Волшебство страны Оз
13. The Loss of the Black Bag
"
"Theworstthingofall,"saidtheWizard,"isthatmyBlackBagislost.ItdisappearedwhenIwastransformed.IfIcouldfinditIcouldeasilybreaktheseenchantmentsbymeansofmymagic,andwewouldresumeourownformsagain.WillyouhelpussearchfortheBlackBag,FriendCat?"
"Ofcourse,"repliedtheGlassCat."ButIexpectthestrangeMagiciancarrieditawaywithhim.Ifhe’samagician,heknowsyouneedthatBag,andperhapshe’safraidofyourmagic.Sohe’sprobablytakentheBagwithhim,andyouwon’tseeitagainunlessyoufindtheMagician."
"Thatsoundsreasonable,"remarkedtheLamb,whichwasDorothy."Thosepinkbrainsofyoursseemtobeworkingprettywellto-day."
"IftheGlassCatisright,"saidtheWizardinasolemnvoice,"there’smoretroubleaheadofus.ThatMagicianisdangerous,andifwegonearhimhemaytransformusintoshapesnotasniceasthese."
"Idon’tseehowwecouldbeanyWORSEoff,"growledGugu,whowasindignantbecausehewasforcedtoappearintheformofafatwoman.
"Anyway,"saidtheCowardlyLion,"ourbestplanistofindtheMagicianandtrytogettheBlackBagfromhim.Wemaymanagetostealit,orperhapswecanarguehimintogivingittous."
"WhynotfindtheGoose,first?"askedDorothy."TheGoosewillbeangryattheMagician,andhemaybeabletohelpus."
"Thatisn’tabadidea,"returnedtheWizard."Comeon,Friends;let’sfindthatGoose.Wewillseparateandsearchindifferentdirections,andthefirsttofindtheGoosemustbringhimhere,wherewewillallmeetagaininanhour."