Дороті та Чарівник у країні Оз
8. The Valley of Voices
Presentlytheycametoalowplantwhichhadbroad,spreadingleaves,inthecenterofwhichgrewasinglefruitaboutaslargeasapeach.Thefruitwassodaintilycoloredandsofragrant,andlookedsoappetizinganddeliciousthatDorothystoppedandexclaimed:
"Whatisit,doyous’pose?"
Thepigletshadsmelledthefruitquickly,andbeforethegirlcouldreachoutherhandtopluckiteveryoneoftheninetinyoneshadrushedinandcommencedtodevouritwithgreateagerness.
"It’sgood,anyway,"saidZeb,"orthoselittlerascalswouldn’thavegobbleditupsogreedily."
"Wherearethey?"askedDorothy,inastonishment.
Theyalllookedaround,butthepigletshaddisappeared.
"Dearme!"criedtheWizard;"theymusthaverunaway.ButIdidn’tseethemgo;didyou?"
"No!"repliedtheboyandthegirl,together.
"Here,—piggy,piggy,piggy!"calledtheirmaster,anxiously.
Severalsquealsandgruntswereinstantlyheardathisfeet,buttheWizardcouldnotdiscoverasinglepiglet.
"Whereareyou?"heasked.
"Why,rightbesideyou,"spokeatinyvoice."Can’tyouseeus?"
"No,"answeredthelittleman,inapuzzledtone.
"Wecanseeyou,"saidanotherofthepiglets.
TheWizardstoopeddownandputouthishand,andatoncefeltthesmallfatbodyofoneofhispets.Hepickeditup,butcouldnotseewhatheheld.
"Itisverystrange,"saidhe,soberly."Thepigletshavebecomeinvisible,insomecuriousway."
"I’llbetit’sbecausetheyatethatpeach!"criedthekitten.
"Itwasn’tapeach,Eureka,"saidDorothy."Ionlyhopeitwasn’tpoison.
