|
|
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"I wish I hadn't eaten so much plain bread and butter!" Dor-
othy exclaimed. "What sort of place is this, anyhow? Look,
there's a peppermint-drop fern. And a cookie tree!"
"And there's the end of the path, unless I'm badly mistaken,"
the Cowardly Lion observed.
Sure enough, directly ahead of them was a tall wrought-iron
fence, with a gate firmly closed across their path. On the gate
was a neat brass plate. Prince Gules now dismounted too, and
Page 117
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
led the way over to it.
It read, simply, "HOME."
Chapter 12
WELL," said Robin, "that's the end of
the woods. And there's plenty of roads down yonder, but I
don't see anything of that yellow brick one Howzatagin told
us about, do you?"
Merry shook her head as they both examined the scene be-
fore them. "No. Those roads are all kind of blue."
"Everything's kind of blue," Robin agreed in a puzzled tone.
They were standing on a hillside overlooking a curiously
empty stretch of land which rose everywhere into barren, roll-
ing hills dotted with clumps of prickly pears. They could not
see over the hills, but they could see, winding in and out among
them, numerous tracks and paths, which looked well-traveled
though they were empty at the moment. The whole landscape
did, indeed, have a distinctly blueish cast.
"Even the dirt's sort of blue," said Merry.
"And those prickly-pear bushes-and the pines at the edge
of the woods. Look, Merry, isn't that queer?" Robin said as
they both glanced back toward the last scrubby fringe of trees.
"I thought those pine woods had a sort of red look when we
started through them, back by Howzatagin's cabin. And re-
member how red the rocks in the Red Gorge were? And all
that red clay in Fox-Hunter land? Now everything's changed
color."
"You've changed countries, that's all," said a squeaky voice,
and a squirrel with bushy blue-gray fur scampered along a pine
Page 118
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
branch to peer down at them.
"Changed countries? You mean we're not in Oz any more?"
exclaimed Robin.
"Of course you're in Oz. But you've left the Quadling
Country-it's the red one. You're in the Munchkin country
now. The border runs through these woods."
"Oh. Then where's the Yellow Brick Road?" Robin asked.
"I don't know. Squirrels aren't concerned with roads. Ex-
cuse me, please, I have an important engagement with a hazel-
nut bush. Ta-ta!" With a flirt of his tail, the squirrel vanished
into the trees.
"Well," Robin said, "Maybe one of those blue roads will
lead us to the yellow one. Come on, let's try it."
The blue road was little more than a well-trodden footpath,
but for some time they followed it around the base of one hill
after another, seeing nothing but prickly-pear bushes, blue
rocks, and more barren hills ahead. Then they rounded the curve
of one last hill and were confronted by a very strange sight.
Before them, in a bowl-shaped hollow among the dusty hills,
was a huge sphere made of some glistening, transparent stuff that
looked like pale blue glass. Inside it were many smaller spheres
the size of small houses, with an occasional larger dome thrusting
up above them, and Robin and Merry could see people moving
here and there along what appeared to be curving streets. Strang-
est of all, around the outside of the Great Sphere ran a broad
road paved with little round glass stones; and this road was really
running-circling frantically around and around the Sphere at
great speed, flashing blindingly in the sun.
One bridge spanned the road, stretching from the foot of the
hill on which Robin and Merry stood blinking to a large round
Page 119
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
opening in the Sphere. This entrance had elaborately worked
gates of wrought-iron-standing wide open at the moment-and
a round gatehouse at one side. A ramp led down to the level of
the bridge, across which short chubby people trudged occasion-
ally on their way to or from the Sphere.
"It's a city," Robin said finally in a dazed voice. "It must be.
But it's absolutely the queerest one I ever saw!"
"Maybe it's the Emerald City," Merry said hopefully.
"Well-I don't see any emeralds. Of course, maybe they
keep 'em in a safe or something. Did you ever see anything like
that glass road, Merry! Let's go down and look around."
Merry was just as curious as he was, and in a very few minutes
they had cantered to the bottom of the hill and wandered, gaping
around them, onto the bridge, which happened to be empty
when they reached it. Halfway across, Merry stopped to peer
over the railing at the dazzling, circling road below.
"Come away, Merry!" Robin exclaimed, shuddering and
tugging at the gilded reins. "It looks dangerous!"
"Dangerous?" Merry gave her little whicker of laughter and
danced even closer to the rail. "But it's just like the merry-go-
round, Robin! Oh, dear, it almost makes me homesick. Round
-and round-and round- Make some calliope noises, Robin!"
In a transport of nostalgia, Merry began to bound gracefully
in circles in the middle of the bridge. Robin clung to her pole
and cast nervous glances at the glass road wheeling beneath him,
humming a few "teedle-eedle-eedles" just to please her. Neither
of them noticed the group of chubby people who emerged from
the gates just then. The people halted, apparently transfixed, at
sight of the circling little mare. Then, after exchanging
astonished glances, they hurried to the middle of the bridge.
Page 120
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Merry, finding herself surrounded, halted abruptly.
"Hello," said Robin cautiously, looking around the circle of
strange faces, all of which displayed the liveliest interest. There
were five men and three women, all short and roly-poly, with
countenances as round as full moons, set with round blue eyes.
"Hello," they answered in chorus. As they spoke,
raised their right hands with tip of thumb and forefinger
together to form a little circle. It seemed to be a gesture of
so Robin politely imitated it, and waited for someone to
When no one did, he ventured to ask what city this was.
"This is Roundabout, your honor," answered a man in
polka dot jacket.
Before Robin had recovered from being called "your honor,
a second man, wearing a tunic embroidered with spirals, said
"And we are Roundheads. Your honor is very welcome!
we ask who your honor is'? And what is that thing with you?"
Before Robin could answer, the man in the polka dots gasp
"Thing? Thing!" and turned, wide-eyed and excited, to
companions. They immediately grew as excited as he, clutching
each other and repeating, "Thing! It's a thing!"
"I'm not a Thing!" Merry said indignantly. "Am I, Robin?
"No, of course not," Robin soothed her, adding to
Roundheads, "This is Merry. Merry Go Round. And I'm Robin
Brown, and we-"
"Merry Go Round?" echoed the Roundheads joyously,
Polkadots added, "Oh, please, your honor Robin, what brought
you here?"
Wondering why the little man's voice trembled with w~
seemed unbearable suspense, Robin replied, "To tell the truth
I don't know. All I did was catch the brass ring-and here I am!
Page 121
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
At this the Roundheads simply went wild with excitement
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plkwiatpolny.htw.pl
|
|
| Cytat |
Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
|
|
