有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第12卷 第3章

The Emerald City was soon left far behind. As they advanced theground became rougher and hillier, for there were no farms nor houses in thiscountry of the West, and the ground was untilled.

In the afternoon the sun shone hot in their faces, for there wereno trees to offer them shade; so that before night Dorothy and Toto and theLion were tired, and lay down upon the grass and fell asleep, with the Woodmanand the Scarecrow keeping watch.

Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that was aspowerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere. So, as she sat in the doorof her castle, she happened to look around and saw Dorothy lying asleep, withher friends all about her. They were a long distance off, but the Wicked Witchwas angry to find them in her country; so she blew upon a silver whistle thathung around her neck. 

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第12卷 第2章

“Perhaps not,” said the Scarecrow, “for we mean to destroy her.”

“Oh, that is different,” said the /ˈgɑ:rdiən/ of the Gates. “No one has ever destroyed her before, so I naturally thought she would make slaves of you, as she has of the rest. But take care; for she is wicked and fierce, and may not allow you to destroy her. Keep to the West, where the sun sets, and you cannot fail to find her.”

They thanked him and bade him good-bye, and turned toward the West, walking over fields of soft grass dotted here and there with daisies and buttercups. Dorothy still wore the pretty silk dress she had put on in the palace, but now, to her surprise, she found it was no longer green, but pure white. The ribbon around Toto’s neck had also lost its green color and was as white as Dorothy’s dress.

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第12卷 第1章

The soldier with the green whiskers led them through the streets of the Emerald City until they reached the room where the /ˈgɑ:rdiən/ of the Gates lived. This officer unlocked their spectacles to put them back in his great box, and then he politely opened the gate for our friends.

“Which road leads to the Wicked Witch of the West?” asked Dorothy.

“There is no road,” answered the /ˈgɑ:rdiən/ of the Gates. “No one ever wishes to go that way.”

“How, then, are we to find her?” inquired the girl.

“That will be easy,” replied the man, “for when she knows you are in the country of the Winkies she will find you, and make you all her slaves.”

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第11卷 第27章

“I will go with you; but I’m too much of a coward to kill theWitch,” said the Lion.

“I will go too,” declared the Scarecrow; “but I shall not be ofmuch help to you, I am such a fool.”

“I haven’t the heart to harm even a Witch,” remarked the TinWoodman; “but if you go I certainly shall go with you.”

Therefore, it was decided to start upon their journey the nextmorning, and the Woodman sharpened his axe on a green grindstone and had allhis joints properly oiled. The Scarecrow stuffed himself with fresh straw andDorothy put new paint on his eyes that he might see better. The green girl, whowas very kind to them, filled Dorothy’s basket with good things to eat, andfastened a little bell around Toto’s neck with a green ribbon.

They went to bed quite early and slept soundlyuntil daylight, when they were awakened by the crowing of a green cock thatlived in the back yard of the Palace, and the cackling of a hen that had laid agreen egg.

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第11卷 第26章

“But suppose we cannot?” said the girl.

“Then I shall never have courage,” declared the Lion.

“And I shall never have brains,” added the Scarecrow.

“And I shall never have a heart,” spoke the Tin of Woodman.

“And I shall never see Aunt Em and Uncle Henry,” said Dorothy,beginning to cry.

“Be careful!” cried the green girl. “The tears will fall on yourgreen silk gown and spot it.”

So Dorothy dried her eyes and said, “I suppose we must try it; butI am sure I do not want to kill anybody, even to see Aunt Em again.”

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第11卷 第25章

The Ball of Fire burned fiercely for a time, and the voice said,“Bring me proof that the Wicked Witch is dead, and that moment I will give youcourage. But as long as the Witch lives, you must remain a coward.”

The Lion was angry at this speech, but could say nothing in reply,and while he stood silently gazing at the Ball of Fire it became so furiouslyhot that he turned tail and rushed from the room. He was glad to find hisfriends waiting for him, and told them of his terrible interview with theWizard.

“What shall we do now?” asked Dorothy sadly.

“There is only one thing we can do,” returned the Lion, “and thatis to go to the land of the Winkies, seek out the Wicked Witch, and destroyher.”

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第11卷 第24章

Then a low, quiet voice came from the Ball of Fire, and these werethe words it spoke:

“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seekme?”

And the Lion answered, “I am a Cowardly Lion, afraid ofeverything. I came to you to beg that you give me courage, so that in reality Imay become the King of Beasts, as men call me.”

“Why should I give you courage?” demanded Oz.

“Because of all Wizards you are the greatest, and alone have powerto grant my request,” answered the Lion.

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第11卷 第23章

The next morning the soldier with the green whiskers led the Lionto the great Throne Room and bade him enter the presence of Oz.

The Lion at once passed through the door, and glancing around saw,to his surprise, that before the throne was a Ball of Fire, so fierce andglowing he could scarcely bear to gaze upon it. His first thought was that Ozhad by accident caught on fire and was burning up; but when he tried to gonearer, the heat was so intense that it singed his whiskers, and he crept backtremblingly to a spot nearer the door.

有声英语童话故事 绿野仙踪 第11卷 第22章

They all wondered greatly at the many forms the Great Wizard couldtake upon himself, and the Lion said:

“If he is a Beast when I go to see him, I shall roar my loudest,and so frighten him that he will grant all I ask. And if he is the lovely Lady,I shall pretend to spring upon her, and so compel her to do my bidding. And ifhe is the great Head, he will be at my mercy; for I will roll this head allabout the room until he promises to give us what we desire. So be of goodcheer, my friends, for all will yet be well.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第11卷 第21章

Oz gave a low growl at this, but said, gruffly: “If you indeeddesire a heart, you must earn it.”

“How?” asked the Woodman.

“Help Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West,” replied theBeast. “When the Witch is dead, come to me, and I will then give you thebiggest and kindest and most loving heart in all the Land of Oz.”

So the Tin Woodman was forced to return sorrowfully to his friendsand tell them of the terrible Beast he had seen.