Волшебство страны Оз
5. A Happy Corner of Oz
Whentoldtoenter,DorothyfoundthatTrothadcompany,anoldsailor-manwithonewoodenlegandonemeatleg,whowassittingbytheopenwindowpuffingsmokefromacorn-cobpipe.Thissailor-manwasnamedCap’nBill,andhehadaccompaniedTrottotheLandofOzandwasheroldestandmostfaithfulcomradeandfriend.DorothylikedCap’nBill,too,andaftershehadgreetedhim,shesaidtoTrot:
"Youknow,Ozma’sbirthdayisnextmonth,andI’vebeenwonderingwhatIcangivehereasabirthdaypresent.She’ssogoodtousallthatwecertainlyoughttorememberherbirthday."
"That’strue,"agreedTrot."I’vebeenwondering,too,whatIcouldgiveOzma.It’sprettyhardtodecide,’causeshe’sgotalreadyallshewants,andasshe’safairyandknowsalotaboutmagic,shecouldsatisfyanywish."
"Iknow,"returnedDorothy,"butthatisn’tthepoint.Itisn’tthatOzmaNEEDSanything,butthatitwillpleasehertoknowwe’verememberedherbirthday.Butwhatshallwegiveher?"
Trotshookherheadindespair.
"I’vetriedtothinkandIcan’t,"shedeclared.
"It’sthesamewaywithme,"saidDorothy.
"Iknowonethingthat’udpleaseher,"remarkedCap’nBill,turninghisroundfacewithitsfringeofwhiskerstowardthetwogirlsandstaringatthemwithhisbig,light-blueeyeswideopen.
"Whatisit,Cap’nBill?"
"It’sanEnchantedFlower,"saidhe."It’saprettyplantthatstandsinagoldenflower-potan’growsallsortso’flowers,oneafteranother.
