the lost princess of oz-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃There　were　two　reasons；〃　he　explained。　〃One　reason



was　that　I　like　peaches；　and　the　other　reason　was　that



I　didn't　know　it　was　enchanted。〃







〃That　won't　save　you　from　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；〃



declared　the　White　Rabbit　and　it　scurried　away　before



the　boy　could　ask　any　more　questions。







〃Rabbits　and　birds；〃　he　thought；　〃are　timid　creatures



and　seem　afraid　of　this　shoemaker　　whoever　he　may　be。



If　there　was　another　peach　half　as　good　as　that　other；



I'd　eat　it　in　spite　of　a　dozen　enchantments　or　a



hundred　shoemakers！〃







Just　then　Scraps　came　dancing　along　and　saw　him



sitting　at　the　foot　of　the　tree。







〃Oh；　here　you　are！〃　she　said。　〃Up　to　your　old　tricks；



eh？　Don't　you　know　it's　impolite　to　get　lost　and　keep



everybody　waiting　for　you？　Come　along；　and　I'll　lead



you　back　to　Dorothy　and　the　others。〃







Button…Bright　rose　slowly　to　accompany　her。







〃That　wasn't　much　of　a　loss；〃　he　said　cheerfully。　〃I



haven't　been　gone　half　a　day；　so　there's　no　harm　done。〃







Dorothy；　however；　when　the　boy　rejoined　the　party；



gave　him　a　good　scolding。







〃When　we're　doing　such　an　important　thing　as



searching　for　Ozma；〃　said　she；　〃it's　naughty　for　you　to



wander　away；　and　keep　us　from　getting　on。　　S'pose　she's



a　pris'ner　　in　a　dungeon　cell！　　do　you　want　to　keep



our　dear　Ozma　there　any　longer　than　we　can　help？〃







〃If　she's　in　a　dungeon　cell；　how　are　you　going　to　get



her　out？〃　inquired　the　boy。







〃Never　you　mind；　we'll　leave　that　to　the　Wizard；　he's



sure　to　find　a　way。〃







The　Wizard　said　nothing；　for　he　realized　that　without



his　magic　tools　he　could　do　no　more　than　any　other



person。　But　there　was　no　use　reminding　his　companions



of　that　fact；　it　might　discourage　them。







〃The　important　thing　just　now；〃　he　remarked；　〃is　to



find　Ozma；　and；　as　our　party　is　again　happily　reunited；



I　propose　we　move　on。〃







As　they　came　to　the　edge　of　the　Great　Orchard　the　sun



was　setting　and　they　knew　it　would　soon　be　dark。　So　it



was　decided　to　camp　under　the　trees；　as　another　broad



plain　was　before　them。　The　Wizard　spread　the　blankets



on　a　bed　of　soft　leaves　and　presently　all　of　them



except　Scraps　and　the　Sawhorse　were　fast　asleep。　Toto



snuggled　close　to　his　friend　the　Lion；　and　the　Woozy



snored　so　loudly　that　the　Patchwork　Girl　covered　his



square　head　with　her　apron　to　deaden　the　sound。



















Chapter　Twelve







The　Czarover　of　Herku











Trot　wakened　just　as　the　sun　rose　and；　slipping　out　of



the　blankets；　went　to　the　edge　of　the　Great　Orchard　and



looked　across　the　plain。　Something　glittered　in　the　far



distance。







〃That　looks　like　another　city；〃　she　said　half　aloud。







〃And　another　city　it　is；〃　declared　Scraps；　who　had



crept　to　Trot's　side　unheard；　for　her　stuffed　feet　made



no　sound。　〃The　Sawhorse　and　I　made　a　journey　in　the



dark；　while　you　were　all　asleep；　and　we　found　over



there　a　bigger　city　than　Thi。　There's　a　wall　around　it；



too；　but　it　has　gates　and　plenty　of　pathways。〃







〃Did　you　go　in？〃　asked　Trot。







〃No；　for　the　gates　were　locked　and　the　wall　was　a



real　wall。　So　we　came　back　here　again。　It　isn't　far　to



the　city。　We　can　reach　it　in　two　hours　after　you've　had



your　breakfasts。〃







Trot　went　back　and；　finding　the　other　girls　now



awake；　told　them　what　Scraps　had　said。　So　they



hurriedly　ate　some　fruit　　there　were　plenty　of　plums



and　fijoas　in　this　part　of　the　orchard　　and　then　they



mounted　the　animals　and　set　out　upon　the　journey　to　the



strange　city。　Hank　the　Mule　had　breakfasted　on　grass



and　the　Lion　had　stolen　away　and　found　a　breakfast　to



his　liking；　he　never　told　what　it　was；　but　Dorothy



hoped　the　little　rabbits　and　the　field　mice　had　kept



out　of　his　way。　She　warned　Toto　not　to　chase　birds　and



gave　the　dog　some　apple；　with　which　he　was　quite



content。　The　Woozy　was　as　fond　of　fruit　as　of　any　other



food；　except　honey；　and　the　Sawhorse　never　ate　at　all。







Except　for　their　worry　over　Ozma　they　were　all　in



good　spirits　as　they　proceeded　swiftly　over　the　plain。



Toto　still　worried　over　his　lost　growl；　but　like　a　wise



little　dog　kept　his　worry　to　himself。　Before　long　the



city　grew　nearer　and　they　could　examine　it　with



interest。







In　outward　appearance　the　place　was　more　imposing



than　Thi；　and　it　was　a　square　city；　with　a　square；



four…sided　wall　around　it　and　on　each　side　was　a　square



gate　of　burnished　copper。　Everything　about　the　city



looked　solid　and　substantial；　there　were　no　banners



flying　and　the　towers　that　rose　above　the　city　wall



seemed　bare　of　any　ornament　whatever。







A　path　led　from　the　fruit　orchard　directly　to　one　of



the　city　gates；　showing　that　the　inhabitants　preferred



fruit　to　thistles。　Our　friends　followed　this　path　to



the　gate；　which　they　found　fast　shut。　But　the　Wizard



advanced　and　pounded　upon　it　with　his　fist；　saying　in　a



loud　voice：　〃Open！〃







At　once　there　rose　above　the　great　wall　a　row



of　immense　heads；　all　of　which　looked　down



at　them　as　if　to　see　who　was　intruding。　The　size







of　these　heads　was　astonishing　and　our　friends　at　once



realized　that　they　belonged　to　giants；　who　were



standing　within　the　city。　All　had　thick；　bushy　hair　and



whiskers；　on　some　the　hair　being　white　and　on　others



black　or　red　or　yellow；　while　the　hair　of　a　few　was



just　turning　gray；　showing　that　the　giants　were　of　all



ages。　However　fierce　the　heads　might　seem　the　eyes　were



mild　in　expression；　as　if　the　creatures　had　been　long



subdued；　and　their　faces　expressed　patience　rather　than



ferocity。







〃What's　wanted？〃　asked　one　old　giant；　in　a　low；



grumbling　voice。







〃We　are　strangers　and　we　wish　to　enter　the　city；〃



replied　the　Wizard。







〃Do　you　come　in　war　or　peace？〃　asked　another。







〃In　peace；　of　course；〃　retorted　the　Wizard；　and　he



added　impatiently：　〃Do　we　look　like　an　army　of



conquest？〃







〃No；〃　said　the　first　giant　who　had　spoken；　〃you　look



like　innocent　tramps；　but　one　never　can　tell　by



appearances。　Wait　here　until　we　report　to　our　masters。



No　one　can　enter　here　without　the　permission　of　Vig；



the　Czarover。〃







〃Who's　that？〃　inquired　Dorothy。　But　the　heads　had　all



bobbed　down　and　disappeared　behind　the　wall；　so　there



was　no　answer。







They　waited　a　long　time　before　the　gate　rolled　back



with　a　rumbling　sound　and　a　loud　voice　cried：　〃Enter！〃



But　they　lost　no　time　in　taking　advantage　of　the



invitation。







On　either　side　of　the　broad　street　that　led　into　the



city　from　the　gate　stood　a　row　of　huge　giants　　twenty



of　them　on　a　side　and　all　standing　so　close　together



that　their　elbows　touched。　They　wore　uniforms　of　blue



and　yellow　and　were　armed　with　clubs　as　big　around　as



tree…trunks。　Each　giant　had　around　his　neck　a　broad



band　of　gold；　riveted　on；　to　show　he　was　a　slave。







As　our　friends　entered；　riding　upon　the　Lion；　the



Woozy；　the　Sawhorse　and　the　Mule；　the　giants　half



turned　and　walked　in　two　files　on　either　side　of　them；



as　if　escorting　them　on　their　way。　It　looked　to　Dorothy



as　if　all　her　party　had　been　made　prisoners；　for　even



mounted　on　their　animals　their　heads　scarcely　reached



to　the　knees　of　the　marching　giants。　The　girls　and



Button…Bright　were　anxious　to　know　what　sort　of　a　city



they　had　entered；　and　what　the　people　were　like　who　had



made　these　powerful　creatures　their