MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE***


E-text prepared by Michael Gray (Lost_Gamer@comcast.net)



Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
      file which includes the original illustrations.
      See 16259-h.htm or 16259-h.zip:
      (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/6/2/5/16259/16259-h/16259-h.htm)
      or
      (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/6/2/5/16259/16259-h.zip)





THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE

by

L. FRANK BAUM

With pictures by Frank Ver Beck

1903







To the Comrade of my
boyhood days
Dr. Henry Clay Baum



TO THE READER

This book has been written for children. I have no shame in
acknowledging that I, who wrote it, am also a child; for since I can
remember my eyes have always grown big at tales of the marvelous, and
my heart is still accustomed to go pit-a-pat when I read of impossible
adventures. It is the nature of children to scorn realities, which
crowd into their lives all too quickly with advancing years. Childhood
is the time for fables, for dreams, for joy.

These stories are not true; they could no be true and be so marvelous.
No one is expected to believe them; they were meant to excite laughter
and to gladden the heart.

Perhaps some of those big, grown-up people will poke fun of us--at you
for reading these nonsense tales of the Magical Monarch, and at me for
writing them. Never mind. Many of the big folk are still children--even
as you and I. We cannot measure a