Подорож до Країни Оз
8. The Musicker
"
Thispraiseseemedtopleasethelittlefatmusicker,forheswelledouthischest,lookedimportantandsangasfollows:
Iwearnobandaroundme,
AndyetIamaband!
Idonotstraintomakemystrains
But,ontheotherhand,
Mytootisalwaysdestitute
Offlatsorothererrors;
Toseesharpandbenaturalare
Formebutminorterrors.
"Idon’tquiteunderstandthat,"saidPolychrome,withapuzzledlook;"butperhapsit’sbecauseI’maccustomedonlytothemusicofthespheres."
"What’sthat?"askedButton-Bright.
"Oh,Pollymeanstheatmosphereandhemisphere,Is’pose,"explainedDorothy.
"Oh,"saidButton-Bright.
"Bow-wow!"saidToto.
Butthemusickerwasstillbreathinghisconstant
Oom,pom-pom;Oompom-pom—
anditseemedtojarontheshaggyman’snerves.
"Stopit,can’tyou?"hecriedangrily;"orbreatheinawhisper;orputaclothes-pinonyournose.Dosomething,anyhow!"
Butthefatone,withasadlook,sangthisanswer:
Musichathcharms,anditmay
Sootheeventhesavage,theysay;
Soifsavageyoufeel
Justlisttomyreel,
Forsoothtosaythat’stherealway.
Theshaggymanhadtolaughatthis,andwhenhelaughedhestretchedhisdonkeymouthwideopen.SaidDorothy:
"Idon’tknowhowgoodhispoetryis,butitseemstofitthenotes,sothat’sallthatcanbe’xpected."
"Ilikeit,"saidButton-Bright,whowasstaringhardatthemusicker,hislittlelegsspreadwideapart.Tothesurpriseofhiscompanions,theboyaskedthislongquestion:
"IfIswallowedamouth-organ,whatwouldIbe?"
"Anorganette,"saidtheshaggyman.