有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第12章

So the Woodman took his axe and began to chopdown small trees to make a raft, and while he was busy at this the Scarecrowfound on the riverbank a tree full of fine fruit. This pleased Dorothy, who hadeaten nothing but nuts all day, and she made a hearty meal of the ripe fruit.

But it takes time to make a raft, even when oneis as industrious and untiring as the Tin Woodman, and when night came the workwas not done. So they found a cozy place under the trees where they slept welluntil the morning; and Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City, and of the goodWizard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第11章

This adventure made the travelersmore anxious than ever to get out of the forest, and they walked so fast thatDorothy became tired, and had to ride on the Lion’s back. To their great joythe trees became thinner the farther they advanced, and in the afternoon theysuddenly came upon a broad river, flowing swiftly just before them. On theother side of the water they could see the road of yellow brick running througha beautiful country, with green meadows dotted with bright flowers and all theroad bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits. They were greatlypleased to see this delightful country before them.

“How shall we cross the river?”asked Dorothy.

“That is easily done,” repliedthe Scarecrow. “The Tin Woodman must build us a raft, so we can float to theother side.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第10章

“Wait a minute!” called the Scarecrow. He hadbeen thinking what was best to be done, and now he asked the Woodman to chopaway the end of the tree that rested on the other side of the ditch. The TinWoodman began to use his axe at once, and, just as the two Kalidahs were nearlyacross, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarlingbrutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at thebottom.

“Well,” said the Cowardly Lion,drawing a long breath of relief, “I see we are going to live a little whilelonger, and I am glad of it, for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not tobe alive. Those creatures frightened me so badly that my heart is beating yet.”

“Ah,” said the Tin Woodman /ˈsædli/,“I wish I had a heart to beat.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第9章

So Dorothy went first, holdingToto in her arms, the Tin Woodman followed, and the Scarecrow came next. TheLion, although he was certainly afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and thenhe gave so loud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrowfell over backward, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and looked athim in surprise.

But, seeing they were bigger thanthe Lion, and remembering that there were two of them and only one of him, theKalidahs again rushed forward, and the Lion crossed over the tree and turned tosee what they would do next. Without stopping an instant the fierce beasts alsobegan to cross the tree. And the Lion said to Dorothy:

“We are lost, for they willsurely tear us into pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me,and I will fight them as long as I am alive.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第8章

“That is a first-rate idea,” saidthe Lion. “One would almost suspect you had brains in your head, instead ofstraw.”

The Woodman set to work at once,and so sharp was his axe that the tree was soon chopped nearly through. Thenthe Lion put his strong front legs against the tree and pushed with all hismight, and slowly the big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch,with its top branches on the other side.

They had just started to crossthis queer bridge when a sharp growl made them all look up, and to their horrorthey saw running toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears and headslike tigers.

“They are the Kalidahs!” said theCowardly Lion, beginning to tremble.

“Quick!” cried the Scarecrow.“Let us cross over.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第7章

“They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bearsand heads like tigers,” replied the Lion, “and with claws so long and sharpthat they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I’m terriblyafraid of the Kalidahs.”

“I’m not surprised that you are,”returned Dorothy. “They must be dreadful beasts.”

The Lion was about to reply whensuddenly they came to another gulf across the road. But this one was so broadand deep that the Lion knew at once he could not leap across it.

So they sat down to consider whatthey should do, and after serious thought the Scarecrow said:

“Here is a great tree, standingclose to the ditch. If the Tin Woodman can chop it down, so that it will fallto the other side, we can walk across it easily.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第6章

Dorothy thought she would go next; so she tookToto in her arms and climbed on the Lion’s back, holding tightly to his manewith one hand. The next moment it seemed as if she were flying through theair; and then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the otherside.

The Lion went back a third time and got the TinWoodman, and then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chanceto rest, for his great leaps had made his breath short, and he panted like abig dog that has been running too long. They found the forest very thickon this side, and it looked dark and gloomy. After the Lion had rested theystarted along the road of yellow brick, silently wondering, each in his ownmind, if ever they would come to the end of the woods and reach the brightsunshine again. To add to their discomfort, they soon heard strange noises inthe depths of the forest, and the Lion whispered to them that it was in thispart of the country that the Kalidahs lived. “What are the Kalidahs?” asked thegirl.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第5章

“I am terribly afraid of falling,myself,” said the Cowardly Lion, “but I suppose there is nothing to do but tryit. So get on my back and we will make the attempt.”

The Scarecrow sat upon the Lion’sback, and the big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down.

“Why don’t you run and jump?”asked the Scarecrow.

“Because that isn’t the way weLions do these things,” he replied. Then giving a great spring, he shot throughthe air and landed safely on the other side. They were all greatly pleased tosee how easily he did it, and after the Scarecrow had got down from his backthe Lion sprang across the ditch again.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第4章

But the Scarecrow said, “Wecannot fly, that is certain. Neither can we climb down into this great ditch.Therefore, if we cannot jump over it, we must stop where we are.”

“I think I could jump over it,”said the Cowardly Lion, after measuring the distance carefully in his mind.

“Then we are all right,” answeredthe Scarecrow, “for you can carry us all over on your back, one at a time.”

“Well, I’ll try it,” said theLion. “Who will go first?”

“I will,” declared the Scarecrow,“for, if you found that you could not jump over the gulf, Dorothy would bekilled, or the Tin Woodman badly dented on the rocks below. But if I am on yourback it will not matter so much, for the fall would not hurt me at all.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第7卷 第3章

When it was daylight, the girlbathed her face in a little rippling brook, and soon after they all startedtoward the Emerald City.

This was to be an eventful dayfor the travelers. They had hardly been walking an hour when they saw beforethem a great ditch that crossed the road and divided the forest as far as theycould see on either side. It was a very wide ditch, and when they crept up tothe edge and looked into it they could see it was also very deep, and therewere many big, jagged rocks at the bottom. The sides were so steep that none ofthem could climb down, and for a moment it seemed that their journey must end.

“What shall we do?” asked Dorothydespairingly.

“I haven’t the faintest idea,”said the Tin Woodman, and the Lion shook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful.