The Wizard of the Emerald City part 1 summary. Emerald City -=Books=

Among the vast Kansas steppe lived a girl named Ellie. Her father, farmer John, worked in the field all day, and her mother Anna was busy with the housework.

They lived in a small van, taken off its wheels and placed on the ground.

The furnishings of the house were poor: an iron stove, a wardrobe, a table, three chairs and two beds. A “hurricane cellar” was dug next to the house, right next to the door. The family holed up in the cellar during storms.

Steppe hurricanes more than once overturned the light dwelling of farmer John. But John did not lose heart: when the wind died down, he raised the house, the stove and beds fell into place. Ellie collected tin plates and mugs from the floor - and everything was in order until the next hurricane.

The steppe, smooth as a tablecloth, stretched all the way to the horizon. Here and there one could see houses as poor as John’s house. Around them were arable fields where farmers sowed wheat and corn.

Ellie knew all the neighbors well for three miles around. Uncle Robert lived in the west with his sons Bob and Dick. Old Rolf lived in a house in the north. He made wonderful windmills for children.

The wide steppe did not seem dull to Ellie: after all, this was her homeland. Ellie didn't know any other places. She saw mountains and forests only in pictures, and they did not attract her, perhaps because they were poorly drawn in Ellen’s cheap books.

When Ellie got bored, she called the cheerful dog Toto and went to visit Dick and Bob or went to grandpa Rolf, from whom she never returned without a homemade toy.

Toto jumped across the steppe, barking, chasing crows and was infinitely pleased with himself and his little mistress. Toto had black fur, pointy ears and small, funny sparkling eyes. Toto was never bored and could play with the girl all day long.

Ellie had a lot to worry about. She helped her mother with the housework, and her father taught her to read, write and count, because the school was far away and the girl was too young to go there every day.

One summer evening, Ellie sat on the porch and read aloud a story. Anna was washing clothes.

“And then the strong, mighty hero Arnaulf saw a wizard as tall as a tower,” Ellie intoned, running her finger along the lines. “Fire flew out of the wizard’s mouth and nostrils...” Mommy,” Ellie asked, looking up from the book, “are there wizards now?”

- No, my dear. There were wizards in the old days, and then they disappeared. And what are they for? And without them it’s quite a hassle...

Ellie wrinkled her nose funny:

– Still, it’s boring without wizards. If I suddenly became queen, I would definitely order that there be a wizard in every city and every village. And so that he performs all sorts of miracles for children.

– What kind, for example? – the mother asked smiling.

“Well, what kind... So that every girl and every boy, waking up in the morning, finds a big sweet gingerbread under their pillow... Or...” Ellie looked sadly at her rough, worn shoes. “Or so that all children have nice, lightweight shoes.”

“You’ll get the shoes even without the wizard,” Anna objected. - If you go with dad to the fair, he’ll buy...

While the girl was talking to her mother, the weather began to deteriorate.

Just at this very time, in a distant country, behind the high mountains, the evil sorceress Gingema was casting a spell in a gloomy, deep cave.

It was scary in Gingema's cave. There, hanging from the ceiling was a stuffed huge crocodile. Large eagle owls sat on high poles, and bundles of dried mice, tied to strings by their tails like onions, hung from the ceiling. A long, thick snake coiled itself around the post and shook its flat head evenly. And there were many other strange and creepy things in the vast cave of Gingema.

Gingema was brewing a magic potion in a large, smoky cauldron. She threw mice into the cauldron, tearing one by one from the bunch.

-Where did the snake heads go? – Gingema grumbled angrily. – I didn’t eat everything at breakfast!.. And, here they are, in a green pot! Well, now the potion will be a success!.. These damned people will get it! I hate them! Spread around the world! The swamps have been drained! They cut down the thickets!.. All the frogs were taken out!.. The snakes are destroyed! There is nothing tasty left on earth! Unless you just eat a worm!..

Gingema shook her bony, withered fist into space and began throwing snake heads into the cauldron.

- Wow, hateful people! So my potion is ready for your destruction! I will sprinkle the forests and fields, and a storm will arise, such as has never happened in the world!

Gingema grabbed the cauldron by the “ears” and with effort pulled it out of the cave. She put a large broom into the cauldron and began to splash her brew around.

- Break out, hurricane! Fly around the world like a mad beast! Tear, break, destroy! Knock over houses, lift them into the air! Susaka, masaka, lema, rema, gema!.. Burido, furido, sama, pema, fema!..

She screamed magic words and splashed around with disheveled broom, and the sky darkened, clouds gathered, and the wind began to whistle. Lightning flashed in the distance...

- Smash, tear, break! – the witch screamed wildly. - Susaka, masaka, burido, furido! Destroy, hurricane, people, animals, birds! Just don’t touch the frogs, mice, snakes, spiders, hurricane! Let them multiply all over the world to the joy of me, the mighty sorceress Gingema! Burido, furido, susaka, masaka!

And the whirlwind howled stronger and stronger, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled deafeningly.

Gingema spun on the spot in wild delight, and the wind fluttered the hem of her long robe...

The hurricane caused by Gingema's magic reached Kansas and was approaching John's house every minute. In the distance, clouds were gathering on the horizon and lightning was flashing.

Toto ran restlessly, raising his head, and barked provocatively at the clouds that were quickly rushing across the sky.

“Oh, Totoshka, how funny you are,” said Ellie. - You scare the clouds, but you yourself are a coward!

The dog was indeed very afraid of thunderstorms. He had already seen a lot of them in his short life. Anna became worried.

“I’ve been chatting with you, daughter, but look, a real hurricane is approaching...

The menacing rumble of the wind was already clearly audible. The wheat in the field lay flat to the ground, and waves rolled along it, like along a river. An excited farmer John came running from the field.

- Storm, a terrible storm is coming! - he shouted. - Hide in the cellar quickly, and I’ll run and drive the cattle into the barn!

Anna rushed to the cellar and threw back the lid.

- Ellie, Ellie! Hurry here! - she shouted.

But Totoshka, frightened by the roar of the storm and the incessant peals of thunder, ran into the house and hid there under the bed, in the farthest corner. Ellie didn’t want to leave her pet alone and rushed into the van after him.

And at this time an amazing thing happened.

The house turned two or three times, like a carousel. He found himself in the middle of a hurricane. The whirlwind spun him, lifted him up and carried him through the air.

A frightened Ellie appeared at the door of the van with Toto in her arms. What to do? Jump to the ground? But it was too late: the house was flying high above the ground...

The wind ruffled Anna's hair. She stood near the cellar, stretched out her hands and screamed desperately. Farmer John came running from the barn and rushed to the place where the wagon stood. The orphaned father and mother looked for a long time into the dark sky, constantly illuminated by the brilliance of lightning...

Book Wizard Emerald City Alexandra Volkova has a very interesting story. One day an unusual letter arrived at one of the Moscow publishing houses. The author of the letter asked to republish a book that he could not find in any library and even offered to send this book as a sample if the editorial office did not have one. He intended to copy the sample by hand, since the copy he had was so dilapidated that it would not be suitable for editing. We were talking about the book The Wizard of the Emerald City by Alexander Volkov.

We read the book The Wizard of the Emerald City as children, and now our children and grandchildren read it. Probably many people remember the author of the book. This is the writer Alexander Melentyevich Volkov.

A few words about the writer Alexander Volkov

The writer Alexander Volkov was born at the end of the century before last. All his life he strived to gain new knowledge. He graduated from a university and two institutes, knew several foreign languages, including Old Church Slavonic and Latin. He taught physics, mathematics, natural science, geography and history. The range of subjects taught speaks volumes about the breadth of knowledge of this person. Alexander Volkov taught new languages in his own way - he took a book and translated it into Russian.

Book The Wizard of the Emerald City

One day Volkov came across a fairy tale by the American writer Baum, published in English language. It was the story of the wise man from Oz. In the process of translation, a new book about the wizard from the Emerald City was born.

All this happened before the Great Patriotic War. The book was published from a distance, it was quickly sold out, and then they forgot about it, new ones appeared interesting books. And then came the letter mentioned above. The reader's request was fulfilled by the publisher. The book about the wizard of the Emerald City was published, and after it six sequels were published, written by the author no longer as a translation, but as completely independent works.

According to the writer Alexander Volkov himself, the main goal of his books is to show that there is nothing better and more valuable in the world than friendship and mutual assistance.

If you have not yet read the book The Wizard of the Emerald City by Alexander Volkov, we recommend that you definitely do so, you will enjoy it greatly.

Plot

Wizards

Gingema (evil)
Villina (kind)
Bastinda (evil)
Stella (kind)
Goodwin (mysterious)

Other positive characters

Prem Caucus
Fregosa

Other negative characters

Ogre

Version difference

There are many editions of the fairy tale, and their texts often do not coincide. The book was revised many times by the author, and if the early versions are a translation of Baum’s fairy tale with the replacement of some episodes, then in the later versions both the images of the characters and the explanations of events are significantly changed, which creates its own atmosphere of the Magic Land, noticeably different from Oz.

The three most famous versions and their main features:

Edition of the year - closest to Baum's text:
- Ellie is an orphan living with her aunt and uncle;
- sorceresses and minor characters have no names;
- tiger bears live in the forest between the ravines;
- in the mountains north of the Pink Country live short, armless men with elongating necks.
Edition of the year:
- Ellie gets parents;
- sorceresses receive names familiar to us;
- tigerbears are replaced with Sabertooth tigers;
- armless little men are replaced by Jumpers - high-jumping little men who hit the enemy with their heads and fists.
Third version:
- The Scarecrow first speaks with many reservations, gradually switching to correct speech;
- before meeting with the Ogre, Ellie takes off her shoes, thus losing her magical protection;
- receive the names Flitta, Lestar, Warra;
- The jumpers call themselves Marranos;
- The Tin Woodman does not say that he will bring his bride to the Violet Land;
- all references to elephants on the territory of the Magic Land have been removed;
- It is mentioned that the Scarecrow's appointment as ruler of the Emerald City displeased some of the courtiers.

The latter differences seem to be intended to better connect the book with the sequels already written by this time. In addition to those listed above major changes, there are many minor textual differences between these editions, such as the substitution of individual words. We can say that the fairy tale was completely rewritten several times.

The book is included in the program for students of pedagogical universities in academic discipline Children's literature .

Differences from the original

Plot discrepancies

Although, if you wish, you can briefly retell the plot of “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” using the same words, the differences between these books are very numerous and go far beyond the retelling in another language and the replacement of proper names, as it might seem at first glance. Here is short list main differences:

The main character is named Ellie, not Dorothy, and has parents (John and Anna Smith), while Dorothy Gale is an orphan living with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em.
Volkov's description of the girl's Kansas life is less gloomy than Baum's.
The hurricane that brought Ellie to the Magic Land was caused by the evil sorceress Gingema, who wants to destroy the world (for Baum, this hurricane is a common natural disaster).
Totoshka, once in the Magic Land, begins to speak humanly, like all the animals in the country. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he remains wordless, and only in one of the continuations of the tale does Baum explain and correct this discrepancy.
Volkov’s Toto dreams of getting rid of the neighbor’s dog Hector.
The orientation of parts of the Magic Land to the cardinal points is a mirror image of Oz: if for Baum the Blue Country, where Dorothy begins her journey, is in the east, then for Volkov it is in the west.
The names of countries by color have been changed: Baum's Yellow Country corresponds to Volkov's Purple Country, and vice versa. Volkov's arrangement of countries is generally less logical; the pattern according to which the intermediate color of the spectrum - green - is located between the extremes is lost.
In The Wizard of Oz, the witches are not named, with the exception of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. In Volkov's book, the good sorceress of the Pink Country is called Stella, and the sorceresses of the North, East and West are given the names Villina, Gingema and Bastinda, respectively.
For Baum, Oz is both the name of the country and the name of the wizard. Volkov does not use this name at all, the wizard is called Goodwin, and the country is called Magic (sometimes the country of Goodwin).
Ellie receives a prediction of three cherished wishes that must be fulfilled so that she can return to Kansas.
According to Baum, the crow, which advised the Scarecrow to get brains, taught the other birds not to be afraid of him. Volkov does not directly mention this. The crow itself is described by Volkov as “big, disheveled,” while by Baum it is “old.”
The woodcutter in Volkov's books (and - according to established tradition - in most subsequent Russian translations of fairy tales about the land of Oz) is made of iron. In the original it is tin.
Between meeting the Woodcutter and meeting the Cowardly Lion, Volkov inserts an additional chapter in which, while the Scarecrow and the Woodcutter argue about the merits of brains and hearts, Ellie is kidnapped by the Ogre. The Scarecrow and the Woodcutter manage to free the girl and kill the Ogre.
According to Baum, in the forest between the ravines it is not Saber-toothed tigers that live, but Kalidas - creatures with the body of a bear and the head of a tiger.
Volkov gives the name of the queen of the field mice (Ramina) and clearly indicates that when she said goodbye, she left Ellie a silver whistle with which she could be summoned. In Baum, the mouse queen simply says that Dorothy can call her at any time by going out into the field, although Dorothy subsequently calls the mouse queen with the help of a whistle, which had not previously appeared in the story.
In Baum, the guard guarding the wizard’s palace immediately lets travelers through; he is simply called “a soldier with green sideburns.” Volkov gives him the name Din Gior and introduces a scene with combing his beard.
Goodwin, sending Ellie and her friends to the Violet Country, orders them to deprive Bastinda of power, no matter how. Oz apparently orders Dorothy to kill the evil witch.
The scenes in the throne room are described slightly differently, as are the scenes in which the evil sorceress sends her animals against Ellie and her companions. The words of the spell that summons the Flying Monkeys are also changed - like all spells in Volkov’s books, they are more melodic and do not require strange accompanying gestures, such as standing on one leg, as was the case with Baum.
The Flying Monkeys do not harm Ellie out of fear of the silver slippers. According to Baum, the girl is protected by the kiss of the good sorceress of the North, which is not mentioned at all in Volkov. A conversation is added in which Bastinda, in particular, tells Ellie that Gingema was her sister.
Ellie's time in captivity with Bastinda is described in much more detail, the image of the cook Fregoza appears, and the motive of preparing an uprising against Bastinda is added.
Although Ellie did not assume that water was deadly for Bastinda, she knew about her fear of water. Sometimes Ellie even used water spilled on the floor to temporarily get rid of the sorceress.
To take away Baum's silver slipper, the sorceress used a rod, which she made invisible. At Volkov's, Bastinda lost all her magical tools and used the extended rope.
Bastinda, when Ellie pours water on her, explains that she has not washed her face for centuries because she received a prophecy about death from water. In Baum, the Witch of the West simply states that the water will kill her, and then tells Dorothy that she remains the mistress of the castle, and admits that she was very evil during her life.
Volkov's story of the Flying Monkeys is described in much less detail than Baum's.
At Volkov's, Totoshka detects Goodwin hiding behind a screen by smell. According to Baum, Toto exposes the wizard by accident when he jumps aside, frightened by the Lion's roar. There are many small differences in the subsequent scenes, right up to the fake wizard's departure in the hot air balloon.
Goodwin, like Ellie, is from Kansas. Oz is from Omaha, near Kansas. Goodwin, before becoming an aeronaut, was an actor who played kings and heroes, while Oz was a ventriloquist.
According to Baum, the path to the good witch of the south passes through a forest with warring trees and the Porcelain Country. In Volkov, these countries are completely absent, but a chapter with floods is added.
The last obstacle on the way to the Pink Country for Volkov is not the Hammerheads. Hammer-Heads), they are also armless short men who shoot with their heads, and Jumpers (Marranos).
Returning to Kansas, Ellie meets Goodwin in a nearby town. Baum does not have this episode.

Differences between emotional and semantic dominant

A comparison of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and “The Wizard of Oz” showed significant differences between these works in terms of emotional and semantic dominance. While the original text can be considered neutral or polydominant (with elements of “beautiful” and “cheerful” text), Volkov’s adaptation is a “dark” text. This is evident in references to shifts that Baum does not have. emotional states, vocabulary with the semes “fear”, “laughter”, detailed descriptions (with super-redundant transfer of the sizes of objects and external characteristics of characters), more vocabulary with the component “sound”, onomatopoeia. A very common semantic component is water: rain and river flooding are the main event of the chapter “Flood” added by Volkov, in the description of Goodwin’s palace there are ponds, fountains, a moat with water - details that are not in the original, a mention of a stream also appears in the description of a ravine, crossing the road. Another feature of Volkov’s text is frequent exclamatory sentences, especially in passages that were not in the original.

Translations

Despite the fact that the book itself is a translation, it has been translated into many languages, including English and German, and published in almost all former socialist countries.

The first German edition of The Wizard was published in the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany in the mid-1960s. Over the course of 40 years, the book went through 10 editions; even after the unification of Germany, when it became available to East Germans original books Baum, translations of Volkov’s books continue to be published in consistently sold-out editions. Some changes were made to the text of the 11th edition, published in , and subsequent ones, and the book also received a new design.

In Germany, two radio plays based on the book were staged:

, Director: Dieter Scharfenberg, LITERA junior 1991, MC.
Der Zauberer der Smaragdenstadt, Director: Paul Hartmann, Deutsche Grammophon - Junior 1994, MC.

In May, an audio version of the book was released on two. The text was read by the famous actress and director Katharina Thalbach:

Der Zauberer der Smaragdenstadt, Jumbo Neue Medien, 2CD, ISBN 3-8337-1533-2

Screen adaptations and productions

Ellie helped Aunt Anna with the housework. Uncle John taught her to read, write and count. He promised to take her to a fair in a neighboring town, and the girl was looking forward to the trip. More than once in her dreams she saw fairground booths with toys and sweets, a circus, cages of a wandering menagerie with monkeys and lions.

The girl loved to play with Toto. It was a black dog with long silky hair, a shaggy muzzle, pointy ears and small, funny sparkling black eyes. Toto was always cheerful. He was ready to play with the girl all day.

But today Ellie had no time for him. Uncle John sat on the threshold and looked restlessly at the sky, grayer than usual. Ellie stood near her uncle with Toto in her arms. Aunt Anna was washing dishes in the house. Soon Uncle John and Ellie heard the rumble of the wind from the north. The grass lay flat to the ground, and waves ran across it. At the same time, an approaching wind noise was heard from the south. Uncle John jumped up.

There will be a hurricane! I'll go get the cattle into the barn! - he hurried.

Aunt Anna ran to the door.

Hurry up, Ellie! - she screamed shrilly. - To the cellar!

Aunt Anna threw back the cellar door and went down into the dark pit. Toto slipped out of the girl’s arms and hid under the bed. Ellie tried in vain to get him out of there. Finally she caught Totoshka and was already near the hatch, but a gust of hurricane shook the house so much that the girl involuntarily sat down on the floor.

A strange thing happened.

The house turned over two or three times, like a carousel, and slowly rose up. The north and south winds collided where the light house stood. He found himself in the center of a cyclone. The whirlwind spun him, lifted him up and carried him through the air.

The room was semi-dark, and the wind howled around. The house, swaying, rushed through the air. Totoshka was unhappy. He ran around the room barking excitedly, dissatisfied with what was happening around him. Ellie sat on the floor in confusion. Suddenly Totoshka ran to the open hatch and fell into it. The girl screamed in horror and grief. But soon the pointy ears of a dog appeared from the hole. The air pressure pushed Toto back, and he floated among the hatch, squealing in fear. The girl crawled to the hole, pulled the dog out by the ear and slammed the door.

Ellie felt very lonely. The wind roared so loudly that it deafened her. It seemed to her that the house was about to fall and break. But time passed, and the house was still flying. Ellie climbed onto the bed and lay down, holding Toto close to her. Under the roar of the wind, gently rocking the house, Ellie fell fast asleep.

Ellie in the land of Munchkins

Ellie woke up from a strong jolt and remembered what happened. Toto licked Ellie’s face with a hot, wet tongue and whined. The girl jumped out of bed. The house didn't move. The sun was shining brightly through the window. Ellie ran to the door, opened it - and screamed in surprise.

The hurricane brought the house to a land of extraordinary beauty. There were green lawns all around; along their edges grew trees with ripe, juicy fruits; In the clearings one could see flowerbeds of beautiful flowers. Unprecedented, brightly feathered birds fluttered and sang. Not far away a clear stream gurgled; Silver fish frolicked in the water.

This picture amazed Ellie. It seemed to her that she was seeing an amazing dream. Ellie even rubbed her eyes, but everything remained in its place.

While the girl stood hesitantly on the threshold, the funniest and sweetest people imaginable appeared from behind the trees. They were no taller than Ellie. The men were dressed in blue velvet caftans and tight trousers; blue boots with cuffs glittered on his feet. But most of all, Ellie liked the pointed hats: the tops were decorated with crystal balls, and small bells tinkled gently under the wide brims.

An old woman, all in white, walked importantly in front of the three men; Tiny stars sparkled on her pointed hat and on her robe. The old woman's gray hair fell onto her shoulders.

In the distance, behind the fruit trees, a whole crowd of little people could be seen; They stood whispering and exchanging glances, but did not dare to come closer.

The ambassadors of these timid little people smiled warmly and somewhat timidly at Ellie. Then they moved forward together and took off their hats at once. “Ding-ding-ding!” the bells rang. Ellie noticed that the little people's jaws were constantly moving, as if chewing something.

The old woman turned to Ellie:

Mighty Fairy! We welcome you to the land of the East! You killed the evil sorceress Gingema and freed the Munchkins!

Ellie was amazed. Why is she called a fairy and who could she destroy, Ellie, who has not even killed a sparrow in her life?!

The little old lady was waiting for an answer.

Ellie said:

You are very kind, but there is a mistake: I didn’t kill anyone.

The house did this, but, of course, on your orders,” said the old white woman.

And the little men exclaimed in unison:

This is your house - crack! crack! - killed the evil sorceress Gingema! - and waved their hats at once.

“Ding-ding-ding!” the bells rang.

Look! - the old woman pointed to the corner of the house. - There are her legs!

Ellie recoiled with a cry of horror. A pair of legs in pretty silver shoes stuck out from under the house.

Oh, what grief! - Ellie cried, clenching her hands. - It's all the ugly hurricane's fault! What to do?

The world-famous book “The Wizard of the Emerald City” and all the parts in order following the main one were read by everyone: young and old, rereading and reading the books several times, because the stories were really exciting and interesting, unusual for those times the plot of Volkov's books.

Summary of “The Wizard of the Emerald City”

This is the story of a girl Ellie and her dog Toto, who, by a strange coincidence or indeed thanks to witchcraft, ended up in the Magic Land.

In the process of trying to return home, she meets three creatures: one made of straw, another made of iron, and the third is an ordinary-looking lion, but speaks a human language, however, like all the other inhabitants of the fairy-tale place. The author of “The Wizard of the Emerald City” described the experiences of his friends so colorfully and in detail that children all over the world sincerely worried about them and wrote heartfelt letters to Alexander Volkov.

Book two: “Oorfene Deuce and his wooden soldiers”

An apprentice of an evil witch and a part-time carpenter accidentally became the owner of a powerful powder that turns any object into a living creature. Thanks to his ability to work with wood, he creates an entire army and usurps power in the world of fairy-tale men.

Resourceful friends find a way to warn Ellie, who goes to the rescue with her uncle and frees the country from the oppression of Oorfene Deuce, who was expelled in disgrace.

"Seven Underground Kings" - a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz"

Contents Volkov brought to the moment of foundation fairyland, how it was divided into sectors and due to what circumstances the country of miners arose. The life of seven kings in one kingdom is described, and the reader also learns the history of the emergence of the sacred Sleeping Spring. Ellie couldn’t do it here either: again, quite by accident, she ends up in the world of miners along with her cousin and again helps local residents achieve justice.

“The Fire God of the Marrans” - the fourth part of the story

In the fourth part, Oorfene Deuce again comes to the fore, having accumulated within himself for years hatred and a desire for revenge, as well as to once again enslave the inhabitants of the fairy-tale country. He manages to subjugate the Marrano tribe, who were one of the most primitive tribes in the Magic Land. He begins to gradually seize territories and again becomes a usurper. In parallel with these events in Kansas, Ellie’s grown-up sister and her friend, having heard enough stories about a wonderful world, go to visit and arrive on time. After a series of adventures, they save the inhabitants from oppression and happily return home.

Book Five: “Yellow Fog”

In this part, Oorfene Deuce appears in a completely new guise: he seems to have been reborn anew and stood on the bright side in the fight against the ancient sorceress, who wants to turn the inhabitants of the Magic Land into her slaves and sends attacks on them.

The whole country rebels against the witch, and Annie and Uncle Charlie are also summoned, who again must help their friends. New adventures and a lot of interesting twists delight the reader.

“The Mystery of the Abandoned Castle”: the final part

Here the author departed from the idea of all parts of “The Wizard of the Emerald City”: all sorceresses and witches, peoples, were mentioned in order. Now Volkov decided to include an alien race in the plot, because the year of writing (1975) just corresponded to various fantasies on the theme of space.

Taught by bitter experience, the residents immediately send messengers to Annie, who asks Freddie and Tim for help. Into battle with alien creatures All residents of the Magic Land are connected and goodness, as usual, triumphs.

Significant Characters

Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to list and mention the interesting inhabitants of all parts of “The Wizard of Oz” in order, but the most important are:

Ellie - main character the first part, a girl from the human world, originally from Kansas.
Toto, aka Totoshka, is Ellie's dog.
The Scarecrow is a fairy-tale man made of straw, later the ruler of the Emerald City.
The Cowardly Lion, later called Brave.
Tin Woodman - a man made of iron tends to rust when exposed to water.
Oorfene Deuce is a carpenter, a student of the sorceress Gingema, who twice tried to usurp the Magic Land.
Gingema is an evil witch living in the Blue Country. She was accidentally killed by Ellie's house.
Bastinda is an evil sorceress who was afraid of water on pain of death, the ruler of the Violet Country.
Dean Gior is a soldier with a very long beard who guarded the entrance to the Emerald Palace.
Kaggi-Kar is a crow who can speak human language and is a close friend of the Scarecrow.
The Great Goodwin is the ruler of the Emerald City before the Scarecrow, a man who accidentally became a "powerful wizard".
Faramant is a close friend of Dean Gior, the keeper of the green glasses.

“The Wizard of the Emerald City” and all subsequent books in this wonderful series were written by Alexander Melentyevich Volkov, a Russian writer who simultaneously worked as a teacher, a school director in Yaroslavl and studied at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, which he graduated at the age of forty. He had a great passion for learning languages, which served as the basis for writing his first book, “The Wizard of the Emerald City.” Volkov was drawn to the story “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”: he took it in his native English as an exercise in translation, the notes of which he eventually corrected and published as a separate novel.

The book was so popular that it was necessary to write the subsequent parts of “The Wizard of the Emerald City”, telling in order about all the inhabitants of this fabulous area: the munchkins and their battle with the wooden soldiers, the gloomy carpenter Dzhusa and his repeated attempts to enslave the entire Magical Land, about the girl Ellie, her relatives and friends who, by the will of fate, ended up in this country.

The main idea, which runs as the main thread through all the parts in the order of “The Wizard of Oz” and subsequent books, touches on the most important spiritual values, which are held in high esteem not only in the human world, but also among fairy-tale characters and even animals: loyalty in friendship, a sense of compassion to one's neighbor, justice and honor.