The Scarecrow of Oz
The Great Whirlpool "Seems to me," said Cap'n Bill, as he sat beside Trot under the big acacia tree, looking out over the blue ocean, "seems to me, Trot, as how the more we know, the more we find we don't know."
"I can't quite make that out, Cap'n Bill," answered the little girl in a serious voice, after a moment's thought, during which her eyes followed those of the old sailor-man across the glassy surface of the sea. "Seems to me that all we learn is jus' so much gained."
"I know; it looks that way at first sight," said the sailor, nodding his head; "but those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin' they know all there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr'ble big world this is. It's the knowing ones that realize one lifetime ain't long enough to git more'n a few dips o' the oars of knowledge."
Reviews
Trot and Cap'n Bill are in trouble -- their boat has been pulled down into a giant whirlpool! When they finally land in a mysterious cave, there seems to be no escape....until they meet a strange creature. Where in the world are they?
The Scarecrow of Oz was chiefly a way for Baum to introduce readers to another one of his book series (The Sea Fairies and Sky Island) to his more lucrative Oz readership. The story itself is a bit uneven, but is easily digested by younger readers as separate segments can be treated as stand-alone stories with a single unifying theme of moving Cap'n Bill and Trot from California to Oz.
Synopsis: Cap'n Bill and Trot (a relationship which probably would not find its way into modern kiddie lit) go for a recreational row and get caught in a whirlpool. The whirlpool transports them to a fairy land which they escape with the help of an orc (a magical flying creature, not the nasties in Tolkein) and some magical shrinking berries. They spend a little bit of time in the Land of Mo (another Oz series) before escaping once again with recurring character Button-Bright (from the Road to Oz), the help of some adventuresome birds and magical growing berries. They land in Jinxland, a semi-autonomous region within Oz, where they accidentally insert themselves into the nuptial politics of the local ruler, an elderly but wealthy courtesan, the daughter of a deposed king, and the son of another deposed king. The three characters are unable to do anything other than get into serious trouble with a local witch and are eventually bailed out by the combination of the Scarecrow's planning, a sudden re-appearance of the original orc with an army of his friends, and a bit of lucky timing. After restoring the king's daughter to her rightful throne and true love, they make their way back to the Emerald City where they meet everyone. The story abruptly ends at this point - the reader can assume Capn' Bill and Trot have found a home in Oz although the story's beginning did not make it seem as if Trot's family was either lost or worth leaving.
This book brings in some nice characters--Trot and Cap'n Bill, from the two non-Oz books Baum wrote between EMERALD CITY and PATCHWORK GIRL, the better of which is the fabulous SKY ISLAND which every Baum fan should read. And a wonderful, funny, petulant but endearing non-human creature (the Ork, who is nothing at all like JRR Tolkein's Orcs.) The Ork gets some hilarious lines, like "If I'm going to starve, I'll do it all at once, not by degrees!" He's a little like the Woggle-Bug but more distinct and more appealing.
Plotwise this book is more or less nowhere; it's beginning is exceptionally grim (the protagonists face the apparent prospect of dying of thirst); then it becomes a walking and flying tour, with an attempt to cram an implausible story about one-dimensional characters (and the Scarecrow) in at the end. The story sort of threatens to become interesting when Cap'n Bill gets turned into a grasshopper--something which has happened to only one other Oz character--but doesn't quite work; it's too late in the book. Baum should have shortened the journey to Jinxland and focused on what happened there, or put more plot into the journey itself, like in WIZARD, PATCHWORK GIRL, and TIKTOK.
In spite of the plot problems I give it four stars for vivid portrayal of the main characters and Baum's special on-the-road atmosphere. If you like Trot and Cap'n Bill be sure to read SKY ISLAND.
The book arrived promptly via standard shipping. The dust cover and the book were in excellent condition. I am very pleased with the book and Amazon's service.
The Scarecrow of Oz is the ninth in the series and the only one which I did not pay much attention to as a child. It may justly claim to be one of the best structured of the Oz books, but the combination of characters and locations simply did not do much to capture my imagination back then. I liked Trot and Cap'n Bill, but I did not really like them as much as some of the other possible main characters.
As an adult I found that I admired the book much more-- even if the Scarecrow does not appear until much later, it is always good to see Button Bright back. The plot is also well-developed and Trot shows a side of her nature that fades later in the series when Baum sets her next to Dorothy and Ozma.
In short, a worthy entry into the Oz canon, if not a natural favorite.