Title: Ozma of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Contents
– Author’s Note –
1. The Girl in the Chicken Coop
2. The Yellow Hen
3. Letters in the Sand
4. Tiktok, the Machine Man
5. Dorothy Opens the Dinner Pail
6. The Heads of Langwidere
7. Ozma of Oz to the Rescue
8. The Hungry Tiger
9. The Royal Family of Ev
10. The Giant with the Hammer
11. The Nome King
12. The Eleven Guesses
13. The Nome King Laughs
14. Dorothy Tries to be Brave
15. Billina Frightens the Nome King
16. Purple, Green and Gold
17. The Scarecrow Wins the Fight
18. The Fate of the Tin Woodman
19. The King of Ev
20. The Emerald City
21. Dorothy’s Magic Belt
Author’s Note
My friends the children are responsible for this new “Oz Book,” as they
Were for the last one, which was called The Land of Oz. Their sweet
Little letters plead to know “more about Dorothy”; and they ask: “What
Became of the Cowardly Lion?” and “What did Ozma do
Afterward?” – meaning, of course, after she became the Ruler of Oz. And
Some of them suggest plots to me, saying: “Please have Dorothy go to
The Land of Oz again”; or, “Why don’t you make Ozma and Dorothy meet,
And have a good time together?” Indeed, could I do all that my little
Friends ask, I would be obliged to write dozens of books to satisfy
Their demands. And I wish I could, for I enjoy writing these stories
Just as much as the children say they enjoy reading them.
Well, here is “more about Dorothy,” and about our old friends the
Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, and about the Cowardly Lion, and Ozma,
And all the rest of them; and here, likewise, is a good deal about some
New folks that are queer and unusual. One little
friend, who read this
Story before it was printed, said to me: “Billina is REAL OZZY, Mr.
Baum, and so are Tiktok and the Hungry Tiger.”
If this judgment is unbiased and correct, and the little folks find
This new story “real Ozzy,” I shall be very glad indeed that I wrote
It. But perhaps I shall get some more of those very welcome letters
From my readers, telling me just how they like “Ozma of Oz.” I hope
So, anyway.
L. FRANK BAUM.
MACATAWA, 1907.
1. The Girl in the Chicken Coop
The wind blew hard and joggled the water of the ocean, sending ripples
Across its surface. Then the wind pushed the edges of the ripples
Until they became waves, and shoved the waves around until they became
Billows. The billows rolled dreadfully high: higher even than the tops
Of houses. Some of them, indeed, rolled as high as the tops of tall
Trees, and seemed like mountains; and the gulfs between the great
Billows were like deep valleys.
All this mad dashing and splashing of the waters of the big ocean,
Which the mischievous wind caused without any good reason whatever,
Resulted in a terrible storm, and a storm on the ocean is liable to cut
Many queer pranks and do a lot of damage.
At the time the wind began to blow, a ship was sailing far out upon the
Waters. When the waves began to tumble and toss and to grow bigger and
Bigger the ship rolled up and down, and tipped sidewise – first one way
And then the other – and was jostled around so roughly that even the
Sailor-men had to hold fast to the ropes and railings to keep
Themselves from being swept away by the wind or pitched headlong into
The sea.
And the clouds were so thick in the sky that the sunlight couldn’t get
Through them; so that the day grew dark as night, which added to the
Terrors of the storm.
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