Смарагдове місто країни Оз
12. How they Matched the Fuddles
"SomeMunchkinscamehereafewdaysagoandmatchedalotofpeopletogether,"saidthekangaroo."Ithinktheyaretogetheryet,andifyougosoftly,withoutmakinganynoise,perhapstheywon’tscatter."
"Let’stryit,"suggestedtheWizard.
SotheystoppedtheSawhorseandgotoutofthewagon,and,afterbiddinggoodbyetothekangaroo,whohoppedawayhome,theyenteredthefieldandverycautiouslyapproachedthegroupofhouses.
Sosilentlydidtheymovethatsoontheysawthroughthewindowsofthehouses,peoplemovingaround,whileotherswerepassingtoandfrointheyardsbetweenthebuildings.Theyseemedmuchlikeotherpeoplefromadistance,andapparentlytheydidnotnoticethelittlepartysoquietlyapproaching.
TheyhadalmostreachedthenearesthousewhenTotosawalargebeetlecrossingthepathandbarkedloudlyatit.Instantlyawildclatterwasheardfromthehousesandyards.Dorothythoughtitsoundedlikeasuddenhailstorm,andthevisitors,knowingthatcautionwasnolongernecessary,hurriedforwardtoseewhathadhappened.
Aftertheclatteranintensestillnessreignedinthetown.Thestrangersenteredthefirsthousetheycameto,whichwasalsothelargest,andfoundthefloorstrewnwithpiecesofthepeoplewholivedthere.Theylookedmuchlikefragmentsofwoodneatlypainted,andwereofallsortsofcuriousandfantasticshapes,notwopiecesbeinginanywayalike.
Theypickedupsomeofthesepiecesandlookedatthemcarefully.
