The Scalawagons of Oz facts for kids
Cover of The Scalawagons of Oz.
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| Author | John R. Neill |
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| Illustrator | John R. Neill |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz books |
| Genre | Children's novel Fantasy |
| Publisher | Reilly & Lee |
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Publication date
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1941 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 309 pp. |
| Preceded by | The Wonder City of Oz |
| Followed by | Lucky Bucky in Oz |
The Scalawagons of Oz is the thirty-fifth book in the famous Oz series. It was written and illustrated by John R. Neill and published in 1941. This adventure takes readers back to the magical Land of Oz with new characters and exciting challenges.
Contents
Meet the Characters and the Problem
This story features characters from Neill's previous book, The Wonder City of Oz. The main hero is Jenny Jump, a girl with fairy powers. We also meet Number Nine, who helps the Wizard.
The Wizard's New Invention
The Wizard of Oz is always busy creating new things. His latest idea is a special kind of transportation for Oz. He builds a factory on Carrot Mountain in the Quadling Country. Here, he creates "scalawagons." These are smart cars that can also fly! They look like fun amusement park rides with heads on their roofs.
Tik-Tok and the Scalawagons
Tik-Tok, a mechanical man, is in charge of the scalawagon factory. The scalawagons are alive but not very smart. Tik-Tok has to gently tap them with a rubber mallet to help them think. But his job is tiring, and Tik-Tok often runs down.
The Mischievous Bell-snickle
The story's troublemaker is a strange creature called Bell-snickle. It's not really evil, but more like a big pest. Bell-snickle looks like a flat, bluish-green object that rolls around. It has arms, legs, and a face, and wears bells on its ears. Bell-snickle loves being a "mystery" and causes trouble for anything else that seems mysterious.
Bell-snickle's Prank and the Chase
One day, Bell-snickle finds the scalawagon factory. Seeing Tik-Tok run down, the creature pushes him out a window. Bell-snickle then fuels the scalawagons with a strange liquid called "flabber-gas." This gas makes the scalawagons fly away wildly! Bell-snickle also gets soaked in the liquid. It blows up like a balloon and floats away into the sky.
Glinda's Discovery and the Search Party
Not far from the factory is the palace of Glinda the Good. Using her Great Book of Records, Glinda learns about the runaway scalawagons. She quickly sends a group to investigate. This group includes Jenny Jump, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Sawhorse.
Adventures on the Way
The search party soon finds themselves in many exciting and sometimes funny situations. The Sawhorse often runs off on its own, adding to the chaos. They meet many different creatures, like "Lollies" and "Pops," water spirits, and even talking animals. Jenny Jump uses her fairy powers to fly and meets a group of fairy bell-ringers called the Nota-bells.
Finding Tik-Tok and the Scalawagons
Number Nine joins Jenny Jump, and together they find Tik-Tok. They wind him up so he can work again. Eventually, they locate the scalawagons flying over the dangerous Deadly Desert. They manage to gather them and bring them safely back to Oz.
Bell-snickle's Return and Capture
Bell-snickle returns later in the story, ready to cause more trouble. It takes control of a group of walking, talking trees. Bell-snickle tries to lead these trees to conquer the Emerald City. But at the city gate, the Tin Woodman scares the trees away with his axe.
A New Life for Bell-snickle
Bell-snickle is finally captured. Jenny Jump helps change the creature by running it through a "style shop" turnstile. This turns Bell-snickle into a rubber stamp! Ozma then uses the converted Bell-snickle as a stopper to stop trends she doesn't like.
A Happy Ending in Oz
The Nota-bells, the fairy bell-ringers, are given a home in a high tower of Ozma's palace. From there, they provide beautiful music for the city below. The story ends with a big party and a dance, celebrating the return of the scalawagons and peace in Oz.
Puns and Wordplay
L. Frank Baum, the original creator of Oz, often used humor based on puns. John R. Neill continued this tradition, using even more puns in The Scalawagons of Oz. For example, Jenny Jump meets talking potatoes ruled by a "Dick Tater" (a play on "dictator"). In another scene, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman play "a game of squash" using bananas and bricks!
