dorothy and the wizard in oz-第15章

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real　dragons　until　we　get　our　full　growth；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃The　big

dragons　are　very　proud；　and　don't　think　children　amount　to　much；　but

mother　says　that　some　day　we　will　all　be　very　powerful　and　important。〃



〃Where　is　your　mother？〃　asked　the　Wizard；　anxiously　looking　around。



〃She　has　gone　up　to　the　top　of　the　earth　to　hunt　for　our　dinner。　　If

she　has　good　luck　she　will　bring　us　an　elephant；　or　a　brace　of

rhinoceri；　or　perhaps　a　few　dozen　people　to　stay　our　hunger。〃



〃Oh；　are　you　hungry？〃　enquired　Dorothy；　drawing　back。



〃Very；〃　said　the　dragonette；　snapping　its　jaws。



〃Andanddo　you　eat　people？〃



〃To　be　sure；　when　we　can　get　them。　　But　they've　been　very　scarce　for　a

few　years　and　we　usually　have　to　be　content　with　elephants　or

buffaloes；〃　answered　the　creature；　in　a　regretful　tone。



〃How　old　are　you？〃　enquired　Zeb；　who　stared　at　the　yellow　eyes

as　if　fascinated。



〃Quite　young；　I　grieve　to　say；　and　all　of　my　brothers　and　sisters　that

you　see　here　are　practically　my　own　age。　　If　I　remember　rightly；　we

were　sixty…six　years　old　the　day　before　yesterday。〃



〃But　that　isn't　young！〃　cried　Dorothy；　in　amazement。



〃No？〃　drawled　the　dragonette；　〃it　seems　to　me　very　babyish。〃



〃How　old　is　your　mother？〃　asked　the　girl。



〃Mother's　about　two　thousand　years　old；　but　she　carelessly　lost　track

of　her　age　a　few　centuries　ago　and　skipped　several　hundreds。　　She's　a

little　fussy；　you　know；　and　afraid　of　growing　old；　being　a　widow　and

still　in　her　prime。〃



〃I　should　think　she　would　be；〃　agreed　Dorothy。　　Then；　after　a　moment's

thought；　she　asked：　　〃Are　we　friends　or　enemies？　　I　mean；　will　you　be

good　to　us；　or　do　you　intend　to　eat　us？〃



〃As　for　that；　we　dragonettes　would　love　to　eat　you；　my　child；　but

unfortunately　mother　has　tied　all　our　tails　around　the　rocks　at　the

back　of　our　individual　caves；　so　that　we　can　not　crawl　out　to　get　you。

If　you　choose　to　come　nearer　we　will　make　a　mouthful　of　you　in　a　wink；

but　unless　you　do　you　will　remain　quite　safe。〃



There　was　a　regretful　accent　in　the　creature's　voice；　and　at　the　words

all　the　other　dragonettes　sighed　dismally。



Dorothy　felt　relieved。　　Presently　she　asked：



〃Why　did　your　mother　tie　your　tails？〃



〃Oh；　she　is　sometimes　gone　for　several　weeks　on　her　hunting　trips；　and

if　we　were　not　tied　we　would　crawl　all　over　the　mountain　and　fight

with　each　other　and　get　into　a　lot　of　mischief。　　Mother　usually　knows

what　she　is　about；　but　she　made　a　mistake　this　time；　for　you　are　sure

to　escape　us　unless　you　come　too　near；　and　you　probably　won't　do　that。〃



〃No；　indeed！〃　said　the　little　girl。　　〃We　don't　wish　to　be　eaten　by

such　awful　beasts。〃



〃Permit　me　to　say；〃　returned　the　dragonette；　〃that　you　are　rather

impolite　to　call　us　names；　knowing　that　we　cannot　resent　your　insults。

We　consider　ourselves　very　beautiful　in　appearance；　for　mother　has

told　us　so；　and　she　knows。　　And　we　are　of　an　excellent　family　and　have

a　pedigree　that　I　challenge　any　humans　to　equal；　as　it　extends　back

about　twenty　thousand　years；　to　the　time　of　the　famous　Green　Dragon　of

Atlantis；　who　lived　in　a　time　when　humans　had　not　yet　been　created。

Can　you　match　that　pedigree；　little　girl？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃I　was　born　on　a　farm　in　Kansas；　and　I　guess

that's　being　just　as　'spectable　and　haughty　as　living　in　a　cave　with

your　tail　tied　to　a　rock。　　If　it　isn't　I'll　have　to　stand　it；

that's　all。〃



〃Tastes　differ；〃　murmured　the　dragonette；　slowly　drooping　its　scaley

eyelids　over　its　yellow　eyes；　until　they　looked　like　half…moons。



Being　reassured　by　the　fact　that　the　creatures　could　not　crawl　out　of

their　rock…pockets；　the　children　and　the　Wizard　now　took　time　to

examine　them　more　closely。　　The　heads　of　the　dragonettes　were　as　big

as　barrels　and　covered　with　hard；　greenish　scales　that　glittered

brightly　under　the　light　of　the　lanterns。　　Their　front　legs；　which

grew　just　back　of　their　heads；　were　also　strong　and　big；　but　their

bodies　were　smaller　around　than　their　heads；　and　dwindled　away　in　a

long　line　until　their　tails　were　slim　as　a　shoe…string。　　Dorothy

thought；　if　it　had　taken　them　sixty…six　years　to　grow　to　this　size；

that　it　would　be　fully　a　hundred　years　more　before　they　could　hope　to

call　themselves　dragons；　and　that　seemed　like　a　good　while　to　wait　to

grow　up。



〃It　occurs　to　me；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃that　we　ought　to　get　out　of　this

place　before　the　mother　dragon　comes　back。〃



〃Don't　hurry；〃　called　one　of　the　dragonettes；　〃mother　will　be　glad　to

meet　you；　I'm　sure。〃



〃You　may　be　right；〃　replied　the　Wizard；　〃but　we're　a　little　particular

about　associating　with　strangers。　　Will　you　kindly　tell　us　which　way

your　mother　went　to　get　on　top　the　earth？〃



〃That　is　not　a　fair　question　to　ask　us；〃　declared　another　dragonette。

〃For；　if　we　told　you　truly；　you　might　escape　us　altogether；　and　if　we

told　you　an　untruth　we　would　be　naughty　and　deserve　to　be　punished。〃



〃Then；〃　decided　Dorothy；　〃we　must　find　our　way　out　the　best　we　can。〃



They　circled　all　around　the　cavern；　keeping　a　good　distance　away　from

the　blinking　yellow　eyes　of　the　dragonettes；　and　presently　discovered

that　there　were　two　paths　leading　from　the　wall　opposite　to　the　place

where　they　had　entered。　　They　selected　one　of　these　at　a　venture

and　hurried　along　it　as　fast　as　they　could　go；　for　they　had　no　idea

when　the　mother　dragon　would　be　back　and　were　very　anxious　not　to　make

her　acquaintance。







14。　　Ozma　Uses　the　Magic　Belt





For　a　considerable　distance　the　way　led　straight　upward　in　a　gentle

incline；　and　the　wanderers　made　such　good　progress　that　they　grew

hopeful　and　eager；　thinking　they　might　see　sunshine　at　any　minute。

But　at　length　they　came　unexpectedly　upon　a　huge　rock　that　shut　off

the　passage　and　blocked　them　from　proceeding　a　single　step　farther。



This　rock　was　separate　from　the　rest　of　the　mountain　and　was　in

motion；　turning　slowly　around　and　around　as　if　upon　a　pivot。　　When

first　they　came　to　it　there　was　a　solid　wall　before　them；　but

presently　it　revolved　until　there　was　exposed　a　wide；　smooth　path

across　it　to　the　other　side。　　This　appeared　so　unexpectedly　that　they

were　unprepared　to　take　advantage　of　it　at　first；　and　allowed　the

rocky　wall　to　swing　around　again　before　they　had　decided　to　pass　over。

But　they　knew　now　that　there　was　a　means　of　escape　and　so　waited

patiently　until　the　path　appeared　for　the　second　time。



The　children　and　the　Wizard　rushed　across　the　moving　rock　and　sprang

into　the　passage　beyond；　landing　safely　though　a　little　out　of　breath。

Jim　the　cab…horse　came　last；　and　the　rocky　wall　almost　caught　him；　for

just　as　he　leaped　to　the　floor　of　the　further　passage　the　wall　swung

across　it　and　a　loose　stone　that　the　buggy　wheels　knocked　against　fell

into　the　narrow　crack　where　the　rock　turned；　and　became　wedged　there。



They　heard　a　crunching；　grinding　sound；　a　loud　snap；　and　the

turn…table　came　to　a　stop　with　its　broadest　surface　shutting　off　the

path　from　which　they　had　come。



〃Never　mind；〃　said　Zeb；　〃we　don't　want　to　get　back；　anyhow。〃



〃I'm　not　so　sure　of　that；〃　returned　Dorothy。　　〃The　mother　dragon　may

come　down　and　catch　us　here。〃



〃It　is　possible；〃　agreed　the　Wizard；　〃if　this　proves　to　be　the　path

she　usually　takes。　　But　I　have　been　examining　this　tunnel；　and　I　do

not　see　any　signs　of　so　large　a　beast　having　passed　through　it。〃



〃Then　we're　all　right；〃　said　the　girl；　〃for　if　the　dragon　went　the

other　way　she　can't　poss'bly　get　to　us　now。〃



〃Of　course　not；　my　dear。　　But　there　is　another　thing　to　consider。　　The

mother　dragon　probably　knows　the　road　to　the　earth's　surface；　and　if

she　went　the　other　way　then　we　have　come　the　wrong　way；〃　said　the

Wizard；　thoughtfully。



〃Dear　me！〃　cried　Dorothy。　　〃That　would　be　unlucky；　wouldn't　it？〃



〃Very。　　Unless　this　passage　also　leads　to　the　top　of　the　earth；〃　said

Zeb。　　〃For　my　part；　if　we　manage　to　get　out　of　here　I'll　be　glad　it

isn't　the　way　the　dragon　goes。〃



〃So　will　I；〃　returned　Dorothy。　　〃It's　enough　to　have　your　pedigree

flung　in　your　face　by　those　saucy　dragonettes。　　No　one　knows　what　the

mother　might　do。〃



They　now　moved　on　again；　creeping　slowly　up　another　steep　incline。

The　lanterns　were　beginning　to　grow　dim；　and　the　Wizard　poured　the

remaining　oil　from　one　into　the　other；　so　that　the　one　light　would

last　longer。　　But　their　journey　was　almost　over；　for　in　a　short　time

they　reached　a　small　cave　from　which　there　was　no　further　outlet。



They　did　not　realize　their　ill　fortune　at　first；　for　their　hearts　were

gladdened　by　the　sight　of　a　ray　of　sunshine　coming　through　a　small

crack　in　the　roof　of　the　cave；　far　overhead。　　That　meant　that　their

worldthe　real　worldwas　not　very　far　away；　and　that　the　succession

of　perilous　adventures　they　had　encountered　had　at　last　brought　them

near　the　earth's　surface；　which　meant　home　to　them。　　But　when　the

adventurers　looked　more　carefully　around　them　they　discovered　that

there　were　in　a　strong　prison　from　which　there　was　no　hope　of　escape。



〃But　we're　ALMOST　on　earth　again；〃　cried　Dorothy；　〃for　there　is　the

sunthe　most　BEAU'FUL　sun　that　shines！〃　and　she　pointed　eagerly　at

the　crack　in　the　distant　roof。



〃Almost　on　earth　isn't　being　there；〃　said　the　kitten；　in　a

discontented　tone。　　〃It　wouldn't　be　possible　for　even　me　to　get　up　to

that　crackor　through　it　if　I　got　there。〃



〃It　appears　that　the　path　ends　here；〃　announced　the　Wizard；　gloomily。



〃And　there　is　no　way　to　go　back；〃　added　Zeb；　with　a　low　whistle

of　perplexity。



〃I　was　sure　it　would　come　to　this；　in　the　end；〃　remarked　the　old

cab…horse。　　〃Folks　don't　fall　into　the　middle　of　the　earth　and　then

get　back　again　to　tell　of　their　adventuresnot　in　real　life。　　And　the

whole　thing　has　been　unnatural　because　that　cat　and　I　are　both　able　to

talk　your　language；　and　to　understand　the　words　you　say。〃



〃And　so　can　the　nine　tiny　piglets；〃　added　Eureka。　〃Don't　forget　them；

for　I　may　have　to　eat　them；　after　all。〃



〃I've　heard　animals　talk　before；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　no　harm　came　of　it。〃



〃Were　you　ever　before　shut　up　in　a　cave；　far　under　the　earth；　with　no

way　of　getting　out？〃　enquired　the　horse；　seriously。



〃No；〃　answered　Dorothy。　　〃But　don't　you　lose　heart；　Jim；　for　I'm　sure

this　isn't　the　end　of　our　story；　by　any　means。〃



The　reference　to　the　piglets　reminded　the　Wizard　that　his　pets　had　not

enjoyed　much　exercise　lately；　and　must　be　tired　of　their　prison　in　his

pocket。　　So　he　sat　down　upon　the　floor　of　the　cave；　brought　the　piglets

out　one　by　one；　and　allowed　them　to　run　around　as　much　as　they　pleased。



〃My　dears；〃　he　said　to　them；　〃I'm　afraid　I've　got　you　into　a　lot

of　trouble；　and　that　you　will　never　again　be　able　to　leave　this

gloomy　cave。〃



〃What's　wrong？〃　asked　a　piglet。　　〃We've　been　in　the　dark　quite　a

while；　and　you　may　as　well　explain　what　has　happened。〃