The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People

Surprising Adventures of the
Magical Monarch of Mo and His
People, The

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Monarch of Mo and His People, by L. Frank Baum, Illustrated by
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Title: The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and
His People
Author: L. Frank Baum

Release Date: July 10, 2005 [eBook #16259]
Language: English
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THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE MAGICAL
MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE
by
L. FRANK BAUM
With pictures by Frank Ver Beck
1903

To the Comrade of my boyhood days Dr. Henry Clay Baum

TO THE READER
This book has been written for children. I have no shame in
acknowledging that I, who wrote it, am also a child; for since I can
remember my eyes have always grown big at tales of the marvelous,
and my heart is still accustomed to go pit-a-pat when I read of
impossible adventures. It is the nature of children to scorn realities,
which crowd into their lives all too quickly with advancing years.
Childhood is the time for fables, for dreams, for joy.
These stories are not true; they could no be true and be so marvelous.
No one is expected to believe them; they were meant to excite laughter
and to gladden the heart.
Perhaps some of those big, grown-up people will poke fun of us--at you

for reading these nonsense tales of the Magical Monarch, and at me for
writing them. Never mind. Many of the big folk are still children--even
as you and I. We cannot measure a child by a standard of size or age.
The big folk who are children will be our comrades; the others we need
not consider at all, for they are self-exiled from our domain.
L. FRANK BAUM.
June, 1903.

CONTENTS
THE FIRST SURPRISE The Beautiful Valley of Mo
THE SECOND SURPRISE The Strange Adventures of the King's
Head
THE THIRD SURPRISE The Tramp Dog and the Monarch's Lost
Temper
THE FOURTH SURPRISE The Peculiar Pains of Fruit Cake Island
THE FIFTH SURPRISE The Monarch Celebrates His Birthday
THE SIXTH SURPRISE King Scowleyow and His Cast-Iron Man
THE SEVENTH SURPRISE Timtom and the Princess Pattycake
THE EIGHTH SURPRISE The Bravery of Prince Jollikin
THE NINTH SURPRISE The Wizard and the Princess
THE TENTH SURPRISE The Duchess Bredenbutta's Visit to
Turvyland
THE ELEVENTH SURPRISE Prince Fiddlecumdoo and the Giant
THE TWELFTH SURPRISE The Land of the Civilized Monkeys

THE THIRTEENTH SURPRISE The Stolen Plum-Pudding
THE FOURTEENTH SURPRISE The Punishment of the Purple
Dragon

The First Surprise THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY OF MO
I dare say there are several questions you would like to ask at the very
beginning of this history. First: Who is the Monarch of Mo? And why
is he called the Magical Monarch? And where is Mo, anyhow? And
why have you never heard of it before? And can it be reached by a
railroad or a trolley-car, or must one walk all the way?
These questions I realize should be answered before we (that "we"
means you and the book) can settle down for a comfortable reading of
all the wonders and astonishing adventures I shall endeavor faithfully
to relate.
In the first place, the Monarch of Mo is a very pleasant personage
holding the rank of King. He is not very tall, nor is he very short; he is
midway between fat and lean; he is delightfully jolly when he is not sad,
and seldom sad if he can possibly be jolly. How old he may be I have
never dared to inquire; but when we realize that he is destined to live as
long as the Valley of Mo exists we may reasonably suppose the
Monarch of Mo is exactly as old as his native land. And no one in Mo
has ever reckoned up the years to see how many they have been. So we
will just say that the Monarch of Mo and the Valley of Mo are each a
part of the other, and can not be separated.
He is not called the Magical Monarch because he deals in magic--for he
doesn't deal in magic. But he leads such a queer life in