In L. Frank Baum’s original book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” the Wizard’s calm and solitary lifestyle is completely upended when Dorothy and her three friends show up and request an audience. He tries to ignore her but soon realizes she won’t take “No” for an answer.
Eventually he promises to help her, but only on condition that she first slay the powerful Wicked Witch of the West. Remarkably and unexpectedly, she returns in triumph and insists on payment: Brains for the Scarecrow, a heart for the Tinman, courage for the Lion, and a ride home for herself.
He manages to convince Dorothy’s friends that he has given them their requests, as promised. They are completely happy with the results. Then, in a brief moment of self-reflection, the Wizard says to himself, “How can I help being a humbug when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can’t be done.”

Some things you just can’t fake

Dorothy is a different kind of problem. You can fake brains, caring, and courage, but you can’t fake a trip back to Kansas. The Wizard has no way to get her home. In desperation, he concocts a plan to fly over the Poisonous Desert and back to Kansas in a hot air balloon. Dorothy gets left behind and the Wizard is filled with regret over his failure to help the little girl.

Redemption is tricky

Throughout the original Wizard of Oz series, we see hints that the Wizard does feel bad about how he has acted…and we discover that he has done some terrible things as King of Oz. Nevertheless, he does seem to make some progress towards being a better man. He admits some of his misdeeds and apologizes, yet we are left to wonder if he has really changed.
In my new book, “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” we see the Wizard struggling with his own character flaws as he is thrown into a dangerous situation in which he will have to survive by his wits and natural cunning. It turns out that being a conniving little conman has its advantages.

The Hidden Message in the Balloon’s Departure

The Wizard’s sketchy balloon plan represents his own doubtful character. He hopes to float above his troubles and find the easy path back home. This is contrasted with Dorothy’s journey in which she learns the importance of courage, friendship, and hard work.

In “The Lost Wizard of Oz” the Wizard will need to learn this in order to survive.

In L. Frank Baum’s original book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” the Land of Oz is surrounded by the terrible Poisonous Desert. On Mr. Baum’s maps, the eastern quadrant of this vast desert is referred to as the “Deadly Desert,” while the remaining three quadrants bear the names of the “Shifting Sands,” the “Impassable Desert,” and the “Great Sandy Waste.” All of them are poisonous. He tells us that stepping into any part of that desert will dissolve you into nothing. Dangerous indeed!

Where did the Poisonous Desert come from?

Over five hundred years ago, the Fairies created the beautiful Land of Oz. To protect it from the outside world, they surrounded the land with the vast Poisonous Desert. They intended the desert to protect Oz from evil influences. Obviously, it doesn’t work very well. Throughout the original Oz books, people are able to concoct a variety of ways to cross the desert. They cross in both directions, in and out of the Land of Oz.

In my new book, “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” I continue this tradition of a regretfully porous barrier around Oz. In her search for the lost Wizard, Glinda stumbles upon the latest, and most dangerous invader: Brannagh’s Army from the east.

The Symbolism of the Poisonous Desert in “The Wizard of Oz”

The desert is a symbol of our efforts to protect ourselves from our problems by isolating ourselves from the world. But we can’t do that. It simply doesn’t work. The world with its challenges will always find a way to intrude into our lives, just like in the Land of Oz. The Poisonous Desert underscores the notion that proper growth and resilience are born from confronting difficulties rather than seeking isolation.

Besides, not all evil influences came from outside of Oz. Consider old Mombi, a treacherous witch who appears in more than one of the original Oz books. She was there from the start. This reminds us that many of our troubles come from our own weaknesses and choices.

L. Frank Baum’s final words

On his deathbed, Mr. Baum uttered his final words, “Now we can cross the Shifting Sands…” He was leaving this world and moving on to the next.

Most people know that the Wizard intended to fly Dorothy out of the Land of Oz in a great balloon. This concept appears both in L. Fank Baum’s original book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and in the 1939 movie, “The Wizard of Oz.”

In Mr. Baum’s original book, we are told the Wizard first arrived in Oz by balloon, which was carried from Nebraska to Oz by a great tornado. In my new book, “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” we get a hint as to where that tornado might have come from. In Oz, nothing happens by chance. Something or someone is usually working behind the scenes, like the Wizard himself, hidden behind his curtain. We could say the same thing about real life. What look like coincidences often turn out to be much, much more.

The Wizard’s Balloon Ride: A Risky Escape Plan

In Mr. Baum’s original book, the Wizard tells Dorothy the balloon that brought him to Oz was filled with helium gas. The problem is that there is no helium in all the land of Oz. Not one bit. Foolishly, he suggests that filling a balloon with hot air might be able to carry them over the poisonous desert and back to America. He admits that hot air is not nearly as effective as helium and is afraid the balloon may crash in the desert. Nevertheless, he is willing to try because he wants to help the little girl and he is tired of being king. People are beginning to catch on that he is a fraud.

Dorothy turns out to be very lucky she is not in that balloon. In “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” his balloon does, in fact, crash into the desert. All of us have faced problems that we feel have no good solution. Sometimes we take a foolish risk. Unfortunately for the Wizard, he is about to learn the hard way something my Daddy use to tell me: “Son, it is a lot easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble.”

Great advice, Dad, though I have to admit I didn’t always listen. Besides, sometimes getting out of trouble is half the fun.