The Road to Oz

In this book we learn that if you just wander away with large shaggy strangers then you eventually end up at fantastic royal birthday parties. But a good thing came from this, the Shaggy man! the ultimate hobo, always good natured fellow, and one of my favourite characters so far in the series. He has a charm so everyone loves him, which justifies Dorothy trusting him so much.



She tries to show him where a road to a place he wants to make sure not to go is, but ends up on a new adventure on a fairy road instead. Dorothy, Toto, and the Shaggy man pick a road at random and set down it. Not too far along they find a cherub of an idiot in Button-bright who gets his head turned into a fox at the next kingdom. Not to be out done, Shaggy man becomes a Shaggy Donkey head at the one after that. In between they find Polychrome, daughter of a rainbow who danced off the rainbow at just the wrong moment.

Foxes who like fancy clothes but dislike donkeys and donkeys who don't like fancy furniture or foxes. They are both very similar in terms of way of life and the propensity to transform visitors heads whenever they feel like it. Probably another underlying moral.

The love charm doesn't help the group any when faced with the half clown, half black shadow creatures called the Scoodlers. Detachable heads and a want to toss everything in the stockpot, these unpleasant creatures nearly overtake our fellows. The love normally used to save him turns into a love for him to be made into soup. No fears though. Shaggy man saves the day with his baseball skills and the help of a deep cavernous gorge.

After that escape, the only thing separating Dorothy and crew from a delightful party is a giant desert of deadly sand and no way to cross. Once again, Shaggy man comes through and calls in a favour from Johnny Dooit, the handiest tinker and builder to have as a friend. He fashions them a sand-sail-boat and they cross with little trouble. Until the wreck at the very end, but we cant have vessels like that just laying about now can we? A quick pop over to a truth pond and everyone has their original heads again!

Ozma sends an escort to get them now that they are in Oz. Then it's off to the castle for a giant party! Ozma says the Shaggy man can stay if he gives up his love charm, which he agrees to. After the festivities everyone gets sent home and Dorothy goes to sleep in the castle to wake up again in Kansas.

There is more to the party but it's a lot of silliness I might fill in later. But for now I'm finally able to read the next one and then it's off to sleep.

-The Posh Panda