Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз

           Canyoumatchthatpedigree,littlegirl?"

           "Well,"saidDorothy,"IwasbornonafarminKansas,andIguessthat’sbeingjustas’spectableandhaughtyaslivinginacavewithyourtailtiedtoarock.Ifitisn’tI’llhavetostandit,that’sall."

           "Tastesdiffer,"murmuredthedragonette,slowlydroopingitsscaleyeyelidsoveritsyelloweyes,untiltheylookedlikehalf-moons.

           Beingreassuredbythefactthatthecreaturescouldnotcrawloutoftheirrock-pockets,thechildrenandtheWizardnowtooktimetoexaminethemmoreclosely.Theheadsofthedragonetteswereasbigasbarrelsandcoveredwithhard,greenishscalesthatglitteredbrightlyunderthelightofthelanterns.Theirfrontlegs,whichgrewjustbackoftheirheads,werealsostrongandbig;buttheirbodiesweresmalleraroundthantheirheads,anddwindledawayinalonglineuntiltheirtailswereslimasashoe-string.Dorothythought,ifithadtakenthemsixty-sixyearstogrowtothissize,thatitwouldbefullyahundredyearsmorebeforetheycouldhopetocallthemselvesdragons,andthatseemedlikeagoodwhiletowaittogrowup.

           "Itoccurstome,"saidtheWizard,"thatweoughttogetoutofthisplacebeforethemotherdragoncomesback."

           "Don’thurry,"calledoneofthedragonettes;"motherwillbegladtomeetyou,I’msure."

           "Youmayberight,"repliedtheWizard,"butwe’realittleparticularaboutassociatingwithstrangers.Willyoukindlytelluswhichwayyourmotherwenttogetontoptheearth?"

           "Thatisnotafairquestiontoaskus,"declaredanotherdragonette