THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ

by

L. FRANK BAUM

Affectionately Dedicated to my young friend
Sumner Hamilton Britton of Chicago

Prologue

Through the kindness of Dorothy Gale of Kansas, afterward PrincessDorothy of Oz, an humble writer in the United States of America wasonce appointed Royal Historian of Oz, with the privilege of writing thechronicle of that wonderful fairyland. But after making six books aboutthe adventures of those interesting but queer people who live in theLand of Oz, the Historian learned with sorrow that by an edict of theSupreme Ruler, Ozma of Oz, her country would thereafter be renderedinvisible to all who lived outside its borders and that allcommunication with Oz would, in the future, be cut off.

The children who had learned to look for the books about Oz and wholoved the stories about the gay and happy people inhabiting thatfavored country, were as sorry as their Historian that there would beno more books of Oz stories. They wrote many letters asking if theHistorian did not know of some adventures to write about that hadhappened before the Land of Oz was shut out from all the rest of theworld. But he did not know of any. Finally one of the children inquiredwhy we couldn't hear from Princess Dorothy by wireless telegraph, whichwould enable her to communicate to the Historian whatever happened inthe far-off Land of Oz without his seeing her, or even knowing justwhere Oz is.

That seemed a good idea; so the Historian rigged up a high tower in hisback yard, and took lessons in wireless telegraphy until he understoodit, and then began to call "Princess Dorothy of Oz" by sending messagesinto the air.

Now, it wasn't likely that Dorothy would be looking for wirelessmessages or would heed the call; but one thing the Historian was sureof, and that was that the powerful Sorceress, Glinda, would know whathe was doing and that he desired to communicate with Dorothy. ForGlinda has a big book in which is recorded every event that takes placeanywhere in the world, just the moment that it happens, and so ofcourse the book would tell her about the wireless message.

And that was the way Dorothy heard that the Historian wanted to speakwith her, and there was a Shaggy Man in the Land of Oz who knew how totelegraph a wireless reply. The result was that the Historian begged sohard to be told the latest news of Oz, so that he could write it downfor the children to read, that Dorothy asked permission of Ozma andOzma graciously consented.

That is why, after two long years of waiting, another Oz story is nowpresented to the children of America. This would not have been possiblehad not some clever man invented the "wireless" and an equally cleverchild suggested the idea of reaching the mysterious Land of Oz by itsmeans.

L. Frank Baum.

"OZCOT"
     at Hollywood
         in California

LIST OF CHAPTERS