登陆注册
15454300000039

第39章 Attacked by the Fighting Trees

The next morning Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good-bye, and they all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers, who had walked with them as far as the gate. When the Guardian of the Gate saw them again he wondered greatly that they could leave the beautiful City to get into new trouble. But he at once unlocked their spectacles, which he put back into the green box, and gave them many good wishes to carry with them.

"You are now our ruler," he said to the Scarecrow;"so you must come back to us as soon as possible."

"I certainly shall if I am able," the Scarecrow replied;"but I must help Dorothy to get home, first."

As Dorothy bade the good-natured Guardian a last farewell she said:

"I have been very kindly treated in your lovely City, and everyone has been good to me. I cannot tell you how grateful I am."

"Don't try, my dear," he answered. "We should like to keep you with us, but if it is your wish to return to Kansas, I hope you will find a way." He then opened the gate of the outer wall, and they walked forth and started upon their journey.

The sun shone brightly as our friends turned their faces toward the Land of the South. They were all in the best of spirits, and laughed and chatted together. Dorothy was once more filled with the hope of getting home, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to be of use to her. As for the Lion, he sniffed the fresh air with delight and whisked his tail from side to side in pure joy at being in the country again, while Toto ran around them and chased the moths and butterflies, barking merrily all the time.

"City life does not agree with me at all," remarked the Lion, as they walked along at a brisk pace. "I have lost much flesh since I lived there, and now I am anxious for a chance to show the other beasts how courageous I have grown."

They now turned and took a last look at the Emerald City.

All they could see was a mass of towers and steeples behind the green walls, and high up above everything the spires and dome of the Palace of Oz.

"Oz was not such a bad Wizard, after all," said the Tin Woodman, as he felt his heart rattling around in his breast.

"He knew how to give me brains, and very good brains, too," said the Scarecrow.

"If Oz had taken a dose of the same courage he gave me," added the Lion, "he would have been a brave man."

Dorothy said nothing. Oz had not kept the promise he made her, but he had done his best, so she forgave him. As he said, he was a good man, even if he was a bad Wizard.

The first day's journey was through the green fields and bright flowers that stretched about the Emerald City on every side.

They slept that night on the grass, with nothing but the stars over them; and they rested very well indeed.

In the morning they traveled on until they came to a thick wood.

There was no way of going around it, for it seemed to extend to the right and left as far as they could see; and, besides, they did not dare change the direction of their journey for fear of getting lost.

So they looked for the place where it would be easiest to get into the forest.

The Scarecrow, who was in the lead, finally discovered a big tree with such wide-spreading branches that there was room for the party to pass underneath. So he walked forward to the tree, but just as he came under the first branches they bent down and twined around him, and the next minute he was raised from the ground and flung headlong among his fellow travelers.

This did not hurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he looked rather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.

"Here is another space between the trees," called the Lion.

"Let me try it first," said the Scarecrow, "for it doesn't hurt me to get thrown about." He walked up to another tree, as he spoke, but its branches immediately seized him and tossed him back again.

"This is strange," exclaimed Dorothy. "What shall we do?"

"The trees seem to have made up their minds to fight us, and stop our journey," remarked the Lion.

"I believe I will try it myself," said the Woodman, and shouldering his axe, he marched up to the first tree that had handled the Scarecrow so roughly. When a big branch bent down to seize him the Woodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it in two.

At once the tree began shaking all its branches as if in pain, and the Tin Woodman passed safely under it.

"Come on!" he shouted to the others. "Be quick!" They all ran forward and passed under the tree without injury, except Toto, who was caught by a small branch and shaken until he howled.

But the Woodman promptly chopped off the branch and set the little dog free.

The other trees of the forest did nothing to keep them back, so they made up their minds that only the first row of trees could bend down their branches, and that probably these were the policemen of the forest, and given this wonderful power in order to keep strangers out of it.

The four travelers walked with ease through the trees until they came to the farther edge of the wood. Then, to their surprise, they found before them a high wall which seemed to be made of white china.

It was smooth, like the surface of a dish, and higher than their heads.

"What shall we do now?" asked Dorothy.

"I will make a ladder," said the Tin Woodman, "for we certainly must climb over the wall."

同类推荐
  • 炽盛光道场念诵仪

    炽盛光道场念诵仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大八义

    大八义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 戏曲考源

    戏曲考源

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 一切如来正法秘密箧印心陀罗尼经

    一切如来正法秘密箧印心陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 三弥底部

    三弥底部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 青春本无怨

    青春本无怨

    在这个拼爹的年代,青春本该奋斗,无怨无悔。既然你们都是富二代,那我就努力成为富一代,让我儿子成为富二代——因为我是赵传奇。
  • 傲娇王妃,萌萌哒

    傲娇王妃,萌萌哒

    她是现代的孤女,十岁那年经历了一场噩梦,继而被孤立。一个偶然她来到了一个陌生的国度,与腹黑王爷,风度翩翩的,盟主,温文儒雅的师傅,忠心耿耿的杀手展开了一段怎样的爱恨情仇。
  • 重生之直播外挂

    重生之直播外挂

    夏天是一个技术宅也是一个游戏发烧友,他重生到一个游戏行业发展缓慢的平行世界。他靠着向观众直播游戏外挂,赚取了自己的学费和第一桶金。记者:夏先生,是什么原因让你成为今天的世界游戏大亨呢?夏天:以前的时候玩游戏开外挂,会被封号。现在我玩自己的游戏,谁敢封我号?他创办了最好的动画公司,最好的电影公司,最好的电脑公司......一切都在改变,唯一不变的是他那颗单纯丶快乐的心。
  • 终极系列之综漫穿越

    终极系列之综漫穿越

    次书是作者的处女作不喜勿入!本书群号:276061813
  • 帝王重生之守护者

    帝王重生之守护者

    数十年后,龙逸重生了。他原本是元灵大陆的顶尖强者,却陨落在绝魔山脉,到底是纯属意外还是他人阴谋。
  • 甜甜爱:这个大叔有点儿冷

    甜甜爱:这个大叔有点儿冷

    我个是模样周正,身心健全,无不良嗜好与习惯,有点儿小钱和小自由的90后。虽然有点儿调皮,又喜欢干了些不痛不痒的小坏事儿,唯一的美中不足,有点儿寂寞。所以有一天我喝了点儿酒,想叛逆一下,没想到后果十分严重。这简直是一杯葡萄酒引发的惨案!不过嘛!小命儿虽然差点儿没保住,我却收获一冷酷猛男帅哥。没办法,谁让我作为一现代姑娘,就不怕女追男呢?
  • 逆弑神尊

    逆弑神尊

    十五年前,他携金玉逆运而生,惨遭天噬,半身不遂;十五年后,他获金玉造化,命格大改,强势逆袭。什么阴谋小人家族争,什么父辈恩怨宗门情,什么天地劫难气运存,只要他韩凡愿意去做,那么这些都只是过眼云烟。逆运?这只是个机遇,劫难?这只是个挑战,且看他如何踏破苍穹之巅,夺得天地之宰,筑造神尊之躯。
  • 感动青少年的100个感恩祖国故事

    感动青少年的100个感恩祖国故事

    这套感恩书系正是我们需要的心灵“慧眼”,它像一架显微镜,于平凡的生活小故事中让我们发现爱的真谛;它是一块点金石,让我们在普通生活的点滴中发现爱的璀璨光芒;它是一台心灵的热感仪,无论多么细微或深沉的爱和善良,它都可以敏锐地帮助我们感触到。阅读了它,我们就可以从批评中品享到关切;阅读了它,我们就可以从轻轻的埋怨中体味到温暖和幸福;阅读了它,我们就可以在霜雪中眺望到春天的阳光;阅读了它,我们就可以在风雨中意想到彩虹的华美。
  • 海外营销:网商成功之道

    海外营销:网商成功之道

    2008年以来的经济危机让中国制造业面临了更加难以掌控的局面。中国制造业是出口转内销,还是打造海外自主品牌成为一个两难的选择。但是真正的问题在于出口转内销面临怎样的困境,以及海外发展应当遵循怎样的路径,解决了这两个问题,做出选择应当是水到渠成的事情。本书通过分析当前经济形势、挖掘新经济形势下市场内在的传统营销学本质,通过品牌、销售、供应链3条主线整体阐述了数字营销与传统营销整合中的全球化品牌之路。力求能为传统制造业寻求新的蓝海战略,避免过度激烈的竞争提供理论参考。
  • 荒漠雏鹰

    荒漠雏鹰

    一件旷世珍宝,引发了一场追逐,每个人都各怀心腹事,看似简单的事情表面却不是我们所看到的那样风平浪静,究竟是谁在背后操控着这一切?究竟结局又会怎样的出乎意料?