Дороті та Чарівник у країні Оз
13. The Den of the Dragonettes
"Woogh!"snarledEureka,archingherbackuntilherhairstoodstraightonend;"it’sdenofalligators,orcrocodiles,orsomeotherdreadfulcreatures!Don’tyouseetheirterribleeyes?"
"Eurekaseesbetterinthedarkthanwecan,"whisperedDorothy."Tellus,dear,whatdothecreatureslooklike?"sheasked,addressingherpet.
"Isimplycan’tdescribe’em,"answeredthekitten,shuddering."Theireyesarelikepie-platesandtheirmouthslikecoal-scuttles.Buttheirbodiesdon’tseemverybig."
"Wherearethey?"enquiredthegirl.
"Theyareinlittlepocketsallaroundtheedgeofthiscavern.Oh,Dorothy—youcan’timaginewhathorridthingstheyare!They’reuglierthantheGargoyles."
"Tut-tut!becarefulhowyoucriticiseyourneighbors,"spokearaspingvoicenearby."Asamatteroffactyouareratherugly-lookingcreaturesyourselves,andI’msuremotherhasoftentoldusweweretheloveliestandprettiestthingsinalltheworld."
Hearingthesewordsourfriendsturnedinthedirectionofthesound,andtheWizardheldhislanternssothattheirlightwouldfloodoneofthelittlepocketsintherock.
"Why,it’sadragon!"heexclaimed.
"No,"answeredtheownerofthebigyelloweyeswhichwereblinkingatthemsosteadily;"youarewrongaboutthat.Wehopetogrowtobedragonssomeday,butjustnowwe’reonlydragonettes."
"What’sthat?"askedDorothy,gazingfearfullyatthegreatscaleyhead,theyawningmouthandthebigeyes.
"Youngdragons,ofcourse;butwearenotallowedtocallourselvesrealdragonsuntilwegetourfullgrowth,"wasthereply.