Дороти и Волшебник в стране Оз
4. The Vegetable Kingdom
"Hewillsproutverysoon,"saidthePrince,"andgrowintoalargebush,fromwhichweshallintimebeabletopickseveralverygoodsorcerers."
"Doallyourpeoplegrowonbushes?"askedtheboy.
"Certainly,"wasthereply."Donotallpeoplegrowuponbusheswhereyoucamefrom,ontheoutsideoftheearth?"
"NotthatIeverhearof."
"Howstrange!ButifyouwillcomewithmetooneofourfolkgardensIwillshowyouthewaywegrowintheLandoftheMangaboos."
Itappearedthattheseoddpeople,whiletheywereabletowalkthroughtheairwithease,usuallymoveduponthegroundintheordinaryway.Therewerenostairsintheirhouses,becausetheydidnotneedthem,butonalevelsurfacetheygenerallywalkedjustaswedo.
ThelittlepartyofstrangersnowfollowedthePrinceacrossafewmoreoftheglassbridgesandalongseveralpathsuntiltheycametoagardenenclosedbyahighhedge.Jimhadrefusedtoleavethefieldofgrass,wherehewasengagedinbusilyeating;sotheWizardgotoutofthebuggyandjoinedZebandDorothy,andthekittenfolloweddemurelyattheirheels.
Insidethehedgetheycameuponrowafterrowoflargeandhandsomeplantswithbroadleavesgracefullycurvinguntiltheirpointsnearlyreachedtheground.InthecenterofeachplantgrewadaintilydressedMangaboo,fortheclothingofallthesecreaturesgrewuponthemandwasattachedtotheirbodies.
ThegrowingMangabooswereofallsizes,fromtheblossomthathadjustturnedintoaweebabytothefull-grownandalmostripemanorwoman.
