Путешествие в Страну Оз
6. The City of Beasts
Prettysoontheycametoasignpostthatread:
"HAFAMYLETODUNKITON."
"Oh,"saidtheshaggyman,"ifthey’redonkeys,we’venothingtofearatall."
"Theymaykick,"saidDorothy,doubtfully.
"Thenwewillcutsomeswitches,andmakethembehave,"hereplied.Atthefirsttreehecuthimselfalong,slenderswitchfromoneofthebranches,andshorterswitchesfortheothers.
"Don’tbeafraidtoorderthebeastsaround,"hesaid;"they’reusedtoit."
Beforelongtheroadbroughtthemtothegatesofthecity.Therewasahighwallallaround,whichhadbeenwhitewashed,andthegatejustbeforeourtravelerswasamereopeninginthewall,withnobarsacrossit.Notowersorsteeplesordomesshowedabovetheenclosure,norwasanylivingthingtobeseenasourfriendsdrewnear.
Suddenly,astheywereabouttoboldlyenterthroughtheopening,therearoseaharshclamorofsoundthatswelledandechoedoneveryside,untiltheywerenearlydeafenedbytheracketandhadtoputtheirfingerstotheirearstokeepthenoiseout.
Itwaslikethefiringofmanycannon,onlytherewerenocannon-ballsorothermissilestobeseen;itwasliketherollingofmightythunder,onlynotacloudwasinthesky;itwasliketheroarofcountlessbreakersonaruggedseashore,onlytherewasnoseaorotherwateranywhereabout.
Theyhesitatedtoadvance;but,asthenoisedidnoharm,theyenteredthroughthewhitewashedwallandquicklydiscoveredthecauseoftheturmoil.
