有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第20卷 第2章

After a time the ladder was finished. Itlooked clumsy, but the Tin Woodman was sure it was strong and would answertheir purpose. The Scarecrow waked Dorothy and the Lion and Toto, and told themthat the ladder was ready. The Scarecrow climbed up the ladder first, but hewas so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind and keep him fromfalling off. When he got his head over the top of the wall the Scarecrow said,“Oh, my!”

“Go on,” exclaimed Dorothy.

So the Scarecrow climbed farther up and satdown on the top of the wall, and Dorothy put her head over and cried, “Oh, my!”just as the Scarecrow had done.

Then Toto came up, and immediately began tobark, but Dorothy made him be still.

The Lion climbed the ladder next, and theTin Woodman came last; but both of them cried, “Oh, my!” as soon as they lookedover the wall. When they were all sitting in a row on the top of the wall, theylooked down and saw a strange sight.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第20卷 第3章

Before them was a great stretch of countryhaving a floor as smooth and shining and white as the bottom of a big platter.Scattered around were many houses made entirely of china and painted in thebrightest colors. These houses were quite small, the biggest of them reachingonly as high as Dorothy’s waist. There were also pretty little barns, withchina fences around them; and many cows and sheep and horses and pigs andchickens, all made of china, were standing about in groups.

But the strangest of all were the peoplewho lived in this queer country. There were milkmaids and shepherdesses, withbrightly colored bodices and golden spots all over their gowns; and princesseswith most gorgeous frocks of silver and gold and purple; and shepherds dressedin knee breeches with pink and yellow and blue stripes down them, and goldenbuckles on their shoes; and princes with jeweled crowns upon their heads,wearing ermine robes and satin doublets; and funny clowns in ruffled gowns,with round red spots upon their cheeks and tall, pointed caps. And, strangestof all, these people were all made of china, even to their clothes, and were sosmall that the tallest of them was no higher than Dorothy’s knee.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第20卷 第1章

While the Woodman was making a ladder fromwood which he found in the forest Dorothy lay down and slept, for she was tiredby the long walk. The Lion also curled himself up to sleep and Toto lay besidehim.

The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while heworked, and said to him:

“I cannot think why this wall is here, norwhat it is made of.”

“Rest your brains and do not worry aboutthe wall,” replied the Woodman. “When we have climbed over it, we shall knowwhat is on the other side.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第19卷 第7章

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

The fourtravelers walked with ease through the trees until they came to the fartheredge of the wood. Then, to their surprise, they found before them a high wallwhich seemed to be made of white china. It was smooth, like the surface of adish, and higher than their heads.

“What shall wedo now?” asked Dorothy.

“I will make aladder,” said the Tin Woodman, “for we certainly must climb over the wall.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第19卷 第6章

“I believe Iwill try it myself,” said the Woodman, and shouldering his axe, he marched upto the first tree that had handled the Scarecrow so roughly. When a big branchbent down to seize him the Woodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it intwo. At once the tree began shaking all its branches as if in pain, and the TinWoodman passed safely under it.

“Come on!” heshouted to the others. “Be quick!” They all ran forward and passed under thetree without injury, except Toto, who was caught by a small branch and shakenuntil he howled. But the Woodman promptly chopped off the branch and set thelittle dog free.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第19卷 第5章

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

This did nothurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he looked rather dizzy whenDorothy picked him up.

“Here is anotherspace between the trees,” called the Lion.

“Let me try itfirst,” said the Scarecrow, “for it doesn’t hurt me to get thrown about.” Hewalked up to another tree, as he spoke, but its branches immediately seized himand tossed him back again.

“This isstrange,” exclaimed Dorothy. “What shall we do?”

“The trees seemto have made up their minds to fight us, and stop our journey,” remarked theLion.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第19卷 第4章

Dorothy saidnothing. Oz had not kept the promise he made her, but he had done his best, soshe forgave him. As he said, he was a good man, even if he was a bad Wizard.

The first day’sjourney was through the green fields and bright flowers that stretched aboutthe Emerald City on every side. They slept that night on the grass, withnothing but the stars over them; and they rested very well indeed.

In the morningthey traveled on until they came to a thick wood. There was no way of goingaround it, for it seemed to extend to the right and left as far as they couldsee; and, besides, they did not dare change the direction of their journey forfear of getting lost. So they looked for the place where it would be easiest toget into the forest.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第19卷 第3章

“City life doesnot agree with me at all,” remarked the Lion, as they walked along at a briskpace. “I have lost much flesh since I lived there, and now I am anxious for achance to show the other beasts how courageous I have grown.”

They now turnedand took a last look at the Emerald City. All they could see was a mass oftowers and steeples behind the green walls, and high up above everything thespires and dome of the Palace of Oz.

“Oz was not sucha bad Wizard, after all,” said the Tin Woodman, as he felt his heart rattlingaround in his breast.

“He knew how togive me brains, and very good brains, too,” said the Scarecrow.

“If Oz had takena dose of the same courage he gave me,” added the Lion, “he would have been abrave man.”

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第19卷 第2章

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

“I have been very kindly treated in yourlovely City, and everyone has been good to me. I cannot tell you how grateful Iam.”

“Don’t try, my dear,” he answered. “Weshould like to keep you with us, but if it is your wish to return to Kansas, Ihope you will find a way.” He then opened the gate of the outer wall, and theywalked forth and started upon their journey.

The sun shone brightly as our friendsturned their faces toward the Land of the South. They were all in the best ofspirits, and laughed and chatted together. Dorothy was once more filled withthe hope of getting home, and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were glad to beof use to her. As for the Lion, he sniffed the fresh air with delight andwhisked 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, barkingmerrily all the time.

有声英语少儿童话故事 绿野仙踪 第19卷 第1章

The next morning Dorothy kissed the prettygreen girl good-bye, and they all shook hands with the soldier with the greenwhiskers, who had walked with them as far as the gate. When the /ˈgɑ:diən/ of theGate saw them again he wondered greatly that they could leave the beautifulCity to get into new trouble. But he at once unlocked their spectacles, whichhe put back into the green box, and gave them many good wishes to carry withthem.

“You are now our ruler,” he said to theScarecrow; “so you must come back to us as soon as possible.”

“I certainly shall if I am able,” theScarecrow replied; “but I must help Dorothy to get home, first.”