Ojo the Lucky
Encyclopedia
Ojo is a character from the fictional Oz
book series by L. Frank Baum
.
He first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz
. Ojo is a Munchkin
who lived with his uncle, Unc Nunkie in the Blue Forest, a remote location in the north of the Munchkin Country
. During a trip with his uncle to visit his uncle's friend Dr. Pipt, Ojo learns from Pipt's wife, Dame Margolotte, that he is known to others as "Ojo the Unlucky." Ojo discovers rationalizations for this, including the fact that he was born on Friday the 13th
, is left-handed
, and has a wart
under his arm, and he begins to believe that bad luck follows him wherever he goes. However, the Tin Woodman
officially deems him Ojo the Lucky after hearing these reasons because he believes Ojo's bad luck is due to a self-fulfilling prophecy
.
Ojo later starred in his own book, Ojo in Oz
by Ruth Plumly Thompson
. In this book, Thompson picked up a dropped thread of Baum's about Ojo being possibly related to royalty and made him the Prince of Seebania, whose family was enchanted by an evil sorcerer named Mooj, causing his father, King Ree Alla Bad, to run around Oz as a bandit called Realbad.
Although Ojo is a Munchkin, he seems to be taller than the Munchkins Dorothy met during her first trip to Oz, though this is never stated. It is usually surmised from a passage in which Dr. Pipt refers to Ojo getting "taller," though only the comparative form of the word is used. Neither Ojo nor Unc Nunkie are described as "tall".
In John R. Neill
's books, Ojo is attendant to Kabumpo
. This is never explained, but nothing precludes it from being a task a young prince's parents might force him to endure.
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
book series by L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
.
He first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum, is a children's novel, the seventh set in the Land of Oz. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps , and others. The book was first published on July 1, 1913, with illustrations by John R. Neill...
. Ojo is a Munchkin
Munchkin
The Munchkins are the natives of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. They first appeared in the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which they are described as being somewhat short of stature, and wear only blue...
who lived with his uncle, Unc Nunkie in the Blue Forest, a remote location in the north of the Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country is the Eastern region in the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Wizard it was originally called "the land of Munchkins", and "Munchkin Country" in all subsequent Oz books...
. During a trip with his uncle to visit his uncle's friend Dr. Pipt, Ojo learns from Pipt's wife, Dame Margolotte, that he is known to others as "Ojo the Unlucky." Ojo discovers rationalizations for this, including the fact that he was born on Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most three times a year...
, is left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
, and has a wart
Wart
A wart is generally a small, rough growth, typically on a human’s hands or feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. They are caused by a viral infection, specifically by human papillomavirus 2 and 7. There are as many as 10 varieties of warts, the most...
under his arm, and he begins to believe that bad luck follows him wherever he goes. However, the Tin Woodman
Tin Woodman
The Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum...
officially deems him Ojo the Lucky after hearing these reasons because he believes Ojo's bad luck is due to a self-fulfilling prophecy
Self-fulfilling prophecy
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and...
.
Ojo later starred in his own book, Ojo in Oz
Ojo in Oz
thumb|200px|Cover of Ojo in Oz.Ojo in Oz is the twenty-seventh in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the thirteenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R...
by Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson was an American writer of children's stories.-Life and work:An avid reader of Baum's books and a lifelong children's writer, Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began her writing career in 1914 when she took a job with the Philadelphia Public Ledger; she wrote...
. In this book, Thompson picked up a dropped thread of Baum's about Ojo being possibly related to royalty and made him the Prince of Seebania, whose family was enchanted by an evil sorcerer named Mooj, causing his father, King Ree Alla Bad, to run around Oz as a bandit called Realbad.
Although Ojo is a Munchkin, he seems to be taller than the Munchkins Dorothy met during her first trip to Oz, though this is never stated. It is usually surmised from a passage in which Dr. Pipt refers to Ojo getting "taller," though only the comparative form of the word is used. Neither Ojo nor Unc Nunkie are described as "tall".
In John R. Neill
John R. Neill
John Rea Neill was a magazine and children's book illustrator primarily known for illustrating more than forty stories set in the Land of Oz, including L. Frank Baum's, Ruth Plumly Thompson's, and three of his own. His pen-and-ink drawings have become identified almost exclusively with the Oz series...
's books, Ojo is attendant to Kabumpo
Kabumpo
Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Pumperdink, is a fictional character in the Oz books of Ruth Plumly Thompson.Kabumpo first appears in Kabumpo in Oz, Thompson's second Oz book. He was originally a christening gift to the king of Pumperdink, Pompus. He reappears to play major roles in The Lost King...
. This is never explained, but nothing precludes it from being a task a young prince's parents might force him to endure.