Some of my youthful readers are developing wonderful imaginations. This pleasesme. Imagination has brought mankind through the Dark Ages to its present stateof civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination ledFranklin to discover electricity. Imagination has given us the steam engine,the telephone, the talking-machine and the automobile, for these things had tobe dreamed of before they became realities. So I believe that dreams—daydreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinerywhizzing—are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginativechild will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent,and therefore to foster civilization. A prominent educator tells me that fairytales are of untold value in developing imagination in the young. I believe it.
Among the letters I receive from children are many containing suggestions of“what to write about in the next Oz Book.” Some of the ideas advanced aremighty interesting, while others are too extravagant to be seriouslyconsidered—even in a fairy tale. Yet I like them all, and I must admit that themain idea in “The Lost Princess of Oz” was suggested to me by a sweet littlegirl of eleven who called to see me and to talk about the Land of Oz. Said she:“I s’pose if Ozma ever got lost, or stolen, ev’rybody in Oz would be dreadfulsorry.”
That was all, but quite enough foundation to build this present story on. Ifyou happen to like the story, give credit to my little friend’s clever hint.
L. Frank Baum
Royal Historian of Oz