After the publication of “The Wonderful Wizard of OZ” I began to
receive letters from children, telling me of their pleasure in reading
the story and asking me to “write something more” about the Scarecrow
and the Tin Woodman. At first I considered these little letters, frank
and earnest though they were, in the light of pretty compliments; but
the letters continued to come during succeeding months, and even years.
Finally I promised one little girl, who made a long journey to see me
and prefer her request,—and she is a “Dorothy,” by the way—that when a
thousand little girls had written me a thousand little letters asking
for the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman I would write the book, Either
little Dorothy was a fairy in disguise, and waved her magic wand, or
the success of the stage production of “The Wizard of OZ” made new
friends for the story, For the thousand letters reached their
destination long since—and many more followed them.
And now, although pleading guilty to long delay, I have kept my promise
in this book.