Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | L. Frank Baum |
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| Illustrator | John R. Neill |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz books |
| Genre | Children's Literature |
| Publisher | Reilly & Britton |
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Publication date
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1908 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Preceded by | Ozma of Oz |
| Followed by | The Road to Oz |
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is the fourth book in the magical Land of Oz series. It was written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by John R. Neill. Published on June 18, 1908, this book brings Dorothy back together with the Wizard of Oz, whom she met in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This book is special because it's one of only two original Oz books that used watercolor paintings for its illustrations.
L. Frank Baum had decided to write more Oz books. He even set up some ideas for this story in the previous book, Ozma of Oz. The story starts with an earthquake in California. This was inspired by the real 1906 San Francisco earthquake and Baum's move to California. Dorothy and her friends fall into a deep cavern. There, their amazing adventures begin! Most of the story, about six out of twenty chapters, actually takes place outside of Oz. Oz is the safe place the characters are trying to reach. This book was dedicated to Baum's oldest sister, Harriet Alvena Baum Neal.
Contents
Dorothy's Underground Adventure
This section tells you about the exciting journey Dorothy takes.
A Trip to California and a Big Shake-Up
Dorothy Gale is excited to visit her relatives. She joins her Uncle Henry in California at Hugson's Ranch. Dorothy has just returned from Australia, as seen in Ozma of Oz. At the ranch, Dorothy meets Hugson's nephew, Zeb. He is her second cousin.
Dorothy, her cat Eureka, and Zeb are riding in a buggy. A cab-horse named Jim pulls the buggy. Suddenly, a strong earthquake hits! The ground opens up beneath them. They all fall deep into the Earth.
Meeting the Mangaboos
Dorothy, Eureka, Jim, Zeb, and the buggy land safely. They are in the underground Land of the Mangaboos. These are strange vegetable people who grow on vines. The Mangaboos blame the travelers for the earthquake. The quake damaged many of their glass buildings. The Mangaboos decide to sentence them to death.
Just then, a hot air balloon appears! It floats down with a person in its basket. It's the former Wizard of Oz! Dorothy last saw him floating away from the Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard's "Magic" and New Friends
The Wizard shows off his "magic" powers. First, he "conjures" nine tiny piglets. He actually pulls them from his pocket with a trick. Then, he lights a fire, which the Mangaboos have never seen. The Mangaboo prince is impressed. He gives the Wizard a temporary job as court wizard. But the death sentence is only put off. It will happen when a new Mangaboo wizard is ready.
Eureka the cat asks to eat one of the piglets. The Wizard gets angry and says no. The Mangaboo people eventually force the travelers out of their country. They go into a dark tunnel. This tunnel leads to another kingdom.
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Invisible People and Flying Monsters
The group passes through the tunnel. They arrive in a beautiful green valley. They find an empty cottage. Invisible people welcome them inside. This is the Valley of Voe. Its people become invisible by eating a magic fruit. They use their invisibility to hide from bears. To avoid the bears, the travelers move on.
The companions then climb Pyramid Mountain. They meet the Braided Man. He makes holes, flutters for flags, and rustles for silk dresses. After exchanging gifts, they continue their journey. They enter the Land of the Gargoyles. These are hostile, silent, flying monsters made of wood. At first, the travelers scare them away with loud noises. But they soon run out of breath. The Gargoyles capture them. After resting, the travelers escape. They enter another tunnel.
Rescue by Princess Ozma
After a close call with baby dragons, they get trapped in a cave. There is no way out. The Wizard, Zeb, and the animals fear they will die of thirst. But Dorothy has a secret plan with Ozma. Every day at four o'clock, Ozma uses her magic picture. She checks on Dorothy. If Dorothy gives a special hand signal, Ozma uses her magic belt. She can transport Dorothy out of danger to the Emerald City. This is how the travelers are rescued!
Life in the Emerald City
Discover what happens when Dorothy and her friends reach the Emerald City.
The Wizard Stays in Oz
The Wizard is happy to be back in the Emerald City. He meets Ozma and her friends. The Wizard decides to stay in Oz forever. He plans to learn real magic from Glinda the Good Witch. He performs his piglet trick in a magic show. He even gives one of the piglets to Ozma as a pet.
The others stay for a long visit. One highlight is a race. The wooden Saw-Horse races against Jim the cab-horse. The Saw-Horse wins the race.
Eureka's Trial and Going Home
Later, Eureka the cat is accused of eating Ozma's pet piglet. But Eureka is innocent! The piglet is actually alive and well. However, Eureka enjoys being the center of attention. She doesn't try to prove her innocence until the trial is over. After the piglet is returned to Ozma, Zeb and Jim decide they've had enough of fairyland.
Ozma then uses the Magic Belt. She sends Dorothy and Eureka back to Kansas. Zeb and Jim are sent back to California.
Oz Book Connections
Sometimes, things in the Oz books don't always match up perfectly. This is because the fantasy genre was still new back then.
- In Ozma of Oz, Ozma promises to check on Dorothy every Saturday. But in this book, Dorothy says Ozma checks every day at four o'clock. This might mean Ozma changed the plan later.
- In The Marvelous Land of Oz, it says the Wizard helped a witch hide Ozma. This was so he could rule Oz. But in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, the Wizard doesn't know Ozma. He is told her whole story. It's like he wasn't involved. Some people think Baum changed this part. Children might not have liked the idea of the Wizard helping a witch.
