Ojo in Oz is the twenty-seventh installment in the Land of Oz series, and the thirteenth book by Ruth Plumly Thompson, published in 1933.
As the story begins, Ojo and Unc Nunkie (who were introduced in The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum) are living in a green cottage with blue shutters, which abuts the wall of the Emerald City. Their peaceful routine is disrupted when Ojo is kidnapped by gypsies. He is not their only victim: the gypsies also hold a bear named Snufferbux, who they force to dance and perform for them. Soon enough, the gypsies are overcome by a gang of bandits. The bandit chieftain Realbad discovers a parchment in the gypsy leader's vest, which states that anyone who brings Ojo to Moojer Mountain will receive a bounty of 5000 bags of sapphires. Realbad and his thieves take Ojo and Snufferbux back to their secret cave.
Meanwhile, Unc Nunkie seeks out the help of Princess Ozma as soon as he realizes Ojo is missing. The Wizard of Oz prepares to use his magic searchlight to locate Ojo; Ozma sends out a party of potential rescuers that includes Dorothy Gale, the Patchwork Girl, and the Cowardly Lion. The rescue party goes awry, however; the three find their own way to Moojer Mountain, where they are enchanted and turned into clocks by the malevolent magician Mooj, the man who seeks possession of Ojo.
Tropes
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Ojo was originally drawn with black hair, but Neill gave him light brown hair for this book.
- Backstory: Baum had established that Unc Nunkie and Ojo were once Munchkin royalty before Ozma came to the throne. This book fleshes out the details, naming the kingdom Seebania, making Ojo a prince and revealing why Unc Nunkie fled to a hidden cottage in the woods.
- Beary Friendly : Snufferbux, who befriends Ojo and becomes very protective of him.
- Character Title: It's a combo breaker title as well, since the general rule is if the character in the title is a native of Oz, the title is "(character name) of Oz". It's only "in Oz" if the title character is a visitor from outside Oz, with the exception of this book.
- Have a Gay Old Time: The queer Dicks in Dicksyland, who will not allow you into their town unless you too are queer. Yes, both "queer" and "dick" already had their current slang definitions in 1933.
- Forced Transformation: Mooj turns Dorothy, Scraps and the Cowardly Lion into clocks when he captures them on Mt. Moojer.
- King Incognito: Realbad was forced by Mooj to abdicate his throne because he was holding the queen hostage. Giving up hope, he opted to become a bandit, never knowing he had a son.
- Lost Orphaned Royalty: Ojo’s parents are still alive technically, but he never met them before.
- Loveable Rogue: Realbad fits this trope once he starts to care about Ojo.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Realbad is revealed to be the heir to the throne of Seebania (an independent kingdom in Munchkin Country), and Ojo is his son, who Unc Nunkie took into hiding to protect him from Mooj.
- Really Royalty Reveal: Realbad and Ojo are revealed to be the king and prince of Seebania.
- Roguish Romani: It is never explained how Gypsies wound up in Oz. Thompson might have replaced them with any fantasy race to avoid racism. The fact that Ozma sends them back to Europe at the end of the book, in 1933, is rather tragic considering what was to happen there within the decade.
- Suddenly Speaking: Unc Nunkie does speak, but it’s only one or two words at a time. Near the end of the book after The Reveal happens, however, he gives an entire speech detailing the true backstory of Ojo.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: The plot follows Ojo’s ordeals, and the journeys of his rescue party consisting of Dorothy, Scraps and the Cowardly Lion.
- Wacky Wayside Tribe: A must in most Oz stories, especially those by Thompson. This story includes the Dicks of Dicksyland.
