Смарагдове місто країни Оз
6. How Guph Visited the Whimsies
TheNomeswereusedtomakingtunnels,asallthekingdominwhichtheylivedwasunderground;sotheymaderapidprogress.
WhilethisworkwasgoingonGeneralGuphstartedoutalonetovisittheChiefoftheWhimsies.
TheseWhimsieswerecuriouspeoplewholivedinaretiredcountryoftheirown.Theyhadlarge,strongbodies,butheadssosmallthattheywerenobiggerthandoor-knobs.Ofcourse,suchtinyheadscouldnotcontainanygreatamountofbrains,andtheWhimsiesweresoashamedoftheirpersonalappearanceandlackofcommonsensethattheyworebigheadsmadeofpasteboard,whichtheyfastenedovertheirownlittleheads.Onthesepasteboardheadstheysewedsheep’swoolforhair,andthewoolwascoloredmanytints--pink,greenandlavenderbeingthefavoritecolors.Thefacesofthesefalseheadswerepaintedinmanyridiculousways,accordingtothewhimsoftheowners,andthesebig,burlycreatureslookedsowhimsicalandabsurdintheirqueermasksthattheywerecalled"Whimsies."Theyfoolishlyimaginedthatnoonewouldsuspectthelittleheadsthatwereinsidetheimitationones,notknowingthatitisfollytotrytoappearotherwisethanasnaturehasmadeus.
TheChiefoftheWhimsieshadaslittlewisdomastheothers,andhadbeenchosenchiefmerelybecausenoneamongthemwasanywiserormorecapableofruling.TheWhimsieswereevilspiritsandcouldnotbekilled.Theywerehatedandfearedbyeveryoneandwereknownasterriblefightersbecausetheyweresostrongandmuscularandhadnotsenseenoughtoknowwhentheyweredefeated.
