The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lost Princess of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

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Title: The Lost Princess of Oz

Author: L. Frank Baum

Posting Date: March 23, 2009 [EBook #959]
Release Date: June, 1997

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ ***

Produced by Anthony Matonac

THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ

by

L. FRANK BAUM

This Book is Dedicated
To My Granddaughter
OZMA BAUM

To My Readers

Some of my youthful readers are developing wonderful imaginations. This
pleases me. Imagination has brought mankind through the Dark Ages to
its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover
America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity. Imagination
has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talking-machine and
the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they
became realities. So I believe that dreams--day dreams, you know, with
your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery whizzing--are likely to
lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative child will become
the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and
therefore to foster civilization. A prominent educator tells me that
fairy tales are of untold value in developing imagination in the young.
I believe it.

Among the letters I receive from children are many containing
suggestions of "what to write about in the next Oz Book." Some of the
ideas advanced are mighty interesting, while others are too extravagant
to be seriously considered--even in a fairy tale. Yet I like them all,
and I must admit that the main idea in "The Lost Princess of Oz" was
suggested to me by a sweet little girl of eleven who called to see me
and to talk about the Land of Oz. Said she: "I s'pose if Ozma ever got
lost, or stolen, ev'rybody in Oz would be dreadful sorry."

That was all, but quite enough foundation to build this present story
on. If you happen to like the story, give credit to my little friend's
clever hint.

L. Frank Baum
Royal Historian of Oz

LIST OF CHAPTERS

1 A Terrible Loss
2 The Troubles of Glinda the Good
3 Th