Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Pumperdink, is a fictional character in the ''Oz'' books of

Ruth Plumly Thompson Ruth Plumly Thompson (27 July 1891 – 6 April 1976) was an American writer of children's stories, best known for writing many novels placed in Oz, the fictional land of L. Frank Baum's classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 115.

History

Kabumpo first appears in ''

Kabumpo in Oz ''Kabumpo in Oz'' (1922) is the sixteenth Oz book, and the second written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was the first Oz book fully credited to her. (Her first, '' The Royal Book of Oz'', was credited to L. Frank Baum on the cover.) Plot summary ...

'', Thompson's second ''Oz'' book. He was originally a christening gift to the king of Pumperdink, Pompus. He reappears to play major roles in ''

The Lost King of Oz ''The Lost King of Oz'' (1925) is the nineteenth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fifth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R. Neill. The book went into the public domain on Ja ...

The Purple Prince of Oz 200px, Cover of ''The Purple Prince in Oz''. ''The Purple Prince of Oz'' (1932) is the 26th in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the 12th written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill ...

'', and ''

The Silver Princess in Oz 200px, Cover of ''The Silver Princess in Oz''. ''The Silver Princess in Oz'' (1938) is the thirty-second of the Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the eighteenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John ...

''. He had a less consequential role in ''

The Wishing Horse of Oz ''The Wishing Horse of Oz'' (1935) is the twenty-ninth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fifteenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R. Neill. This book marked the point at ...

''. Thompson's illustrator

John R. Neill John Rea Neill (November 12, 1877 – September 19, 1943) was a magazine and children's book illustrator primarily known for illustrating more than forty stories set in the Land of Oz, including L. Frank Baum's, Ruth Plumly Thompson's, and three o ...

made Kabumpo a denizen of the

Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Fictional description Located in the center of the La ...

, attended by

Ojo Ojo may refer to: *Ōjō, a Japanese Buddhist term referring to rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha *Ojo, a curious red bear cub who has a wild imagination and is good friends with Treelo on ''Bear in the Big Blue House'' * ''Ojo'' (comi ...

, in his contributions to the series. In 1980

Eloise Jarvis McGraw Eloise Jarvis McGraw (December 9, 1915 – November 30, 2000) was an American author of children's books and young adult novels. Career McGraw also contributed to the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum; working with her daughter, graphic artis ...

and

Lauren Lynn McGraw Eloise Jarvis McGraw (December 9, 1915 – November 30, 2000) was an American author of children's books and young adult novels. Career McGraw also contributed to the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum; working with her daughter, graphic artist ...

borrowed the character for ''

The Forbidden Fountain of Oz ''The Forbidden Fountain of Oz'' is a 1980 children's novel written by Eloise Jarvis McGraw and her daughter Lauren Lynn Mcgraw (or McGraw Wagner), and illustrated by Dick Martin. As its title indicates, the book is one entry in the long-running ...

'', published by th
International Wizard of Oz Club.
Kabumpo is known for his wisdom in Pumperdink, but that might be because he shines in comparison with other members of the court. He is overbearing, sarcastic, and extremely vain, but good-hearted. Since the expiration of his first novel's copyright on 1 January 1998 (the last Thompson book to enter the public domain before the Copyright Extension Act took hold), Kabumpo may be used freely by any author. Of his Thompsonian appearances, only ''Purple Prince'' remains under copyright, with the expiration date being 1 January 2028.

References

Literary characters introduced in 1922 Elephants in literature

Kabumpo Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Pumperdink, is a fictional character in the ''Oz'' books of Ruth Plumly Thompson. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 115. History Kabumpo first ...

Animals of Oz Fictional elephants Male characters in literature {{fantasy-char-stub