TO MY READERS
I know that some of you have been waiting for this
story of the Tin Woodman, because many of my
correspondents have asked me, time and again what ever
became of the "pretty Munchkin girl" whom Nick Chopper
was engaged to marry before the Wicked Witch enchanted
his axe and he traded his flesh for tin. I, too, have
wondered what became of her, but until Woot the
Wanderer interested himself in the matter the Tin
Woodman knew no more than we did. However, he found
her, after many thrilling adventures, as you will
discover when you have read this story.
I am delighted at the continued interest of both
young and old in the Oz stories. A learned college
professor recently wrote me to ask: "For readers of
what age are your books intended?" It puzzled me to
answer that properly, until I had looked over some of
the letters I have received. One says: "I'm a little
boy 5 years old, and I Just love your Oz stories. My
sister, who is writing this for me, reads me the Oz
books, but I wish I could read them myself." Another
letter says: "I'm a great girl 13 years old, so you'll
be surprised when I tell you I am not too old yet for
the Oz stories." Here's another letter: "Since I was a
young girl I've never missed getting a Baum book for
Christmas. I'm married, now, but am as eager to get and
read the Oz stories as ever." And still another writes:
"My good wife and I, both more than 70 years of age,
believe that we find more real enjoyment in your Oz
books than in any other books we read." Considering
these statements, I wrote the college professor that my
books are intended for all those whose hearts are
young, no matter what their ages may be.
I think I am justified in promising that there will
be some astonishing revelations about The Magic of Oz
in my book for 1919. Always your loving and grateful
friend,
L. FRANK BAUM.
Royal Historian of Oz.
"OZCOT"
at HOLLYWOOD in CALIFORNIA
1918.
Excerpts from ...
The Quarrelsome Dragons
The Green Monkey sank gently into the earth for a
little way and then tumbled swiftly through space,
landing on a rocky floor with a thump that astonished
him. Then he sat up, found that no bones were broken,
and gazed around him.
He seemed to be in a big underground cave, which was
dimly lighted by dozens of big round discs that looked
like moons. They were not moons, however, as Woot
discovered when he had examined the place more
carefully. They were eyes. The eyes were in the heads
of enormous beasts whose bodies trailed far behind
them. Each beast was bigger than an elephant, and three
times as long, and there were a dozen or more of the
creatures scattered here and there about the cavern. On
their bodies were big scales, as round as pie-plates,
which were beautifully tinted in shades of green,
purple and orange. On the ends of their long tails were
clusters of jewels. Around the great, moon-like eyes
were circles of diamonds which sparkled in the subdued
light that glowed from the eyes.
Woot saw that the creatures had wide mouths and rows
of terrible teeth and, from tales he had heard of such
beings, he knew he had fallen into a cavern inhabited
by the great Dragons that had been driven from the
surface of the earth and were only allowed to come out
once in a hundred years to search for food. Of course
he had never seen Dragons before, yet there was no
mistaking them, for they were unlike any other living
creatures.
Woot sat upon the floor where he had fallen, staring
around, and the owners of the big eyes returned his
look, silently and motionless. Finally one of the
Dragons which was farthest away from him asked, in a
deep, grave voice:
"What was that?"
And the greatest Dragon of all, who was just in front
of the Green Monkey, answered in a still deeper voice:
"It is some foolish animal from Outside."
"Is it good to eat?" inquired a smaller Dragon beside
the great one. "I'm hungry."
"Hungry!" exclaimed all the Dragons, in a reproachful
chorus; and then the great one said chidingly: "Tut-
tut, my son! You've no reason to be hungry at this
time."
"Why not?" asked the little Dragon. "I haven't eaten
anything in eleven years."
"Eleven years is nothing," remarked another Dragon,
sleepily opening and closing his eyes; "I haven't
feasted for eighty-seven years, and I dare not get
hungry for a dozen or so years to come. Children who
eat between meals should be broken of the habit."
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