The number Forty-Seven (47) recurs mysteriously in the works of L. Frank Baum.
- In The Magical Monarch of Mo, "The Tenth Surprise," the Duchess Bredenbutta is 47th cousin to the King of Mo.
- In Dot and Tot of Merryland, Chapter 14, "The Queen's Magic Wand," the house numbers in the fifth valley of Merryland, the Valley of Pussycats, run from 1 to 47.
- In Queen Zixi of Ix, Chapters 2 through 7, the 47th stranger to enter the eastern gate of Nole after dawn becomes the new king of Noland.
- In Sky Island, Chapter 9, "The Tribulation of Trot," the reception hall of the Six Snubnosed Princesses has 47 windows.
- In Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls, Chapter 16, Josie O'Gorman asks for room 47 when she checks into a hotel, because 47 it her lucky number. (The room is taken.)
The meaning of these 47s, if they have any, is cryptic. Baum was interested in Theosophy; and modern writers have looked at his works from other esoteric viewpoints, including Chinese geomancy. Yet the significance of 47 remains unclear.
The number 47 does not appear in any of the fourteen Oz books.
Outside of Baum's canon, Barry Moser has written Forty-seven Days to Oz.[1]
Notes[]
- ↑ West Hatfield, MA, Pennyroyal Press, 1985.