Each year, hundreds of people travel to different countries, flocking to their “bucket list” locations to meet new people and try new things. But the most important journeys begin and end with home.
In his short story, “The Man in the Moon,” L. Frank Baum shows how the Man’s journey from the moon to earth proves educational. The Man learns that wanderlust must not suppress our appreciation for home.
The Man in the Moon is very lonely, for he is the only one on the Moon and must “whistle to keep himself company.” He envies the people on earth, who have so much company and conversation. He begins to want to visit earth to relieve this loneliness.
When he hears that the best place to visit would be Norwich with its famous pease porridge, the Man finally decides to go. He grabs hold of a good moonbeam and begins to slide down, but his descent grows so fast that he loses control and falls into a cool river.
However, this cool river scalds the Man and he barely swims out fast enough to save himself. The Man is not used to earth, for “everything goes by contraries in the Moon, and when the Man wishes to keep warm he knocks off a few chunks of ice and puts them in his stove; and he cools his drinking water by throwing red-hot coals of fire into the pitcher.
Upon recovering from the cool, scalding river, the Man sets out to ask directions from a farmer. He is shocked upon seeing the farmer’s horses, which are far bigger than they look from the Moon. The farmer directs the Man south to find Norwich.
After a long journey, the Man finally arrives in Norwich. He goes to one of the first houses and inquires whether this town is indeed Norwich, for he wishes to try the famous pease porridge. The woman of the house happily invites him in for some fresh porridge.
He asks for the porridge cold, for he likes it better that way. And, when she brings him the cool bowl of porridge, he excitedly takes a large spoonful. But, as soon as he takes a bite, he yells and jumps around. The cool porridge burns his mouth to a blister!
When the Man watches the woman taste the porridge with ease, he is startled and runs from the house in fear. Seeing the Man frantically running, a policeman quickly arrests him and takes him to court to explain his suspicious actions.
Even though this adventure gives him a chance to meet new people and try new things, the Man in the Moon realizes that, despite all of earth’s attractions, he misses home dearly. Just like Dorothy, in “The Wizard of Oz,” the Man quickly realizes that “there’s no place like home.”
In this story, Baum shows us that we must never be afraid to try something new or go new places. Nevertheless, we must not let our sense of adventure, wanderlust, and even envy drown our appreciation for home and all the special, incomparable blessings it holds for us.
The excitement that fills us when we leave home to go on adventures should fill us just the same upon returning home.