Glinda of Oz: In Which Are Related the Exciting Experiences of Princess Ozma of Oz, and Dorothy, in Their Hazardous Journey to the Home of the Flatheads, and to the Magic Isle of the Skeezers, and How They Were Rescued from Dire Peril by the Sorcery of Glinda the Good

In Short

When word reaches the Emerald City that the Flatheads and the Skeezers are preparing for war, Princess Ozma and Dorothy Gale set out to broker peace. Their diplomatic mission ends in disaster when the vanity and cruel magic of the rival rulers entrap the young leaders inside a glass-domed island submerged beneath a lake. L. Frank Baum’s final Oz story endures because it balances a lighthearted, episodic adventure with a surprisingly dark subversion of power: royalty is humbled, victory requires cooperation rather than brute force, and even the most formidable magic must yield to patient, clever problem-solving.

The Story

The adventure begins in the Great Book of Records, where Dorothy spots a disturbing entry: the Flatheads and the Skeezers, two remote tribes living in the outer reaches of Oz, are about to go to war. Princess Ozma, committed to her duty as ruler, insists on traveling to their lands to prevent bloodshed. Rejecting an army, she takes only Dorothy for company, relying on her royal authority and her natural gift for winning hearts.

Their journey leads them first to Flathead Mountain, a sheer, house-walled mesa where the inhabitants carry their brains in small tin cans. The ambitious, cruel Su-dic rules the Flatheads and harbors a bitter grudge against the Skeezers, whose wicked ruler, Queen Coo-ee-oh, transformed his wife into a Golden Pig. Refusing Ozma's peaceful counsel, the Su-dic marches his forces toward the Magic Isle of the Skeezers. Ozma and Dorothy press ahead to warn Coo-ee-oh, crossing a magical, contracting steel bridge to enter the great glass dome that covers the island.

Coo-ee-oh proves just as ruthless and vain as the Su-dic. Refusing to submit to Ozma's authority, she meets the invading Flatheads in a magical submarine. Before she can use her magic against them, the Su-dic splashes a bowl of enchanted liquid into her face, transforming her into a Diamond Swan. The transformed queen immediately forgets all her complex sorcery, leaving her stranded in the water. Worse, her automated defense system triggers, sinking the entire glass-domed island to the bottom of the lake, trapping Ozma, Dorothy, and the Skeezer citizens beneath the surface.

Back in the Emerald City, Glinda the Good discovers their peril through her magic mirror. She gathers Ozma’s loyal counselors—including the Wizard, the Scarecrow, the Frogman, and the educated Professor Wogglebug—and marches a relief expedition to the lake. While Glinda tries to figure out how to raise the dome, a clever Skeezer named Ervic visits the reclusive shape-shifting witch, Red Reera the Yookoohoo. Through subtle trickery and patience, Ervic convinces Reera to restore three enchanted fishes back into their true forms: three benevolent Adepts in Sorcery whom Coo-ee-oh had previously transformed.

Reunited with Glinda and the Wizard, the three Adepts reveal the mechanics of Coo-ee-oh’s machinery. Together, the group finds the secret magic words needed to pump out the water and raise the sunken island. Once Ozma and Dorothy are freed, Glinda uses her sorcery to reform the local societies: she reshapes the Flatheads' heads to permanently hold their brains, strips the Su-dic and Coo-ee-oh of their dangerous power, and installs the gentle Adepts to guide a newly peaceful people under Ozma's reign.

How It Unfolds

The call to duty Upon discovering that the Flatheads and Skeezers are preparing for battle, Ozma decides to intervene personally rather than send an armed force. Dorothy insists on joining her, drawn by the prospect of adventure and excitement.

The ascent of Flathead Mountain The girls navigate hazards, including a giant spider web, before discovering the hidden entrance to the Flatheads' steep mountain. There they meet the Su-dic, a tyrant who keeps his subjects' brains locked in tin cans and declares his intent to enslave the Skeezers.

Trapped under the glass dome Ozma and Dorothy reach the Magic Isle, where Queen Coo-ee-oh receives them with hostility. When the Su-dic attacks, he turns Coo-ee-oh into a foolish Diamond Swan, inadvertently triggering a mechanism that lowers the island to the lake bed and seals the visitors underwater.

Glinda launches a rescue Observing the disaster from her castle, Glinda assembles a rescue party of Oz’s most prominent figures. They march to the shore of the lake, using magic to protect themselves while searching for a way to break into or raise the submerged structure.

Ervic tricks the Yookoohoo A brave Skeezer named Ervic visits Red Reera, an isolated witch who practices magic only for her own amusement. By playing indifferent and exploiting her pride, Ervic tricks Reera into transforming three enchanted lake fishes back into human Adepts.

The island rises The rescued Adepts join forces with Glinda and the Wizard to decipher Coo-ee-oh’s hidden machinery. Upon uttering the proper magic command, the machinery drains the water chambers and forces the glass dome safely back to the lake's surface.

A permanent peace Glinda uses her sorcery to cure the Flatheads of their physical deformity, permanently embedding their brains so they can no longer be stolen. Ozma establishes new leadership for both tribes, integrating them peacefully into the broader kingdom of Oz.

The People

• Princess Ozma: The selfless ruler of Oz who believes in governing through affection and moral authority rather than military force. What stands in her way is the stubborn selfishness of isolated tyrants who reject her peaceful laws. By the end, her empathy and adherence to duty are vindicated, though she learns the limits of diplomacy against entrenched cruelty.
• Dorothy Gale: Ozma’s loyal companion, whose plain-spoken common sense and pragmatic curiosity balance Ozma’s royal dignity. She wants adventure and safety for her friend, overcoming physical traps through sharp observations. She remains grounded, cheerful, and unawed by magical posturing.
• The Su-dic: The power-hungry ruler of the Flatheads who hoards multiple cans of brains to make himself a master sorcerer. He seeks vengeance against the Skeezers and absolute dominion over the region. His arrogance ultimately causes his downfall, ending with him stripped of his stolen brains and placed under strict supervision.
• Queen Coo-ee-oh: The vain, heartless ruler of the Skeezers who uses stolen magic to construct technological wonders and subjugate her people. Her inability to care for anyone but herself leads directly to her undoing when she is turned into a Diamond Swan, losing her intellect and her crown to live out her days admiring her own reflection.
• Ervic: A clever Skeezer youth who uses wit and psychological manipulation rather than magic to outsmart the formidable Red Reera. He wants to free his trapped countrymen, and his successful ruse proves that ordinary courage can rival great sorcery.
• Glinda the Good: The supreme Sorceress of Oz, whose methodical, calm approach to magic makes her the ultimate problem-solver. She leads the rescue effort and uses her vast powers not to destroy, but to permanently repair the social and physical harms caused by the warring rulers.

In Its Own Voice

When Ozma explains her choice to travel without an army, she outlines her philosophy of leadership:

"However, you have one art that no other in all the world can equal--the art of winning hearts and making people love to bow to your gracious presence."

Dorothy approaches the fantastical hazards of their journey with her typical midwestern pragmatism:

"No dishes to wash, Ozma! I guess you'd make a lot of folks happy if you could teach 'em just that one trick."

Even after being turned into a bird and losing her kingdom, Queen Coo-ee-oh remains consumed by vanity:

"Deeds? What deeds can a swan do but swim around and give pleasure to all beholders?"

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book is a study on the nature of authority and the dangers of selfishly hoard knowledge. Both the Su-dic and Queen Coo-ee-oh view power as a tool for personal dominance—literally withholding brains and freedom from their subjects to maintain control. Baum contrasts their tyrannical control with Ozma’s benevolent governance, arguing that true leadership requires empathy, respect, and a commitment to the common good. The plot also explores the limits of physical magic; raw power regularly leads to deadlocks or unexpected disasters, whereas patience, clear reason, and unselfish cooperation ultimately restore balance to the world.

Why Read It Today

Glinda of Oz holds a unique, bittersweet place in children's literature as L. Frank Baum’s final gift to his readers, written shortly before his death in 1919. It feels remarkably modern in its depiction of technology-like magic—featuring automated bridges, mechanical submarines, and a sunken glass-domed city that feels akin to early science fiction. Readers who enjoy world-building, clever subversions of classic fairy-tale tropes, and strong female leads will find much to admire.

The narrative moves at a brisk, energetic pace, balanced by Baum's trademark understated humor and gentle morality. While contemporary readers might occasionally wince at the physical bizarre-ness of the Flatheads' deformity or the straightforward simplicity of the story's resolution, these period quirks are far outweighed by the book's imaginative vitality. The tale does not rely on simple battles; instead, it celebrates clever diplomacy, psychological trickery, and the idea that true wisdom cannot be kept in a tin can. It leaves the reader with a comforting, enduring sense that kindness and reason will always find a way to raise us from the darkest depths.