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.

Enhancing Character Development Through Dialogue

Have you ever watched an old science fiction movie from the 1950s? I remember watching those as a kid and being bugged by how they would start the movie with several minutes of narration explaining what was going on before the action actually started. That was so dull! I would listen to it and wonder why they didn’t just have the actors talk to one another about what was going on. That would have been much more interesting.

Advancing the Plot with Conversational Clues

Dialogue should be used to guide us through a story. It moves the plot forward.

Through dialogue, good writers place hints, foreshadowing, and subtle revelations that pique the reader’s curiosity, keeping them engaged.

Good stories, and I mean all good stories, are based on conversations and interactions between the characters in the stories. Consider L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Most of the action is driven by conversations between Dorothy and the people she meets.

Dorothy and the Good Witch of the North:  “Oh what shall I ever do? How will I get home?” The Good Witch tells her to see the great Wizard and off she goes down the yellow brick road.

Dorothy and the Scarecrow:  “I wish there was some way to get out of this cornfield.” This leads to a charming conversation during which Dorothy suggests he go with her to see the Wizard to get a brain.

Dorothy and the Tin Woodman: “Get an oil can!” This is followed by the story of how he came to be made of tin and how he lost his heart in the process. Dorothy invites him along to see the Wizard too.

Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion:  “Don’t you dare bite Toto! You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You’re nothing but a big coward.” This leads to the Lion’s confession of his own cowardice. True to her kindly nature, Dorothy invites the Lion along as well.

And on and on.

Making us care

In these conversations, we see Dorothy revealed as kind, caring, and self-sacrificing. As the story progresses, we find that she is more concerned about her friends getting their wishes granted than she is about taking care of her own needs.

That’s why we love her!

We would rather hear the characters in a book talk about a problem than read a narrative describing the problem. It’s much more interesting that way and we develop an affinity with the characters, even though they don’t really exist. Dialogue doesn’t just give us information; it gives us a feel for the character and makes us care about them.

Balancing Dialogue and Narrative for Effective Storytelling

Of course, you’ve got to have some narrative as well. Like a graceful dance, storytelling demands a harmonious balance between dialogue and narrative, each complementing the other and never stepping on each other’s toes. Mr. Baum understood when to allow the characters to speak, their voices carrying the story forward, and when to describe the action from the narrator’s perspective.

In L. Frank Baum’s original Wizard of Oz series of books, the Gnomes (spelled “Nomes” by Mr. Baum) are a nasty breed of creatures who live to the east of the Land of Oz, across the Poisonous Desert. This places them opposite of Munchkin Land, former home of the Wicked Witch of the East. The Gnomes first appear in the third book of the original series, “Ozma of Oz” (1907).

One of their more peculiar traits is their absolute immortality. It is almost impossible to kill them, except for touching them with the inside part of an egg. Very weird, that. Now mind you, we never actually see a Gnome hit with an egg so we can’t prove it would kill them. Nevertheless, the narrator assures us this is a fact.

Understanding Immortality in Baum’s Oz

The hope of immortality has fascinated philosophers, religionists, storytellers, and story readers for centuries. In the Land of Oz, immortality takes on some unique features that don’t normally appear in our thinking about the subject.  For example, in the sixth book of Mr. Baum’s series, “The Emerald City of Oz,” we see an officer in the Gnome Army, sentenced to “death” by his King Roquat for refusing to obey orders. Roquat has the soldier sliced into thin pieces with a very sharp knife. However, each piece of the poor fellow remains alive. Next, Roquat has the pieces fed to a pack of ravenous seven-headed dogs. We are given no word as to whether the soldier ever actually dies. Personally, I can’t quite wrap my head around that one.

The Dark Side of Living Forever

The Reverend Billy Graham once said, “Eternal death lasts just as long as eternal life.” What Billy meant was that people either go to a terrible hell forever or they go to a blessed heaven forever, depending on the choices they make about Jesus Christ in this life. The Gnome sliced up and fed to the dogs might have an interesting perspective on that, don’t you think?

The Gnome King’s Eternal Reign?

At the heart of the Gnome Kingdom lies the Gnome King, Roquat. He may be immortal, but his reign is not necessarily eternal. The Gnome world is in a constant state of turmoil because of their obnoxious, greedy, selfish nature. In my new book, “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” we see a Gnome Chieftain by the name of Rockpounder, working on a plan to overthrow his king. Read the book and discover how this works out for him.

Conclusion

The Gnomes give us a lens through which we can look at some of the trickier aspects of immortality. Their eternal existence serves as a metaphor for the human condition, a reflection of our desires to transcend mortality’s limitations.

America’s Gilded Age

L. Frank Baum’s original story “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (1900) is set in the heart of America’s “Gilded Age” (1870-1910). The Industrial Revolution had given rise to a new wealthy class of people with names like Vanderbilt, Morgan, Ford, Carnegie, and Rockefeller. Massive fortunes were made very quickly and spent on lavish lifestyles.

Symbolism in “The Wizard of Oz.”

Mr. Baum’s story about a little girl and her friends is more than just a charming fairytale. Many see it as an allegory of American life in the late 19^th century.  Consider the following:

Dorothy: This innocent little girl is pulled out of her mundane Kansas farm life. She represents average Americans, just trying to get by in life. She is kind, hard-working, uncomplaining, brave, and determined. She puts most of us modern day Americans to shame.

The Scarecrow: This fellow symbolizes the struggling farmers of the Midwest who were looked down upon by the more educated Easterners. He is a real country bumpkin. In the book, he describes himself as brainless, but throughout the book he demonstrates common sense and cleverness as he helps Dorothy along the way. The Scarecrow embodies the resilience and resourcefulness of the American farmer.

The Tin Woodman:  The man of tin represents mistreated factory workers who are victims of the Industrial Revolution. He is neglected and has been left to rust with no one to care for him. As American industry treats workers as soulless automatons, so the Tin Woodman declares he has no heart. However, in the story, we see him as even more tender-hearted than Dorothy, worried that he might step on a bug.

The Cowardly Lion:  The Lion represents politicians who roar boldly and bravely but are as timid as mice. They strut about trying to impress others with their power but are, in reality, ineffectual and disappointing. Under Dorothy’s influence, even this hopeless coward begins to show signs of true courage.

The Gilded Age in Oz: A Reflection of American Society

Baum’s story is a mirror held up to the Gilded Age, reflecting the stark contrasts and inequalities that plagued American society in the late 1890s.

The Emerald City’s opulence starkly contrasts the humble existence of the Munchkins, and Dorothy herself. It is a moving commentary on the widening gap between the wealthy elite and the struggling masses.

The triumph of the American Spirit.

Through his charming characters, Mr. Baum develops a delightful story that exposes some of the flaws of American society. More importantly, the book is about the triumph of the American Spirit over adversity. This is not a story about a pathetic little girl wallowing in her own despair waiting for someone to help her. Dorothy faces her problems head on and overcomes them through grit and determination, all the while maintaining her kindly, humble nature.

L. Frank Baum wrote a total of fourteen Oz books, starting with “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (1900) and ending with “Glinda of Oz” (1920), this last book being published posthumously a year after he died. Few people know that Mr. Baum actually intended to finish his Oz series with his sixth book, “The Emerald City of Oz” (1910). In this book, Dorothy brings her Uncle Henry and Auntie Em to live permanently in Oz. If you think about it, this is a very nice wrap-up to the series.

Stuck in an Ozian rut

In his writing career, Mr. Baum tried repeatedly to escape the Land of Oz. In fact, he wrote forty-one other fantasy novels not related to Oz, none of which succeeded very well. His fans simply were not interested. They wanted to hear more about Dorothy, the Wizard, Glinda, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the host of other intriguing characters he created for the Land of Oz.

Personally, I don’t know why he was not content to dwell in Oz. His other works are written in the same style, with similar characters, and with similar plots. For example, he wrote “The Enchanted Island of Yew” in 1904, in an attempt to branch out in a new direction. Here is a brief description of that novel.

The Island of Yew is, obviously, surrounded by water which isolates it from the rest of the world. In like manner, the Land of Oz is isolated from the rest of the world by a poisonous desert. The Island of Yew is round and is divided into four magical kingdoms (north, south, east, and west) with a fifth, and most powerful, magical kingdom in the center. The Land of Oz is divided into four magical kingdoms (north, south, east, and west) with the Emerald City in the center.

The plot of “The Enchanted Island of Yew” centers on a fairy princess who transforms herself into a human prince. He travels about the island having adventures with no very clear purpose in mind. This reminds us of Mr. Baum’s second novel “The Marvelous Land of Oz” which features a fairy princess who has been transformed into a boy named Tip who wanders around the Land of Oz with no very clear purpose in mind.

One more thing: “The Enchanted Island of Yew” features a phony magician hiding in his castle pretending to be a great and powerful wizard. Sound familiar?

Conclusion

I would highly recommend you take a look at some of L. Frank Baum’s other works. You can still get many of them as inexpensive reprints. These lesser known stories can provide interesting insights into what is going on in the original Wizard of Oz series.

In L. Frank Baum’s original Oz books, we read about those pesky Gnomes as perpetual and relentless adversaries of the Land of Oz. They first appear in the third Oz book, “Ozma of Oz” (1907) in which they are described as small, powerfully built immortals, hoarding jewels and precious metals in their underground caverns. In a subsequent book, “The Emerald City of Oz (1910),” they attempt to conquer Oz by tunneling under the poisonous desert and into the Emerald City, itself.

In “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” my sequel to the classic “Wizard of Oz,” the Gnomes are once again digging their way to Oz. This time, however, they are working for the vile Queen of the Dark Heart. She is pushing them to hurry, but they run into an ancient and powerful creature beneath the desert who does not appreciate their trespassing on his turf.

What do Gnomes do for a Living?

The Gnomes of “The Lost Wizard of Oz” are not just greedy little thieves. Rather, they are highly skilled miners and engineers. Their abilities are well known and are for sale for the right price. The Dark Queen buys their services as part of her nefarious plan to invade the Land of Oz through an underground passage.

Gnomes are consumed by insatiable greed for wealth, particularly emeralds which are common in the Land of Oz. Their deep-rooted obsession with these precious gems has led to a long-standing conflict with the inhabitants of Oz over control of the emerald mines situated beneath the Emerald City.

A Closer Look at Gnomes

These diminutive beings are described as having long powerful arms, short legs, and an angry disposition; always looking for a fight.

Gnomes are cunning and self-serving by nature. “The Lost Wizard of Oz,” expands upon the Gnomes’ internal politics, introducing King Roquat, who harbors plans to betray the Dark Queen and claim the emeralds of Oz for himself. However, there may be those among his own people with plans to betray not only the Dark Queen, but King Roquat, himself.

Glinda, forever alone and lonely.

Everybody needs somebody. Consider Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. She has served and protected Oz for 500 years. She is powerful, intelligent, beautiful, and compassionate. Loved by everybody (except the bad ones). Nevertheless, in the “Lost Wizard of Oz,” we find Glinda alone and lonely. Her solitary life weighs on her, causing her to doubt the value of her commitment.

Who doesn’t love a good love story?

Glinda hires a bounty hunter (Strigand Nightflyer) to find the missing Wizard of Oz. He is dark and brooding, awkward with human interactions. Completely focused on the job, he speaks to her sparingly, only talking to her when he must. Though he shows himself committed to finding the Wizard and keeping her safe, he holds himself aloof from the beautiful Queen of the Quadlings.

For her part, Glinda finds his sullenness irritating. She wants more information than he is willing to share and finds it difficult to trust him. And who can blame her?

Nevertheless, sharing a dangerous quest with someone often fosters a deeper connection than we intend. To survive, Glinda and Strigand are forced to depend on one another, risking their lives, and perhaps the mission, to keep each other safe. Their shared adventures create intimate moments for which neither of them is prepared. This becomes fertile ground for romance to blossom. The trouble is, they might not live long enough to enjoy it.

A parable about marriage.

As much as anything, the relationship between Glinda and Strigand serves as a parable of marriage as it ought to be: Two people devoting themselves to a higher cause while devoting themselves to one another. But relationships are tough and don’t always survive. Their adventure becomes a metaphor for the journey of love, with each destination and obstacle strengthening or weakening the connection between them.