登陆注册
15474200000020

第20章 Chapter Nine The High Coco-Lorum of Thi(2)

"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 countless thistles, 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 Ihave 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 talented magician 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 Iadvise 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 biting dragon 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.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 这样求人最有效

    这样求人最有效

    求人不仅是一种简单的人际行为,它更是一种建立在心理学、行为学、社会学等基础上的成事方法。本书告诉读者如何求人最有效,包括求人基本功、求助于亲人、求助于朋友、求助于领导、求助于下属、求助于陌生人等。
  • 明月白衣伴伊归

    明月白衣伴伊归

    幸同根,恨同源,忆平声六载孤年,继余生再续前缘。
  • 我的女王是财迷

    我的女王是财迷

    虽然她有点坑,不仅各种暴力,还财迷……但是没办法,他就是喜欢被她使唤,就是喜欢她见钱眼开的模样……
  • 人兽之争,上天不公

    人兽之争,上天不公

    是说主人公鳞云天从沉睡中醒来,坠入人间,并在人间的成长经历,明白了人与兽的战争的残酷,并努力让人类与兽类和平相处,找回自己身世的故事。
  • 龙族的复仇

    龙族的复仇

    三百年前,人、妖、魔、龙,四族大战,三族和打龙族,故而被灭。三百年后,龙族最后一位皇子,强势回归,立誓要灭了人、妖、魔三族,为龙族报仇。修炼等级:武者、武师、大武师、武君、武宗、武王、武皇、武尊、武帝。
  • 故事系

    故事系

    这是我的故事系列。故事很多,总有和你相似的。
  • 仙尘奇谭

    仙尘奇谭

    凡尘诚难尽,仙缘最飘渺,霞举飞升日,逍遥游九霄。为拯救挚爱之人,云少鸿起于毫末,游方万里,寻觅仙踪,辗转仙尘,与天争,与地斗,仙路迢迢,奇侠决胜。读者群:375824996—新书不易,跪求推荐、收藏各种支持,零克拜谢了!
  • THE NEW MAGDALEN

    THE NEW MAGDALEN

    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。
  • 鹰翼无级

    鹰翼无级

    兽魂大陆,人一旦达到悟气的瓶颈,就会融合魂兽的灵魂,成为一名兽魂士。吴极,被一户农家收养的孩子,却具有这个大路上最惊艳的天赋,先天鹰魂。但是,前期的修炼并不顺利,不知身世,被人羞辱,后先天鹰魂觉醒,却因为强人贪婪自己的先天鹰魂而屡遭追杀。为了查清自己的身世,帮助自己和自己的师父复仇,吴极从一只幼小的雏鹰开始,迎着大陆上的血雨腥风,艰难的成长,终于找到了自己的杀父仇人,并站在了世界的最高峰!融合兽魂,兽魂技,兽魂变,神秘的炼魂师,各种各样的魂兽......一个崭新的大陆,一个崭新的传奇!
  • A JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR

    A JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR

    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。