Quotes by L. Frank Baum

The reason most people are bad is because they do not try to be good. L. Frank Baum, The Emerald City of Oz, 1910

Now then, Mr. Crab, said the zebra, here are the people I told you about; and they know more than you do, who live in a pool, and more than I do, who live in a forest. For they have been travelers all over the world, and know every part of it.Theres more of the world than Oz, declared the crab, in a stubborn voice.That is true, said Dorothy; but I used to live in Kansas, in the United States, and Ive been to California and to Australia--and so has Uncle Henry.For my part, added the Shaggy Man, Ive been to Mexico and Boston and many other foreign countries.And I, said the Wizard, have been to Europe and Ireland.So you see, continued the zebra, addressing the crab, here are people of real consequence, who know what they are talking about.

Perhaps it is better to be a machine that does its duty than a flesh-and-blood person who will not, for a dead truth is better than a live falsehood.

Theres no place like home...

No matter how dreary and grey our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.

Without knowing it the girl was arguing on the side of the worlds expert criminologists, who hold that to destroy an offender cannot benefit society so much as to redeem him.

Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl who had been so suddenly whisked away from her own country and set down in the middle of a strange land

If we walk far enough, says Dorothy, we shall sometime come to someplace.

I can tell the time, though, by speak-ing, and as I nev-er sleep I can wak-en you at an-y hour you wish to get up in the morn-ing.Thats nice, said the little girl; only I never wish to get up in the morning.

But you will admit that it is a very good thing to be alive.

This is the way to get ideas: never to let adverse circumstances discourage you, but to believe there is a way out of every difficulty, which may be found by earnest though.

Not willingly, admitted the tiger. But here is the alternative; either you transform yourself into an eye for our child, or I and my dear wife will tear you into shreds.

True courage is in facing damger when you are afraid.

All the same, said the Scarecrow,I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.I shall take the heart, returned the Tin Woodman,for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.

Everything has to come to an end, sometime.

Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him; but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.

In other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows.

In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians ~ The Witch of the North

It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool

Oh, if Shakespeare says it, thats all right.