Волшебство страны Оз
8. The Li-Mon-Eags Make Trouble
"Thebeastsoftheforestmustdecidethismatterforthemselves,"hesaid."Goyou,RangotheGrayApe,andtellyourmonkeytribetoorderalltheforestbeaststoassembleintheGreatClearingatsunriseto-morrow.Whenallaregatheredtogether,thismixed-upBeastwhoisamagicianshalltalktothemandtellthemwhathehastoldus.Then,iftheydecidetofighttheOzpeople,whohavedeclaredwaronus,Iwillleadthebeaststobattle."
RangotheGrayApeturnedatonceandglidedswiftlythroughtheforestonhismission.TheBeargaveagruntandwalkedaway.GugutheKingroseandstretchedhimself.ThenhesaidtoRuggedo:"Meetusatsunriseto-morrow,"andwithstatelystridevanishedamongthetrees.
Theman-unicorn,leftalonewiththestrangers,suddenlystoppedhisfoolishprancing.
"You’dbettermakemeaUnicornagain,"hesaid."Ilikebeingaman,buttheforestbeastswon’tknowI’mtheirfriend,Loo,andtheymighttearmeinpiecesbeforemorning."
SoKikichangedhimbacktohisformershape,andtheUnicorndepartedtojoinhispeople.
RuggedotheNomewasmuchpleasedwithhissuccess.
"To-morrow,"hesaidtoKikiAru,"we’llwinoverthesebeastsandsetthemtofightandconquertheOzpeople.ThenIwillhavemyrevengeonOzmaandDorothyandalltherestofmyenemies."
"ButIamdoingallthework,"saidKiki.
"Nevermind;you’regoingtobeKingofOz,"promisedRuggedo.
"WillthebigLeopardletmebeKing?"askedtheboyanxiously.
TheNomecameclosetohimandwhispered:
"IfGugutheLeopardopposesus,youwilltransformhimintoatree,andthenhewillbehelpless
