Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз

           "Whatanawfulfight!"saidDorothy,catchingherbreathinlittlegasps.

           "Oh,Idon’tknow,"purredEureka,smoothingherruffledfurwithherpaw;"wedidn’tmanagetohurtanybody,andnobodymanagedtohurtus."

           "Thankgoodnesswearetogetheragain,evenifweareprisoners,"sighedthelittlegirl.

           "Iwonderwhytheydidn’tkillusonthespot,"remarkedZeb,whohadlosthiskinginthestruggle.

           "Theyareprobablykeepingusforsomeceremony,"theWizardanswered,reflectively;"butthereisnodoubttheyintendtokillusasdeadaspossibleinashorttime."

           "Asdeadasposs’blewouldbeprettydead,wouldn’tit?"askedDorothy.

           "Yes,mydear.Butwehavenoneedtoworryaboutthatjustnow.Letusexamineourprisonandseewhatitislike."

           Thespaceunderneaththeroof,wheretheystood,permittedthemtoseeonallsidesofthetallbuilding,andtheylookedwithmuchcuriosityatthecityspreadoutbeneaththem.Everythingvisiblewasmadeofwood,andthesceneseemedstiffandextremelyunnatural.

           Fromtheirplatformastairdescendedintothehouse,andthechildrenandtheWizardexploreditafterlightingalanterntoshowthemtheway.Severalstoriesofemptyroomsrewardedtheirsearch,butnothingmore;soafteratimetheycamebacktotheplatformagain.Hadtherebeenanydoorsorwindowsinthelowerrooms,orhadnottheboardsofthehousebeensothickandstout,escapecouldhavebeeneasy;buttoremaindownbelowwaslikebeinginacellarortheholdofaship,andtheydidnotlikethedarknessorthedampsmell.