Озма з країни Оз
15. Billina Frightens the Nome King
"I’llhaveyouknowallmyeggsarewarrantedstrictlyfreshanduptodate.Poison,indeed!"
"Youdon’tunderstand,"retortedthelittlemonarch,nervously."Eggsbelongonlytotheoutsideworld--totheworldontheearth’ssurface,whereyoucamefrom.Here,inmyundergroundkingdom,theyarerankpoison,asIsaid,andweNomescan’tbearthemaround."
"Well,you’llhavetobearthisonearound,"declaredBillina;"forI’velaidit."
"Where?"askedtheKing.
"Underyourthrone,"saidthehen.
TheKingjumpedthreefeetintotheair,soanxiouswashetogetawayfromthethrone.
"Takeitaway!Takeitawayatonce!"heshouted.
"Ican’t,"saidBillina."Ihaven’tanyhands."
"I’lltaketheegg,"saidtheScarecrow."I’mmakingacollectionofBillina’seggs.There’soneinmypocketnow,thatshelaidyesterday."
Hearingthis,themonarchhastenedtoputagooddistancebetweenhimselfandtheScarecrow,whowasabouttoreachunderthethronefortheeggwhenthehensuddenlycried:
"Stop!"
"What’swrong?"askedtheScarecrow.
"Don’ttaketheeggunlesstheKingwillallowmetoenterthepalaceandguessastheothershavedone,"saidBillina.
"Pshaw!"returnedtheKing."You’reonlyahen.Howcouldyouguessmyenchantments?"
"Icantry,Isuppose,"saidBillina."And,ifIfail,youwillhaveanotherornament."
"Aprettyornamentyou’dmake,wouldn’tyou?"growledtheKing."Butyoushallhaveyourway.Itwillproperlypunishyoufordaringtolayanegginmypresence.AftertheScarecrowisenchantedyoushallfollowhimintothepalace.