the lost princess of oz-第15章

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small　city　there　seemed　to　be　a　large　number　of



inhabitants；　but　they　did　not　try　to　enter　the　house



and　contented　themselves　with　staring　curiously　at　the



strange　animals。　Toto　followed　Dorothy。







Our　friends　entered　a　large　room　at　the　front　of　the



house；　where　the　High　Coco…Lorum　asked　them　to　be



seated。







〃I　hope　your　mission　here　is　a　peaceful　one；〃　he



said；　looking　a　little　worried；　〃for　the　Thists　are　not



very　good　fighters　and　object　to　being　conquered。〃







〃Are　your　people　called　Thists？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃Yes。　I　thought　you　knew　that。　And　we　call　our　city



Thi。〃







〃Oh！〃







〃We　are　Thists　because　we　eat　thistles；　you　know；〃



continued　the　High　Coco…Lorum。







〃Do　you　really　eat　those　prickly　things？〃　inquired



Button…Bright　wonderingly。







〃Why　not？〃　replied　the　other。　〃The　sharp　points　of



the　thistles　cannot　hurt　us；　because　all　our　insides



are　gold…lined。〃







〃Gold…lined！〃







〃To　be　sure。　Our　throats　and　stomachs　are　lined　with



solid　gold；　and　we　find　the　thistles　nourishing　and



good　to　eat。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　there　is　nothing　else



in　our　country　that　is　fit　for　food。　All　around　the



City　of　Thi　grow　countless　thistles；　and　all　we　need　do



is　to　go　and　gather　them。　If　we　wanted　anything　else　to



eat　we　would　have　to　plant　it；　and　grow　it；　and　harvest



it；　and　that　would　be　a　lot　of　trouble　and　make　us



work；　which　is　an　occupation　we　detest。〃







〃But；　tell　me；　please；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃how　does　it



happen　that　your　city　jumps　around　so；　from　one　part　of



the　country　to　another？〃







〃The　city　doesn't　jump；　it　doesn't　move　at　all；〃



declared　the　High　Coco…Lorum。　〃However；　I　will　admit



that　the　land　that　surrounds　it　has　a　trick　of　turning



this　way　or　that；　and　so；　if　one　is　standing　upon　the



plain　and　facing　north；　he　is　likely　to　find　himself



suddenly　facing　west　　or　east　　or　south。　But　once



you　reach　the　thistle　fields　you　are　on　solid　ground。〃







〃Ah；　I　begin　to　understand；〃　said　the　Wizard；　nodding



his　head。　〃But　I　have　another　question　to　ask：　How　does



it　happen　that　the　Thists　have　no　King　to　rule　over



them？〃







〃Hush！〃　whispered　the　High　Coco…Lorum；　looking



uneasily　around　to　make　sure　they　were　not　overheard。



〃In　reality；　I　am　the　King；　but　the　people　don't　know



it。　They　think　they　rule　themselves；　but　the　fact　is　I



have　everything　my　own　way。　No　one　else　knows　anything



about　our　laws；　and　so　I　make　the　laws　to　suit　myself。



If　any　oppose　me；　or　question　my　acts；　I　tell　them　it's



the　law；　and　that　settles　it。　If　I　called　myself　King；



however；　and　wore　a　crown　and　lived　in　royal　state；　the



people　would　not　like　me；　and　might　do　me　harm。　As　the



High　Coco…Lorum　of　Thi；　I'm　considered　a　very　agreeable



person。〃







〃It　seems　a　very　clever　arrangement；〃　said　the



Wizard。　〃And　now；　as　you　are　the　principal　person　in



Thi；　I　beg　you　to　tell　us　if　the　Royal　Ozma　is　a



captive　in　your　city。〃







〃No；〃　answered　the　diamond…headed　man；　〃we　have　no



captives。　No　strangers　but　yourselves　are　here；　and　we



have　never　before　heard　of　the　Royal　Ozma。〃







〃She　rules　all　of　Oz；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　so　she



rules　your　city　and　you；　because　you　are　in　the　Winkie



Country；　which　is　a　part　of　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃It　may　be；〃　returned　the　High　Coco…Lorum；　〃for　we　do



not　study　geography　and　have　never　inquired　whether　we



live　in　the　Land　of　Oz　or　not。　And　any　Ruler　who　rules



us　from　a　distance；　and　unknown　to　us；　is　welcome　to



the　job。　But　what　has　happened　to　your　Royal　Ozma？〃







〃Someone　has　stolen　her；〃　said　the　Wizard。　〃Do　you



happen　to　have　any　talented　magician　among　your　people



　one　who　is　especially　clever；　you　know？〃







〃No；　none　especially　clever。　We　do　some　magic；　of



course；　but　it　is　all　of　the　ordinary　kind。　I　do　not



think　any　of　us　has　yet　aspired　to　stealing　Rulers；



either　by　magic　or　otherwise。〃







〃Then　we've　come　a　long　way　for　nothing！〃　exclaimed



Trot　regretfully。







〃But　we　are　going　farther　than　this；〃　asserted　the



Patchwork　Girl；　bending　her　stuffed　body　backward　until



her　yarn　hair　touched　the　floor　and　then　walking　around



on　her　hands　with　her　feet　in　the　air。







The　High　Coco…Lorum　watched　Scraps　admiringly。







〃You　may　go　farther　on；　of　course；〃　said　he；　〃but　I



advise　you　not　to。　The　Herkus　live　back　of　us；　beyond



the　thistles　and　the　twisting　lands；　and　they　are　not



very　nice　people　to　meet；　I　assure　you。〃







〃Are　they　giants？〃　asked　Betsy。







〃They　are　worse　than　that；〃　was　the　reply。　〃They　have



giants　for　their　slaves　and　they　are　so　much　stronger



than　giants　that　the　poor　slaves　dare　not　rebel；　for



fear　of　being　torn　to　pieces。〃







〃How　do　you　know；？〃　asked　Scraps。



〃Everyone　says　so；〃　answered　the　High　Coco…Lorum。







〃Have　you　seen　the　Herkus　yourself？〃　inquired



Dorothy。







〃No；　but　what　everyone　says　must　be　true；　otherwise；



what　would　be　the　use　of　their　saying　it？〃







〃We　were　told；　before　we　got　here；　that　you　people



hitch　dragons　to　your　chariots；〃　said　the　little　girl。







〃So　we　do；〃　declared　the　High　Coco…Lorum。　〃And　that



reminds　me　that　I　ought　to　entertain　you；　as　strangers



and　my　guests；　by　taking　you　for　a　ride　around　our



splendid　City　of　Thi。〃







Coco…Lorum。　〃Every　time　I　give　an　order　it　is　in　music；



which　is　a　much　more　pleasant　way　to　address　servants



than　in　cold；　stern　word〃







〃Does　this　dragon　of　yours　bite？〃　asked　Button…



Bright。







〃Mercy；　no！　Do　you　think　I'd　risk　the　safety　of　my



innocent　people　by　using　a　biting　dragon　to　draw　my



chariot？　I'm　proud　to　say　that　my　dragon　is　harmless…



unless　his　steering　gear　breaks　　and　he　was



manufactured　at　the　famous　dragon…factory　in　this　City



of　Thi。　Here　he　comes　and　you　may　examine　him　for



yourselves。〃







They　heard　a　low　rumble　and　a　shrill　squeaking　sound



and；　going　out　to　the　front　of　the　house；　they　saw



coming　around　the　corner　a　car　drawn　by　a　gorgeous



jeweled　dragon；　which　moved　its　head　to　right　and　left



and　flashed　its　eyes　like　the　headlights　of　an



automobile　and　uttered　a　growling　noise　as　it　slowly



moved　toward　them。







When　it　stopped　before　the　High　Coco…Lorum's　house



Toto　barked　sharply　at　the　sprawling　beast；　but　even



tiny　Trot　could　see　that　the　dragon　was　not　alive。　Its



scales　were　of　gold　and　each　one　was　set　with　sparkling



jewels；　while　it　walked　in　such　a　stiff；　regular　manner



that　it　could　be　nothing　else　than　a　machine。　The



chariot　that　trailed　behind　it　was　likewise　of　gold　and



jewels；　and　when　they　entered　it　they　found　there　were



no　seats。　Everyone　was　supposed　to　stand　up　while



riding。







The　charioteer　was　a　little　diamond…headed　fellow　who



straddled　the　neck　of　the　dragon　and　moved　the　levers



that　made　it　go。







〃This；〃　said　the　High　Coco…Lorum；　pompously；　〃is　a



wonderful　invention。　We　are　all　very　proud　of　our



autodragons；　many　of　which　are　in　use　by　our　wealthy



inhabitants。　Start　the　thing　going；　charioteer！〃







The　charioteer　did　not　move。







〃You　forgot　to　order　him　in　music；〃　suggested



Dorothy。







〃Ah；　so　I　did。〃　He　touched　a　button　and　a　music…box



in　the　dragon's　head　began　to　play　a　tune。　At　once　the



little　charioteer　pulled　over　a　lever　and　the　dragon



began　to　move　　very　slowly　and　groaning　dismally　a