The Road to Oz

In related how Dorothy Gale of Kansas, The Shaggy Man, Button Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow's Daughter met on an Enchanted Road and followed it all the way Marvelous Land of Oz

by L Frank Baum

"Royal Historian of Oz"

Contents

--To My Readers--
1 The Way to Butterfield
2 Dorothy Meets Button-Bright
3 Queer Village
4 King Dox
5 The Rainbow's Daughter
6 The City of Beasts
7 The Shaggy Man's Transformation
8 The Musicker
9 Facing the Scoodlers
10 Escaping the Soup-Kettle
11 Johnny Dooit Does It
12 The Deadly Desert Crossed
13 The Truth Pond
14 Tik-Tok and Billina
15 The Emperor's Tin Castle
16 Visiting the Pumpkin-Field
17 The Royal Chariot Arrives
18 The Emerald City
19 The Shaggy Man's Welcome
20 Princess Ozma of Oz
21 Dorothy Receives the Guests
22 Important Arrivals
23 The Grand Banquet
24 The Birthday Celebration

To My Readers

Well, my dears, what asked for: another "Oz Book" about Dorothy's strange adventures Toto is story, because him there, and characters which recognize are story, too Indeed, the wishes little correspondents considered as carefully as possible, and story exactly written it yourselves, remember that story be story before it written down, writer cannot change it much without spoiling it

preface to "Dorothy Wizard of Oz" like to write some stories that "Oz" stories, because I had written about Oz long enough; but since that volume was published fairly deluged with letters from children imploring me to "write more about Dorothy," and "more about Oz," and since I write only the children try to respect their wishes

some new characters book that ought to win your live I'm very fond shaggy man myself, and like him, too As for Polychrome--the Rainbow's Daughter--and stupid little Button-Bright, they seem brought new element of fun into these Oz stories, and I discovered them Yet anxious write and tell me how you like them

book was written received some very remarkable News Land of Oz, greatly astonished me I believe astonish you, too, my dears, hear it But such long and exciting story saved for another book--and perhaps that book the last story ever be told Land of Oz

L FRANK BAUM

Coronado, 1909

1 The Way to Butterfield

"Please, miss," said the shaggy man, " tell me the road to Butterfield ? "

Dorothy looked him over Yes, shaggy, all right, but twinkle eye that seemed pleasant

"Oh yes," she replied; " tell you But it isn't this road at all "

"No ? "

"You cross the ten-acre lot, follow the lane highway, go north five branches, and take--let me see--"

" , miss; see as far as Butterfield, like," said the shaggy man

"You branch next the willow stump, I b'lieve; or else the branch gopher holes; or else--"

"Won't any of 'em do, miss ? "

"'Course not, Shaggy Man right road to Butterfield "

" one gopher stump, or--"

"Dear me ! " cried Dorothy " to show you the way, you're so stupid Wait minute till I run house and get my sunbonnet "

The shaggy man waited He had an oat-straw mouth, which he chewed slowly it tasted good; but it didn't an apple-tree beside the house, and some apples had fallen ground The shaggy man thought taste better oat-straw, so he walked over some little black dog with bright brown eyes dashed farm-house and ran madly toward the shaggy man, who had already picked up three apples and put them in big wide pockets shaggy coat The little dog barked and made dive shaggy man's leg; but he grabbed the dog neck and put it big pocket along apples more apples, afterward, for many were ground; and that he tossed into his pocket hit the little dog somewhere head or back, and made him growl The little dog's name was Toto, and sorry he put shaggy man's pocket

Pretty soon Dorothy came house with her sunbonnet, and she called out:

"Come on, Shaggy Man, me to show you the road to Butterfield " She climbed the fence ten-acre lot and he followed her, walking slowly and stumbling over the little hillocks pasture thinking of something else and notice them

"My, but you're clumsy ! " said the little girl "Are your feet tired ? "

"No, miss; it's my whiskers; they tire very easily warm weather," said he " it would snow, don't you ? "

"'Course not, Shaggy Man," replied Dorothy, giving him severe look " snowed in August it would spoil the corn oats wheat; and then Uncle Henry wouldn't have any crops; and make him poor; and--"

"Never mind," said the shaggy man "It won't snow, I guess the lane ? "

"Yes," replied Dorothy, climbing another fence; "I'll go as far highway "

"Thankee, miss; you're very kind for your size, I'm sure," said he gratefully

"It isn't everyone who knows the road to Butterfield," Dorothy remarked as she tripped along the lane; "but I've driven there many time with Uncle Henry, and so I b'lieve find it blindfolded "

"Don't , miss," said the shaggy man earnestly; " make mistake "

"I won't," she answered, laughing "Here's the highway Now it's the second--no, the third turn left--or else it's the fourth Let's see The first one is elm tree, second is gopher holes; and then--"

"Then what ? " he inquired, putting his hands coat pockets Toto grabbed finger and bit it; the shaggy man took his hand out pocket quickly, and said "Oh ! "

Dorothy notice She was shading her eyes sun with her arm, looking anxiously down the road

"Come on," she commanded "It's only little way farther, so show you "

After while, they came place where five roads branched in different directions; Dorothy pointed to one, and said:

"That's it, Shaggy Man "

"I'm much obliged, miss," , and started along another road

"Not that one ! " she cried; "you're going wrong "

He stopped

" you said that other road to Butterfield," said he, running his fingers through his shaggy whiskers in puzzled way

"So "

"But I don't want to Butterfield, miss "

"You don't ? "

" not you to show me the road, so I shouldn't go there by mistake "

"Oh ! Where , then ? "

"I'm not particular, miss "

This answer astonished the little girl; and it made her provoked, too, she had taken all this trouble for nothing

" roads here," observed the shaggy man, turning slowly around, like human windmill "Seems person could go 'most anywhere, place "

Dorothy turned around too, and gazed in surprise There WERE roads; more than she had ever seen before She tried to count them, knowing there five, but when she had counted seventeen she grew bewildered and stopped, roads were spokes of wheel and ran in every direction place where they stood; so if she kept on counting she was likely to count roads twice

"Dear me ! " she exclaimed "There used only five roads, highway and all And now--why, where's the highway, Shaggy Man ? "

"Can't say, miss," he responded, sitting down ground tired with standing "Wasn't it here minute ago ? "

" so," she answered, greatly perplexed "And the gopher holes, too, dead stump; but they're not here now These roads are all strange--and what lot ! Where suppose they all go to ? "

"Roads," observed the shaggy man, "don't go anywhere They stay in one place, so folks can walk on them "

He put his hand side-pocket and drew out an apple--quick, before Toto could bite him again The little dog got his head out and said "Bow-wow ! " so loudly made Dorothy jump

"O, Toto ! " she cried; "where did you come from ? "

"I brought him along," said the shaggy man

"What for ? " she asked

"To guard these apples in my pocket, miss, so no one would steal them "

With one hand the shaggy man held the apple, which he began eating, while other hand he pulled Toto out pocket and dropped him ground Toto made for Dorothy at once, barking joyfully at his release dark pocket child had patted his head lovingly, he sat down before her, his red tongue hanging out one side mouth, and looked up into her face bright brown eyes, asking her what they should do next