Tik-Tok of Oz facts for kids
Cover of Tik-Tok of Oz
|
|
| Author | L. Frank Baum |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | John R. Neill |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz books |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Reilly & Britton |
|
Publication date
|
1914 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Preceded by | The Patchwork Girl of Oz |
| Followed by | The Scarecrow of Oz |
Tik-Tok of Oz is the eighth book in the magical Land of Oz series. It was written by L. Frank Baum and first published on June 19, 1914. Even though the book is named after Tik-Tok, the famous clockwork man, the story is mostly about the exciting journey of the Shaggy Man. He is on a mission to find and rescue his lost brother. This quest leads him into a big conflict with the tricky Nome King.
The very first copies of this book had special maps inside. These maps showed the Land of Oz and the larger continent it was part of. They were the first maps of Oz ever printed!
Contents
The Adventure Begins: A Queen and a Shipwreck
This story starts with Queen Ann Soforth of Oogaboo. Oogaboo is a tiny kingdom in the Winkie Country of Oz. Queen Ann decides she wants to conquer all of Oz. She gathers an army, but it's a very small one, with only seventeen men! As they march out of their valley, the good witch Glinda uses her magic. She changes the mountain paths, sending Queen Ann and her army far away from Oz into a misty, low-lying land.
Meanwhile, a girl named Betsy Bobbin and her loyal mule, Hank, arrive in this strange land. They were shipwrecked during a storm. They find a huge greenhouse, which is the home of the Rose Kingdom. The roses there tell them that no strangers are allowed. Just as the Royal Gardener is about to punish Betsy and Hank, the Shaggy Man falls right through the greenhouse roof!
New Friends and a Magical Magnet
The Shaggy Man uses his special Love Magnet to charm the Gardener. This saves Betsy, Hank, and himself from trouble. However, the flowers don't have hearts, so the Love Magnet doesn't affect them. They force the travelers to leave. But before they go, they take a newly picked Rose Princess named Ozga with them. Ozga is a cousin of Ozma, the kind ruler of Oz.
The Shaggy Man explains his own quest. Ozma sent him here using her Magic Belt. He is looking for his brother, who disappeared while digging underground in Colorado. The Shaggy Man believes the Nome King, who rules the underground Nome Kingdom, captured his brother.
Rescuing Tik-Tok and Meeting an Army
Soon, the group meets Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter. Together, they rescue Tik-Tok from a deep well where the Nome King had thrown him. Once Tik-Tok is wound up and working again, he joins Betsy, Hank, the Shaggy Man, Ozga, and Polychrome. By chance, they run into Queen Ann and her small army.
Queen Ann is very angry and orders her soldiers to capture and tie up the new group. But Private Files, the only private in an army full of generals, refuses to tie up innocent girls. He quits the army right there! When Queen Ann hears about the riches in the Nome King's underground kingdom, she calms down. She even accepts Tik-Tok as her new private soldier.
Facing the Nome King Underground
The Nome King is not happy to see this group heading towards his underground kingdom. He had recovered from drinking the Water of Oblivion (which made him forget things) in an earlier adventure. Since no one can truly be killed in Oz, the Nome King tries to scare them away. First, he makes them travel through the Rubber Country. Then, he tries to get rid of them by dropping them down the Hollow Tube. This tube leads to the other side of the world!
The Great Jinjin and a Dragon
On the other side of the world, the party meets an immortal being called Tittiti-Hoochoo, the Great Jinjin. The Jinjin is furious that the Nome King used the Hollow Tube. He promises to punish the Nome King. The Jinjin sends Tik-Tok and the others back with his "Instrument of Vengeance." This turns out to be a lazy dragon named Quox.
Quox and his riders zoom back through the Tube. They burst out into an army of Nomes and barely escape them. Queen Ann and her Army of Oogaboo fall into a Slimy Cave when they enter the Nome Kingdom. The Nome King captures the Shaggy Man and his friends.
The Nome King's Downfall
While the Nome King is busy turning his captives into different objects, Queen Ann and her army escape the Slimy Cave. Then, Quox the dragon arrives, crashing through the main cavern! The Nome King sees a special ribbon around Quox's neck. This ribbon makes him forget all the magic he ever knew!
Quox then releases six eggs from a padlock around his neck. These eggs are poisonous to Nomes. They chase the Nome King out of his kingdom and trap him on the Earth's surface.
A New King and a Broken Charm
The new Nome King is the former chief steward, Kaliko. He promises to help the Shaggy Man find his brother. Kaliko knows the brother is in the Metal Forest. The Shaggy Man finally meets his brother in the middle of the forest. But the former Nome King had put an ugliness charm on him. A kiss is needed to break this charm.
First, Betsy, a normal girl, tries to undo the spell. Then, Ozga, a mortal girl who was once a fairy, tries. Finally, it's the fairy Polychrome's kiss that breaks the charm. The Shaggy Man's brother returns to his normal self!
Returning Home
Everyone celebrates with a big banquet in the Nome Kingdom. The former Nome King begs to be allowed back underground, saying Nomes are only happy there. Kaliko, the new king, agrees, but only if he promises to behave.
Once back on the surface, Polychrome flies up her rainbow. Ozma uses her magic belt to bring Tik-Tok back to Oz. She also sends Queen Ann, the Army of Oogaboo, Private Files, and Ozga back to Oogaboo. The Shaggy Man only agrees to return to Oz if his brother, Betsy, and Hank the mule can come too.
Upon arriving in Oz, Hank, the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger, and the Saw-Horse have a funny debate. They argue about who has the best mistress: Betsy (for Hank), Dorothy (for the Lion and Tiger), or Ozma (for the Saw-Horse). The three girls listen and laugh at their silly argument. The animals soon realize it's silly too. Also, Dorothy's dog Toto finally gets to speak! All animals can talk in the Land of Oz. In the end, Betsy decides to stay in Oz forever.
