Jo Files is one of the eighteen men who live in the kingdom of Oogaboo.

Description

Jo Files is a young fellow, both intelligent and ambitious.

He has twelve trees which bear steel files of various sorts. He also has nine book-trees, on which grow a choice selection of story-books. Files is generous with his books, but the people of Oogaboo care little for books so he reads most of them himself.

History

Queen Ann Soforth recruited him to serve in her army, and he insisted on being the sole private. Since the rest of the soldiers were officers, Files was eager to fight the enemy and become a hero. He armed himself with the ripest and biggest musket on the kingdom's gun-tree.

The army unexpectedly found itself in a deserted country, and while the sixteen officers began to complain Private Files enjoyed the hardships they suffered. When they encountered a Rak, Files bravely stood his ground, shooting the monster three times while his officers ran away.

They later encountered a party consisting of the Shaggy Man, Tik-Tok, Betsy Bobbin, Hank the Mule, Polychrome, and Ozga the Rose Princess. Files was commanded to take them prisoner and bind them, but since three of the party were girls he refused and resigned his position. Tik-Tok took his place as private, and Jo Files struck up a very friendly relationship with Ozga. (Tik-Tok of Oz)

Other Appearances

Private Files features as a minor character in the 2020 audio drama Hit the Bricks, in which he is now married to Ozga and has a daughter named Rius. The Files family lives in a treehouse in an orchard full of trees that can grow everything from books to tools to pasta, and they help Jessi, Wallace, Lurlene, and Jacoby on their quest. Jo Files is played by Mitchell Mayle.