the lost princess of oz-第11节

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and　collected　and　the　Lion　said　with　a　sigh　of　relief：







〃Who　would　have　thought　those　Merry…Go…Round



Mountains　were　made　of　rubber？〃







〃Are　they　really　rubber？〃　asked　Trot。







〃They　must　be；〃　replied　the　Lion；　〃for　otherwise　we



would　not　have　bounded　so　swiftly　from　one　to　another



without　getting　hurt。〃







〃That　is　all　guesswork；〃　declared　the　Wizard；



unwinding　the　blankets　from　his　body；　〃for　none　of　us



stayed　long　enough　on　the　mountains　to　discover　what



they　are　made　of。　But　where　are　we？〃







〃That's　guesswork；　too；〃　said　Scraps。　〃The　shepherd



said　the　Thistle…Eaters　live　this　side　of　the　mountains



and　are　waited　on　by　giants。〃







〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃it's　the　Herkus　who



have　giant　slaves；　and　the　Thistle…Eaters　hitch



dragons　to　their　chariots。〃







〃How　could　they　do　that？〃　asked　the　Woozy。　〃Dragons



have　long　tails；　which　would　get　in　the　way　of　the



chariot　wheels'。〃







〃And；　if　the　Herkus　have　conquered　the　giants；〃　said



Trot；　〃they　must　be　at　least　twice　the　size　of　giants。



P'raps　the　Herkus　are　the　biggest　people　in　all　the



world！〃







〃Perhaps　they　are；〃　assented　the　Wizard；　in　a



thoughtful　tone　of　voice。　〃And　perhaps　the　shepherd



didn't　know　what　he　was　talking　about。　Let　us　travel　on



toward　the　west　and　discover　for　ourselves　what　the



people　of　this　country　are　like。〃







It；　seemed　a　pleasant　enough　country；　and　it　was



quite　still　and　peaceful　when　they　turned　their　eyes



away　from　the　silently　whirling　mountains。　There　were



trees　here　and　there　and　green　bushes；　while　throughout



the　thick　grass　were　scattered　brilliantly　colored



flowers。　About　a　mile　away　was　a　low　hill　that　hid　from



them　all　the　country　beyond　it；　so　they　realized　they



could　not　tell　much　about　the　country　until　they　had



crossed　the　hill。







The　Red　Wagon　having　been　left　behind；　it　was　now



necessary　to　make　other　arrangements　for　traveling。　The



Lion　told　Dorothy　she　could　ride　upon　his　back；　as　she



had　often　done　before；　and　the　Woozy　said　he　could



easily　carry　both　Trot　and　the　Patchwork　Girl。　Betsy



still　had　her　mule；　Hank；　and　Button…Bright　and　the



Wizard　could　sit　together　upon　the　long；　thin　back　of



the　Sawhorse；　but　they　took　care　to　soften　their　seat



with　a　pad　of　blankets　before　they　started。　Thus



mounted；　the　adventurers　started　for　the　hill；　which



was　reached　after　a　brief　journey。







As　they　mounted　the　crest　and　gazed　beyond　the　hill



they　discovered　not　far　away　a　walled　city；　from　the



towers　and　spires　of　which　gay　banners　were　flying。　It



was　not　a　very　big　city；　indeed；　but　its　walls　were



very　high　and　thick　and　it　appeared　that　the　people　who



lived　there　must　have　feared　attack　by　a　powerful



enemy；　else　they　would　not　have　surrounded　their



dwellings　with　so　strong　a　barrier。







There　was　no　path　leading　from　the　mountains　to　the



city；　and　this　proved　that　the　people　seldom　or　never



visited　the　whirling　hills；　but　our　friends　found　the



grass　soft　and　agreeable　to　travel　over　and　with　the



city　before　them　they　could　not　well　lose　their　way。



When　they　drew　nearer　to　the　walls；　the　breeze　carried



to　their　ears　the　sound　of　music　　dim　at　first　but



growing　louder　as　they　advanced。







〃That　doesn't　seem　like　a　very　terr'ble　place；〃



remarked　Dorothy。







〃Well；　it　looks　all　right；〃　replied　Trot；　from　her



seat　on　the　Woozy；　〃but　looks　can't　always　be　trusted。〃







〃My　looks　can；〃　said　Scraps。　〃I　look　patchwork；　and　I



am　patchwork；　and　no　one　but　a　blind　owl　could　ever



doubt　that　I'm　the　Patchwork　Girl。〃　Saying　which　she



turned　a　somersault　off　the　Woozy　and；　alighting　on



her　feet；　began　wildly　dancing　about。







〃Are　owls　ever　blind？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Always；　in　the　daytime；〃　said　Button…Bright。　〃But



Scraps　can　see　with　her　button　eyes　both　day　and　night。



Isn't　it　queer？〃







〃It's　queer　that　buttons　can　see　at　all；〃　answered



Trot；　〃but　　good　gracious！　what's　become　of　the



city？〃







〃I　was　going　to　ask　that　myself；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃It's



gone！〃







The　animals　came　to　a　sudden　halt；　for　the　city　had



really　disappeared　　walls　and　all　　and　before　them



lay　the　clear；　unbroken　sweep　of　the　country。







〃Dear　me！〃　exclaimed　the　Wizard。　〃This　is　rather



disagreeable。　It　is　annoying　to　travel　almost　to　a



place　and　then　find　it　is　not　there。〃







〃Where　can　it　be；　then？〃　asked　Dorothy。　〃It　cert'nly



was　there　a　minute　ago。〃







〃I　can　hear　the　music　yet；〃　declared　Button…Bright；



and　when　they　all　listened　the　strains　of　music　could



plainly　be　heard。







〃Oh！　there's　the　city　　over　at　the　left；〃　called



Scraps；　and　turning　their　eyes　they　saw　the　walls　and



towers　and　fluttering　banners　far　to　the　left　of　them。







〃We　must　have　lost　our　way；〃　suggested　Dorothy。







〃Nonsense；〃　said　the　Lion。　〃I；　and　all　the　other



animals；　have　been　tramping　straight　toward　the　city



ever　since　we　first　saw　it。〃







〃Then　how　does　it　happen　〃







〃Never　mind；〃　interrupted　the　Wizard；　〃we　are　no



farther　from　it　than　we　were　before。　It　is　in　a



different　direction；　that's　all；　so　let　us　hurry　and



get　there　before　it　again　escapes　us。







So　on　they　went；　directly　toward　the　city；　which



seemed　only　a　couple　of　miles　distant；　but　when　they



had　traveled　less　than　a　mile　it　suddenly　disappeared



again。　Once　more　they　paused；　somewhat　discouraged；　but



in　a　moment　the　button　eyes　of　Scraps　again　discovered



the　city；　only　this　time　it　was　just　behind　them；　in



the　direction　from　which　they　had　come。







〃Goodness　gracious！〃　cried　Dorothy。　〃There's　surely



something　wrong　with　that　city。　Do　you　s'pose　it's　on



wheels；　Wizard？〃







〃It　may　not　be　a　city　at　all；〃　he　replied；　looking



toward　it　with　a　speculative　gaze。







〃What　could　it　be；　then？〃







〃Just　an　illusion。〃







〃What's　that？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Something　you　think　you　see　and　don't　see。〃







〃I　can't　believe　that；〃　said　Button…Bright。　〃If　we



only　saw　it；　we　might　be　mistaken；　but　if　we　can　see　it



and　hear　it；　too；　it　must　be　there。〃







〃Where？〃　asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Somewhere　near　us；〃　he　insisted。







〃We　will　have　to　go　back；　I　suppose；〃　said　the　Woozy；



with　a　sigh。







So　back　they　turned　and　headed　for　the　walled　city



until　it　disappeared　again；　Only　to　reappear　at　the



right　of　them。　They　were　constantly　getting　nearer　to



it；　however；　so　they　kept　their　faces　turned　toward　it



as　it　flitted　here　and　there　to　all　points　of　the



compass。　Presently　the　Lion；　who　was　leading　the



procession；　halted　abruptly　and　cried　out：　〃Ouch！〃







〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃Ouch　　Ouch！~　repeated　the　Lion；　and　leaped



backward　so　suddenly　that　Dorothy　nearly　tumbled　from



his　back。　At　the　same　time　Hank　the　Mule　yelled　〃Ouch！〃



almost　as　loudly　as　the　Lion　had　done；　and　he　also



pranced　backward　a　few　paces。







〃It's　the　thistles；〃　said　Betsy。　〃They　prick　their



legs。〃







Hearing　this；　all　looked　down；　and　sure　enough　the



ground　was　thick　with　thistles；　which　covered　the　plain



from　the　point　where　they　stood　way　up　to　the　walls　of



the　mysterious　city。　No　pathways　through　them　could　be



seen　at　all；　here　the　soft　grass　ended　and　the　growth



of　thistles　began。







〃They're　the　prickliest　thistles　I　ever　felt；〃



grumbled　the　Lion。　〃My　legs　smart　yet　from　their



stings；　though　I　jumped　out　of　them　as　quick　as　I



could。〃







〃Here　is　a　new　difficulty；〃　remarked　the　Wizard　in　a



grieved　tone。　〃The　city　has　stopped　hopping　around；　it



is　true；　but　how　are　we　to　get　to　it；　over　this　mass　of



prickers？〃







〃They　can't　hurt　me；〃　said　the　thick…skinned　Woozy；



advancing　fearlessly　and　trampling　among　the　thistles。







〃Nor　me；〃　said　the　Wooden　Sawhorse。







〃But　the　Lion　and　the　Mule　cannot　stand　the



prickers；〃　asserted　Dorothy；　〃and　we　can't　leave　them



behind。〃







〃Must　we　all　go　back？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Course　not！〃　replied　Button…Bright　scornfully。



〃Always；　when　there's　trouble；　there's　a　way　out　of　it；



if　you　can　find　it。〃







〃I　wish　the　Scarecrow　was　here；〃　said　Scraps；



standing　on　her　head　on　the　Woozy〃s　square　back。　〃His



splendid　brains　would　soon　sh