Волшебство страны Оз

           "I’mthegreatForestMagician,asanybeastcantellyou,butevenIhavenopowertodestroythedreadfulcharmoftheMagicIsle."

           "Areyoulonesomebecauseyou’reamagician?"inquiredDorothy.

           "No;I’mlonesomebecauseIhavenofamilyandnofriends.ButIliketobelonesome,sopleasedon’toffertobefriendlywithme.Goaway,andtrynottosteponmyDiamondPalace."

           "Whereisit?"askedthegirl.

           "Behindthisbush."

           Dorothyhoppedoffthelion’sbackandranaroundthebushtoseetheDiamondPalaceoftheLonesomeDuck,althoughthegaudyfowlprotestedinaseriesoflowquacks.Thegirlfound,indeed,aglisteningdomeformedofclearestdiamonds,neatlycementedtogether,withadoorwayatthesidejustbigenoughtoadmittheduck.

           "Wheredidyoufindsomanydiamonds?"askedDorothy,wonderingly.

           "Iknowaplaceinthemountainswheretheyarethickaspebbles,"saidtheLonesomeDuck,"andIbroughtthemhereinmybill,onebyoneandputthemintheriverandletthewaterrunoverthemuntiltheywerebrightlypolished.ThenIbuiltthispalace,andI’mpositiveit’stheonlyDiamondPalaceinalltheworld."

           "It’stheonlyoneIknowof,"saidthelittlegirl;"butifyouliveinitallalone,Idon’tseewhyit’sanybetterthanawoodenpalace,oroneofbricksorcobble-stones."

           "You’renotsupposedtounderstandthat,"retortedtheLonesomeDuck."ButImighttellyou,asamatterofeducation,thatahomeofanysortshouldbebeautifultothosewholiveinit,andshouldnotbeintendedtopleasestrangers.TheDiamondPalaceismyhome,andIlikeit.