the lost princess of oz-第13章

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the　city；　only　this　time　it　was　just　behind　them；　in



the　direction　from　which　they　had　come。







〃Goodness　gracious！〃　cried　Dorothy。　〃There's　surely



something　wrong　with　that　city。　Do　you　s'pose　it's　on



wheels；　Wizard？〃







〃It　may　not　be　a　city　at　all；〃　he　replied；　looking



toward　it　with　a　speculative　gaze。







〃What　could　it　be；　then？〃







〃Just　an　illusion。〃







〃What's　that？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Something　you　think　you　see　and　don't　see。〃







〃I　can't　believe　that；〃　said　Button…Bright。　〃If　we



only　saw　it；　we　might　be　mistaken；　but　if　we　can　see　it



and　hear　it；　too；　it　must　be　there。〃







〃Where？〃　asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Somewhere　near　us；〃　he　insisted。







〃We　will　have　to　go　back；　I　suppose；〃　said　the　Woozy；



with　a　sigh。







So　back　they　turned　and　headed　for　the　walled　city



until　it　disappeared　again；　Only　to　reappear　at　the



right　of　them。　They　were　constantly　getting　nearer　to



it；　however；　so　they　kept　their　faces　turned　toward　it



as　it　flitted　here　and　there　to　all　points　of　the



compass。　Presently　the　Lion；　who　was　leading　the



procession；　halted　abruptly　and　cried　out：　〃Ouch！〃







〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃Ouch　　Ouch！~　repeated　the　Lion；　and　leaped



backward　so　suddenly　that　Dorothy　nearly　tumbled　from



his　back。　At　the　same　time　Hank　the　Mule　yelled　〃Ouch！〃



almost　as　loudly　as　the　Lion　had　done；　and　he　also



pranced　backward　a　few　paces。







〃It's　the　thistles；〃　said　Betsy。　〃They　prick　their



legs。〃







Hearing　this；　all　looked　down；　and　sure　enough　the



ground　was　thick　with　thistles；　which　covered　the　plain



from　the　point　where　they　stood　way　up　to　the　walls　of



the　mysterious　city。　No　pathways　through　them　could　be



seen　at　all；　here　the　soft　grass　ended　and　the　growth



of　thistles　began。







〃They're　the　prickliest　thistles　I　ever　felt；〃



grumbled　the　Lion。　〃My　legs　smart　yet　from　their



stings；　though　I　jumped　out　of　them　as　quick　as　I



could。〃







〃Here　is　a　new　difficulty；〃　remarked　the　Wizard　in　a



grieved　tone。　〃The　city　has　stopped　hopping　around；　it



is　true；　but　how　are　we　to　get　to　it；　over　this　mass　of



prickers？〃







〃They　can't　hurt　me；〃　said　the　thick…skinned　Woozy；



advancing　fearlessly　and　trampling　among　the　thistles。







〃Nor　me；〃　said　the　Wooden　Sawhorse。







〃But　the　Lion　and　the　Mule　cannot　stand　the



prickers；〃　asserted　Dorothy；　〃and　we　can't　leave　them



behind。〃







〃Must　we　all　go　back？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Course　not！〃　replied　Button…Bright　scornfully。



〃Always；　when　there's　trouble；　there's　a　way　out　of　it；



if　you　can　find　it。〃







〃I　wish　the　Scarecrow　was　here；〃　said　Scraps；



standing　on　her　head　on　the　Woozy〃s　square　back。　〃His



splendid　brains　would　soon　show　us　how　to　conquer　this



field　of　thistles。〃







〃What's　the　matter　with　your　brains？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃Nothing；〃　she　said；　making　a　flip…flop　into　the



thistles　and　dancing　among　them　without　feeling　their



sharp　points。　〃I　could　tell　you　in　half　a　minute　how　to



get　over　the　thistles；　if　I　wanted　to。〃







〃Tell　us；　Scraps！〃　begged　Dorothy。







〃I　don't　want　to　wear　my　brains　out　with　overwork；〃



replied　the　Patchwork　Girl。









〃Don't　you　love　Ozma？　And　don't　you　want　to　find



her？〃　asked　Betsy　reproachfully。







〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　Scraps；　walking　on　her　hands　as



an　acrobat　does　at　the　circus。







〃Well；　we　can't　find　Ozma　unless　we　get　past　these



thistles；〃　declared　Dorothy。







Scraps　danced　around　them　two　or　three



times；　without　reply。　Then　she　said：







〃Don't　look　at　me；　you　stupid　folks；　look　at　those



blankets。〃







The　Wizard's　face　brightened　at　once。







〃Of　course！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Why　didn't　we



think　of　those　blankets　before？〃







〃Because　you　haven't　magic　brains；〃　laughed　Scraps。



〃Such　brains　as　you　have　are　of　the　common　sort　that



grow　in　your　heads；　like　weeds　in　a　garden。　I'm　sorry



for　you　people　who　have　to　be　born　in　order　to　be



alive。〃







But　the　Wizard　was　not　listening　to　her。　He　quickly



removed　the　blankets　from　the　back　of　the　Sawhorse　and



spread　one　of　them　upon　the　thistles；　just　next　to　the



grass。　The　thick　cloth　rendered　the　prickers　harmless；



so　the　Wizard　walked　over　this　first　blanket　and　spread



the　second　one　farther　on；　in　the　direction　of　the



phantom　city。







〃These　blankets；〃　said　he；　〃are　for　the　Lion　and　the



Mule　to　walk　upon。　The　Sawhorse　and　the　Woozy　can　walk



on　the　thistles。〃







So　the　Lion　and　the　Mule　walked　over　the　first



blanket　and　stood　upon　the　second　one　until　the　Wizard



had　picked　up　the　one　they　had　passed　over　and　spread



it　in　front　of　them；　when　they　advanced　to　that　one　and



waited　while　the　one　behind　them　was　again　spread　in



front。







〃This　is　slow　work；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃but　it　will



get　us　to　the　city　after　a　while。〃







〃The　city　is　a　good　half　mile　away；　yet；〃　announced



Button…Bright。







〃And　this　is　awful　hard　work　for　the　Wizard；〃　added



Trot。







〃Why　couldn't　the　Lion　ride　on　the　Woozy's　back？〃



asked　Dorothy。　〃It's　a　big；　flat　back；　and　the　Woozy's



mighty　strong。　Perhaps　the　Lion　wouldn't　fall　off。〃







〃You　may　try　it；　if　you　like；〃　said　the　Woozy　to　the



Lion。　〃I　can　take　you　to　the　city　in　a　jiffy　and　then



come　back　for　Hank。〃







〃I'm　　I'm　afraid；〃　said　the　Cowardly　Lion。　He　was



twice　as　big　as　the　Woozy。







〃Try　it；〃　pleaded　Dorothy。







〃And　take　a　tumble　among　the　thistles？〃　asked　the



Lion　reproachfully。　But　when　the　Woozy　came　close　to



him　the　big　beast　suddenly　bounded　upon　its　back　and



managed　to　balance　himself　there；　although　forced　to



hold　his　four　legs　so　close　together　that　he　was　in



danger　of　toppling　over。　The　great　weight　of　the



monster　Lion　did　not　seem　to　affect　the　Woozy；　who



called　to　his　rider：　〃Hold　on　tight！〃　and　ran　swiftly



over　the　thistles　toward　the　city。







The　others　stood　on　the　blankets　and　watched　the



strange　sight　anxiously。　Of　course　the　Lion　couldn't



〃hold　on　tight〃　because　there　was　nothing　to　hold　to；



and　he　swayed　from　side　to　side　as　if　likely　to　fall



off　any　moment。　Still；　he　managed　to　stick　to　the



Woozy's　back　until　they　were　close　to　the　walls　of　the



city；　when　he　leaped　to　the　ground。　Next　moment　the



Woozy　came　dashing　back　at　full　speed。







〃There's　a　little　strip　of　ground　next　to　the　wall



where　there　are　no　thistles；〃　he　told　them；　when　he　had



reached　the　adventurers　once　more。　〃Now；　then；　friend



Hank；　see　if　you　can　ride　as　well　as　the　Lion　did。〃







〃Take　the　others　first；〃　proposed　the　Mule。　So　the



Sawhorse　and　the　Woozy　made　a　couple　of　trips　over　the



thistles　to　the　city　walls　and　carried　all　the　people



in　safety；　Dorothy　holding　little　Toto　in　her　arms。　The



travelers　then　sat　in　a　group　on　a　little　hillock；　just



outside　the　wall；　and　looked　at　the　great　blocks　of



gray　stone　and　waited　for　the　Woozy　to　bring　Hank　to



them。　The　Mule　was　very　awkward　and　his　legs　trembled



so　badly　that　more　than　once　they　thought　he　would



tumble　off；　but　finally　he　reached　them　in　safety　and



the　entire　party　was　now　reunited。　More　than　that；　they



had　reached　the　city　that　had　eluded　them　for　so　long



and　in　so　strange　a　manner。







〃The　gates　must　be　around　the　other　side；〃　said　the



Wizard