The Lost King of Oz

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The Lost King of Oz
The Lost King of Oz cover.jpg
Cover of The Lost King of Oz
Author Ruth Plumly Thompson
Illustrator John R. Neill
LanguageEnglish
Series The Oz books
Genre Children's novel
Publisher Reilly & Lee
Publication date
1925
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Pages280
Preceded by Grampa in Oz  
Followed by The Hungry Tiger of Oz  

The Lost King of Oz (1925) is the nineteenth book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fifth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill. The novel was followed by The Hungry Tiger of Oz (1926).

Contents

The book went into the public domain on January 1, 2021. [1]

Thompson's approach

As she sometimes does in her books, [2] Thompson exploits a detail in Baum's work to generate her story. Baum mentions Pastoria, Ozma's father and former ruler of Oz, [3] only briefly in the twentieth chapter of The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904); Thompson spins Baum's hint into a full tale of Pastoria's exile and rescue. [4]

Thompson dedicated The Lost King of Oz to her invalid mother. She suggested to her publishers that the dedication be made in the form of a crossword puzzle but Reilly & Lee rejected the idea. [5]

Plot summary

Old Mombi, formerly the Wicked Witch of the North, is now a cook in the land of Kimbaloo. One day she comes across Pajuka, the former prime minister of Oz, transformed by Mombi into a goose years before. She sets out to find Pastoria, the king of Oz, whom she also enchanted in the past. However, she has forgotten what shape she transformed Pastoria into. She kidnaps a local boy called Snip as her unwilling assistant and bearer of burdens. Eventually deciding, however, that he knows too much, Mombi throws Snip down a well; he ends up in Blankenburg, populated by the invisible Blanks. Snip meets and soon rescues Tora, an amnesiac old tailor. Tora has been held prisoner for many years by the Blanks, to do their tailoring; he has compensated by sending his detachable ears flying about the countryside to hear the news.

Meanwhile, Dorothy is accidentally transported to Hollywood, where she meets Humpy, a live stunt dummy, whom she brings back to Oz. They escape the Back Talkers in Eht Kcab Sdoow (by running backwards), and meet the Scooters who help scoot them on their way. Kabumpo the Elegant Elephant shows up to provide transport (of the mundane sort). Dorothy's party encounters Snip and Tora, and Mombi and Pajuka too. They come to the conclusion that Humpy the dummy is the enchanted Pastoria.

Eventually, matters are clarified and settled: Pajuka is restored to humanity, but Humpy proves not to be the missing king after all. Old Tora is disenchanted and turns out to be Pastoria. He spurns any notion of returning to his throne, however; he is content to settle down as a humble tailor in the Emerald City, with Snip as his apprentice and Humpy as his tailor's dummy.

In a rare act of Ozite capital punishment, Mombi is ruthlessly doused with water and melts away like the Wicked Witch of the West, so that nothing is left of her but her buckled shoes.

Promotion

Reilly & Lee took a new approach to publicizing its Oz books in 1925. Thompson wrote a short play for child actors titled A Day in Oz, with songs composed by Norman Sherrerd. The play was performed in bookstores and department stores by local children, with costumes provided by Reilly & Lee. The performances promoted each year's Oz book, and continued through the 1920s. [6]

Reception

In A Brief Guide to Oz, Paul Simpson notes that Mombi being put to death "caused considerable controversy with Oz fans." [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Marvelous Land of Oz</i> 1904 childrens novel by L. Frank Baum

The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published in July 1904, is the second book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). This and the following 34 books in the series were illustrated by John R. Neill. It was followed by Ozma of Oz (1907).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Ozma</span> Fictional character from Land of Oz

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glinda</span> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz character

Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his Oz novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country South of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Plumly Thompson</span> American author of childrens books (1891–1976)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land of Oz</span> Fantasy land created by L. Frank Baum

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicked Witch of the East</span> Fictional character

The Wicked Witch of the East is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is a crucial character but appears only briefly in Baum's classic children's series of Oz novels, most notably The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Witch of the North (Baum)</span> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz character

The Good Witch of the North, sometimes named Locasta or Tattypoo, is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the elderly and mild-mannered Ruler of the Gillikin Country. Her only significant appearance in Baum's work is in Chapter 2 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), in which she introduces Dorothy Gale to Oz and sends her to meet the Wizard, after placing a protective kiss on her forehead. She makes a brief cameo appearance at Princess Ozma's birthday party in The Road to Oz (1909), but is otherwise only mentioned elsewhere in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mombi</span> Fictional character

Mombi is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's classic children's series of Oz Books. She is the most significant antagonist in the second Oz book The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), and is alluded to in other works. Mombi plays a very important role in the fictional history of Oz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munchkin Country</span>

Munchkin Country or Munchkinland, as it is referred to in the famous MGM musical film version, is the fictional eastern region of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Munchkin Country is in the East, noted by later being ruled by the Wicked Witch of the East.

<i>The Giant Horse of Oz</i> 1928 novel

The Giant Horse of Oz (1928) is the twenty-second book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the eighth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill. The novel was followed by Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz (1929).

<i>The Hidden Valley of Oz</i> 1951 book by Rachel R. Cosgrove

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pastoria</span> Fictional character from L. Frank Baums Oz-series

King Pastoria is a fictional character mentioned in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. He was the rightful ruler and King of the undiscovered Land of Oz, but was mysteriously removed from his position when the Wizard of Oz unexpectedly came to the country and took the throne, proclaiming himself as the new dominant ruler of Oz. Shortly after, Pastoria's only child and heir, Princess Ozma, suddenly vanished, leaving not a single clue of her whereabouts.

<i>His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz</i> 1914 American film

His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz is a 1914 American silent fantasy adventure film directed by J. Farrell MacDonald, and written and produced by L. Frank Baum. It stars Violet MacMillan, Frank Moore, Vivian Reed, Todd Wright, Pierre Couderc, Raymond Russell, and Fred Woodward.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jellia Jamb</span> Fictional character

Jellia Jamb is a fictional character from the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), as the head maid who works in the royal palace of the Emerald City which is the imperial capital of the Land of Oz. In later books, Jellia eventually becomes Princess Ozma's favorite servant out of the Emerald City's staff administration. She is also the protagonist of Ruth Plumly Thompson's 1939 novel Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz. Her name is a pun on the phrase "Jelly or jam?"

The Marvelous Land of Oz is a 1981 musical play by Thomas W. Olson (book), Gary Briggle (lyrics), and Richard Dworsky (music), based on the 1904 novel by L. Frank Baum. Briggle originated the role of the Scarecrow in the original production, directed by John Cark Donahue at The Children's Theatre Company and School of Minneapolis.

<i>The Wicked Witch of Oz</i> Book by Rachel Cosgrove Payes

The Wicked Witch of Oz is a novel by Rachel Cosgrove Payes. Written in the early 1950s but not published until four decades later in 1993, the book is an unofficial entry in the series of Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his successors.

References

  1. The Lifecycle of Copyright: 1925 Works Enter the Public Domain
  2. David L. Greene and Dick Martin, The Oz Scrapbook, New York, Random House, 1977; p. 61.
  3. Jack Snow, Who's Who in Oz, Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 156.
  4. Hearn, Michael Patrick (1983). "Ruth Plumly Thompson". In Cech, John (ed.). Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol 22: American Writers for Children, 1900-1960. Gale Research Company. p. 312. ISBN   0-8103-1146-1 . Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  5. Greene and Martin, p. 72.
  6. Greene and Martin, p. 68.
  7. Simpson, Paul (2013). A Brief Guide to Oz. Constable & Robinson Ltd. p. 49. ISBN   978-1-47210-988-0 . Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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Grampa in Oz
The Lost King of Oz
1925
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