Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз
3. The Arrival of the Wizard
Andso,onebyone,theninetinypigletswerepushedtogetheruntilbutasingleoneofthecreaturesremained.ThistheWizardplacedunderneathhishatandmadeamysticsignaboveit.Whenheremovedhishatthelastpiglethaddisappearedentirely.
Thelittlemangaveabowtothesilentthrongthathadwatchedhim,andthenthePrincesaid,inhiscold,calmvoice:
"YouareindeedawonderfulWizard,andyourpowersaregreaterthanthoseofmySorcerer."
"HewillnotbeawonderfulWizardlong,"remarkedGwig.
"Whynot?"enquiredtheWizard.
"BecauseIamgoingtostopyourbreath,"wasthereply."Iperceivethatyouarecuriouslyconstructed,andthatifyoucannotbreatheyoucannotkeepalive."
Thelittlemanlookedtroubled.
"Howlongwillittakeyoutostopmybreath?"heasked.
"Aboutfiveminutes.I’mgoingtobeginnow.Watchmecarefully."
HebeganmakingqueersignsandpassestowardtheWizard;butthelittlemandidnotwatchhimlong.Instead,hedrewaleatherncasefromhispocketandtookfromitseveralsharpknives,whichhejoinedtogether,oneafteranother,untiltheymadealongsword.Bythetimehehadattachedahandletothisswordhewashavingmuchtroubletobreathe,asthecharmoftheSorcererwasbeginningtotakeeffect.
SotheWizardlostnomoretime,butleapingforwardheraisedthesharpsword,whirleditonceortwicearoundhishead,andthengaveamightystrokethatcutthebodyoftheSorcererexactlyintwo
