the lost princess of oz-第9章

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himself　and　found　the　door　of　the　room　ajar　he　trotted



out　into　the　corridor　and　went　down　the　stately　marble



stairs　to　the　hall　of　the　palace；　where　he　met　Jellia



Jamb。







〃Where's　Dorothy？〃　asked　Toto。







〃She's　gone　to　the　Winkie　Country；〃　answered　the



maid。







〃When？〃







〃A　little　while　ago；〃　replied　Jellia。







Toto　turned　and　trotted　out　into　the　palace　garden



and　down　the　long　driveway　until　he　came　to　the　streets



of　the　Emerald　City。　Here　he　paused　to　listen　and；



hearing　sounds　of　cheering；　he　ran　swiftly　along　until



he　came　in　sight　of　the　Red　Wagon　and　the　Woozy　and　the



Lion　and　the　Mule　and　all　the　others。　Being　a　wise



little　dog；　he　decided　not　to　show　himself　to　Dorothy



just　then；　lest　he　be　sent　back　home；　but　he　never　lost



sight　of　the　party　of　travelers；　all　of　whom　were　so



eager　to　get　ahead　that　they　never　thought　to　look



behind　them。







When　they　came　to　the　gates　in　the　city　wall　the



Guardian　of　the　Gates　came　out　to　throw　wide　the　golden



portals　and　let　them　pass　through。







〃Did　any　strange　person　come　in　or　out　of　the　city　on



the　night　before　last；　when　Ozma　was　stolen？〃　asked



Dorothy。







〃No；　indeed；　Princess；〃　answered　the　Guardian　of　the



Gates。







〃Of　course　not；〃　said　the　Wizard。　〃Anyone　clever



enough　to　steal　all　the　things　we　have　lost　would　not



mind　the　barrier　of　a　wall　like　this；　in　the　least。　I



think　the　thief　must　have　flown　through　the　air；　for



otherwise　he　could　not　have　stolen　from　Ozma's　royal



palace　and　Glinda's　far…away　castle　in　the　same　night。



Moreover；　as　there　are　no　airships　in　Oz　and　no　way　for



airships　from　the　outside　world　to　get　into　this



country；　I　believe　the　thief　must　have　flown　from　place



to　place　by　means　of　magic　arts　which　neither　Glinda



nor　I　understand。〃







On　they　went；　and　before　the　gates　closed　behind　them



Toto　managed　to　dodge　through　them。　The　country



surrounding　the　Emerald　City　was　thickly　settled　and



for　a　while　our　friends　rode　over　nicely　paved　roads



which　wound　through　a　fertile　country　dotted　with



beautiful　houses；　all　built　in　the　quaint　Oz　fashion。



In　the　course　of　a　few　hours；　however；　they　had　left



the　tilled　fields　and　entered　the　Country　of　the



Winkies；　which　occupies　a　quarter　of　all　the　territory



in　the　Land　of　Oz　but　is　not　so　well　known　as　many



other　parts　of　Ozma's　fairyland。　Long　before　night　the



travelers　had　crossed　the　Winkie　River　near　to　the



Scarecrow's　Tower　（which　was　now　vacant）　and　had



entered　the　Rolling　Prairie　where　few　people　live。　They



asked　everyone　they　met　for　news　of　Ozma；　but　none　in



this　district　had　seen　her　or　even　knew　that　she　had



been　stolen。　And　by　nightfall　they　had　passed　all　the



farmhouses　and　were　obliged　to　stop　and　ask　for　shelter



at　the　hut　of　a　lonely　shepherd。　When　they　halted；　Toto



was　not　far　behind。　The　little　dog　halted；　too；　and



stealing　softly　around　the　party　he　hid　himself　behind



the　hut。







The　shepherd　was　a　kindly　old　man　and　treated　the



travelers　with　much　courtesy。　He　slept　out　of　doors；



that　night；　giving　up　his　hut　to　the　three　girls；　who



made　their　beds　on　the　floor　with　the　blankets　they　had



brought　in　the　Red　Wagon。　The　Wizard　and　Button…Bright



also　slept　out　of　doors；　and　so　did　the　Cowardly　Lion



and　Hank　the　Mule。　But　Scraps　and　the　Sawhorse　did　not



sleep　at　all　and　the　Woozy　could　stay　awake　for　a　month



at　a　time；　if　he　wished　to；　so　these　three　sat　in　a



little　group　by　themselves　and　talked　together　all



through　the　night。







In　the　darkness　the　Cowardly　Lion　felt　a　shaggy



little　form　nestling　beside　his　own；　and　he　said



sleepily：







〃Where　did　you　come　from；　Toto？〃







〃From　home；〃　said　the　dog。　〃If　you　roll　over；　roll



the　other　way；　so　you　won't　smash　me。〃







〃Does　Dorothy　know　you　are　here？〃　asked　the　Lion。







〃I　believe　not；〃　admitted　Toto；　and　he　added；　a



little　anxiously：　〃Do　you　think；　friend　Lion；　we　are



now　far　enough　from　the　Emerald　City　for　me　to　risk



showing　myself？　Or　will　Dorothy　send　me　back　because　I



wasn't　invited？〃







〃Only　Dorothy　can　answer　that　question；〃　said　the



Lion。　〃For　my　part；　Toto；　I　consider　this　affair　none



of　my　business；　so　you　must　act　as　you　think　best。〃







Then　the　huge　beast　went　to　sleep　again　and　Toto



snuggled　closer　to　his　warm；　hairy　body　and　also　slept。



He　was　a　wise　little　dog；　in　his　way；　and　didn't　intend



to　worry　when　there　was　something　much　better　to　do。







In　the　morning　the　Wizard　built　a　fire；　over　which



the　girls　cooked　a　very　good　breakfast。







Suddenly　Dorothy　discovered　Toto　sitting　quietly



before　the　fire　and　the　little　girl　exclaimed：







〃Goodness　me；　Toto！　Where　did　you　come　from？〃







〃From　the　place　you　cruelly　left　me；〃　replied



the　dog　in　a　reproachful　tone。







〃I　forgot　all　about　you；〃　admitted　Dorothy；　〃and　if　I



hadn't　I'd　prob'ly　left　you　with　Jellia　Jamb；　seeing



this　isn't　a　pleasure　trip　but　stric'ly　business。　But；



now　that　you're　here；　Toto；　I　s'pose　you'll　have　to



stay　with　us；　unless　you'd　rather　go　back　home　again。



We　may　get　ourselves　into　trouble；　before　we're　done；



Toto。〃







〃Never　mind　that；〃　said　Toto；　wagging　his　tail。　〃I'm



hungry；　Dorothy。〃







〃Breakfas'll　soon　be　ready　and　then　you　shall　have



your　share；〃　promised　his　little　mistress；　who　was



really　glad　to　have　her　dog　with　her。　She　and　Toto　had



traveled　together　before；　and　she　knew　he　was　a　good



and　faithful　comrade。







When　the　food　was　cooked　and　served　the　girls　invited



the　old　shepherd　to　join　them　in　their　morning　meal。　He



willingly　consented　and　while　they　ate　he　said　to　them：







〃You　are　now　about　to　pass　through　a　very　dangerous



country；　unless　you　turn　to　the　north　or　to　the　south



to　escape　its　perils。〃







〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　Cowardly　Lion；　〃let　us



turn；　by　all　means；　for　I　dread　to　face　dangers　of



any　sort。〃







〃What's　the　matter　with　the　country　ahead　of　us？〃



inquired　Dorothy。







〃Beyond　this　Rolling　Prairie；〃　explained　the



shepherd；　〃are　the　Merry…Go…Round　Mountains；　set　close



together　and　surrounded　by　deep　gulfs；　so　that　no　one



is　able　to　get　past　them。　Beyond　the　Merry…Go…Round



Mountains　it　is　said　the　Thistle…Eaters　and　the　Herkus



live。〃







〃What　are　they　like？〃　demanded　Dorothy。







〃No　one　knows；　for　no　one　has　ever　passed　the　Merry…



Go…Round　Mountains；〃　was　the　reply；　〃but　it　is　said



that　the　Thistle…Eaters　hitch　dragons　to　their　chariots



and　that　the　Herkus　are　waited　upon　by　giants　whom　they



have　conquered　and　made　their　slaves。〃







〃Who　says　all　that？〃　asked　Betsy。







〃It　is　common　report；〃　declared　the　shepherd。



〃Everyone　believes　it。〃







〃I　don't　see　how　they　know；〃　remarked　little　Trot；



〃if　no　one　has　been　there。〃







〃Perhaps　the　birds　who　fly　over　that　country　brought



the　news；〃　suggested　Betsy。







〃If　you　escaped　those　dangers；〃　continued　the



shepherd；　〃you　might　encounter　others　still　more



serious；　before　you　came　to　the　next　branch　of　the



Winkie　River。　It　is　true　that　beyond　that　river　there



lies　a　fine　country；　inhabited　by　good　people；　and　if



you　reached　there　you　would　have　no　further　trouble。　It



is　between　here　and　the　west　branch　of　the　Winkie　River



that　all　dangers　lie；　for　that　is　the　unknown　territory



that　is　in