Волшебство страны Оз
9. The Isle of the Magic Flower
Somethingglitteredinthemiddleofthistinyisland,andtheGlassCatpausedonthebankandsaid:
"Thereisthegoldflower-potcontainingtheMagicFlower,whichisverycuriousandbeautiful.Ifyoucangettotheisland,yourtaskisended—excepttocarrythethinghomewithyou."
Cap’nBilllookedatthebroadexpanseofwaterandbegantowhistlealow,quaveringtune.TrotknewthatthewhistlemeantthatCap’nBillwasthinking,andtheoldsailordidn’tlookattheislandasmuchashelookedatthetreesuponthebankwheretheystood.Presentlyhetookfromthebigpocketofhiscoatanaxe-blade,woundinanoldclothtokeepthesharpedgefromcuttinghisclothing.Then,withalargepocketknife,hecutasmalllimbfromatreeandwhittleditintoahandleforhisaxe.
"Sitdown,Trot,"headvisedthegirl,asheworked."I’vegotquiteajobaheadofmenow,forI’vegottobuildusaraft."
"Whatdoweneedaraftfor,Cap’n?"
"Why,totakeustotheisland.Wecan’twalkunderwater,intheriverbed,astheGlassCatdid,sowemustfloatatopthewater."
"Canyoumakearaft,Cap’nBill?"
"O’course,Trot,ifyougivemetime."
ThelittlegirlsatdownonalogandgazedattheIslandoftheMagicFlower.Nothingelseseemedtogrowonthetinyisle.Therewasnotree,noshrub,nograss,even,asfarasshecouldmakeoutfromthatdistance.Butthegoldpotglitteredintheraysofthesun,andTrotcouldcatchglimpsesofglowingcolorsaboveit,astheMagicFlowerchangedfromonesorttoanother.
