Дороті та Чарівник у країні Оз
17. The Nine Tiny Piglets
"Ibegyourpardon,I’msure,"saidJim,meekly."IwaswrongtokicktheSawhorse,andIamsorryIbecameangryathim.Hehaswontherace,andwonitfairly;butwhatcanahorseoffleshdoagainstatirelessbeastofwood?"
HearingthisapologytheTigerandtheLionstoppedlashingtheirtailsandretreatedwithdignifiedstepstothesideofthePrincess.
"Noonemustinjureoneofourfriendsinourpresence,"growledtheLion;andZebrantoJimandwhisperedthatunlesshecontrolledhistemperinthefuturehewouldprobablybetorntopieces.
ThentheTinWoodmancutastraightandstronglimbfromatreewithhisgleamingaxeandmadeanewlegandanewearfortheSawhorse;andwhentheyhadbeensecurelyfastenedinplacePrincessOzmatookthecoronetfromherownheadandplacedituponthatofthewinneroftherace.Saidshe:
"Myfriend,IrewardyouforyourswiftnessbyproclaimingyouPrinceofHorses,whetherofwoodorofflesh;andhereafterallotherhorses—intheLandofOz,atleast—mustbeconsideredimitations,andyoutherealChampionofyourrace."
Therewasmoreapplauseatthis,andthenOzmahadthejewelledsaddlereplacedupontheSawhorseandherselfrodethevictorbacktothecityattheheadofthegrandprocession.
"Ioughttobeafairy,"grumbledJim,asheslowlydrewthebuggyhome;"fortobejustanordinaryhorseinafairycountryistobeofnoaccountwhatever.It’snoplaceforus,Zeb."
"It’sluckywegothere,though,"saidtheboy;andJimthoughtofthedarkcave,andagreedwithhim.
