Quote#Wisdom
Mombi was not exactly a Witch, because the Good Witch who ruled that…
Quote byL. Frank Baum · 1856–1919
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Later Oz novels, The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), Ch. 1 : Tip Manufactures Pumpkinhead.
English (original)
Mombi was not exactly a Witch, because the Good Witch who ruled that part of the Land of Oz had forbidden any other Witch to exist in her dominions. So Tip's guardian, however much she might aspire to working magic, realized it was unlawful to be more than a Sorceress, or at most a Wizardess.
— L. Frank Baum
More from L. Frank Baum
Some of my youthful readers are developing wonderful imaginations. This pleases me.
When I was young I longed to write a great novel that should win me fame. Now that I am getting old my first book is written to amuse children.
It is a callous age; we have seen so many marvels that we are ashamed to marvel more; the seven wonders of the world have become seven thousand wonders.
I have learned to regard fame as a will-o-the-wisp which, when caught, is not worth the possession; but to please a child is a sweet and lovely thing that warms one's heart and brings its own reward.
Now we can cross the Shifting Sands.
I believe that dreams — day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain machinery whizzing — are likely to lead to the betterment of the world.