Little Wizard Stories of Oz
Series: Oz
Reviewed date: 2010 Apr 20
192 pages
These six short stories are not the best that Baum has to offer, but they were mildly entertaining.
The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger
The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger realize that nobody fears them, so they resolve to commit some atrocities to regain their reputations. They set out to commit the deeds, but the Hungry Tiger's conscience prevents him from eating a fat baby and the Cowardly Lion cannot bring himself to tear a woman into pieces. The lion and tiger decide they are happy enough as they are.
Little Dorothy and Toto
Dorothy and Toto wander too far as they explore the land of Oz, and get kidnapped by the giant Crinklink. The giant forces Dorothy to wash a mountain of dishes. Toto unmasks the giant, who reveals himself as the Wizard of Oz. He pretended to be Crinklink in order to teach Dorothy a lesson about how dangerous it is to wander off by one's self in fairy country.
Tiktok and the Nome King
Tiktok approaches the Nome King to ask for replacement parts for his clockwork. The Nome King, in a foul mood, destroys Tiktok. The king's advisor Kaliko secretly puts Tiktok together again. Tiktok's reappearance frightens the Nome King, who takes him to be a ghost, and the king sends Tiktok back to Oz with replacement parts and lots of precious jewels.
Ozma and the Little Wizard
Princess Ozma deals with three bad imps--Olite, Udent, and Ertinent--who are harrassing the citizens of Oz.
Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse
Ozma sends Jack and the sawhorse to rescue two children who are lost in the woods. They find the children, but the Squirrel King has placed them under arrest for stealing nuts. Eventually they all escape, except for Jack's head, which gets smashed and must be replaced.
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman
Nick Chopper and the Scarecrow go on a boat ride, and the woodman falls into the water and sinks. The Scarecrow attempts to rescue him with help from some mischievous jackdaws. The Wizard shows up to rescue them both from the jackdaws.