Изумрудный город страны Оз
14. How the Wizard Practiced Sorcery
Buttheyrodealongincheerfulcontentment,andAuntEmgotintoanargumentwithBillinaabouttheproperwaytoraisechickens.
"Idonotcaretocontradictyou,"saidtheYellowHen,withdignity,"butIhaveanideaIknowmoreaboutchickensthanhumanbeingsdo."
"Pshaw!"repliedAuntEm."I’veraisedchickensfornearlyfortyyears,Billina,andIknowyou’vegottostarve’emtomake’emlaylotsofeggs,andstuff’emifyouwantgoodbroilers."
"Broilers!"exclaimedBillina,inhorror."Broilmychickens!"
"Why,that’swhatthey’refor,ain’tit?"askedAuntEm,astonished.
"No,Aunt,notinOz,"saidDorothy."Peopledonoteatchickenshere.Yousee,Billinawasthefirsthenthatwaseverseeninthiscountry,andIbroughtherheremyself.Everybodylikedheran’respectedher,sotheOzpeoplewouldn’tanymoreeatherchickensthantheywouldeatBillina."
"Well,Ideclare,"gaspedAuntEm."Howabouttheeggs?"
"Oh,ifwehavemoreeggsthanwewanttohatch,weallowpeopletoeatthem,"saidBillina."Indeed,IamverygladtheOzfolkslikeoureggs,forotherwisetheywouldspoil."
"Thiscertainlyisaqueercountry,"sighedAuntEm.
"Excuseme,"calledtheSawhorse,"thepathhasendedandI’dliketoknowwhichwaytogo."
Theylookedaroundandsureenoughtherewasnopathtobeseen.
"Well,"saidDorothy,"we’regoingsouthwest,anditseemsjustaseasytofollowthatdirectionwithoutapathaswithone."
"Certainly,"answeredtheSawhorse."Itisnothardtodrawthewagonoverthemeadow.Ionlywanttoknowwheretogo.