Волшебство страны Оз
16. The Glass Cat Finds the Black Bag
ThisactionmadetheWizardverypopularwiththegreatarmyofmonkeys,andwhentheGrayApeannouncedthattheWizardwantedtoborrowtwelvemonkeystotaketotheEmeraldCityforacoupleofweeks,andaskedforvolunteers,nearlyahundredofferedtogo,sogreatwastheirconfidenceinthelittlemanwhohadsavedtheircomrades.
TheWizardselectedadozenthatseemedintelligentandgood-tempered,andthenheopenedhisblackbagandtookoutaqueerlyshapeddishthatwassilverontheoutsideandgoldontheinside.Intothisdishhepouredapowderandsetfiretoit.Itmadeathicksmokethatquiteenvelopedthetwelvemonkeys,aswellastheformoftheWizard,butwhenthesmokeclearedawaythedishhadbeenchangedtoagoldencagewithsilverbars,andthetwelvemonkeyshadbecomeaboutthreeincheshighandwereallseatedcomfortablyinsidethecage.
ThethousandsofhairyanimalswhohadwitnessedthisactofmagicweremuchastonishedandapplaudedtheWizardbybarkingaloudandshakingthelimbsofthetreesinwhichtheysat.Dorothysaid:"Thatwasafinetrick,Wizard!"andtheGrayAperemarked:"YouarecertainlythemostwonderfulmagicianinalltheLandofOz!"
"Oh,no,"modestlyrepliedthelittleman."Glinda’smagicisbetterthanmine,butmineseemsgoodenoughtouseonordinaryoccasions.Andnow,Rango,wewillsaygood-bye,andIpromisetoreturnyourmonkeysashappyandsafeastheyarenow."
TheWizardrodeonthebackoftheHungryTigerandcarriedthecageofmonkeysverycarefully,soasnottojogglethem