glinda of oz-第6章

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others　happy。　Had　I　no　kingdom　to　rule；　and　no　subjects

to　look　after；　I　would　be　miserable。　Also；　you　must

realize　that　while　I　am　a　more　powerful　fairy　than　any

other　inhabitant　of　Oz；　I　am　not　as　powerful　as　Glinda

the　Sorceress；　who　has　studied　many　arts　of　magic　that

I　know　nothing　of。　Even　the　little　Wizard　of　Oz　can　do

some　things　I　am　unable　to　accomplish；　while　I　can

accomplish　things　unknown　to　the　Wizard。　This　is　to

explain　that　I'm　not　all…powerful；　by　any　means。　My

magic　is　simply　fairy　magic；　and　not　sorcery　or

wizardry。〃



〃All　the　same；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃I'm　mighty　glad　you

could　make　this　tent　appear；　with　our　dinners　and　beds

all　ready　for　us。〃



Ozma　smiled。



〃Yes；　it　is　indeed　wonderful；〃　she　agreed。　〃Not　all

fairies　know　that　sort　of　magic；　but　some　fairies　can

do　magic　that　fills　me　with　astonishment。　I　think　that

is　what　makes　us　modest　and　unassuming　　the　fact　that

our　magic　arts　are　divided；　some　being　given　each　of

us。　I'm　glad　I　don't　know　everything；　Dorothy；　and　that

there　still　are　things　in　both　nature　and　in　wit　for　me

to　marvel　at。〃



Dorothy　couldn't　quite　understand　this；　so　she　said

nothing　more　on　the　subject　and　presently　had　a　new

reason　to　marvel。　For　when　they　had　quite　finished

their　meal　table　and　contents　disappeared　in　a　flash。



〃No　dishes　to　wash；　Ozma！〃　she　said　with　a　laugh。　〃I

guess　you'd　make　a　lot　of　folks　happy　if　you　could

teach　'em　just　that　one　trick。〃



For　an　hour　Ozma　told　stories；　and　talked　with

Dorothy　about　various　people　in　whom　they　were

interested。　And　then　it　was　bedtime；　and　they　undressed

and　crept　into　their　soft　beds　and　fell　asleep　almost

as　soon　as　their　heads　touched　their　pillows。









Chapter　Five



The　Magic　Stairway







The　flat　mountain　looked　much　nearer　in　the　clear

light　of　the　morning　sun；　but　Dorothy　and　Ozma　knew

there　was　a　long　tramp　before　them；　even　yet。　They

finished　dressing　only　to　find　a　warm；　delicious

breakfast　awaiting　them；　and　having　eaten　they　left　the

tent　and　started　toward　the　mountain　which　was　their

first　goal。　After　going　a　little　way　Dorothy　looked

back　and　found　that　the　fairy　tent　had　entirely

disappeared。　She　was　not　surprised；　for　she　knew　this

would　happen。



〃Can't　your　magic　give　us　a　horse　an'　wagon；　or　an

automobile？〃　inquired　Dorothy。



〃No；　dear；　I'm　sorry　that　such　magic　is　beyond　my

power；〃　confessed　her　fairy　friend。



〃Perhaps　Glinda　could；〃　said　Dorothy　thoughtfully。



〃Glinda　has　a　stork　chariot　that　carries　her　through

the　air；〃　said　Ozma；　〃but　even　our　great　Sorceress

cannot　conjure　up　other　modes　of　travel。　Don't　forget

what　I　told　you　last　night；　that　no　one　is　powerful

enough　to　do　everything。〃



〃Well；　I　s'pose　I　ought　to　know　that；　having　lived　so

long　in　the　Land　of　Oz；〃　replied　Dorothy；　〃but　I　can't

do　any　magic　at　all；　an'　so　I　can't　figure　out　e'zactly

how　you　an'　Glinda　an'　the　Wizard　do　it。〃



〃Don't　try；〃　laughed　Ozma。　〃But　you　have　at　least　one

magical　art；　Dorothy：　you　know　the　trick　of　winning　all

hearts。〃



〃No；　I　don't；〃　said　Dorothy　earnestly。　〃If　I　really

can　do　it；　Ozma；　I　am　sure　I　don't　know　how　I　do　it。〃



It　took　them　a　good　two　hours　to　reach　the　foot　of

the　round；　flat　mountain；　and　then　they　found　the

sides　so　steep　that　they　were　like　the　wall　of　a　house。



〃Even　my　purple　kitten　couldn't　climb　'em；〃　remarked

Dorothy；　gazing　upward。



〃But　there　is　some　way　for　the　Flatheads　to　get　down

and　up　again；〃　declared　Ozma；　〃otherwise　they　couldn't

make　war　with　the　Skeezers；　or　even　meet　them　and

quarrel　with　them。〃



〃That's　so；　Ozma。　Let's　walk　around　a　ways；　perhaps

we'll　find　a　ladder　or　something。〃



They　walked　quite　a　distance；　for　it　was　a　big

mountain；　and　as　they　circled　around　it　and　came　to　the

side　that　faced　the　palm　trees；　they　suddenly

discovered　an　entrance　way　cut　out　of　the　rock　wall。

This　entrance　was　arched　overhead　and　not　very　deep

because　it　merely　led　to　a　short　flight　of　stone

stairs。



〃Oh；　we've　found　a　way　to　the　top　at　last；〃　announced

Ozma；　and　the　two　girls　turned　and　walked　straight

toward　the　entrance。　Suddenly　they　bumped　against

something　and　stood　still；　unable　to　proceed　farther。



〃Dear　me！〃　exclaimed　Dorothy；　rubbing　her　nose；　which

had　struck　something　hard；　although　she　could　not　see

what　it　was；　〃this　isn't　as　easy　as　it　looks。　What　has

stopped　us；　Ozma？　Is　it　magic　of　some　sort？〃



Ozma　was　feeling　around；　her　bands　outstretched

before　her。



〃Yes；　dear；　it　is　magic；〃　she　replied。　〃The　Flatheads

had　to　have　a　way　from　their　mountain　top　from　the

plain　below；　but　to　prevent　enemies　from　rushing　up　the

stairs　to　conquer　them；　they　have　built；　at　a　small

distance　before　the　entrance　a　wall　of　solid　stone；　the

stones　being　held　in　place　by　cement；　and　then　they

made　the　wall　invisible。〃



〃I　wonder　why　they　did　that？〃　mused　Dorothy。　〃A　wall

would　keep　folks　out　anyhow；　whether　it　could　be　seen

or　not；　so　there　wasn't　any　use　making　it　invisible。

Seems　to　me　it　would　have　been　better　to　have　left　it

solid；　for　then　no　one　would　have　seen　the　entrance

behind　it。　Now　anybody　can　see　the　entrance；　as　we　did。

And　prob'bly　anybody　that　tries　to　go　up　the　stairs

gets　bumped；　as　we　did。〃



Ozma　made　no　reply　at　once。　Her　face　was　grave　and

thoughtful。



〃I　think　I　know　the　reason　for　making　the　wall

invisible；〃　she　said　after　a　while。　〃The　Flatheads　use

the　stairs　for　coming　down　and　going　up。　If　there　was　a

solid　stone　wall　to　keep　them　from　reaching　the　plain

they　would　themselves　be　imprisoned　by　the　wall。　So

they　had　to　leave　some　place　to　get　around　the　wall；

and；　if　the　wall　was　visible；　all　strangers　or　enemies

would　find　the　place　to　go　around　it　and　then　the　wall

would　be　useless。　So　the　Flatheads　cunningly　made　their

wall　invisible；　believing　that　everyone　who　saw　the

entrance　to　the　mountain　would　walk　straight　toward　it；

as　we　did；　and　find　it　impossible　to　go　any　farther。　I

suppose　the　wall　is　really　high　and　thick；　and　can't　be

broken　through；　so　those　who　find　it　in　their　way　are

obliged　to　go　away　again。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃if　there's　a　way　around　the

wall；　where　is　it？〃



〃We　must　find　it；〃　returned　Ozma；　and　began　feeling

her　way　along　the　wall。　Dorothy　followed　and　began　to

get　discouraged　when　Ozma　had　walked　nearly　a　quarter

of　a　mile　away　from　the　entrance。　But　now　the　invisible

wall　curved　in　toward　the　side　of　the　mountain　and

suddenly　ended；　leaving　just　space　enough　between　the

wall　and　the　mountain　for　an　ordinary　person　to　pass

through。



The　girls　went　in；　single　file；　and　Ozma　explained

that　they　were　now　behind　the　barrier　and　could　go

back　to　the　entrance。　They　met　no　further　obstructions。



〃Most　people；　Ozma；　wouldn't　have　figured　this　thing

out　the　way　you　did；〃　remarked　Dorothy。　〃If　I'd　been

alone　the　invisible　wall　surely　would　have　stumped　me。〃



Reaching　the　entrance　they　began　to　mount　the　stone

stairs。　They　went　up　ten　stairs　and　then　down　five

stairs；　following　a　passage　cut　from　the　rock。　The

stairs　were　just　wide　enough　for　the　two　girls　to　walk

abreast；　arm　in　arm。　At　the　bottom　of　the　five　stairs

the　passage　turned　to　the　right；　and　they　ascended　ten

more　stairs；　only　to　find　at　the　top　of　the　flight　five

stairs　leading　straight　down　again。　Again　the　passage

turned　abruptly；　this　time　to　the　left；　and　ten　more

stairs　led　upward。



The　passage　was　now　quite　dark；　for　they　were　in　the

heart　of　the　mountain　and　all　daylight　had　been　shut

out　by　the　turns　of　the　passage。　However；　Ozma　drew　her

silver　wand　from　her　bosom　and　the　great　jewel　at　its

end　gave　out　a　lustrous；　green…tinted　light　which

lighted　the　place　well　enough　for　them　to　see　their　way

plainly。



Ten　steps　up；　five　steps　down；　and　a　turn；　this　way

or　that。　That　was　the　program；　and　Dorothy　fig