太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the lost princess of oz >

第28节

the lost princess of oz-第28节

小说: the lost princess of oz 字数: 每页4000字

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!






sourly on the others。







〃Come to think of it;〃 remarked the Wizard; 〃Ozma



couldn't be invisible; for she is a fairy and fairies



cannot be made invisible against their will。 Of course



she could be imprisoned by the magician; or even



enchanted; or transformed; in spite of her fairy



powers; but Ugu could not render her invisible by any



magic at his command。〃







〃I wonder if she's been transformed into Button…



Bright?〃 said Dorothy nervously。 Then she looked



steadily at the boy and asked: 〃Are you Ozma? Tell me



truly!〃







Button…Bright laughed。







〃You're getting rattled; Dorothy;〃 he replied。



〃Nothing ever enchants me。 If I were Ozma; do



you think I'd have tumbled into that hole?〃







〃Anyhow;〃 said the Wizard; 〃Ozma would never try to



deceive her friends; or prevent them from recognizing



her; in whatever form she happened to be。 The puzzle



is still a puzzle; so let us go on to the wicker castle



and question the magician himself。 Since it was he who



stole our Ozma; Ugu is the one who must tell us where



to find her。〃



















Chapter Twenty…One







Magic Against Magic











The Wizard's advice was good; so again they started in



the direction of the low mountain on the crest of which



the wicker castle had been built。 They had been



gradually advancing up hill; so now the elevation



seemed to them more like a round knoll than a mountain…



top。 However; the sides of the knoll were sloping and



covered with green grass; so there was a stiff climb



before them yet。







Undaunted; they plodded on and had almost



reached the knoll when they suddenly observed



that it was surrounded by a circle of flame。 At



first the flames barely rose above the ground; but



presently they grew higher and higher until a



circle of flaming tongues of fire taller than any



of their heads quite surrounded the hill on which



the wicker castle stood。 When they approached



the flames the heat was so intense that it drove



them back again。







〃This will never do for me!〃 exclaimed the Patchwork



Girl。 〃I catch fire very easily。〃







〃It won't do for me; either;〃 grumbled the Sawhorse;



prancing to the rear。







〃I also object strongly to fire;〃 said the Bear King;



following the Sawhorse to a safe distance and hugging



the little Pink Bear with his paws。







〃I suppose the foolish Shoemaker imagines these



blazes will stop us;〃 remarked the Wizard; with a smile



of scorn for Ugu。 〃But I am able to inform you that



this is merely a simple magic trick which the robber



stole from Glinda the Good; and by good fortune I know



how to destroy these flames; as well as how to produce



them。 Will some one of you kindly give me a match?〃







You may be sure the girls carried no matches; nor did



the Frogman or Cayke or any of the animals。 But Button…



Bright; after searching carefully through his pockets;



which contained all sorts of useful and useless things;



finally produced a match and handed it to the Wizard;



who tied it to the end of a branch which he tore from



a small tree growing near them。 Then the little Wizard



carefully lighted the match and running forward thrust



it into the nearest flame。 Instantly the circle of fire



began to die away and soon vanished completely; leaving



the way clear for them to proceed。







〃That was funny!〃 laughed Button…Bright。







〃Yes;〃 agreed the Wizard; 〃it seems odd that a little



match could destroy such a great circle of fire; but



when Glinda invented this trick she believed no one



would ever think of a match being a remedy for fire。 I



suppose even Ugu doesn't know how we managed to quench



the flames of his barrier; for only Glinda and I know



the secret。 Glinda's Book of Magic; which Ugu stole;



told how to make the flames; but not how to put them



out。〃







They now formed in marching order and proceeded to



advance up the slope of the hill; but had not gone far



when before them rose a wall of steel; the surface of



which was thickly covered with sharp; gleaming points



resembling daggers。 The wall completely surrounded the



wicker castle and its sharp points prevented anyone



from climbing it。 Even the Patchwork Girl might be



ripped to pieces if she dared attempt it。







〃Ah!〃 exclaimed the Wizard cheerfully; 〃Ugu is now



using one of my own tricks against me。 But this is more



serious than the Barrier of Fire; because the only way



to destroy the wall is to get on the other side of it。〃







〃How can that be done?〃 asked Dorothy。







The Wizard looked thoughtfully around his little



party and his face grew troubled。







〃It's a pretty high wall;〃 he sadly remarked。 〃I'm



pretty sure the Cowardly Lion could not leap over it。〃







〃I'm sure of that; too!〃 said the Lion with a shudder



of fear。 〃If I foolishly tried such a leap I would be



caught on those dreadful spikes。〃







〃I think I could do it; sir;〃 said the Frogman; with



a bow to the Wizard。 〃It is an up…hill jump; as well as



being a high jump; but I'm considered something of a



jumper by my friends in the Yip Country and I believe a



good; strong leap will carry me to the other side。〃







〃I'm sure it would;〃 agreed the Cookie Cook。







〃Leaping; you know; is a froglike accomplishment;〃



continued the Frogman; modestly; 〃but please tell me



what I am to do when I reach the other side of the



wall。〃







〃You're a brave creature;〃 said the Wizard;



admiringly。 〃Has anyone a pin?〃







Betsy had one; which she gave him。







〃All you need do;〃 said the Wizard to the



Frogman; giving him the pin; is to stick this into the



other side of the wall。〃







〃But the wall is of steel!〃 exclaimed the big frog。







〃I know; at least; it seems to be steel; but do as I



tell you。 Stick the pin into the wall and it will



disappear。〃







The Frogman took off his handsome coat and carefully



Folded it and laid it on the grass。 Then he removed his



hat and laid it; together with his goldheaded cane;



beside the coat。 He then went back a way and made three



powerful leaps; in rapid succession。 The first two



leaps took him to the wall and the third leap carried



him well over it; to the amazement of all。 For a short



time he disappeared from their view; but when he had



obeyed the Wizard's injunction and had thrust the pin



into the wall; the huge barrier vanished and showed



them the form of the Frogman; who now went to where his



coat lay and put it on again。







〃We thank you very much;〃 said the delighted Wizard。



〃That was the most wonderful leap I ever saw and it has



saved us from defeat by our enemy。 Let us now hurry on



to the castle before Ugu the Shoemaker thinks of some



other means to stop us。







〃We must have surprised him; so far;〃 declared



Dorothy。







〃Yes; indeed。 The fellow knows a lot of magic  all



of our tricks and some of his own;〃 replied the Wizard。



〃So; if he is half as clever as he ought to be; we



shall have trouble with him yet。〃







He had scarcely spoken these words when out from the



gates of the wicker castle marched a regiment of



soldiers; clad in gay uniforms and all bearing long;



pointed spears and sharp battle…axes。 These soldiers



were girls; and the uniforms were short skirts of



yellow and black satin; golden shoes; bands of gold



across their foreheads and necklaces of glittering



jewels。 Their jackets were scarlet; braided with silver



cords。 There were hundreds of these girl…soldiers; and



they were more terrible than beautiful; being strong



and fierce in appearance。 They formed a circle all



around the castle and faced outward; their spears



pointed toward the invaders and their battle…axes held



over their shoulders ready to strike。







Of course our friends halted at once; for they had



not expected this dreadful array of soldiery。 The



Wizard seemed puzzled and his companions exchanged



discouraged looks。







〃I'd no idea Ugu had such an army as that;〃 said



Dorothy。 〃The castle doesn't look big enough to hold



them all。〃







〃It isn't;〃 declared the Wizard。







〃But they all marched out of it。〃







〃They seemed to; but I don't believe it is a real



army at all。 If Ugu the Shoemaker had so many people



living

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的