CerebralMix 2015-07-05: Wonderful Wizard of Oz Ep 4

On CerebralMix 2015-07-05: Wonderful Wizard of Oz Ep 4, we have the rescue of the Cowardly Lion from the deadly Poppy field. Our travels make their way to the Emerald City, and have their first encounter with the Wonderful Wiaard of Oz.

It’s is interesting that what is supposed to be a life-lesson that comes from the encounter with the Wizard is that there is a price for everything. Each of the characters are told that they must complete the same task: kill the Wicked Witch of the East. It seems strange for a children’s book that (a) this would be the kind of lesson that was desirable to teach children, and (b) that the task they are told to perform involves the taking of a life, even if it is one of the Wicked Witches.

Now, some would point to the Biblical story of God demanding a sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. However, this is a story that is intended for adults, and not for children. And it is a test, and the story is told in a way that we know God is testing Abraham. In the context of this book, however, it is not framed as a test, it is framed as the price to be paid for the characters wishes to be granted.

Quite a strange thing to have in a novel that is designed for children, in my opinion.

Readings

The readings for this, and in fact all the Wonderful Wizard of Oz series, come from Librivox. This is an exceptional dramatic reading that features a very talented cast. Be sure to check out the full recording of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

This, and all Librivox recordings, are based on works that are in the Public Domain. The full text of the book that they are reading from is available via Project Gutenberg. You can check out the full text of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz eBook if you’d like to read along with the Librivox recording.