English
It’snouse;nouseatall.Thechildrenwon’tletmestoptellingtalesoftheLandofOz.
Iknowlotsofotherstories,andIhopetotellthem,sometimeoranother;butjustnowmylovingtyrantswon’tallowme.Theycry:“Oz—Oz!moreaboutOz,Mr.Baum!”
andwhatcanIdobutobeytheircommands?
ThisisOurBook—mineandthechildren’s.
Fortheyhavefloodedmewiththousandsofsuggestionsinregardtoit,andIhavehonestlytriedtoadoptasmanyofthesesuggestionsascouldbefittedintoonestory.
Afterthewonderfulsuccessof“OzmaofOz”itisevidentthatDorothyhasbecomeafirmfixtureintheseOzstories.
ThelittleonesallloveDorothy,andasoneofmysmallfriendsaptlystates:“Itisn’tarealOzstorywithouther.”
Soheresheisagain,assweetandgentleandinnocentasever,Ihope,andtheheroineofanotherstrangeadventure.
Thereweremanyrequestsfrommylittlecorrespondentsfor“moreabouttheWizard.”
ItseemsthejollyoldfellowmadehostsoffriendsinthefirstOzbook,inspiteofthefactthathefranklyacknowledgedhimself“ahumbug.”
Thechildrenhadheardhowhemountedintotheskyinaballoonandtheywereallwaitingforhimtocomedownagain.
SowhatcouldIdobuttell“whathappenedtotheWizardafterward”?
Youwillfindhiminthesepages,justthesamehumbugWizardasbefore.
TherewasonethingthechildrendemandedwhichIfounditimpossibletodointhispresentbook:theybademeintroduceToto,Dorothy’slittleblackdog,whohasmanyfriendsamongmyreaders.
Butyouwillsee,whenyoubegintoreadthestory,thatTotowasinKansaswhileDorothywasinCalifornia,andsoshehadtostartonheradventurewithouthim.
InthisbookDorothyhadtotakeherkittenwithherinsteadofherdog;butinthenextOzbook,ifIampermittedtowriteone,IintendtotellagooddealaboutToto’sfurtherhistory.
PrincessOzma,whomIloveasmuchasmyreadersdo,isagainintroducedinthisstory,andsoareseveralofouroldfriendsofOz.
YouwillalsobecomeacquaintedwithJimtheCab-Horse,theNineTinyPiglets,andEureka,theKitten.
Iamsorrythekittenwasnotaswellbehavedassheoughttohavebeen;butperhapsshewasn’tbroughtupproperly.
Dorothyfoundher,yousee,andwhoherparentswerenobodyknows.
Ibelieve,mydears,thatIamtheproudeststorytellerthateverlived.
ManyatimetearsofprideandjoyhavestoodinmyeyeswhileIreadthetender,loving,appealinglettersthatcametomeinalmosteverymailfrommylittlereaders.
Tohavepleasedyou,tohaveinterestedyou,tohavewonyourfriendship,andperhapsyourlove,throughmystories,istomymindasgreatanachievementastobecomePresidentoftheUnitedStates.
Indeed,Iwouldmuchratherbeyourstoryteller,undertheseconditions,thantobethePresident.
Soyouhavehelpedmetofulfillmylife’sambition,andIammoregratefultoyou,mydears,thanIcanexpressinwords.
Itrytoanswereveryletterofmyyoungcorrespondents;yetsometimestherearesomanylettersthatalittletimemustpassbeforeyougetyouranswer.
Butbepatient,friends,fortheanswerwillsurelycome,andbywritingtomeyoumorethanrepaymeforthepleasanttaskofpreparingthesebooks.
Besides,Iamproudtoacknowledgethatthebooksarepartlyyours,foryoursuggestionsoftenguidemeintellingthestories,andIamsuretheywouldnotbehalfsogoodwithoutyourcleverandthoughtfulassistance.
L.FRANKBAUM
Coronado,1908.
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