the lost princess of oz-第16章

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little　charioteer　pulled　over　a　lever　and　the　dragon



began　to　move　　very　slowly　and　groaning　dismally　as



it　drew　the　clumsy　chariot　after　it。　Toto　trotted



between　the　wheels。　The　Sawhorse；　the　Mule；　the　Lion



and　the　Woozy　followed　after　and　had　no　trouble　in



keeping　up　with　the　machine；　indeed；　they　had　to　go



slow　to　keep　from　running　into　it。　When　the　wheels



turned　another　music…box　concealed　somewhere　under　the



chariot　played　a　lively　march　tune　which　was　in



striking　contrast　with　the　dragging　movement　of　the



strange　vehicle　and　Button…Bright　decided　that　the



music　he　had　heard　when　they　first　sighted　this　city



was　nothing　else　than　a　chariot　plodding　its　weary　way



through　the　streets。







All　the　travelers　from　the　Emerald　City　thought　this



ride　the　most　uninteresting　and　dreary　they　had　ever



experienced；　but　the　High　Coco…Lorum　seemed　to　think　it



was　grand。　He　pointed　out　the　different　buildings　and



parks　and　fountains；　in　much　the　same　way　that　the



conductor　of　an　American　〃sight…seeing　wagon〃　does；　and



being　guests　they　were　obliged　to　submit　to　the　ordeal。



But　they　became　a　little　worried　when　their　host　told



them　he　had　ordered　a　banquet　prepared　for　them　in　the



City　Hall。







〃What　are　we　going　to　eat？〃　asked　Button…Bright



suspiciously。







〃Thistles；〃　was　the　reply；　〃fine；　fresh　thistles；



gathered　this　very　day。〃







Scraps　laughed；　for　she　never　ate　anything；　but



Dorothy　said　in　a　protesting　voice：







〃Our　insides　are　not　lined　with　gold；　you　know。〃







〃How　sad！〃　exclaimed　the　High　Coco…Lorum；　and　then　he



added；　as　an　afterthought：　〃But　we　can　have　the



thistles　boiled；　if　you　prefer。〃







〃I'm　'fraid　they　wouldn't　taste　good；　even　then；〃



said　little　Trot。　〃Haven't　you　anything　else　to　eat？〃







The　High　Coco…Lorum　shook　his　diamond…shaped　head。







〃Nothing　that　I　know　of；〃　said　he。　〃But　why　should　we



have　anything　else；　when　we　have　so　many　thistles？



However；　if　you　can't　eat　what　we　eat；　don't　eat



anything。　We　shall　not　be　offended　and　the　banquet　will



be　just　as　merry　and　delightful。〃







Knowing　his　companions　were　all　hungry　the　Wizard



said：







〃I　trust　you　will　excuse　us　from　the　banquet；　sir；



which　will　be　merry　enough　without　us；　although　it　is



given　in　our　honor。　For；　as　Ozma　is　not　in　your　city；



we　must　leave　here　at　once　and　seek　her　elsewhere。〃







〃Sure　we　must！〃　agreed　Dorothy；　and　she　whispered　to



Betsy　and　Trot：　〃I'd　rather　Starve　somewhere　else　than



in　this　city；　and　　who　knows？　　we　may　run　across



somebedy　who　eats　reg'lar　food　and　will　give　us　some。〃







So；　when　the　ride　was　finished；　in　spite　of　the



protests　of　the　High　Coco…Lorum　they　insisted　on



continuing　their　journey。







〃It　will　soon　be　dark；〃　he　objected。







〃We　don't　mind　the　darkness；〃　replied　the　Wizard。







〃Some　wandering　Herku　may　get　you。〃







〃Do　you　think　the　Herkus　would　hurt　us？〃　asked



Dorothy。







〃I　cannot　say；　not　having　the　honor　of　their



acquaintance。　But　they　are　said　to　be　so　strong　that；



if　they　had　any　other　place　to　stand　upon；　they　could



lift　the　world。〃







〃All　of　them　together？〃　asked　Button…Bright



wonderingly。







〃Any　one　of　them　could　do　it；〃　said　the　High　Coco…



Lorum。







〃Have　you　heard　of　any　magicians　being　among　them？〃



asked　the　Wizard；　knowing　that　only　a　magician　could



have　stolen　Ozma　in　the　way　she　had　been　stolen。







〃I　am　told　it　is　quite　a　magical　country；〃　declared



the　High　Coco…Lorum；　〃and　magic　is　usually　performed　by



magicians。　But　I　have　never　heard　that　they　have　any



invention　or　sorcery　to　equal　our　wonderful



autodragons。〃







They　thanked　him　for　his　courtesy　and；　mounting　their



own　animals；　rode　to　the　farther　side　of　the　city　and



right　through　the　Wall　of　Illusion　out　into　the　open



country。







〃I'm　glad　we　got　away　so　easily；〃　said'　Betsy。　〃I



didn't　like　those　queer…shaped　people。'







〃Nor　did　I；〃　agreed　Dorothy。　〃It　seems　dreadful　to　be



lined　with　sheets　of　pure　gold　and　have　nothing　to　eat



but　thistles。〃







〃They　seemed　happy　and　contented；　though；〃　remarked



the　little　Wizard；　〃and　those　who　are　contented　have



nothing　to　regret　and　nothing　more　to　wish　for。〃



















Chapter　Six







Toto　Loses　Something











For　a　while　　the　travelers　were　constantly　losing　their



direction；　for　beyond　the　thistle　fields　they　again



found　themselves　upon　the　turning…lands；　which　swung



them　around　in　such　a　freakish　manner　that　first　they



were　headed　one　way　and　then　another。　But　by　keeping



the　City　of　Thi　constantly　behind　them　the　adventurers



finally　passed　the　treacherous　turning…lands　and　came



upon　a　stony　country　where　no　grass　grew　at　all。　There



were　plenty　of　bushes；　however；　and　although　it　was　now



almost　dark　the　girls　discovered　some　delicious　yellow



berries　growing　upon　the　bushes；　one　taste　of　which　set



them　all　to　picking　as　many　as　they　could　find。　The



berries　relieved　their　pangs　of　hunger；　for　a　time；　and



as　it　now　became　too　dark　to　see　anything　they　camped



where　they　were。







The　three　girls　lay　down　upon　one　of　the　blankets　



all　in　a　row　　and　then　the　Wizard　covered　them　with



the　other　blanket　and　tucked　them　in。　Button…Bright



crawled　under　the　shelter　of　some　bushes　and　was　asleep



in　half　a　minute。　The　Wizard　sat　down　with　his　back　to



a　big　stone　and　looked　at　the　stars　in　the　sky　and



thought　gravely　upon　the　dangerous　adventure　they　had



undertaken；　wondering　if　they　would　ever　be　able　to



find　their　beloved　Ozma　again。　The　animals　lay　in　a



group　by　themselves；　a　little　distance　from　the　others。







〃I've　lost　my　growl！〃　said　Toto；　who　had　been　very



silent　and　sober　all　that　day。　〃What　do　you　suppose　has



become　of　it？〃







〃If　you　had　asked　me　to　keep　track　of　your　growl；　I



might　be　able　to　tell　you；〃　remarked　the　Lion　sleepily。



〃But；　frankly；　Toto；　I　supposed　you　were　taking　care　of



it　yourself。〃







〃It's　an　awful　thing　to　lose　one's　growl；〃　said　Toto；



wagging　his　tail　disconsolately。　〃What　if　you　lost　your



roar；　Lion？　Wouldn't　you　feel　terrible？〃







〃My　roar；〃　replied　the　Lion；　〃is　the　fiercest　thing



about　me。　I　depend　on　it　to　frighten　my　enemies　so



badly　that　they　won't　dare　to　fight　me。〃







〃Once；〃　said　the　Mule；　〃I　lost　my　bray；　so　that　I



couldn't　call　to　Betsy　to　let　her　know　I　was　hungry。



That　was　before　I　could　talk；　you　know；　for　I　had　not



yet　come　into　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　I　found　it　was



certainly　very　uncomfortable　not　to　be　able　to　make　a



noise。〃







〃You　make　enough　noise　now；〃　declared　Toto。　〃But　none



of　you　has　answered　my　question：　Where　is　my　growl？〃







〃You　may　search　me；〃　said　the　Woozy。　〃I　don't　care



for　such　things　myself。〃







〃You　snore　terribly；〃　asserted　Toto。







〃It　may　he；〃　said　the　Woozy。　〃What　one　does　when



asleep　one　is　not　accountable　for。　I　wish　you　would



wake　me　up；　some　time　when　I'm　snoring；　and　let　me　hear



the　sound。　Then　I　can　judge　whether　it　is　terrible　or



delightful。〃







〃It　isn't　pleasant；　I　assure　you；〃　said　the　Lion；



yawning。







〃To　me　it　seems　wholly　unnecessary；〃　declared　Hank



the　Mule。







〃You　ought　to　break　yourself　of　the　habit；〃　said　the



Sawhorse。　〃You　never　hear　me　snore；　because　I　never



sleep。　I　don't　ev