Смарагдове місто країни Оз
7. How Aunt Em Conquered the Lion
DorothyandDanielaretwogoodnames,andIseenoobjectinhuntingforothers,"declaredtheYellowHen."Butjustthink,Dorothy,whatabigchickenfamilywe’vegrowntobe,andournumbersincreasenearlyeveryday!Ozmadoesn’tknowwhattodowithalltheeggswelay,andwearenevereatenorharmedinanyway,aschickensareinyourcountry.Theygiveuseverythingtomakeuscontentedandhappy,andI,mydear,amtheacknowledgedQueenandGovernorofeverychickeninOz,becauseI’mtheeldestandstartedthewholecolony."
"Yououghttobeveryproud,ma’am,"saidUncleHenry,whowasastonishedtohearahentalksosensibly.
"Oh,Iam,"shereplied."I’vetheloveliestpearlnecklaceyoueversaw.ComeinthehouseandI’llshowittoyou.AndI’veninelegbraceletsandadiamondpinforeachwing.ButIonlywearthemonstateoccasions."
TheyfollowedtheYellowHenintothehouse,whichAuntEmdeclaredwasneatasapin.Theycouldnotsitdown,becauseallBillina’schairswereroosting-polesmadeofsilver;sotheyhadtostandwhilethehenfussilyshowedthemhertreasures.
ThentheyhadtogointothebackroomsoccupiedbyBillina’snineDorothysandtwoDaniels,whowereallplumpyellowchickensandgreetedthevisitorsverypolitely.ItwaseasytoseethattheywerewellbredandthatBillinahadlookedaftertheireducation.
Intheyardswereallthechildrenandgrandchildrenoftheseeleveneldersandtheywereofallsizes,fromwell-grownhenstotinychickensjustoutoftheshell.