The Gnome King of Oz - Ruth Plumly Thompson

By
L. FRANK BAUM
“Royal Historian of Oz”

Illustrated by
JOHN R. NEILL

The Reilly & Lee Co.
Chicago

Well, Boys and Girls! After Betsy’s adventures last year with the Hungry Tiger and the Prince of Rash, I did think everything exciting that could happen had happened in the Land of OZ. I rather expected this year’s history would be a drowsy record of birthdays, visitings and trips to undiscovered countries.

But scarcely had I begun on the first birthday, which happened to be Cap’n Bill’s and which Dorothy had written me all about, when a special radiogram arrived from the Emerald City. Ruggedo, the old Gnome King, had escaped from Runaway Island. The Patchwork Girl had disappeared from the Capital. You can imagine how anxiously I waited for further news. Would Ruggedo succeed in capturing Oz? Where was Scraps? How would the adventure end?

Well, even I did not guess the way it did end, and as you are probably as curious as I was, I’ll only say that it’s the most unexpected and mysterious happening yet! Really! There’s a treasure ship, a new little boy from Philadelphia, a magic cloak and an Oztrich in it!

How are you all? Happy? As for me,