Cap’n Bill, a retired sailor with a wooden leg, and his young friend Trot are pulled into a massive whirlpool and find themselves in a subterranean world. After escaping a series of underground caverns, they meet the Ork, a flying creature with a propeller tail. The group travels to Jinxland, a remote territory separated from the rest of Oz by a range of high mountains. They discover a political crisis involving an cruel usurper, King Krewl, who seeks to prevent a princess from marrying her gardener by freezing her heart. The Scarecrow arrives from the Emerald City on a diplomatic mission and uses his cleverness and a collection of magical tools to help the protagonists overthrow the tyrant and restore the rightful ruler.
Children and fans of early American fantasy read this novel to experience L. Frank Baum’s expansion of the Land of Oz beyond its central capital. Readers acquire a broader understanding of the geography and strange species that inhabit the country’s fringe territories. The story provides a resolution for characters first introduced in the author’s side works, connecting them to the main series. The audience gains a whimsical adventure where logic and magic solve physical dilemmas through persistence and humor.
Practical, outward-looking, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1915
- Language
- EN
