Book Review: The Sacrcrow of Oz

Cap,n Bill and Trot

The Scarecrow of Oz is a delightful read. It is the ninth Oz book published in 1915.  It is entitled after the Scarecrow, who is the rescuer, but tells the story of Cap'n Bill, a former sea captain with a wooden leg, and Trot a young girl, who are sucked into a whirlpool and sent on a journey.  They meet an ork, a flying creature whose tail is designed like a helicopter blade.  They also meet Button Bright, a boy, who joins the party.  They are traveling trying to find their way to someplace where the can live.  A few early quotes:
Cap’n Bill to Trot before they go through the whirlpool:  Those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin’ they know all there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr’ble bit world this is.  It’s the knowing ones that realize one lifetime ain’t long enough to git mor’n a few dips o’ the oars of knowledge.
The Ork explains his reason for traveling, even though he has lost his home:  ‘It’s a big world, Flipper, my son,’ he would say. ‘and I’ve heard that in parts of it live queer two—legged creatures called Men, who war upon all other living things and would have little respect for even an Ork.’  They come to an island and meet Pessim, who has been left on the island as he makes others feel bad.
Pessim:  “That’s all you know about it!” broke in the little man.  “The trees are altogether too green and the rocks are harder than they ought to be.  I find the sand very grainy and the water dreadfully wet.  Every breeze makes a draught and the sun shines in the daytime, when there’s no need of it, and disappears just as soon as it begins to get dark.  If you remain here you’ll find the island very unsatisfactory.”
“I didn’t come; the neighbors brought me,” replied the little man, with a frown at the recollection.  “They said I was quarrelsome and fault-finding and blamed me because I told them all the things that went wrong, or never were right, and because I told them how things ought to be.  So they brought me here and left me all alone, saying that if I quarreled with myself, no one else would be made unhappy.  Absurd, wasn’t it?

They fly to the land of Mo, where there is a man in the mountain.  It snows popcorn, and it is in this popcorn that they find Button Bright.  The next fly over the dessert to Jinxland.  Jinxland is part of Oz, but cut off from Oz by a tall mountain.  They have an evil king, who is not really the king at all, but Princess Gloria is the rightful heir to the throne.  She has fallen for Pon, a gardener, whose father has also been king.  She teaches Trot about love:


“You don’t understand, my dear,” said Gloria as she wiped the tears from her eyes with a dainty lace handkerchief bordered with pearls.  “When you are older you will realize that a young lady cannot decide whom she will love, or choose the most worthy.  Her heart alone decides for her, and whomsoever her heart selects, she must love, whether he amounts to much or not.”
Jinxland is not good to our heroes.  The Ork has gone to look for his country.  An evil witch turns Cap'n Bill into a cricket, and freezes the heart of Gloria with payment from the king and a man who is courting the princess who refuses him.
The Scarecrow visits Glinda the Good, and they discover the plight of our friends.  The Scarecrow comes to rescue them. 

Scarecrow to Pon: “Why, we must be polite, whatever we do,” explained the Scarecrow.  “It would be very rude to conquer a King without proper notice.”
Initially, it is the return of the Orks who rescue our friends, as well as the scarecrow himself.  But the scarecrow with a few tricks given to him by Glinda, conquers the evil witch.  
Scarecrow to the evil witch Blinkie:  “Believe me, it is more fun to accomplish a good act than an evil one, as you will discover when once you have tried it.”
This story is fun.  It uses the same formula that Baum uses over and over, a traveling group, who meet with peril and interesting circumstances and characters along the way.  He adds his wit, which is what makes his stories work.  His stories have been duplicated, but never equaled.