--Author's Note--
1. The Girl in the Chicken Coop
2. The Yellow Hen
3. Letters in the Sand
4. Tiktok, the Machine Man
5. Dorothy Opens the Dinner Pail
6. The Heads of Langwidere
7. Ozma of Oz to the Rescue
8. The Hungry Tiger
9. The Royal Family of Ev
10. The Giant with the Hammer
11. The Nome King
12. The Eleven Guesses
13. The Nome King Laughs
14. Dorothy Tries to be Brave
15. Billina Frightens the Nome King
16. Purple, Green and Gold
17. The Scarecrow Wins the Fight
18. The Fate of the Tin Woodman
19. The King of Ev
20. The Emerald City
21. Dorothy's Magic Belt
My friends the children are responsible for this new "Oz Book," as theywere for the last one, which was called The Land of Oz. Their sweetlittle letters plead to know "more about Dorothy"; and they ask: "Whatbecame of the Cowardly Lion?" and "What did Ozma doafterward?"--meaning, of course, after she became the Ruler of Oz. Andsome of them suggest plots to me, saying: "Please have Dorothy go tothe Land of Oz again"; or, "Why don't you make Ozma and Dorothy meet,and have a good time together?" Indeed, could I do all that my littlefriends ask, I would be obliged to write dozens of books to satisfytheir demands. And I wish I could, for I enjoy writing these storiesjust as much as the children say they enjoy reading them.
Well, here is "more about Dorothy," and about our old friends theScarecrow and the Tin Woodman, and about the Cowardly Lion, and Ozma,and all the rest of them; and here, likewise, is a good deal about somenew folks that are queer and unusual. One little friend, who read thisstory before it was printed, said to me: "Billina is REAL OZZY, Mr.Baum, and so are Tiktok and the Hungry Tiger."
If this judgment is unbiased and correct, and the little folks findthis new story "real Ozzy," I shall be very glad indeed that I wroteit. But perhaps I shall get some more of