Путешествие в Страну Оз

           "

           "Don’ttheygotoschool?"askedDorothy.

           "Alldonkeysarebornwise,"wasthereply,"sotheonlyschoolweneedistheschoolofexperience.Booksareonlyforthosewhoknownothing,andsoareobligedtolearnthingsfromotherpeople."

           "Inotherwords,themorestupidoneis,themorehethinksheknows,"observedtheshaggyman.Thegreydonkeypaidnoattentiontothisspeechbecausehehadjuststoppedbeforeahousewhichhadpaintedoverthedoorwayapairofhoofs,withadonkeytailbetweenthemandarudecrownandsceptreabove.

           "I’llseeifhismagnificentMajestyKingKik-a-brayisathome,"saidhe.Heliftedhisheadandcalled"Whee-haw!whee-haw!whee-haw!"threetimes,inashockingvoice,turningaboutandkickingwithhisheelsagainstthepanelofthedoor.Foratimetherewasnoreply;thenthedooropenedfarenoughtopermitadonkey’sheadtostickoutandlookatthem.

           Itwasawhitehead,withbig,awfulearsandround,solemneyes.

           "Havethefoxesgone?"itasked,inatremblingvoice.

           "Theyhaven’tbeenhere,moststupendousMajesty,"repliedthegreyone."Thenewarrivalsprovetobetravelersofdistinction."

           "Oh,"saidtheKing,inarelievedtoneofvoice."Letthemcomein."

           Heopenedthedoorwide,andthepartymarchedintoabigroom,which,Dorothythought,lookedquiteunlikeaking’spalace.Therewerematsofwovengrassesonthefloorandtheplacewascleanandneat;buthisMajestyhadnootherfurnitureatall—perhapsbecausehedidn’tneedit.