Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз
4. The Vegetable Kingdom
"Butittookagoodmanyyearsforthemtogrowaslargeandfineastheyarenow.ThatiswhywearesoangrywhenaRainofStonescomestobreakourtowersandcrackourroofs."
"Can’tyoumendthem?"sheenquired.
"No;buttheywillgrowtogetheragain,intime,andwemustwaituntiltheydo."
Theyfirstpassedthroughmanybeautifulgardensofflowers,whichgrewnearestthecity;butDorothycouldhardlytellwhatkindofflowerstheywere,becausethecolorswereconstantlychangingundertheshiftinglightsofthesixsuns.Aflowerwouldbepinkonesecond,whitethenext,thenblueoryellow;anditwasthesamewaywhentheycametotheplants,whichhadbroadleavesandgrewclosetotheground.
WhentheypassedoverafieldofgrassJimimmediatelystretcheddownhisheadandbegantonibble.
"Anicecountrythisis,"hegrumbled,"wherearespectablehorsehastoeatpinkgrass!"
"It’sviolet,"saidtheWizard,whowasinthebuggy.
"Nowit’sblue,"complainedthehorse."Asamatteroffact,I’meatingrainbowgrass."
"Howdoesittaste?"askedtheWizard.
"Notbadatall,"saidJim."IftheygivemeplentyofitI’llnotcomplainaboutitscolor."
Bythistimethepartyhadreachedafreshlyplowedfield,andthePrincesaidtoDorothy:
"Thisisourplanting-ground."
SeveralMangabooscameforwardwithglassspadesanddugaholeintheground.ThentheyputthetwohalvesoftheSorcererintoitandcoveredhimup.Afterthatotherpeoplebroughtwaterfromabrookandsprinkledtheearth.
