The Scarecrow of Oz Page 01
THE SCARECROW of OZ
Dedicated to
"The uplifters" of Los Angeles, California, in grateful appreciation of the pleasure I have derived from association with them, and in recognition of their sincere endeavor to uplift humanity through kindness, consideration and good-fellowship. They are big men--all of them--and all with the generous hearts of little children.
L. Frank Baum
THE SCARECROW of OZ
by L. Frank Baum
"TWIXT YOU AND ME
The Army of Children which besieged the Postoffice, conquered the Postmen and delivered to me its imperious Commands, insisted that Trot and Cap'n Bill be admitted to the Land of Oz, where Trot could enjoy the society of Dorothy, Betsy Bobbin and Ozma, while the one- legged sailor-man might become a comrade of the Tin Woodman, the Shaggy Man, Tik-Tok and all the other quaint people who inhabit this wonderful fairyland.
It was no easy task to obey this order and land Trot and Cap'n Bill safely in Oz, as you will discover by reading this book. Indeed, it required the best efforts of our dear old friend, the Scarecrow, to save them from a dreadful fate on the journey; but the story leaves them happily located in Ozma's splendid palace and Dorothy has promised me that Button-Bright and the three girls are sure to encounter, in the near future, some marvelous adventures in the Land of Oz, which I hope to be permitted to relate to you in the next Oz Book.
Meantime, I am deeply grateful to my little readers for their continued enthusiasm over the Oz stories, as evinced in the many letters they send me, all of which are lovingly cherished. It takes more and more Oz Books every year to satisfy the demands of old and new readers, and there have been formed many "Oz Reading Societies," where the Oz Books owned by different members are read aloud. All this is very gratifying to me and encourages me to write more stories. When the children have had enough of them, I hope they will let me know, and then I'll try to write something different.
L. Frank Baum "Royal Historian of Oz." "OZCOT" at HOLLYWOOD in CALIFORNIA, 1915.
LIST OF CHAPTERS 1 - The Great Whirlpool 2 - The Cavern Under the Sea 3 - Daylight at Last: 4 - The Little Old Man of the Island 5 - The Flight of the Midgets 6 - The Dumpy Man 7 - Button-Bright is Lost, and Found Again 8 - The Kingdom of Jinxland 9 - Pan, the Gardener's Boy 10 - The Wicked King and Googly-Goo 11 - The Wooden-Legged Grasshopper 12 - Glinda the Good and the Scarecrow of Oz 13 - The Frozen Heart 14 - Trot Meets the Scarecrow 15 - Pon Summons the King to Surrender 16 - The Ork Rescues Button-Bright 17 - The Scarecrow Meets an Enemy 18 - The Conquest of the Witch 19 - Queen Gloria 20 - Dorothy, Betsy and Ozma 21 - The Waterfall 22 - The Land of Oz 23 - The Royal Reception
Chapter One
The Great Whirlpool
"Seems to me," said Cap'n Bill, as he sat beside Trot under the big acacia tree, looking out over the blue ocean, "seems to me, Trot, as how the more we know, the more we find we don't know."
"I can't quite make that out, Cap'n Bill," answered the little girl in a serious voice, after a moment's thought, during which her eyes followed those of the old sailor-man across the glassy surface of the sea. "Seems to me that all we learn is jus' so much gained."
"I know; it looks that way at first sight," said the sailor, nodding his head; "but those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin' they know all there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr'ble big world this is. It's the knowing ones that realize one lifetime ain't long enough to git more'n a few dips o' the oars of knowledge."
Trot didn't answer. She was a very little girl, with big, solemn eyes and an earnest, simple manner. Cap'n Bill had been her faithful companion for years and had taught her almost everything she knew.
He was a wonderful man, this Cap'n Bill. Not so very old, although his hair was grizzled -- what there was of it. Most of his head was bald as an egg and as shiny as oilcloth, and this made his big ears stick out in a funny way.