Pastoria
Encyclopedia
King
Pastoria is a fictional character
mentioned in the Oz books
by L. Frank Baum
. He was the rightful King of the Land of Oz
, but was removed by an evil witch named Mombi
, and his throne was taken by the Wizard of Oz. Eventually, Pastoria's daughter Ozma
became the Queen of Oz.
, freely adapted from his book. At the start of that play, King Pastoria II has been banished from Oz and is working as a street car conductor in America, with a waitress girlfriend named Trixie Tryfle. By the second act, Pastoria is restored to his Emerald City throne and orders all who allied with the Wizard (including the four classic protagonists) to be executed for treason. Of course the four characters and the Wizard each escape. Nothing of the stage character but his name made it into Baum's books.
, though there is no narrational confirmation. This novel, which was the sequel to Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
also describes Princess Ozma
as "the only child of the former Ruler of Oz, and was entitled to rule in his place."
L. Frank Baum's fourth Oz book, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
, chronicles that Pastoria's father (Ozma's grandfather) ruled Oz before the wicked witches conquered the land and divided it among themselves, but makes it unclear as to whether Pastoria himself ruled Oz. Ozma explains in this book that all Ozian rulers were named "Oz" if male and "Ozma" if female; the fact that her father had a personal name makes it questionable as to whether he had the chance to actually rule as King, before being captured by Mombi
. In any event, both Pastoria and his father became slaves of Mombi
, the erstwhile Wicked Witch of the North.
(1946), Jack Snow
wrote that Pastoria had adopted Ozma as a baby fairy. This explains why the series contains no mention of her mother.
In The Lost King of Oz
(1925), Ruth Plumly Thompson
built her plot around a quest for Pastoria. Mombi had enchanted him in the form of Tora the Tired Tailor
with no memory of his true identity and with ears that can fly off his face often coming together like a butterfly
. This book mentions that Pastoria had a hunting lodge in a town in the Quadling Country
called Morrow. At the end of the story, he returns to the Emerald City and Mombi is forced to disenchant him. Pastoria is happy to let Ozma keep ruling and opens a tailor shop called The Tired Tailor of Oz under his own name. Before he steps down as King, Pastoria's last act was to have Mombi executed by water. The character is hardly featured in Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz books thereafter, limited to brief mentions in The Gnome King of Oz
(conversing with Nick Chopper about the latter's crop of tin cans) and in The Yellow Knight of Oz
(referred to only as the Lost King, playing checkers with the Soldier with the Green Whiskers
).
Lin Carter
wrote an unauthorized sequel, The Tired Tailor of Oz, that focused on the character. It was published posthumously in 2001. Normally, with The Lost King of Oz still protected by copyright, stories involving Pastoria-as-tailor are unpublishable, but Carter had the clout and funds to do so that most contemporary Oz writers do not have.
revisionist Oz novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
and Son of a Witch
, "Pastorius" was the widower of Ozma the Bilious, who died from an apparently accidental poisoning, and father to Ozma Tippetarius, who was approximately the same age as Elphaba
. As Ozma Tippetarius was too young to take the throne when her mother died, Pastorius ruled as Ozma Regent
until the monarchy was overthrown by the Wizard. Pastorius died during his subsequent imprisonment.
Thomas W. Olson's book of the musical, The Marvelous Land of Oz
demonstrates the playwright
's knowledge of L. Frank Baum
's original stage musical, by having Glinda
respond "That is the popular belief" to the Scarecrow's "Isn't Pastoria dead and gone?" (which was not phrased as a question in the novel).
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Pastoria is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
mentioned in the Oz books
The Oz books
The Oz books form a book series that begins with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , and that relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length Oz books, all of which are in the public domain in the United States...
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 was the rightful King of the Land of Oz
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...
, but was removed by an evil witch named Mombi
Mombi
Mombi is a wicked old witch from L. Frank Baum Oz Books. She appears in the book The Marvelous Land of Oz and is alluded to in other works. Of all the wicked witches in L...
, and his throne was taken by the Wizard of Oz. Eventually, Pastoria's daughter Ozma
Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tiktok, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein published on July 30, 1907, was the third book of L....
became the Queen of Oz.
Original Appearance
Baum actually created the character of Pastoria for the 1902 stage musical, The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1902 stage play)
The Wizard of Oz was a 1902 musical extravaganza based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, which was originally published in 1900...
, freely adapted from his book. At the start of that play, King Pastoria II has been banished from Oz and is working as a street car conductor in America, with a waitress girlfriend named Trixie Tryfle. By the second act, Pastoria is restored to his Emerald City throne and orders all who allied with the Wizard (including the four classic protagonists) to be executed for treason. Of course the four characters and the Wizard each escape. Nothing of the stage character but his name made it into Baum's books.
The Classic Books by L. Frank Baum
He is mentioned as "dead and gone" by the Scarecrow in The Marvelous Land of OzThe Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published on July 5, 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This and the next...
, though there is no narrational confirmation. This novel, which was the sequel to Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
also describes Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the series except the first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and L...
as "the only child of the former Ruler of Oz, and was entitled to rule in his place."
L. Frank Baum's fourth Oz book, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz: A Faithful Record of Their Amazing Adventures in an Underground World; and How with the Aid of Their Friends Zeb Hugson, Eureka the Kitten, and Jim the Cab-Horse, They Finally Reached the Wonderful Land of Oz is the fourth book set in the Land of Oz written by L....
, chronicles that Pastoria's father (Ozma's grandfather) ruled Oz before the wicked witches conquered the land and divided it among themselves, but makes it unclear as to whether Pastoria himself ruled Oz. Ozma explains in this book that all Ozian rulers were named "Oz" if male and "Ozma" if female; the fact that her father had a personal name makes it questionable as to whether he had the chance to actually rule as King, before being captured by Mombi
Mombi
Mombi is a wicked old witch from L. Frank Baum Oz Books. She appears in the book The Marvelous Land of Oz and is alluded to in other works. Of all the wicked witches in L...
. In any event, both Pastoria and his father became slaves of Mombi
Mombi
Mombi is a wicked old witch from L. Frank Baum Oz Books. She appears in the book The Marvelous Land of Oz and is alluded to in other works. Of all the wicked witches in L...
, the erstwhile Wicked Witch of the North.
Later books
In The Magical Mimics in OzThe Magical Mimics in Oz
The Magical Mimics in Oz is the thirty-seventh in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the first written by Jack Snow. It was illustrated by Frank G. Kramer.-A new "Royal Historian":...
(1946), Jack Snow
Jack Snow (writer)
John Frederick "Jack" Snow was an American radio writer and scholar, primarily of the works of L. Frank Baum. When Baum died in 1919, the twelve-year-old Snow offered to be the next Royal Historian of Oz, but was politely turned down by a staffer at Baum's publisher, Reilly & Lee...
wrote that Pastoria had adopted Ozma as a baby fairy. This explains why the series contains no mention of her mother.
In The Lost King of Oz
The Lost King of Oz
The Lost King of Oz is the nineteenth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fifth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R. Neill.-Thompson's approach:...
(1925), 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...
built her plot around a quest for Pastoria. Mombi had enchanted him in the form of Tora the Tired Tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
with no memory of his true identity and with ears that can fly off his face often coming together like a butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. This book mentions that Pastoria had a hunting lodge in a town in the Quadling Country
Quadling Country
The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings. Like the Munchkin Country, the outer regions of the Quadling Country are rich, pleasant and...
called Morrow. At the end of the story, he returns to the Emerald City and Mombi is forced to disenchant him. Pastoria is happy to let Ozma keep ruling and opens a tailor shop called The Tired Tailor of Oz under his own name. Before he steps down as King, Pastoria's last act was to have Mombi executed by water. The character is hardly featured in Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz books thereafter, limited to brief mentions in The Gnome King of Oz
The Gnome King of Oz
The Gnome King of Oz is the twenty-first in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the seventh by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Like nineteen of the twenty previous books, it was illustrated by John R. Neill.-The plot:...
(conversing with Nick Chopper about the latter's crop of tin cans) and in The Yellow Knight of Oz
The Yellow Knight of Oz
thumb|200px|Cover of The Yellow Knight of Oz.The Yellow Knight of Oz is the twenty-fourth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the tenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill....
(referred to only as the Lost King, playing checkers with the Soldier with the Green Whiskers
Soldier with the Green Whiskers
The Soldier with the Green Whiskers is a major character in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. His name is Omby Amby, but this was so obliquely stated that he also became known briefly as Wantowin Battles.-Early appearances:...
).
Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
wrote an unauthorized sequel, The Tired Tailor of Oz, that focused on the character. It was published posthumously in 2001. Normally, with The Lost King of Oz still protected by copyright, stories involving Pastoria-as-tailor are unpublishable, but Carter had the clout and funds to do so that most contemporary Oz writers do not have.
Recent Works
In Gregory Maguire'sGregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire is an American writer. He is the author of the novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, and many other novels for adults and children...
revisionist Oz novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a parallel novel published in 1995 written by Gregory Maguire and illustrated by Douglas Smith. It is a revisionist look at the land and characters of Oz from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its sequels, and the...
and Son of a Witch
Son of a Witch
Son of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
, "Pastorius" was the widower of Ozma the Bilious, who died from an apparently accidental poisoning, and father to Ozma Tippetarius, who was approximately the same age as Elphaba
Elphaba
Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and little...
. As Ozma Tippetarius was too young to take the throne when her mother died, Pastorius ruled as Ozma Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
until the monarchy was overthrown by the Wizard. Pastorius died during his subsequent imprisonment.
Thomas W. Olson's book of the musical, The Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz (musical)
The Marvelous Land of Oz is a musical play by Thomas W. Olson , Gary Briggle , and Richard Dworsky , based on the novel by L. Frank Baum...
demonstrates the playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
's knowledge of 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...
's original stage musical, by having Glinda
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
respond "That is the popular belief" to the Scarecrow's "Isn't Pastoria dead and gone?" (which was not phrased as a question in the novel).