The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum
Introduction by Regina Barreca
(London: Signet Classics, 1984)
What Baum also invented, as many critics have commented, is the first genuinely and decidedly American fairy tale.
Page vii.
Dorothy believes that armed with the camaraderie of good friends, a reasonable set of directions, and a willingness to face trouble head-on, a person can get what she wants in lie. She is the quintessential American traveler.
Page vii.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is, in fact, the story of what happens when you send Eve back into the garden.
Page viii.
There is no self-pity at all in Dorothy’s character; unlike a hand-wringing maiden, she does not sit around waiting for rescue. Instead she remains focused on her desire to return home even when there are myriad temptations for her to start a new home elsewhere.
Page x.
Although Dorothy can’t control the fact that her home is swept up in a cyclone she can nevertheless control how she responds to it.
Page xi.
The workings of Oz, where intention has very little to do with standards of either morality or ethics. You’re judged on what happens, not what you intended to have happen.
Page xii.
Dorothy is in direct contrast to the Wizard, who - despite being a fraud - identifies himself as “the Great and the Terrible.” The only difference between he two is that Dorothy does not seek to gain power by being misunderstood by the inhabitants of Oz; she does not traffic in “humbug” but, instead, always deals honestly and straightforwardly with anyone she meets.
Page xiii.
Her flexible but uncompromising and very American character is at the heart of Baum’s work.
Page xiii.
Dorothy is not looking for beauty, daintiness, or fragility associated with traditional femininity.
Page xiv.
Not self-absorbed but instead self-possessed, the little girl in Baum’s novel happily lacks the sense of morbid dependence we have for too long associated with depictions of conventional femininity.
Page xv.
The primary reason she wants to go home in The Wizard of Oz is because she doesn’t want to cause her family economic hardship.
Page xv.
The role of the Wizard is separate form the man; his power is based on arcane rituals that exist to only mystify, not to perform miracles; miracles are sleights of hand and tricks of light.
Page xvii.
Any magic wielded by the Wizard is derived from the fact that he permits others to believe he has extraordinary powers.
Pages xvii-xviii.
Every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal.
Page xix.
The time has come for a series of newer “wonder tales” in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incident devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale. Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in the wonder-tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident.
Page xix.
When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side.
Page 2.
The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it.
Page 2.
She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled, now when Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child’s laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy’s merry voice reached her ears.
Page 3.
Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was.
Page 3.
It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings.
Page 3.
The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
Page 4.
Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen.
Page 5.
As the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring.
Page 7.
The cyclone had set the house down, very gently - for a cyclone - in the midst of a country of marvelous beauty.
Page 10.
Three were men and one a woman, and all were oddly dressed. They wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tinkled sweetly as they moved. The hats of the men were blue; the little woman’s hat was white.
Page 10.
There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches.
Page 14.
“The Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. Therefore we still have itches and wizards amongst us.”
Page 15.
The feet of the dead witch had disappeared entirely and nothing was left but the silver shoes.
Page 15.
“He is a good Wizard. Whether he is a man or not I cannot tell, for I have never seen him.”
Page 17.
“The road to the City of Emeralds I paved with yellow brick,” said the Witch.
Page 18.
Dorothy, knowing her to be a witch, had expected her to disappear in just that way, and was not surprised in the least.
Page 18.
She closed the door, locked it, and put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress.
Page 21.
Dorothy did not feel nearly as bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own country and set down in the midst of a strange land.
Page 21.
The houses of the Munchkins were odd looking dwellings, for each was round, with a big dome for a roof. All were painted blue, for in this country of the East blue was the favorite color.
Pages 21-22.
“Blue is the color of the Munchkins, and white is the witch color; so we know you are a friendly witch.”
Page 24.
Toto was a fine curiosity to all the people, for they had never seen a dog before.
Page 24.
It is better for people to keep away from Oz, unless they have business with him.
Page 24.
“I don’t min my legs and arms and body being stuffed, because I cannot get hurt. If anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn’t matter, for I can’t feel it. But I do not want people to call me a fool.
Page 28.
The farther they went the more dismal and lonesome the country became.
Page 32.
“No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.”
Pages 32-33.
“It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool.”
Page 36.
The Scarecrow, who was never tired, stood up in another corner and waited patiently until morning came.
Page 38.
“It must be inconvenient to be made of flesh,” said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully; “for you must sleep, and eat and drink.”
Page 40.
One of the big trees had been partly chopped through and standing beside it, with an uplifted axe in his hands, was a man made entirely of tin.
Page 40.
“My head is quite empty,” answered the Woodman; “but once I had brains, and a heart also; so, having tried them both, I should much rather have a heart.”
Pages 44-45.
“I shall take the heart,” returned the Tin Woodman; “for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”
Page 47.
“I am not afraid so long as I have my oil-can, and nothing can hurt the Scarecrow, while you bear upon your forehead the mark of the good Witch’s kiss, and that will protect you from harm.”
Page 50.
“It is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger my heart begins to beat fast.”
Page 53.
The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.
Page 56.
“It must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive.”
Page 63.
It is well known that when there are many of these flowers together their odor is so powerful that anyone who breathes it falls asleep , and if he sleeper is not carried away from the scent of the flowers he sleeps on and on forever.
Page 74.
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, not being made of flesh, were not troubled by the scent of the flowers.
Page 75.
“He sits day after day in the great throne room of his palace, and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face.”
Page 88.
“Oz is a great Wizard, and can take on any form he wishes. So that some say he looks like a bird; and some say he looks like an elephant; and some say he looks like a cat. To others he appears as a beautiful fairy, or a brownie, or in any other form that pleases him. But who the real Oz is, when he is in his own form, no living person can tell.”
Pages 88-89.
The great Wizard does not like to see anyone.
Page 90.
“If you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day. They are all locked on, for Oz so ordered it when the city was first built, and I have the only key that will unlock them.”
Page 93.
The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds.
Page 95.
The sky above the City had a green tint, and the rays of the sun were green.
Page 96.
There seemed to be no horses nor animals of any kind; the men carried things around in little green carts, which they pushed before them. Everyone seemed happy and contented and prosperous.
Page 96.
This politeness was wasted on the Scarecrow; for when he found himself alone in his room he stood stupidly in one spot, just within the doorway, to wait till morning it would not rest him to lied down, and he could not close his eyes; so he remained all night staring at a little spider which was weaving its web in a corner of the room, just as if it were not one of the most wonderful rooms in the world.
Pages 98-99.
In the center of the chair was an enormous Head, without body to support it or any arms or legs whatever. There was no hair upon this head, but it had eyes and nose and mouth, and was bigger than the head of the biggest giant.
Pages 100-101.
“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible.” … “I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek.”
Page 101.
“Why should I do this for you?” asked Oz.
“Because you are strong and I am weak; because you are a Great Wizard and I am only a helpless little girl,” she answered.
Page 103.
The Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that was as powerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere.
Page 116.
The Wicked Witch was both surprised and worried when she saw the mark on Dorothy’s forehead, for she knew well that neither the Winged Monkeys nor she, herself, dare hurt the girl in any way.
Page 124.
Once the Witch struck Toto a blow with her umbrella and the brave little dog flew at her and bit her led, in return. The Witch did not bleed where she was bitten, for she was so wicked that the blood in her had dr4ied up many years before.
Page 126.
Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him; but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.
Page 127.
The child was so proud of her pretty shoes that she never took them off except at night and when she took her bath. The Witch was too much afraid of the dark to dare go in Dorothy’s room at night to take the shoes, and her dread of water was greater than her fear of the dark, so she never came near when Dorothy was bathing. Indeed, the old Witch never touched water, nor ever let water touch her in any way.
Page 127.
This made Dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucket of water that stood near and dashed it over the Witch, wetting her form head to foot.
Instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear; and then, as Dorothy looked at her in wonder, the Witch began to shrink and fall away.
Page 128.
“I have been wicked in my day, but I never thought a little girl like you would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds. Look out - here I go!”
Page 129.
Seeing that she had really melted away to nothing, Dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess. She then swept it all out the door.
Page 129.
Dorothy’s first at was to call of the Winkies together and tell them that they were no longer slaves.
Page 131.
As for the Lion, he wiped his eyes so often with the tip of his tail that it became quite wet, and he was obliged to go out into the court-yard and hold it in the sun till it dried.
Page 133.
The Emerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young man when the balloon brought me here, and I am a very old man now. But my people have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an Emerald city.
Page 158.
“Oh, no, my dear; I’m really a very good man, but I’m a very bad Wizard, I must admit.”
Page 159.
“Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on the earth the more experience you are sure to get.”
Page 160.
“All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”
Page 160.
There is only one thing I ask in return for my help - such as it is. You must keep my secret and tell no one I am a humbug.”
Page 161.
Oz, left to himself, smiled to think of his success in giving the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion exactly what they thought they wanted. “How can I help being a humbug,” he said, “ when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can’t be done?
Page 168.
Dorothy said nothing. Oz had not kept the promise he made her, but he had done his best, so she forgave him.
Page 187.
“There are worse things in the world than being a scarecrow.”
Page 198.
“My greatest wish now,” she added, “is to get back to Kansas, for Aunt Em will surely think something dreadful has happened to me, and that will make her put on mourning, and unless the crops are better this year than they were last I am sure Uncle Henry cannot afford it.”
Page 212.
“Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert,” replied Glinda. “If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country.”
Page 215.
“The Silver Shoes,” said the Good Witch, “have wonderful powers. And one of the most curious things about them is that they can carry to any place in the world in three steps, and each step will be made n the wink of an eye. All you have to do is knock your heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you want to go.
Page 216.
She was sitting on the broad Kansas prairie, and just before her was the new farm-house Uncle Henry built after the cyclone carried away the old one.
Page 217.
She was in her stocking-feet. For the Silver Shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert.
Page 217.
“Oh, Aunt Em! I’m so glad to be at home again!”
Page 219.