dorothy and the wizard in oz-第16章

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on　the　rocky　floor　the　Wizard　felt　in　his　pocket　and　brought　out　the

nine　tiny　piglets。　　To　his　delight　they　were　now　plainly　visible；

which　proved　that　they　had　passed　beyond　the　influence　of　the　magical

Valley　of　Voe。



〃Why；　we　can　see　each　other　again！〃　cried　one；　joyfully。



〃Yes；〃　sighed　Eureka；　〃and　I　also　can　see　you　again；　and　the　sight

makes　me　dreadfully　hungry。　　Please；　Mr。　Wizard；　may　I　eat　just　one　of

the　fat　little　piglets？　　You'd　never　miss　ONE　of　them；　I'm　sure！〃



〃What　a　horrid；　savage　beast！〃　exclaimed　a　piglet；　〃and　after　we've

been　such　good　friends；　too；　and　played　with　one　another！〃



〃When　I'm　not　hungry；　I　love　to　play　with　you　all；〃　said　the　kitten；

demurely；　〃but　when　my　stomach　is　empty　it　seems　that　nothing　would

fill　it　so　nicely　as　a　fat　piglet。〃



〃And　we　trusted　you　so！〃　said　another　of　the　nine；　reproachfully。



〃And　thought　you　were　respectable！〃　said　another。



〃It　seems　we　were　mistaken；〃　declared　a　third；　looking　at　the　kitten

timorously；　〃no　one　with　such　murderous　desires　should　belong　to　our

party；　I'm　sure。〃



〃You　see；　Eureka；〃　remarked　Dorothy；　reprovingly；　〃you　are　making

yourself　disliked。　　There　are　certain　things　proper　for　a　kitten　to

eat；　but　I　never　heard　of　a　kitten　eating　a　pig；　under　ANY　cir'stances。〃



〃Did　you　ever　see　such　little　pigs　before？〃　asked　the　kitten。　　〃They

are　no　bigger　than　mice；　and　I'm　sure　mice　are　proper　for　me　to　eat。〃



〃It　isn't　the　bigness；　dear；　its　the　variety；〃　replied　the　girl。

〃These　are　Mr。　Wizard's　pets；　just　as　you　are　my　pet；　and　it　wouldn't　be

any　more　proper　for　you　to　eat　them　than　it　would　be　for　Jim　to　eat　you。〃



〃And　that's　just　what　I　shall　do　if　you　don't　let　those　little　balls

of　pork　alone；〃　said　Jim；　glaring　at　the　kitten　with　his　round；　big

eyes。　　〃If　you　injure　any　one　of　them　I'll　chew　you　up　instantly。〃



The　kitten　looked　at　the　horse　thoughtfully；　as　if　trying　to　decide

whether　he　meant　it　or　not。



〃In　that　case；〃　she　said；　〃I'll　leave　them　alone。　　You　haven't　many

teeth　left；　Jim；　but　the　few　you　have　are　sharp　enough　to　make　me

shudder。　　So　the　piglets　will　be　perfectly　safe；　hereafter；　as　far　as

I　am　concerned。〃



〃That　is　right；　Eureka；〃　remarked　the　Wizard；　earnestly。　　〃Let　us　all

be　a　happy　family　and　love　one　another。〃



Eureka　yawned　and　stretched　herself。



〃I've　always　loved　the　piglets；〃　she　said；　〃but　they　don't　love　me。〃



〃No　one　can　love　a　person　he's　afraid　of；〃　asserted　Dorothy。　　〃If　you

behave；　and　don't　scare　the　little　pigs；　I'm　sure　they'll　grow　very

fond　of　you。〃



The　Wizard　now　put　the　nine　tiny　ones　back　into　his　pocket　and　the

journey　was　resumed。



〃We　must　be　pretty　near　the　top；　now；〃　said　the　boy；　as　they　climbed

wearily　up　the　dark；　winding　stairway。



〃The　Country　of　the　Gurgles　can't　be　far　from　the　top　of　the　earth；〃

remarked　Dorothy。　　〃It　isn't　very　nice　down　here。　　I'd　like　to　get

home　again；　I'm　sure。〃



No　one　replied　to　this；　because　they　found　they　needed　all　their

breath　for　the　climb。　　The　stairs　had　become　narrower　and　Zeb　and　the

Wizard　often　had　to　help　Jim　pull　the　buggy　from　one　step　to　another；

or　keep　it　from　jamming　against　the　rocky　walls。



At　last；　however；　a　dim　light　appeared　ahead　of　them；　which　grew

clearer　and　stronger　as　they　advanced。



〃Thank　goodness　we're　nearly　there！〃　panted　the　little　Wizard。



Jim；　who　was　in　advance；　saw　the　last　stair　before　him　and　stuck　his

head　above　the　rocky　sides　of　the　stairway。　　Then　he　halted；　ducked

down　and　began　to　back　up；　so　that　he　nearly　fell　with　the　buggy　onto

the　others。



〃Let's　go　down　again！〃　he　said；　in　his　hoarse　voice。



〃Nonsense！〃　snapped　the　tired　Wizard。　　〃What's　the　matter　with　you；

old　man？〃



〃Everything；〃　grumbled　the　horse。　　〃I've　taken　a　look　at　this　place；

and　it's　no　fit　country　for　real　creatures　to　go　to。　　Everything's

dead；　up　thereno　flesh　or　blood　or　growing　thing　anywhere。〃



〃Never　mind；。　we　can't　turn　back；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　we　don't　intend

to　stay　there；　anyhow。〃



〃It's　dangerous；〃　growled　Jim；　in　a　stubborn　tone。



〃See　here；　my　good　steed；〃　broke　in　the　Wizard；　〃little　Dorothy　and　I

have　been　in　many　queer　countries　in　our　travels；　and　always　escaped

without　harm。　　We've　even　been　to　the　marvelous　Land　of　Ozhaven't

we；　Dorothy？so　we　don't　much　care　what　the　Country　of　the　Gargoyles

is　like。　　Go　ahead；　Jim；　and　whatever　happens　we'll　make　the　best　of　it。〃



〃All　right；〃　answered　the　horse；　〃this　is　your　excursion；　and　not

mine；　so　if　you　get　into　trouble　don't　blame　me。〃



With　this　speech　he　bent　forward　and　dragged　the　buggy　up　the

remaining　steps。　　The　others　followed　and　soon　they　were　all　standing

upon　a　broad　platform　and　gazing　at　the　most　curious　and　startling

sight　their　eyes　had　ever　beheld。



〃The　Country　of　the　Gargoyles　is　all　wooden！〃　exclaimed　Zeb；　and　so　it

was。　　The　ground　was　sawdust　and　the　pebbles　scattered　around　were

hard　knots　from　trees；　worn　smooth　in　course　of　time。　　There　were　odd

wooden　houses；　with　carved　wooden　flowers　in　the　front　yards。　　The

tree…trunks　were　of　coarse　wood；　but　the　leaves　of　the　trees　were

shavings。　　The　patches　of　grass　were　splinters　of　wood；　and　where

neither　grass　nor　sawdust　showed　was　a　solid　wooden　flooring。　　Wooden

birds　fluttered　among　the　trees　and　wooden　cows　were　browsing　upon　the

wooden　grass；　but　the　most　amazing　things　of　all　were　the　wooden

peoplethe　creatures　known　as　Gargoyles。



These　were　very　numerous；　for　the　place　was　thickly　inhabited；　and　a

large　group　of　the　queer　people　clustered　near；　gazing　sharply　upon

the　strangers　who　had　emerged　from　the　long　spiral　stairway。



The　Gargoyles　were　very　small　of　stature；　being　less　than　three　feet

in　height。　　Their　bodies　were　round；　their　legs　short　and　thick　and

their　arms　extraordinarily　long　and　stout。　　Their　heads　were　too　big

for　their　bodies　and　their　faces　were　decidedly　ugly　to　look　upon。

Some　had　long；　curved　noses　and　chins；　small　eyes　and　wide；　grinning

mouths。　　Others　had　flat　noses；　protruding　eyes；　and　ears　that　were

shaped　like　those　of　an　elephant。　　There　were　many　types；　indeed；

scarcely　two　being　alike；　but　all　were　equally　disagreeable　in

appearance。　　The　tops　of　their　heads　had　no　hair；　but　were　carved

into　a　variety　of　fantastic　shapes；　some　having　a　row　of　points　or

balls　around　the　top；　others　designs　resembling　flowers　or　vegetables；

and　still　others　having　squares　that　looked　like　waffles　cut

criss…cross　on　their　heads。　　They　all　wore　short　wooden　wings　which

were　fastened　to　their　wooden　bodies　by　means　of　wooden　hinges　with

wooden　screws；　and　with　these　wings　they　flew　swiftly　and　noiselessly

here　and　there；　their　legs　being　of　little　use　to　them。



This　noiseless　motion　was　one　of　the　most　peculiar　things　about　the

Gargoyles。　　They　made　no　sounds　at　all；　either　in　flying　or　trying　to

speak；　and　they　conversed　mainly　by　means　of　quick　signals　made　with

their　wooden　fingers　or　lips。　　Neither　was　there　any　sound　to　be　heard

anywhere　throughout　the　wooden　country。　　The　birds　did　not　sing；　nor

did　the　cows　moo；　yet　there　was　more　than　ordinary　activity　everywhere。



The　group　of　these　queer　creatures　which　was　discovered　clustered

near　the　stairs　at　first　remained　staring　and　motionless；　glaring　with

evil　eyes　at　the　intruders　who　had　so　suddenly　appeared　in　their　land。

In　turn　the　Wizard　and　the　children；　the　horse　and　the　kitten；

examined　the　Gargoyles　with　the　same　silent　attention。



〃There's　going　to　be　trouble；　I'm　sure；〃　remarked　the　horse。

〃Unhitch　those　tugs；　Zeb；　and　set　me　free　from　the　buggy；

so　I　can　fight　comfortably。〃



〃Jim's　right；〃　sighed　the　Wizard。　　〃There's　going　to　be　trouble；　and

my　sword　isn't　stout　enough　to　cut　up　those　wooden　bodiesso　I　shall

have　to　get　out　my　revolvers。〃



He　got　his　satchel　from　the　buggy　and；　opening　it；　took　out　two　deadly

looking　revolvers　that　made　the　chil