Смарагдове місто країни Оз
12. How they Matched the Fuddles
"
"Yes,indeedIdo,"repliedtheanimal,stoppinghersobsandremovingherpawsfromherfacetolookatthelittlegirlreproachfully."Myhandswillgetallsunburnedandtannedwithoutmymittens,andI’vewornthemsolongthatI’llprobablycatchcoldwithoutthem."
"Nonsense!"saidDorothy."Ineverheardofanykangaroowearingmittens."
"Didn’tyou?"askedtheanimal,asifsurprised.
"Never!"repeatedthegirl."Andyou’llprobablymakeyourselfsickifyoudon’tstopcrying.Wheredoyoulive?"
"AbouttwomilesbeyondFuddlecumjig,"wastheanswer."GrandmotherGnitmademethemittens,andshe’soneoftheFuddles."
"Well,you’dbettergohomenow,andperhapstheoldladywillmakeyouanotherpair,"suggestedDorothy."We’reonourwaytoFuddlecumjig,andyoumayhopalongbesideus."
Sotheyrodeon,andthekangaroohoppedbesidetheredwagonandseemedquicklytohaveforgottenherloss.ByandbytheWizardsaidtotheanimal:
"AretheFuddlesnicepeople?"
"Oh,verynice,"answeredthekangaroo;"thatis,whenthey’reproperlyputtogether.Buttheygetdreadfullyscatteredandmixedup,attimes,andthenyoucan’tdoanythingwiththem."
"Whatdoyoumeanbytheirgettingscattered?"inquiredDorothy.
"Why,they’remadeinagoodmanysmallpieces,"explainedthekangaroo;"andwheneveranystrangercomesnearthemtheyhaveahabitoffallingapartandscatteringthemselvesaround.That’swhentheygetsodreadfullymixed,andit’sahardpuzzletoputthemtogetheragain."
"Whousuallyputsthemtogether?"askedOmbyAmby.
"Anyonewhoisabletomatchthepieces.
