the lost princess of oz-第20章

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



made　these　powerful　creatures　their　slaves。　Through　the



legs　of　the　giants；　as　they　walked；　Dorothy　could　see



rows　of　houses　on　each　side　the　street　and　throngs　of



people　standing　on　the　sidewalks；　but　the　people　were



of　ordinary　size　and　the　only　remarkable　thing　about



them　was　the　fact　that　they　were　dreadfully　lean　and



thin。　Between　their　skin　and　their　bones　there　seemed



to　be　little　or　no　flesh；　and　they　were　mostly　stoop…



shouldered　and　weary　looking；　even　to　the　little



children。







More　and　more　Dorothy　wondered　how　and　why　the　great



giants　had　ever　submitted　to　be　come　slaves　of　such



skinny；　languid　masters；　but　there　was　no　chance　to



question　anyone　until　they　arrived　at　a　big　palace



located　in　the　heart　of　the　city。　Here　the　giants



formed　lines　to　the　entrance　and　stood　still　while　our



friends　rode　into　the　courtyard　of　the　palace。　Then　the



gates　closed　behind　them　and　before　them　was　a　skinny



little　man　who　bowed　low　and　said　in　a　sad　voice：







〃If　you　will　be　so　obliging　as　to　dismount；　it　will



give　me　pleasure　to　lead　you　into　the　presence　of　the



World's　Most　Mighty　Ruler；　Vig　the　Czarover。〃







〃I　don't　believe　it！〃　said　Dorothy　indignantly。







〃What　don't　you　believe？〃　asked　the　man。







〃I　don't　believe　your　Czarover　can　hold　a　candle　to



our　Ozma。〃







〃He　wouldn't　hold　a　candle　under　any　circumstances；



or　to　any　living　person；〃　replied　the　man　very



seriously；　〃for　he　has　slaves　to　do　such　things　and　the



Mighty　Vig　is　too　dignified　to　do　anything　that　others



can　do　for　him。　He　even　obliges　a　slave　to　sneeze　for



him；　if　ever　he　catches　cold。　However；　if　you　dare　to



face　our　powerful　ruler；　follow　me。〃







〃We　dare　anything；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃so　go　ahead。〃







Through　several　marble　corridors　having　lofty



ceilings　they　passed；　finding　each　corridor　and　doorway



guarded　by　servants；　but　these　servants　of　the　palace



were　of　the　people　and　not　giants；　and　they　were　so



thin　that　they　almost　resembled　skeletons。　Finally　they



entered　a　great　circular　room　with　a　high　domed　ceiling



where　the　Czarover　sat　on　a　throne　cut　from　a　solid



block　of　white　marble　and　decorated　with　purple　silk



hangings　and　gold　tassels。







The　ruler　of　these　people　was　combing　his　eyebrows



when　our　friends　entered　his　throneroom　and　stood



before　him；　but　he　put　the　comb　in　his　pocket　and



examined　the　strangers　with　evident　curiosity。　Then　he



said：







〃Dear　me；　what　a　surprise！　You　have　really　shocked



me。　For　no　outsider　has　ever　before　come　to　our　City　of



Herku；　and　I　cannot　imagine　why　you　have　ventured　to　do



so。〃







〃We　are　looking　for　Ozma；　the　Supreme　Ruler　of　the



Land　of　Oz；〃　replied　the　Wizard。







〃Do　you　see　her　anywhere　around　here？〃　asked　the



Czarover。







〃Not　yet；　Your　Majesty；　but　perhaps　you　may　tell　us



where　she　is。〃







〃No；　I　have　my　hands　full　keeping　track　of　my　own



people。　I　find　them　hard　to　manage　because　they　are　so



tremendously　strong。〃







〃They　don't　look　very　strong；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃It



seems　as　if　a　good　wind　would　blow　em　way　out　of　the



city；　if　it　wasn't　for　the　wall。〃







〃Just　so　　just　so；〃　admitted　the　Czarover。　〃They



really　look　that　way；　don't　they？　But　you　must　never



trust　to　appearances；　which　have　a　way　of　fooling　one。



Perhaps　you　noticed　that　I　prevented　you　from　meeting



any　of　my　people。　I　protected　you　with　my　giants　while



you　were　on　the　way　from　the　gates　to　my　palace；　so



that　not　a　Herku　got　near　you。〃







〃Are　your　people　so　dangerous；　then？〃　asked　the



Wizard。







〃To　strangers；　yes；　but　only　because　they　are　so



friendly。　For；　if　they　shake　hands　with　you；　they　are



likely　to　break　your　arms　or　crush　your　fingers　to　a



jelly。〃







〃Why？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃Because　we　are　the　strongest　people　in　all　the



world。〃







〃Pshaw！〃　exclaimed　the　boy；　〃that's　bragging。　You



prob'ly　don't　know　how　strong　other　people　are。　Why；



once　I　knew　a　man　in　Philadelphi'　who　could　bend　iron



bars　with　just　his　hands！〃







〃But…mercy　me！…it's　no　trick　to　bend　iron　bars；〃　said



His　Majesty。　〃Tell　me；　could　this　man　crush　a　block　of



stone　with　his　bare　hands？〃







〃No　one　could　do　that；〃　declared　the　boy。







〃If　I　had　a　block　of　stone　I'd　show　you；〃　said　the



Czarover；　looking　around　the　room。　〃Ah；　here　is　my



throne。　The　back　is　too　high；　anyhow；　so　I'll　just



break　off　a　piece　of　that。〃







He　rose　to　his　feet　and　tottered　in　an　uncertain　way



around　the　throne。　Then　he　took　hold　of　the　back　and



broke　off　a　piece　of　marble　over　a　foot　thick。







〃This；〃　said　he；　coming　back　to　his　seat；　is　very



solid　marble　and　much　harder　than　ordinary　stone。　Yet　I



can　crumble　it　easily　with　my　fingers　　a　proof　that　I



am　very　strong。〃







Even　as　he　spoke　he　began　breaking　off　chunks　of



marble　and　crumbling　them　as　one　would　a　bit　of　earth。



The　Wizard　was　so　astonished　that　he　took　a　piece　in



his　own　hands　and　tested　it；　finding　it　very　hard



indeed。







Just　then　one　of　the　giant　servants　entered　and



exclaimed：







〃Oh；　Your　Majesty；　the　cook　has　burned　the　soup！　What



shall　we　do？〃







〃How　dare　you　interrupt　me？〃　asked　the　Czarover；　and



grasping　the　immense　giant　by　one　of　his　legs　he　raised



him　in　the　air　and　threw　him　headfirst　out　of　an　open



window。







〃Now；　tell　me；〃　he　said；　turning　to　Button…Bright；



〃could　your　man　in　Philadelphia　crumble　marble　in　his



fingers？〃







〃I　guess　not；〃　said　Button…Bright；　much　impressed　by



the　skinny　monarch's　strength。







〃What　makes　you　so　strong？〃　inquired　Dorothy。







〃It's　the　zosozo；〃　he　explained；　〃which　is　an



invention　of　my　own。　I　and　all　my　people　eat　zosozo；



and　it　gives　us　tremendous　strength。　Would　you　like　to



eat　some？〃







〃No；　thank　you；〃　replied　the　girl。　〃I　　I　don't　want



to　get　so　thin。〃







〃Well；　of　course　one　can't　have　strength　and　flesh　at



the　same　time；〃　said　the　Czarover。　〃Zosozo　is　pure



energy；　and　it's　the　only　compound　of　its　sort　in



existence。　I　never　allow　our　giants　to　have　it；　you



know；　or　they　would　soon　become　our　masters；　since　they



are　bigger　than　we；　so　I　keep　all　the　stuff　locked　up



in　my　private　laboratory。　Once　a　year　I　feed　a



teaspoonful　of　it　to　each　of　my　people　　men；　women



and　children　　so　every　one　of　them　is　nearly　as



strong　as　I　am。　Wouldn't　you　like　a　dose；　sir？〃　he



asked；　turning　to　the　Wizard。







〃Well；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃if　you　would　give　me　a



little　zosozo　in　a　bottle；　I'd　like　to　take　it　with　me



on　my　travels。　It　might　come　handy；　on　occasion。〃







〃To　be　sure。　I'll　give　you　enough　for　six　doses；〃



promised　the　Czarover。　〃But　don't　take　more　than　a



teaspoonful　at　a　time。　Once　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　took　two



teaspoonsful；　and　it　made　him　so　strong　that　when　he



leaned　against　the　city　wall　he　pushed　it　over；　and　we



had　to　build　it　up　again。〃







〃Who　is　Ugu　the　Shoemaker？〃　asked　Button…Bright



curiously；　for　he　now　remembered　that　the　bird　and　the



rabbit　had　claimed　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　had　enchanted　the



peach　he　had　eaten。







〃Why；　Ugu　is　a　great　magician；　who　used　to　live　here。



But　he's　gone　away；　now；〃　replied　the　Czarover。







〃Where　has　he　gone？〃　asked　the　Wizard　quickly。







〃I　am　told　he　live