dorothy and the wizard in oz-第20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！



always　side　by　side。　　These　were　motionless　at　first；　but　soon　began

to　flicker　more　brightly　and　to　sway　slowly　from　side　to　side　and　then

up　and　down。



〃What　sort　of　place　is　this？〃　asked　the　boy；　trying　to　see　more

clearly　through　the　gloom。



〃I　cannot　imagine；　I'm　sure；〃　answered　the　Wizard；　also　peering　about。



〃Woogh！〃　snarled　Eureka；　arching　her　back　until　her　hair　stood

straight　on　end；　〃it's　den　of　alligators；　or　crocodiles；　or　some　other

dreadful　creatures！　　Don't　you　see　their　terrible　eyes？〃



〃Eureka　sees　better　in　the　dark　than　we　can；〃　whispered　Dorothy。

〃Tell　us；　dear；　what　do　the　creatures　look　like？〃　she　asked；

addressing　her　pet。



〃I　simply　can't　describe　'em；〃　answered　the　kitten；　shuddering。

〃Their　eyes　are　like　pie…plates　and　their　mouths　like　coal…scuttles。

But　their　bodies　don't　seem　very　big。〃



〃Where　are　they？〃　enquired　the　girl。



〃They　are　in　little　pockets　all　around　the　edge　of　this　cavern。　　Oh；

Dorothyyou　can't　imagine　what　horrid　things　they　are！　　They're

uglier　than　the　Gargoyles。〃



〃Tut…tut！　be　careful　how　you　criticise　your　neighbors；〃　spoke　a

rasping　voice　near　by。　　〃As　a　matter　of　fact　you　are　rather

ugly…looking　creatures　yourselves；　and　I'm　sure　mother　has　often　told

us　we　were　the　loveliest　and　prettiest　things　in　all　the　world。〃



Hearing　these　words　our　friends　turned　in　the　direction　of　the　sound；

and　the　Wizard　held　his　lanterns　so　that　their　light　would　flood　one

of　the　little　pockets　in　the　rock。



〃Why；　it's　a　dragon！〃　he　exclaimed。



〃No；〃　answered　the　owner　of　the　big　yellow　eyes　which　were　blinking　at

them　so　steadily；　〃you　are　wrong　about　that。　　We　hope　to　grow　to　be

dragons　some　day；　but　just　now　we're　only　dragonettes。〃



〃What's　that？〃　asked　Dorothy；　gazing　fearfully　at　the　great　scaley

head；　the　yawning　mouth　and　the　big　eyes。



〃Young　dragons；　of　course；　but　we　are　not　allowed　to　call　ourselves

real　dragons　until　we　get　our　full　growth；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃The　big

dragons　are　very　proud；　and　don't　think　children　amount　to　much；　but

mother　says　that　some　day　we　will　all　be　very　powerful　and　important。〃



〃Where　is　your　mother？〃　asked　the　Wizard；　anxiously　looking　around。



〃She　has　gone　up　to　the　top　of　the　earth　to　hunt　for　our　dinner。　　If

she　has　good　luck　she　will　bring　us　an　elephant；　or　a　brace　of

rhinoceri；　or　perhaps　a　few　dozen　people　to　stay　our　hunger。〃



〃Oh；　are　you　hungry？〃　enquired　Dorothy；　drawing　back。



〃Very；〃　said　the　dragonette；　snapping　its　jaws。



〃Andanddo　you　eat　people？〃



〃To　be　sure；　when　we　can　get　them。　　But　they've　been　very　scarce　for　a

few　years　and　we　usually　have　to　be　content　with　elephants　or

buffaloes；〃　answered　the　creature；　in　a　regretful　tone。



〃How　old　are　you？〃　enquired　Zeb；　who　stared　at　the　yellow　eyes

as　if　fascinated。



〃Quite　young；　I　grieve　to　say；　and　all　of　my　brothers　and　sisters　that

you　see　here　are　practically　my　own　age。　　If　I　remember　rightly；　we

were　sixty…six　years　old　the　day　before　yesterday。〃



〃But　that　isn't　young！〃　cried　Dorothy；　in　amazement。



〃No？〃　drawled　the　dragonette；　〃it　seems　to　me　very　babyish。〃



〃How　old　is　your　mother？〃　asked　the　girl。



〃Mother's　about　two　thousand　years　old；　but　she　carelessly　lost　track

of　her　age　a　few　centuries　ago　and　skipped　several　hundreds。　　She's　a

little　fussy；　you　know；　and　afraid　of　growing　old；　being　a　widow　and

still　in　her　prime。〃



〃I　should　think　she　would　be；〃　agreed　Dorothy。　　Then；　after　a　moment's

thought；　she　asked：　　〃Are　we　friends　or　enemies？　　I　mean；　will　you　be

good　to　us；　or　do　you　intend　to　eat　us？〃



〃As　for　that；　we　dragonettes　would　love　to　eat　you；　my　child；　but

unfortunately　mother　has　tied　all　our　tails　around　the　rocks　at　the

back　of　our　individual　caves；　so　that　we　can　not　crawl　out　to　get　you。

If　you　choose　to　come　nearer　we　will　make　a　mouthful　of　you　in　a　wink；

but　unless　you　do　you　will　remain　quite　safe。〃



There　was　a　regretful　accent　in　the　creature's　voice；　and　at　the　words

all　the　other　dragonettes　sighed　dismally。



Dorothy　felt　relieved。　　Presently　she　asked：



〃Why　did　your　mother　tie　your　tails？〃



〃Oh；　she　is　sometimes　gone　for　several　weeks　on　her　hunting　trips；　and

if　we　were　not　tied　we　would　crawl　all　over　the　mountain　and　fight

with　each　other　and　get　into　a　lot　of　mischief。　　Mother　usually　knows

what　she　is　about；　but　she　made　a　mistake　this　time；　for　you　are　sure

to　escape　us　unless　you　come　too　near；　and　you　probably　won't　do　that。〃



〃No；　indeed！〃　said　the　little　girl。　　〃We　don't　wish　to　be　eaten　by

such　awful　beasts。〃



〃Permit　me　to　say；〃　returned　the　dragonette；　〃that　you　are　rather

impolite　to　call　us　names；　knowing　that　we　cannot　resent　your　insults。

We　consider　ourselves　very　beautiful　in　appearance；　for　mother　has

told　us　so；　and　she　knows。　　And　we　are　of　an　excellent　family　and　have

a　pedigree　that　I　challenge　any　humans　to　equal；　as　it　extends　back

about　twenty　thousand　years；　to　the　time　of　the　famous　Green　Dragon　of

Atlantis；　who　lived　in　a　time　when　humans　had　not　yet　been　created。

Can　you　match　that　pedigree；　little　girl？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃I　was　born　on　a　farm　in　Kansas；　and　I　guess

that's　being　just　as　'spectable　and　haughty　as　living　in　a　cave　with

your　tail　tied　to　a　rock。　　If　it　isn't　I'll　have　to　stand　it；

that's　all。〃



〃Tastes　differ；〃　murmured　the　dragonette；　slowly　drooping　its　scaley

eyelids　over　its　yellow　eyes；　until　they　looked　like　half…moons。



Being　reassured　by　the　fact　that　the　creatures　could　not　crawl　out　of

their　rock…pockets；　the　children　and　the　Wizard　now　took　time　to

examine　them　more　closely。　　The　heads　of　the　dragonettes　were　as　big

as　barrels　and　covered　with　hard；　greenish　scales　that　glittered

brightly　under　the　light　of　the　lanterns。　　Their　front　legs；　which

grew　just　back　of　their　heads；　were　also　strong　and　big；　but　their

bodies　were　smaller　around　than　their　heads；　and　dwindled　away　in　a

long　line　until　their　tails　were　slim　as　a　shoe…string。　　Dorothy

thought；　if　it　had　taken　them　sixty…six　years　to　grow　to　this　size；

that　it　would　be　fully　a　hundred　years　more　before　they　could　hope　to

call　themselves　dragons；　and　that　seemed　like　a　good　while　to　wait　to

grow　up。



〃It　occurs　to　me；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃that　we　ought　to　get　out　of　this

place　before　the　mother　dragon　comes　back。〃



〃Don't　hurry；〃　called　one　of　the　dragonettes；　〃mother　will　be　glad　to

meet　you；　I'm　sure。〃



〃You　may　be　right；〃　replied　the　Wizard；　〃but　we're　a　little　particular

about　associating　with　strangers。　　Will　you　kindly　tell　us　which　way

your　mother　went　to　get　on　top　the　earth？〃



〃That　is　not　a　fair　question　to　ask　us；〃　declared　another　dragonette。

〃For；　if　we　told　you　truly；　you　might　escape　us　altogether；　and　if　we

told　you　an　untruth　we　would　be　naughty　and　deserve　to　be　punished。〃



〃Then；〃　decided　Dorothy；　〃we　must　find　our　way　out　the　best　we　can。〃



They　circled　all　around　the　cavern；　keeping　a　good　distance　away　from

the　blinking　yellow　eyes　of　the　dragonettes；　and　presently　discovered

that　there　were　two　paths　leading　from　the　wall　opposite　to　the　place

where　they　had　entered。　　They　selected　one　of　these　at　a　venture

and　hurried　along　it　as　fast　as　they　could　go；　for　they　had　no　idea

when　the　mother　dragon　would　be　back　and　were　very　anxious　not　to　make

her　acquaintance。







14。　　Ozma　Uses　the　Magic　Belt





For　a　considerable　distance　the　way　led　straight　upward　in　a　gentle

incline；　and　the　wanderers　made　such　good　progress　that　they　grew

hopeful　and　eager；　thinking　they　might　see　sunshine　at　any　minute。

But　at　length　they　came　unexpectedly　upon　a　huge　rock　that　shut　off

the　passage　and　blocked　them　from　proceeding　a　single　step　farther。



This　rock　was　separate　from　the　rest　of　the　mountain　and　was　in

motion；　turning　slowly　around　and　around　as　if　upon　a　pivot。　　When

first　they　came　to　it　there　was　a　solid　wall