Подорож до Країни Оз
6. The City of Beasts
"
"DoyoureallyexpecttogettoOz?"inquiredtheshaggyman,takingadrinkofcoldtea.
"Idon’tknowjustwhatto’spect,"answeredthechild,seriously;"butI’venoticedifIhappentogetlostI’malmostsuretocometotheLandofOzintheend,somehow’rother;soImaygettherethistime.ButIcan’tpromise,youknow;allIcandoiswaitandsee."
"WilltheScarecrowscareme?"askedButton-Bright.
"No;’causeyou’renotacrow,"shereturned."Hehastheloveliestsmileyoueversaw—onlyit’spaintedonandhecan’thelpit."
Luncheonbeingovertheystartedagainupontheirjourney,theshaggyman,DorothyandButton-Brightwalkingsoberlyalong,sidebyside,andtheRainbow’sDaughterdancingmerrilybeforethem.
Sometimesshedartedalongtheroadsoswiftlythatshewasnearlyoutofsight,thenshecametrippingbacktogreetthemwithhersilverylaughter.Butonceshecamebackmoresedately,tosay:
"There’sacityalittlewayoff."
"I’spectedthat,"returnedDorothy;"forthefox-peoplewarnedustherewasoneonthisroad.It’sfilledwithstupidbeastsofsomesort,butwemusn’tbeafraidof’em’causetheywon’thurtus."
"Allright,"saidButton-Bright;butPolychromedidn’tknowwhetheritwasallrightornot.
"It’sabigcity,"shesaid,"andtheroadrunsstraightthroughit."
"Nevermind,"saidtheshaggyman;"aslongasIcarrytheLoveMagneteverylivingthingwillloveme,andyoumaybesureIshan’tallowanyofmyfriendstobeharmedinanyway."
Thiscomfortedthemsomewhat,andtheymovedonagain.
