Jellia Jamb facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jellia Jamb
Oz character
Jellia Jamb welcomes Dorothy and Toto to the Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). --illustration by W.W. Denslow
First appearance	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) (unnamed) The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) (named)
Created by	L. Frank Baum
Information
Species	Human
Gender	female
Occupation	head of Emerald City staff and personal attendant to Ozma
Nationality	Gillikin

Jellia Jamb is a fun character from the classic Oz books series. These books were written by the American author L. Frank Baum. She first appears in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). In this story, she is the main maid at the royal palace in the Emerald City. The Emerald City is the capital of the magical Land of Oz.

Over time, Jellia becomes Princess Ozma's favorite helper. She is also the main character in a later Oz book called Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz. This book was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Her name sounds like a playful question: "Jelly or jam?"

Jellia's Role in the Classic Oz Books

First Appearance in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Jellia Jamb is first seen in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, though she isn't named yet. She is described as a pretty young maid with green hair and green eyes. She wears a lovely green silk dress.

When Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion arrive in the Emerald City, Jellia helps them. She shows Dorothy to her private room. She even gives Dorothy a fancy green dress and ties a green ribbon around Toto's neck.

When Dorothy and her friends leave the city, their green clothes turn white. This happens because everyone in the Emerald City wears special green glasses. These glasses make everything look green.

Being Named in The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904)

Jellia finally gets her name in the second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz. Here, we learn more about her style. She often wears a green silk skirt and matching stockings. Her green satin slippers are decorated with fresh lettuce instead of bows! She also has four leaf clovers sewn into her sash and a jacket with sparkling emeralds.

We also find out that Jellia is from the northern Gillikin Country. At one point, the Scarecrow (who was ruling Oz then) plays a trick. He asks Jellia to "translate" for Jack Pumpkinhead. Jack doesn't realize everyone in Oz speaks the same language. So, Jellia pretends to translate Jack's words into funny insults!

Later, when General Jinjur and Mombi take over the Emerald City, Jellia is forced to keep working. Mombi tries to trick Glinda the Good Witch by using magic to look like Jellia. But Glinda is too smart to be fooled!

Other Appearances in Baum's Books

Jellia appears briefly in Ozma of Oz (1907). She seems to have a friendly relationship with the Scarecrow.

In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908), Jellia and the Omby Amby are among the first to welcome the Wizard back to Oz. The Wizard remembers them as the "green girl" and the "Soldier with the Green Whiskers."

Jellia Jamb is also a guest at Princess Ozma's royal birthday party in The Road to Oz (1909).

Jellia Jamb in Other Stories and Shows

Later Books by Other Authors

Jellia Jamb has supporting roles in some of the Oz books written after L. Frank Baum. She is an important character in Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz (1939). This was the nineteenth Oz book, written by Ruth Plumly Thompson.

Portrayals in Movies and TV Shows

Jellia hasn't been a main character in many Oz movies or TV shows.

• In The Land of Oz (1932), Glenna Vaughn was the first actress to play her.
• Some fans believe the "Wash and Brush-Up girl" in The Wizard of Oz (1939) might be Jellia. This role was played by Lois January.
• The anime series The Wonderful Wizard of Oz showed her as a middle-aged woman.
• In The Wonderful Land of Oz (1969), she appears for the funny translation scene.
• In The Wizard of Oz (1982), she is an unnamed young girl. She is voiced by Elizabeth Hanna and dressed like a soldier.
• In a Shirley Temple adaptation of The Land of Oz, Jellia is shown as a beautiful but funny young woman.
• Jellia had a bigger role in a 1981 musical play. In this play, she travels with another character named Tippetarius.
• She is also the main character in Dave Hardenbrook's book Jellia Jamb: Maid Of Oz. This book is a sequel to The Unknown Witches of Oz.