The Lost King of Oz

1925, 1985 Del Rey edition
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Illustrated by John R. Neill
The Lost King of Oz
Bought newish for $5.95
Slightly worn paperback
B

This is Thompson's best so far.  The main plot deals with pre-wizard history, as she tries to resolve a loose end that Baum left.  That she doesn't do so completely satisfactorily is not entirely her fault, since, as we know, Baum contradicted himself.   In DatW, Ozma had claimed that both Ozma's nameless grandfather and Ozma's father were prisoners of Mombi, and then "When I was born she transformed me into a boy."  Baum had named Ozma's father Pastoria for the 1902 musical of The Wizard of Oz, which carried over to the book of Land, where Mombi confessed that the Wizard gave her the baby princess.

In Thompson's version, it's not only acknowledged that the Wizard helped Mombi, which Baum ignored after the Wizard's return to Oz, but the Wizard shows genuine remorse.  Thompson does, however, have Ozma remember her father and their old hunting lodge, implying that Ozma was older than a baby.  Thompson doesn't reconcile how Ozma is descended from both a long line of fairies and Pastoria, although she does mention the fairy queen Lurline.  Perhaps Ozma's mother was queen, and Pastoria the consort and then regent.  (I loathed Wicked, so I haven't read Son of a Witch, but I will admit that the theory, as described in Wikipedia, sounds plausible.)  After all, Ozma says in DatW, that all rulers of Oz once it became a fairyland were named Oz if male, Ozma if female, and "Pastoria" doesn't fit that.

In any case, the lost king is found but he abdicates so he can continue his career as tailor.  There's no long-range impact, other than an old mystery being cleared up.  And we do get to see Mombi again, before she's wiped out by water.  She's lost her magic because of Glinda, but she's still a mean old broad.  I like how Neill draws her Gillikin ex-witch costume to look old-fashioned among the simpler fashions around her.

Mombi journeys to the Emerald City accompanied by a goose she was going to cook for dinner (she's had to become a cook) and Snip, a button-boy of Kimbaloo.  The goose is actually the Prime Minister Pajuka.  (I kept thinking of the song "Paducah" from 1943's The Gang's All Here.)  She transformed him years ago and he demands to know what she did with the king, but she lost much of her memory when she lost her magic.  The three travelers pass through Catty Corners, so of course Thompson uses the word "pussy."  Then Snip finds Tora the Tired Tailor, who's also lost his memory, and no one yet realizes he's Pastoria.

The Dorothy subplot this time isn't as pointless as usual, for two reasons.  When she accidentally wishes herself to Hollywood, California, she ages all the years she's been in Oz, and then this is reversed when she returns to Oz, which resolves a bit the question of aging in Oz.  (Not entirely, since Thompson will add a proviso to this later.)  More importantly, Dorothy discovers a moving-picture stunt dummy that she brings to life, and his robe has a clue that helps restore Pastoria.

She and the dummy, whom she's named Humpy (oh dear), run into Kabumpo, whom I still don't like, even if Thompson assures us he's kind under his gruffness.  Kabumpo says that Kimbaloo is near Pumperdink, but that's not how it looks on the map.  (Kimbaloo by the way has an economy built on buttons and bouquets, and they seem to be doing better than Ragbad in these post-utopian times.)  The two parties who are going to the Emerald City team up.

Meanwhile Ozma and some of her friends have gone to Morrow, today.  This is mainly so Ozma can remember her father, and be away when he returns.  It also leads to what may well be the worst Scraps-bashing.  Ozma hushes her, Trot calls her a goose, Sir Hokus commands, "Silence, wench!", Betsy "looks shocked at the Patch Work Girl's heartless speech," and I think there's even a moment when the Scarecrow gets annoyed with her, although I can't find it now.

Still, flaws and all, this is an improvement on the first four Thompsons, and luckily not the last time she'll delve into Ozian pre-history.