Nelebel's Fairyland facts for kids
Nelebel's Fairyland is a short fairy tale written by L. Frank Baum. He is famous for creating the magical Land of Oz. This story was first published in 1905 in a high school newspaper. It was later reprinted in special collections of Baum's works.
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About the Fairyland of Burzee
This story is special because it talks about a different magical place created by Baum. It's called the Forest of Burzee. This forest is home to many unique creatures. These include ryls, knooks, and gigans. It also has more well-known magical beings. These are fairies, pixies, and gnomes. In this story, the queen of the Burzee fairies is named Lulea. She is also mentioned in Baum's book Queen Zixi of Ix.
The Story of Princess Nelebel
"Nelebel's Fairyland" tells the tale of Princess Nelebel. She was a fairy princess exiled from the Forest of Burzee. The reason for her exile is not known. She traveled across the sea with her helpers. These helpers were ryls, knooks, and gigans. They arrived at a strange new shore. Nelebel's group used magic to change the land. They turned it into a beautiful place. Today, this place is known as San Diego Bay.
Where is This Fairyland?
The story of Nelebel gives us an early clue. It suggests that Baum's imaginary worlds are in the Pacific Ocean. This includes Oz, Burzee, and other nearby lands. Baum confirmed this idea a few years later. In his 1907 book Ozma of Oz, Dorothy arrives in the Land of Ev. This land is next to Oz. She gets there after being washed overboard. This happened during a trip from the United States to Australia.
Unique Magical Creatures
Baum often wrote about ryls and knooks in his stories. However, "gigans" are only mentioned in "Nelebel's Fairyland." The story describes them as "only strong and faithful." They helped build the land around San Diego Bay. This included places like Point Loma. They did this by playing in the sand while Nelebel slept. Baum also wrote that Queen Lulea changed the gigans. She turned them into "rampsies," the smallest immortals. This happened many years after the story's events. So, gigans no longer exist in Baum's world today.
