dorothy and the wizard in oz-第23章

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



〃In　that　case　you　are　very　welcome！〃　cried　all　the　servants；　and　it

pleased　the　Wizard　to　note　the　respect　with　which　the　royal　retainers

bowed　before　him。　　His　fame　had　not　been　forgotten　in　the　Land　of　Oz；

by　any　means。



〃Where　is　Dorothy？〃　enquired　Zeb；　anxiously；　as　he　left　the　buggy　and

stood　beside　his　friend　the　little　Wizard。



〃She　is　with　the　Princess　Ozma；　in　the　private　rooms　of　the　palace；〃

replied　Jellia　Jamb。　　〃But　she　has　ordered　me　to　make　you　welcome　and

to　show　you　to　your　apartments。〃



The　boy　looked　around　him　with　wondering　eyes。　　Such　magnificence　and

wealth　as　was　displayed　in　this　palace　was　more　than　he　had　ever

dreamed　of；　and　he　could　scarcely　believe　that　all　the　gorgeous

glitter　was　real　and　not　tinsel。



〃What's　to　become　of　me？〃　asked　the　horse；　uneasily。　　He　had　seen

considerable　of　life　in　the　cities　in　his　younger　days；　and　knew　that

this　regal　palace　was　no　place　for　him。



It　perplexed　even　Jellia　Jamb；　for　a　time；　to　know　what　to　do　with　the

animal。　　The　green　maiden　was　much　astonished　at　the　sight　of　so

unusual　a　creature；　for　horses　were　unknown　in　this　Land；　but　those

who　lived　in　the　Emerald　City　were　apt　to　be　astonished　by　queer

sights；　so　after　inspecting　the　cab…horse　and　noting　the　mild　look　in

his　big　eyes　the　girl　decided　not　to　be　afraid　of　him。



〃There　are　no　stables　here；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃unless　some　have　been

built　since　I　went　away。〃



〃We　have　never　needed　them　before；〃　answered　Jellia；　〃for　the　Sawhorse

lives　in　a　room　of　the　palace；　being　much　smaller　and　more　natural　in

appearance　than　this　great　beast　you　have　brought　with　you。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　I'm　a　freak？〃　asked　Jim；　angrily。



〃Oh；　no；〃　she　hastened　to　say；　〃there　may　be　many　more　like　you　in　the

place　you　came　from；　but　in　Oz　any　horse　but　a　Sawhorse　is　unusual。〃



This　mollified　Jim　a　little；　and　after　some　thought　the　green　maiden

decided　to　give　the　cab…horse　a　room　in　the　palace；　such　a　big

building　having　many　rooms　that　were　seldom　in　use。



So　Zeb　unharnessed　Jim；　and　several　of　the　servants　then　led　the　horse

around　to　the　rear；　where　they　selected　a　nice　large　apartment　that　he

could　have　all　to　himself。



Then　Jellia　said　to　the　Wizard：



〃Your　own　roomwhich　was　back　of　the　great　Throne　Roomhas　been

vacant　ever　since　you　left　us。　　Would　you　like　it　again？〃



〃Yes；　indeed！〃　returned　the　little　man。　　〃It　will　seem　like　being　at

home　again；　for　I　lived　in　that　room　for　many；　many　years。〃



He　knew　the　way　to　it；　and　a　servant　followed　him；　carrying　his

satchel。　　Zeb　was　also　escorted　to　a　roomso　grand　and　beautiful　that

he　almost　feared　to　sit　in　the　chairs　or　lie　upon　the　bed；　lest　he

might　dim　their　splendor。　　In　the　closets　he　discovered　many　fancy

costumes　of　rich　velvets　and　brocades；　and　one　of　the　attendants　told

him　to　dress　himself　in　any　of　the　clothes　that　pleased　him　and　to　be

prepared　to　dine　with　the　Princess　and　Dorothy　in　an　hour's　time。



Opening　from　the　chamber　was　a　fine　bathroom　having　a　marble　tub　with

perfumed　water；　so　the　boy；　still　dazed　by　the　novelty　of　his

surroundings；　indulged　in　a　good　bath　and　then　selected　a　maroon

velvet　costume　with　silver　buttons　to　replace　his　own　soiled　and　much

worn　clothing。　　There　were　silk　stockings　and　soft　leather　slippers

with　diamond　buckles　to　accompany　his　new　costume；　and　when　he　was

fully　dressed　Zeb　looked　much　more　dignified　and　imposing　than　ever

before　in　his　life。



He　was　all　ready　when　an　attendant　came　to　escort　him　to　the　presence

of　the　Princess；　he　followed　bashfully　and　was　ushered　into　a　room

more　dainty　and　attractive　than　it　was　splendid。　　Here　he　found

Dorothy　seated　beside　a　young　girl　so　marvelously　beautiful　that　the

boy　stopped　suddenly　with　a　gasp　of　admiration。



But　Dorothy　sprang　up　and　ran　to　seize　her　friend's　hand　drawing　him

impulsively　toward　the　lovely　Princess；　who　smiled　most　graciously

upon　her　guest。　　Then　the　Wizard　entered；　and　his　presence　relieved

the　boy's　embarrassment。　　The　little　man　was　clothed　in　black　velvet；

with　many　sparkling　emerald　ornaments　decorating　his　breast；

but　his　bald　head　and　wrinkled　features　made　him　appear　more

amusing　than　impressive。



Ozma　had　been　quite　curious　to　meet　the　famous　man　who　had　built　the

Emerald　City　and　united　the　Munchkins；　Gillikins；　Quadlings　and

Winkies　into　one　people；　so　when　they　were　all　four　seated　at　the

dinner　table　the　Princess　said：



〃Please　tell　me；　Mr。　Wizard；　whether　you　called　yourself　Oz　after　this

great　country；　or　whether　you　believe　my　country　is　called　Oz　after

you。　　It　is　a　matter　that　I　have　long　wished　to　enquire　about；　because

you　are　of　a　strange　race　and　my　own　name　is　Ozma。　　No；　one；　I　am

sure；　is　better　able　to　explain　this　mystery　than　you。〃



〃That　is　true；〃　answered　the　little　Wizard；　〃therefore　it　will　give　me

pleasure　to　explain　my　connection　with　your　country。　　In　the　first

place；　I　must　tell　you　that　I　was　born　in　Omaha；　and　my　father；　who

was　a　politician；　named　me　Oscar　Zoroaster　Phadrig　Isaac　Norman　Henkle

Emmannuel　Ambroise　Diggs；　Diggs　being　the　last　name　because　he　could

think　of　no　more　to　go　before　it。　　Taken　altogether；　it　was　a

dreadfully　long　name　to　weigh　down　a　poor　innocent　child；　and　one　of

the　hardest　lessons　I　ever　learned　was　to　remember　my　own　name。　　When

I　grew　up　I　just　called　myself　O。　Z。；　because　the　other　initials　were

P…I…N…H…E…A…D；　and　that　spelled　'pinhead；'　which　was　a　reflection　on

my　intelligence。〃



〃Surely　no　one　could　blame　you　for　cutting　your　name　short；〃　said

Ozma；　sympathetically。　　〃But　didn't　you　cut　it　almost　too　short？〃



〃Perhaps　so；〃　replied　the　Wizard。　　〃When　a　young　man　I　ran　away　from

home　and　joined　a　circus。　　I　used　to　call　myself　a　Wizard；　and　do

tricks　of　ventriloquism。〃



〃What　does　that　mean？〃　asked　the　Princess。



〃Throwing　my　voice　into　any　object　I　pleased；　to　make　it　appear　that

the　object　was　speaking　instead　of　me。　　Also　I　began　to　make　balloon

ascensions。　　On　my　balloon　and　on　all　the　other　articles　I　used　in　the

circus　I　painted　the　two　initials：　'O。　Z。'；　to　show　that　those　things

belonged　to　me。



〃One　day　my　balloon　ran　away　with　me　and　brought　me　across　the　deserts

to　this　beautiful　country。　　When　the　people　saw　me　come　from　the　sky

they　naturally　thought　me　some　superior　creature；　and　bowed　down

before　me。　　I　told　them　I　was　a　Wizard；　and　showed　them　some　easy

tricks　that　amazed　them；　and　when　they　saw　the　initials　painted　on　the

balloon　they　called　me　Oz。〃



〃Now　I　begin　to　understand；〃　said　the　Princess；　smiling。



〃At　that　time；〃　continued　the　Wizard；　busily　eating　his　soup　while

talking；　〃there　were　four　separate　countries　in　this　Land；　each　one　of

the　four　being　ruled　by　a　Witch。　　But　the　people　thought　my　power　was

greater　than　that　of　the　Witches；　and　perhaps　the　Witches　thought　so

too；　for　they　never　dared　oppose　me。　　I　ordered　the　Emerald　City　to　be

built　just　where　the　four　countries　cornered　together；　and　when　it　was

completed　I　announced　myself　the　Ruler　of　the　Land　of　Oz；　which

included　all　the　four　countries　of　the　Munchkins；　the　Gillikins；　the

Winkies　and　the　Quadlings。　　Over　this　Land　I　ruled　in　peace　for　many

years；　until　I　grew　old　and　longed　to　see　my　native　city　once　again。

So　when　Dorothy　was　first　blown　to　this　place　by　a　cyclone　I　arranged

to　go　away　with　her　in　a　balloon；　but　the　balloon　escaped　too　soon　and

carried　me　back　alone。　　After　many　adventures　I　reached　Omaha；　only　to

find　that　all　my　old　friends　were　dead　or　had　moved　away。　　So；　having

nothing　else　to　do；　I　joined　a　circus　again；　and　made　my　balloon

ascensions　until　the　earthquake　caught　me。〃



〃That　is　quite　a　history；〃　said　Ozma；　〃but　there　is　a　little　more

history　about　the　Land　of　Oz　that　you　do　not　seem　to

understandperhaps　for　the　reason　that　no　one　ever　told　it　you。　　Many