The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
by L. Frank Baum

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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It was originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago in 1900, and has since been reprinted countless times, sometimes under the name The Wizard of Oz. The story chronicles the adventures of a girl named Dorothy in the Land of Oz. It is one of the best-known stories in American popular culture and has been widely translated. Its initial success led to Baum's writing and having published thirteen more Oz books.
one or more chapters are available in a spoken word format.

11690The Wonderful Wizard of Oz1900L. Frank Baum

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By L. Frank Baum

Illustrated by W. W. Denslow

Father Goose: His Book

Quarto, printed in three colors, ornamental boards
Price$1.25

The Songs of Father Goose

With music by Alberta N. Hall
Quarto, ornamental boards
Price$1.00

GEO. M. HILL CO.
Publishers

INTRODUCTION.

Folk lore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal. The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations.

Yet the old-time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as "historical" in the children's library; for 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 its wonder-tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident.

Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely to pleasure children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out.

L. Frank Baum.

Chicago, April, 1900.

Copyright 1899
By L. Frank Baum
and W. W. Denslow.
All rights reserved

LIST OF CHAPTERS.

CHAPTER I.—The Cyclone.
CHAPTER II.—The Council with The Munchkins.
CHAPTER III.—How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow.
CHAPTER IV.—The Road Through the Forest.
CHAPTER V.—The Rescue of the Tin Woodman.
CHAPTER VI.—The Cowardly Lion.
CHAPTER VII.—The Journey to The Great Oz.
CHAPTER VIII.—The Deadly Poppy Field.
CHAPTER IX.—The Queen of the Field Mice.
CHAPTER X.—The Guardian of the Gates.
CHAPTER XI.—The Wonderful Emerald City of Oz.
CHAPTER XII.—The Search for the Wicked Witch.
CHAPTER XIII.—How the Four were Reunited.
CHAPTER XIV.—The Winged Monkeys.
CHAPTER XV.—The Discovery of Oz the Terrible.
CHAPTER XVI.—The Magic Art of the Great Humbug.
CHAPTER XVII.—How the Balloon was Launched.
CHAPTER XVIII.—Away to the South.
CHAPTER XIX.—Attacked by the Fighting Trees.
CHAPTER XX.—The Dainty China Country.
CHAPTER XXI.—The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts.
CHAPTER XXII.—The Country of the Quadlings.
CHAPTER XXIII.—The Good Witch grants Dorothy's Wish.
CHAPTER XXIV.—Home Again.

This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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