Rereading: THE MAGIC OF OZ by L. Frank Baum

The thirteenth Oz book by Baum of 1919 tells several intertwined stories featuring magic. It begins on remote Mount Munch in Munchkinland, where Bini Aru, a former sorcerer, is reluctant to destroy his most powerful magic, the word P y r z q x g l which, if pronounced just right, can transform any being into any other living shape. He decides to hide the instructions in case he ever needs them again. His son Kiki Aru, who longs to escape Mount Munch to see the rest of Oz and the countries around it, finds those instructions, and learns them by heart. Then he transforms himself into a powerful bird and flies off to find adventure. He meets Ruggedo, the former Nome King, now a disgraced wanderer, and the two decide to team up to conquer Oz.

Meanwhile, in the Emerald City, friends of Ozma, their ruler, are trying to think of unique birthday gifts for her upcoming party. The American girl Trot and her friend Cap’n Bill follow the Glass Cat to a magical flower hidden in a forest on an island that they think would make a perfect gift, but soon run into serious trouble trying to retrieve it. Dorothy and The Wizard have another idea that requires the help of some monkeys from the forest of Gugu, so they travel there with the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger. When they arrive, they find Kiki and Ruggedo, disguised as unusual animals, trying to incite a revolt. Before long, Kiki has transformed them, the animal leaders, and even Ruggedo to animal forms because he was frightened. How can all these wrongs be righted?

A fun story, I enjoyed rereading it. Recommended.

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