by L Frank Baum

Author Road to Oz, Dorothy Wizard in Oz, The Land of Oz, etc

Contents

--Author's Note--
1 How the Nome King Became Angry
2 How Uncle Henry Got Into Trouble
3 How Ozma Granted Dorothy's Request
4 How The Nome King Planned Revenge
5 How Dorothy Became Princess
6 How Guph Visited the Whimsies
7 How Aunt Em Conquered the Lion
8 How the Grand Gallipoot Joined The Nomes
9 How the Wogglebug Taught Athletics
10 How the Cuttenclips Lived
11 How the General Met the First and Foremost
12 How they Matched the Fuddles
13 How the General Talked King
14 How the Wizard Practiced Sorcery
15 How Dorothy Happened Lost
16 How Dorothy Visited Utensia
17 How They Came to Bunbury
18 How Ozma Looked Magic Picture
19 How Bunnybury Welcomed the Strangers
20 How Dorothy Lunched With King
21 How the King Changed His Mind
22 How the Wizard Found Dorothy
23 How They Encountered the Flutterbudgets
24 How the Tin Woodman Told the Sad News
25 How the Scarecrow Displayed His Wisdom
26 How Ozma Refused to Fight for Her Kingdom
27 How the Fierce Warriors Invaded Oz
28 How They Drank Forbidden Fountain
29 How Glinda Worked Magic Spell
30 How the Story of Oz Came to an End

Author's Note

Perhaps admit title page book is "By L Frank Baum correspondents," for used many suggestions conveyed in letters from children Once on time I really imagined myself "an author of fairy tales," but now merely an editor or private secretary for host of youngsters whose ideas requestsed to weave thread stories

These ideas are often clever also logical and interesting So used them whenever find an opportunity, and but just that I acknowledge my indebtedness to my little friends

My, what imaginations these children have developed ! Sometimes fairly astounded by their daring and genius no lack of fairy-tale authors , My readers have told me what with Dorothy, and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and obeyed their mandates also given me variety of subjects to write about : enough, , me busy for very proud alliance Children love these stories because children have helped to create them My readers know what and I try them The result is very satisfactory publishers, , and ( ) children

, my dears, before obliged to dissolve partnership

L FRANK BAUM

Coronado, 1910

1 How the Nome King Became Angry

The Nome King was in an angry mood, and at such times very disagreeable kept away , even his Chief Steward Kaliko

Therefore the King stormed and raved all by himself, walking up and down jewel-studded cavern and getting angrier all the time Then he remembered no fun being angry unless he had some one to frighten and make miserable, and he rushed big gong and made it clatter as loud as

In came the Chief Steward, trying not to show the Nome King how frightened

"Send the Chief Counselor here ! " shouted the angry monarch

Kaliko ran out as fast as his spindle legs could carry his fat, round body, and soon the Chief Counselor entered the cavern The King scowled and said to him:

"I'm in great trouble over the loss Magic Belt Every little while something magical, and find 't because the Belt is gone That makes me angry, and when I'm angry 't have Now, what advise ? "

"Some people," said the Chief Counselor, "enjoy getting angry "

"But not all the time," declared the King " angry once in while is really good fun, because it makes others so miserable But angry morning, noon and night, as , grows monotonous and prevents my gaining pleasure in life Now what advise ? "

"Why, angry because magical things and can't, and don't want angry at all, my advice to want magical things "

Hearing this, the King glared at his Counselor with furious expression and tugged at his own long white whiskers until he pulled them so hard that he yelled with pain

" fool ! " he exclaimed

"I share that honor with your Majesty," said the Chief Counselor

The King roared with rage and stamped his foot

"Ho, there, my guards ! " he cried "Ho" is royal way of saying, "Come here " So, guards had hoed, the King said :

"Take this Chief Counselor and throw him away "

Then the guards took the Chief Counselor, and bound him with chains his struggling, and threw him away King paced up and down his cavern more angry than before

Finally he rushed big gong and made it clatter like fire alarm Kaliko appeared again, trembling and white with fear

"Fetch my pipe ! " yelled the King

"Your pipe is already here, your Majesty," replied Kaliko

"Then get my tobacco ! " roared the King

"The tobacco is in your pipe, your Majesty," returned the Steward

"Then bring live coal furnace ! " commanded the King

"The tobacco is lighted, and your Majesty is already smoking your pipe," answered the Steward

"Why, so ! " said the King, who had forgotten this fact; "but very rude to remind me of it "

" lowborn, miserable villain," declared the Chief Steward, humbly

The Nome King could think of nothing next, so he puffed away at his pipe and paced up and down the room Finally, he remembered how angry , and cried out:

"What , Kaliko, by being so contented when your monarch is unhappy ? "

"What makes you unhappy ? " asked the Steward

"I've lost my Magic Belt little girl named Dorothy, who was here with Ozma of Oz, stole my Belt and carried it away with her," said the King, grinding his teeth with rage

"She captured it in fair fight," Kaliko ventured

"But it ! it ! Half my power is gone Belt ! " roared the King

" Land of Oz to recover it, and your Majesty can't get Land of Oz in any possible way," said the Steward, yawning because he on duty ninety-six hours, and was sleepy

" ? " asked the King

"Because deadly desert all around that fairy country, which no one is able to cross that fact as , your Majesty Never mind the lost Belt plenty of power left, rule this underground kingdom like tyrant, and thousands of Nomes obey your commands I advise you to drink glass of melted silver, to quiet your nerves, and then go to bed "

The King grabbed big ruby and threw it at Kaliko's head The Steward ducked to escape the heavy jewel, which crashed against the door just over his left ear

"Get out sight ! Vanish ! Go away--and send General Blug here," screamed the Nome King

Kaliko hastily withdrew, Nome King stamped up and down until the General armies appeared

This Nome was known far and wide as terrible fighter and cruel, desperate commander He had fifty thousand Nome soldiers, all well drilled, who feared nothing but their stern master Yet General Blug was trifle uneasy when he arrived and saw how angry the Nome King was

"Ha ! So you're here ! " cried the King

"So ," said the General

"March your army at once Land of Oz, capture and destroy the Emerald City, and bring back my Magic Belt ! " roared the King

"You're crazy," calmly remarked the General

"What's that ? What's that ? What's that ? " Nome King danced around pointed toes, so enraged

"You don't know what you're talking about," continued the General, seating himself upon large cut diamond "I advise you to stand in corner and count sixty speak again more sensible "

The King looked around for something to throw at General Blug, but as nothing was handy he began to consider that perhaps the man was right and he talking foolishly So he merely threw himself into his glittering throne and tipped his crown over his ear and curled his feet up under him and glared wickedly at Blug

" first place," said the General, " march across the deadly desert Land of Oz And , the Ruler country, Princess Ozma, has certain fairy powers render my army helpless Had you not lost your Magic Belt some chance of defeating Ozma; but the Belt is gone "

" it ! " screamed the King " it "

"Well, then, try in sensible way it," replied the General "The Belt was captured by little girl named Dorothy, who lives in Kansas, United States of America "

"But she left it Emerald City, with Ozma," declared the King

"How that ? " asked the General

"One spies, Blackbird, flew over the desert Land of Oz, and saw the Magic Belt in Ozma's palace," replied the King with groan

"Now that gives me an idea," said General Blug, thoughtfully " two ways Land of Oz without traveling across the sandy desert "

" they ? " demanded the King, eagerly

" is OVER the desert, air; other way is UNDER the desert, earth "

Hearing this the Nome King uttered yell of joy and leaped throne, to resume his wild walk up and down the cavern