Folk lore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followedchildhood through the ages, for every healthyyoungster has a wholesome and instinctive love for storiesfantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal. The wingedfairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought more happinessto childish hearts than all other human creations.

Yet the old-time fairy tale, having served for generations,may now be classed as "historical" in the children'slibrary; for the time has come for a series of newer "wondertales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairyare eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdlingincident devised by their authors to point afearsome moral to each tale. Modern education includesmorality; therefore the modern childseeks only entertainment in its wonder-talesand gladly dispenses with all disagreeableincident.

Having this thought in mind, thestory of "The Wonderful Wizard ofOz" was written solely to pleasurechildren of today. It aspires to beinga modernized fairy tale, in which thewonderment and joy are retained and theheart-aches and nightmares are left out.

L. Frank Baum.

Chicago, April, 1900.

CHAPTER I.—The Cyclone.
CHAPTER II.—The Council with The Munchkins.
CHAPTER III.—How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow.
CHAPTER IV.—The Road Through the Forest.
CHAPTER V.—The Rescue of the Tin Woodman.
CHAPTER VI.—The Cowardly Lion.
CHAPTER VII.—The Journey to The Great Oz.
CHAPTER VIII.—The Deadly Poppy Field....