Смарагдове місто країни Оз

           "

           "ImustspeaktoOzmaaboutthat,"saidtheWizard,withaslightfrown."Itwouldn’tdoatall,youknow,fortheEmeraldCitytobecomeaway-stationonanairshipline."

           "No,"saidDorothy,"Idon’ts’poseitwould.Butwhatcanwedotopreventit?"

           "I’mworkingoutamagicrecipetofuddlemen’sbrains,sothey’llnevermakeanairshipthatwillgowheretheywantittogo,"theWizardconfidedtoher."Thatwon’tkeepthethingsfromflying,nowandthen,butit’llkeepthemfromflyingtotheLandofOz."

           JustthentheSawhorsedrewthewagonoutoftheforestandabeautifullandscapelayspreadbeforethetravelers’eyes.Moreover,rightbeforethemwasagoodroadthatwoundawaythroughthehillsandvalleys.

           "Now,"saidtheWizard,withevidentdelight,"weareontherighttrackagain,andthereisnothingmoretoworryabout."

           "It’safoolishthingtotakechancesinastrangecountry,"observedtheShaggyMan."Hadwekepttotheroadsweneverwouldhavebeenlost.Roadsalwaysleadtosomeplace,elsetheywouldn’tberoads."

           "Thisroad,"addedtheWizard,"leadstoRigmaroleTown.I’msureofthatbecauseIenchantedthewagonwheels."

           Sureenough,afterridingalongtheroadforanhourortwotheyenteredaprettyvalleywhereavillagewasnestledamongthehills.ThehouseswereMunchkinshaped,fortheywerealldomes,withwindowswiderthantheywerehigh,andprettybalconiesoverthefrontdoors.

           AuntEmwasgreatlyrelievedtofindthistown"neitherpapernorpatch-work,"andtheonlysurprisingthingaboutitwasthatitwassofardistantfromallothertowns.