《the patchwork girl of oz》

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THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ







by L。 FRANK BAUM







Affectionately dedicated to my young friend



Sumner Hamilton Britton of Chicago











Prologue







Through the kindness of Dorothy Gale of Kansas;



afterward Princess Dorothy of Oz; an humble writer



in the United States of America was once appointed



Royal Historian of Oz; with the privilege of



writing the chronicle of that wonderful fairyland。



But after making six books about the adventures of



those interesting but queer people who live in the



Land of Oz; the Historian learned with sorrow that



by an edict of the Supreme Ruler; Ozma of Oz; her



country would thereafter be rendered invisible to



all who lived outside its borders and that all



communication with Oz would; in the future; be cut off。











The children who had learned to look for the



books about Oz and who loved the stories about the



gay and happy people inhabiting that favored



country; were as sorry as their Historian that



there would be no more books of Oz stories。 They



wrote many letters asking if the Historian did not



know of some adventures to write about that had



happened before the Land of Oz was shut out from



all the rest of the world。 But he did not know of



any。 Finally one of the children inquired why we



couldn't hear from Princess Dorothy by wireless



telegraph; which would enable her to communicate



to the Historian whatever happened in the far…off



Land of Oz without his seeing her; or even knowing



just where Oz is。







That seemed a good idea; so the Historian rigged



up a high tower in his back yard; and took lessons



in wireless telegraphy until he understood it;



and then began to call 〃Princess Dorothy of Oz〃 by



sending messages into the air。







Now; it wasn't likely that Dorothy would be



looking for wireless messages or would heed the



call; but one thing the Historian was sure of; and



that was that the powerful Sorceress; Glinda;



would know what he was doing and that he desired



to communicate with Dorothy。 For Glinda has a big



book in which is recorded every event that takes



place anywhere in the world; just the moment that



it happens; and so of course the book would tell



her about the wireless message。







And that was the way Dorothy heard that the



Historian wanted to speak with her; and there was



a Shaggy Man in the Land of Oz who knew how to



telegraph a wireless reply。 The result was that



the Historian begged so hard to be told the latest



news of Oz; so that he could write it down for the



children to read; that Dorothy asked permission of



Ozma and Ozma graciously consented。







That is why; after two long years of waiting;



another Oz story is now presented to the children



of America。 This would not have been possible had



not some clever man invented the 〃wireless〃 and an



equally clever child suggested the idea of



reaching the mysterious Land of Oz by its means。







L。 Frank Baum。







〃OZCOT〃



at Hollywood



in California















LIST OF CHAPTERS



1  … Ojo and Unc Nunkie



2  … The Crooked Magician



3  … The Patchwork Girl



4  … The Glass Cat



5  … A Terrible Accident



6  … The Journey



7  … The Troublesome Phonograph



8  … The Foolish Owl and the Wise Donkey



9  … They Meet the Woozy



10 … Shaggy Man to the Rescue



11 … A Good Friend



12 … The Giant Porcupine



13 … Scrapes and the Scarecrow



14 … Ojo Breaks the Law



15 … Ozma's Prisoner



16 … Princess Dorothy



17 … Ozma and Her Friends



18 … Ojo is Forgiven



19 … Trouble with the Tottenhots



20 … The Captive Yoop



21 … Hip Hopper the Champion



22 … The Joking Horners



23 … Peace is Declared



24 … Ojo Finds the Dark Well



25 … They Bribe the Lazy Quadling



26 … The Trick River



27 … The Tin Woodman Objects



28 … The Wonderful Wizard of Oz























The Patchwork Girl of Oz



















Chapter One







Ojo and Unc Nunkie











〃Where's the butter; Unc Nunkie?〃 asked Ojo。







Unc looked out of the window and stroked his



long beard。 Then he turned to the Munchkin boy and



shook his head。







〃Isn't;〃 said he。







〃Isn't any butter? That's too bad; Unc。 Where's



the jam then?〃 inquired Ojo; standing on a stool



so he could look through all the shelves of the



cupboard。 But Unc Nunkie shook his head again。







〃Gone;〃 he said。







〃No jam; either? And no cakeno jellyno



applesnothing but bread?〃







〃All;〃 said Unc; again stroking his beard as he



gazed from the window。







The little boy brought the stool and sat be side



his uncle; munching the dry bread slowly and



seeming in deep thought。







〃Nothing grows in our yard but the bread



tree;〃 he mused; 〃and there are only two more



loaves on that tree; and they're not ripe yet。 Tell



me; Unc; why are we so poor?〃







The old Munchkin turned and looked at Ojo。 He



had kindly eyes; but he hadn't smiled or laughed



in so long that the boy had forgotten that Unc



Nunkie could look any other way than solemn。 And



Unc never spoke any more words than he was obliged



to; so his little nephew; who lived alone with



him; had learned to understand a great deal from



one word。







〃Why are we so poor; Unc?〃 repeated the







〃Not;〃 said the old Munchkin。







〃I think we are;〃 declared Ojo。 〃What have we



got?〃







〃House;〃 said Unc Nunkie。







〃I know; but everyone in the Land of Oz



has a place to live。 What else; Unc?〃







〃Bread。〃







〃I'm eating the last loaf that's ripe。 There;



I've put aside your share; Unc。 It's on the table;



so you can eat it when you get hungry。 But when



that is gone; what shall we eat; Unc?〃







The old man shifted in his chair but merely



shook his head。







〃Of course;〃 said Ojo; who was obliged to talk



because his uncle would not; 〃no one starves in



the Land of Oz; either。 There is plenty for



everyone; you know; only; if it isn't just where



you happen to be; you must go where it is。〃







The aged Munchkin wriggled again and stared at



his small nephew as if disturbed by his argument。







〃By tomorrow morning;〃 the boy went on; we must



go where there is something to eat; or we shall



grow very hungry and become very unhappy。〃







〃Where?〃 asked Unc。







〃Where shall we go? I don't know; I'm sure;〃



replied Ojo。 〃But you must know; Unc。 You must



have traveled; in your time; because you're so



old。 I don't remember it; because ever since I



could remember anything we've lived right here in



this lonesome; round house; with a little garden



back of it and the thick woods all around。 All



I've ever seen of the great Land of Oz; Unc dear;



is the view of that mountain over at the south;



where they say the Hammerheads livewho won't let



anybody go by themand that mountain at the



north; where they say nobody lives。〃







〃One;〃 declared Unc; correcting him。







〃Oh; yes; one family lives there; I've heard。



That's the Crooked Magician; who is named



Dr。 Pipt; and his wife Margolotte。 One year you



told me about them; I think it took you a whole



year; Unc; to say as much as I've just said about



the Crooked Magician and his wife。 They live



high up on the mountain; and the good Munchkin



Country; where the fruits and flowers grow; is



just the other side。 It's funny you and I should



live here all alone; in the middle of the forest;



Isn't it?〃







〃Yes;〃 said Unc。







〃Then let's go away and visit the Munchkin



Country and its jolly; good…natured people。 I'd



love to get a sight of something besides woods;



Unc Nunkie。〃







〃Too little;〃 said Unc。







〃Why; I'm not so little as I used to be;〃



answered the boy earnestly。 〃I think I can walk



as far and as fast through the woods as you



can; Unc。 And now that nothing grows in our



back yard that is good to eat; we must go where



there is food。〃







Unc Nunkie made no reply for a time。 Then



he shut down the window and turned his chair



to face the room; for the sun was sinking behind



the tree…tops and it was growing cool。







By and by Ojo lighted the fire and the logs



blazed freely in the broad fireplace。 The two sat



in the firelight a long timethe old; white…



bearded Munchkin and the little boy。 Both were



thinking。 When it grew quite dark out…side; Ojo



said:







〃Eat your bread; Unc; and then we will go to



bed。〃







But Unc Nunkie did not eat the bread; neither



did he go directly to bed。 Long after his little



nephew was sound asleep in the corner of the room



the old man sat by the fire; thinking。



















Chapter Two







The Crooked Magician











Just at dawn next morning Unc Nunkie laid his hand



tenderly on Ojo's head and awakened him。







〃Come;〃 he said。







Ojo dressed。 He wore blue silk stockings; blue



knee pants with gold buckles; a blue ruffled



waist and a jacket of bright blue braided with



gold。 His shoes were of blue leather and turned up



at the toes; which were point
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