This Book is Dedicated
To My Granddaughter
OZMA BAUM

To My Readers

Some of my youthful readers are developing wonderful
imaginations. This pleases me. Imagination has brought
mankind through the Dark Ages to its present state of
civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover
America. Imagination led Franklin to discover
electricity. Imagination has given us the steam engine,
the telephone, the talking-machine and the automobile,
for these things had to be dreamed of before they
became realities. So I believe that dreams — day
dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your
brain-machinery whizzing — are likely to lead to the
betterment of the world. The imaginative child will
become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create,
to invent, and therefore to foster civilization. A
prominent educator tells me that fairy tales are of
untold value in developing imagination in the young. I
believe it.

Among the letters I receive from children are many
containing suggestions of “what to write about in the
next Oz Book.” Some of the ideas advanced are mighty
interesting, while others are too extravagant to be
seriously considered — even in a fairy tale. Yet I
like them all, and I must admit that the main idea in
“The Lost Princess of Oz” was suggested to me by a
sweet little girl of eleven who called to see me and to
talk about the Land of Oz. Said she: “I s’pose if Ozma
ever got lost, or stolen, ev’rybody in Oz would be
dreadful sorry.”

That was all, but quite enough foundation to build
this present story on. If you happen to like the story,
give credit to my little friend’s clever hint.

L. Frank Baum
Royal Historian of Oz