My friends the children are responsible for this new "Oz Book, " as they were for the last one, which was called The Land of Oz. Their sweet little letters plead to know "more about Dorothy", and they ask: "What became of the Cowardly Lion?" and "What did Ozma do afterward?" - meaning, of course, after she became the Ruler of Oz. And some of them suggest plots to me, saying: "Please have Dorothy go to the Land of Oz again", or, "Why don't you make Ozma and Dorothy meet, and have a good time together?" Indeed, could I do all that my little friends ask, I would be obliged to write dozens of books to satisfy their demands. And I wish I could, for I enjoy writing these stories just as much as the children say they enjoy reading them.