The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction also. Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up. "There's a cyclone coming, Em,"

The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center of the cyclone.

This is wild to me because this book was written decades before people knew about weather fronts, tornadogenesis, and S.L.I.M. (sheer, lift, instability, moisture), yet this is (simplified) exactly what happens when tornadoes form.

"No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home."

Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him; but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.

Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get."

"You have plenty of courage, I am sure," answered Oz. "All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty."

"I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only knew it, you are in luck not to have a heart."