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.
|