dorothy and the wizard in oz-第22章

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〃Of　course；　in　just　a　jiffy。　　And　Ozma　has　an　enchanted　picture

hanging　in　her　room　that　shows　her　the　exact　scene　where　any　of　her

friends　may　be；　at　any　time　she　chooses。　　All　she　has　to　do　is　to

say：　'I　wonder　what　So…and…so　is　doing；'　and　at　once　the　picture　shows

where　her　friend　is　and　what　the　friend　is　doing。　　That's　REAL　magic；

Mr。　Wizard；　isn't　it？　　Well；　every　day　at　four　o'clock　Ozma　has

promised　to　look　at　me　in　that　picture；　and　if　I　am　in　need　of　help　I

am　to　make　her　a　certain　sign　and　she　will　put　on　the　Nome　King's

Magic　Belt　and　wish　me　to　be　with　her　in　Oz。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　Princess　Ozma　will　see　this　cave　in　her　enchanted

picture；　and　see　all　of　us　here；　and　what　we　are　doing？〃　demanded　Zeb。



〃Of　course；　when　it　is　four　o'clock；〃　she　replied；　with　a　laugh　at　his

startled　expression。



〃And　when　you　make　a　sign　she　will　bring　you　to　her　in　the　Land　of

Oz？〃　continued　the　boy。



〃That's　it；　exactly；　by　means　of　the　Magic　Belt。〃



〃Then；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃you　will　be　saved；　little　Dorothy；　and　I　am

very　glad　of　it。　　The　rest　of　us　will　die　much　more　cheerfully　when　we

know　you　have　escaped　our　sad　fate。〃



〃I　won't　die　cheerfully！〃　protested　the　kitten。　　〃There's　nothing

cheerful　about　dying　that　I　could　ever　see；　although　they　say　a　cat

has　nine　lives；　and　so　must　die　nine　times。〃



〃Have　you　ever　died　yet？〃　enquired　the　boy。



〃No；　and　I'm　not　anxious　to　begin；〃　said　Eureka。



〃Don't　worry；　dear；〃　Dorothy　exclaimed；　〃I'll　hold　you　in　my　arms；　and

take　you　with　me。〃



〃Take　us；　too！〃　cried　the　nine　tiny　piglets；　all　in　one　breath。



〃Perhaps　I　can；〃　answered　Dorothy。　　〃I'll　try。〃



〃Couldn't　you　manage　to　hold　me　in　your　arms？〃　asked　the　cab…horse。



Dorothy　laughed。



〃I'll　do　better　than　that；〃　she　promised；　〃for　I　can　easily　save　you

all；　once　I　am　myself　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃



〃How？〃　they　asked。



〃By　using　the　Magic　Belt。　　All　I　need　do　is　to　wish　you　with　me；　and

there　you'll　besafe　in　the　royal　palace！〃



〃Good！〃　cried　Zeb。



〃I　built　that　palace；　and　the　Emerald　City；　too；〃　remarked　the　Wizard；

in　a　thoughtful　tone；　〃and　I'd　like　to　see　them　again；　for　I　was　very

happy　among　the　Munchkins　and　Winkies　and　Quadlings　and　Gillikins。〃



〃Who　are　they？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃The　four　nations　that　inhabit　the　Land　of　Oz；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃I

wonder　if　they　would　treat　me　nicely　if　I　went　there　again。〃



〃Of　course　they　would！〃　declared　Dorothy。　　〃They　are　still　proud　of

their　former　Wizard；　and　often　speak　of　you　kindly。〃



〃Do　you　happen　to　know　whatever　became　of　the　Tin　Woodman　and　the

Scarecrow？〃　he　enquired。



〃They　live　in　Oz　yet；〃　said　the　girl；　〃and　are　very　important　people。〃



〃And　the　Cowardly　Lion？〃



〃Oh；　he　lives　there　too；　with　his　friend　the　Hungry　Tiger；　and　Billina

is　there；　because　she　liked　the　place　better　than　Kansas；　and　wouldn't

go　with　me　to　Australia。〃



〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　know　the　Hungry　Tiger　and　Billina；〃　said　the

Wizard；　shaking　his　head。　　〃Is　Billina　a　girl？〃



〃No；　she's　a　yellow　hen；　and　a　great　friend　of　mine。　　You're　sure　to

like　Billina；　when　you　know　her；〃　asserted　Dorothy。



〃Your　friends　sound　like　a　menagerie；〃　remarked　Zeb；　uneasily。

〃Couldn't　you　wish　me　in　some　safer　place　than　Oz。〃



〃Don't　worry；〃　replied　the　girl。　　〃You'll　just　love　the　folks　in　Oz；

when　you　get　acquainted。　　What　time　is　it；　Mr。　Wizard？〃



The　little　man　looked　at　his　watcha　big　silver　one　that　he　carried

in　his　vest　pocket。



〃Half…past　three；〃　he　said。



〃Then　we　must　wait　for　half　an　hour；〃　she　continued；　〃but　it　won't

take　long；　after　that；　to　carry　us　all　to　the　Emerald　City。〃



They　sat　silently　thinking　for　a　time。　　Then　Jim　suddenly　asked：



〃Are　there　any　horses　in　Oz？〃



〃Only　one；〃　replied　Dorothy；　〃and　he's　a　sawhorse。〃



〃A　what？〃



〃A　sawhorse。　　Princess　Ozma　once　brought　him　to　life　with　a

witch…powder；　when　she　was　a　boy。〃



〃Was　Ozma　once　a　boy？〃　asked　Zeb；　wonderingly。



〃Yes；　a　wicked　witch　enchanted　her；　so　she　could　not　rule　her　kingdom。

But　she's　a　girl　now；　and　the　sweetest；　loveliest　girl　in　all　the　world。〃



〃A　sawhorse　is　a　thing　they　saw　boards　on；〃　remarked　Jim；　with　a　sniff。



〃It　is　when　it's　not　alive；〃　acknowledged　the　girl。　　〃But　this

sawhorse　can　trot　as　fast　as　you　can；　Jim；　and　he's　very　wise；　too。〃



〃Pah！　　I'll　race　the　miserable　wooden　donkey　any　day　in　the　week！〃

cried　the　cab…horse。



Dorothy　did　not　reply　to　that。　　She　felt　that　Jim　would　know　more

about　the　Saw…Horse　later　on。



The　time　dragged　wearily　enough　to　the　eager　watchers；　but　finally　the

Wizard　announced　that　four　o'clock　had　arrived；　and　Dorothy　caught　up

the　kitten　and　began　to　make　the　signal　that　had　been　agreed　upon　to

the　far…away　invisible　Ozma。



〃Nothing　seems　to　happen；〃　said　Zeb；　doubtfully。



〃Oh；　we　must　give　Ozma　time　to　put　on　the　Magic　Belt；〃　replied　the　girl。



She　had　scarcely　spoken　the　words　then　she　suddenly　disappeared　from

the　cave；　and　with　her　went　the　kitten。　　There　had　been　no　sound　of

any　kind　and　no　warning。　　One　moment　Dorothy　sat　beside　them　with　the

kitten　in　her　lap；　and　a　moment　later　the　horse；　the　piglets；　the

Wizard　and　the　boy　were　all　that　remained　in　the　underground　prison。



〃I　believe　we　will　soon　follow　her；〃　announced　the　Wizard；　in　a　tone

of　great　relief；　〃for　I　know　something　about　the　magic　of　the

fairyland　that　is　called　the　Land　of　Oz。　　Let　us　be　ready；　for　we　may

be　sent　for　any　minute。〃



He　put　the　piglets　safely　away　in　his　pocket　again　and　then　he　and　Zeb

got　into　the　buggy　and　sat　expectantly　upon　the　seat。



〃Will　it　hurt？〃　asked　the　boy；　in　a　voice　that　trembled　a　little。



〃Not　at　all；〃　replied　the　Wizard。　　〃It　will　all　happen　as　quick　as　a　wink。〃



And　that　was　the　way　it　did　happen。



The　cab…horse　gave　a　nervous　start　and　Zeb　began　to　rub　his　eyes　to

make　sure　he　was　not　asleep。　　For　they　were　in　the　streets　of　a

beautiful　emerald…green　city；　bathed　in　a　grateful　green　light　that

was　especially　pleasing　to　their　eyes；　and　surrounded　by　merry　faced

people　in　gorgeous　green…and…gold　costumes　of　many　extraordinary　designs。



Before　them　were　the　jewel…studded　gates　of　a　magnificent　palace；　and

now　the　gates　opened　slowly　as　if　inviting　them　to　enter　the

courtyard；　where　splendid　flowers　were　blooming　and　pretty　fountains

shot　their　silvery　sprays　into　the　air。



Zeb　shook　the　reins　to　rouse　the　cab…horse　from　his　stupor　of

amazement；　for　the　people　were　beginning　to　gather　around　and　stare　at

the　strangers。



〃Gid…dap！〃　cried　the　boy；　and　at　the　word　Jim　slowly　trotted　into　the

courtyard　and　drew　the　buggy　along　the　jewelled　driveway　to　the　great

entrance　of　the　royal　palace。







15。　　Old　Friends　are　Reunited





Many　servants　dressed　in　handsome　uniforms　stood　ready　to　welcome　the

new　arrivals；　and　when　the　Wizard　got　out　of　the　buggy　a　pretty　girl

in　a　green　gown　cried　out　in　surprise：



〃Why；　it's　Oz；　the　Wonderful　Wizard；　come　back　again！〃



The　little　man　looked　at　her　closely　and　then　took　both　the　maiden's

hands　in　his　and　shook　them　cordially。



〃On　my　word；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃it's　little　Jellia　Jambas　pert　and

pretty　as　ever！〃



〃Why　not；　Mr。　Wizard？〃　asked　Jellia；　bowing　low。　　〃But　I'm　afraid　you

cannot　rule　the　Emerald　City；　as　you　used　to；　because　we　now　have　a

beautiful　Princess　whom　everyone　loves　dearly。〃



〃And　the　people　will　not　willingly　part　with　her；〃　added　a　tall

soldier　in　a　Captain…General's　uniform。



The　Wizard　turned　to　look　at　him。



〃Did　you　not　wear　green　whiskers　at　one　time？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　soldier；　〃but　I　shaved　them　off　long　ago；

and　since　then　I　have　risen　from　a　private　to　be　the　Chief　General

of　the　Royal　Armies。〃



〃That's　nice；〃　said　the　little　man。　　〃But　I　assure　you；　my　good　people；

that　I　do　not　wish　to　rule　the　Emerald　City；〃　he　added；　earnestly。