Волшебство страны Оз
16. The Glass Cat Finds the Black Bag
ThenshelookedaroundfortheWizardandseeinghimseateduponthestumpshehidtheblackbagamongsomeleavesandthenwentovertowheretheWizardsat.
"Iforgottotellyou,"saidtheGlassCat,"thatTrotandCap’nBillareintrouble,andIcameheretohuntyouupandgetyoutogoandrescuethem."
"Goodgracious,Cat!Whydidn’tyoutellmebefore?"exclaimedtheWizard.
"ForthereasonthatIfoundsomuchexcitementherethatIforgotTrotandCap’nBill."
"What’swrongwiththem?"askedtheWizard.
ThentheGlassCatexplainedhowtheyhadgonetogettheMagicFlowerforOzma’sbirthdaygiftandhadbeentrappedbythemagicofthequeerisland.TheWizardwasreallyalarmed,butheshookhisheadandsaidsadly:
"I’mafraidIcan’thelpmydearfriends,becauseI’velostmyblackbag."
"IfIfindit,willyougotothem?"askedthecreature.
"Ofcourse,"repliedtheWizard."ButIdonotthinkthataGlassCatwithnothingbutpinkbrainscansucceedwhenalltherestofushavefailed."
"Don’tyouadmiremypinkbrains?"demandedtheCat.
"They’repretty,"admittedtheWizard,"butthey’renotregularbrains,youknow,andsowedon’texpectthemtoamounttomuch."
"ButifIfindyourblackbag—andfinditinsideoffiveminutes—willyouadmitmypinkbrainsarebetterthanyourcommonhumanbrains?"
"Well,I’lladmitthey’rebetterHUNTERS,"saidtheWizard,reluctantly,"butyoucan’tdoit.We’vesearchedeverywhere,andtheblackbagisn’ttobefound."
"Thatshowshowmuchyouknow!"retortedtheGlassCat,scornfully.
