dorothy and the wizard in oz-第6章

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little　man；　〃I　will　make　you　the　Chief　Wizard　of　this　domain。

Otherwise〃



〃What　will　happen　otherwise？〃　asked　the　Wizard。



〃I　will　stop　you　from　living　and　forbid　you　to　be　planted；〃　returned

the　Prince。



〃That　does　not　sound　especially　pleasant；〃　said　the　little　man；　looking

at　the　one　with　the　star　uneasily。　　〃But　never　mind。　　I'll　beat　Old

Prickly；　all　right。〃



〃My　name　is　Gwig；〃　said　the　Sorcerer；　turning　his　heartless；　cruel　eyes

upon　his　rival。　　〃Let　me　see　you　equal　the　sorcery　I　am　about　to　perform。〃



He　waved　a　thorny　hand　and　at　once　the　tinkling　of　bells　was　heard；

playing　sweet　music。　　Yet；　look　where　she　would；　Dorothy　could

discover　no　bells　at　all　in　the　great　glass　hall。



The　Mangaboo　people　listened；　but　showed　no　great　interest。　　It　was

one　of　the　things　Gwig　usually　did　to　prove　he　was　a　sorcerer。



Now　was　the　Wizard's　turn；　so　he　smiled　upon　the　assemblage　and　asked：



〃Will　somebody　kindly　loan　me　a　hat？〃



No　one　did；　because　the　Mangaboos　did　not　wear　hats；　and　Zeb　had　lost

his；　somehow；　in　his　flight　through　the　air。



〃Ahem！〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃will　somebody　please　loan　me　a　handkerchief？〃



But　they　had　no　handkerchiefs；　either。



〃Very　good；〃　remarked　the　Wizard。　　〃I'll　use　my　own　hat；　if　you

please。　　Now；　good　people；　observe　me　carefully。　　You　see；　there　is

nothing　up　my　sleeve　and　nothing　concealed　about　my　person。　　Also；　my

hat　is　quite　empty。〃　　He　took　off　his　hat　and　held　it　upside　down；

shaking　it　briskly。



〃Let　me　see　it；〃　said　the　Sorcerer。



He　took　the　hat　and　examined　it　carefully；　returning　it　afterward　to

the　Wizard。



〃Now；〃　said　the　little　man；　〃I　will　create　something　out　of　nothing。〃



He　placed　the　hat　upon　the　glass　floor；　made　a　pass　with　his　hand；　and

then　removed　the　hat；　displaying　a　little　white　piglet　no　bigger　than

a　mouse；　which　began　to　run　around　here　and　there　and　to　grunt　and

squeal　in　a　tiny；　shrill　voice。



The　people　watched　it　intently；　for　they　had　never　seen　a　pig　before；

big　or　little。　　The　Wizard　reached　out；　caught　the　wee　creature　in　his

hand；　and　holding　its　head　between　one　thumb　and　finger　and　its　tail

between　the　other　thumb　and　finger　he　pulled　it　apart；　each　of　the　two

parts　becoming　a　whole　and　separate　piglet　in　an　instant。



He　placed　one　upon　the　floor；　so　that　it　could　run　around；　and　pulled

apart　the　other；　making　three　piglets　in　all；　and　then　one　of　these

was　pulled　apart；　making　four　piglets。　　The　Wizard　continued　this

surprising　performance　until　nine　tiny　piglets　were　running　about　at

his　feet；　all　squealing　and　grunting　in　a　very　comical　way。



〃Now；〃　said　the　Wizard　of　Oz；　〃having　created　something　from　nothing；

I　will　make　something　nothing　again。〃



With　this　he　caught　up　two　of　the　piglets　and　pushed　them　together；

so　that　the　two　were　one。　　Then　he　caught　up　another　piglet　and

pushed　it　into　the　first；　where　it　disappeared。　　And　so；　one　by　one；

the　nine　tiny　piglets　were　pushed　together　until　but　a　single　one　of

the　creatures　remained。　　This　the　Wizard　placed　underneath　his　hat　and

made　a　mystic　sign　above　it。　　When　he　removed　his　hat　the　last　piglet

had　disappeared　entirely。



The　little　man　gave　a　bow　to　the　silent　throng　that　had　watched　him；

and　then　the　Prince　said；　in　his　cold；　calm　voice：



〃You　are　indeed　a　wonderful　Wizard；　and　your　powers　are　greater　than

those　of　my　Sorcerer。〃



〃He　will　not　be　a　wonderful　Wizard　long；〃　remarked　Gwig。



〃Why　not？〃　enquired　the　Wizard。



〃Because　I　am　going　to　stop　your　breath；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃I　perceive

that　you　are　curiously　constructed；　and　that　if　you　cannot　breathe　you

cannot　keep　alive。〃



The　little　man　looked　troubled。



〃How　long　will　it　take　you　to　stop　my　breath？〃　he　asked。



〃About　five　minutes。　　I'm　going　to　begin　now。　　Watch　me　carefully。〃



He　began　making　queer　signs　and　passes　toward　the　Wizard；　but　the

little　man　did　not　watch　him　long。　　Instead；　he　drew　a　leathern　case

from　his　pocket　and　took　from　it　several　sharp　knives；　which　he　joined

together；　one　after　another；　until　they　made　a　long　sword。　　By　the

time　he　had　attached　a　handle　to　this　sword　he　was　having　much　trouble

to　breathe；　as　the　charm　of　the　Sorcerer　was　beginning　to　take　effect。



So　the　Wizard　lost　no　more　time；　but　leaping　forward　he　raised　the

sharp　sword；　whirled　it　once　or　twice　around　his　head；　and　then　gave　a

mighty　stroke　that　cut　the　body　of　the　Sorcerer　exactly　in　two。



Dorothy　screamed　and　expected　to　see　a　terrible　sight；　but　as　the　two

halves　of　the　Sorcerer　fell　apart　on　the　floor　she　saw　that　he　had　no

bones　or　blood　inside　of　him　at　all；　and　that　the　place　where　he　was

cut　looked　much　like　a　sliced　turnip　or　potato。



〃Why；　he's　vegetable！〃　cried　the　Wizard；　astonished。



〃Of　course；〃　said　the　Prince。　　〃We　are　all　vegetable；　in　this　country。

Are　you　not　vegetable；　also？〃



〃No；〃　answered　the　Wizard。　　〃People　on　top　of　the　earth　are　all　meat。

Will　your　Sorcerer　die？〃



〃Certainly；　sir。　　He　is　really　dead　now；　and　will　wither　very　quickly。

So　we　must　plant　him　at　once；　that　other　Sorcerers　may　grow　upon　his

bush；〃　continued　the　Prince。



〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　asked　the　little　Wizard；　greatly　puzzled。



〃If　you　will　accompany　me　to　our　public　gardens；〃　replied　the　Prince；

〃I　will　explain　to　you　much　better　than　I　can　here　the　mysteries　of

our　Vegetable　Kingdom。〃







4。　　The　Vegetable　Kingdom





After　the　Wizard　had　wiped　the　dampness　from　his　sword　and　taken　it

apart　and　put　the　pieces　into　their　leathern　case　again；　the　man　with

the　star　ordered　some　of　his　people　to　carry　the　two　halves　of　the

Sorcerer　to　the　public　gardens。



Jim　pricked　up　his　ears　when　he　heard　they　were　going　to　the　gardens；

and　wanted　to　join　the　party；　thinking　he　might　find　something　proper

to　eat；　so　Zeb　put　down　the　top　of　the　buggy　and　invited　the　Wizard　to

ride　with　them。　　The　seat　was　amply　wide　enough　for　the　little　man　and

the　two　children；　and　when　Jim　started　to　leave　the　hall　the　kitten

jumped　upon　his　back　and　sat　there　quite　contentedly。



So　the　procession　moved　through　the　streets；　the　bearers　of　the

Sorcerer　first；　the　Prince　next；　then　Jim　drawing　the　buggy　with　the

strangers　inside　of　it；　and　last　the　crowd　of　vegetable　people　who　had

no　hearts　and　could　neither　smile　nor　frown。



The　glass　city　had　several　fine　streets；　for　a　good　many　people　lived

there；　but　when　the　procession　had　passed　through　these　it　came　upon　a

broad　plain　covered　with　gardens　and　watered　by　many　pretty　brooks

that　flowed　through　it。　　There　were　paths　through　these　gardens；　and

over　some　of　the　brooks　were　ornamental　glass　bridges。



Dorothy　and　Zeb　now　got　out　of　the　buggy　and　walked　beside　the　Prince；

so　that　they　might　see　and　examine　the　flowers　and　plants　better。



〃Who　built　these　lovely　bridges？〃　asked　the　little　girl。



〃No　one　built　them；〃　answered　the　man　with　the　star。　　〃They　grow。〃



〃That's　queer；〃　said　she。　　〃Did　the　glass　houses　in　your　city　grow；　too？〃



〃Of　course；〃　he　replied。　　〃But　it　took　a　good　many　years　for　them　to

grow　as　large　and　fine　as　they　are　now。　　That　is　why　we　are　so　angry

when　a　Rain　of　Stones　comes　to　break　our　towers　and　crack　our　roofs。〃



〃Can't　you　mend　them？〃　she　enquired。



〃No；　but　they　will　grow　together　again；　in　time；　and　we　must　wait

until　they　do。〃



They　first　passed　through　many　beautiful　gardens　of　flowers；　which

grew　nearest　the　city；　but　Dorothy　could　hardly　tell　what　kind　of

flowers　they　were；　because　the　colors　were　constantly　changing　under

the　shifting　lights　of　the　six　suns。　　A　flower　would　be　pink　one

second；　white　the　next；　then　blue　or　yellow；　and　it　was　the　same　way

when　they　came　to　the　plants；　which　had　broad　leaves　and　grew　close　to

the　ground。



When　they　passed　over　a　field　of　grass　Jim　immediately　stretched　down

his　head　and　began　to　nibble。



〃A　nice　country　th