Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз
2. The Glass City
"We’vegottocometothebottomsometime,"remarkedZeb,withadeepsigh."Wecan’tkeepfallingforever,youknow."
"Ofcoursenot,"saidDorothy."Wearesomewhereinthemiddleoftheearth,andthechancesarewe’llreachtheothersideofitbeforelong.Butit’sabighollow,isn’tit?"
"Awfulbig!"answeredtheboy.
"We’recomingtosomethingnow,"announcedthehorse.
Atthistheybothputtheirheadsoverthesideofthebuggyandlookeddown.Yes;therewaslandbelowthem;andnotsoveryfaraway,either.Buttheywerefloatingvery,veryslowly—soslowlythatitcouldnolongerbecalledafall—andthechildrenhadampletimetotakeheartandlookaboutthem.
Theysawalandscapewithmountainsandplains,lakesandrivers,verylikethoseupontheearth’ssurface;butallthescenewassplendidlycoloredbythevariegatedlightsfromthesixsuns.Hereandthereweregroupsofhousesthatseemedmadeofclearglass,becausetheysparkledsobrightly.
"I’msureweareinnodanger,"saidDorothy,inasobervoice."Wearefallingsoslowlythatwecan’tbedashedtopieceswhenweland,andthiscountrythatwearecomingtoseemsquitepretty."
"We’llnevergethomeagain,though!"declaredZeb,withagroan.
"Oh,I’mnotsosureofthat,"repliedthegirl."Butdon’tletusworryoversuchthings,Zeb;wecan’thelpourselvesjustnow,youknow,andI’vealwaysbeentoldit’sfoolishtoborrowtrouble."
Theboybecamesilent,havingnoreplytososensibleaspeech,andsoonbothwerefullyoccupiedinstaringatthestrangescenesspreadoutbelowthem.
