‘There’s No Place Like Home’: L. Frank Baum’s Short Story, ‘The Man in the Moon’

L. Frank Baum's story "The Man in the Moon" reminds us to appreciate our home. "Two Men Contemplating the Moon," 1830, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain

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 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, he 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 him and he barely swims out fast enough to save himself. He 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 to see the farmer’s horses, which are far bigger than they look from the moon. The farmer directs him south to find Norwich.

Famous Pease Porridge

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, since 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 and causes a blister!

When the man watches the woman taste the porridge with ease, he is startled and runs from the house in fear. Seeing him running frantically, a policeman quickly arrests him and takes him to court to explain his suspicious actions. 

Even though this adventure gives the man a chance to meet new people and try new things, he realizes that despite all of Earth’s attractions, he misses home dearly. Just like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” he 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 to 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.