Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Enchanted Tree of Oz

"The Enchanted Tree of Oz" is an unfinished story written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was originally written in 1927. The story was intended to act as a contest for people to send in an ending. The winner would have had their ending published. It however was not actually published until 1965 in the Autumn issue of "The Baum Bugle." Most recently, it was republished in the book "The Wizard of Way-Up and Other Wonders."

Because this story is so old and was not really used in the manner in which it was intended, it has since fallen apart in some ways. An entire page of the manuscript was lost, and naturally the ending is missing. There doesn't seem to be any record of a contest winner and their submission.

This whole thing really bothered me. I love the Oz series so much. Having an Oz story written by a famous author in such an unfinished state bothered me enough to do something about it. So here is what I have.

The following is the entire story of "The Enchanted Tree of Oz" as written by Ruth Plumly Thompson with a few minor exceptions:

1: The missing page was written by me. I did my best to match the before and after scenes. This particularly bothered me because the page had already been written by Thompson, but sadly it just does not exist anymore.

2: The original ending of the book had a small section encouraging the reader to write their own ending to it. I have completely omitted that from this blog for the sake of keeping the integrity of the story whole.

3. The entire ending is mine. I wrote it to match Thompson's style to the best of my abilities.

4. The author (Thompson and Wade respectively) is listed at the beginning of each section. This is to prevent any claims of plagiarism.

And now, after ninety-seven years, I present to you the complete short story of "The Enchanted Tree of Oz."

*****

The Enchanted Tree of Oz

By Ruth Plumly Thompson and T.K. Wade

-Thompson-

“This reminds me of old Oz times, just we four together like this!”

Waving his tail gently, the Cowardly Lion blinked happily at little Dorothy who was riding in state upon his back, then up at the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow who were walking arm in arm at his side.

“Do you remember how we first came to the Emerald City, boys? How the Scarecrow got his magic brains and Nick his heart and I some of the Wizard's courage?”

“Sometimes I think that was the best adventure we ever had.” sighed Dorothy, patting the Cowardly Lion dreamily on the ear. “Do you remember how the cyclone blew me from Kansas to Oz and how I found the Scarecrow and lifted him down from his pole?”

“A lift I shall never forget, my dear!” Snatching off his old blue hat, the Scarecrow dropped such a deep bow that he lost his balance and toppled into a ditch at the side of the road.

“And do you remember how you found me rusting in the green forest?” put in Nick Chopper, pulling the Scarecrow expertly to his feet and looking eagerly down at Dorothy — “and how I told you my sad, sad story?”

“There, there! You needn't tell it again," said the Cowardly Lion gruffly. “We all know how your ax was enchanted by a wicked witch and how you chopped off one arm, then the other, then your head, both legs and your body. And we know how after each ax-ident you were mended by a friendly tin smith till you were entirely a man of tin. Then you were caught in a rain storm which rusted your joints and you stood helplessly in the forest for a year until little Dorothy oiled you up and brought you to the Emerald City with us. I know that story by heart.” Wagging his tail roguishly, the Cowardly Lion grinned up at his old friend.

“But you’ll admit it’s a good story?” Taking out a piece of chamois, the Tin Woodman began to rub up his shiny chest. “How many changes since those days,” he mused thoughtfully, “Instead of a poor wood chopper, I am now Emperor of the winkies.”

“And Dorothy a Princess of Oz,” rumbled the Cowardly Lion proudly, “and the Scarecrow here chief councilor and advisor to the Queen. It isn’t many countries that have a Scarecrow to advise them.”

“Or a Cowardly Lion to fight for them," smiled Dorothy, going the Cowardly Lion a little hug. “That’s what makes Oz so nice and funny.”

And Dorothy is right about that, for in the marvelous Land of Oz, ruled over by Ozma, the loveliest little girl fairy out of the world, all the inhabitants are either nice or funny and some like the Scarecrow are nice and funny too. So perhaps because she had discovered the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion and rescued the Tin Woodman on her very first adventure, she is fonder of them than of anyone else in the entire kingdom.

They were on their way to the Tin Woodman’s, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the building of his tin castle. Chatting away merrily about old times, they proceeded down the Queen's Highway that leads from the Emerald City to the Land of the Winkies. The morning passed pleasantly enough, but as the sun grew hotter the Cowardly Lion began to pant a little and complain that the gold paving stones were hurting his feet, so to please him they stepped off the Highway and turned into a little wood.

“I wish we had brought along some lunch,” said Dorothy after they had gone a little way in silence. “There aren’t any houses in here, and nothing grows on these trees but leaves.”

“I see something that’s not a leaf!” exclaimed the Scarecrow, waving his hat toward a tree that stood all by itself a little distance ahead. “I see something that looks like a pear, is colored like a cherry and is as large as a cantaloupe."

“Wonder what it would taste like,” said Dorothy, hopping off the Cowardly Lion's back and looking up curiously at the strange fruit.

“Better leave it alone,” advised the Cowardly Lion, beginning to tremble slightly. “We'll soon be at Nick Chopper’s now and he will have a regular feast for us. won't you, old fellow?Better leave it alone — it may be poison!” "You're always afraid of something.” sniffed the Tin Woodman. "Of course there’ll be a feast at the castle, but why shouldn't Dorothy have this fruit if she wants it? I'm too stiff to climb a tree, but the Scarecrow will pick it for her.” “But I shall taste it first,” insisted the Cowardly Lion in a faint voice. “Then if anything happens it will happen to me and not to Dorothy.”

“Nothing will happen,” laughed Dorothy, throwing both arms 'round the Cowardly Lion's neck, “but you're pretty brave. I think!”

“That's the way with him!” chuckled the Scarecrow. "Always feeling cowardly and acting bravely. Give me a boost, Nick, and I’ll have that fruit in two whiffs of a whiffet!” So while the Cowardly Lion shook his head mournfully, Nick Chopper lifted the Scarecrow up till he could catch hold of a lower branch. Then quite easily the straw man swung himself aloft.

But horrors! No sooner had his foot touched the third bough than the tree began to send out new branches. Thicker and thicker, faster and faster they grew till the Scarecrow was entirely hidden by a mass of leaves and twigs.

“Well, that’s funny!” muttered the Tin Woodman, peering up nervously. "Are you still there, old fellow?” The Cowardly Lion pricked up his ears and Dorothy and Nick waited anxiously for an answer. But none came, only the rustle of the wind in the leaves....

 

-Wade-

 

…could be heard by the three confused travelers.

“I was worried something like this might happen,” whimpered the Cowardly Lion placing a trembling paw to his maw. “And there is no telling what had happened to him now.”

“He’s probably just all tangled up in those branches,” figured Dorothy cautiously. “Although I have never seen a tree grow out like that so suddenly.”

“Well, I shouldn’t think we can leave without him. What should we do?”

“Panicking might be an option,” muttered the Cowardly Lion who was still very much worried for the straw man’s safety.

“I’ve climbed a few trees back at my home in Kansas. I might be able to get to the Scarecrow and untangle him.”

“Oh, please don’t,” advised the Cowardly Lion.

Nick Chopper looked up thoughtfully at the place where his old chum had disappeared. He trusted in Dorothy although he was concerned that the same thing might happen to her. After all, this was the first time any of them had come upon this manner of problem.

“I say you should attempt to find the Scarecrow, Dorothy,” said the Tin Woodman. “But do promise me that you shall leap down the moment you sense anything is wrong.”

“The very moment,” cautioned the Cowardly Lion. “If you get caught, I’ll have to climb up to save both of you and the very thought of doing so frightens me.”

“Very well,” said the little girl with a nod. Stepping out of her shoes, Dorothy approached the tree while the Tin Woodman carefully assisted her with his strong metal hands to climb up to the first branch.

Once she was stable, the girl attempted to make her way up to the mass of overgrown branches where the Scarecrow had disappeared. But as she reached the second bough, the same thing that happened before happened a second time. New branches shot out quickly all around her. Dorothy attempted to climb down and out of their way, but they came out so fast that she was quickly encompassed. Soon nobody could see her at all.”

“Dorothy, dear?” called the Tin Woodman. “Dorothy, can you hear me?” But like what had occurred with the Scarecrow, Dorothy could not be heard answering him back.

“Dorothy too?” trembled the Cowardly Lion. “Is this tree cursed?”

“Perhaps,” replied the Tin Woodman as he placed his ax to the side. “I have no choice but to try to climb the tree myself, although I am not very fit for climbing anything.”

“Maybe there is a ladder nearby,” suggested the Cowardly Lion looking about for one, but of course there was no ladder anywhere.

Nick Chopper did his level best to climb up the tree, but as you may suspect his metal joints were much too stiff to perform such a feat. Also his metal feet kept slipping down the trunk preventing him from gaining a foothold. The poor fellow could not even reach the first branch.

 

-Thompson-

 

"Now, what shall we do? What shall we do now?” moaned the Cowardly Lion as Nick, after a tenth attempt to climb the tree, fell heavily on his back and lay blinking up at the sky.

“If I can stand on you, maybe I can make it,” panted the Tin Woodman, rising creakily to his feet and picking up his ax.

“What good will that do?” roared the Cowardly Lion dismally. “Do you want to disappear too? Stop climbing and think, can’t you?” Thus admonished, Nick Chopper stood perfectly still and after a moment’s deep thought strode sternly up to the tree.

“I’ll chop it down,” declared the Tin Woodman boldly, and raising his ax he sent a crashing blow against the stout tree trunk. Again and again Nick’s ax rose and fell. The Cowardly Lion blinked and shuddered at each blow, and dodging the flying chips prepared to catch Dorothy and the Scarecrow as they fell. At last, with a terrific crash, the tree did fall. Nick jumped back with a little cry of triumph and the Cowardly Lion rushed forward with a little roar of relief. But there was no sign of Dorothy or the Scarecrow anywhere to be seen. The great red fruit lay crushed on the ground, and as the two stared in fright and alarm a little brown dwarf sprang furiously out of the branches.

“Treason! Treason!” yelled the dwarf, shaking his fist at the Tin Woodman.

“Treason! Treason! Without reason

You’ve robbed the tree of Whutter Wee.

If you would see your friends once more

Chop it to kindling wood, before

The night. Unless it’s chopped up then,

You’ll never see your friends again!”

“Stop!” cried the Tin Woodman, making a little snatch at the dwarf. But before he could touch him the little fellow stamped three times and sank into the earth.

“Don’t stop! Chop!” coughed the Cowardly Lion, springing up in a frenzy. “Chop, Nick, chop! Didn't you hear what he said? Chop for your life while I run for help!”

With a bound ten feet long, the Cowardly Lion started in the direction of the Emerald City, while Nick, seizing the ax, began to chop as fast as he had ever done in his whole two lives. But for every branch he cut off two more grew, and to add to his discomfort and dismay it began to storm. Long growls of thunder came rumbling through the forest, followed by green and blue flashes of lightning. Then came the rain, harder and harder and harder. As long as he could, poor Nick kept chopping, but soon the steady downpour washed all the oil from his body. Jerkier and jerkier became his strokes and rustier and rustier his joints of tin till at last, with a dismal squeak and his arms still uplifted, the Tin Woodman stopped altogether, powerless to move or strike another blow.

Above the howling of the wind he could hear the snap of new branches that were growing upon the hateful tree and the low malicious laughter of the little brown dwarf under the leaves.

“Unless the Cowardly Lion reaches the Emerald City before night, all is lost,” groaned poor Nick, and at the thought of never seeing little Dorothy or the Scarecrow again his own tears joined the rain drops that were coursing down his tin cheeks.

 

-Wade-

 

Like a bolt of the same lightning steaking across the sky the Cowardly Lion shot across the Queen’s Highway. No longer did the golden bricks hurt his feet. The feline cared nothing for his own discomfort, but that the loss of two of his friends were a very real possibility. He could do nothing but run faster than he had ever done in the whole of his life. Fear was what drove him onward which was the same sort of feeling that had driven him to fight so many times before.

This storm that had caused the Tin Woodman to rust had spread even to the Emerald City which was not accustomed to such weather. All the Ozians living there ran into their homes to prevent getting wet or even worse to be struck by the flashing lightning. But as all these people ran into the houses, the Cowardly Lion dashed through the gates, down the roads, and directly into the Emerald Palace where Princess Ozma and the Wizard presently resided.

“Dorothy and the Scarecrow are in terrible danger!” cried the Cowardly Lion as he crashed through the door to the throne room. Princess Ozma had been having tea with the Wizard at the time, and imagine their surprise when a soaking wet Lion came in, slipping and sliding across the polished floor with such terrible news.

Placing down her teacup, the Princess immediately stood up and addressed the panting and ragged Lion, “My goodness, you poor dear. Tell us what has happened.”

“Indeed and quickly,” added the Wizard, taking the matter seriously.

As quickly as he could, the Cowardly Lion sputtered out what had happened to the best of his ability, but the poor creature seemed close to passing out for he had run a very long distance in such a very short time. All four of his legs were wobbling violently as he attempted to remain standing.

“The tree of Whutter Wee?” said the Wizard thoughtfully.

“Have you heard of it?” asked Princess Ozma with much concern.

“Yes, I believe I had a conversation once with Glinda about it. It is an enchanted tree that is usually found within the Quadling country.”

“Why, that explains the red fruit,” remarked the Princess.

“Indeed, yes,” acknowledged the Wizard. “These trees are enchanted by mischievous little dwarves of course, but Glinda had told me that she had stopped them with her magic some time ago.”

“All but for this one,” coughed the Cowardly Lion who looked as if he was about to fall over.

Ozma quickly stepped over to the Lion and held his head and mane in her arms to give him comfort. “You did very good to bring us this news so swiftly, brave Lion. The Wizard must surely know how to deal with this dwarf, so you may now rest knowing that everything will be done.”

“Sounds good,” was all the Cowardly Lion could think to say before he passed out in the middle of the throne room floor.

The Wizard was already looking through his black bag which was full of his magical tools. In this bag was a little black booklet with notes he had taken back when Glinda was teaching him his craft. Flipping through these notes he came to a page and suddenly snapped his fingers. “I have the solution, Princess, but there is not much time. I require the use of the Magic Belt. You must transport me to the Tin Woodman immediately.”

“Of course, Wizard,” said Ozma who went quickly to a vault to obtain the Magic Belt. This famous belt was once owned by the evil Gnome King but had since fallen into the possession of Princess Ozma to be used for the benefit of the Land of Oz. When she returned to the throne room the fairy princess was wearing the bejeweled belt, and taking hold of each side of it she gazed upon the waiting Wizard and spoke the words, “I wish that the Wizard be transported to where the Tin Woodman is.” And in the blink of an eye the Wizard was gone.

 

Still the storm raged and still poor Nick Chopper stood with his ax raised in the air. The branches were still growing around him threatening to imprison him within them as well. Even if he could be free of his rust, he felt as if he could never manage to chop all of the ever-growing branches in time for the day was already at an end.

But just as all hope seemed to be gone, the Wizard himself appeared amidst the wind and the rain. Holding on to his hat, the little man made several knowledgeable passes of his hand and called out as loud as he could muster,

“Treason! Treason! But there’s the reason

For Glinda’s laws you have broken this season!

From out of the ground you must come once more

To make this world as good as before!

And if you fail, what punishment then

Where you’ll be banished from now unto the end!”

A pitiful scream was heard from the earth up to the sky. The mischievous dwarf that had played his tricks sprung up from out of the mud, covering his face in shame. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I meant you no harm! Let me give them back to you before it’s too late!”

“Do it now!” cried the Wizard.

The brown dwarf spun around in a circle and as he did so the storm suddenly cleared up. Also the branches began to dry up quickly and become brittle, breaking up into tiny pieces. Beneath these pieces were two forms, that of the Scarecrow and Dorothy. Both appeared to just be waking up. This was certainly a very strange sensation for the straw man who had never slept a day in his life. Although he still could not move, the Tin Woodman was very happy and pleased that he would not have to lose two of his best friends.

“Goodness gracious!” said Dorothy as she sat up. “I don’t remember a thing after climbing that tree.”

“Neither do I,” said the Scarecrow. “But it looks as if my old chum, Nick Chopper has rusted.”

The Wizard smiled and said, “He’ll be fixed up in no time. If it was not for the bravery of him and the Cowardly Lion, you two might have been lost forever.” He then turned to the blushing dwarf and said with a stern voice, “And you should go back to Glinda and seek her favor or else you really will be banished.”

“Right away!” the little man said. “Right away and without delay!” And so he ran away.

Once the Tin Woodman was oiled up, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Wizard all returned to the Emerald City. Still asleep upon the throne room floor was the Cowardly Lion. Despite him being wet, Dorothy and the Scarecrow both embraced him, waking the feline up.

“My good friends!” roared the Cowardly Lion. “I was so frightened that I had lost you both forever. I ran so fast that my feet nearly fell off my body.”

“He really did,” said Princess Ozma with a smile.

Dorothy continued to hug the Lion as she said, “There is no one braver in the Land of Oz than you, Cowardly Lion.”

“Even so,” returned the Lion shakily, “Even so, I think I’d rather just eat at the palace from now on.” Everyone laughed, and indeed a feast was being prepared at that very moment.

The end.

*****

This blog was written on March 7, 2023.

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