Дороті та Чарівник у країні Оз
11. They Meet the Wooden Gargoyles
Thetopsoftheirheadshadnohair,butwerecarvedintoavarietyoffantasticshapes,somehavingarowofpointsorballsaroundthetop,othersdesignsresemblingflowersorvegetables,andstillothershavingsquaresthatlookedlikewafflescutcriss-crossontheirheads.Theyallworeshortwoodenwingswhichwerefastenedtotheirwoodenbodiesbymeansofwoodenhingeswithwoodenscrews,andwiththesewingstheyflewswiftlyandnoiselesslyhereandthere,theirlegsbeingoflittleusetothem.
ThisnoiselessmotionwasoneofthemostpeculiarthingsabouttheGargoyles.Theymadenosoundsatall,eitherinflyingortryingtospeak,andtheyconversedmainlybymeansofquicksignalsmadewiththeirwoodenfingersorlips.Neitherwasthereanysoundtobeheardanywherethroughoutthewoodencountry.Thebirdsdidnotsing,nordidthecowsmoo;yettherewasmorethanordinaryactivityeverywhere.
Thegroupofthesequeercreatureswhichwasdiscoveredclusterednearthestairsatfirstremainedstaringandmotionless,glaringwithevileyesattheintruderswhohadsosuddenlyappearedintheirland.InturntheWizardandthechildren,thehorseandthekitten,examinedtheGargoyleswiththesamesilentattention.
"There’sgoingtobetrouble,I’msure,"remarkedthehorse."Unhitchthosetugs,Zeb,andsetmefreefromthebuggy,soIcanfightcomfortably."
"Jim’sright,"sighedtheWizard."There’sgoingtobetrouble,andmyswordisn’tstoutenoughtocutupthosewoodenbodies—soIshallhavetogetoutmyrevolvers.
