And no one by, I cross-legged sigh for charming Betsy Bobbin

I have now finished reading Greg Hunters' Two Terrific Tales of Oz. The two tales mentioned in the title are "Betsy Bobbin of Oz" and "Unc Nunkie and the White King of Oz."

"Betsy Bobbin" provides such back story for the title character, whose past remains largely mysterious in the Oz books. We know she's from Oklahoma, but not much else about her. This story explains what happened to her parents, and introduces them as characters. They aren't really that developed, but maybe the author was planning on doing more with them later. They do make a minor appearance in Hunter's full-length Oz book, The Enchanted Gnome of Oz.

"Unc Nunkie" is the better of the two stories. It takes place shortly before the events of Ojo in Oz, and expands upon Unc's visit to the King of the White Mountains, which is mentioned near the beginning of Ojo. Oddly enough, the White Mountains in this story aren't located in the same place as those shown on the map that James E. Haff and Dick Martin made for the International Wizard of Oz Club. I wonder if Hunter was familiar with the map when he wrote the story. It's certainly possible that there's more than one range of White Mountains in the vicinity of Oz. Anyway, Unc Nunkie himself is written well, and it's nice to see significant roles for Dr. Pipt and the live phonograph Victor Columbia Edison. I have some ideas for a part Victor will play in one of my own upcoming Oz stories, but then, I always have plans for Oz stories that I never actually carry out. Don't plan on seeing this proposed story anytime soon. I haven't even worked on my almost-finished manuscript in a long time.

It's interesting that Hunter puts an accent on the last letter of the sorceress Gayelette's name. Lurline, the Fairy Queen who enchanted Oz, is called "Lurliné" in several books published by Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends and its predecessor, Buckethead Enterprises of Oz. And speaking of Buckethead, I don't think The Rubber Ostriches of Oz, the new Oz book promised in a footnote in "Unc Nunkie," has ever come to pass.

I'll try to come up with an entry that's actually interesting tomorrow. Okay, "interesting" might be stretching it, but at least it probably won't be about Oz.

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