by L Frank Baum

Contents

--Introduction--
1 The Cyclone
2 The Council Munchkins
3 How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow
4 The Road Forest
5 The Rescue Tin Woodman
6 The Cowardly Lion
7 The Journey Great Oz
8 The Deadly Poppy Field
9 The Queen Field Mice
10 The Guardian Gates
11 The Emerald City of Oz
12 The Search Wicked Witch
13 The Rescue
14 The Winged Monkeys
15 The Discovery of Oz the Terrible
16 The Magic Art Great Humbug
17 How the Balloon Was Launched
18 Away South
19 Attacked Fighting Trees
20 The Dainty China Country
21 The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts
22 The Country Quadlings
23 Glinda The Good Witch Grants Dorothy's Wish
24 Home Again

Introduction

Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood ages, for every healthy youngster has wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations

Yet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as "historical" children's library; for series of newer "wonder tales" stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point fearsome moral to each tale Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident

Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely children of today It aspires to being modernized fairy tale, wonderment and joy are retained heartaches and nightmares are left out

L Frank Baum

Chicago, April, 1900

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ

1 The Cyclone

Dorothy lived midst great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was farmer, and Aunt Em, who farmer's wife Their house was small, lumber to build it had carried by wagon many miles There were four walls, floor and roof, which made one room; and this room contained rusty looking cookstove, cupboard dishes, table, three or four chairs, beds Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had big bed in one corner, and Dorothy little bed in another corner no garret at all, and no cellar--except small hole dug ground, called cyclone cellar, where the family could go one great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path reached by trap door middle floor, ladder led down small, dark hole

When Dorothy stood doorway and looked around, she nothing but the great gray prairie on every side Not tree nor house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached edge sky in all directions The sun had baked the plowed land into gray mass, with little cracks running through it Even the grass was not green, sun had burned the tops long blades until they were the same gray color seen everywhere Once the house painted, but the sun blistered the paint rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else

When Aunt Em came there to live she was young, pretty wife The sun and wind had changed her, too They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, were gray also She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em so startled child's laughter that scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy's merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked little girl with wonder that find anything to laugh at

Uncle Henry never laughed He worked hard from morning till night and know what joy was gray also, long beard rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke

Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings Toto was not gray; little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side funny, wee nose Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played , and loved him dearly

Today, however, they playing Uncle Henry sat doorstep and looked anxiously sky, even grayer than usual Dorothy stood door with Toto in her arms, and looked sky too Aunt Em was washing the dishes

far north they heard low wail wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy where the long grass bowed in waves coming storm There now came sharp whistling air south, and turned their eyes that way they saw ripples grass coming direction also

Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up

"There's cyclone coming, Em," wife "I'll go look stock " Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept

Aunt Em dropped her work and came door One glance told her danger close at hand

"Quick, Dorothy ! " she screamed "Run cellar ! "

Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under the bed, girl started him Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door floor and climbed down the ladder small, dark hole Dorothy caught Toto at last and started her aunt When she was halfway across the room there came great shriek wind, house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly floor

Then strange thing happened

The house whirled around times and rose slowly air Dorothy felt she were going up in balloon

The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center cyclone middle of cyclone the air is generally still, but the great pressure wind on every side house raised it up higher and higher, until very top cyclone; and there it remained and was carried miles and miles away as easily as carry feather

very dark, wind howled horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was riding quite easily first few whirls around, and one other time house tipped badly, she felt she were being rocked gently, like baby in cradle

Toto like it He ran room, now here, now there, barking loudly; but Dorothy sat quite still floor and waited what would happen

Once Toto got too near the open trap door, and fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him But soon she saw one ears sticking up hole, strong pressure air was keeping him up fall She crept hole, caught Toto ear, and dragged him room again, afterward closing the trap door no more accidents could happen

Hour after hour passed away, and slowly Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite lonely, wind shrieked so loudly all about her that she nearly became deaf At first she had wondered if be dashed to pieces house fell again; but hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly what the future would bring At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her

swaying house wailing wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep

2 The Council Munchkins

She was awakened by shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy lying soft bed she hurt As , the jar made her catch her breath and wonder what had happened; and Toto put his cold little nose into her face and whined dismally Dorothy sat up and noticed house was not moving; nor dark, bright sunshine came in window, flooding the little room She sprang from her bed and with Toto at her heels ran and opened the door

The little girl gave cry of amazement and looked about her, her eyes growing bigger and bigger wonderful sights she saw

The cyclone had set the house down very gently--for cyclone-- midst of country of marvelous beauty There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered trees and bushes little way off was small brook, rushing and sparkling along between green banks, and murmuring in voice very grateful to little girl who had lived dry, gray prairies

While she stood looking eagerly strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her group queerest people she had ever seen They as big grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they , they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was well-grown child for her age, although they were, as looks go, many years older