Озма из страны Оз
3. Letters in the Sand
Shetrampedacrossthesand,skirtingthefootofoneofthelittlerockyhillsthatstoodnear,andsoonreachedtheedgeoftheforest.
Atfirstshewasgreatlydisappointed,becausethenearertreeswereallpunita,orcotton-woodoreucalyptus,andborenofruitornutsatall.But,byeandbye,whenshewasalmostindespair,thelittlegirlcameupontwotreesthatpromisedtofurnishherwithplentyoffood.
Onewasquitefullofsquarepaperboxes,whichgrewinclustersonallthelimbs,anduponthebiggestandripestboxestheword"Lunch"couldberead,inneatraisedletters.Thistreeseemedtobearalltheyeararound,fortherewerelunch-boxblossomsonsomeofthebranches,andonotherstinylittlelunch-boxesthatwereasyetquitegreen,andevidentlynotfittoeatuntiltheyhadgrownbigger.
Theleavesofthistreewereallpapernapkins,anditpresentedaverypleasingappearancetothehungrylittlegirl.
Butthetreenexttothelunch-boxtreewasevenmorewonderful,foritborequantitiesoftindinner-pails,whichweresofullandheavythatthestoutbranchesbentunderneaththeirweight.Someweresmallanddark-brownincolor;thoselargerwereofadulltincolor;butthereallyripeoneswerepailsofbrighttinthatshoneandglistenedbeautifullyintheraysofsunshinethattouchedthem.
Dorothywasdelighted,andeventheyellowhenacknowledgedthatshewassurprised.
Thelittlegirlstoodontip-toeandpickedoneofthenicestandbiggestlunch-boxes,andthenshesatdownuponthegroundandeagerlyopenedit.
