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dorothy and the wizard in oz-第5部分

小说: dorothy and the wizard in oz 字数: 每页4000字

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little Dorothy; from Kansas。  I remember you very well。〃



〃Who did you say it was?〃 whispered Zeb to the girl。



〃It's the wonderful Wizard of Oz。  Haven't you heard of him?〃



Just then the man with the star came and stood before the Wizard。



〃Sir;〃 said he; 〃why are you here; in the Land of the Mangaboos?〃



〃Didn't know what land it was; my son;〃 returned the other; with a

pleasant smile; 〃and; to be honest; I didn't mean to visit you when I

started out。  I live on top of the earth; your honor; which is far

better than living inside it; but yesterday I went up in a balloon;

and when I came down I fell into a big crack in the earth; caused by

an earthquake。  I had let so much gas out of my balloon that I could

not rise again; and in a few minutes the earth closed over my head。

So I continued to descend until I reached this place; and if you will

show me a way to get out of it; I'll go with pleasure。  Sorry to have

troubled you; but it couldn't be helped。〃



The Prince had listened with attention。  Said he:



〃This child; who is from the crust of the earth; like yourself; called

you a Wizard。  Is not a Wizard something like a Sorcerer?〃



〃It's better;〃 replied Oz; promptly。  〃One Wizard is worth

three Sorcerers。〃



〃Ah; you shall prove that;〃 said the Prince。  〃We Mangaboos have; at

the present time; one of the most wonderful Sorcerers that ever was

picked from a bush; but he sometimes makes mistakes。  Do you ever

make mistakes?〃



〃Never!〃 declared the Wizard; boldly。



〃Oh; Oz!〃 said Dorothy; 〃you made a lot of mistakes when you were in

the marvelous Land of Oz。〃



〃Nonsense!〃 said the little man; turning redalthough just then a ray

of violet sunlight was on his round face。



〃Come with me;〃 said the Prince to him。  〃I wish to meet our Sorcerer。〃



The Wizard did not like this invitation; but he could not refuse to

accept it。  So he followed the Prince into the great domed hall;

and Dorothy and Zeb came after them; while the throng of people

trooped in also。



There sat the thorny Sorcerer in his chair of state; and when the

Wizard saw him he began to laugh; uttering comical little chuckles。



〃What an absurd creature!〃 he exclaimed。



〃He may look absurd;〃 said the Prince; in his quiet voice; 〃but he is

an excellent Sorcerer。  The only fault I find with him is that he is

so often wrong。〃



〃I am never wrong;〃 answered the Sorcerer。



〃Only a short time ago you told me there would be no more Rain of

Stones or of People;〃 said the Prince。



〃Well; what then?〃



〃Here is another person descended from the air to prove you were wrong。〃



〃One person cannot be called 'people;'〃 said the Sorcerer。  〃If two

should come out of the sky you might with justice say I was wrong; but

unless more than this one appears I will hold that I was right。〃



〃Very clever;〃 said the Wizard; nodding his head as if pleased。  〃I am

delighted to find humbugs inside the earth; just the same as on top of

it。  Were you ever with a circus; brother?〃



〃No;〃 said the Sorcerer。



〃You ought to join one;〃 declared the little man seriously。  〃I belong

to Bailum & Barney's Great Consolidated Showsthree rings in one tent

and a menagerie on the side。  It's a fine aggregation; I assure you。〃



〃What do you do?〃 asked the Sorcerer。



〃I go up in a balloon; usually; to draw the crowds to the circus。  But

I've just had the bad luck to come out of the sky; skip the solid

earth; and land lower down than I intended。  But never mind。  It isn't

everybody who gets a chance to see your Land of the Gabazoos。〃



〃Mangaboos;〃 said the Sorcerer; correcting him。  〃If you are a Wizard

you ought to be able to call people by their right names。〃



〃Oh; I'm a Wizard; you may be sure of that。  Just as good a Wizard as

you are a Sorcerer。〃



〃That remains to be seen;〃 said the other。



〃If you are able to prove that you are better;〃 said the Prince to the

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 me

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