A summary of Alexander Volkov’s "The Wizard of the Emerald City"

This collection of fairy tales was created between 1939 and 1976. Beginning as a free creative adaptation of Frank Baum’s tale, the series evolved into an original epic about loyalty, mutual assistance, and strong friendship. The series comprises six works: "The Wizard of the Emerald City," "Urfin Jus and His Wooden Soldiers," "The Seven Underground Kings," "The Fire God of the Marranos," "Yellow Fog," and "The Secret of the Abandoned Castle." The stories have been adapted for the screen several times, including in the multi-part puppet animation series produced by Ekran Studios in 1973–1974.

The Wizard of the Emerald City

A hurricane carried by the evil witch Gingema sweeps a trailer containing a girl named Ellie and her dog Toto from Kansas to the Magical Land. As it falls, the trailer crushes Gingema to death. The good fairy Willina prophesies that the great ruler of the Emerald City, Goodwin, will return Ellie home if she helps three creatures fulfill their cherished wishes. Putting on the silver slippers found in the cave, Ellie sets off along the yellow brick road with the now-talking Toto.

Along the way, the girl rescues a straw effigy of the Scarecrow, who dreams of acquiring a clever mind, lubricates the rusty Tin Woodman, who is searching for a loving heart, and meets the Cowardly Lion, who longs for courage. The companions defeat the Ogre, escape saber-toothed tigers, and cross a wide river. In a treacherous poppy field, the Lion falls asleep to the sweet aroma, but the queen of the field mice, Ramina, and her subjects wheel the predator out in a cart.

Goodwin agrees to fulfill the companions’ requests on the condition that the Purple Country be freed from the evil sorceress Bastinda. In a battle with the Flying Monkeys, the Scarecrow is disemboweled, the Woodcutter is smashed against the rocks, and the Lion and Ellie are captured. During the quarrel, Ellie douses Bastinda with water, and the sorceress melts. The freed inhabitants, the Winkies, restore the Scarecrow and the Woodcutter.

The companions return to Goodwin and discover that the formidable wizard is an ordinary circus performer and balloonist named James Goodwin. Despite the deception, Goodwin gives the Scarecrow bran with needles, the Woodcutter a silk heart with sawdust, and the Lion kvass with valerian. Goodwin flies to Kansas in a hot air balloon, leaving the Scarecrow as ruler. The good sorceress Stella reveals to Ellie the secret of the silver slippers: they transport the girl and Toto back to their parents.

Urfin Jus and his wooden soldiers

The sullen carpenter Urfin Jus finds seeds of a weed with phenomenal life force in his garden. From the dried plants, the carpenter prepares a life-giving powder. Having revived the bearskin Tototun and the clown Eot Ling, Urfin crafts a wooden army of blockheads led by General Lan Pirot. Having captured the Blue Country of the Munchkins, Jus lays siege to the Emerald City. The traitor Ruf Bilan opens the gates, after which the Scarecrow and the Woodcutter, who came to their rescue, find themselves imprisoned in the tower.

Kaggy-Karr the crow delivers a letter from the prisoners to Kansas. Ellie and her uncle, the one-legged sailor Charlie Black, build a landship on wheels and cross the Great Desert. Near the enchanted black stone of Gingema, the travelers nearly die of thirst, but Kaggy-Karr saves them with magic grapes. After crossing the mountains, the heroes free the Munchkins from the viceroy, Kabr Gwyn, traverse a forest of saber-toothed tigers, and rescue the Scarecrow and the Woodcutter through an abandoned underground passage.

Taking refuge in the Purple Country, the allies craft a wooden cannon powered by gunpowder. A single shot sends the army of blockheads fleeing in panic. The judges sentence the captured Urfin to exile, and the wooden soldiers are given kind faces, transforming them into hardworking workers. Ruf Bilan hides in the dungeon.

Seven Underground Kings

A thousand years ago, Prince Bofaro rebelled against his father and was exiled with his comrades to a gigantic Cave. The exiles tamed six-legged beasts and flying dragons and founded a state of miners. Bofaro’s seven sons took turns ruling. The discovery of the Sleeping Water allowed the six royal courts to be put to sleep during the reign of the seventh. Centuries later, Ruf Bilan, fleeing retribution, destroys the Sacred Spring with a pickaxe. The water recedes, the kings stop sleeping, and famine sets in.

Ellie and her cousin Fred Canning are exploring a cave in Iowa, are caught in a cave-in, and end up floating down an underground river in a canvas boat. Reaching the miners, the children are captured: King Mentaho demands the Sleeping Water be restored by magic. Toto escapes and warns the Scarecrow. The ruler rallies his troops, but Fred, who has sneaked out, prevents war. Lester, the mechanic, drills a well, and the water returns.

The Scarecrow proposes putting all seven kings and their retinues to sleep at once. Upon awakening, they are told they are simple artisans and plowmen. The miners emerge from the Cave and settle on the surface. The tamed dragon, Oikhho, brings Ellie and Fred home.

Fire God of the Marranos

Urfin Jus, a solitary man, nurses the giant eagle Carfax. Having tricked the bird, Jus flies to a mountain valley belonging to the backward Marran (Jumper) tribe, where he impersonates the Fire God using Charlie Black’s lighter. After teaching the nobles about houses and hot food, Urfin incites the people against their neighbors. Realizing the deception, Carfax abandons Jus. The Marran army captures the Violet Country and the Emerald Isle, throwing the Woodcutter and the Scarecrow into the cellar.

In Kansas, Ellie’s younger sister, Annie, and her friend, Tim O’Kelly, receive solar-powered mechanical mules named Caesar and Hannibal from engineer Fred Canning. The children journey to the Magic Land. The Fox King, Tonkonyukh XVI, gives Annie a silver circlet of invisibility. In the Emerald City, Tim steals Stella’s magical television. Ramina learns a spell for the screen from the Scarecrow, after which the friends add Sleeping Water to the guards’ drinks and rescue the prisoners.

In the Purple Land, Tim teaches the Winkies how to play volleyball. The approaching Marran regiments discover their living comrades on the court, whom Urfin had declared brutally murdered. The deception is exposed, the Marrans overthrow the impostor, and Annie and Tim return to Kansas.

Yellow Fog

The giantess-witch Arachne awakens from a five-thousand-year slumber imposed by Gurrikap. Having read the dwarf chronicles, she demands submission from the peoples of the Magic Land. Resisted by the Marrans, Winkies, and the defenders of the Emerald City, the fairy unleashes a poisonous Yellow Mist. The sun fades, plants die, and a harsh winter sets in. Doctors Boril and Robil create protective filters from rafaloo leaves, and a repentant Urfin Jus suggests purifying rooms with smoke.

The Scarecrow sends the dragon Oyxho to Kansas. Charlie Black, Annie, and Tim arrive to help. The sailor constructs a giant iron knight, Tilly-Willy. Ramina’s army of mice devours Arachne’s flying carpet. Carfax the eagle and Tilly-Willy chase the sorceress to the Cliff of Doom, from where she falls into the abyss. Charlie burns the fairy’s magic book, the fog clears, and nature comes to life. The gnomes become the Scarecrow’s subjects, and the guests fly away to Oyxho.

The Mystery of the Abandoned Castle

The starship "Diavona" from the planet Rameria approaches Earth. The aliens are divided into two groups: the dominant Menvit race, led by General Baan-Nu, who possess hypnosis, and the enslaved Arzak people, led by engineer Ilsor. The Menvits establish a base in the abandoned castle of Gurrikap.

Urfin Jus supplies the aliens with vegetables in exchange for emeralds, but secretly steals these stones for the Arzaks using fragments of the enchanted black stone of Gingema: the emeralds break the Menvit hypnosis. The Menvits kidnap the weaver Mentakho and his wife Elvina, who are learning the Earth language using a talking machine. Mentakho instills false information in the aliens about invincible giants.

The Menvites launch a raid on the Emerald City, but Carfax’s eagles destroy the helicopters. Star Navigator Kau-Ruk renounces violence and joins the side of good. Annie, Tim, and Fred Canning arrive on the dragon Oyhho. The mice dig an underground passage, workers install pipes, and the Sleeping Water fills the castle’s well.

After drinking the water, the Menvits fall asleep. Ilsor and his comrades place them in the starship’s hibernation chambers. The free Arzaks, along with Kau-Ruk, set off for Rameria, taking the emeralds to free their people. Annie, Tim, and Fred return home on a dragon.