Изумрудный город страны Оз
1. How the Nome King Became Angry
ThesapphirehittheGeneraluponhisforeheadandknockedhimflatupontheground,wherehelaymotionless.ThentheKingranghisgongandtoldhisguardstodragouttheGeneralandthrowhimaway;whichtheydid.
ThisNomeKingwasnamedRoquattheRed,andnoonelovedhim.Hewasabadmanandapowerfulmonarch,andhehadresolvedtodestroytheLandofOzanditsmagnificentEmeraldCity,toenslavePrincessOzmaandlittleDorothyandalltheOzpeople,andrecoverhisMagicBelt.ThissameBelthadonceenabledRoquattheRedtocarryoutmanywickedplans;butthatwasbeforeOzmaandherpeoplemarchedtotheundergroundcavernandcapturedit.TheNomeKingcouldnotforgiveDorothyorPrincessOzma,andhehaddeterminedtoberevengeduponthem.
Butthey,fortheirpart,didnotknowtheyhadsodangerousanenemy.Indeed,OzmaandDorothyhadbothalmostforgottenthatsuchapersonastheNomeKingyetlivedunderthemountainsoftheLandofEv--whichlayjustacrossthedeadlydeserttothesouthoftheLandofOz.
Anunsuspectedenemyisdoublydangerous.
