Empedocles was a Greek philosopher who was born about twenty years before Socrates. He lived and taught on the Island of Sicily. He was the first philosopher to develop the idea of the universe being made up of the four classical elements: earth, water, air, and fire.

As an old man, he went a little mad, believing he had become a god because of his great wisdom. He is said to have died when he threw himself into Mount Etna, a live volcano, to prove his deity.

The “God of Earth”?

In “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” Glinda discovers Empedocles living in isolation beneath the poisonous desert which surrounds the Land of Oz. He has apparently been granted his wish and has become immortal. He fashions himself to be a god, specifically the “God of Earth,” one of the four elements. He is extremely powerful, possibly even more powerful than Glinda herself.

Worse yet, he is still quite mad, unpredictable, and smitten with Glinda, seeing her as a likely candidate for romance. We can understand this when we consider the fact that he has not seen a woman in some twenty-five hundred years.

Glinda’s bodyguard, a bounty hunter named Strigand, is having none of this and plants himself firmly between the two. For her part, Glinda sees the advantage of recruiting Empedocles in her quest to find the little lost wizard who disappeared from the Land of Oz when he sailed away in his balloon.

Might not a little flirtation serve her purposes? She will certainly not be the first woman in authority to have used her charms to manipulate powerful but unstable men to her advantage.

Is there help for Empedocles?

Empedocles is a complex and conflicted character. He is narcissistic and arrogant, yet also desperately lonely after centuries of isolation. Haunted by the possibility that his immortality is a punishment for his pride, Empedocles struggles to find a way to repent and redeem himself.

Glinda may be the only one who can help guide the ancient philosopher toward the redemption he so deeply craves. Her intervention could be Empedocles’ last chance to find peace after millennia of solitary torment.

In L. Frank Baum’s original book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” the Land of Oz is surrounded by the terrible Poisonous Desert. 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.

In “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” we take up the story just after the so-called “Great and Powerful” Wizard of Oz has flown away in his balloon, leaving poor Dorothy behind. Glinda discovers he has taken the most powerful magical talisman in the Land with him.

She hires a bounty hunter named Strigand to track down the missing wizard and get the talisman back. To Glinda’s dismay, Strigand discovers the wizard has crossed the desert. This means they will have to leave Oz to find him.

Surprisingly, this does not bother Strigand in the least. He calmly tells her, “I am widely traveled, my lady. There’s a lot of world beyond Oz.” His words suggest that there are many undiscovered lands and adventures waiting to be explored.

These quotes spark the imagination and invite readers to envision the rich and diverse landscapes that lie beyond the Land of Oz, promising a wealth of new tales and mysteries ready to be unraveled.

Many of the lands beyond Oz are just as remarkable as Oz itself. In “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” we catch glimpses of these intriguing places. For instance, we find that a powerful witch named Brannagh, who calls herself Queen of the Dark Heart, rules one such land, far to the west of Oz.

As if Oz didn’t have enough problems within its borders, this new threat has hired the Gnomes to dig a tunnel into Winkie Land, the westernmost kingdom in Oz.

Permeability of Oz’s Borders

In the original Oz books by L. Frank Baum, the barriers surrounding the Land of Oz are not as impenetrable as they may seem. Throughout the series, various characters are able to devise clever methods to cross the desert and reach the lands beyond Oz and vice versa.

This allows for a great deal of interaction and exchange between the magical land of Oz and the wider world, opening up intriguing narrative possibilities.

What Lies Beyond the Land of Oz

Kingdom of Ix and the Land of Ev. L. Frank Baum wrote a “non-Oz” book called “Queen Zixi of Ix” (1905), which features both the Kingdom of Ix and the Land of Ev, which are both to the north of Oz, across the Poisonous Desert. However, “Queen Zixi of Ix” has no connection to the Oz books.

The Island of Pingaree. Mr. Baum’s tenth book in the Oz series was “Rinkitink of Oz” (1916). Almost none of the action takes place in Oz. Rather, the story is set on the Island of Pingaree, which is in the ocean near Oz but still across the poisonous desert. Toward the end of the book, Dorothy travels from Oz to help rescue the royal family of Pingaree, who are being held captive by the wicked Gnomes.

Land of the Gnomes. The Gnomes are the best-known and most formidable of all the enemies of Oz. They appear in numerous Oz stories, both in the original Baum canon and in several Oz books written by other authors.

The “Real” World: Oz appears disconnected from the everyday world, with Dorothy’s home in Kansas on the other side of the desert. In fact, we are never told where the real world is in relation to the Land of Oz. Apparently, it is somewhere over the rainbow.

The little boy Tip first appears in L. Frank Baum’s second Oz book, “The Marvelous Land of Oz.” Tip has been in Mombi’s service for as long as he can remember. In fact, that is all he can remember. The boy’s past is shrouded in mystery, piquing our curiosity. What circumstances led him to become Mombi’s servant, and what secrets might he harbor?

One can’t help but wonder about Tip’s relationship with the sinister Mombi. Is he merely a dutiful, if somewhat reluctant, helper, or is there something more going on?

Peculiar Turn of Events

As it turns out, Tip is not really a boy at all. He is really Princess Ozma, the rightful ruler of all the Land of Oz. She has been bewitched by Mombi at the insistence of the “Great and Powerful” Wizard of Oz. Of course, Glinda the Good Witch of the South helps rescue Tip/Ozma and restores her memory and original form.

The new book, “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” is set between the events described in the first and second Oz books. This new book describes Glinda’s first meeting with Tip. Glinda is looking for the little wizard who has flown away with a powerful talisman. She needs to find him and get it back. She reluctantly visits Mombi’s miserable little hovel, seeking information, which she gets.

Little Tip answers the door and greets the Good Witch. Glinda is taken aback by the child’s delicate and almost “girlish” appearance. How could such a child come to be living with crude, wicked old Mombi? She will have to investigate this later. First, she has to find the Wizard.

The Character of a Worthy “Princess”

A person’s character is shown by the way they handle the problems life throws at them. Tip really Ozma shows many excellent character traits we would like to see in a leader.

Resilient: Despite his difficult circumstances and the harsh treatment he receives from Mombi, Tip remains strong.

Curious: Tip is inquisitive, always exploring and seeking to understand the world around him.

Resourceful: He is clever and quick-thinking, often finding ways to navigate challenges and tricky situations.

Loyal: Despite his hardships, Tip shows a sense of loyalty, which is especially evident in his interactions and concern for others like Glinda.

Courageous: Tip demonstrates bravery, particularly in standing up to Mombi and facing the unknown.

Kind-hearted: He possesses a good heart, often showing compassion and empathy towards others.

Independent: Tip has a strong sense of independence, surviving and adapting to a harsh environment.

Determined: His determination is evident in his actions and decisions, driving him to seek a better life and understand his past.

Everybody thinks Glinda is the Good Witch of the North. This is because of how she is portrayed in the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz.” However, in L. Frank Baum’s original book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” Glinda is the Good Witch of the South, not the North. The Good Witch of the North is Glinda’s little sister. She is the one who sends Dorothy on her way to see the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz.

In the book, Glinda doesn’t even meet Dorothy until the very end of the story. It is she who sends Dorothy home with the magical slippers, which by the way, were silver, not ruby.

The Witch of the North’s Foolish Act.

In his original book, Mr. Baum is a little vague about who the Witch of the North is. She only appears in the first of his fourteen Oz books, and he never explicitly names her. However, we get a hint as to her identity in that first book. Mr. Baum briefly mentions a powerful witch who lives in the northern part of Oz.

Her name is Gayelette. It turns out she bears a grudge against the flying monkeys. They play a prank on her fiancé. As punishment, Gayelette creates the Golden Cap. This cap gives whoever possesses it the power to command the monkeys three times.

Little did Gayelette suspect that the Golden Cap would fall into the hands of the Wicked Witch of the West, who would use it to cause so much trouble for Oz in general and Dorothy in particular.

In “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” we begin to see how Gayelette’s actions drained a great deal of her power, youth, and beauty. That is why Gayelette is a little old woman while her older sister, Glinda, retains her youth and beauty even though she is five hundred years old. Revenge always comes with a very high price.

Glinda’s Sweet Relationship with Gayelette

Despite her failings, Glinda loves her sister dearly and supports her as the Witch of the North. As children, Glinda helped train Gayelette in the magical arts. In “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” Glinda recalls a story from their childhood.

“When my baby sister, Gayelette, was born, she exhibited her own variety of magic. I remember trying to give her a bath once. Gayelette loved the water, and the water certainly seemed to love her. She didn’t just sit in the tub splashing and kicking like some children. Not Gayelette. She would make water spouts and whirlpools by waving her little hands in the air. The oddest thing was that she never needed to be dried off. We’d pull her out of the water, and she’d be as dry as bone, but she’d be clean.”

This early display of Gayelette’s magical prowess foreshadowed her profound connection with the elements, making her a powerful and intriguing figure in the northern lands of Oz. Even now, they share a profound bond as sisters. Together, they struggle to maintain the balance of magic in their enchanted world.

Learning from Her Mistakes.

Gayelette does not become bitter about the loss of her youth and beauty. Rather, she learns from her mistakes and embraces her new role as the Land of Oz’s warm and loving Grandmother. Her kindness and approachability make her a comforting presence in the northern lands of Oz.