Волшебство страны Оз
13. The Loss of the Black Bag
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"ButtheyrodeontheHungryTigerandtheCowardlyLion,"explainedToto,"andtheWizardcarriedhisBlackBagofMagicTools."
TheGlassCatknewtheGreatForestofGuguwell,forithadtraveledthroughthisforestmanytimesinitsjourneysthroughtheLandofOz.AnditreflectedthattheForestofGuguwasnearertotheIsleoftheMagicFlowerthantheEmeraldCitywas,andso,ifitcouldmanagetofindtheWizard,itcouldleadhimacrosstheGillikinCountrytowhereTrotandCap’nBillwereprisoned.Itwasawildcountryandlittletraveled,buttheGlassCatkneweverypath.Soverylittletimeneedbelost,afterall.
WithoutstoppingtoaskanymorequestionstheCatdartedoutofthepalaceandawayfromtheEmeraldCity,takingthemostdirectroutetotheForestofGugu.Againthecreatureflashedthroughthecountrylikeastreakoflight,anditwouldsurpriseyoutoknowhowquicklyitreachedtheedgeoftheGreatForest.
Therewerenomonkeyguardsamongthetreestocryoutawarning,andthiswassounusualthatitastonishedtheGlassCat.Goingfartherintotheforestitpresentlycameuponawolf,whichatfirstboundedawayinterror.Butthen,seeingitwasonlyaGlassCat,theWolfstopped,andtheCatcouldseeitwastrembling,asiffromaterriblefright.
"What’sthematter?"askedtheCat.
"AdreadfulMagicianhascomeamongus!"exclaimedtheWolf,"andhe’schangingtheformsofallthebeasts—quickasawink—andmakingthemallhisslaves."
TheGlassCatsmiledandsaid:
"Why,that’sonlytheWizardofOz.
