Волшебство страны Оз

           AndI’venothingtodo.I’velivedalongtime,andI’vegottoliveforever,becauseIbelongintheLandofOz,wherenolivingthingdies.Thinkofexistingyearafteryear,withnofriends,nofamily,andnothingtodo!CanyouwonderI’mlonesome?"

           "Whydon’tyoumakeafewfriends,andfindsomethingtodo?"inquiredCap’nBill.

           "Ican’tmakefriendsbecauseeveryoneImeet—bird,beast,orperson—isdisagreeabletome.InafewminutesIshallbeunabletobearyoursocietylonger,andthenI’llgoawayandleaveyou,"saidtheLonesomeDuck."And,asfordoinganything,there’snouseinit.AllImeetaredoingsomething,soIhavedecidedit’scommonanduninterestingandIprefertoremainlonesome."

           "Don’tyouhavetohuntforyourfood?"askedTrot.

           "No.Inmydiamondpalace,alittlewayuptheriver,foodismagicallysuppliedme;butIseldomeat,becauseitissocommon."

           "YoumustbeaMagicianDuck,"remarkedCap’nBill.

           "Whyso?"

           "Well,ordinaryducksdon’thavediamondpalacesan’magicfood,likeyoudo."

           "True;andthat’sanotherreasonwhyI’mlonesome.YoumustrememberI’mtheonlyDuckintheLandofOz,andI’mnotlikeanyotherduckintheoutsideworld."

           "SeemstomeyouLIKEbein’lonesome,"observedCap’nBill.

           "Ican’tsayIlikeit,exactly,"repliedtheDuck,"butsinceitseemstobemyfate,I’mratherproudofit."

           "Howdoyous’poseasingle,solitaryDuckhappenedtobeintheLandofOz?"askedTrot,wonderingly.

           "Iusedtoknowthereason,manyyearsago,butI’vequiteforgottenit,"declaredtheDuck.