L. Frank Baum
Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity.Collection: Imagination
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.
The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick.
I can't give you a brain, but I can give you a diploma.
I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire.Collection: Thieves
Never give up. No one knows what's going to happen next.Collection: Giving Up
In all this world there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child.Collection: Beautiful
I believe that dreams - day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain machinery whizzing - are likely to lead to the betterment of the world.Collection: Inspirational
A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.Collection: Valentine
You have plenty of courage, I am sure," answered Oz. "All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.Collection: Needs
Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't you think?Collection: Thinking
Imagination has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talking-machine, and the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they became realities. So I believe that dreams - day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain machinery whizzing - are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilization. A prominent educator tells me that fairy tales are of untold value in developing imagination in the young. I believe it.Collection: Dream
The more one knows, the luckier he is, for knowledge is the greatest gift in life.Collection: Knows
Never question the truth of what you fail to understand, for the world is filled with wonders.Collection: World
I think the world is like a great mirror, and reflects our lives just as we ourselves look upon it. Those who turn sad faces toward the world find only sadness reflected. But a smile is reflected in the same way, and cheers and brightens our hearts. You think there is no pleasure to be had in life. That is because you are heartsick and-and tired, as you say. With one sad story ended you are afraid to begin another-a sequel-feeling it would be equally sad. But why should it be? Isn't the joy or sorrow equally divided in life?Collection: Cheer
Time is given us to be happy and for no other reason [...] When we waste time, we waste happiness.Collection: Waste
That proves you are unusual,' returned the Scarecrow; 'and I am convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die unnoticed.Collection: Common Folk
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!Collection: Men
True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.Collection: Bravery
In other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows.Collection: Stupid
Everything in life is unusual until you become accustomed to it.Collection: Life Is
As a matter of fact, we are none of us above criticism; so let us bear with each other's faults.Collection: Criticism
To be individual, my friends, to be different from others, is the only way to become distinguished from the common herd. Let us be glad, therefore, that we differ from one another in form and in disposition. Variety is the spice of life, and we are various enough to enjoy one another's society; so let us be content.Collection: Different
As the years pass, and we look back on something which, at the time, seemed unbelievably discouraging and unfair, we come to realize that, after all, God was at all times on our side. The eventual outcome was, we discover, by far the best solution for us, and what we thought should have been to our best advantage, would in reality have been quite detrimental.Collection: Reality
A little misery, at times, makes one appreciate happiness more.Collection: Appreciate
The Imaginative Child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilizationCollection: Children
To destroy an offender cannot benefit society so much as to redeem him.Collection: Benefits
Imagination has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talking-machine, and the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they became realities.Collection: Reality
If we didn't want anything, we would never get anything, good or bad. I think our longings are natural, and if we act as nature prompts us we can't go far wrong.Collection: Thinking
Courage~ What makes the flag on the mast to wave? What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot?~Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of OzCollection: Elephants
During the year I stood there I had known was the loss of my heart. While I was in love I was the happiest man on earth.Collection: Heart
It is kindness that makes one strong and brave; and so we are kind to our prisoners.Collection: Strong
Oh - You're a very bad man!" Oh, no my dear. I'm a very good man. I'm just a very bad Wizard.Collection: Men
Some of my youthful readers are developing wonderful imaginations. This pleases me. When I was young I longed to write a great novel that should win me fame. Now that I am getting old my first book is written to amuse children. For aside from my evident inability to do anything "great," I have learned to regard fame as a will-o-the-wisp which, when caught, is not worth the possession; but to please a child is a sweet and lovely thing that warms one's heart and brings its own reward.Collection: Sweet
It is a callous age; we have seen so many marvels that we are ashamed to marvel more; the seven wonders of the world have become seven thousand wonders.Collection: Age
You people with hearts,' he said once, 'have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful.Collection: Heart
Oh, if Shakespeare says it, that's all right.Collection: Ifs
There is no place like home.Collection: Inspiring
To be angry once in a while is really good fun, because it makes others so miserable. But to be angry morning, noon and night, as I am, grows monotonous and prevents my gaining any other pleasure in life.Collection: Morning
Birds fly Over The Rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I? If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?Collection: Rainbow
Going so soon? I wouldn't hear of it. Why my little party's just beginning. ~ Wicked Witch of the West Wizard of OzCollection: Party
I've married a man who owns nine cows," said Jinjur to Ozma, "and now I am happy and contented and willing to lead a quiet life and mind my own business." "Where is your husband?" asked Ozma. "He is in the house, nursing a black eye," replied Jinjur, calmly. "The foolish man would insist upon milking the red cow when I wanted him to milk the white one; but he will know better next time, I am sure.Collection: Husband
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.Collection: Girl
I shall really be very unhappy unless you give me the sort of courage that makes one forget he is afraid.Collection: Giving
The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while he worked and said to him "I cannot think why this wall is here nor what it is made of." "Rest you brains and do not worry about the wall," replied the Woodman, "when we have climbed over it we shall know what is on the other side.Collection: Wall
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.Collection: Heart
Lions and tigers, and bears, oh my! - Dorothy in Wizard of OzCollection: Wizards
He brought toys to the children because they were little and helpless, and because he loved them.Collection: Children