Rinkitink in Oz

1916, undated probably 1970s Henry Regnery edition
L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by John R. Neill
Rinkitink in Oz
Bought new for $3.95
Somewhat worn paperback
B

I don't think this is the copy I had as a child, because that copy I read every summer floating on an inflatable raft in our pool.  It seemed appropriate for a story set on islands, and I suspect it got waterlogged over the years.  In any case, it was a big part of my childhood, connecting imagination and leisure.  I liked Inga for his bravery, loyalty, and ingenuity, and envied him the three magic pearls.  I liked Bilbil's sarcasm, but I don't think I cared very much for the title character, who wasn't as funny as the author thought.


The story is set mostly outside of Oz, but we get a map of Oz and some of the surrounding countries.  West and Winkies are on the right.  I've always been sort of dyslexic about left and right, in that I can't parse which is which immediately, and I'm terrible at giving street directions, so I wonder if I can blame Baum.  In any case, Pingaree is the island on the upper right.  Regos and Coregos (inspired by "regent" and "coregent"?) are off the map.

Some of the story takes place in the Nome Kingdom.  Baum originally wrote the story as a non-Oz book a decade before, so Kaliko acts more like Roquat than his usual self.  Interestingly, before agreeing to accept the King and Queen of Pingaree as his slaves, he makes sure that they aren't allies with Oz, because he doesn't want to annoy Ozma.  Does this mean that Ev was allied with Oz during Ozma?  If so, when was the treaty made?  During the Wizard's time?  Or is Ozma less interventionist these days, and so Kaliko is only worried if Ozma has a darned good reason to interfere?  In any case, Dorothy and the Wizard, although on foot, arrive in the nick of time to save the day.  It's too bad that Inga didn't get to rescue his parents himself.  (And it's too bad he has a name that, thanks to Three's Company among other things, would soon sound like that of a bosomy blonde Swedish girl.)

The reference to "Hottentots" I mentioned in the Patchwork Girl review is that when Glinda and the Wizard are trying to change Bilbil back to Prince Bobo, one of the transitional phases is "tottenhot," here defined as "a lower form of man."  Adding insult to injury, this is followed by a cross-eyed "mifket," which is "a great step in advance."

Back in Land, Glinda said she didn't deal in transformations, which are only for dishonest witches.  Maybe she's now willing to do unclean magic in a good cause.  The wizard figures out that Bilbil is enchanted because the goat can speak in the Nome Kingdom, never mind that Billina did as well.

Neill's artwork is his best in awhile, maybe helped by this being a more traditional fairytale.  He's generally successful with the three main characters, and of course the palaces are gorgeous, even when in ruins.  The most interesting image is that of the Regos soldier on p. 52.  This invader from the north has a spiked helmet and an eagle-headed axe.  Was this Neill's version of the "Hun" in WWI propaganda?