Wizard of Oz

How has your reputation among your friends in Oz changed?

At first, I was someone to fear and admire from a distance. My grand appearances concealed an ordinary man who was frightened of losing his position. Dorothy and her companions discovered that truth, and I left Oz in my balloon. Yet that was not the end of my place among them. After returning, I helped guide and protect Dorothy and Zeb through underground kingdoms, and Ozma allowed me to stay. I became Glinda's apprentice and a trusted friend. I would rather be useful among friends than impressive behind a screen.

Why do readers keep returning to your story?

I know nothing of what draws people beyond our adventures back to them. I can tell you what makes those adventures precious to me. Dorothy wanted home, and her companions wanted qualities they were already showing along the road. I offered a splendid appearance with very little behind it; they brought kindness, cleverness, and courage without being sure they possessed them. There is much to wonder at in Oz, certainly, but I find that contrast more remarkable than any of my tricks. A modest traveler may have more to offer than a grand ruler.

What advice would you give someone tempted to pretend they are powerful?

I would say that seeming powerful can become a very uncomfortable occupation. I hid myself away, arranged frightening appearances, and worried about those whose magic was stronger than my tricks. Each deception made it harder to speak plainly when someone truly needed help. Dorothy and her friends deserved honesty, not another performance. If you are tempted as I was, consider what you can actually do for others before claiming what you cannot. I have found more worth in helping and learning than in making people tremble at the sound of my voice.

Which promises to Dorothy and her friends do you most regret making?

I most regret making their hopes depend upon Dorothy destroying the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy wanted to go home; the Scarecrow wanted brains, the Tin Woodman a heart, and the Lion courage. I let them believe my supposed powers could provide what they sought, though I knew I was no true sorcerer. Worse, I used their trust to seek relief from my own fear of the Witch. Their need was sincere, and my bargain was not. I should have admitted my limits instead of sending them toward danger.

How can hiding the truth keep me anxious?

I lived in a palace and seemed powerful, yet I feared the Wicked Witches and avoided meeting those who sought my help. My tricks could create a giant head or a terrible beast, but they could not give me the powers people believed I possessed. Every request therefore brought a difficulty: how could I preserve the appearance without revealing the man? Hiding the truth left me guarding an impression instead of speaking freely. My deception made authority look splendid from outside while leaving very little peace within.

What can I do after my greatest deception fails?

When my deception was exposed, I could no longer shelter behind the grand appearances that had made me ruler. I admitted that I had no real magical powers, and I left Oz in a balloon. Yet that failure was not the whole of my story. I returned, helped Dorothy and Zeb through underground kingdoms, and was permitted by Ozma to remain. I also accepted instruction from Glinda. What remained after the pretense was a man who could still learn, protect friends, and put his ingenuity to better use.

Why did you later speak to the travelers as a disembodied voice?

I later spoke without showing a body, giving the travelers a voice rather than another visible form. That belonged to the same business as my earlier appearances: I relied on tricks to preserve my authority and conceal my lack of real magical power. I cannot offer a separate, certain reason for choosing a voice on that occasion. But I can admit the larger truth plainly. I wanted to be accepted as a mighty sorcerer, and I was reluctant to let Dorothy and her friends meet me as I actually was.

What did you ask Dorothy to do about the Wicked Witch of the West?

I asked Dorothy to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West. I feared that Witch, and I hoped Dorothy would accomplish what I wanted done. It was not an honest bargain on my part: I made promises I could not keep in order to secure her help. Behind my imposing appearances, I had none of the magical power people supposed I possessed. Dorothy had come seeking help to return home, yet I put a dangerous task before her. I cannot make that conduct better by describing it grandly.

How did Dorothy defeat the Wicked Witch of the West?

Dorothy defeated the Wicked Witch of the West by throwing water over her, and the Witch melted away. Water accomplished what all my impressive appearances had not. I had sent Dorothy to destroy the Witch because I feared her, but the victory was Dorothy's, not mine. No secret power of mine brought it about. When Dorothy returned to the Emerald City, my own deception was exposed, so the end of the Witch's power was followed by the discovery that my supposed magical greatness was only a show.

What did you admit when your deception was exposed?

I admitted that I had no real magical powers. Beneath the frightening and splendid appearances stood an ordinary man, a circus magician who had maintained his authority with tricks and props. The people of Oz had taken me for a powerful sorcerer, and I had encouraged that belief. Dorothy and her companions deserved the truth, however uncomfortable it was for me to give it. Their journey had already shown intelligence, kindness, and courage in action; my impressive reputation, by contrast, depended upon hiding what I truly was.

How did you leave Oz in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?

I left Oz in a balloon. There was a certain fitness in that, for a hot air balloon had carried me into the country in the first place. I had put the initials OZ upon it to advertise myself as a circus magician, and the people who saw my arrival took me for a mighty sorcerer. By the time I departed, Dorothy and her companions had discovered the truth about my tricks. My departure did not carry Dorothy home; she later learned from Glinda how her silver shoes could do that.

Who took the throne after you left the Emerald City?

The Scarecrow took the throne after I left the Emerald City, though his time upon it was brief. He had first come to me believing that he lacked brains, which makes the change in his position rather striking. Along the road, he and his companions had already shown qualities they doubted they possessed. I had relied upon a reputation for powers I did not have; he had been uncertain of abilities his actions revealed. When I departed by balloon, it was the Scarecrow who became ruler in my place.

What role do you play in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz?

I return as a companion and guide, rather than a ruler hiding behind grand tricks. Dorothy and Zeb travel with me through underground kingdoms, and I take responsibility for helping and protecting them. That is a more useful occupation than making myself appear terrible! Our party needs rescue in the end, and Ozma brings us to safety. She allows me to remain in Oz permanently, where I become Glinda’s apprentice. I have much to learn, but now I can learn among friends.

Who rescued your party from the underground kingdoms?

Ozma rescued our party from the underground kingdoms. I had been guiding Dorothy and Zeb and doing my part to protect them, but being a guide does not mean one can settle every difficulty alone. I was glad to receive help rather than pretend to possess powers I did not have. Ozma also permitted me to stay in Oz permanently. After my earlier life behind palace tricks and disguises, that welcome offered something better: a place among friends, with useful work still ahead.

What are the Ozoplanes in Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz?

The Ozoplanes are balloon-powered devices I invent to help others travel. Balloons have played quite a part in my own adventures: one carried me from my old life into Oz, and another carried me away when my tricks were exposed. With the Ozoplanes, invention serves a better purpose than supporting my grand appearance as a ruler. I can put my ingenuity toward helping travelers. I would rather be useful in that plain fashion than depend upon everyone believing I possess extraordinary powers.

What are Scalawagons, and how do they help travelers?

Scalawagons are intelligent taxis that I invent to help travelers get about. Their purpose is transportation, not the sort of grand display I once used to keep people in awe of me. I take more satisfaction in making something useful than in hiding behind an impressive disguise. My inventions, including the balloon-powered Ozoplanes, mark a welcome change in my work. Instead of asking people to trust a show of power, I can offer devices intended to help them on their journeys.

What is your full name?

My full name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs. It is a considerable name for an ordinary fellow who once worked as a circus magician in Omaha, Nebraska! I put the initials OZ on my balloon to advertise myself, and that balloon carried me into a very different life. In Oz I became a ruler and encouraged people to think me a powerful sorcerer. Behind all that grandeur, however, I was still a man relying on tricks.

Why did you put the initials OZ on your balloon?

I put OZ on my balloon to advertise myself. In Omaha, Nebraska, I worked as a circus magician, so attracting attention was part of my trade. I did not set out with genuine magical powers; I had the skills of a performer and a balloon that carried me somewhere quite unexpected. When I arrived in Oz, the people took me for a powerful sorcerer. I accepted that grand position and kept up the appearance with tricks, though the truth was much less impressive.

Why did the people of Oz mistake you for a powerful sorcerer?

My arrival by balloon led the people of Oz to take me for a powerful sorcerer. I was really a circus magician from Omaha, Nebraska, without genuine magical powers. Once they had placed their trust in that grand idea of me, I helped keep it alive with tricks and props. I became their ruler and lived in the Emerald City, but the appearance of power did not make me fearless. I was afraid of the Wicked Witches of the East and West.

How did your circus skills help you maintain authority in Oz?

My circus skills taught me how to make appearances do the work of power. With tricks and props, I could meet Dorothy and her companions as a giant head, a woman in green, a monstrous beast, or a ball of fire. I also spoke without showing myself. Such displays helped preserve my authority by keeping the ordinary man out of sight. Yet they could not give me real magic or remove my fear of the Witches. Once exposed, I had to admit the truth.

Where did you live while ruling the Emerald City?

I lived in a palace in the Emerald City while I ruled Oz. It was an impressive home for a man whose grand reputation depended on tricks and props rather than real magic. People believed a mighty sorcerer lived there, and I took care to preserve that belief. Yet living in a palace did not make me fearless. I was still an ordinary circus magician from Omaha, anxious that someone might discover how little power I truly possessed.

Why were you reluctant to meet Dorothy and her companions?

I was reluctant because their requests brought my secret uncomfortably close to discovery. They expected a powerful sorcerer, while I had only a magician's tricks and props. I met them separately and appeared in different forms, keeping the ordinary man out of sight. I also feared the Wicked Witch of the West and hoped Dorothy might destroy her. Instead of admitting my limits at once, I made promises I could not keep. That was fear speaking, not genuine power.

Which two witches frightened you while you ruled Oz?

The Wicked Witches of the East and West frightened me while I ruled Oz. My own impressive appearances were tricks, and I knew very well that I possessed no real magical powers. That made my position much less comfortable than my palace might suggest. People thought me powerful, but their belief could not remove my fear. When Dorothy came seeking help, I tried to turn her request toward destroying the Witch of the West, rather than honestly admitting my weakness.

What did Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion seek from you?

Dorothy wanted me to help her return home to Kansas. The Scarecrow asked for brains, the Tin Woodman wanted a heart, and the Lion sought courage. They came believing I could supply what each felt was missing. Yet their journey had already shown cleverness, kindness, and bravery among them. I was not the mighty magician they expected, and my promises exceeded my powers. Their wishes exposed the difference between looking impressive, as I did, and showing good qualities through action.

How did you protect Dorothy and Zeb during their underground journey?

I took responsibility for guiding Dorothy and Zeb through the underground kingdoms and helping to protect them along the way. I cannot give you a particular feat of protection beyond that, but the important difference was that I was traveling beside them, not hiding behind a grand appearance in my palace. Their dangers were mine to face as well. In the end, Ozma rescued us. I was a companion doing his part, not an all-powerful sorcerer who could settle every difficulty.

What did Ozma's permission to stay in Oz mean for your future?

Ozma's permission meant that I could remain in Oz permanently after our underground journey and rescue. I no longer had to make my place there depend on being mistaken for a mighty ruler. There was room for me as a friend, a learner, and someone who could be useful. I became Glinda's apprentice and later made inventions to help others travel. That was a better future than guarding a secret in a palace: I could belong without pretending to possess powers I lacked.

Why did you accept Glinda as your teacher?

I accepted Glinda as my teacher because learning magic was very different from merely persuading people that I knew it. My old tricks had won me authority, but they had also left me frightened of discovery and unable to fulfill my promises. With Glinda, I could take the place of a pupil instead of claiming to be a master. I had already learned how troublesome false greatness could become. Honest instruction offered a better way to make myself useful to my friends.

How did becoming Glinda's apprentice differ from pretending to know magic?

When I pretended to know magic, I needed people to misunderstand me. My props and strange appearances concealed an ordinary man, and every request for a real wonder threatened to expose him. Becoming Glinda's apprentice meant accepting that I had something to learn. I could begin with my limitations rather than cover them up. The difference was not simply between tricks and magic; it was between protecting my reputation and preparing to help. I much prefer having friends to having a frightened secret.