Underground Rivers - University of New Mexico

Chapter 16 -- Underground Rivers in English Fiction
Lucky Bucky in Oz (1942) was by John R. Neill, but the series is still credited to Baum. Caught in
a tugboat explosion in New York Harbor not far from the Statue
of Liberty, young Lucky Bucky is pitched high into the
stratosphere, eventually landing safely on a volcanic island next
to Oz. Rescued by Davy Jones, a wooden whale, the new
friends travel together to the Emerald City. But along the way,
the two are swept down the underground river and into the
kingdom of the gnomes.
And of course Jim Henson's Muppets would want to find the Emerald City. The Muppets' Wizard
of Oz (2005).discussion from The Muppet Central Forum speaks to the nature of the underground
river,
Okay! Onward to the water and to find our way to the Emerald City Palace!
The Muppets began walking down the cave toward the running water and soon they found an
underground river. There was little space beside it to walk, but what appeared to be a little boat
carved from a tree floated near them and was tied to a rock. The river was deep enough that
you couldn't really see the bottom, and it was still and quiet, but the water was flowing in one
direction, so the Muppets hopped into the boat and began riding the underground river
wherever it would take them.
This is nice! I like this. It's like the ride at the fair where you ride the boat through the little
tunnel...except there, there's monsters and stuff and you don't think anything will happen in this
river do you?
Do you?
Naaahhh. It's too still of water for something to be going on.
Lessons:
Keep that river moving.
Don't keep licensing a beloved classic. Reputation is worth more than royalties.
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