the lost princess of oz-第14章

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and　in　so　strange　a　manner。







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



Wizard。　〃Let　us　follow　the　curve　of　the　wall　until　we



reach　an　opening　in　it。〃







〃Which　way？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃We　must　guess　at　that；〃　he　replied。　〃Suppose　we　go



to　the　left？　One　direction　is　as　good　as　another。〃







They　formed　in　marching　order　and　went　around　the



city　wall　to　the　left。　It　wasn't　a　big　city；　as　I　have



said；　but　to　go　way　around　it；　outside　the　high　wall；



was　quite　a　walk；　as　they　became　aware。　But　around　it



our　adventurers　went；　without　finding　any　sign　of　a



gateway　or　other　opening。　When　they　had　returned　to　the



little　mound　from　which　they　had　started；　they



dismounted　from　the　animals　and　again　seated　themselves



on　the　grassy　mound。







〃It's　mighty　queer；　isn't　it？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃There　must　be　some　way　for　the　people　to　get　out　and



in；'　declared　Dorothy。　〃Do　you　s'pose　they　have　flying



machines；　Wizard？〃







〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃for　in　that　case　they　would　be



flying　all　over　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　we　know　they　have



not　done　that。　Flying　machines　are　unknown　here。　I



think　it　more　likely　that　the　people　use　ladders　to　get



over　the　walls。〃







〃It　would　be　an　awful　climb；　over　that　high　stone



wall；〃　said　Betsy。







〃Stone；　is　it？〃　cried　Scraps；　who　was　again　dancing



wildly　around；　for　she　never　tired　and　could　never　keep



still　for　long。







〃Course　it's　stone；〃　answered　Betsy　scornfully。



〃Can't　you　see？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Scraps；　going　closer；　〃I　can　see　the



wall；　but　I　can't　feel　it。〃　And　then；　with　her　arms



outstretched；　she　did　a　very　queer　thing。　She　walked



right　into　the　wall　and　disappeared。







〃For　goodness　sake！〃　cried　Dorothy　amazed；　as　indeed



they　all　were。



















Chapter　Nine







The　High　Coco…Lorum　of　Thi











And　now　the　Patchwork　Girl　came　dancing　out　of　the　wall



again。　〃Come　on！〃　she　called。　〃It　isn't　there。　There



isn't　any　wall　at　all。〃







〃What！　No　wall？〃　exclaimed　the　Wizard。







〃Nothing　like　it；〃　said　Scraps。　〃It's　a　make…believe。



You　see　it；　but　it　isn't。　Come　on　into　the　city；　we've



been　wasting　time。〃







With　this　she　danced　into　the　wall　again　and　once



more　disappeared。　Button…Bright；　who　was　rather



venturesome；　dashed　away　after　her　and　also　became



invisible　to　them。　The　others　followed　more　cautiously；



stretching　out　their　hands　to　feel　the　wall　and



finding；　to　their　astonishment；　that　they　could　feel



nothing　because　nothing　opposed　them。　They　walked　on　a



few　steps　and　found　themselves　in　the　streets　of　a　very



beautiful　city。　Behind　them　they　again　saw　the　wall；



grim　and　forbidding　as　ever；　but　now　they　knew　it　was



merely　an　illusion；　prepared　to　keep　strangers　from



entering　the　city。







But　the　wall　was　soon　forgotten；　for　in　front　of　them



were　a　number　of　quaint　people　who　stared　at　them　in



amazement；　as　if　wondering　where　they　had　come　from。



Our　friends　forgot　their　good　manners；　for　a　time；　and



returned　the　stares　with　interest；　for　so　remarkable　a



people　had　never　before　been　discovered　in　all　the



remarkable　Land　of　Oz。







Their　heads　were　shaped　like　diamonds　and　their



bodies　like　hearts。　All　the　hair　they　had　was　a　little



bunch　at　the　tip　top　of　their　diamond…shaped　heads　and



their　eyes　were　very　large　and　round　and　their　noses



and　mouths　very　small。　Their　clothing　was　tight…fitting



and　of　brilliant　colors；　being　handsomely　embroidered



in　quaint　designs　with　gold　or　silver　threads；　but　on



their　feet　they　wore　sandals；　with　no　stockings



whatever。　The　expression　of　their　faces　was　pleasant



enough；　although　they　now　showed　surprise　at　the



appearance　of　strangers　so　unlike　themselves；　and　our



friends　thought　they　seemed　quite　harmless。







〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　the　Wizard；　speaking　for



his　party；　〃for　intruding　upon　you　uninvited；　but　we



are　traveling　on　important　business　and　find　it



necessary　to　visit　your　city。　Will　you　kindly　tell　us



by　what　name　your　city　is　called？〃







They　looked　at　one　another　uncertainly；　each



expecting　some　other　to　answer。　Finally　a　short　one



whose　heart…shaped　body　was　very　broad　replied：







〃We　have　no　occasion　to　call　our　city　anything。　It　is



where　we　live；　that　is　all。〃







〃But　by　what　name　do　others　call　your　city？〃　asked



the　Wizard。







〃We　know　of　no　others；　except　yourselves；〃　said　the



man。　And　then　he　inquired：　〃Were　you　born　with　those



queer　forms　you　have；　or　has　some　cruel　magician



transformed　you　to　them　from　your　natural　shapes？〃







〃These　are　our　natural　shapes；〃　declared　the　Wizard；



〃and　we　consider　them　very　good　shapes；　too。〃







The　group　of　inhabitants　was　constantly　being



enlarged　by　others　who　joined　it。　All　were　evidently



startled　and　uneasy　at　the　arrival　of　strangers。







〃Have　you　a　King？〃　asked　Dorothy；　who　knew　it　was



better　to　speak　with　someone　in　authority。　But　the　man



shook　his　diamond…like　head。







〃What　is　a　King？〃　he　asked。







〃Isn't　there　anyone　who　rules　over　you？〃　inquired　the



Wizard。







〃No；〃　was　the　reply；　〃each　of　us　rules　himself；　or；



at　least；　tries　to　do　so。　It　is　not　an　easy　thing　to



do；　as　you　probably　know。〃







The　Wizard　reflected。







〃If　you　have　disputes　among　you；〃　said　he；　after　a



little　thought；　〃who　settles　them？〃







〃The　High　Coco…Lorum；〃　they　answered　in　a　chorus。







〃And　who　is　he？〃







〃The　judge　who　enforces　the　laws；〃　said　the　man　who



had　first　spoken。







〃Then　he　is　the　principal　person　here？〃　continued　the



Wizard。







〃Well；　I　would　not　say　that；〃　returned　the　man　in　a



puzzled　way。　〃The　High　Cocolorum　is　a　public　servant。



However；　he　represents　the　laws；　which　we　must　all



obey。〃







〃I　think；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃we　ought　to　see　your



High　Coco…Lorum　and　talk　with　him。　Our　mission　here



requires　us　to　consult　one　high　in　authority；　and　the



High　Coco…Lorum　ought　to　be　high；　whatever　else　he　is。〃







The　inhabitants　seemed　to　consider　this　proposition



reasonable；　for　they　nodded　their　diamond…shaped　heads



in　approval。　So　the　broad　one　who　had　been　their



spokesman　said：　〃Follow　me；〃　and；　turning；　led　the　way



along　one　of　the　streets。







The　entire　party　followed　him；　the　natives　falling　in



behind。　The　dwellings　they　passed　were　quite　nicely



planned　and　seemed　comfortable　and　convenient。　After



leading　them　a　few　blocks　their　conductor　stopped



before　a　house　which　was　neither　better　nor　worse　than



the　others。　The　doorway　was　shaped　to　admit　the



strangely　formed　bodies　of　these　people；　being　narrow



at　the　top；　broad　in　the　middle　and　tapering　at　the



bottom。　The　windows　were　made　in　much　the　same　way；



giving　the　house　a　most　peculiar　appearance。　When　their



guide　opened　the　gate　a　music…box　concealed　in　the



gate…post　began　to　play；　and　the　sound　attracted　the



attention　of　the　High　Coco…Lorum；　who　appeared　at　an



open　window　and　inquired：







〃What　has　happened　now？〃







But　in　the　same　moment　his　eyes　fell　upon　the



strangers　and　he　hastened　to　open　the　door　and　admit



them　　all　but　the　animals；　which　were　left　outside



with　the　throng　of　natives　that　had　now　gathered。　For　a



small　city　there　seemed　to　be　a　large　number　of



inhabitants；　but　they　did　not　try　to　enter　the　h