Author's Note

           PerhapsIshouldadmitonthetitlepagethatthisbookis"ByL.FrankBaumandhiscorrespondents,"forIhaveusedmanysuggestionsconveyedtomeinlettersfromchildren.OnceonatimeIreallyimaginedmyself"anauthoroffairytales,"butnowIammerelyaneditororprivatesecretaryforahostofyoungsterswhoseideasIamrequestsedtoweaveintothethreadofmystories.

           Theseideasareoftenclever.Theyarealsologicalandinteresting.SoIhaveusedthemwheneverIcouldfindanopportunity,anditisbutjustthatIacknowledgemyindebtednesstomylittlefriends.

           My,whatimaginationsthesechildrenhavedeveloped!SometimesIamfairlyastoundedbytheirdaringandgenius.Therewillbenolackoffairy-taleauthorsinthefuture,Iamsure.MyreadershavetoldmewhattodowithDorothy,andAuntEmandUncleHenry,andIhaveobeyedtheirmandates.Theyhavealsogivenmeavarietyofsubjectstowriteaboutinthefuture:enough,infact,tokeepmebusyforsometime.Iamveryproudofthisalliance.Childrenlovethesestoriesbecausechildrenhavehelpedtocreatethem.MyreadersknowwhattheywantandrealizethatItrytopleasethem.Theresultisverysatisfactorytothepublishers,tome,and(Iamquitesure)tothechildren.

           Ihope,mydears,itwillbealongtimebeforeweareobligedtodissolvepartnership.

           L.FrankBaum.

           Coronado,1910