Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз
4. The Vegetable Kingdom
Onsomeofthebushesmightbeseenabud,ablossom,ababy,ahalf-grownpersonandaripeone;buteventhosereadytopluckweremotionlessandsilent,asifdevoidoflife.ThissightexplainedtoDorothywhyshehadseennochildrenamongtheMangaboos,athingshehaduntilnowbeenunabletoaccountfor.
"Ourpeopledonotacquiretheirreallifeuntiltheyleavetheirbushes,"saidthePrince."Youwillnoticetheyareallattachedtotheplantsbythesolesoftheirfeet,andwhentheyarequiteripetheyareeasilyseparatedfromthestemsandatonceattainthepowersofmotionandspeech.Sowhiletheygrowtheycannotbesaidtoreallylive,andtheymustbepickedbeforetheycanbecomegoodcitizens."
"Howlongdoyoulive,afteryouarepicked?"askedDorothy.
"Thatdependsuponthecarewetakeofourselves,"hereplied."Ifwekeepcoolandmoist,andmeetwithnoaccidents,weoftenliveforfiveyears.I’vebeenpickedoversixyears,butourfamilyisknowntobeespeciallylonglived."
"Doyoueat?"askedtheboy.
"Eat!No,indeed.Wearequitesolidinsideourbodies,andhavenoneedtoeat,anymorethandoesapotato."
"Butthepotatoessometimessprout,"saidZeb.
"Andsometimeswedo,"answeredthePrince;"butthatisconsideredagreatmisfortune,forthenwemustbeplantedatonce."
"Wheredidyougrow?"askedtheWizard.
"Iwillshowyou,"wasthereply."Stepthisway,please."
Heledthemwithinanotherbutsmallercircleofhedge,wheregrewonelargeandbeautifulbush.
"This,"saidhe,"istheRoyalBushoftheMangaboos.
