Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз
9. They Fight the Invisible Bears
"IfIcouldseeyouIamsureyouwouldbebeautiful,"shedeclared.
Thegirllaughed,andhermothersaid:
"WearenotvainintheValleyofVoe,becausewecannotdisplayourbeauty,andgoodactionsandpleasantwaysarewhatmakeuslovelytoourcompanions.Yetwecanseeandappreciatethebeautiesofnature,thedaintyflowersandtrees,thegreenfieldsandtheclearblueofthesky."
"Howaboutthebirdsandbeastsandfishes?"askedZeb.
"Thebirdswecannotsee,becausetheylovetoeatofthedamasasmuchaswedo;yetweheartheirsweetsongsandenjoythem.Neithercanweseethecruelbears,fortheyalsoeatthefruit.Butthefishesthatswiminourbrookswecansee,andoftenwecatchthemtoeat."
"Itoccurstomeyouhaveagreatdealtomakeyouhappy,evenwhileinvisible,"remarkedtheWizard."Nevertheless,weprefertoremainvisiblewhileweareinyourvalley."
JustthenEurekacamein,forshehadbeenuntilnowwanderingoutsidewithJim;andwhenthekittensawthetablesetwithfoodshecriedout:
"Nowyoumustfeedme,Dorothy,forI’mhalfstarved."
Thechildrenwereinclinedtobefrightenedbythesightofthesmallanimal,whichremindedthemofthebears;butDorothyreassuredthembyexplainingthatEurekawasapetandcoulddonoharmevenifshewishedto.Then,astheothershadbythistimemovedawayfromthetable,thekittenspranguponthechairandputherpawsupontheclothtoseewhattherewastoeat.Tohersurpriseanunseenhandclutchedherandheldhersuspendedintheair.
