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第9节

the lost princess of oz-第9节

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is between here and the west branch of the Winkie River



that all dangers lie; for that is the unknown territory



that is inhabited by terrible; lawless people。〃







〃It may be; and it may not be;〃 said the Wizard。 〃We



shall know when we get there。〃







〃Well;〃 persisted the shepherd; 〃in a fairy country



such as ours every undiscovered place is likely to



harbor wicked creatures。 If they were not wicked; they



would discover themselves; and by coming among us



submit to Ozma's rule and be good and considerate; as



are all the Oz people whom we know。〃







〃That argument;〃 stated the little Wizard; 〃convinces



me that it is our duty to go straight to those unknown



places; however dangerous they may be; for it is surely



some cruel and wicked person who has stolen our Ozma;



and we know it would be folly to search among good



people for the culprit。 Ozma may not be hidden in the



secret places of the Winkie Country; it is true; but it



is our duty to travel to every spot; however dangerous;



where our beloved Ruler is likely to be imprisoned。〃







〃You're right about that;〃 said Button…Bright



approvingly。 〃Dangers don't hurt us; only things that



happen ever hurt anyone; and a danger is a thing that



might happen; and might not happen; and sometimes don't



amount to shucks。 I vote we go ahead and take our



chances。〃







They were all of he same opinion; so they packed up



and said good…bye to the friendly shepherd and



proceeded on their way。



















Chapter Seven







The Merry…Go…Round Mountains











The Rolling Prairie was not difficult to travel over;



although it was all up…hill and down…hill; so for a



while they made good progress。 Not even a shepherd was



to be met with now and the farther they advanced the



more dreary the landscape became。 At noon they stopped



for a 〃picnic luncheon;〃 as Betsy called it; and then



they again resumed their journey。 All the animals were



swift and tireless and even the Cowardly Lion and the



Mule found they could keep up with the pace of the



Woozy and the Sawhorse。







It was the middle of the afternoon when first they



came in sight of a cluster of low mountains。 These were



cone…shaped; rising from broad bases to sharp peaks at



the tops。 From a distance the mountains appeared



indistinct and seemed rather small…more like hills than



mountains  but as the travelers drew nearer they



noted a most unusual circumstance: the hills were all



whirling around; some in one direction and some the



opposite way。







〃I guess those are the Merry…Go…Round Mountains; all



right;〃 said Dorothy。







〃They must be;〃 said the Wizard。







〃They go 'round; sure enough;〃 added Trot; 〃but they



don't seem very merry。〃







There were several rows of these mountains; extending



both to the right and to the left; for miles and miles。



How many rows there might be; none could tell; but



between the first row of peaks could be seen other



peaks; all steadily whirling around one way or another。



Continuing to ride nearer; our friends watched these



hills attentively; until at last; coming close up; they



discovered there was a deep but narrow gulf around the



edge of each mountain; and that the mountains were set



so close together that the outer gulf was continuous



and barred farther advance。







At the edge of the gulf they all dismounted and



peered over into its depths。 There was no telling where



the bottom was; if indeed there was any bottom at all。



From where they stood it seemed as if the mountains had



been set in one great hole in the ground; just close



enough together so they would not touch; and that each



mountain was supported by a rocky column beneath its



base which extended far down into the black pit below。



From the land side it seemed impossible to get across



the gulf or; succeeding in that; to gain a foothold on



any of the whirling mountains。







〃This ditch is too wide to jump across;〃 remarked



Button…Bright。







〃P'raps the Lion could do it;〃 suggested Dorothy。







〃What; jump from here to that whirling hill?〃 cried



the Lion indignantly。 〃I should say not! Even if I



landed there; and could hold on; what good would it do?



There's another spinning mountain beyond it; and



perhaps still another beyond that。 I don't believe any



living creature could jump from one mountain to



another; when both are whirling like tops and in



different directions。〃







〃I propose we turn back;〃 said the Wooden Sawhorse;



with a yawn of his chopped…out mouth; as he stared with



his knot eyes at the Merry…Go…Round Mountains。







〃I agree with you;〃 said the Woozy; wagging his



square head。







〃We should have taken the shepherd's advice;〃 added



Hank the Mule。







The others of the party; however they might be



puzzled by the serious problem that confronted them;



would not allow themselves to despair。







〃If we once get over these mountains;〃 said Button…



Bright; 〃we could probably get along all right。〃







〃True enough;〃 agreed Dorothy。 〃So we must find some



way; of course; to get past these whirligig hills。 But



how?〃







〃I wish the Ork was with us;〃 sighed Trot。







〃But the Ork isn't here;〃 said the Wizard; 〃and we



must depend upon ourselves to conquer this difficulty。



Unfortunately; all my magic has been stolen; otherwise



I am sure I could easily get over the mountains。〃







〃Unfortunately;〃 observed the Woozy; 〃none of us has



wings。 And we're in a magic country without any magic。〃







〃What is that around your waist; Dorothy?〃 asked the



Wizard。







〃That? Oh; that's just the Magic Belt I once captured



from the Nome King;〃 she replied。







〃A Magic Belt! Why; that's fine。 I'm sure a Magic



Belt would take you over these hills。〃







〃It might; if I knew how to work it;〃 said the little



girl。 〃Ozma knows a lot of its magic; but I've never



found out about it。 All I know is that while I am



wearing it nothing can hurt me。〃







〃Try wishing yourself across; and see if it will obey



you;〃 suggested the Wizard。







〃But what good would that do?〃 asked Dorothy。 〃If I



got across it wouldn't help the rest of you; and I



couldn't go alone among all those giants and dragons;



while you stayed here。〃







〃True enough;〃 agreed the Wizard; sadly; and then;



after looking around the group; he inquired: 〃What is



that on your finger; Trot?〃







〃A ring。 The Mermaids gave it to me;〃 she explained;



〃and if ever I'm in trouble when I'm on the water I can



call the Mermaids and they'll come and help me。 But the



Mermaids can't help me on the land; you know; 'cause



they swim; and…and…they haven't any legs。〃







〃True enough;〃 repeated the Wizard; more sadly。







There was a big; broad spreading tree near the edge



of the gulf and as the sun was hot above them they all



gathered under the shade of the tree to study the



problem of what to do next。







〃If we had a long rope;〃 said Betsy; 〃we could fasten



it to this tree and let the other end of it down into



the gulf and all slide down it。〃







〃Well; what then?〃 asked the Wizard。







〃Then; if we could manage to throw the rope up the



other side;〃 explained the girl; 〃we could all climb it



and be on the other side of the gulf。〃







〃There are too many 'if's' in that suggestion;〃



remarked the little Wizard。 〃And you must remember that



the other side is nothing but spinning mountains; so we



couldn't possibly fasten a rope to them  even if we



had one。〃







〃That rope idea isn't half bad; though;〃 said the



Patchwork Girl; who had been dancing dangerously near



to the edge of the gulf。







〃What do you mean?〃 asked Dorothy。







The Patchwork Girl suddenly stood still and cast her



button eyes around the group。







〃Ha; I have it!〃 she exclaimed。 〃Unharness the



Sawhorse; somebody; my fingers are too clumsy。〃







〃Shall we?〃 asked Button…Bright doubtfully; turning



to the others。







〃Well; Scraps has a lot of brains; even if she is



stuffed with cotton;〃 asserted the Wizard。 〃If her



brains can help us out of this trouble we ought



to use them。〃







So he began unharnessing the Sawhorse; and Button…



Bright and Dorothy hel

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