Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз

           "Woogh!"snarledEureka,archingherbackuntilherhairstoodstraightonend;"it’sdenofalligators,orcrocodiles,orsomeotherdreadfulcreatures!Don’tyouseetheirterribleeyes?"

           "Eurekaseesbetterinthedarkthanwecan,"whisperedDorothy."Tellus,dear,whatdothecreatureslooklike?"sheasked,addressingherpet.

           "Isimplycan’tdescribe’em,"answeredthekitten,shuddering."Theireyesarelikepie-platesandtheirmouthslikecoal-scuttles.Buttheirbodiesdon’tseemverybig."

           "Wherearethey?"enquiredthegirl.

           "Theyareinlittlepocketsallaroundtheedgeofthiscavern.Oh,Dorothy—youcan’timaginewhathorridthingstheyare!They’reuglierthantheGargoyles."

           "Tut-tut!becarefulhowyoucriticiseyourneighbors,"spokearaspingvoicenearby."Asamatteroffactyouareratherugly-lookingcreaturesyourselves,andI’msuremotherhasoftentoldusweweretheloveliestandprettiestthingsinalltheworld."

           Hearingthesewordsourfriendsturnedinthedirectionofthesound,andtheWizardheldhislanternssothattheirlightwouldfloodoneofthelittlepocketsintherock.

           "Why,it’sadragon!"heexclaimed.

           "No,"answeredtheownerofthebigyelloweyeswhichwereblinkingatthemsosteadily;"youarewrongaboutthat.Wehopetogrowtobedragonssomeday,butjustnowwe’reonlydragonettes."

           "What’sthat?"askedDorothy,gazingfearfullyatthegreatscaleyhead,theyawningmouthandthebigeyes.

           "Youngdragons,ofcourse;butwearenotallowedtocallourselvesrealdragonsuntilwegetourfullgrowth,"wasthereply.