章节正文
at least, tries to do so. It is not an easy thing to
do, as you probably know."
The Wizard reflected.
"If you have disputes among you," said he, after a
little thought, "who settles them?"
"The High Coco-Lorum," they answered in a chorus.
"And who is he?"
"The judge who enforces the laws," said the man who
had first spoken.
"Then he is the principal person here?" continued the
Wizard.
"Well, I would not say that," returned the man in a
puzzled way. "The High Cocolorum is a public servant.
However, he represents the laws, which we must all
obey."
"I think," said the Wizard, "we ought to see your
High Coco-Lorum and talk with him. Our mission here
requires us to consult one high in authority, and the
High Coco-Lorum ought to be high, whatever else he is."
The inhabitants seemed to consider this proposition
reasonable, for they nodded their diamond-shaped heads
in approval. So the broad one who had been their
spokesman said: "Follow me," and, turning, led the way
along one of the streets.
The entire party followed him, the natives falling in
behind. The dwellings they passed were quite nicely
planned and seemed comfortable and convenient. After
leading them a few blocks their conductor stopped
before a house which was neither better nor worse than
the others. The doorway was shaped to admit the
strangely formed bodies of these people, being narrow
at the top, broad in the middle and tapering at the
bottom. The windows were made in much the same way,
giving the house a most peculiar appearance. When their
guide opened the gate a music-box concealed in the
gate-post began to play, and the sound attracted the
attention of the High Coco-Lorum, who appeared at an
open window and inquired:
"What has happened now?"
But in the same moment his eyes fell upon the
strangers and he hastened to open the door and admit
them -- all but the animals, which were left outside
with the throng of natives that had now gathered. For a
small city there seemed to be a large number of
inhabitants, but they did not try to enter the house
and contented themselves with staring curiously at the
strange animals. Toto followed Dorothy.
Our friends entered a large room at the front of the
house, where the High Coco-Lorum asked them to be
seated.
"I hope your mission here is a peaceful one," he
said, looking a little worried, "for the Thists are not
very good fighters and object to being conquered."
"Are your people called Thists?" asked Dorothy.
"Yes. I thought you knew that. And we call our city
Thi."
"Oh!"
"We are Thists because we eat thistles, you know,"
continued the High Coco-Lorum.
"Do you really eat those prickly things?" inquired
Button-Bright wonderingly.
"Why not?" replied the other. "The sharp points of
the thistles cannot hurt us, because all our insides
are gold-lined."
"Gold-lined!"
"To be sure. Our throats and stomachs are lined with
solid gold, and we find the thistles nourishing and
good to eat. As a matter of fact, there is nothing else
in our country that is fit for food. All around the
City of Thi grow countlessthistles, and all we need do
is to go and gather them. If we wanted anything else to
eat we would have to plant it, and grow it, and harvest
it, and that would be a lot of trouble and make us
work, which is an occupation we detest."
"But, tell me, please," said the Wizard, "how does it
happen that your city jumps around so, from one part of
the country to another?"
"The city doesn't jump; it doesn't move at all,"
declared the High Coco-Lorum. "However, I will admit
that the land that surrounds it has a trick of turning
this way or that; and so, if one is standing upon the
plain and facing north, he is likely to find himself
suddenly facing west -- or east -- or south. But once
you reach the thistle fields you are on solid ground."
"Ah, I begin to understand," said the Wizard, nodding
his head. "But I have another question to ask: How does
it happen that the Thists have no King to rule over
them?"
"Hush!" whispered the High Coco-Lorum, looking
uneasily around to make sure they were not overheard.
"In reality, I am the King, but the people don't know
it. They think they rule themselves, but the fact is I
have everything my own way. No one else knows anything
about our laws, and so I make the laws to suit myself.
If any oppose me, or question my acts, I tell them it's
the law, and that settles it. If I called myself King,
however, and wore a crown and lived in royal state, the
people would not like me, and might do me harm. As the
High Coco-Lorum of Thi, I'm considered a very agreeable
person."
"It seems a very clever arrangement," said the
Wizard. "And now, as you are the principal person in
Thi, I beg you to tell us if the Royal Ozma is a
captive in your city."
"No," answered the diamond-headed man, "we have no
captives. No strangers but yourselves are here, and we
have never before heard of the Royal Ozma."
"She rules all of Oz," said Dorothy, "and so she
rules your city and you, because you are in the Winkie
Country, which is a part of the Land of Oz."
"It may be," returned the High Coco-Lorum, "for we do
not study geography and have never inquired whether we
live in the Land of Oz or not. And any Ruler who rules
us from a distance, and unknown to us, is welcome to
the job. But what has happened to your Royal Ozma?"
"Someone has stolen her," said the Wizard. "Do you
happen to have any talentedmagician among your people
-- one who is especially clever, you know?"
"No, none especially clever. We do some magic, of
course, but it is all of the ordinary kind. I do not
think any of us has yet aspired to stealing Rulers,
either by magic or otherwise."
"Then we've come a long way for nothing!" exclaimed
Trot regretfully.
"But we are going farther than this," asserted the
Patchwork Girl, bending her stuffed body backward until
her yarn hair touched the floor and then walking around
on her hands with her feet in the air.
The High Coco-Lorum watched Scraps admiringly.
"You may go farther on, of course," said he, "but I
advise you not to. The Herkus live back of us, beyond
the thistles and the twisting lands, and they are not
very nice people to meet, I assure you."
"Are they giants?" asked Betsy.
"They are worse than that," was the reply. "They have
giants for their slaves and they are so much stronger
than giants that the poor slaves dare not rebel, for
fear of being torn to pieces."
"How do you know,?" asked Scraps.
"Everyone says so," answered the High Coco-Lorum.
"Have you seen the Herkus yourself?" inquired
Dorothy.
"No, but what everyone says must be true; otherwise,
what would be the use of their saying it?"
"We were told, before we got here, that you people
hitch dragons to your chariots," said the little girl.
"So we do," declared the High Coco-Lorum. "And that
reminds me that I ought to entertain you, as strangers
and my guests, by taking you for a ride around our
splendid City of Thi."
Coco-Lorum. "Every time I give an order it is in music,
which is a much more pleasant way to address servants
than in cold, stern word"
"Does this dragon of yours bite?" asked Button-
Bright.
"Mercy, no! Do you think I'd risk the safety of my
innocent people by using a bitingdragon to draw my
chariot? I'm proud to say that my dragon is harmless-
unless his steering gear breaks -- and he was
manufactured at the famous dragon-factory in this City
of Thi. Here he comes and you may examine him for
yourselves."
They heard a low rumble and a shrill squeaking sound
and, going out to the front of the house, they saw
coming around the corner a car drawn by a gorgeous
jeweled dragon, which moved its head to right and left
and flashed its eyes like the headlights of an
automobile and uttered a growling noise as it slowly
moved toward them.
When it stopped before the High Coco-Lorum's house
Toto barked sharply at the sprawling beast, but even
tiny Trot could see that the dragon was not alive. Its
scales were of gold and each one was set with sparkling
jewels, while it walked in such a stiff, regular manner
that it could be nothing else than a machine. The
chariot that trailed behind it was likewise of gold and
jewels, and when they entered it they found there were
no seats. Everyone was supposed to stand up while
riding.
The charioteer was a little diamond-headed fellow who
straddled the neck of the dragon and moved the levers
that made it go.
"This," said the High Coco-Lorum, pompously, "is a
wonderful invention. We are all very proud of our
autodragons, many of which are in use by our wealthy
inhabitants. Start the thing going, charioteer!"
The charioteer did not move.
"You forgot to order him in music," suggested
Dorothy.
"Ah, so I did." He touched a button and a music-box
in the dragon's head began to play a tune. At once the
little charioteer pulled over a lever and the dragon
began to move -- very slowly and groaning dismally as
it drew the clumsychariot after it. Toto trotted
between the wheels. The Sawhorse, the Mule, the Lion
and the Woozy followed after and had no trouble in
keeping up with the machine; indeed, they had to go
slow to keep from running into it. When the wheels
turned another music-box concealed somewhere under the
chariot played a lively march tune which was in
striking contrast with the dragging movement of the
do, as you probably know."
The Wizard reflected.
"If you have disputes among you," said he, after a
little thought, "who settles them?"
"The High Coco-Lorum," they answered in a chorus.
"And who is he?"
"The judge who enforces the laws," said the man who
had first spoken.
"Then he is the principal person here?" continued the
Wizard.
"Well, I would not say that," returned the man in a
puzzled way. "The High Cocolorum is a public servant.
However, he represents the laws, which we must all
obey."
"I think," said the Wizard, "we ought to see your
High Coco-Lorum and talk with him. Our mission here
requires us to consult one high in authority, and the
High Coco-Lorum ought to be high, whatever else he is."
The inhabitants seemed to consider this proposition
reasonable, for they nodded their diamond-shaped heads
in approval. So the broad one who had been their
spokesman said: "Follow me," and, turning, led the way
along one of the streets.
The entire party followed him, the natives falling in
behind. The dwellings they passed were quite nicely
planned and seemed comfortable and convenient. After
leading them a few blocks their conductor stopped
before a house which was neither better nor worse than
the others. The doorway was shaped to admit the
strangely formed bodies of these people, being narrow
at the top, broad in the middle and tapering at the
bottom. The windows were made in much the same way,
giving the house a most peculiar appearance. When their
guide opened the gate a music-box concealed in the
gate-post began to play, and the sound attracted the
attention of the High Coco-Lorum, who appeared at an
open window and inquired:
"What has happened now?"
But in the same moment his eyes fell upon the
strangers and he hastened to open the door and admit
them -- all but the animals, which were left outside
with the throng of natives that had now gathered. For a
small city there seemed to be a large number of
inhabitants, but they did not try to enter the house
and contented themselves with staring curiously at the
strange animals. Toto followed Dorothy.
Our friends entered a large room at the front of the
house, where the High Coco-Lorum asked them to be
seated.
"I hope your mission here is a peaceful one," he
said, looking a little worried, "for the Thists are not
very good fighters and object to being conquered."
"Are your people called Thists?" asked Dorothy.
"Yes. I thought you knew that. And we call our city
Thi."
"Oh!"
"We are Thists because we eat thistles, you know,"
continued the High Coco-Lorum.
"Do you really eat those prickly things?" inquired
Button-Bright wonderingly.
"Why not?" replied the other. "The sharp points of
the thistles cannot hurt us, because all our insides
are gold-lined."
"Gold-lined!"
"To be sure. Our throats and stomachs are lined with
solid gold, and we find the thistles nourishing and
good to eat. As a matter of fact, there is nothing else
in our country that is fit for food. All around the
City of Thi grow countlessthistles, and all we need do
is to go and gather them. If we wanted anything else to
eat we would have to plant it, and grow it, and harvest
it, and that would be a lot of trouble and make us
work, which is an occupation we detest."
"But, tell me, please," said the Wizard, "how does it
happen that your city jumps around so, from one part of
the country to another?"
"The city doesn't jump; it doesn't move at all,"
declared the High Coco-Lorum. "However, I will admit
that the land that surrounds it has a trick of turning
this way or that; and so, if one is standing upon the
plain and facing north, he is likely to find himself
suddenly facing west -- or east -- or south. But once
you reach the thistle fields you are on solid ground."
"Ah, I begin to understand," said the Wizard, nodding
his head. "But I have another question to ask: How does
it happen that the Thists have no King to rule over
them?"
"Hush!" whispered the High Coco-Lorum, looking
uneasily around to make sure they were not overheard.
"In reality, I am the King, but the people don't know
it. They think they rule themselves, but the fact is I
have everything my own way. No one else knows anything
about our laws, and so I make the laws to suit myself.
If any oppose me, or question my acts, I tell them it's
the law, and that settles it. If I called myself King,
however, and wore a crown and lived in royal state, the
people would not like me, and might do me harm. As the
High Coco-Lorum of Thi, I'm considered a very agreeable
person."
"It seems a very clever arrangement," said the
Wizard. "And now, as you are the principal person in
Thi, I beg you to tell us if the Royal Ozma is a
captive in your city."
"No," answered the diamond-headed man, "we have no
captives. No strangers but yourselves are here, and we
have never before heard of the Royal Ozma."
"She rules all of Oz," said Dorothy, "and so she
rules your city and you, because you are in the Winkie
Country, which is a part of the Land of Oz."
"It may be," returned the High Coco-Lorum, "for we do
not study geography and have never inquired whether we
live in the Land of Oz or not. And any Ruler who rules
us from a distance, and unknown to us, is welcome to
the job. But what has happened to your Royal Ozma?"
"Someone has stolen her," said the Wizard. "Do you
happen to have any talentedmagician among your people
-- one who is especially clever, you know?"
"No, none especially clever. We do some magic, of
course, but it is all of the ordinary kind. I do not
think any of us has yet aspired to stealing Rulers,
either by magic or otherwise."
"Then we've come a long way for nothing!" exclaimed
Trot regretfully.
"But we are going farther than this," asserted the
Patchwork Girl, bending her stuffed body backward until
her yarn hair touched the floor and then walking around
on her hands with her feet in the air.
The High Coco-Lorum watched Scraps admiringly.
"You may go farther on, of course," said he, "but I
advise you not to. The Herkus live back of us, beyond
the thistles and the twisting lands, and they are not
very nice people to meet, I assure you."
"Are they giants?" asked Betsy.
"They are worse than that," was the reply. "They have
giants for their slaves and they are so much stronger
than giants that the poor slaves dare not rebel, for
fear of being torn to pieces."
"How do you know,?" asked Scraps.
"Everyone says so," answered the High Coco-Lorum.
"Have you seen the Herkus yourself?" inquired
Dorothy.
"No, but what everyone says must be true; otherwise,
what would be the use of their saying it?"
"We were told, before we got here, that you people
hitch dragons to your chariots," said the little girl.
"So we do," declared the High Coco-Lorum. "And that
reminds me that I ought to entertain you, as strangers
and my guests, by taking you for a ride around our
splendid City of Thi."
Coco-Lorum. "Every time I give an order it is in music,
which is a much more pleasant way to address servants
than in cold, stern word"
"Does this dragon of yours bite?" asked Button-
Bright.
"Mercy, no! Do you think I'd risk the safety of my
innocent people by using a bitingdragon to draw my
chariot? I'm proud to say that my dragon is harmless-
unless his steering gear breaks -- and he was
manufactured at the famous dragon-factory in this City
of Thi. Here he comes and you may examine him for
yourselves."
They heard a low rumble and a shrill squeaking sound
and, going out to the front of the house, they saw
coming around the corner a car drawn by a gorgeous
jeweled dragon, which moved its head to right and left
and flashed its eyes like the headlights of an
automobile and uttered a growling noise as it slowly
moved toward them.
When it stopped before the High Coco-Lorum's house
Toto barked sharply at the sprawling beast, but even
tiny Trot could see that the dragon was not alive. Its
scales were of gold and each one was set with sparkling
jewels, while it walked in such a stiff, regular manner
that it could be nothing else than a machine. The
chariot that trailed behind it was likewise of gold and
jewels, and when they entered it they found there were
no seats. Everyone was supposed to stand up while
riding.
The charioteer was a little diamond-headed fellow who
straddled the neck of the dragon and moved the levers
that made it go.
"This," said the High Coco-Lorum, pompously, "is a
wonderful invention. We are all very proud of our
autodragons, many of which are in use by our wealthy
inhabitants. Start the thing going, charioteer!"
The charioteer did not move.
"You forgot to order him in music," suggested
Dorothy.
"Ah, so I did." He touched a button and a music-box
in the dragon's head began to play a tune. At once the
little charioteer pulled over a lever and the dragon
began to move -- very slowly and groaning dismally as
it drew the clumsychariot after it. Toto trotted
between the wheels. The Sawhorse, the Mule, the Lion
and the Woozy followed after and had no trouble in
keeping up with the machine; indeed, they had to go
slow to keep from running into it. When the wheels
turned another music-box concealed somewhere under the
chariot played a lively march tune which was in
striking contrast with the dragging movement of the
- principal [´prinsəpəl]
a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词) - mission [´miʃən] n.代表团；使馆vt.派遣 (初中英语单词)
- consult [kən´sʌlt] v.商量；磋商；请教 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- convenient [kən´vi:niənt] a.方便的 (初中英语单词)
- conductor [kən´dʌktə] n.指导者；向导者 (初中英语单词)
- doorway [´dɔ:wei] n.门口 (初中英语单词)
- peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)
- curiously [´kjuəriəsli] ad.好奇地；稀奇古怪地 (初中英语单词)
- peaceful [´pi:sfəl] a.和平的；平静的 (初中英语单词)
- occupation [,ɔkju´peiʃən] a.职业的；军事占领的 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- reality [ri´æliti] n.现实(性)；真实；逼真 (初中英语单词)
- welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
- stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- talented [´tæləntid] a.天才的；能干的 (初中英语单词)
- backward [´bækwəd] ad.向后 a.向后的 (初中英语单词)
- everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)
- entertain [,entə´tein] vt.招待；娱乐；使高兴 (初中英语单词)
- dragon [´drægən] n.龙 (初中英语单词)
- sharply [´ʃɑ:pli] ad.锋利地；剧烈地 (初中英语单词)
- likewise [´laikwaiz] ad.同样地；也，又 (初中英语单词)
- supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)
- invention [in´venʃən] n.创造；发明；虚构 (初中英语单词)
- button [´bʌtn] n.钮扣 vt.扣上(扣子) (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- lively [´laivli] a.活泼的；热烈的 (初中英语单词)
- contrast [´kɔntrɑ:st] n.对比 v.使对比(照) (初中英语单词)
- movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)
- approval [ə´pru:vəl] n.赞成，批准，认可 (高中英语单词)
- throng [θrɔŋ] n.群众 v.拥挤；群集 (高中英语单词)
- contented [kən´tentid] a.满足的；心满意足的 (高中英语单词)
- countless [´kauntlis] a.无数的 (高中英语单词)
- geography [dʒi´ɔgrəfi] n.地理(学) (高中英语单词)
- magician [mə´dʒiʃən] n.魔法师；妖道；术士 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- rumble [´rʌmbəl] v.(使)隆隆响 n.隆隆声 (高中英语单词)
- shrill [ʃril] a.(声音)尖锐的 (高中英语单词)
- clumsy [´klʌmzi] a.笨拙的；粗俗的 (高中英语单词)
- chariot [´tʃæriət] n.古时双轮战车 (高中英语单词)
- wizard [´wizəd] n.术士；男巫 (英语四级单词)
- thistle [´θisəl] n.蓟 (英语四级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- biting [´baitiŋ] a.刺痛的；尖利的 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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