by L. Frank Baum
   "Royal Historian of Oz"

   To My Readers

    Well,
           my dears,
         here is
             what you have asked for:
        another
         "Oz Book"
            about Dorothy's strange adventures.

    Toto is in this story,
           because you wanted him
              to be there,
         and many other characters
              which you will recognize
                 are in the story,
           too.

    Indeed,
           the wishes
               of my little correspondents
              have been
                  considered as carefully as possible,
         and if the story
            is not exactly as you
               would have written it yourselves,
           you must remember
             that a story
                has to be a story
             before it
                can be written down,
         and the writer
            cannot change it much
             without spoiling it.

    In the preface to
         "Dorothy and
               the Wizard of Oz"
            I said
             I would like
                  to write some stories
             that were not "Oz" stories,
           because I thought
             I had
                  written about Oz long enough;
        but since
             that volume was published
            I have been fairly
                  deluged with
                letters from children
                      imploring me to "write more
                           about Dorothy," and "more
                          about Oz," and
             since I
                  write only
                      to please the children
                 I shall
                      try to respect their wishes.

    There are some new characters
           in this book
         that ought
              to win your live.

    I'm very fond
           of the shaggy man myself,
         and I think you
            will like him,
         too.

    As for Polychrome
         --the Rainbow's Daughter--
           and stupid little Button-Bright,
         they seem
              to have
                  brought a new element
                       of fun
                     into these Oz stories,
         and I am glad
             I discovered them.

    Yet I am anxious to
         have you
              write and tell me
         how you like them.

    Since this book was written
         I have
              received some very remarkable News
                   from The Land of Oz,
           which has greatly astonished me.

    I believe
         it will astonish you,
           too,
         my dears,
           when you hear it.

    But it
        is such a long and
              exciting story
         that it
            must be
                  saved for another book
          --and perhaps
             that book
                will be the last story
             that will ever
                  be told
                       about the Land of Oz.

    L. FRANK
        BAUM

    Coronado,
           1909.
 
  1. The Way to Butterfield

    "Please,
           miss,"
          said the shaggy man,
               "can you
                  tell me
                       the road to Butterfield?"

    Dorothy looked him over.

    Yes,
           he was shaggy,
         all right,
           but there was a twinkle
               in his eye
             that seemed pleasant.

    "Oh yes,"
          she replied;
            "I can tell you.

    But it
        isn't this road at all."

    "No?"

    "You cross the ten-acre lot,
           follow the lane
               to the highway,
         go north
               to the five branches,
           and take
         --let me see--
           "

    "To be sure,
           miss;
        see as far as Butterfield,
           if you like,"
              said the shaggy man.

    "You take the branch
           next the willow stump,
         I b'lieve;
        or else the branch
               by the gopher holes;
        or else
          --"

    "Won't any of
         'em do,
               miss?"

    "'Course not,
           Shaggy Man.

    You must
         take the right road
          to get to Butterfield."

    "And is
         that the one
               by the gopher stump,
           or
          --"