The Tin Woodman of Oz facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | L. Frank Baum |
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| Cover artist | John R. Neill |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz books |
| Genre | Children's novel |
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Publication date
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1918 |
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| Preceded by | The Lost Princess of Oz |
| Followed by | The Magic of Oz |
The Tin Woodman of Oz is the twelfth book in the famous Land of Oz series. It was written by L. Frank Baum and first came out on May 13, 1918. This story brings back the Tin Woodman and tells more about his past.
In this adventure, the Tin Woodman hopes to find his old sweetheart, Nimmie Amee. She was his love before he became a tin man. The book also shares details from the Tin Woodman's life before he met Dorothy Gale in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The author, L. Frank Baum, dedicated this book to his grandson, Frank Alden Baum.
Contents
The Tin Woodman's Quest
The story begins with the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow sharing tales. They are at the Tin Woodman's palace in the Winkie Country. A boy from the Gillikin Country named Woot the Wanderer arrives. After Woot rests, he asks the Tin Woodman how he became made of tin.
How the Tin Woodman Became Tin
The Tin Woodman explains his sad past. He was once a real man, in love with a girl named Nimmie Amee. But the Wicked Witch of the East was angry about their love. She enchanted his axe, making it chop off his body parts one by one. Each time, a tinsmith named Ku-Klip replaced the missing part with tin.
In the magical land of Oz, people don't die easily. So, even when his body parts were separated, he stayed alive. Eventually, he was entirely made of tin. But without a heart, he felt he could no longer love Nimmie Amee. He left her and later rusted in the forest.
Dorothy Gale and the Scarecrow found him there. They helped him get to the Emerald City. The Wizard then gave him a heart. Woot suggests that the heart made him kind, but not loving enough to go back to Nimmie Amee. This makes the Tin Woodman feel bad. He decides to journey to the Munchkin Country to find her.
Adventures on the Way
The Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and Woot begin their journey. They travel into the Gillikin Country.
Meeting Strange Creatures
First, they meet the Loons of Loonville. These creatures are inflatable and float around. The friends escape them by popping some of them. Next, they go into Yoop Valley. This is where a giantess named Mrs. Yoop lives. She likes to turn travelers into animals for fun. She had already turned Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter, into an animal.
Woot cleverly steals a magic apron from Mrs. Yoop. This apron can open any door or barrier. It helps them all escape. Woot, who was turned into a green monkey, almost becomes a jaguar's dinner. He escapes by going into a den of underground dragons.
Help from Ozma
After escaping the dragons, the group turns south. Woot is still a green monkey. The Tin Woodman is a tin owl, and the Scarecrow is a straw-stuffed bear. Polychrome is a canary. They arrive at the farm of Jinjur, who knows them from past adventures. Jinjur sends for help from the Emerald City.
Dorothy and Ozma arrive. Ozma easily changes the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman back to their normal forms. Polychrome also returns to her true form. However, Ozma finds that the Green Monkey form Woot was in cannot be destroyed. Polychrome suggests that Mrs. Yoop, the wicked giantess, should be turned into the Green Monkey. Ozma agrees, and Woot is finally restored to his proper self.
More Surprises on the Journey
The Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, Woot, and Polychrome continue their search for Nimmie Amee.
Another Tin Man
They come to the very spot where the Tin Woodman had rusted long ago. To their surprise, they find another tin man there! They oil his joints, and he introduces himself as Captain Fyter. He was a soldier who also loved Nimmie Amee after the Tin Woodman left her. The Wicked Witch of the East had used her magic on his sword, just like she did to the Tin Woodman's axe. It cut off his limbs, and Ku-Klip replaced them with tin ones.
Captain Fyter also does not have a heart, but he doesn't mind. He can rust, though, which happened during a rainstorm. Now, both tin men want Nimmie Amee's love. They agree to let her choose between them.
The Tinsmith's Secret
The five travelers visit the tinsmith Ku-Klip. There, the Tin Woodman talks to his own old head, which was once Nick Chopper's head. The Tin Woodman and Captain Fyter also find a barrel of old body parts. These parts once belonged to them, but some, like Captain Fyter's head, are missing.
Ku-Klip reveals a secret. He used Captain Fyter's head and many body parts from both of them to create his assistant, Chopfyt. Chopfyt had complained about missing an arm, so Ku-Klip made him a tin one. Chopfyt then left for the east.
Crossing the Invisible Country
The companions leave Ku-Klip's home and continue east. They find themselves in the Invisible Country. A huge Hip-po-gy-raf helps them cross. In return, the Hip-po-gy-raf asks for the Scarecrow's straw. The Scarecrow reluctantly agrees and is stuffed with hay instead, which makes him move awkwardly.
They rest for the night at the home of Professor and Mrs. Swynne, who are pigs. Their nine children live in the Emerald City and are cared for by the Wizard.
Finding Nimmie Amee
They leave the Swynnes' home and reach the foot of Mount Munch. This mountain is on the eastern border of the Munchkin Country.
Nimmie Amee's Choice
At the top of the mountain, they find a small cottage. A rabbit tells them that Nimmie Amee lives there happily. The Tin Woodman and Captain Fyter knock on the door. Nimmie Amee lets them in. She is now married to Chopfyt, the assistant Ku-Klip created!
Nimmie Amee refuses to leave her quiet life. She doesn't even want to become Empress of the Winkies, which she would be as the Tin Woodman's wife. She simply says, "All I ask is to be left alone and not be disturbed by visitors."
The four friends return to the Emerald City. They share their amazing adventures. Woot is allowed to roam freely wherever he wishes. Ozma sends Captain Fyter to guard duty in the Gillikin Country. The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow go back to the Tin Woodman's palace in the Winkie Country, where their journey began.
