Дороті та Чарівник у країні Оз
12. A Wonderful Escape
"Whatanawfulfight!"saidDorothy,catchingherbreathinlittlegasps.
"Oh,Idon’tknow,"purredEureka,smoothingherruffledfurwithherpaw;"wedidn’tmanagetohurtanybody,andnobodymanagedtohurtus."
"Thankgoodnesswearetogetheragain,evenifweareprisoners,"sighedthelittlegirl.
"Iwonderwhytheydidn’tkillusonthespot,"remarkedZeb,whohadlosthiskinginthestruggle.
"Theyareprobablykeepingusforsomeceremony,"theWizardanswered,reflectively;"butthereisnodoubttheyintendtokillusasdeadaspossibleinashorttime."
"Asdeadasposs’blewouldbeprettydead,wouldn’tit?"askedDorothy.
"Yes,mydear.Butwehavenoneedtoworryaboutthatjustnow.Letusexamineourprisonandseewhatitislike."
Thespaceunderneaththeroof,wheretheystood,permittedthemtoseeonallsidesofthetallbuilding,andtheylookedwithmuchcuriosityatthecityspreadoutbeneaththem.Everythingvisiblewasmadeofwood,andthesceneseemedstiffandextremelyunnatural.
Fromtheirplatformastairdescendedintothehouse,andthechildrenandtheWizardexploreditafterlightingalanterntoshowthemtheway.Severalstoriesofemptyroomsrewardedtheirsearch,butnothingmore;soafteratimetheycamebacktotheplatformagain.Hadtherebeenanydoorsorwindowsinthelowerrooms,orhadnottheboardsofthehousebeensothickandstout,escapecouldhavebeeneasy;buttoremaindownbelowwaslikebeinginacellarortheholdofaship,andtheydidnotlikethedarknessorthedampsmell.