Little Wizard Stories of Oz
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Product Description
THE COWARDLY LION AND THE HUNGRY TIGER
In the splendid palace of the Emerald City, which is in the center of the fairy Land of Oz, is a fantastic Throne Room, where Princess Ozma, the Ruler, for an hour each day sits in a throne of glistening emeralds and listens to all the troubles of her people, which they are sure to tell her about. Around Ozma’s throne, on such occasions, are grouped all the vital personages of Oz, such as the Scarecrow, Jack Pumpkinhead, Tiktok the Clockwork Man, the Tin Woodman, the Wizard of Oz, the Shaggy Man and additional legendary fairy people. Small Dorothy usually has a seat at Ozma’s feet, and crouched on either side the throne are two enormous beasts known as the Hungry Tiger and the Cowardly Lion.
[Illustration]
These two beasts are Ozma’s chief guardians, but as everyone likes the gorgeous girl Princess there has never been any disturbance in the fantastic Throne Room, or anything for the guardians to do but look fierce and solemn and keep silent until the Royal Audience is over and the people go away to their homes.
Of course no one would dare be naughty while the huge Lion and Tiger crouched beside the throne; but the fact is, the people of Oz are very seldom naughty. So Ozma’s huge guards are more ornamental than useful, and no one realizes that better than the beasts themselves.
One day, after everybody had left the Throne Room except the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the Lion yawned and said to his friend:
“I’m getting tired of this job. No one is worried of us and no one pays any attention to us.”
“That is right,” answered the huge Tiger, buzz softly. “We might as well be in the thick jungles where we were born, as trying to protect Ozma when she needs no protection. And I’m dreadfully hungry all the time.”
“You have enough to eat, I’m sure,” said the Lion, swaying his tail slowly back and into the world.
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A charming small volume containing six very fleeting Oz tales involving many of the major characters that had featured in the first 7 or so books in the series proper, originally published in 1913 in separate booklets just as Baum was allowing the Oz books to get underway again with THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ. The six tales are:
“The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger”
“Small Dorothy and Toto”
“Tiktok and the Gnome King”
“Ozma and the Small Wizard”
“Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse”
“The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman”
Clearly aimed at an even younger audience than the regular books, most adults will probably find these a small too silly — though some of the wordplay that both Baum and his successors are known for is in evidence (the Imps — Udent, Olite and Ertinent, for example). One also wonders if the storyline in the lion/tiger vignette, with the two ferocious beasts desperately desiring to commit mayhem, but finding that they simply cannot do anything but be nice, tame pets, mirros in some ways Baum’s ambivalence about re-starting the series which he had tired of – but was his only sure hit. Regular series artist John R. Neill’s illustrations are among his best and are the high point for me, especially the double-page ones. The Books of Marvel facsimile reprint is up to their usual high standards.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
A nice introduction to the Land of Oz for children who can’t handle full part novels. The tales are the perfect part for a nightime tale and carry with them the wonderful imagination of L. Frank Baum.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
A delightful read for your children – especially if they loved the Wizard of Ox. I highly recommend it.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
L. Frank Baum first wrote these 6 fleeting tales separately in their own volumes, with the title of each book impact the names of two characters (see the ‘Books of Oz’ site). Later they were reprinted, but this time into 1 volume, with the ex- book titles now as chapters, shown here.
I bought this book along with Roger S. Baum’s “Dorothy of Oz” book (see my review) and Greg Hildebrandt’s (abridged) illustrated edition of “the Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (I want to review that).
The pictures are brilliant. The chapter-title images are black-and-white, and the rest of the pictures are in full-page colour, sometimes taking over two pages. I liked how the Lion was drawn walking on 2 legs and once wearing a pair glasses on a string. The following chapters (once individual book titles) are as follows:
‘The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger’ are tired of constantly being known for their cowardliness/hunger and therefore not being feared, so they choose to go out and make themselves be feared. But Tiger refuses to eat a baby who has lost its mother, and Lion refuses to hurt a mother who hurts herself while trying to save her baby, so they change their minds.
‘Small Dorothy and Toto’ take a walk through Oz (despite the Wizard’s disapproval of concern) and result in getting captured by the Giant Crinklink and are taken to his castle. Toto saves Dorothy and reunites with the Wizard.
‘Tik-Tok and the Nome King’. Tik-Tok’s machinery needs a few extra springs and the Wizard suggests for him to go to the Nome King, who sorry to say is in a terrible mood and accidently destroys Tik-Tok. But Kaliko, the Chief Steward, fixes Tik-Tok up. His reappearance scares the Nome King (that was amusing!), but Tik-Tok clarifies the situation and he returns to Oz, with jewels for Princess Ozma by the Nome King.
‘Ozma and the Small Wizard’ go through Oz building sure everything is fine, and come upon three harmful Imps (named Olite, Udent and Ertinent) who are constantly causing distress. The Imps take on enchanted forms and constantly attack Ozma and Wizard, until he overpowers them, with a plot to stop them from building further distress.
‘Jack Pumpkinhead and the Saw-Horse’ are sent by Ozma to rescue 2 children lost in a forest. They find the children, but the Stasher King refuses to let them go. As Jack sets the children free he looses his head, but the Saw-Horse manages to get them out and the Wizard gives Jack a new pumpkinhead.
‘The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman’ ride in a small boat along a forest stream, but Nick Chopper falls into the bottom of the sea, so Scarecrow does whatever he can to get his friend out, even with the help of some harmful crows. Once they’re out of the water, the Wizard appears to give them a helping hand.
I establish the tale of the Lion and the Tiger very helpful because it made me realize and know the Lion’s “Cowardly” term, as many times I wondered why afterwards he couldn’t be called the ‘Courageous Lion’. I loved reading these adventures and was amused by the book itself because right to its “Small” title, this book is published in a size which is smaller than the additional Oz Books of Marvel, AND the Wizard himself appears in nearly all 6 Tales (thus the ‘Small Wizard’ title).
But there are a few mistakes: the Lion has a red bow as a replacement for of blue and Ozma’s gown changes from sleeveless to long sleeves. Also, the Tin Woodman still manages to talk even when he’s rusted at the bottom of the water. It should also be noted, that since these tales were first published as 6 fleeting books, they of course had different covers than now shown (which can also be seen in the ‘Oz Project; Books of Oz’ Site). I would have liked (and wished) to see the original book covers reprinted here as full-colour chapter title pages before the tale starts on the next page or as the endpapers. In this book, the endpapers of the Scarecrow riding Lion’s back and Tin Woodman on Tiger’s back are orginially from ‘the Patchwork Girl of Oz’, but lacking the orginal background with a castle.
Another excellent thing about this book was the Afterward adage what makes the next book, “the Patchwork Girl of Oz” so worth reading (which I want to get soon).
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
L. Frank Baum’s spectacularly illustrated Small Wizard Tales Of Oz, written for a younger audience than the books in the official Oz series, are the perfect introduction to Baum’s utopist fairyland. Containing characters not only from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but from the second and third titles, The Marvelous Land Of Oz and Ozma Of Oz, the 169-page volume is composed of six fleeting pieces, each teaming two of Baum’s most well loved Oz inhabitants. While the tales are delightful and comic, a devious lesson in common sense or ethics subtly underscores each. At about 24 pages a piece, these narratives make brilliant bedtime tales; each moves quickly and can be reread over and over (adults can read the entire book in about an hour). Readers already familiar with the additional Oz titles will find that the Small Wizard tales fit right into the fairyland’s customary history and continuity. John R. Neill’s extraordinary talent as an illustrator has rarely been place to better use than it has been here; his drawings are brightly colored and full of atmosphere, detail, and humor.
In The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the two talking beasts, tired of passively guarding the never-threatened Ozma at her throne, choose to competitively test their animal natures. In Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse, Jack, who lives in a pumpkin patch so he can easily replace his head as needed, finds himself in the Winkie country disastrously lacking a spare. In The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, the later topples overboard while the two are out adventuring in a giant corncob boat. The Scarecrow, stuffed with straw, tries to reach his pal but finds he can only float on the surface.
Each of the six tales contains an element of threat to which the primary or secondary characters react with dread or shock. `Small Dorothy’ and Toto, carelessly straying too far from home, are kidnapped by the size-shifting giant Crinklink; Tik-Tok the Clockwork Man finds his metal body broken to pieces by a blow from the mad Nome King’s mace; and Ozma and the `Small Wizard’ find themselves beset by three harmful, seemingly undefeatable goblins. In typically clever fashion, Baum quickly disarms persons fundamentals which might frighten younger children or be a cause of concern for adults. The Hungry Tiger decides he wants to eat a `stout baby’ to prove his bestial scenery, and the Cowardly Lion, not to be outdone, says he’s going to `rip a person to shreds,’ but no baby-devouring is ever accomplished. At their first sight of a small lost girl, the Tiger and Lion compete over who can come to her aid first and best, their original boasting intentions entirely forgotten.
The book’s humor is dry and the outright jokes well-paced to about one a tale. The Tin Woodman, for instance, lying helpless on the bottom of a lake and waiting to be rescued, says to the frustrated Scarecrow and their bird helpers, “Hasten up, please. You’ve no thought how damp it is down here.”
The Small Wizard Tales Of Oz are so pleasant and charming that adults will delight in reading them for their own pleasure, and delight in reading them again to children. Full of additional-worldly imagination and pep, the book can be used for teaching and group discussion, or strictly for entertainment.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5