to depart without aging, but it proved to be false. To thank the boy, he gives him a golden amulet, which answers questions that he's told he won't understand.

Zimbo makes several attempts, but doesn't understand its speech. Returning home, he shows the amulet to his uncle Zimboobo. When he asks where the greatest magic in the world is, it tells him "in Oz," and when he asks where in Oz it is, the amulet says "In Toto," which puzzles Zimboobo, as he knows that's Princess Dorothy's dog. So, he determines to kidnap the dog so that he can become the greatest wizard in the world.

Zimbo agrees to go with his uncle, but only to thwart his plans. They ask the amulet how to cross the Deadly Desert, but it again speaks in a language they can't understand. They discover, however, in their library, that Queen Lurline had created a safe route through the Deadly Desert when she made Oz a fairyland. It is a mathematical pattern that will allow one to cross unharmed from any entrance point. Learning this allows the two to cross the Desert into the Munchkin Country of Oz.

Zimbo looks to escape to warn Dorothy, but his suspicious uncle keeps a close eye on him. The pair come across Ojo in a field looking for six-leafed clovers. Ojo tells Zimbo he was once arrested for picking one, a story Zimbo had read about in a big Oz history book, edited by L. Frank Baum, that he has at home. Thinking quickly, Zimbo picks the clover!

When Zimbo and Zimboobo reach the gates of the Emerald City, the boy is arrested as planned, and goes to see Tollydiggle. Soon he's brought before Ozma, where he's able to tell Ozma his plan to get away from his uncle so that he could warn Dorothy of his evil plot. He explains to Dorothy that he got the idea from the amulet, which he shows them, asking the very same questions. Ozma sends for Professor Wogglebug, who listens to the amulet's answers, and explains that the amulet only ever answers in Latin. "In Toto" means "in its entirety," referring to Oz as a whole.

Ozma pardons Zimbo and takes his Uncle Zimboobo to Tollydiggle, while his nephew determines to learn Latin.

Continuity Notes

Aging: The text confirms the idea, first indicated in The Lost King of Oz, and later in Beach Blanket Babyloz, that once one exits Nonestica for the outside world, he grows to whatever age he would be in the outside world, a fact that carries with it a death sentence for those who have lived a long time in Oz. The aging process reverses, however, when one returns to fairyland.

Dating: There is no indication of date, save that it is after 1913, since Zimbo has read L. Frank Baum's history of Ojo in The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Zimbo's concern for the Wizard of Zimba potentially dying if he crosses the Pillars of Hercules indicates that people in Zimba, as in Oz, don't age like those in the outside world. This would indicate that the story takes place after the yet uncertain time when the enchantment of Oz was spread throughout Nonestica (and yet before its publication in 1978).

Deadly Desert: The narrative confirms that it was indeed Lurline who created the Deadly Desert, and that she also created a means of crossing it from any point by those who learn a certain mathematical pattern. This was clearly intended to be a secret, and how that pattern ended up in the library of Zimba is not known, but it may not be a coincidence that the Pillars of Hercules and entrance to Nonestica from the outside world is there as well.

Nonestic border: The narrative is the first to indicate what and where the border is that lies between Nonestica and the outside world. It is through the Pillars of Hercules, two great rocks that jut out from Zimba Bay, that travelers enter and exit fairyland. If there are any others in the Nonestic, Rolantic or Nonentic Oceans, it's not stated, but may be likely. The existence of the barrier at the Pillars of Hercules explains how, for example, Humpty's captors got to and from the outside world in The Enchanted Island of Oz, how Peter washed up on shore in Pirates in Oz, how a shipwreck landed Betsy in the Rose Kingdom in Tik-Tok of Oz, or even how Dorothy's earlier shipwreck in Ozma of Oz might have brought her and Billina to Ev.

Pillars of Hercules: Debated throughout history, with some thinking the Rock of Gibraltar (which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea) is the northern of the two, Plato wrote that the Pillars of Hercules were the furthermost Heracles had traveled and led to the lost continent of Atlantis. Atlantis is part of Ozian history, as the Green Dragon hails from there (see the notes for Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). Legend holds that a sign was posted at the Pillars reading Non Plus Ultra, "None Further Beyond," apropos for the entrance to the Non Est Ocean, the Nonestic on the fairy realm of Ozeria.

Beyond the Rainbow, by Daniel K. Cox

Synopsis: Located in the Parallel Histories section. After accidentally coming to Oz, Qwerty (from the typewriter's first six keys) ponders whether or not to stay. The story indicates that Jenny Jump has left Oz (and that the Wizard restored her personality). It also indicates that she'll die if she remains outside Oz, though as a half-fairy, this seems unlikely. In other tales, Jenny Jump is still very much alive and well and living in Oz.

Oz-E-Gag, by Bill Eubank

Synopsis: Single-panel comic strip, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Edited by Jay Delkin

How the Cowardly Lion Met the Hungry Tiger, by Judy Bieber; illustrated by Jay Kelly

Synopsis: Located in the Parallel Histories section: The Cowardly Lion rescues the Hungry Tiger and the leopard Gugu from the magician Ragej. Yet, as per Baum’s The Magic of Oz, it is clear that Gugu has never met either the Cowardly Lion or the Hungry Tiger prior to the events of that story.

Colonel Cotton in Oz, by Tim Hollis; illustrated by Tim Hollis

Synopsis: In the remote town of Pitt Falls, in the southernmost point of the Quadling Country, mayor Colonel Delando Cotton, plantation owner meets with General Beauregard Stonewall, the Mayor of Birminooga, which sits on the opposite side of the Grits & Jowls Mountain. Birminooga process the Spanish moss that grow in Pitt Falls. Stonewall and Cotton agree that it's too much effort to go around the mountain every month, with the former suggesting they build a railroad across the mountain. Cotton's daughter Miss Magnolia Blossom and his dog Shortnin' Bread both think it's a good idea.

Work proceeds the next day into the night, when a gritstorm deposits grits on the mountain, while the workers, Cotton and Stonewall go to sleep on the moss-manufactured mattresses, with Bread keeping watch over them. Curious about the land ahead, he scouts around and discovers stairs cut into the rock, which he climbs, past signs warning visitors to turn back. Over over an hour, the dog comes to the top of the mountain, to a place called Cornpone Corners. Just then a man grabs him and drags to a cabin.

At dawn, Cotton wonders where his dog has gone off to. He soon sees his tracks and follows them, while Stonewall directs the work. Some time later he reaches the summit and encounters Horsepasture Higgins, who abducted his dog. Assuming anyone who would come there is a revenuer (a government official who enforces laws against the distillation of alcohol), he tossed him off the cliff. In like manner, he tosses the Colonel off the cliff as well.

The old man is able to grab to a tree root with his cane, and holding onto a projecting rock is Shortnin' Bread, who feels guilty about getting them into this mess. Above them Higgins looks down on them, waiting to make sure they fall. After a long while, Stonewall and the residents of Pitt Falls and Birminooga arrive. Higgins threatens to get the rest of his town to do the same to them, but the General orders his people to charge, and they capture and tie up Higgins, after which they rescue Cotton and Bread. Magnolia discovers the town's deserted, and Higgins admits it's been that way for nearly twenty years.

They decide to lock him in a cabin while they go back to work on the railroad. Once it's reached the top they determine to take the cabin with Higgins locked in down the mountain as they complete the construction down the other side. The next day, after the train is installed, Ozma appears before them, explaining that Glinda had informed her of their railroad, and has an idea for what to do with Higgins.

A few days later, a delegation of celebrities from the Emerald City arrive to celebrate the start of construction on a luxury hotel on the mountain's peak, where Horespasture Higgins will manage to help him learn to like people better. The Scarecrow using knowledge from his own home draws up the blueprints, while the Wizard uses magic to construct a revolving penthouse restaurant; Em instructs the hotel cooks, while the Tin Woodman designs a formal garden around the old-fashioned cabins of Cornpone Corners.

Once completed, trade and commerce flourishes, and people travel from all over Oz to enjoy the sights. To his credit, Horsepasture Higgins learns to like people.

Continuity Notes

Alcohol in Oz: This is one of the few stories (along with The Rundelstone of Oz, The Magic Dishpan of Oz and A Murder in Oz) to indicate that fermented beverages are enjoyed in Oz, although Horespasture Higgins' fear of revenuers may indicate that it was not permitted at one time in the Quadling Country, or that Higgins came from a dry county in the U.S. before coming to Oz.

Colonel Cotton and General Stonewall: The names, accents and activities of these two persons is very much dated to the pre-and-post Civil War era of the southern U.S., albeit far friendlier. It appears to suggest that they and their families found a way into Oz in the 1800s and settled in the southernmost Quadling Country, where they began a mutually beneficial trade in Spanish moss and its production.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in April. There's no indication as to year, and is clearly after The Emerald City of Oz. The mention of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman's construction and landscaping skills, which they'd applied to the construction of their homes (though they'd had help), along with the general feel of the story, seems to suggest that it's not long after that period. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1907.

Grits & Jowls Mountain: The mountain supplies two of their basic foods, grits, which snow on the mountain, and hog jowls, which apparently grow on trees or bushes.

Railroad in Oz: This is the first mention of a railroad in Oz, and it appears to be a somewhat magical one, or at least magically constructed, as the time it took to be built across a mountain is only a few days. There is no indication as to how the train itself is powered, whether via steam or electric, which also leads one to suspect a magical means. Another small railroad exists on the other side of the Quadling country near Tralmia, located just north of Jinxland (The Goat Girls of Oz).

A Study in Orange, by Melody Grandy; illustrated by Melody Grandy

History: The fourth of the Sherlock Holmes' "Great Detective" stories.

Synopsis: The Great Detective is relieved when Ozma presents him a more serious case after all the trivial ones he's handled of late. She explains that for a week now, people have been bringing their daughters from all over Oz to get disenchanted because their beautiful girls have been rendered unattractive. Glinda's Book is silent on the matter and the Magic Picture only shows sparks spinning in space.

In the Wizard's workshop, he and Glinda are stumped. The girls hail from Sapphire City, Regalia and Mt. Munch. The Great Detective suspects that it's a jealous woman whose been studying orange magic and wearing a protective talisman. Each girl had eaten an orange orange, which doesn't exist in Oz, as there is no orange country (and Oz oranges are colored according each quadrant's colors), and tells him they must come from abroad, likely Ev.

Glinda notes that orange magic is difficult to wield, but can be used to deceive or change one's behavior, which is why none of the girls minds what happened to them. Orange incantations also use a mix of numbers and words, mathematical tools, which make it harder to learn.

The Great Detective searches another part of the Quadling Country before going to Ev. Returning to Oz, he explains that he visited an old witch who had a pupil from oz named Storja. Her brother lives in the Quadling Country, and had acknowledged that his sister found a flying cloak and books on orange magic. Her teacher in Ev helped her create the black talisman she wears, which is a magic scrambler (and the reason for what appears in the Magic Picture). Storja had used her magic to become beautiful, but was then disgusted by the attention she received.

At a ball that Ozma throws some time later, Ozma notes that her plainer guests are getting all the attention. The Great Detective notes a musician in red playing a pipe, and Ozma's magic box tells her there's no musician there. Suddenly, the musician gets up and removes the spell, after which the disguised Storja passes by the protective magical barrier and Ozma's Magic Belt.

With Toto's help. the Great Detective prepares to track her down when they discover the formerly enchanted girls are back to normal. The next day, Ozma's face loses its loveliness and the Wizard informs them it's happening all over Oz! Toto (who Ozma enchants into a bloodhound) and the Great Detective head out, and two days later, meet a director whose devastated because all his actresses have turned ugly, though one formerly plain woman whose thrilled at the newfound attention she's been getting.

On the third day, Toto catches the scent, leading to a great tree with orange leaves on the Winkie-Quadling border. Storja greets them there, and the Great Detective confronts her about what she's been doing. She argues that unattractive girls aren't accepted as they should be, and she's out to prove they're just as good, kind and sweet as the pretty ones. The Great Detective convinces her she's made her point and she agrees to lift the spell that hour.

Back home, Ozma gives him a gold, jewel studded magnifying glass, and the Great Detective announces that he has a successor worthy of Moriozty. Ozma hands him a picture of Storja, who he never saw due to her enchantment, and is amused to discover she looks just like a female version of him.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Given the time needed to travel back and forth to Ev, this story appears to take place over the course of two weeks. No explicit dating is provided, but must clearly be after Sherlock comes to live in Oz in 1938. In keeping with the once-a-year concept established by The Royal Timeline of Oz in the last two stories, it's placed in 1940.

Orange Borderland: It's an odd statement that the Great Detective makes regarding no orange colored oranges in Oz because the colors they come in are the colors of the quadrants in Oz. Yet, on the border between the yellow Winkie Country and red Quadling Country, is a great tree that has orange leaves. There is a borderlands country in The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, and a tract of orange land seems probable.

Orange Magic: This story introduces a new kind of magic, a more difficult kind to wield involving numbers and words and mathematical tools, called orange magic. Once mastered, however, it is useful for deceiving people and changing their behavior without them realizing their behavior's been changed. The girls who had their beauty robbed from them, for example, didn't mind.

Question Box: For the first time since it was obtained by Ozma from J. Glegg (in Kabumpo in Oz), Ozma uses the Question Box.

Sherlock: The Great Detective makes an allusion to Moriarty, though he Ozzifies the name to Moriozty. While some have suggested that the Great Detective is only a facsimile of Holmes, unless he's deluded by the life of his doppelganger, the chances that he'd have a nemesis also named after Moriarty is absurd.

Storja: The orange enchantress Storja was a mere Quadling girl who used the magic flying cloak and books of orange spells she found to right what she felt was a wrong in Oz, namely the treatment of women who aren't perceived as beautiful on the surface. Despite her breaking the law against magic in Oz, and despite the fact that Ozma is a victim of her transformation, Storja (whose name means "history") isn't punished, but merely told that she's made her point. What Ozma's supposed to do about it is unknown, as she can't force her male subjects to find plain girls attractive, however, Storja's tricks may have given them pause to think and at least behave more equitably towards all women. That we don't hear from Storja again may indicate that her campaign worked. As to the reason she looks like Sherlock Holmes, this is likely a mere coincidence.

Toto Transformation: Although the fairies frown on doing transformations, Ozma transforms Toto (with his approval) into a bloodhound so that he'll have a better sense of smell to ferret out Storja.

Edited by Jay Delkin

Adventures on Monday Mountain, by Ernest Johnson; illustrated by Dennis Anfuso

Synopsis: One day, while looking in the Magic Picture, Ozma comes across a mortal teenager in the outside world who is disrespectful to his beleaguered mother, who wishes he could learn to be clean. Thinking he would do well to be taught a lesson, Ozma uses the Magic Belt to send him to Monday Mountain, in the Winkie Country of Oz.

Suddenly, William Marston finds himself surrounded by huge women who call themselves Tubbies. Queen Borax declares him filthy and unkempt and has him brought into their village at the top of the mountain and given a severe scrubbing.

After that, he's handed off to his guardian Amy Ammonia, who dries him off. Although she's gentler, she's sterm and keeps him working all day for Queen Borax, explaining that their business is washing and they enjoy doing it. William thinks of escaping, but doesn't know how to get past the tall fence that whirls around the village. One young man had learned the secret word to stop the fence and escaped, but since then the Queen has changed the word.

Finally declaring that he had taken his mother for granted, Ozma transports him to the palace, where she explains that she had brought him there to teach him a lesson. He vows never to treat his mother that way again, and after he rests for awhile, Ozma sends him home where his mother barely recognizes him but is thrilled to see him.

Continuity Notes

Dating: There is no designated month or year, save that it must be after Dorothy and Percy Vere's adventures in Grampa in Oz. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it a year after that story in 1911.

Magic Picture: The narrative asserts that the Magic Picture has no sound, but that because Ozma's a fairy she can hear what's being said. It is possible that Ozma uses her wand to produce sound, yet as others have also heard sound through the Magic Picture, it appears that sound is either inherent or was later augmented by the Wizard, Glinda or Ozma.

The Eldritch Horror of Oz, by Phyllis Ann Karr; illustrated by Sunshine D. Nelson

History: Later featured in Jessica Amanda Salmonson’s horror anthology, “Tales by Moonlight II” under the amusing pseudonym, L. Frank Craftlove. Although this story can be taken as a parody, it's written in such a way as to allow for a straight reading, which is how The Royal Timeline of Oz interprets it. This is the first story to introduce Lovecraftian entities into the ancient history of Oz. The forthcoming novel, The Ancient History of Oz will expand on these events and others.

Synopsis: In his 50th year at the Wogglebug's Mistictonic University, assistant professor Harkam, is beset by strange nightmares. For years now, Harkam has been having dreams of an ancient realm with dark towering edifices. Writing down these worsening dreams in a journal and attempting to recreate the dream cities in model, along with the image of the six-legged, tri-horned crab carved in stone, Harkam begins to grow ill. Seeing his distress, Professor Wogglebug comes to his aid. Harkam reveals his troubles to him, and the Professor recommends a year-long sabbatical, sending him to climb Mount Munch—which Harkam had longed to climb.

On June 24th (in the 51st year of Ozma's reign) Harkam takes off, contended that his troubles are over. But passing his turn, he finds himself in the Quadling country, where he again has the nightmare, and this time sees the tri-horned crab whose image is etched in the basalt and marble stones. Thinking Glinda, whose ruled in her domain longer than any extant Oz ruler, might help him, he heads to her castle, reaching it by mid-July. Though Glinda is at the Emerald City for a banquet and not present, Harkam takes advantage of the opportunity. Claiming to be there to collect material for a new Wogglebug history pill, he's allowed in Glinda's room where he unseals the earliest pages of the Great Book of Records (the Macronomicon). There he learns of the Elder Races and Old Ones who once ruled the earth before the coming of man, of the unhuman entities that came to earth from distant stars, waging cosmic wars, of great Cthjello, slumbering in sunken R'ealleah, of mighty Yug Succotash, of the mad god Hazimoth, sitting at the center of the universe. Oz had been inhabited by a Great Race of the crab-like beings he'd seen in his nightmares. As they began to be defeated by an even older race of semi-formless beings living underground, the sextopods sent certain scouts into the future to prepare for them bodies they could inhabit, which when the time was right, they would travel into the future to take over.

Fleeing Glinda's in horror, Harkam comes to the edge of the Great Sandy Waste (the safe part before it turns deadly), where he discovers the top of a black basalt stone. Examining and digging it out, he discovers it to be the like the very stone edifices of his dreams, and there carved upon it, the six-legged, tri-horned being. In shock and terror, he falls into a state of delerium, only to wake up in Glinda's castle, under her care. She cannot administer the Water of Oblivion, as that might not erase the dreams. She instructs him to keep what he's learned secret, as she, Ozma and the Wizard are aware of the situation, and have gone to some lengths to eliminate the Cthjello and Hazimuth cults, forbidding the practice of magic, and keeping an eye on Oz's stranger subjects and the hidden corners of the land. They've also banished or transformed several members of the Great Race. So, with a potion that Glinda administers to him, Harkam is cured of his dreams and goes off to Mount Munch to enjoy the vacation he'd planned.

Yet upon returning to the universe, his suspicions return, as he wonders that his mail is tampered with, that his diary and notes have been destroyed, and that for 32 years he's not been able to depart. He then wonder what his memory from eighteen years ago—of seeing through the Wogglebug's torn coat to the mark of a former second arm or leg—means!

Continuity Notes

Dating: The primary story is a flashback that takes place in 1952 (51st year of Ozma's reign) from around June 20th to July 17th. The frame story would be narrated in 1984, according to Harkam who says he's been unable to depart the university for 32 years since returning, which is not likely given it happens after the story's initial publication in 1981. 29 years is more likely.

The Wogglebug: The Wogglebug's extra arms (or legs) from the Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz strips are here the basis of the mysterious and ancient sextopod race, which explains how the Wogglebug started off with six arms in the former story, but is later depicted and described as having only four. The question of how an insect's projection on a screen could by come to life was answered in Bucketheads in Oz. Whether or not Harkam's suspicions are a delusion brought on by nervousness, or if the Wogglebug has a dark secret as an avatar of the Great Race is up to the reader to decide. Harkam notes that Professor Nowitall had not been found to verify the Wogglebug's claims, and it is true that both Jr. and Sr. Professors Nowitall were difficult to reach, the former because he lived in obscurity (Eureka in Oz), the latter because he was enchanted into a creature by Mombi (Bucketheads in Oz).

Great Sandy Waste: The discrepancy in the climax of The Marvelous Land of Oz, in which Glinda and Mombi race atop the Shifting Sands, which Baum describes everywhere else as deadly, is addressed here. The deadly section of the desert, at least in the Quadling region, is preceded by a safe zone of sands. Presumably, the deadly section is marked.

The Prohibition against Magic: The real reason for the prohibition is here addressed. Prohibiting magic serves as an aid in stamping out the cultists who might otherwise use magic to bring about the return of the Old Ones.

Lovecraft and Cthulhu: While the names of the Old Ones are misspelled, this is not an issue for continuity since the beleaguered narrator might easily have misspelled their names. They are otherwise an exact description of Cthulhu, R'leyah, Azathoth and the Great Race of Yith (who intend to transfer their minds/spirits into the "beetle folk"). It's clear that they fail, though how that happens is a story yet untold.

The Rainbow's Daughter of Oz, by Sean Duffley; illustrated by Dana Linker

Continuity Notes Located in the Parallel Histories page. Composed by the young former editor of The Baum Bugle, Dorothy and Polychrome go to rescue Polychrome's brother Schuyler from the Nome King. This version of Kaliko is portrayed as villainous and unafraid of Ozma, contrary to his usual self. Also, Polychrome is said to be one of thirty-tree sky fairies. For a different version of Polychrome's history, sisters, and brother Polyphemus, see "As the Rainbow Follows the Rain" (Oziana #37).

Edited by Jay Delkin

The Scarecrow's Appreciation Day, by Ben P. Indick; illustrated by Rob Roy MacVeigh

Synopsis: Written as a play and located in the Parodies & Poems section. A lovelorn Scraps worries when the Scarecrow doesn't show up for Scarecrow Appreciation Day, and the Tin Woodman feels guilty that he forgot to send him the letter. After Dorothy fails to find him, Ozma reasons that he'll show up and to keep her friends from worrying uses her magic wand to recall scenes from when Scraps first met the Scarecrow, when the Scarecrow visited the Tin Woodman after General Jinjur usurped his throne, and when Dorothy met him, as per the famous stage play. Ozma then summons the Wizard, who searches his spell book for a way to retrieve the Scarecrow, but suddenly hear appears. The others are happy to see him, but wonder why he seems down. He explains that the Wogglebug got him down when he said he had no family tree, but despite discovering Happy Toko, he still feels blue. Determining that what he's missing is a family, the Wizard takes a few wisps of straw from the Scarecrow and some pieces of cotton from Scraps, and makes three Scarecrow children for them.

Continuity Notes This is the first of the Scarecrow/Scraps love stories. The Patchwork Bride of Oz came next, followed by Labor of Love. The former has them marry, while the latter has them marry and produce a child. This story has the Wizard produce three children for them. Although it references historical aspects from the books, due to the fact that Scraps breaks the fourth wall in this play, talking and flirting with the audience, it's clear that this was never intended to be a historical event.

The Change Made By the Magic Turnstyle, by Edith Ellen Reuwer & Jay Delkin

Synopsis: 30 years after The Wonder City of Oz, Jenny Jump is invited to the palace. Summoning her Turnstyle by means of the Magic Belt, Dorothy goes through it, but accidentally hits the temperament switch, causing her personality to become that of a tyrant.

Continuity Notes Located in the Parallel Histories section. The characters in this story speak and behave as if the Magic Turnstyle had never been used by them in the 30 years since Jenny Jump's lived in Oz.

The Cowardly Lion and the Courage Pills, by Glenn Ingersoll; illustrated by David Ingersoll

Synopsis: When the Wogglebug trips over the Cowardly Lion in the garden behind the palace, the Lion grows terrified. The Wogglebug notices how everything makes the Lion terrified these days and determines to find a cure for him. He has Jellia escort him to a quiet room in the palace, and while he sleeps, the Wogglebug employs Herby the Medicine Man and the Wizard to find a cure, although he doesn't wish to reveal that it's for the Cowardly Lion.

Meanwhile, as the Guardian of the Gates and Omby Amby play a game of Oz Fish, an advance scout party of two Blorgens release an orange smoke that causes the men to pass out. The Blorgens are two feet tall creatures with one red and one white rose protruding out of small brown bodies with six spindly legs. Hailing from beneath Mt. Phanfasm, the Blorgens Fragul and Brabul determine that since the fairy that had imprisoned them was banished to the outside world, Oz will be theirs when the army arrives on flying plants that evening.

That night the Cowardly Lion awakens frightened by the dark. The Wogglebug comes knocking, scaring him further, but has his new Courage Pills for him. After some anxiety, he agrees to save them for an emergency, and feeling more confident, determines that he can now be called the Courageous Lion instead, and looks forward to joining the others for the first time in weeks at the banquet hall.

The Wogglebug leads him out a different way to the gardens, which are unfamiliar to the Lion, but as the Professor moves too slow, the Lion hauls him onto his back. But when they stumble upon a section of red and white roses, they're puzzled until the Blorgens reveal themselves and attack! As the Lion runs, others begin dropping from the sky, releasing their sleepy smoke. The Wogglebug passes out first, and soon the Lion follows, but as he falls to the ground, he bumps the bottle of courage pills, opening them. As he begins to drift off, one of the pills near his nose begins to tickle him, and he sneezes, waking himself up.

Seeing them on the ground, he laps up the pills, but nothing seems to happen as the Blorgens surround him. The Lion rushes off into the palace, where he seems many asleep. He himself starts to get sleepy, he bumps into the Scarecrow, whose glad to see him as Scraps and Jack have been locked away. Mounting his back, the Scarecrow holds on as the Lion runs into Ozma's chamber and orders him to the Magic Room, where the Wizard had unlocked the safe before falling asleep. The Cowardly Lion then falls asleep, but the Scarecrow hears him utter the Magic Fan. The Scarecrow remembers his magical device given to him by his family tree, and the Lion instructs him to fan the orange smoke.

When the Blorgens break into the room, the Scarecrow blows them away. The Wizard then awakens and grabs the Magic Belt and other potions, and puts it around the Scarecrow's waist, and they march into the courtyard blowing away any Blorgen they come across. Mixing the magical potions he brought on the Cowardly Lion's head, he sets off a magical fireworks display and then commands all the Blorgens into the courtyard. Then holding onto the Magic Belt, the Scarecrow makes the Blorgens disappear.

The next day, after celebrating the Lion, the Scarecrow tells everyone that when he used the Magic Belt he wished the Blorgens back home under Mt. Phantastico where they would sleep for a hundred years. The Wizard had discerned from his potions who the creatures were and where they came from. Earlier in the day, he sent Herby to their cavern home with a supply of happiness vine seeds that he planted, the berries of which will ensure they'll never want to harm anyone again.

Dorothy inquires why hadn't tried to conquer them earlier, and the Wizard explains that they'd been under a spell cast by Nelebel the fairy, of Queen Lurline's band. She had put them to sleep for a thousand years.

The Courage Pills are renamed Energy Pills and the Lion determines that he won't need them, as he's now braver than anyone, but when Nick Chopper brings flowers for Dorothy, the Lion shrieks in terror.

Continuity Notes

Blorgens: An arachnid like race with six legs and protruding eyestalks that resemble red and white roses, the Blorgens are an old race somehow associated with the Phanfasms whose mountain they dwell under. If they are an allied being, or even creation of the Phanfasms or Mimics, it is not known. Nelebel put them to sleep a thousand years prior to this story.

Dating: Although there is no explicit date in the narrative, a date can be discerned from the fact that the most cowardly point in the Cowardly Lion's life came during the adventure in the book of his name, The Cowardly Lion of Oz (but is a situation that began earlier in The Magic Carpet of Oz.) In this story, he acknowledges that he's now more fearful than ever and that it's been weeks since he was even able to eat in the banquet hall. The Royal Timeline of Oz places this story a year later in 1911.

Nelebel: This fairy, who first appears in "Nelebel's Fairyland" as an exile from Burzee in San Francisco, is noted as having banished the Blorgens for a thousand years. Since they've only recently awakened, it would mean she enchanted them in year 910 or 911, shortly after she joined Lurline's band. Since the Blorgens note that she'd been banished, it would appear that she is not yet back from San Francisco. Baum, however, notes in his story (written in 1905) that she's returned. This indicates that the Blorgens are unaware of this, but also that she's forgotten them.

Nickname: This is the second story in which the Cowardly Lion's nickname, Cowy, is used. The Scarecrow calls him this. The first was The Cowardly Lion of Oz.

Edited by Jay Delkin

The Way to the Emerald City, by Melody Grandy; illustrated by Melody Grandy

Note: Included as Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 in The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2: Tippetarius in Oz. See that entry for details.

Cornucopia Oziana, by Everett Avila; illustrated by Ancelyn Avila

Synopsis and Continuity Notes This is made up of five sections, each of which delve into something that Baum only touched on, but didn't explain in any depth:

Dotty Ditty: The foolish song sung by the Whimsies in The Emerald City of Oz is for the first time recorded.

Juggling Tricks: The tricks of the rabbit jugglers (from The Emerald City of Oz) is here recorded.

Queer Symbols: The unusual symbols worn by the rabbit jugglers (The Emerald City of Oz) is here explained.

Judgment on Googly-Goo: The fate of Googly-Goo (from The Scarecrow of Oz) is here reported. This accords well with The Gardener's Boy of Oz.

The Pumpkinhead-Wogglebug Affair: The conference with Jack Pumpkinhead and the Wogglebug (in The Scarecrow of Oz) is here told.

The Fate of the Yoops, or The Yookoohoos of Oz, by Frederick E. Otto; illustrated by Rob Roy MacVeigh

Synopsis: When Red Reera the Yookoohoo turns her companion moles into monkeys she notices an extra monkey, a green one, in the room. The monkey admits she's Mrs. Yoop and that she's come because she cannot return to her true form unless someone else takes the green monkey form. She knows Yookoohoos like a challenge, and has made a new apron (which allows Yookoohoos to do their transformations), which she'll give her in exchange for her help.

Reera asks how she found her, and Mrs. Yoop says that she can perform minor transformations, but not on people or animals. She'd transformed a bread board into a map of Oz with all the famous magic workers on it. Reera then inquires of her giant husband. Mrs. Yoop says that the neighbors got tired him eating their cattle and locked him in a cage in the Quadling Country. Reera demands that she leave and return with her husband. Mrs. Yoop isn't happy about that, but as there's no one else who can help her, she concedes. Reera sends her wolf Thrugg with her, transforming him into a donkey.

On the journey, Mrs. Yoop tells him that she worked on that apron for years in anticipation of asking Reera's help. She tells him to call her Ali. They finally arrive at an unused Gillikin Country named Gillyflowers, where the citizens have purple skin and hair. After establishing that they won't eat one another, they let them through, warning them of a band of creatures outside their country who will. Once in the Winkie Country the discover that the savage carnivorous trees are what they were referring to. Mrs. Yoop transforms each into a standard tree.

At last, they arrive at the hills of the Hoppers and Horners. In a gap in the road is a cave wherein Mr. Yoop is imprisoned behind bars. After his failed attempt at catching them, Mrs. Yoop announces that she'll be freeing him. First, she transforms rocks into fish in order satiate his hunger, as he hadn't eaten in over a year, and then only a mouse and some gnats. After an hour of eating he falls asleep, allowing her to sneak in, tie him up, and transform his bonds into steel manacles. This awakens him.

Transforming the bars to blades of grass and his collar into a large pouch where she and Thrugg climb into, Mrs. Yoop directs him on the road to Red Reera's. Once there, Reera tells Mrs. Yoop she intends to pass the green monkey form to her husband. Mrs. Yoop approves of the idea, expressing the various ways in which she'll exploit him as her servant. Giving Reera the lace apron, she successfully performs the transformation. Once in her original form, she starts threatening Reera. Anticipating this, Reera turns her into a mud turtle with a sign embossed on her shell that reads: "Danger! Do not disenchant this Yookoohoo!" Although now a green monkey, Mr. Yoop is content enough to be free, but he has no intention of staying with his wife after hearing what she intended for him. Turning Thrugg and another pet into eagles, they escort the Yoops to Yoop Valley.

Continuity Notes

Dating: There is no explicit date provided, save that it must occur prior to publication in 1983. Given that Mr. and Mrs. Yoops forms are now changed, with him as the green monkey and she a turtle, it must occur after any other story in which Mrs. Yoop is still a green monkey, namely A Promise Kept in Oz and The Magic Umbrella of Oz.

Mr. Yoop: Despite being turned into a green monkey, which is a form that is very difficult to break, save by turning someone else into a green monkey, Mr. Yoop got himself freed of the enchantment, as he later appears in The Giant King of Oz in his giant form. How this happened is a yet untold story. Perhaps Reera relented and passed on the form to another creature or adversary, or perhaps he found another Yookoohoo who would assist him. Whatever the case, six years later, he is a giant again, and once again gets himself imprisoned for being bad.

Mrs. Yoop and Red Reera: The Yookoohoo Mrs. Yoop offers her name here as Ali. In The Magic Umbrella of Oz, however, her name is Moyna. Given that she says the former name to her husband, Ali might be a nickname that she went by and uses to keep her real identify a secret (something she's concerned with: see A Promise Kept in Oz). As revealed in the The Law of Oz and Other Stories, Reera is her older sister. A future story will reveal why they treat one another as acquaintances.

Thrugg: This pet of Red Reera the Yookoohoo was once the familiar of the Wicked Witch of the West. See the Oziana 1985 story, "Mombi's Pink Polkadot Vest."

Yookoohoos: On page 14, Reera calls Mrs. Yoop the "only other Yookoohoo in Oz" and Mrs. Yoop notes that there aren't any other Yookoohoos who can help her. In The Law of Oz and Other Stories and The Magic Umbrella of Oz, as well as The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3 and The Yookoohoos of Oz, it's clear that there's a large community of Yookoohoos living in Oz. Mrs. Yoop's statement works as-is because she knows there are no other Yookoohoos who will help her. She's betrayed her mother and is considered an embarrassment to the rest. Reera's statement is harder to qualify, though The Yookoohoos of Oz helps to explain it. Reera left home at a young age, and has lived a reclusive life with her animals alone. She had cause to believe the Yookoohoos fled Oz some time following Ozma's prohibition of magic in the land.

Nero Zeero: Snoz of Oz, by Jay V. Groves; illustrated by Eric Shanower

Synopsis: Ozma receives an invitation to attend Queen Ann's birthday party in Oogaboo, which notes that Queen Ann has been depressed of late. Though Ozma is unable to attend, she sends the Sawhorse, Scarecrow, Dorothy, Tik-Tok and the Cowardly Lion. The party stop off at the Tin Woodman's castle to invite him as well.

In the morning, Nick tells the Scarecrow that his nose is protruding two inches from his face. The Scarecrow adds that the same is true of him. Dorothy and the Lion also find they're affected, as is the Sawhorse and the Winkies in the castle! Only Tik-Tok is unaffected. Nick decides to stay behind to try to solve the problem and gives the party directions to Oogaboo.

In the deep part of the Winkie Country lies Snoz Valley (aka. Snozland), and there the King of the Snozzes Nero Zero admits to his Chief Minister Lukas Flukus that he cast the spell to make everyone's noses two inches longer, believing he'd done them a great favor.

When the party arrive at the sigh for Oogaboo, they take it despite the map indicating the other direction, unaware that the sign was switched to lead them to Snoz Valley. When they arrive, large-nosed soldiers arrest them for trespassing, but Zero intervenes, clarifying that that law was repealed. He inquires what they think of their new noses, explaining that since brains are in the nose, they're all smarter. But Dorothy demands her original back, and the Scarecrow explains that his brains are in his head, as are most people's, and that it's illegal to practice magic. At Lukas's behest, the king removes the spell and invites the Scarecrow to speak at the honor banquet at Snoz University that night. The Scarecrow agrees, and speaks of the value of embracing diversity.

The next day, Zero shows them the way to Oogaboo, where he's invited to stay for the part. He and Ann spend considerable time talking, and he later admits that they have discussed merging their kingdoms through marriage, though she doesn't care for his nose. He then wants to cast a spell shrinking their noses, provided that brains aren't actually in them. The Scarecrow and Dorothy assure him that they're not. The Scarecrow advises he try it on himself first rather than impose it on everyone, and let them see by example if it's something that works for him. If they want it, he can later offer it to them. Zero concludes that the Scarecrow as real brains indeed.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Takes place a short time after Queen Ann attempted and failed to conquer Oz and the Nome King in Tik-Tok of Oz.

Nero Zero: King of Snozland, it is unknown how he learned magic, or what became of Nero Zero after the events of this story. It is clear that he and Queen Ann did not marry, though their respective kingdoms appear to have remained friendly (unless there is an unknown tale).

Snoz Valley: Located near Oogaboo, and centered around the activity of Snoz University, Snozland is inhabited by a community whose noses are two inches larger than the average. It's unknown whether the people followed their king's example in shrinking their noses, or if they took the Scarecrow's words about the beauty of diversity to heart.

Edited by Jay Delkin

The Blue Raindrops of Oz, by Camilla Townsend; illustrated by Melody Grandy

Synopsis: Feeling bored and annoyed at Betsy (who went on a picnic with Hank), and bereft of Cap'n Bill whose helping Uncle Henry, Trot decides it's time to visit Sky Island where she was made queen. Borrowing the Magic Belt from Ozma, whose planning the construction of bridges along the Winkie River, she heads to the Pinkie side of Sky Island, where Rosalie the witch-queen is happy to see her. She confides that she's got a bad feeling and suspects the old Boolooroo is behind it.

Her instincts prove correct, as the former monarch had stumbled on a book of magic in his attic and began practicing spells, including turning a statue of a brownie into a living brownie, who he makes his slave. Determined to conquer Sky Island and the world, he puzzles how to cross the Fog Bank, which is said to take the life of any Blueskin who passes into it. Nearly 600 anyway, the age when most Blueskin's die, he enchants his feet so that they walk straight and enters. Unbeknownst to him, Brownie has followed, concerned about his master's plans.

The Boolooroo crosses into the Pink country and enchants himself to look like a Pinkie. He heads to the Court of Statues where the witch-queen's house is located, and enters it. Surprised to see Trot there, he utters the spell to turn them both into statues. Successful, he takes the Magic Belt from around Trot's waist and puts it on. Taking all of Rosalie's magic items, he commands the Belt to render any other magic device inoperative. Returning to his own form, he announces his conquest, turning any who oppose into statues.

As the Boolooroo gathers an army, the upset Brownie goes into Rosalie's house and utters the spell he heard his master use. It revives them and he explains all that's occurred. They thank him and come up with a plan. Trot rallies the Pinkies to her, drawing the attention of the Boolooroo, whose so angry he begins to utter the statue spell, oblivious to the fact that Rosalie has snuck up behind him and taken the Magic Belt, with which she turns him into a statue, and restores all the enchanted people and magical items.

Ozma, Glinda, Dorothy, the Wizard and Polychrome arrive. After introductions, they travel to the Boolooroo's cottage to determine how he learned magic, and scare off his wife and six snub-nosed daughters. They take all the magic books, but puzzle after Brownie, who they suspect is enchanted. Glinda and the Wizard cast a spell, but Polychrome's the most surprised by the results: her long lost cousin Sapphrisse, the eldest daughter of the Rain King (her uncle). Years ago, Lurline visited the Rain King, explaining her intent to enchant Oz and leave behind baby Ozma to rule later. Sapphrisse was asked to go to serve as a friend and helper. But Thorgose, a thunder worker, had wished to go as well. When he was denied, he kidnapped the sky fairy and transformed her into a statue. He went on to try and conquer the world, but the Cloud King transformed him into a raindrop.

Sapphrisse asks if Ozma still needs her, and Ozma tells her of the Kingdom of Dreams, which she had visited long ago when she was part of Lurline's band. There dwelt the spirits of the night, who danced on the lake and sang to the stars. They had no queen and were surrounded by enemies on three sides. Ozma asks if she would like to be their queen, and she agrees.

The Boolooroo is left with Ghip-Ghisizzle to be reformed again. Ozma then invites everyone, and the Rain King, to dine at the Emerald City.

Continuity Notes

Dating: There are no explicit dates, though it notes that it's "many years" after Trot defeated the Boolooroo in Sky Island. He would have needed time to find the magic books in the attic and learn the spells to avenge himself. Another clue is that Ozma is constructing bridges over the Winkie rivers, which seems to suggest that this story follows sometime after Lucky Bucky in Oz, in which mischievous rivers were giving the Tin Woodman problems. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1937, over thirty years after Trot's first trip there. This, of course, is not Trot's first trip back to Sky Island, which occurred in The Witch Queen of Oz and again in "Diplomatic Immunity."

Kingdom of Dreams: Yet another interpretation of this realm is the one Ozma remembers from when she was in Lurline's band, which is pre-1743. She notes that there were Spirits of the Night who danced and sang to the stars. Her concern is for these unprotected beings. Yet, after two hundred years, it's hard to imagine why she would still be concerned. Either they've been destroyed by their evil neighbors, or they've managed, or they've moved. There's also the question as to what exactly Sapphrisse could do in the face of evil spirits like the Phanfasms. She doesn't appear to be particularly powerful, though perhaps Ozma and the Wizard and/or her father equip her with some kind of magic.

Sky Island: This story serves a sequel to Sky Island, bringing back the Boolooroo and Rosalie the witch-queen of the Pinkies.

The Piglets' Revenge or How Eureka Became Pink, by Glenn Ingersoll; illustrated by David Ingersoll

Synopsis: After Eureka returns to Oz, the cat is confined to Dorothy's rooms, until getting out, and deciding to punish the piglets for the way she's been treated. But the piglets plan a trick, and Eureka falls into it, a pool of permanent pink dye (one of the Wizard's inventions). Defeated, Eureka decides to behave.

Continuity Notes This story, in order to sit alongside Eureka in Oz, must be predicated on three factors, the first: that Eureka's pink tainting from the Tixies either wore off, or that the Wizard restored her original color, and she then became white again; the second: that after forgiving Eureka, Ozma still imposed a probation period in which Eureka was confined; third, that the Wizard didn't tell Ozma or Dorothy of Eureka's recent bad behavior.

The Pronunciad, by Robin Olderman; illustrated by Robin Olderman

Synopsis: Poem, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

The Mystery of the Missing Ozma, by Jay Delkin; illustrated by Eric Shanower

Synopsis: Another entry in the Great Detective series in which the unnamed Sherlock Holmes solves mysteries in Oz. In this case, Ozma goes missing, leading the Great Detective to the Gillikin country, to the reveal that Ugu the Shoemaker has a twin brother also named Ugu, and finally to the Deadly Desert where the trail goes cold. With the help of the Wogglebug, who uses Nikidik's new wishing pills, the story never happened and everything is restored to normal.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Due to the characterization of Dr. Nikidik, this must take place some time after he reforms in Wooglet in Oz (1973). The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1976.

Dr. Nikidik: Dr. Nikidik is said here to be the brother of Dr. Pipt, though that could mean brothers in arms, or brothers in magic. More curiously, he's depicted as the helpful assistant of the Wizard, which is a very different characterization from the usual wicked depiction of Dr. Nikidik revealed in most stories (see the Appendix: "Dr. Nikidik and Dr. Pipt"), however, most of those take place before he was exiled again to Taker's Island (in Wooglet in Oz). It is possible, as this narrative is set afterwards, that this story is dealing with a reformed Nikidik, post Wooglet in Oz.

Ugu Two: The narrative also gives Ugu a twin brother with the same name and personality from Herku, claiming this is something they do in that community. This can be retconned as being the Dove of War, who was was inadvertently created by the Magic Belt at the end of The Lost Princess of Oz, and who meets his final end in the eighth story-arc of The Emerald City Mirror. According to author Paul Dana (The Law of Oz and Other Stories), "there’s a lot of confusion at the end of Lost Princess, when Dorothy uses the Magic Belt to perform at least two transformations in short order. The text also says that she’s only just learned how to use the Belt. She tries turning Ugu into a Dove of Peace, but he is able to alter the transformation and become a giant Dove of War. Then she tries making him a small Dove of Peace... with her magic and his colliding violently through all this, he splits into two doves – one dove that fulfills Dorothy’s Dove of Peace spell and another that fulfills Ugu’s own Dove of War spell... The dove that escapes in the Dishpan is the Dove of Peace, panicking. This is the dove that Button-Bright and Ojo meet in Time Travelers of Oz. Meanwhile, the defeated Dove of War conceals itself in the castle and waits till the invaders are gone."

Edited by Robin Olderman

Mombi's Pink Polkadot Vest, by Frederick E. Otto; illustrated by Melody Grandy

Synopsis: Frame story: Ozma visits Jack Pumpkinhead, who shows her the very first outfit he wore when he was brought to life. Ozma tells him she's had an urge to drink milk from the four-horned cow Mombi once had. Though Jack trembles at her name, she assures him Mombi was washed out years ago. She'd recently looked in the Magic Picture for the cow and discovered that she's living nearby at Farmer Ferkle's.

The farmer is thrilled to see Ozma, but hopes she'll take the cow with her. Ever since she got into his forget-me-not field, she's been complaining bitterly about transformations, unfair treatment and her past life. Ozma goes to greet her and let her know that she was Tip and asks what the matter is. The cow reveals that ever since eating the forget-me-nots, her memory has come back. She is a man named Phogg, the former Grand Gee-Wizard of the Horners. Ozma agrees to help him, and as they walk back to Jack's house, they put together the events that occurred back then.

Flashback: Leaving behind food for Tip, Mombi departs to the home of the Wicked Witch of the West in order to secure the ingredients for a potion that would bring to life inanimate objects, with which she intends to use on farm machinery, kitchen utensils and to create an army of dolls and tin soldiers to conquer the Gillikin country.

Going southwest, she creates a bridge over a stream, skirts around Loonville and the Marshland, and arrives in the evening at the Wicked Witch's castle. The witch welcomes her, as Mombi tells her she needs five ingredients for the potion. the left wing of a butterfly, a drop of oil from a live-man's body, three hairs from a Woozy, a six-leaved clover and a gill of water from a dark well. The Wicked Witch says she can pick up the cloves in the Emerald City on her way home, and get the water from a cave of the Horners to the south, while she secures the butterfly and puts a Winkie in the olive press to squeeze out some oil. In return, the Wicked Witch requests some fat toads from her creek.

When Mombi gets up to leave, she trips on the Wicked Witch's invisible bar, dropping her containers, one of which the Witch hides as she apologizes to her. The Wicked Witch provides Mombi with a donkey named Thrug, who used to be a dragon until an evil sorcerer gave it to her in payment for Winkie slaves. Allergic to its sulfurous breath, she transformed him into a beast of burden. Heading to the Horner land, she creates a bridge with some powders to cross river, but the donkey falls in, and Mombi tells him to swim, explaining that he has to believe in it for it to work.

The next morning, they come across mounds over a field before them. Out of one pops a Tottenhot who tells her to be quiet as they sleep at day and play at night to avoid the sun, which would bleach them out. She next brings out red pepper to deal with the giant Mr. Yoop, who lives in a shallow cave behind bars. As he tries to grab her, she throws the pepper in his face, causing him to sneeze violently.

She and Thrug then pass by and find the dark cave that leads to Hoppers, which they pass by. Further on, they come to the roguish, one-horned Horners. They direct her to Phogg, their leader and Gee-Wizard. He proves to be tall and thin and sports four horns. She requests his powers in locating a dark well, and finding a Woozy. In return Phogg asks that she take him away from the Horners, whose bored living amongst them.

Mombi agrees and explains why she needs the ingredients. Phogg thrills at the chance to meet the most powerful witch in Oz and possess the Powder of Life, and he sees Mombi as a stepping stone to that. He leads her to the cave with the well and she fills her flask with the liquid. Phogg then changes into his traveling clothes, including purple trousers and a red shirt and pink polkadot waistcoast. Riding on Thrug's back, they retrace their steps past the Hopper city and head east through open country to the park surrounding Lake Quad, where Phogg magically provides them shelter for the night, while Mombi creates dinner. Phogg goes off and retrieves the six-leaved clover.

Phogg makes a bridge spanning the widest part of the Winkie River, which Mombi convinces Thrug to cross. From there, they head to the castle of the Wicked Witch. She announces that her vulture flew in from the Blue Forest, where there is a magician named Nikidik whose developed a Powder of Life that doesn't require all the ingredients. She invites them to stay for the night. After Phogg goes to bed, believing he's achieving his ambitions, Mombi and the Wicked Witch of the West decide what to do with him. As numerous recipes call for sour milk, Mombi considers turning him into a cow so she won't have to rely on her neighbors. Yet doing so would require several days. The Wicked Witch says she can do it under seven minutes.

After gathering the ingredients, and casting the spell, they go to the guest room to find a four-horned cow complaining indignantly. Back in the laboratory, the Witch of the West shows her a bottle of Water of Oblivion from the fountain in the Emerald City. Forcing Phogg to drink it, he loses all memory of his past life. Taking her new cow and Phogg's former clothes, she returns back home.

Frame story: Phogg is ashamed at being so trustful of the evil witches. Ozma assures him they've both been washed out. He asks if she can restore him so he can return to his people, who he now appreciates. Ozma does so, allowing him to return to the Horner Country to serve as "Gee Whiz" Phogg, only now with a single horn.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The flashback story must take place during the nine year period in which Tip is living with Mombi, and before the Wicked Witch of the West is destroyed. The frame story, on the other hand, is difficult to place. It must be years after The Lost King of Oz (1913). Ozma tells Phogg that only the Wizard of Oz and Glinda can practice magic, so it's before 1982, when the licensing system was implemented (The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3), but after 1964 when Ozma softened the ban on magic (The Law of Oz and Other Stories), as she allows Phogg to use magic to heal his people as needed.

Four-horned Cow: A four-horned cow (named Imogene in The Winged Monkeys of Oz, but not the same Imogene from The Giant Garden of Oz) lives in the Royal Stables. As Phogg was disenchanted, it cannot be him. But with the understanding that Mombi regularly performs switcheroo spells (as opposed to outright transformations), this means that when she transformed Phogg into a four-horned cow, she'd actually switched forms, so that Imogene came to look like Phogg and vice versa. Ozma eventually tracks down the original Imogene, now restored to her true form, and invites her to live at the palace.

Mombi: Ozma tells a white lie to Jack Pumpkinhead and Phogg about Mombi, saying she'd been "washed out years ago," a reference to her supposed execution in The Lost King of Oz. As revealed in Oziana #38: "Executive Decisions," however, Mombi was given water from the Fountain of Oblivion, and is alive and well, a secret that Ozma keeps. As regards the narrative's statement (page 9) that Mombi hadn't heard such a compliment in 300 years, that has to be taken as historian error, as Mombi was born in 1733.

Sisterhood: Mombi's reference to the Wicked Witch of the West as being a sister should be understood as "like" a sister, or a sister in magic, and not as a flesh-and-blood sister.

Thrug: The Wicked Witch of the West's donkey Thrug (formerly a dragon) later goes on to live with Red Reera. See Oziana 1983: "The Fate of the Yoops or the Yookoohoos of Oz."

Magic in the Kitchen, by Jane McNeive; illustrated by Minh Huynh

Synopsis: En route to bring his father's fresh vegetables to the Emerald City, the Quadling boy Lon finds a silver magic wand and determines to hand it over to Ozma. By dinnertime, however, he forgets and heads to his aunt's house. In the morning, he goes to the palace and leaves his cart with a new servant girl named Fran. When she goes to help empty the cart, she grabs the wand. Surprised, another servant goes to tell Ozma, but as she and the Wizard are off visiting the Tin Woodman's, she returns without her and asks Fran what she thinks she's going to do. Fran blurts out what she's wishing the kitchen would just run by itself.

With that, the food, pots, pans and kitchenware come to life! The servants all run out of the kitchen while a number of arguments break out between the various living items. Mr. Cleaver, who claims his cousin is the King of Utensia (King Kleaver: see The Emerald City of Oz), starts to restore order, and before long the kitchen is actually running itself.

When the palace residents arrive for dinner they're surprised to see the plates and utensils setting themselves. When no one eats, Mr. Cleaver asks what's wrong. Dorothy says that they're just startled by the new developments. The knife explains that someone wished them alive. Dorothy goes to investigate the kitchen, and there everyone greets her and tries to tell her about their day. Finally, a pepper tells her about the wand, which Dorothy finds.

Lon finally remembers the silver wand and comes to find a living kitchen. He tells Dorothy his part in the tale, and Dorothy determines to wait to see what Ozma and the Wizard suggest. When Ozma returns, Dorothy tells her she was thinking of sending the living utensils to Utensia. Ozma recognizes the wand as belonging to the Rainbow Fairies and summons Polychrome with the Magic Belt. Poly confirms it's the wand of one of her sisters who lost it that morning. Asking for help for the trouble it caused, Polychrome uses her own wand to undo the wish the other wand did that morning, restoring everything to the way it was.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The story takes place over the course of two days, and there's no indication as to the year or month. The knowledge of Utensia, the economic system in place (Lon delivering his father's produce) and Ozma's casual and effective use of the Magic Belt (to summon Polychrome) suggests it take place at least a decade or so after The Emerald City of Oz. As this story precedes "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz," which takes place shortly after Ojo in Oz.

Sequel: The sequel "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz" suggests that Ozma re-addresses the issues of the ending, as well as others, and sends the living food items to Bunbury and Cookry Land (see The Emerald City of Oz, Billy in Bunbury and The Little Gingerbread Man).

The Ice Cream Man of Oz, by Jim Vander Noot; illustrated by Robert Luehrs

Synopsis: Leonard Trytton determines to make the most spectacular ice cream sculpture for Ozma on her birthday, hoping that in so doing his 8-year old son will receive the attention and respect that he had craved at that age. He begins sculpting it into the shape of a man, using different flavors and toppings. He sends his son for the pharmacist, Miss Erba Lis, to prepare a custom cooler to keep it frozen for a week. She adds Big Chill, Spine Chillers, Temperature Stabilizer, Heart Warmer and dextrose to preserve him and keep him sweet. But then she mixes up an ingredient. Thinking she's adding Spice of Ice, she instead adds Spice of Life!

At the parade on Ozma's birthday, Leonard, his wife Lusanne, and son Leon, march along and present Ozma with the ice cream man. Impressed, she invites them to join her at dinner where the ice cream sculpture is prominently situated. But when the ice cream man suddenly comes to life, Ozma says she'll have to punish him for practicing magic. Thankfully, Erba Liss bursts in, explaining the whole mix-up.

As the children clamor for ice cream, the Ice Cream Man gives them each a finger, which expands on the plate and regrows on his hand! He introduces himself to Ozma as Malter B Bell, or Malty. Ozma welcomes him, pardons Leonard, and commissions a royal optician for Erba to be fitted with a pair of glasses, as well as a course in pharmacology at the Royal College.

The Wizard has his nine tiny piglets entertain, along with the troupe of monkeys from the Gillikin Country (who come every year for this purpose).

Erba goes on to build a candy hose for Malty with a special preservative to protect it from inclement weather. Malty becomes friends with Nick Chopper, and the Tin Woodman gives him a tin bell so that on warm days when the bell rings, the children can come out and get ice cream fingers from the Ice Cream Man.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Takes place from 8/14 to 8/21, Ozma's birthday. The year is not discernable from the internal evidence, save for two points. Ozma's reaction indicates that at this time she's applying a more severe application of the prohibition against magic. Also, the Wizard's use of his nine tiny piglets and monkeys who visit annually from the Gillikin Country, which started in The Magic of Oz, seems to indicate that this is yet early on in Ozma's reign. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1913.

Edited by Robin Olderman

The Woggle-Bug's New Clothes, by Frederick E. Otto; illustrated by Bill Eubank

Synopsis: Forthcoming

Continuity Notes

The magnification of the Wogglebug as well as his initial persecution and attainment of clothing is presented in this Fred Otto tale, as is an early look at Pastoria prior to his disenchantment. Interestingly, the illustrator presents the Wogglebug as having six limbs, four arms and two legs (which is only hinted at in the text), which is akin to his appearance in Baum's Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz newspaper strips. "The Eldritch Horror of Oz," Oziana 1981, indicates that he'd cut them off so as to appear less insectoid to others (who would likely have expressed horror at his appearance).

Sugarene: This cookywitch reappears in The Other Searches for the Lost Princess.

The Blizzard of Oz, by Tyler Tichelaar; illustrated by Bill Stillman

Synopsis: Jack Frost comes to the Continent of Imagination to spread frost for the first time. He heads to Rinkitink and Ev, and the roses of the Rose Kingdom hurl threats at Jack as he freezes them. Wanting a challenge, he decides to to Oz, so crossing the Deadly Desert, he arrives in the Winkie Country. Exhausted from the journey, he falls asleep at the foot of a statue of Dorothy in the Tin Woodman's courtyard. When he awakens, he bangs his head hard on the statue, rousing Dorothy, Ozma and the Scarecrow, who'd come to visit Nick Chopper. Ozma identifies him as Jack Frost, and Dorothy's surprised to find he's real.

They tend to him for two days, at the end of which Jack proclaims his love for Dorothy. When she turns down his proposal of marriage, however, he threatens that his father, the King of the Snow Empire, will send to Oz a blizzard that will wipe it out!

Three days later, a blanket of snow 25 feet high covers the Emerald City. Glinda joins the council deciding what to do. With her is a spell that if read by a Sky Fairy will solve the problem. So, with the Magic Belt, Ozma summons Polychrome. She puts on the Belt and reads the spell, which stops the blizzard and eliminates the snow.

Continuity Notes

Cold Proposals: This is the second time Dorothy is proposed to by a creature of the cold. The first was the Ice King, in The Ice King of Oz.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in the winter. No year is given, save that it must take place after Kabumpo in Oz, as Dorothy mentions the Prince of Pumperdink wanting to marry Ozma. The question remains why does Jack Frost choose to come to Nonestica. It may be that the outside world proved too warm for him that year. According to www.skepticalscience.com, the records showed (in 2013) that the fifth warmest year on record in the United States (as opposed to globally) was 1934, ranking behind 2012, 2006 and 1998. The Royal Timeline of Oz, thus, places this story in 1934.

Jack Frost: This story serves as a sequel to the Baum short story "The Runaway Shadows" (aka. "A Trick of Jack Frost"), which dealt with his pranks in the country of Thumbumbia, south of Burzee. Yet, as the narrator says that he'd never been to the Continent of Imagination, this serves to support the notion that Burzee was once part of the outside world during the time Neclaus was born and raised (see The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus).

The Two Peters, by Eric Shanower; illustrated by Eric Shanower

Synopsis: Now an elderly man, Peter reads Pirates in Oz to his grandson, whose also named Peter. The young boy wishes he could go to Oz, as does his grandfather, but the boy's father doesn't believe in Oz. His grandfather tells him that Baum was right when he said that only those young at heart can really believe in Oz.

Continuity Notes

Dating: There is no explicit date listed. It must be prior to 1987 (when the story was published) and at a time when Peter Brown would be an old man with a grandson. Given that he was born in 1906, by 1986, he'd be 80 years old. The Royal Timeline of Oz places this story at that time.

Peter Brown: Peter Brown first appeared as a main protagonist in The Gnome King of Oz, and returned for Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, and finally Pirates in Oz, which is the book he's reading to his grandson here. This is the first story to show Peter again. Although a manuscript called Peter Brown was purportedly written by Henry Blossom it has yet to be discovered (See the Lost Books of Oz for more details). His mien here is ambivalent. He appears happy, particularly in regards to his grandson. Yet, there is a sense of loss as well, with the repeated motif of needing to be young at heart to believe in Oz (and, thus, be able to get there). Peter had repeatedly chosen baseball and the mundane aspects of the outside world to Oz, which he didn't really appreciate.

The appearance of a youthful Peter in Toto in Oz may reflect that the elderly Peter's wish comes to pass and his grandson is brought to Oz to visit.

Button-Bright & the Knit-Wits of Oz, by Jim Vander Noot; illustrated by Chris Sterling

Synopsis: Finding himself mysteriously in the Quadling Country, after having just been in the Emerald City, Button-Bright spies a fawn who tells him that although the forest creatures have always looked out for him, as he's gotten lost in "nearly every corner of Oz," this forest is not safe, and he should follow the river downstream. In the Emerald City, meanwhile, Scraps tells Ozma she saw him vanish, prompting Ozma to look in the Magic Picture for him. Seeing him safe by a river, Ozma decides to leave him be, but keep an eye on him just in case. Tik-Tok thinks the landscape reminiscent of a painting he saw in the National Gallery of Ev.

Following the fawn's instructions, he passes by a lake with a small island upon which a windowless tin cabin covered in stove-pipes that lead to a water spout. On the shore stands a colored city, which he goes towards. On the beach a number of men and women wearing red hair piled into top knots, with knitting needles in them, and black-framed glasses. These odd people sit in rocking chairs woolgathering from thin white clouds above their heads. Spotting him, they wonder why he's not busy before the race, and wonder at his appearance.

Placed in a chair he learns to spin the magical wool and imagines the kind of sweater he'd like to make. But when he begins to create colors, he's scolded and told to stop. The Raglan Regatta Race begins and "thousands of Knit-Wits" emerge from the city to the shore, where boats line the beach. The woolgatherers place their spools through holes in the tip of each oar on each side of the boat, so that as the boats race off, the yarn gets colored by the water in ornamental designs.

Button-Bright is brought into the city to meet Grandpa Gnit, who puzzles at a boy who spins in colors. He tells Button-Bright that he and his founded the settlement a long time ago, and were once its reluctant kings and queens. He and his wife grew old, as they wanted, but she became fuddled and was sent away (to Fuddlecumjig: from The Emerald City of Oz) and Jac Quard and his wife Queen Argyle were crowned in their place. Bringing him a red sweater, he proceeds to fix his hair into the style of the community before bringing him before the king and queen. The pair decide to cable him, which alarms Grandpa Gnit and Button-Bright, who doesn't know what it means, but they commute his sentence to running the mixing machine on Fair Isle. Put into a boat, he's rowed to the island he saw earlier. When he defies them, the guards pull out their wooden knitting needles in attack and row off.

In the Emerald City, Ozma determines that so long as he doesn't get hurt, Button-Bright needs to be taught a lesson. Dorothy doubts anything will help. As they watch him approach the tin cabin, the door opens revealing a bald little man. At this Tik-Tok begins whirring and clicking "It can-not be!" over and over until his gears run out. But their attention is turned away when Glinda makes an unexpected appearance.

Button-Bright meets Rejano Edison Smith, formerly of Ev, who tells him that he's now a prisoner like him. He's been there many years since the day in his studio in Evna when he painted a life-size river landscape. Reaching across the near-completed painting, he fell in it and ended up in the river near the shores of the Knit-Wit's city where he washed up. Although he can't swim, no in Oz can die, and the Knit-Wits marooned him on the island to run the color-mixing equipment that puts colors in the water and patterns on their sweaters. With a knife and one of the knitting needles left by a guard, Smith makes a paintbrush and begins to paint on the wall a picture of the Emerald City, which he'd long ago visited. After it's complete he and Button-Bright walk through it.

Glinda reveals to Ozma that Button-Bright had plucked a six-leafed clover, which Dorothy says must be how he vanished. At that Button-Bright and Mr. Smith appear, telling their story and in Smith's case reuniting with Tik-Tok. At the feast that evening, Trot and Ojo hear the story, and Ozma invites Smith to make his home in the Emerald City as Royal Painter of Oz. He agrees, adding that he'll invent a mixing machine for the Knit-Wits so that they won't need a slave to do their color mixing.

Continuity Notes

Button-Bright: The text indicates that Button-Bright's accidental picking of a magic six-leafed clover effected his transportation to the Quadling Country, yet it seems unlikely that this alone could have done that, as Ojo picked one and wasn't transported anywhere. In fact, the prohibition against picking six-leaved clovers is that witches and magicians use them in their magical formula, not they have transportation powers. What this might hint at is Button-Bright's as-yet and unconscious power, which is eventually made clear and revealed in The Law of Oz and Other Stories.

Dating: Internal evidence indicates this story takes place in the spring [17]. The year is more challenging to discern. Button-Bright is still getting lost and doesn't have the powers he gains in The Law of Oz and Other Stories, but he's been in "nearly every corner of Oz" [17], which indicates a later date The story has to be set after The Master Crafters of Oz, in which no one is aware that Smith is still alive (see the continuity notes for that book). The Royal Timeline of Oz currently places it in 1925.

Grandpa Gnit: This is the husband of Grandmother Knit from Fuddlecumjig (The Emerald City of Oz). She was once a member of the knitting community until she fell apart one day and went to live amongst the Fuddles. This story implies that the Fuddles were all once ordinary Ozites.

Knit-Wits: This community of knitters never refers to themselves as Knit-Wits, but it is the term that Button-Bright uses to refer to them, which Dorothy and Mr. Smith later call them.

Mr. Smith of Smith & Tinker: Smith & Tinker first appear in Ozma of Oz. Given his full name here for the first time, Rejano Edison Smith is found to be alive and well, his suicide faked. (His companion who went to the moon, Mr. Tinker, was first revealed to have been alive and well in Mr. Tinker of Oz.) Smith once visited the Emerald City, but at that time the Wizard wouldn't grant him an audience. His descendent John Smith appears in Oziana 1988: "A Side View of the Nonestic Islands."

Edited by Robin Olderman

The Computer Wizard Makes a Comeback, by Phyllis Ann Karr; illustrated by Melody Grandy

Synopsis: Forthcoming. Found in Parallel Histories.

The Northeast Wind in Oz, by Wendy Roth; illustrated by Eric Shanower

Synopsis: Bored during a rainy day, Dorothy asks Jellia Jamb what she might do. Jellia is on her way to clean out the palace attic, which Dorothy didn't even know existed, and decides to come along. There she finds a room full of furniture, crates, boxes and books, and a in one emerald-covered trunk, a music box with a statue of a fairy on the top. Dorothy plays it and the fairy comes to life. She calls herself Evarelle, though she forgot her original name, as the wicked King Evoldo had a sorcerer turn her into a porcelain statue, causing her to lose her memory. The spell was temporary, and after a hundred turns of the box, she'd be released. The king had given the music box to his daughter Princess Evella. She'd almost completed the hundred turns when her father sold her to the Nome King. The music box then ended up with Princess Langwidere, whose maid Nanda gave it to her niece Evlynn. She sent it to Ozma for her birthday.

The fairy offers Dorothy a wish for saving her, but as Dorothy has everything she wants and needs, she offers to give it away. Explaining the situation to Ozma, Ozma uses the Magic Belt to bring them someone who needs a wish. 11 year old Nicholas appears in Oz. An avid fan of the books, he's thrilled to be there, and Dorothy shows him around the palace. The living sofa that had been the Gump's body when it was brought to life by Tip years ago knocks him off. Dorothy offers him the living cord that held the Gump together, and he accepts it. They take the Red Wagon led by the Sawhorse to Glinda's, and she shows him around, and the Great Book of Records, which just then records that an immortal walked into the Deadly Desert. Glinda lends them the magic carpet to cross the Desert and see if they can find who entered it.

En route, the Rainbow touches down and Polychrome arrives to find her cousin, Ventilation, whose supposed to become the Northeast Wind, but who disappeared last year. She's concerned that Typhonic, their evil cousin made him disappear, as he'll become the Northeast Wind if Ventilation doesn't show up for the coronation. Traveling west on the Desert, the Scarecrow explains that no one in Oz can be killed, so if they touched the Desert they would turn to living sand. In fact, they come upon a town called Sandy Hook, made up of sandmen who live in sand castles. They meet Sandy who explains that they are what became of those who had fallen in the Deadly Desert. None of them have a memory of who they were beforehand. Sandy agrees to join them on their quest, and Nicholas uses his wish to un-transform anyone who'd been transformed by the Desert. Sandy turns out to be King Evoldo, and he runs, but Nicholas catches him with his living rope. The former king says he never drowned, as immortals don't drown, but decided to take back his kingdom. Thinking he could locate the Silver Slippers, he entered the Deadly Desert, figuring someone would come along and disenchant him. Polychrome then returns with her cousin Ventilation, who was the fairy Evarelle, who Evoldo turned into the porcelain fairy. She reveals that Evoldo was in league with Typhonic, who a year ago, tasked Evoldo with getting rid of her. Evoldo's sorcerer turned him into a fairy. But seeing he could get away, then turned him porcelain. Ventilation thanks them for freeing him and goes with Polly as "Uncle Roy," the Rainbow, who Polychrome says is named Roy G. Biv, sends down a rainbow to bring him to his coronation.

Evoldo is sent to his wife to decide what to do with, and Nicholas says he got everything he wanted, coming to Oz, having an adventure, and even helping people, all without using a wish.

Continuity Notes

Discrepancies: Due to numerous discrepancies with various other stories in the Timeline, this story is located in the Parallel Histories section. The main problem is King Evoldo being immortal. Several stories confirm that Evians at this time were mortal. It's also an issue that he's alive. King Evoldo's decision to walk into the Deadly Desert to find the Silver Shoes, figuring someone would eventually disenchant him, also doesn't make any sense, particularly since until this point everyone believed the sands destroyed whoever they touched (which in every other story they do, but this is a minor discrepancy that can be overlooked). But even if he knew the true nature of the Deadly Desert, why would he just assume someone would happen along the most formidable and avoided place in Nonestica? Another issue is an internal contradiction. Ventilation was transformed a year ago. But Evoldo never made it back to Ev, and didn't have a kingdom, let alone a sorcerer. He was lost in Mo and then went on the Deadly Desert. There's no reason Typhonic would utilize the services of a former king without power or title, who couldn't even find his own country. Additionally, the sorcerer's spell—turning Ventilation into a fairy—doesn't make sense. Ventilation is a cousin of Polychrome, and already likely an elemental which is a kind of fairy. But even if he wasn't, it doesn't make sense to transform him into a fairy if you're trying to get rid of him, especially when he could have just made him into a porcelain figurine in the first place. The last discrepancy is a minor one, and that's the name of the Rainbow as Roy G. Biv.

Two's of a Kind: Three Oz Poems, by Neal Wilgus; illustrated by Chris Sterling

Synopsis: Poems, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

A Side View of the Nonestic Islands, by Timothy Perper & Martha Cornog; illustrated by David Billman

Synopsis: Pilots Phil and Arc, testing the first Computer Enhanced Topographic and Underwater Scanner (CETUS), are shocked when the device discovers and records islands and a large, multicolored landmass in the Pacific Ocean where there are no such things. They bring the tapes to the attention of Brigadier General Mark Culpepper. Culpepper contacts John Smith of the Division of Esoterica (DivEs, but to known to everyone else as Acme Development), which explores paranormal subjects. They meet the next day where Culpepper tells him what was discovered.

The following day, Smith looks at the tapes and recalls a childhood memory of a nineteenth century Smith, an ancestor, artist and inventor who went to the South Seas and disappeared. He calls up an old colleague to ask about sea stories, but he's heard nothing. He then calls up Walter Fredholm, Dean of Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, who requests a map. In the meantime, Culpepper sends out the pilots again over the same area, and again returns with the same imagery. The general has a map produced, but he grows concerned about the viability of the CETUS project that he championed, while Smith sends a plane to pick it up. After receiving it, Smith heads off to Arkham.

Fredholm reminisces to Smith about his odd conference on the Necronomicon (which Smith helped fund), and comments about having found the Nonestic Islands. He also inquires about his connection to a possible ancestor, the Smith of Smith and Tinker, known to him as pioneers in automation and lunar travel. Smith confirms the ancestry, and is surprised that CETUS found the location of his relative. The two go on to make phone calls and have important meetings.

The next day, Culpepper assembles a staff meeting with several important figures, including Major Collins, Admiral Whitby, the two pilots, and Smith, explaining that the platform CETUS discovered is an already named structure and not a threat to military security. Culpepper identifies it as the Nonestic, and notes that they are advised to not attempt getting further information about it, as there is a long-standing policy to countermand all missions to the Nonestic Islands which is being enforced by his source. He cannot say who the source is, other than that it's someone high in the administration. Although not visible in ordinary light, Nonestica give off radio and radar images. Major Collins suggests they may be using a phototonic distortion screen, which Admiral Whitby shows interest in.

With the CETUS project approved, and any mission involving the Nonestic prohibited, Ensign Peters blurts out that they won't be able to meet Dorothy, Trot and the Sawhorse, but Smith notes that at least they now know they're there. In the Emerald City, Ozma, the Wizard, Glinda, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Dorothy look at the Magic Picture, relieved.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The most likely date is 1967/8, as phototonics (which the pilot Phil reading a tech manual on) didn't appear as a term until the late 1960s. Also, as the Beatles' song "Yellow Submarine" is mentioned, it must be after 1966, when the song was released. Additionally, CETUS is described as the first and only computer enhanced topographic and underwater scanner, "the finest and newest side-seeing radar in the world." The latter is a reference to ground penetrating radar technology (or GPR), which although first developed in the 1910s, military application did not come into use until the 1970s. This would place CETUS, which was used over water, prior to that time in the late 1960s. Similarly Lidar, which surveys targets using lasers, didn't come into use to map topography until the Apollo 15 mission in 1971.

Dimensional Echoes: Based on the information presented in this story, it appears that Nonestica has a dimensional gateway present in the Pacific, which can be seen via radar and/or radio imagery. The ability of CETUS to map out the topography of islands and the Nonestican continent itself is indicative of the idea that it shares a dimensional "echo" of it at that location. While it might be suggested, as does Major Collins, that the Nonestic Islands have a phototonic distortion screen that hides it from being visible in ordinary light. But such a supposition would mean that one could take a boat or plane there, and it's clear that Nonestica is not that accessible, else it would receive thousands of accidentaly visitors, who cross the Pacific by ship, every year. The bigger question is why would Nonestica leave behind a dimensional echo that serves as a gateway, and the Royal Timeline of Oz believes it is because Nonestica once sat physically sat in that location, in much the same way that Valinor once existed on Earth before it was removed to its own dimension. That Valinor can be reached by terrestrial means, albeit via the "straight road" upon ships capable of departing the spheres of the earth, demonstrates the concept of passing into a parallel/alternate dimension. In Thorns and Private Files in Oz, the gander Benny finds a dimensional rift open in the Atlantic that takes him into the Nonestic, which lends itself to the idea that certain islands and locations that now inhabit the Nonestican continent and its islands originally came not only from the Pacific, but from various places around the terrestrial earth. Burzee (from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus) gives evidence of this, as does the existence in Oz and abroad of various races of peoples from around the globe.

Government: It remains unknown who is the higher-up in the government that General Culpepper and John Smith are referring to. It is also unknown if he is: a) protecting Nonestica from invasion from the U.S., (and/or other belligerent governments), or b) protecting the U.S. (and/or world) from those who wield magic and power in Nonestica. Both scenarios are plausible. However, another possibility is that the Wizard and/or Glinda and/or Ozma spoke to the General and Smith about leaving Oz alone, or used a spell to ensure that result.

Lovecraft: This is the second story after Oziana 1981: "The Eldritch Horror of Oz" to tie in the mythology of H.P. Lovecraft with Oz, referencing Miskatonic University, Arkham, the Necronomicon of Abdul Al Hazred. The upcoming book The Ancient Dawn of Oz will reconcile this mythology with Baum's.

Smith: A Sherlock Holmes fan and member of the Baker Street Irregulars, John Smith of the Division of Esoterica, is a descendent of Rejano Edison Smith, of the Evian inventors Smith & Tinker (who are first mentioned in Ozma of Oz).

Edited by Robin Olderman

Biozonnet 1/Epilogue, by Robin Olderman

Synopsis: Poems, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Rated 'G' for Glinda, by Rob Roy MacVeigh; illustrated by Rob Roy MacVeigh

Synopsis: As Dorothy reads Glinda of Oz on the verandah in Glinda's place, the night after having watched several movies about Oz made in the Outside World, she discusses with Glinda the discrepancies in her character and the Silver Shoes, and asks why the films are so off when it comes to the facts regarding Oz.

After some consideration, Glinda decides to tell Dorothy a secret that she's kept for many years. Just as she sought to make Oz invisible when airplanes came into existence, so too when L. Frank Baum began making movies in 1914, she cast a spell over Oz to ensure that no film iteration would ever be accurate, especially the plot. This magical scrambler is the reason none of the Oz films have ever been true to the books, even Frank's films which were planned down to the sets and costumes to be accurate. While Glinda didn't mind his books being accurate, she knew that the readership was surprisingly small by comparison, and she agreed it would be beneficial to please and teach the young the peaceful and positive ways of Oz, which would serve as examples to them. Movies, on the other, hand might call too much attention to Oz, and she didn't trust the Outside World, fearing the adults "who are stupid enough to start wars" might prove a threat. Sometimes the scrambler produced interesting changes, such as the 1933 cartoon, The Wiz, and Return to Oz.

Yet, Dorothy argues that it's the adults who need the good examples: "They're the ones who keep starting the big wars that make everyone so unhappy." She thinks that if perhaps Glinda released the spell, and a big movie was made about how they really get along in Oz, sharing and behaving themselves, then maybe there wouldn't be any more wars. Glinda considers that and decides to do a de-scrambling spell, wondering if Meryl Streep or Cher might play her.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The narrative takes place over the course of two days. Its references to The Wiz and Return to Oz set it after 1985, but before 1989 when it was published. It is also at a time when Cher and Meryl Streep were at their peaks.

Movie Adaptations, Iterations and Re-Imaginings: Due to the scrambler spell that Glinda placed over Oz in 1914, no movie adaptations, iterations and re-imaginings can accurately depict Oz as it is. The scrambler ensures that the set-design, costumes and especially the plot are scrambled to create random fictional depictions. Specifically mentioned in this story are Baum's attempts, the 1933 Wizard of Oz animated short, the 1939 MGM The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz and Return to Oz. There is either an authorial or editorial mistake, in that the "1952 comedy" that Dorothy refers to, should actually read "1925 comedy," as it refers to The Wizard of Oz film of that year by Larry Semon.

Royal Historian: Glinda notes that they "allowed Frank access to Oz in order to write out the histories to please and teach the children. This was allowed in hope that our peaceful and positive ways would set good examples for the young people."

Toto: The narrative notes that Toto is writing his own book. It's not noted what exactly he's writing. There have been several attempts to chronicle The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from Toto's point-of-view, the closest of which may be Toto's Tale and True Chronicle of Oz, by Sylvia Patience. This is currently under investigation, but perhaps this was the book he was writing.

War: Glinda speaks candidly here about her anti-war views, and notes that she foresaw the Great War; in "1911 or 1912 I feared that the world was heading for another war, a very big one."

There's No Place Like Oz, by Chuck Sabatos; illustrated by Eric Shanower

Synopsis: Bored, Dorothy explores the palace and comes across the room she stayed in when she first visited the Emerald City (in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). Finding her old dress, she retrieves the key to her former farmhouse, and grabbing Toto, makes a trip to see it for the first time since she came to Oz. The house is intact, but dusty, and as she goes to open a window, the glass falls upon her, knocking her out. Dorothy awakens in a much larger farmhouse where she encounters a very different set of people who claim they're her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and when she looks in the mirror, she sees a tall, dark-haired girl in ponytails. Deciding to play along for now, she's introduced to a Hunk, Zeke and Hickory, farmhands who think Dorothy's lost her memory during the cyclone. But when a Miss Gulch comes to collect her dog (which looks like Toto, but isn't), Dorothy's had enough. She wakes up in the palace with the real Aunt Em and Uncle Henry besides her, as well as Ozma, the Wizard, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Due to Dorothy's dream referencing the characters exclusive to the MGM film, the dating of this story would appear to indicate it takes place after 1939, however, the text gives evidence that Dorothy does not recognize these characters and hasn't seen the film. Additionally, there appears to be none of the later residents that came to live in the Emerald City, no Trot, Betsy, Scraps, etc. Also, the Wizard expresses concern about her traveling alone (a point he'll raise more powerfully in "Little Dorothy and Toto in Oz"). Finally, this story represents her very first visit to her old farmhouse. When she brings her aunt and uncle to see it again in The Hollyhock Dolls in Oz, it has been turned into a shrine by the local Munchkins, and Dorothy no longer has the key to the house (which she would've left inside the house during this visit). This indicates that Dorothy's dream was prophetic, an uncommon but not unheard of phenomenon for her. Dorothy's first recorded prophetic dream came in "Dreaming in a Scarlet Slumber."

The Wizard of Oz, by Roger Phillips; illustrated by Chris Sterling

Synopsis: Located in the Deadly Desert section. While helping her Uncle Henry, a custodian for a magic shop, New Yorker Dorothy Gale is tricked by a female magician who convinces her to enter a magic cabinet. Dorothy wishes the cabinet will fall on the trickster, and it suddenly collapses. When she reemerges from it some time later, she finds herself in the Munchkin Country of Oz, where the Munchkin leader greets her and explains how she caused the magic cabinet to fall atop the Wicked Witch of the East.

Follow the Other Brick Road, by Frederick E. Otto; illustrated by Robert B. Luehrs

Synopsis: Located in the Deadly Desert section. Alternate take on the MGM Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s start down the Yellow Brick Road is altered when she's frightened of the talking Scarecrow, and heads back to the beginning where she instead takes the Red Brick Road. She soon comes across a giant rhinoceros named Rheeba, whose lost her mother. Rheeba allows Dorothy to ride her as they trek into the Gillikin Country, where a local tells them they might be able find the Wizard Wam in a ruby palace. They instead come to a humble cottage which has a sign that ways "Wam Wizard," and they enter. Dorothy insults Wam when she says the ruby castle is prettier, but he forgives her and notes that Gayelette, who lives in the ruby palace, is no longer active in magic since she got married. Dorothy explains that she needs to get back to Kansas and Rheeba back to the Forest of Gugu. While he can help her get there, he can't get Dorothy home, as only the Wizard of Oz has that ability. Calling forth Tattypoo, the Good Witch of the North, she promises to bring Dorothy back to the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road. After saying goodbye to Rheeba, the Good Witch sends her back where she goes to meet the Scarecrow.

Edited by Robin Olderman

Chapter Three, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw; illustrated by Bill Eubank

Synopsis: Sequel to Merry Go Round in Oz. When Fess is unable to make it to the Emerald City to celebrate the third anniversary of Robin and Merry's arrival in Oz, he encourages a disappointed Flitter to make the journey himself. Flitter decides to go, but en route, he's attacked by a russet meagle, which is like an eagle, but larger. When the flittermouse explains that the meagle can't feed him to his children because he tastes like gnats, the large bird drops him, and he finds himself in the Quadling Country.

Flitter descends to get his bearings and asks a giant buttermoth in a strange land where he is. The buttermoth tells him he's in Mariposia, in the Great Wilderness of Nnydd. Dismayed by this news, as rumors say no travel within its borders ever return, Flittler is startled by the buttermoth when he warns him that the Collector is coming. Too late, though, as the Collector ensnares him in his net, anxious to use the Wogglebug's new book to better identify his specific species and subtype. After putting him in his pocked, Flitter cries out to be released, but the man ignores him, introducing himself as Dr. Valdemar P. Glych, a lepidoperist. He intends to study him in his laboratory.

When he gets home, Dr. Glych introduces him to his large marmalade cat Gloster. Trying to be helpful so he'll get released, Flitter tells him of his family and that he's blue because he's from Halidom in the Munchkin Country. But the doctor only strings him up to his slab and asks his own questions. When the scientist leaves to catch another specimen, Gloster comes back in the room and begins to untie him. To his terror, the cat puts him in his mouth and jumps out the window to a thicket. Terrified, he begins squirming and fighting for his life, when suddenly a huge ferocious tiger appears. Gloster drops Flitter, who exclaims with joy that it's his friend the Hungry Tiger of Oz!

Continuity Notes

Dating: Story takes place on Thursday, April 11th, the day before the third year anniversary of Robin and Merry's arrival in Oz.

Larger story: "Chapter Three" is the third chapter of an unfinished manuscript written by the McGraws. According to Eric Shanower, there may have been six chapters written prior to Eloise's death. The story involved involved Ruggedo getting out of his enchantment as a cactus at the end of Handy Mandy in Oz. It involved a community called Bzzzantium, where the citizens were bees.

New places: The story establishes a new region in the Quadling Country, Mariposia, in the Great Wilderness of Nnydd, where no travel is ever said to return from, and Bzzzantium, ruled by bees.

The Guardian Dove, by Phyllis Ann Karr; illustrated by Melody Grandy

History: This story was originally written for Bucketheads in Oz. When that title was delayed, it was published here.

Synopsis: In the Kalidah Woods of the Gillikin Country, the Kalidah Kericot catches an old monkey who pleads for his life. Kericot asks him why the monkeys call them "patchwork" animals, and he explains that it's because their patched from the pieces of a tiger and bear. Having never seen either, Kericot doesn't understand, but lets the monkey go anyway. A grey dove flies down and tells Kericot that he's glad to see what he did, but will keep it a secret from the others in the forest.

Half a year later, Kericot and her brother Randicot go hunting for the first time. They come across an old bear, and when Randicot goes to kill him, Kericot wrestles with him and explains that he looks like a kalidah from the neck down. They next come across a tiger cub, but again Kericot stops her brother, wrestling even harder with him, and explaining that he looks like a kalidah from the neck up.

After snacking on a meat-growing tree, Kericot dreams that the dove appears to him, explaining that there are many more bears and tigers than kalidahs, and that if they left their woods the other animals would join together and destroy them. Yet, Kericot is the strongest of the kalidahs.

The next morning, the siblings come upon a Munchkin boy, Braxie, and his grandmother Quandera, talking to a passing turtle. Although Kericot is hungry, she again feels reluctance, and when she goes to stop her brother this time, the fight becomes a serious battle. When Kericot claws across his face, Randicot ambles off in pain. Kericot approaches the frightened Munchkins, but the older one points a stick at him, says some words and turns him into a turtle.

The dove reappears and scolds the former wicked witch, Quandera, for using magic, and explains that Kericot is a friendly kalidah. She disenchants him, but argues that she only uses her spells now for protection, healing and making housework easier. After they leave, Kericot wonders what he can eat, and the dove says he should ask the other predators of Oz what they do. Knowing he can't go back home, he's introduced to the turtle, who agrees to travel Oz with him, and suggests he give his name a tag, christening him Kericot the Considerate Kalidah. With that, the dove bids them farewell.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The context in which this story was placed (in Bucketheads in Oz) is 1982, though given that Baum stated in The Emerald City of Oz that most kalidahs were "now nearly all tamed," this story works much better at an earlier date. Assuming the dove is actually the former magician Ugu, this story can take place any time after The Lost Princess of Oz.

Kalidah Woods: Sarjak is the Kalidah Elder in these woods which border the Gillikin and Munchkin Countries. If any of the expanded version in Bucketheads in Oz is to be accepted, he is also the grandfather of Kericot and Randicot, and the father of their mother Cotrikar.

Kericot the Considerate Kalidah: Kericot appears again (and alongside the turtle Terrence Oldshell) in Maybe the Miffin, and Thorns and Private Files in Oz. Bucketheads in Oz extends the story in "The Guardian Dove."

In a Season of Calm Weather, by Ruth Berman; illustrated by Rob Roy MacVeigh

Synopsis: Alice, Wendy and Dorothy explore Neverland, with Dorothy arguing that the ocean must be the Nonestic, and Alice arguing that it's nameless. After seeing some odd sights, they note a pirate ship appearing. Dorothy thinks it's the Crescent Moon, but Alice the Bellman. As they get climb a rock to see better, Alice and Wendy fall off. Wendy wakes up a tea party with Mrs. Hargreaves and Mrs. Woolf. On her own, Dorothy departs to find a way across the desert back to Oz.

Continuity Notes Alice and Wendy: Berman's story appears to be the first to put Dorothy together with the other famous heroines from children's literature, Alice (from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) and Wendy (from Peter Pan). In this short story, they're already friends, and they apparently depart back to their original homes, while Dorothy looks for a way back to Oz. This effectively crosses over Wonderland and Neverland into the Oz universe, and Dorothy even postulates that the ocean surrounding Neverland is the Nonestic.

Dating: This must take place after An Ozian Odyssey, in which Dorothy and a few others from Oz first meet Wendy in Neverland.

The Final Fate of the Frogman, by Eric Shanower; illustrated by Eric Shanower. Reprinted in The Salt Sorcerer of Oz and Other Stories.

Synopsis: While hungrily traveling through the southwestern corner of the Winkie Country, Woot the Wanderer comes upon giant frog guarding the Truth Pond. The frog explains that he was once the Frogman who lived in the Emerald City. Woot is surprised, as he remembers him walking upright and dressing like a man. The frog sadly leads him to a creek to drink, and tells him his story.

After having drank from the Truth Pond, the Frogman was not only forced to always speak the truth, but must be true to himself and all he meets; this sounds noble to Woot, but the Frogman explains that it became a curse. For example, two years after living at the palace, Scraps asked him what he thought of her new button eyes that Margolette sewed for her. He responded that since she was already such a loud mix of colors, any button would do. After that, Scraps would barely speak to him. Whenever the Frogman spoke, the truth came out whether or not the listener wanted to hear it. Although everyone knew his story with the Truth Pond, before long some guarded their conversations, while others avoided him altogether, and despite their politeness, he came to feel unwelcome.

The Frogman dedicated himself to studying and learning, and even had the Wizard of Oz tutor him in magic. One day, however, he asked about the wasp, snake and red toad in a cage, and the Wizard explained that they were Jenny Jump's ill temper, envy, and ambition. So, the Frogman told him truthfully that he'd performed a lobotomy on a woman without her consent. Feeling bad that he'd hurted the Wizard's feelings, the Frogman determined to no longer remain in the Emerald City. Woot notes that others bathed in the Truth Pond, but the Frogman explains that Button-Bright is seen as precocious, and is always getting lost, while the Shaggy Man is a wanderer, whose long years of experience have equipped him to speak tactfully. Plus the Love Magnet had made him lovable.

After leaving the Emerald City, the Frogman enrolled in the Wogglebug's college, and he made great progress in swimming and jumping, and as he developed into a strong frog he began to crave insects, and no longer found meal or education tablets palatable. Meeting with the Professor to discuss his concerns, the Frogman was shocked to find his tongue shooting out to wrap the Wogglebug and nearly devour him! Horrified by his behavior, the Frogman departed for the country of the Yips. Unfortunately, despite his added tact, the Yips did not like hearing the truth, and when he said that Cayke's delicious cookies were a result of the Magic Dishpan, rather than her cooking skills, the Yips could no longer trust him.

Although Cayke forgave him, the Frogman returned to the pond where he first at the magic skosh, hoping it would reverse effect, or make him so large he could jump into the sky and leave Oz altogether. The skosh neither made him larger or smaller, and despairing he shed his clothes, and left to wander Oz in search of the pond where he grew up. Once there, the frog elders welcomed him, but said he must never waken the catfish Chester, whose napped at the pond bottom for 80 years. Happy to be back home, he jumped into the pond, forgetting his giant size, and splashing half the water, fish and tadpoles out of the pond. The chaos and commotion caused the catfish to waken and bite him, and everyone else told him he had to depart.

Grievously, he returned to the Truth Pond, where he determined to warn any and all who came to never bathe in its waters. Woot is the first he saved. Prior to him, a Gillikin prince arrived with a stone that was an enchanted maiden. The prince was earnest in his desire to save her and would bathe himself, but when she was disenchanted she proved ugly. She explained that she had a magician turn her into a rare beauty in the hopes he'd love her, which he did. Despite her appearance, the prince exclaims that he still loves her, and they went off to marry. A few weeks later, another came, a turquoise moose. A sorcerer had told him he was enchanted and to travel to the Truth Pond. Despite the Frogman's warnings, he determined to uncover his true form. However, his true form was 57 beautiful butterflies. But once under the water, the creatures all began to drown. The Frogman tried to save them, but unable to bear their suffering, the Frogman ate them all!

Woot comforts the weeping frog, and expresses his gratitude, promising to tell the residents of the Emerald City of his plight, but both know it's not the truth...

Continuity Notes

Brains: The book version substitutes the contents of the jar in the Wizard's laboratory. In the original Oziana version, it was Jenny Jump's temper, envy and ambition, a reference to the events that occurred at the end of The Wonder City of Oz. Due to copyright reasons, however, the book replaced them with the Glass Cat's pink brains, a reference to the time the Wizard removed Bungle the Glass Cat's pink brains at the end of The Patchwork Girl of Oz and replaced them with clear ones. This latter substitution doesn't quite work, however, as the Wizard had already replaced her brains before getting to know the Frogman in The Lost Princess of Oz. See the Appendices for more details about Bungle's brains.

Dating: There are no explicit dates given, but several clues are present, the most important being the Frogman's discovery of Jenny Jump's temper, envy, and ambition, which the Wizard had in his study. Given that Jenny Jump seems to have gotten back those qualities by the time of The Scalawagons of Oz, a year later in 1937 (as revealed in The Runaway in Oz), it's clear that the Frogman spotted them before this date. The Frogman then went to the Wogglebug's college, where he excelled for a time, a few seasons perhaps, a year at most, after which he accidentally tried to eat the Wogglebug and departed for the Country of the Yips, which did not last long since it was at his own welcome back party that he made the faux pas of insulting Cayke. He wandered the Winkie Country for several weeks searching for his original pond. His stay there didn't last a day when he nearly devastated the pond, after which he returned to the Truth Pond, where he remained until Woot's arrival, an unspecified time later, perhaps a year. The Royal Timeline of Oz places this story in 1940.

Response: Cynthia Hanson's first book, Mr. Wogglebug, the Frogman and Terry was written in response to this story.

Sequel: "The Fabulous Frogman and the Faith of Freakish Friends," from Oziana 2018, continues this story, based on the idea that the Frogman's real issues stem not from the Truth Pond, but something deeper.

Edited by Robin Olderman

Mission Impozible: Revenge of the Emerald Grasshopper, by Christopher Wayne Buckley; illustrated by Charles Martensen

Synopsis: The Nome King storms about his keep when breakfast isn't served on time, only to discover a startling event: intruders have entered the Nome Caverns!

Continuity Notes

Dating: Although internally dated two years after Ozma of Oz, everyone in the story uses the name Ruggedo, not Roquat, which he began using after drinking from the Fountain of Oblivion in The Emerald City of Oz (1905) (See the Oziana 2004 story "Evrob & the Nomes"). In this case, the incorrect dating can be attributed to the effects of the Waters of Oblivion.

Haiku, poem by Christopher Wayne Buckley

Synopsis: Poem, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Fairness, by Earl C. Abbe; illustrated by Melissa Warner & Karla Farias

Synopsis: As Herchell Blind prepares to go to the Mt. Munch Oz Convention, his wife reminds him to not spend too much as they have to start an education fund for their son Peter. Herchell complains that it's unfair that he can't spend his money as he likes on the little pleasure he gets from his collection. Driving off, he hopes to outbid young Anna Tinti for a copy of Jack Snow's last book Timmy and the Shutter Faces of Oz, which is rare, and didn't sell well due to its dark tone that was deemed unsuitable for children.

Enduring the Friday program and feeling it's unfair to have to sleep in an uncomfortable bed, he goes to the Saturday auction and bids up the items Anna wants until she's depleted her funds. Then, when the first edition, first-state copy of Timmy and the Shutter-Faces in Oz is offered at $500.00, he offers $1,200.00 and wins the book.

On his way home Sunday, a large van crashes into his car, and Herchell finds himself falling down an incline into a valley divided into distinctly-colored triangular regions. He's happy that he's finally going to Oz. He lands in a walled town with shuttered windows, but when the inhabitants emerge, he realizes he's entered the town of the Shuttered Faces, and as he declares that it's unfair, they "shut up" his face as well. Glinda's Great Book of Reocrds reads that the "population of Shutter Faces increased by one, and it is fair."

Three years later in the Munchkin town of the Shutter Faces, Herchell goes through his chores as dictated by the Shutter Face King. Oz for him is hell, and he believes he's damned. He'd spent the first year complaining it wasn't fair, and the second year trying to escape or rebel. By the third year, he accepted his fate as just, realizing that he'd been blind to the needs and feelings of others.

Now, behind his shuttered face, he's completely blind, save for those times he opens them to sneak a peek, which often results in him getting caught and punished. One day, the Shutter Face King shouts a warning of an intruder. The four Out Keepers, Tighty, Fistus, Hinge-pin and one other, come running. Herchell sneaks a peek in time to see them capture a girl of six with balloons tied to her wrist. The Out Keeper Hinge-pin tells the King that the rules do not extend to shuttering children, who are Ozma's special favorites and who she will punish if anyone harms. The king assures him that Ozma will never find out and orders her shuttered. Herchell is horrified to see this, realizing that this isn't justice or Providence, but cruelty.

Fistus puts the girl under his care, and that night Herchell visits the sobbing child in the adjoining room. Her name is Timothea Anna Smith from Greentown, Illinois. She had been at the Dark's Pandemonium Carnival when it happened. After her younger brother accidentally knocked down her cotton candy, she hit him. As her mother turned to attend to the crying child, a clown tied some balloons to her wrist. Suddenly she flew off until finally landing in Shutter Town.

Hercell helps her get through the next days, giving her extra food and protecting her from the other Shutter Faces. In time, she learns to navigate without sight. When Herchell tells him her nickname is Timmy, he recalls the Jack Snow book. Thinking it no coincidence, and knowing the premise of that story was that one of the Shutter Faces helped Timmy get out of Shutter Town, he begins to plan. With a swiss-army knife that she kept in her pocked, he drills pin holes into his shutters over his eyes. Though painful the next day, he can see again and is surprised to see how small the town actually is. He knows he must escape by day, as the king keeps watch atop a chimney at night.

At the city gate, he finds Tighty asleep and discovers three bolts that keep the gate locked. Putting his leaf bag over Tighty, he secures him shut before loosening the bolts and opening the gate. At last, he and Timmy are free. The run west through the fields, but soon the Shutter Faces are in pursuit. They come to a rive, where Herchell spots an old man and pleads for his help. The man, Johnny Dooit, agrees to assist them, and before the pursuers near the river bank, he constructs a bridge across the river, which they cross, after which he dismantles it from the other side, and puts it in his bag.

They share their story with Johnny Dooit as he removes Timmy's shutters. Herchell will require a magic worker as his have been on too long. Because the Shutter King will have called in his allies, he suggests they travel north instead, then west, and finally south to the Emerald City. They follow his instructions and embark upon an epic journey.

A year after Timothea had vanished in the freak storm that destroyed the carnival they'd attended, the Smith family struggle to move on with their lives. Then one morning, Timmy appears at the door, not a day older from the time she vanished. The girl tells a wild tale of her adventures in Oz with Herchell, after which Ozma sent her home. Timmy's mother, Anna Tinti Smith, goes to her bookshelf and takes down Timmy and the Shutter-Faces in Oz, which she got for fifty cents at a yard sale two years after the auction. After The End, she writes "Thank you Herchell Blind... for saving my daughter and bringing her back to me."

Continuity Notes

Baum: Johnny Dooit hints that he met Baum who remarked that Oz was a nice place to visit before going somewhere better. A similar sentiment can be found in the Oziana 1992 story, "The Journey" and the Roger Baum book The Green Star of Oz.

Dark's Pandemonium Carnival: This comes directly from Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, which also occurs in Greentown, Illinois. This story essentially creates a crossover with the Bradbury novel, and potentially his "Green Town" trilogy, which includes the aforementioned novel, the 1957 novel Dandelion Wine, the 2006 book Farewell Summer, as well as the 2008 anthology Summer Morning, Summer Night.

Dating: The story is broken up into three time frames. The second is only a paragraph long and takes place three years after the first. The third can be dated by two factors, the crossover with Something Wicked This Way Comes, which occurs on an October 23d date, probably in the year 1960 or thereabouts (but before the 1962 publication date of the latter book), but after the death of Jack Snow in 1956, as the narrative speaks of his last book (which itself is problematic as it's a non-existent book: see below). That date helps us to establish the first time-frame, as it's roughly 10 or so years from the time Anna Tinti—who was a teenager when she last saw Herchell—grew up, got married and had two kids.

Jack Snow: The story revolves around the events of the last book written by Jack Snow. In the real world, there is no Timmy and the Shutter-Faces of Oz, by Jack Snow or any author (save the author of this story), nor any hint of such a tale. Jack Snow's last books were The Shaggy Man of Oz and the dictionary Who's Who in Oz. He was said to have written an additional, now lost, volume, but that was called The Rainbow Road to Oz, not Timmy and the Shutter-Faces of Oz. Yet, the protagonist wins this book at an Oz convention. This would appear to suggest this story takes place in a parallel/alternate reality in which Snow managed to write one or two more Oz books prior to his death. The reader can determine for herself.

Johnny Dooit: This handy inventor first appeared in The Road to Oz. His next appeared in The Master Crafters of Oz, Do it for Oz, and this story.

A Cozy Castle in Oz, by Frederick E. Otto; illustrated by Doug Cho, Amy Kelly, Elizabeth Rodrigues & Eddit Shaw

Synopsis: Seven year old Princess Prunella and her big dog Comfort go to visit her grandmother the Duchess, who is the mother of her father the Duke, who serves with the other nobles at the court of Glinda. Their castle in Grapelandia, in the Quadling Country, sits at the base of Big Enough Mountain, its tower overlooking the China Country, it's vineyard supplying the country with grapes and wine.

Since her grandmother is resting, she goes to leave, but spots a blue attic door that everyone has always told her not to enter. When she tries, Comfort reminds her that she's not supposed to. She leaves for the time, distracted by the arrival of a boy named Woot the Wanderer, who makes her acquaintance. While she goes to have Cook prepare him food, Woot inquires as to her mother, but Comfort says she's not a topic of conversation and to drop it. Prunella's father soon arrives home, and the Duke greets his daughter and Woot warmly, taking him to the castle to meet his mother, the Duchess. She proves to be cross, rude and unpleasant, and they depart for the third floor where they get a panaramic view of Rigmarole Town, the forest enclosing Bunbury and Utensia, and Swing City. They get Woot a room with a view of the mountain where Loxo the giant once lived. The Duke tells him that after he was reduced to human size, he married one of the Grapelandia peasants and now works in the vineyard.

The Duke sends them exploring, and they're joined by Cook's children, Eustacious (Stace) and Tubarose (Rose), who take him various places, including a cave in the hill. But when he goes wandering inside, he's warned not to go any further than where he can see the opening. Later, Woot points out the gable to the room behind the forbidden door, and Eustacious says that someone must live there since his mother brings food to the room each day, unlocking it with a key. Prunella is surprised to hear this.

Though dinners with the Duchess prove awkward, Woot stays on several days, intent on solving the mystery with Prunella. He learns the location of the castle keys, and on the fifth day, when the Duke and Comfort ride off on business, and Cook takes her children to see relatives, they take the keys and go exploring. Woot leaves her at the base of the door, allowing her to see in, while he explores the richly decorated suite of rooms that exist beyond. Although there are women's clothes, no one answers his call, and the room appears empty. As they prepare to leave, a hawk comes flying in through the window. Even more startling, the bird turns into a woman. She introduces herself as Lady Myrna, explaining that she becomes a hawk every day after lunch, when she goes for a flight. She's never been into the rest of the castle because Cook always locks the doors. She doesn't leave either because the Duchess told her that if she doesn't return she'll remain a hawk forever. The princess is incensed to hear that her grandmother has been treating her this way. Woot promises to right things with her and return, and he and Prunella depart for the time.

Later, after her father returns with Comfort, Prunella demands answers. The Duke doesn't know what she's talking about, but when Woot says her name is Myrna, the Duke exclaims that that's the name of his wife, Prunella's mother. He believed that the creature in the attic was a witch and resents the implication that his mother would have anything to do with hiding the truth from him. But Comfort confirms that the Duchess threatened he and Cook with transformations if they ever told him or the princess about Lady Myrna. The dog gets the keys and they ascend into the attic. The Duke is overcome with grief and joy at seeing his beloved wife that he'd thought lost to them years ago. But Myrna has no recollection of him or of anything prior to living in that room. She does remember Comfort, for he had been her companion animal before she married. She also remembers a horrible witch who locked her in the room, and at that her memory starts to return to her. Comfort fills in the blanks, explaining that the Duchess was consumed by jealousy when her son met and married a Winkie Princess in Glinda's court. She had long known sorcery, but waited to use it until Princess Prunella was born, at which time she cast the spell on Lady Myrna to make her son believe that she'd become an old witch. The Duke was then convinced to confine her, and when he insisted on seeing her, she brought him in at the time she was in the hawk form, a form she gave her, further convincing him that his wife was turned to an evil witch.

Prunella then comes up with a plan to allow her grandmother to save face. She'll pretend the hawk was found in the cave with a hurt wing, and brought into the castle to heal, when it turned into Myrna. This way, the Duchess can claim that her daughter-in-law became herself again. Myrna agrees to the plan, though she acknowledges that it will be a challenge to forgive the lost seven years that she robbed her of seeing her daughter grow up. The next morning, the very thing comes to pass, and the Duchess feigns delight at having her daughter-in-law restored to her. Prunella then moves her things into the third floor, and has the door repainted pink. Woot bids his friends farewell, and continues wandering.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Story takes place "several years" after Loxo's departure from Big Enough Mountain in Speedy in Oz. Also, Woot speaks of his adventures with the Tin Woodman, in The Tin Woodman of Oz, as occurring a few years ago. Thus, the Royal Timeline of Oz places this story and its sequel "The Forbidden Cave of Grapelandia," in Oziana 1997, in 1928.

Glinda's Court: One of the few stories that explicitly shows that Glinda holds court, a position she's rarely shown at, but as the ruler of the Quadling Country, it makes sense that she would have a court, and that it would be attended by dukes and nobles. It's also shown that not all of Glinda's female staff remain permanently as such, as the Duke of Grapelandia met the Winkie Princess Myrna while attending at Glinda's court.

Grapelandia: This well-depicted duchy at the base of Big Enough Mountain in the Quadling Country appears again in the story "The Forbidden Cave of Grapelandia," in Oziana 1997, which deals with the mystery of the cave first mentioned here.

Sequel: The Princess, Lady Myrna, the Duke and Duchess return in a sequel story that deals with the mystery of the cave. See "The Forbidden Cave of Grapelandia," in Oziana 1997.

Book of Records, by Christopher Wayne Buckley

Synopsis: Poem, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Edited by Robin Olderman

A Christmas Tree for Dorothy, by Jane Albright; illustrated by Eric Shanower

Synopsis: After a long holiday in Oz, a new one Ozma invented to keep her people from getting bored, Dorothy confesses to Billina that although she enjoys the grand parties, she sometimes misses the simple Christmas celebrations they had back in Kansas. She hasn't even seen a real Christmas tree in years. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman overhear this and endeavor to get Dorothy a Christmas tree.

Exploring the gardens they find the perfect tree just outside Dorothy's window, for which the Tin Woodman is grateful having not wanted to cut down a tree unless it was necessary. Nick greets the Pine tree, whose nervous until he assures him he's no longer a woodchopper. The Pine knows of Dorothy and agrees to become a Christmas tree for her. He doesn't know how to gather stars to decorate him, save to climb the highest tree and pick them from the sky.

They depart to meet the Sawhorse whose cross because they're late, but they explain their delay and dilemma. He says he can't run up, but that reminds the Scarecrow of High Boy, the giant horse of Oz, who lives in Up Town in the Gillikin Country, and can elevate his legs up very high. The Sawhorse races his friends to Joe King's castle, where they're greeted by Joe and his wife, Queen Hyacinth, and brought before High Boy. The Scarecrow and Nick explain their quest for stars and ask if he can go up as high as the stars. He can and will, and that night, with his umbrella tail raised up to cover them from the wind, he shoots them up into the evening sky, stopping only when they reach the lower level of stars. But the Scarecrow then realizes that he'd forgot to bring a sack, so High Boy offers his umbrella tail, and they load it up with pale blue, green, pink, white and yellow stars.

Once full, High Boy stars to descend, but at the cloud level, they bump into the Sand Man flying home. He stops to say hello, but the startled horse sways, causing all the stars to fall out of his tail unto Joe King's garden below. The Sandman offers to put everyone asleep for a few days while they collect the fallen stars, but they decline, so he instead offers the aid of his Magic Mistake Bag, explaining that it was made by the Wizard for him after the time he mistakenly thought the Emerald Palace (then atop Ruggedo's giant head) was a dream and put everyone to sleep. Trying it out, the Sandman flies over the field with the open bag scooping up stars. The task is soon complete and he empties the stars into a feed back, offers his greetings to Ozma and sweet dreams to Dorothy, and flies off.

High Boy then locates the Sawhorse and bids the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman goodbye as well. When the trio return to the Christmas tree in the palace garden, they're surprised to see it decorated and Santa Claus there to greet them. He heard the story from the Sandman and brought his elves to assist. They now take the bag of stars and spread them over the tree. By the time morning arrives, Dorothy and everyone head to the garden to see the glowing Christmas tree, which Dorothy proclaims the greatest Christmas tree ever. Santa gives her a present, which is anything she can wish for. Dorothy wishes for a fruit cake like Aunt Em used to make, and then asks if she can wish enough for everyone. Santa agrees, and says she can pass the gift along so that everyone can make a wish. Ozma wishes for distant friends to arrive, while everyone else makes their own wishes. Later on, Santa teaches everyone Christmas songs.

Continuity Notes

Christmas tree: This is the second time the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman got Dorothy a Christmas tree, though the tree was quite different the first time. That occurred during the time of Dorothy's first visit to Oz, in the story Dorothy's Christmas Tree, by W.W. Denslow, the first chapter of his Scarecrow and Tinman newspaper strip. It's notable as well that the pine tree in this story is a talking tree.

Dating: There is no explicit date. The Scarecrow notes that it's been a long time since he last saw the Sandman, which was in The Gnome King of Oz, in 1915. It appears to take place during a month in which there are no birthdays or holidays, as Ozma made one up to keep the people from getting bored. The Royal Timeline of Oz currently has this in 1945, though this is an arbitrary date, as it could take place any time after the latter story and prior to 1992.

High Boy: The titular horse of The Giant Horse of Oz, he, along with Joe King and Queen Hyacinth make their first appearance in the latter book. Alhough High Boy is mentioned in later stories, this is a rare appearance in which he actively participates in a story. It's revealed here that his legs can telescope as high as the lower layer of stars, and possibly beyond.

Sandman: The Sandman first appeared in an Oz story in The Gnome King of Oz, in an event that's referenced here. He appears again in Queen Ann in Oz in Sand City, as well as in The Magic Carpet of Oz.

Santa Claus: Santa Claus first appears in Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. He was first crossed-over into Oz in Baum's Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz newspaper strip.

Stars: The dimension Oz is in contains both celestial stars, as we know them in the Outside World, and other kinds of stars. Thompson first utilized fairy stars in The Cowardly Lion of Oz, but more explicitly as such in Grampa in Oz. Hurray in Oz makes it clear that there are different kinds of stars in the fairylands.

The Tail of the Pink Goat, by Everett Avila; illustrated by Shaune Anderson, Nicole Bent, Ricky Blount, Daniel Han, Cindy Jen, Joe McSweeny, Deepa Mehta & Brent Peddy

Synopsis: Before the Kingdom of Dreams, there was a Blue Empire that now ceases to exist. A storyteller in those days wove his tales into cloth in the form of pictures and designs. Regarding the story of the pink goat (a tale Kabumpo promises to tell Princess Pajonia in The Purple Prince of Oz), the first picture shows a sad and frightened goat with a long ropey tail fleeing from other members of his tribe. The second shows him before the palace of the Blue Emperor during the fourth birthday celebration of the Emperor's son. The son arrives and sees the goat. In the third picture, the son is now emperor, and with the help of the pink goat is rescuing a princess from a chasm with the help of the goat's tail. The fourth picture shows the funeral of the pink goat, now shaggy with age. The emperor and his wife, who had been saved by them, mourn.

It is unknown if any of this tale is true, and some say it is a tall tale told by a peasant.

Continuity Notes

Dating: There is no means of determining a date, as a Blue Empire existing prior to the Kingdom of Dreams would have had to have existed centuries, if not millennia earlier. Because it's told as a story within a story, it's placed in the midst of The Purple Prince of Oz, and it can be assumed that the storyteller is Kabumpo.

The Woozy's Tale, by Gili Bar-Hillel; illustrated by David Maxine

Synopsis: Despite preparations for a parade banquet and ball in honor of the new wing added to the Royal Palace, Dorothy finds herself bored and a little irritated at the fact that everyone's too busy to have a conversation with her. Walking into the Royal Gardens, she stamps her foot in frustration, and wishing something interesting would happen. She winds up dislodging one of the paving stones, which turns out to be a large sapphire with a strange inscription upon it that begins with the phrase "Krizzerly Kroozerly."

Intending to ask the Wizard about it, she gets interrupted when the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger and Scarecrow coming running, chased by a swarm of black bees. Dorothy heeds their shouts and runs into the Royal Stables where she finds most of the Ozian celebrities, including Ozma, the Wizard, Glinda, Billina and her chicks, Jack Pumpkinhead, Scraps, Jellia Jamb, the Sawhorse and Tik-Tok. The Scarecrow recalls that when the Wicked Witch of the West sent bees after them (in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), Nick used his straw to cover up Dorothy, the Lion, and Toto, but he doesn't now have enough for everybody.

With a purple powder the Wizard finds in his black bag, poppy petals from Ozma's coronet, and Glinda's magical fire match, they create a a yellow smoke which spells out "BEE GONE." In response, the bees use their bodies to spell "No!" Glinda then realizes that they're magical bees which have been enchanted by an evil wizard. Without Ozma's wand, or the Magic Belt, the party are vulnerable, but the bees then spell out "KRIZZLE KROO."

Suddenly, with a squeak and eyes of fire, the Woozy emerges, scattering the terrified bees, who he threatens to gobble up! Behind them stands a thin wizard, trying and failing to make them come back. He introduces himself as the wizard Krizzle Kroo, claiming to be "the most powerful wizard in all the world." The Woozy recognizes him as the man who locked him up and took his Munchkin family away. Glinda then recalls him as the wizard who helped the Wicked Witch of the West gain power in the Winkie Country. Krizzle Kroo lost his powers when Glinda's cousin Gayelette made his wolves, crows and bees slaves to her silver whistle, punishing him for the terror he struck amongst the Gillikins.

But the Woozy remembers that Krizzle Kroo sent his bees against the Wicked Witch of the East, in order to make himself king in her place. She then commissioned her bootmaker to construct a being that would deal with the bees, and he made the Woozy out of leather. The Wicked Witch then brought him to life and he chased the bees away. Krizzle Kroo wasn't done, though, and he used the bees against the Munchkin farmers, forcing them to pay taxes to him. But the bootmaker stole the Woozy back from the Wicked Witch of the East's castle so that he could protect the Munchkin valley from the black bees. The Woozy came to love the bootmaker and his family, and enjoyed eating the bees that tried to harm them, but Krizzle Kroo abducted them and put the Woozy in a pen, where he was later discovered by Ojo, Scraps and Bungle.

Krizzle Kroo clarifies that he didn't make them disappear, but transformed them into the three hairs that are on the Woozy's tail! He also explains that when Gayelette made his magical creatures subject to her silver whistle, she overlooked his queen bee, through which he rebuilt a new magical army of bees. Once they were ready, he helped the Wicked Witch of the West conquer Gayelette in exchange for her silver whistle, which the Witch promised to give Krizzle Kroo once Gayelette was conquered. But after Gayelette was defeated, she claimed to have not found the whistle, and gave him an all-purpose spell instead. Dorothy says she must have lied, as she used the silver whistle (and its magical creatures) against her and her companions when she first came to Oz. Krizzle Kroo had already suspected her deception, and since he could not defeat her, he went to the Munchkin Country to have his revenge on her sister instead, but not before he used the all-purpose spell to turn the bootmaker into the Woozy's tail hairs. The words to break the spell were written on a stone, which he since lost.

The Cowardly Lion suggest they give him a taste of his own medicine, and after retrieving her wand, Ozma transports the beehive of the black bees to the Emerald City, where she puts Krizzle Kroo in it with all his bees. Dorothy then remembers the sapphire stone she'd found and recites the words on it, and with three flashes of blue light, the bootmaker, his wife and child are released! The Woozy and they rejoice!

Although stung many times at first, Krizzle Kroo and the bees become sweet-tempered. He still resides in his hive in the Emerald City where they hand out honey to those who request it.

Continuity Notes

Dating: The story is set right after Ozma expands the Royal Palace with a new wing. She had initially done this in 1902, shortly after she came to power. It is unknown when she expanded it again. That the narrative says "most of the Ozian celebrities" were in the stable, and there are no characters from Thompson's run listed, or for that matter Betsy or Trot, could indicate that it's shortly after The Patchwork Girl of Oz, but that's not a strong determining factor, as they can be off on adventures or diplomatic visits. Given that Ozma has her magic wand (attained in The Magic Carpet of Oz, places this at least after 1908. The Woozy still doesn't know what the word "Krizzle Kroo" means, and it still makes him angry in the eighth story arc of The Emerald City Mirror (issues #49-55), so a good placement would be some time after 1923 when that arc is set. The Royal Timeline of Oz places it in 1924, the same year Scraps discovers something about her heritage in "The Scrap Bag Circus."

Krizzle Kroo and the Black Bees: Krizzle Kroo appears to be a Gillikin wizard, who initially used magical bees, crows and wolves to gain power (though whether for himself or another magic-user is unknown) in the Gillikin Country. His relationship to Mombi or the Good Witch of the North is also yet unknown, but given that the word "Krizzle Kroo" is the spoken part of a spell that's used to stop creatures in their tracks (A Refugee of Oz), a spell Mombi uses, it seems apparent that this wizard named himself after the words of this spell, and likely knew Mombi.

Krizzle Kroo later went to the Winkie Country, where he was apparently instrumental in helping the Wicked Witch of the West gain power in the northern Winkie lands. He then lost his black wolves, crows and bees when Gayelette enacted revenge and subjected them to her Silver Whistle. Gayelette failed to get the queen bee, through which Krizzle Kroo created another army of black bees. How is unknown. A queen usually requires a dozen or so drones to mate with, but as these are described as magical bees, either the natural method or another may have been employed. Given that time seems to pass before he has another hive to use again, let alone one large enough for his purposes, the former seems the most likely, and it's probably about a season or even longer that he has a formidable enough hive. Desiring the power of the Silver Whistle, the Wicked Witch of the West then secured Krizzle Kroo's help in defeating Gayelette on the premise that she'll give him the Silver Whistle, which will restore to him the power over the original hive, as well as the crows and wolves. She did not, however, pretending that she couldn't find it. Once in her power, she uses the Silver Whistle against the Wizard. When word gets out, Krizzle Kroo realizes he's been lied to. Since he cannot defeat her so long as she has the Silver Whistle, he goes to the Munchkin Country to harass her sister.

Krizzle Kroo's black bees require some reconciliation with the wizard Wisp's stinging bees, who were trained and traded to the Wicked Witch of the West in exchange for magic (The Ork in Oz). The latter event happened after Krizzle Kroo left the Winkie Country to attack her sister in the East. Unaware that the Wicked Witch of the West already commanded an army of bees through the Silver Whistle, Wisp approached her with the offer of his stinging bees. What she did was make Wisp subject to the Silver Whistle. Because she didn't summon him when Dorothy and her party arrived in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (seeing as how Krizzle Kroo's bees were ineffective in stopping them), Wisp's bees survived.

Gayelette and Glinda: This story lists Gayelette as Glinda's cousin. Dennis Anfuso's The Winged Monkeys of Oz, however, notes that she's her mother. This is easily reconciled, however, if one considers that Quelala was Gayelette's cousin, making him Glinda's second cousin. When she married Quelala, she also became her daughter's second cousin-in-law. A stronger connection might be if Gayelett's aunt or uncle married her husband's aunt or uncle, producing Gayelette, and strengthening the blood relations. Marrying first cousins was not uncommon amongst royals. Why Glinda chooses to keep her parentage a secret at this time (citing Gayelette as her cousin, not mother) is unknown, but she may have had her reasons and not wanted this information to be public knowledge. See "Glinda's History" in the appendices for more information.

Woozy's Origin: Woozy recalls his origins are from a Munchkin bootmaker, who constructed him from leather after the wizard Krizzle Kroo turned against the Wicked Witch of the West, sending his bees after her. She then brought the bootmaker's Woozy to life and he scattered the bees, who Krizzle Kroo then used against a valley of Munchkin farmers. The bootmaker abducted the Woozy out of the Wicked Witch's castle in order to help the farmers against the bees. Krizzle Kroo revenged himself on the Woozy, turned the bootmaker and his family into the Woozy's three hairs, and locked him in a pen.

Given what was revealed of the Woozy's origins with the Madou people in A Refugee of Oz, it seems more likely that the bootmaker did not make the Woozy, but found him some time after he escaped Mombi who robbed him of his memories after having captured him from the Land of Wooz, as revealed in "A Trip Down Memory Land, or How the Woozy Came to Oz" (Emerald City Mirror #7). It is very possible that the Bootmaker found him immobile, and possibly close to death. The Wicked Witch then did not bring him to life, but revived him so that he could rid her castle of bees. See the Appendix V: The Woozy's Origins for a more detailed chronological history of the Woozy.

The Journey, by Deborah Holden; illustrated by Maria Brown

Synopsis: L. Frank Baum comes home from across the Shifting Sands.

Continuity Notes: This concept was further explored in The Green Star of Oz.

Untitled Story, by Deborah Holden; illustrated by Maria Brown

Synopsis: Found in Parallel Histories. Lurline discovers she's pregnant.

Continuity Notes: This is based on the idea that Lurline herself birthed Ozma, which is not consistent with other stories on the Timeline, in which Ozma is a pre-existing fairy whose turned into an infant and given to King Pastoria to raise.

Edited by Robin Olderman

Billy Bumble of Oz, by Jane Albright; illustrated by Eric Shanower

Synopsis: Dreamer, Billy Harris, visited his best friend Mary Jane, an old woman with an extraordinary garden filled with a variety of birds and flowers and oddities like a corn-cob house and a pumpkin house. Concerned about an upcoming talent show, Billy asks Mary Jane what to do. After some suggestions, she takes him inside and pulls out of her attic trunk a puppet clown. Billy takes to the idea of doing a puppet show, and she takes him to the reading room to find a story to do. Initially recommending The Cowardly Lion of Oz, due to the fact that it has a clown in it, Mary Jane grows distracted, and admits to Billy that she's lately had this strange memory of an Oz adventure that she was a part of. She's re-read all the books to Billy, but never found this story anywhere else. She tells him the tale, and he determines that that will be the one he performs.

After gathering all the materials they'll need to make the puppets for the puppet show, Billy wonders at the idea that Mary Jane might actually have been to Oz. Over the next three weeks, they construct the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Scraps, Ozma, Jack Pumpkinhead, and a dragon, and he begins learning how to maneuver them. His father promises to construct a stage and Billy begins drawing up plans for it, but ends instead drawing bumble bees. The next day, Mary Jane informs him that the puppet clown's name is Bumble. As the days pass, Billy performs a private show for Mary Jane and his parents, and looks forward to the actual event.

While Billy packs up all the puppets for tomorrow's show, Mary Jane goes in search for something to shorten Ozma's dress, and comes across her old Ozmite pin that she wore as a child when part of the Oz club she belonged to. She shows it Billy and tells him they can use it to tuck up the dress. She then packs for him all of her old Oz books. After Billy's father picks up Billy and all the cartons, Mary Jane is greeted by two mismatched blue eyes.

Backstage the next day, prior to the show, while unpacking all the puppets, Billy worries how Mary Jane will make it to the show, as she doesn't drive. Billy then pins the Ozmite pin to Ozma's waist, where the Magic Belt would be, and the Ozma puppet then asks him if he's a good giant or a bad giant! Startled, he says he's not a giant, so the Ozma puppet concludes she must be small, and asks if he brought her there. Suddenly, Bumble begins speaking, and explains that Mary Jane's pin was enchanted years ago when he left Oz to keep her company. Ozma, for that's who it was, then reports that the Scarecrow brought Mary Jane home last night. Scraps, meanwhile, was playing on the dragon's back, while the Scarecrow dodged his smoky breath, the Tin Woodman notes that he's too lightweight, and Jack Pumpkinhead complained his head wasn't made from a real pumpkin! Billy explains that Mary Jane helped him make these puppets for the talent show, which is tonight, and he knew nothing about bringing them there. Ozma considers what to do, and the Scarecrow suggests they all act like puppets so Billy can do his show, after which Bumble says they can unpin the pin and go home. Ozma asks which story they're doing, figuring that since the purple dragon Cyrus the Silent is there it's probably about the enchanted garden of Sedj. Billy's glad to know it's a real story and repeats what Mary Jane told him about the story. Yet, Ozma's puzzled as she wasn't part of that story, but Billy explains that she's intended to play Mary Jane's part in the story, which is why her puppet has no wand or Magic Belt.

Billy's turn on stage comes, and all the Ozites obligingly go along. Despite his nerves and the additional movements, voices, and "special effects" of the Ozites, the play goes over exceedingly well. Later, backstage again, the Scarecrow suggests that if they're to take Billy to Oz, they'll have to take everyone in the auditorium as he'll otherwise be missed. Ozma notes that the puppet doesn't have the pins and needles inside his head, and asks him to think of another idea. Bumble says that it's been a very long time since he was last in Oz, and he had a wonderful time with Mary Jane until she grew up. He cannot be separated from the charm of the pin, or none of them will be able to get home. Ozma notes that once they're back they can return him to Oz too, but he decides he wants to stay with Billy, as he can make him come alive whenever he wishes with the pin, and he can teach him how to be an entertainer like a clown. Billy's moved, but wonders if he'll forget they're real like Mary Jane did. Ozma doesn't know, but says that he's now part of Oz, and his actions will be reported on in the Great Book of Records, and the birds will check in on him from Sedg's garden like they did for Mary Jane, whose garden and house are with her in Oz. This surprises Billy who asks if he'll ever see her again. Ozma assures him you never lose the people you love. With that, he says goodbye and removes the pin from her waist.

Continuity Notes:

Billy and Bumble: Billy Harris appears to be heading in the direction of entertainment, particularly children's entertainment. Given that Bumble intends to teach him how to be a clown, this may be an early fascination for the boy. His father, however, will likely steer him into a more profitable form of children's entertainment. It's unknown if Billy and Bumble ever return to Oz. It's possible they visit, but it seems unlikely that Billy would choose to live there while his parents are still alive. Additionally, once they've passed, he may have a significant other or family of his own. One might hope that he didn't forget Oz, or Bumble, and if he does have children, that he passes along Bumble's secret to them. On the other hand, given his lack of inclination for the company of others his age, and his friendship with Bumble, it also may be that he a) remains single and goes with Bumble to live in Oz at some point, or b) meets someone special with whom he shares the secret of Oz, and goes with this companion and Bumble to live in Oz.

Dating: While there are no explicit dates, there are some clues that help narrow the range. Billy's father wears a hat and says he needs it for work. Hats went out of fashion for men in the United States in the 1960s, and even by then it was in steep decline. We can assume, however, that Billy's father works in a very conservative office that still requires the use of hats. Bumble notes that he'd been away from Oz for a "long, long time," since the time Mary Jane was in Oz. The Ozmite pin is one clue, as that was first issued in 1926 to Ozmite Club members and lasted two years. Mary Jane got one when she was around Billy's age, which means that her original adventure can't be too far from her joining the Ozmite Club. Judging by the pictures he looks to be between 12 and 14, though a case can be made for slightly younger or older. Mary Jane likely joined the Ozmite Club after she came back to Oz, as Bumble notes that they used to play a lot until she grew older and stopped believing Oz was real. She's called an old woman in the story, but it's not stated how old, and appearance often plays a factor in this regard (as does the era). Assuming she was a little older than Billy, say sixteen years old, when she joined the Ozmite Club in 1926, and that her story in Oz took place two years earlier in 1924, she was 14 when she went to Oz. By 1964, forty years later, she'd be 54 years old, old enough to be considered "an old woman" by a boy Billy's age.

Nine Tiny Piglets, by Kimberly Doyle; illustrated by Maria Brown

Synopsis & Continuity Notes: Found in Parallel Histories, this attempt to reconcile the two accounts of where Oscar got the Nine Tiny Piglets based on his account in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz and the one the pigs' parents tell in The Tin Woodman of Oz is not impossible, though it contains some very implausible elements. It is postulated here that a sailor was sent by Oscar to find small animals for his magic act, and stumbled upon an island named Teenty Weent, near Lilliputia. There the mother and father of the piglets handed over their nine offspring (who call each other by pork-product names) to a complete stranger to take them to the U.S. on the sole claim that he's from the Wizard. In The Tin Woodman of Oz, the pigs' parents state that the Wizard came himself to their house in the Munchkin Country, which indicates that Oscar more likely obtained the piglets while he was still Wizard during his earlier rule of Oz. Gili-Bar Hillel's Oziana 1995 story "Pigmentation" and Hugh Pendexter III's The Crocheted Cat in Oz utilize different names for the piglets that are far more likely to be actual names than pork products.

Ghosts in Oz, by Marie Richardson; illustrated by Benjamin Fang

Synopsis: Located in Parodies and Poems. While coming home from Glinda's Palace in the Red Wagon, Dorothy asks Ozma if there have ever been any ghosts in Oz. Ozma doesn't think so, and Dorothy points out that there's one in Oz right now sitting besides her. The ghost tells Ozma that there's a problem, as there are hundreds of ghosts now in Oz. Scraps tries to dismiss the ghost, while the Wizard refuses to believe his story since there's no death in Oz. The Scarecrow points out that there is at least one ghost in Oz, the one before them.

The ghost introduces himself as Simon T. Inphinium, the last person to die in Oz, who died in the moments before Lurline enchanted Oz; the enchantment brought him back as he now is. He's content to not have to eat or sleep, and can go anywhere he pleases, demonstrating this by passing through the Sawhorse and Scarecrow. He passes the time by reading and other amusements. A week ago, he discovered another ghost, and in a few days, over three hundred! Irritated that they're fooling around and destroying his cottage and books, he left to tell Ozma. The problem is that they don't even know where they came from. Dorothy tells Scraps she's glad Aunt Em stayed at Glinda's to learn a new sewing stitch from her handmaidens, as she would have been scared.

Later in the Throne Room, Ozma determines to get to the bottom of things. Dorothy suggests Ozma bring them there since the palace is so large, and Simon can even stay in the Royal Library. Agreeing, Ozma summons all the ghosts into the Grand Ballroom, and orders a buffet in the Banquet Hall in their honor. Cook whips up a spooky feast, which some of the ghosts sample. Three days later, the ghosts have multiplied, Ozma is no closer to a solution, and Cook is besides herself. At last, the Wizard finds the solution. The ghosts were arriving from the outside world where ghost-busting has become popular in the States. After going through the "Disposal System," the ghosts are arriving in Oz. The Wizard shows them to a black box called the Ghost-Go-Home Machine, which will send them all back to America. He also fixes the Ghost Disposal System in the U.S. so that they'll stop coming to Oz. Proclaiming he "ain't afraid of no ghosts," the Cowardly Lion presses the button on the machine.

After they're gone, Ozma finds Simon and asks him to stay in the Palace. In the Magic Picture, Ozma asks to see the other ghosts, and she finds them in a wardrobe, the other side of which is a snowy landscape and an old fashioned lamppost.

Continuity Notes: Although a parody, it can observed that the crossover with the Ghostbusters series, as actual events occurring in the United States, makes this incompatible with the stories on the Timeline. The Narnia crossover at the end also renders this incompatible, as Narnia is no longer in existence in the 1980s (having been destroyed in 1949).

Ending #1 for Eric Shanower's "The Silver Jug," by Margaret Berg

History: Due to the fact that Shanower provided his own conclusion to this Oziana 1993 story contest for The Salt Sorcerer of Oz and Other Stories, this ending can only be considered non-canonical, though the characters can still exist.

Synopsis: Taking the silver jug to a small music room with the intent of storing it away, Amanda puts it on a table and goes about her tasks. On the second day of Glinda's absence, she cleans the music room, and noting that the silver jug isn't shining as much as it should, so she moves the table in front of the French doors.

On the third day, the sun through the panes has melted the wax stopper. After feeding and praising Glinda's swans, Amanda returns to the music room, and cleans the table with her feather duster, accidentally knocking the silver jug off the table, causing a trumpet blare to sound from its top. With her hands stuck to melted wax and feathers from the duster, Amanda suddenly begins flying like a hummingbird. A trumpet vine emerges from the jug, followed by all kinds of bell and trumpet flowers.

Hearing the clamor, other handmaidens rush into the room, and seeing Amanda flapping about, begin laughing. They help her, and push the plants out into an empty flower bed in the garden. One of the girls summons Cherri Jelli, Glinda's maid and Jellia Jamb's sister, and she rights the silver jug and sticks a muffin down the top.

Amanda reseals the jug and Cherri helps her clean the room. Glinda returns to find a musical garden and subdued Amanda, who acknowledges that she's not ready to serve her. Glinda, however, recommends her for a position as housekeeper for the Tin Woodman. Amanda gladly accepts.

Ending #2 for Eric Shanower's "The Silver Jug," by Frederick E. Otto

History: Due to the fact that Shanower provided his own conclusion to this Oziana 1993 story contest for The Salt Sorcerer of Oz and Other Stories, this ending can only be considered non-canonical, though the characters can still exist.

Synopsis: Determined not to touch the jug until Glinda returns, Amanda puts it aside and strolls over to look at the Great Book of Records. There she makes a disturbing discover: the Book is no longer recording new entries! Figuring that this has something to do with the Silver Jug, she decides to open it. Melting the wax seal, she cautiously pours out the contents, and what emerges are letters, which make up a sentence: "Assistant to Glinda opens the silver jug placed in her care." Excited, she runs back over the Book, and discovers the very same sentence there. Pouring out more letters, she watches the same thing happen. The word-contents of the jug go into the Book, which reports on matters occurring in Oz, as it normally would. The only problem, as the jug and Book report, is that can't retrieve the words to put back in, so she's unable to return the jug to Glinda exactly as she found it.

Realizing that she needs help, she requests the assistance of her friend Maxine, a handmaiden from the Munchkin Country. Maxine thinks for a time and comes up with a solution. Working together, Amanda can arrange the letters that come out of the jug into a sentence that says they're taking all the words that came out of the jug and putting them back in. Maxine will put that sentence into the Book, which, since the Book only tells the truth, will allow them to collect all the letters that came out of the jug.

The next morning, they prepare for their plan and the wording of the sentence to put in the book. They begin pouring out letters, and discover that forming words from random letters is challenging, and with only a short time left before Glinda's return, they scramble to get it done and drop some letters on the floor. At last, after finding a missing letter on the floor, they hurry to put the sentence into the Book, and then collect all the letters from the jug and pour them back in. Just after resealing the wax seal, Glinda returns. Examining the silver jug, Glinda praises the girls.

Edited by Robin Olderman

The Forbidden Cave of Grapelandia, by Frederick E. Otto; illustrated by Melody Grandy

Synopsis: Happy to have her mother back in her life, Princess Prunella takes Lady Myrna on a tour of the grounds about the castle, and comes to a mysterious cave in a knoll, where it is forbidden to go past where one can see the entrance. Myrna asks her daughter why it's prohibited, but she doesn't know. She assumes it must have been so that the little girl wouldn't get hurt, so they return to the castle to get a torch to explore it. Their watch dog Comfort learns of their expedition, and tells her that it's forbidden, though he too doesn't know why. She asks who made the prohibition, and he says he heard the Duchess tell the Duke. Since it was the Duchess who had her locked away for seven years, she reasons that there may be something back there she doesn't want them to find.

Armed with torches, the three of them venture inside the cave. Myrna leads the way, but when she doesn't return, Comfort follows. Finally, when he doesn't come back, Prunella goes looking for them. She follows a curving passage, but doesn't see anything ahead, until suddenly she plummets down when the floor under her opens up. She lands safely on soft rubber boulders and relights her torch. Calling out to her mother and dog, she's answered by a stranger's voice, who she soon discovers belongs to a dragon!

The small, colorful dragonette (a child at only 73 years old) named Quixgl tells the princess he hasn't seen her mother or dog, but knows that his own mother took the woman and her father the dog, but to where he's not sure. Deciding to help her, he leads her down a tunnel that smells like perfume, but his senses lead him astray. Myrna, meanwhile, keeps her head and inquires where she's being taken. The female dragon informs her that they work for the Ruby Imps who rule there. Myrna recalls that they came from the west, and wonders why dragons would serve them. The dragon explains that after the Ruby Imps were attacked by the North Wind (see Rosine and The Laughing Dragon of Oz), they headed to the surface to thaw off, and there met the Duchess of Grapelandia, who in exchange for the secret of magical transformations, allowed them to move into the caves of Big Enough Mountain. There was once a way for them to secretly visit the castle, but she later told them to stay away so that her husband wouldn't discover the bargain she made with them. Because the Ruby Imp and his chiefs have so powerful magic, the dragons decided to stay in their millennial-old home and obey them rather than be turned into ornaments, figuring that they may at some point leave.

When the passage divides, Myrna suggests they take the less gloomy fork, but the dragon explains that it leads to the lair of Loxo, (Speedy in Oz) a giant so big he's even eaten dragons. Myrna hushes up Comfort before he corrects the dragon and tells her that Loxo's no longer a threat. At a signal from Myrna, Comfort attacks the male dragon, allowing her to get passed them, at which point he follows her down to the fork that leads to Loxo's old cave. The dragons decide that since they'll get eaten by Loxo, they'll leave them be and saying nothing to the imps.

Prunella and Quixgl, meanwhile, head through a tunnel that goes under the castle gardens, passing through the beautiful Jeweled Cave, the grotesque cave of stalagmites and stalactites carved in the form of hideous and terrifying monsters and gargoyles, and a giant cave of dark void, leading at last to a flight of stairs going up into the castle. The dragonette must part with the princess to go back to where his mother told him to wait, and she thanks him and climbs up the steps into the sitting room of her cranky grandmother, realizing that she'd come through a secret panel. The old Duchess isn't there and Prunella is able to sneak out before she's caught.

At the same time, Myrna and Comfort pass through Loxo's cave, littered with the bones of humans, animals and dragons. Once outside they follow a trail for several hours leading back home. When the Duke returns and hears his daughter's story, along with the implication of another of his mother's secrets, he fears for his wife's safety until they spot them from a distance walking. Taking the horses, they ride out to greet them, and once the relief and excitement have passed, the Duke hears of his mother's involvement with the Ruby Imps. He decides then to build a barrier in the tunnel below to prevent an invasion of imps or dragons.

Continuity Notes

Dating: This story takes place in the same year as its predecessor, Oziana 1991's "A Cozy Castle in Oz," noted by Princess Prunella's age at seven years old. The Imps have lived in the caverns of Big Enough Mountain "less than a hundred years," having moved in after the events of (Rosine and) The Laughing Dragon of Oz, which occurred in 1916. This has to be taken as an overstatement, and in recognition of the fact that as dragons are so long-lived, they likely speak in terms of centuries as humans would of decades. A better clue to the date is the fact that the dragons still believe that Loxo is a giant, and avoid the caverns that lead to his former home. This is an indication that the story cannot be too far removed from the events of Speedy in Oz, lest the dragons would have learned that he'd been shrunk, a fact that the Duke of Grapelandia knows about and said occurred "several years" ago. Thus, the Royal Timeline of Oz places this story and its' Oziana 1991 predecessor "A Cozy Castle in Oz" in 1928.

Ruby Imps: The Ruby Imps come from (Rosine and) The Laughing Dragon of Oz. The female dragon explains that after they were attacked by the North Wind years ago (at the end of the latter story), they went to the surface of the earth to thaw out. There, they met the Duchess of Grapelandia, who allowed them to move into the caverns of Big Enough Mountain in exchange for the secret of transformations. They spent a few years teaching her while moving into the caves in Big Enough Mountain. A secret passage under the castle leads from the Duchess's sitting room to their new domain. It is planned to be blocked up by the end of this story.

Junk Mail, by Dave Hardenbrook; illustrated by Dave Hardenbrook

Synopsis: Parody, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

The Heart of the Matter, by Theresa Hogue; illustrated by John R. Neill

Synopsis:

Continuity Notes

A Generic Oz Story, by Tyler Jones

Synopsis: Parody, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Percy's Predicament: Problematic, Puzzling Poesy, by Robin Olderman

Synopsis: Poems, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Professor Woggle's Bugs: A.K.A. Computer VirOzes, by Gili Bar-Hillel, Nathan DeHoff, Melody Grandy, Dave Hardenbrook, Robin Olderman, Jeremy Steadman, Danny Wall, John N. White

Synopsis: Parody, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

The Braided Man of Oz, by Eleanor Kennedy; illustrated by John R. Neill.

Synopsis: Ugu the Shoemaker makes his first attempt to conquer Oz, causing a silence spell to silence everyone in the Emerald City during Ozma's birthday celebration. When the Braided Man opens his box of rustles and flutters, however, it causes Button-Bright to laugh, which breaks the spell. The Braided Man is awarded by Ozma, and moves from his underground home in Pyramid Mountain to a workshop in the Emerald City.

Continuity Notes: Not to be confused with R.K. Lionel’s novelette of the same name.

Braided Man: From Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, the Braided Man returns offering his strange gift of sound, specifically the sound of rustles and flutters. As he is later encountered in his Pyramid Mountain location, it can be assumed that he maintains a residence in both his original home and the Emerald City. How he knows of Ozma is explained in Lionel's story of the same name. Years later, in Ruggedo in Oz, Ozma says she transported him back to his original home, though she doesn't indicate where that is.

Dating: this short story begins on August 14th, though most of the action takes place on August 21st, Ozma birthday. An unknown celebration is told of Ozma preparing a banquet for Bobo of Boboland, which means this must be after 1906. Ugu the Shoemaker makes his first attempt to conquer Oz, which places this story some time prior to The Lost Princess of Oz, which is set in May of 1909. That leaves 1907 or 1908. In the latter year, Ozma's birthday is described in The Magic of Oz, leaving August of 1907 as the most likely date. It is known that Ugu had been practicing magic for at least a year prior to his abduction of Ozma in the former story, so a failed attempt 21 months prior is feasible.

Edited by Robin Olderman

The Gauds of Oz, by David Hulan; illustrated by John R. Neill & Robin Olderman

Synopsis: When Stampedro loses a shoe while riding the border between Corumbia and Corabia, to ensure that no Samandrans made trouble with their neighbors, Prince Corum determines its best not to walk back at dark. Finding a nearby stream, they drink and Corum places a miniature tent on the ground that he acquired in Oogaboo, which turns into a large-sized tent. Grateful for the break from the dullness of recent times, Corum is summoned by his steed to look at a strange glow from beneath the stream. Corum pulls out a glowing jewel the size of an egg, and determines to gift the pretty gaud to Marygolden his wife. He soon finds others in the grotto from which the stream arose, and decided to take all the loose ones on the stream bed, leaving behind those embedded in the walls.

The next day, the court jeweler tells him that in the years before they were enchanted, a fisherman found one in the belly of a large fish. He brought it to King Winkeslas, who was then united the western country of Oz and giving it his name. He placed the jewel in the center of his crown, calling it a firestone. The prince asks the jeweler to make them into trinkets for Princess Marygolden, their mothers, the queens of Corumbia and Corabia, Ozma, Dorothy, Betsy and Trot, but the jeweler explains that he has no way of knowing how to cut the stones or mount them. He'll need someone with greater experience to deal with such rare gems, and directs him to the Emerald City.

Later, he explains to Marygolden his discovery and she agrees to accompany him to the Emerald City, and they agree to take Camy, the Comfortable Camel, and her horse Buttercup. They ride first to Kimbaloo, where they spend two nights with Kinda Jolly and Rosa Merry, then to Perhaps City to spend the next night with Peer Haps, and the final night with a Winkie farmer living near the border. Leaving Camy to spend time with Doubtful Dromedary, Stampedro and Buttercup, they're soon greeted by Dorothy. Dorothy informs him that the best jeweler in the Emerald City is Mr. Ozgood.

Ozma greets the visitors and provides them refreshments and the Wizard's new transportation pills, which allow one to wish oneself anywhere in Oz. Later, while Marygolden goes with Dorothy to Jenny Jump's Style Shop, Corum heads to the jeweler, but is first met by the Glass Cat who tells him that the best jeweler is in the Zamagoochie Mountains, north of the Gillikin Country. Joyero, the master jeweler, considers that firestone his greatest possession, and set it into a ring that he wears always. With the magic traveling pill, Corum wishes himself at the home of Joyero in the Zamagoochie Mountains before the Glass Cat can finish his story.

In the midst of rocky mountains, Corum approaches a stone house surrounded by a moat and drawbridge. Calling out to the jeweler, the drawbridge is lowered by and an eight-foot tall giant who warns him not to waste his master's time. The interior is lavishly decorated, and Corum introduces himself to the jeweler, who proclaims himself the greatest anywhere! When asked about his ring, he says it is unique and tells the story of how he made the famous Golden Cap for Gayelette (who ruled the Gillikin Country at that time), as a wedding present for Quelala. It had no enchantment upon it, for that is something Gayelette later did. It was his masterpiece and for it she gave Joyero half the kingdom. Yet, he did not find rule to be to his liking, and they made an exchange. She returned the Golden Cap, while he returned his half of the kingdom, save for his property. An old woman then came to him. She had destroyed King Winkeslas and taken his firestone. As Joyero had no use for the Golden Cap, he traded it to her for the gem.

When Corum reveals that the stones are not unique, showing him his bag full of them, Joyero flies into a rage and commands his giant Bombado to toss him into the dungeon. The jeweler is unconcerned about Ozma as he had Gayelette place a barrier against magic over his domain. A day and a half later, Corum is met by the woodchuck Ishamel who digs into his cell, having been sent to free him by the Glass Cat. He gives him transportation pills that he'd acquired from Trot when he helped her with the delves (Oziana 1995: "A Princess of Oz.")

Back in the Emerald City, Ozma forbids Corum's knights from going after Joyero or his giants. The Wizard reports that Gayelette's barrier is too strong to be broken from the outside. A magic-worker must get inside to break its spell. As the giants would thwart any who tried, Scraps suggests they recruit the Lonesome Duck–who can use his magic to undo the spell–in exchange for the firestones, three of which Corum has left. Using the transportation pills, the Wizard and Corum arrive at his Diamond Palace, and make the offer. The duck agrees the gems will complement his diamonds and agrees. With more pills, they arrive at Joyero's estate guarded by two even larger giants. The duck flies off inside the hall while the Wizard prepares a smoke spell which immobilizes the giants. The Lonesome Duck reemerges and claims his reward before flying off. Oscar and Corum enter Joyero's workshop to find he's already cut over a dozen of the firestones made into a tiara. The Wizard undoes the spell and Corum tells Joyero that he'd intended to give him a third of the stones for his work. Now he's taking the tiara for his wife, and they'll divide the remaining ones.

Two months later, after the stones are cut and set, Corum presents Ozma a golden scepter with a firestone mounted on top, and several on the grip. Glinda is given a brooch, Nick Chopper a tin flower, Dorothy, Trot and Betsy pendants, the Wizard a watch fob, gifts for the rulers of Corumbia and Corabia, and a collar of firestones for Ishmael.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Marygolden reflects that had Dorothy not discovered Sir Hokus, she'd have "gone to live with Speedy and his uncle in America, and be quite an old lady by now." Also, the Wizard has recently invented transportation pills that allows its users to wish themselves anywhere in Oz, and the woodchuck has recently saved Trot (Oziana 1995's "A Princess of Oz.")

Gillikin Ruler: It's established here that Gayelette is queen from at least 1871 on. It cannot have been earlier as King Gil Iken was ruling before he disappeared in search of Belinda (The Enchanted Gnome of Oz).

Golden Cap: This story provides the history of the Golden Cap. As to the more complete version of how the Wicked Witch of the West obtained, see the continuity notes for the Golden Cap in How the Wizard Came to Oz.

King Winkeslas: King of the Winkie Country prior to the rule of Lady Morella, the Wicked Witch of the West. King Winkeslas claims to have united the western country of Oz and given it his name. This was revealed to be an untruth, as the Fairy Queen Enilrul named the country in mockery of Winkeslas and the wicked clans Winken and Wichelen (Lulea and the Fairy Kingdoms of Oz).

The Shortest Book of Oz, by J.L. Bell (as Jno. R. Bell)

Synopsis: Parody, listed in Patchwork Parodies & Poems.

Ozma's Swap Party, by by J.L. Bell (as Jno. R. Bell); illustrated by John R. Neill

Synopsis: With her birthday approaching, Ozma expresses concern that her friends will embark upon a dangerous quest for a rare present. She notes what happened to Trot and Cap'n Bill (in The Magic of Oz), as well as previous untold events, such as Sir Hokus' journey to Fremmely to gather dragon's teeth (ending in his armor being turned inside out) and the Wizard trying to saw his assistant in half, resulting in two Number Nines.

Aunt Em suggests that this year they do a swap party from items they all already own. At the party, everyone chooses a gift and begins swamping it for others, ending in most of them getting back their own gifts, including a frustrated Scraps who ended up with a bottle of metal polish. But Ozma's content that everyone had a good time and recognizes that they all already have everything they want.

Continuity Notes

Dating: Events begins on the week before Ozma's birthday (August 14th) and ends on the day after (August 22nd). As to year, it must take place after Percy comes to Oz in The Hidden Valley of Oz.

Three Smart Girls: An Ozzy Math Puzzle, by Mike Turniansky

The Grabbit Rabbit of Oz, by Robin Olderman; illustrated by Robin Olderman & John R. Neill

Synopsis: Forthcoming

Continuity Notes

Kabumpo Finds a Frond, by Atticus Gannaway; illustrated by Robin Olderman & John R. Neill