Have you ever wondered just why it was a crime to chop off the fronds of the royal palm trees in The Marvelous Land of Oz? A crime so heinous that the penalty was to be killed seven times and then imprisoned? Well, it seems Atty Gannaway did, too, because he wrote about the palm tree in "Kabumpo Finds a Frond", the final story in the 1998 issue of Oziana. He could have just delved into Oz history, but he chose instead to tell a tale of what happens when Kabumpo and Scraps accidentally dislodge some of the fronds, and discover a secret message on one of them. It's not pleasant, either, as it foretells Ozma's disappearance in three days. Well, the two conspire to protect Ozma without her knowing, as they don't want to confess to a crime with such a harsh penalty. Despite all their best efforts, however, on the morning of the third day Ozma is nowhere to be found. But all is not lost! The palm frond turns itself into a palm-eranian dog and leads Scraps and Kabumpo on a merry chase. Do they find Ozma? Is there an explanation for the palm tree and the harsh penalty for taking its fronds? Well of course there is! But I'm not going to give all that away!
This is a story that gives Kabumpo a lot to do, and he is very much in character, worrying more about appearances and the letter of the law rather than actually doing the right thing, no matter how unpleasant he may perceive it to be. Scraps is still her irrepressible self. At one point, to shut her up and keep her from interfering, Kabumpo stuffs her into one of his pockets and runs away with her! Anyway, a god, fun story with at unexpected twist at the end.
Next week, we party like it's 1999, because that's the issue I will start rereading.
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