The Scarecrow of Oz Read online

  Produced by David Edwards, Tom Cosmas, The Internet Archivesfor replacement pages, OZClub.org for a better cover image,and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttps://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scannedimages of public domain material from the Google Booksproject.)

  Transcriber Notes

  Text emphasis id denoted as _Italics_ and =Bold=.

  +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | The | | | | Scarecrow of Oz | | | | | | | | by | | | | L. Frank Baum | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

  ===== The Famous Oz Books =====

  Since 1900, when L. Frank Baum introduced to the children of AmericaTHE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ and all the other exciting characters whoinhabit the land of Oz, these delightful fairy tales have stimulated theimagination of millions of young readers.

  These are stories which are genuine fantasy creative, funny, tender,exciting and surprising. Filled with the rarest and most absurdcreatures, each of the 14 volumes which now comprise the series, has beeneagerly sought out by generation after generation until to-day they areknown to all except the very young or those who were never young at all.

  When, in a recent survey, The =New York Times= polled a group of teen agerson the books they liked best when they were young, the Oz books toppedthe list.

  THE FAMOUS OZ BOOKS -------------------

  By L. Frank Baum:

  THE WIZARD OF OZ THE LAND OF OZ OZMA OF OZ DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ THE ROAD TO OZ THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ TIK-TOK OF OZ THE SCARECROW OF OZ RINKITINK IN OZ THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ THE MAGIC OF OZ GLINDA OF OZ

  Chicago THE REILLY & LEE CO. _Publishers_

  THE SCARECROW _OF_ OZ]

  Dedicated to

  "The Uplifters" of Los Angeles, California, in grateful appreciationof the pleasure I have derived from association with them, and inrecognition of their sincere endeavor to uplift humanity throughkindness, consideration and good-fellowship. They are big men all of themand all with the generous hearts of little children.

  L. Frank Baum

  +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | THE | | | | =SCARECROW OF OZ= | | | | | | BY | | | | L. FRANK BAUM | | | | AUTHOR OF | | | | THE ROAD TO OZ, DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ, THE EMERALD | | CITY OF OZ, THE LAND OF OZ, OZMA OF OZ. THE PATCHWORK GIRL | | OF OZ, TIK-TOK OF OZ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ILLUSTRATED BY | | JOHN R. NEILL | | | | | | =The Reilly & Lee Co= | | Chicago | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

  +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | COPYRIGHT | | | | 1915 BY | | | | L Frank Baum | | | | ALL | | | | RIGHTS RESERVED | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

  'TWIXT YOU AND ME

  The Army of Children which besieged the Postoffice, conquered the Postmenand delivered to me its imperious Commands, insisted that Trot and Cap'nBill be admitted to the Land of Oz, where Trot could enjoy the societyof Dorothy, Betsy Bobbin and Ozma, while the one-legged sailor-man mightbecome a comrade of the Tin Woodman, the Shaggy Man, Tik-Tok and all theother quaint people who inhabit this wonderful fairyland.

  It was no easy task to obey this order and land Trot and Cap'n Billsafely in Oz, as you will discover by reading this book. Indeed, itrequired the best efforts of our dear old friend, the Scarecrow, to savethem from a dreadful fate on the journey; but the story leaves themhappily located in Ozma's splendid palace and Dorothy has promised methat Button-Bright and the three girls are sure to encounter, in the nearfuture, some marvelous adventures in the Land of Oz, which I hope to bepermitted to relate to you in the next Oz Book.

  Meantime, I am deeply grateful to my little readers for their continuedenthusiasm over the Oz stories, as evinced in the many letters they sendme, all of which are lovingly cherished. It takes more and more Oz Booksevery year to satisfy the demands of old and new readers, and therehave been formed many "Oz Reading Societies," where the Oz Books ownedby different members are read aloud. All this is very gratifying to meand encourages me to write more Oz stories. When the children have hadenough of them, I hope they will let me know, and then I'll try to writesomething different.

  L. Frank Baum "Royal Historian of Oz."

  "OZCOT" at HOLLYWOOD in CALIFORNIA, 1915.