Изумрудный город страны Оз
1. How the Nome King Became Angry
"I’velostmyMagicBelt.AlittlegirlnamedDorothy,whowasherewithOzmaofOz,stolemyBeltandcarrieditawaywithher,"saidtheKing,grindinghisteethwithrage.
"Shecaptureditinafairfight,"Kalikoventuredtosay.
"ButIwantit!Imusthaveit!HalfmypowerisgonewiththatBelt!"roaredtheKing.
"YouwillhavetogototheLandofOztorecoverit,andyourMajestycan’tgettotheLandofOzinanypossibleway,"saidtheSteward,yawningbecausehehadbeenondutyninety-sixhours,andwassleepy.
"Whynot?"askedtheKing.
"Becausethereisadeadlydesertallaroundthatfairycountry,whichnooneisabletocross.YouknowthatfactaswellasIdo,yourMajesty.NevermindthelostBelt.Youhaveplentyofpowerleft,foryourulethisundergroundkingdomlikeatyrant,andthousandsofNomesobeyyourcommands.Iadviseyoutodrinkaglassofmeltedsilver,toquietyournerves,andthengotobed."
TheKinggrabbedabigrubyandthrewitatKaliko’shead.TheStewardduckedtoescapetheheavyjewel,whichcrashedagainstthedoorjustoverhisleftear.
"Getoutofmysight!Vanish!Goaway--andsendGeneralBlughere,"screamedtheNomeKing.
Kalikohastilywithdrew,andtheNomeKingstampedupanddownuntiltheGeneralofhisarmiesappeared.
ThisNomewasknownfarandwideasaterriblefighterandacruel,desperatecommander.HehadfiftythousandNomesoldiers,allwelldrilled,whofearednothingbuttheirsternmaster.YetGeneralBlugwasatrifleuneasywhenhearrivedandsawhowangrytheNomeKingwas.
"Ha!Soyou’rehere!"criedtheKing.
